What a year of tunes! I don’t know about you, but I’ve needed Music more than ever this year. 2020 has been hard! As a result, I’ve spent quite a bit of time revisiting longtime favorites as nostalgic comfort food, but there has also been a bevy of great new songs as well. Here are the ones I’ve listened to most…The Top 50 with a Spotify link to a playlist with all of them and an additional 50 because I just listened to so much this year leaving it difficult to whittle down. Hope you find some new favorites!
Lastly, just an FYI that I set out to only include an artist in the Top 50 once so as to highlight a larger variety of worthy musicians. I then promptly had to break said rule twice in the top 25 because the song are just so stinking good. More Repeat songs from artists/albums I’ve loved will be represented in the unranked bottom 50 to round out an even 100 songs that I’ve highly enjoyed. Okay then…
Begin…(said in my best Inigo Montoya accent)
50. “Take the Moment” – The Classic Crime
Spotify calls it my most-listened to song of 2020, but little do they know where else I listened to music. Regardless, this is an Uber-catchy song and I dig it.
49. “Man of Your Word” – Maverick City Worship
Maverick City is pumping out some of the best and diverse worship of the genre. This one is confident in God’s word…it sways, it swings, it celebrates with assurance.
48. “Lonely Saints” – Chase Tremaine
47. “Good God” – Benjamin Daniel
This indie artist is quickly becoming a favorite lyricist. poetic and encouraging.
46. “The Thanksgiving Song” – Ben Rector
45. “Miracles” – Colton Dixon
44. “Eventful Horizons” – Anchor & Braille
My favorite song of an album full of moody tunes. Great for the late night.
43. “Magic in the Moment” – The Gray Havens
42. “So We Sing” – Five Iron Frenzy
FIF is back and all grown up?! Nah…more of their insightful and sharp (yet necessary) commentary. Ska lives!
41. “Why Should The Devil Have All The Good Music” – Kevin Max
40. “Secular Music” – John Reuben
Witty and self-deprecating Reuben is back!
39. “Out of My Depth” – Tina Boonstra
Indie-pop song that caught me be surprise.
38. “2008” – Slick Shoes
Intricate guitar work within punk music beds and this was my favorite on a terrific album.
37. “Who Can” – Cochran & Co.
36. “Big Feelings” – Peabod
35. “Graves into Gardens” – Elevation Worship
Easily my favorite church worship song of the year.
34. “Running” – Land of Color
33. “In the Garden” – Josh Garrels
Peaceful and reassuring…perfect for a year like this.
32. “Love is the Ocean” – Smalltown Poets
31. “Miracle” – Tauren Wells
An obvious ode to Michael Jackson, and a fun one to boot.
30. “Yes & No” – David Dunn
29. “Into the Sea (Its Gonna Be Ok)” – Tasha Layton
This girls got pipes!
28. “Dream War” – Ella Mine
The album of the same name is well-worth a listen or two as well. It’s a long listen but a good one.
27. “W.D.Y.K.A.G. – Kings Kaleidoscope
In a genius pairing we get a Propaganda KK collab, and it’s sublime.
26. “Best Friends” – Hillsong Young & Free
A more fun pop direction, but I’m here for it.
25. “Drown” – Lecrae
That John Legend vocal hook is perfect and oh-so-catchy.
24. “Love” – We Are Messengers
23. “More Than Words” – Nashville Life Worship
A pep rally song if I ever heard one. I dare you to stay still listening to this tune. Impossible.
22. “Harmony Hall” – Switchfoot
My introduction to this terrific song by Vampire Weekend. What an excellent tune, and very apropos for the age we live in.
21. “Faces on a Train” – Brandon Heath
That jazzy sax for a hook is fresh and pleasant. Nice update to Brandon’s typical pop sound.
20. “I Miss the Old Days Too” – Tyson Mostenbocker
Melancholy and nostalgia-drenched…aka my kind of song.
19. “Behold” – Mission House
18. “No Surprises” – Madison Cunningham
Replacing the paranoia of Radiohead’s original for a more lullaby take, Cunningham does this classic justice adding her own spin.
17. “Facebook” – The Brilliance
Doing their best Radiohead Ok Computer era impression this song is a sobering warning.
16. “YOU” – Off-road Minivan
Soaring alt-rock that hits my music taste just right.
15. “Deep End” – Lecrae
Another earworm tune from an album full of them. Production on this one is top-notch.
14. “Tightrope” – Jon Guerra
Violins. Male/female harmonies and lyrics that cut to the heart. Yet another reason to be all-in on Jon Guerra’s work.
13. “Song in My Head” – We Are The City
So very catchy, I’ve been into this song for since I first heard it in January…The bridge hook gets me every time.
12. “Candy-Coated Emptiness” – NAMO
As perfect and witty a pop song as you’ll hear this year. Really wanted this to make my top 10 but it’s just missed…
11. “Underdressed” – Gable Price & Friends
80s soaked rock n’ roll with worship centric lyrics? Sold!
