Pitchfork's 16 Best Ambient Albums of 2020

Whether offering solace, transport, or simple numbness, these albums perfectly suited a year of lockdown.

Published: December 23, 2020 15:00 Source

Rank Album Artist Info
#1 Because of a Flower Ana Roxanne Nov-13-2020, Ambient
#2 Cosmic Surveillance (Volume 1) Cosmic Surveillance Nov-13-2020,
#3 Hill, Flower, Fog Emily A. Sprague Nov-13-2020, Ambient
#4 Holy Palm Flora Yin-Wong Oct-30-2020, Ambient
#5 Double Bind Geneva Skeen Nov-20-2020, Ambient
#6 the hum of your veiled voice Jake Muir Oct-22-2020, Ambient
#7 Peel KMRU Jul-31-2020, Ambient
#8 Meta Door L Perila Oct-30-2020, Ambient
#9 leaving everything to be desired Pinkcourtesyphone Sep-25-2020, Dark Ambient
#10 Jupiter and Beyond Rafael Toral, João Pais Filipe Nov-06-2020, Ambient
#11 Kite Symphony, Four Variations Roberto Carlos Lange Jun-26-2020, Electroacoustic
#12 A Pan​-​Air Music Roland Kayn Dec-04-2020, Tape Music
#13 Cantus, Descant Sarah Davachi Sep-18-2020, Drone
#14 hybtwibt? Space Afrika Jun-05-2020, Sound Collage
#15 Shall We Go On Sinning So That Grace May Increase? The Soft Pink Truth May-01-2020, Ambient
#16 Tumbling Towards a Wall Ulla Jan-30-2020, Ambient
Markdown

| Rank | Album | Artist | Info |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Because of a Flower | Ana Roxanne | Album, Nov-13-2020, Ambient |
| #2 | Cosmic Surveillance (Volume 1) | Cosmic Surveillance | Album, Nov-13-2020,  |
| #3 | Hill, Flower, Fog | Emily A. Sprague | Album, Nov-13-2020, Ambient |
| #4 | Holy Palm | Flora Yin-Wong | Album, Oct-30-2020, Ambient |
| #5 | Double Bind | Geneva Skeen | Album, Nov-20-2020, Ambient |
| #6 | the hum of your veiled voice | Jake Muir | Album, Oct-22-2020, Ambient |
| #7 | Peel | KMRU | Album, Jul-31-2020, Ambient |
| #8 | Meta Door L | Perila | Album, Oct-30-2020, Ambient |
| #9 | leaving everything to be desired | Pinkcourtesyphone | Album, Sep-25-2020, Dark Ambient |
| #10 | Jupiter and Beyond | Rafael ToralJoão Pais Filipe | Album, Nov-06-2020, Ambient |
| #11 | Kite Symphony, Four Variations | Roberto Carlos Lange | Album, Jun-26-2020, Electroacoustic |
| #12 | A Pan​-​Air Music | Roland Kayn | Album, Dec-04-2020, Tape Music |
| #13 | Cantus, Descant | Sarah Davachi | Album, Sep-18-2020, Drone |
| #14 | hybtwibt? | Space Afrika | Album, Jun-05-2020, Sound Collage |
| #15 | Shall We Go On Sinning So That Grace May Increase? | The Soft Pink Truth | Album, May-01-2020, Ambient |
| #16 | Tumbling Towards a Wall | Ulla | Album, Jan-30-2020, Ambient |