Esquire's (UK) 50 Best Albums of 2020

The month's best releases and what to skip to

Published: December 11, 2020 10:38 Source

# 1

Punisher by Phoebe Bridgers

Album • Jun 18 / 2020 Singer-Songwriter Indie Folk

# 2

Saint Cloud by Waxahatchee

Album • Mar 27 / 2020 Singer-Songwriter Alt-Country

# 3

Set My Heart On Fire Immediately by Perfume Genius

Album • May 15 / 2020 Art Pop

# 4

Cold Water by Medhane

Album • May 26 / 2020 Abstract Hip Hop East Coast Hip Hop

# 5

græ by Moses Sumney

Album • May 15 / 2020 Art Pop

# 6

RTJ4 by Run The Jewels

Album • Jun 03 / 2020 Hardcore Hip Hop Political Hip Hop

# 7

Suddenly by Caribou

Album • Feb 28 / 2020 Indietronica

# 8

What's Your Pleasure? by Jessie Ware

Album • Jun 26 / 2020 Dance-Pop Disco

# 9

Women In Music Pt. III by HAIM

Album • Feb 19 / 2021 Indie Pop Soft Rock

# 10

Live Forever by Bartees Strange

Album • Oct 02 / 2020 Indie Rock

# 11

songs by Adrianne Lenker

Album • Oct 23 / 2020 Singer-Songwriter Contemporary Folk

# 12

color theory by Soccer Mommy

Album • Feb 28 / 2020 Singer-Songwriter Indie Pop Bedroom Pop

# 13

YHLQMDLG by Bad Bunny

Album • Feb 29 / 2020

# 14

Workaround by Beatrice Dillon

Album • Feb 07 / 2020 Electroacoustic IDM

# 15

Forever, Ya Girl by KeiyaA

Album • Mar 27 / 2020 Neo-Soul

# 16

Hannah by Lomelda

Album • Sep 04 / 2020 Indie Folk Indie Rock

# 17

A Written Testimony by Jay Electronica

Album • Mar 13 / 2020 Conscious Hip Hop Abstract Hip Hop

# 18

folklore by Taylor Swift

Album • Jul 24 / 2020 Singer-Songwriter Folk Pop

# 19

THE ANGEL YOU DON'T KNOW by Amaarae

Album • Nov 12 / 2020 Afrobeats Alternative R&B

# 20

Heaven To a Tortured Mind by Yves Tumor

Album • Apr 03 / 2020 Neo-Psychedelia Art Rock

# 21

Fetch The Bolt Cutters by Fiona Apple

Album • Apr 17 / 2020 Art Pop Singer-Songwriter Progressive Pop

# 22

SOURCE by Nubya Garcia

Album • Aug 21 / 2020 Spiritual Jazz Afro-Jazz

# 23

Future Nostalgia by Dua Lipa

Album • Mar 27 / 2020 Dance-Pop Nu-Disco

# 24

Heavy Light by U.S. Girls

Album • Mar 06 / 2020 Art Pop Pop Soul

# 25

Mama, You Can Bet! by Jyoti + Georgia Anne Muldrow

Album • Aug 28 / 2020 Nu Jazz Psychedelic Soul Avant-Garde Jazz

# 26

Lianne La Havas by Lianne La Havas

Album • Jul 17 / 2020 Neo-Soul Singer-Songwriter

# 27

Miss Anthropocene by Grimes

Album • Feb 21 / 2020 Art Pop Electronic

# 28

Taken Away by Moodymann

Album • May 21 / 2020 Deep House

# 29

Modern Dread by Denai Moore

Album • Jul 03 / 2020 Alternative R&B Art Pop Synthpop

# 30

Modus Vivendi by 070 Shake

Album • Jan 17 / 2020 Alternative R&B Pop Rap Alt-Pop

# 31

Sixteen Oceans by Four Tet

Album • Mar 13 / 2020 Microhouse Ambient

# 32

weight of the world by MIKE

Album • Jun 21 / 2020 Abstract Hip Hop Experimental Hip Hop East Coast Hip Hop

# 33

Love + Light by Daniel Avery

Album • Jun 26 / 2020 IDM Techno

# 34

Róisín Machine by Róisín Murphy

Album • Oct 02 / 2020 Nu-Disco

# 35

Inner Song by Kelly Lee Owens

Album • Aug 28 / 2020 Tech House Art Pop

# 36

As Long As You Are by Future Islands

Album • Oct 09 / 2020 Synthpop

# 37

It Was Good Until It Wasn't by Kehlani

Album • May 08 / 2020 Contemporary R&B

# 38

Kitchen Sink by Nadine Shah

Album • Jun 05 / 2020 Art Rock

# 39

What Could Possibly Go Wrong by Dominic Fike

Album • Jul 31 / 2020 Alternative R&B Indie Pop Alt-Pop

# 40

The Ascension by Sufjan Stevens

Album • Sep 25 / 2020 Indietronica Art Pop

# 41

Home by Romare

Album • Jul 31 / 2020 Deep House UK Bass

# 42

Your Hero Is Not Dead by Westerman

Album • Jun 05 / 2020 Art Pop Sophisti-Pop

# 43

The Slow Rush by Tame Impala

Album • Feb 14 / 2020 Psychedelic Pop Neo-Psychedelia Synthpop

# 44

Flood Dream by LEYA

Album • Mar 06 / 2020 Chamber Folk Avant-Folk

# 45

Eternal Atake by Lil Uzi Vert

Album • Mar 06 / 2020 Trap Pop Rap

# 46

Shall We Go On Sinning So That Grace May Increase? by The Soft Pink Truth

Album • May 01 / 2020 Ambient Ambient Techno

# 47

Sister by Ultraísta

Album • Mar 13 / 2020 Art Pop Indietronica Downtempo

# 48

3.15.20 by Childish Gambino

Album • Mar 22 / 2020 Neo-Soul Contemporary R&B

# 49

It Is What It Is by Thundercat

Album • Apr 03 / 2020 Psychedelic Soul Neo-Soul Jazz-Funk

# 50

Song For Our Daughter by Laura Marling

Album • Apr 10 / 2020 Contemporary Folk Singer-Songwriter