Critics List 2021

[mookie]

Not quite a best album list yet, but this is a good one to start with 

Stereogum's list of best new bands of 2021

Definitely some pretty interesting stuff on here I have not checked out yet

[nanatod]

have seen none of stereogum's 40, specifically because none of them were on the riot fest lineup. devil's horns emoji.

[mookie]

Decibel's Top 40 Albums of 2021
40. Rivers of Nihil, The Work, Metal Blade
39. Darkthrone, Eternal Hails……, Peaceville
38. Body Void, Bury Me Beneath This Rotting Earth, Prosthetic
37. Frozen Soul, Crypt of Ice, Century Media
36. Mare Cognitum, Solar Paroxysm, I, Voidhanger
35. Silver Talon, Decadence and Decay, M-Theory
34. Spectral Wound, A Diabolic Thirst, Profound Lore
33. The Ruins of Beverast, The Thule Grimoires, Van
32. Enforced, Kill Grid, Century Media
31. Knoll, Interstice, Self-released
30. Archspire, Bleed the Future, Season of Mist
29. Dungeon Serpent, World of Sorrows, Nameless Grave
28. Exodus, Persona Non Grata, Nuclear Blast
27. Hulder, Godslastering Hymns of a Forlorn Peasantry, Iron Bonehead
26. Craven Idol, Forked Tongues, Dark Descent
25. Deafheaven, Infinite Granite, Sargent House
24. Rudimentary Peni, The Great War, Sealed
23. Stormkeep, Tales of Othertime, Van
22. Genghis Tron, Dream Weapon, Relapse
21. Gatecreeper, An Unexpected Reality, Closed Casket Activities
20. Cannibal Corpse, Violence Unimagined, Metal Blade
19. Worm, Foreverglade, 20 Buck Spin
18. Unto Others, Strength, Roadrunner
17. Full of Hell, Garden of Burning Apparitions, Relapse
16. Cerebral Rot, Excretion of Mortality, 20 Buck Spin
15. Amenra, De doorn, Relapse
14. Lingua Ignota, Sinner Get Ready, Sargent House
13. The Silver, Ward of Roses, Gilead Media
12. Skepticism, Companion, Svart
11. Fucked Up, Year of the Horse, Tankcrimes
10. Wolves in the Throne Room, Primordial Arcana, Relapse
9. Iron Maiden, Senjutsu, BMG
8. Lamp of Murmuur, Submission and Slavery, Self-released
7. Converge, Bloodmoon: I, Epitaph/Deathwish Inc
6. Hooded Menace, The Tritonus Bell, Season of Mist
5. Panopticon, …And Again into the Light, Bindrune
4. Apparition, Feel, Profound Lore
3. Tribulation, Where the Gloom Becomes Sound, Metal Blade
2. Khemmis, Deceiver, Nuclear Blast
1. Carcass, Torn Arteries, Nuclear Blast

[teekoh]

Was surprised that I missed a Khemmis album…only to discover that it isn’t out yet.

[mookie]

Paste's top 50 albums of 2021:
www.pastemagazine.com/music/best-albums/best-albums-of-2021/

[monasterymonochrome]

Nov 29, 2021 9:33:41 GMT -6 mookie said:

Paste's top 50 albums of 2021:
www.pastemagazine.com/music/best-albums/best-albums-of-2021/

Pretty good list!  This year should be interesting since there weren't many critical consensus favorites from year-end list heavy hitters.  Very cool to see people rally around artists like Floating Points / Pharoah Sanders, Turnstile, Weather Station, The Armed, Little Simz, Mdou Moctar, etc.  

[Tweet]

Yeah that list looks fine.

[Tweet]

Uproxx

uproxx.com/music/best-albums-2021-list/

Edit: they're cowards and just alphabetized 50 albums this list would be disqualified in our AOTY voting

[scoots]

