Slant Magazine's 25 Best Albums of 2020

As we grappled with what it means to shut down and rise up, music in 2020 gave us an outlet, a voice, and an escape.

Published: December 09, 2020 16:50 Source

Rank Album Artist Info
#1 Fetch The Bolt Cutters Fiona Apple Apr-17-2020, Art Pop
#2 Miss Anthropocene Grimes Feb-21-2020, Art Pop
#3 What's Your Pleasure? Jessie Ware Jun-26-2020, Dance-Pop
#4 folklore Taylor Swift Jul-24-2020, Singer-Songwriter
#5 Future Nostalgia Dua Lipa Mar-27-2020, Dance-Pop
#6 how i'm feeling now Charli XCX May-15-2020, Hyperpop
#7 YHLQMDLG Bad Bunny Feb-29-2020,
#8 Punisher Phoebe Bridgers Jun-18-2020, Singer-Songwriter
#9 After Hours The Weeknd Mar-20-2020, Alternative R&B
#10 RTJ4 Run The Jewels Jun-03-2020, Hardcore Hip Hop
#11 Dedicated Side B Carly Rae Jepsen May-21-2020, Dance-Pop
#12 Saint Cloud Waxahatchee Mar-27-2020, Singer-Songwriter
#13 Lament Touché Amoré Oct-09-2020, Post-Hardcore
#14 Dark Hearts Annie Oct-16-2020, Synthpop
#15 Set My Heart On Fire Immediately Perfume Genius May-15-2020, Art Pop
#16 SAWAYAMA Rina Sawayama Apr-17-2020, Dance-Pop
#17 The Ascension Sufjan Stevens Sep-25-2020, Indietronica
#18 Shamir Shamir Oct-02-2020, Indie Rock
#19 Live Forever Bartees Strange Oct-02-2020, Indie Rock
#20 BRAT NNAMDÏ Apr-03-2020, Art Pop
#21 Notes On A Conditional Form The 1975 May-22-2020, Electronic
#22 Every Sun, Every Moon I'm Glad It's You May-15-2020, Midwest Emo
#23 Man Alive! King Krule Feb-21-2020, Art Rock
#24 Every Bad Porridge Radio Mar-13-2020, Indie Rock
#25 Printer's Devil Ratboys Feb-28-2020, Indie Rock
#26 Anyways Young Nudy Feb-24-2020, Trap
#27 songs Adrianne Lenker Oct-23-2020, Singer-Songwriter
#28 Manic Halsey Jan-17-2020, Alt-Pop
#29 KiCk i Arca Jun-26-2020, Deconstructed Club
#30 Rough and Rowdy Ways Bob Dylan Jun-19-2020, Singer-Songwriter
#31 In A Dream Troye Sivan Aug-21-2020, Synthpop
#32 Empty Country Empty Country Mar-20-2020, Indie Rock
#33 Starmaker Honey Harper Mar-06-2020, Alt-Country
#34 My Turn Lil Baby Feb-28-2020, Trap
#35 græ Moses Sumney May-15-2020, Art Pop
#36 Microphones in 2020 The Microphones Aug-07-2020, Singer-Songwriter
#37 Gaslighter The Chicks Jul-17-2020, Country Pop
#38 Lianne La Havas Lianne La Havas Jul-17-2020, Neo-Soul
#39 ENERGY Disclosure Aug-28-2020, House
#40 Down in the Weeds, Where the World Once Was Bright Eyes Aug-21-2020, Indie Folk
#41 Women In Music Pt. III HAIM Feb-19-2021, Indie Pop
#42 color theory Soccer Mommy Feb-28-2020, Singer-Songwriter
#43 Ultimate Success Today Protomartyr Jul-17-2020, Post-Punk
#44 Walking Proof Lilly Hiatt Mar-27-2020, Alt-Country
#45 I Disagree Poppy Jan-09-2020, Alternative Metal
#46 DISCO Kylie Minogue Nov-06-2020, Dance-Pop
#47 Funeral Lil Wayne Jan-31-2020, Southern Hip Hop
#48 Petals For Armor Hayley Williams May-08-2020, Art Pop
#49 SAVAGE MODE II 21 Savage, Metro Boomin Oct-02-2020, Trap
#50 Melee Dogleg Mar-13-2020, Emo
Markdown

