Best Albums of 2020

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1.

The New Abnormal 

 The Strokes

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"I don't think I've ever seen a larger disparity between the critics' and audiences' reaction to an album as for this one. Everyone seems to be loving the album except the music critics and honestly, this is the victory The Strokes deserved. For a band who were put on the highest pedestal by the c...""I don't think I've ever seen a larger disparity between the critics' and audiences' reaction to an album as for this one. Everyone seems to be loving the album except the music critics and honestly, this is the victory The Strokes deserved. For a band who were put on the highest pedestal by the critics before they even really started the career, their whole discography since Is This It has felt like an attempt to gain that acclaim back, and they kept failing to impress them, and along the way, their fans. But this album is a goddamn beast! a spectacle worth the 7 year wait, a redemption arc for one of the biggest band of the indie rock era; and I am almost glad that the critics are shitting on this obvious masterpiece, since now majority of their GP audience can finally tear the band's image away from their critique. And maybe this will help The Strokes themselves become more liberated from the Is This It era. Because, honestly, I was getting real tired of reading about how "they used to be so good in their first two albums" in literally every article about the band thereafter (and that one The National song). I absolutely adore this album, and I cant wait to scream "drums please Fab" when they finally start performing it live. Fuck the critics man. This is the Strokes' year."  [+]  Reply

- Vatsal | Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | +17 votes (17 helpful | 0 unhelpful) A maximum of 5 top-voted qualifying comments are selected for each album. To provide the best experience for visitors, comments are excluded if they refer to data corrections, contain excessive profanity, are written in all caps, are non-English, are too short, consist of conversations between users, or contain lists of best tracks etc.

Year of Release:

2020

Appears in:

596 charts

Rank Score:

5,781

Rank in 2020:

1

Rank in 2020s:

2

Overall Rank:

281

Average Rating:

 83 (839 votes)

Comments:

88

2.

Fetch The Bolt Cutters 

 Fiona Apple

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"This is how you use percussion. Across every track here there's something brilliant going on with the drums, hand claps or dog barks. Tracks like 'Newspaper' probably make this most obvious, where the drums dictate the pace and tone across the whole song. There 's this really harsh and overbearin...""This is how you use percussion. Across every track here there's something brilliant going on with the drums, hand claps or dog barks. Tracks like 'Newspaper' probably make this most obvious, where the drums dictate the pace and tone across the whole song. There 's this really harsh and overbearing drumbeat all through the first portion of the track, giving things a massive feeling of weight, even though the drums and the vocals are the only things here. As things progress the drums get faster with each vocal change but it's done so smoothly that you barely notice. This builds tension throughout the track until, right at the end, they start to fade completely, so that only a faint guitar is left. It's such an eerie effect. You get such a different effect in something like the opening track. It starts off with a very regular set of handclaps and light drumming for a few seconds, but it's when this simple arrangement stops that you see its effect. It brings such as tightness to the first few seconds, that when it gives way it lets the piano that takes over completely soar. No more percussion appears until late in the track but at this point it doesn't dampen the freer feel of this track. Instead, the drum rolls, along with the strings, give a massive sense of presence by reinforcing Fiona's voice. The drums feel like a natural reaction to the vocals, not a steady rhythm that pens them in. Finally, when things go haywire right at the end, the drums and vocals fall apart together letting the piano take control. What an opener. The most ambitious effects take place on 'For Her'. When the lyrics first hit, there's no percussion at all which, along with the sweeter sounding vocals, gives off a misleading, lighter mood. On the surface this gives off the same free feel that 'I Want You To Love Me' had. Of course, the lyrics are giving off a completely different vibe. The clashing of these two moods give off a really disturbing effect. This builds when the drum do kick in. It brings us back to these harsher rhythms that seem to actively compete with the vocal harmonies. Soon after, the drums pick up a more playful and sped up style, only adding to the confusion. There's incredible skill in not making this sound like an absolute mess. Things really take a turn the moment you hear the lyric "Good morning, good morning". The drums slow and reach their heaviest, just as you hear the line "You raped me in the same bed your daughter was born in". It's one of the most disturbing and succinct lines about evil you'll ever hear but it's not just the lyric itself that carries this weight, the track has been building from the start to make this line hit as hard as possible. You can hear these incredible techniques across every track of 'Fetch the Bolt Cutters'. With this level of lyricism, songwriting and album structure it might seem crazy to only talk a bit about the percussion, but for an album this dense, you can only get across how good this album is by talking about each part in detail. There is already plenty to read on all those aspects and there'll be plenty more to come. It's just so refreshing to see a record use percussion this successfully, when it is so often used in such basic ways, even on great albums. It also says a lot about the quality of Fiona Apple's discography, that I kind say for sure this is her best album."  [+]  Reply

- JamesMowbray | Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | +8 votes (10 helpful | 2 unhelpful) A maximum of 5 top-voted qualifying comments are selected for each album. To provide the best experience for visitors, comments are excluded if they refer to data corrections, contain excessive profanity, are written in all caps, are non-English, are too short, consist of conversations between users, or contain lists of best tracks etc.

