The best albums of 2020: The ballots

Gif: Allison Corr

The A.V. Club’s list of 2020’s best albums was determined by 10 critics, who each submitted a ranked ballot of their top 10 to 20 records of the year. Those ballots can be found below, along with their picks for additional nominations—including best EPs and best reissues. If you’re looking to explore the best records of the year that didn’t make our official list, this is the place to find them. Additionally, this is where you can find our critics’ picks for the best singles of the year (and yes, “WAP” is very much in there).

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Alex McLevy

1. Jeff Rosenstock, NO DREAM2. Fiona Apple, Fetch The Bolt Cutters3. Moses Sumney, græ 4. Phoebe Bridgers, Punisher5. Run The Jewels, RTJ46. Bruce Springsteen, Letter To You7. Katie Malco, Failures8. Dogleg, Melee9. OneOhTrix Point Never, Magic Onohtrix Point Never10. Ratboys, Printer’s Devil11. No Thank You, Embroidered Foliage12. Perfume Genius, Set My Heart On Fire Immediately13. Bright Eyes, Down In The Weeds, Where The World Once Was14. Sylvan Esso, Free Love15. The Secret Machines, Awake In The Brain Chamber16. Bully, Sugaregg17. Charli XCX, How I’m Feeling Now18. Jay Electronica, A Written Testimony19. Exhalants, Atonement20. Rina Sawayama, SAWAYAMA1. Little Simz, Drop 62. Gabrielle Marlena, Lady Comforts3. Tomberlin, Projections4. Holly Humberstone, Falling Asleep At The Wheel5. Muncie Girls, B-Sides The Point1. Diet Cig, “”2. Tierra Whack, “Dora”3. LPX, “New Mood”4. SZA, “Hit Different”5. Sad13, “Ghost (of a good time)“Song of the year: Katie Malco, “”1. Prince, Sign O’ The Times Super Deluxe Edition2. Neil Young, Homegrown3. Rush, Permanent Waves 40th Anniversary Edition4. Joni Mitchell, Joni Mitchell Archives—Vol. 1: The Early Years (1963-1967)5. Various Artists, Black Riot

Baraka Kaseko

1. Moses Sumney, græ 2. Lianne La Havas, Lianne La Havas3. Freddie Gibbs & The Alchemist, Alfredo4. Mac Miller, Circles5. Run The Jewels, RTJ46. Thundercat, It Is What It Is7. The Weeknd, After Hours8. Kehlani, It Was Good Until It Wasn’t9. Sylvan Esso, Free Love10. 070 Shake, Modus Vivendi11. Brent Faiyaz, Fuck The World12. Dua Lipa, Future Nostalgia13. Princess Nokia, Everything Is Beautiful14. Burna Boy, Twice as Tall15. Ty Dolla $ign, Featuring Ty Dolla $ign16. Megan Thee Stallion, Good News17. Childish Gambino, 3.15.2018. Amine, Limbo19. Brasstracks, Golden Ticket20. Kota The Friend, Everything1. Gaidaa, Overture2. Dua Saleh, ROSETTA3. Little Simz, Drop 64. Pink Sweat$, The Prelude5. Zaia, Very Alone1. Cardi B, “”2. Childish Gambino, “12:38 (feat. 21 Savage, Ink, & Kadhja Bonet)”3. Jean Deaux, “Moody! (feat. Saba)”4. Amine, “Compensating (feat Young Thug)”5. Saweetie, “Tap In”Honorable mention: The Weeknd, “Blinding Lights” (only because it was released in 2019)

