THE BEST OF 2020
IN THE WORLD ACCORDING TO JOHN BOMMARITO
Here is a comprehensive look back at my favorite albums of the weirdest and possibly worst year of my life. Music is usually the thing that provides comfort and joy and often it did that. Sometimes it brought up emotions that were not joyful. A good song will move you on an emotional level if you let it. There's still a pile of music released in 2020 that I never had time to listen to (which is odd, because I wasn't employed most of the year).
Per normal, I have broken them into separate categories because a covers album is usually full of familiar songs as is a Christmas album. EP's are short. I define an EP as a release containing 3-7 songs.
Here is my yearly explanation of how I come up with the rating: I rate each song on each album on a 10 point scale. Then I do the math. So if an album has 11 songs, it has 110 possible points. Perhaps it gets 66 points. It's final score would be 6.0. It's usually a pretty good way to determine what the best albums are. However, I've discovered a flaw in the system. If an album has two songs that are just awesome, 10 on a 10 scale and then 8 songs that are mediocre, say a 5 out of 10, that would give it a score that makes it appear as the full album is better than it is. Until I come up with a better system, this is how it will be. And of course, sometimes there is a tie with albums having the same score. That's how two albums can be the 9th best album of the year or the 13th best.
Maybe I'll continue this tradition next year. No radio show means really not much of audience who might be interested in knowing my thoughts. Here they are anyway.
TOP COVERS ALBUMS OF 2020
1-JOSH
GROBAN-HARMONY
2-ELLIS
PAUL-TRAVELING MEDICINE MACHINE SHOW VOL. 1
2-ROD STEWART-YOU'RE
IN MY HEART (WITH THE PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA)(TARGET EDTION)
4-DREW
HOLCOMB-KITCHEN COVERS: THE COLLECTION
5-LARKIN
POE-KINDRED SPIRITS
6-BILLIE
JOE ARMSTRONG-NO FUN MONDAYS
7-LUCA
STRICAGNOLI-CHANGE OF RULES
8-SMITH
& MYERS-VOLUME 1 & 2
9-
10-JAMES
11-VARIOUS-ECHOES-REMEMBERING
THE MUSIC OF TOM PETTY
12-GRETCHEN
PETERS-THE NIGHT YOU WROTE THAT SONG" THE SONGS OF MICKEY NEWBURY
13-VARIOUS-LIVE
PEACE: THE VFP93 JOHN LENNON BIRTHDAY PEACE CONCERTS
14-VARIOUS-GARDEN
OF EARTHLY DELIGHTS -AN XTC CELEBRATION
TOP COVERS EPS OF 2020
1-STABBING
WESTWARD-HALLOWED HYMNS
2-DEATH CAB
FOR CUTIE-THE
3-TYLER
RAMSEY-FOUND A PICTURE OF YOU
4-JAMES
BLAKE-COVERS
TOP CHRISTMAS ALBUMS OF 2020
1-BEN
RECTOR-A BEN RECTOR CHRISTMAS
2-MAY
ERLEWINE-A SIMPLE PHRASE
3-DAVINA
& THE VAGABONDS-A LOVENEST
4-MATT
NATHANSON-FAREWELL DECEMBER
5-STRAIGHT
NO CHASER-SOCIAL CHRISTMASING
6-FOR KING
AND COUNTRY-A DRUMMER BOY CHRISTMAS
7-BARNABY
BRIGHT-BLEAK MIDWINTER
8-GOO GOO
DOLLS-IT'S CHRISTMAS ALL OVER
9-VARIOUS-ROCK
BY THE SEA CHRISTMAS 2020
10-JAMIE
CULLUM-THE PIANOMAN AT CHRISTMAS
TOP CHRISTMAS EPS OF 2020
1-LIZ
LONGLEY-A LITTLE MAGIC
2-JON
MCLAUGHLIN-CHRISTMAS TIME
3-HEATHER
MALONEY-CHRISTMAS ANYWAY
4-JETTY
RAE-CHRISTMAS FOR THE BIRDS
TOP LIVE ALBUMS OF 2020
1-PEARL
JAM-MTV UNPLUGGED
2-MATT
NATHANSON-LIVE IN PARADISE:
3-BETH
STALKER-LIVE AT O'MALLEY'S
4-DELTA
RAE-THIS FIRST DECADE LIVE
5-MATT
NATHANSON-LIVE IN
6-RODRIGO Y
GABRIELA-METTAVOLUTION LIVE
7-EAGLES-LIVE
FROM THE FORUM MMXVIII
8-LIAM
GALLAGHER-MTV UNPLUGGED
8-GUSTER-OMAGAH!
