Despite the awful year that 2020 was, some incredible music was still released this year. And with live music coming to an end in early March across the entire planet, it was vital that we support the artists (and venues) to keep the industry alive. With nine Bandcamp Fridays complete and more on the horizon, this was the biggest music highlight for me this year — In 2020, I discovered new artists and supported many old favorites, too. Spending not only money, but hours and hours listening, more than I have in previous years, given that I had more time to explore. So here it is, my annual best music list — I hope you find something you like!
Top Albums of 2020
- SAULT – Untitled (Black Is)
- SAULT – Untitled (Rise)
- Matt Berninger – Serpentine Prison
- Mourning [A] Blkstar – The Cycle
- Waxahatchee – Saint Cloud
- Moses Sumney – Græ
- Makaya McCraven – Universal Beings E&F Sides
- Destroyer – Have We Met
- Jyoti – Mama, You Can Bet!
- Nubya Garcia – Source
- Run The Jewels – RTJ4
- Sir Richard Bishop – Oneiric Formulary
- Shabaka and the Ancestors – We Are Sent Here by History
- Arbouretum – Let It All In
- Bill Fay – Countless Branches
- The Soft Pink Truth – Shall We Go On Sinning So That Grace May Increase?
- Gwenifer Raymond – Strange Lights Over Garth Mountain
- Gil Scott-Heron & Makaya McCraven – We’re New Again
- Fleet Foxes – Shore
- Jeff Parker – Suite For Max Brown
- Josh Johnson – Freedom Exercise
- RJD2 – The Fun Ones
- Phoebe Bridgers – Punisher
- Mary Halvorson’s Code Girl – Artlessy Falling
- Thundercat – It Is What It Is
- Fiona Apple – Fetch the Bolt Cutters
- Monophonics – It’s Only Us
- Taylor Swift – Folklore
- Phish – Sigma Oasis
- Jeff Tweedy – Love is the King
- Demae – Life Works Out… Usually
- Siti Muharam – Siti of Unguja (Romance Revolution on Zanzibar)
- Aquiles Navarro & Tcheser Holmes – Heritage of the Invisible II
- Adrianne Lenker – songs
- Nas – King’s Disease
- James Tillman – Modern Desires
- ohbliv – Spirit Medicine
- Bonny Light Horseman – Bonny Light Horseman
- Yves Tumor – Heaven to a Tortured Mind
- Ambrose Akinmusire – On the tender spot of every calloused moment
- Cut Worms – Nobody Lives Here Anymore
- Moses Boyd – Dark Matter
- Fourtet – Sixteen Oceans
- Medhane – Cold Water
- Black Devil Disco Club – Lucifer is a Flower
- Ego Ella May – Honey For Wounds
Top Jazz Albums of 2020:
- Makaya McCraven – Universal Beings E&F Sides
- Nubya Garcia – Source
- Aquiles Navarro & Tcheser Holmes – Heritage of the Invisible II
- Jeff Parker – Suite For Max Brown
- Josh Johnson – Freedom Exercise
- Shabaka and the Ancestors – We Are Sent Here by History
- Rob Mazurek Exploding Star Orchestra – Dimensional Stardust
- Sun Ra Arkestra – Swirling
- Immanuel Wilkins – Omega
- Tom Misch & Yusef Dayes – What Kinda Music
- Tino Contreras – La Noche De Los Dioses
- Matthew Halsall – Salute to the Sun
- Lettuce – Resonate
- The Necks – Three
- Jahari Massamba Unit – Pardon My French
- Yazmin Lacey – Morning Matters
- Katalyst – Nine Lives
- Susan Alcorn Quartet – Pedernal
- Dougie Stu – Familiar Future
- Ron Miles – Rainbow Sign
- Terrace Martin, Robert Glasper, 9th Wonder & Kamasi Washington – Dinner Party
- Kamaal Williams – Wu Hen
- Keith Jarrett – Budapest Concert
- Idris Ackamoor & The Pyramids – Shaman!
- Chip Wickham – Blue to Red
- Bill Frisell – Valentine
Top Hip Hop Albums of 2020:
- Run The Jewels – RTJ4
- RJD2 – The Fun Ones
- Nas – King’s Disease
- ohbliv – Spirit Medicine
- Medhane – Cold Water
- Shabazz Palaces – The Don of Diamond Dreams
- Benny the Butcher – Burden of Proof
- Public Enemy – What Ya Gonna Do When the Grid Goes Down?
- Knxwledge – 1988
- clipping. – Visions of Bodies Being Burned
- Black Thought – Streams of Thought, Vol. 3: Cane and Abel
- Navy Blue – Àdá Irin
- Beans – Venga
- Astairé – Volume 1
- The Koreatown Oddity – Little Dominiques Nosebleed
- Freddie Gibbs & The Alchemist – Alfredo
- Mo Fingaz – Gusto
- Armand Hammer – Shrines
Top Reissues of 2020:
- Various Artists – The Harry Smith B-Sides
- Tom Petty – Wildflowers
- Black Unity Trio – Al Fatihah
- Grateful Dead – Dave’s Pick Vol. 36 – Hartford, CT. March 26, 1987
- Commander Cody & His Lost Planet Airmen – Found in the Ozone
- Windy & Carl – Unreleased Home Recordings
- Thelonious Monk – Palo Alto
- Heshoo Beshoo Group – Armitage Road
- Bill Evans – Some Other Time: The Lost Session from Black Forest
- Various Artists – Southeast of Saturn