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NME
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Highest Rated Albums of 2021
Decade
2020s
All Time
2020s
2010s
2000s
1990s
Source
NME
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
Metal Sucks
Mojo
musicOMH
NME
No Ripcord
Northern Transmissions
Paste
Pitchfork
PopMatters
Q Magazine
Record Collector
RIOT
Rolling Stone
Slant Magazine
Spectrum Culture
Spill Magazine
Sputnikmusic
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
Genre
All
All
Alternative R&B
Alternative Rock
Art Pop
Contemporary Folk
Contemporary R&B
Dance
Dance Pop
Electronic
Electropop
Folk
Hip Hop
Indie Pop
Indie Rock
K-Pop
Pop
Pop Rap
Pop Rock
R&B
Rock
Singer-Songwriter
Soul
Synthpop
Trap
2020s
2020
2021
2022
2023
This is an ordered list of NME's highest rated albums of 2021. Check out
NME's Year End List
.
1
.
TWICE - Formula of Love: O+T=<3
November 12, 2021
K-Pop
,
Dance Pop
Score
100
Source →
Amazon
iTunes
Music
Spotify
2
.
Silk Sonic - An Evening with Silk Sonic
November 12, 2021
Smooth Soul
,
R&B
,
Soul
,
Funk
Score
100
Source →
Amazon
iTunes
Music
Spotify
3
.
Summer Walker - STILL OVER IT
November 5, 2021
Contemporary R&B
,
R&B
Score
100
Source →
Amazon
iTunes
Music
Spotify
4
.
Nation of Language - A Way Forward
November 5, 2021
Synthpop
Score
100
Source →
Amazon
iTunes
Music
Spotify
5
.
Snail Mail - Valentine
November 5, 2021
Indie Rock
,
Indie Pop
Score
100
Source →
Amazon
iTunes
Music
Spotify
6
.
The War on Drugs - I Don't Live Here Anymore
October 29, 2021
Heartland Rock
Score
100
Source →
Amazon
iTunes
Music
Spotify
7
.
LeeHi - 4 ONLY
September 9, 2021
Contemporary R&B
Score
100
Source →
Amazon
Spotify
8
.
Young Thug - Punk
October 15, 2021
Trap
,
Southern Hip Hop
,
Pop Rap
Score
100
Source →
Amazon
iTunes
Music
Spotify
9
.
PinkPantheress - to hell with it
October 15, 2021
Atmospheric Drum and Bass
,
Alternative R&B
,
R&B
,
Alt-Pop
Score
100
Source →
Amazon
iTunes
Music
Spotify
10
.
James Blake - Friends That Break Your Heart
October 8, 2021
Alternative R&B
,
Ambient Pop
Score
100
Source →
Amazon
iTunes
Music
Spotify
11
.
Key - BAD LOVE
September 27, 2021
Dance Pop
,
K-Pop
Score
100
Source →
Amazon
iTunes
Music
Spotify
12
.
Nao - And Then Life Was Beautiful
September 24, 2021
Neo-Soul
,
Afrobeats
,
Contemporary R&B
,
Alternative R&B
,
R&B
Score
100
Source →
Amazon
iTunes
Music
Spotify
13
.
Ray BLK - Access Denied
October 1, 2021
Pop Rap
,
Contemporary R&B
Score
100
Source →
Amazon
iTunes
Music
Spotify
14
.
STAYC - STEREOTYPE
September 6, 2021
K-Pop
,
Dance Pop
,
Contemporary R&B
Score
100
Source →
Amazon
iTunes
Music
Spotify
15
.
Little Simz - Sometimes I Might Be Introvert
September 3, 2021
UK Hip Hop
,
Conscious Hip Hop
,
Neo-Soul
,
Jazz Rap
Score
100
Source →
Amazon
iTunes
Music
Spotify
16
.
Turnstile - GLOW ON
August 27, 2021
Post-Hardcore
,
Hardcore Punk
,
Alternative Rock
Score
100
Source →
Amazon
iTunes
Music
Spotify
17
.
AKMU - NEXT EPISODE
July 26, 2021
K-Pop
,
Indie Pop
,
R&B
Score
100
Source →
Amazon
18
.
Lorde - Solar Power
August 20, 2021
Folk Pop
,
Singer-Songwriter
,
Indie Folk
,
Indie Pop
Score
100
Source →
Amazon
iTunes
Music
Spotify
19
.
glaive - all dogs go to heaven
August 6, 2021
Hyperpop
,
Emo-Pop
Score
100
Source →
Amazon
iTunes
Music
Spotify
20
.
Nas - King’s Disease II
August 6, 2021
East Coast Hip Hop
,
Jazz Rap
,
Conscious Hip Hop
,
Hip Hop
Score
100
Source →
Amazon
iTunes
Music
Spotify
21
.
Billie Eilish - Happier Than Ever
July 30, 2021
Ambient Pop
,
Alternative R&B
,
Art Pop
,
Alt-Pop
,
Electropop
Score
100
Source →
Amazon
iTunes
Music
Spotify
22
.
Dave - We're All Alone In This Together
July 23, 2021
UK Hip Hop
,
Conscious Hip Hop
Score
100
Source →
Amazon
iTunes
Music
Spotify
23
.
David Crosby - For Free
July 23, 2021
Singer-Songwriter
,
Folk Pop
Score
100
Source →
Amazon
iTunes
Music
Spotify
24
.
Clairo - Sling
July 16, 2021
Singer-Songwriter
,
Folk
,
Indie Folk
,
Contemporary Folk
Score
100
Source →
Amazon
iTunes
Music
Spotify
25
.
Modest Mouse - The Golden Casket
June 25, 2021
Indie Rock
Score
100
Source →
Amazon
iTunes
Music
Spotify
1
2
3
4
...
18
NOTE:
This is not a year end list. This list is ordered by the ratings NME awarded albums throughout 2021.
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