10. “The King Is Alive” – American Arson
Spoken word to a strong rock soundscape full of passion.
9. “The Hope Inside” – Colony House
This is the perfect close to a tight pop-rock album with a story to tell.
8. “Heaven Is In Our Sights” – Citizens
So uplifting…this song has meant quite a bit to me this year.
7. “Level of Concern” – Twenty One Pilots
That bass line! So good.
6. “How Did We Get Here” – Wake Low
There’s just something very alluring about this song that draws me in. It quickly rise up the ranks when I first heard it.
5. “Survival” (Feat. Drew & Ellie Holcomb) – NEEDTOBREATHE
Ellie steals the show on this barn burner.
4. “Let the Ground Rest” – Chris Renzema
This tune became a family rallying cry for us in 2020. “If it’s not right now, it’s for the best/you’re gonna grow, I know this/but for now/just let the ground rest.”
3. “The Road, The Rocks, The Weeds” – John Mark Mcmillan
A beautiful reminder that the God of the universe knows our suffering because He’s suffered, AND amazingly enough suffers with us.
2. “Grace & Mercy” – Jess Ray
Oh how I love this song! And I welcome the reminder of my need for new grace and mercy every day. May I be likewise gracious and merciful with others because I have received both in abundance.
1. “Citizens” – Jon Guerra
I could write a novel about this song and its impact on me, but that’s another post for another time. Suffice to say, this is a perfect blend of the tension between God’s truth and our worldly reality. Listen with lyrics at the ready and soak it in.
For my top 50 and an additional 50 songs (because I cannot help myself)…Follow along below…happy listening!
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6v431Ck3FblMPVpjh9O87e?si=8vcQeVIeSw6CH5qZDL3Mzg
joshbalogh 
Here are my top 10 songs of 2020 – restricted to one song per artist.
Honourable Mention: “Secular Music” by John Reuben: I have a huge soft spot for John Reuben since he’s the only Christian rapper I’ve ever seen live (this is about 20 years ago now – I’ve just never lived in the right country at the right time). “Other People” is probably the best song on the album, but this puts a huge smile on my face. Greatest. Christian. Rapper. Ever.
#10 “Eventful Horizons” by Anchor & Braille. Discovered this while listening to your 2020 playlist on shuffle in the car. “Is that your man from Anberlin?” Yes, and this sound fits him perfectly – channels Radiohead in the intro, and gets me singing along and bobbing my head like no one’s business.
#9 “Joy (As Far as the Curse is Found)” by Caroline Cobb. Technically this is from a Christmas album/EP (not sure which!), but don’t let that put you off. If you want to spend a contemplative half hour reflecting on the incarnation, look no further. This song fits perfectly in the centre.
#8 “Heaven Is In Our Sights” by Citizens. Joy to Be is the album (or is it an EP?) that finally got me sold on Citizens. This is such a good opening track.
#7 “W.D.Y.K.A.G.?” by Kings Kaleidoscope featuring Propaganda. Can’t wait for their next album, and would be more than happy for more collaboration with hip hop artists like this.
#6 “Out Of My Depth” by Tina Boonstra. The second new discovery from your playlist. This one is so much fun, love the lo-fi dirty bass sound of it. The whole EP it’s from is really good too.
#5 “Why Even Try” by Colony House – Leave What’s Lost Behind is probably my favourite album of 2020, and it’s a close call between this song and “The Hope Inside” for favourite song. Lovely build up and lyrics that just move me.
#4 “The Road, the Rocks, and the Weeds” by John Mark McMillan. Such a powerful song, and a hugely helpful reminder in ministry.
#3 “Swim Good” by Switchfoot. Yes, it’s a cover, but I was only vaguely familiar with Frank Ocean’s original, and this has been a song that has been pretty much my soundtrack over the past year, and over these past two months in particular, as God has done some deep healing work in my heart.* This will scandalise you, but it may actually be my favourite Switchfoot song right now!
#2 “Kingdom of God” by Jon Guerra. Very close call between this and “Citizens”, these two songs are just incredibly challenging. I still haven’t been able to listen to his whole album in one sitting, though one by one the other songs are really sinking in too.
#1 “Springtime” by Chris Renzema. I saw you recommended this album a while back, and the first and last tracks are definitely the standouts for me – this one gets the nod because the chorus resonates so deeply with me. Sorry I’m just gonna type out the lyrics:
We will sing a new song, cause death is dead and gone with the winter
We will sing a new song, let hallelujahs flow like a river
Coming back to life, reaching towards the light
Your love is like springtime.
Thank you for all the recommendations brother!
Blessings, Chris
*I mentioned very recently that “Glass Heart Hymn” was and probably always will be my all-time favourite song. I didn’t think this was possible, but about 3 weeks ago something changed and “Slow Your Breath Down” by Future of Forestry has taken its place. God is good.
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Thanks for the music list recommendation.
My favorite song for 2020 has got to be Beckah Shae – Awake
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