The Needle Drop's 50 Best Albums of 2020

The Needle Drop's 50 Best Albums of 2020

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50.

Dope Body - Home Body
May 1, 2020
Critic Score
76
2 reviews

With Home Body, Dope Body improves the mixtape-esque approach of their once-swansong Kunk.

49.

February 7, 2020
Critic Score
81
8 reviews

Unlocked is essentially a glitch in the matrix in hip hop form, and that's a great thing.

48.

February 21, 2020
Critic Score
74
26 reviews

The more direct and tuneful approach King Krule takes on Man Alive! makes it—to my ears—a vast improvement over The Ooz.

47.

July 22, 2020
Critic Score
82
3 reviews
Boldy and Sterling's long-in-the-works collab does sound like the fruit of much labor.

46.

January 31, 2020
Critic Score
75
19 reviews

Dan Deacon hones his trademark fusion of electro-psychedelia and post-minimalism on Mystic Familiar.

45.

June 12, 2020
Critic Score
80
9 reviews

On their sophomore album, Chloe and Halle take a versatile and tasteful approach to contemporary R&B.

44.

May 29, 2020
Critic Score
78
14 reviews

Deerhoof's new concept album is as fun as apocalyptic surrealism can be.

43.

March 13, 2020
Critic Score
81
6 reviews

The Common Task could be a good gateway to the wonders of post-minimalist math rock.

42.

January 10, 2020
Critic Score
69
20 reviews

I Disagree is metal-pop crossover that pans out remarkably well.

41.

Undeath - Lesions of a Different Kind
September 23, 2020
Critic Score
76
5 reviews
Undeath's full-length debut is a solid death metal album whose greatest sin is sometimes succumbing to the genre's basic tropes.

40.

June 26, 2020
Critic Score
84
38 reviews

Women in Music Pt. III is the Haim sister's most solid set of songs yet.

39.

May 29, 2020
Critic Score
85
10 reviews

The Alchemist's versatile production soundtracks some of Gangsta Gibbs' best flows and performances yet on Alfredo.

38.

September 25, 2020
Critic Score
78
36 reviews

Ultra Mono is Idles' most sonically and thematically focused album so far, occasionally to a slight fault.

37.

October 16, 2020
Critic Score
80
6 reviews

My Agenda is a daring concept album whose greatest sin is leaving the listener desperate for more.

36.

September 11, 2020
Critic Score
81
10 reviews

Conway distills the power of Griselda Records on his new album.

35.

April 10, 2020
Critic Score
75
40 reviews

More than just an oddity in The Strokes' catalog, The New Abnormal is a return to form after the disappointing Comedown Machine.

34.

November 20, 2020
Critic Score
81
6 reviews
Liturgy's latest is a metaphysical big bang, turning Hunter Hunt-Hendrix's theological philosophy into a multifaceted experimental metal opera.

33.

October 23, 2020
Critic Score
84
27 reviews
The Big Thief frontwoman comes through with a set of simply great songs.

32.

May 20, 2020
Critic Score
79
7 reviews
Jeff's latest album is his most intense yet.

31.

April 24, 2020
Critic Score
76
4 reviews

The sequel to Quelle Chris and Chris Keys' Innocent Country is one of the rapper's most sobering efforts and continues his winning streak.

30.

May 15, 2020
Critic Score
90
32 reviews

Set My Heart on Fire Immediately covers even more aesthetic ground than No Shape did, only occasionally coming across as disjointed.

29.

July 3, 2020
Critic Score
80
8 reviews

NO is the most kick-ass Boris has sounded in over a decade.

28.

June 18, 2020
Critic Score
88
44 reviews

The emotional potency of Punisher is undeniable.

27.

August 21, 2020
Critic Score
75
6 reviews
Meridian Brothers continue to impress with their bizarre and adventurous take on modern cumbia.

26.

February 7, 2020
Critic Score
81
6 reviews
Nicolas Jaar's second outing as A.A.L. is a bit more far-out than the first, and about as fantastic.

25.

April 17, 2020
Critic Score
85
25 reviews
Rina Sawayama comes to us as a near-fully formed popstar on her debut album.

24.

June 3, 2020
Critic Score
89
35 reviews

RTJ4 is a vital soundtrack to our rotten, rotten world.

