08 February 2021

The 2020 Grampies (It's the Final Countdown)

Several years ago, I resolved to continue determining and sharing the annual "Grampies," that is, the listing of my favorite albums of the year (by genre and across genres), through the conclusion of the decade (2011-2020). Now that we're already into February of 2021, the first year of the new decade, it's high time I publish this "Final Countdown," the 2020 Grampies, thus fulfilling and concluding my resolve.

As in the past, there is a listing of my top 40 favorite albums of 2020 (across genres), and then separate listings of my favorite albums of 2020 according to a variety of categories, primarily determined by genre. Given that live concerts were largely cancelled for the bulk of 2020, I've included a list of 40 significant live albums that were released over the past year (from concerts performed in prior years, obviously). I've also included a list of my top 10 favorite cover albums of 2020. Most of the other genre or category lists include my top 20 albums, though there are a few deviations from that typical number of entries.

In almost every case, I've listed the albums that especially stood out for me in order of preference — numbered accordingly. Beyond those initial entries in each genre or category, I've listed the rest of the albums alphabetically by artist, rather than attempting to rank each list in its entirety.

Though it could easily be assumed, I'll state the matter plainly, that my hands-down favorite new releases of 2020 were my two most-recently born baby grands, Johann Jacob Stuckwisch and Clarence Sebastian Job Harrison. We also gained a new son-in-law, David Sams, and a new daughter-in-law, Moreah (Ritzman) Stuckwisch, for whom we are likewise deeply grateful. Those were the highlights of an otherwise largely discouraging year. Of course, our Lord has remained gracious and generous in giving His good gifts, even in the midst of sin and death, in spite of pandemics and lockdowns, and for this above all we give thanks. But with that, I am also appreciative of the good music with which He blesses my life, not least of all including the following albums released over the course of A.D. 2020.


