Top 88 Music Albums of 2021 by 
babyBlueSedan 
My new year's resolution, besides stopping all the pollution, is to create a happy, positive 2021 year chart. Nice critiques only! Well, at least as far as I can without saying nice things about bad albums, because positivity without realism is worthless. But in a positive way!
Also putting more effort into nonsensical genres because what's more fun than that?!
May update: well so much for positivity - I feel like my rating has gotten even harsher. My optimistic side thinks it's because I've heard so much good music that it's harder for new things I hear to stand out, but my pessimistic side thinks it's because I'm too old and can no longer enjoy new music. I guess in both cases it just means I'm even pickier now.
- Chart updated: 02/12/2022 23:15
- (Created: 01/24/2021 03:31).
- Chart size: 88 albums.
There are 2 comments for this chart from BestEverAlbums.com members and Top 88 Music Albums of 2021 has an average rating of 89 out of 100 (from 3 votes). Please log in or register to leave a comment or assign a rating.
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70/100
Outsider garage
Really liked this, sample heavy future garage with influences from other electronic genres. A few real standout tracks and some less interesting moments, want to give it one more listen to see if the interesting moments win out. [First added to this chart: 12/16/2021]
Outsider garage
Really liked this, sample heavy future garage with influences from other electronic genres. A few real standout tracks and some less interesting moments, want to give it one more listen to see if the interesting moments win out. [First added to this chart: 12/16/2021]
0
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70/100
Growing up punk
Cloud Nothings are the new Guided By Voices. Consider their career:
- Started out as a solo act where Dylan Baldi threw together indie pop albums by himself
- Hit it big with two acclaimed albums that featured a messy, rough sound
- Cleaned up their sound a bit and made the hardcore fans sad
- Started releasing an amount of music that's impossible to keep up with, including one new EP every month
OK, these aren't perfect comparisons, but the prolific nature of the band over the past year - driven mostly by the pandemic - makes it work. Also, Baldi is secretly a genius pop hook writer, capable of going toe to toe with Robert Pollad in that regard. The fact that the band made it big with Attack on Memory, their most abrasive record, has probably skewed public perception of them a bit. Fans wanted the messiness forever while ignoring that "Stay Useless" and "Cut You" and "Now Hear In" and "I'm Not Part of Me" were perfect pop songs under their rock guise, kind of like the songs on Bee Thousand. So the fact that the band is churning out perfect 2-3 minute slabs of poppy indie rock shouldn't really surprise anyone.
Not to brag, but I was on board with Life Without Sound from the beginning and I think the critical opinion on that is only going to go up over the years. I also enjoyed their return to noise on Last Building Burning and then admittedly kind of stopped following them last year because there was just too much music. I know the band's gotta eat, but there are other things I want to listen to. This one though is the return of Steve Alibini, so I had to check it out. And while I wasn't sure at first, it eventually won me over. The band has always used keyboards a bit, but they're even more present here, to great effect. The occasional female vocals also really help make his something special. Baldi is an underrated vocalist and, as mentioned, knows his way around a hook, and this has just enough punk to spice things up a little. Highlights include "Open Rain," the second track whose name I don't remember and "Am I Something."
A decade ago I really only listened to music by my favorite bands and ignored everything else, preferring subpar releases by those bands to expanding my horizons. Over the years I grew more accustomed to seeking acclaimed albums than following artists, and while it helped me find a lot of music I love there's something comforting about having those artists where they can put out anything and you'll enjoy it. Cloud Nothings is definitely one of those artists for me. There are a lot of artists I like for a certain reason and I won't really follow them as they change their sound, but time has shown I'll follow this band anywhere. And that's nice. It also means I know this placement on this list is a bit ridiculous, so feel free to ignore this one if you don't love the band. That's what I do when I see people put the Foo Fighters on their charts in the year of our lord 2021. But music evaluation is always going to be informed by personal taste so I don't mind stanning this band for half a decade. [First added to this chart: 03/05/2021]
Growing up punk
Cloud Nothings are the new Guided By Voices. Consider their career:
- Started out as a solo act where Dylan Baldi threw together indie pop albums by himself
- Hit it big with two acclaimed albums that featured a messy, rough sound
- Cleaned up their sound a bit and made the hardcore fans sad
- Started releasing an amount of music that's impossible to keep up with, including one new EP every month
OK, these aren't perfect comparisons, but the prolific nature of the band over the past year - driven mostly by the pandemic - makes it work. Also, Baldi is secretly a genius pop hook writer, capable of going toe to toe with Robert Pollad in that regard. The fact that the band made it big with Attack on Memory, their most abrasive record, has probably skewed public perception of them a bit. Fans wanted the messiness forever while ignoring that "Stay Useless" and "Cut You" and "Now Hear In" and "I'm Not Part of Me" were perfect pop songs under their rock guise, kind of like the songs on Bee Thousand. So the fact that the band is churning out perfect 2-3 minute slabs of poppy indie rock shouldn't really surprise anyone.
