Rolling Stone's 30 Best Country and Americana Albums of 2020

The 30 best country and Americana albums of 2020, including records by Ashley McBryde, Elizabeth Cook, Jason Isbell, and Hailey Whitters.

Published: December 11, 2020 13:29 Source

Rank Score Album Artist Info
#1 Never Will Ashley McBryde Apr-03-2020, Contemporary Country
#2 Aftermath Elizabeth Cook Sep-11-2020, Country Pop
#3 Expectations Katie Pruitt Feb-21-2020, Singer-Songwriter
#4 Sunday Drive Brett Eldredge Jul-10-2020, Contemporary Country
#5 Wish You Were Here Joshua Ray Walker Jan-25-2019, Neo-Traditionalist Country
#6 The Dream Hailey Whitters Feb-28-2020, Contemporary Country
#7 Good Souls Better Angels Lucinda Williams Apr-24-2020, Blues Rock
#8 Keep 'Em on They Toes Brent Cobb Oct-02-2020, Singer-Songwriter
#9 Starting Over Chris Stapleton Nov-13-2020, Contemporary Country
#10 kelsea Kelsea Ballerini Mar-20-2020, Country Pop
#11 Your Life is a Record Brandy Clark Mar-06-2020, Contemporary Country
#12 Blue Eyes, The Harlot, The Queer, The Pusher & Me Waylon Payne Sep-11-2020, Americana
#13 Total Freedom Kathleen Edwards Aug-14-2020, Singer-Songwriter
#14 Reunions Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit May-15-2020, Americana
#15 Skeletons Brothers Osborne Oct-09-2020, Country Rock
#16 Saturn Return The Secret Sisters Feb-28-2020, Americana
#17 Thats How Rumors Get Started Margo Price Jul-10-2020, Contemporary Country
#18 If It Wasn't For You Caylee Hammack Aug-14-2020,
#19 Tabasco & Sweet Tea The Cadillac Three Oct-23-2020, Funk
#20 Reliever William Prince Feb-07-2020, Folk Rock
#21 The Otherside Cam Oct-30-2020, Country Pop
#22 Tessy Lou Williams Tessy Lou Williams May-22-2020, Country
#23 El Dorado Marcus King Jan-17-2020, Blues Rock
#24 Lady Like Ingrid Andress Mar-27-2020, Country Pop
#25 Local Honey Brian Fallon Mar-27-2020, Singer-Songwriter
#26 Walking Proof Lilly Hiatt Mar-27-2020, Alt-Country
#27 En Español The Mavericks Aug-21-2020, Tex-Mex
#28 Touch of You: The Lost Songs of Gary Stewart Mike and the Moonpies May-28-2020, Honky Tonk
#29 Honky Tonk Hell Gabe Lee Mar-13-2020, Country
#30 Cuttin' Grass - Vol. 1 (Butcher Shoppe Sessions) Sturgill Simpson Oct-16-2020,
#31 ballerini Kelsea Ballerini Sep-11-2020, Pop
Markdown

| Rank | Score | Album | Artist | Info |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 |  | Never Will | Ashley McBryde | Album, Apr-03-2020, Contemporary Country |
| #2 |  | Aftermath | Elizabeth Cook | Album, Sep-11-2020, Country Pop |
| #3 |  | Expectations | Katie Pruitt | Album, Feb-21-2020, Singer-Songwriter |
| #4 |  | Sunday Drive | Brett Eldredge | Album, Jul-10-2020, Contemporary Country |
| #5 |  | Wish You Were Here | Joshua Ray Walker | Album, Jan-25-2019, Neo-Traditionalist Country |
| #6 |  | The Dream | Hailey Whitters | Album, Feb-28-2020, Contemporary Country |
| #7 |  | Good Souls Better Angels | Lucinda Williams | Album, Apr-24-2020, Blues Rock |
| #8 |  | Keep 'Em on They Toes | Brent Cobb | Album, Oct-02-2020, Singer-Songwriter |
| #9 |  | Starting Over | Chris Stapleton | Album, Nov-13-2020, Contemporary Country |
| #10 |  | kelsea | Kelsea Ballerini | Album, Mar-20-2020, Country Pop |
| #11 |  | Your Life is a Record | Brandy Clark | Album, Mar-06-2020, Contemporary Country |
| #12 |  | Blue Eyes, The Harlot, The Queer, The Pusher & Me | Waylon Payne | Album, Sep-11-2020, Americana |
| #13 |  | Total Freedom | Kathleen Edwards | Album, Aug-14-2020, Singer-Songwriter |
| #14 |  | Reunions | Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit | Album, May-15-2020, Americana |
| #15 |  | Skeletons | Brothers Osborne | Album, Oct-09-2020, Country Rock |
| #16 |  | Saturn Return | The Secret Sisters | Album, Feb-28-2020, Americana |
| #17 |  | Thats How Rumors Get Started | Margo Price | Album, Jul-10-2020, Contemporary Country |
| #18 |  | If It Wasn't For You | Caylee Hammack | Album, Aug-14-2020,  |
| #19 |  | Tabasco & Sweet Tea | The Cadillac Three | Album, Oct-23-2020, Funk |
| #20 |  | Reliever | William Prince | Album, Feb-07-2020, Folk Rock |
| #21 |  | The Otherside | Cam | Album, Oct-30-2020, Country Pop |
| #22 |  | Tessy Lou Williams | Tessy Lou Williams | Album, May-22-2020, Country |
| #23 |  | El Dorado | Marcus King | Album, Jan-17-2020, Blues Rock |
| #24 |  | Lady Like | Ingrid Andress | Album, Mar-27-2020, Country Pop |
| #25 |  | Local Honey | Brian Fallon | Album, Mar-27-2020, Singer-Songwriter |
| #26 |  | Walking Proof | Lilly Hiatt | Album, Mar-27-2020, Alt-Country |
| #27 |  | En Español | The Mavericks | Album, Aug-21-2020, Tex-Mex |
| #28 |  | Touch of You: The Lost Songs of Gary Stewart | Mike and the Moonpies | Album, May-28-2020, Honky Tonk |
| #29 |  | Honky Tonk Hell | Gabe Lee | Album, Mar-13-2020, Country |
| #30 |  | Cuttin' Grass - Vol. 1 (Butcher Shoppe Sessions) | Sturgill Simpson | Album, Oct-16-2020,  |
| #31 |  | ballerini | Kelsea Ballerini | Album, Sep-11-2020, Pop |