My Favorite Albums of 2020
It was a trash year, but the music was fire.
The following are my 10 favorites albums of 2020. Most, though not all, of this music was released in 2020, but that is when I discovered it.
I’ve also included my top 10 songs of the year.
If an album or song is on this list it is because it means something to me. I consider most of these songs and albums to be great music.
Songs
Honorable Mentions: Harry Styles — Adore You (2019), Saint Jhn — Sucks To Be You (2020), Caribou — Never Come Back (2020), Bronson feat. lau.ra — Heart Attack (2020), Cardi B feat. Megan Thee Stallion — WAP (2020)
10. Daphni — Cos-Ber-Zam Ne Noya (Daphni Mix) (2012) (Daphni is an alias of Caribou)
9. Tyla Yaweh feat. Post Malone — Tommy Lee (Tommy Lee Remix) (2020)
8. Saint Jhn — Roses (Imanbek Remix) (2019)
7. Zhu feat. 24kGoldn — I Admit It (2020)
6. Lil Peep — worlds away (2016)
5. Sebastian Paul — Impatient (2020)
4. Oliver Tree feat. blink-182 — Let Me Down (2020)
3. Future feat. Drake — Life Is Good (2020)
2. Doja Cat — Bottom Bitch (2019)
1. Machine Gun Kelly — bloody valentine (2020)
Albums
Honorable Mentions: Caribou — Suddenly (2020), The Strokes — The New Abnormal (2020), Phantogram — Ceremony (2020), Harry Styles — Fine Line (2019), Vic Mensa — V Tape (2020), Bronson (a collaborative DJ group made up of Odesza and Golden Features) — Bronson (2020)
10. Theophilus London — Bebey (2020)
My favorite songs: Bebey, Only You, Whiplash, Whoop Tang Flow, Pretty, Seals
When 2020 started, no one had any idea how bad things would get. Things weren’t perfect, but they were at least somewhat stable. In that vacuum, “Beby” by Theophilus London was released, and man is it weird to listen to this album now.
London is a fantastic R&B singer, and in “Bebey,” he puts out an album that’s dripping in Caribbean vibes. That’s not too surprising considering London was born in Trinidad and Tobago.
Parts of the album, like the song “Bebey,” are chill, positive, relax, lay-by-the-pool-and-enjoy-that-piña-colada vibes. Others are more upbeat and excellent for dancing, like the song “Pretty.” Another highlight of the album for me are the artists Theophilus London collaborates with. That includes Tame Impala, which worked on the songs “Only You” and “Whiplash.” But this won’t be the only time we talk about Tame Impala on this list…
9. The Weeknd — After Hours (2020)
My favorite songs: Alone Again, Scared To Live, Blinding Lights, In Your Eyes, After Hours
The Weeknd is one of the best singers of his generation, and although “After Hours” is not one of his best albums, it still features a number of great songs where his vocal talents are on full display. For anyone hoping to sing along at the top of their lungs with Abel songs like “Scared To Live” are perfect.
“After Hours” also features some great songs to dance to. “Blinding Lights,” a song clearly influenced by 80s pop, is perfect for this, and in fact, at one point it blew up on TikTok for that exact reason.
If you haven’t already heard, The Weeknd will be performing at this year’s Super Bowl. I’ve never seen him perform live, so I can’t wait.
8. 070 Shake — Modus Vivendi (2020)
My favorite songs: Morrow, The Pines, Guilty Conscience, Rocketship, Microdosing, Nice To have, Under The Moon
Watching Kanye’s long, cringey downfall has been one of the worst parts of having been his fan, but at the very least, he still has an eye for talent. He proved this in the 2018 “Ye” album on “Ghost Town,” which included one of the most unique voices in music at the moment: 070 Shake.
070 Shake is a New Jersey rapper whose deep voice gives a uniquely androgynous sound to her music. At times speaking in such a slow manner that her lyrics blend between singing and rapping, 070 Shake’s low tone can create a haunting, hypnotizing sound.
070 Shake showcased this talent in “Modus Vivendi,” her first studio album. The standout song is “Guilty Conscience,” where she flexes the range of her unique voice.
7. Run The Jewels — RTJ4 (2020)
My favorite songs: ooh la la, out of sight, holy calamafuck, goonies vs. E.T., walking in the snow
If you care about social justice, you already know about Run The Jewels, and if you aren’t already listening to RTJ, you aren’t doing yourself justice.
Made up of Killer Mike and El-P, Run The Jewels is the perfect rap group for the Black Lives Matter era. These two bring so much energy to their albums and rap tongue twisters with big beats in the back. RTJ raps about all sorts of issues, such as climate change, but with a heavy emphasis on racism, police brutality and the incarceration of minorities.
Among my favorite lyrics is this gem from Killer Mike on “ooh la la”: “First of all, fuck the fuckin’ law, we is fuckin’ raw, Steak tartare, oysters on the half-shell, sushi bar, Life a bitch and the pussy fish, still fucked her raw, I’m a dog, I’m a dirty dog, ha-ha-ha-ha-ha.” You gotta see how he delivers it on the music video.
These two don’t just talk the talk either. The duo dropped “RTJ4” a few days early in the midst of the George Floyd protests, and as they do with their music, they made the album available for free to their fans. Rather than charging, RTJ asked any fans interested in paying to make a donation to the National Lawyers Guild Mass Defense Fund, which provide support for activists and protesters.
6. Bob Moses — Desire (2020)
My favorite songs: Love We Found, The Blame, Desire
In the midst of the chaos that was 2020 — from a pandemic, rampant misinformation, worsening climate conditions, to the near collapse of the American democracy — there were so many times this year when things didn’t feel real. They felt apocalyptic.
