NPR Music's 50 Best Albums of 2020

2020 was so stuffed with urgent voices it could be hard to discern the melody from the noise. Here's our guide to the greatest albums that emerged from a year of cacophony.

Published: December 02, 2020 12:08 Source

Rank Album Artist Info
#1 Untitled (Black Is) Sault Jun-19-2020, Neo-Soul
#2 Fetch The Bolt Cutters Fiona Apple Apr-17-2020, Art Pop
#3 Miss Colombia Lido Pimienta Apr-17-2020, Latin Electronic
#4 Punisher Phoebe Bridgers Jun-18-2020, Singer-Songwriter
#5 Spilligion Spillage Village, JID, EARTHGANG Sep-25-2020, Contemporary R&B
#6 Adès Conducts Adès (Live) Boston Symphony Orchestra, Thomas Adès, Kirill Gerstein, Christianne Stotijn, Mark Stone Feb-28-2020,
#7 YHLQMDLG Bad Bunny Feb-29-2020,
#8 SOURCE Nubya Garcia Aug-21-2020, Spiritual Jazz
#9 Eternal Atake Lil Uzi Vert Mar-06-2020, Trap
#10 Blue Eyes, The Harlot, The Queer, The Pusher & Me Waylon Payne Sep-11-2020, Americana
#11 Women In Music Pt. III HAIM Feb-19-2021, Indie Pop
#12 Lianne La Havas Lianne La Havas Jul-17-2020, Neo-Soul
#13 Ho, why is you here ? Flo Milli Jul-24-2020,
#14 Future Nostalgia Dua Lipa Mar-27-2020, Dance-Pop
#15 RTJ4 Run The Jewels Jun-03-2020, Hardcore Hip Hop
#16 Expectations Katie Pruitt Feb-21-2020, Singer-Songwriter
#17 Data Lords Maria Schneider Jul-24-2020, Progressive Big Band
#18 Underneath Code Orange Mar-13-2020, Metalcore
#19 on the tender spot of every calloused moment Ambrose Akinmusire Jun-12-2020, Post-Bop
#20 JAGUAR Victoria Monét Aug-07-2020, Contemporary R&B
#21 Regresa Buscabulla May-08-2020, Latin Electronic
#23 Ungodly Hour Chloe x Halle Jun-12-2020, Contemporary R&B
#24 The Slow Rush Tame Impala Feb-14-2020, Psychedelic Pop
#25 A Small Death Samantha Crain May-01-2020, Singer-Songwriter
#26 Pauline Ashley Ray Aug-14-2020, Country
#27 Mama, You Can Bet! Jyoti, Georgia Anne Muldrow Aug-28-2020, Nu Jazz
#28 Siti of Unguja (Romance Revolution on Zanzibar) Siti Muharam Jun-05-2020, Taarab
#29 songs Adrianne Lenker Oct-23-2020, Singer-Songwriter
#30 My Turn Lil Baby Feb-28-2020, Trap
#31 It Is What It Is Thundercat Apr-03-2020, Psychedelic Soul
#32 Live Forever Bartees Strange Oct-02-2020, Indie Rock
#33 Spider Tales Jake Blount May-29-2020, Bluegrass
#34 Silver Ladders Mary Lattimore Oct-09-2020, Ambient
#35 Set My Heart On Fire Immediately Perfume Genius May-15-2020, Art Pop
#36 Fuck The World Brent Faiyaz Feb-07-2020, Contemporary R&B
#37 Debussy – Rameau Víkingur Ólafsson Mar-27-2020, Baroque Music
#38 Muthaland Bbymutha Aug-28-2020, Trap
#39 SAWAYAMA Rina Sawayama Apr-17-2020, Dance-Pop
#40 En Español The Mavericks Aug-21-2020, Tex-Mex
#41 Thank You For Using GTL Drakeo the Ruler, JoogSzn Jun-05-2020, Gangsta Rap
#42 The experience of repetition as death Clarice Jensen Apr-03-2020, Drone
#43 Inside X Alfonso May-22-2020,
#44 Total Freedom Kathleen Edwards Aug-14-2020, Singer-Songwriter
#45 SAVAGE MODE II 21 Savage, Metro Boomin Oct-02-2020, Trap
#46 some kind of peace Ólafur Arnalds Nov-06-2020, Ambient
#47 Saint Cloud Waxahatchee Mar-27-2020, Singer-Songwriter
#48 Giver Taker Anjimile Sep-18-2020, Indie Folk
#49 Don't Feed the Monster Homeboy Sandman Oct-16-2020, Conscious Hip Hop
#50 how i'm feeling now Charli XCX May-15-2020, Hyperpop
Markdown

