Quietus Tracks Of The Year 2020

These are our favourite tracks of the last 12 months as voted for by Jennifer Lucy Allan, Bobby Barry, Aaron Bishop, Patrick Clarke, John Doran, Christian Eede, Noel Gardner, Ella Kemp, Fergal Kinney, Sean Kitching, Anthea Leyland, Peter Margasak, David McKenna, JR Moores, Luke Turner, Kez Whelan and Daryl Worthington. Illustration by Lisa Cradduck

There’s not much more I can add to what has already been said about our relationship to music in this pandemic-hit year by my colleagues Luke Turner and Patrick Clarke in their respective introductions to our lists of the year’s best albums and best reissues, compilations, mixes etc.

It’s been a year where clubs of course largely haven’t been open, and so many bangers haven’t quite realised their full potential, reduced instead to outings on the many online streams that have filled our weekends in the place of time on dance floors. Despite the lack of club spaces, festivals and general means to enjoy music together, we still opted for a list of favourite tracks of 2020 that largely follow the ABC (anthems, bangers, classics) model, a contrast perhaps to the sometimes more obscure picks that our other year-end lists can throw up. This year has been a very difficult one, but the tracks below have provided us and our contributing writers with moments of comfort in some way.

Overall, we as a site can look back on 2020 as a positive one thanks to the subscription system that we were finally able to get off the ground. It’s with your much-appreciated support via that system that we are still here sharing these year-end round-ups at the end of 2020. If you’ve discovered anything you like, either from our these lists or from the site in general, and if you’re in the financial position to do so, please consider signing up as a subscriber. Those on our top tiers get a whole host of benefits, including exclusive essays, podcasts, playlists (including one featuring our full tracks of the year round-up), and exclusive releases from some of the best musicians in the world. Sign up here and find all the content we’ve made thus far here.

We hope you enjoy the music below, and we look forward to sharing more with you in 2021.
Christian Eede

This chart was voted for by Jennifer Lucy Allan, Bobby Barry, Aaron Bishop, Patrick Clarke, John Doran, Christian Eede, Noel Gardner, Ella Kemp, , Fergal Kinney, Anthea Leyland, Peter Margasak, David McKenna, JR Moores, Luke Turner, Kez Whelan and Daryl Worthington

100.

Pearson SoundAlien Mode

99.

Sex SwingValentine’s Day At The Gym

98.

DestroyerCrimson Tide

97.

Moses BoydStranger Than Fiction

96.

WranglerMachines Designed (To Eat You Up) –

95.

Dizzee Rascal ft. Ocean WisdomDon’t Be Dumb

94.

Tierra WhackDora

93.

EartheaterBelow The Clavicle

92.

Ani GlassMirores

91.

EnnyPeng Black Girls (ft. Amia Brave)

90.

CarolineDark Blue

89.

John Foxx The MathsHowl

88.

JenevieveMedallion

87.

Paul EpworthSpace Inc. (ft. ISHMAEL)

86.

Silver SphereFootball Game

85.

Shanique MarieFreak

84.

Abra CadabraOn Deck

83.

Little SimzMight Bang, Might Not

82.

R.AggsExuberance

81.

Melt Yourself DownCrocodile

Next 20 Records
Next 20 Records
Next 20 Records

The Quietus Digest

Sign up for our free Friday email newsletter.

Support The Quietus

Our journalism is funded by our readers. Become a subscriber today to help champion our writing, plus enjoy bonus essays, podcasts, playlists and music downloads.

Support & Subscribe Today