50 Best-Selling Records of 2020
Anyone who says that 2020 was “tough” or “unprecedented” sounds like a broken record at this point (pun intended). However, despite the cliches, the vinyl community has proven to be just as resilient and enthusiastic in 2020 as they were in previous years, and Discogs has continued to be an online haven for collectors and sellers.
Our ranking of the best-selling records of 2020 is determined by the number of purchases made in the Discogs Marketplace throughout the year. Our monthly breakdown highlights the most in-demand vinyl at the moment, such as Record Store Day releases or new drops. However, if you take a closer look at the year-end list of the best-selling records and you’ll see some interesting trends among the albums that our Community copped in 2020.
For starters, the best-selling roundups typically feature old standards from the likes of David Bowie, Michael Jackson, Prince, and Aphex Twin. However, most of the Bowie titles are brand-new 2020 releases. In fact, about one-third of this list are 2020 LPs, including our No. 1 from a big-name artist: Billie Eilish. This live recording, originally a Third Man in-store exclusive, was re-released as part of the first Record Store Day 2020 drop in August.
What else do we see? Khruangbin, Khruangbin, and more Khruangbin. The Houston funk trio has reigned among our best-selling and most popular lists throughout the year. Khruangbin’s three studio albums — The Universe Smiles Upon You (2015), Con Todo El Mundo (2018), and Mordechai (2020) — and an EP collab with fellow Texan Leon Bridges all cracked the top 50. Among the 2020 releases is also an interesting spread of reissues and remasters, including releases from Gorillaz, Nujabes, Fleetwood Mac, and Robyn.
Regular visitors to our best-selling breakdown will be ecstatic to learn that Tracy Chapman has returned! Her 1988 self-titled LP has made regular appearances for a long time (like, a really long time). We think it has to do with its limited nature; according to the Database, the last time it was pressed on vinyl was in 1990 for the German Democratic Republic, AKA East Germany, AKA a country that doesn’t exist anymore. However, the LP fell off in August 2020. That being said, enough Chapman fans purchased the record throughout the year for it to appear on the year-end wrap-up.
Do you love music data? So do we. For a comprehensive analysis of Discogs record sales, format submissions, expensive items, popular albums, and more, check our 2020 End-of-Year Report.
Best-Selling Records of 2020
