As usual, our editors put it best: “As crappy as this year has been for anyone with a shred of empathy, the jams were ample.” 2020 was beyond tough in countless ways, but it was also abundant with great music – and we’ve packed as much of it as we possibly could into our list of the year’s best albums and best songs.
From comforting albums courtesy of old favorites to releases from up-and-coming stars that stood out from all the noise, our favorite albums of the year challenged us, reassured us and inspired us. And the year’s best songs worked overtime, distracting us from the news, making us dance, telling new stories, asking big questions, reminding us of our pasts and helping us imagine new futures.
And while we love to come to consensus, our team is also composed of individuals with a very wide range of tastes; check out our list of staff picks from more than 20 of our teammates for proof. Plus, if you want to stream all 100 of the year’s best songs, we’ve got you covered with a playlist.
After weeks of lengthy video calls, labored-over spreadsheets, impassioned emails and tough deadlines, we’re proud to share our many takes on 2020’s best music with you — with much more to come in the next few weeks.
Simply the best, Marissa Lorusso and Lyndsey McKenna
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New Music
There’s no All Songs Considered New Music Friday show this week, but our New Music Friday playlist continues to highlight what’s new, including a track from Rico Nasty’s debut studio album, cuts from new live releases from Deafheaven and Arctic Monkeys and holiday (and anti-holiday) tunes from U.S. Girls, FINNEAS and 100 gecs.
Last month, rapper Drakeo The Ruler struck a plea deal and was released from prison after a four-year legal battle. He spoke to NPR Music about his first days out, the specter of more jail time and his new release, We Know The Truth.
BE is the latest album from K-pop stars BTS — and it’s the band’s fifth record to top the U.S. album charts in two and a half years. This week, our friends at Pop Culture Happy Hour chatted about the band’s new album and meteoric rise.
Featuring
Soprano Julia Bullock is an artist who dares you to find new adjectives, one who’s deeply committed to telling essential truths and asking important questions. She’s the latest guest in our series Amplify With Lara Downes.
This week brought the announcement of the first major jazz club in New York City to close permanently due to the coronavirus pandemic: Jazz Standard, a beloved venue for musicians and fans alike.
Tiny Desk
NPR
In an ordinary year, the disco-inspired sounds of Dua Lipa’s Future Nostalgia – one of our favorite albums of the year – would’ve been the soundtrack to long nights spent dancing in crowded clubs. With no opportunity to tour, her Tiny Desk (home) concert, recorded from a London studio, was a chance to reconnect with her band.
Also this week: After months of fan requests on our YouTube channel, we shared a performance from Long Island singer-songwriter Mac Ayres. NPR Classical’s Tom Huizenga calls the closing of soprano (and Musical America’s Artist of the Year) Julia Bullock’s Tiny Desk (home) concert “among the most transcendent musical moments I've experienced this year.” Plus, PJ Morton makes his Tiny Desk return with selections from his Grammy-nominated The Gospel According To PJ, his very first gospel album, shot from a spacious New Orleans studio.
Louder Than A Riot
Women's individual stories tend to be forgotten in hip-hop and in the prison system. This week, Louder Than A Riot tells the story of Isis Tha Saviour — a Philly rapper who makes art inspired by her experiences as a ward of the state and the circumstances that led her to give birth to her son while imprisoned.
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