Oh what a year. We made it, mostly. This year has been filled with tragedy and turmoil, if not immediately, then in a collective way. The way we relate to any medium has been altered. Music listening was relegated to home/patio. The live experience was all but eliminated (or relegated to a "virtual concert"). And "best listened to while driving" listening took a hit as well. Still, plenty of great releases and an influx of surprise drops.
My top ten list evades any new artists, an indicator of either my age or this year or maybe both. I enjoyed Taylor's two releases and she continues to fascinate with her ever evolving sound anchored by engaging story telling; that said, she didn't make my top ten. A mid/late December release (Maggie) makes the top ten and we'll see if that position rises/falls with time.
Some of my favorite tracks from the year can be found here at this Spotify playlist.
My 2020 top albums + honorable mentions here:
10. Carly Rae Jepsen - Dedicated: Side B
What would we do without Carly Rae Jepsen? A B-Sides album, I had low expectations but, of course, Carly is filled with pop hits and this one got plenty of spins this year. Keep 'em coming, Carly. 
9. Caribou - Suddenly
Caribou consistently releases great singles and albums. This is no exception. Home and You and I are wonderful tracks. The whole album hits. Mood music at its finest.
8. Maggie Rogers - Notes from the Archives: Recordings 2011-2016
Welp, Maggie dropped a collection of past recordings mid-December. This somewhat breaks my "no-reissues" rule for favorite albums list but, well, these are the first time the tracks are seeing anything close to a major label release and it's 2020 so rules are irrelevant. Obviously these tracks are still fresh in my brain so time will tell how the collection holds up, most likely rising in ranking once I have hindsight. Upon first listens, I've enjoyed the various sounds Maggie has explored, ranging from garage rock to folk while her voice maintaining what I love about her as an artist. The expanded commentary edition is a good listen, contextualizing the sets of songs. If you haven't yet, go give this a listen!
7. Soccer Mommy - Color Theory
Women have been killing the rock genre for a long time though, for the last five years or so, they've exclusively been filling the genre for me. Lucy Dacus, Snail Mail, and Soccer Mommy have lead the field. In this sophomore effort, Color Theory was on heavy rotation and standout single Circle the Drain was one of the best of the year.
6. Sufjan Stevens - The Ascension
One of a few artists who have remained front and center for me for ten+ years. Electronic Sufjan isn't my favorite version but the album created a number of solid tracks and his writing and producing are top shelf. Video Game was the closest thing to a single and hooky, Tell Me You Love Me showcased impassioned Suf, and America captured this year's sentiment as well as can be.
5. Run the Jewels - RTJ4
Always hard-hitting and in-your-face with Killer Mike & El-P perfectly playing off each others. Oh La La is maybe the catchiest of the bunch and walking in the snow and JU$T are a whooping one-two-punch. Socially conscious and critical from the start of their career, RTJ4 dropped just as the summer protesting began, creating the perfect soundtrack for a much needed for on-going racial inequity reckoning.
4. Tame Impala - The Slow Rush
Maybe this band shouldn't be this high on my list. But also they're a vibe and they dominated the first few months of the year.
3. Phoebe Bridgers - Punisher
I slept on Phoebe's first album much longer than I should have. And then Phoebe took over the music scene with collabs with Julien Baker & Lucy Dacus (boygenius), Connor Oberst (Better Oblivion Community Center), produced on Ethan Gruska, and a bunch of other things. Oh, she owns the internet and her impromptu Iris Bandcamp cover with Maggie Rogers hit #1. Anyhow, this album rules and is so subtly perfect and she screams on the last track.
2. Sylvan Esso - Free Love
Amelia Meath and Nick Sanborn just bring it. Thoughtful and danceful and quiet and loud. Ferris Wheel is the perfect pop song and Rooftop Dancing is a vibe and Numb marries the dance + groove. Would love to see them live again (one day) as they are two of the most passionate and sincere folks on stage.
My most listened to album of the year by a landslide. HAIM has their distinctive sound and who isn't a fan? When single Summer Girl dropped in 2019, I thought to myself, "this is a whole new direction and I'm into it." A series of singles then the full album dropped summer 2020 and, well, it was a perfect summer album and then a perfect while-working album and the perfect breezy balm for a crooked year. Thanks Haim sisters, keep reinventing and making great pop albums.
Honorable Mentions (listed alphabetically):
Childish Gambino - 3.15.20
Christian Lee Hutson - Beginners
Dua Lipa - Future Nostalgia
Ethan Gruska - En Garde
Fiona Apple - Fetch the Bolt Cutters
Fleet Foxes - Shore
James Blake - Before EP
Megan Thee Stallion - Good News
Niklas Paschburg - Svalbard
Taylor Swift - Folklore
Troye Sivan - In a Dream EP
Waxahatchee - Saint Cloud
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