Taylor Swift's Folklore won a close one for 2020. Let's see who wins 2021. We made it. The final year. Billboard chart-topping albums of 2021: Taylor Swift - Evermore (cont. from 2020) Playboi Carti - Whole Lotta Red (cont. from 2020) Racist piece of shit loser - Dangerous: I'm a racist piece of shit loser Justin Bieber - Justice Rod Wave - SoulFly Taylor Swift - Fearless (Taylor's Version) Young Thug - Slime Language 2 Moneybagg Yo - A Gangsta's Pain DJ Khaled - Khaled Khaled J. Cole - The Off-Season Olivia Rodrigo - Sour Lil Baby - The Voice of the Heroes Polo G - Hall of Fame Tyler, the Creator - Call Me If You Get Lost Pop Smoke - Faith The Kid Laroi - Fuck Love Billie Eilish - Happier Than Ever Kanye West - Donda Drake - Certified Lover Boy YoungBoy Never Broke Again - Sincerely, Kentrell Young Thug - Punk Ed Sheeran - = Summer Walker - Still Over It Taylor Swift - Red (Taylor's Version) Adele - 30 Billboard chart-topping singles of 2021: Mariah Carey - All I Want for Christmas is You (cont. from 1994 lol) 24kGoldn - Mood (cont. from 2020) Olivia Rodrigo - Driver's License Drake - What's Next Cardi B - Up Justin Bieber - Peaches Lil Nas X - Montero Silk Sonic - Leave the Door Open Polo G - Rapstar The Weeknd - Save Your Tears Olivia Rodrigo - Good 4 U BTS - Butter BTS - Permission to Dance The Kid Laroi - Stay Drake - Way 2 Sexy Coldplay - My Universe Lil Nas X - Industry Baby Adele - Easy on Me Taylor Swift - All To Well (Taylor's Version) Mariah Carey - All I Want for Christmas is You (cont. from 1994 lol AGAIN) What are your top three albums for 2021? We will keep a running tally and eventually have some sort of bracket. For me it would be: 1. Turnstile - Glow On 2. Low - Hey What 3. Fiddlehead - Between the Richness What are some of the forgotten gems from the year? What is overrated? What did you discover at a young age and what did you discover later? YEARS IN MUSIC • forum.chorus.fm
remainder of the top 12: 4. Mastodon - Hushed and Grim 5. Ben Howard - Collections from the Whiteout 6. TWIABP - Illusory Walls 7. Olivia Rodrigo - Sour 8. Aeon Station - Observatory 9. Sons of Kemet - Black to the Future 10. The Dirty Nil - Fuck Art 11. Sturgill Simpson - The Ballad of Dood and Juanita 12. Floating Points and Pharaoh Sanders - Promises honorable mentions: Andy Shauf - Wilds The Armed - Ultrapop Between the Buried and Me - Colors II Black Country, New Road - For the First Time Blake Mills and Pino Palladino - Notes With Attachments Bossk - Migration Buck Meek - Two Saviors Cassandra Jenkins - An Overview on Phenomenal Nature Cloud Nothings - The Shadow I Remember Converge and Chelsea Wolfe - Bloodmoon I Courtney Barnett - Things Take Time, Take Time Dazy - MAXIMUMBLASTSUPERLOUD Deafheaven - Infinite Granite Descendents - 9th & Walnut Dinosaur Jr. - Sweep it into Space Downhaul - Proof Drug Church - Tawny Dry Cleaning - New Long Leg Eric Church - Heart & Soul Faye Webster - I Know I’m Funny haha Flock of Dimes - Head of Roses Full of Hell - Garden of Burning Apparitions Gnawing - You Freak Me Out Halsey - If I Can’t Have Love, I Want Power Hovvdy - True Love Iceage - Seek Shelter Idles - Crawler James McMurtry - The Horses and the Hounds Japanese Breakfast - Jubilee Jimmy Montague - Casual Use Kali Masi - [laughs] The Killers - Pressure Machine King Woman - Celestial Blues Kowloon Walled City - Piecework Liam Kazar - Due North Lucy Dacus - Home Video Manchester Orchestra - The Million Masks of God Mo Troper - Dilletante Mogwai - As the Love Continues Mol - Diorama The Mountain Goats - Dark in Here My Morning Jacket - My Morning Jacket Nick Cave and Warren Ellis - Carnage Portrayal of Guilt - We Are Always Alone Quicksand - Distant Populations Ryley Walker - Course in Fable Silk Sonic - An Evening with Silk Sonic Sleater-Kinney - Path of Wellness Snail Mail - Valentine Spirit Was - Heaven’s Just a Cloud Strand of Oaks - In Heaven Thrice - Horizons/East Tyler, the Creator - Call Me If You Get Lost Vince Staples - Vince Staples The War on Drugs - I Don’t Live Here Anymore Weezer - OK Human Weezer - Van Weezer Wild Pink - A Billion Little Lights Will Oldham and Matt Sweeney - Superwolves Wolf Alice - Blue Weekend Wolves in the Throne Room - Primordial Arcana stuff to check out: AFI - Bodies Armand Hammer - Haram Biffy Clyro - The Myth of Happily Ever After Big Heet - Playing the Bug Darkside - Spiral Deerhoof - Actually, You Can Garbage - No Gods No Masters Hiss Golden Messenger - Quietly Blowing It The Hold Steady - Open Door Policy Isaiah Rashad - The House is Burning Jackson Browne - Downhill from Everywhere Laura Stevenson - Laura Stevenson Lindsey Buckingham - Lindsey Buckingham Mammoth WVH - Mammoth WVH Matthew Sweet - Catspaw Steve Gunn - Other You Ty Segall - Harmonizer The Weather Station - Ignorance
1. every time i die - radical 2. origami angel - gami gang 3. fiddlehead - between the richness 4. super american - sup 5. turnstile - glow on 6. worst party ever - dartland. 7. jail socks - coming down 8. middle kids - today we're the greatest 9. aesop rock and blockhead - garbology 10. allie - maybe next time 11. couplet - lp1 12. cake pop - cake pop 2 13. twiab - illusory walls 14. magdalena bay - mecurial world 15. hovvdy - true love
1. Rostam - Changephobia 2. Clairo - Sling 3. Japanese Breakfast - Jubilee HM: Dijon - Absolutely, Turnstile - Glow On, Weezer - Van Weezer, Aeon Station - Observatory, Isaiah Rashad - The House is Burning, Bleachers - Take the Sadness Out of Saturday Night, Wednesday - Twin Plagues
1. Halsey - If I Can't Have Love, I Want Power 2. Olivia Rodrigo - Sour 3. Wolf Alice - Blue Weekend 4. The Maine - XOXO 5. Billie Eilish - Happier Than Ever 6. Kasey Musgraves - Star Crossed 7. Weezer - OK Human 8. Taylor Swift - Red (Taylor's Version) 9. Arlo Parks - Collapsed in Sunbeams 10. Angels & Airwaves - Lifeforms 11. Julien Baker - Little Oblivions 12. Silk Sonic - An Evening with Silk Sonic 13. Pale Waves - Who Am I? 14. Doja Cat - Planet Her 15. Hayley Williams - Flowers for Vases 16. Weezer - Van Weezer 17. Amy Shark - Cry Forever 18. Turnstile - Glow On 19. LOLO - Overkill 20. Willow - Lately I Feel Everything
1. Flatland Cavalry - Welcome to Countryland 2. Blue Stones - Hidden Gems 3. The Maine - XOXO Loved but Just missed: AGPOL - Pono Grayscale - Umbra Patrick Droney - State of the Heart
1. Spiritbox - Eternal Blue 2. Half Waif - Mythopoetics 3. Converge & Chelsea Wolfe - Blood Moon: I Foxing - Draw Down the Moon Rebecca Black - Rebecca Black Was Here Chai - Wink Chvrches - Screen Violence Marina - Ancient Dreams in a Modern Land Hannah Vu - Public Storage Japanese Breakfast - Jubilee The Armed - Ultra Pop Plenty more I enjoyed, but this is the crux of what I still listen to. https://rateyourmusic.com/list/ecirht/best-of-21/
1. Bo Burnham - Inside 2. Porter Robinson - Nurture 3. Chvrches - Screen Violence 4. Weezer - OK Human 5. As Everything Unfolds - Within Each Lies the Other 6. Black Country, New Road - For the First Time 7. Halsey - If I Can't Have Love, I Want Power 8. Grayscale - Umbra 9. Taylor Swift - Fearless (Taylor's Version) 10. dltzk - Frailty 11. Poppy - EAT 12. Epica - Omega 13. The Night Game - Dog Years 14. John Mayer - Sob Rock 15. The Killers - Pressure Machine 16. Little Simz - Sometimes I Might Be Introvert 17. Holding Absence - The Greatest Mistake of My Life 18. Rebecca Black - Rebecca Black Was Here 19. Glaswing - Like Water on a Glass Table 20. Knocked Loose - A Tear in the Fabric of Life 21. Kacey Musgraves - Star-Crossed 22. Eidola - The Architect 23. Every Time I Die - Radical 24. Magdalena Bay - Mercurial World 25. Thrice - Horizons/East 26. The Maine - XOXO: From Love and Anxiety in Real Time 27. If I Die First - They Drew Blood 28. Biffy Clyro - The Myth of The Happily Ever After 29. Sturgill Simpson - The Ballad of Dood & Juanita 30. Hail the Sun - New Age Filth
