Listed below are the best albums of the 2020s (so far) as calculated from their overall rankings in over 58,000 greatest album charts. (Chart last updated: 3 hours ago).
"As this site's #1 and possibly only Charli XCX superfan, I will say: this album showcases the best of Charli XCX's interpretation of the hyperpop genre and should be recognized along with the rest of her solid body of work as some of the best experimental artpop of this era. The lyrics range from...""As this site's #1 and possibly only Charli XCX superfan, I will say: this album showcases the best of Charli XCX's interpretation of the hyperpop genre and should be recognized along with the rest of her solid body of work as some of the best experimental artpop of this era.
The lyrics range from personal and introspective to max cringe, but what else would we expect from Charli? She has brought out the best musical ideas from AG Cook and Sophie. She complains about being "almost famous" and the lack of commercial success, but Crash was her most successful record and an absolutely phenomenal record but didn't have what made her sound so great from her "core" PC Music sound, this one has everything crash has (Talk Talk) and also the HIFN craziness on the instrumental like Club Classics. Here's hoping more people who like Lady Gaga's Chromatica, or Magdalena Bay's Mercurial World, to check out Charli XCX.
"I want to dance with me when I get to the club"
Ship it"[+]Reply
"Not so sure as of right now. It kinda blends together, but also, I really dig that. It's a very large collection of songs, each one with something to set it apart. I really dig the atmosphere, and even though I don't think this will top their debut, I'm really happy they're back."Reply
"Having listened to it thrice today, and knowing the impetus for the record, Javelin stands as Sufjan Stevens's most open-hearted and devastating work to date, even more so than the thorny beauty of his magnificent Carrie & Lowell. Elegiac, wounded, and life-affirming through and through, Javelin ...""Having listened to it thrice today, and knowing the impetus for the record, Javelin stands as Sufjan Stevens's most open-hearted and devastating work to date, even more so than the thorny beauty of his magnificent Carrie & Lowell. Elegiac, wounded, and life-affirming through and through, Javelin is characteristically meditative and soulful, while crystalizing the folktronica sensibilities that he's wrestled with over the years into its most moving configurations yet, and that, despite its weight, is still so warm and inviting. One of the best from one of the best ever to do it."[+]Reply
"Holy shit. I didn't think anything would possibly beat Ants From Up There as my AOTY and now I find myself faced with an incredibly difficult decision. Right now, I genuinely think this might be the best album of the decade. At first I thought this album had lows, but after a few listens I realis...""Holy shit. I didn't think anything would possibly beat Ants From Up There as my AOTY and now I find myself faced with an incredibly difficult decision. Right now, I genuinely think this might be the best album of the decade. At first I thought this album had lows, but after a few listens I realised it's just that the highs are so high some of the best songs I've heard seem weak in comparison.
After repeat exposures, I can no longer even point to the best song here, as my bias to Eat Men Eat and Welcome To Hell has worn off. Hellfire is one of the best album openers I've ever heard, with Greep's showman-like fast-paced greetings and rantings literally welcoming you to hell. The album then launches into the best 3-song run I've heard since The Place Where He Inserted the Blade through Basketball Shoes, starting with Sugar/Tzu, a song very much in the same vein as the two singles - a detailed, graphic tale of the worst humanity has to offer.
The album slows a little with the appropriately titled "Still", the only other song on this album featuring vocals by Cameron Picton, and boy do I wish they'd let him out more often. The cryptic lyrics and smooth delivery remind me of MGMT in a way. The track switches things up several times, with a quiet acoustic middle and a soothing ambient ending that fades into a locked groove loop reminiscent of the way the Beatles closed off Sgt Pepper. Half Time serves it's purpose well as a breather between the two longest tracks on the album and a cheeky reference to black midi's alter ego the Orange Tree Boys. There's also a bit of morse code in there which I can't wait for someone with more patience than me to translate.
The Race Is About To Begin kicks the 2nd half into 1st gear immediately, continuing the story of a character previously introduced in Welcome To Hell. Despite being the longest song on the album, it never settles into a groove, shifting and changing every minute, becoming more chaotic as it becomes a descent into addiction, madness, and shacks. Like Still, it ends on a quieter note, with a delicate ballad that reminisces on how people can change.
Dangerous Liasons, The Defence and 27 Questions form another trilogy of songs mirroring the first half of the album, each telling a story of the worst of humanity - A man tempted into murder with promises of money, a brothel owner attempting to justify his trade, and finally the closer 27 Questions, in which an audience revels at the suffering of a dying man. This song is a great way to close the album, with a show-tune style section that recalls the opener and passes a number of philosophical (and funny) questions onto the listener.