| Rank | Album | Artist | Info |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Fetch The Bolt Cutters | Fiona Apple | Album, Apr-17-2020, Art Pop |
| #2 | Miss Anthropocene | Grimes | Album, Feb-21-2020, Art Pop |
| #3 | What's Your Pleasure? | Jessie Ware | Album, Jun-26-2020, Dance-Pop |
| #4 | folklore | Taylor Swift | Album, Jul-24-2020, Singer-Songwriter |
| #5 | Future Nostalgia | Dua Lipa | Album, Mar-27-2020, Dance-Pop |
| #6 | how i'm feeling now | Charli XCX | Album, May-15-2020, Hyperpop |
| #7 | YHLQMDLG | Bad Bunny | Album, Feb-29-2020,  |
| #8 | Punisher | Phoebe Bridgers | Album, Jun-18-2020, Singer-Songwriter |
| #9 | After Hours | The Weeknd | Album, Mar-20-2020, Alternative R&B |
| #10 | RTJ4 | Run The Jewels | Album, Jun-03-2020, Hardcore Hip Hop |
| #11 | Dedicated Side B | Carly Rae Jepsen | Album, May-21-2020, Dance-Pop |
| #12 | Saint Cloud | Waxahatchee | Album, Mar-27-2020, Singer-Songwriter |
| #13 | Lament | Touché Amoré | Album, Oct-09-2020, Post-Hardcore |
| #14 | Dark Hearts | Annie | Album, Oct-16-2020, Synthpop |
| #15 | Set My Heart On Fire Immediately | Perfume Genius | Album, May-15-2020, Art Pop |
| #16 | SAWAYAMA | Rina Sawayama | Album, Apr-17-2020, Dance-Pop |
| #17 | The Ascension | Sufjan Stevens | Album, Sep-25-2020, Indietronica |
| #18 | Shamir | Shamir | Album, Oct-02-2020, Indie Rock |
| #19 | Live Forever | Bartees Strange | Album, Oct-02-2020, Indie Rock |
| #20 | BRAT | NNAMDÏ | Album, Apr-03-2020, Art Pop |
| #21 | Notes On A Conditional Form | The 1975 | Album, May-22-2020, Electronic |
| #22 | Every Sun, Every Moon | I'm Glad It's You | Album, May-15-2020, Midwest Emo |
| #23 | Man Alive! | King Krule | Album, Feb-21-2020, Art Rock |
| #24 | Every Bad | Porridge Radio | Album, Mar-13-2020, Indie Rock |
| #25 | Printer's Devil | Ratboys | Album, Feb-28-2020, Indie Rock |
| #26 | Anyways | Young Nudy | Album, Feb-24-2020, Trap |
| #27 | songs | Adrianne Lenker | Album, Oct-23-2020, Singer-Songwriter |
| #28 | Manic | Halsey | Album, Jan-17-2020, Alt-Pop |
| #29 | KiCk i | Arca | Album, Jun-26-2020, Deconstructed Club |
| #30 | Rough and Rowdy Ways | Bob Dylan | Album, Jun-19-2020, Singer-Songwriter |
| #31 | In A Dream | Troye Sivan | EP, Aug-21-2020, Synthpop |
| #32 | Empty Country | Empty Country | Album, Mar-20-2020, Indie Rock |
| #33 | Starmaker | Honey Harper | Album, Mar-06-2020, Alt-Country |
| #34 | My Turn | Lil Baby | Album, Feb-28-2020, Trap |
| #35 | græ | Moses Sumney | Album, May-15-2020, Art Pop |
| #36 | Microphones in 2020 | The Microphones | Album, Aug-07-2020, Singer-Songwriter |
| #37 | Gaslighter | The Chicks | Album, Jul-17-2020, Country Pop |
| #38 | Lianne La Havas | Lianne La Havas | Album, Jul-17-2020, Neo-Soul |
| #39 | ENERGY | Disclosure | Album, Aug-28-2020, House |
| #40 | Down in the Weeds, Where the World Once Was | Bright Eyes | Album, Aug-21-2020, Indie Folk |
| #41 | Women In Music Pt. III | HAIM | Album, Feb-19-2021, Indie Pop |
| #42 | color theory | Soccer Mommy | Album, Feb-28-2020, Singer-Songwriter |
| #43 | Ultimate Success Today | Protomartyr | Album, Jul-17-2020, Post-Punk |
| #44 | Walking Proof | Lilly Hiatt | Album, Mar-27-2020, Alt-Country |
| #45 | I Disagree | Poppy | Album, Jan-09-2020, Alternative Metal |
| #46 | DISCO | Kylie Minogue | Album, Nov-06-2020, Dance-Pop |
| #47 | Funeral | Lil Wayne | Album, Jan-31-2020, Southern Hip Hop |
| #48 | Petals For Armor | Hayley Williams | Album, May-08-2020, Art Pop |
| #49 | SAVAGE MODE II | 21 SavageMetro Boomin | Album, Oct-02-2020, Trap |
| #50 | Melee | Dogleg | Album, Mar-13-2020, Emo |