In lieu of our usual collage, here are our 20 favorite albums of 2020 with their cover artwork recreated as selfies at home during lockdown. Follows a 10 hour playlist curated from our 150 favorite records of the year (including a couple EPs), available on Spotify, Deezer or YouTube, with the full list down below.
Hope you might find at least a couple hidden gems to add to your own favorites. Enjoy the music, and follow us on either streaming platform for more playlists, and on Instagram @albumcovergirl for more recreated covers of iconic albums, old and new, and regular content on new music releases.
Or stream / watch the playlist via YouTube, with videos whenever available
All links in the list below directly point towards the respective album page on Bandcamp when available, or the label or artist official online store, so that you can easily stream, download or order them to support the artists. (only first 100 links added for now; remaining 50 to be progressively completed within the coming days)
- Fiona Apple – Fetch the Bolt Cutters (Epic Records, US)
- Lyra Pramuk – Fountain (Bedroom Community, US / DE)
- Eartheater – Phoenix: Flames Are Dew Upon My Skin (PAN, US)
- Thanya Iyer – Kind (Topshelf Records, CA)
- Perfume Genius – Set My Heart On Fire Immediately (Matador, US)
- Torres – Silver Tongue (Merge Records, US)
- Adrianne Lenker – Songs + Instrumentals (4AD, US)
- Moses Sumney – Græ (Jagjaguwar, US)
- Johanna Warren – Chaotic Good (Wax Nine / Carpark Records, US)
- Douglas Dare – Milkteeth (Erased Tapes, UK)
- Lido Pimienta – Miss Colombia (Anti- Records, CO / CA)
- Tenci – My Heart is an Open Field (Keeled Scales, US)
- Sevdaliza – Shabrang (Twisted Elegance, IR / NL)
- Hania Rani – Home (Gondwana Records, PL)
- Zebra Katz – Less Is Moor (ZFK Records, US)
- Kelly Lee Owens – Inner Song (Smalltown Supersound, UK)
- Nnamdï – Brat (Sooper Records, US)
- Phoebe Bridgers – Punisher (Dead Oceans, US)
- Dana Gavanski – Yesterday Is Gone (Full Time Hobby / Ba Da Bing!, CA)
- Sufjan Stevens – The Ascension (Asthmatic Kitty, US)
- Becca Mancari – The Greatest Part (Captured Tracks, US)
- Jessie Ware – What’s Your Pleasure? (Virgin EMI, UK)
- Obongjayar – Which Way Is Forward? (EP) (September, UK / NG)
- Half Waif – The Caretaker (Anti- Records, US)
- Anjimile – Giver Taker (Father/Daughter Records, US)
- Thao & The Get Down Stay Down – Temple (Ribbon Music, US)
- Activity – Unmask Whoever (Western Vinyl, US)
- JFDR – New Dreams (White Sun Recording / Krunk, IS)
- Dua Saleh – Rosetta (EP) (Against Giants, US)
- LA Priest – Gene (Domino Records, UK)
- A Grape Dope – Arthur King Presents A Grape Dope: Backyard Bangers (Dangerbird Records, US)
- Algiers – There Is No Year (Matador, US)
- Wye Oak – No Horizon (EP) (Merge Records, US)
- Porridge Radio – Every Bad (Secretly Canadian, UK)
- Squirrel Flower – I Was Born Swimming (Polyvinyl Records / Full Time Hobby, US)
- Jockstrap – Wicked City (EP) (Warp Records, UK)
- Keeley Forsyth – Debris (The Leaf Label, UK)
- Ana Roxanne – Because of a Flower (Kranky, US)
- Frances Quinlan – Likewise (Saddle Creek, US)
- Owen Pallett – Island (Domino Records, CA)