Complex's 50 Best Albums of 2021
50. Migos, ‘Culture III’
49. J Balvin, ‘JOSE’
48. Meek Mill, ‘Expensive Pain’
47. Aminé, ‘TwoPointFive’
46. PinkPantheress, ‘To Hell With It’
45. Pi’erre Bourne, ‘The Life of Pi’erre 5’
44. Boldy James & The Alchemist, ‘Bo Jackson’
43. Willow, ‘Lately I Feel Everything’
42. Ransom & Rome Streetz, ‘Coup De Grace’
41. Rod Wave, ‘SoulFly’
40. Ka, ‘A Martyr’s Reward’
39. Slowthai, ‘Tyron’
38. Billie Eilish, ‘Happier Than Ever’
37. Morray, ‘Street Sermons’
36. G Herbo, ’25′
35. Lil Nas X, ‘Montero’
34. Halsey, ‘If I Can’t Have Love, I Want Power’
33. James Blake, ‘Friends That Break Your Heart’
32. Nas, ‘King’s Disease II’
31. Young Thug, ‘Punk’
30. Sleepy Hallow, ‘Still Sleep?’
29. Conway the Machine, ‘La Maquina’
28. Armand Hammer & The Alchemist, ‘Haram’
27. Yebba, ‘Dawn’
26. Polo G, ‘Hall of Fame’
25. Wale, ‘Folarin II’
24. IDK, ‘USee4Yourself’
23. Maxo Kream, ‘Weight of the World’
22. Kacey Musgraves, ‘Star-Crossed’
21. Snoh Aalegra, ‘Temporary Highs in the Violet Skies’
20. Justin Bieber, ‘Justice’
19. Vince Staples, ‘Vince Staples’
18. Westside Gunn, ‘Hitler Wears Hermes 8: Sincerely Adolf’
17. Isaiah Rashad, ‘The House Is Burning’
16. Moneybagg Yo, ‘A Gangsta’s Pain’
15. Olivia Rodrigo, ‘SOUR’
14. Silk Sonic, ‘An Evening With Silk Sonic’
13. Baby Keem, ‘The Melodic Blue’
12. Drake, ‘Certified Lover Boy’
11. Benny the Butcher & Harry Fraud, ‘The Plugs I Met 2’
10. Shelley FKA DRAM, ‘Shelley FKA DRAM’
9. Don Toliver, ‘Life of a Don’
8. Mach-Hommy, ‘Pray For Haiti’
7. Summer Walker, ‘Still Over It’
6. Kanye West, ‘Donda’
5. Jazmine Sullivan, ‘Heaux Tales’
4. Doja Cat, ‘Planet Her’
3. Adele, ’30′
2. J. Cole, ‘The Off-Season’
1. Tyler, the Creator, ‘Call Me If You Get Lost’

[monasterymonochrome]

The Quietus

How many have you listened to this year? I have 18, which feels high for me.

SPOILER: Click to show

1: The Bug – Fire
2: aya – im hole
3: Dean Blunt – Black Metal 2
4: The Weather Station – Ignorance
5: William Doyle – Great Spans Of Muddy Time
6: Loraine James – Reflection
7: Richard Dawson & Circle – Henki
8: Scotch Rolex – Tewari
9: Sleaford Mods – Spare Ribs
10: Gazelle Twin & NYX – Deep England
11: Tanz Mein Herz – Quattro
12: Liars – The Apple Drop
13: Divide And Dissolve – Gas Lit
14: The Armed – ULTRAPOP
15: L'Rain – Fatigue
16: Tomaga – Intimate Immensity
17: Tirzah – Colourgrade
18: Arab Strap – As Days Get Dark
19: Rắn Cạp Đuôi – Ngủ Ngày Ngay Ngày Tận Thế
20: black midi – Cavalcade
21: Natalia Beylis & Eimear Reidy – Whose Woods These Are
22: Eris Drew – Quivering In Time
23: audiobooks – Astro Tough
24: Ben LaMar Gay – Open Arms To Open Us
25: MICROCORPS – XMIT
26: Joy Orbison – still slipping vol. 1
27: Little Simz – Sometimes I Might Be Introvert
28: The Transcendence Orchestra – All Skies Have Sounded
29: HARD FEELINGS – HARD FEELINGS
30: Part Chimp – Drool
31: Rochelle Jordan – Play With The Changes
32: ioulus – oddkin
33: Kìzis – Tidibàbide / Turn
34: Black Country, New Road – For The First Time
35: Space Afrika – Honest Labour
36: Shirley Collins – Crowlink
37: Skee Mask – Pool
38: Shackleton – Departing Like Rivers
39: Grouper – Shade
40: Ed Dowie – The Obvious I
41: Dry Cleaning – New Long Leg
42: ---__--___ ‎– The Heart Pumps Kool-Aid
43: Godspeed You! Black Emperor – G_d's Pee At STATE'S END!
44: Erika de Casier – Sensational
45: Hawthonn – Earth Mirror
46: Rufus Isabel Elliot – A/am/ams (come ashore, turn over)
47: Japanese Breakfast – Jubilee
48: Ruth Goller – Skylla
49: Succumb – XXI
50: Melvins – Working With God
51: Frog Of Earth – Frog Of Earth
52: Oliver Leith – 'Me Hollywood'
53: Andy Stott – Never The Right Time
54: Goodbye World – At Death's Door
55: Slikback – MELT
56: Max Syedtollan / Plus-Minus Ensemble – Four Assignments
57: Time Binding Ensemble – Nothing New Under The Sun
58: William Parker – Mayan Space Station
59: NONEXISTENT – NONEXISTENT
60: Årabrot – Norwegian Gothic
61: Sylvie Courvoisier & Mary Halvorson – Searching For The Disappeared Hour
62: Manic Street Preachers – The Ultra Vivid Lament
63: Claire Rousay – a softer focus
64: Helm – Axis
65: Clairo – Sling
66: Aging ~ Land Trance – Embassy Nocturnes
67: Rien Virgule – La Consolation Des Violettes
68: Jane Weaver – Flock
69: Jeff Parker – Forfolks
70: Vapour Theories – Celestial Scuzz
71: At The Gates – The Nightmare Of Being
72: GNOD – La Mort Du Sens
73: Ursula Sereghy – OK Box
74: Bloody Head – The Temple Pillars Dissolve Into The Clouds
75: Jorja Chalmers – Midnight Train
76: Leather Rats – No Live 'Til Leather '98
77: Koreless – Agor
78: Snapped Ankles – Forest Of Your Problems
79: Hedvig Mollestad – Tempest Revisited
80: Richard Youngs – CXXI
81: Squid – Bright Green Field
82: Mirage – Mirage
83: Laura Cannell & Kate Ellis – May Sounds
84: My Bloody Sex Party – Vol. 2
85: Taqbir – Victory Belongs To Those Who Fight For A Right Cause
86: The Altered Hours – Convertible
87: Perkins & Federwisch – One Dazzling Moment
88: Converge & Chelsea Wolfe – Bloodmoon: I
89: Fluisteraars – Gegrepen Door De Geest Der Zielsontluiking
90: Angharad Davies – gwneud a gwneud eto / Do And Do Again
91: Vanishing Twin – Ookii Gekkou
92: Antonina Nowacka – Vocal Sketches From Oaxaca
93: Turnstile – GLOW ON
94: Mdou Moctar – Afrique Victime
95: Senyawa – Alkisah
96: Ruth Mascelli – A Night At The Baths
97: LoneLady – Former Things
98: Low – HEY WHAT
99: Marco Shuttle – Cobalt Desert Oasis
100: Celestial – I Had Too Much To Dream Last Night

