My 100 Favorite Albums

2020 is finally coming to a close, and with it the biggest year of music discovery I've ever had. I spent more than a quarter of the year listening to music, and since it has come to be such a large part of my life I thought it would be fitting to write a blog on the best music I've listened to during this time. Because my goal is to listen to at least one new album every day next year, I will probably make another one of these at the end of 2021 as well. The vast majority of these are rock/metal so if you like those genres I strongly recommend any and all of these albums.

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100. Thirty Seconds to Mars - A Beautiful Lie

Year Released: 2005
Genre: Alternative Rock, Emo
Highlights: The Kill, Attack, A Beautiful Lie

99. The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus - Don't You Fake It

Year Released: 2006
Genre: Post Hardcore, Emo
Highlights: False Pretense, Face Down

98. Plumb - Need You Now

Year Released: 2012
Genre: CCM, Alternative Rock
Highlights: Say Your Name, Drifting, Lord I'm Ready Now

97. Francesca Battistelli - My Paper Heart

Year Released: 2008
Genre: CCM, Pop Rock
Highlights: Free to Be Me, Beautiful Beautiful, I'm Letting Go

96. Third Day - Miracle

Year Released: 2012
Genre: Southern Rock, CCM
Highlights: I Need A Miracle, Hit Me Like A Bomb

95. Ashes Remain - What I've Become

Year Released: 2011
Genre: Post Grunge, Christian Rock
Highlights: On My Own, Right Here, Without You, I Won't Run Away

94. Tenth Avenue North - The Light Meets The Dark

Year Released: 2010
Genre: CCM, Soft Rock
Highlights: Strong Enough to Save, You Are More

93. Panic! at the Disco - Death of a Bachelor

Year Released: 2016
Genre: Pop Rock
Highlights: LA Devotee, Don't Threaten Me with a Good Time, Death of a Bachelor

92. Ozzy Osbourne - Ordinary Man

Year Released: 2014
Genre: Hard Rock, Metal
Under the Graveyard, Take What You Want, Ordinary Man

91. As I Lay Dying - An Ocean Between Us

Year Released: 2007
Genre: Metalcore
Highlights: An Ocean Between Us, Nothing Left, The Sound Of Truth

90. Avenged Sevenfold - Hail To The King

Year Released: 2013
Genre: Metal, Hard Rock
Highlights: Shepherd of Fire, Acid Rain, Hail to the King

89. Rise Against - Endgame

Year Released: 2011
Genre: Melodic Hardcore, Punk Rock
Highlights: Satellite, Broken Mirrors, Help Is On The Way

88. Staind - Break the Cycle

Year Released: 2001
Genre: Nu Metal, Post Grunge
Highlights: It's Been Awhile, Epiphany, Open Your Eyes

87. The Beach Boys - Pet Sounds

Year Released: 1966
Genre: Pop Rock, Classic Rock
Highlights: Wouldn't It Be Nice, God Only Knows, Sloop John B

86. The Dillinger Escape Plan - Ire Works

Year Released: 2007
Genre: Mathcore
Highlights: Milk Lizard, Black Bubblegum, Mouth of Ghosts

85. Casting Crowns - Casting Crowns

Year Released: 2003
Genre: CCM, Christian Rock
Highlights: American Dream, What If His People Prayed, Voice of Truth

84. NF - The Search

Year Released: 2019
Genre: Rap, Hip Hop
Highlights: Hate Myself, The Search, Time

83. Tenth Avenue North - Over And Underneath

Year Released: 2008
Genre: CCM, Soft Rock
Highlights: By Your Side, Love Is Here, Hold My Heart

82. Rise Against - Revolutions per Minute

Year Released: 2003
Genre: Melodic Hardcore, Hardcore Punk
Highlights: Blood-Red White & Blue, Broken English, Black Masks & Gasoline

81. System of a Down - Toxicity

Year Released: 2001
Genre: Alternative Metal, Nu Metal
Highlights: Chop Suey!, Toxicity, Prison Song

80. Fireflight - Unbreakable

Year Released: 2008
Genre: Hard Rock, Christian Rock
Highlights: Unbreakable, Stand Up, Forever

79. Avenged Sevenfold - The Stage

Year Released: 2016
Genre: Progressive Metal
Highlights: God Damn, The Stage, Paradigm

78. Bad Religion - The Empire Strikes First

Year Released: 2006
Genre: Punk Rock
Highlights: Los Angeles Is Burning, The Quickening, Beyond Electric Dreams

77. Twenty One Pilots - Trench

Year Released: 2018
Genre: Alternative Rock, Alternative Hip Hop
Highlights: Jumpsuit, Neon Gravestones, Cut My Lip