- Mourning [A] BLKStar – The Cycle (Don Giovanni Records, US)
- Ohmme – Fantasize Your Ghost (Joyful Noise Recordings, US)
- Zola Mennenöh – Longing for Belonging (Figureight Records, DE / DK)
- Other Lives – For Their Love (ATO Records, US)
- Hachiku – I’ll Probably Be Asleep (Milk! Records / Marathon Artists, AUS)
- Kate NV – Room For The Moon (RVNG Intl., RU)
- Fleet Foxes – Shore (Anti- Records, US)
- Dmitry Evgrafov – Surrender (130701 / FatCat Records, RU)
- The Cool Greenhouse – The Cool Greenhouse (Melodic Records, UK)
- Wax Chattels – Clot (Captured Tracks, NZ)
- Låpsley – Through Water (XL Recordings, UK)
- Sylvan Esso – Free Love (Loma Vista Recordings, US)
- Ela Minus – Acts Of Rebellion (Domino Records, CO / US)
- Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith – The Mosaic of Transformation (Ghostly International, US)
- Ian William Craig – Red Sun Through Smoke (130701 / FatCat Records, CA)
- Jeff Parker – Suite for Max Brown (International Anthem, US)
- Jónsi – Shiver (Krunk, IS)
- Princess Thailand – And We Shine (À Tant Rêver Du Roi, FR)
- Hazel English – Wake Up! (Polyvinyl Records, US / AUS)
- Land of Talk – Indistinct Conversations (Saddle Creek, CA)
- Arca – KiCk i (XL Recordings, VZ)
- Helena Deland – Someone New (Luminelle Recordings, CA)
- Henriette Sennenvaldt (from Under Byen) – Something Wonderful (Paper Bag Records, DK)
- Gabriel Garzón-Montano – Agüita (Jagjaguwar, US / CO)
- Samia – The Baby (Grand Jury, US)
- Amnesia Scanner – Tearless (PAN, FI / DE)
- Yves Tumor – Heaven to a Tortured Mind (Warp Records, UK)
- Austra – HiRUDiN (Domino Records / Pink Fizz Recordings, CA)
- Deradoorian – Find the Sun (Anti- Records, US)
- Dominique A – Vie étrange (Cinq 7 / Wagram, FR)
- Westerman – Your Hero Is Not Dead (Partisan Records, UK)
- Soccer Mommy – Color Theory (Loma Vista Recordings, US)
- Lomelda – Hannah (Double Double Whammy, US)
- Ben Lukas Boysen – Mirage (Erased Tapes, DE)
- Ghostpoet – I Grow Tired But Dare Not Fall Asleep (Again) ([PIAS], UK)
- Woods – Strange To Explain (Woodsist, US)
- Mary Lattimore – Silver Ladders (Ghostly International, US)
- Cyril Cyril – Yallah Mickey Mouse (Born Bad Records, CH)
- Aoife Nessa Frances – Land of No Junction (Basin Rock, IE)
- Rina Sawayama – Sawayama (Dirty Hit, JP / UK)
- Dua Lipa – Future Nostalgia (Warner Records, UK)
- Ben Seretan – Youth Pastoral (Whatever’s Clever, US)
- Inventions – Continuous Portrait (Temporary Residence Ltd., US)
- MAITA – Best Wishes (Kill Rock Stars, US)
- Nils Bech – Foolish Heart (Self-released, NO)
- Agnes Obel – Myopia (Deutsche Grammophon, DK)
- Laura Marling – Song For Our Daughter (Chrysalis Records Limited / Partisan Records, UK)
- Rob Mazurek – Exploding Star Orchestra’s Dimensional Stardust (International Anthem / Nonesuch Records, US)
- Rone – Room With A View (Infiné, FR)
- Sonikku – Joyful Death (Bella Union, UK)
- Róisín Murphy – Róisín Machine (Loaded Records / Skint, IE)
- Lorenzo Senni – Scacco Matto (Warp Records, IT)
- Nadia Reid – Out Of My Province (Spacebomb Records, NZ)
- Reb Fountain – Reb Fountain (Flying Nun Records, NZ)
- Islet – Eyelet (Fire Records, UK)
- Fontaines D.C. – A Hero’s Death (Partisan Records, IE)
