2020 in music.

Vampire Weekend's Father of the Bride won a close one for 2019. Let's see who wins 2020.

Billboard chart-topping albums of 2020:
Harry Styles - Fine Line (cont. from 2019)
JackBoys - Jackboys (cont. from 2019)
Roddy Rich - Please Excuse Me for Being Antisocial (cont. from 2019)
Selena Gomez - Rare
Eminem - Music to be Murdered By
Lil Wayne - Funeral
Justin Bieber - Changes
BTS - Map of the Soul: 7
Lil Baby - My Turn
Lil Uzi Vert - Eternal Atake
The Weeknd - After Hours
DaBaby - Blame it on Baby
YoungBoy Never Broke Again - 38 Baby 2
Kenny Chesney - Here and Now
Nav - Good Intentions
Future - High Off Life
Gunna - Wunna
Lady Gaga - Chromatica
Pop Smoke - Shoot for the Stars, Aim for the Moon
Juice Wrld - Legends Never Die
Taylor Swift - Folklore
Big Sean - Detroit 2
YoungBoy Never Broke Again - Top
Machine Gun Kelly - Tickets to My Downfall
21 Savage - Savage Mode II
Luke Combs - What You See is What You Get
Ariana Grande - Positions
AC/DC - Power Up
BTS - Be
Bad Bunny - El Ultimo Tour Del Mundo
Shawn Mendes - Wonder
Taylor Swift - Evermore

Billboard chart-topping singles of 2020:
Mariah Carey - All I Want for Christmas is You (cont. from 1994 lol)
Post Malone - Circles (cont. from 2019)
Roddy Rich - The Box (cont. from 2019)
The Weeknd - Blinding Lights
Drake - Toosie Slide
The Scotts - The Scotts
Doja Cat - Say So
Ariana Grande - Stuck With You
Megan Thee Stallion - Savage
Lady Gaga - Rain on Me
Dababy - Rockstar
6ix9ine - Trollz
Taylor Swift - Cardigan
Harry Styles - Watermelon Sugar (cont. from 2019)
Cardi B - WAP
BTS - Dynamite
Travis Scott - Franchise
Jawsh 685 - Savage Love
24KGoldn - Mood
Ariana Grande - Positions
BTS - Life Goes On
Taylor Swift - Willow

What are your top three albums for 2020? We will keep a running tally and eventually have some sort of bracket. For me it would be:
1. Dua Lipa - Future Nostalgia
2. Bartees Strange - Live Forever
3. Jason Isbell - Reunions

What are some of the forgotten gems from the year? What is overrated? What did you discover at a young age and what did you discover later?

YEARS IN MUSIC • forum.chorus.fm

 

remainder of the top 10:
4. Bob Dylan - Rough and Rowdy Ways
5. Hum - Inlet
6. Ruston Kelly - Shape and Destroy
7. Waxahatchee - Saint Cloud
8. The Weeknd - After Hours
9. Taylor Swift - Folklore
10. Protomartyr - Ultimate Success Today

