My ranking of all 2020 albums I listened to! Includes some albums from 2019 as they are considered for album of the year at the Grammys.
1.
10/10
This album is immaculate, it really blew me out of the water how this 20 year old band could rejuvenate themselves like this. I was hooked from the second I heard the single At The Door, and this album never failed to amaze me after that masterpiece of a track.
Favorite Track(s): At The Door, The Adults Are Talking, Ode To The Mets
Least Favorite: n/a
2.
10/10
Nothing says 2020 like RTJ4. This album starts off with a bang, the great Killer Mike yelling in your face, and it never lets up. Mike and El-P don't even give you a second to breathe, evident of how it feels to live in America right now, both mentally and physically (black lives matter, folks). This is rap album of the year.
Favorite Track(s): holy calamafuck, JU$T
Least Favorite: n/a
3.
10/10
I mean, it's everything I'm looking for from Kevin Parker. He never fails to deliver.
Favorite Track(s): Breathe Deeper, One More Year
Least Favorite: n/a
4.
10/10
After listening to all of Mac Miller's albums in order, I find this to be easily his best work. It's so emotionally raw and it feels like he's speaking right to you. He had so much potential here and I wish he was alive today to see how he's impacted the world. Rest easy.
Favorite Track(s): Hand Me Downs, Blue World
Least Favorite Track: n/a
5.
10/10
Like RTJ4, Melee kicks off with an incredible opener and never lets up. This reminds me of my love for Remo Drive's debut album... it's nothing groundbreaking, but this heavy, energetic, passionate rock music is just incredibly engaging to me. The way this drum and riff heavy project ends with a beautiful string symphony is just heavenly.
Favorite Track: Fox, Ender
Least Favorite: n/a
6.
10/10
I'm such a sucker for jazz rap... I love his flow, every rhyme he spits sounds so good on the ears, and the group's instrumentation backing him just sounds so pristine. I'm not going to pretend to know everything he's saying, but I don't know if I care to know either, he just makes it flow like not many others can.
Favorite Track(s): LAUNDRY, PINBALL
Least Favorite: n/a
7.
10/10
Wow, this one is absolutely breathtaking. Lianne has a voice that really just soothes my soul unlike many others. Every singles song on this project hits and it's one of the best R&B albums in recent memory. (Bonus points for that Weird Fishes cover, which is my favorite song of all time. Really did the original justice!).
Favorite Track(s): Read My Mind, Weird Fishes
Least Favorite: n/a
8.
10/10
This is a bit of a hot take... 3.15.20 is a 10/10?! I feel like I have to justify myself here. I agree with all of the complaints about the album. The sloppy release, the strange use of titles, and the overall mystery of this album. All that aside, this is the most energetic album of the year. The passion of 24.19, the eerie complexity of Algorhythm and 32.22, and the enthusiasm of 12.38 and 53.49; it's unmatched! Donald Glover is an absolute icon and I am totally on board with what he is going for here and I enjoyed every second of it, despite what others may have gotten from this record.
Favorite Track(s): 12.38, 53.49
Least Favorite: n/a
9.
9/10
The auditory equivalence of watching a Saw movie with a stomach bug. Clipping shows that can make an album so purely unsettling while still filling it with so much emotion and innovation; ALL THE WHILE producing some really banger tracks. Make Them Dead I fins to be the one point where the ability to listen to pure madness gets a little too taxing for me personally, but I can still commend the track in many aspects. Daveed Diggs is a revelation throughout and this is some of the best production I have ever heard.
Favorite Track: Pain Everyday (Daveed literally raps in 7/8 time over ghost phenomenon recordings and has an incredible outro from the producers)
Least Favorite Track: Make Them Dead
10.
9/10
If "Illinois" feels, at many points, like a celebration, Sufjan's newest project feels more like a damnation. It's cold-blooded and raw, perfectly portrayed by the beautiful electronic compositions on here. It also doesn't fail to keep my attention throughout its hefty 80 minute runtime, even on multiple listens. Sufjan Stevens keeps reinventing himself and showing all facets of his genius, and "The Ascension" is not an exception.
Favorite Track: Run Away With Me (and also shoutout to the amazing closer America)
Least Favorite Track: Death Star
11.
9/10
HELL YES! This album is pure adrenaline! My journey through music started in pop punk with Green Day, MCR, blink-182, etc. So listening to something like Green Day's album this year makes me hate my old obsession with the pop punk as a genre... then Jeff Rosenstock reminds me why I still love it so much. One of the best rock artists of recent memory and this project fully cements that.
Favorite Track: Scram!
Least Favorite: Honeymoon Ashtray
12.
9/10
This project obviously released in 2020, but it feels so vintage, so classic, so ESSENTIAL not only to hip hop as a genre, but the celebration of life and those who have walked it. If only this was shortened down a bit, been a bit more concise, this could be in the top three of the year easily.
