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Cy's Top 100 Albums of 2020

  • Writer: Madasa Media
    Madasa Media
  • Jan 28, 2021
  • 2 min read


Hello and welcome! Finally, the list I've been dying to get out to you all. New site and definitely much later than intended, but it's finally here! I want to start off by saying as with my prior lists (which you can find at YAM Magazine), this isn't exhaustive, certainly doesn't represent every album that came out last year. There's just way too much music and not enough time in the year! I did, however, listen to 140 albums in 2020. Maybe 2021 will be the year I finally break 200 albums, but I did my best.

Now, before we get into it, as always, I want to share a couple albums that just missed my Top 100. Here are my


Honorable Mentions:


Alanis Morrissette – Such Pretty Forks in the Road

This was actually somewhat disappointing. The album just lacks dynamics. The music is really one-note, droning on in something over-the-top and unnecessarily loud. Alanis herself has a voice that begs for musical subtlety. Music that doesn't drown her out. This is something her music did with perfection in the ’90s. The music and the vocal in perfect synch. Here, the music is attempting to be dramatic, open, expansive. Instead it comes off as arrogant because it’s the same type of composition for almost every song. The lyrics are, as always, breathtakingly introspective, pensive, honest, and raw. All things Alanis does with fearless beauty. But it’s hard to get invested in the album as a cohesive whole. It just drones on from one song to the next. I wanted so much more from one of the musical heroes of the 1990s.


Zene the Zilla – FLOCC

Though not particularly my cup of tea, something has to be said for the pure playability of the album. Zene the Zilla falls into this weird space of trap music that I’m not fond of, but it actually works. So while I might not actually be a fan of the music itself, I can’t deny this has the same appeal of homegrown trap. I could actually hear this album like I was at a concert or standing next to the speakers in a DJ booth. That’s gotta count for something, right?


Now with no more preamble ramble, I give you my Top 100 Albums of 2020! (Click on each album for more information.)




100 - 91

  • 100. KEY_HAYASH1 - K E I_H A Y A S H 1
    100.
  • 99. Luna LotusLove – The Mirror Is Me
    99.
  • 98. Whethan – Fantasy
    98.
  • 97. Miso – Metanoia
    97.
  • 96. After Hours – What Are We Doing
    96.
  • 95. G2 – Water
    95.
  • 94. The Buttertones – Jazzhound
    94.
  • 93. S. Forever – God Level
    93.
  • 92. JJANGYOU – Wave
    92.
  • 91. brown - To HER
    91.



90 - 81

  • 90. Wande – EXIT
    90.
  • 89. DPR Live - Is Anybody Out There
    89.
  • 88. Loopy – NO FEAR
    88.
  • 87. Jojo – good to know
    87.
  • 86. KATIE – Our Time Is Blue
    86.
  • 85. Ledisi – The Wild Card
    85.
  • 84. Nathy Peluso – Calambre
    84.
  • 83. Quakers – Supa K: Heavy Tremors
    83.
  • 82. Crush – with HER
    82.
  • 81. Day 6 – The Book of Us: The Demon
    81.



80 - 71


  • 80. Anomalie & Chromeo – Bend the Rules
    80.
  • 79. SAAY – FEELosophy
    79.
  • 78. NCT U – Resonance Pt. 1
    78.
  • 77. LATE LEE - 12 AM
    77.
  • 76. pH-1 – “X”, The Worst Mixtape
    76.
  • 75. Marilyn Manson – WE ARE CHAOS
    75.
  • 74. nafla – u n u pt. 1
    74.
  • 73. Cox Billy – Black Comedy iiii
    73.
  • 72. Jas Freeman – Purified Solitude
    72.
  • 71. Toni Toni Choppah & G Bey Harrris – 7th 7samurai: Psalms for Blind Jazz Pianists
    71.



70 - 61


  • 70. K-os – Boshido
    70.
  • 69. Princess Nokia – Everything Sucks/Everything Is Beautiful
    69.
  • 68. Syn – mmm.
    68.
  • 67. Pat Metheny - From This Place
    67.
  • 66. Agust D – D2
    66.
  • 65. The Dinner Party (Robert Glasper, Kamasi Washington, Terrace Martin)
    65.
  • 64. DAMYE – The Sandwich Artist
    64.
  • 63. Fana Hues – Hues
    63.
  • 62. Zero 7 – Shadows
    62.
  • 61. Zero 7 – Shadows
    61.



