THE BEST OF 2020 IN THE WORLD ACCORDING TO JOHN BOMMARITO

 

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-DEVON GILFILLIAN-WHAT'S GOING ON?

10-JAMES TAYLOR-AMERICAN STANDARD (TARGET EDITION)

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 GEORGIA EP

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 HOLIDAY

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: BOSTON

3-BETH STALKER-LIVE AT O'MALLEY'S

4-DELTA RAE-THIS FIRST DECADE LIVE

5-MATT NATHANSON-LIVE IN PARADISE: DELUXE EDITION BONUS DISC

6-RODRIGO Y GABRIELA-METTAVOLUTION LIVE

7-EAGLES-LIVE FROM THE FORUM MMXVIII

8-LIAM GALLAGHER-MTV UNPLUGGED

8-GUSTER-OMAGAH! GUSTER WITH THE OMAHA SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA

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 CLARK-IN TIME

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-CAPE ELIZABETH

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 JAROSZ-WORLD ON THE GROUND

19-DISTANT COUSINS-HERE AND NOW

20-JILL ANDREWS-THIRTIES

21-AIRBORNE TOXIC EVENT-HOLLYWOOD PARK

21-WAR & TREATY-HEART TOWN

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-LOGAN LEDGER-LOGAN LEDGER

34-TAYLOR SWIFT-FOLKLORE (TARGET EDITION)

34-ERIC HUTCHINSON-CLASS OF '98 (DELUXE)

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-RUSTON KELLY-SHAPE & DESTROY

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-PARIS JACKSON-WILTED

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-NASHVILLE UNRELEASED VOL. 1

68-BETTYE LAVETTE-BLACKBIRDS

68-MONKS ROAD SOCIAL-HUMANISM

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)