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Shannon Miller

1. Jacob Collier, Djesse Vol. 32. Tayla Parx, Coping Mechanisms3. Dua Lipa, Future Nostalgia4. Chloe x Halle, Ungodly Hour5. Hayley Williams, Petals For Armor6. Megan Thee Stallion, Good News7. DUCKWRTH, SuperGood8. BLACKPINK, THE ALBUM9. Taylor Swift, folklore10. BTS, BE11. Thundercat, It Is What It Is12. Fiona Apple, Fetch The Bolt Cutters13. Rina Sawayama, Sawayama14. Black Pumas, Black Pumas15. Kota The Friend, Everything16. The Weeknd, After Hours17. Flo Milli, Ho, Why Is You Here?18. NCT 127, Neo Zone19. Joji, Nectar20. The Chicks, Gaslighter1. CHIKA, Industry Games2. Tank And The Bangas, Friend Goals3. Little Simz, Drop 6 4. Masego, Studying Abroad5. TWICE, More & More1. Tobe Nwigwe feat. FAT, “”2. Jacob Collier feat. Mahalia and Ty Dolla $ign, “All I Need”3. Megan Thee Stallion feat. Beyoncé, “Savage (Remix)”4. BTS, “Dynamite”5. Cardi B. feat. Megan Thee Stallion, “WAP”NCT, NCT RESONANCE Pt. 2 – The 2nd AlbumNCT RESONANCE Pt. 1 certainly lived up to its ambitious title: The expanding collective showed such tremendous growth on this genre-bending, generation-hopping showcase, rendering it one of the most memorable albums of the year. Pt. 2 only bolsters an already impressive effort, blending vibrant elements of jazz, R&B, pop, EDM, and hip-hop in a mix of tracks that sound hand-plucked from the ’90s.

Randall Colburn

1. Waxahatchee, Saint Cloud2. Phoebe Bridgers, Punisher3. Grimes, Miss Anthropocene4. Charli XCX, How I’m Feeling Now 5. Bartees Strange, Live Forever6. Told Slant, Point The Flashlight And Walk7. Bright Eyes, Down In The Weeds, Where The World Once Was8. Arca, KiCk i9. Beach Bunny, Honeymoon10. NNAMDI, Brat11. HAIM, Women In Music, pt. III12. The Front Bottoms, In Sickness & In Flames13. Julianna Barwick, Healing Is A Miracle14. Katie Dey, mydata15. Soccer Mommy, Color Theory16. Frances Quinlan, Likewise17. Against All Logic, 2017-201918. Ricky Eat Acid, When they align just so, memories of another life bleed into my own19. Porridge Radio, Every Bad20. Gladie, Safe Sins1. Talker, Wax2. PUP, This Place Sucks Ass3. The Ophelias, For Luck4. Tomberlin, Projections5. Yo La Tengo, Sleepless Night1. The Front Bottoms, “”2. Charli XCX, “Enemy”3. PHONY, “Waffle House”4. The Beths, “Jump Rope Gazers”5. Talkboy, “Stupid Luck”

Cameron Scheetz

1. Perfume Genius, Set My Heart On Fire Immediately2. Rina Swayama, SAWAYAMA3. Chloe x Halle, Ungodly Hour4. Dua Lipa, Future Nostalgia5. Lianne La Havas, Lianne La Havas6. Taylor Swift, folklore7. Jessie Ware, What’s Your Pleasure?8. Soccer Mommy, Color Theory9. Phoebe Bridgers, Punisher10. DEHD, Flowers Of Devotion11. Haim, Women In Music Pt. III12. Waxahatchee, Saint Cloud13. Shamir, Shamir14. Carly Rae Jepsen, Dedicated Side B15. Joji, Nectar16. Kylie Minogue, DISCO17. Sylvan Esso, Free Love18. Fleet Foxes, Shore19. Charli XCX, How I’m Feeling Now20. The Chicks, Gaslighter1. Troye Sivan, In A Dream2. Christine And The Queens, La vita nuova3. Remi Wolf, I’m Allergic To Dogs!4. Orville Peck, Show Pony5. Kali Uchis, To Feel Alive1. Rina Sawayama, “”2. Soccer Mommy, “Circle The Drain”3. Beyoncé, “Black Parade”4. Chloe x Halle, “Ungodly Hour”5. Orville Peck feat. Shania Twain, “Legends Never Die”

Annie Zaleski

1. Soccer Mommy, Color Theory 2. Hum, Inlet 3. Taylor Swift, folklore 4. Snarls, Burst 5. Ganser, Just Look At That Sky6. Andy Bell, The View From Halfway Down7. Grant Lee Phillips, Lightning, Show Us Your Stuff8. Lady Gaga, Chromatica 9. Kathleen Edwards, Total Freedom10. Sad13, Haunted Painting 1. Kylie Minogue, “”2. Miley Cyrus, “Edge Of Midnight (Midnight Sky Remix)” featuring Stevie Nicks3. The Network, “Trans Am”4. Sloan, “Silence Trumps Lies”5. Dua Lipa, “Don’t Start Now”topographies, Although topographies certainly takes cues from The Cure’s gothic gloom—perhaps understandably, since the group’s fronted by Gray Tolhurst, son of one-time Cure drummer Lol—the San Francisco band nails the gloomy intersection of foggy shoegaze and needling post-punk.1. Pylon, Box (New West)2. Various Artists, Strum & Thrum: The American Jangle Underground 1983-1987 (Captured Tracks)3. The Replacements, Pleased To Meet Me Deluxe (Rhino)4. Various Artists, Musik Music Musique 1980: The Dawn Of Synth Pop (Cherry Red)5. Various Artists, Make More Noise! Women In Independent UK Music 1977-1987 (Cherry Red)

