The Best Albums of 2021
It's time for one of the most anticipated shows of the year, the Best Albums of 2021! Hosts Jim DeRogatis and Greg Kot share their favorite records of the year that they keep returning to again and again. They also hear favorite albums by the production staff.
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Best Albums of 2021
Greg
- Goat Girl, On All Fours
- IDLES, Crawler
- Little Simz, Sometimes I Might be Introvert
- Tony Allen, There is No End
- Dry Cleaning, New Long Leg
- Robert Finley, Sharecropper’s Son
- UV-TV, Always Something
- Tamar Aphek, All Bets are Off
- Amythyst Kiah, Wary + Strange
- Eleventh Dream Day, Since Grazed
- Tune-Yards, sketchy
- Low, Hey What
- Armand Hammer/The Alchemist, Haram
- Adia Victoria, A Southern Gothic
- Robert Plant & Alison Krauss, Raise the Roof
- Makaya McCraven, Deciphering the Message
- Dawn Richard, Second Line
- Damon Locks and Black Monument Ensemble, Now
- Yola, Stand for Myself
- Ka, A Martyr’s Reward
JIM
- Amyl and the Sniffers, Comfort to Me
- Dry Cleaning, New Long Leg
- Viagra Boys, Welfare Jazz
- Tamar Aphek, All Bets Are Off
- La Femme, Paradigmes
- IDLES, Crawler
- Goat Girl, On All Fours
- Polo & Pan, Cyclorama
- Shame, Drunk Tank Pink
- Courtney Barnett, Things Take Time, Take Time
- Adia Victoria, A Southern Gothic
- Naked Raygun, Over the Overlords
- Alison Krauss and Robert Plant, Raise the Roof
- Tony Allen, There Is No End
- Bachelor, Doomin’ Sun
- Art d’Ecco, In Standard Definition
- Ray BLK, Access Denied
- Lucy Dacus, Home Video
- Tune-Yards, Sketchy
- Sault, Nine
Production Staff Picks
- Alex: Taylor Swift, Red (Taylor’s Version)
- Mary: Remi Wolf, Juno
- Andrew: Lucy Dacus, Home Video
- Sol: Boston Manor, Desperate Times Desperate Pleasures
Featured Songs:
- Amyl and the Sniffers, "Hertz," Comfort to Me, B2B, 2021
- Naked Raygun, "Living in the Good Times," Over the Overlords, Wax Trax!, 2021
- Amythyst Kiah, "Black Myself," Wary + Strange, Rounder, 2021
- Shame, "Nigel Hitter," Drunk Tank Pink, Dead Oceans, 2021
- UV-TV, "Distant Lullaby," Always Something, PaperCup Music, 2021
- Taylor Swift, "All Too Well (10 Minute Version) (Taylor's Version) (From the Vault)," Red (Taylor's Version), Republic, 2021
- Remi Wolf, "Guerrilla," Juno, Island, 2021
- La Femme, "Paradigme," Paradigmes, Disque Pointu/Idol, 2021
- Robert Finley, "Souled Out On You," Sharecropper's Son, Easy Eye Sound, 2021
- Tamar Aphek, "Russian Winter," All Bets Are Off, Kill Rock Stars, 2021
- Tony Allen, "Mau Mau (feat. Nah Eeto)," There Is No End, Decca, 2021
- Boston Manor, "Carbon Mono," Desperate Times Desperate Pleasures, SharpTone, 2021
- Lucy Dacus, "Going, Going, Gone," Home Video, Matador, 2021
- Viagra Boys, "Ain't Nice," Welfare Jazz, YEAR0001, 2021
- Little Simz, "Speed," Sometimes I Might Be Introvert, Age 101, 2021
- Dry Cleaning, "Unsmart Lady," New Long Leg, 4AD, 2021
- IDLES, "The Wheel," Crawler, Partisan, 2021
- Amyl and the Sniffers, "Choices," Comfort to Me, B2B, 2021
- Goat Girl, "Sad Cowboy," On All Fours, Rough Trade, 2021
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