There are people my age (born in the late 1960s) who continually bemoan the “death” of good music. It turns out they’re spectacularly wrong. The 2020s are shaping up to be a great decade for music, particularly in the fertile and exciting realm of indie rock, pop, and other alternative genres. This is a golden age for independent artists who are flourishing, experimenting with sounds, and crafting music that’s both captivating and intellectually stimulating. In fact, the sheer amount of incredible music being released might make you feel overwhelmed.
This post provides a series of curated Spotify playlists, each showcasing my favorite tunes from each year of this decade so far. These aren’t necessarily the songs that critics would label as “best” of each year – they’re the ones that I listened to most and personally like. If your tastes align with mine at all, I think you’ll find a bunch of new songs to add to your own collection.
Among the music in these playlists, you’ll find a mixture of styles and genres, but most of it fits in the categories of indie rock, indie pop, jangle pop, power pop, dream pop, and related genres. You’ll also encounter the occasional Americana, Neo Soul, Alt Country, or Singer-Songwriter track. I hope you’ll check out these playlists and discover some of the great new music that talented artists have been producing during this decade so far.
And in case the playlist previews above don’t work for you, here are direct links to all the playlists:
- My Favorite Songs of 2020 (Spotify)
- My Favorite Songs of 2021 (Spotify)
- My Favorite Songs of 2022 (Spotify)
- My Favorite Songs of 2023 (Spotify)
Enjoy!