Favorite Track: The American Dream
Least Favorite: Roots of Blue
13.
9/10
One of my most listened to albums of the year, it's infectious. Abel has such a talent for creating catchy songs while still applying the tone and lyrics to the overall incredible theme/narrative of the album.
Favorite Track: Hardest To Love
Least Favorite: Repeat After Me (Interlude)
14.
9/10
This is just a beautiful experience. Everything this guy's voice touches turns to gold, there's nothing quite like it.
Favorite Track: Me in 20 Years
Least Favorite: Two Dogs
15.
9/10
What a fantastic dance pop album. Wish this got more traction commercially compared to Future Nostalgia, although that one is good as well.
Favorite Track: Save A Kiss
Least Favorite: In Your Eyes
16.
9/10
Queen status. Incredible pop tunes and I loved the rock influence on some of the tracks as well.
Favorite Track: Love Me 4 Me
Least Favorite: Fuck This World (Interlude)
17.
9/10
Working with his momentum from the amazing Kids See Ghosts, Kid Cudi crafts what I believe to be his best solo project. Great production and beats, plenty of bangers and memorable features, and contains some of Cudi’s absolute best singing.
Favorite Track: Lord I Know
Least Favorite Track: Elsie’s Baby Boy
18.
9/10
Quarantine bangers! It's not quite as good as "Charli", but damn this hits.
Favorite Track: party 4 u
Least Favorite: i finally understand
19.
9/10
Freddie is so on top of his game! I have loved everything I've heard from this guy. Bonus points for Tyler's verse on Something to Rap About, he was MADE to be on that song.
Favorite Track: Something to Rap About
Least Favorite: Baby $hit
20.
9/10
This album sounds so homemade in the best way possible. It's visceral, emotional, punchy, and catchy. Great listen.
Favorite Track: Under The Table
Least Favorite: Rack of His
21.
9/10
It’s incredible how every song on this has a feature, yet it still feels maintains it’s Gorillaz style throughout. Next to no filler on this project!
Favorite Track: Aries
Least Favorite Track: Chalk Tablet Towers
22.
9/10
Shore doesn't do much to build on past Fleet Foxes releases, but it really doesn't need to. The band continues to make incredibly heartwarming tunes and I always find it hard to dislike one of their songs. A warm hug in a year where its hard to find one.
Favorite Track: Maestranza
Least Favorite Track: Young Man's Game
23.
9/10
My favorite little feature on here was the little nature noises in the background of this set of beautiful tracks. The patter of rain on the window, the rumble of thunder in the distance, the chirping of insects; all of it contributes to the perfect sense of melancholy captured here.
Favorite Track: not a lot, just forever
Least Favorite Track: heavy focus
24.
9/10
Incredibly consistent and in your face, a great punk record all around.
Favorite Track: Losers 2
Least Favorite Track: Dolores
25.
9/10
The best album of the year nominee... so much passion and originality behind this while being so incredibly catchy and uplifting.
Favorite Track: The Steps
Least Favorite Track: I’ve Been Down
26.
9/10
Very solid rock project, I found myself singing along with many of the lines and I am loving the lead singer's voice. This band is very good at dynamic contrast as well.
Favorite Track: Give/Take
Least Favorite: (Something)
27.
9/10
Probably the most unique rock album on here. This project is bombastic, ambitious, and rich with many different moods and flavors. The first half especially is incredible.
Favorite Track: Mikey's Song
Least Favorite: 149
28.
8/10
I was very excited to relisten to this one, not because my initial listen was amazing or anything (far from it), but simply this album is so all over the place and ambitious that I HAD to hear it again. I'm glad to say, this held up much better the second time! I get where the complaints are coming from and I will admit this project's tracklist is so wacky and jumbled, but this album is charming as hell and the wackiness of it only adds to that charm. It may not be objectively better than some of the albums below this, but this is one of the most enjoyable and intriguing projects of the year while having PLENTY of really great tracks. Excited to see how they can build off of these ideas and perfect them in the future.
Favorite Track: I Think There's Something You Should Know
Least Favorite: Shiny Collarbone
29.
8/10
Banger after banger after banger. That three track run of Awake, Grasshopper, and You Sad is so damn good. Really excited to see some more full projects in the future from Tkay.
Favorite Track: You Sad
Least Favorite Track: PB Jam
30.
8/10
Necessary to listen to at night. This project feels so cold and distant, like a "Kid A", in the best way possible. Fumbles on one or two tracks, but it's overall very etheric and masterful. (Bonus points again for yet another cover of Weird Fishes/Arpeggi by Radiohead, interesting take on it but fully welcome).
Favorite Track: On
Least Favorite Track: Corner Of My Sky
31.
