Critical Rankings: Top 10 Albums of 2020

​We have thumbed through as many “Best Albums of 2020” lists as we could find and have devised a formula to award points based on which ranking albums were featured at on each critical list to figure up what was the critics’ choice for the top 10 albums of 2020.

Point System:
Rank (Points)

1. 1. (10)
2. 2. (9)
3. 3. (8)
4. 4. (7)
5. 5. (6)
6. 6. (5)
7. 7. (4)
8. 8. (3)
9. 9. (2)
10. 10. (1) 

1. "Fetch the Bolt Cutters" by Fiona Apple (232 points)

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2. "folklore" by Taylor Swift (165 points)

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3. "Punisher" by Phoebe Bridgers (131 points)

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​4. “RTJ4” by Run the Jewels (107 points)

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5. “Future Nostalgia” by Dua Lipa (95 points)

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6. “Rough and Rowdy Ways” by Bob Dylan (78 points)

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7. “Untitled (Black Is)” by Sault (77 points)

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8. “Women in Music Pt. III” by HAIM (70 points)

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9. “Saint Cloud” by Waxahatchee (66 points)

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10. (tie) “SAWAYAMA” by Rina Sawayama & “Ungodly Hour” by Chloe X Halle (60 points)

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Sources:
Rolling Stone, Slate, NPR, Mojo, New York Times, Complex, EW, Uproxx, Paste, Time, Consequence of Sound, Exclaim!, Uncut, Billboard, American Songwriter, The Forty-Five, Gigwise, NME, Pitchfork, PopBuzz, PopMatters Vulture, Associated Press, AV Club, Clash, The Guardian, Los Angeles Times, Noisey, NPR’s Fresh Air, PopSugar, The Ringer, Spin, Stereogum, USA Today, Variety, Yahoo, US Weekly