Embedded Files
(Originally Published December 31, 2021)
2021 was a year for the books. I had a goal this year to listen to over 200 new releases. I was able to hit that goal and then some.
There were many mediocre albums. But there were many amazing releases as well. The soundtrack to my year ran the musical gamut.
There is so much music from throughout the year that resonated even harder as it came to a close. Some of these songs hit so close to home, they can be difficult to hear. But I am very fortunate to have lots of great music guide me through the fun times and the difficult times. I look forward to seeing what the world brings to me in 2022. [Editor’s Note: The ‘Taylor’s Verison’ of both ‘Red’ and ‘Fearless’ are not eligible for this list. They are primarily re-recordings with some new songs. Otherwise, they would likely chart at #1 and #2. Obviously ;)].
TOP 50 ALBUMS OF 2021
50. Bo Burnham - 'Inside (The Songs) (Released 6/10/2021)
49. Narrow / Arrow - 'Abestos Weak Hood' (Released 8/27/2021)
48. Iceage - 'Seek Shelter' (Released 5/7/2021)
47. Jungle - 'Loving in Stereo' (Released 8/13/2021)
46. Wolf Alice - 'Blue Weekend' (Released 6/4/2021)
45, Mdou Moctar - 'Afrique Victime' (Released 5/21/2021)
44. Dry Cleaning - 'New Long Leg' (Released 4/2/2021)
43. The Antlers - 'Green to Gold' 3/26/2021
42. The Go! Team - 'Get Up Sequences Part One' (Released 7/2/2021)
41. Foxing - 'Draw Down The Moon' (Released 8/6/2021)
40. Floating Points / Pharoah Sanders / London Symphony Orchestra - 'Promises' (Released 3/26/2021)
39. St. Vincent - 'Daddy's Home' (Released 5/14/2021)
38. Leon Bridges - 'Gold-Diggers Sound' (Released 7/23/2021)
37. Makthaverskan - 'For Allting' (Released 11/12/2021)
36. Islands - 'Islomania' (Released 6/11/2021)
35. Low - 'HEY WHAT ' (Released 9/10/2021)
34. Kanye West - 'DONDA' (Released 8/29/2021)
33. Lil Nas X - 'Montero' (Released 9/17/2021)
32. Kacey Musgraves - 'Star-Crossed' (Released 9/10/2021)
31. ME REX - 'Megabear' (Released 6/18/2021)
30. Middle Kids - 'Today We're the Greatest' (Released 3/19/2021)
29. Viagra Boys - 'Welfare Jazz' (Released 1/8/2021)
28. Geese - 'Projector' (Released 10/29/2021)
27. Nation of Language - 'A Way Forward' (Released 11/5/2021)
26. Aeon Station - 'Observatory' (Released 12/10/2021)
25. Illuminati Hotties - 'Let Me Do One More' (Released 10/1/2021)
24. Tune-Yards - 'sketchy' (Released 3/26/2021)
23. Valerie June - The Moon and Stars: 'Prescriptions for Dreamers' (Released 3/12/2021)
22. Harmony Woods - 'Graceful Rage' (Released 3/12/2021)
21. Billie Eilish - 'Happier Than Ever' (Released 7/30/2021)
20. Church Girls - 'Still Blooms' (Released 10/8/2021)
19. Brightside - '2012' (Released 8/31/2021)
18. Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats - 'The Future' (Released 11/5/2021)
17. Modest Mouse - 'The Golden Casket' (Released 6/25/2021)
16. Courtney Barnett - 'Things Take Time, Take Time' (Released 11/12/2021)
15. Sam Fender - 'Seventeen Going Under' (Released 10/8/2021)
14. SAULT - 'NINE' (Released 6/25/2021)
13. Lucy Dacus - 'Home Video' (Released 6/25/2021)
12. Silk Sonic - 'An Evening With Silk Sonic' (Released 11/12/2021)
11. Arlo Parks - 'Collapsed In Sunbeams' (Released 1/29/2021)
10. Black Country, New Road – ‘For the first time’
(Released February 5, 2021)
“I am so ignorant now, with all that I have learnt.”
– Sunglasses
09. Olivia Rodrigo – ‘SOUR’
(Released May 21, 2021)
“You always say I’m never satisfied, but I don’t think that’s true. You say I’m never satisfied but that’s not me, it’s you. ‘Cause all I ever wanted was to be enough.”
