Best Music Of 2020

Maria Schneider (center) whose album Data Lords was one of 2020's most acclaimed jazz albums, performs with her orchestra at the New York City club Jazz Standard, where the group had an 16-year annual Thanksgiving week performance that was interrupted by the Covid-19 pandemic. Gulnara Khamatova/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

Pedal steel player Susan Alcorn, whose album with her quintet, Pedernal, was the pick for the best album of the year by Francis Davis, who runs the annual NPR Music Jazz Critics Poll. David Lobato/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

Linda Diaz, winner of the 2020 Tiny Desk Contest, performed one of NPR Music's favorite Tiny Desk (home) concerts of the year. Kara Frame, Tsering Bista/NPR hide caption

Bob Boilen's top 10 albums of 2020. Photo illustration: Courtesy of the artists / Renee Klahr / NPR hide caption

Alicia Keys performed her Tiny Desk concert on Feb. 2, 2020. Kisha Ravi/NPR hide caption

Little Richard in the studio, circa 1959. Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images hide caption

The dance of death, an ancient image that inspired Thomas Adès to compose his Totentanz. Wikimedia Commons hide caption

Joni Mitchell, photographed in 1970. An album of Mitchell's early recordings, Archives Volume 1: The Early Years, was among the best archival releases of 2020. Roy Jones/Getty Images hide caption

Chicago singer Jamila Woods performed "Eartha" for a KCRW Live Session. Monica Schipper/Getty Images for Panorama hide caption

"The Steps" by HAIM lands at No. 9 on public radio's most-played songs of 2020. Reto Schmid hide caption