Year-End Lists

The Wall Street Journal: The 10 Best Books of 2020

[see also 2021 • 2019 • 2018]

• Abe

  Abraham Lincoln in His Times
  David S. Reynolds
• Actress
  Anne Enright
• A Dominant Character

  The Radical Science and Restless Politics of J. B. S. Haldane
  Samanth Subramanian
• Hidden Valley Road

  Inside the Mind of an American Family
  Robert Kolker
• Impostures
  al-Ḥarīrī
• Missionaries
  Phil Klay
• Owls of the Eastern Ice

  A Quest to Find and Save the World's Largest Owl
  Jonathan C. Slaght
• 1774

  The Long Year of Revolution
  Mary Beth Norton
• Transcendent Kingdom
  Yaa Gyasi
• What It Means to Be Human

  The Case for the Body in Public Bioethics
  O. Carter Snead

Craig Jenkins: The Best Albums of 2020, as published by New York Magazine’s Vulture

[see also 2023 • 2022 • 2021 • 2019 • 2018 • 2017 • 2016]

1. Fetch the Bolt Cutters
   Fiona Apple
2. songs
   Adrianne Lenker
2. instrumentals
   Adrianne Lenker
3. Rough and Rowdy Ways
   Bob Dylan
4. After Hours
   The Weeknd
5. Punisher
   Phoebe Bridgers
6. Circles
   Mac Miller
7. Starting Over
   Chris Stapleton
8. It Is What It Is
   Thundercat
9. Eternal Atake
   Lil Uzi Vert
9. Lil Uzi Vert Vs. The World
   Lil Uzi Vert
9. Wunna
   Gunna
10. Mt. Marci
    Roc Marciano

Other 2020 Album Highlights

• Detroit 2
  Big Sean
• Countless Branches
  Bill Fay
• how I'm feeling now
  Charli XCX
• Ungodly Hour
  Chloe x Halle
• Ohms
  Deftones
• The Unraveling
  Drive-By Truckers
• Shore
  Fleet Foxes
• Ho, Why Is You Here?
  Flo Milli
• A Hero's Death
  Fontaines D.C.
• Alfredo
  Freddie Gibbs & The Alchemist
• Women in Music Pt. III
  Haim
• Petals for Armor
  Hayley Williams
• Reunions
  Jason Isbell and The 400 Unit
• A Written Testimony
  Jay Electronica
• Descendants of Cain
  Ka
• Forever, Ya Girl
  KeiyaA
• Imploding the Mirage
  The Killers
• Man Alive!
  King Krule
• Microphones in 2020
  The Microphones
• RTJ4
  Run the Jewels
• Southside
  Sam Hunt
• color theory
  Soccer Mommy
• The Slow Rush
  Tame Impala
• Folklore
  Taylor Swift
• The Album
  Teyana Taylor

Lindsey Bahr: Best Films of 2020, as published by Associated Press

[see also 2023 • 2022 • 2021 • 2019 • 2018 • 2017 • 2016 • 2015]

1. Nomadland
   Chloé Zhao
2. Kajillionaire
   Miranda July
3. Small Axe: Lovers Rock
   Steve McQueen
4. Collective
   Alexander Nanau
5. Mank
   David Fincher
6. On the Rocks
   Sofia Coppola
7. Tenet
   Christopher Nolan
8. Never Rarely Sometimes Always
   Eliza Hittman
9. Promising Young Woman
   Emerald Fennell
10. Eurovision
    David Dobkin

Sarah Larson: The Best Podcasts of 2020, as published by The New Yorker

[see also 2023 • 2022 • 2021 • 2019 • 2018]

1. Floodlines
2. Reveal: American Rehab
3. Unfinished: Short Creek
4. Lost Notes: 1980
5. Nice White Parents
5. Fiasco: The Battle for Boston
5. The Promise
6. Articles of Interest
7. Wind of Change
8. Dead Eyes
9. LBJ and the Great Society
10. This Sounds Serious: Grand Casino

Noisey: The 100 Best Albums of 2020, as published by Vice

[see also 2010s • 2019]

