All the other “best of” lists are rigged. This is the official best music of 2020. Don’t let imitators fool you.
Click here for the ultimate 2020 playlist experience.
Top 20 Albums of 2020 (Final Selections (Apple Music friendly))
Runner up:
INLET – Hum (Earth Analog Records)
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#20
RICH SLAVE – Young Dolph (Paper Route Empire)
While I’m Rollin’ Up done been an anthem for a decade, but 2020 is Dolph’s culmination. He deserves inclusion solely for photoshopping face masks on old covers.
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#19
MUSIC IS THE WEAPON – Major Lazer (Mad Decent)
This one almost kept on passing us by. Who is coming to dinner? None other than Diplo and his guns.
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#18
OUT OF BODY – Needtobreathe (Elektra)
Wantthesetunesinourears. Needtobreathegoesdeephelpingusallfathomthewonderoftimeinmoderntimes.
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#17
THE CHAIN – The Warlocks (Cleopatra Records)
’cause psych rock will never die, The Warlocks keep the candle burning strong for another year.
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#16
FUTURE PAST LIFE – Strfkr (Polyvinyl Record Co.)
Language! Top five album art of the year everyone. Who needs good music when there is good design? Don’t ask them cause they are purveyors of all.
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#15
NEW ME, SAME US – Little Dragon (Ninja Tune)
Are they channeling Blockhead from the 00’s, probably not but they’re on the same label. Apt music for inept times.
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#14
SLAB TALK – Lil’ Keke & Paul Wall (7 Thirteen Music / Oiler Mobb Ent / SoSouth)
So good it needed three labels… The world has been wondering: Why no Paul Wall / Lil’ Keke collab album? The world wanders no more.
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#13
RTJ4 – Run The Jewels (Jewel Runners LLC)
Zach de la Rocha and Pharrell sound like real pals. Ever wandered what Rocha means? An equal mix sagacious and timely.
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#12
14 STEPS TO A BETTER YOU – Lime Cordiale (Chugg Music / London Cowboys)
Diversity requirement. They’re from Australia with the sense of humor to boot. They’ve robbed the spot of Oz. Spoiler alert. AUS is all over this list.
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#11
ORACLE 3 – Grafh (Team Bang Dope Gang)
The king of Queens won’t quit, won’t stop, won’t have it. 12-16 years in the making. Please don’t put a p where the f goes homey.
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#10
MORDECHAI – Khruangbin (Dead Oceans)
Wow. Dead Oceans coming through with a top tenner. Since when did they get hip? The ‘bin has been described as having a West Texas vibe, if Houston and Midland switched.
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#9
WE WILL ALWAYS LOVE YOU – Avalanches (Modular Recordings)
Some might say you will not put albums released in December in that year’s best of. We say that is the talk of cotton headed ninny muggins.
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#8
THE SLOW RUSH – Tame Impala (Modular Recordings)
From the land of universal comes a lagging classic. Just ask young_david, he’ll probably agree.
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#7
SO HELP ME GOD – 2 Chainz (Gamebread, LLC)
2 words: twooo chaaaaaain
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#6
UNTITLED (RISE) – Sault (Forever Living Originals)
We phoned up Sault to let them know they’ve been included in this list and they didn’t care, but they picked up. Beastie Boy approved.
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#5
DREAMLAND – Glass Animals (Wolf Tone Records)
Gone are days of one hit wonderland. Denzel Curry collab to alternative rock stalwarts in the making?
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#4
Survival Kit – Goodie Mob (Organized Noize)
The great musical blogger Barack Obama agrees that it is good to have Goodie back.
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#3
IMPLODING THE MIRAGE – The Killers (Island Records)
Where did this one come from? Just west of Bangers, and a bit south of Hitsfordshire-upon-the-Point.
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#2
SONG MACHINE, SEASON ONE: STRANGE TIMEZ – Gorillaz (Parlophone)
Strange year, but nothing strange for Gorillaz. Collaborate to ameliorate.
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#1
FELT 4 U – Felt (Rhymesayers)
We sincerely can’t remember the last time we’ve been so excited for a release; we even told Arbit. Slug and them teased us with Name In Ya Mouth, and gave the full platter, like, 2 days later. Christmas in August quarantine.
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Top 10 Songs of 2020 (Definitive Collection)
Runner ups:
BALANCE – Terrell Hines (Reset Music LLC)
RABBIT HOLE – Cherry Glazerr (Quality Control Music LLC)
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#10
GOOD FOR YOU – Porridge Music & Lala Lala (Secretly Candian)
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#9
IDENTICAL – Phoenix (Glassnote)
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#8
HOW WILL I REST IN PEACE IF I’M BURIED BY A HIGHWAY – Kennyhoopla (Mogul Vision Music)
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#7
ABOUT WORK THE DANCEFLOOR – Georgia (Domino)
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#6
AGUA – Tainy & J Balvin (Interscope)
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#5
INSIDE OUT – Grouplove (Atlantic)
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#4
TELEVISED MIND – Fontaines D.C. (Partisan)
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#3
SKYBOX – Gunna (Young Stoner Life Records / 300 Entertainment)
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#2
L.L.L.L. (LOVE LIFE LIVE LARGE) – Dizzee Rascal & Chip (Dirtee Stank)
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#1
FRANCHISE (FEAT. M.I.A. & YOUNG THUG) – Travis Scott (Epic)
-EY