76. Slipknot - .5: The Gray Chapter

Year Released: 2014
Genre: Alternative Metal, Nu Metal
Highlights: Skeptic, Override, The Negative One, The Devil In I

75. Turnpike Troubadours - Diamonds & Gasoline

Year Released: 2010
Genre: Country, Folk Rock
Highlights: Shreveport, Long Hot Summer Day, Whole Damn Town

74. Heartist - Feeding Fiction

Year Released: 2014
Genre: Post Hardcore, Metalcore
Highlights: Skeletons, Ignite, Pressure Point

73. We As Human - We As Human

Year Released: 2011
Genre: Alternative Metal, Christian Rock
Highlights: We Fall Apart, Taking Life, Sever, Take The Bullets Away

72. The Letter Black - Rebuild

Year Released: 2013
Genre: Hard Rock, Christian Rock
Highlights: Smothering Walls, Pain Killer, Rebuild

71. Memphis May Fire - Broken

Year Released: 2018
Genre: Metalcore, Alternative Metal, Nu Metal
Highlights: Heavy Is The Weight, The Old Me, Over It

70. Matchbox 20 - Yourself or Someone Like You

Year Released: 1996
Genre: Post Grunge, Alternative Rock
Highlights: 3AM, Push, Real World

69. Linkin Park - Minutes to Midnight

Year Released: 2007
Genre: Alternative Rock, Nu Metal
Highlights: Given Up, Bleed It Out, What I've Done

68. Switchfoot - The Beautiful Letdown

Year Released: 2003
Genre: Alternative Rock, Post Grunge, Christian Rock
Highlights: Dare You to Move, Meant to Live, This Is Your Life, The Beautiful Letdown

67. My Chemical Romance - Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge

Year Released: 2004
Genre: Emo, Pop Punk, Punk Rock
Highlights: I'm Not Okay (I Promise), Helena, Cemetery Drive

66. Killswitch Engage - End of Heartache

Year Released: 2004
Genre: Metalcore
Highlights: The End of Heartache, A Bid Farewell, World Ablaze

65. Avenged Sevenfold - Nightmare

Year Released: 2010
Genre: Alternative Metal
Highlights: Nightmare, So Far Away, Danger Line, Welcome to the Family

64. Nine Inch Nails - With Teeth

Year Released: 2005
Genre: Industrial Rock, Alternative Rock
Highlights: The Hand That Feeds, You Know What You Are?, The Line Begins To Blur

63. Tenth Avenue North - The Struggle

Year Released: 2012
Genre: CCM, Soft Rock
Highlights: Losing, Shadows, The Struggle, Strangers Here

62. Nirvana - Nevermind

Year Released: 1991
Genre: Grunge
Highlights: Smells Like Teen Spirit, Lithium, Drain You

61. Slipknot - Iowa

Year Released: 2001
Genre: Nu Metal
Highlights: Everything Ends, People = Shit, I Am Hated

60. Skillet - Comatose

Year Released: 2006
Genre: Christian Rock, Hard Rock
Highlights: Comatose, The Last Night, Whispers in the Dark, Falling Inside the Black

59. Beartooth - Disgusting

Year Released: 2014
Genre: Hardcore Punk, Metalcore
Highlights: In Between, Keep Your American Dream, Body Bag

58. Thousand Foot Krutch - Welcome To The Masquerade

Year Released: 2009
Genre: Christian Rock, Nu Metal
Highlights: The Part That Hurts The Most (Is Me), Scream, Fire It Up

57. Turnpike Troubadours - The Turnpike Troubadours

Year Released: 2015
Genre: Country, Folk Rock
Highlights: Long Drive Home, Bossier City, Easton & Main

56. Boston - Boston

Year Released: 1976
Genre: Classic Rock
Highlights: More Than A Feeling, Peace of Mind, Foreplay / Long Time

55. Death - Human

Year Released: 1991
Genre: Death Metal, Progressive Metal
Highlights: See Through Dreams, Flattening of Emotions, Suicide Machine

54. August Burns Red - Guardians

Year Released: 2020
Genre: Metalcore
Highlights: Bones, Bloodletter, Defender, Paramount

53. The Dillinger Escape Plan - One of Us Is the Killer

Year Released: 2013
Genre: Mathcore
Highlights: One of Us is the Killer, Hero of the Soviet Union, Paranoia Shields

52. Bring Me the Horizon - Suicide Season

Year Released: 2008
Genre: Metalcore
Highlights: The Comedown, Chelsea Smile, Diamonds Aren't Forever

51. Slipknot - All Hope Is Gone

Year Released: 2008
Genre: Alternative Metal
Highlights: Dead Memories, Sulfur, Snuff, Gehenna

