In what seemed like the longest, most chaotic and unpredictable year ever, it was music that carried many of us through in one piece. In a year that plunged the world into a global pandemic, many other notable events, occurrences and sound bites crossed our paths and news feeds throughout the year. Murder hornets, Sahara dust plumes, melting Greenland ice sheets, Election Day asteroids, and double hurricanes with names that extended into the Greek alphabet - these were some of the WTF moments of the year. 2020 was also a year during which the social conscience of America was awakened, unstifled by the pandemic, with the masses drawing much-needed attention to social justice issues and inequality. There's a ton of healing and repair to be done in the months and years ahead, but I'm hopeful that positive change will occur.
The music scene suffered a huge blow during 2020. The musicians, producers, recording studios, venues and clubs, festivals, benefits and events all found their worlds turned upside down. Virtual concerts, Bandcamp Fridays, home and basement recording sessions, Zoom events and other creative and collaborative alternatives took their place. Persistence and innovation reigned - and the creative output from the music world was massive and mind-blowing.
In a year that seemed like two, it was nearly impossible to come up with just 20 top tracks - so it's a Top 40 this year. The list below is just the tip of the iceberg of songs that carried me through 2020.
I've created an accompanying Spotify playlist so you can easily listen to SoundThread Music Blog's Top 40 Tracks of 2020. Queue it up and have a listen - some of these just might become your new favorite songs!
NATION OF LANGUAGE "Tournament"
CRYOTE "Good Medicine"
HARRISON STORM "Be Slow"
J GRGRY "Dinosaurs"
PIETER NOOTEN "She Is Asleep"
M. BYRD "Mountain"
COMMON JACK "Still Awake"
BEN RICE "American"
EXNATIONS "Love in the Time of Quarantine"
FOREVER HONEY "Christian"
BRYDE "Silence"
EIGHTY NINETY "Better as Friends"
LANITA SMITH "Holdin' On"
MIKE MENTZ "Ain't That the Life"
LELAND BLUE "Starting Over"
LÉON "And It Breaks My Heart"
FREEDOM FRY "Stronger"
SOSO FAUX "twentyfourseven!"
CAL TRASK "1918"
R+ DIDO "Together (In These Times)"
RIVER HOOKS "Mountains"
VARGAS & LAGOLA "Suddenly"
THE MAMAS "Move"
AU GRES "Nervous"
KÅRP "Left Handed"
THOMPSON SPRINGS "Slightly Sexy"
AGNES "Fingers Crossed"
VOIX "Pull You Down"
HUNTER HUXTER feat. ALX "Fuck 2020"
DNDR "Fever Dream"
YOUNG EJECTA "Screen Guru"
JUNG "Nobody Knows"
ESKOBAR "When You Heroes Fall"
DARLA JADE "Forget You Not"
ERASURE "Nerves of Steel"
PAUL MOODY & KYLE McEVOY "Towards You"
JEFF PIANKI "Weight of the World"
WILD PINK "The Shining But Tropical"
MATT LOVELL "The Way That It Was"
STRØM "Mesmerize"