Songs of 2021

Presenting: The Best Songs of 2021 featuring Japanese Breakfast, Turnstile, Yves Tumor, Arooj Aftab, Wet Leg, Tirzah, and more!

"It's not the summer we wanted / it's the summer that we deserve" howled Carrie Brownstein on Sleater-Kinney's latest, the duo acting like prophets to how the year would shape out. When everything felt uncertain, music once again became a reliable constant. However just like everything else, 2021 was an unpredictable for music as it was for every other aspect of life. For the first time in recent memory, there was no Song of the Summer and no big name artist delivered a banger to define the year. While the return of Adele was undeniable, it was Olivia Rodrigo who stormed the Pop charts pushing others like Billie Eilish and Lorde to the way side. Even with a curve ball thrown at every possible opportunity, it was still a dynamic year full of hits with The War on Drugs, Sharon Van Etten, and Angel Olsen delivering their strongest work yet, veterans like Dinosaur Jr. and Low asserting their legacies, and new trailblazers like Cassandra Jenkins, Magdelena Bay, and Mdou Moctar putting their names on the map as the leaders of a new generation.

100  THE BESNARD LAKES | "New Revolution"

099  COLD CAVE | "Night Light"
098  SHEER MAG | "Crushed Velvet"
097  RICO NASTY | "Magic"
096  HEALTH / NINE INCH NAILS | "Isn't Everyone"

095  DUA SALEH | "fitt" (ft Amaarae)

094  KIWI JR. | "Cooler Returns"

093  THE ALCHEMIST | "Nobles" (ft Earl Sweatshirt & Navy Blue)
092  AEON STATION | "Queens"

091  박혜진 PARK HYE JIN | "Whatchu Doin Later"

090  UNKNOWN MORTAL ORCHESTRA | "Weekend Run"

089  DINNER | "Anima"

088  DOJA CAT | "Kiss Me More" (ft SZA)

087  TRACE MOUNTAINS | "AMERICA"

086  SHABAZZ PALACES | "20 Gear Science"

085  KAMASI WASHINGTON | "Sun Kissed Child"

084  ANDY STOTT  | "The beginning" (ft Alison Skidmore)

083  THE LINDA LINDAS | "Oh!"

082  ARLO PARKS | "Hope"

081  LEON BRIDGES | "Motorbike"

080  FREDDIE GIBBS | "Gang Signs" (ft ScHoolboy Q)
079  INDIGO SPARKE | "Everything Everything"

078  SUN JUNE | "Everything I Had"

077  PARQUET COURTS | "Walking at a Downtown Pace"

076  COURTNEY BARNETT | "Rae Street"

075  PORTICO QUARTET | "Impressions"

074  SLEATER-KINNEY | "Worry Your Worth"

073  ST. VINCENT | "Pay Your Way In Pain"

072  BROCKHAMPTON | "BUZZCUT" (ft Danny Brown)

071  DEAN BLUNT | "The Rot"

070  LANA DEL RAY | "Dealer"

069  AROOJ AFTAB | "Mohabbat"

068  HELADO NEGRO | "Gemini and Leo"

067  SONS OF KEMET | "Hustle" (ft Kojey Radical)

066  TIERRA WHACK | "Link"

065  SPIRITUALIZED | "Always Together With You"

064  KACEY MUSGRAVES | "justified"

063  MACH-HOMMEY | "Kriminel"

062  FAYE WEBSTER | "Cheers"

061  HOVVDY | "True Love"

060  JUNGLE | "Keep Moving"

059  LIL NAS X | "MONTERO (Call Me By Your Name)"

058  DOSS | "Strawberry"

057  TINASHE | "The Chase"

056  SPELLLING | "Little Deer"

055  ARMAND HAMMER / THE ALCHEMIST | "Stonefruit"

054  ANNA FOX ROCHINSKI | "Cherry"

053  SERPENTWITHFEET | "Same Size Shoe"

052  MITSKI | "The Only Heartbreaker"

051  BLACK COUNTRY, NEW ROAD | "Track X"

050  MADLIB | "The New Normal"

049  BIG RED MACHINE | "Renegade" (ft Taylor Swift)

048  JLIN | "Embryo"

047  ICEAGE | "Dear Saint Cecilia"

046  ADELE | "To Be Loved"

045  ENUMCLAW | "Fast N All"

044  CAROLINE POLACHEK | "Bunny is a Rider"

043  CIRCUITS DES YEUX | "Vanishing"

042  DINOSAUR JR. | "Hide Another Round"

041  LYDIA AINSWORTH | "Cosmic Dust"

040  TYLER, THE CREATOR | "WASYANAME" (ft Youngboy Never Broke Again & Ty Dolla $ign)

039  ILLUMINATI HOTTIES | "Pool Hopping"

038  BACHELOR | "Stay in the Car"

037  CHARLI XCX | "New Shapes" (ft Christine and the Queens & Caroline Polachek)

036  TUNE-YARDS | "hold yourself."

035  NONAME | "Rainforest"

034  YOLA | "Diamond Studded Shoes"

033  ROSTAM | "4Runner"

032  ERIKA DE CASSIER | "Polite"

031  TIRZAH | "Sink In"

030  MR TWIN SISTER | "Polvo"

029  SNAIL MAIL | "Valentine"

028  DAWN RICHARD | "Bussifame"

027  MEGAN THEE STALLION | "Thot Shit"

026  PEGGY GOU | "I Go"

025  XIU XIU / LIZ HARRIS | "A Bottle of Rum"

024  MDOU MOCTAR | "Tala Tannam"

023  BIG THIEF | "Little Things"

022  WET LEG | "Chaise Lounge"

021  NICK CAVE / WARREN ELLIS | "White Elephant"

020  BURIAL | "Dark Gethsemane"

019  YVES TUMOR | "Jackie"

018  JAZMINE SULLIVAN | "On It"

017  JULIEN BAKER | "Hardline"

016  BLACK MIDI | "John L"

015  MUNA | "Silk Chiffon" (ft Phoebe Bridgers)

014  JESSIE WARE | "Please"

013  SQUID | "Narrator"

012  GROUPER | "Kelso (Blue sky)"
011  MAGDELENA BAY | "Chaeri"

10  NASIMIYU | "Watercolor"

09  OLIVIA RODRIGO | "good 4 u"

 

08  LUCY DACUS | "Thumbs"

07  BEACH HOUSE | "Superstar"

 

06  LOW | "Days Like These"

 

05  TURNSTILE | "Mystery"

04  THE WAR ON DRUGS | "I Don't Live Here Anymore" 

(ft Lucius)

03  JAPANESE BREAKFAST | "Be Sweet"

 

02  CASSANDRA JENKINS | "Hard Drive"

 

01  SHARON VAN ETTEN / ANGEL OLSEN | "Like I Used To"

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