50. The Fray - How to Save a Life

Year Released: 2005
Genre: Soft Rock
Highlights: How to Save a Life, Over My Head (Cable Car), Look After You

49. Bring Me the Horizon - POST HUMAN: SURVIVAL HORROR

Year Released: 2020
Genre: Alternative Metal, Electronic Rock
Highlights: Dear Diary, Teardrops, 1x1, Ludens, Obey

48. Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin IV

Year Released: 1971
Genre: Hard Rock, Classic Rock
Highlights: Black Dog, The Battle of Evermore, Stairway to Heaven

47. Thousand Foot Krutch - OXYGEN:INHALE

Year Released: 2014
Genre: Christian Rock, Nu Metal
Highlights: Born This Way, In My Room, Untraveled Road, Like a Machine

46. Deftones - Ohms

Year Released: 2020
Genre: Alternative Metal
Highlights: The Spell of Mathematics, Genesis, Ohms

45. Ice Nine Kills - The Silver Scream

Year Released: 2018
Genre: Metalcore, Post Hardcore
Highlights: Stabbing In The Dark, Merry Axe-Mas, A Grave Mistake

44. Thousand Foot Krutch - Exhale

Year Released: 2016
Genre: Christian Rock, Nu Metal
Highlights: Running With Giants, Lifeline, Can't Stop This, Give up the Ghost

43. Deftones - White Pony

Year Released: 2000
Genre: Nu Metal, Alternative Metal
Highlights: Change (In the House of Flies), Back to School (Mini Maggit), Rx Queen

42. Red - Release The Panic

Year Released: 2013
Genre: Christian Rock, Pop Rock, Alternative Metal
Highlights: The Moment We Come Alive, As You Go, Glass House, Die For You

41. Black Sabbath - Black Sabbath

Year Released: 1970
Genre: Heavy Metal
Highlights: Black Sabbath, Wicked World, The Wizard

40. The Fray - The Fray

Year Released: 2009
Genre: Pop Rock, Alternative Rock
Highlights: You Found Me, Never Say Never, Syndicate

39. Creedence Clearwater Revival - Green River

Year Released: 1969
Genre: Southern Rock, Classic Rock
Highlights: Bad Moon Rising, Green River, Lodi, Tombstone Shadow

38. Slipknot - Slipknot

Year Released: 1999
Genre: Nu Metal
Highlights: Wait and Bleed, Eyeless, Spit It Out

37. Cody Johnson - Cowboy Like Me

Year Released: 2014
Genre: Country
Highlights: Me and My Kind, Dance Her Home, Never Go Home Again

36. Slipknot - Vol. 3: The Subliminal Verses

Year Released: 2004
Genre: Nu Metal, Alternative Metal
Highlights: Duality, Vermilion Pt. 2, The Blister Exists

35. Red - Gone

Year Released: 2017
Genre: Electronic Rock, Alternative Metal
Highlights: Losing Control, Coming Apart, A.I.

34. As I Lay Dying - Shaped By Fire

Year Released: 2019
Genre: Metalcore
Highlights: My Own Grave, Undertow, Blinded, Shaped by Fire

33. Pantera - Cowboys From Hell

Year Released: 1990
Genre: Groove Metal
Highlights: Cemetery Gates, Primal Concrete Sledge, Cowboys from Hell

32. Alice In Chains - Facelift

Year Released: 1990
Genre: Alternative Metal, Grunge
Highlights: Man in the Box, Love Hate Love, It Ain't Like That

31. Bad Religion - The Process Of Belief

Year Released: 2002
Genre: Punk Rock
Highlights: Materialist, Epiphany, Broken

30. Third Day - Revelation

Year Released: 2014
Genre: Southern Rock, Christian Rock
Highlights: Otherside, Call My Name, Revelation

29. Twenty One Pilots - Blurryface

Year Released: 2008
Genre: Alternative Hip Hop, Pop Rock
Highlights: Lane Boy, Message Man, Heavydirtysoul

28. Nine Inch Nails - The Downward Spiral

Year Released: 1994
Genre: Industrial Rock, Industrial Metal
Highlights: Hurt, Closer, The Becoming

27. Starset - DIVISIONS

Year Released: 2019
Genre: Electronic Rock, Alternative Metal
Highlights: Manifest, Where the Skies End, Diving Bell

26. Rise Against - Siren Song of the Counter-Culture

Year Released: 2004
Genre: Melodic Hardcore, Hardcore Punk
Highlights: Give It All, Anywhere But Here, State Of The Union

25. My Chemical Romance - The Black Parade

Year Released: 2006
Genre: Emo, Pop Punk, Punk Rock
Highlights: This Is How I Disappear, Welcome to the Black Parade, The Sharpest Lives, House of Wolves, Cancer

