Let’s have a little look back at the 2020s so far, and list out the best songs, EPs, and albums that we’ve been treated to since 01/01/2020, with some thoughts provided on various releases throughout!
Only one entry per artist, excluding features!
THE TOP 100 SONGS OF THE 2020s SO FAR.
100. Vivid Dreams – Carnivorous Herbivores
It is an absolute tragedy that Vivid Dreams’ debut EP remains their only body of work, but what the band unleashed here still remains a brilliant listen. A vicious punk rager that tackles organised religion with refreshing, uncompromising brutality, whilst the choruses pack a surprisingly catchy punch.
99. Bella Wright – Ashtray
98. Thirst – Paycheck
97. alright (okay) – Elevator Etiquette
96. PUP – PUPtheband Inc. is Filing for Bankruptcy
95. Kendrick Lamar – The Heart Part V
The world of hip-hop isn’t one we delve into too often here, but don’t mistake that for a lack of appreciation of the art form. This rumination on cycles of violence, generational trauma, and what it means to be an African American in this modern world is a wildly powerful piece of art from the hip-hop world’s premier penman.
94. Kerosene Heights – Kathryn
93. Oakwood Grove – Breakdown
92. Ourfathers – An Offering.
Should we ever produce a ‘Top 100 Songs of the 2010s’ list, or even a ‘Top [x] Songs of All Time’ list, Ourfathers may well be found near, or perhaps even at, the very peak. Yet even in our 2020s world, they find their place with a haunting yet claustrophobic work of art that features a truly magical climax section.
91. Ocean Grove – JUNKIE$
90. Girl Group – Life is Dumb
89. Clean Shirt – Clouded
88. saturdays at your place – tarot cards
87. Crashface – Molotov Smile
86. Mia Vel – Pretend
85. The Bigger Picture – Bullets Little Thoughts
84. Lorelai – Caw
83. Sun Spot – Figure 08
82. Mud Whale – Little Place
81. Injury Reserve – Knees
80. Bleached Cross – Grief’s Eternal Wound
79. danger dog – Big Z Surf Memorial
78. Shefu – Thumb
Upon first witnessing Shefu, it was clear that this was a band destined for big, big things. Now, with several indie hits and an international tour with Crawlers under their belt, that belief is coming to fruition. With its impeccable vocal performance and glamorous yet playful instrumentation, ‘Thumb’ remains an incredible offering from an incredible grassroots band.
77. Auraboros (feat. the great nothing) – Contemplating
76. Fontaines D.C. – Starburster
75. A Place For Owls – broken open seed
74. BloodMagic – Death / Rebirth
73. cartoonhead – Rodney
72. Jools – 97%
71. October Drift – Oh The Silence
70. Lure In – God Saves
69. Chalk Hands – Don’t Think About Death
68. Ditz – Ded Würst
67. Stay Inside – When’s The Last Time?
66. Mallcops – Freezer
65. House Of Protection – It’s Supposed To Hurt
64. Chappell Roan – Good Luck, Babe!
As somebody whom has lost interest with much of the pop major leagues as time has worn on, Chappell Roan is the first artist in a long time to suck me back into the dominion of the popstar. Her over-the-top, retro-tinged sound, accompanied by incredible vocals and witty lyricism, is undeniably charming.
63. unpeople – moon baboon
62. France, You’re On Your Own – Church Roof
61. Paramore – This Is Why
60. The Killers (feat. Weyes Blood) – My God
59. The Last Dinner Party – Nothing Matters
58. The Oh Hellos – Soap
The Oh Hellos managed to achieve a moment of TikTok virality this decade, with their frolicking number ‘Soldier, Poet, King’. However, it is the life-affirming, barnstorming romp that is ‘Soap’ that makes this list. With its wildly infectious melodies, gorgeous harmonies, and bristling gang vocals, this number is The Oh Hellos at their playful best.