1. The Maine - XOXO: From Love & Anxiety In Real Time 2. John Mayer - Sob Rock 3. Taylor Swift – Red (Taylor's Version) Aly & AJ – a touch of the beat gets you up on your feet gets you out and then into the sun Aries – BELIEVE IN ME, WHO BELIEVES IN YOU Arrows in Action – Be More. Avenue Beat - the debut farewell album Bad Suns - Wishing Fountains Big Red Machine - How Long Do You Think It's Gonna Last? Caroline Kingsbury - Heaven's Just A Flight Chelsea Cutler - When I Close My Eyes COIN - Rainbow Mixtape Coldplay - Music Of The Spheres Cold War Kids - New Age Norms 3 DAISY - S.O.M.E. The Elovaters – Castles Emily Wolfe – Outlier Grayscale – Umbra Jeremy Zucker – CRUSHER JESSIA - How Are You? joe p – Emily Can't Sing John the Ghost - I Only Want to Live Once Justin Bieber – Justice Kacey Musgraves - Star-Crossed The Kid LAROI - F*CK LOVE (SAVAGE) Kings of Leon - When You See Yourself Lake Street Dive – Obviously LANY - gg bb xx Limp Bizkit - STILL SUCKS Maroon 5 – JORDI Mat Kearney - January Flower mike. - the highs. Olivia Rodrigo - SOUR Patrick Droney - State of the Heart PawPaw Rod - A PawPaw Rod EP PinkPantheress - to hell with it Push Baby - Wow, Big Legend Remi Wolf – Juno Roosevelt – Polydans ROSIE - 20mg of Happiness Ryan Hurd – Pelago Sam Fender - Seventeen Going Under Smallpools - LIFE IN A SIMULATION Strawberry Guy - Sun Outside My Window Surfaces – Pacifico Vacation Manor - Vacation Manor Valley – Last Birthday The Wallflowers - Exit Wounds Wallows – Remote Wilderado – Wilderado The Wldlfe - Repaint My Mind, 2021 Yeeba Dawn - Dawn
1. Turnstile - GLOW ON 2. Tyler, the Creator - CALL ME IF YOU GET LOST 3. Between the Buried & Me - Colors II ALSO Deafheaven - Infinite Granite Every Time I Die - Radical Origami Angel - GAMI GANG BROCKHAMPTON - ROADRUNNER: NEW LIGHT, NEW MACHINE Wolf Alice - Blue Weekend King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard - Butterfly 3000 King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard - L.W Japanese Breakfast - Jubilee The War on Drugs - I Don't Live Here Anymore Hayley Williams - FLOWERS for VASES / descansos Injury Reserve - By the Time I Get To Phoenix JPEGMAFIA - LP! Lucy Dacus - Home Video Kanye West - Donda Young Thug - Punk Snail Mail - Valentine Nas - King's Disease II Jeff Rosenstock - SKA DREAM Telethon - Swim Out Past the Breakers Olivia Rodrigo - SOUR Foxing - Draw Down the Moon Manchester Orchestra - The Million Masks of God The Dirty Nil - Fuck Art Bo Burnham - Inside (The Songs) Porter Robinson - Nurture Brand of Sacrafice - Lifeblood The Killers - Pressure Machine IDLES - CRAWLER Clario - Sling Grayscale - Umbra Lil Ugly Mane - volcanic bird enemy and the voiced concern
1. Arlo Parks - Collapsed in Sunbeams 2. Turnstile - Glow On 3. Foxing - Draw Down the Moon Aesop Rock and Blockhead - Garbology The Armed - Ultrapop Ben Howard - Collections from the Whiteout Billie Eilish - Happier Than Ever Black Country, New Road - For the First Time Bo Burnham - Inside Every Time I Die - Radical Julien Baker - Little Oblivions King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard - L.W King Woman - Celestial Blues Little Simz - Sometimes I Might Be Introvert Lucy Dacus - Home Video Mogwai - As the Love Continues Sturgill Simpson - The Ballad of Dood and Juanita Thrice - Horizons/East Tyler, the Creator - Call Me If You Get Lost Vince Staples - Vince Staples Weezer - OK Human
Feel like I already need to change my 2021 list because of the Noah Gundersen situation. Will have to think about this one.
Started working from home in 2021 and listened to more music than ever before, so leaving a bunch of pretty good stuff off of the below list. Sad this is coming to an end, it became a very welcome part of my Monday mornings. 1. Turnstile - Glow On Much digital ink has already been spilled on this very website about how deserving this band is of their success. This album not only got me into the band, but reconnected me with a style of music I largely left behind a few years prior. 2. Bo Burnham - Inside The theater kid energy of this has worn on me a bit and I didn't find the outtakes as brilliant as everyone else, but there's no denying that this is Bo's most cohesive and well-produced statement so far. The production and execution finally matches the ambition! 3. BROCKHAMPTON - ROADRUNNER: NEW LIGHT, NEW MACHINE Hopefully not their last album, this is perhaps the group's most splintered release. But it also has some of their best songs on it. I bought the CD and bumped it all summer long. Honorable Mentions Wolf Alice - Blue Weekend I'm glad "Smile" took off at alt radio, because this album rules. The Night Game - Dog Years First half monster singles with a slightly less-good second half. Foxing - Draw Down the Moon My first Foxing album! I like it a lot. The Dirty Nil - Fuck Art My fav Dirty Nil album because I think the production matches some of the pop ambitions they've always flirted with. Poppy - Flux An interesting pivot for Poppy. Sort of a logical progression, but also sort of a regression? Would love to see what she could do with Trent Reznor. Origami Angel - GAMI GANG A bit overstuffed, but contains some of the catchiest and shreddingest pop punk the new generation has offered so far. Halsey - If I Can't Have Love, I Want Power Easily Halsey's most consistent release. Now do this but with Poppy! No Rome - It's All Smiles This flew under the radar, which is a shame, because it's a really cool and succinct album that pushes into the more ambient pop sounds that it seems like The 1975 is largely done with. CHVRCHES - Screen Violence I've always liked this band, but it wasn't until this release that a full album of theirs got me on board. Olivia Rodrigo - SOUR The hype is real! The back half is a little slow for my tastes, but I'm very excited to hear what she releases next. The Maine - XOXO: From Love & Anxiety In Real Time The Maine pushes further into the pop realm than ever before and largely succeeds. Weezer - Van Weezer I like both Weezer albums released last year, but I prefer this one because it is more fun to listen to. Others Quicksand - Distant Populations Just jams. Descendents - 9th & Walnut Some iffy lyrics and a lack of the current writing team's pop sensibilities, but still a fun curio. Silk Sonic - An Evening With Silk Sonic Just jams. Low - Hey What An incredible album that is just a touch too aurally challenging for me to revisit super often. girl in red - If I Could Make It Go Quiet Sad indie pop jams. Noga Erez - KIDS Half absolute bangers, half songs I couldn't tell you what they sound like. The Offspring - Let the Bad Times Roll Even the worst Offspring album has 5-6 fun tracks. Chevelle - NIRATIAS Chevelle seems to capture my interest every other release and I'm glad this one did. Weezer - OK Human Rivers' most confessional lyrics since Pinkerton maybe? The Killers - Pressure Machine An incredible album from an unexpected band. You, Me & Everyone We Know - Something Heavy Exactly what you'd expect and better for it. Snail Mail - Valentine A level up from the budding singer/songwriter. Disappointments Billie Eilish - Happier Than Ever This album is not bad, but I think it makes a better statement as a whole than any of the songs do on their own. Foo Fighters - Medicine At Midnight I found myself bored by the 70s glam rock direction they took on this album. Hopefully not their last, but I understand if it is. Kacey Musgraves - star-crossed No one has thought about this album since the week it was released. Bleachers - Take the Sadness Out of Saturday Night Half of this album is good songs sorta ruined by strange production and the other half is not good songs. Lorde - Solar Power Boring. Also see Clairo - Sling.