1. Untitled (Black Is)
   Sault
1. Untitled (Rise)
   Sault
2. Ho, Why Is You Here?
   Flo Milli
3. It Is What It Is
   Thundercat
4. Edna
   Headie One
5. Fetch the Bolt Cutters
   Fiona Apple
6. Live Forever
   Bartees Strange
7. My Turn (Deluxe)
   Lil Baby
8. Heaven to a Tortured Mind
   Yves Tumor
9. Saint Cloud
   Waxahatchee
10. Jaguar
    Victoria Monét
11. Meet the Woo 2
    Pop Smoke
12. BRAT
    NNAMDÏ
13. Shame
    Uniform
14. YHLQMDLG
    Bad Bunny
15. Send Them to Coventry
    Pa Salieu
16. Full Wack No Brakes
    Bad Boy Chiller Crew
17. Shore
    Fleet Foxes
18. how I'm feeling now
    Charli XCX
19. Fuck The World
    Brent Faiyaz
20. Cruisin’ with Junior H
    Junior H
21. Twice as Tall
    Burna Boy
22. Punisher
    Phoebe Bridgers
23. Sawayama
    Rina Sawayama
24. Inlet
    Hum
25. Alfredo
    Freddie Gibbs & The Alchemist
26. Forever, Ya Girl
    KeiyaA
27. Eternal Atake
    Lil Uzi Vert
28. Lament
    Touché Amoré
29. A Written Testimony
    Jay Electronica
30. Set My Heart on Fire Immediately
    Perfume Genius
31. color theory
    Soccer Mommy
32. Rich Slave
    Young Dolph
33. Fires In Heaven
    Salem
34. Future Nostalgia
    Dua Lipa
35. City on Lock
    City Girls
36. Big Conspiracy
    J Hus
37. The Great Dismal
    Nothing
38. Welcome to O'Block
    King Von
39. songs
    Adrianne Lenker
40. Thank You for Using GTL
    Drakeo the Ruler
41. Àdá Irin
    Navy Blue
42. Featuring Ty Dolla Sign
    Ty Dolla $ign
43. Scacco Matto
    Lorenzo Senni
44. Grime MC
    Jme
45. Viva el Perreo
    Jowell & Randy
46. Phoenix: Flames Are Dew Upon My Skin
    Eartheater
47. The Goat
    Polo G
48. Speed Kills
    Chubby & The Gang
49. Common Prayers
    Walter Martin
50. Petals for Armor
    Hayley Williams
51. Burden of Proof
    Benny the Butcher
52. Eternity Of Shaog
    Esoctrilihum
53. Magic Oneohtrix Point Never
    Oneohtrix Point Never
54. Corridos Tumbado
    Natanael Cano
55. The Price of Tea in China
    Boldy James & The Alchemist
56. A Muse in Her Feelings
    dvsn
57. KiCk i
    Arca
58. Circles
    Mac Miller
59. Rise Above Hate
    Unknown T
60. I Love You, Hook
    Hook
61. What We Drew
    yaeji
62. Every Bad
    Porridge Radio
63. From King to a God
    Conway the Machine
64. Chromatica
    Lady Gaga
65. Healing Is a Miracle
    Julianna Barwick
66. 12th House Rock
    Narrow Head
67. Watch This Liquid Pour Itself
    Okay Kaya
68. Growth & Development
    22Gz
69. Miss Anthropocene
    Grimes
70. weight of the world
    MIKE
71. Auto-Pain
    Deeper
72. Outside
    Bino Rideaux
73. Tearless
    Amnesia Scanner
74. Made in Lagos
    Wizkid
75. U-Void Synthesizer
    Machine Girl
76. Take Time
    Giveon
77. Pure X
    Pure X
78. Last Year Was Weird, Vol. 2
    Tkay Maidza
79. Women in Music Pt. III
    Haim
80. Starmaker
    Honey Harper
81. So Help Me God!
    2 Chainz
82. Crabs in a Bucket
    Nines
83. Descendants of Cain
    Ka
84. Good News
    Megan Thee Stallion
85. Blue Eyes, The Harlot, The Queer, The Pusher & Me
    Waylon Payne
86. Have You Lost Your Mind Yet?
    Fantastic Negrito
87. Just Look At That Sky
    Ganser
88. 7G
    A.G. Cook
89. Vibras de Noche
    Eslabon Armado
90. Immersion
    Primitive Man
91. SuperGood
    Duckwrth
92. The Weather Up There
    Jeremy Cunningham
93. Underneath
    Code Orange
94. El Androide
    El Alfa
95. Lianne La Havas
    Lianne La Havas
96. Sign
    Autechre
97. Folklore
    Taylor Swift
98. Occupational Hazard
    Mozzy
99. The Freelancer's Blues
    Dougie Poole
100. 4 da 304’s
     KentheMan

