Year-End Lists

LaToya Ferguson: The Best TV Shows of 2020, as published by ScreenCrush

[see also 2019, 2018]

1. I May Destroy You
2. Better Call Saul
3. Ted Lasso
4. BoJack Horseman
5. Mythic Quest: Raven's Banquet
6. Lovecraft Country
7. What We Do in the Shadows
8. Saved by the Bell
9. The Last Dance
10. A.P. Bio

Honorable Mentions (In Alphabetical Order)

• Black Monday
• Brockmire
• Evil
• Feel Good
• The Great
• High Fidelity
• Hightown
• P-Valley
• PEN15
• The Queen's Gambit
• Ramy
• Search Party
• Teenage Bounty Hunters
• Unorthodox

David Fear: The 20 Best Movies of 2020, as published by Rolling Stone

[see also 2018, 2017, 2012, 2011]

1. Collective — Alexander Nanau
2. Small Axe: Lovers Rock — Steve McQueen
3. David Byrne's American Utopia — Spike Lee
4. First Cow — Kelly Reichardt
5. Bacurau — Kleber Mendonça Filho and Juliano Dornelles
6. Time — Garrett Bradley
7. Minari — Lee Isaac Chung
8. Dick Johnson Is Dead — Kirsten Johnson
9. Martin Eden — Pietro Marcello
10. Nomadland — Chloé Zhao
11. Tigertail — Alan Yang
12. Beanpole — Kantemir Balagov
13. I'm Thinking of Ending Things — Charlie Kaufman
14. Night of the Kings — Philippe Lacôte
15. The Vast of Night — Andrew Patterson
16. She Dies Tomorrow — Amy Seimetz
17. Boys State — Jesse Moss and Amanda McBaine
18. La Llorona — Jayro Bustamante
19. The Assistant — Kitty Green
20. Mank — David Fincher

K. Austin Collins: Top 20 Movies of 2020, as published by Rolling Stone

[see also 2010s, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016]

1. Never Rarely Sometimes Always — Eliza Hittman
1. Time — Garrett Bradley
2. Vitalina Varela — Pedro Costa
3. Fire Will Come — Oliver Laxe
4. Bloody Nose, Empty Pockets — Bill Ross IV and Turner Ross
5. Small Axe: Red, White and Blue — Steve McQueen
6. City Hall — Frederick Wiseman
7. Small Axe: Lovers Rock — Steve McQueen
8. Fourteen — Dan Sallitt
9. First Cow — Kelly Reichardt
10. Residue — Merawi Gerima
11. Tesla — Michael Almereyda
12. Bacurau — Kleber Mendonça Filho and Juliano Dornelles
13. Dick Johnson Is Dead — Kirsten Johnson
14. The Vast of Night — Andrew Patterson
15. She Dies Tomorrow — Amy Seimetz
15. I Was at Home, But — Angela Schanelec
16. Ham on Rye — Tyler Taormina
17. The Assistant — Kitty Green
18. Borat Subsequent Moviefilm — Jason Woliner
18. The 40-Year-Old Version — Radha Blank
19. Kajillionaire — Miranda July
20. Mank — David Fincher

honorable mentions

• Capone — Josh Trank
• Collective — Alexander Nanau
• Da 5 Bloods — Spike Lee
• Gunda — Viktor Kosakovskiy
• His House — Remi Weekes
• La Llorona — Jayro Bustamante
• Minari — Lee Isaac Chung
• Nomadland — Chloé Zhao
• Possessor — Brandon Cronenberg
• The Wolf House — Cristóbal León and Joaquín Cociña

The Wild Honey Pie: Top 30 Albums of 2020

[see also 2010s, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016]