57. itoldyouiwouldeatyou (feat. awakebutstillinbed) – Moscow is Silent
56. Save Face (feat. Heart Attack Man) – Song the Bullets Sing
55. Northlane – Dante
Northlane’s latest EP ultimately proved to be a surprising disappointment from the metalcore juggernauts, with creative and mastering missteps throughout. However, the band did also manage to produce one of their finest tracks to date, with the pulsing, ethereal ‘Dante’. With every release of this band, the vocals of Marcus Bridge just seem to get better and better.
54. The Home Team (feat. Jeff Loomis) – Danger
53. Void Of Vision – ASMR
52. Ho99o9 – BATTERIES NOT INCLUDED
51. Ghost – Hunter’s Moon
50. Fall Out Boy – So Much (for) Stardust
Last year saw Fall Out Boy’s ‘Heaven, Iowa’ represent the emo legends on the Top 50 Songs of 2023 list. However, over time, it is the bombastic and melodramatic closer that has proven itself as a more compelling listen. Patrick Stump is a generational vocalist, and it is this anthem that shows it.
49. Modern Error – Only One
48. Black Country, New Road – Snow Globes
47. The Ongoing Concept – Feel Again
46. Red Rum Club – Holy Horses
Arriving on their sophomore record, legendary Liverpudlians Red Rum Club crafted a thumping, party-infused ode to being a complete rapscallion with this electrifyingly fun banger. Fiery brass collides with slick bass lines and danceable, galloping percussion. Scousers have never sounded so bombastic.
45. Static Dress – cubicle dialogues
44. pulses. – Run The Ghouls
43. Holding Absence – False Dawn
42. Picture Parlour – Norwegian Wood
41. Moodring – WOULDYOUWAITFORME
40. Desolate – Rebirth
39. The Callous Daoboys – Starbaby
38. Muse – You Make Me Feel Like It’s Halloween
Despite Muse’s most recent album being their worst by far, it won’t totally devoid of the over-the-top rock bangers that Muse is known and loved for. This bombastic, theatrical number sees the band pushing the limits of what silly ideas they can get away with, and that tongue-in-cheek approach pays off perfectly.
37. Origami Angel – Few And Far Between
36. Yard Act – The Trench Coat Museum
35. Spiritbox – Rotoscope
34. Bring Me The Horizon – LosT
33. Thornhill – Raw
32. Casey – Great Grief
31. Paledusk (feat. Hideyoshi) – SLAY!!
As a former ballroom dancer myself, the music video alone for this track makes it worthy of being on this list. Fortunately, the pure insanity that is Paledusk’s sound also matches the quality of the glamorous MV, with this catchy, classy, and chaotic hurricane of metalcore-adjacent fury showing just why no one is doing it like Paledusk. An incredibly special band.
30. Harm. – this world is merciless, and it’s also very beautiful
29. The Amazing Devil – Drinking Song For The Socially Anxious
The life of an introvert has never been conveyed as wonderfully as The Amazing Devil managed on this tearjerker of a track. The dual vocals, layered over raw, intimate acoustic guitar work, makes for a beautifully confessional atmosphere, as the duo retail tales of anxiety at parties, Dungeons and Dragons, and the little comforts that keep you feeling safe.
28. The Dear Hunter – Ring 3 – Luxury
27. [NULL] – Fencewalker
26. Benefits – Council Rust
25. Manchester Orchestra – Angel of Death
Manchester Orchestra have truly solidified their status as indie legends at this point, with a truly phenomenal discography. ‘Angel of Death’ sees the band continuing with their more recent cinematic sound, and pushing it into the realm of the ethereal, with soaring instrumentals and intense, pensive vocals.
24. Creeper – Black Moon
23. Seahaven – Bait
Seahaven’s ‘Halo of Hurt’ is the season of Winter consolidated into musical form, with stark yet beautifully haunting instrumental passages decorated with gorgeous, understated vocals. ‘Bait’ is the most beautiful moment of this collection, with stripped back acoustics that vault into an anthemic yet vulnerable climax section.
