Thanks to the 500+ listeners who weighed in with their Top 10 Albums of 2020! We are busy crunching the numbers and preparing to share the results during our annual New Year’s Eve countdown. Tune in all day form 8am-6pm as we unveil the list and we’ll also update this page as the results go live. While there may not have been a lot to love in 2020, artists found a way to inspire us, challenge us, and transport us. Whether it was rock’s old guard burnishing their legacy with great new albums (Dylan! Springsteen!), newer artists who burst onto the scene or broke through in a big way this year, or some Central Virginia’s best homegrown artists releasing excellent records, this list (YOUR list!) is a great snapshot of the diverse and wonderful world of music that carried us through highs and lows of this year. Thanks again and check out the list below!

Top Albums of 2020:

100-81 / 80-61 / 60-41 /40-21 / 20-1

(Full Text List)

100. Butcher Brown – King Butch

99. Kendall Street Company – The Stories We Write For Ourselves

98. Watkins Family Hour – Brother, Sister

97. Matt Berninger – Serpentine Prison 

96. Kalbells – Mothertime

95. Deau Eyes – Let It Leave 

94. Nick Lowe – Lay It On Me

93. Delta Spirit – What Is There

92. Becca Mancari – The Greatest Part

91. Norah Jones – Pick Me Up Off The Floor

90. Maceo Parker – Cooking With Maceo

89. Steve Earle & The Dukes – Ghosts Of West Virginia

88. Robert Cray – That’s What I Heard

87. Early James – Singing For My Supper

86. Bahamas – Sad Hunk

85. Real Estate – The Main Thing

84. Tennis – Swimmer

83. S.G. Goodman – Old Time Feeling

82. Rufus Wainwright – Unfollow The Rules

81. Dinner Party – Dinner Party

80. The Pretenders – Hate For Sale

79. The Allman Betts Band – Bless Your Heart

78. Yo-Yo Ma, Stuart Duncan, Edgar Meyer, Chris Thiele – Not Our First Goat Rodeo

77. Fruition – Broken At The Break Of Day

76. The Lone Bellow – Half Moon Light

75. EOB – Earth

74. Samia – The Baby

73. Erin Lunsford – The Damsel

72. Curt Sydnor – Revolutionary Etudes

71. Willie Nelson – First Rose Of Spring

70. Grimes – Miss Anthropocene

69. Toots And The Maytals – Got To Be Tough

68. David Wax Museum – Carpenter Bird 10th Anniversary

67. Chuck Prophet – The Land That Time Forgot

66. Marcus King – El Dorado

65. Songhoy Blues – Optimisme

64. Old 97’s – Twelfth

63. Perfume Genius – Set My Heart On Fire Immediately

62. The Chicks – Gaslighter

61. Kurt Vile – Speed, Sound, Lonely KV

60. Gorillaz – Song Machine, Season One: Strange Timez

59. Future Islands – As Long As You Are

58. Pearl Jam – Gigaton

57. Neil Young – Homegrown

56. Gillian Welch & David Rawlings – Boots No. 2: The Lost Songs, Vol. 1

55. Caroline Rose – Superstar

54. Lucinda Williams – Good Souls Better Angels

53. Washed Out – Purple Noon

52. John Craigie – Asterisk The Universe

51. Ray LaMontagne – Monovision

50. Mt. Joy – Rearrange Us

49. Sarah Jarosz – World On The Ground

48. Cordovas – Destiny Hotel

47. Chamomile & Whiskey – Red Clay Heart

46. Gold Connections – Ammunition

45. X – Alphabetland

44. Lukas Nelson & Promise Of The Real – Naked Garden

43. Katie Pruitt – Expectations

42. Josh Ritter – See Here, I Have Built You A Mansion

41. Chicano Batman – Invisible People

40. The Avett Brothers – The Third Gleam

39. Bright Eyes – Down In The Weeds Where The World Once Was

38. Bruce Hornsby – Non-Secure Connection

37. The Wood Brothers – Kingdom In My Mind

36. Charley Crockett – Welcome To Hard Times

35. The Strokes – The New Abnormal

34. Jeff Tweedy – Love Is The King

33. Sylvan Esso – Free Love

32. Father John Misty – Anthem +3

31. Laura Marling – Song For Our Daughter

30. Phish – Sigma Oasis

29. Arlo McKinley – Die Midwestern

28. Haim – Women In Music Pt. III

27. Car Seat Headrest – Making A Door Less Open

26. 49 Winchester – III

25. Devon Gilfillian – Black Hole Rainbow

24. Dawes – Good Luck With Whatever

23. Margo Price – That’s How Rumors Get Started

22. Blitzen Trapper – Holy Smokes Future Jokes

21. Tame Impala – The Slow Rush

20. Kathleen Edwards – Total Freedom

19. Khruangbin – Mordechai

18. My Morning Jacket – The Waterfall II

17. Tom Petty – Wildflowers And All The Rest

16. Drive-By Truckers – The New Ok

15. Soccer Mommy – Color Theory

14. Run The Jewels – RTJ4

13. Nathaniel Rateliff – And It’s Still Alright

12. Tyler Childers – Long Violent History

11. Bonny Light Horseman – Bonny Light Horseman

10. Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever – Sideways To New Italy

