NME's 50 Best Albums of 2020

We’ve collated our writers’ ‘best of’ lists and crunched the numbers to arrive at NME's 50 best albums of 2020

Published: December 11, 2020 09:00 Source

# 1

RTJ4 by Run The Jewels

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

# 2

folklore by Taylor Swift

Album • Jul 24 / 2020 Singer-Songwriter Folk Pop

# 3

Future Nostalgia by Dua Lipa

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

# 4

The New Abnormal by The Strokes

Album • Apr 10 / 2020 Indie Rock

# 5

Punisher by Phoebe Bridgers

Album • Jun 18 / 2020 Singer-Songwriter Indie Folk

# 6

Inner Song by Kelly Lee Owens

Album • Aug 28 / 2020 Tech House Art Pop

# 7

SAWAYAMA by Rina Sawayama

Album • Apr 17 / 2020 Dance-Pop Contemporary R&B

# 8

Women In Music Pt. III by HAIM

Album • Feb 19 / 2021 Indie Pop Soft Rock

# 9

Fake It Flowers by beabadoobee

Album • Oct 16 / 2020 Alternative Rock

# 10

Big Conspiracy by J Hus

Album • Jan 24 / 2020 UK Hip Hop

# 11

Fetch The Bolt Cutters by Fiona Apple

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

# 12

Good News by Megan Thee Stallion

Album • Nov 20 / 2020 Southern Hip Hop Trap Pop Rap

# 13

Ohms by Deftones

Album • Sep 25 / 2020 Alternative Metal

# 14

Chromatica by Lady Gaga

Album • May 29 / 2020 Dance-Pop Euro House

# 15

A Hero's Death by Fontaines D.C.

Album • Jul 31 / 2020 Post-Punk

# 16

The Slow Rush by Tame Impala

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

# 17

Petals For Armor by Hayley Williams

Album • May 08 / 2020 Art Pop Alternative Dance

# 18

Every Bad by Porridge Radio

Album • Mar 13 / 2020 Indie Rock Post-Punk

# 19

Imploding The Mirage by The Killers

Album • Jan 29 / 2021 Pop Rock Heartland Rock New Wave

# 20

Eternal Atake by Lil Uzi Vert

Album • Mar 06 / 2020 Trap Pop Rap

# 21

Róisín Machine by Róisín Murphy

Album • Oct 02 / 2020 Nu-Disco

# 22

Working Men's Club by Working Men's Club

Album • Oct 02 / 2020 Synthpop Dance-Punk New Rave

# 23

Twice As Tall by Burna Boy

Album • Aug 13 / 2020 Afrobeats

# 24

how i'm feeling now by Charli XCX

Album • May 15 / 2020 Hyperpop Electropop Bubblegum Bass

# 25

Song For Our Daughter by Laura Marling

Album • Apr 10 / 2020 Contemporary Folk Singer-Songwriter

# 26

Night Network by The Cribs

Album • Nov 20 / 2020 Post-Punk Revival Indie Rock

# 27

EDNA by Headie One

Album • Oct 09 / 2020 UK Drill UK Hip Hop Trap

# 28

Foolish Loving Spaces by Blossoms

Album • Jan 31 / 2020 Indie Pop Synthpop

# 29

After Hours by The Weeknd

Album • Mar 20 / 2020 Alternative R&B Synthpop

# 30

Mordechai by Khruangbin

Album • Jun 26 / 2020 Psychedelic Rock

# 31

I'm Your Empress Of by Empress Of

Album • Apr 03 / 2020 Synthpop Electropop

# 32

Plastic Hearts by Miley Cyrus

Album • Nov 27 / 2020 Pop Rock

# 33

Zeros by Declan McKenna

Album • Sep 04 / 2020 Glam Rock Indie Rock

# 34

Made In Lagos by Wizkid

Album • Oct 29 / 2020 Afrobeats

# 35

color theory by Soccer Mommy

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

# 36

acts of rebellion by Ela Minus

Album • Oct 23 / 2020 Electropop Tech House

# 37

It Is What It Is by Thundercat

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

# 38

weird! by YUNGBLUD

Album • Dec 04 / 2020 Alternative Rock Pop Rock

# 39

What Could Possibly Go Wrong by Dominic Fike

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

# 40

Manic by Halsey

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

# 41

Jp4 by Junglepussy

Album • Oct 23 / 2020 East Coast Hip Hop Experimental Hip Hop

# 42

Untitled (Black Is) by Sault

Album • Jun 19 / 2020 Neo-Soul

# 43

Notes On A Conditional Form by The 1975

Album • May 22 / 2020 Electronic Art Pop Pop Rock

# 44

MAP OF THE SOUL : 7 by BTS

Album • Feb 21 / 2020 K-Pop

# 45

Everything is Beautiful by Princess Nokia

Album • Feb 26 / 2020 Pop Rap East Coast Hip Hop

# 46

Ultra Mono by IDLES

Album • Sep 25 / 2020 Post-Punk Art Punk

# 47

Dark Matter by Moses Boyd

Album • Feb 14 / 2020 Nu Jazz Afro-Jazz

# 48

Miss Anthropocene by Grimes

Album • Feb 21 / 2020 Art Pop Electronic

# 49

Rough and Rowdy Ways by Bob Dylan

Album • Jun 19 / 2020 Singer-Songwriter Americana

# 50

Nightmare Vacation by Rico Nasty

Album • Dec 04 / 2020 Trap Pop Rap Hardcore Hip Hop