22. Birds in Row – Nympheas
21. HMLTD – The Worm
20. Dreamwell – Blighttown Beat
19. Enter Shikari – { The Dreamer’s Hotel }
Few choruses this decade have proven to be quite as devilishly catchy as that of this track. Even music fans whom had never bothered with Enter Shikari couldn’t help but get sucked in by the electrifying, danceable energy that this track presents with.
18. Agnes Manners – Brilliant Blue
17. Knocked Loose – Blinding Faith
16. Fireworks – I Want To Start A Religion With You
15. State Faults – No Gospel
14. Bo Burnham – All Eyes On Me
I finally left Twitter this year. Partly it was due to the Nazis, and partly it was due to being made to read the sentence ‘Bo Burnham’s ‘Inside’ had no cultural staying power’. Anyway, ‘All Eyes On Me’ is a harrowing look at emotional recovery in a capitalist hellscape, and transcends the very comedy special it features in.
13. My Chemical Romance – Foundations of Decay
12. Loathe – Two-Way Mirror
11. beheading. (feat. Sam J Grudgings) – Saint Drowner
Intense yet starkly beautiful droning ambience and screeching feedback is layered beneath a heartbreaking poetry performance from Sam J Grudgings on this life-changing rumination on mental illness and suicide. It’s an incredibly uncomfortable listen, marked by a vulnerability so intense it is hard to describe effectively, but it is a listen that is certain to stay with you for life.
10. Arctic Monkeys – There’d Better Be A Mirror Ball
Whilst Arctic Monkeys sonically slumped on their last record, ‘The Car‘, they did manage to somehow also produce their finest song to date. This shimmering, sweeping work of art oozes charm, character, and heartbreak. The Monkeys can still make an impact when they want to.
9. Careful Gaze – Not Tunneled
The concluding track of their sophomore record, this cinematic number truly feels like the credit scroll at the end of your favourite bittersweet coming-of-age movie, with shimmering instrumentals that build towards a rapturous climax, and a shiver-inducing vocal performance that reminds you that even through what feels like abject hopelessness, hope relentlessly perseveres.
8. The Throwaway Scene – Who Else is in the Room?
7. the great nothing – dirty dishes
6. Bouquet – Glisten
It is hard to describe just how magical listening to ‘Glisten’ for the first time is. The debut single of these rising alternative stars, the track sees beautiful, expansive, cinematic instrumentation collide with a bittersweet, heartfelt vocal performance that induces shivers with every single listen. Perhaps this is the emo anthem of the decade.
5. Coheed & Cambria – Window of a Waking Mind
4. nightlife – fallback
3. Topiary Creatures – Cleaning Basil Out of the Pool
2. Sleep Token – Euclid
2023 saw the masked collective take over the alternative world, exploding in popularity thanks to their incredible progressive behemoth, ‘The Summoning’. However, it is how the band close their latest record that puts them on this list, with the driving, cinematic, power-pop tinged ‘Euclid’ not only offering a conclusion on their record, but the band’s journey so far, with the track not only looping back to the opening bars of their debut LP, but referencing material prior to even that.
- Adjy – When June Met July III. at a Dance where the Stars Cross
THE TOP 10 EPs OF THE 2020s SO FAR
10. LIAR – Cruel Lights
9. House Of Protection – GALORE
8. Save Face – …Found Dead At The Crime Scene
7. Followship – Stigma
6. Creeper – American Noir
5. Desolate – The fate of destruction is the joy of rebirth
4. Bouquet – Cardinal
3. nightlife – fallback
nightlife are nothing less than completely game-changing, and their fallback EP is perfectly indicative of this. The sounds of RnB, soul, and funk merge beautifully and effortlessly with suggestions of pop punk, post-hardcore, and even djent. Moments of pure hedonistic danceable fun collide with genuine moments of splendorous musical beauty, showcasing a collection of musicians who spit on the idea of conforming to expectations.
