The 10 Best Albums of 2020 Our critic picks the top albums of the year, fantastic music that served as both a comfort and a welcome distraction. By Sean Maunier on January 8, 2021 169SHARES Perfume Genius — Photo: Nacho Delagarza Like just about everything else, the music industry was shaken from top to bottom in 2020 by the ongoing global pandemic. As albums and singles were recorded and released from apartments, and would-be club bops became the soundtrack to solo bedroom dance parties, for many, the past year upended the way music was made and listened to. In spite of — or perhaps because of — the chaos, it also happened to be a fantastic year in music, as both newcomers burst onto the scene with brilliant debut albums and seasoned veterans giving us some of their best work in years.