Like a lot of writers I love making lists and I had a blast putting the list you see below together. The entries are unranked on purpose because I feel like putting a number beside them would cheapen the process in that it would suggest a super qualitative decision on my part. I approach listening to and writing about music simply as a fan, not as a critic.
In a year when music became an even bigger lifeline to me than it already was, I feel like I am not qualified to tell you what the “best” record of the year was, only what some of my favorites were. There are undoubtedly countless other potential favorites from 2020 that I have missed and not had the pleasure to listen to yet. It is my hope that in my eternal, constant, and relentless pursuit of good music I will experience the joy of discovering them too.
What you see below are my picks for 100 of my favorite studio albums, 20 of my favorite EPs, and 20 of my favorite live recordings released during 2020. For the sake of brevity, I have excluded reissues and boxed sets released over the past year, of which there were many of those that I enjoyed as well.
Under each entry you will see a direct link to where you can find out more about the artists and their work and where you can purchase their music. Musical artists and venues need our support now more than ever and I am committed, like I am sure you are, to doing all that I can to help these two most precious cultural resources thrive and survive.
In 2021, I sincerely wish peace, love, happiness, safety, and last but not least, good music to us all.
John Michael Antonio
Favorite Albums Released In 2020
Half Moon Light -The Lone Bellow
https://www.thelonebellow.com/
Shine – Ana Cristina Cash
https://www.anacristinacash.com/merch
The New OK – Drive -By Truckers
https://www.drivebytruckers.com/
Woman In Color – Raye Zaragoza
https://www.rayezaragoza.com/music
The Chaser – Secret Emchy Society
Ghosts Of West Virginia – Steve Earle And The Dukes
https://hifi247.com/steve-earle.html
The Unraveling – Drive – By Truckers
https://www.drivebytruckers.com/
Love Life – Tawny Ellis
Overnight Lows – Sunny Ozell
Love In The Midst Of Mayhem – Joe Ely
Good Souls Better Angels – Lucinda Williams
https://www.lucindawilliams.com/music
Unemployed Highly Annoyed – Jeremiah Johnson
https://jeremiahjohnsonband.com/store
You Better Hurry Up – Caleb Caudle
No Time For Enemies – Gangstagrass
L.A. Yesterday – Lee Gallagher and The Hallelujah
https://www.leegallaghermusic.com/
Total Freedom – Kathleen Edwards
https://www.kathleenedwards.com/
Shine – The Danberrys
Burn The Witch- Sarah Peacock
https://sarahpeacockmusic.com/
Self Made Man – Larkin Poe
Saturn Return – Secret Sisters
https://stores.portmerch.com/secretsistersband/
Never Will – Ashley McBryde
https://www.ashleymcbryde.com/music
Welcome To Hard Times – Charley Crockett
http://www.charleycrockett.com/
Years -John Anderson
https://johnanderson.shop.musictoday.com/store/
Quarantine Blues – Mike Zito
Listen – Kyshona Armstrong
Neon Cross – Jaime Wyatt
https://www.jaimewyatt.com/music
Country Westerns – Country Westerns
https://countrywesternsband.com/music
Blue Hearts – Bob Mould
https://bobmould.com/category/music/solo/
The Offering – Xanthe Alexis
The Reservoir – Kenny Roby
Many Moons – Jeremy Squires
https://www.jeremysquires.org/store
First Rose Of Spring – Willie Nelson
https://willienelson.com/collections/music/products/first-rose-of-spring
Honky Tonk Hell – Gabe Lee
Lamentations – American Aquarium
http://www.americanaquarium.com/
Torch And Trouble – Emily Zuzik
Solo Acoustic Vol. 1-Steve Wynn
https://stevewynn1.bandcamp.com/album/solo-acoustic-vol-1
Gaslighter – The Chicks
.Reunions – Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit
That’s How Rumors Get Started – Margo Price
The Country – Tennessee Jet