D. Rick’s Album Top 40


1. Lori McKenna - The Balladeer

2. Taylor Swift - evermore / folklore

3. Ozzy Osbourne - Ordinary Man

4. Black Stone Cherry - The Human Condition

5. Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit - Reunions

6. Will Hoge - Tiny Little Movies

7. Little Big Town - Nightfall

8. Cody Jinks - Live at Red Rocks

9. Jorn - Heavy Rock Radio II - Executing the Classics

10. Joe Bonamassa - Royal Tea / A New Day Now (20th Anniversary Edition)


11. Smith & Myers - Volume 1 & 2 {odd-numbered tracks}

12. Chris Stapleton - Starting Over

13. AC/DC - Power Up

14. Larkin Poe - Kindred Spirits

15. Joe Satriani - Shapeshifting

16. Sturgill Simpson - Cuttin’ Grass, Vol. 1 & 2

17. Larkin Poe - Self Made Man

18. The Cadillac Three - Country Fuzz / Tobasco & Sweet Tea

19. The Avett Brothers - The Third Gleam

20. The Secret Sisters - Saturn Return


21. Tim McGraw - Here on Earth

22. Delain - Apocalypse & Chill

23. Mipso - Mipso

24. Liliac - Queen of Hearts

25. Dawes - Good Luck with Whatever

26. Marty Friedman - Tokyo Jukebox 3

27. Sons of Apollo - MMXX

28. Smith & Myers - Volume 1 & 2 {even-numbered tracks}

29. Bon Jovi - 2020 (Deluxe)

30. Nick Perri & The Underground Thieves - Sun Via


31. Lilly Hiatt - Walking Proof

32. The War and Treaty - Hearts Town

33. Hailey Whitters - The Dream

34. Needtobreathe - Out of Body

35. Sonny Landreth - Blacktop Run

36. Tyler Bryant & the Shakedown - Pressure

37. Revolution Saints - Rise

38. Ruston Kelly - Shape & Destroy

39. Firewind - Firewind

40. Trivium - What the Dead Men Say


Modern Mainline Country

1. Little Big Town - Nightfall

2. Tim McGraw - Here on Earth

3. Kenny Chesney - Here and Now

4. The Shires - Good Years

5. Maddie & Tae - The Way It Feels

6. Gone West - Canyons

Cam - The Otherside

Carly Pearce - Carly Pearce

Caylee Hammack - If It Wasn’t for You

Dustin Lynch - Tullahoma

Eric Paslay - Nice Guy

Gabby Barrett - Goldmine

Granger Smith - Country Things

Ingrid Andress - Lady Like

Kelsea Ballerini - kelsea

Lee Brice - Hey World

Luke Bryan - Born Here Live Here Die Here

Muscadine Bloodline - Burn It at Both Ends

Russell Dickerson - Southern Symphony

Tenille Townes - The Lemonade Stand


Retro and Traditional Country

1. Chris Stapleton - Starting Over

2. Garth Brooks - Fun

3. Tessy Lou Williams - Tessy Lou Williams

4. Gabe Lee - Honky Tonk Hell

Charley Crockett - Welcome to Hard Times / Field Recordings, Vol. 1

Clint Black - Out of Sane

Collin Raye - Scars

Colter Wall - Western Swing & Waltzes and Other Punchy Songs

Daniel Donato - A Young Man’s Country

Elijah Ocean - Blue Jeans & Barstools

Josh Abbott Band - The Highway Kind

Josh Turner - Country State of Mind

Joshua Ray Walker - Glad You Made It

Mo Pitney - Ain’t Lookin’ Back

The Panhandlers - The Panhandlers

Randy Rogers & Wade Bowen - Holy My Beer, Vol. 2

Reckless Kelly - American Jackpot / American Girls

The Steeldrivers - Bad for You

Willie Nelson - First Rose of Spring

Zephaniah Ohora - Listening to the Music


Edgy and Alternative Country

1. The Cadillac Three - Country Fuzz / Tobasco & Sweet Tea

2. Lilly Hiatt - Walking Proof

3. Ward Davis - Black Cats and Crows

Ashley McBryde - Never Will

The Band of Heathens - Stranger

Brothers Osborne - Skeletons

The Chicks - Gaslighter

Corb Lund - Agricultural Tragic

Cory Marks - Who I Am

Elizabeth Cook - Aftermath

Emily Zuzik - Torch & Trouble

Hardy - A Rock

Jaime Wyatt - Neon Cross

Margo Price - That’s How Rumors Get Started

Old 97's - Twelfth

Rachel Brooke - The Loneliness in Me

Ray Wylie Hubbard - Co-Starring

Tennessee Jet - The Country

Waxahatchee - Saint Cloud

The Wood Brothers - Kingdom in My Mind


Americana, Roots Rock, and Country-Blues-Folk Rock-n-Soul

1. Lori McKenna - The Balladeer

2. Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit - Reunions

3. Will Hoge - Tiny Little Movies

4. The War and Treaty - Hearts Town

5. Hailey Whitters - The Dream

6. Ruston Kelly - Shape & Destroy

7. Brian Fallon - Local Honey

8. American Aquarium - Lamentations

9. Donovan Woods - Without People

10. John Moreland - LP5

11. Brandy Clark - Your Life Is a Record

12. Kip Moore - Wild World

13. Drive-By Truckers - The Unraveling / The New OK

14. Logan Ledger - Logan Ledger

Arlo McKinley - Die Midwestern

Ashley Ray - Pauline

Blitzen Trapper - Holy Smokes Future Jokes

Bob Lefevere & the Already Gone - Bob Lefevre & the Already Gone

Brent Cobb - Keep ‘Em on They Toes

Brett Eldredge - Sunday Drive

Bruce Springsteen - Letter to You

Cordovas - Destiny Hotel

Delta Rae - The Light

Dustbowl Revival - Is It You, Is It Me

Early James - Singing for My Supper

Futurebirds - Teamwork

James Taylor - American Standard

The Jayhawks - Xoxo

Jeff Tweedy - Love Is the King

Kathleen Edwards - Total Freedom

The Lone Bellow - Half Moon Light

Lucinda Williams - Good Souls Better Angels

Nathaniel Rateliff - And It’s Still Alright

Ryan Adams - Wednesdays

Sarah Siskind - Modern Appalachia

Steve Earle - Ghosts of West Virginia

When Rivers Meet  - We Fly Free / Innocence of Youth

The White Buffalo - On the Widow’s Walk

Whitney Rose - We Still Go to Rodeos

Will Kimbrough - Spring Break


Folk and Bluegrass (Traditional and Modern)

