2020's (So Far) Honorable Mentions: Songs & Albums

On the cusp, but not quite in.

Jan 28, 2025

Every great list has a few choices that just missed the cut of making it. I've highlighted 10 songs and 10 albums from the 2020's (so far) that didn't quite make the Top 100 lists, but deserved to be highlighted anyway. A link to each song and album is included with each entry.

Songs

One of the most beautiful songs the band has ever created, “Mother, Please Don’t Be Sad” is an incredible climax to American Head. Wayne Coyne speaks to his mother from the afterlife, and the way the guitars, synths and drums come together truly make it sound like he’s communicating from another dimension. For a band that’s been around since Ronald Reagan was in office, they clearly still have a lot to give. LISTEN

Yes, you may need a dictionary to understand what the hell Jay Electronica is talking about at any given moment, but trust me, it’s worth having around. His opulent approach to hip hop makes “Ghost Of Soulja Slim” a must-hear track, with lush strings and ringing drums creating a soundscape that’s one-of-a-kind. Jay-Z’s guest vocals only add to the song’s mystique. LISTEN

The first taste of what would be a dominant beginning of the decade for Jessie Ware was “Spotlight”, one of her most sumptuous songs to date. The intro sets the stage for a sultry affair, with Ware’s voice guiding us through a lustful affair backed by plush synths and a gorgeous rhythm. The song’s climax is among the best of any of her many, many great tracks she’s dropped this decade. LISTEN

Using analog synths to perfectly capture feelings of isolation, “Interior People” is as good of a pandemic era song as we got. The bustling rhythm never overloads itself, keeping itself catchy as Stu Mackenzie struggles with depression and the voices in his head. It hits particularly close to home for those of us that went through it during the COVID-19 lockdowns. LISTEN

Lucy Dacus has as big of a voice as anybody in indie rock. She can give the broadest story depth and grace, like the well worn road of a summer fling like she does on “Hot & Heavy”. It’s a slow build through Dacus’ memories, weighing heavy memories of not only her past lover, but her past self. The song’s crescendo doesn’t set her feelings in stone, but provides a big moment that showcases why she’s such a celebrated voice. LISTEN

One Direction’s massive success has afforded Harry Styles a huge audience that’ll love him no matter what he does, but for years I’ve felt he’s just coasting off that initial success. “Music For A Sushi Restaurant” felt like the first moment he really branched out into something more interesting. The horns around the chorus are truly addicting and different than anything he’d done before, and he’s a charming enough singer to give the song an incredible amount of life. LISTEN

RENAISSANCE is Beyoncé’s answer to her lockdown blues, a non-stop party that features infectious song after another. Rather than let things go quietly into the night, she saves the party’s best song for last. “SUMMER RENAISSANCE” samples Donna Summer’s “I Feel Love” to maximum effect, with the bouncy synths Giorgio Moroder cooked up in ‘77 sounding fresh as hell in ‘22. They’re a perfect match for Bey’s energy, wanting nothing but love, passion and fun in a world where it didn’t seem like we’d get that ever again. When she sings “It’s so good, it’s so good…” at the end, I have to imagine she said that after listening to a banger like this. LISTEN

“Poster Girl” is the culmination of the character Hannah Diamond has been crafting for over a decade. Her robotic character now not only understands her emotions, but she’s pushing past them. As she stares at the perfect girl on the poster in her room, she struggles with but overcomes the need to be just like her. The euphoric bridge is among the best performances of Diamond’s career, supported by a synthpop beat fitting of someone bettering themselves. LISTEN

When HELLMODE came out in 2023, it had been three summers since not only the COVID-19 pandemic really set in, but three summers since Jeff Rosenstock’s star was born (to me at least). A lot of good and bad happened in those three summers since NO DREAM came out, and HELLMODE’s closing track sees Jeff spilling his guts on it all in the way only he can. It’s as clean as any of his power punk songs have sounded, and it builds to an incredible peak with the shouts of “Stay young until you die!”. It’s a powerful closing statement, something Jeff has gotten really good at. LISTEN

Sounding like a group of empresses giving court, The Last Dinner Party reach their zenith on “Caesar on a TV Screen”. Their strong baroque stylings sound particularly refined here, stomping through lyrical references to historical figures they think they could outdo. The quartet takes their own hack at masculine fragility and the need to be loved, no matter the kingly facade. As it stands now they’re rulers of their domain, opulent to the nth degree with the musical chops to match. LISTEN

