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?

1

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.

2

Skinty Fia

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

3

The Record

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

4

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.

5

I Don't Live Here Anymore

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

6

Crawler

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

7

Rat Saw God

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

8

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.

9

Fear of the Dawn

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

10

Romance

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

11

Afrique Victime

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

12

Versions of Modern Performance

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

13

All of This Will End

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