The Best 25 Albums Of the 2020s (So Far)
From Olivia Rodrigo to Sufjan Stevens, from Lana Del Rey to Chappell Roan, from Big Thief to Waxahatchee, here are 25 albums that define the first five years of the 2020s — a half-decade of sound that moves from intimate confessions to explosive anthems, from glitchy experiments to timeless melodies.
Stay tuned as this post will continue to be updated as the decade unfolds.
25. Ignorance - The Weather Station (2023)
Genre: Indie Folk / Singer-Songwriter
24. Eternal Atake - Lil Uzi Vert (2020)
Genre: Trap / Hip-Hop
23. GUTS - Olivia Rodrigo (2023)
Genre: Pop Rock
22. softscars - yeule (2023)
Genre: Glitch Pop
21. Cold Visions - Bladee (2024)
Genre: Rage / Cloud Rap
20. Mahashmashana - Father John Misty (2024)
Genre: Baroque Pop / Art Rock / Chamber Pop / Disco
19. SOS - SZA (2022)
Genre: Alternative R&B
18. hexed! - aya (2025)
Genre: Experimental / Deconstructed Club
17. choke enough - Oklou (2025)
Genre: Electronic / Art Pop
16. Did You Know That There’s a Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd - Lana Del Rey (2023)
Genre: Alternative Pop / Singer-Songwriter
15. Ugly Season - Perfume Genius (2022)
Genre: Art Rock / Experimental
14. Jubilee - Japanese Breakfast (2021)
Genre: Indie Pop / Dream Pop
13. Ants From Up There - Black Country, New Road (2022)
Genre: Post-Rock
12. Dragon New Warm Mountain I Believe In You - Big Thief (2022)
Genre: Indie Folk / Americana
11. Blue Rev - Alvvays (2022)
Genre: Alternative Rock / Shoegaze / Dream Pop
10. Rat Saw God - Wednesday (2023)
Genre: Alternative Rock / Noise Rock / Shoegaze
9. Tigers Blood - Waxahatchee (2024)
Genre: Americana / Indie Rock / Singer-Songwriter
8. Punisher - Phoebe Bridgers (2020)
Genre: Indie Folk / Singer-Songwriter
7. Brat - Charli xcx (2024)
Genre: Hyperpop / Dance Pop / Club Pop
6. Wall of Eyes - The Smile (2024)
Genre: Experimental Rock / Art Rock / Indie Rock
5. The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess - Chappell Roan (2023)
Genre: Synthpop / Dance Pop / “Sapphic Pop”
4. Fetch the Bolt Cutters - Fiona Apple (2020)
Genre: Art Rock / Experimental Rock / Singer-Songwriter
3. Javelin - Sufjan Stevens (2023)
Genre: Indie Folk / Singer-Songwriter
2. Luminescent Creatures - 青葉市子 (2025)
Genre: Ambient Folk
1. Saint Cloud - Waxahatchee (2020)
Genre: Americana / Indie Rock / Singer-Songwriter
