2020 has been one of the most difficult, turbulent years that we’ve lived through in recent memory. Despite the lack of touring, artists have showed up in a bigger way than ever with some of the most introspective and creative albums of their careers. Here we spotlight our top 20 Country and Americana albums of 2020.
This year, Cam made her long-awaited and majestic return to the scene with The Otherside. A pop-tinged country record with a weighty agenda, with masterfully crafted songwriting including cuts from Sam Smith and Harry Styles.
Stand-out Tracks: ‘Forgetting You When I’m Alone’ / ‘Like A Movie’
19. Maddie & Tae – The Way It Feels
One of the surprisingly highest contenders on our list of most-listened to albums of the year. Frankly, in a year of mundanity and low spirits, Maddie & Tae brought a deliciously, frothy country-pop album filled with some really mature and thoughtful songwriting.
Stand-out Tracks: ‘Drunk or Lonely’ / ‘Water In His Wineglass’
18. HARDY – A Rock
This record has surely elevated HARDY’s career to another level. Infusing heavy-hitting rock sounds and a Southern country twang, HARDY’s debut record is a stellar pointer of things to come that embraces his more personal stories.
Stand-out Tracks: ‘A ROCK’ / ‘BOYFRIEND’
17. The Secret Sisters – Saturn Returns
The Secret Sisters collaborated with Brandi Carlile on their record Saturn Returns that offers a majestic, celestial-tinged sound and thoughtfully-crafted songwriting.
Stand-out Tracks: ‘Silver’
16. Brandy Clark – Your Life is a Record
Throughout Brandy Clark’s career she has always placed strong and thoughtful songwriting at the centre of her craft. On Your Life is a Record, she takes this a step further on her deeply introspective record that looks at the entirety of a relationship – the highs and lows and heartbreak, with a poignant and gritty analysis.
Stand-out Tracks: ‘Your Life is a Record’ / ‘I’ll Be The Sad Song’
15. Hailey Whitters – The Dream
Hailey Whitters made a huge impression with her debut record The Dream that featured whimsical, intensely thoughtful songwriting with an unusual, stunning vocal tone.This is record to stand the test of time.
Stand-Out Tracks: ‘All The Cool Girls’ / ‘Red, Wine & Blue’
14. Russell Dickerson – Southern Symphony
Russell Dickerson’s sophomore record offers a layer of maturity, delving a layer deeper than his debut record. The record also reveals yet more layers to his astonishing vocal – just listen to ‘Honey’ for proof.
Stand-Out Tracks: ‘Southern Symphony’
13. The Chicks – Gaslighter
The Chicks returned this year with their first record in over a decade and it was worth the wait. This is perhaps the most painfully intimate and personal record we have ever heard, the harmonies as tight as ever and the songwriting transcendent.
Stand-Out Tracks: ‘Tights On My Boat’ / ‘Hope It’s Something Good’
12. Brothers Osborne – Skeletons
In a year without live music, Brothers Osborne released the most bombastic and energetic record, who’s energy leaps off the vinyl grooves. It’s simply built for a live performance, showing the duo pivot and build yet again on their previous material.
Stand-Out Tracks: ‘Dead Man’s Curve’ / ‘All Night’
11. Gabe Lee – Honky Tonk Hell
A quietly understated record, Lee’s album meanders with quiet conviction, filled with songwriting that paints a vivid and compelling picture and story. Lee’s vocal is gritty and bold, with stunning instrumentation and he’ll sure as hell be one to watch in the coming years.
Stand-Out Tracks: ‘Imogene’
10. Carly Pearce – Carly Pearce
Carly Pearce’s self-titled record showcases her range to full effect from the more heavily pop-overlaid ‘Call Me’ to the heavy vocals on country track ‘Dashboard Jesus’ – the scope of Pearce is laid out here and it’s immense.
Stand-Out Tracks: ‘I Hope You’re Happy Now’ / ‘It Won’t Always Be Like This’
9. Tenille Townes – The Lemonade Stand
Tenille Townes debut record brims with a quiet confidence and understated intensity, passion and extraordinarily slick production – this is a flawless project from start to finish. Townes is only just getting started and this record is a powerful opener.
Stand-Out Tracks: ‘The Most Beautiful Things’
8. Ruthie Collins – Cold Comfort
Ignore Ruthie Collins at your detriment – Cold Comfort is one of the most stunning, layered and complex albums we have heard in a while. Exquisite songwriting that paints a vivid and nostalgic picture, it’s phenomenally poised.
Stand-Out Tracks: ‘Wish You Were Here’
2020 was very on brand when Gone West announced that their debut album was also going to be their only record. We were so excited about this whimsical, light-touched and joyful debut and wanted more of this California country sound.
Stand-Out Tracks: ‘I’m Never Getting Over You’
Kip Moore’s signature gritty sound was imbued throughout this record that delved a layer deeper and darker into Moore’s psyche, revealing his fears, regrets and deepest desires in a profoundly more mature record.
Stand-Out Tracks: ‘South’
Andress has had an extraordinary year, with Grammy and CMA nominations under her belt, alongside a huge spotlight on her debut record Lady Like. Rightly so, having earned her stripes with huge pop cuts, Andress’ pop-country sound or as she deems it ’emo country’ puts into words the deepest parts of the human psyche and their attitude to love and loss.
Stand-Out Tracks: ‘More Hearts Than Mine’ / ‘Anything But Love’
4. Brett Eldredge – Sunday Drive
Do not let 2020 slip you by without hearing Brett Eldredge’s Sunday Drive that probes into the meaning of love and life and everything in between. It’s deeply soulful and offers a signpost of where Eldredge’s new sound may go – into newly powerful and profound territory
Stand-Out Track: ‘Sunday Drive’
3. Caylee Hammack – If It Wasn’t For You
Hammack is a tour de force and her debut record showcases her extraordinary, powerful vocal that brims with personality. She lays her life and her relationship history bare on this record that is both incredibly personal and universal. This is a special piece of work.
Stand-Out Track: ‘Forged In The Fire’ / ‘Small Town Hypocrite’
2. Ashley McBryde – Never Will
McBryde had big shoes to follow following her debut record Girl Going Nowhere that was a sensation. Never Will does just that, layering her delightfully vulnerable vocal with laces of rock production. It’s clever and shrewd, creating stories upon stories, artfully weaving the entire project together seamlessly.
Stand-Out Track: ‘Voodoo Doll’
1. Chris Stapleton – Starting Over
Included on Obama’s favourite music of the year – the man has taste. Stapleton releases a flawless record once again, intricate songwriting and his signature vocal – a combination that will never get old.
Stand-Out Tracks: ‘You Should Probably Leave’
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