Maiden Voyage
Gold™ Member
What an incredible year for music. I don't remember a year that has had this many solid albums. The timing could not have been more perfect. In these quarantine times, there's no better escape from the drudgery of WFH or for those on the front-line as essential workers.
All that aside, each album in my top 10 list is a great listen from start to finish. I can whole-heartedly say that I love each and every album on the list. There were so many that I included a spillover list to help capture each album that grabbed my attention throughout the year.
My #1 is especially notable to me given it is the first album Pinegrove has written/created since their self-imposed hiatus after frontman Evan Stephens Hall was #metoo'd. The claims were somewhat baffling and nonsensical, though Hall admits to "sexual coercion" (more info here, if you're interested; TL;DR it's bs). While Hall says the album is not about the events/fallout of the #metoo accusation, it's quite clear from the album's opening lyrics, there is clearly something for the listener to digest (Ignore the wreckage on the shoulder). While perhaps not explicitly about the events, clearly Hall has reflected while in his self-imposed hiatus. While a bit more typically emo than I enjoy, the context of the album transcends it perfection. The music & lyrics may be sombre but it's incredibly catchy. Definitely worth a listen.
My personal Top 10 list:
10. Khruangbin - Mordechai
9. Grimes - Miss Anthropocene
8. Sufjan Stevens - The Ascension
7. King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard - K.G.
6. Nathaniel Rateliff - And It's Still All Right
5. The Flaming Lips - American Head
4. The Beths - Jump Rope Grazers
3. Run The Jewels - RTJ4
2. Waxahatchee - Saint Cloud
1. Pinegrove - Marigold
Honorable mentions (In no order):
Phoebe Bridgers - Punisher
Deftones - Ohms
Haim - Women in Music, Pt. III
Jason Isbell & The 400 Unit - Reunions
Mad Caddies - House on Fire EP
Andy Shauf - The Neon Skyline
Tame Impala - The Slow Rush
Tennis - Swimmer
Colter Wall - Western Swing & Waltzes and Other Punchy Songs
Cravis
AC/DC - Power Up
SafeOrAlone
2-way tie (Phoebe Bridgers, The Strokes)A Alter_Fridge Dua Lipa - Future Nostalgia
e0n
Helena Deland - Someone New
Lionel Richie
The Microphones - The Microphones in 2020R Rock And Roll 3-way tie (RTJ, Kesha, Dua Lipa)
T8SC
Scooter - God Save the Rave (Technically it looks like a 2021 release 
)
IfuckinghateReddit
Frank Zappa & The Mothers - The Mothers 1970 (Compilation of previously unreleased material)
teezzy
Deftones - Ohms
belmarduk
Will Atkinson - Last King of ScotlandE Explosive Zombie - Esoctrilihum - Eternity of Shaog
kyussman
Clutch - Weathermaker Vault Series Vol. 1
Pol Pot
Fiona Apple - Fetch the Bolt CuttersT TheHighFlyingBirds Gerry Cinnamon - The Bonny
MrS
5-way tie (King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard [Chunky Shrapnel], Abel, Due Lipa, Robin Pecknold, Father John Misty )
No Longer Human
Fleet Foxes - Shore
Paasei
3-way tie (Marilyn Manson, Deftones, Polaris)
bitbydeath
Eminem - Music to be Murdered By
Werewolf Jones
3-way tie (Merzbow, Boris, and RTJ)
lunnuyu
(INNA, Max Barskih)
Bridges
The Strokes - The New Abnormal
The Bloody-Nine
Benediction - Scriptures
tommib
Autechre - Sign
Party McHardy
2-way tie (Chris Stapleton, Twiztid)
TrainedRage
Clown Core - VanJ jezhumphrey75 2-way tie (Eminem, and Benny the Butcher)
Tesseract
Clown Core - Van
ArtemisClydeFrog
3-way tie (Kid Cudi, Bronson, Glass Animals)
diffusionx
Pallbearer - Forgotten Days
NinjaBoiX
Hayley Williams - Petals for Armor
Jethalal
The Weeknd - After Hours
- A.V. Club: Fiona Apple - Fetch The Bolt Cutters
- Associated Press (Mesfin Fekadu): Toni Braxton - "Spell My Name"
- BBC Radio 6: Sault - Untitled (Black Is)
- Billboard: Taylor Swift - Folklore
- BrooklynVegan: Fiona Apple - Fetch The Bolt Cutters
- Complex: The Weeknd - After Hours
- Consequence of Sound: Fiona Apple - Fetch The Bolt Cutters
- Entertainment Weekly: Fiona Apple - Fetch The Bolt Cutters
- Fader: J Hus - Big Conspiracy
- Flood Magazine: RTJ - RTJ4
- The Guardian: Fiona Apple - Fetch The Bolt Cutters
- Independent: Fiona Apple - Fetch The Bolt Cutters
- KCRW: Sault - Untitled (Black Is)
- L.A. Times: Taylor Swift - Folklore
- Magnet: The Strokes - The New Abnormal
- The Needle Drop (Anthony Fantano): Jessie Ware - What's Your Pleasure?
- N.M.E.: RTJ - RTJ4
- NPR: Sault - Untitled (Black Is)
- Paste: Fiona Apple - Fetch The Bolt Cutters
- People: Dua Lipa - Future Nostalgia
- Pitchfork: Fiona Apple - Fetch The Bolt Cutters
- Revolver: Deftones - Ohms
- Rolling Stone: Taylor Swift - Folklore
- Slant: Fiona Apple - Fetch The Bolt Cutters
- Slate: Phoebe Bridgers - Punisher
- Spin: Fiona Apple - Fetch The Bolt Cutters
- Stereogum: Fiona Apple - Fetch The Bolt Cutters
- Time: Taylor Swift - Folklore
- The Times: Phoebe Bridgers - Punisher
- USA Today: Tie (Taylor Swift - Folklore & Evermore)
- Vice (Noisey): Sault - Untitled (Black Is)
- Vulture: Fiona Apple - Fetch The Bolt Cutters
- Yahoo! Entertainment: The Weeknd - After Hours
Worst Album Covers of the Year, provided by Exclaim.ca:
#1
#2 is probably the better choice, imo
#2 is probably the better choice, imo
Earlyworm's Top EPs of 2020
Pitchfork's best songs of the year
The 100 Best Songs of 2020
The tracks that defined this bizarre year, featuring Megan Thee Stallion, the Weeknd, Christine and the Queens, Noname, Waxahatchee, and more
What about you? What's your #1 album this year and why is it T. Swiftles?
*The views expressed in this thread are those of the individual posters. EviLore and Neogaf Inc. do not condone the choices reflected in this thread, unless otherwise stated by the big cheese himself.
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