8/10
It's incredible how , even this deep in his career, Nas continues to be on top of his game as an MC. On top of that, the production from Hit-Boy on this entire project is so dynamic and really compliments not only Nas, but the great features on here as well. It's no Illmatic, but Nas has really found his way in the modern rap scene with this album.
Favorite Track: All Bad
Least Favorite Track: Full Circle
32.
8/10
I DARE Denzel to make a bad song... the beats and production from Kenny are fantastic and Denzel matches the intensity of it perfectly.
Favorite Track: Cosmic’.m4a
Least Favorite Track: Pyro (leak 2019)
33.
8/10
My first real exposure to Bring Me The Horizon and it for sure won’t be the last. Incredibly prevalent at points and it hits hard as hell.
Favorite Track: Ludens
Least Favorite Track: One Day The Only Butterflies...
34.
8/10
This albums really strikes a good balance of raunchy and powerful moments with more light and ethereal moments (most notably "Describe"). Starts and ends incredibly strong.
Favorite Track: On the Floor
Least Favorite: Leave
35.
8/10
An auditory representation of all the pent up anger and rage over this year. Idles never misses.
Favorite Track: Reigns
Least Favorite Track: A Hymn
36.
8/10
Deftones shows they haven't lost one inkling of their edge. As entrancing as White Pony.
Favorite Track: The Spell of Mathematics
Least Favorite Track: Radiant City
37.
8/10
Plenty of great songwriting and a big surprise from a guy who usually doesn’t like Taylor’s music. The Bon Iver duet is one of the biggest highlights of the year.
Favorite Track: exile
Least Favorite Track: mad woman
38.
8/10
Pretty good production and beats here that are really elevated by Black Thought's amazing performance. Surprised that two of the three Portugal. The Man features worked as well... pleasantly surprised!
Favorite Track: Good Morning
Least Favorite Track: Nature Of The Beast
39.
8/10
Enough of The Killers slander! Obviously kidding, because I also find this style to be overdone and corny as hell, but this record is just a damn blast. I will never not have fun listening to The Killers, and this is their best album since Sam's Town.
Favorite Track: My Own Soul's Warning
Least Favorite Track: Blowback
40.
8/10
A very calming and pretty listen. Phoebe Bridgers is really settling into a style that feels like her own, but I think there's some room for evolution within that. Still a great album, possibly her best.
Favorite Track: Garden Song
Least Favorite: Graceland Too
41.
8/10
Easily one of the best Grammy noms. A really great soul record with few low points.
Favorite Track: Colors
Least Favorite Track: Sweet Conversations
42.
8/10
Really exciting rock album. This was my first introduction to the band and I'm loving it, especially the absolute spunk of that lead vocalist with his accent and delivery. Only thing holding this project back is the last two tracks unfortunately.
Favorite Track: Televised Mind
Least Favorite: Sunny
43.
8/10
This record was so much fun. I love how the first half is mostly bangers and the second half seems to be more personal, it feels very cohesive in that sense. Great features as well. Solid introduction to Amine for me.
Favorite Track: Pressure In My Palms
Least Favorite: Shimmy
44.
8/10
Recommended to me by one of my good friends, and let's just say I didn't expect it to be this great. Finneas finds a way to elevate himself in the pop scene by crafting some damn great ballads and some fun ones as well. Final three track run (not including the alternate Let's Fall in Love) is the big highlight here, can't wait to hear more like that in the future.
Favorite Track: Break My Heart Again
Least Favorite Track: Shelter
45.
8/10
An interesting change of pace from his last album, but definitely a welcome one. This project as a hell tends to go really hard and it does not overstay its welcome.
Favorite Track: Gospel For A New Century
Least Favorite: Strawberry Privilege
46.
8/10
Despite lacking some of the punch that albums like Get To Heaven contain, Everything Everything continues to be one of the most ambitious alt rock bands working today and Re-Animator further conveys that sentiment.
Favorite Track: Violent Sun
Least Favorite Track: It Was A Monstering
47.
8/10
Quite the dynamic supergroup here, leading to some missteps in the sense that not everyone's ideas and styles mesh together too coherently... but when it does work, it's super effective. All in all a great project, albeit a bit too short.
Favorite Track: Freeze Tag
Least Favorite: Love You Bad
48.
8/10
I haven't listened to much Logic, I think I will forever stray away from the rest of his catalog besides Under Pressure, but this project was one hell of a way to go out. Bravo to him.
Favorite Track: Celebration
Least Favorite: A2Z
49.
8/10
Real inventive stuff on here. Not necessarily something I would come back to, but I can definitely admire the progressiveness on this project.
Favorite Track: Fanfare For Effective Freedom
Least Favorite: The Radiant City
50.
8/10
Smooth retrospection, knew I would vibe with this after his feature on the R.A.P. Ferreira album. kExcited to hear more from him.
Favorite Track: Death Parade
Least Favorite Track: Wtf is Self Care