Albums

If the R&B groups of the 1990’s are still listening, they’d be proud of Marcus Brown. His debut record clearly draws from acts like Jodeci or Boyz II Men, but also Prince, Quad City DJs and even Talk Talk. It’s a swirly mix of pop music that Brown dominates. His languid voice sings about life and death like it’s no big deal, complimented by lurid instrumentals that mix all previously mentioned acts into something unique. The world may be falling apart around him, but why fret when there’s time to chill? LISTEN

Sarah Tudzin showed incredible promise for years with her singles as illuminati hotties, and Let Me Do One More fulfilled all of that promise and then some. There’s no shortage of wildly catchy indie rock bangers here, like the aggressively titled “MMMOOOAAAAAYAYA” or the summery “Pool Hopping”. It’s political, it’s passive-aggressive, and it’s pretty damn fun. LISTEN

In 2021 it was pretty hard to avoid Silk Sonic, and for good reason. The funk and pop music within hides nothing, from its shameless stealing of ideas from its influences to the pure, unbridled fun it has at all times. Songs like “Leave The Door Open”, “Smokin Out The Window” and “Love’s Train” are endlessly replayable, a joy beyond their years. Even without original ideas of their own, Anderson .Paak and Bruno Mars sure know how to have a good time. LISTEN

Faye has been doing this slacker rock thing for a while now, and Underdressed at the Symphony is her crowning achievement. She’s never sounded better drifting through her daydreams, using a brand of soft rock that’s easy on the ears to guide us along. It’s a trip worth your “Tttttime”, no matter how underdressed you may be. LISTEN

While I’ve enjoyed previous Soccer Mommy albums, none of them felt as full as Sometimes, Forever does. There’s a wider scope of influence in its sound, from grunge on “Shotgun” to shoegaze on “With U”. It adds a great sense of variety, and she of course nails her traditional indie rock sound on “Don’t Ask Me” and “newdemo”. Sophie Allison is as engaging as a songwriter and singer as she’s ever been, and she clearly cemented herself here as one of indie’s premier female singer/songwriters. LISTEN

Once Twice Melody is not Beach House’s greatest album, but it isn’t trying to be. Instead, it’s a showcase of how the duo is the master of their domain. Through 18 tracks and 84 minutes of dream pop bliss, you get the sense that Victoria Legrande and Alex Scally could do this in their sleep. “Superstar”, “Hurts To Love” and “Masquerade” might rank among the best songs they’ve ever done, and it’s all a marvelous experience worth losing yourself in. LISTEN

The pairing of one of vaporwave’s premier artists and the guy who sang “Amber” back in 2001 is still a weird one to me, but what’s not weird is the music within their collaborative album. This is a chill set of songs worth lazing around for, with Hexum’s steady voice elevated by the swell soundscapes Clanton cooks up. The vibes are at an all-time high with this one. LISTEN

While they’ve gotten away from the plunderphonics that made them stars back in 2000 with Since I Left You, The Avalanches have replaced it with a galaxy of synthpop sounds. We Will Always Love You is elevated by its huge list of guests, as artists like Blood Orange, Denzel Curry, Leon Bridges and more giving life to a cosmic experience. It’s a record you can float through and experience all sorts of different styles, sounds and feelings over and over again. LISTEN

I remember joking when I reviewed King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard’s 2019 album Infest The Rats’ Nest that they band needed to make a synthpop album next. Well, they kinda listened, because Butterfly 3000 saw the band embrace modular synths to the highest degree. The band is respectful of their sound, embracing the digital sounds to comment on isolation, dreams and more high-in-the-sky Gizzard-isms. It was one of many twists and turns the band has taken us on this decade and it’s one of their best pivots. LISTEN

Depending on your enjoyment of the Kendrick Lamar/Drake beef, you might not be the biggest fan of GNX. It features a much more accessible sound than anything Kendrick has done before, inspired by the massive success of “Not Like Us”. And while it’s perhaps not as heady as To Pimp A Butterfly, that doesn’t mean it isn’t an incredibly fun ride. Bangers like “squabble up” and “tv off” continue the electric energy of “Not Like Us”, while Lamar remains a poetic lyricist when looking within on songs like “reincarnated” and “heart pt. 6”. GNX was the victory lap Kendrick deserved after eviscerating Drake last summer, and one that could make him the biggest name in rap music for years to come. LISTEN