The Best Music of 2020
Yes, this year brought chaos like none other in recent history. But music saw us through it all. In the midst of a global pandemic, a racial justice reckoning, and the most nerve-wracking election in generations, we turned to the bands and artists we love for solace, for inspiration, for hope, for catharsis. Here, Pitchfork looks back at the music that got us through, with lists of the best songs, the best albums, the best videos, and more.
The Pitchfork Staff on Their Unique, Solitary Year in Listening
Our writers, editors, and more share the music that brought them comfort, the shows they long to see, and the 2020 losses that hit the hardest.
The 2020 Club Bangers That Could Have Been
Electronic artists ranging from Jayda G to Róisín Murphy to Lorenzo Senni sound off on a year without dancefloor catharsis for their songs, and themselves. These are their imagined raves.
The 16 Best Ambient Albums of 2020
Whether offering solace, transport, or simple numbness, these albums perfectly suited a year of lockdown.
How Music Persisted During the Pandemic
From Bandcamp Fridays to Verzuz battles, these were our silver linings from a strange, stuck year in music.
The Year in Music on TikTok 2020
Revisiting the motley trends of 2020, from “male manipulator music” to Flo Milli and nightcore remixes.
The 20 Best Music Videos of 2020
Featuring Cardi and Meg, Bad Bunny, Perfume Genius, Christine and the Queens, and more
Our 15 Favorite Music Books of 2020
From Jeff Tweedy’s practical advice and Mariah Carey’s decadent memoirs to scene-defining oral histories and deep-dives into the cultural archives, these were the books that stuck with us this year.
The 22 Best Songs by Latinx Artists in 2020
From Lido Pimienta’s ethereal affirmations to Ela Minus’ synth-pop anthems to Bad Bunny’s perreo throwbacks
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The 35 Best Rock Albums of 2020
From Chubby and the Gang’s debut to Bob Dylan’s comeback, Bartees Strange’s genre-bending to Country Westerns’ classicism, these were the rock albums we loved most this year.
The 36 Best Rap Songs of 2020
Featuring Megan, Cardi, Rico Nasty, Flo Milli, Lil Baby, Jay Electronica, Saweetie, and more
The Best Music of 2020: Pitchfork Readers’ Poll Results
Featuring your picks for the best albums and songs of the year
The 30 Best Electronic Music Releases of 2020
Featuring Beatrice Dillon, Yaeji, Loraine James, Róisín Murphy, Autechre, and more
The 50 Best Albums of 2020
The albums that got us through this chaotic year, featuring Fiona Apple, Bad Bunny, Lil Uzi Vert, Phoebe Bridgers, and more
The 100 Best Songs of 2020
The tracks that defined this bizarre year, featuring Megan Thee Stallion, the Weeknd, Christine and the Queens, Noname, Waxahatchee, and more