| Rank | Album | Artist | Info |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Untitled (Black Is) | Sault | Album, Jun-19-2020, Neo-Soul |
| #2 | Fetch The Bolt Cutters | Fiona Apple | Album, Apr-17-2020, Art Pop |
| #3 | Miss Colombia | Lido Pimienta | Album, Apr-17-2020, Latin Electronic |
| #4 | Punisher | Phoebe Bridgers | Album, Jun-18-2020, Singer-Songwriter |
| #5 | Spilligion | Spillage VillageJIDEARTHGANG | Album, Sep-25-2020, Contemporary R&B |
| #6 | Adès Conducts Adès (Live) | Boston Symphony OrchestraThomas AdèsKirill GersteinChristianne StotijnMark Stone | Album, Feb-28-2020,  |
| #7 | YHLQMDLG | Bad Bunny | Album, Feb-29-2020,  |
| #8 | SOURCE | Nubya Garcia | Album, Aug-21-2020, Spiritual Jazz |
| #9 | Eternal Atake | Lil Uzi Vert | Album, Mar-06-2020, Trap |
| #10 | Blue Eyes, The Harlot, The Queer, The Pusher & Me | Waylon Payne | Album, Sep-11-2020, Americana |
| #11 | Women In Music Pt. III | HAIM | Album, Feb-19-2021, Indie Pop |
| #12 | Lianne La Havas | Lianne La Havas | Album, Jul-17-2020, Neo-Soul |
| #13 | Ho, why is you here ? | Flo Milli | Album, Jul-24-2020,  |
| #14 | Future Nostalgia | Dua Lipa | Album, Mar-27-2020, Dance-Pop |
| #15 | RTJ4 | Run The Jewels | Album, Jun-03-2020, Hardcore Hip Hop |
| #16 | Expectations | Katie Pruitt | Album, Feb-21-2020, Singer-Songwriter |
| #17 | Data Lords | Maria Schneider | Album, Jul-24-2020, Progressive Big Band |
| #18 | Underneath | Code Orange | Album, Mar-13-2020, Metalcore |
| #19 | on the tender spot of every calloused moment | Ambrose Akinmusire | Album, Jun-12-2020, Post-Bop |
| #20 | JAGUAR | Victoria Monét | Album, Aug-07-2020, Contemporary R&B |
| #21 | Regresa | Buscabulla | Album, May-08-2020, Latin Electronic |
| #23 | Ungodly Hour | Chloe x Halle | Album, Jun-12-2020, Contemporary R&B |
| #24 | The Slow Rush | Tame Impala | Album, Feb-14-2020, Psychedelic Pop |
| #25 | A Small Death | Samantha Crain | Album, May-01-2020, Singer-Songwriter |
| #26 | Pauline | Ashley Ray | Album, Aug-14-2020, Country |
| #27 | Mama, You Can Bet! | JyotiGeorgia Anne Muldrow | Album, Aug-28-2020, Nu Jazz |
| #28 | Siti of Unguja (Romance Revolution on Zanzibar) | Siti Muharam | Album, Jun-05-2020, Taarab |
| #29 | songs | Adrianne Lenker | Album, Oct-23-2020, Singer-Songwriter |
| #30 | My Turn | Lil Baby | Album, Feb-28-2020, Trap |
| #31 | It Is What It Is | Thundercat | Album, Apr-03-2020, Psychedelic Soul |
| #32 | Live Forever | Bartees Strange | Album, Oct-02-2020, Indie Rock |
| #33 | Spider Tales | Jake Blount | Album, May-29-2020, Bluegrass |
| #34 | Silver Ladders | Mary Lattimore | Album, Oct-09-2020, Ambient |
| #35 | Set My Heart On Fire Immediately | Perfume Genius | Album, May-15-2020, Art Pop |
| #36 | Fuck The World | Brent Faiyaz | EP, Feb-07-2020, Contemporary R&B |
| #37 | Debussy – Rameau | Víkingur Ólafsson | Album, Mar-27-2020, Baroque Music |
| #38 | Muthaland | Bbymutha | Album, Aug-28-2020, Trap |
| #39 | SAWAYAMA | Rina Sawayama | Album, Apr-17-2020, Dance-Pop |
| #40 | En Español | The Mavericks | Album, Aug-21-2020, Tex-Mex |
| #41 | Thank You For Using GTL | Drakeo the RulerJoogSzn | Album, Jun-05-2020, Gangsta Rap |
| #42 | The experience of repetition as death | Clarice Jensen | Album, Apr-03-2020, Drone |
| #43 | Inside | X Alfonso | Album, May-22-2020,  |
| #44 | Total Freedom | Kathleen Edwards | Album, Aug-14-2020, Singer-Songwriter |
| #45 | SAVAGE MODE II | 21 SavageMetro Boomin | Album, Oct-02-2020, Trap |
| #46 | some kind of peace | Ólafur Arnalds | Album, Nov-06-2020, Ambient |
| #47 | Saint Cloud | Waxahatchee | Album, Mar-27-2020, Singer-Songwriter |
| #48 | Giver Taker | Anjimile | Album, Sep-18-2020, Indie Folk |
| #49 | Don't Feed the Monster | Homeboy Sandman | Album, Oct-16-2020, Conscious Hip Hop |
| #50 | how i'm feeling now | Charli XCX | Album, May-15-2020, Hyperpop |