1. Sturgill Simpson - Cuttin’ Grass, Vol. 1 & 2

2. The Avett Brothers - The Third Gleam

3. The Secret Sisters - Saturn Return

4. Mipso - Mipso

5. Courtney Marie Andrews - Old Flowers

6. Passenger - Patchwork

Adrianne Lenker - songs / instrumentals

Aoife Nessa Frances - Land of No Junction

Bill Callahan - Gold Record

Brennen Leigh - Prairie Love Letter

Clem Snide - Forever Just Beyond

Gillian Welch & David Rawlings - All the Good Times

Jake Blount - Spider Tales

Jimmy Buffett - Songs You Don’t Know by Heart

Mary Chapin Carpenter - The Dirt and the Stars

Molly Tuttle - . . . but I’d rather be with you

Nadia Reid - Out of My Province

Sarah Jarosz - World on the Ground

Steep Canyon Rangers - Arm in Arm

William Prince - Relievers


Singer-Songwriter Pop-Rock

1. Taylor Swift - evermore / folklore

2. Smith & Myers - Volume 1 & 2  [odd-numbered tracks]

3. Dawes - Good Luck with Whatever

4. Bon Jovi - 2020

Bob Dylan - Rough and Rowdy Ways

Bruce Hornsby - Non-Secure Connection

Huey Lewis & The News - Weather

Jason Mraz - Look for the Good

Jill Andrews - Thirties

Lisa Loeb - A Simple Trick to Happiness

Lomelda - Hannah

Mandy Moore - Silver Landings

Morgan Myles - Therapy

Norah Jones - Pick Me Up Off the Floor

Paul McCartney - McCartney III

Ray LaMontagne - Monovision

Richard Marx - Limitless

Sara Bareilles - More Love - Songs from Little Voice Season One

Shawn Mendes - Wonder

Vanessa Carlton - Love Is an Art


Contemporary Pop

1. Haim - Women in Music Pt. III

2. Katy Perry - Smile

Ava Max - Heaven & Hell

Carly Rae Jepsen - Dedicated Side B

Jessie Ware - What’s Your Pleasure?

Kylie Minogue - Disco

Lady Gaga - Chromatica

Meghan Trainor - Treat Myself

Miley Cyrus - Plastic Hearts

Salena Gomez - Rare


Classic and Retro Radio Rock

1. Revolution Saints - Rise

2. The Struts - Strange Days

3. The Nigh Flight Orchestra - Aeromantic

4. Deep Purple - Whoosh!

The Allman Betts Band - Bless Your Heart

Blue Öyster Cult - The Symbol Remains

Cats in Space - Atlantis

Dennis DeYoung - 26 East, Vol. 1

DeVicious - Phase Three

East Temple Avenue - Both Sides of Midnight

Gathering of Kings - Discovery

Imperium - Heaven or Hell

King King - Maverick

Lionville - Magic Is Alive

Palace - Rock and Roll Radio

Perfect Plan - Time for a Miracle

Robert Jon & the Wreck - Last Light on the Highway

Rob Moratti - Paragon

Stardust - Highway to Heartbreak

Tokyo Motor Fist - Lions


Modern Rock

1. Ozzy Osbourne - Ordinary Man

2. Arctic Rain - The One

3. Collateral - Collateral

4. Smash Into Pieces - Arcadia

5. Heartwind - Strangers

Asking Alexandria - Like a House on Fire

Brother Firetribe - Feel the Burn

FM - Synchronized

Gotthard - #13 / Steve Lee - The Eyes of a Tiger: In Memory of Our Unforgotten Friend!

Grand Design - V

Grey Daze - Amends

Harem Scarem - Change the World

House of Lords - New World - New Eyes

Jeff Scott Soto - Wide Awake (In My Dreamland)

Khymera - Master of Illusions

A Life Divided - Echoes

One Desire - Midnight Empire

Sevendust - Blood & Stone

Storm Force - Age of Fear

Vega - Grit Your Teeth


Hard Rock / Heavy Metal

1. Black Stone Cherry - The Human Condition

2. AC/DC - Power Up

3. Liliac - Queen of Hearts

4. Firewind - Firewind

5. Trivium - What the Dead Men Say

6. Biff Byford - School of Hard Knocks

7. Stryper - Even the Devil Believes

8. Primal Fear - Metal Commando

9. Amaranthe - Manifest

10. Black Swan - Shake the World

Armored Saint - Punching the Sky

Dirty Shirley - Dirty Shirley

Dynazty - The Dark Delight

Girish and the Chronicles - Rock the Highway

H.E.A.T. - H.e.a.t. II

Iron Savior - Skycrest

A Perfect Day - With Eyes Wide Open

Raven - Metal City

Seether - Si Vis Pacem, Para Bellum

Shakra - Mad World


Symphonic and Epic Power Metal

1. Delain - Apocalypse & Chill

2. Beyond the Black - Hørizons

3. Temperance - Viridian

4. Serenity - The Last Knight

Adamantis - Far Flung Realm

Ad Infinitum - Chapter 1: Monarchy

Allen/Olzon - Worlds Apart

Apocalyptica - Cell-O

Demons & Wizards - III

Falconer - From a Dying Ember

Illumishade - Eclyptic: Wake of Shadows

Legendfire - Sunchasers

Lords of Black - Alchemy of Souls, Pt. 1

Memories of Old - The Zeramin Game

Moonlight Haze - Lunaris

Seven Spires - Emerald Seas

Unleash the Archers - Abyss

Vanishing Point - Dead Elysium

Volturian - Crimson

Warkings - Revenge


Progressive Rock & Metal

1. Sons of Apollo - MMXX

2. Vanden Plas - The Ghost Xperiment - Illumination

3. Oceans of Slumber - Oceans of Slumber

4. Neal Morse - Sola Gratia

Caligula’s Horse - Rise Radiant

Deftones - Ohms

Derek Sherinian - The Phoenix

DGM - Tragic Separation

Fates Warning - Long Day Good Night

Fish - Weltschmerz

Haken - Virus

Kansas - The Absence of Presence

Octavision - Coexist

Pain of Salvation - Panther

Paralydium - Worlds Beyond

The Pineapple Thief - Versions of the Truth

Protest the Hero - Palimpsest

Psychotic Waltz - The God-Shaped Void

Teramaze - I Wonder

Thought Factory - Elements


Alternative Pop-Rock

1. Needtobreathe - Out of Body

2. Twin Atlantic - Power

3. The Killers - Imploding the Mirage

4. Redlight King - Moonshine

Awolnation - Angel Miners & The Lightning Riders

Catholic Action - Celebrated by Strangers

Ellie Goulding - Brightest Blue

Fleet Foxes - Shore

Hayley Williams - Petals for Armor

Jack Hues - Primitif

Mt. Joy - Rearrange Us

Native Harrow - Closeness

Pearl Jam - Gigaton

Pretenders - Hate for Sale

The Smashing Pumpkins - Cyr

Soul Asylum - Hurry Up and Wait

Sparta - Trust the River

Stone Temple Pilots - Perdida

The Strokes - The New Abnormal

Tame Impala - The Slow Rush


Guitarists

1. Joe Bonamassa - Royal Tea / A New Day Now (20th Anniversary Edition)

2. Joe Satriani - Shapeshifting

3. Larkin Poe - Self Made Man

4. Marty Friedman - Tokyo Jukebox 3

5. Nick Perri & The Underground Thieves - Sun Via

6. Sonny Landreth - Blacktop Run

7. Tyler Bryant & the Shakedown - Pressure

8. Reb Beach - A View from the Inside

9. Kiko Loureiro - Open Source

10. John Petrucci - Terminal Velocity

11. Paul Gilbert - Werewolves of Portland

12. Little Albert - Swamp King

13. Marcus King - El Dorado

14. Andy James - C.S.I.L / Arrival Leftovers

15. Christian Muenzner - Path of the Hero

16. The Sleep Eazys (Joe Bonamassa) - Easy to Buy, Hard to Sell

17. Neal Schon - Universe

18. Lindsay Ell - heart theory

Alastair Greene - The New World Blues

Al Di Meola - Across the Universe

Al Joseph - Labyrinth

Dave Alvin - From an Old Guitar: Rare and Unreleased Recordings

Diesel - Sunset Suburbia

Dion - Blues with Friends

Eric Johnson & Kelly Donnelly - EJ Vol. II

Intervals - Circadian

Keith Urban - The Speed of Now, Part 1

Magnus Karlsson’s Free Fall - We Are the Night

Mike Zito - Quarantine Blues

Orianthi - O

Paul Wardingham - Day Zero: Rise of the Horde

Plini - Impulse Voices

Ramos - My Many Sides

Richie Kotzen - 50 for 50

Robby Krieger - The Ritual Begins at Sundown

Thorbjørn Risager - Come On In

Tinsley Ellis - Ice Cream in Hell

Tommy Emmanuel - The Best of Tommysongs

Vandenberg - 2020

Walter Trout - Ordinary Madness


Cover Albums

1. Jorn - Heavy Rock Radio II - Executing the Classics

2. Larkin Poe - Kindred Spirits

3. Smith & Myers - Volume 1 & 2  [even-numbered tracks]

4. Ronnie Dunn - Re-Dunn

5. Wesley Schultz - Vignettes

6. Sara Evans - Copy That

7. Chris Cornell - No One Sings Like You Anymore

8. Ellefson - No Cover

9. Ace Frehley - Origins Vol. 2

10. George Lynch & Jeff Pilson - Heavy Hitters


Live Albums

1. Cody Jinks - Live at Red Rocks

2. Volbeat - Rewind, Replay, Rebound (Live in Deutschland)

3. Metallica - S&M2

4. Dream Theater - Distant Memories - Live in London

5. Iron Maiden - Nights of the Dead, Legacy of the Beast: Live in Mexico City

Albert Castiglia - Wild and Free

Ayreon - Electric Castle Live and Other Tales

Blue Öyster Cult - Live at Rock of Ages Festival 2016

David Grissom - Trio (Live)

Def Leppard - Hits Vegas (Live)

Delta Rae - Coming Home to Carolina - Live

Drew Holcomb & The Neighbors - Live at the Tennessee Theatre

Eagles - Live from the Forum

Eclipse - Viva La Victouria (Live)

Garth Brooks - Triple Live Deluxe

Gary Moore - Live from London

HammerFall - Live! Against the World

Jeff Scott Soto - Live & Loud in Milan 2019

Jimi Hendrix - Live in Maui (1970)

John 5 - Live Invasion

Johnny Cash - And the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra

Judah & The Lion - Pep Talks Live

Kamelot - I Am the Empire (Live from the 013)

Kenny Wayne Shepherd - Straight to You: Live

Margo Price - Perfectly Imperfect: Live at the Ryman

Thy Mystery - Caught in the Whirlwind of Time

Neal Morse Band - The Great Adventour - Live in BRNO 2019

Nick Mason’s Saucerful of Secrets

Pretty Maids - Maid in Japan - Future World Live 30 Anniversary

Redemption - Alive in Color (Live 2018)

Riverside - Live in Tilburg

Roger Waters - Us & Them

Rolling Stones - Steel Wheels Live

Sing Me Back Home: The Music of Merle Haggard (Live)

Stevie Nicks - Live in Concert: The 24 Karat Gold Tour

The Teskey Brothers - Live at the Forum

Tesla - Five Man London Jam (Live at Abbey Road Studies, 6/12/19)

Visions of Atlantis - A Symphonic Journey to Remember

Willie Nelson: American Outlaw (Live)

Yes - The Royal Affair Tour (Live in Los Vegas)

3 comments:

Nancy said...

A very interesting list. Even more interesting is the fact that the list belongs to a Lutheran pastor.

The last time I listened to music on a regular basis was in the 80's. Country music only.

Keep listening and enjoying your music.

Nancy said...

P.S. Congratulations on your new grandbabies and new daughter-in-law in 2020.

Rev. Rick Stuckwisch said...

Thank you, Nancy! God bless you and your family.