While the title is in jest, I am assuming I have listened to more music this year than 95% of the population that creates these types of lists. In 2020, I listened to at least part of every single record that showed up in “Suggested New Albums” section of Tidal. Each Friday release day that section gets updated with new releases and there’s usually between 80-120 titles weekly, so let’s cut that down the middle and say 100 a week. I have listened to at least the first couple tracks of every one of these releases no matter the genre. If neither of the first two tracks were good, I moved on. If either one was even remotely worth listening to, I listened to the whole album. My logic being of course is that most artists at least put one of the best songs on the album right up front to grab the listener, so logically if I’m not interested in either of the first two, then the rest of the album won’t be much better. So let’s say over the course of the last 51 weeks, I have listened to at least part of 5100 albums and while I don’t have a count of all the records I listened to in full, I’m sure it has to be in the 60-70% range. As a guy who’s always gravitated towards lists and rankings but realizing that the person writing them probably listened to virtually nothing, I feel damn good that these are at least solid lists, if not great ones. Of course, they still must be in my wheelhouse, but my tastes are as wide open as anyone I know. So yeah, these are perfect lists. Just go with it.
- Ranking: #10
- Artist: The Used
- Song: Wow, I Hate This Song
- Album: Heartwork
- Release Date: 4/24/2020
- Label: Big Noise
- Ranking: #9
- Artist: Sløtface
- Song: Tap the Pack
- Album: Sorry for the Late Reply
- Release Date: 1/31/2020
- Label: Nettwerk
- Ranking: #8
- Artist: Rita Sawayama
- Song: STFU
- Album: Sawayama
- Release Date: 4/17/2020
- Label: Dirty Hit
- Ranking: #7
- Artist: Viagra Boys
- Song: Ain’t Nice
- Album: N/A
- Release Date: 10/14/2020
- Label: Year0001
- Ranking: #6
- Artist: Blues Pills
- Song: Low Road
- Album: Holy Moly
- Release Date: 8/21/2020
- Label: Nuclear Blast
- Ranking: #5
- Artist: Prince
- Song: Witness 4 the Prosecution
- Album: Sign o’ the Times (Deluxe Edition)
- Release Date: 9/25/2020
- Label: Paisley Park
- Notes: Yes, I’m pushing the definition of rock here, I know. But so did Prince.
- Ranking: #4
- Artist: Thick
- Song: Mansplain
- Album: 5 Years Behind
- Release Date: 3/6/2020
- Label: Epitaph
- Ranking: #3
- Artist: I Don’t Know How But They Found Me
- Song: Mad IQ’s
- Album: Razmatazz
- Release Date: 10/23/2020
- Label: Fearless
- Ranking: #2
- Artist: Fever 333
- Song: Walk Through the Fire
- Album: Wrong Generation
- Release Date: 10/23/2020
- Label: Roadrunner
- Ranking: #1
- Artist: Twin Atlantic
- Song: Oh! Euphoria!
- Album: Power
- Release Date: 1/24/2020
- Label: Virgin
The Trusty Steed 