2020: The Year In Music

2020 – The COVID-19 pandemic forced the world into lockdown. Joe Biden is elected US President. Boris Johnson secures a Brexit deal for the UK. George Floyd’s death at the hands of a US police officer sparks the “Black Lives Matter” protests. The Beirut port explosion kills 200 and injures thousands. And, in (hopefully) some more uplifting news, I started writing this blog!

I’ll be looking at the popular and highest-rated songs / albums of the year, giving my opinions on their musicality and longevity as well as an overall verdict for the year as a whole.

Before we begin, you can check out some of my related blog posts below:

2019: The Year In Music

2010: The Year In Music

1984: The Year In Music

1969: The Year In Music

Billboard Top 10 (Popular) Singles

Source: Wikipedia

10 – Someone You Loved (Lewis Capaldi)

I like how Lewis Capaldi is taking a slower, more meaningful approach to songwriting than most Pop artists.

That being said, “Someone You Loved” is quite boring. It’s carried by the powerful vocals.

9 – The Bones (Maren Morris)

As generic as a Pop song can be. Big, simple chords with lyrics that don’t mean anything.

8 – Memories (Maroon 5)

… This is ripping off a Classical tune, right?

Maroon 5 have had their time in the spotlight and they should probably retire.

7 – Life Is Good (Future feat. Drake)

Simple beat. Lazy sub-bass. A Drake feature. It’s as if “Life Is Good” is trying to be as forgettable as possible.

6 – Adore You (Harry Styles)

I’m surprised “Watermelon Sugar” didn’t make the list. Then again, I’m surprised “Adore You” made the list because it released in 2019. The Billboard charts can be a little funky sometimes.

It’s not the worst Pop song I’ve heard, but Harry Styles can do better.

5 – Rockstar (DaBaby feat. Roddy Ricch)

A slightly more interesting beat and sub-bass than a song like “Life Is Good”.

The rapping has a good, quick flow too. I don’t hate it.

4 – Don’t Start Now (Dua Lipa)

Other than The Weeknd (more on him in a bit …), few Pop artists took 2020 by storm quite like Dua Lipa.

“Don’t Start Now” is a really fun Neo-Disco hit. That bassline makes the bassist in me very happy.

3 – The Box (Roddy Ricch)

Pretty boring. I don’t know how “The Box” charted so highly – I’d never heard it before.

2 – Circles (Post Malone)

Like the Harry Styles song, “Circles” is a 2019 song which apparently charted later.

It’s bouncier and more vibrant than I was expecting. The chorus is a little monotone, which is the main thing holding the song back.

1 – Blinding Lights (The Weeknd)

A lot of songs from the late 10’s and early 20’s were big at the time but have since dropped off. That’s far from the case for “Blinding Lights”.

It’s a cultural juggernaut which continues to get radio time. The Weeknd will never have another smash-hit on this scale again – it’s so catchy and replayable.

FAVOURITE – “Blinding Lights” (The Weeknd)

LEAST FAVOURITE – “The Bones” (Maren Morris)

Top-Rated Songs

Source: http://www.besteveralbums.com

10 – Kyoto (Phoebe Bridgers)

For a song as vibrant and uplifting as “Kyoto”, I was surprised by how melancholy and sometimes morbid the lyrics could be.

Bridgers has one of the best albums of the year and this is definitely one of its best songs.

9 – Blinding Lights (The Weeknd)

Whoa! A song from the Billboard list made it onto the high-rated one! That’s unheard of these days!

The Weeknd was the stand-out artist from 2020 by far. His album, “After Hours”, just missed out on the top five high-rated albums as well – it came sixth and was critically acclaimed.

8 – At The Door (The Strokes)

“At The Door” is hidden away in the middle of the album’s tracklist, but it’s one of the best for sure.

It’s a masterclass in restraint – and the lyrics are great too.

7 – Cosmonauts (Fiona Apple)

Fiona Apple is an oddity in today’s music world. She’s unapologetically herself, and she’s not afraid of leaning into some weirder musical ideas.

“Cosmonauts” is one of the more traditional / orthodox songs on the album, but the bizarreness is still there. Not many songs have a double-bass on the low end with backing by a stuttering, angelic choir.

6 – Spotlight (Jessie Ware)

Ooooh that synth tickles my dopamine receptors.

I thought “Spotlight” would be a run-of-the-mill Pop song after its slow start, but Ware’s vocals and the overall production won me over big time.

5 – Aries (Gorillaz feat. Georgia & Peter Hook)

“Song Machine: Volume One” proved that Gorillaz still had the capability of making fantastic albums.

“Aries” is one of my favourites from the album for sure. It’s summer-y and nostalgic, with an anthemic chorus I can get lost in.

4 – Ode To The Mets (The Strokes)

A fantastic closer to a fantastic album.

It starts off a little weird, but the solemn, somber riff anchors it by the end.

3 – Good News (Mac Miller)

I don’t know many Mac Miller songs, but “Good News” is a track I’m already familiar with.

It’s very chill and mellow – it feels more personal and honest than some of Miller’s other songs.

2 – I Know the End (Phoebe Bridgers)

The final song on “Punisher” is its most gorgeous.

“I Know the End” starts slow but evolves into a beautiful, sweeping epic. Phoebe Bridgers certainly knows how to end an album.

1 – The Adults Are Talking (The Strokes)

What a way to begin your first album after seven years.

It’s a thumping rhythm with a simple riff, but it hits all the right notes. It’s a classic-sounding Strokes song with a modern spin.

BEST SONG OF 2020 – “The Adults Are Talking” (The Strokes)

Top-Rated Albums

Source: http://www.besteveralbums.com

5 – How I’m Feeling Now (Charli XCX)

It’ll be a few years before “brat” would take the world by storm, but Charli XCX’s “How I’m Feeling Now” is a great test run.

There are some really experimental, big-swinging production choices. This is Pop music with some bite.

4 – Folklore (Taylor Swift)

I’m sorry. I’ve never understood the hype surrounding Taylor Swift.

Is “Folklore” one of her best albums? Probably. It’s all quite boring. I like how it’s not the same upbeat Pop slop that plagues the charts, but there’s nothing here that excites me either.

3 – Fetch The Bolt Cutters (Fiona Apple)

I’d heard rumblings of Fiona Apple being a fresh voice in modern music (if you count the 90’s as “modern” …), but I didn’t believe it for myself until listening to “Fetch The Bolt Cutters”.

I can hear a lot of Bjork’s influence on Apple’s style. Every song is off-kilter and almost Vaudevillian, with odd percussion and vocal inflections. I loved how different the whole experience was.

2 – Punisher (Phoebe Bridgers)

Very chilled and dreamy. “Punisher” never oversteps its bounds and it never needs to.

Bridgers is a strong voice in contemporary music. Tracks like “Kyoto” and “I Know the End” are engrossing proof of her skill.

1 – The New Abnormal (The Strokes)

After a seven year hiatus, The Strokes proved to the world that they were still a force to be reckoned with.

The bigger songs like “The Adults Are Talking”, “At The Door” and “Ode To The Mets” deserve the praise, but I was also impressed by some of the lesser known songs like “Brooklyn Bridge To The Chorus” and “Eternal Summer”. Great album from front to back.

BEST ALBUM OF 2020 – “The New Abnormal” (The Strokes)

Final Thoughts

I was worried the pandemic would stifle the music, but there were still enough hits and high-rated songs to keep me satisfied.

Overall Grade: B-

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