honorable mentions:
Brian Fallon - Local Honey
Bright Eyes - Down in the Weeds Where the World Once Was
Bully - Sugaregg
Christian Lee Hutson - Beginners
Clipping - Visions of Bodies Being Burned
Cloud Nothings - The Black Hole Understands
Code Orange - Underneath
Dawes - Good Luck With Whatever
Deep Sea Diver - Impossible Weight
Deftones - Ohms
Disheveled Cuss - Disheveled Cuss
Dogleg - Melee
Drive-By Truckers - The New OK
Drive-By Truckers - The Unraveling
El Obo - Reach Into the Dark and Pull It Closer
EOB - Earth
Fiona Apple - Fetch the Bolt Cutters
The Flaming Lips - American Head
Fleet Foxes - Shore
Fontaines DC - A Hero’s Death
Haim - Women in Music III
Hamilton Leithauser - The Loves of Your Life
Idles - Ultra Mono
Intronaut - Fluid Existential Inversions
Jeff Tweedy - Love is the King
Jonathan Wilson - Dixie Blur
Khruangbin - Mordechai
The Killers - Imploding the Mirage
King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard - KG
Kvelertak - Splid
Laura Marling - Song for Our Daughter
Mandy Moore - Silver Landings
Margo Price - That’s How Rumors Get Started
My Morning Jacket - The Waterfall II
Nine Inch Nails - Ghosts V & VI
Nothing - The Great Dismal
Old Man Gloom - Seminar VIII: Light of Meaning
Pearl Jam - Gigaton
Phoebe Bridgers - Punisher
Protest the Hero - Palimpsest
Ratboys - Printers Devil
Run the Jewels - RTJ4
Soccer Mommy - Color Theory
The Strokes - The New Abnormal
Sturgill Simpson - Cuttin Grass, Vol. 1
Sturgill Simpson - Cuttin Grass, Vol. 2
Taylor Swift - Evermore
Thundercat - It Is What It Is
Touche Amore - Lament
Wolf Parade - Thin Mind

stuff to check out:
Alanis Morissette - Such Pretty Forks in the Road
Andy Shauf - The Neon Skyline
Ariana Grande - Positions
Biffy Clyro - A Celebration of Endings
Bombay Bicycle Club - Everything Else Has Gone Wrong
Bruce Springsteen - Letter to You
Caribou - Suddenly
Charli XCX - How I’m Feeling Now
Chris Stapleton - Starting Over
Colter Wall - Western Swing & Waltzes and Other Punchy Songs
Deerhoof - Future Teenage Cave Artists
Jeff Rosenstock - No Dream
Lady Gaga - Chromatica
Lucinda Williams - Good Souls Better Angels
Maya Hawke - Blush
Nada Surf - Never Not Together
Spanish Love Songs - Brave Faces Everyone
Stephen Malkmus - Traditional Techniques

 

Ridiculously deep year

 

1. Phoebe Bridgers - Punisher
2. Waxahatchee - Saint Cloud
3. Fleet Foxes - Shore

4. Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit - Reunions
5. Nothing - The Great Dismal
6. Ruston Kelly - Shape & Destroy
7. Taylor Swift - evermore
8. Taylor Swift - folklore
9. O'Brother - You and I
10. Sturgill Simpson - Cuttin' Grass - Vol. 1/2
11. Deftones - Ohms

 

it's a deep year for sure, lots that i like, very little that i "love" though

 

Probably my favourite year for music of recent times. So much good stuff.

1. Couch Slut - Take A Chance On Rock 'n' Roll
2. Roly Porter - Kistvaen
3. Code Orange - Underneath

Honourable Mentions

• Nils Frahm - Empty
• Nicolas Jaar - Cenizas
• Deftones - Ohms
• Jonnine - Blue Hills
• Adeline Hotel - Solid Love
• Fiona Apple - Fetch The Bolt Cutters
  
• clipping. - Visions Of Bodies Being Burned
• Nation Of Language - Introduction, Presence
• Hum - Inlet
• Bohren & Der Club Of Gore - Patchouli Blue
• DUMA - DUMA
• Tony Allen - Rejoice
• David Grubbs & Taku Unami - Comet Meta
• Bob Mould - American Crisis
• Rina Sawayama - SAWAYAMA
• Jeff Parker - Suite For Max Brown
• Nine Inch Nails - Ghosts V: Together

I generally try to limit my honourable mentions to just a few but there were lots of records I had an affection for this year so I just threw them all in.

