The 40 Best Albums of 2020
Above is Metacritic's list of the 40 best-reviewed albums of 2020, ranked by Metascore. This list only includes new albums receiving at least 15 reviews from professional critics (though you'll find a quick list of the top albums with a smaller number of reviews at the end of the gallery.)
Otherwise, all full-length studio albums (or mixtapes) released between January 1, 2020 and December 31, 2020 are eligible, though reissues, live albums, box sets and other compilations are excluded. Albums are ranked by Metascore prior to rounding based on scores as of December 23, 2020.
(#11) Katie Crutchfield's first Waxahatchee album in three years (and fifth overall) finds her backed by the band Bonny Doon. Saint Cloud's subject matter alludes to addiction and Crutchfield's recent sobriety.
“What songs these are, genuinely good enough to be compared with peak Dylan: like him, Crutchfield is adept at nestling into the almost comforting niche of heartache and hopping out again with a grin.” —The Guardian