In San Francisco, there was no moment that captured this better than the day our entire sky was blood orange and we could hardly breathe. For me, 2020 will always serve as a reminder for just how bad things can get if we (continue to) let them.
And that’s why “Desire” was such an important album for me. Although it’s radically short at just six songs and only a little more than 30 minutes in length, the album perfectly captured the doomsday feel of 2020.
The apex of the album comes in the similarly titled song “Desire,” which features San Francisco DJ Zhu. I recommend watching the music video, which features a man and woman falling through an anaglyphic world, from a darkened red sky and into a deep dark blue city.
5. Elderbrook — Why Do We Shake In The Cold? (2020)
My favorite songs: Numb, I’m A Fool, Something About You, Set Fire To My Gun
I was first introduced to Elderbrook at the 2019 edition of SXSW, at one of the many parties that happens in Austin during the festival. His EDM pop music was great, but his performance was even more unforgettable. I remember him up there performing with a number of keyboards and instruments wrapped around him all while singing. I wish I’d caught a video of it.
Since then, I’ve been jamming his songs and following his music. It was a pleasant surprise when he finally dropped an album in September. Unlike many EDM works, “Why Do We Shake In The Cold?” features great lyric writing that makes for numerous catchy lines. It might be EDM, but in many ways, Elderbrook steers into the pop aspects of his music.
If you only listen to one song and want the more pop lean, check out “Something About You.” If you want the electronic focus, go with “Set Fire To My Gun,” but you should really do yourself a favor and check out the whole thing.
4. Lil Peep — Hellboy (2016)
My favorite songs: OMFG, the song they played (when i crashed into the wall), cobain, worlds away, red shawty drop
Lil Peep passed away three years ago, and I’m still not over it. Fortunately, he recorded so much while he was alive that despite all this time, he’s still dropping dimes.
Among those works is “Hellboy,” a mixtape Lil Peep released in 2016 that was re-released to streaming services in September.
The album is slow, dark and intense as emo rap tends to be, but it came at the perfect time for me. I discovered “Hellboy” shortly after my breakup, and it was the perfect album for wailing out all of the emotions.
The song “worlds away,” in particular stood out to me. Carried by a slow guitar riff, Lil Peep sings about a girl he’s just met. She’s different because she loves him for him, with no ulterior motives. That carries into a beautiful chorus where Peep sings “She sees the things that you don’t see, she breathes the air that you don’t breathe, she bleeds the blood that you don’t bleed, she looks at me like she loves me.” But this image of perfection that Peep paints isn’t real. He just met her. He’s projecting, but it does sound lovely.
3. Doja Cat — Hot Pink (2019)
My favorite songs: Cyber Sex, Won’t Bite, Bottom Bitch, Say So
“Hot Pink” was one of the albums from 2019 that I didn’t get into until 2020, and this album’s upbeat and positive vibes feel like they come from a different lifetime.
In “Hot Pink,” Doja Cat puts together a super chill pop album with a number of catchy tunes. “Say So” wound up being a TikTok hit earlier this year, for example.
My favorite part of the album, though, is “Bottom Bitch.” The song might be one of the most underrated parts of the album. It’s got a slow, bouncy, groovy beat that I can’t get enough of, and for good reason — the song samples “What’s My Age Again?” by blink-182.
2. Machine Gun Kelly — Tickets To My Downfall (2020)
My favorite songs: kiss kiss, drunk face, bloody valentine, all I know
For the longest time, I accused MGK of having contributed nothing of value to society. In 2020, he finally proved me wrong.
“Tickets To My Downfall” was the punk rock album I never knew I needed. It’s hardly surprising though when you consider that the album is produced by blink-182’s Travis Barker.
The album has a number of fun songs that grew on me over the course of the year. But the signature song of the album is without a doubt “bloody valentine.” I discovered the song while playing the “Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 + 2” remake that came out this summer. With its rapid energy, excellent drumming, catchy lyrics and a memorable music video with the foxy Megan Fox, “bloody valentine” ended up being my favorite song of 2020.
1. Tame Impala — The Slow Rush (2020)
My favorite songs: Borderline, Posthumous Forgiveness, Tomorrow’s Dust, On Track, Lost In Yesterday
It’s rare when things live up to their expectations, but with Kevin Parker, it seems to always be the case. The Australian musician yet again delivered a masterpiece with his fourth studio album.
“The Slow Rush” includes a flurry of relaxing, psychedelic, introspective rock songs that can be enjoyed chilling in the living room with your mom, or in your room on a solo trip into outer space. It’s the beauty of the music Kevin Parker makes — anyone can enjoy it.
There are so many great songs on this album, but the highlight is “Posthumous Forgiveness,” a two-part ballad Parker wrote about his relationship with his father. The first half is slow-moving and delves into what Parker disliked about his father, but the second half takes a more upbeat turn and focuses on the beautiful parts of their relationship that Parker misses now that his father is gone. The song is a demonstration of Parker’s skills as a performer, song-writer and composer.
This album will always have special meaning for me. Tame Impala was the last band I watched live when my best friend Amanda and I saw them in Los Angeles on March 11. That was the fateful day when Tom Hanks tested positive, the NBA shut down and the U.S. finally began taking the coronavirus (somewhat) seriously. That night we got to see Parker perform in what ultimately ended up being the last leg of the tour.
With so much uncertainty, it felt like the end of the world, and Parker performed like it. If that’s the last concert I ever see, it was one hell of a show.
