There was so much amazing music in 2020. Bands were putting out a lot of music while they were in lockdown and quarantine. This year saw more singles and EP’s for sure. In 2019 I had 612 albums by the end of this year. This year I only had 447. I had to narrow that down to just 100 and will have to narrow it down again to 50 and then finally to 30 for my Top 30 Show on Synthentral. Make sure to give it a listen when it posts on HearThis or MixCloud!
I have several rules I work with when narrowing down the albums to my top list:
- In order for an album to qualify, I must own the album, either through purchasing it on my own or given to me by the band or label. There were quite a few albums released in 2020 that were not provided to me by the band/label or I was not able to purchase.
- To qualify it must be an album. There are plenty of lists out there for “top songs” that cover singles and EPs. I want to recognize the artists who put in the time and effort to put out an album.
- To qualify as an album it must have at least seven original songs: remixes, new versions, cover albums, compilations, and “best of” do not qualify. Intro, outro and “intermission” songs do not count toward the total of original songs. This year instrumentals also did not count since I stopped playing instrumentals on the show.
- All albums are weighted so that an album with 7 songs has the same point system as an album with 12 songs.
- I judge each song individually. Then rate the album overall based on the individual song scores and overall listenability.
- I post the lists alphabetically and do not list them in a “countdown” style.
I fully recognize that my list is subjective and that others will have different lists or disagree with my choices. I love that others have different lists and are passionate about different bands and albums! Regardless, listen to the music and give it all a chance. I have “LISTEN HERE” links next to each album title, so give each band and album a chance and listen and support the bands you like!
The Synthentral Top 100 for 2020 (in alphabetical order):
Blair Scott: Synthentral 