Of all the music out there in the world, only a small fraction of it hits the radio or makes the billboard hot 100. Today, the mainstream is ruled by garbage autotune rappers that think they have talent so they flex their ego and money in every song. On top of this, the top is filled with terrible lyrical content that doesn’t seem to really convey a message. To hopefully expand your music taste, I will be presenting the top 10 artists that go under the radar.

10: Gender Roles

Gender Roles is probably the most underground artist on this list; however, their classic punk sound is easy to get behind. Simple chord progressions and catchy choruses are what make this band epic. The grainy vocals really make everything come together to create a lo-fi pop punk sound. The first song that I recommend listening to is “About Her” which features an amazing chorus that can potentially get you hooked.

9: Rich Brian

You may have heard his name before as a joke or meme rapper, and his earlier work is almost hard to take seriously, but Rich really blew it out of the water with his latest release, The Sailor. The vocal harmonies and overall musical composition was so complex and different that it had me wondering, “Is this really Rich Brian?” His album ranges from pop songs to R&B and rap. Just trust me with this one, if you’ve heard any of Rich’s earlier work, your mind will be BLOWN with The Sailor. I recommend listening to “Kids” for it’s great beat and flow.

8: Bloodhound Gang

The best way to describe this band is as a group of great adult musicians who have the maturity of a bunch of 15-year-olds, which actually turns out to be pretty funny. Bloodhound Gang is notorious for their often sexually demeaning and offensive lyrics, but it isn’t a bad listen if you want a laugh or two. Bloodhound Gang produces music in a wide range of genres, so there’s a song for everyone (well, maybe not grandma). I recommend listening to “Lift Your Head Up High (And Blow Your Brains Out)” for a good taste of them or “Uhn Tiss Uhn Tiss” for a danceable groove.

7: Primus 

Primus is the band that takes the crown for best funk metal imaginable. You might be saying, “What the hell is funk metal?” and honestly, I don’t blame you. It’s basically weird alternative rock where the bass takes the main melody of the song and all the other instruments compliment it. It melds groove and heavy metal together to make one of the weirdest sub-genres of music ever. As a disclaimer, Primus is definitely not for everyone. Their own catchphrase is “Primus sucks,” but if you’re looking for something completely different and odd, Primus might be right up your alley. For a first impression of Primus, I recommend listening to “Lee Van Cleef” for how groovey it is.

6: Red House Painters

This band could quite possibly be the most depressing band ever, but in a good way. Their songs are usually very long and drug out, but somehow it never gets old. Major props go to the vocalist, Mark Kozelek, and his phenomenal voice. It really pulls the band’s ambience and dynamic together in a symphony of sadness. This is the music to listen to for staring at the ceiling and contemplating life. It’s really nice to decompress to their soothing, yet sad melodies. The first song I recommend listening to is “Medicine Bottle” because it represents their sound as a whole very well.

5: Catfish And The Bottlemen

These guys sound very similar to Gender Roles, but more refined and less punky. It’s new indie rock, but it sounds like it could have come straight out of the 90s. It can be pretty easy to fall in love with Ryan McCann’s voice. Catfish and The Bottlemen possess the rocky instrumentals from a Blink-182 song with the vocal capabilities of someone from One Direction. I recommend listening to “7” because it shows off all of the band’s capabilities in one song.

4: Sylvan Esso

To keep it short and simple, this chick is AMAZING. Her songs feature flawless vocal talent with some unique instrumentals to keep people interested. Her songs are mostly EDM or alternative pop. To say the least, it’s vibe music, something to listen to for whatever mood you’re in. The song that I recommend listening to is “Signal” because it showcases her vocal talent with amazing harmonies and the producer’s vibey beats.

3: Joey Trap

You may have heard some of his songs from Trapped in TV, where he used samples from popular games, TV shows, and other pop culture references. Don’t get me wrong, those songs are great, but his new songs are absolute BANGERS. He has everything that a rap fan wants: good flow, bangin’ beats, and hype adlibs. To summarize, Joey Trap makes turn up music to go absolutely wild to. I recommend listening to “Klint Westwood” or one of his newer releases, “Patrickk Star.”

2: Allie X

She’s a popstar, but she’s not. Allie X has all of the assets to be a popstar but she never seemed to reach popstar status. She is very successful and has a solid fanbase, but she deserves way more recognition. First off, her voice is enough to send chills down my back, and the music behind it is extraordinary. Maybe her music is a little too different to be topping charts, but you should definitely give it a shot. The song that I recommend listening to is “That’s So Us” for its astonishing vocals and danceable groove.

1: $uicideboy$

Okay, I pretty much guarantee that you’ve heard the name before but you most likely didn’t check out their work. $uicideboy$ is a rap duo that creates the darkest hip hop ever known. Their drug addicted minds form some of the most graphic lyrical content in rap. I understand how all of this can turn someone away from them, but they are EXTREMELY talented. Twisted triplet flows with dark and slow instrumentals are the main component to their formula. To get a taste of what these guys have to offer, I recommend listening to “DIEMONDS” or “Ugly.”

Well there you have it, my top 10 most underrated artists of 2020. There will surely be more music and artists coming into the game this year, especially considering how long everyone is in quarantine. Feel free to leave a comment down below to tell us what we missed!