[scoots]

7!

[Tweet]

I’m at 17 as well. Feels cool

[dij22]

Dec 2, 2021 14:36:26 GMT -6 monasterymonochrome said:

The Quietus

How many have you listened to this year? I have 18, which feels high for me.

SPOILER: Click to show

1: The Bug – Fire
2: aya – im hole
3: Dean Blunt – Black Metal 2
4: The Weather Station – Ignorance
5: William Doyle – Great Spans Of Muddy Time
6: Loraine James – Reflection
7: Richard Dawson & Circle – Henki
8: Scotch Rolex – Tewari
9: Sleaford Mods – Spare Ribs
10: Gazelle Twin & NYX – Deep England
11: Tanz Mein Herz – Quattro
12: Liars – The Apple Drop
13: Divide And Dissolve – Gas Lit
14: The Armed – ULTRAPOP
15: L'Rain – Fatigue
16: Tomaga – Intimate Immensity
17: Tirzah – Colourgrade
18: Arab Strap – As Days Get Dark
19: Rắn Cạp Đuôi – Ngủ Ngày Ngay Ngày Tận Thế
20: black midi – Cavalcade
21: Natalia Beylis & Eimear Reidy – Whose Woods These Are
22: Eris Drew – Quivering In Time
23: audiobooks – Astro Tough
24: Ben LaMar Gay – Open Arms To Open Us
25: MICROCORPS – XMIT
26: Joy Orbison – still slipping vol. 1
27: Little Simz – Sometimes I Might Be Introvert
28: The Transcendence Orchestra – All Skies Have Sounded
29: HARD FEELINGS – HARD FEELINGS
30: Part Chimp – Drool
31: Rochelle Jordan – Play With The Changes
32: ioulus – oddkin
33: Kìzis – Tidibàbide / Turn
34: Black Country, New Road – For The First Time
35: Space Afrika – Honest Labour
36: Shirley Collins – Crowlink
37: Skee Mask – Pool
38: Shackleton – Departing Like Rivers
39: Grouper – Shade
40: Ed Dowie – The Obvious I
41: Dry Cleaning – New Long Leg
42: ---__--___ ‎– The Heart Pumps Kool-Aid
43: Godspeed You! Black Emperor – G_d's Pee At STATE'S END!
44: Erika de Casier – Sensational
45: Hawthonn – Earth Mirror
46: Rufus Isabel Elliot – A/am/ams (come ashore, turn over)
47: Japanese Breakfast – Jubilee
48: Ruth Goller – Skylla
49: Succumb – XXI
50: Melvins – Working With God
51: Frog Of Earth – Frog Of Earth
52: Oliver Leith – 'Me Hollywood'
53: Andy Stott – Never The Right Time
54: Goodbye World – At Death's Door
55: Slikback – MELT
56: Max Syedtollan / Plus-Minus Ensemble – Four Assignments
57: Time Binding Ensemble – Nothing New Under The Sun
58: William Parker – Mayan Space Station
59: NONEXISTENT – NONEXISTENT
60: Årabrot – Norwegian Gothic
61: Sylvie Courvoisier & Mary Halvorson – Searching For The Disappeared Hour
62: Manic Street Preachers – The Ultra Vivid Lament
63: Claire Rousay – a softer focus
64: Helm – Axis
65: Clairo – Sling
66: Aging ~ Land Trance – Embassy Nocturnes
67: Rien Virgule – La Consolation Des Violettes
68: Jane Weaver – Flock
69: Jeff Parker – Forfolks
70: Vapour Theories – Celestial Scuzz
71: At The Gates – The Nightmare Of Being
72: GNOD – La Mort Du Sens
73: Ursula Sereghy – OK Box
74: Bloody Head – The Temple Pillars Dissolve Into The Clouds