 

1. Waxahatchee - Saint Cloud
2. Hum - Inlet
3. Haim - Women in Music pt. III

HM: Empty Country - Empty Country
Taylor Swift - Folklore, Evermore
Phoebe Bridgers - Punisher
Bartees Strange - Live Forever
Avalanches - We Will Always Love You
Fleet Foxes - Shore
Adrianne Lenker - songs and instrumentals
Nick Lutsko - Songs on the Computer
Frances Quinlan - Likewise

Somewhat feel like the Taylor albums should count as 1 but I know that won’t fly

 

1. Brian Fallon - Local Honey
2. Taylor Swift - Folklore
3. Hot Mulligan - you'll be fine

HM:
Donovan Woods - Without People
Ruston Kelly - Shape & Destroy
Spanish Love Songs - Brave Faces Everyone
The Front Bottoms - In Sickness & In Flames
The Menzingers - From Exile
Four Year Strong - Brain Pain

 

1. Spanish Love Songs - Brave Faces Everyone
2. Hot Mulligan - You'll Be Fine
3. Touche Amore - Lament
4. Boston Manor - Glue
5. Off Road Minivan - Swan Dive
6. Envy - The Fallen Crimson
7. O'Brother - You and I
8. The Smith Street Band - Don't Waste Your Anger
9. Phoebe Bridgers - Punisher
10. Stormlight - Natoma

 

1. Dua Lipa - Future Nostalgia
2. Charli XCX - How I'm Feeling Now
3. Rina Sawayama - SAWAYAMA

Poppy - I Disagree
Ariana Grande - Positions
Caspian - On Circles
Melted Bodies - Enjoy Yourself
Protest the Hero - Palimpsest
tricot - 10
Holy Fawn - The Black Moon
Hayley Williams - Petals for Armor
Black Dresses - Peaceful as Hell
tricot - 真っ黒
The Naked and Famous - Recover
Bronson - Bronson
Empress of - I'm Your Empress Of

 

Thank god for music that year. Bad times, but good tunes.

1. Jeff Rosenstock - NO DREAM
2. Spanish Love Songs - Brave Faces Everyone
3. Phoebe Bridgers - Punisher

Tough Cuts:
Run the Jewels - RTJ4
Kid Cudi - Man on the Moon III: The Chosen
Playboi Carti - Whole Lotta Red
Bruce Springsteen - Letter To You
Deftones - Ohms
King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard - K.G.
Mac Miller - Circles
The Weeknd - After Hours
Freddie Gibbs & The Alchemist - Alfredo

The Rest:
Charli XCX - how i'm feeling now
Soccer Mommy - color theory
Touche Amore - Lament
Taylor Swift - folklore
All Time Low - Wake Up, Sunshine
21 Savage & Metro Boomin - SAVAGE MODE II
Fleet Foxes - Shore
Tame Impala - The Slow Rush
Lil Uzi Vert - Eternal Atake
Machine Gun Kelly - Tickets To My Downfall
Jesse Ware - What's Your Pleasure?
Four Year Strong - Brain Pain
Bring Me the Horizon - POST HUMAN: SURVIVAL HORROR
Denzel Curry & Kenny Beats - UNLOCKED
Juice WRLD - Legends Never Die
Seahaven - Halo of Hurt
The Fall of Troy - Mukiltearth
The Avalanches - We Will Always Love You
Thundercat - It Is What It Is
Hot Mulligan - you'll be fine
Code Orange - Underneath
Perfume Genius - Set My Heart On Fire Immediately
Dogleg - Melee
Into It. Over It - Figure
Hayley Williams - Petals For Armor
Pigeons Playing Ping Pong - Presto
Phish - Sigma Oasis
Tycho - Simulcast
Future - High Off Life
Gunna - WUNNA
Nas - King's Disease
Brian Fallon - Local Honey
The 1975 - Notes On A Conditional Form

 

1. Mandancing - The Good Sweat
2. Phoebe Bridgers - Punisher
3. Run The Jewels - RTJ 4

4. Taylor Swift - Folklore
5. Rina Sawayama - SAWAYAMA
6. The 1975 - Notes on a Conditional Form
7. Dua Lipa - Future Nostalgia
8. Jeff Rosenstock - NO DREAM
9. Brian Fallon - Local Honey
10. Haim - Women in Music pt. III

Top 3 are some of my faves of the decade

 

Shoutout to all the artists who still released albums this year. I feel like there was a pretty dry period from like April-June and then things picked up again. Leaving a lot of loosies off the list and just talking about the bigger albums so we're not here all day.

