The Forty-Five's 45 Best Albums of 2020

What was your album of the year? Our team of experts have ranked and reviewed the best albums of 2020. Enjoy.

Published: December 10, 2020 15:00 Source

Rank Score Album Artist Info
#1 Punisher Phoebe Bridgers Jun-18-2020, Singer-Songwriter
#2 Fetch The Bolt Cutters Fiona Apple Apr-17-2020, Art Pop
#3 Women In Music Pt. III HAIM Feb-19-2021, Indie Pop
#4 folklore Taylor Swift Jul-24-2020, Singer-Songwriter
#5 Future Nostalgia Dua Lipa Mar-27-2020, Dance-Pop
#6 græ Moses Sumney May-15-2020, Art Pop
#7 Miss Anthropocene Grimes Feb-21-2020, Art Pop
#8 SAWAYAMA Rina Sawayama Apr-17-2020, Dance-Pop
#9 Set My Heart On Fire Immediately Perfume Genius May-15-2020, Art Pop
#10 925 Sorry Mar-27-2020, Indie Rock
#11 Heaven To a Tortured Mind Yves Tumor Apr-03-2020, Neo-Psychedelia
#12 Down in the Weeds, Where the World Once Was Bright Eyes Aug-21-2020, Indie Folk
#13 Good News Megan Thee Stallion Nov-20-2020, Southern Hip Hop
#14 RTJ4 Run The Jewels Jun-03-2020, Hardcore Hip Hop
#15 Every Bad Porridge Radio Mar-13-2020, Indie Rock
#16 Chromatica Lady Gaga May-29-2020, Dance-Pop
#17 What's Your Pleasure? Jessie Ware Jun-26-2020, Dance-Pop
#18 Petals For Armor Hayley Williams May-08-2020, Art Pop
#19 The Slow Rush Tame Impala Feb-14-2020, Psychedelic Pop
#20 Seeking Thrills Georgia Jan-10-2020, Synthpop
#21 Imploding The Mirage The Killers Jan-29-2021, Pop Rock
#22 color theory Soccer Mommy Feb-28-2020, Singer-Songwriter
#23 Lianne La Havas Lianne La Havas Jul-17-2020, Neo-Soul
#24 Forever, Ya Girl KeiyaA Mar-27-2020, Neo-Soul
#25 Inner Song Kelly Lee Owens Aug-28-2020, Tech House
#26 Modern Dread Denai Moore Jul-03-2020, Alternative R&B
#27 Róisín Machine Róisín Murphy Oct-02-2020, Nu-Disco
#28 It Was Good Until It Wasn't Kehlani May-08-2020, Contemporary R&B
#29 Stay Alive Laura Jane Grace Oct-01-2020, Singer-Songwriter
#30 Big Conspiracy J Hus Jan-24-2020, UK Hip Hop
#31 SUGAREGG Bully Aug-21-2020, Indie Rock
#32 Kid Krow Conan Gray Mar-20-2020, Alt-Pop
#33 Song For Our Daughter Laura Marling Apr-10-2020, Contemporary Folk
#34 Positions Ariana Grande Oct-30-2020, Contemporary R&B
#35 Dreamland Glass Animals Aug-07-2020, Indietronica
#36 Walking Like We Do The Big Moon Jan-10-2020, Indie Pop
#37 Saint Cloud Waxahatchee Mar-27-2020, Singer-Songwriter
#38 TO LOVE IS TO LIVE Jehnny Beth Jun-12-2020, Art Pop
#39 A Hero's Death Fontaines D.C. Jul-31-2020, Post-Punk
#40 Untitled (Rise) Sault Sep-18-2020, Neo-Soul
#41 SOURCE Nubya Garcia Aug-21-2020, Spiritual Jazz
#42 Circles Mac Miller Jan-17-2020, Neo-Soul
#43 After Hours The Weeknd Mar-20-2020, Alternative R&B
#44 Zeros Declan McKenna Sep-04-2020, Glam Rock
#45 Beyond the Pale Jarvis Cocker Jul-17-2020,
Markdown