turnstile is gonna run away with it lol. hard to remember a recent album being as universally loved as that one
1. Little Simz - Sometimes I Might Be Introvert 2. Turnstile - GLOW ON 3. Self Esteem - Prioritise Pleasure 4. Biffy Clyro - The Myth of the Happily Ever After 5. Sam Fender - Seventeen Going Under 6. Press To MECO - Transmute 7. The Killers - Pressure Machine 8. Manchester Orchestra - The Million Masks of God 9. Every Time I Die - Radical 10. The Dirty Nil - Fuck Art
1. Wild Pink - A Billion Little Lights 2. Manchester Orchestra - The Million Masks of God 3. Foxing - Draw Down The Moon Origami Angel - GAMI GANG The War on Drugs - I Don’t Live Here Anymore Ratboys - Happy Birthday Ratboy Half Waif - Mythopoetics The World Is - Illusory Walls Adjy - The Idyll Opus (I-VI) Bent Knee - Frosting Low - HEY WHAT CHVRCHES - Screen Violence Cloud Nothings - The Shadow I Remember Harmony Woods - Graceful Rage Super American - SUP Thrice - Horizons / East Snail Mail - Valentine The Joy Formidable - Into The Blue Lucy Dacus - Home Video Lightning Bug - A Color Of the Sky Julien Baker - Little Oblivions Taking Meds - Terrible News from Wonderful Men Joe Vann - Found in the Smoke Hovvdy - True Love EPs Prounoun - OMG I MADE IT mofie - Black Hole Gates - Here and Now Mannequin Pussy - Perfect Thunder Gloss & Secret Crush Hero Worship - Halos Rearrangements GLASWING EPs Luminism - East Coast Emo Valleyheart - Scenery Home Is Where - I Became Birds
1. Lorde: Solar Power 2. The Dirty Nil: Fuck Art 3. Hayley Williams: Flowers For Vases / Descansos 4. Lana Del Rey: Blue Bannisters (prob should be top 3 but I've voted for enough Lana) 5. Lana Del Rey: Chemtrails Over the Country Club 6. Porter Robinson: Nurture 7. Turnstile: Glow On 8. Halsey: If I Can't Have Love, I Want Power 9. Vince Staples: Vince Staples 10. Polo & Pan: Cyclorama Others: Justin Courtney Pierre: An Anthropologist On Mars/Price of Salt/Ghost World - EPs Citizen: Life In Your Glass World Kacey Musgraves: star-crossed San Holo: bb u ok? Mannequin Pussy - Perfect EP Manchester Orchestra: The Million Masks of God Bleachers: Take the Sadness Out of Saturday Night The Maine: XOXO: From Love and Anxiety In Real Time Adult Mom: Driver Billie Eilish: Happier Than Ever Tyler, the Creator: Call Me If You Get Lost Origami Angel: GAMI GANG Jack Ingram, Miranda Lambert & Jon Randall: The Marfa Tapes Laura Jane Grace: At War With the Silverfish Lil Nas X: Montero Lucy Dacus: Home Video The Marias: Cinema
1. John R Miller - Depreciated 2. Yasmin Williams - Urban Driftwood 3. Bonnie Prince Billy & Matt Sweeney - Superwolves 4. Vincent Neil Emerson - S/T 5. Moor Mother - Black Encyclopedia of the Air 6. Scott Hirsch - Windless Days 7. Charlie Parr - Last of the Better Days Ahead 8. Margo Cilker - Pohorylle 9. Natalie Bergman - Mercy 10. Hiss Golden Messenger - Quietly Blowing It 11. Rosali - No Medium 12. Rose City Band - Earth Trip 13. Buffalo Nichols - S/T 14. Modern Nature - Island of Noise 15. Tonstartssbandht - Petunia
1. The Killers - Pressure Machine 2. Kississippi - Mood Ring 3. Patrick Droney - State of the Heart The asterisk: Noah Gundersen - A Pillar of Salt was by far my favorite album of last year, but I have not been able to listen to it since the allegation came out about him. Didn't want to give him any points. The rest of my list: Craig Manning’s Top Albums of 2021
Turnstile - Glow On Fiddlehead - Between The Richness Sungaze - This Dream Mick Jenkins - Elephant In The Room Mini Trees - Always In Motion Orchid Mantis - visitations Deafheaven - Infinite Granite The War On Drugs - I Don't Live Here Anymore cursetheknife - Thank You For Being Here Cruelty - There Is No God Where I Am