The Best Albums of the Decade, Ranked

Published on January 29, 2020 By Mathew Cohen

33. The Weeknd, House of Balloons, (2011)

While this debut mixtape for Canadian singer The Weeknd may have been released as a free download, this does not diminish its creative excellence. While primarily composed of elements of R&B and soul, this album also draws from influences of trip hop, indie rock, and dream pop. Also noteworthy is the fact that this album featured The Weeknd’s debut single, Wicked Games.

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This album provides listeners with the feeling that they are being transported the darker areas of hip hop that have rarely ever been frequented, particularly due to the beat switch in House of Balloons/ Glass Table Girls as well as the heaving outro in The Party & The Afterparty. This album was regarded as one of the best albums of 2011 by multiple media outlets, including Complex, The A.V. Club, and The Guardian.