Country Supper – Robert Connely Farr
https://www.robertconnelyfarr.com/
Bears & Bulls – The Stone Foxes
https://www.thestonefoxes.com/
Pressure – Tyler Bryant and The Shakedown
http://www.tylerbryantandtheshakedown.com/
The Life and Times of James “The Rooster” Corcoran – Vincent Cross
Forever Worse Better – Great Peacock
Rough and Rowdy Ways- Bob Dylan
The Tango Bar- Greg Copeland
https://gregcopeland1.bandcamp.com/releases
Flyover Country – Susan Werner
Make Things Better – Town Meeting
https://www.townmeetingmusic.com/
The Witches Made Me Do It-Ryan Cassata
http://www.ryancassata.com/music
Duo Numero Uno -The Nadas
https://thenadas.com/album/1526692/duo-numero-uno
Band Together – The Whiskey Treaty Roadshow
http://www.thewhiskeytreaty.com/
Heavens To Betsy – Jeremiah Johnson
https://jeremiahjohnsonband.com/store
Field Recordings, Vol. 1- Charley Crockett
https://charley-crockett-official-store.myshopify.com/
Elisabeth – Zach Bryan
https://www.zachlanebryan.com/music
The Last Shall Be First: The JCR Records Story , Vol. 1 – Various Artists
Vintage Machine Digital Album – Jackie Venson
https://jackievenson.bandcamp.com/album/vintage-machine-digital-album
Pay It Back – LP Kelly
https://lpkelly.bandcamp.com/album/pay-it-back
Early Morning Rain – Steve Forbert
Touch Of You: The Lost Songs Of Gary Stewart-Mike and the Moonpies
https://mikeandthemoonpies.bandcamp.com/album/touch-of-you-the-lost-songs-of-gary-stewart
Hard Lines & Headlights – Whiskey Foxtrot
https://www.whiskeyfoxtrotmusic.com/music
Cool. – seela
Also, Too – Darlin’ Brando
https://brndngldstn.wixsite.com/darlinbrando/music
The Prettiest Bird – Susan Pepper
All This Time- Heather Anne Lomax
https://heatherlomaxmusic.com/store
Glitter & Gold- Dead Rock West
http://www.deadrockwest.com/music
Starting Over – Chris Stapleton
https://www.chrisstapleton.com/music/
Hard Love -Rascal Martinez
https://www.rascalmartinez.com/music.html
Calamity – Stillhouse Junkies
https://stillhousejunkies.com/welcome
Have You Lost Your Mind Yet? – Fantastic Negrito
World Is Waiting – Nikki O’ Neill
Wildhorse – Malin Pettersen
http://malinpettersenofficial.com/
Distance and Time – Becky Buller
https://darkshadowrecording.com/becky-buller
We Wither, We Bloom – The Northern Belle
https://thenorthernbelle.bandcamp.com/album/we-wither-we-bloom
Mondegreens- Rachel Garlin
https://rachelgarlin.com/new-album
Bad Luck – Sylvia Rose Novak
https://sylviarosenovak.com/#home-section
Long Violent History – Tyler Childers
https://longviolenthistory.tylerchildersmusic.com/
Sorry You Couldn’t Make It- Swamp Dogg
The White Sea- Diane and The Gentlemen
Asterisk The Universe – John Craigie
https://johncraigiemusic.com/music
Time Traveler- Jason Wilber
Aftermath – Elizabeth Cook
https://www.elizabeth-cook.com/
Far From Home – Aubrie Sellers
https://home.aubriesellers.com/
Blues Comin’ On – Joe Louis Walker
https://www.joelouiswalker.com/music
Quarantine Blues – Roman Barten-Sherman and Tom Walbank
https://romanbarten-sherman.bandcamp.com/album/quarantine-blues-2
Quarantine Blues Vol. 2 – Roman Barten-Sherman and Tom Walbank
https://romanbarten-sherman.bandcamp.com/album/quarantine-blues-vol-2
Quarantine Blues Vol. 3 – Roman Barten-Sherman and Tom Walbank
https://romanbarten-sherman.bandcamp.com/album/quarantine-blues-vol-3
Spirit Rising – Phillip Sayce
Leave It All Behind – Mike Frazier
https://mikefrazierva.bandcamp.com/album/leave-it-all-behind
The Balladeer – Lori McKenna
Punisher – Phoebe Bridgers
https://store.phoebefuckingbridgers.com/collections/music
Your Life Is A Record – Brandy Clark
https://www.brandyclarkmusic.com/#
We Still Go To Rodeos – Whitney Rose
The Sick Season – Becky Warren
https://beckywarren.bandcamp.com/merch
Altar Of Harmony – Luke Schneider
https://lukeschneider.bandcamp.com/
Sides – Emily King
https://www.emilykingmusic.com/
Get in Union – Bessie Jones
