42 Musician & Rock Star Jokes: The 2020 “Future Nostalgia, Folklore & The Bedroom Stage” Edition

In 2020, the music industry moved into our living rooms. Tours were cancelled, but the creativity was contagious. Dua Lipa saved the dancefloor for a world that couldn’t leave the house, The Weeknd spent the year behind bandages, and we all learned that a “Savage” dance on TikTok was the only way to stay sane. It was the year of the “WAP” controversy and the moment we realized that music was the only thing keeping the walls from closing in.

The 2020 Soundboard Top 10: “Blinding Lights, Folklore & The Quarantine Disco”

1. The Weeknd “Blinding Lights” Marathon: Why the 80s synth? Because Abel created a song so infectious it stayed in the Top 10 for a full year, proving that even with a bandaged face, you can rule the decade.
2. The Taylor Swift “folklore” Surprise: Why the cardigan? Because Taylor ditched the stadium pop for a cottagecore dream, proving that she could win Album of the Year by just whispering into a microphone in a cabin.
3. The Dua Lipa “Future Nostalgia” Rescue: Why the disco revival? Because Dua released the ultimate party album the exact week the world locked down, giving us a “Physical” workout in our kitchens.
4. The Cardi B & Megan Thee Stallion “WAP”: Why the buckets and mops? Because they released a song so provocative it made every conservative commentator in America have a meltdown while everyone else was busy learning the choreography.
5. The Roddy Ricch “The Box” EEE-ERR: Why the windshield wiper noise? For the song that became the first massive hit of 2020, proving that a funny vocal quirk is worth a million streams.
6. The Bad Bunny “YHLQMDLG” Dominance: Why the long title? For the Puerto Rican superstar proving he could do “whatever he wanted” and become the most-streamed artist on the planet.
7. The Harry Styles “Watermelon Sugar” High: Why the summer vibe? For the song that made everyone miss the beach so much it eventually hit #1, months after we were all stuck indoors.
8. The Megan Thee Stallion “Savage” Remix: Why Beyoncé? For the moment the Queen of Houston and the Queen of the World teamed up to prove that being “classy, bougie, ratchet” was the only personality allowed in 2020.
9. The Phoebe Bridgers “Punisher”: Why the skeleton suit? For the indie queen who made us feel “KYOTO” levels of sadness while we stared at our bedroom ceilings.
10. The BTS “Dynamite” Explosion: Why the disco-pop? For the K-Pop legends finally getting their first #1 in the US and lighting up the world like, well, dynamite.