9. Bob Dylan – Rough & Rowdy Ways

8. Fleet Foxes – Shore

7. Phoebe Bridgers – Punisher

6. Chris Stapleton – Starting Over

5. Bruce Springsteen And The E Street Band – Letter To You

4. Sturgill Simpson – Cuttin’ Grass, Vol. 1 (The Butcher Shoppe Sessions)

3. Fiona Apple – Fetch The Bolt Cutters

2. Waxahatchee – Saint Cloud

1. Jason Isbell & The 400 Unit – Reunions

The Top 100 of 2020

1. Jason Isbell & The 400 Unit – Reunions
2. Waxahatchee – Saint Cloud
3. Fiona Apple – Fetch The Bolt Cutters
4. Sturgill Simpson – Cuttin’ Grass, Vol. 1 (The Butcher Shoppe Sessions)
5. Bruce Springsteen And The E Street Band – Letter To You
6. Chris Stapleton – Starting Over
7. Phoebe Bridgers – Punisher
8. Fleet Foxes – Shore
9. Bob Dylan – Rough & Rowdy Ways
10.  Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever – Sideways To New Italy
11.  Bonny Light Horseman – Bonny Light Horseman
12.  Tyler Childers – Long Violent History
13.  Nathaniel Rateliff – And It’s Still Alright
14.  Run The Jewels – RTJ4
15.  Soccer Mommy – Color Theory
16.  Drive-By Truckers – The New Ok
17.  Tom Petty – Wildflowers And All The Rest
18.  My Morning Jacket – The Waterfall II
19.  Khruangbin – Mordechai
20.  Kathleen Edwards – Total Freedom
21.  Tame Impala – The Slow Rush
22.  Blitzen Trapper – Holy Smokes Future Jokes
23.  Margo Price – That’s How Rumors Get Started
24.  Dawes – Good Luck With Whatever
25.  Devon Gilfillian – Black Hole Rainbow
26.  49 Winchester – III
27.  Car Seat Headrest – Making A Door Less Open
28.  Haim – Women In Music Pt. III
29.  Arlo McKinley – Die Midwestern
30.  Phish – Sigma Oasis
31.  Laura Marling – Song For Our Daughter
32.  Father John Misty – Anthem +3
33.  Sylvan Esso – Free Love
34.  Jeff Tweedy – Love Is The King
35.  The Strokes – The New Abnormal
36.  Charley Crockett – Welcome To Hard Times
37.  The Wood Brothers – Kingdom In My Mind
38.  Bruce Hornsby – Non-Secure Connection
39.  Bright Eyes – Down In The Weeds Where The World Once Was
40.  The Avett Brothers – The Third Gleam
41.  Chicano Batman – Invisible People
42.  Josh Ritter – See Here, I Have Built You A Mansion
43.  Katie Pruitt – Expectations
44.  Lukas Nelson & Promise Of The Real – Secret Garden
45.  X – Alphabetland
46.  Gold Connections – Ammunition
47.  Chamomile & Whiskey – Red Clay Heart
48.  Cordovas – Destiny Hotel
49.  Sarah Jarosz – World On The Ground
50.  Mt. Joy – Rearrange Us
51.  Ray LaMontagne – Monovision
52.  John Craigie – Asterisk The Universe
53.  Washed Out – Purple Noon
54.  Lucinda Williams – Good Souls Better Angels
55.  Caroline Rose – Superstar
56.  Gillian Welch & David Rawlings – Boots No. 2: The Lost Songs, Vol. 1
57.  Neil Young – Homegrown
58.  Pearl Jam – Gigaton
59.  Future Islands – As Long As You Are
60.  Gorillaz – Song Machine, Season One: Strange Timez
61.  Kurt Vile – Speed, Sound, Lonely KV
62.  The Chicks – Gaslighter
63.  Perfume Genius – Set My Heart On Fire Immediately
64.  Old 97’s – Twelfth
65.  Songhoy Blues – Optimisme
66.  Marcus King – El Dorado
67.  Chuck Prophet – The Land That Time Forgot
68.  David Wax Museum – Carpenter Bird 10th Anniversary
69.  Toots And The Maytals – Got To Be Tough
70.  Grimes – Miss Anthropocene
71.  Willie Nelson – First Rose Of Spring
72.  Curt Sydnor – Revolutionary Etudes
73.  Erin Lunsford – The Damsel
74.  Samia – The Baby
75.  EOB – Earth
76.  The Lone Bellow – Half Moon Light
77.  Fruition – Broken At The Break Of Day
78.  Yo-Yo Ma, Stuart Duncan, Edgar Meyer, Chris Thiele – Not Our First Goat Rodeo
79.  The Allman Betts Band – Bless Your Heart
80.  The Pretenders – Hate For Sale
81.  Dinner Party – Dinner Party
82.  Rufus Wainwright – Unfollow The Rules
83.  S.G. Goodman – Old Time Feeling
84.  Tennis – Swimmer
85.  Real Estate – The Main Thing
86.  Bahamas – Sad Hunk
87.  Early James – Singing For My Supper
88.  Robert Cray – That’s What I Heard
89.  Steve Earle & The Dukes – Ghosts Of West Virginia
90.  Maceo Parker – Soul Food: Cooking With Maceo
91.  Norah Jones – Pick Me Up Off The Floor
92.  Becca Mancari – The Greatest Part
93.  Delta Spirit – What Is There
94.  Nick Lowe – Lay It On Me
95.  Deau Eyes – Let It Leave
96.  Kalbells – Mothertime
97.  Matt Berninger – Serpentine Prison
98.  Watkins Family Hour – Brother, Sister
99.  Kendall Street Company – The Stories We Write For Ourselves
100. Butcher Brown – King Butch