23.

July 31, 2020
Critic Score
87
8 reviews

With Alphaville, Imperial Triumphant upholds its blend of extreme metal and jazz without sounding like a novelty.

22.

February 7, 2020
Critic Score
77
11 reviews

HMLTD refreshes and recontextualizes a slew of post-punk sounds on West of Eden.

21.

April 17, 2020
Critic Score
80
8 reviews
Lido Pimienta celebrates her indigenous roots with this colorful, digital blend of art pop and Cumbia.

20.

March 6, 2020
Critic Score
79
2 reviews

Purple Moonlight Pages is a thought-provoking self-portrait of the artist formerly known as Milo, as well as just a damn good jazz rap album.

19.

July 17, 2020
Critic Score
81
29 reviews
Lianne La Havas' self-titled album is fittingly her boldest yet.

18.

May 15, 2020
Critic Score
83
29 reviews

how i'm feeling now is, to date, the most effective musical reflection of life during lockdown.

17.

September 11, 2020
Critic Score
78
27 reviews
The Flaming Lips bounce back from a hit-and-miss decade with a lush and ironically sobering concept album.

16.

August 28, 2020
Critic Score
80
4 reviews

Shabrang is often a case of less being more and quiet being loud.

15.

May 28, 2020
Critic Score
88
4 reviews

With its chilling mix of rap, goth, punk, and noise, God Has Nothing to Do With This has a huge impact for such a concise project.

14.

January 17, 2020
Critic Score
82
17 reviews

Circles is the finest musical send-off any Mac Miller fan could have asked for.

13.

November 13, 2020
Critic Score
77
10 reviews
Chris Stapleton returns with a clean slate of sorts and the year's best country album.

12.

October 23, 2020
Critic Score
79
28 reviews
Gorillaz compiles a bunch of damn good singles to make a damn good album.

11.

June 19, 2020
Critic Score
82
5 reviews

The surreal and diaristic Little Dominiques Nosebleed makes for a fantastic introduction to The Koreatown Oddity's work.

10.

March 13, 2020
Critic Score
85
17 reviews
Code Orange updates metalcore for the 2020s on their latest album.

9.

May 8, 2020
Critic Score
80
3 reviews

Natalia Lafourcade's latest album is a wonderful tribute to the many sounds Mexican folk music has to offer.

8.

August 21, 2020
Critic Score
73
8 reviews

Despite a disjointed first act, The Consuming Flame is further proof of Matmos being one of the most ambitious and exciting forces in electronic music.

7.

Moor Jewelry - True Opera
April 20, 2020
Critic Score
80
1 review
This collab by Moor Mother and Mental Jewelry has the sound of a noise rock classic, while also employing plenty of new ideas.

6.

April 10, 2020
Critic Score
88
33 reviews

What Song for Our Daughter lacks in experimentation it more than makes up for with its robust songwriting.

4.

Blu & Exile - Miles
July 17, 2020
Critic Score
84
2 reviews
Blu & Exile deliver a jazz rap album whose ambition and craftsmanship should go unmatched for some time.

3.

April 13, 2020
Critic Score
83
3 reviews

Black Dresses mercilessly kills us with kindness on Peaceful as Hell.

2.

October 23, 2020
Critic Score
80
18 reviews

clipping. somehow manages to top last year's There Existed an Addiction to Blood with a second helping of avant-horrorcore bangers.

1.

June 26, 2020
Critic Score
84
28 reviews

The power of disco is on full display on What's Your Pleasure.

Original Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VN562bgJRZ4
Comments
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9mo
No Weeknd was L
3y
Add BRASS by Moor Mother & Billy Woods. Anthony said that it would end up somewhere in the top 15.
3y
clipping best
3y
Fantano pulling up with the based list as always.
3y
Worst list
3y
Clipping sucks
3y
yes to Jessie being so high
that was a fine ass album <3
3y
Out of his top ten only two appear higher or the same on another list...
3y
Fetch the bolt cuttas
3y
BLACK DRESSES TOP 3 YUP YUP YUP YUP YUP
3y
Finally someone gives Jessie Ware the #1 spot she deserves!
3y
BLACK DRESSES NUMBER THREE LETS GOOOOOOOOOO!!!!
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