Year of Release:

2020

Appears in:

620 charts

Rank Score:

3,962

Rank in 2020:

2

Rank in 2020s:

4

Overall Rank:

426

Average Rating:

 81 (703 votes)

Comments:

57

3.

Punisher 

 Phoebe Bridgers

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"first listen and I think that this is going to be a grower. I think that she is very talented and I'll not sure at the moment why I'm not quite getting it yet but a few more listens might resolve that. Not bad, just not great, yet!"  Reply

- Johnnyo | Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | +3 votes (3 helpful | 0 unhelpful) A maximum of 5 top-voted qualifying comments are selected for each album. To provide the best experience for visitors, comments are excluded if they refer to data corrections, contain excessive profanity, are written in all caps, are non-English, are too short, consist of conversations between users, or contain lists of best tracks etc.

Year of Release:

2020

Appears in:

580 charts

Rank Score:

3,924

Rank in 2020:

3

Rank in 2020s:

5

Overall Rank:

429

Average Rating:

 80 (544 votes)

Comments:

38

4.

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How I'm Feeling Now 

 Charli XCX

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"This is one of the greatest records in recent memory. If you are seriously complaining about the 1 or 2 note melodies, the entire appeal of this record just went right over your head. It's okay to dislike the synth vox, I can't get into the Smiths because of Morrissey, but what got delivered with...""This is one of the greatest records in recent memory. If you are seriously complaining about the 1 or 2 note melodies, the entire appeal of this record just went right over your head. It's okay to dislike the synth vox, I can't get into the Smiths because of Morrissey, but what got delivered with this record is simply the best Hyperpop record ever produced. (if you disagree with this take, the only other acceptable competitors are also charli albums or perhaps sophie) AG Cook and Charli at the peak of their powers with a deadline during one of the strangest times of many of our lives delivered what I think will be thought of as a defining record. Everything she tried to do with Pop 2 and Charli is fully actualized on this project. I could go into a big dissertation about all the merits of this record, but simply put, this isn't a record where any amount of me defending it on this site is going to amount to a hill of beans. This isn't the type of record where a detailed deconstruction of the arrangement and the songwriting is going to add to the experience. But it's a type of record to give attention to again and again, if you get it you get it. And if you get it, you know what I'm talking about. If you don't get it it, go back and listen to Pink Floyd and Radiohead."  [+]  Reply

- corenfro | Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (2 helpful | 1 unhelpful) A maximum of 5 top-voted qualifying comments are selected for each album. To provide the best experience for visitors, comments are excluded if they refer to data corrections, contain excessive profanity, are written in all caps, are non-English, are too short, consist of conversations between users, or contain lists of best tracks etc.

Year of Release:

2020

Appears in:

313 charts

Rank Score:

2,225

Rank in 2020:

4

Rank in 2020s:

17

Overall Rank:

774

Average Rating:

 77 (356 votes)

Comments:

21

5.

Folklore 

 Taylor Swift

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"Everyone on here who rips on Taylor always makes it obvious that they went into it intending to rip on Taylor."  Reply

- mnorris75 | Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | +5 votes (8 helpful | 3 unhelpful) A maximum of 5 top-voted qualifying comments are selected for each album. To provide the best experience for visitors, comments are excluded if they refer to data corrections, contain excessive profanity, are written in all caps, are non-English, are too short, consist of conversations between users, or contain lists of best tracks etc.

Year of Release:

2020

Appears in:

389 charts

Rank Score:

2,172

Rank in 2020:

5

Rank in 2020s:

19

Overall Rank:

799

Average Rating:

 75 (453 votes)

Comments:

46

6.

