Pitchfork's 50 Best Albums of 2020

The albums that got us through this chaotic year, featuring Fiona Apple, Bad Bunny, Lil Uzi Vert, Phoebe Bridgers, and more

Published: December 08, 2020 14:03 Source

Rank Album Artist Info
#1 Fetch The Bolt Cutters Fiona Apple Apr-17-2020, Art Pop
#2 Saint Cloud Waxahatchee Mar-27-2020, Singer-Songwriter
#3 græ Moses Sumney May-15-2020, Art Pop
#4 Punisher Phoebe Bridgers Jun-18-2020, Singer-Songwriter
#5 Set My Heart On Fire Immediately Perfume Genius May-15-2020, Art Pop
#6 Rough and Rowdy Ways Bob Dylan Jun-19-2020, Singer-Songwriter
#7 Heaven To a Tortured Mind Yves Tumor Apr-03-2020, Neo-Psychedelia
#8 Women In Music Pt. III HAIM Feb-19-2021, Indie Pop
#9 What's Your Pleasure? Jessie Ware Jun-26-2020, Dance-Pop
#10 YHLQMDLG Bad Bunny Feb-29-2020,
#11 songs Adrianne Lenker Oct-23-2020, Singer-Songwriter
#12 Eternal Atake Lil Uzi Vert Mar-06-2020, Trap
#13 Microphones in 2020 The Microphones Aug-07-2020, Singer-Songwriter
#14 Act II: The Patents of Nobility (The Turn) Jay Electronica Oct-05-2020, Southern Hip Hop
#15 Heavy Light U.S. Girls Mar-06-2020, Art Pop
#16 RTJ4 Run The Jewels Jun-03-2020, Hardcore Hip Hop
#17 Róisín Machine Róisín Murphy Oct-02-2020, Nu-Disco
#18 Have We Met Destroyer Jan-31-2020, Art Pop
#19 THE ANGEL YOU DON'T KNOW Amaarae Nov-12-2020, Afrobeats
#20 Shore Fleet Foxes Mar-19-2021, Indie Folk
#21 Future Nostalgia Dua Lipa Mar-27-2020, Dance-Pop
#22 Forever, Ya Girl KeiyaA Mar-27-2020, Neo-Soul
#23 Every Bad Porridge Radio Mar-13-2020, Indie Rock
#24 Miss Anthropocene Grimes Feb-21-2020, Art Pop
#25 SOURCE Nubya Garcia Aug-21-2020, Spiritual Jazz
#26 color theory Soccer Mommy Feb-28-2020, Singer-Songwriter
#27 Inner Song Kelly Lee Owens Aug-28-2020, Tech House
#28 Ungodly Hour Chloe x Halle Jun-12-2020, Contemporary R&B
#29 folklore Taylor Swift Jul-24-2020, Singer-Songwriter
#30 Live Forever Bartees Strange Oct-02-2020, Indie Rock
#31 Shall We Go On Sinning So That Grace May Increase? The Soft Pink Truth May-01-2020, Ambient
#32 Thank You For Using GTL Drakeo the Ruler, JoogSzn Jun-05-2020, Gangsta Rap
#33 Workaround Beatrice Dillon Feb-07-2020, Electroacoustic
#34 Melee Dogleg Mar-13-2020, Emo
#35 Descendants of Cain KA May-07-2020, East Coast Hip Hop
#36 The Passion Of Special Interest Jun-19-2020, Synth Punk
#37 Hannah Lomelda Sep-04-2020, Indie Folk
#38 Help Duval Timothy Aug-07-2020, Nu Jazz
#39 Flower of Devotion Dehd Jul-17-2020, Indie Rock
#40 KiCk i Arca Jun-26-2020, Deconstructed Club
#41 SAWAYAMA Rina Sawayama Apr-17-2020, Dance-Pop
#42 Room for the Moon Kate NV Jun-12-2020, Art Pop
#43 Good News Megan Thee Stallion Nov-20-2020, Southern Hip Hop
#44 Alfredo Freddie Gibbs, The Alchemist May-29-2020, Gangsta Rap
#45 Fountain Lyra Pramuk Mar-20-2020, Ambient
#46 Twice As Tall Burna Boy Aug-13-2020, Afrobeats
#47 My Turn (Deluxe) Lil Baby Feb-28-2020,
#48 how i'm feeling now Charli XCX May-15-2020, Hyperpop
#49 WHAT WE DREW 우리가 그려왔던 Yaeji Apr-02-2020, Hip House
#50 Silver Ladders Mary Lattimore Oct-09-2020, Ambient
Markdown

