Best Music of 2020

Highlights

This is the shortest list of recent years, ironically for how much I listened to during the major part of the pandemic. I tried something different, trying to keep to just one or two songs per artist/album. But many of the albums are worth listening to front to back. e.g., Declan McKenna, Alain Johannes, Semisonic.

  • Album of the year: Aiming for Enrike – Music for Working Out
  • Most tracks in the list: Joel Plaskett – 44
  • Honorable Mention to check out: Hazel English – Wake Up!

105 songs, 7hrs. 30 mins. Total Time


TITLEARTISTALBUMTIME
1Coffee or WineField MusicMaking a New World3:04
2A Shot to the ArmField MusicMaking a New World2:32
3Don’t Hassle the HoffAiming for EnrikeMusic for Working Out3:49
4Hard Dance BrainiaAiming for EnrikeMusic for Working Out4:40
5Into the Godless Void…And You Will Know Us By the Trail of DeadX: The Godless Void and Other Stories3:58
6Blade of Wind…And You Will Know Us By the Trail of DeadX: The Godless Void and Other Stories5:47
7Get God’s Attention by Being an Atheistof MontrealUr Fun3:51
8On the OutsideEthan GruskaEn Garde3:09
9Another AnimalEthan GruskaEn Garde2:51
10Primed and ReadyWireMind Hive2:44
11Julia Take Your Man HomeWolf ParadeThin Mind4:36
12The RavenDestroyerHave We Met3:35
13Is This a Hotel?Film SchoolField4:21
14Something I Should DoNada SurfNever Not Together (Deluxe Edition)4:32
15A Glimpse of You (Interlude)Marquis HillLove Tape: With Voices1:16
16FortuneWye OakWalk Soft – Single3:49
17BorderlineTame ImpalaThe Slow Rush3:58
18Tomorrow’s DustTame ImpalaThe Slow Rush5:27
19Again and Again Until We Feel NothingYann NovakFurther Dismantling8:27
20Kaleidoscope (2 Meter Session)Alain JohannesJan Douwe Kroeske presents: 2 Meter Sessions #1696 – Alain Johannes4:25
21PuppySnail’s HouseOrdinary Songs 53:24
22Falling DownReal EstateThe Main Thing4:32
23Hopeful Assassins of ZenoThe Mountain GoatsSongs for Pierre Chuvin3:15
24The Good SongFloralFloral LP4:19
25Charlie Is My DarlingTraffik IslandSweat Kollecta’s Peanut Butter Traffik Jam2:58
26Do You Think We’ll Last Forever?Caroline RoseSuperstar4:15
27Hold On TightROOKIERookie2:36
28Introduction IIROOKIERookie1:33
29AlgorhythmChildish Gambino3.15.203:32
30circle the drainSoccer Mommycolor theory4:40
31lucySoccer Mommycolor theory4:57
32StereoAkuma, Part 4MerzbowStereoAkuma3:27
33Light and ShadowYagyaOld Dreams and Memories3:39
34Who Ever SaidPearl JamGigaton5:11
35Buckle UpPearl JamGigaton3:37
36Along the Santa Fe TrailM. WardMigration Stories3:09
37Esperanto (feat. Danilo Perez & Chico Pinheiro)Kurt EllingSecrets Are the Best Stories (feat. Danilo Perez)5:01
38PanNightwishHUMAN. :II: NATURE.5:18
39TogetherNine Inch NailsGhosts V: Together10:04
40Mr GOnce and Future BandDeleted Scenes3:26
41The Worriment WaltzNine Inch NailsGhosts VI: Locusts9:26
42OlympikEOBEarth8:39
43WildfiresSaultUntitled (Black Is)3:27
44Papal StainJ.G. Thirlwell & Simon SteenslandOscillospira9:58
45Nancy Allen Double FeatureProtoplanetsGrid – EP2:30