GUSTER WITH THE
10-PETER
MULVEY WITH SISTA STRINGS-LIVE AT THE CAFÉ CARPE
11-AOIFE
O'DONOVAN-AN EVENING OF SONGS PERFORMED AT HOME
12-AOIFE
O'DONOVAN-LIVE FROM BLACK BIRCH
TOP EP's OF 2020
1-LIZ
LONGLEY-FUNERAL FOR MY PAST (ACOUSTIC)
2-ROCHELLE
3-LILLY
MACPHEE-NOTES
4-ALAN
DOYLE-ROUGH SIDE OUT
4-AVI
KAPLAN-I'LL GET BY
4-PEN PALS-LET'S
PRETEND
7-JON
MCLAUGHLIN-THINGS I SAY TO MYSELF
7-SNOW
PATROL-THE FIRESIDE SESSIONS
9-VARIOUS-SONGS
FROM HOME
10-NOAH
KAHAN-
10-ANDY
REED-RELAY VOL 2
TOP ALBUMS OF 2020
1-AMY
PETTY-THE DARKNESS OF BIRDS
2-SWEET
WATER WARBLERS-THE DREAM THAT HOLDS THIS CHILD
3-LIZ
LONGLEY-FUNERAL FOR MY PAST
4-ARI
HEST-AGAINST THE SKY
5-LORI
MCKENNA-THE BALLADEER
6-NEEDTOBREATHE-OUT
OF BODY
7-ALOE
BLACC-ALL LOVE EVERYTHING (TARGET EDITION)
7-CAITLYN
SMITH-SUPERNOVA
9- RAY LAMONTAGNE-MONOVISION
9-KATIE
PRUITT-EXPECATIONS
11-DAVE
BOUTETTE & KRISTI LYNN DAVIS-SEVEN STARS AROUND THE MOON
11-DELTA
RAE-THE LIGHT
13-SARA
BAREILLES-MORE LOVE: SONGS FROM LITTLE VOICE SEASON ONE
13-OVERCOATS-THE
FRIGHT
15-DAVE
BARNES-DREAMING IN ELECTRIC BLUE
16-ALANIS
MORRISSETTE-SUCH PRETTY FORKS IN THE ROAD
17-BRENDAN
JAMES-LEAP TAKEN
17-SARAH
19-DISTANT
COUSINS-HERE AND NOW
20-JILL
ANDREWS-THIRTIES
21-AIRBORNE
21-WAR
&
23-KILLERS-IMPLODING
THE MIRAGE
24-DAWES-GOOD
LUCK WITH WHATEVER
25-RUTHIE
COLLINS-COLD COMFORT
26-JOSH
RITTER-SEE HERE, I HAVE BUILT YOU A MANSION
27-CHRIS
TRAPPER-COLD WATER WALTZ
28-KATHLEEN
EDWARDS-TOTAL FREEDOM
28-NATHANIEL
RATELIFF-AND IT'S STILL ALRIGHT
28-SUSAN
WERNER-FLYOVER COUNTRY
31-DONOVAN
WOODS-WITHOUT PEOPLE
32-ARI
HEST-AGAINST THE SKY ACOUSTIC
32-
34-TAYLOR
SWIFT-FOLKLORE (TARGET EDITION)
34-ERIC
34-SAM
SMITH-LOVE GOES (TARGET EDITION)
37-GREEN
DAY-FATHER OF ALL….
37-BRUCE
SPRINGSTEEN-LETTER TO YOU
37-MOLLY
TUTTLE-…BUT I'D RATHER BE WITH YOU
40-LONE
BELLOW-HALF MOON LIGHT
41-
42-LYNN
MILES-WE’LL LOOK FOR STARS
43-JEFF
DANIELS-ALIVE AND WELL ENOUGH
43-MICHAEL
MCDERMOTT-WHAT IN THE WORLD…
43-MANDY
MOORE-SILVER LANDINGS (TARGET EDITION)
46-AVETT
BROTHERS-THE THIRD GLEAM
47-LUKE
BRINDLEY-THE DEVIL'S DRUM
47-INDIGO
GIRLS-LOOK LONG
49-FRANCESCA
BLANCHARD -MAKE IT BETTER
49-MAY
ERLEWINE & THE WOODY GOSS BAND-ANYWAY
51-ANDREA
BOCELLI-BELIEVE (TARGET EDITION)
52-SIERRA
HULL-25 TRIPS
53-BAHAMAS-SAD
HUNK
53-DAVID
RAMIREZ-MY LOVE IS A HURRICANE
55-
55-YELLO-POINT
(LIMITED)
57-MAYA DE
VITRY-HOW TO BREAK A FALL
57-PEARL
JAM-GIGATON
59-GRANT-LEE
PHILLIPS-LIGHTNING, SHOW US YOUR STUFF
59-SUGARCANE
JANE-RUFFLED FEATHERS: SONGS IN THE KEY OF ME
59-TRAVIS-10
SONGS (DELUXE EDITION)
62-PAUL
WELLER-ON SUNSET (JAPANESE EDITION)
63-DAVID
STARR-BEAUTY & RUIN
64-ANOTHER
SKY-FELL IN LOVE WITH THE CITY
64-RACHAEL
SAGE-CHARACTER
66-NORAH
JONES-PICK ME UP OFF THE FLOOR (JAPANESE EDITION)
66-VARIOUS-
68-BETTYE
LAVETTE-BLACKBIRDS
70-SOCCER
MOMMY-COLOR THEORY
71-JON
ANDERSON-1000 HANDS CHAPTER ONE
72-MARGARET
GLASPY-DEVOTION
72-LIANNE
LA HAVAS-LIANNE LA HAVAS
72-TREESKIN
(MICHAEL DAUSE)-LEARNING
75-ELVIS
COSTELLO-HEY CLOCKFACE
76-NINE
INCH NAILS-GHOSTS V TOGETHER
76-NINE
INCH NAILS-GHOSTS VI
76-AOIFE
O'DONOVAN-BULL FROGS CROON (AND OTHER SONGS)
