The year 2020 will be remembered for some horrible things, but during it a lot of great music was released.
As the year drifts toward a close, it's a good time to look back at the greatest albums released during it.
Among the best-reviewed albums of the year are newer artists like Dua Lipa, Phoebe Bridgers and Perfume Genius, along with new records from aging rockers like Bob Dylan, Neil Young, Bruce Springsteen and Jarvis Cocker.
There's a good chance you haven't heard every album in the list below - and who knows, you might just discover a new favourite in it.
The list is taken from review aggregator Metacritic, based on each album's average review rating or Metascore - but only including new albums that received at least 15 reviews from professional critics.
Metacritic's top 20 albums of 2020:
- Fiona Apple - Fetch the Bolt Cutters
- Bob Dylan - Rough and Rowdy Ways
- Perfume Genius - Set My Heart on Fire Immediately
- Phoebe Bridgers - Punisher
- Moses Sumney - græ
- Run the Jewels - RTJ4
- HAIM - Women in Music, Pt. III
- Taylor Swift - Folklore
- Laura Marling - Song for Our Daughter
- Dua Lipa - Future Nostalgia
- Waxahatchee - Saint Cloud
- Yves Tumor - Heaven to a Tortured Mind
- Bruce Springsteen - Letter to You
- Neil Young - Homegrown
- Deftones - Ohms
- Fleet Foxes - Shore
- Porridge Radio - Every Bad
- Jarvis Cocker - Beyond the Pale
- Nadine Shah - Kitchen Sink
- The Avalanches - We Will Always Love You
Links to full critical reviews and the complete list of the top 40 albums can be found on the Metacritic website.