Clayton Purdom

1. Oneohtrix Point Never, Magic Oneohtrix Point Never2. Amaarae, The Angel You Don’t Know3. Run The Jewels, RTJ44. Thundercat, It Is What It Is5. Jay Electronica, A Written Testimony6. Grimes, Miss Anthropocene7. Fiona Apple, Fetch The Bolt Cutters8. Roc Marciano, Mt. Marci9. Adrianne Lenker, Songs & Instrumentals10. Charli XCX, How I’m Feeling Now 11. Open Mike Eagle, Anime, Trauma & Divorce12. Juliana Barwick, Healing Is A Miracle13. Yves Tumor, Heaven To A Tortured Mind14. Mach-Hommy, Mach’s Hard Lemonade15. Salem, Fires In Heaven16. KeiyaA, Forever, Ya Girl17. Ka, Descendants Of Cain18. Armand Hammer, Shrines19. Hum, Inlet20. Taylor Swift, folklore1. Tierra Whack, “”2. Roddy Ricch, “The Box”3. Megan Thee Stallion, “Savage”4. Headie One & Drake, “Only You Freestyle”5. SZA, “Hit Different”

Nina Corcoran

1. Fiona Apple, Fetch The Bolt Cutters2. Sen Morimoto, Sen Morimoto 3. Dogleg, Melee 4. Andy Shauf, The Neon Skyline5. Melkbelly, PITH 6. Thanya Iyer, KIND 7. Hayley Williams, Petals for Armor8. Jeff Rosenstock, NO DREAM9. Illuminati Hotties, FREE I.H.: This Is Not the One You’ve Been10. Touche Amore, Lament11. The Innocence Mission, See You Tomorrow12. Anjimile, Giver Taker13. Gulfer, Gulfer 14. Mary Lattimore, Silver Ladders15. KeiyaA, Forever, Ya Girl16. tricot, Makkuro 17. Max De Wardener, Music for Detuned Pianos18. Fennec, Free Us Of This Feeling19. Disheveled Cuss, Disheveled Cuss20. NNAMDI, BRAT1. Hannah’s Little Sister, EP.mp32. Nailah Hunter, Spells 3. KennyHoopla, how will i rest in peace if i’m buried by a highway? //4. Esther Rose, My Favorite Mistakes5. Susie Derkins, How to Talk 1. Mura Musa ft. Slowthai, “”2. Disheveled Cuss, “She Don’t Want”3. Melkbelly, “LCR”4. Sen Morimoto, “Woof”5. Dogleg, “Fox

Max Freedman

1. Phoebe Bridgers, Punisher2. U.S. Girls, Heavy Light3. Fiona Apple, Fetch The Bolt Cutters4. Rina Sawayama, SAWAYAMA5. Kelly Lee Owens, Inner Song6. Chloe x Halle, Ungodly Hour7. Ela Minus, acts of rebellion8. Eartheater, Phoenix: Flames Are Dew Upon My Skin9. Soccer Mommy, Color Theory10. Okay Kaya, Watch This Liquid Pour Itself11. Arca, KiCk i 12. Samia, The Baby13. Loma, Don’t Shy Away14. Porridge Radio, Every Bad15. Angel Olsen, Whole New Mess16. Momma, Two Of Me17. Moses Sumney, græ18. Hazel English, Wake UP!19. Katie Von Schleicher, Consummation20. Madeline Kenney, Sucker’s Lunch 1. Tomberlin, Projections2. 박혜진 Park Hye Jin, How can I3. India Jordan, For You4. Skullcrusher, Skullcrusher5. Shygirl, ALIAS1. Ela Minus, “”2. India Jordan, “For You”3. Phoebe Bridgers, “Kyoto”4. Kelly Lee Owens, “On”5. Porridge Radio, “Sweet”