- Yes Basketball – Goodbye Basketball (Les Disques Normal / À Tant Rêver du Roi, FR)
- Kyrie Kristmanson – Lady Lightly (Iki records, CA)
- Melkbelly – PITH (Wax Nine / Carpark Records, US)
- Sorry – 925 (Domino Records, UK)
- Junglepussy – JP4 (Jagjaguwar, US)
- Tunng – Tunng Presents… Dead Club (Full Time Hobby, UK)
- This Is the Kit – Off Off On (Rough Trade Records, UK)
- Madeline Kenney – Sucker’s Lunch (Carpark Records, US)
- Nicole Atkins – Italian Ice (Single Lock Records, US)
- Luka Kuplowsky – Stardust (Mama Bird Recording Co. / Next Door Records, CA)
- Julien Gasc – L’Appel de la Forêt (Born Bad Records, FR)
- Jaye Jayle – Prisyn (Sargent House, US)
- Aārp – Propaganda (Infiné, FR)
- Amaarae – The Angel You Don’t Know (Sad Saints Angry Angels, GHA / US)
- Sault – Untitled (Black Is) (Forever Living Originals, UK)
- Told Slant – Point the Flashlight and Walk (Double Double Whammy, US)
- The Soft Pink Truth – Shall We Go On Sinning So That Grace May Increase? (Thrill Jockey, US)
- Yelle – L’Ère du Verseau (Recreation Center, FR)
- Georgia – Seeking Thrills (Domino Records, UK)
- LAAKE – O (Somaa / Mercury Records, FR)
- Empress Of – I’m Your Empress Of (Terrible, US)
- Garage Blonde – Rage nue (La Discrète Music, FR)
- RVG – Feral (Fire Records, AUS)
- Kidbug – Kidbug (Joyful Noise Recordings, US)
- Moaning – Uneasy Laughter (Sub Pop, US)
- Lo-Fang – Near Other Worlds (Ocean Cloud Records, US / PT)
- Cabane – Grande est la maison (Cabane Records, BE)
- Mocke – Parle, grand canard (Objet Disque, FR)
- Skeletons – If the Cat Come Back (Shinkoyo, US)
- Loma – Don’t Shy Away (Sub Pop, US)
- Hjaltalín – Hjaltalín (Self-released, IS)
- Sam Prekop – Comma (Thrill Jockey, US)
- Zeroh – BLQLYTE (Leaving Records, US)
- Soundwalk Collective with Patti Smith – Peradam (featuring Anoushka Shankar, Tenzin Choegyal, and Charlotte Gainsbourg) (Bella Union, US)
- Oiseaux-Tempête – Tlamess (Sortilège) O.S.T. (Sub Rosa, FR)
- Brigitte Fontaine – Terre Neuve (Verycords, FR)
- Jehnny Beth – To Love Is To Live (20L07 LLC, FR)
- Mottron – Giants ([PIAS], FR)
- Monolithe Noir – Moira (Kowtow Records, FR)
- Régina Demina – Hystérie&! (Kwaidan Records, FR)
- Naeem – Startisha (37d03d, US)
- Rico Nasty – Nightmare Vacation (Atlantic Records / Sugar Trap, US)
- Megan Thee Stallion – Good News (300 Entertainment, US)
- Jonah Mutono – Gerg (EQT Recordings, UGA / US)
- Leifur James – Angel in Disguise (Night Time Stories, UK)
- Kety Fusco – Dazed (Sugar srl, CH)
- Brigid Mae Power – Head Above The Water (Fire Records, IE)
- Allysen Callery – Ghost Folk (Cosirecords Schallplatten, US)
- Andy Shauf – The Neon Skyline (Anti- Records, CA)
- Lee Ranaldo & Raül Refree – Names Of North End Women (Mute Records, US / SP)
- Hen Ogledd – Free Humans (Weird World, UK)
- Sonic Boom – All Things Being Equal (Carpark Records, UK)
- Pantayo – Pantayo (Telephone Explosion, CA)
- Thor & Friends – 3 & 4 (Joyful Noise Recordings, US)
- Greg Fox – Contact (RVNG Intl., US)
Let me know the albums I have missed from your personal tops, and please come back in 10 hours after you’ve listened to the whole playlist to tell me which new albums you are digging ;-) In the meantime: