This year has been lousy for a lot of reasons, but as this Best of 2020 list shows, hard rock and heavy metal were not among them.

Preston Frazier’s look back at the Best of 2020 in box sets, live projects and reissues includes Trevor Rabin, Prince, Ian Dury, Greg Lake and others.

A new favorite arrived from Calexico amid a sleigh full of reissues of holiday classics from Dean Martin, Phil Spector, Johnny Mathis and others.

There are maybe thousands of holiday songs from years past. So let’s look for something new from Rick Wakeman, David Benoit, Blackmore’s Night and others.

Preston Frazier’s Best of 2020 Jazz list includes Wayne Escoffery, Gary Husband and Markus Reuter, Nick Finzer and Wolfgang Muthspiel, among others.

Preston Frazier’s Best of 2020 (So Far) includes standout recordings from Rick Wakeman, Brownout, David Sancious, Nick Finzer, Susie Blue and others.

It’s not until you actually start combing through the hundreds of records you’ve listened to over a decade that you realize how daunting the task really is.

Preston Frazier’s Best of 2019 Rock and R&B includes Black Pumas, Alexis Evans, Ben Levin, Grupo Fantasma, Monkey House, Isaiah Sharkey, Frederico7 and others.

Fred Phillips’ Best of 2019 list includes Gloryhammer, Tom Keifer, Soilwork, Sturgill Simpson, Wind Rose, Parkway Drive – yes, Parkway Drive – and others.

Preston Frazier’s Best of 2019 Jazz includes MaiGroup, Alan Evans, Catherine Russell, Jon Herington and Jim Beard, Bob Sheppard, Oz Noy and Kelley Suttenfield, among others.