Year-End Lists

A hand-curated, browsable index of notable year-end lists. Follow the link for each list to see essential commentary from its author, at the source.

2021

Treble: The 50 Best Albums of 2021

06 December 2021

Hey What - Low

Treble: The 50 Best Albums of 2021

[see also 2023202220202019201820122011]

Stereogum: The 50 Best Albums Of 2021

06 December 2021

I Don’t Live Here Anymore - The War on Drugs

Stereogum: The 50 Best Albums Of 2021

[see also 2023202220202010s201920182017201620152014201320122011]

Time: The 10 Best Albums of 2021

04 December 2021

Promises - Floating Points / Pharoah Sanders / London Symphony Orchestra

Time Magazine: The 10 Best Albums of 2021, compiled by Andrew R. Chow and Cady Lang

[see also 202220202010s20192015]

Rolling Stone: 50 Best Albums of 2021

03 December 2021

Sour - Olivia Rodrigo

Rolling Stone: 50 Best Albums of 2021

[see also 2023202220202010s201920182017201620152014201320122011]

Uproxx: Steven Hyden: Favorite Albums of 2021

02 December 2021

I Don’t Live Here Anymore - The War on Drugs

Steven Hyden: Favorite Albums of 2021, as published by Uproxx

[see also 2023202220202019]

New York Times: Lindsay Zoladz: Best Albums of 2021

02 December 2021

30 - Adele

Lindsay Zoladz: Best Albums of 2021, as published by The New York Times

[see also 202320222020]

Some runners-up worth mentioning

New York Times: Jon Caramanica: Best Albums of 2021

02 December 2021

When Smoke Rises - Mustafa

Jon Caramanica: Best Albums of 2021, as published by The New York Times

[see also 2023202220202019201820172011]

And 20 more albums for a more well-rounded year

New York Times: Jon Pareles: Best Albums of 2021

02 December 2021

Deja - Bomba Estéreo

Jon Pareles: Best Albums of 2021, as published by The New York Times

[see also 2023202220202019201820172011]

Another 15 deserving albums, alphabetically

Gorilla vs. Bear: Albums of 2021

01 December 2021

Mercurial World - Magdalena Bay

Gorilla vs. Bear: Albums of 2021

[see also 2023202220202010s201920182017201620152014201320122011]

  1. various artists

NPR Music: 50 Best Albums of 2021

01 December 2021

Heaux Tales - Jazmine Sullivan

NPR Music: 50 Best Albums of 2021

[see also 20232022202020192018201720162015201420122011]


This list summarizes other lists, including these: