There's certain albums that evoke a specific moment of time whenever you listen to them. Everyone has that one album they put on that takes them back to the very first time they heard it.
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2011 was a year filled with excellent music as numerous releases certainly qualify as albums that construe a precise period in time. At the same time, there are timeless releases sounding as prolific on the one hundredth listen back as it did on the first.
It was also a year with many impactful releases. 2011 saw the debut of artists like One Direction, Ed Sheeran, and Foster the People. It also saw the return of Beyoncé along with breakthrough albums by Adele and The Black Keys.
With many great releases in 2011, let's take a look at 13 notable albums that'll be celebrating their tenth anniversary in 2021.
Adele's best-selling album to date, and one of the best-selling albums of all time, hit shelves in January, 2011 and was met with immediate success. The album debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 chart and yielded five singles including "Rumour Has It," "Someone Like You," and "Rolling in the Deep." 21 took home two GRAMMY Awards including Album of the Year as "Rolling in the Deep" won numerous GRAMMYs including Record of the Year and Song of the Year.
What started as an EP evolved into a full-length album between two superstar rappers in the prime of their careers. Watch the Throne wasn't the first time Kanye West and Jay-Z had collaborated with one another, but it was their most successful partnership to date. The album immediately debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 chart and the subsequent tour is the highest-grossing hip hop tour in history. Featuring guest appearances from Beyoncé, Frank Ocean, The Dream, posthumous vocals from Otis Redding and Curtis Mayfield, as well as vocal contributions from Kid Cudi, Seal, and Bon Iver's Justin Vernon, this album is as high-profile as it gets.
Gaga's second studio album is a genre-bending experience fusing elements of dance, synthpop, techno, disco, electro, rock, house, heavy metal, and opera together. Aside from the massively popular title track, Born This Way also produced notable Gaga hits like "Judas" and "The Edge of Glory." The album received three GRAMMY nominations including Album of the Year and Best Pop Album.
While The Black Keys attained commercial success with their previous album Brothers, El Camino vaulted the band to another level as it debuted at number two on the Billboard 200. The album yielded two of the group's best known songs "Gold on the Ceiling" and "Lonely Boy," the latter of which won GRAMMYs for Best Rock Song and Best Rock Performance. Additionally, El Camino took home a GRAMMY for Best Rock Album.
Foo Fighters went old school on their seventh studio album as they ditched digital recording techniques and used analog equipment. Wasting Light was recorded in Dave Grohl's garage and beautifully captured the raw sound the band was known for. The album was the band's first to debut at number one on the Billboard 200 and also took home a GRAMMY for Best Rock Album.
After taking a brief hiatus, Beyoncé returned with a bang as 4 debuted at number one on the Billboard 200. The album saw Beyoncé take a personal route as the lyrics offered an intimate view into her life and perspectives. 4 was also her fourth consecutive solo album to debut at number one.
10 years ago, a singer-songwriter by the name of Ed Sheeran made his debut. + was Sheeran's first studio record after a string of independent EP releases. The album debuted at number five on the Billboard 200, but has gone on to sell over 1.2 million copies in the United States. While it may not be Sheeran's most popular or commercially successful record, it marks the beginning of the superstar journey he's embarked on over the past ten years.
Miranda Lambert's fourth studio album is one of her most successful in her career and was her highest-charting debut at the time coming in at number three on the Billboard 200. The album is a brilliant example of Lambert's songwriting prowess as she shows why she's a master storyteller. Four The Record also featured a diverse group of musicians receiving credit including Blake Shelton, Steve Winwood, Brandi Carlile, Chris Stapleton, and Kacey Musgraves.
Wiz's breakthrough album featured the hit single and Pittsburgh anthem "Black and Yellow," which ended up being one of the highest selling singles of 2010 when it was released. The album debuted at number two on the Billboard 200 and landed on the top spot on Billboard's R&B/Hip Hop and Rap Albums charts.
The debut record from Foster the People features one of 2011's most popular songs in "Pumped Up Kicks." Fusing indie rock with dance, pop, and electronica, the album is one of those records that successfully captures a specific period in time. Torches received a GRAMMY nomination for Best Alternative Music Album while "Pumped Up Kicks" grabbed a nomination for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance.
Drake's second studio album features an impressive list of guests including The Weeknd, Rihanna, Kendrick Lamar, Nicki Minaj, Rick Ross, Lil Wayne, and André 3000. The record debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 chart and earned Drake his first GRAMMY as it took home Best Rap Album. Plus, it arguably spawned the popularity of the acronym "YOLO."
It may not be the most popular album from the group, but it's monumental because it represents the beginning of One Direction. Featuring the hit singles "What Makes You Beautiful," "Gotta Be You," "One Thing," and "More Than This," Up All Night debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 chart.
Another album that perfectly encapsulates the indie rock sound of the time debuted at number six on the Billboard 200 chart. The album received a GRAMMY nomination for Best Pop Vocal Album while the hit single "Shake It Out" received a nomination for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance.
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