Not to brag, but I was on board with Life Without Sound from the beginning and I think the critical opinion on that is only going to go up over the years. I also enjoyed their return to noise on Last Building Burning and then admittedly kind of stopped following them last year because there was just too much music. I know the band's gotta eat, but there are other things I want to listen to. This one though is the return of Steve Alibini, so I had to check it out. And while I wasn't sure at first, it eventually won me over. The band has always used keyboards a bit, but they're even more present here, to great effect. The occasional female vocals also really help make his something special. Baldi is an underrated vocalist and, as mentioned, knows his way around a hook, and this has just enough punk to spice things up a little. Highlights include "Open Rain," the second track whose name I don't remember and "Am I Something."
A decade ago I really only listened to music by my favorite bands and ignored everything else, preferring subpar releases by those bands to expanding my horizons. Over the years I grew more accustomed to seeking acclaimed albums than following artists, and while it helped me find a lot of music I love there's something comforting about having those artists where they can put out anything and you'll enjoy it. Cloud Nothings is definitely one of those artists for me. There are a lot of artists I like for a certain reason and I won't really follow them as they change their sound, but time has shown I'll follow this band anywhere. And that's nice. It also means I know this placement on this list is a bit ridiculous, so feel free to ignore this one if you don't love the band. That's what I do when I see people put the Foo Fighters on their charts in the year of our lord 2021. But music evaluation is always going to be informed by personal taste so I don't mind stanning this band for half a decade. [First added to this chart: 03/05/2021]
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70/100
Sequel to the Prequel
I hate the concept of sequels to albums that are over a decade old. It feels like they usually come out at a time when the artist's popularity has waned and they're trying to get people to listen to their new album by painting it to a return to an old sound. That said, I will listen to such an album 11/10 times, even if I don't expect it to be all that great (see the Return of Dr. Octagon or whatever). After all, as much as I say I want artists to evolve, I actually want nothing more than something that sounds pretty much the same as the thing I really liked before.
I'm by no means an expert on BtBaM's discography (outside of the original Colors I've only heard The Great Misdirect), so I can't really speak to whether this is a return to an old sound or just a stylistic return. But it really does remind me of Colors, especially in two ways. First is the way it all flows together, with the album basically being one long song. Second is the way the non-metal bits slide in and feel pretty natural. There's nothing as unexpected and fun as the hoe-down portion of "Ants in the Sky," but there are some left turns.
Possibly not an album I can say is objectively good, but an album I loved on first listen and will probably be listening to quite a few more times. [First added to this chart: 10/02/2021]
Sequel to the Prequel
I hate the concept of sequels to albums that are over a decade old. It feels like they usually come out at a time when the artist's popularity has waned and they're trying to get people to listen to their new album by painting it to a return to an old sound. That said, I will listen to such an album 11/10 times, even if I don't expect it to be all that great (see the Return of Dr. Octagon or whatever). After all, as much as I say I want artists to evolve, I actually want nothing more than something that sounds pretty much the same as the thing I really liked before.
I'm by no means an expert on BtBaM's discography (outside of the original Colors I've only heard The Great Misdirect), so I can't really speak to whether this is a return to an old sound or just a stylistic return. But it really does remind me of Colors, especially in two ways. First is the way it all flows together, with the album basically being one long song. Second is the way the non-metal bits slide in and feel pretty natural. There's nothing as unexpected and fun as the hoe-down portion of "Ants in the Sky," but there are some left turns.