In conclusion, Black Country, New Road and black midi have both released masterpieces this year. This feels like the logical conclusion (or perhaps a new phase) of the new British Post-Punk scene that's cropped up since 2016, with it's two forefront bands releasing what will be remembered as two of the greatest albums of all time. No pressure Squid."[+]Reply
"This surprised me a lot, after following up her critical breakthrough Norman Fucking Rockwell with a couple of substantially weaker albums I figured that Lana's music had peaked and that the still quite decent standard of Chemtrails and Blue Banisters would be the new normal. I think I was about ...""This surprised me a lot, after following up her critical breakthrough Norman Fucking Rockwell with a couple of substantially weaker albums I figured that Lana's music had peaked and that the still quite decent standard of Chemtrails and Blue Banisters would be the new normal. I think I was about a couple of tracks into this record when I realised that wasn't the case, Ocean Boulevard isn't just a great piece of work but one that elevates the rest of Lana's discography. The opening run of tracks is just as good as on NFR, the effortless emotional build of The Grants, the full production of the title track and the lyrical directness of the second half of Sweet work incredibly together. They also set the stage for Lana's most contemplative and thoughtful album, breaking into new ground while drawing on the fear of being left in the past. This is most successful on A&W which mirrors the lyrical themes of her earliest records but adds some depth to them with its downbeat frustration as she tries to trace the roots of the unfulfilling and demeaning relationships that she used to only cover at a surface level.
For me Ocean Boulevard matches NFR in its earlier tracks but it's deeper into the tracklist that it starts to pull away from it, it stays compelling to the end. There are some especially strong melodies on tracks like Paris Texas and Candy Necklace and a warmth to others like Let the Light In. Each of the tracks I've highlighted has a really effective feature on it, Lana's sense for collaboration is at its best here, we're a long way from unnecessary rap features being stuffed into dull tracks. Only Bleachers doesn't quite pull his weight vocally, but his involvement in Margaret feels fair considering his personal connection to the track. It sets up a great finale as things come full circle with the looseness of the first few seconds of the album being mirrored by the almost conversational conclusion to Margaret.
Except the album just keeps on going and this is still what really confuses me. Fishtail, Peppers and Taco Truck are all really good but they feel like bonus tracks within the structure of the album. I really enjoy the switch up in sound towards something more hip hop influenced, Peppers especially is one of the catchiest tracks of the past year, it's a shame that it just doesn't fit. I think these songs could have made for a really good EP instead of being grafted onto the end of the record, it's a bit annoying though the fact that it stands out so clearly as an issue shows how well the rest of Ocean Boulevard is structured."[+]Reply
"I respectfully disagree with the below comment. Taylor Swift has often had high profile collaborators and producers (Max Martin; Jack Antonoff etc.). Taylor's records tend to sound both like Taylor and her collaborators. I see it as a strength rather than a weakness, which has enabled Taylor to c...""I respectfully disagree with the below comment. Taylor Swift has often had high profile collaborators and producers (Max Martin; Jack Antonoff etc.). Taylor's records tend to sound both like Taylor and her collaborators. I see it as a strength rather than a weakness, which has enabled Taylor to capitalise on the potential of collaboration to help the longevity of her career and move in different directions.
Of'course, Swift wrote or co-wrote every track on this album so she is certainly not being propped up by others. This record sounds a lot like Taylor and the National as well. That said, it is very much a Taylor Swift record-the kind of melodies and and lyrics being already familiar to Swift fans, even as the music moves in a different direction. "[+]Reply
"charli xcx only went and made the perfect pandemic pop album. this is a genuinely stunning album about isolation, relationships, and not being with the people you love. insane production, good writing. proof once again she's the one."Reply
"After hearing the live versions of these songs I was just grateful that Jonny and Thom were able to come together and have fun collaborating again with so much passion, creativity and energy. Now, listening to the recorded version, I’m reminded that Nigel Godrich is that extra element that always...""After hearing the live versions of these songs I was just grateful that Jonny and Thom were able to come together and have fun collaborating again with so much passion, creativity and energy. Now, listening to the recorded version, I’m reminded that Nigel Godrich is that extra element that always ties the genius’ together. Tom Skinner also holds his own amongst the highly esteemed company he keeps. There is haunting beauty, political cynicisms, electronic and percussive tinkering, and garage rocking, making it a very eclectic mix. Does it make it a less than cohesive album? Maybe, if you’re picky. This and the fact that 6 songs were drip-fed to us prior to release make it have the feel of a compilation album in some respects. I’ve always preferred an album have one single prior to release, as a taster, before immersing yourself into the full experience of fresh songs and letting that album experience grow on you with repeated listens. This doesn’t detract, however, from the fact that there is a collection of songs here that are all absolute crackers and will keep Radiohead fans content for a while longer until that deeply desired next LP comes around."[+]Reply
"The first album from the Crawley band in 16 years is well worth the wait, the atmospheres generated are very reminiscent of Disintegration and Robert Smith's vocal performance is strong. One I'd definitely recommend if you're a fan of the group"Reply
"I'm falling more and more in love with this album! I feel like it takes the best of Future Nostalgia and Honey, but Jessie's vocal performance is more gripping and seductive than both Dua's and Robyn's. Amazing production - Jessie just shows amazing taste and her experience has taught her how to ...""I'm falling more and more in love with this album! I feel like it takes the best of Future Nostalgia and Honey, but Jessie's vocal performance is more gripping and seductive than both Dua's and Robyn's. Amazing production - Jessie just shows amazing taste and her experience has taught her how to arrange and choose sounds, when to hurry up a song and when to just luxuriate in one. There's really not a miss on there for me. Even the songs that didn't do it for me at first are now growing fast. Wonderful house/disco pop album and my AOTY so far.
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