I think I can I speak for everyone when I say that 2020 was a total shitshow of a year. Aside from the obvious tragedies and disasters, the world was basically put on the longest pause I think we have ever felt. Live events were all canceled and postponed, including tours and festivals. And if you’re a music fan, you pretty much felt like your world had ended with that news. One good thing to come out of our favorite musicians being forced to stay home and not out on the road was it resulted in new music and artists getting to know their fans a little bit better through impromptu mini concerts and Q&A sessions on social media and live streams. Believe me, I know it was not the same as seeing your favorite band or artist up close at your favorite small venue or from the lawn or nosebleed seats at your nearest amphitheater or stadium, but if 2020 taught us anything, it was we will take what we can get.
Even though we did not get to hear it live in person, 2020 still delivered when it came to new music releases. We got new albums from bands we had not heard from in a while and some new songs from some of our favorite up and coming artists as well. Though, I will admit, there may not have been much that was outstanding in a “HOLY CRAP, this is lifechanging!” kind of way, the music in 2020 did not disappoint and there was plenty to choose from when it came to deciding what to include on my end of the year list for 2020’s best releases. So, without further wait (because after this year why should we drag anything out any longer), below are my picks for the best music released in what has easily been the longest year of our lives.  I hope you enjoy, and as always, happy listening friends.
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Albums
01)Bush – The Kingdom
02)All Time Low – Wake Up, Sunshine
03)Silverstein – A Beautiful Place to Die
04)Seether – Si Vis Pacem, Para Bellum
05)10 Years – Violent Allies
06)Little Big Town – Nightfall
07)Ruston Kelly – Shape & Destroy
08)Smith & Myers – Volume 1
09)Smith & Myers – Volume 2
10)Machine Gun Kelly – Tickets to My Downfall
11)Stitched Up Heart – Darkness
12)Lee Brice – Hey World
13)Maddie & Tae – The Way It Feels
14)Kelsea Ballerini – ballerina
15)Gone West – Canyons
16)Brett Eldredge – Sunday Drive
17)Fame On Fire – Levels
18)Hardy – A Rock
19)Lindsay Ell – heart theory
20) Breaking Benjamin – Aurora
21) Tyler Rich – Two Thousand Miles
22) Taylor Swift – Evermore
23) Taylor Swift – Folklore
24) Russell Dickerson – Southern Symphony
25) blackbear – everything means nothing
26) Chase Rice – The Album Pt 1
27) Adelitas Way – Shine On
28 NEEDTOBREATHE– Out of Body
29)Eric Ethridge – Good With Me
30)Filmore – State I’m In
EPs
01)Sam Grow – Me and Mine EP
02)Jordan Davis – Jordan David EP
03)Jordan Rager – Habits and Hearts EP
04)Matt Stell – Better Than That EP
05)Riley Green – If It Wasn’t for Trucks EP
06) Ryan Hurd – EOM EP
07)Midnight Canyon – Midnight Canyon
08) Tyler Farr – Only Truck in Town EP
09)Travis Denning – Beer’s Better Cold EP
10)Patrick Droney – State of the Heart EP
Singles Not Included on an EP or Album
01)Lauren Duski – “The Broken Kind”
02)Kevin McAllister (feat Ryan Kinder) – “We Will Survive”
03)Carly Pearce – “Show Me Around”
04)Brantley Gilbert – “Hard Days”
05)Jacob Bryant – “Tell Me”
06)Josh Kerr – “Make You Stay”
07)Ed Sheeran – “Afterglow”
08)Ryan Kinder & Sykamore – “Doing Fine”
09)Thomas Rhett – “What’s Your Country Song?”
10)Walker County – “Drag It Out”
11)Waterloo Revival – “Something You Ain’t Ever Had”
12)Six:A.M. (feat Corey Taylor, Joe Elliot, Brantley Gilbert, Ivan Moody, Slash, Awolnation, Tommy Vext) – “Maybe It’s Time”
13)Blake Shelton (feat Gwen Stefani) – “Happy Anywhere”
14)Kylie Morgan – ”Break Things”
15)Ryan Shaw (feat Rob Thomas & Derek Trucks) – “Love in Pain”
16)Abby Anderson – “We Go Together Like”
17)Jacob Bryant – “Good Ole Boy”
18)Charlotte Sands & James Droll – “I Don’t Care”
19)Church of Roswell – “Rocketeer”
20)Tyler Braden – “Secret”
21)Murphy Elmore – “Everywhere is You”
22)Nikita Karmen (feat Walker Hayes) – “Then Some”
23)Daughtry – “World On Fire”
24)Apocalyptica (feat Lzzy Hale) – “Talk to Me”
25)Eric Church – “Hell of a View”
26)Jacob Bryant – “Can’t Say No to You”
27)Page Mackenzie – “F.U.”
28)Cole Swindell – “Single Saturday Night”
29)Michael Ray – “Whiskey and Rain”
30)Kygo & Tina Turner – “What’s Love Got to Do with It?”
31)Tyler Hammond – “Back Home Boys”
32)Tiera – “Found It In You”
33)Dierks Bentley – “Gone”
34)Ian McConnell & Kalie Shorr – “How Do We Do This?”
35)Thomas Rhett (feat Reba McEntire, Hillary Scott, Chris Tomlin, Keith Urban) – “Be a Light”
36)Rose – “Are You Tired?”
37)Jordan Davis – “Lose You”
38)Kenny Foster & Mae Estes – “Love You Now”
39)Clay Walker – “Need a Bar Sometimes”
40)Leaving Austin (feat Cassadee Pope) – “American Avenue”