– Enough for You
08. Bleachers – ‘Take the Sadness Out of Saturday Night’
(Released July 30, 2021)
“Lonely wants to stay forever. But tonight we’re gonna do a little better.”
– How Dare You Want More
07. girl in red – ‘if I could make it go quiet’
(Released April 30, 2021)
“I can’t be your midnight love. When your silver is my gold”
– Midnight Love
06. Japanese Breakfast – ‘Jubilee’
(Released June 4, 2021)
“When the world divides into two people: Those who have felt pain, and those who have yet to. And I can’t un-see it, although I would like to.”
– Posing in Bondage
05. The Hold Steady – ‘Open Door Policy’
(Released February 19, 2021)
“You can’t keep throwing up and then cover it with sawdust, and expect us not to notice, and pretend it didn’t happen.”
– Unpleasant Breakfast
04. Chvrches – ‘Screen Violence’
(Released August 27, 2021)
“No one ever tells you there’s freedom in the failure”
– California
03. The War On Drugs – ‘I Don't Live Here Anymore’
(Released October 29, 2021)
“I wanna find out everything I need to know. I’m gonna say everything that there is to say. Although you’ve taken everything I need away, I’m gonna make it to the place I need to go. We’re all just walkin’ through this darkness on our own.”
– I Don’t Live Here Anymore
02. Adele – ‘30’
(Released November 19, 2021)
“In these crazy times, I hope to find something I can cling on to. ‘Cause I need some substance in my life, something real, something that feels true.”
– I Drink Wine
01. The World is a Beautiful Place & I am No Longer Afraid to Die – ‘Illusory Walls’
(Released October 8, 2021)
“The world is a beautiful place, but we have to make it that way. Wherever you find home, we'll make it more than just a shelter. If everyone belongs there, it will hold us all together. And if you’re afraid to die, then so am I.”
– Fewer Afraid
TOP 10 EPs OF 2021
10. Courting - 'Grand National' EP (Released 4/9/2021)
9. Mannequin Pussy - 'Perfect' EP (Released 5/21/2021)
8. HEY, ILY - 'Internet Breath' EP (Released 4/30/2021)
7. Beach Bunny - 'Blame Game' EP (Released 1/15/2021)
6. Los Campesinos! - 'Whole Damn Body' EP (Released 5/7/2021)
5. Future Teens - 'Deliberately Alive' EP (Released 3/12/2021)
4. beabadoobee - 'Our Extended Play' EP (Released 6/24/2021)
3. Gang of Youths - 'total serene' EP (Released 7/15/2021)
2. Frances Forever - 'paranoia party' EP (Released 7/9/2021)
1. Hippo Campus - 'Good Dog, Bad Dream' EP (Released 8/6/2021)
TOP 100 SONGS OF 2021
As I do every year, I pick my favorite songs (1 song per artist), and then rank them against each other to formulate ‘The Best Songs of the Year Countdown’. I listened to the most new music ever this year. The year required a massive countdown once again (6 hours and 43 minutes!). Click Here to listen to the Top 100 Tracks of 2021 Countdown on Spotify!
