Year-End Lists

Thrillist: The Best Books of 2021

[see also 2020]

• A Swim in a Pond in the Rain

  In Which Four Russians Give a Master Class on Writing, Reading, and Life
  George Saunders
• Black Buck
  Mateo Askaripour
• Crying in H Mart
  Michelle Zauner
• Detransition, Baby
  Torrey Peters
• Great Circle
  Maggie Shipstead
• Heaven
  Mieko Kawakami
• Klara and the Sun
  Kazuo Ishiguro
• The Last Graduate
  Naomi Novik
• The Life of the Mind
  Christine Smallwood
• A Little Devil in America

  Notes in Praise of Black Performance
  Hanif Abdurraqib
• Lurkers
  Sandi Tan
• Milk Fed
  Melissa Broder
• Mona
  Pola Oloixarac
• Nightbitch
  Rachel Yoder
• No One Is Talking About This
  Patricia Lockwood
• Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
  Quentin Tarantino
• Peaces
  Helen Oyeyemi
• The Plot
  Jean Hanff Korelitz
• Second Place
  Rachel Cusk
• Something New Under the Sun
  Alexandra Kleeman
• The Twilight Zone
  Nona Fernández
• Yours Cruelly, Elvira

  Memoirs of the Mistress of the Dark
  Cassandra Peterson

Jessica Ferri: The 5 Best Books of 2021, as published by The Los Angeles Times

[see also 2022]

• No One Is Talking About This
  Patricia Lockwood
• Three-Martini Afternoons at the Ritz

  The Rebellion of Sylvia Plath & Anne Sexton
  Gail Crowther
• Harrow
  Joy Williams
• On Freedom

  Four Songs of Care and Constraint
  Maggie Nelson
• Intimacies
  Katie Kitamura

Mikael Wood: The 10 Best Albums of 2021, as published by The Los Angeles Times

[see also 2023 • 2022]

1. Heaux Tales
   Jazmine Sullivan
2. Sour
   Olivia Rodrigo
3. Changephobia
   Rostam
4. Montero
   Lil Nas X
5. Chemtrails over the Country Club
   Lana Del Rey
6. Call Me If You Get Lost
   Tyler, The Creator
7. 30
   Adele
8. Planet Her
   Doja Cat
9. The Marfa Tapes
   Jack Ingram, Miranda Lambert, Jon Randall
10. Vince Staples
    Vince Staples

Plus 10 more not to be missed

• Certified Lover Boy
  Drake
• Home Video
  Lucy Dacus
• Inside (The Songs)
  Bo Burnham
• fishmonger
  underscores
• Happier Than Ever
  Billie Eilish
• Still Over It
  Summer Walker
• Roadrunner: New Light, New Machine
  BROCKHAMPTON
• Blood Bunny
  Chloe Moriondo
• Sob Rock
  John Mayer
• I Know I'm Funny haha
  Faye Webster

Robert Lloyd: The 13 Best TV Shows of 2021, as published by The Los Angeles Times, including only programs that debuted in the past year

[see also 2023 • 2022 • 2020 • 2019 • 2018]

• Reservation Dogs
• Only Murders in the Building
• Maya and the Three
• Kid Cosmic
• 100 Foot Wave
• Naomi Osaka
• The White Lotus
• Hacks
• Big Shot
• The Upshaws
• Station Eleven
• Painting with John
• The Beatles: Get Back

Bob Boilen: Top 10 Albums of 2021, as posted by NPR

[see also 2023 • 2022 • 2019 • 2018 • 2017 • 2011]

1. Home Video
   Lucy Dacus
2. Doomin' Sun
   Bachelor
3. Take The Corners Gently
   Steady Holiday
4. Sour
   Olivia Rodrigo
5. Vulture Prince
   Arooj Aftab
6. You And Me And Everything
   Tōth
7. A Beginner's Mind
   Sufjan Stevens and Angelo De Augustine
8. An Overview on Phenomenal Nature
   Cassandra Jenkins
9. Obsidian
   Jónsi
10. one hand on the steering wheel the other sewing a garden
    Ada Lea

This list contributes to:

• NPR Music: 50 Best Albums of 2021

Chloe Lizotte: Best Movies of 2021, as published by Screen Slate along with a list of best first viewings

[see also 2022]

1. Drive My Car
   Ryûsuke Hamaguchi
1. Wheel of Fortune and Fantasy
   Ryûsuke Hamaguchi
2. Bad Luck Banging or Loony Porn
   Radu Jude
3. The Souvenir Part II
   Joanna Hogg
4. Annette
   Leos Carax
5. Memoria
   Apichatpong Weerasethakul
6. France
   Bruno Dumont
7. El Planeta
   Amalia Ulman
8. Slow Machine
   Joe DeNardo and Paul Felten
9. małni—towards the ocean, towards the shore
   Sky Hopinka
10. Bolt Driver
    Nick Corirossi and Van Alpert