60 - 51


  • 60. Hippy Was Gipsy – 0
    60.
  • 59. Vinci – Loverdose
    59.
  • 58. Ultraísta – Sister
    58.
  • 57. Róisin Murphy – Róisin Machine
    57.
  • 56. Woo – Black Out
    56.
  • 55. Lisa Loeb – A Simple Trick to Happiness
    55.
  • 54. DNYDK – LOVERS EYES
    54.
  • 53. The Deep – Escape
    53.
  • 52. Jay Electronica – A Written Testimony
    52.
  • 51. Alex Harris – Frequency
    51.



50 - 41

  • 50. Snotty Nose Rez Kids – Born Deadly
    50.
  • 49. Jhene Aiko – Chilombo
    49.
  • 48. Joonie – Yellow Dust
    48.
  • 47. Khruangbin – Mordechai
    47.
  • 46. Emma Donovan & the Putbacks – Crossover
    46.
  • 45. Nana Adjoa – Big Dreaming Ants
    45.
  • 44. Lianne La Havas – Lianne La Havas
    44.
  • 43. Joe Hertz – Current Blues
    43.
  • 42. Christian Kuria – Borderline
    42.
  • 41. TOKiMONSTA – Oasis Nocturno
    41.



40 - 31

  • 40. Matatabi & P.O.D. – 1990-
    40.
  • 39. Roots Raddix – Off the Bench EP
    39.
  • 38. BewhY & Simba Zawadi – Neo Christian
    38.
  • 37. Jupiter – Love This Chaos
    37.
  • 36. The Shadowboxers – The Slow March of Time Flies By
    36.
  • 35. Conway the Machine – King to A GOD
    35.
  • 34. Masego – Studying Abroad
    34.
  • 33. Public Enemy – What You Gonna Do When the Grid Goes Down?
    33.
  • 32. oceanfromtheblue – khaki
    32.
  • 31. Yves Tumor – Heaven To a Tortured Mind
    31.



30 - 21

  • 30. REASON – New Beginnings When
    30.
  • 29. Clarence Clarity – DEAD SCREEN SCROLLS
    29.
  • 28. Mokyo – accent fried
    28.
  • 27. Cory Henry – Something to Say
    27.
  • 26. Armani Caesar – THE LIZ
    26.
  • 25. ABTB – daydream
    25.
  • 24.
    24.
  • 23. Hyukoh - through love
    23.
  • 22. Se So Neon – Nonadaptation
    22.
  • 21. Yussef Dayes – Welcome to the Hills
    21.



20 - 11


  • 20. Robert Glasper - The Photograph Soundtrack
    20.
  • 19. THE ANXIETY (WILLOW & Tyler Cole) – THE ANXIETY
    19.
  • 18. Norah Jones – Pick Me Up Off the Floor
    18.
  • 17. Fiona Apple – Fetch the Bolt Cutters
    17.
  • 16. Chiiild – Synthetic Soul
    16.
  • 15. Fat Jon – God’s Fifth Wish
    15.
  • 14. Kim Oki – Yun Hyong-keun
    14.
  • 13. G Yamazawa – Thinkpeace
    13.
  • 12. Terrace Martin & Gray Area - Sounds of Crenshaw & Jammcard
    12.
  • 11. Stout – Highs and Lows
    11.



THE TOP 10


  • 10. Samuel Seo – UNITY II
    10.
  • 9. Mac Miller – Circles
    9.
  • 8. Thundercat – It Is What It Is
    8.
  • 7. Childish Gambino - 3.15.20
    7.
  • 6. Famous Friends – Black Stories
    6.
  • 5. Sa-Roc – The Sharecropper’s Daughter
    5.
  • 4. Busta Rhymes – Extinction Level Event II: The Wrath of God
    4.
  • 3. D Smoke - Black Habits
    3.
  • 2. Brandy – B7
    2.
  • 1. Moses Sumney – græ
    1.


And that's my list. As I said, I know I missed a lot of albums last year. Way too much music in the world and not enough time. But hopefully you discovered something new. I certainly hope you discovered something interesting. Did any of these albums make your top list? Let me know!

 
 
 

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