Most people during the pandemic have had an increase on their screen time, looking up and listening to music that interests them. Rolling Stone and Billboard have ranked their top albums of 2020. 

While quarantining music artists have had to work and make music from home. Some artists have said that working from home takes the stress out of creating new music. It can allow them to freely write without any obstacles in the way. Social media has also given artists the opportunity to promote their new music. 

Rolling Stone’s list consists of different genres of music. The 15 top albums include:

15. Ho, Why Is You Here?– Flo Milli
16. Women in Music Pt. III– Haim
17. City on Lock– City Girls

12.Letter to You– Bruce Springsteen

11.Chromatica– Lady Gaga

10.Punishers– Phoebe Bridgers

9. What’s Your Pleasure– Jessie Ware
10. Eternal Atake– Lil Uzi Vert
11. Saint Cloud– Waxahatchee
12. RTJ4– Run the Jewels
13. Future Nostalgia– Dua Lipa
14. Rough and Rowdy Ways– Bob Dylan
15. YHLQMDLG– Bad Bunny
16. Fetch the Bolt Cutters– Fiona Apple
17. Folklore– Taylor Swift

The staff of Billboard also create a list presenting their favorite albums of 2020. Their top albums are:

15. Punisher– Phoebe Bridgers
16. RTJ4– Run The Jewels
17. Starting Over– Chris Stapleton
18. Good News– Megan Thee Stallion
19. Positions– Ariana Grande
20. Women in Music Pt. III– Haim
21. Meet the Woo 2– Pop Smoke
22. Gaslighter– The Chicks
23. Fetch the Bolt Cutters– Fiona Apple
24. My Turn– Lil Baby
25. Chromatica– Lady Gaga
26. YHLQMDLG– Bad Bunny
27. After Hours– The Weekend
28. Future Nostalgia– Dua Lipa
29. Folklore– Taylor Swift. 

Taylor Swift’s Folklore ranked as the best album for both Rolling Stone and Billboard. In 2020 Swift was initially set to tour songs from her album Lover but with the coronavirus, she had to stay home and ended up creating her new album. The National Public Radio commented “Folklore is a big left turn in style and subject matter; it also has already earned Swift some of the best reviews of her career.” 

A Saugus 9th grade student, Sabina Spurgin, shared her favorite album produced in 2020, “ I think Notes on a Conditional Form by The 1975 was my favorite.” Students can take time to themselves and listen to music that speaks to them and helps them get through their day. 

Last year was a rollercoaster, but new music people can listen to while staying home can put them in a relaxing state or uplift their mood. These albums produced helped lots of people get through 2020. Audiences that haven’t checked out some of these albums can browse and listen to different genres and pick which album interests them the most.