100 Best Albums from NYC 2020
By: Daniel Offner
Tags: NYC, Music, Best Of 2020, Lists, New York

Man, the year 2020 totally sucked. People have been getting sick and in some cases even dying from the COVID-19 virus. Some have had to quarantine indoors, separating themselves from much of the outside world. Meanwhile small businesses and restaurants have struggled to stay open.

The death of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police sparked widespread protests against brutality and systematic racism all across the country. Some of these peacefully assemblies escalated into full scale violence. Thousands were arrested or worse as a result.

But despite all the heaping piles of crap that 2020 seemed to throw our way, the music never stopped. Thankfully so many amazing artists have shared their music this year.

Believe me there were much more than just 100 albums to pick from this year. After careful consideration and deduction, these are just some of the best that New York City and the surrounding areas had to offer.

Lists from years past: 2019 / 2018 / 2017 / 2016

Honorable Mentions:

100. Snotty — Death Machine

99. vhvl — Garbage

98. Minetta — Automatone

97. Sunwatchers — Oh Yeah? / Brave Rats

96. Glorious Depravity — Ageless Violence

95. Ruste Juxx + Amadeus 360 The Beat King — James Brown of the Underground

94. Lewis Del Mar — August

93. Makeba Mooncycle — Featuring / The Gibbous

92. SUSS —Promise

91. Dom Dirtee — The Hardcore Composer

90. Zsela — Ache of Victory

89. Jeff Donna — Don with the Wind

88. V Don — No Blade of Grass

87. Public Practice — Gentle Grip

86. Spoda — Quick Fix

85. DJ Kay Slay — Homage

84. Lazaris the Top Don — Success In My Path Vol. I

83. Radamiz — Synonyms Of Strength

82. Widowspeak — Plum

81. The Bad Seed — Caesar Borgia

80. Carl Stone — Stolen Car

79. Buckwild — Music is my Religion

78. Tom Morello — Comandante

77. Billy Danze — The Listening Session

76. Illa Ghee — Fried Apple Juice / Jesus & Better Drugs

75. Porche Boxx — Sunday Morning / Playing for Keeps

74. Bishop Nehru — Nehruvia: My Disregarded Thoughts

73. Ill Bill — La Bella Medusa

72. Killarmy — Full Metal Jackets

71. Kaki King — Modern Yesterdays

70. Navi Peace — Boss of the Floss

69. Junglepussy — JP4

68. A Boogie wit Da Hoodie — Artist 2.0

67. Bodega Bamz — Yams Heard This

66. A$AP Ferg — Floor Seats II

65. Fligga — S.L.U.M.S.

64. Justina Valentine — Infrared

63. Eddie Kaine — Nezzie’s Star / Legacy of Kaine / BK Caminates / Twelve24

62. 22Gz — Growth and Development

61. Liturgy —Origin of the Alimonies

60. Sleepy Hallow — The Black House

59. Kemba — The World is Watching

58. G4Jag — Still Surviving / Scriptures in the Sky /

57. King Beamo — Self-Motivated

56. Rah Swish — WOO Forever

55. Public Enemy — What You Gonna Do When The Grid Goes Down?

54. Jungle Brothers — Keep It Jungle

53. Homeboy Sandman — Don’t Feed the Monster

52. Jamo Gang — Walking with Lions

51. Cruch Calhoun — Pre-Trial

50. Hus Kingpin — End of a Decade / Gunpowder

49. The Lemon Twigs — Songs for the General Public

48. KRS-One — Between Da Protests

47. J.I. the Prince of NY — Hood Life Krisis Vol. 3

46. Oyabun — Kingpin / Too Young To Die / Soul of the Streets

45. Phresher — Brick by Brick

44. Black Marble — I Must Be Living Twice

43. Steelyone — Ryde

42. Juliana Barwick — Healing is a Miracle

41. A$AP Twelvyy — Before Noon / Noon Yung

40. Yaeji — What We Drew

39. Mach-Hommy — Mac’s Hard Lemonade

38. Smoove’L — Ice Cups and Shootouts / Boy From Brooklyn

37. Denrock — Raising the Torch

36. Lil Tecca — Virgo World

35. Ravenna — Moonstone EP

34. Marlon Craft — Work From Home

33. Rebelmatic — Ghost in the Shwadows

32. Sheff G — One and Only

31. Alex Mali — Phenom EP

30. KJ Balla — Resurection

29. Cut Worms — Nobody Lives Here Anymore

28. Dave East — Karma 3

27. Activity — Unmask Whoever

26. Lil TJay — State of Emergency

25. CJ Fly — Rudebwoy

24. Samia — The Baby

23. RJ Payne — Beatuiful Payne

22. Gamblers — Small World

21. Bub Rock — A Peace of Mine

20. Roc Marciano — Mt. Marci

19. Fiona Apple — Fetch the Bolt Cutters

18. Fred the Godson — God Level

17. Ka — Descendants of Cain

16. Caroline Rose — Superstar

15. Jadakiss — Ignatius

14. Saalam Remi — Black on Purpose

13. Rome Streetz — Noise Kandy 4 / Kontraband

12. Diet Cig — Do You Ever Wonder About Me?

11. The LOX — Living Off Experience