1. Phoebe Bridgers — Punisher
2. Waxahatchee — Saint Cloud
3. Sylvan Esso — Free Love
4. Andy Shauf — The Neon Skyline
5. Haim — Women in Music Pt. III
6. Anjimile — Giver Taker
7. Samia — The Baby
8. Grimes — Miss Anthropocene
9. Fleet Foxes — Shore
10. Half Waif — The Caretaker
11. The Strokes — The New Abnormal
12. Adrianne Lenker — songs
13. Fenne Lily — Breach
14. orion sun — Hold Space For Me
15. Becca Mancari — The Greatest Part
16. Laura Marling — Song for Our Daughter
17. Perfume Genius — Set My Heart on Fire Immediately
18. Frances Quinlan — Likewise
19. Christian Lee Hutson — Beginners
20. Taylor Swift — Folklore
21. ela minus — acts of rebellion
22. Dan Croll — Grand Plan
23. Car Seat Headrest — Making a Door Less Open
24. Lido Pimienta — Miss Colombia
25. Fiona Apple — Fetch the Bolt Cutters
26. Benee — Hey u x
27. Porches — Ricky Music
28. Empress Of — I'm Your Empress Of
29. Charli XCX — how I'm feeling now
30. Told Slant — Point The Flashlight and Walk

Alan Sepinwall: The 20 Best TV Shows of 2020, as published by Rolling Stone

[see also 2010s, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016]

1. Better Call Saul
2. Lovecraft Country
3. Brockmire
4. I May Destroy You
5. The Good Lord Bird
6. Normal People
7. What We Do in the Shadows
8. We Are Who We Are
9. How To with John Wilson
10. PEN15
11. Bluey
12. Better Things
13. My Brilliant Friend
14. Dave
15. The Great
16. BoJack Horseman
17. High Fidelity
18. Ramy
19. The Plot Against America
20. Grand Army

Magnet Magazine: Top 25 Albums of 2020

[see also 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012, 2011]

1. The Strokes — The New Abnormal
2. Porridge Radio — Every Bad
3. Guided By Voices — Surrender Your Poppy Field
3. Guided By Voices — Mirrored Aztec
3. Guided By Voices — Styles We Paid For
4. Adrianne Lenker — songs
4. Adrianne Lenker — instrumentals
5. Jeff Parker — Suite for Max Brown
6. Drive-By Truckers — The Unraveling
6. Drive-By Truckers — The New OK
7. Thao & the Get Down Stay Down — Temple
8. The Flaming Lips — American Head
9. Lydia Loveless — Daughter
10. The Beths — Jump Rope Gazers
11. Old 97’s — Twelfth
12. Actress — Karma & Desire
13. Kathleen Edwards — Total Freedom
14. The Microphones — Microphones in 2020
15. Sault — Untitled (Black Is)
15. Sault — Untitled (Rise)
16. Nada Surf — Never Not Together
17. Colorama — Chaos Wonderland
18. Courtney Marie Andrews — Old Flowers
19. Fontaines D.C. — A Hero's Death
20. Cut Worms — Nobody Lives Here Anymore
21. Jehnny Beth — To Love Is to Live
22. The Mountain Goats — Songs for Pierre Chuvin
22. The Mountain Goats — Getting Into Knives
23. Bill Callahan — Gold Record
24. The Lees Of Memory — Moon Shot
25. Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever — Sideways to New Italy

The Guardian: The 50 Best Albums of 2020

[see also 2019, 2018, 2017, 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012, 2011]

1. Fiona Apple — Fetch the Bolt Cutters
2. Dua Lipa — Future Nostalgia
3. Rina Sawayama — Sawayama
4. Perfume Genius — Set My Heart on Fire Immediately
5. Sault — Untitled (Black Is)
6. Waxahatchee — Saint Cloud
7. Haim — Women in Music Pt. III
8. J Hus — Big Conspiracy
9. Taylor Swift — Folklore
10. Moses Sumney — Græ
11. Róisín Murphy — Róisín Machine
12. Chloe x Halle — Ungodly Hour
13. Bob Dylan — Rough and Rowdy Ways
14. Jessie Ware — What's Your Pleasure?
15. Jay Electronica — A Written Testimony
16. Phoebe Bridgers — Punisher
17. Fontaines D.C. — A Hero's Death
18. Run the Jewels — RTJ4
19. Lady Gaga — Chromatica
20. Grimes — Miss Anthropocene
21. Yves Tumor — Heaven to a Tortured Mind
22. Beatrice Dillon — Workaround
23. Caribou — Suddenly
24. Kelly Lee Owens — Inner Song
25. Sault — Untitled (Rise)
26. Bill Callahan — Gold Record
27. Laura Marling — Song for Our Daughter
28. Thundercat — It Is What It Is
29. Mac Miller — Circles
30. Fleet Foxes — Shore
31. U.S. Girls — Heavy Light
32. KeiyaA — Forever, Ya Girl
33. Charli XCX — how I'm feeling now
34. Freddie Gibbs & The Alchemist — Alfredo
35. Working Men's Club — Working Men's Club
36. The 1975 — Notes on a Conditional Form
37. 21 Savage & Metro Boomin — Savage Mode II
38. Kassa Overall — I Think I'm Good
39. Jeff Parker — Suite for Max Brown
40. Ariana Grande — Positions
41. Actress — Karma & Desire
42. Kylie Minogue — DISCO
43. Wizkid — Made in Lagos
44. Jessy Lanza — All the Time
45. Selena Gomez — Rare
46. The Necks — Three
47. Teyana Taylor — The Album
48. Soccer Mommy — color theory
49. Destroyer — Have We Met
50. clipping. — Visions of Bodies Being Burned

