The Alternative's 75 Best Albums of 2020

The Alternative Staff's 75 Favorite Releases of the Year + our winners of the 8th Annual The Alt Music Awards.

Published: December 15, 2020 16:20 Source

# 1

Live Forever by Bartees Strange

Album • Oct 02 / 2020 Indie Rock

# 2

NO DREAM by Jeff Rosenstock

Album • May 20 / 2020 Pop Punk Power Pop

# 3

Melee by Dogleg

Album • Mar 13 / 2020 Emo Post-Hardcore

# 4

Brave Faces Everyone by Spanish Love Songs

Album • Feb 07 / 2020 Pop Punk Emo

# 5

Printer's Devil by Ratboys

Album • Feb 28 / 2020 Indie Rock Indie Pop

# 6

Things I Never Said by Oceanator

Album • Aug 28 / 2020 Indie Rock Power Pop

# 7

FREE I.H: This Is Not the One You've Been Waiting For by illuminati hotties

Album • Jul 17 / 2020 Indie Rock Art Punk Noise Rock

# 8

color theory by Soccer Mommy

Album • Feb 28 / 2020 Singer-Songwriter Indie Pop Bedroom Pop

# 9

Lament by Touché Amoré

Album • Oct 09 / 2020 Post-Hardcore Screamo

# 10

Saint Cloud by Waxahatchee

Album • Mar 27 / 2020 Singer-Songwriter Alt-Country

# 11

The Great Dismal by Nothing

Album • Oct 30 / 2020 Shoegaze

# 12

Fetch The Bolt Cutters by Fiona Apple

Album • Apr 17 / 2020 Art Pop Singer-Songwriter Progressive Pop

# 13

RTJ4 by Run The Jewels

Album • Jun 03 / 2020 Hardcore Hip Hop Political Hip Hop

# 14

Punisher by Phoebe Bridgers

Album • Jun 18 / 2020 Singer-Songwriter Indie Folk

# 15

Burst by Snarls

Album • Mar 06 / 2020 Indie Rock

# 16

BRAT by NNAMDÏ

Album • Apr 03 / 2020 Art Pop Alternative R&B Experimental Hip Hop

# 17

Honeymoon by Beach Bunny

Album • Feb 14 / 2020 Indie Rock Power Pop Indie Pop

# 18

Erotic Nightmare Summer by Carpool

Album • Jun 05 / 2020 Emo-Pop

# 19

Fates Worse Than Death by Short Fictions

Album • Dec 13 / 2019 Midwest Emo

# 20

Every Sun, Every Moon by I'm Glad It's You

Album • May 15 / 2020 Midwest Emo

# 21

Muck by Dikembe

Album • Aug 19 / 2020 Midwest Emo Indie Rock

# 22

how i'm feeling now by Charli XCX

Album • May 15 / 2020 Hyperpop Electropop Bubblegum Bass

# 23

Inlet by Hum

Album • Jun 24 / 2020 Shoegaze Alternative Metal

# 24

Untenable by Bad Moves

Album • May 29 / 2020 Indie Rock Power Pop

# 25

Ground Aswim by Sinai Vessel

Album • Oct 30 / 2020 Indie Rock Midwest Emo Slacker Rock

# 26

Lost in the Country by Trace Mountains

Album • Apr 10 / 2020 Heartland Rock Bedroom Pop Indie Rock

# 27

Down Through by Gleemer

Album • May 08 / 2020 Indie Rock Shoegaze Dream Pop

# 28

Every Bad by Porridge Radio

Album • Mar 13 / 2020 Indie Rock Post-Punk

# 29

Pith by Melkbelly

Album • Apr 03 / 2020 Indie Rock

# 30

The Price Of Tea In China by Boldy James + The Alchemist

Album • Feb 07 / 2020 Gangsta Rap

# 31

SUGAREGG by Bully

Album • Aug 21 / 2020 Indie Rock Alternative Rock

# 32

Good News by Megan Thee Stallion

Album • Nov 20 / 2020 Southern Hip Hop Trap Pop Rap

# 33

The Sound Ⅱ by weave

Album • Apr 08 / 2020 Emo Alternative Rock

# 34

Fake It Flowers by beabadoobee

Album • Oct 16 / 2020 Alternative Rock

# 35

Embroidered Foliage by No Thank You

Album • Oct 23 / 2020 Emo Indie Rock

# 36

Empty Country by Empty Country

Album • Mar 20 / 2020 Indie Rock

# 37

Petals For Armor by Hayley Williams

Album • May 08 / 2020 Art Pop Alternative Dance

# 38

Songs to Yeet at the Sun by Soul Glo

EP • Nov 06 / 2020 Hardcore Punk Screamo

# 39

here, online by Worst Party Ever

EP • Feb 14 / 2020 Pop Punk Midwest Emo Emo-Pop

# 40

Skuba Sada 2 by Sada Baby

Album • Mar 20 / 2020 Detroit Trap Gangsta Rap

# 41

As We Suffer from Memory & Imagination by Nuvolascura

Album • Jun 19 / 2020 Screamo Emoviolence

# 42

Ways of Hearing by The Goalie’s Anxiety at the Penalty Kick

Album • Oct 30 / 2020 Slowcore

# 43

folklore by Taylor Swift

Album • Jul 24 / 2020 Singer-Songwriter Folk Pop

# 44

Teenage Halloween by Teenage Halloween

Album • Sep 18 / 2020 Power Pop Pop Punk

# 45

Dark Comedy Performance Piece of My Life by Walter Etc.

Album • Mar 27 / 2020 Indie Rock

# 46

Soak by Guitar Fight from Fooly Cooly

Album • Aug 14 / 2020 Post-Hardcore Emo

# 47

It Is What It Is by Thundercat

Album • Apr 03 / 2020 Psychedelic Soul Neo-Soul Jazz-Funk

# 48

Internal Incarceration by Year of the Knife

Album • Aug 07 / 2020 Metalcore Deathcore

# 49

The Good Sweat by ManDancing

Album • Nov 20 / 2020 Emo

# 50

This Place Sucks Ass by PUP

EP • Oct 23 / 2020 Pop Punk