75: Jorja Chalmers – Midnight Train
76: Leather Rats – No Live 'Til Leather '98
77: Koreless – Agor
78: Snapped Ankles – Forest Of Your Problems
79: Hedvig Mollestad – Tempest Revisited
80: Richard Youngs – CXXI
81: Squid – Bright Green Field
82: Mirage – Mirage
83: Laura Cannell & Kate Ellis – May Sounds
84: My Bloody Sex Party – Vol. 2
85: Taqbir – Victory Belongs To Those Who Fight For A Right Cause
86: The Altered Hours – Convertible
87: Perkins & Federwisch – One Dazzling Moment
88: Converge & Chelsea Wolfe – Bloodmoon: I
89: Fluisteraars – Gegrepen Door De Geest Der Zielsontluiking
90: Angharad Davies – gwneud a gwneud eto / Do And Do Again
91: Vanishing Twin – Ookii Gekkou
92: Antonina Nowacka – Vocal Sketches From Oaxaca
93: Turnstile – GLOW ON
94: Mdou Moctar – Afrique Victime
95: Senyawa – Alkisah
96: Ruth Mascelli – A Night At The Baths
97: LoneLady – Former Things
98: Low – HEY WHAT
99: Marco Shuttle – Cobalt Desert Oasis
100: Celestial – I Had Too Much To Dream Last Night

33. I am king of the nerds.

[scoots]

ROLLING STONE'S TOP 50 ALBUMS OF 2021
50. St. Vincent, 'Daddy's Home'
49. James McMurtry, 'The Horses and the Hounds'
48. Drake, 'Certified Lover Boy'
47. Jhay Cortez, 'Timelezz'
46. Tomorrow X Together, 'The Chaos Chapter: Fight or Escape'
45. Boldy James and the Alchemist, 'Bo Jackson'
44. Iron Maiden, 'Senjutsu'
43. Myke Towers, 'Lyke Mike'
42. Illuminati Hotties, 'Let Me Do One More'
41. Mickey Guyton, 'Remember Her Name'
40. Foo Fighters, 'Medicine at Midnight'
39. Topaz Jones, 'Don’t Go Tellin’ Your Momma'
38. Yola, 'Stand for Myself'
37. Pooh Shiesty, 'Shiesty Season'
36. Little Simz, 'Sometimes I Might Be Introvert'
35. Silk Sonic, 'An Evening With Silk Sonic'
34. Adult Mom, 'Driver'
33. Summer Walker, 'Still Over It'
32. Snail Mail, 'Valentine'
31. Madlib, 'Sound Ancestors'
30. Mustafa, 'When Smoke Rises'
29. Young Thug, ‘Punk’
28. Mabiland, 'Niñxs Rotxs'
27. The Weather Station, 'Ignorance'
26. Mdou Moctar, 'Afrique Victime'
25. Carly Pearce, '29'
24. Dry Cleaning, 'New Long Leg'
23. Cimafunk, 'El Alimento'
22. Dawn Richard, 'Second Line'
21. Doja Cat, 'Planet Her'
20. Leon Bridges, 'Gold-Diggers Sound'
19. Arlo Parks, 'Collapsed in Sunbeams'
18. Halsey, 'If I Can’t Have Love, I Want Power'
17. Tems, 'If Orange Was a Place'
16. Low, 'Hey What'
15. Billie Eilish, 'Happier Than Ever'
14. Polo G, 'Hall of Fame'
13. Morgan Wade, 'Reckless'
12. PinkPantheress, 'To Hell With It'
11. Playboi Carti, 'Whole Lotta Red'
10. Japanese Breakfast, 'Jubilee'
9. C. Tangana, 'El Madrileño'
8. Turnstile, 'Glow On'
7. Jazmine Sullivan, 'Heaux Tales'
6. Lil Nas X, 'Montero'
5. Lucy Dacus, 'Home Video'
4. Tyler, the Creator, 'Call Me If You Get Lost'
3. Rauw Alejandro, 'Vice Versa'
2. Adele, '30'
1. Olivia Rodrigo, 'Sour'

