Top 15 Albums of 2020

2020 was a mixed year for albums. There were some great albums, and others simply underwhelming. That said, they were some simply amazing albums this year, and my top albums are must check-outs.

Each album is unique, and a different story. So rather than simply rank albums, I decided to write on my 15 favorite albums without ranking them.

Unfortunately, some albums (NEWS's Story, Hey! Say! JUMP's Fab!, Sexy Zone's Pop X Step), mostly from Japan, were only available upon purchase. I bought some, but I could not get them all. Those three albums up there are some that I plan on getting and listening which may have come on the list, but I did not buy as of yet.

Honorable Mentions:

BTS - Map of the Soul: 7

Drippin - Boyager

Neil Young - Homegrown

A. R. Rahman - Dil Bechara

A sound farewell soundtrack album for Sushant Singh Rajput. It has some great songs, though it is oddly down-tempo for an album celebrating life (Friendzone is the exception), though it does do that down-tempo quite well.

WayV - Awaken the World

After Midnight, Turn Back Time, Electric Hearts, and Domino, there is a whole lot of good in this album. It is consistent, though I wish there were more highlights. Still, it is worth a listen.

Nightwish - Human: II: Nature

If you had told me in January 2020 that a Finnish band was behind one of my favorite albums of 2020, I would tell you to stop drinking, it seemed too out of the ordinary, But it is 2020, the abnormal was normal. That said, there is no discounting the incredible-ness of Human: II : Nature. It is as weird as an album can get. The first half is filled with experimental, operatic, rock tracks. Some highlights from this segment include Pan, Noise, and Shoemaker. But really, all tracks here are incredible. The second half is a diverse set of instrumentally driven songs, each as good or better than the last. It takes time to unpack this album, but I highly recommend it.

YooA - Bon Voyage

Debut mini-albums can go both ways, and I was pretty sure Bon Voyage would go south of good quality. Thankfully, I was wrong by miles. There is no skipper in this 5-track mini-album. The greatest thing though is the story-telling through all 5 songs. The songs tell a tale of loving nature, the want to try new things, technological development, the want to go back, and the promise to return. All the songs greatly improve from their already imposing status in the context of the album.

S. Thaman - Ala Vaikunthapuramaloo

While thematic consistency is good, the opposite, thematic and conceptual variety, can work really well if done so properly. The songs on Ala Vaikunthapuramaloo are diverse. OMG Daddy is trendy to the point of (fun) annoyance (they name-drop Thanos), Ala Vaikunthapuramaloo is great as a title theme, Ramuloo Ramulaa is a great example of a Tollywood masala hype track, and Butta Bomma is chill in the best way. Still, yet, they found room for the modern masterpiece Samajavaragamana, which is orchestral, Carnatic, and dramatic in the best sense of the word.

Miyavi - Holy Nights

Note: The album is not on normal YouTube, listen to it on iTunes, Spotify, YouTube Music, or buy it.

A diverse rock album, Holy Nights blends nostalgic rock from the years past with dynamic new-style songs, each with ample ambition. You have the ambitious anthem in Bang, the angry emotion track in Danger Danger, the road-trip song with Holy Nights, the race-anthem in Need for Speed, and many more. It is so worth a listen and stands as my most-listened-to album this year.

SixTONES - TrackOne: Impact

Okay, this is somewhat a cheat, as this is the tour soundtrack released as an album.I count it though, as it is the best thing to by to get into SixTONES. There are so many good songs here, that I suggest you get it when you can.

Link to a playlist with most songs from the album

Dreamcatcher - Dystopia: Tree of Language

Dreamcatcher's first full-length album is one not to miss. Though driven primarily by rock, Dystopia: Tree of Language is a far-more diverse album than that label gives it. Scream is that ambitious operatic anthem that Dreamcatcher were destined to give since debut, Tension reminds one of Dreamcatcher's 2017 material, Red Sun is a brilliant trap mid-tempo, Black or White is a great funky track, Jazz Bar and Daybreak scratch that mid-tempo itch, Sahara and Into the Frozen provide some heavy edginess in excellent fashion, Full Moon and Over the Sky are more than your typical fan song, and Paradise is just amazing, it is the simplest yet best song on the album. Dreamcatcher are relatively new but will have to work really hard to top this Edenary produced album.

Lady Gaga - Chromatica

Not every song on Chromatica warrants a listen, but those that do are great. While Lady Gaga has been overrated through her whole career, there is no denying the weight of some of the songs on this album... on the dancefloor. 911, Stupid Love, and Rain on Me are perfect for those wanting to pretend the quarantine never existed.

Stray Kids - Go Live

Stray Kids released this excellent album this year. It was repackaged as In Life, but the repackage was much weaker. While the album has some duds, there is no denying that when the album gets good, it gets great. God's Menu, Phobia, Blueprint, Haven, Slump, and Top all are great, and Ta nearly broke into the honorable mentions for my top 50 (Haven and Top made it in). Really, those tracks are all excellent.

TXT - Minisode1: Blue Hour

TXT have made a name for themselves in the business of consistent albums, and their new mini-album is another one. Ghosting and Blue Hour are great, one for its depressed pop-rock sensibilities, and the other for its escapism. The album has a song for every reaction to the quarantine.

Dua Lipa - Future Nostalgia

Reviving disco in 2020 is a feat, but Dua Lipa handled it with this album. Most of the songs here are commercial in their intent, and some of the b-sides suck. But still, the album is excellent when it gets good. The standout singles are excellent. But the album really stands out due to its influence over future trends.

Arashi - This is Arashi

As far as final albums go, This is Arashi is one of the best. At times it may sound non-cohesive, but there is no denying the individual power of the songs. Especially Kite, which is a modern masterpiece.

Link to Playlist

Changmin - Chocolate

My favorite group's best vocalist solo debut would always be something to check out. An experimental R & B album, there are several highlights in this mini-album. Chocolate's title track (also called Chocolate) is a fun and weird trend-based R & B song. It lets Changmin's vocal's let loose, while still trying something new. High Heels is a groovy retro song, while Chungha collaboration Lie means trendy tropical can be great. Piano is a sultry R & B song, and pretty unique at that, No Tomorrow is also a blast to end the album. Overall, one of the year's best albums by far.

Yonezu Kenshi - Stray Sheep

I actually forgot this album until right after publishing. Then, I instantly had to update it. So sorry for the early viewers.

Kenshi has built a reputation for strong album releases, and Stray Sheep might be one of his best. Previous classics such as Lemon, Teenage Riot, and Flamingo confirmed the album's instant-classic status. But new b-sides such as Placebo showed how strong Kenshi's work still is.

Link to Playlist