StereoVision's AOTY Power Rankings: October
Welcome to our Album of the year power ranking series! Each month all our team members submit their “top 10 albums of 2020 so far” along with some notes about why their list looks the way it does. These lists are then compiled into our overall power rankings which you can find below. Keep scrolling to see each team members personal list which gives interesting insight on how different albums age over the course of the year for specific people. Thanks for reading, we hope you enjoy the article!
the teams picks:
I’d be surprised if anyone’s list changed as much as mine since the last installment of power rankings. My top ten got a complete facelift due to new releases along with me escaping my childhood basement and moving back to LA, two completely different worlds where I perceive music differently. Well Alfredo is still my album of the year, Benny the Butcher’s new album Burden of Proof is right there and has only been out a week - don’t be surprised if those two switch places by the year’s end. Pop Smoke’s album gets better every month and the smooth five song run near on the backend of the album (Enjoy Yourself to Diana) gets more play than almost anything else that came out this year. Blxst is the hottest thing to come out of LA this year and is without a doubt my favorite artist out right now. If you have’t heard his debut EP No Love Lost you NEED to tap in, I’m not exaggerating when I say I play it on the daily. I can’t wait to see what the last two months of 2020 have in store for us, hopefully drops from Isaiah Rashad, Baby Keem, Drake, and Smino all see the light of day this winter and shake my list to the core. -Spencer Lobdell
Y’all know I’m not budging and leaving CHILOMBO in my top spot for Album of the Year. The versatility in Jhenè’s ability to heal and inspire is crystal. While I was oblivious to his influence prior to 2020, Benny the Butcher ranks highly on my list. Burden of Proof contains cohesion, content, and featured artists of high quality. The Chicago girl in me is attached to PTSD and the deluxe because my ear cannot get enough of G Herbo’s sound. Aminè, Chloe x Halle, and Kota the Friend all have my heart. I crave music that I blast during solo car rides but also bump with friends. It’s safe to say my list won’t shift much come December. Most of my favorite artists have delivered their best albums to date this year. -Amaya Lorick
Alfredo holds on as my album of the year after a lot of thought. Though with the way the year seems to be heating up that spot is definitely up for grabs. No Love Lost by Blxst was a huge surprise this year. This is a seven track project with no misses. Benny the Butcher also has his introduction to my list with his incredible album Burden of Proof. Griselda has been on fire this year and so has Hit-Boy. Burden of Proof might be both parties' best release of the year. After this are two familiar picks in 3.15.20 and A Written Testimony. While Limbo was an early favorite for me it was still able to find its way onto my list at number 7, and it remains one of the most pleasant listens of this year. For the last of the new additions to my list there is Also Known As. Another great release produced by Hit-Boy, Dom Kennedy sounds very comfortable over every single hard hitting beat. The list rounds out with two of the best R&B albums of the year in Take Time and F**k the World. -Miles Hagan
As we head into the final months of 2020, it is entirely safe to say it has been nothing short of a phenomenal year in rap, R&B and soul music alike. Although my top 5 has remained the same, the rest of the list was extremely difficult to formulate, given the plethora of strong releases in recent months. While Alfredo certainly stole the show upon its release, I've noticed myself re-visting Mac Miller's Circles more often and enjoying the album considerably more than Freddie Gibbs and The Alchemists' project. Meanwhile, Logic's impressive final album No Presure was a heartwarming and impressive way to end his career. And who can resist the Miami Vice-esque vibes emanating from Action Bronson's latest LP Only for Dolphins? -Luke Modugno
After Hours, my favorite Weeknd album, has truly stood the test of time throughout the year. No album released this year is touching After Hours sonically. Picks 1-5 were probably the easiest picks, they were everything a great album should be: great lyrics, great vocals, great production, released with intention, and pre-release felt like an event. I had to put Herb’s deluxe up here, I’m a little angry that the deluxe wasn’t the actual album, since these tapes don’t often get the publicity that initial releases do. I’m sure if this deluxe was the original PTSD album, Herb would be huge right now. -Courtney Fields
Although 2020 is nearing its final moments the music seems to be doing anything but winding down. The past few months have given us great records like Kacy Hill’s newest project and RTJ4, though Smino, Jay Electronica and The Weekend continue to dominate my rankings. There were many great albums that I couldn’t include on my list, but hopefully I’ll be able to add a new Isaiah Rashad, Kanye, Drake or Kaytranada record by the time the year is up! -Carter Fife
My list has changed quite a bit from the last installment of our Power Rankings series. The new Charli XCX album easily replaced After Hours to take the top spot on my list, as Charli’s unique production choices combined with super intimate songwriting made for a tight, thrilling dose of innovative pop music with high replay value. Yves Tumor created a dense, constantly-shifting alternative rock soundscape on Heaven to a Tortured Mind, and Sevdaliza did the exact opposite on Shabrang, a sparse, psychological journey that combines elements of art pop, trip-hop, and grunge. Meanwhile, Freddie Gibbs’ recent collaboration with legendary hip-hop producer The Alchemist made its way onto the top half of my list, as Gibbs continues to prove his abilities as one of the most technically proficient MCs in the game right now. Bladee’s 333 provided a nocturnal journey into the mind of one of Sweden’s most prolific young voices (Yung Lean’s Starz could have just as easily taken this spot), and Last Year Was Weird, Vol. 2 by Tkay Maizda flexed the Australian artist’s extremely fluid songwriting skills and range. -Owen Tait
Over the past few months, I have been pleasantly surprised by the new releases that came from two of my favorite artists, Father and The Neighbourhood. Both projects from both acts maintained the perfect balance of innovation upon their sound and keeping the ethos of their work the same as before. For a returning listener, this is all I could ask for and more. I have also been excited by the work from several up and coming artists. North Carolinian rapper TiaCorine released her first EP in September and I have been unable to turn it off. A month prior to that, Australian rapper Tkay Madiza put out the appropriately named project This Year Was Weird Vol. 2, an eclectic album guaranteed to up your energy and put you in your power. As I have focused more on my personal growth, Thundercat’s It Is What It Is has moved up my list. Could it possibly overtake my prevailing favorite Man Alive? We’ll see in three months ;) -Kaila Cherry
Never would I have thought Aminé would be in my top ten for 2020, let alone my #1. With the release of Limbo, my whole perspective shifted dramatically. This project was so fun, thoughtful, and cohesive. Spillage Village secured the 2 spot by creating something so different and beautiful. The collective came with the bars, the emotion, and the complex instrumentals that always kept me on my toes. The Alchemist and Freddie Gibbs came with the elaborate production and clever bars that I still probably haven’t even fully digested. Pop Smoke’s album was everything I could have asked for and more. You already know I’m running it back every Wednesday, at least! I was never bumping Juice WRLD’s leaks, so Legends Never Die was brand new to me. This project was bittersweet, and the thing that I love about Juice, is his ability to convey emotion over hypnotizing melodies. Mac used to run the top spots in my list, but over the year I caught myself playing it less and less. Nothing short of a fantastic album, but I definitely feel like I have moved on a bit. I was rocking with PTSD ever since it released, and I have become a much bigger Herbo fan over the course of this year. I still think the title track is still one of the rawest cuts to drop in 2020. I’m excited to see what comes out during the final two months of 2020 and reveal the final form of my AOTY list. -Colson O’Connor
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