After Hours 

 The Weeknd

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"Due to the recent releases of the most mainstream of artists ,The Weeknd included, I had very low expectations going into this album. I was pleasantly surprised to find out that this isn't a half baked record filled with, well, filler for lack of a better word but is actually is a fully-thought-o...""Due to the recent releases of the most mainstream of artists ,The Weeknd included, I had very low expectations going into this album. I was pleasantly surprised to find out that this isn't a half baked record filled with, well, filler for lack of a better word but is actually is a fully-thought-out and impressive project that doesn't really waste a second of your time. Every song is crafted, intricately, to fit the aesthetic of the album while also remaining capable of mass appeal. They're not all amazing but none of them are bad which I was almost counting on."  [+]  Reply

- mdbaxter | Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful) A maximum of 5 top-voted qualifying comments are selected for each album. To provide the best experience for visitors, comments are excluded if they refer to data corrections, contain excessive profanity, are written in all caps, are non-English, are too short, consist of conversations between users, or contain lists of best tracks etc.

Year of Release:

2020

Appears in:

313 charts

Rank Score:

2,163

Rank in 2020:

6

Rank in 2020s:

21

Overall Rank:

804

Average Rating:

 74 (453 votes)

Comments:

25

7.

What's Your Pleasure? 

 Jessie Ware

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"If the phrase "Disco died" is true then this must be disco heaven. Jessie's vocals are so sultry and smooth. Every song is hit with such passion vocally. The instrumentals are as dynamic as a disco's greatest hits collection from 1982. The one criticism i have is the album gets a little slow in t...""If the phrase "Disco died" is true then this must be disco heaven. Jessie's vocals are so sultry and smooth. Every song is hit with such passion vocally. The instrumentals are as dynamic as a disco's greatest hits collection from 1982. The one criticism i have is the album gets a little slow in the middle but it quickly returns to form. "  [+]  Reply

- titansaurs28 | Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | +7 votes (7 helpful | 0 unhelpful) A maximum of 5 top-voted qualifying comments are selected for each album. To provide the best experience for visitors, comments are excluded if they refer to data corrections, contain excessive profanity, are written in all caps, are non-English, are too short, consist of conversations between users, or contain lists of best tracks etc.

Year of Release:

2020

Appears in:

333 charts

Rank Score:

2,145

Rank in 2020:

7

Rank in 2020s:

22

Overall Rank:

811

Average Rating:

 79 (354 votes)

Comments:

29

8.

Shore 

 Fleet Foxes

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"May genuinely be my favorite Fleet Foxes record. More accessible than the previous release Crack-Up, but in some ways more mature than their early work. The earlier albums had a lot of genius but occasionally I felt like you could see through the magic, that the group was trying a bit too hard to...""May genuinely be my favorite Fleet Foxes record. More accessible than the previous release Crack-Up, but in some ways more mature than their early work. The earlier albums had a lot of genius but occasionally I felt like you could see through the magic, that the group was trying a bit too hard to fashion a certain kind of sound and image. Here I really feel like Pecknold sounds confident enough to let his talent flow, and the music feels extremely natural. Very impressed how many of the great staples of his songwriting are still intact even with changes in music culture over the last decade. Great album to throw on to relax yourself and drown in the beautiful harmonies."  [+]  Reply

- poppmusic | Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | +2 votes (2 helpful | 0 unhelpful) A maximum of 5 top-voted qualifying comments are selected for each album. To provide the best experience for visitors, comments are excluded if they refer to data corrections, contain excessive profanity, are written in all caps, are non-English, are too short, consist of conversations between users, or contain lists of best tracks etc.

Year of Release:

2020

Appears in:

393 charts

Rank Score:

2,056

Rank in 2020:

8

Rank in 2020s:

24

Overall Rank:

845

Average Rating:

 78 (378 votes)

Comments:

21

9.

RTJ4 

 Run The Jewels

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"“It’s your turn to drive.” I hit the brakes and aimed the Great Red Shark toward the shoulder of the highway— No point mentioning those bats, I thought— The poor bastard will see them soon enough. El-P and Killer Mike are running the engine until the tank runs empty. We've been here before, at a ...""“It’s your turn to drive.” I hit the brakes and aimed the Great Red Shark toward the shoulder of the highway— No point mentioning those bats, I thought— The poor bastard will see them soon enough. El-P and Killer Mike are running the engine until the tank runs empty. We've been here before, at a different time and in a different place, but there's no denying we haven't reached the destination— nor do we particularly know where the destination is, and it's all rather up in the air if we'll ever make it— but my god the journey's worth taking to see what meets us there if we do. We'll discuss who's the attorney later. ...and where those damn jewels came from."  [+]  Reply

- Hayden | Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (2 helpful | 1 unhelpful) A maximum of 5 top-voted qualifying comments are selected for each album. To provide the best experience for visitors, comments are excluded if they refer to data corrections, contain excessive profanity, are written in all caps, are non-English, are too short, consist of conversations between users, or contain lists of best tracks etc.