| Rank | Album | Artist | Info |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Fetch The Bolt Cutters | Fiona Apple | Album, Apr-17-2020, Art Pop |
| #2 | Saint Cloud | Waxahatchee | Album, Mar-27-2020, Singer-Songwriter |
| #3 | græ | Moses Sumney | Album, May-15-2020, Art Pop |
| #4 | Punisher | Phoebe Bridgers | Album, Jun-18-2020, Singer-Songwriter |
| #5 | Set My Heart On Fire Immediately | Perfume Genius | Album, May-15-2020, Art Pop |
| #6 | Rough and Rowdy Ways | Bob Dylan | Album, Jun-19-2020, Singer-Songwriter |
| #7 | Heaven To a Tortured Mind | Yves Tumor | Album, Apr-03-2020, Neo-Psychedelia |
| #8 | Women In Music Pt. III | HAIM | Album, Feb-19-2021, Indie Pop |
| #9 | What's Your Pleasure? | Jessie Ware | Album, Jun-26-2020, Dance-Pop |
| #10 | YHLQMDLG | Bad Bunny | Album, Feb-29-2020,  |
| #11 | songs | Adrianne Lenker | Album, Oct-23-2020, Singer-Songwriter |
| #12 | Eternal Atake | Lil Uzi Vert | Album, Mar-06-2020, Trap |
| #13 | Microphones in 2020 | The Microphones | Album, Aug-07-2020, Singer-Songwriter |
| #14 | Act II: The Patents of Nobility (The Turn) | Jay Electronica | Album, Oct-05-2020, Southern Hip Hop |
| #15 | Heavy Light | U.S. Girls | Album, Mar-06-2020, Art Pop |
| #16 | RTJ4 | Run The Jewels | Album, Jun-03-2020, Hardcore Hip Hop |
| #17 | Róisín Machine | Róisín Murphy | Album, Oct-02-2020, Nu-Disco |
| #18 | Have We Met | Destroyer | Album, Jan-31-2020, Art Pop |
| #19 | THE ANGEL YOU DON'T KNOW | Amaarae | Album, Nov-12-2020, Afrobeats |
| #20 | Shore | Fleet Foxes | Album, Mar-19-2021, Indie Folk |
| #21 | Future Nostalgia | Dua Lipa | Album, Mar-27-2020, Dance-Pop |
| #22 | Forever, Ya Girl | KeiyaA | Album, Mar-27-2020, Neo-Soul |
| #23 | Every Bad | Porridge Radio | Album, Mar-13-2020, Indie Rock |
| #24 | Miss Anthropocene | Grimes | Album, Feb-21-2020, Art Pop |
| #25 | SOURCE | Nubya Garcia | Album, Aug-21-2020, Spiritual Jazz |
| #26 | color theory | Soccer Mommy | Album, Feb-28-2020, Singer-Songwriter |
| #27 | Inner Song | Kelly Lee Owens | Album, Aug-28-2020, Tech House |
| #28 | Ungodly Hour | Chloe x Halle | Album, Jun-12-2020, Contemporary R&B |
| #29 | folklore | Taylor Swift | Album, Jul-24-2020, Singer-Songwriter |
| #30 | Live Forever | Bartees Strange | Album, Oct-02-2020, Indie Rock |
| #31 | Shall We Go On Sinning So That Grace May Increase? | The Soft Pink Truth | Album, May-01-2020, Ambient |
| #32 | Thank You For Using GTL | Drakeo the RulerJoogSzn | Album, Jun-05-2020, Gangsta Rap |
| #33 | Workaround | Beatrice Dillon | Album, Feb-07-2020, Electroacoustic |
| #34 | Melee | Dogleg | Album, Mar-13-2020, Emo |
| #35 | Descendants of Cain | KA | Album, May-07-2020, East Coast Hip Hop |
| #36 | The Passion Of | Special Interest | Album, Jun-19-2020, Synth Punk |
| #37 | Hannah | Lomelda | Album, Sep-04-2020, Indie Folk |
| #38 | Help | Duval Timothy | Album, Aug-07-2020, Nu Jazz |
| #39 | Flower of Devotion | Dehd | Album, Jul-17-2020, Indie Rock |
| #40 | KiCk i | Arca | Album, Jun-26-2020, Deconstructed Club |
| #41 | SAWAYAMA | Rina Sawayama | Album, Apr-17-2020, Dance-Pop |
| #42 | Room for the Moon | Kate NV | Album, Jun-12-2020, Art Pop |
| #43 | Good News | Megan Thee Stallion | Album, Nov-20-2020, Southern Hip Hop |
| #44 | Alfredo | Freddie GibbsThe Alchemist | Album, May-29-2020, Gangsta Rap |
| #45 | Fountain | Lyra Pramuk | Album, Mar-20-2020, Ambient |
| #46 | Twice As Tall | Burna Boy | Album, Aug-13-2020, Afrobeats |
| #47 | My Turn (Deluxe) | Lil Baby | Album, Feb-28-2020,  |
| #48 | how i'm feeling now | Charli XCX | Album, May-15-2020, Hyperpop |
| #49 | WHAT WE DREW 우리가 그려왔던 | Yaeji | Album, Apr-02-2020, Hip House |
| #50 | Silver Ladders | Mary Lattimore | Album, Oct-09-2020, Ambient |