ALBUMS // 2020

 


If you're reading this right now I'm very curious as to what led you here. I mean, PHW has been mostly on permanent snooze-control for about 6 years except for the annual year-old reflections, so there are not many avenues leading to this site anymore. But thanks for finding it somehow! And I genuinely hope you find some new shit to check out here. As awful as 2020's overall rep will deservedly be, it wasn't all bad. There were some silver linings; some flashes of normalcy peaking thru the buttstorm. One of those was the relentless stream of fantastic new music that never let up all year even as the world shut down. The other was plenty of time at home to soak it all in. (side note: I would bet somebody else's money that this is the first time my year end list has ever had 3 albums made by Jeffs). Anyway, here are my favorites of this decade of a year we've all suffered thru:


50.  BACKXWASH | God Has Nothing To Do With This Leave Him Out Of It

49.  KEIYAA | Forever, Ya Girl

48.  JEFF PARKER | Suite for Max Brown

47.  RON MILES | Rainbow Signs

46.  NANA GRIZOL | South Somewhere Else

45.  KAATAYRA | Toda Historia pela Frente

44.  BARTEES STRANGE | Live Forever

43.  HELENA DELAND | Someone New

42.  NO AGE | Goons Be Gone

41.  JEFF TWEEDY | Love Is The King

40.  ADULKT LIFE | Book of Curses

39.  CHARLI XCX | how i'm feeling now

38.  KELLY LEE OWENS | Inner Song

37.  DEHD | Flower of Deception

36.  NATION OF LANGUAGE | Introduction, Presence

35.  DESTROYER | Have We Met

34.  THE FLAMING LIPS | American Head

33.  SAULT | untitled (Rise) 

32.  EMPTY COUNTRY | Empty Country

31.  LOMELDA | Hannah  

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30. ARMAND HAMMER | Shrines

29. PORRIDGE RADIO | Every Bad

28. TAYLOR SWIFT | Folklore

27. BOLDY JAMES & STERLING TOLES | Manger On McNichols

26. EMMA RUTH RUNDLE & THOU | May Our Chambers Be Full

25. CHUBBY & THE GANG | Speed Kills

24. PERFUME GENIUS | Set My Heart On Fire Immediately

23. YVES TUMOR | Heaven To A Tortured Mind

22. RUN THE JEWELS | RTJ4

21. THE MICROPHONES | Microphones in 2020

20. DEERHOOF | Future Teenage Cave Artists

19. JAY ELECTRONICA | Act II: The Patents of Nobility (The Turn)

18. BONNY LIGHT HORSEMAN | Bonny Light Horseman

17. BOLDY JAMES & THE ALCHEMIST | The Price of Tea In China

16. TURIA | Degen van Licht

15. SHABAKA & THE ANCESTORS | We Are Sent Here By History

14. KA | Descendants of Cain

13. SAULT | untitled (Black Is)

12. THE STROKES | The New Abnormal

11. ADRIANNE LENKER | songs/instrumentals

10. AMBROSE AKINMUSIRE | on the tender spot of every calloused moment

9. FREDDIE GIBBS & THE ALCHEMIST | Alfredo

8. PROTOMARTYR | Ultimate Success Today


7. SUMAC | May You Be Held

6. PHOEBE BRIDGERS | Punisher

5. DOGLEG | Melee 

4. JAY ELECTRONICA | A Written Testimony

3. WAXAHATCHEE | SAINT CLOUD

2. JEFF ROSENSTOCK | N O D R E A M

1. FIONA APPLE | Fetch the Bolt Cutters

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SONGS // 2020

 


There is little I can add to the 2020 conversation that hasn't been said already and with far more poingancy. But it's a real good thing that songs were here for us this year. Most of the artists on this list are not making a lot of money from music under the best of circumstances. If you happen upon this list I hope you find a few new songs to love and I hope you still remember them and the people who wrote and performed them when the world gets back on its feet. 