The New York Times: The Best New Podcasts of 2020

• Wind of Change
• Into the Zone
• Floodlines
• Passenger List
• Appearances
• Octavia's Parables
• Goodbye to All This
• My Year in Mensa

XXL: Best Hip-Hop Projects of 2020

[see also 2019]

• Lil Baby — My Turn (Deluxe)
• Flo Milli — Ho, Why Is You Here?
• Benny the Butcher — Burden of Proof
• Juice WRLD — Legends Never Die
• Wale — The Imperfect Storm
• City Girls — City on Lock
• DaBaby — Blame It on Baby
• Pop Smoke — Shoot for the Stars, Aim for the Moon
• Ty Dolla $ign — Featuring Ty Dolla Sign
• Trippie Redd — Pegasus
• Polo G — The Goat
• Mulatto — Queen of Da Souf
• Lil Uzi Vert — Eternal Atake
• Eminem — Music to Be Murdered By
• Lil Keed — Trapped on Cleveland 3
• 2 Chainz — So Help Me God!
• Freddie Gibbs & The Alchemist — Alfredo
• Mac Miller — Circles
• Princess Nokia — Everything is Beautiful
• Princess Nokia — Everything Sucks
• Run the Jewels — RTJ4
• Lil Durk — Just Cause Y'all Waited 2
• Drake — Dark Lane Demo Tapes
• Westside Gunn — Pray for Paris
• Lil Wayne — Funeral
• Key Glock — Yellow Tape
• Rod Wave — Pray 4 Love
• Ka — Descendants of Cain
• Gunna — Wunna
• Jay Electronica — Act II: The Patents of Nobility (The Turn)
• G Herbo — PTSD
• A Boogie wit da Hoodie — Artist 2.0
• Calboy — Long Live The Kings
• Boldy James & The Alchemist — The Price of Tea in China
• Royce da 5'9" — The Allegory
• Chika — Industry Games
• Lil Yachty — Lil Boat 3
• Future — High Off Life
• Spillage Village — Spilligion
• Megan Thee Stallion — Good News
• 21 Savage & Metro Boomin — Savage Mode II
• Big Sean — Detroit 2
• Aminé — Limbo
• Young Dolph — Rich Slave
• Rico Nasty — Nightmare Vacation
• NLE Choppa — Top Shotta
• YoungBoy Never Broke Again — Top
• Nas — King's Disease
• Conway the Machine — From King to a God
• Duckwrth — SuperGood
• Jackboy — Jackboy

Albumism: The 100 Best Albums of 2020

[see also 2010s, 2019, 2018, 2017]