1. Dua Lipa - Future Nostalgia

• One of the best pop albums in a long time. A shot of fun that arrived just in time.

2. Phoebe Bridgers - Punisher

• Phoebe levels up in a lot of ways here and I love the more lush production.

3. Rina Sawayama - SAWAYAMA

• An incredible pop album that borrows from a dozen different genres to make something both cohesive and bombastic.

Honorable Mentions
Dance Gavin Dance - Afterburner

• The only album I like by these guys and even then they've burned all the goodwill away since.

The Dangerous Summer - All That Is Left of the Blue Sky

• Some great songs on here, even if it is instantly more straightforward than any of their previous output.

Seaway - Big Vibe

• Pop punk done right (emphasis on "pop").

The Chicks - Gaslighter

• The Chicks return with an excellent album that is 1-2 great songs away from a classic.

Poppy - I Disagree

• Poppy's most realized project thus far.

Hum - Inlet

• My first Hum album and it friggin' rocks.

Brian Fallon - Local Honey

• For a long time, this was my post-wedding DJ album. Just a perfect break for the ears and I always appreciate aging musicians writing about their kids.

Halsey - Manic

• Too long, but I kinda love this album, flaws and all.

070 Shake - Modus Vivendi

• From one of the worst live performances I've ever seen in 2016 to an incredible album in 2020.

Others
The Weeknd - After Hours

• I've always been surprised this came out in January, because to me it is perfect late summer music.

Butch Walker - American Love Story

• Not sure wtf Butch was thinking here.

Phantom Planet - Devastator

• Phantom Planet returns with half of an awesome album!

Green Day - Father of All Motherfuckers

• Not sure wtf Green Day was thinking here.

New Found Glory - Forever and Ever X Infinity

• Not sure wtf New Found Glory was thinking here.

Pearl Jam - Gigaton

• The final "classic" Pearl Jam album, IMO.

The Midnight - Monsters

• A lot more disjointed than their prior album, there are some good standouts on here.

Partner - Never Give Up

• Very quirky classic rock from two Canadians!

The Strokes - The New Abnormal

• The Strokes return with their best album in decade(s)?

The 1975 - Notes on a Conditional Form

• The 1975 finally get a little too big for their own britches. Some good songs on here but wow do I hope their next release is shorter.

 

1. Phoebe - Punisher
2. Touche Amore - Lament
3. Jeff Rosenstock - NO DREAM

 

Future Nostalgia for the win baBY

 

forever fuck this year, but what a deep release cycle.

1. aesop rock - spirit world field guide
2. phoebe bridgers - punisher
3. bright eyes - down in the weeds, where the world once was
4. carpool - erotic nightmare summer
5. christian lee hutson - beginners
6. hot mulligan - you'll be fine
7. stay inside - viewing
8. run the jewels - rtj 4
9. charmer - ivy
10. taylor swift - folklore
11. soccer mommy - color theory
12. mandancing - the good sweat
13. idles - ultra mono
14. 100 gecs - 1000 gecs and the tree of clues
15. charli xcx - how i'm feeling now
16. waxahatchee - saint cloud
17. code orange - underneath
18. seaway - big vibe
19. the weekend - after hours
20. loathe - i let it in and it took everything

 

1. Taylor Swift - folklore
2. Spanish Love Songs - Brave Faces Everyone
3. Dua Lipa - Future Nostalgia

 

A miserable year to live through, but also one of my favorite music years ever.

