The A.V. Club's 20 Best Albums of 2020

Here are the 20 best albums we heard in 2020, as voted upon by The A.V. Club’s music critics. And if you’re curious, the contest for the top spot wasn’t even close.

Published: December 15, 2020 06:00 Source

Rank Score Album Artist Info
#1 Fetch The Bolt Cutters Fiona Apple Apr-17-2020, Art Pop
#2 Punisher Phoebe Bridgers Jun-18-2020, Singer-Songwriter
#3 RTJ4 Run The Jewels Jun-03-2020, Hardcore Hip Hop
#4 color theory Soccer Mommy Feb-28-2020, Singer-Songwriter
#5 Ungodly Hour Chloe x Halle Jun-12-2020, Contemporary R&B
#6 folklore Taylor Swift Jul-24-2020, Singer-Songwriter
#7 SAWAYAMA Rina Sawayama Apr-17-2020, Dance-Pop
#8 Future Nostalgia Dua Lipa Mar-27-2020, Dance-Pop
#9 græ Moses Sumney May-15-2020, Art Pop
#10 It Is What It Is Thundercat Apr-03-2020, Psychedelic Soul
#11 A Written Testimony Jay Electronica Mar-13-2020, Conscious Hip Hop
#12 Lianne La Havas Lianne La Havas Jul-17-2020, Neo-Soul
#13 how i'm feeling now Charli XCX May-15-2020, Hyperpop
#14 Miss Anthropocene Grimes Feb-21-2020, Art Pop
#15 NO DREAM Jeff Rosenstock May-20-2020, Pop Punk
#16 Magic Oneohtrix Point Never Oneohtrix Point Never Oct-30-2020, Progressive Electronic
#17 Melee Dogleg Mar-13-2020, Emo
#18 Petals For Armor Hayley Williams May-08-2020, Art Pop
#19 Saint Cloud Waxahatchee Mar-27-2020, Singer-Songwriter
#20 Set My Heart On Fire Immediately Perfume Genius May-15-2020, Art Pop
Markdown

| Rank | Score | Album | Artist | Info |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 |  | Fetch The Bolt Cutters | Fiona Apple | Album, Apr-17-2020, Art Pop |
| #2 |  | Punisher | Phoebe Bridgers | Album, Jun-18-2020, Singer-Songwriter |
| #3 |  | RTJ4 | Run The Jewels | Album, Jun-03-2020, Hardcore Hip Hop |
| #4 |  | color theory | Soccer Mommy | Album, Feb-28-2020, Singer-Songwriter |
| #5 |  | Ungodly Hour | Chloe x Halle | Album, Jun-12-2020, Contemporary R&B |
| #6 |  | folklore | Taylor Swift | Album, Jul-24-2020, Singer-Songwriter |
| #7 |  | SAWAYAMA | Rina Sawayama | Album, Apr-17-2020, Dance-Pop |
| #8 |  | Future Nostalgia | Dua Lipa | Album, Mar-27-2020, Dance-Pop |
| #9 |  | græ | Moses Sumney | Album, May-15-2020, Art Pop |
| #10 |  | It Is What It Is | Thundercat | Album, Apr-03-2020, Psychedelic Soul |
| #11 |  | A Written Testimony | Jay Electronica | Album, Mar-13-2020, Conscious Hip Hop |
| #12 |  | Lianne La Havas | Lianne La Havas | Album, Jul-17-2020, Neo-Soul |
| #13 |  | how i'm feeling now | Charli XCX | Album, May-15-2020, Hyperpop |
| #14 |  | Miss Anthropocene | Grimes | Album, Feb-21-2020, Art Pop |
| #15 |  | NO DREAM | Jeff Rosenstock | Album, May-20-2020, Pop Punk |
| #16 |  | Magic Oneohtrix Point Never | Oneohtrix Point Never | Album, Oct-30-2020, Progressive Electronic |
| #17 |  | Melee | Dogleg | Album, Mar-13-2020, Emo |
| #18 |  | Petals For Armor | Hayley Williams | Album, May-08-2020, Art Pop |
| #19 |  | Saint Cloud | Waxahatchee | Album, Mar-27-2020, Singer-Songwriter |
| #20 |  | Set My Heart On Fire Immediately | Perfume Genius | Album, May-15-2020, Art Pop |