100. Try To Be On My Side Now | 2nd Grade
99. After the Rain | Jeff Parker
98. Turned to String | No Age
97. Both of Us | Jayda G 
96. Look To | Ratboys
95. O Castigo Vem A Cavalo | Kaatraya
94. Chinatown | Bleachers (ft. Bruce Springsteen)
93. Pommelhorse | Armand Hammer (ft. Curly Castro)
92. Hvnli | KeiyaA
91. Country Pride | Aduklt Life

90. Lucky | Ganser
89. Sweeter | Leon Bridges (ft. Terrace Martin)
88. Black Magic | backxwash
87. Drown | Teenage Halloween
86. Give/Take | Porridge Radio
85. Grace | The Soft Pink Truth
84. Gospel For A New Century | Yves Tumor
83. Middle America | Pure X
82. Little Boy | Sault
81. It's Too Late to Look At The Blossoms | Dave Harrington &                                  Kenny Wollesen 

80. Interstellar Love | Thundercat
79. WAP | Cardi B. (ft. Megan Thee Stallion)
78. Scottie Beam | Freddie Gibbs & The Alchemist (ft. Rick Ross)
77. Hunger For A Way Out | Sweeping Promises
76. Undone | Lande Hekt
75. Yankee and the Brave (Ep. 4) | Run the Jewels
74. I Don't Love Me Anymore | Oneohtrix Point Never
73. A Robin or A Wren | Jeff Tweedy
72. Crash | Nilufir Yanya
71. Pta | The Lawrence Arms

70. Cue Synthesizer | Destroyer
69. two reverse | Adrianne Lenker
68. Describe | Perfume Genius
67. Enemy | Charli XCX
66. Jangle Manifesto | Nana Grizol
65. All My Best Shit | SPICE
64. Night | Kelly Lee Owens
63. Giant Slide | Boldy James & The Alchemist 
62. Delete Forever | Grimes
61. Someone New | Helena Deland

60. Garden Song | Phoebe Bridgers
59. Party With The Kids Who Want To Party With You | Bad Moves
58. The Mission's End | Jason Molina
57. Shiny Suit Theory | Jay Electronica (ft. The Dream)
56. Boomer | Bartees Strange
55. Ghosts | Bruce Springsteen
54. Got Flicked (The Rebirth) | Boldy James & Sterling Toles
53. Rock and Roll | Trace Mountains
52. People I've been sad | Christine and the Queens
51. Dora | Tierra Whack 

50. The Valley | Emma Ruth Rundle & Thou
49. It's Infinite | Lomelda
48. Ohio Tpke | Jeff Rosenstock
47. Savage remix | Megan Thee Stallion (ft. Beyonce)
46. Wildfires | Sault
45. Levitating | Dua Lipa
44. Thought vs. Everybody | Black Thought
43. Loner | Dehd
42. Future Teenage Cave Artists | Deerhoof 
41. Starfall | Salem

40. Walking In The Snow | Run the Jewels
39. You 'n Me Sellin' Weed | The Flaming Lips
38. Guilty Conscience | 070 Shake 
37. St. Cloud | Waxahatchee
36. Qadir | Nick Hakim 
35. Marian | Empty Country
34. Rush & Fever | Nation of Language
33. Black Parade | Beyonce 
32. Seminal Art | Cafe Racer
31. Born Confused | Porridge Radio

30. Ossifrage | Turia
29. Deep In Love | Bonny Light Horseman 
28. Kyoto | Phoebe Bridgers 
27. Consumed | Sumac
26. At The Door | The Strokes
25. Ender | Dogleg 
24. For Her | Fiona Apple 
23. Song 33 | Noname 
22. Grenfell Forever | Chubby & the Gang
21. Home | Caribou

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20. Little Kid | I Thought That You'd Been Raptured

19. Jazmine Sullivan | Lost One

18. Frank Ocean | Dear April

17. Weather Station | Tried To Tell You

16. Charli XCX | Detonate

15. Perfume Genius | On The Floor

14. Ka | Old Justice

13. Taylor Swift | Peace

12. John Prine | I Remember Everything

11. Adrianne Lenker | Dragon Eyes

10. Phoebe Bridgers | I Know The End

9. Freddie Gibbs & The Alchemist (ft. Tyler, the Creator) | Something To Rap About

8. Protomartyr | Processed By The Boys 

7. Waxahatchee | Can't Do Much

6. Grimes | Idoru

5. Dogleg | Kawasaki Backflip

4. Jay Electronica | APIDTA

3. Haim | The Steps

2. Fiona Apple | I Want You To Love Me

1. Jeff Rosenstock | No Dream

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