Jake Coyle: Best Films of 2020, as published by Associated Press

[see also 2023 • 2022 • 2021 • 2019 • 2018 • 2017 • 2016 • 2015]

1. First Cow
   Kelly Reichardt
2. Small Axe
   Steve McQueen
3. Mank
   David Fincher
4. Dick Johnson Is Dead
   Kirsten Johnson
5. Minari
   Lee Isaac Chung
6. David Byrne's American Utopia
   Spike Lee
7. Never Rarely Sometimes Always
   Eliza Hittman
8. Soul
   Pete Docter
9. Collective
   Alexander Nanau
10. Sound of Metal
    Darius Marder

Honorable mentions

• The Nest
  Sean Durkin
• Nomadland
  Chloé Zhao
• The 40-Year-Old Version
  Radha Blank
• Promising Young Woman
  Emerald Fennell
• Ma Rainey's Black Bottom
  George C. Wolfe
• Let Them All Talk
  Steven Soderbergh
• The Dissident
  Bryan Fogel
• Crip Camp: A Disability Revolution
  Nicole Newnham and James LeBrecht
• Palm Springs
  Max Barbakow
• Borat Subsequent Moviefilm
  Jason Woliner

Caroline Framke: The Best TV Shows of 2020, as published by Variety and presented chronologically

[see also 2022 • 2021 • 2018]

• BoJack Horseman
• Mythic Quest: Raven's Banquet
• Steven Universe Future
• Harley Quinn
• Betty
• I May Destroy You
• Immigration Nation
• Ted Lasso
• PEN15
• The Amber Ruffin Show
• City So Real
• How To with John Wilson
• I Hate Suzie

Honorable mentions (also chronological)

• Dare Me
• High Fidelity
• Feel Good
• My Brilliant Friend
• Normal People
• The Great
• Taste the Nation with Padma Lakshmi
• P-Valley
• All or Nothing: Tottenham Hotspur
• The Queen's Gambit
• The Crown
• Euphoria: Trouble Don't Last Always

Owen Gleiberman: Best Movies of 2020, as published by Variety

[see also 2023 • 2022 • 2021 • 2019 • 2018 • 2017 • 2012]

1. Small Axe: Mangrove
   Steve McQueen
2. Sorry We Missed You
   Ken Loach
3. Mank
   David Fincher
4. The Outpost
   Rod Lurie
5. The Trial of the Chicago 7
   Aaron Sorkin
6. Never Rarely Sometimes Always
   Eliza Hittman
7. The Prom
   Ryan Murphy
8. Minari
   Lee Isaac Chung
9. The Invisible Man
   Leigh Whannell
10. David Byrne's American Utopia
    Spike Lee

Peter Debruge: Best Movies of 2020, as published by Variety

[see also 2023 • 2022 • 2021 • 2019 • 2018 • 2017]

1. A Sun
   Chung Mong-hong
2. Saint Frances
   Alex Thompson
3. Soul
   Pete Docter
4. Herself
   Phyllida Lloyd
5. Nomadland
   Chloé Zhao
6. Small Axe: Mangrove
   Steve McQueen
7. Ma Rainey's Black Bottom
   George C. Wolfe
8. A White, White Day
   Hlynur Pálmason
9. Antebellum
   Gerard Bush and Christopher Renz
10. Borat Subsequent Moviefilm
    Jason Woliner

Honorable Mention

• Bad Education
  Cory Finley

This list contributes to:

• Village Voice Film Poll: Top 50 Films of 2020

Uproxx: The Best Movies of 2020, in no particular order

[see also 2023 • 2022 • 2021 • 2018 • 2017 • 2016]

• Palm Springs
  Max Barbakow
• Minari
  Lee Isaac Chung
• I'm Thinking of Ending Things
  Charlie Kaufman
• Dick Johnson Is Dead
  Kirsten Johnson
• Small Axe: Lovers Rock
  Steve McQueen
• The Invisible Man
  Leigh Whannell
• Extraction
  Sam Hargrave
• One Night in Miami
  Regina King
• The Trial of the Chicago 7
  Aaron Sorkin
• Nomadland
  Chloé Zhao
• First Cow
  Kelly Reichardt
• Borat Subsequent Moviefilm
  Jason Woliner
• The King of Staten Island
  Judd Apatow
• Da 5 Bloods
  Spike Lee
• Never Rarely Sometimes Always
  Eliza Hittman