Best Albums of the 2020s (so far)

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Explore the best albums of the 2020s (so far), based on over 2 million album rankings across 59,000 charts.
Last updated: 4 hours ago.

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2020s decade summaryThe best artists of the 2020s are Black Country, New Road, The Strokes, Charli XCX, Little Simz, Magdalena Bay, Fontaines D.C., Kendrick Lamar, Big Thief, The Smile and King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard.

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71.

A Hero's Death

Fontaines D.C.

"I’ll make a declaration right here right now that FDC’s will release a masterpiece album within the next 5 years unfortunately this isn’t it but its very good none the less franking the bands status as one of the most important rock acts on the planet today “And Don't give up too quick You only g..." [+] Reply

Brad1770 | Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +6 votes (6 helpful | 0 unhelpful)

Year of Release:

2020

Appears in:

266 charts

Rank Score:

1,080

Rank in 2020:

Rank in 2020s:

Overall Rank:

1,594

Average Rating:

76 (237 votes)

Comments:

72.

We Will Always Love You

The Avalanches

"I prefer this to Wildflower but it's not as good as Since I Love You. Having said that, this will hold a special place in my heart for providing some much needed escapism and optimism that things would get better eventually (as was released whilst the UK was struggling really badly with COVID and..." [+] Reply

- SD100852 | Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +2 votes (2 helpful | 0 unhelpful)

Year of Release:

2020

Appears in:

200 charts

Rank Score:

1,072

Rank in 2020:

Rank in 2020s:

Overall Rank:

1,607

Average Rating:

78 (189 votes)

Comments:

73.

Safe Mode: On

A Beginner's Mind

Sufjan Stevens & Angelo De Augustine

"This is very good. Unpopular opinion: I like The Ascension way more, but this is a very good comeback to that older style! Anyways, more Sufjan!" Reply

lleon79 | Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +2 votes (2 helpful | 0 unhelpful)

Year of Release:

2021

Appears in:

209 charts

Rank Score:

1,069

Rank in 2021:

Rank in 2020s:

Overall Rank:

1,612

Average Rating:

79 (193 votes)

Comments:

74.

Song For Our Daughter

Laura Marling

"Laura's gotten better with each album, and so it is here, as this may be her strongest set of songs so far, despite lacking the experimentation of Semper Femina or her side project LUMP. It's a lush, melodic set of songs, on which I personally feel that Laura conveys more vulnerability than she e..." [+] Reply

indieshins | Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +3 votes (3 helpful | 0 unhelpful)

Year of Release:

2020

Appears in:

233 charts

Rank Score:

1,063

Rank in 2020:

Rank in 2020s:

Overall Rank:

1,619

Average Rating:

77 (202 votes)

Comments:

75.

Bright Future

Adrianne Lenker

"Two years after Big Thief's fantastic Dragon New Warm Mountain I Believe In You, frontwoman Adrianne comes through with another superb collection of tracks. There isn't a bad song on here at all and I'd be surprised if I hear another folk album as good as this one all year" Reply

- SD100852 | Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +2 votes (3 helpful | 1 unhelpful)

Year of Release:

2024

Appears in:

227 charts

Rank Score:

1,060

Rank in 2024:

Rank in 2020s:

Overall Rank:

1,627

Average Rating:

78 (191 votes)

Comments:

76.

Tigers Blood

Waxahatchee

"Solid album. She has talked about how she is challenging herself to write great music about ordinary, content, undramatic, life. I would say she is succeeding." Reply

- craab | Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +2 votes (2 helpful | 0 unhelpful)

Year of Release:

2024

Appears in:

185 charts

Rank Score:

1,058

Rank in 2024:

Rank in 2020s:

Overall Rank:

1,631

Average Rating:

76 (162 votes)

Comments:

77.

Diamond Jubilee

Cindy Lee

"After all the nearly unanimous praise this received, I was hoping I would finally get it. So I gave it more and more listens, and I'll admit it: I just don't. It's not bad, it's perfectly listenable, it just sounds like rather unremarkable repetitive music inspired by the '60s, especially the Vel...""After all the nearly unanimous praise this received, I was hoping I would finally get it. So I gave it more and more listens, and I'll admit it: I just don't. It's not bad, it's perfectly listenable, it just sounds like rather unremarkable repetitive music inspired by the '60s, especially the Velvet Underground. There's nothing here that captures my attention on that level. In fact, it’s rather boring. It goes on and on and on, stretching to a two-hour length. The unrefined production just sounded inconsistent to me, as the fidelity of the arrangement would change sporadically. Sometimes it was like, "here's a dry mix in your face and if you don't like it, you don't like INDIE," and then the next moment it has a lot of space in the mix while other elements sound grainy, with no cohesive sound signature. A lot of it seems to drone on and on, never to the point where it's actively annoying or displeasing, but after all the hype, with the album consistently floating to the top of aggregate year end lists and eventually making Pitchfork's number one album of the year, I was hoping for at least a few musical moments, interesting songwriting, or anything at all unique or significant to appreciate or get invested in. This feels like a really great 60-minute album waiting to get out. I'm all for good instrumental sections, but some of these were so repetitive that I found myself thinking, "Oh, can I switch to the next track?" only to look down and realize I was on song seven out of thirty-two. Just exhausting and homogenous. There are so many songs, yet it somehow feels like I am listening to the same track on repeat. A sound that feels like a recycling bin of '60s and early '70s influences. A sound that is slightly more polished than what you might get if you typed all their inspirations into an AI, patched it up in a DAW a bit, and churned out two hours of sound, I would at least want it to do something interesting or truly captivating with that sound. And to do it more succinctly and memorably. Maybe if I gave this seven more listens I would think it's a classic and change my mind completely, but I probably won't. There are too many measures that just go on and on and on, without ever going anywhere, that will be all I remember from my now four listens. I don't see myself ever listening to the same quarter-note bass line again and again and having a revelation that "oh my god this is amazing."" [+] Reply

corenfro | Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +2 votes (2 helpful | 0 unhelpful)

Year of Release:

2024

Appears in:

163 charts

Rank Score:

1,052

Rank in 2024:

Rank in 2020s:

Overall Rank:

1,636

Average Rating:

80 (112 votes)

Comments:

78.

Heaven To A Tortured Mind

Yves Tumor

"Yeah I liked this.. a lot" Reply

- Jacky997 | Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +4 votes (4 helpful | 0 unhelpful)

Year of Release:

2020

Appears in:

267 charts

Rank Score:

1,040

Rank in 2020:

Rank in 2020s:

Overall Rank:

1,644

Average Rating:

76 (293 votes)

Comments:

79.

Mahashmashana

Father John Misty

"This album was an experience. It's not an album to be listened to passively, but one to give your full attention to. The night I first listened to it, not once through, but three times, will forever be burned into my brain. At times the music overwhelms you, and that's exactly the point." Reply

- Cheddar | Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)

Year of Release:

2024

Appears in:

165 charts

Rank Score:

1,022

Rank in 2024:

Rank in 2020s:

Overall Rank:

1,680

Average Rating: