Louder's 50 Best Albums of 2020

This year demanded one hell of a soundtrack – and these are the 50 albums that brought the noise

Published: December 16, 2020 17:03 Source

Rank Album Artist Info
#1 POWER UP AC/DC Nov-13-2020, Hard Rock
#2 Ohms Deftones Sep-25-2020, Alternative Metal
#3 H.e.a.t II H.e.a.t Feb-21-2020, AOR
#4 Royal Tea Joe Bonamassa Oct-23-2020, Blues Rock
#5 Strange Days The Struts Oct-16-2020, Pop Rock
#6 Whoosh! Deep Purple Aug-07-2020, Hard Rock
#7 We Live Here Bob Vylan May-05-2020, Punk Rock
#8 Letter To You Bruce Springsteen Oct-23-2020, Heartland Rock
#9 Fetch The Bolt Cutters Fiona Apple Apr-17-2020, Art Pop
#10 Weltschmerz Fish Sep-25-2020, Progressive Rock
#11 Ordinary Man Ozzy Osbourne Feb-21-2020, Hard Rock
#12 Punisher Phoebe Bridgers Jun-18-2020, Singer-Songwriter
#13 The Symbol Remains Blue Öyster Cult Oct-09-2020, Hard Rock
#14 House of Noise Massive Wagons Jul-17-2020, Hard Rock
#15 RTJ4 Run The Jewels Jun-03-2020, Hardcore Hip Hop
#16 Gigaton Pearl Jam Mar-27-2020, Alternative Rock
#17 S&M2 Metallica, San Francisco Symphony Aug-28-2020, Symphonic Metal
#18 Have You Lost Your Mind yet? Fantastic Negrito Aug-14-2020, Psychedelic Soul
#19 Rough and Rowdy Ways Bob Dylan Jun-19-2020, Singer-Songwriter
#20 What The Dead Men Say Trivium Apr-24-2020, Melodic Metalcore
#21 Titans of Creation Testament Apr-03-2020, Thrash Metal
#22 Lamb of God Lamb of God Jun-19-2020, Groove Metal
#23 Obsidian Paradise Lost May-15-2020, Gothic Metal
#24 Live at the Roundhouse Nick Mason's Saucerful of Secrets Sep-18-2020, Psychedelic Rock
#25 A Celebration Of Endings Biffy Clyro Aug-14-2020, Alternative Rock
#26 The Ends The OBGMs Oct-30-2020, Garage Punk
#27 Self Made Man Larkin Poe Jun-12-2020, Blues Rock
#28 The Raging Wrath of the Easter Bunny Demo Mr. Bungle Oct-30-2020, Thrash Metal
#29 Quadra Sepultura Feb-07-2020, Thrash Metal
#30 Virus Haken Jun-05-2020, Progressive Metal
#31 Underneath Code Orange Mar-13-2020, Metalcore
#32 Reunions Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit May-15-2020, Americana
#33 Fake It Flowers beabadoobee Oct-16-2020, Alternative Rock
#34 God Has Nothing To Do With This Leave Him Out Of It Backxwash May-28-2020, Industrial Hip Hop
#35 The New OK Drive-By Truckers Oct-02-2020, Southern Rock
#36 Optimisme Songhoy Blues Oct-23-2020, Afro-Rock
#37 Bless Your Heart The Allman Betts Band Aug-28-2020, Southern Rock
#38 CMFT Corey Taylor Oct-02-2020, Hard Rock
#39 Pressure Tyler Bryant & The Shakedown Oct-16-2020, Hard Rock
#40 City Burials Katatonia Apr-24-2020, Alternative Metal
#41 The Red Planet Rick Wakeman Aug-28-2020, Symphonic Prog
#42 Utgard Enslaved Oct-02-2020, Progressive Metal
#43 Nothing as the Ideal All Them Witches Sep-04-2020, Psychedelic Rock
#44 Forever Blue A.A. Williams Jul-03-2020, Post-Rock
#45 Under the Spell of Joy Death Valley Girls Oct-02-2020, Psychedelic Rock
#46 Ultra Mono IDLES Sep-25-2020, Post-Punk
#47 A Hero's Death Fontaines D.C. Jul-31-2020, Post-Punk
#48 Staring at Clocks Bitch Falcon Nov-06-2020, Post-Punk
#49 Splid Kvelertak Feb-14-2020, Hardcore Punk
#50 The Slow Rush Tame Impala Feb-14-2020, Psychedelic Pop
Markdown