46Science DenierProtoplanetsGrid – EP3:12
47When You Were FewDamien JuradoWhat’s New, Tomboy?2:42
48Seven ScrewsEinstürzende NeubautenAlles in Allem3:55
49Carried AwayJoel Plaskett442:53
50Catch 22Joel Plaskett442:28
51Ps & QsJoel Plaskett443:15
52AssassinThe Fearless FlyersTailwinds3:14
53She Don’t WantDisheveled CussDisheveled Cuss2:26
54Oh My GodDisheveled CussDisheveled Cuss5:08
55The Day the Politicians DiedThe Magnetic FieldsQuickies1:58
56My Stupid BoyfriendThe Magnetic FieldsQuickies2:01
57out of sight (feat. 2 Chainz)Run The JewelsRTJ4 (Deluxe Edition)3:21
58goonies vs. E.T.Run The JewelsRTJ4 (Deluxe Edition)3:03
59German Shepherds (10:20 Version)Wire10:204:28
60Slow Down, BuddyJerry PaperAbracadabra3:05
61Whisper 2000Locate S,1Personalia4:10
62In the DenHumInlet6:45
63WavesHumInlet5:31
64Feels Like the EndKestrelsDream or Don’t Dream3:49
65Instant Nightmare!The DearsLovers Rock3:38
66Bridge to QuietAnimal CollectiveBridge to Quiet10:48
67ShakingHazel EnglishWake Up!3:33
68If Morning ComesAlain JohannesHum4:18
69HumAlain JohannesHum2:21
70Heute Nacht Oder Nie (Live)Anneke van Giersbergen & Kamerata ZuidLet the Light in (Live)3:08
71Stay (Live)Anneke van Giersbergen & Kamerata ZuidLet the Light in (Live)5:17
72Long NightGusterOMAGAH! Guster with the Omaha Symphony4:53
73AEIOUWye OakNo Horizon – EP4:57
74Wattblilluminati hottiesFREE I.H: This Is Not the One You’ve Been Waiting For1:24
75Alien with a Sleep Mask OnRatboysPrinter’s Devil3:50
76Old Maps (feat. . Varduhi Art School Children’s Choir)Tigran HamasyanThe Call Within2:30
77Cemetery LifestyleBC CamplightShortly After Takeoff3:42
78Toe to Toes (Instrumental)MastodonMedium Rarities4:28
79Alive Again (Live)Trey AnastasioBurn It Down (Live)8:45
80KyotoPhoebe BridgersPunisher3:05
81Find My WayPaul McCartneyMcCartney III3:55
82New Hope For the New Yearmoe.Not Normal9:01
83HallucinateDua LipaFuture Nostalgia3:29
84PigeonsBill CallahanGold Record5:25
85Parrot PeopleDick ValentineParrot People3:31
86Why You Waging War on Me, Divider?Dick ValentineParrot People3:19
87The Sacred Veil: IV. Magnetic PoetryLos Angeles Master Chorale, Eric Whitacre, Jeffrey Zeigler & Lisa EdwardsThe Sacred Veil6:31
88Champion of the BeachCayucasBlue Summer3:36
893 on E (feat. Antwaun Stanley)VulfpeckThe Joy of Music, The Job of Real Estate2:58
90Beautiful FacesDeclan McKennaZeros3:17
91Daniel, You’re Still a ChildDeclan McKennaZeros3:59
92Next GenerationBob MouldBlue Hearts2:21
93Run Away With MeSufjan StevensThe Ascension4:07
94MorphSnail’s HouseImaginarium2:14
95Broken FrameFlauralCurb the Excess – EP3:55
96Life as a MannequinShinerSchadenfreude6:31
97Minimum Brain SizeKing Gizzard & The Lizard WizardK.G.4:19
98Part IVarhatQuatre – Single8:15
99Ultra Black (feat. Hit-Boy)NasKing’s Disease3:18
100Parallel 2Four TetParallel6:04
101Juan el LargoLos EstanquesIV2:53
102La AgujaLos EstanquesIV3:26
103TM1 openAutechrePLUS11:07
104You’re Not AloneSemisonicYou’re Not Alone – EP3:21
105Basement TapesSemisonicYou’re Not Alone – EP3:34