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Highest Rated Albums of 2021
Decade
2020s
All Time
2020s
2010s
2000s
Source
Paste
All
A.V. Club
Albumism
AllMusic
American Songwriter
Angry Metal Guy
Beats Per Minute
Blabbermouth.net
Clash
Classic Rock
Consequence of Sound
Crack Magazine
Distorted Sound
DIY
Dork
Earmilk
Entertainment Weekly
Evening Standard
Exclaim!
FLOOD Magazine
GIGsoup
Gigwise
God Is in the TV
HipHopDX
Kerrang!
Loud and Quiet
Louder Than War
Metal Hammer
Metal Injection
MetalSucks
Mojo
musicOMH
NME
No Ripcord
Northern Transmissions
Paste
Pitchfork
PopMatters
Q Magazine
Record Collector
RIOT
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone UK
Slant Magazine
Spectrum Culture
Spill Magazine
Sputnikmusic
Still Listening
The Arts Desk
The Forty-Five
The Guardian
The Independent
The Irish Times
The Line of Best Fit
The Needle Drop
The Observer
The Skinny
The Sydney Morning Herald
The Telegraph
The Young Folks
Uncut
Under the Radar
Upset
XS Noize
Genre
All
All
Alternative Rock
Americana
Art Pop
Art Punk
Contemporary Folk
Country
Electronic
Experimental Rock
Folk
Hip Hop
Indie Folk
Indie Pop
Indie Rock
Neo-Psychedelia
Pop
Pop Rock
Post-Punk
Psychedelia
Punk
R&B
Rock
Singer-Songwriter
Soul
2020s
2020
2021
2022
2023
2024
This is an ordered list of Paste's highest rated albums of 2021. Check out
Paste's Year End List
.
1
.
Julien Baker - Little Oblivions
February 26, 2021
Indie Rock
,
Singer-Songwriter
,
Indie Folk
,
Indie Pop
Score
92
Source →
Amazon
Music
Spotify
2
.
Failure - Wild Type Droid
December 3, 2021
Space Rock
,
Alternative Rock
Score
90
Source →
Amazon
Music
Spotify
3
.
Mdou Moctar - Afrique Victime
May 21, 2021
Psychedelic Rock
,
Tishoumaren
,
Blues Rock
Score
90
Source →
Amazon
Music
Spotify
4
.
Floating Points, Pharoah Sanders & The London Symphony Orchestra - Promises
March 26, 2021
Post-Minimalism
,
Third Stream
Score
90
Source →
Amazon
Music
Spotify
5
.
Nick Cave & Warren Ellis - CARNAGE
February 25, 2021
Art Pop
,
Chamber Pop
Score
90
Source →
Amazon
Music
Spotify
6
.
The War on Drugs - I Don't Live Here Anymore
October 29, 2021
Heartland Rock
Score
89
Source →
Amazon
Music
Spotify
7
.
Lingua Ignota - SINNER GET READY
August 6, 2021
Neoclassical Darkwave
,
Avant-Folk
Score
88
Source →
Amazon
Music
Spotify
8
.
IDLES - CRAWLER
November 12, 2021
Post-Punk
,
Art Punk
Score
88
Source →
Amazon
Music
Spotify
9
.
L'Rain - Fatigue
June 25, 2021
Neo-Psychedelia
,
Neo-Soul
,
Psychedelic Soul
Score
87
Source →
Amazon
Music
Spotify
10
.
Deafheaven - Infinite Granite
August 20, 2021
Shoegaze
,
Dream Pop
,
Post-Rock
Score
87
Source →
Amazon
Music
Spotify
11
.
Yola - Stand for Myself
July 30, 2021
Country Soul
,
Pop Soul
,
Psychedelic Soul
Score
87
Source →
Amazon
Music
Spotify
12
.
Tyler, The Creator - CALL ME IF YOU GET LOST
June 25, 2021
West Coast Hip Hop
,
Hip Hop
,
Jazz Rap
,
Hardcore Hip Hop
,
Neo-Soul
Score
87
Source →
Amazon
Music
Spotify
13
.
Pom Pom Squad - Death of a Cheerleader
June 25, 2021
Indie Rock
,
Dream Pop
,
Pop Rock
Score
87
Source →
Amazon
Music
Spotify
14
.
The Weather Station - Ignorance
February 5, 2021
Art Pop
,
Sophisti-Pop
,
Chamber Pop
Score
87
Source →
Amazon
Music
Spotify
15
.
Low - HEY WHAT
September 10, 2021
Experimental Rock
,
Post-Industrial
,
Ambient Pop
,
Glitch Pop
Score
86
Source →
Amazon
Music
Spotify
16
.
Indigo De Souza - Any Shape You Take
August 27, 2021
Indie Rock
,
Bedroom Pop
,
Slacker Rock
Score
86
Source →
Amazon
Music
Spotify
17
.
The Armed - Ultrapop
April 16, 2021
Noise Rock
,
Post-Hardcore
Score
86
Source →
Amazon
Music
Spotify
18
.
Le Ren - Leftovers
October 15, 2021
Folk
,
Indie Folk
Score
85
Source →
Amazon
Music
Spotify
19
.
illuminati hotties - Let Me Do One More
October 1, 2021
Indie Rock
,
Indie Pop
,
Art Punk
,
Garage Punk
Score
85
Source →
Amazon
Music
Spotify
20
.
The Body & BIG|BRAVE - Leaving None But Small Birds
October 1, 2021
Psychedelic Folk
,
Psychedelic Rock
,
Free Folk
Score
85
Source →
Amazon
Music
Spotify
21
.
Foxing - Draw Down the Moon
August 6, 2021
Indie Rock
,
Art Rock
,
Indie Pop
,
Emo-Pop
,
Pop Rock
,
Alternative Rock
Score
85
Source →
Amazon
Music
Spotify
22
.
Rodrigo Amarante - Drama
July 16, 2021
Singer-Songwriter
,
Samba
,
Cool Jazz
,
MPB
,
Chamber Pop
Score
84
Source →
Amazon
Music
Spotify
23
.
Parquet Courts - Sympathy for Life
October 22, 2021
Post-Punk
,
Art Punk
,
Indie Rock
,
Dance-Punk
Score
84
Source →
Amazon
Music
Spotify
24
.
Hovvdy - True Love
October 1, 2021
Indie Pop
Score
84
Source →
Amazon
Music
Spotify
25
.
Turnstile - GLOW ON
August 27, 2021
Post-Hardcore
,
Hardcore Punk
,
Alternative Rock
Score
84
Source →
Amazon
Music
Spotify
1
2
3
4
...
7
NOTE:
This is not a year end list. This list is ordered by the ratings Paste awarded albums throughout 2021.
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