Possibly not an album I can say is objectively good, but an album I loved on first listen and will probably be listening to quite a few more times. [First added to this chart: 10/02/2021]
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70/100
DIY birthday
I loved Sir Babygirl's 2019 Crush on Me, and this feels like a nice companion to that. It's got the same DIY music while still having some real bops, and while unlike Crush on Me it has a little filler, it's a mixtape so what do you expect? The folk song covers don't do much for me but the Not My Baby cover more than makes up for that. [First added to this chart: 11/29/2021]
DIY birthday
I loved Sir Babygirl's 2019 Crush on Me, and this feels like a nice companion to that. It's got the same DIY music while still having some real bops, and while unlike Crush on Me it has a little filler, it's a mixtape so what do you expect? The folk song covers don't do much for me but the Not My Baby cover more than makes up for that. [First added to this chart: 11/29/2021]
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70/100
Trap blackgaze
I was first drawn to this album, as I expect many were, by the amazing cover. Yes it's gloriously subversive, but the fact that it's for an ostensibly metal album only makes it better, since metal covers are usually dark and scary. Ok, it's a blackgaze album, and that's not a genre I have a ton of luck with. And I think a lot of this is pretty standard blackgaze. But the rest is some of the best music I've heard recently, whether it's the banjo parts or the autotuned melodies that blend beautifully with the riffage. [First added to this chart: 02/08/2022]
Trap blackgaze
I was first drawn to this album, as I expect many were, by the amazing cover. Yes it's gloriously subversive, but the fact that it's for an ostensibly metal album only makes it better, since metal covers are usually dark and scary. Ok, it's a blackgaze album, and that's not a genre I have a ton of luck with. And I think a lot of this is pretty standard blackgaze. But the rest is some of the best music I've heard recently, whether it's the banjo parts or the autotuned melodies that blend beautifully with the riffage. [First added to this chart: 02/08/2022]
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70/100
Stand up comedy rap
I listened to this back when it came out, but I didn't rate it until months later because I had no idea how to rate it. Bruiser Wolf is a great rapper. And a terrible one. This makes no sense as a rap album. And it's the freshest rap album I've heard in a while.
The first time I listened to this I was listening to Bruiser Wolf ad lib and was waiting for the song to actually start, and at some point I realized that I was listening to the song, similar to the first time I watched the Free Churro episode of Bojack Horseman and realized that the monologue was the episode. .I was really thrown off, and I think I actually gave up a few songs in. I was not in the mood for that. But I came back later and really felt it. Then I tried again and couldn't stand it. And I listened to it later and loved it again.
I'm not sure I'd call what Bruiser Wolf does rapping. His flow is barely a flow, he's kind of just throwing out jokes. It's not that he's off beat, he just doesn't structure his lyrics in a normal rap way. And I think that's awesome. And it doesn't hurt that this is actually really funny. "I gave her the Johnson two times like baby powder." "I don't play with n***** like Babe Ruth." It feels like he's grabbing low hanging fruit by making a rap album entirely composed of jokes, but Mitch Hedburg is maybe my favorite stand-up comic so I can appreciate quick wit without much build-up. And Free Churro is actually my favorite Bojack Horseman episode, once I adjusted my expectations. This isn't my favorite rap album, but I can't rate this lower than a 70 considering how wild and legitimately fun it is. [First added to this chart: 11/29/2021]
Stand up comedy rap
I listened to this back when it came out, but I didn't rate it until months later because I had no idea how to rate it. Bruiser Wolf is a great rapper. And a terrible one. This makes no sense as a rap album. And it's the freshest rap album I've heard in a while.
The first time I listened to this I was listening to Bruiser Wolf ad lib and was waiting for the song to actually start, and at some point I realized that I was listening to the song, similar to the first time I watched the Free Churro episode of Bojack Horseman and realized that the monologue was the episode. .I was really thrown off, and I think I actually gave up a few songs in. I was not in the mood for that. But I came back later and really felt it. Then I tried again and couldn't stand it. And I listened to it later and loved it again.
I'm not sure I'd call what Bruiser Wolf does rapping. His flow is barely a flow, he's kind of just throwing out jokes. It's not that he's off beat, he just doesn't structure his lyrics in a normal rap way. And I think that's awesome. And it doesn't hurt that this is actually really funny. "I gave her the Johnson two times like baby powder." "I don't play with n***** like Babe Ruth." It feels like he's grabbing low hanging fruit by making a rap album entirely composed of jokes, but Mitch Hedburg is maybe my favorite stand-up comic so I can appreciate quick wit without much build-up. And Free Churro is actually my favorite Bojack Horseman episode, once I adjusted my expectations. This isn't my favorite rap album, but I can't rate this lower than a 70 considering how wild and legitimately fun it is. [First added to this chart: 11/29/2021]
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70/100
Laurel Canyon Cosplay
I was initially unsure how to feel about this one given that it's a lot more straightforward than NFR. But NFR is a once in a generation masterpiece, so it would be unfair to compare this directly against it. After a few listens I agree with Stereogum's review that this is a really pleasant, different album.