2. The Throwaway Scene – On Death & Dying
- the great nothing – no one.
The debut EP of Manchester’s the great nothing put the band firmly on the map of the UK’s underground alternative scene. Adrenaline fuelled alternative metal collides with infectious emo hooks and intense, danceable rhythms, producing a sound that feels familiar yet defies easy labelling or categorisation. Rumours have it that next year sees the band dropping more material, so now is the time to get educated before they take over the scene.
THE TOP 20 ALBUMS OF THE 2020s SO FAR
20. Dreamwell – In My Saddest Dreams, I Am Beside You
19. Knocked Loose – You Won’t Go Before You’re Supposed To
18. Static Dress – Rouge Carpet Disaster
17. The Dear Hunter – Antimai
After reaching a conclusion with their legendary ‘The Acts’ series of albums, it was time for The Dear Hunter to tell us a new tale. ‘Antimai’ sees the band diving into the sounds of space funk as they commenced a new saga surrounding a dystopian city, a missing messiah, and a dying world. It’s a ridiculous record in all of the ways only The Dear Hunter could pull off, packed with magical conceptual elements, and scathing, self-aware political commentary.
16. Lure In – We Are All Going To Hell
15. The Killers – Imploding The Mirage
14. Coheed & Cambria – Vaxis – Act II: Window of a Waking Mind
2025 sees the legendary sci-fi rockers unleashing the third act of their Vaxis series of records, and if the previous entry was anything to go by, Coheed & Cambria will be dominating 2025 album of the year listings. ‘Act II’ sees the band bringing a pop-punk veneer to their prog-rock sound, conjuring up one devilishly catchy number after another whilst still producing captivating, intelligently crafted, and complex music. The closing title track is perhaps the finest work of their lengthy, legendary career, as the band fully lean into their progressive nature with a surprising theatrical twist.
13. Thornhill – Heroine
12. HMLTD – The Worm
11. Strelitzia – Winter
10. The Home Team – Slow Bloom
When this album dropped, I predicted that The Home Team were going to explode in popularity. Bringing funk, pop-punk, and RnB elements together as a ‘heavy pop’ sound, this record put the band firmly on the map as ones to watch. This year, following their third record, the band managed to sell-out their entire debut headline UK tour. Not even the sky is the limit for this four-piece.
9. Loathe – I Let It In And It Took Everything
8. Enter Shikari – Nothing is True & Everything is Possible
7. The Amazing Devil – The Horror & The Wild
6. State Faults – Children Of The Moon
5. Creeper – Sex, Death, & The Infinite Void
Creeper’s ability to conjure up truly magical gothic soundscapes has seen them place on all three lists of this retrospective. Whilst the vampiric theatrics of their latest record ‘Sanguivore’ offers a delightfully dark listen, it is their sophomore record that places here. A dramatic tale of doomed love set against the dying sparkle of Hollywood’s golden era, the band toy with sounds that range from emo to Britpop on this captivating, heartbreaking concept record.
4. Birds in Row – Gris Klein
3. Topiary Creatures – The Metaphysical Tech Support Hotline
2. Sleep Token – Take Me Back To Eden
- Adjy – The Idyll Opus
To describe Adjy’s debut album as anything other than ‘life-changing’ would be doing the eclectic outfit an immense disservice. This incredible concept album brings together folk-rock, progressive-rock, post-hardcore, and even emo to conjure up a tale of doomed love in the corn belts of America. It is a magical, enchanting experience, elevated by its usage of real life natural soundscapes, and made all the more mysterious by the band’s lack of social media presence. This record is an album in the very truest sense.
And with that, 2024’s music reviews, and the first half of this decade, is brought to a close. It has been a strange few years, but even in the face of unprecedented challenges, the music never stopped. Already my calendar is dotted with exciting releases for 2025, but until then, it’s time to break out the party food, watch some Wallace & Gromit, and wait for that new year to roll around. See you on the flip side!
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