100. Coin (ft. Faye Webster) – “Sagittarius Superstar”
99. Joon – “Watch The Sky”
98. Wild Pink – “Die Outside”
97. Arab Strap – “Here Comes Comus!”
96. No Rome (ft. Charli XCX & The 1975) – “Spinning
95. IAN SWEET – “Power”
94. UV-TV – “Distant Lullaby”
93. The Killers – “Quiet Town”
92. Nervous Dater – “Nothing Left”
91. Hiatus Kaiyote – “All the Words We Don’t Say”
90. Lightning Bug – “The Right Thing Is Hard to Do”
89. Low – “White Horses”
88. Earthy Babes – “I Gotta Get Out”
87. Laura Mvula – “Church Girl”
86. Brandi Carlile – “Sinners, Saints and Fools”
85. Hit Like a Girl & Bartees Strange – “Monsters”
84. Francis of Delirium – “Red”
83. Mdou Moctar – “Chismiten”
82. The Marias – “Hush”
81. Flight Facilities (ft. Channel Tres) – “Lights Up”
80. Ethel Cain (ft. lil aaron) – “Michelle Pfeiffer”
79. Strand of Oaks – “Galacticana”
78. Future Islands – “Peach”
77. TORRES – “Don’t Go Puttin Wishes in My Head”
76. Marsfade – “Do U Know What I Mean”
75. Origami Angel – “Caught in the Moment”
74. Cola Boyy (ft. The Avalanches) – “Don’t Forget Your Neighborhood”
73. St. Vincent – “Live In The Dream”
72. Dayglow – “Close to You”
71. Wolf Alice – “Smile”
70. The Go! Team – “Let the Seasons Work”
69. Snail Mail – “Valentine”
68. LP – “Goodbye”
67. Lana Del Rey – “Dealer”
66. Nation of Language – “Across the Fine Line”
65. Geese – “Fantasies / Survival”
64. Sufjan Stevens & Angele De Augustine – “Back to Oz”
63. Aeon Station – “Queens”
62. Wet Leg – “Chaise Longue”
61. Islands – “Set the Fairlight”
60. Julien Baker – “Faith Healer”
59. Kacey Musgraves – “simple times”
58. Viagra Boys – “Ain’t Nice”
57. Horsegirl – “Ballroom Dance Scene”
56. A Certain Ratio – “Keep it Together”
55. Church Girls – “Basement”
54. Bo Burnham – “How the World Works”
53. Frances Forever – “paranoia party”
52. Jungle – “Keep Moving”
51. Bobby Gillespie & Jehnny Beth – “Chase It Down”
50. Leon Bridges – “Why Don’t You Touch Me”
49. The Linda Lindas – “Oh!”
48. Katy Kirby – “Cool Dry Place”
47. Life in Sweatpants – “Good 2 Yourself”
46. Clap Your Hands Say Yeah – “CYHSY, 2005”
45. Future Teens – “Guest Room”
44. Brightside – “This Time”
43. Lil Nas X – “SUN GOES DOWN”
42. Jessie Ware – “Please”
41. Makthaverskan – “This Time”
40. PRONOUN – “I WANNA DIE BUT I CAN’T (CUZ I GOTTA KEEP LIVING)”
39. Taylor Swift – “Mr. Perfectly Fine”
38. Parquet Courts – “Walking at a Downtown Pace”
37. Tune-Yards – “hypnotized”
36. Deb Never – “Sorry”
35. Remember Sports – “Out Loud”
34. The Hold Steady – “Lanyards”
33. Zella Day – “Dance For Love”
32. Hey, Ily – “Pretty Boi!”
31. Beach Bunny – “Good Girls (Don’t Get Used)”
30. Middle Kids – “Questions”
29. Billie Eilish – “Happier Than Ever”
28. Paper Idol – “James Bond”
27. Lucy Dacus – “First Time”
26. The World Is A Beautiful Place & I Am No Longer Afraid to Die – “Trouble”
25. Arlo Parks – “Hope”
24. Hippo Campus – “Bad Dream Baby”
23. illuminati hotties – “Pool Hopping”
22. Kanye West – “Jail”
21. The Weather Station – “Robber”
20. Modest Mouse – “Leave A Light On”
19. Courtney Barnett – “Before You Gotta Go”
18. Valerie June (ft. Carla Thomas) – “Call Me A Fool”
17. Japanese Breakfast – “Posing In Bondage”
16. Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats – “Love Don’t”
15. girl in red – “hornylovesickmess”
14. beabadoobee – “Last Day on Earth”
13. Adele – “I Drink Wine”
12. Black Country, New Road – “Instrumental”
11. CHVRCHES (ft. Robert Smith) – “How Not to Drown”
10. Harmony Woods – “Easy”
9. Silk Sonic – “Leave the Door Open”
8. Sam Fender – “Seventeen Going Under”
7. Lorde – “Solar Power”
6. Alex Lahey – “On My Way”
5. Bleachers – “How Dare You Want More”
4. Olivia Rodrigo – “déjà vu”
3. The War on Drugs (ft. Lucius) – “I Don’t Live Here Anymore”
2. Sharon Van Etten & Angel Olsen – “Like I Used To”
1. Gang of Youths – “the angel of 8th ave."
As we move into 2022, I am hopeful about the future. I hope this next year brings lots of great experience and happiness to myself, my wonderful friends, and my supportive family. I also hope there is even more great music to hear and concerts to see. If you have any favorite music from 2021, please reach out to me and let me know! I would love to talk about it. Thanks for reading!
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