Better late than never, but here we go. Our 100-something favorite tracks from 2020 for your listening pleasure. Read on and press play below to see and hear our takes on 2020
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2020 was a weird year, definitely the weirdest yet for me in my short 25. However, when we take a step back I think it ended up being a much more promising one for music that we initially expected. While we lost the ability to see LIVE performances, which for some of us was enough of a tragedy in itself, I was impressed with the response from the musical community at large.
After the initial pandemic craze hit home, the whole world seemingly went on temporary standby. Cinemas and restaurants closed down, we all bought out the market supply of beans and TP, and buckled in for the strange uncertainty ahead. There was a several month period of what I could best describe as palpable silence, mixed with plenty of tension.
Someone had to step up – and thank god they did. Only caveat to that being – it was many, many individuals who stepped up and contributed to making music. From out of the woodwork, local artists took the internet to jam away for us and the biggest names began to release a TON of content. Escapism was just what the world needed.
Artists came out strong with a litany of fresh recordings – whether they came from bedrooms or boardrooms. Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube, Soundcloud, recorded “local” concerts and in-home jamming became the conduits to which our favorite artists were able to speak to their voice to the public. Artists one by one began releasing new music, albums, EPs and singles and by the end of the year despite everything going on around us, things are starting to feel much more normal again – in some ways.
In times like these, it’s things like music that keep society from tearing at the seams a bit. I like to think about it in the sense that seeing artists playing their music made us all feel like things really weren’t that different from how they had been – just the settings had changed. Another important aspect of life this pandemic exposed was our vulnerabilities. It didn’t matter whether you were Shakira or Simon Smith, you still had to worry about this virus and take precautions. In this sense I think it brought our celebrities and artists a bit more down to earth, closer to reality and more tangible. I’d like to think that for many it made us realize that at the end of the day, many of us go through a lot of the same shit on a regular basis, and we’re all facing at least one exact same challenge now. Here are a sample, but you should explore for yourself. And if you haven’t been already, what else you got going on?
I’m one of the lucky ones and have no reason to complain. I have a steady job, was able to travel within my limits, and be with friends and family given some unique circumstances. But when I think about all of those physically impacted by the disease, whether themselves or a family member, and all of those families struggling to get by as their storefronts closed down… I hope for these people they are able to enjoy their own slice of life, music or not, to get by the best they can, both this year and beyond. Hell, if Cardi B and Stallion can get you hyped and feeling good – turn that damn stereo up on the way to your 9-5. Find what makes YOU happy when times get tough (or… weird).
We always enjoy making these yearly selections – regardless of genre or billboard status – and these are the tracks made in 2020 that we had on repeat. Enjoy!
We are going to be adding a “What We’re Listening To” playlist on Spotify that you can follow.
Beats & Blockbusters 