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.
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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:
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.
P.S. Congratulations on your new grandbabies and new daughter-in-law in 2020.
Thank you, Nancy! God bless you and your family.
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