Instead of asking the usual specific "What's your favourite album or band from the last decade" I'm here to be more general. Which year did you feel was the highpoint for this decade. Don't just pick the year your favourite album of the decade came out, average all the releases!
For me, I feel the choice to be pretty easy. 2007 was certainly the musical apex of this decade, IMO. Here's a couple of things that came out that year.
Neon Bible - Arcade Fire
Mmm... After the brilliant
Funeral Arcade Fire decided to come out with an album that nearly topped it. Nearly. The whole album just flowed so greatly; from the darker-than-Arcade-Fire-usually-is opener of Black Mirror all the way to the haunting My Body Is a Cage. Neon Bible is actually my favourite album from 2007 and it's just stupendous.
In Rainbows - Radiohead
Technically, the album was digitally released (for whatever price you felt) in very late 2006, but the actually pressings and distribution didn't happen until January 2007. This is the album where Radiohead finally convinced me they were worth their acclaim. After trying a couple disappointing albums out by them, I was ready to call it quits, but then I heard Jigsaw Falling into Place and oh my! From Thom Yorke's shifting vocal range over his own eerie harmony, along with the "studio-as-an-instrument" vibe, it was breathtaking. After that, what was left but the honeymoon? (purchasing the album)
Hmm, getting late. One more.
For Emma, Forever Ago - Bon Iver
Yes, yes, we all heard about him/it/this. His breaking away from his local band. "Going up to the mountains for three months alone." His recording most of this album there. "The universal loneliness in the songs." "The utter beauty of every piece." Luckily, everything we heard was so true. When I stumbled upon this album after its release, I really didn't know what I was getting into. At that time, Bon Iver had yet to become the overnight folk hero he's known as today (using the term folk more in reference to legend, than his music style). However, when I first put that album into my car's CD player, and hearing the opening chords of Flume along with Justin Vernon's very real, yet beautiful voice... I can't describe it. I really can't. I can't even count all the times I've probably shouted "I told you to be balanced, and I told you be kind" with this album as it sent me on the roller coaster-for-one that it creates. If you've not heard it, get it now.
Honourable Mentions:
Kala - M.I.A.
Mirrored - Battles
Let's Stay Friends - Les Savy Fav
Ire Works - The Dillinger Escape Plan
There were many stellar albums in 2007 though. Too many to really list here. Yep, I don't have any reservations when I say that 2007 was the best year this decade has seen in music. At least, that's my opinion. What's yours?