If I had to some up the differences quickly I'd say this is a much more vocal focused album. NFR was grand but still intricate and subdued, verses and choruses flowing together and Lana's voice flitting between them. Here the musical backings are much sparser, and Lana is front in center in it all. Nowhere is this more apparent than the opening track - the easy highlight - which feels almost like a soul song with the way Lana strains her voice when she sings "down in OrlAndo" or the "meninmusicbusiness conference" parts. There are other tracks that almost feel a cappella, like "Not All Who Wander Are Lost." There is a bit of a lull in the middle but "Yosemite" helps pick things back up and the closing stretch is really strong too. So yeah, certainly not a gamechanger like NFR but still very enjoyable.
If I have one complaint it's that the first two tracks are the best, and then "Tulsa Jesus Freak" is probably the worst despite it having such a great title. [First added to this chart: 04/06/2021]
Laurel Canyon Cosplay
I was initially unsure how to feel about this one given that it's a lot more straightforward than NFR. But NFR is a once in a generation masterpiece, so it would be unfair to compare this directly against it. After a few listens I agree with Stereogum's review that this is a really pleasant, different album.
If I had to some up the differences quickly I'd say this is a much more vocal focused album. NFR was grand but still intricate and subdued, verses and choruses flowing together and Lana's voice flitting between them. Here the musical backings are much sparser, and Lana is front in center in it all. Nowhere is this more apparent than the opening track - the easy highlight - which feels almost like a soul song with the way Lana strains her voice when she sings "down in OrlAndo" or the "meninmusicbusiness conference" parts. There are other tracks that almost feel a cappella, like "Not All Who Wander Are Lost." There is a bit of a lull in the middle but "Yosemite" helps pick things back up and the closing stretch is really strong too. So yeah, certainly not a gamechanger like NFR but still very enjoyable.
If I have one complaint it's that the first two tracks are the best, and then "Tulsa Jesus Freak" is probably the worst despite it having such a great title. [First added to this chart: 04/06/2021]
Year of Release:
2021
Appears in:
Rank Score:
626
Rank in 2021:
Rank in 2020s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
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70/100
Progressive barbarian
Forget Between the Buried and Me - now here's a band I never expected to like another album by. Crack the Skye is a top 5 metal album for me, but Mastodon's last 3 albums gave no indication they'd ever reach that level of prog again, a few longer songs on whatever their last album was called aside. This was going to be the one I didn't bother listening to, but it got good ratings on RYM so I gave it a listen and was kind of blown away.
OK, this isn't anywhere near as good as Crack the Skye. And it's way too long, with not enough highlights. But I really have no other complaints about it: despite being too long, it feels shorter than it is because there are no slow moments. And while their last few had a few songs that sounded like they were gunning for rock radio, there's nothing like that here. This sounds like it could have been a Crack the Skye follow-up.
After three listens I wish they had cut this down to around an hour (though Colors II is only 8 minutes shorter than this and I didn't complain about its length), but it's still good enough to make the 70 cut. [First added to this chart: 11/29/2021]
Progressive barbarian
Forget Between the Buried and Me - now here's a band I never expected to like another album by. Crack the Skye is a top 5 metal album for me, but Mastodon's last 3 albums gave no indication they'd ever reach that level of prog again, a few longer songs on whatever their last album was called aside. This was going to be the one I didn't bother listening to, but it got good ratings on RYM so I gave it a listen and was kind of blown away.
OK, this isn't anywhere near as good as Crack the Skye. And it's way too long, with not enough highlights. But I really have no other complaints about it: despite being too long, it feels shorter than it is because there are no slow moments. And while their last few had a few songs that sounded like they were gunning for rock radio, there's nothing like that here. This sounds like it could have been a Crack the Skye follow-up.