| Rank | Score | Album | Artist | Info |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 |  | Punisher | Phoebe Bridgers | Album, Jun-18-2020, Singer-Songwriter |
| #2 |  | Fetch The Bolt Cutters | Fiona Apple | Album, Apr-17-2020, Art Pop |
| #3 |  | Women In Music Pt. III | HAIM | Album, Feb-19-2021, Indie Pop |
| #4 |  | folklore | Taylor Swift | Album, Jul-24-2020, Singer-Songwriter |
| #5 |  | Future Nostalgia | Dua Lipa | Album, Mar-27-2020, Dance-Pop |
| #6 |  | græ | Moses Sumney | Album, May-15-2020, Art Pop |
| #7 |  | Miss Anthropocene | Grimes | Album, Feb-21-2020, Art Pop |
| #8 |  | SAWAYAMA | Rina Sawayama | Album, Apr-17-2020, Dance-Pop |
| #9 |  | Set My Heart On Fire Immediately | Perfume Genius | Album, May-15-2020, Art Pop |
| #10 |  | 925 | Sorry | Album, Mar-27-2020, Indie Rock |
| #11 |  | Heaven To a Tortured Mind | Yves Tumor | Album, Apr-03-2020, Neo-Psychedelia |
| #12 |  | Down in the Weeds, Where the World Once Was | Bright Eyes | Album, Aug-21-2020, Indie Folk |
| #13 |  | Good News | Megan Thee Stallion | Album, Nov-20-2020, Southern Hip Hop |
| #14 |  | RTJ4 | Run The Jewels | Album, Jun-03-2020, Hardcore Hip Hop |
| #15 |  | Every Bad | Porridge Radio | Album, Mar-13-2020, Indie Rock |
| #16 |  | Chromatica | Lady Gaga | Album, May-29-2020, Dance-Pop |
| #17 |  | What's Your Pleasure? | Jessie Ware | Album, Jun-26-2020, Dance-Pop |
| #18 |  | Petals For Armor | Hayley Williams | Album, May-08-2020, Art Pop |
| #19 |  | The Slow Rush | Tame Impala | Album, Feb-14-2020, Psychedelic Pop |
| #20 |  | Seeking Thrills | Georgia | Album, Jan-10-2020, Synthpop |
| #21 |  | Imploding The Mirage | The Killers | Album, Jan-29-2021, Pop Rock |
| #22 |  | color theory | Soccer Mommy | Album, Feb-28-2020, Singer-Songwriter |
| #23 |  | Lianne La Havas | Lianne La Havas | Album, Jul-17-2020, Neo-Soul |
| #24 |  | Forever, Ya Girl | KeiyaA | Album, Mar-27-2020, Neo-Soul |
| #25 |  | Inner Song | Kelly Lee Owens | Album, Aug-28-2020, Tech House |
| #26 |  | Modern Dread | Denai Moore | Album, Jul-03-2020, Alternative R&B |
| #27 |  | Róisín Machine | Róisín Murphy | Album, Oct-02-2020, Nu-Disco |
| #28 |  | It Was Good Until It Wasn't | Kehlani | Album, May-08-2020, Contemporary R&B |
| #29 |  | Stay Alive | Laura Jane Grace | Album, Oct-01-2020, Singer-Songwriter |
| #30 |  | Big Conspiracy | J Hus | Album, Jan-24-2020, UK Hip Hop |
| #31 |  | SUGAREGG | Bully | Album, Aug-21-2020, Indie Rock |
| #32 |  | Kid Krow | Conan Gray | Album, Mar-20-2020, Alt-Pop |
| #33 |  | Song For Our Daughter | Laura Marling | Album, Apr-10-2020, Contemporary Folk |
| #34 |  | Positions | Ariana Grande | Album, Oct-30-2020, Contemporary R&B |
| #35 |  | Dreamland | Glass Animals | Album, Aug-07-2020, Indietronica |
| #36 |  | Walking Like We Do | The Big Moon | Album, Jan-10-2020, Indie Pop |
| #37 |  | Saint Cloud | Waxahatchee | Album, Mar-27-2020, Singer-Songwriter |
| #38 |  | TO LOVE IS TO LIVE | Jehnny Beth | Album, Jun-12-2020, Art Pop |
| #39 |  | A Hero's Death | Fontaines D.C. | Album, Jul-31-2020, Post-Punk |
| #40 |  | Untitled (Rise) | Sault | Album, Sep-18-2020, Neo-Soul |
| #41 |  | SOURCE | Nubya Garcia | Album, Aug-21-2020, Spiritual Jazz |
| #42 |  | Circles | Mac Miller | Album, Jan-17-2020, Neo-Soul |
| #43 |  | After Hours | The Weeknd | Album, Mar-20-2020, Alternative R&B |
| #44 |  | Zeros | Declan McKenna | Album, Sep-04-2020, Glam Rock |
| #45 |  | Beyond the Pale | Jarvis Cocker | Album, Jul-17-2020,  |