Pitchfork's 35 Best Rock Albums of 2020

From Chubby and the Gang’s debut to Bob Dylan’s comeback, Bartees Strange’s genre-bending to Country Westerns’ classicism, these were the rock albums we loved most this year.

Published: December 15, 2020 16:24 Source

Rank Album Artist Info
#1 Live Forever Bartees Strange Oct-02-2020, Indie Rock
#2 Youth Pastoral Ben Seretan Feb-28-2020, Indie Folk
#3 Rough and Rowdy Ways Bob Dylan Jun-19-2020, Singer-Songwriter
#4 Letter To You Bruce Springsteen Oct-23-2020, Heartland Rock
#5 Speed Kills Chubby and the Gang Jan-17-2020, Garage Punk
#6 Country Westerns Country Westerns May-01-2020, Alt-Country
#7 Flower of Devotion Dehd Jul-17-2020, Indie Rock
#8 Find The Sun Deradoorian Sep-18-2020, Psychedelic Rock
#9 Melee Dogleg Mar-13-2020, Emo
#10 Eno Axis H.C. McEntire Aug-21-2020, Singer-Songwriter
#11 Women In Music Pt. III HAIM Feb-19-2021, Indie Pop
#12 비적응 SE SO NEON Feb-18-2020, Indie Rock
#13 NO DREAM Jeff Rosenstock May-20-2020, Pop Punk
#14 Hannah Lomelda Sep-04-2020, Indie Folk
#15 Good Souls Better Angels Lucinda Williams Apr-24-2020, Blues Rock
#16 2020 Magik Markers Oct-23-2020, Indie Rock
#17 Pith Melkbelly Apr-03-2020, Indie Rock
#18 F*****g Hell No Home Jun-24-2020,
#19 Fantasize Your Ghost Finom Jun-05-2020, Art Rock
#20 Punisher Phoebe Bridgers Jun-18-2020, Singer-Songwriter
#21 Every Bad Porridge Radio Mar-13-2020, Indie Rock
#22 Shamir Shamir Oct-02-2020, Indie Rock
#23 All or Nothing Shopping Feb-07-2020, Post-Punk
#24 Soakie Soakie Feb-14-2020, Hardcore Punk
#25 color theory Soccer Mommy Feb-28-2020, Singer-Songwriter
#26 Songs to Yeet at the Sun Soul Glo Nov-06-2020, Hardcore Punk
#27 The Passion Of Special Interest Jun-19-2020, Synth Punk
#28 Traditional Techniques Stephen Malkmus Mar-06-2020, Psychedelic Folk
#29 The Slow Rush Tame Impala Feb-14-2020, Psychedelic Pop
#30 Lament Touché Amoré Oct-09-2020, Post-Hardcore
#31 Lost in the Country Trace Mountains Apr-10-2020, Heartland Rock
#32 Heavy Light U.S. Girls Mar-06-2020, Art Pop
#33 Saint Cloud Waxahatchee Mar-27-2020, Singer-Songwriter
#34 Sundry Rock Song Stock Yves Jarvis Sep-25-2020, Neo-Psychedelia
#35 Heaven To a Tortured Mind Yves Tumor Apr-03-2020, Neo-Psychedelia
Markdown

| Rank | Album | Artist | Info |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Live Forever | Bartees Strange | Album, Oct-02-2020, Indie Rock |
| #2 | Youth Pastoral | Ben Seretan | Album, Feb-28-2020, Indie Folk |
| #3 | Rough and Rowdy Ways | Bob Dylan | Album, Jun-19-2020, Singer-Songwriter |
| #4 | Letter To You | Bruce Springsteen | Album, Oct-23-2020, Heartland Rock |
| #5 | Speed Kills | Chubby and the Gang | Album, Jan-17-2020, Garage Punk |
| #6 | Country Westerns | Country Westerns | Album, May-01-2020, Alt-Country |
| #7 | Flower of Devotion | Dehd | Album, Jul-17-2020, Indie Rock |
| #8 | Find The Sun | Deradoorian | Album, Sep-18-2020, Psychedelic Rock |
| #9 | Melee | Dogleg | Album, Mar-13-2020, Emo |
| #10 | Eno Axis | H.C. McEntire | Album, Aug-21-2020, Singer-Songwriter |
| #11 | Women In Music Pt. III | HAIM | Album, Feb-19-2021, Indie Pop |
| #12 | 비적응 | SE SO NEON | EP, Feb-18-2020, Indie Rock |
| #13 | NO DREAM | Jeff Rosenstock | Album, May-20-2020, Pop Punk |
| #14 | Hannah | Lomelda | Album, Sep-04-2020, Indie Folk |
| #15 | Good Souls Better Angels | Lucinda Williams | Album, Apr-24-2020, Blues Rock |
| #16 | 2020 | Magik Markers | Album, Oct-23-2020, Indie Rock |
| #17 | Pith | Melkbelly | Album, Apr-03-2020, Indie Rock |
| #18 | F*****g Hell | No Home | Album, Jun-24-2020,  |
| #19 | Fantasize Your Ghost | Finom | Album, Jun-05-2020, Art Rock |
| #20 | Punisher | Phoebe Bridgers | Album, Jun-18-2020, Singer-Songwriter |
| #21 | Every Bad | Porridge Radio | Album, Mar-13-2020, Indie Rock |
| #22 | Shamir | Shamir | Album, Oct-02-2020, Indie Rock |
| #23 | All or Nothing | Shopping | Album, Feb-07-2020, Post-Punk |
| #24 | Soakie | Soakie | Album, Feb-14-2020, Hardcore Punk |
| #25 | color theory | Soccer Mommy | Album, Feb-28-2020, Singer-Songwriter |
| #26 | Songs to Yeet at the Sun | Soul Glo | EP, Nov-06-2020, Hardcore Punk |
| #27 | The Passion Of | Special Interest | Album, Jun-19-2020, Synth Punk |
| #28 | Traditional Techniques | Stephen Malkmus | Album, Mar-06-2020, Psychedelic Folk |
| #29 | The Slow Rush | Tame Impala | Album, Feb-14-2020, Psychedelic Pop |
| #30 | Lament | Touché Amoré | Album, Oct-09-2020, Post-Hardcore |
| #31 | Lost in the Country | Trace Mountains | Album, Apr-10-2020, Heartland Rock |
| #32 | Heavy Light | U.S. Girls | Album, Mar-06-2020, Art Pop |
| #33 | Saint Cloud | Waxahatchee | Album, Mar-27-2020, Singer-Songwriter |
| #34 | Sundry Rock Song Stock | Yves Jarvis | Album, Sep-25-2020, Neo-Psychedelia |
| #35 | Heaven To a Tortured Mind | Yves Tumor | Album, Apr-03-2020, Neo-Psychedelia |