24. Rise Against - The Sufferer & the Witness

Year Released: 2006
Genre: Melodic Hardcore, Punk Rock
Highlights: Prayer Of The Refugee, Injection, Intro/Chamber The Cartridge

23. Bring Me the Horizon - Sempiternal

Year Released: 2013
Genre: Melodic Metalcore, Electronicore
Highlights: The House Of Wolves, Can You Feel My Heart, Chasing Rainbows, And The Snakes Start To Sing

22. Alice In Chains - Jar of Flies

Year Released: 1994
Genre: Blues Rock, Grunge
Highlights: Don't Follow, I Stay Away, Nutshell

21. Red - Innocence & Instinct

Year Released: 2009
Genre: Alternative Metal, Christian Rock
Highlights: Fight Inside, Never Be The Same, Confession (What's Inside My Head), Shadows

20. Twenty One Pilots - Twenty One Pilots

Year Released: 2009
Genre: Alternative Rock, Emo
Highlights: Fall Away, Addict With A Pen, Implicit Demand For Proof, Trapdoor

19. Red - End of Silence

Year Released: 2006
Genre: Alternative Metal, Christian Rock
Highlights: Breathe Into Me, Wasting Time, Break Me Down, Already Over

18. Flyleaf - Flyleaf

Year Released: 2006
Genre: Alternative Metal, Christian Rock
Highlights: I'm So Sick, All Around Me, Fully Alive

17. Decyfer Down - Crash

Year Released: 2009
Genre: Christian Rock, Alternative Metal
Highlights: Crash, Fading, Over My Head

16. Green Day - American Idiot

Year Released: 2004
Genre: Punk Rock
Highlights: American Idiot, Jesus of Suburbia, Letterbomb, St. Jimmy

15. Avenged Sevenfold - City of Evil

Year Released: 2005
Genre: Metal, Metalcore
Highlights: Bat Country, Trashed and Scattered, Beast and the Harlot

14. Bring Me the Horizon - There Is A Hell Believe Me I've Seen It. There Is A Heaven Let's Keep It A Secret.

Year Released: 2010
Genre: Metalcore
Highlights: Crucify Me, It Never Ends, Blacklist, Fuck

13. Linkin Park - Hybrid Theory

Year Released: 2000
Genre: Nu Metal, Rap Rock
Highlights: By Myself, With You, One Step Closer, Papercut

12. Turnpike Troubadours - A Long Way From Your Heart

Year Released: 2017
Genre: Folk Rock, Country
Highlights: A Tornado Warning, Something to Hold on To, Pipe Bomb Dream, The Housefire

11. Avenged Sevenfold - Avenged Sevenfold

Year Released: 2007
Genre: Alternative Metal
Highlights: Afterlife, Gunslinger, Almost Easy, Dear God

10. Red - Until We Have Faces

Year Released: 2011
Genre: Christian Rock, Post Grunge, Alternative Metal
Highlights: Let It Burn, Buried Beneath, Feed the Machine, Watch You Crawl

9. Pink Floyd - The Dark Side of the Moon

Year Released: 1973
Genre: Progressive Rock
Highlights: The Great Gig in the Sky, Breathe (In the Air), Any Colour You Like

8. Slipknot - We Are Not Your Kind

Year Released: 2019
Genre: Alternative Metal
Highlights: Unsainted, Nero Forte, Birth Of The Cruel, Solway Firth

7. Twenty One Pilots - Vessel

Year Released: 2013
Genre: Alternative Hip Hop, Rap Rock
Highlights: Ode to Sleep, Migraine, Car Radio, Fake You Out

6. Radiohead - OK Computer

Year Released: 1997
Genre: Alternative Rock, Art Rock
Highlights: Paranoid Android, Karma Police, No Surprises

5. Alice In Chains - Dirt

Year Released: 1992
Genre: Grunge, Alternative Metal
Highlights: Them Bones, Dam That River, Junkhead, Would?, Hate To Feel

4. Rise Against - Appeal to Reason

Year Released: 2014
Genre: Punk Rock, Melodic Hardcore
Highlights: Hero Of War, Kotov Syndrome, Audience Of One, Savior, Wheareabouts Unknown

3. Red - Declaration

Year Released: 2020
Genre: Alternative Metal, Christian Metal
Highlights: Cauterize, The War We Made, The Victim, Only Fight

2. Linkin Park - Meteora

Year Released: 2003
Genre: Nu Metal, Rap Rock
Highlights: Don't Stay, Easier to Run, Faint, Figure.09, Lying From You, Numb

1. Red - of Beauty and Rage

Year Released: 2015
Genre: Alternative Metal, Christian Metal
Highlights: Darkest Part, Fight To Forget, Yours Again, Part That's Holding On, Gravity Lies