Year of Release:

2020

Appears in:

438 charts

Rank Score:

1,997

Rank in 2020:

9

Rank in 2020s:

25

Overall Rank:

866

Average Rating:

 79 (403 votes)

Comments:

27

10.

The Slow Rush 

 Tame Impala

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"My favorite artist from last decade is back with another psychedelic piece of art. While it’s not the apex of his career, it is certainly far from derailing. As expected, the production is impeccable, and it makes sense that it took him 5 years to release this. I don’t doubt Parker is an extremel...""My favorite artist from last decade is back with another psychedelic piece of art. While it’s not the apex of his career, it is certainly far from derailing. As expected, the production is impeccable, and it makes sense that it took him 5 years to release this. I don’t doubt Parker is an extremely meticulous man, and somewhat of a perfectionist. With each release, his focus on production increases significantly, and The Slow Rush is no exception, even having Currents as a predecessor. It doesn’t start off too strongly and neither does it close very climatically in my opinion, but everything in between is mostly pretty great, with plenty of bangers and highlights. There is a mixture of straightforward and catchy songs (e.g. Borderline, Lost in Yesterday, Is It True), as well as some that might take a little longer to digest (e.g. Posthumous Forgiveness, One More Year, One More Hour). The singles gave a good idea of what was to come, but there were so many of them that I felt like they partially spoiled the album. Nevertheless, there were a few pleasant surprises within the full album experience. Occasionally, as in previous albums, Kevin will goof around with his instruments and psychedelic effects for a couple of minutes, which is becoming some sort of signature element in his albums’ and some songs’ structures. I mostly enjoy these little moments, it’s like a showcase of soundscapes that Kevin has the skill to create. I particulary love what he did at the end of Breathe Deeper. Sometimes I wish these things were complete songs but we can’t have everything. Lyrics are personal and straight to the point as usual, but no longer about social anxiety or unrequited love. They're more about nostalgia, thoughts on career, and some personal things of a much deeper nature than usual. As much as I usually enjoy Tame Impala’s lyrics, I don’t know why I felt them kind of awkward at times (e.g. Instant Destiny). Previously, Tame Impala’s sound had been evolving very clearly from one album to the next. This time it feels like he’s got one foot on Currents, and another one on whatever might come next. Lonerism’s vibe did show a little bit as well, but no trace of Innerspeaker. Congas are a welcome addition to Parker’s music palette. We got a taste of it in the Patience single and I was looking forward to hear some more on the album. Luckily it wasn’t overused or anything, and it reinforces the undeniable groove that most songs deliver. Overall great album, (8/10) but my least favorite so far. For me his best work is Lonerism (10/10), followed by Innerspeaker (9/10) and Currents (another 8/10). Multiple listens required, I’ve listened to it 4 times for this review and I hope it helps. Favorites: Lost in Yesterday, Breathe Deeper, Is It True, It Might Be Time"  [+]  Reply

- Cargusbralem | Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | +4 votes (5 helpful | 1 unhelpful) A maximum of 5 top-voted qualifying comments are selected for each album. To provide the best experience for visitors, comments are excluded if they refer to data corrections, contain excessive profanity, are written in all caps, are non-English, are too short, consist of conversations between users, or contain lists of best tracks etc.

Year of Release:

2020

Appears in:

396 charts

Rank Score:

1,802

Rank in 2020:

10

Rank in 2020s:

30

Overall Rank:

967

Average Rating:

 73 (636 votes)

Comments:

53

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Total albums: 1,000. Page 1 of 100

Best Albums of 2020 composition

Top 1,000 Top 500 Top 250 Top 100

Artist	Albums	%
King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard	4	0%
Neil Young	3	0%
Nicolas Jaar	3	0%
Adrianne Lenker	3	0%
Navy Blue	2	0%
The Mountain Goats	2	0%
Kaatayra	2	0%
Show all

Country	Albums	%
	469	47%
	197	20%
	57	6%
	33	3%
	31	3%
	27	3%
	20	2%
Show all

Compilation?	Albums	%
No	983	98%
Yes	17	2%

Live?	Albums	%
No	968	97%
Yes	32	3%

Soundtrack?	Albums	%
No	994	99%
Yes	6	1%