Top 100 Albums of 2020

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Congrats, everyone! We made it through 2020 and while there’s been plenty of sad and bad news and we all continue to find new ways of connecting with each other, there was most certainly no shortage of new music to find solace and joy in.

Tune in to CJSW Originals on December 28 through 31 at 11:00 am and 8:00 pm for an 8-part special featuring a dedicated exploration of each specialty genre as well as a Top 10 Countdown, and find the full series on our Soundcloud page.

MONDAY
DECEMBER 28

11:00 am
ELECTRONIC

8:00 pm
HEAVY

TUESDAY
DECEMBER 29

11:00 am
REGIONAL/INTERNATIONAL + JAZZ

8:00 pm
FOLK/ROOTS/BLUES

WEDNESDAY
DECEMBER 30

11:00 am
HIP-HOP/FUNK/SOUL/R&B

8:00 pm
EXPERIMENTAL/CLASSICAL

THURSDAY
DECEMBER 31

11:00 am
TOP 10 COUNTDOWN

TOP 100

Tune in Thursday, December 31 at 11:00 am for the Top 10 Countdown!

  1. Various Artists** – The Sled Island Lemonade Stand Vol. 1 & 2 (Sled Island)
  2. Sargeant x Comrade** – Magic Radio (Self-Released)
  3. Dragon Fli Empire** – Banff Avenue (Makebelieve Records)
  4. Brain Bent** – Obligatory Icebreaker (Self-Released)
  5. Various Artists** – Vital Signs: Live Sessions From CJSW 90.9FM (CJSW Radio)
  6. Various Artists* – EVER NEW (Ever New)
  7. Selci** – A Soft Place (Self-Released)
  8. Aimee-Jo Benoit** – BORJONER (Self-Released)
  9. DJ Dine & Dash** – Don’t Ever Wonder (Self-Released)
  10. NETRVNNER** – Of Might And Magic (Self-Released)
  11. Various Artists** – SUB075 – Essentials Compilation (Substation Recordings)
  12. Pottery* – Welcome To Bobby’s Motel (Partisan)
  13. Port Juvee** – Motion Control (Garment District Records)
  14. Body Lens* – BL Mini (Self-Released)
  15. Parisian Orgy** – Come Pretty Pump Sleep (Self-Released)
  16. Busty and the Bass* – Eddie (Arts & Crafts)
  17. Thanya Iyer* – KIND (Topshelf)
  18. Marlaena Moore* – Pay Attention, Be Amazed! (Self-Released)
  19. Sean Beaver** – Electric Turtle Dreams (Self-Released)
  20. TOPS* – I Feel Alive (Fat Possum)
  21. Spectres* – Nostalgia (Artoffact Records)
  22. goodnight girl** – HSL (Self-Released)
  23. The Dirty Sample** – NO! (Hand’Solo)
  24. Freak Heat Waves* – Zap The Planet (Telephone Explosion)
  25. Thundercat – It Is What It Is (Brainfeeder)
  26. Little Lamb** – Elephant Shoe Two (Self-Released)
  27. Ora Cogan* – Bells In The Ruin (Prism Tongue Records)
  28. U.S. Girls* – Heavy Light (4AD)
  29. Mulatu Astatke & Black Jesus Experience – To Know Without Knowing (Agogo Records)
  30. Caribou* – Suddenly (Merge Records)
  31. Young Neighbours** – Famous (Self-Released)
  32. Pope Joan** – Happy and Relaxed (Self-Released)
  33. Metawon** – The 12 Trials of Kinso (Makebelieve Records)
  34. Jayda G* – Both Of Us / Are You Down (Ninja Tune)
  35. Lido Pimienta* – Miss Colombia (ANTI-)
  36. Self-Cut Bangs** – Self-Cut Bangs (Self-Released)
  37. Hermitess** – Tower EP (Self-Released)
  38. Tough Age* – Which Way Am I? (Mint Records)
  39. Shabaka & The Ancestors – We Are Sent Here By History (Impulse!)
  40. Ensemble Made In Canada* – Mosaique (Self-Released)
  41. Witch Prophet* – DNA Activation (Self-Released)
  42. CRi* – Juvenile (Anjunadeep)
