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

Rank Album Artist Info
#1 Live Forever Bartees Strange Oct-02-2020, Indie Rock
#2 NO DREAM Jeff Rosenstock May-20-2020, Pop Punk
#3 Melee Dogleg Mar-13-2020, Emo
#4 Brave Faces Everyone Spanish Love Songs Feb-07-2020, Pop Punk
#5 Printer's Devil Ratboys Feb-28-2020, Indie Rock
#6 Things I Never Said Oceanator Aug-28-2020, Indie Rock
#7 FREE I.H: This Is Not the One You've Been Waiting For illuminati hotties Jul-17-2020, Indie Rock
#8 color theory Soccer Mommy Feb-28-2020, Singer-Songwriter
#9 Lament Touché Amoré Oct-09-2020, Post-Hardcore
#10 Saint Cloud Waxahatchee Mar-27-2020, Singer-Songwriter
#11 The Great Dismal Nothing Oct-30-2020, Shoegaze
#12 Fetch The Bolt Cutters Fiona Apple Apr-17-2020, Art Pop
#13 RTJ4 Run The Jewels Jun-03-2020, Hardcore Hip Hop
#14 Punisher Phoebe Bridgers Jun-18-2020, Singer-Songwriter
#15 Burst Snarls Mar-06-2020, Indie Rock
#16 BRAT NNAMDÏ Apr-03-2020, Art Pop
#17 Honeymoon Beach Bunny Feb-14-2020, Indie Rock
#18 Erotic Nightmare Summer Carpool Jun-05-2020, Emo-Pop
#19 Fates Worse Than Death Short Fictions Dec-13-2019, Midwest Emo
#20 Every Sun, Every Moon I'm Glad It's You May-15-2020, Midwest Emo
#21 Muck Dikembe Aug-19-2020, Midwest Emo
#22 how i'm feeling now Charli XCX May-15-2020, Hyperpop
#23 Inlet Hum Jun-24-2020, Shoegaze
#24 Untenable Bad Moves May-29-2020, Indie Rock
#25 Ground Aswim Sinai Vessel Oct-30-2020, Indie Rock
#26 Lost in the Country Trace Mountains Apr-10-2020, Heartland Rock
#27 Down Through Gleemer May-08-2020, Indie Rock
#28 Every Bad Porridge Radio Mar-13-2020, Indie Rock
#29 Pith Melkbelly Apr-03-2020, Indie Rock
#30 The Price Of Tea In China Boldy James, The Alchemist Feb-07-2020, Gangsta Rap
#31 SUGAREGG Bully Aug-21-2020, Indie Rock
#32 Good News Megan Thee Stallion Nov-20-2020, Southern Hip Hop
#33 The Sound Ⅱ weave Apr-08-2020, Emo
#34 Fake It Flowers beabadoobee Oct-16-2020, Alternative Rock
#35 Embroidered Foliage No Thank You Oct-23-2020, Emo
#36 Empty Country Empty Country Mar-20-2020, Indie Rock
#37 Petals For Armor Hayley Williams May-08-2020, Art Pop
#38 Songs to Yeet at the Sun Soul Glo Nov-06-2020, Hardcore Punk
#39 here, online Worst Party Ever Feb-14-2020, Pop Punk
#40 Skuba Sada 2 Sada Baby Mar-20-2020, Detroit Trap
#41 As We Suffer from Memory & Imagination Nuvolascura Jun-19-2020, Screamo
#42 Ways of Hearing The Goalie’s Anxiety at the Penalty Kick Oct-30-2020, Slowcore
#43 folklore Taylor Swift Jul-24-2020, Singer-Songwriter
#44 Teenage Halloween Teenage Halloween Sep-18-2020, Power Pop
#45 Dark Comedy Performance Piece of My Life Walter Etc. Mar-27-2020, Indie Rock
#46 Soak Guitar Fight from Fooly Cooly Aug-14-2020, Post-Hardcore
#47 It Is What It Is Thundercat Apr-03-2020, Psychedelic Soul
#48 Internal Incarceration Year of the Knife Aug-07-2020, Metalcore
#49 The Good Sweat ManDancing Nov-20-2020, Emo
#50 This Place Sucks Ass PUP Oct-23-2020, Pop Punk
Markdown

| Rank | Album | Artist | Info |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Live Forever | Bartees Strange | Album, Oct-02-2020, Indie Rock |
| #2 | NO DREAM | Jeff Rosenstock | Album, May-20-2020, Pop Punk |
| #3 | Melee | Dogleg | Album, Mar-13-2020, Emo |
| #4 | Brave Faces Everyone | Spanish Love Songs | Album, Feb-07-2020, Pop Punk |
| #5 | Printer's Devil | Ratboys | Album, Feb-28-2020, Indie Rock |
