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
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'What even came out this year?'
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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.
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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!
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Wishing everyone a Merry Christmas and a happy and safe 2021!
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-Latest Spin
Written By Layton Bryce 26/12/2020
BEST rock album
Everything Everything – RE-ANIMATOR
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Jeff Rosenstock – N O D R E A M
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Touche Amore – Lament
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The Strokes – The New Abnormal
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Protomartyr – Ultimate Success Today
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Yves Tumor – Heaven To A Tortured Mind
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BEST Hip-hop album
Clipping. – Visions of Bodies Being Burned
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Run the Jewels – RTJ4
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21 Savage & Metro Boomin – SAVAGE MODE II
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Freddie Gibbs & The Alchemist – Alfredo
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Kenny Beats & Denzel Curry – UNLOCKED
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BEST electronic / instrumental album
Against All Logic – 2017-2019
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Matmos – The Consuming Flame: Open Exercises in Group Form
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Oneohtrix Point Never – Magic Oneohtrix Point Never
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The Avalanches – We Will Always Love You
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GoGo Penguin – GoGo Penguin
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BEST Singer / songwriter album
The Microphones – Microphones in 2020
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Fiona Apple – Fetch the Bolt Cutters
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Phoebe Bridgers – Punisher
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Laura Marling – Song For Our Daughter
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Taylor Swift – folklore
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BEST pop album
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Perfume Genius – Set my Heart on Fire Immediately
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Rina Sawayama – SAWAYAMA
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Charli XCX – how im feeling now
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Dua Lipa – Future Nostalgia
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Carly Rae Jepsen – Dedicated Side B
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Gorillaz – Song Machine Season 1: Strange Timez
BEST Metal album
Deftones – Ohms
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Loathe – I Let It In and It Took Everything
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Ulcerate – Stare Into Death and Be Still
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Poppy – I Disagree
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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
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Thundercat - It is What it is
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Childish Gambino – 3.15.20
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The Weeknd – After Hours
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Joji – Nectar
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070 Shake - Modus Vivendi
BEST live album
Nick Cave – Idiot Prayer (Nick Cave alone at Alexandra Palace)
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King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard – Chunky Shrapnel
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Queen & Adam Lambert – Live around the World
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Arctic Monkeys – Live at the Royal Albert Hall
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Deafheaven – 10 Years Gone
ep of the year
Tkay Maidza – Last Year Was Weird, Vol. 2
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Obongjayar – Which way is forward?
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PUP – This Place Sucks Ass
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JPEGMAFIA – EP!
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Slauson Malone - Vergangenheitsbewältigung (Crater Speak)
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ALbum of the year
The Microphones – Microphones in 2020
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Clipping. – Visions of Bodies Being Burned
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Perfume Genius – Set My Heart on Fire Immediately
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The Strokes – The New Abnormal
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Run The Jewels – RTJ4
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Phoebe Bridgers - Punisher
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Layton Bryce - 26/12/2020