  43. Pantayo* – Pantayo (Telephone Explosion)
  44. PaintedFoxes** – Dig (Self-Released)
  45. Zoon* – Bleached Wavves (Paper Bag Records)
  46. Austra* – HiRUDiN (Domino)
  47. New Fries* – Is The Idea Of Us (Telephone Explosion)
  48. Blooming Season* – Living Feeling (Self-Released)
  49. WUT* – NOW (Self-Released)
  50. Sahara* – Pure Glass (Hand Drawn Dracula)
  51. Gum Country* – Somewhere (Self-Released)
  52. Wares* – Survival (Mint Records)
  53. The Soul Motivators* – Do The Damn Thing (Do Right! Music)
  54. Jeremy Gignoux** – Cinacoustic (Self-Released)
  55. Loving* – If I Am Only My Thoughts (Last Gang)
  56. Mush – 3D Routine (Memphis Industries)
  57. Five Alarm Funk* – Big Smoke (Self-Released)
  58. Tony Allen + Hugh Masekela – Rejoice (World Circuit)
  59. Jeff Parker – Suite For Max Brown (International Anthem)
  60. Good Grief.** – Last Place (Self-Released)
  61. The Wine Soaked Preachers** – Tell Me Tales (Self-Released)
  62. Bad Buddy* – Bad Buddy (Self-Released)
  63. Poirier* – Soft Power (Wonderwheel Recordings)
  64. Mestizo Beat – Canoga Madness (California Soul)
  65. Yves Jarvis** – Sundry Rock Song Stock (Flemish Eye)
  66. Ice Cream* – FED UP (Self-Released)
  67. Aladean Kheroufi* – Sorry If I Hurt You b/w Nothing Ever Changes (Kimberlite Records)
  68. Joe Nora + Yuutsu** – Inner Ocean Sessions – Episode 3 (Inner Ocean)
  69. Hyperia** – Insanitorium (Self-Released)
  70. Benevolent Like Quietus** – Kill The Bliss (Self-Released)
  71. Le Couleur* – Concorde (Lisbon Lux Records)
  72. Mother Sun* – SIPS (Self-Released)
  73. Big Black Delta – 4 (Master of Bates)
  74. Shopping – All Or Nothing (Fat-Cat)
  75. Sarah Harmer* – Are You Gone (Cold Snap)
  76. Audrey Ochoa* – Frankenhorn (Chronograph Records)
  77. Cinephonic* – Les Paradis Artificiels (Marlow Records)
  78. Beverly Glenn-Copeland* – Transmissions: The Music Of Beverly Glenn-Copeland (Transgressive)
  79. Anzola* – Caracas (Urbnet)
  80. Khruangbin – Mordechai (Dead Oceans)
  81. Orit Shimoni** – Strange And Beautiful Things (Self-Released)
  82. Dead Ghosts* – Automatic Changer (Burger Records)
  83. Aladean Kheroufi* – Beauty Beyond Grief EP (Self-Released)
  84. Ellis* – Born Again (Fat Possum)
  85. Elephant Stone* – Hollow (Self-Released)
  86. The OBGMs* – The Ends (Black Box)
  87. PAINT – Spiritual Vegas (Mexican Summer)
  88. Adrian Younge, Ali Shaheed Muhammad & Roy Ayers – Roy Ayers JID 002 (Jazz Is Dead)
  89. Yppah – Sunset In The Deep End (Future Archive Recordings)
  90. The Basement Paintings* – Antipodes (Self-Released)
  91. ecotype** – Field Study (Self-Released)
  92. Infidus** – Infidus EP (Self-Released)
  93. Hello Moth** – When The Sky Melted (Self-Released)
  94. Penny Diving* – Big Inhale (Self-Released)
  95. Beat Sexü* – Deuxième fois (Pantoum Records)
  96. The Garrys* – Häxan: Witchcraft Through the Ages (Original Score) (Grey Records)
  97. Sweet Dave* – Pink Dream (Yeah Right Records)
  98. JayWood* – Time (Self-Released)
  99. lié* – You Want It Real (Mint Records)
  100. The Orielles – Disco Volador (Heavenly Recordings)

ELECTRONIC

Tune in Monday, December 28 at 11:00 am for an exploration of the Top 20 Electronic Albums!

