The 1st annual
LATEST SPIN AWARDS
It's been a rough year, and a difficult one to consume music in. A common answer I found when I asked people their favourite albums or songs that came out in 2020 was a resounding
'What even came out this year?'
And that's for good reason. I wrote my first review of the year back in January, for Poppy's 'I Disagree', and that feels like years ago at this point. It's been hard to keep track of anything that's come out recently unless you've been paying lots of attention, and it's instead been far easier to try and find some comfort in familiar music throughout such an unprecedented and turbulent period.
But thankfully, this year has had some absolutely incredible music, including but certainly not limited to the albums listed below. These are some of my favourite releases of the year, and although there are undoubtedly some that have been excluded (mostly due to the fact that everything before July has become a foggy and distant memory), these are my picks for the best albums of the year. Feel free to also share your favourite albums of the year down below!
Wishing everyone a Merry Christmas and a happy and safe 2021!
-Latest Spin
Written By Layton Bryce 26/12/2020
BEST rock album
Everything Everything – RE-ANIMATOR
Jeff Rosenstock – N O D R E A M
Touche Amore – Lament
The Strokes – The New Abnormal
Protomartyr – Ultimate Success Today
Yves Tumor – Heaven To A Tortured Mind
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BEST Hip-hop album
Clipping. – Visions of Bodies Being Burned
Run the Jewels – RTJ4
21 Savage & Metro Boomin – SAVAGE MODE II
Freddie Gibbs & The Alchemist – Alfredo
Kenny Beats & Denzel Curry – UNLOCKED
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BEST electronic / instrumental album
Against All Logic – 2017-2019
Matmos – The Consuming Flame: Open Exercises in Group Form
Oneohtrix Point Never – Magic Oneohtrix Point Never
The Avalanches – We Will Always Love You
GoGo Penguin – GoGo Penguin
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BEST Singer / songwriter album
The Microphones – Microphones in 2020
Fiona Apple – Fetch the Bolt Cutters
Phoebe Bridgers – Punisher
Laura Marling – Song For Our Daughter
Taylor Swift – folklore
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BEST pop album
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Perfume Genius – Set my Heart on Fire Immediately
Rina Sawayama – SAWAYAMA
Charli XCX – how im feeling now
Dua Lipa – Future Nostalgia
Carly Rae Jepsen – Dedicated Side B
Gorillaz – Song Machine Season 1: Strange Timez
BEST Metal album
Deftones – Ohms
Loathe – I Let It In and It Took Everything
Ulcerate – Stare Into Death and Be Still
Poppy – I Disagree
Mick Gordon – Doom Eternal (Original Game Soundtrack)
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BEST R&B album
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Lianne La Havas – Lianne La Havas
Thundercat - It is What it is
Childish Gambino – 3.15.20
The Weeknd – After Hours
Joji – Nectar
070 Shake - Modus Vivendi
BEST live album
Nick Cave – Idiot Prayer (Nick Cave alone at Alexandra Palace)
King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard – Chunky Shrapnel
Queen & Adam Lambert – Live around the World
Arctic Monkeys – Live at the Royal Albert Hall
Deafheaven – 10 Years Gone
ep of the year
Tkay Maidza – Last Year Was Weird, Vol. 2
Obongjayar – Which way is forward?
PUP – This Place Sucks Ass
JPEGMAFIA – EP!
Slauson Malone - Vergangenheitsbewältigung (Crater Speak)
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ALbum of the year
The Microphones – Microphones in 2020
Clipping. – Visions of Bodies Being Burned
Perfume Genius – Set My Heart on Fire Immediately
The Strokes – The New Abnormal
Run The Jewels – RTJ4
Phoebe Bridgers - Punisher
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Layton Bryce - 26/12/2020