 

1. Phoebe Bridgers - Punisher
2. Taylor Swift - folklore
3. Charli XCX - How I'm Feeling Now

4. Gorillaz - Song Machine
5. Mac Miller - Circles
6. Haim - Women in Music Pt III
7. Jessie Reyez - Before Love Came to Kill Us
8. Stand Atlantic - Pink Elephant
9. The 1975 - Notes on a Conditional Form
10. Halsey - Manic

11. Hayley Williams - Petals for Armor
12. Taylor Swift - evermore
13. Childish Gambino - 3.15.20
14. Beabadoobee - Fake it Flowers
15. Paul McCartney - McCartney III
16. Juice Wrld - Legends Never Die
17. Sara Bareilles - More Live
18. Knuckle Puck - 20/20
19. Justin Bieber - Changes
20. Hot Mulligan - You'll Be Fine

21. Miley Cyrus - Plastic Hearts
22. Spanish Love Songs - Brave Faces Everyone
23. Kid Cudi - Man on the Moon III: The Chosen
24. Katy Perry - Smile
25. The Strokes - The New Abnormal

What an insanely stacked year.

 

Damn, forgot about Gorillaz. Great album!

 

The Year Of Our Lord Taylor

 

1. Taylor Swift - folklore
2. Dua Lipa - Future Nostalgia
3. Taylor Swift - evermore
4. The Front Bottoms - In Sickness & In Flames
5. Troye Sivan - In A Dream
6. The Weeknd - After Hours
7. Poppy - I Disagree
8. Banoffee - Look At Us Now Dad
9. The Chicks - Gaslighter
10. Rina Sawayama - SAWAYAMA
11. Kesha - High Road
12. Jack Garratt - Love, Death & Dancing
13. Neon Trees - I Can Feel You Forgetting Me
14. Tame Impala - The Slow Rush
15. Gorillaz - Song Machine: Season One - Strange Timez
16. Haim - Women In Music Pt. III
17. Bright Eyes - Down In The Weeds, Where The World Once Was
18. The Avalanches - We Will Always Love You
19. Charli XCX - how i'm feeling now
20. MisterWives - SUPERBLOOM

 

Top:

The 1975 - Notes On A Conditional Form
Taylor Swift – evermore
Sea Girls – Open Up Your Head


The Rest:

...And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead - X: The Godless Void and Other Stories
Anti-Flag - 20/20 Vision
Beach Bunny – Honeymoon
Caribou – Suddenly
COIN – Dreamland
Cold War Kids - New Age Norms 2
Dua Lipa - Future Nostalgia
Eminem – Music To Be Murdered By
Frail Hands – parted/departed/apart
girlfriends – S/T
Grimes – Miss Anthropocene
Halsey – Manic
The Hunna – I'd Rather Die Than Let You In
I Prevail – TRAUMA
Jack Harlow – Sweet Action
Jason Mraz – Look For The Good
Joyner Lucas – ADHD
Lauv – how i'm feeling
Mac Miller – Circles
Machine Gun Kelly - Tickets To My Downfall
Nightly - night, love you.
Poppy – I Disagree
Rascal Flatts – How They Remember You
Recent Rumors - Heart Baby
Selena Gomez – Rare
Soccer Mommy – color theory
Tate McRae – all the things i never said
Taylor Swift – folklore
Tiesto - The London Sessions
The Weeknd - After Hours
The Wldlfe - Waking Up Is Hard To Do, 2019-2020
The Wrecks – Infinitely Ordinary


Singles I loved:

“Heat Waves” – Glass Animals – This song will forever haunt me, till the day I die
“August” & “The 1” – Taylor Swift
“Hold Out” - Sam Fender
“Broke Bitch” – 27Delly
“Parking Lot View” – Almost Monday
“Good Day” – Iann Dior
“Sign” – Roosevelt
“La Dificil” Bad Bunny
“Body” - Megan Thee Stallion
“Acting Like That” – Yungblud
“What’s Poppin” – Jack Harlow

 

Heat Waves came out in 2020?! I feel like I hear that song more now than I did then haha

 

It didn't fully blow up until early 2021, wild right?!?!?!