  1. Selci** – A Soft Place (Self-Released)
  2. DJ Dine & Dash** – Don’t Ever Wonder (Self-Released)
  3. NETRVNNER** – Of Might And Magic (Self-Released)
  4. Sean Beaver** – Electric Turtle Dreams (Self-Released)
  5. Caribou* – Suddenly (Merge Records)
  6. Jayda G* – Both Of Us / Are You Down (Ninja Tune)
  7. Lido Pimienta* – Miss Colombia (ANTI-)
  8. PaintedFoxes** – Dig (Self-Released)
  9. CRi* – Juvenile (Anjunadeep)
  10. Pantayo* – Pantayo (Telephone Explosion)
  11. Poirier* – Soft Power (Wonderwheel Recordings)
  12. Yppah – Sunset In The Deep End (Future Archive Recordings)
  13. Hello Moth** – When The Sky Melted (Self-Released)
  14. Purity Ring* – WOMB (4AD)
  15. Holy Fuck* – Deleter (Last Gang)
  16. Astrocolor* – Hue (Entertainment One)
  17. Jessy Lanza* – All The Time (Hyperdub)
  18. AXXA** – AXXA (Self-Released)
  19. Game Genie Sokolov* – Trans // Mission (Lisbon Lux Records)
  20. Godford – Non Binary Place (Pack Records)

EXPERIMENTAL/CONTEMPORARY CLASSICAL

Tune in Wednesday, December 30 at 8:00 pm for an exploration of the Top 20 Experimental/Classical Albums!

  1. Ensemble Made In Canada* – Mosaique (Self-Released)
  2. Luminous Voices** – Sea Dreams (Self-Released)
  3. Colin Stetson* – Color Out Of Space (Milan Records)
  4. Alder and Ash* – The Crowneater (Medicant)
  5. Charles Spearin & Josefin Runsteen* – Thank God, The Plague Is Over (Arts & Crafts)
  6. Matthew Cardinal* – Asterisms (Arts & Crafts)
  7. Helen Money – Atomic (Thrill Jockey)
  8. Markus Floats* – Third Album (Constellation Records)
  9. Evicshen – Hair Birth (American Dreams Records)
  10. Ofra Harnoy* – On The Rock (Analekta)
  11. Taktus* – MIRRORED GLASS (Ravelo Records)
  12. Nick Storring* – My Magic Dreams Have Lost Their Spell (Orange Milk)
  13. Sarah Slean and Symphony Nova Scotia* – Sarah Slean and Symphony Nova Scotia (Centrediscs)
  14. Joshua Van Tassel* – Dance Music Volume II: More Songs For Slow Motion (Backward Music)
  15. Beverley Johnston* – The Spirit And The Dust (Centrediscs)
  16. Excellent Jacket* – 1000 Eyes (Self-Released)
  17. Mike Hodsall* – Atmospheres: Music For Films That Don’t Exist (Self-Released)
  18. Hilary Woods – Birthmarks (Sacred Bones)
  19. Canadian National Brass Project* – Constellations (Analekta)
  20. R Grunwald* – Oma (Outside Music)

JAZZ

Tune in Tuesday, December 29 at 11:00 am for an exploration of the Top 20 Jazz Albums!