| Rank | Album | Artist | Info |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | POWER UP | AC/DC | Album, Nov-13-2020, Hard Rock |
| #2 | Ohms | Deftones | Album, Sep-25-2020, Alternative Metal |
| #3 | H.e.a.t II | H.e.a.t | Album, Feb-21-2020, AOR |
| #4 | Royal Tea | Joe Bonamassa | Album, Oct-23-2020, Blues Rock |
| #5 | Strange Days | The Struts | Album, Oct-16-2020, Pop Rock |
| #6 | Whoosh! | Deep Purple | Album, Aug-07-2020, Hard Rock |
| #7 | We Live Here | Bob Vylan | Album, May-05-2020, Punk Rock |
| #8 | Letter To You | Bruce Springsteen | Album, Oct-23-2020, Heartland Rock |
| #9 | Fetch The Bolt Cutters | Fiona Apple | Album, Apr-17-2020, Art Pop |
| #10 | Weltschmerz | Fish | Album, Sep-25-2020, Progressive Rock |
| #11 | Ordinary Man | Ozzy Osbourne | Album, Feb-21-2020, Hard Rock |
| #12 | Punisher | Phoebe Bridgers | Album, Jun-18-2020, Singer-Songwriter |
| #13 | The Symbol Remains | Blue Öyster Cult | Album, Oct-09-2020, Hard Rock |
| #14 | House of Noise | Massive Wagons | Album, Jul-17-2020, Hard Rock |
| #15 | RTJ4 | Run The Jewels | Album, Jun-03-2020, Hardcore Hip Hop |
| #16 | Gigaton | Pearl Jam | Album, Mar-27-2020, Alternative Rock |
| #17 | S&M2 | MetallicaSan Francisco Symphony | Album, Aug-28-2020, Symphonic Metal |
| #18 | Have You Lost Your Mind yet? | Fantastic Negrito | Album, Aug-14-2020, Psychedelic Soul |
| #19 | Rough and Rowdy Ways | Bob Dylan | Album, Jun-19-2020, Singer-Songwriter |
| #20 | What The Dead Men Say | Trivium | Album, Apr-24-2020, Melodic Metalcore |
| #21 | Titans of Creation | Testament | Album, Apr-03-2020, Thrash Metal |
| #22 | Lamb of God | Lamb of God | Album, Jun-19-2020, Groove Metal |
| #23 | Obsidian | Paradise Lost | Album, May-15-2020, Gothic Metal |
| #24 | Live at the Roundhouse | Nick Mason's Saucerful of Secrets | Album, Sep-18-2020, Psychedelic Rock |
| #25 | A Celebration Of Endings | Biffy Clyro | Album, Aug-14-2020, Alternative Rock |
| #26 | The Ends | The OBGMs | Album, Oct-30-2020, Garage Punk |
| #27 | Self Made Man | Larkin Poe | Album, Jun-12-2020, Blues Rock |
| #28 | The Raging Wrath of the Easter Bunny Demo | Mr. Bungle | Album, Oct-30-2020, Thrash Metal |
| #29 | Quadra | Sepultura | Album, Feb-07-2020, Thrash Metal |
| #30 | Virus | Haken | Album, Jun-05-2020, Progressive Metal |
| #31 | Underneath | Code Orange | Album, Mar-13-2020, Metalcore |
| #32 | Reunions | Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit | Album, May-15-2020, Americana |
| #33 | Fake It Flowers | beabadoobee | Album, Oct-16-2020, Alternative Rock |
| #34 | God Has Nothing To Do With This Leave Him Out Of It | Backxwash | Album, May-28-2020, Industrial Hip Hop |
| #35 | The New OK | Drive-By Truckers | Album, Oct-02-2020, Southern Rock |
| #36 | Optimisme | Songhoy Blues | Album, Oct-23-2020, Afro-Rock |
| #37 | Bless Your Heart | The Allman Betts Band | Album, Aug-28-2020, Southern Rock |
| #38 | CMFT | Corey Taylor | Album, Oct-02-2020, Hard Rock |
| #39 | Pressure | Tyler Bryant & The Shakedown | Album, Oct-16-2020, Hard Rock |
| #40 | City Burials | Katatonia | Album, Apr-24-2020, Alternative Metal |
| #41 | The Red Planet | Rick Wakeman | Album, Aug-28-2020, Symphonic Prog |
| #42 | Utgard | Enslaved | Album, Oct-02-2020, Progressive Metal |
| #43 | Nothing as the Ideal | All Them Witches | Album, Sep-04-2020, Psychedelic Rock |
| #44 | Forever Blue | A.A. Williams | Album, Jul-03-2020, Post-Rock |
| #45 | Under the Spell of Joy | Death Valley Girls | Album, Oct-02-2020, Psychedelic Rock |
| #46 | Ultra Mono | IDLES | Album, Sep-25-2020, Post-Punk |
| #47 | A Hero's Death | Fontaines D.C. | Album, Jul-31-2020, Post-Punk |
| #48 | Staring at Clocks | Bitch Falcon | Album, Nov-06-2020, Post-Punk |
| #49 | Splid | Kvelertak | Album, Feb-14-2020, Hardcore Punk |
| #50 | The Slow Rush | Tame Impala | Album, Feb-14-2020, Psychedelic Pop |