1. Róisín Murphy — Róisín Machine
2. Lianne La Havas — Lianne La Havas
3. Sault — Untitled (Black Is)
4. Jessie Ware — What's Your Pleasure?
5. Taylor Swift — Folklore
6. Sault — Untitled (Rise)
7. Kylie Minogue — DISCO
8. Pet Shop Boys — Hotspot
9. Fiona Apple — Fetch the Bolt Cutters
10. Doves — The Universal Want
11. Dua Lipa — Future Nostalgia
12. Brandy — B7
13. Phoebe Bridgers — Punisher
14. Faithless — All Blessed
15. Alanis Morissette — Such Pretty Forks in the Road
16. Run the Jewels — RTJ4
17. Mandy Moore — Silver Landings
18. Moses Sumney — Græ
19. Soccer Mommy — color theory
20. The 1975 — Notes on a Conditional Form
21. Vanessa Carlton — Love is an Art
22. Natalie Schlabs — Don't Look Too Close
23. Black Thought — Streams of Thought, Vol. 3: Cane & Able
24. Ego Ella May — Honey For Wounds
25. S.G. Goodman — Old Time Feeling
26. Jacob Collier — Djesse Vol. 3
27. Yumi Zouma — Truth or Consequences
28. Bright Light Bright Light — Fun City
29. Georgia — Seeking Thrils
30. Car Seat Headrest — Making a Door Less Open
31. Sam Sparro — Boombox Eternal
32. Katie Melua — Album No. 8
33. Busta Rhymes — Extinction Level Event 2: The Wrath of God
34. Mac Miller — Circles
35. The Dirty Clergy — In Waves
36. Carly Rae Jepsen — Dedicated Side B
37. Country Westerns — Country Westerns
38. The Vapors — Together
39. Laura Marling — Song for Our Daughter
40. Tom Aspaul — Black Country Disco
41. Kyshona — Listen
42. Luke James — to feel love/d
43. Agnes Obel — Myopia
44. Låpsley — Through Water
45. Jay Electronica — A Written Testimony
46. Léon — Apart
47. Melanie C — Melanie C
48. Tom Misch & Yussef Dayes — What Kinda Music
49. Ben Watt — Storm Damage
50. Caroline Rose — Superstar
51. Lady Gaga — Chromatica
52. Bob Mould — Blue Hearts
53. The Adobe Collective — All the Space That There Is
54. Gloria Estefan — Brazil305
55. Arlo Mckinley — Die Midwestern
56. Little Dragon — New Me, Same Us
57. Leven Kali — HIGHTIDE
58. Man Man — Dream Hunting in the Valley of the In​-​Between
59. Bob Dylan — Rough and Rowdy Ways
60. Jadakiss — Ignatius
61. the Danberrys — Shine
62. Public Enemy — What You Gonna Do When The Grid Goes Down?
63. Teddy Thompson — Heartbreaker Please
64. Lauv — How I'm Feeling
65. Kandace Springs — The Women Who Raised Me
66. The Jayhawks — XOXO
67. Norah Jones — Pick Me Up Off the Floor
68. Nas — King's Disease
69. Lisa Loeb — A Simple Trick to Happiness
70. Fleet Foxes — Shore
71. Waxahatchee — Saint Cloud
72. Tame Impala — The Slow Rush
73. Courtney Marie Andrews — Old Flowers
74. Nubya Garcia — SOURCE
75. Fontaines D.C. — A Hero's Death
76. Open Mike Eagle — Anime, Trauma and Divorce
77. The Weeknd — After Hours
78. Jason Isbell and The 400 Unit — Reunions
79. Shamir — Shamir
80. The Flaming Lips — American Head
81. Lucinda Williams — Good Souls Better Angels
82. Alicia Keys — Alicia
83. The Killers — Imploding the Mirage
84. The Chicks — Gaslighter
85. The Strokes — The New Abnormal
86. Caribou — Suddenly
87. P.J. O'Connor — Television's Golden Age
88. Annie — Dark Hearts
89. Rufus Wainwright — Unfollow the Rules
90. Common — A Beautiful Revolution (Pt 1)
91. Nadine Shah — Kitchen Sink
92. Sa-Roc — The Sharecropper's Daughter
93. Sasha Sloan — Only Child
94. Pearl Jam — Gigaton
95. I Break Horses — Warnings
96. Shelby Lynne — Shelby Lynne
97. The Sounds — Things We Do For Love
98. Kamasi Washington, Robert Glasper, Terrace Martin and 9th Wonder — Dinner Party
99. Enemy Radio — Loud Is Not Enough
100. Disclosure — Energy