[wanny]

Lol

[mookie]

P4k's best songs of 2021

25. Yves Tumor: “Jackie”
24. PinkPantheress: “Just for Me”
23. Jlin: “Embryo”
22. Baby Keem: “family ties” [ft. Kendrick Lamar]
21. black midi: “John L”
20. SZA: “Good Days”
19. Faye Webster: “I Know I’m Funny haha”
18. Megan Thee Stallion: “Thot Shit”
17. Peggy Gou: “I Go”
16. Tinashe: “Bouncin”
15. Big Thief: “Little Things”
14. WizKid: “Essence” [ft. Tems]
13. Sofia Kourtesis: “La Perla”
12. Sharon Van Etten / Angel Olsen: “Like I Used To”
11. Japanese Breakfast: “Be Sweet”
10. Olivia Rodrigo: “deja vu”
9. Arooj Aftab: “Mohabbat”
8. Snail Mail: “Valentine”
7. Mitski: “Working for the Knife”
6. Tyler, the Creator: “Lumberjack”
5. Lana Del Rey: “White Dress”
4. Jazmine Sullivan: “Pick Up Your Feelings”
3. Low: “Days Like These”
2. Cassandra Jenkins: “Hard Drive”
1. Caroline Polachek: “Bunny Is a Rider”

[dij22]

Good list but they have the #1 song at #50

[Tweet]

www.stereogum.com/2169206/the-50-best-albums-of-2021/lists/year-in-review/2021-in-review/

[goodson]

american tterroristt song of the year imo

[monasterymonochrome]

Dec 6, 2021 9:14:08 GMT -6 Tweet said:

www.stereogum.com/2169206/the-50-best-albums-of-2021/lists/year-in-review/2021-in-review/

Pretty cool list!  Loved the inclusion of Home Is Where especially

[monasterymonochrome]

Dec 6, 2021 9:15:14 GMT -6 goodson said:

american tterroristt song of the year imo

2 minutes into this and I think I agree

[monasterymonochrome]

Dec 6, 2021 9:24:22 GMT -6 monasterymonochrome said:

Dec 6, 2021 9:15:14 GMT -6 goodson said:

american tterroristt song of the year imo

2 minutes into this and I think I agree

4 minutes into this and I absolutely agree

[clouddead]

Released in 2020 but it’s the best song of every year.

[monasterymonochrome]

Dec 6, 2021 9:37:21 GMT -6 clouddead said:

Released in 2020 but it’s the best song of every year.

December 22nd tho!  According to our new benevolent ruler Tweet it counts!

[goodson]

Dec 6, 2021 9:27:09 GMT -6 monasterymonochrome said:

Dec 6, 2021 9:24:22 GMT -6 monasterymonochrome said:

2 minutes into this and I think I agree

4 minutes into this and I absolutely agree

glad i have gotten another person rx pilled

[Tweet]

Dec 6, 2021 9:44:17 GMT -6 monasterymonochrome said:

Dec 6, 2021 9:37:21 GMT -6 clouddead said:

Released in 2020 but it’s the best song of every year.

December 22nd tho!  According to our new benevolent ruler Tweet it counts!

If it's good enough for the blogs it's good enough for theboarddot

[mookie]

P4k's top 50 albums of the year

[Tweet]

I'm gonna go ahead and call that list butt.

[monasterymonochrome]

Need to revisit that L'Rain album - think I only gave it one listen the first time around. Wish they had the guts to give an 81-year old the AOTY.

Honestly, I wish I liked some of these big albums as much as every critic / y'all seem to. Something about the Weather Station, Dry Cleaning, and Turnstile albums just didn't connect with me. Oh well.

[dij22]

I think this list accurately reflects that this was one of the weakest years of new music in a long time. I feel like everything would be downgraded 10-20 spots in a normal year.