| #6 | Things I Never Said | Oceanator | Album, Aug-28-2020, Indie Rock |
| #7 | FREE I.H: This Is Not the One You've Been Waiting For | illuminati hotties | Album, Jul-17-2020, Indie Rock |
| #8 | color theory | Soccer Mommy | Album, Feb-28-2020, Singer-Songwriter |
| #9 | Lament | Touché Amoré | Album, Oct-09-2020, Post-Hardcore |
| #10 | Saint Cloud | Waxahatchee | Album, Mar-27-2020, Singer-Songwriter |
| #11 | The Great Dismal | Nothing | Album, Oct-30-2020, Shoegaze |
| #12 | Fetch The Bolt Cutters | Fiona Apple | Album, Apr-17-2020, Art Pop |
| #13 | RTJ4 | Run The Jewels | Album, Jun-03-2020, Hardcore Hip Hop |
| #14 | Punisher | Phoebe Bridgers | Album, Jun-18-2020, Singer-Songwriter |
| #15 | Burst | Snarls | Album, Mar-06-2020, Indie Rock |
| #16 | BRAT | NNAMDÏ | Album, Apr-03-2020, Art Pop |
| #17 | Honeymoon | Beach Bunny | Album, Feb-14-2020, Indie Rock |
| #18 | Erotic Nightmare Summer | Carpool | Album, Jun-05-2020, Emo-Pop |
| #19 | Fates Worse Than Death | Short Fictions | Album, Dec-13-2019, Midwest Emo |
| #20 | Every Sun, Every Moon | I'm Glad It's You | Album, May-15-2020, Midwest Emo |
| #21 | Muck | Dikembe | Album, Aug-19-2020, Midwest Emo |
| #22 | how i'm feeling now | Charli XCX | Album, May-15-2020, Hyperpop |
| #23 | Inlet | Hum | Album, Jun-24-2020, Shoegaze |
| #24 | Untenable | Bad Moves | Album, May-29-2020, Indie Rock |
| #25 | Ground Aswim | Sinai Vessel | Album, Oct-30-2020, Indie Rock |
| #26 | Lost in the Country | Trace Mountains | Album, Apr-10-2020, Heartland Rock |
| #27 | Down Through | Gleemer | Album, May-08-2020, Indie Rock |
| #28 | Every Bad | Porridge Radio | Album, Mar-13-2020, Indie Rock |
| #29 | Pith | Melkbelly | Album, Apr-03-2020, Indie Rock |
| #30 | The Price Of Tea In China | Boldy JamesThe Alchemist | Album, Feb-07-2020, Gangsta Rap |
| #31 | SUGAREGG | Bully | Album, Aug-21-2020, Indie Rock |
| #32 | Good News | Megan Thee Stallion | Album, Nov-20-2020, Southern Hip Hop |
| #33 | The Sound Ⅱ | weave | Album, Apr-08-2020, Emo |
| #34 | Fake It Flowers | beabadoobee | Album, Oct-16-2020, Alternative Rock |
| #35 | Embroidered Foliage | No Thank You | Album, Oct-23-2020, Emo |
| #36 | Empty Country | Empty Country | Album, Mar-20-2020, Indie Rock |
| #37 | Petals For Armor | Hayley Williams | Album, May-08-2020, Art Pop |
| #38 | Songs to Yeet at the Sun | Soul Glo | EP, Nov-06-2020, Hardcore Punk |
| #39 | here, online | Worst Party Ever | EP, Feb-14-2020, Pop Punk |
| #40 | Skuba Sada 2 | Sada Baby | Album, Mar-20-2020, Detroit Trap |
| #41 | As We Suffer from Memory & Imagination | Nuvolascura | Album, Jun-19-2020, Screamo |
| #42 | Ways of Hearing | The Goalie’s Anxiety at the Penalty Kick | Album, Oct-30-2020, Slowcore |
| #43 | folklore | Taylor Swift | Album, Jul-24-2020, Singer-Songwriter |
| #44 | Teenage Halloween | Teenage Halloween | Album, Sep-18-2020, Power Pop |
| #45 | Dark Comedy Performance Piece of My Life | Walter Etc. | Album, Mar-27-2020, Indie Rock |
| #46 | Soak | Guitar Fight from Fooly Cooly | Album, Aug-14-2020, Post-Hardcore |
| #47 | It Is What It Is | Thundercat | Album, Apr-03-2020, Psychedelic Soul |
| #48 | Internal Incarceration | Year of the Knife | Album, Aug-07-2020, Metalcore |
| #49 | The Good Sweat | ManDancing | Album, Nov-20-2020, Emo |
| #50 | This Place Sucks Ass | PUP | EP, Oct-23-2020, Pop Punk |