After three listens I wish they had cut this down to around an hour (though Colors II is only 8 minutes shorter than this and I didn't complain about its length), but it's still good enough to make the 70 cut. [First added to this chart: 11/29/2021]
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65/100
Ambient ocean folk
A peaceful yet heavy record. My first listen was terrific but it's seemed a bit worse on each subsequent listen. I think the plain lyrics and short length help lessen the lasting impact it can have. Musically there are tinges of sophisti-pop and country but never enough to really define this as either. You can't really even call it folk - it really does sound like sitting by the ocean, either on a sunny beach or a rocky crag on an overcast day. The final track is just a gorgeous comedown of bird sounds and sunsets. Just wish it was a little bit more robust. [First added to this chart: 02/21/2021]
Ambient ocean folk
A peaceful yet heavy record. My first listen was terrific but it's seemed a bit worse on each subsequent listen. I think the plain lyrics and short length help lessen the lasting impact it can have. Musically there are tinges of sophisti-pop and country but never enough to really define this as either. You can't really even call it folk - it really does sound like sitting by the ocean, either on a sunny beach or a rocky crag on an overcast day. The final track is just a gorgeous comedown of bird sounds and sunsets. Just wish it was a little bit more robust. [First added to this chart: 02/21/2021]
Year of Release:
2021
Appears in:
Rank Score:
484
Rank in 2021:
Rank in 2020s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
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65/100
Atmospheric dream black pop metal
Panopticon is probably my favorite metal artist. In a genre where I rarely like more than a couple albums from an artist, I haven't heard a bad album from him and while he plays with the same formula there's always a slightly different spin on it. This one feels very washed out and dreamy, and I think that can be to the detriment of the album. The vocals are mixed so low, and while it's not like you can usually understand his vocals anyway they're just drowned out by the drums which are your typical black metal blast beats. I really like the ending of the album where he's shouting NEVER GIVE UP NEVER GIVE IN but the ride to get there is a little too colorless and similar to his other stuff. [First added to this chart: 06/13/2021]
Atmospheric dream black pop metal
Panopticon is probably my favorite metal artist. In a genre where I rarely like more than a couple albums from an artist, I haven't heard a bad album from him and while he plays with the same formula there's always a slightly different spin on it. This one feels very washed out and dreamy, and I think that can be to the detriment of the album. The vocals are mixed so low, and while it's not like you can usually understand his vocals anyway they're just drowned out by the drums which are your typical black metal blast beats. I really like the ending of the album where he's shouting NEVER GIVE UP NEVER GIVE IN but the ride to get there is a little too colorless and similar to his other stuff. [First added to this chart: 06/13/2021]
Total albums: 88. Page 2 of 9
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Top 88 Music Albums of 2021 composition
| Artist | Albums | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
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| R.A.P. Ferreira | 2 | 2% | |
| Lana Del Rey | 2 | 2% | |
| Fiddlehead | 1 | 1% | |
| Viagra Boys | 1 | 1% | |
| Wolves In The Throne Room | 1 | 1% | |
| 파란노을 [Parannoul] | 1 | 1% | |
| Kacey Musgraves | 1 | 1% | |
| Show all | |||
| Country | Albums | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
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55 | 63% | |
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14 | 16% | |
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3 | 3% | |
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3 | 3% | |
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2 | 2% | |
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2 | 2% | |
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2 | 2% | |
| Show all | |||
Top 88 Music Albums of 2021 chart changes
| Biggest climbers |
|---|
 Up 3 from 6th to 3rdInpariquipê by Kaatayra |
| Biggest fallers |
|---|
| Down 1 from 3rd to 4th Glow On by Turnstile |
| Down 1 from 4th to 5th Seek Shelter by Iceage |
| Down 1 from 5th to 6th Nafs At Peace by جو بھی [Jaubi] |
Top 88 Music Albums of 2021 ratings
89/100 (from 3 votes)
where:
av = trimmed mean average rating an item has currently received.
n = number of ratings an item has currently received.
m = minimum number of ratings required for an item to appear in a 'top-rated' chart (currently 10).
AV = the site mean average rating.
N.B. The average rating for this chart will not be reliable as it has been rated very few times.
Showing all 3 ratings for this chart.
| Rating | Date updated | Member | Chart ratings | Avg. chart rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 100/100  | 02/09/2022 19:45 | DJENNY | | 100/100 |
| 100/100 | 06/06/2021 13:24 |  travelful | | 99/100 |
| 95/100 | 05/18/2021 08:34 |  Purplepash | | 88/100 |
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From babyBlueSedan 06/13/2021 16:13
babyBlueSedan 06/13/2021 16:13
Thanks for the rec! I've definitely been out of the hip hop loop the past few years, I hadn't even heard of Mach-Hommy until he showed up on one of billy woods's albums in 2019. I think I knew about the album he released a single copy of before hearing about the new one but then I saw he's got a huge discography and wasn't sure where to go next. It's hard for me to find the time lately to spend digesting new hip hop albums to the extent they deserve but I'll try to give it a chance when I can.
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100/100
From travelful 06/06/2021 13:29
travelful 06/06/2021 13:29
Glad you liked Mach-Hommy! He's one of the most underrated rappers currently, and its primarily his fault for making his music so inaccessible. His best album in my opinion is "Haitian Body Odor" (HBO) and thankfully it's on SoundCloud. Similar to "Pray For Haiti" it released under Griselda Records. It was his Griselda debut back in 2016 before him and Westside Gunn had a falling out due to creative differences. I think it's a top 10 hip-hop album of the last decade, maybe it would interest you.
Always love following your charts.
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