What is the best rock album of the 2020s so far?

A new crop of contenders is already making their mark — from jangly debut sensations to brooding post-punk and sprawling folk-rock epics. Which release is already a classic?

Wet Leg

Wet Leg's 2022 debut album blending sardonic wit, post-punk jangle, and guitar hooks into one of the decade's most celebrated debuts.

1/13

Skinty Fia

Fontaines D.C.'s 2022 third album exploring Irish identity and exile with dark post-punk atmospherics and literary intensity.

2/13

The Record

Boygenius' 2023 debut full-length from the supergroup of Julien Baker, Phoebe Bridgers, and Lucy Dacus, a vulnerable indie rock triumph.

3/13

Dragon New Warm Mountain I Believe in You

Big Thief's sprawling 2022 double album recorded in four different locations, showcasing Adrianne Lenker's folk-rock mastery.

4/13

I Don't Live Here Anymore

The War on Drugs' 2021 album expanding their Dylanesque sound into cinematic rock grandeur with lush production.

5/13

Crawler

IDLES' 2021 introspective fourth album shifting from post-punk aggression to groove-based experimentation and emotional vulnerability.

6/13

Rat Saw God

Wednesday's 2023 shoegaze-country album from the Asheville band, blending distortion and pedal steel into something deeply original.

7/13

Lucifer on the Sofa

Spoon's 2022 guitar-forward rock album stripping back to essential grooves, widely hailed as one of the band's best records.

8/13

Fear of the Dawn

Jack White's 2022 album channeling garage rock, electronic punk, and experimental noise into a restless, energetic statement.

9/13

Romance

Fontaines D.C.'s 2024 album expanding their sonic palette with cinematic production and ambitious song structures.

10/13

Afrique Victime

Mdou Moctar's 2021 Tuareg guitar album bringing North African blues-rock and political urgency to worldwide attention.

11/13

Versions of Modern Performance

Horsegirl's 2022 debut channeling classic post-punk, noise pop, and indie rock with a fresh, youthful Chicago perspective.

12/13

All of This Will End

Indigo De Souza's 2023 indie rock album blending cathartic guitar rock with intimate, emotionally raw songwriting.

13/13