https://alanlomaxarchive.bandcamp.com/album/get-in-union
World On the Ground – Sarah Jarosz
Sister – Puss N Boots
https://www.pussnbootsmusic.com/
A Small Death – Samantha Crain
https://www.samanthacrain.com/
Favorite EPs Released In 2020
Spirals, Vol 1 : Not A straight Line To Be Found – Bruce Sudano
https://therocks871.wixsite.com/brucesudano/music
Spirals Vol 2 : Time & Space In Between – Bruce Sudano
https://therocks871.wixsite.com/brucesudano/music
Oh Sedona -Michael McArthur
https://www.michaelmcarthurmusic.com/
How To Fall In Love – Michael McArthur
https://www.michaelmcarthurmusic.com
Bridges – Mickey Guyton
Letters From A Broken Heart – Whitney McClain
http://www.whitneymcclain.com/
They’ll Never Keep Us Down – Kelsey Waldon
https://www.kelseywaldon.com/media-1
Too Blind To Hear – Peter Wise
http://www.peterwisemusic.com/
Live From Capricorn Studios – Blackberry Smoke
https://www.blackberrysmoke.com/pages/music
Quiet, Heavy Dreams – Zach Bryan
https://www.zachlanebryan.com/music
For The Forgotten – Live from MOXE – Kyshona Armstrong
https://kyshona.bandcamp.com/album/for-the-forgotton-live-from-moxe
The Times – Neil Young
https://neilyoungarchives.com/album?id=A_119
Rodeo Queen – Kylie Frey
https://kyliefrey.fanlink.to/RodeoQueen-EP
Heart In Tennessee – Teni Rane
A Zillion Stars Overhead – Debra Devi
Life Is Beautiful – Matthew Ryan
https://matthewryanonline.com/
Show Pony – Orville Peck
After Midnight – Callie McCullough
https://www.calliemccullough.com/
A Short Film For A Long Story – Strays Don’t Sleep
https://matthewryanonline.com/
Burial Ground EP – Roman Barten- Sherman and Tom Walbank
https://romanbarten-sherman.bandcamp.com/album/burial-ground-ep-2
Favorite Live Recordings Released In 2020
Rocked This Town: From LA To London – The Stray Cats
Live At The Forum – The Teskey Brothers
http://www.theteskeybrothers.com/music
Live At The Paramount -Ruthie Foster
http://www.ruthiefoster.com/#homepage
Live In Europe – Sara Schorr
https://www.manhatonrecords.com/product/sari-schorr-live-in-europe-signed-digipak-cd
Live at Austin City Limits – Jackie Venson
https://jackievenson.bandcamp.com/album/jackie-venson-live-at-austin-city-limits
Socially Distant in New Jersey – Live at the Blu Grotto (9/11/20) – Blackberry Smoke
Heathens Homecoming 2020 – Drive-By Truckers
https://drivebytruckers.bandcamp.com/album/heathens-homecoming-2020
April 25 , 2020 : An Evening Of Songs Performed At Home – Aoife O’ Donovan
https://aoifeodonovan.bandcamp.com/album/april-25th-2020-an-evening-of-songs-performed-at-home
Return To Greendale – Neil Young & Crazy Horse
https://neilyoungarchives.com/album?id=A_116
Live From the Midwest – The Way Down Wanderers
https://thewaydownwanderers.com/store#!
Jackrabbit Slim Live In Concert – Steve Forbert
Live From Symphony Hall (Atlanta, GA – 11/6/15) – The Milk Carton Kids
https://themilkcartonkids.bandcamp.com/album/live-from-symphony-hall-atlanta-ga-11-6-15
Recorded Live At The Recording Shop Studio – Sunny Sweeney
https://sunny-sweeney-merchandise.myshopify.com/
Live And Solo -Edward David Anderson
https://www.edwarddavidanderson.com/
The Sugar Sessions (Live At Memorial Hall) – Shannon Clark & The Sugar
https://www.shannonclarksugar.com/store
School Daze: A Fundraiser For Durham Public Schools Students – Hiss Golden Messenger
http://www.hissgoldenmessenger.com/
Forward, Children : A Fundraiser For Durham Public Schools Students – Hiss Golden Messenger
Perfectly Imperfect At the Ryman (Live) – Margo Price
Reunions: Live At Brooklyn Bowl Nashville – Jason Isbell & Amanda Shires
https://jasonisbell.bandcamp.com/album/reunions-live-at-brooklyn-bowl-nashville
Live At the Caverns -Pelham, TN 10/11/20 – Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit
https://jasonisbell.bandcamp.com/album/live-at-the-caverns-pelham-tn-10-11-20