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.
(#2) The 79-year-old legend's first album of original songs since 2012's Tempest is far better than it has any right to be, earning Dylan his highest Metascore (for new releases) of the 21st century. And, by debuting at #2, Ways made Dylan the first artist in music history to land a Billboard top 40 album in seven consecutive decades. Guests include Fiona Apple, giving her the rare distinction of appearing on both of our top two albums.
“Rough and Rowdy Ways is the work of a man in love with language and philosophy, and, at 79, he continues to take the pulse of the zeitgeist with unerring precision. He ain't no false prophet, he's an artist, he don't look back.” —Exclaim
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