10. Droid Bishop – “End Game”

9. Yota – “The Vibe”

8. Clyde Shelton – “Spending Spirit”

7. The Midnight – “America Online”

6. W O L F C L U B – “Electrify”

5. TOKYO ROSE – “TYRAEL”

4. Florida Skyline – “Hello World”

3. Com Truise – “Galactic Melt”

2. Waveshaper – “CRT Days”

1. DEADLIFE – “Strands Unravel”

Honorable Mentions:

A.L.I.S.O.N – “Lightyears”

Voyage –  “Sync”

Dan Terminus – “Requiem”

Baldocaster – “Map to the Stars (Part 1)”

View our other Best of 2020 lists here!

Like our lists? Check out our Top 10’s from previous years:

Top 10 Retrowave Songs of 2019
Top Ten Retrowave Songs of 2018
Best of 2019 

Top 10 Synthwave Tracks of 2020

10. Clyde Shelton – Spending Spirit

9. Dan Terminus – Last Call For All Passengers

8. A.L.I.S.O.N – Éternité

7. Droid Bishop – Music

6. Hotel Pools – Still

5. The Midnight – Monsters

4. Various Artists – Magnatron III

3. W O L F C L U B – Runaways

2. Com Truise – In Decay Too

1. DEADLIFE – City of Eternal Rain

(Very) Honorable Mentions

Daniel Deluxe – Ghostrunner (Original Soundtrack)

Baldocaster/Traveler CS – Exodus/Solare

Molchat Doma – Monument

Master Boot Record – Floppy Disk Overdrive

Yota – Hazy Paradise
Top 10 Retrowave Albums 202

View our other Best of 2020 lists here!

Like our lists? Check out our Top 10’s from previous years:
Top 10 Retrowave Albums of 2019
Top Ten Retrowave Albums of 2018
Best of 2019

Top 10 Synthwave Albums of 2020

“Electify” is particularly interesting, taking a nod from late 2000’s indie rock, with it’s melancholic guitar intro that fades into synth and vocals. The result is a different blend of nostalgia – not for the 80’s but for a more recent time that has only just passed. Many of the vocal cadences are also reminiscent of mid to late 2000’s indie explosion, creating a truly unique and interesting sound that instantly sets themselves apart from other vocal synth acts.

This record is definitely one that needs to be heard – check it out HERE!

Friday afternoons mean one thing – the NRW Weekly Selection.
We’re striving to bring you the best of the best. From outrun to darksynth, we have your weekend covered!

W O L F C L U B – Electrify

Billy Mays Band – Take My Hand feat Fred Colombo

LeBrock – Takes All Night

ADMO – Aftershock

Power Failure – Past Tense

10. Robert Parker – End of The Night

Robert Parker never ceases to amaze. This expert blend of nudisco and synthpop hits all the right spots, creating a memorable and cinematic experience that we are sure not to forget anytime soon!

9. Dance with the Dead – Loved to Death

 Dance With The Dead’s most driven, intense album yet – “Loved to Death” is an instant classic. Pealing iconic synths and chugging baselines underscore this album’s immense feat of production.

8. Timecop 1983 Night Drive

This melancholic masterpiece perfectly embodies the aesthetic of driving long, twisting roads at night. A return to form, “Night Drive” is yet another expertly produced album from the one and only Timecop1983.

7. Waveshaper – Lost Shapes

“Lost Shapes” is a collection of B-Sides from Waveshaper. Chock full of early music, ideas for video games, film scores, demos, and more – this fantastic album acts like a time capsule of waveshaper’s unique sound, and it’s fascinating to hear it evolve in real time.

6. ORAX – Tearwave

ORAX tears into the darkwave scene, elevating the dreary genre with his powerful “Tearwave.” Delivering forward thinking melodies, intense sonic textures, and upgraded vocals – this album is truly a moment of progress and expansion.

5. DJ Ten – Trinity

Filling a niche desperately lacking in the synthwave scene, DJ Ten has returned with an intense blend of retro and hip-hop, resulting in some of the most interesting beats we’ve heard all year. This synthesized trip hop breakbeat vaportrap is innovative and perfectly produced.

4. Sung – Fahrenheit

The first full length album from Sung, “Fahrenheit” is simply a modern achievement in synthwave. A true tour de force. Bravo!

3. GUNSHIP – Dark All Day

This much awaited second album from GUNSHIP, “Dark All Day” is a beautiful synthpop experience of from start to finish. Incorporating darksynth aesthetics, GUNSHIP continues to grow.

2. W O L F C L U B – Infinity

W O L F C L U B’s “Infinity” signals a true return to form – really, we have not been able to stop listening to “Tears” all year! A standout example of the New Retro Wave sound.

1. The Midnight – Kids

“Kids” stands above the rest this year – not simply as a musical work, but more importantly as a much needed social commentary. Cutting directly to the heart of what makes nostalgia such a powerful emotion, this album is a lyrical masterpiece.

Honorable Mention –  Sferro – Sferrare (2008​-​2018)

Whether you know it or not – Sferro is likely one of the reasons you listen to synthwave right now. An early adopter of the sound, Sferro was a pioneer, a beautiful producer, and founder of Girlfriend Records. This year he ceased making his wonderful music.

To commemorate his career, Sferrare (2008​-​2018) has been released, featuring rare and unreleased tracks from throughout his career.