(December 18, 2020) It is always fun at the end of each year to celebrate the best of that year. And 2020 had a lot of great music. And so we've gathered our music critics to each pick their favorites, which we've assembled below in our list of the 100 Best Soul Songs of 2020.
The toughest part of this is limiting the choices, but here are the selections from our staff, listed alphabetically. We also have a Spotify playlist below so that you can listen to the list.
You can’t go wrong with any of these. Congratulations to the artists involved! #SoulTracks100
Here is the list (shown alphabetically by artist first name)
Acantha Lang – “He Said, She Said”
Adika Pongo and D-Train - "Touch My Heart"
Alex Harris – “Falling For You”
Alex Isley and Jack Dine – “Wait”
Alina Baraz - “Until I Met You”
Amber Mark - “My People”
Avery Sunshine – “How Will You Remember Me”
Aya Ito – “Don’t Take My Life”
Ayoni (Drake cover) – “Too Good”
Billy Ocean – “One World”
BLKGLD - "Stay Focused"
Boney James feat. Kenny Lattimore – “Be Here”
Bradd Marquis – “Always”
Bootsy feat George Benson and Brian Culbertson – “The Power of One”
Brenda Nicole Moorer – “Take A Little Trip”
Busty and the Bass feat. Macy Gray: “Out of Love”
Charlie Wilson – “Forever Valentine”
Collard – “Favour”
Conya Doss – “Not Trading You”
Crystal Waters - “Party People” (Mike Dunn Blackball Radio Edit)
D. Folks – “The Truth”
Darius Scott – “Big Brave Man”
Darryl Johnson – “Nightmare”
David Davis – “Golden”
Debra Debs – “Something to Love”
Devin Morrison, Alex Isley – “Kiss”
Eric Roberson – “Already Knew You”
Fantasia – “Enough”
FKAjazz featuring Natalie Oliveri - “Feelin Felt”
Force MDs – “Fly With You”
Gene Nobles: “Matching Tattoos”
Gabrielle Cavassa and Braxton Cook – “Inside My Arms”
Gregg Jackson, Christopher Williams, Alexander O'Neal - “Roses”
Gregory Porter – “Revival”
Hil St. Soul – “One Life”
Infinity Song – “Mad Love”
Incognito feat Maysa and Phil Perry – “For The Love of You”
J. Brown – “Moon”
Isaac Aragon – “All I Got”
Jack Page – “Sunrise”
Jam & Lewis feat. Babyface – “He Don’t Know Nothin’ Bout It”
Jarrod Lawson – “Be The Change” 
Joe Leavy - “Inside You (B's Side)”
Jonas and Scratch Professor – “Pick Me Up” (Tony Ozier Mix)
Joshua Henry – “Hold Me”
Josiah Bell – “Nothing Without You”
Joss Stone – “Walk With Me”
Kaytranada, Lucky Daye – “Look Easy”
Kem - "Lie To Me"
Kiana Lede - “Protection”
Kim Cage Riley feat. Eric Roberson – “Feel a Way”
Kimberly Brewer – “Just That Sweet to Me”
Kindred the Family Soul – “The Best Things”
Laura Rain and the Caesars – “If I Can’t Have You”
Ledisi and PJ Morton “Anything For You”
Lianne La Havas - "Bittersweet"
Lindsey Webster - "Perspective"
Lizz Wright - “The Nearness of You”
Lorenzo Owens, JDs Time Machine – “When The World Says No”
Lucky Daye - “Fade Away”
Mali Music - "Blessings"
Marlon McClain – “Nuthin' But The Funk”
Mavis "Swan" Poole – “I'm Grown”
Maysa – “Lovin’ You Is Easy”
Mica Paris - “Broad Daylight”
Mykal Kilgore - “Let Me Go”
Nadir – “Run”
Nate Williams – “Try As I Might”
Nyah Grace – “Sunday”
Park Avenue – “Special”
PJ Morton featuring Kirk Franklin, Jermaine Dolly & Lena Byrd Miles - "Gotta Have You"
Plunky and Oneness – “Rise”
Rackel Eckroth feat. Sy Smith - "Perfect Love"
Raul Midon & Chicago Soul Jazz Collective - “Where Do You Go When You Dream”
Raymond Barton feat. Yaya Diamond - “Love In Your Eyes”
Regina Troupe – “Got To Be Happy”
Rissi Palmer featuring Brian Owens – “Little Black Girl, Little Black Boy”
Russell Taylor – “Wake Up “
Ryan Shaw – “Strong Men Can”
Salaam Remi, Maimouna Youssef, Mumu Fresh – “EmOGs”
Shira Elias – “Tonight” 
Snack Cat - "Fight or Flight"
Son of Pearl – “I Can’t Get Enough of You”
Sons of the James, Rob Milton, DJ Harrison, Georgia Anne Muldrow – “Things I Should Have Said”
Stokley - “She”
SZA featuring Ty Dolla $ign - "Hit Different"
Tamika Scott – “Go Outside In The Rain”
Tanqueray Hayward – “This Kind of Love”
Tatiana Scott - “I Don't Choose You”
Terrace Martin (feat. Robert Glasper and Alex Isley) – “Shea Butter and Blueberries”
The Baylor Project – “Sit On Down”
The Milk – “Anytime”
The Weeknd - “Blinding Lights”
The Whispers – “How Long”
Tiana Major9 – “Exclusively”
Tinashe & MAKJ – “Save Room for Us”
Tobe Nwigwe, David Michael Wyatt – “Make It Home”
Tomi Jenkins – “To The Floor”
Toni Braxton – “Dance”
Toni Braxton feat. H.E.R. – “Gotta Move On”
Tracy Cruz – “Your Love’s Everything”
Wade C. Long – “Bulljivin”
Whitney McClain – “Good With Pain”
Will Downing - “Right Where You Are”
Yolanda Parker – “Everything You Do Blows My Mind”
Young Gun Silver Fox – “All This Love”