The Full 2020 Musician & Rock Star Archive

11. The Doja Cat “Say So” Viral Wave: Why the TikTok dance? For the song that proved the app was now the official gatekeeper of the Billboard charts.
12. The 1975 “Notes on a Conditional Form”: Why 22 tracks? For Matty Healy being his most chaotic and experimental self during a year that was already weird enough.
13. The Fiona Apple “Fetch the Bolt Cutters”: Why the 10/10 score? For the album that literally sounded like it was recorded in a house by someone who was done with everyone’s nonsense.
14. The DaBaby “ROCKSTAR” Summer: Why the guitar riff? For the song that stayed at #1 all summer, making everyone feel like a rockstar while sitting on their porch.
15. The Machine Gun Kelly “Tickets to My Downfall”: Why the pink guitar? For the rapper successfully reviving 2000s pop-punk and making every teenager buy a pair of Vans again.
16. The Miley Cyrus “Plastic Hearts”: Why the mullet? For Miley finally finding her true form as a 1980s rock-and-roll icon.
17. The Lady Gaga “Chromatica”: Why the “Rain on Me”? For Gaga and Ariana Grande delivering a dance-pop anthem that made us all want to rave in our masks.
18. The Juice WRLD “Legends Never Die”: Why the posthumous record? For a tragic, beautiful tribute that proved his influence on the new generation was permanent.
19. The AC/DC “Power Up”: Why the return? For the legends reuniting to show that a global pandemic can’t stop the “Shot in the Dark” riff.
20. The Mac Miller “Circles”: Why the “Good News”? For a heartbreakingly peaceful final album that gave everyone a much-needed moment of calm.
21. The Pop Smoke “Shoot for the Stars…”: Why the “Dior”? For the king of Brooklyn drill whose legacy dominated the year even after his tragic passing.
22. The HAIM “Women in Music Pt. III”: Why the deli? For the sisters proving they were the coolest rock band in California with a record full of sunshine and grit.
23. The Bob Dylan “Rough and Rowdy Ways”: Why the 17-minute song? For the legend releasing a masterpiece about JFK and the 20th century while we were all stuck at home.
24. The Run the Jewels “RTJ4”: Why the perfect timing? For the album that became the soundtrack to the summer’s protests, proving hip-hop is always the voice of the streets.
25. The Chloe x Halle “Ungodly Hour”: Why the “Do It”? For the sisters proving they were the future of R&B under the mentorship of Beyoncé herself.
26. The Tame Impala “The Slow Rush”: Why the sand? For Kevin Parker releasing a disco-psych record right before time itself started feeling like a loop.
27. The Post Malone “Posty Fest” (Cancelled): Why the Bud Light? For the man who stayed relevant in 2020 by just being the world’s most relatable superstar while playing Nirvana covers for charity.
28. The Gorillaz “Song Machine”: Why the web-series? For Damon Albarn and his cartoons proving they were the best at collaborating with everyone from Robert Smith to Elton John.
29. The Kid Cudi “Man on the Moon III”: Why the finale? For the return of Cudi’s space-rap odyssey that reminded everyone why they fell in love with him in 2009.
30. The Blackpink “The Album”: Why “How You Like That”? For the girl group officially taking over the global stage and collaborating with Selena Gomez.
31. The Rina Sawayama “SAWAYAMA”: Why the 2000s vibes? For the debut that made nu-metal and pop cool again for a whole new generation.
32. The Ozzy Osbourne “Ordinary Man”: Why the Post Malone feature? For the Prince of Darkness proving he was still alive and kicking with a star-studded rock record.
33. The Pearl Jam “Gigaton”: Why the climate change cover? For the Seattle legends returning with a record that felt as urgent as their 90s work.
34. The Jessie Ware “What’s Your Pleasure?”: Why the disco ball? For the album that turned every kitchen in the UK into a high-end nightclub for 45 minutes.
35. The Charli XCX “how i’m feeling now”: Why the 6 weeks? For the album recorded entirely in quarantine, proving that productivity is the best cure for boredom.
36. The Death of Eddie Van Halen: Why the “Eruption” silence? For the loss of the man who reinvented the electric guitar, leaving a hole in the heart of rock and roll.
37. The Death of Little Richard: Why the “A-Wop-Bop-A-Loo-Bop”? For the passing of the true architect of rock and roll, the man who started it all.
38. The Death of Bill Withers: Why the “Lean on Me”? For the loss of a soul legend whose music was exactly what we needed to get through the year.
39. The Death of Kenny Rogers: Why “The Gambler”? For the loss of a country icon who taught us when to hold ’em and when to fold ’em.
40. The Verzuz Battles: Why the Instagram Live? For the platform that gave us legendary battles from Gucci Mane vs. Jeezy to Brandy vs. Monica while we sat on our couches.
41. The TikTok “Dreams” Skateboarder: Why the Ocean Spray? For the viral video that put Fleetwood Mac back in the Top 10 after 40 years, proving the internet is a magic place.
42. The 2020 Final Music Vibe: Why did the year feel so enclosed yet grand? Because we spent the year dancing on our own to Dua Lipa, crying in Taylor Swift’s folklore forest, and washing our hands to the beat of Blinding Lights, while realizing that even in quarantine, the music never stops.