Year-End Lists

Exclaim: 50 Best Albums of 2021

[see also 2025 • 2024 • 2023 • 2022 • 2020 • 2011]

1. Little Simz
   Sometimes I Might Be Introvert
2. The Weather Station
   Ignorance
3. Backxwash
   I Lie Here Buried with My Rings and My Dresses
4. Tyler, The Creator
   Call Me If You Get Lost
5. Cadence Weapon
   Parallel World
6. Mustafa
   When Smoke Rises
7. Floating Points / Pharoah Sanders / London Symphony Orchestra
   Promises
8. Snail Mail
   Valentine
9. Olivia Rodrigo
   Sour
10. Spiritbox
    Eternal Blue
11. Leanne Betasamosake Simpson
    Theory Of Ice
12. Cassandra Jenkins
    An Overview on Phenomenal Nature
13. Julien Baker
    Little Oblivions
14. The War on Drugs
    I Don’t Live Here Anymore
15. Mdou Moctar
    Afrique Victime
16. DijahSB
    Head Above the Waters
17. Turnstile
    Glow On
18. Low
    Hey What
19. BADBADNOTGOOD
    Talk Memory
20. Japanese Breakfast
    Jubilee
21. The Spirit Of The Beehive
    Entertainment, Death
22. Squid
    Bright Green Field
23. Charlotte Day Wilson
    Alpha
24. Dorothea Paas
    Anything Can't Happen
25. Mach-Hommy
    Pray For Haiti
26. Black Midi
    Cavalcade
27. Lucy Dacus
    Home Video
28. Vince Staples
    Vince Staples
29. Lorde
    Solar Power
30. Brand of Sacrifice
    Lifeblood
31. Lana Del Rey
    Blue Banisters
32. Lingua Ignota
    Sinner Get Ready
33. Le Ren
    Leftovers
34. Emanuel
    Alt Therapy
35. Men I Trust
    Untourable Album
36. Arooj Aftab
    Vulture Prince
37. Snotty Nose Rez Kids
    Life After
38. Faye Webster
    I Know I'm Funny Haha
39. Nas
    King's Disease II
40. Big Brave
    Vital
41. The Zolas
    Come Back to Life
42. The Armed
    Ultrapop
43. Thierry Larose
    Cantalou
44. Shad
    TAO
45. Yu Su
    Yellow River Blue
46. illuminati hotties
    Let Me Do One More
47. Ducks Ltd.
    Modern Fiction
48. PinkPantheress
    To Hell with It
49. Dry Cleaning
    New Long Leg
50. Rochelle Jordan
    Play With the Changes