This list contributes to:

• Screen Slate: Best Movies of 2021

Mick LaSalle: Top 10 Movies of 2021, as published by The San Francisco Chronicle

[see also 2018]

1. West Side Story
   Steven Spielberg
2. House of Gucci
   Ridley Scott
3. Belfast
   Kenneth Branagh
4. Don't Look Up
   Adam McKay
5. Stillwater
   Tom McCarthy
6. Benedetta
   Paul Verhoeven
7. Licorice Pizza
   Paul Thomas Anderson
8. The Last Duel
   Ridley Scott
9. No Time to Die
   Cary Joji Fukunaga
10. F9: The Fast Saga
    Justin Lin

Beats Per Minute: Top 50 Albums of 2021

[see also 2023 • 2022 • 2020 • 2012]

1. Hey What
   Low
2. Cavalcade
   black midi
3. Sinner Get Ready
   Lingua Ignota
4. Promises
   Floating Points / Pharoah Sanders / London Symphony Orchestra
5. Jade
   Pan Daijing
6. For the First Time
   Black Country, New Road
7. Entertainment, Death
   The Spirit Of The Beehive
8. Haram
   Armand Hammer & The Alchemist
9. Prioritise Pleasure
   Self Esteem
10. Call Me If You Get Lost
    Tyler, The Creator
11. A Martyr’s Reward
    Ka
12. -io
    Circuit Des Yeux
13. New Long Leg
    Dry Cleaning
14. Far In
    Helado Negro
15. An Overview on Phenomenal Nature
    Cassandra Jenkins
16. Deacon
    serpentwithfeet
17. We Are Always Alone
    portrayal of guilt
17. CHRISTFUCKER
    portrayal of guilt
18. GUMBO'!
    Pink Siifu
19. Waking the Dreaming Body
    Karima Walker
20. Celestial Blues
    King Woman
21. Bright Green Field
    Squid
22. Candy Racer
    Kyary Pamyu Pamyu
23. I Lie Here Buried with My Rings and My Dresses
    Backxwash
24. Vince Staples
    Vince Staples
25. Jubilee
    Japanese Breakfast
26. Menneskekollektivet
    Lost Girls
27. Public Storage
    Hana Vu
28. Seek Shelter
    Iceage
29. Carnage
    Nick Cave & Warren Ellis
30. The Turning Wheel
    Spellling
31. Reflection
    Loraine James
32. Valentine
    Snail Mail
33. Man Made
    Greentea Peng
34. a softer focus
    claire rousay
35. A Common Turn
    Anna B Savage
36. Second Line
    Dawn Richard
37. Mother
    Cleo Sol
38. Vulture Prince
    Arooj Aftab
39. By the Time I Get to Phoenix
    Injury Reserve
40. Orca
    NTsKi
41. Infinite Granite
    Deafheaven
42. I Don’t Live Here Anymore
    The War on Drugs
43. Any Shape You Take
    Indigo De Souza
44. Monsters
    Sophia Kennedy
45. Navy’s Reprise
    Navy Blue
46. Portas
    Marisa Monte
47. Gas Lit
    Divide and Dissolve
48. Formula of Love: O+T=<3
    Twice
49. Black Encyclopedia of the Air
    Moor Mother
50. Shade
    Grouper

Ann Powers: Top 10 Albums of 2021, as posted by NPR

[see also 2022 • 2020 • 2019 • 2017 • 2016 • 2011]

1. The Moon And Stars: Prescriptions For Dreamers
   Valerie June
2. Meu Coco
   Caetano Veloso
3. You, Yeah, You
   Tré Burt
4. Y'all Don't Really Care About Black Women
   Melanie Charles
5. Skin
   Joy Crookes
6. Glasshouse Children
   Sam Williams
7. For My Mama and Anyone Who Look Like Her
   McKinley Dixon
8. Long Time Coming
   Sierra Ferrell
9. Creation Never Sleeps, Creation Never Dies: The Willie Dunn Anthology
   Willie Dunn
10. They're Calling Me Home
    Rhiannon Giddens with Francesco Turrisi

This list contributes to:

• NPR Music: 50 Best Albums of 2021

Florence Almozini: Best Films of 2021, as submitted to the Film Comment Poll

[see also 2022 • 2017]

1. Drive My Car
   Ryûsuke Hamaguchi
2. The Power of the Dog
   Jane Campion
3. The Souvenir Part II
   Joanna Hogg
4. Benedetta
   Paul Verhoeven
5. Bergman Island
   Mia Hansen-Løve
6. Wheel of Fortune and Fantasy
   Ryûsuke Hamaguchi
7. What Do We See When We Look at the Sky?
   Aleksandre Koberidze
8. Memoria
   Apichatpong Weerasethakul
9. Annette
   Leos Carax
10. Undine
    Christian Petzold

This list contributes to:

• Film Comment Poll: Best Films of 2021