The 20 best albums from the 2020s

Best song: "Anti-Hero"

After Taylor Swift released her 2022 album Midnights, her lead single, "Anti-Hero," was practically everywhere. TikTok, Twitter, television commercials — you name it! The project would later win Album of the Year at the 2024 Grammys.

Best song: "VIRGO'S GROOVE"

Beyoncé's highly-anticipated seventh studio album, Renaissance, arrived in 2022 and received much praise from fans and critics. It featured everything the iconic singer is known for, including soaring vocals and catchy tunes.

Best song: "Put You On"

Even though Coco Jones' project, What I Didn't Tell You, is an EP rather than a full-length album, it's filled with true R&B songs, pleasing melodies, and catchy lyrics.

Best song: "Auntie Diaries"

Kendrick is king when it comes to releasing banger hip-hop albums, and his 2022 album, Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers, proves that. It's a lyrical masterpiece filled with R&B, jazz, trap, and soul-inspired tunes that touch on the performer's personal life, trauma, and relationships.

Best song: "Un Coco"

Bad Bunny's album Un Verano Sin Ti was everywhere after its release in 2022. It won the Grammy for Best Urban Music Album at the Latin Grammys in 2022 and the award for Best Música Urbana Album at the Grammys in 2023.

Best song: "Call Me by Your Name"

Lil Nas X's album MONTERO was a hit, and despite the backlash due to the queer references and religious imagery, the fans and critics still ate it up. The project's lead single, "Call Me by Your Name," hit No. 1 on the Hot 100 and, as of 2024, has over 530 million views on YouTube.

Best song: "Kill Bill"

SZA's album SOS, released in December 2022, was one of the most talked about albums the following year. It featured the No. 1 single, "Kill Bill," and won the Grammy for Best Progressive R&B Album.

Best song: "POV"

Ariana brought the same sounds heard in her fifth album, thank u, next to her sixth, Positions, which is one of our personal favorites by the singer. The project features many pop classics, like "34+35" and "West Side;" however, there are a few tracks, like "POV" and "My Hair," that really showcase the singer's expansive vocal range.

Best song: "Way 2 Sexy"

Most of Drake's album drops are full of bangers. His 2021 release, Certified Lover Boy, is no different. The project features the No. 1 single, "Way 2 Sexy," which samples the popular song "I'm Too Sexy" by Right Said Fred. The 21-track album also features collaborations from popular hip-hop artists Jay-Z, Ty Dolla Sign, and Young Thug.

Best song: "Dynamite"

BTS' album Proof became a smash hit after being released on streaming platforms in 2022. Thanks to the popular tracks "Butter" and "Dynamite," the boy band's project reached No. 1 in several countries, including the United States, South Korea, and Australia.

Best song: "Moving" 

Ed Sheeran's Subtract didn't experience as much hype as his previous albums. However, the folk-pop project, which debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard 200, still has some singles worth throwing in your Spotify playlist, like the deluxe track "Moving."

Best song: "Lonely"

Justin Bieber is used to releasing critically acclaimed albums, and Justice was no different. The project featured a mix of R&B and pop songs, like the viral tracks "Peaches" featuring Daniel Caesar and Giveon and "Holy" featuring Chance the Rapper. 

Best song: "Shot in the Dark"

17 projects later, AC/DC is still releasing dynamic albums full of hard rock and blues metal songs. Their latest album, Power Up, reached No. 1 on the Billboard 200 in 2020 after selling 117,000 copies in its first week.

Best song: "Stupid Love" 

Initially released in 2020, people still haven't been able to get over Lady Gaga's album Chromatica, which featured the popular songs "Stupid Love" and "Rain On Me" featuring Ariana Grande.

Best song: "Oh My God"

Adele's long-awaited return to music was her fourth studio album, 30, and in case you haven't listened yet, it was well worth the wait. The project's lead single, "Easy On Me," was released in October 2021, shot to No. 1 on the Hot 100, and won the Grammy for Best Pop Solo Performance in 2023.  

Best song: "Snow Angel"

Reneé Rapp from Mean Girls and The Sex Lives of College Girls released one of the best projects of 2023 with her first studio album, Snow Angel. The collection of pop songs features several tracks that showcase the performer's impressive vocal ability, including her powerful belt.

Best song: "Jaded"

Miley Cyrus' single "Flowers" was an instant hit, so it wasn't a surprise that her album, Endless Summer Vacation, would be one of the most talked about projects of the 2020s so far. It's one of the singer's most personal albums to date, with many tracks describing the behind-the-scenes details of her relationships, escapades, and healing journey.

Best song: "Blinding Lights"

The Weeknd's album After Hours was so popular in 2020 that he performed tracks, including the lead single, "Blinding Lights," at Super Bowl LV in 2021.

Best song: "Levitating"

Who could forget about Dua Lipa and her album Future Nostalgia? It housed the songs "Don't Start Now" and "Levitating," which practically launched the pop singer into superstardom.

Best song: "Taste"

Some might say it's too soon to list Sabrina Carpenter and her album Short n' Sweet here, but her single "Espresso" was the summer song of 2024, and since her album was released in August of the same year, it's all anybody can talk about. Plus, it looks like she has another hit on her hands with the pop track "Taste."