There were a ridiculous number of great albums this year. So many, in fact, that I had a hard time choosing just 10…so I did 12! I also welcomed my son Jack into the world this year, so the descriptions may be a little shorter than usual, but I wanted to keep the tradition going for Jack so he’ll have a lot of great music to discover when he’s older!
So without further ado, here are my top 12 albums of 2021.
Top 12 Albums of 2021 Spotify playlist
Top 40 Songs of 2021 Spotify playlist
Current Jams 2021 Spotify playlist
12. Who Am I? – Pale Waves (Spotify)
It’s a radical departure from the slick, The 1975-esque synth pop of their debut My Mind Makes Noises, but Pale Waves’ sophomore release manages to succeed while charting a very new musical course. Who Am I? is an early 2000s pop rock tribute album, with frontwoman Heather Baron-Gracie doing her best Avril Lavigne impression and bringing more mature, self-aware lyricism. It was a very unexpected turn, but it worked.
11. Collapsed In Sunbeams – Arlo Parks (Spotify)
London-based Arlo Parks’ debut studio album was released to universal acclaim by critics and music fans alike, and for good reason. Parks’ lovely, close-mic’d vocals and introspective lyrics make it sound like you’re listening to your best friend singing to you in your living room. This is a timeless album that will definitely be on replay for years to come.
10. Como En El Cielo – Maverick City Music (Spotify)
I love Maverick City Music’s mission — to break down racial and cultural barriers in Christian worship music — and they do so incredibly effectively with this year’s Spanish-language release Como En El Cielo. In a genre that can often feel derivative or overproduced, Maverick City makes music that feels authentic and genuine…this is what worship music should sound like. You don’t even have to speak Spanish to appreciate the beauty here.
9. Texis – Sleigh Bells (Spotify)
Noise pop veterans Sleigh Bells’ fifth studio album sees them return to peak form, and their overdriven guitars sound sharper and fresher than ever. Texis sees Alexis Krauss and Derek Miller cleverly toying with a cheeky Western motif (including in some fun music videos). I had a blast listening to this album this year.
8. SOUR – Olivia Rodrigo (Spotify)
18-year-old Olivia Rodrigo deserves every bit of the success she has achieved after SOUR instantly propelled her from Disney Channel star to global pop superstardom this summer. This album is a revelation, blending genres and influences and showcasing her breathtakingly diverse range. It’s hard to believe that Rodrigo wrote many of these songs when she was just 16!
7. Model Citizen – Meet Me @ The Altar (Spotify)
Gen Z proves that pop punk is alive and well these days with MM@TA’s Model Citizen. Led by the impressive vocals of frontwoman Edith Johnson, this all-female trio — who (of course) met and formed on the internet — deliver a debut full of huge crunching guitar riffs, double-bass-pedals, and infectious choruses you can instantly sing along with. Sure, they’re heavily influenced by 2000s-era legends of the genre like Paramore and Four Year Strong, but somehow produce a sound that is all their own while boldly taking a more positive, socially-conscious lyrical approach than so many of their predecessors. One to watch for the future.
6. 30 – Adele (Spotify)
Adele returned after a long 6 years with this highly anticipated release, and her contribution to the pantheon of Great Breakup Albums more than lived up to the hype. The greatest vocalist of our generation (yes, there’s no disputing it) delivers a stunning fourth record — perhaps her best yet — that finds her dealing with the pain of her recent divorce with vulnerability, maturity, and grace. She’s never sounded better, and never had more to say.
5. A Billion Little Lights – Wild Pink (Spotify)
I stumbled upon this album earlier this year, and when I first heard it I’m not sure I would’ve predicted that it would end up in my top 5. But there was just something about frontman John Ross’s understated, laid-back vocals and the sun-soaked, folk-tinged indie rock sound that kept me returning to this album throughout the year. A true gem of a find.
4. Urban Driftwood – Yasmin Williams (Spotify)
It’s the first instrumental record to ever make my top albums of the year, and Urban Driftwood has more than earned it. On this effort, young and insanely talented N. Virginia fingerstyle guitarist Yasmin Williams showcases her considerable chops to create a gorgeous, innovative blend of multiple genres and instruments that had me replaying this over and over. It was a calming oasis in a turbulent year.
3. Happier Than Ever – Billie Eilish (Spotify)
Billie takes a bold gamble with her highly-anticipated sophomore album, exchanging the dark, bass-heavy goth pop synth hooks of her world-dominating debut for something completely different: delicate string arrangements and stunning vocal performances that have more in common with Etta James or…that other famous Billie…than your typical Top 40. And the big bet pays off — turns out that not only can Eilish actually sing, but she brings an emotional gravitas to the performances that belies her young 19 years. This is a superstar coming into her own, and I can’t wait to see what she has planned next.
2. What Were You Hoping To Find? – Vistas (Spotify)
This Scottish group just keeps putting out ridiculously infectious, upbeat bangers, and their sophomore follow-up to last year’s Everything Changes In The End (my #1 album of 2020) does not disappoint. It’s a bit more sonically mature than their debut, but no less jam-packed full of youthful exuberance and choruses you’ll be dying to scream out at the top of your lungs with a few thousand others in a packed venue. This is just music that makes you feel good, period.
1. Screen Violence – CHVRCHES (Spotify)
Lauren Mayberry and co. have just seemed to get better with every release, while never quite yet seeming like they were completely reaching their potential. With Screen Violence, a horror-film-inspired vibe, it seems like they have finally perfected it — it’s by far their best album to date, and both lyrically and musically it feels like they’ve broken through to a higher plane. Virtually every aspect of the concept and execution was flawless, and it’s the album I had stuck in my head — and played on repeat — the most this year.
Honorable mention:
Take The Sadness Out of Saturday Night – Bleachers (Spotify) – It’s Jack Antonoff at his best.
OK Orchestra – AJR (Spotify) – I challenge you to tell me a record that you had more fun listening to this year.
The Million Masks of God – Manchester Orchestra (Spotify) – Another characteristically excellent release from a band that rarely disappoints.
DONDA – Kanye West (Spotify) – A fascinating journey inside the mind of one of the most troubled, brilliant musical psyches of our time.
MONTERO – Lil Nas X (Spotify) – A groundbreaking, genre-shattering success that has more than earned all of all the accolades it’s received.
Pink Noise – Laura Mvula (Spotify) – Super fresh sounding 80s-synth-driven pop and vocals you won’t soon forget.
Solar Power – Lorde (Spotify) – Another daring departure that sees the NZ pop icon exploring a mellower, 1970s hippie vibe.
Mercurial World – Magdalena Bay (Spotify) – The first full length LP from this indie electro-pop duo showcases their considerable strengths.
Vulture Prince – Arooj Aftab (Spotify) – I stumbled across this Pakistan-born, Brooklyn-based singer somewhat randomly, but it ended up being one of the most surprising — and beautiful — albums of the year.
Top 40 Songs of 2021 (Spotify)
1. Juvenescence – Yasmin Williams
2. Stop Making This Hurt – Bleachers
3. Solar Power – Lorde
4. Violent Delights – CHVRCHES
5. What Were You Hoping To Find? – Vistas
6. How Dare You Want More – Bleachers
7. drivers license – Olivia Rodrigo
8. Bed Head – Manchester Orchestra
9. Oversharers Anonymous – Wild Pink
10. Locust Laced – Sleigh Bells
11. Like A Lady – Pom Poko
12. You Lose! – Magdalena Bay
13. Hurt – Arlo Parks
14. Feel A Thing – Meet Me @ The Altar
15. Drunk Voicemail – Pom Pom Squad
16. Into The Blue – The Joy Formidable
17. I Lied – Lord Huron
18. Dayglow – Vistas
19. INDUSTRY BABY – Lil Nas X
20. good 4 u – Olivia Rodrigo
21. Happier Than Ever – Billie Eilish
22. Asking For A Friend – CHVRCHES
23. Futureproof – Nothing But Thieves
24. Dover Beach -. Baby Queen
25. Conditional – Laura Mvula
26. Acercame – Maverick City Music
27. My Way – PVRIS
28. Hold On – Adele
29. Easy – Pale Waves
30. NDA – Billie Eilish
31. THAT’S WHAT I WANT – Lil Nas X
32. Nightmares – CHVRCHES
33. I Drink Wine – Adele
34. SWEET75 – Sleigh Bells
35. Cloudspotter – Foo Fighters
36. The Wolves – Amy Shark
37. Serotonin – girl in red
38. Hurricane – Kanye West
39. Stop – Violette
40. Diya Hai – Arooj Aftab
Alex's Top Albums 