  1. Aimee-Jo Benoit** – BORJONER (Self-Released)
  2. Mulatu Astatke & Black Jesus Experience – To Know Without Knowing (Agogo Records) 
  3. Shabaka & The Ancestors – We Are Sent Here By History (Impulse!)
  4. Five Alarm Funk* – Big Smoke (Self-Released)
  5. Tony Allen + Hugh Masekela – Rejoice (World Circuit) 
  6. Jeff Parker – Suite For Max Brown (International Anthem)
  7. Beverly Glenn-Copeland* – Transmissions: The Music Of Beverly Glenn-Copeland (Transgressive) 
  8. Audrey Ochoa* – Frankenhorn (Chronograph Records)
  9. Cinephonic* – Les Paradis Artificiels (Marlow Records)
  10. Adrian Younge, Ali Shaheed Muhammad & Roy Ayers – Roy Ayers JID 002 (Jazz Is Dead)
  11. Redline Trio** – Redline Trio featuring Steve Hudson (Self-Released)
  12. Various Artists – Blue Note Re:Imagined (Blue Note) 
  13. Maria Schneider Orchestra – Data Lords (Self-Released)
  14. Brandi Disterheft Trio with George Coleman* – Surfboard (Justin Time Records)
  15. Shuffle Demons* – Crazy Time (Stubby Records)
  16. Vibration Black Finger – Can You See What I’m Trying To Say (Jazzman Records)
  17. Kamasi Washington – Becoming (Young Turks)
  18. Nina Simone – Fodder On My Wings (reissue) (Verve)
  19. Emie R Roussel Trio* – Rythme De Passage (UNI Musiq)
  20. Rachel Therrien* – VENA (Bonsaí)

FOLK/ROOTS/BLUES

Tune in Tuesday, December 29 at 8:00 pm for an exploration of the Top 20 Folk/Roots/Blues Albums!

  1. Jeremy Gignoux** – Cinacoustic (Self-Released)
  2. The Wine Soaked Preachers** – Tell Me Tales (Self-Released)
  3. Orit Shimoni** – Strange And Beautiful Things (Self-Released)
  4. Sarah Harmer* – Are You Gone (Cold Snap)
  5. Fiver & The Atlantic School of Spontaneous Composition* – You Wanted Country? Vol. 1 (You’ve Changed)
  6. Florida BC** – Salt Breaker Sand (Medicine Records) 
  7. Bettye LaVette – Blackbirds (Verve) 
  8. Tami Neilson* – CHIKABOOM! (Outside Music)
  9. The Jerry Cans* – Echoes (Aakuluk Music)
  10. Pharis & Jason Romero* – Bet On Love (Self-Released)
  11. R McClure & Tall Shadows* – R McClure & Tall Shadows (Factotum)
  12. Carver Baronda* – Spooky Love EP (Slide Records)
  13. Resistance Revival Chorus – This Joy (Righteous Babe Records) 
  14. Sean Burns & Lost Country* – A Bakersfield Half-Dozen (Stringbreakin Records)
  15. Charlotte Cornfield* – In My Corner (Next Door Records) 
  16. 100 Mile House* – Love And Leave You (Fallen Tree Records)
  17. Frazey Ford* – U Kin B The Sun (Arts & Crafts)
  18. Joe Nolan* – Drifters (Fallen Tree Records)
  19. Jess Knights** – Best Kind Of Light (Self-Released)
  20. Red Hot Hayseeds** – Red Hot Hayseeds (Self-Released)

HIP-HOP/FUNK/SOUL/R&B

Tune in Wednesday, December 30 at 11:00 am for an exploration of the Top 20 Hip-Hop/Funk/Soul/R&B Albums!

  1. Dragon Fli Empire** – Banff Avenue (Makebelieve Records)
  2. Sargeant x Comrade** – Magic Radio (Self-Released)
  3. Thundercat – It Is What It Is (Brainfeeder)
  4. The Dirty Sample** – NO! (Hand’Solo)
  5. Metawon** – The 12 Trials of Kinso (Makebelieve Records)
  6. Witch Prophet* – DNA Activation (Self-Released)
  7. The Soul Motivators* – Do The Damn Thing (Do Right! Music)
  8. Aladean Kheroufi* – Sorry If I Hurt You b/w Nothing Ever Changes (Kimberlite Records)
  9. Anzola* – Caracas (Urbnet)
  10. Khruangbin – Mordechai (Dead Oceans)
  11. The Budos Band – Long In The Tooth (Daptone Records)
  12. Waahli* – Soap Opera (Self-Released)
  13. Clairmont the Second* – It’s Not How It Sounds (Self-Released)
  14. Jonah Yano* – souvenir (Innovative Leisure)
  15. Spiltmilk* – Funk Side Of A Moon (mslx Recordings)
  16. Aquakultre* – Legacy (Black Buffalo Records)
  17. Butcher Brown – #KingButch (Concord Records)
  18. YUKA* – Dreamscape (Self-Released)
  19. Little Simz – Drop 6 (Age 101 / AWAL)
  20. Len Bowen* – Flow Nostalgic (Self-Released)

HEAVY

Tune in Monday, December 28 at 8:00 pm for an exploration of the Top 20 Heavy Albums!

  1. Hyperia** – Insanitorium (Self-Released)
  2. Benevolent Like Quietus** – Kill The Bliss (Self-Released)
  3. The Basement Paintings* – Antipodes (Self-Released)
  4. Denimachine** – Denimachine (Self-Released)
  5. Hazzerd** – Delirium (M-Theory Audio)
  6. Black Pestilence** – Hail The Flesh (Self-Released)
  7. Entropy* – Force Convergence (Self-Released)
  8. Osyron** – Foundations (Self-Released)
  9. Dead Quiet* – Truth and Ruin (Artoffact Records)
  10. Vovkulaka – Vovkulaka (Black Steel Records)
  11. Iron Tusk** – Iron Tusk III – Dream Eaters (Transistor 66)
  12. No More Moments** – Mill Grove High EP (Self-Released)
  13. Desgraciados** – DES II (Self-Released)
  14. Paradise** – PARIAH (Debt Offensive)
  15. Ensiferum – Thalassic (Metal Blade)
  16. Smoulder* – Dream Quest Ends (Self-Released)
  17. Serene Dark* – Enantiodromia (Self-Released)
  18. Operus* – Score Of Nightmares (Self-Released)
  19. Killitorous* – The Afterparty (Tentacles Industries)
  20. Sightless Pit – Grave Of A Dog (Thrill Jockey)

REGIONAL/INTERNATIONAL

Tune in Tuesday, December 29 at 11:00 am for an exploration of the Top 20 Regional/International Albums!

  1. Mestizo Beat – Canoga Madness (California Soul) 
  2. Antibalas – Fu Chronicles (Daptone Records)
  3. Toronto Tabla Ensemble* – Unexpected Guests (Self-Released) 
  4. Groupe RTD – The Dancing Devils of Djibouti (Ostinato Records)
  5. Sultans of String* – Refuge (Self-Released)
  6. Orkesta Mendoza – Curandero (Glitterbeat)
  7. OKAN* – Espiral (Lulaworld Records)
  8. Jah9 – Note To Self (VP Records)
  9. Filip Y Woppe – Ventana Espacial EP (Ropeadope)
  10. Richie Spice – Together We Stand (VP Records)
  11. Sergio Mendes – In The Key Of Joy (Concord)
  12. Etienne de la Sayette – KOBUGI (Muju Records)
  13. Didem Basar* – Levantine Rhapsody (Analekta)
  14. Tamikrest – Tamotäit (Glitterbeat)
  15. Awale Jant Band – Yewoulen – Wake Up (Self-Released)
  16. Etran de L’Air – Music from Saharan Whatsapp 01 (Sahel Sounds) 
  17. Alkibar Junior – Music from Saharan WhatsApp 04 (Sahel Sounds) 
  18. Alvaro Rojas* – Gran Kasa (Self-Released)
  19. The Good Ones – RWANDA, You Should Be Loved (ANTI-)
  20. AMMAR 808 – Global Control (Glitterbeat)

*Canadian
** Local