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Best albums of 2021

Music came back slowly and unevenly. Tours were announced and cancelled twice before anyone trusted a date. Teenage pop and grown-up funk revival both had big years at opposite ends of the same chart, while several of rap's most reclusive figures resurfaced within months of each other.

According to Riffiter listeners, the best album of 2021 is Sometimes I Might Be Introvert by Little Simz, rated 4.5/5 by 11 listeners.

  1. Sometimes I Might Be Introvert cover№ 1Sometimes I Might Be IntrovertLittle Simz · 20214.4Weighted score4.5 avg · 11 ratings
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  1. 2Still Over It coverStill Over ItSummer Walker · 20214.3 score · 4.6 avg · 8 ratings
  2. 3Songs of Death and Resurrection coverSongs of Death and ResurrectionDemon Hunter · 20214.3 score · 4.6 avg · 6 ratings
  3. 4Happier Than Ever coverHappier Than EverBillie Eilish · 20214.3 score · 4.3 avg · 32 ratings
  4. 5A Valediction coverA ValedictionObscura · 20214.3 score · 4.5 avg · 7 ratings
  5. 6An Evening With Silk Sonic coverAn Evening With Silk SonicBruno Mars · 20214.3 score · 4.5 avg · 7 ratings
  6. 7Blue Banisters coverBlue BanistersLana Del Rey · 20214.3 score · 4.6 avg · 4 ratings
  7. 8Life of a DON coverLife of a DONDon Toliver · 20214.2 score · 4.4 avg · 7 ratings
  8. 9Dawn of Chromatica coverDawn of ChromaticaLady Gaga · 20214.2 score · 4.5 avg · 5 ratings
  9. 10When It's All Said And Done… Take Time coverWhen It's All Said And Done… Take TimeGiveon · 20214.2 score · 4.7 avg · 3 ratings
  10. 11Formula of Love: O+T=<3 coverFormula of Love: O+T=<3TWICE · 20214.2 score · 4.7 avg · 3 ratings
  11. 12Welcome To Horrorwood: The Silver Scream 2 coverWelcome To Horrorwood: The Silver Scream 2Ice Nine Kills · 20214.2 score · 4.7 avg · 3 ratings
  12. 13SOUR coverSOUROlivia Rodrigo · 20214.2 score · 4.2 avg · 101 ratings
  13. 14All I Know So Far: Setlist coverAll I Know So Far: SetlistP!nk · 20214.2 score · 4.4 avg · 6 ratings
  14. 15Inspirations coverInspirationsSaxon · 20214.2 score · 4.3 avg · 9 ratings
  15. 16Follow You / Cutthroat coverFollow You / CutthroatImagine Dragons · 20214.2 score · 4.5 avg · 4 ratings
  16. 17Ballads of the Broken coverBallads of the BrokenJelly Roll · 20214.2 score · 4.5 avg · 4 ratings
  17. 18I Told You I Was Trouble: Live In London coverI Told You I Was Trouble: Live In LondonAmy Winehouse · 20214.2 score · 4.5 avg · 4 ratings
  18. 19Celestial Blues coverCelestial BluesKing Woman · 20214.2 score · 4.4 avg · 7 ratings
  19. 20Scary Hours 2 coverScary Hours 2Drake · 20214.2 score · 4.3 avg · 10 ratings
  20. 21Red (Taylor's version) coverRed (Taylor's version)Taylor Swift · 20214.2 score · 4.3 avg · 11 ratings
  21. 22The Highlights coverThe HighlightsThe Weeknd · 20214.1 score · 4.2 avg · 15 ratings
  22. 2330 cover30Adele · 20214.1 score · 4.1 avg · 246 ratings
  23. 24Radical coverRadicalEvery Time I Die · 20214.1 score · 4.3 avg · 6 ratings
  24. 25The Voice of the Heroes coverThe Voice of the HeroesLil Baby · 20214.1 score · 4.3 avg · 3 ratings
  25. 26Fallen Embers coverFallen EmbersIllenium · 20214.1 score · 4.3 avg · 3 ratings
  26. 27At The BBC coverAt The BBCAmy Winehouse · 20214.1 score · 4.3 avg · 3 ratings
  27. 28CALL ME IF YOU GET LOST coverCALL ME IF YOU GET LOSTTyler, the Creator · 20214.1 score · 4.1 avg · 25 ratings
  28. 29Fortitude coverFortitudeGojira · 20214.1 score · 4.1 avg · 25 ratings
  29. 30Torn Arteries coverTorn ArteriesCarcass · 20214.1 score · 4.1 avg · 9 ratings
  30. 31Live at Hamer Hall coverLive at Hamer HallThe Teskey Brothers · 20214.0 score · 4.2 avg · 3 ratings
  31. 32In Absentia Dei coverIn Absentia DeiBehemoth · 20214.0 score · 4.1 avg · 4 ratings
  32. 33In the Moment coverIn the MomentRebelution · 20214.0 score · 4.1 avg · 4 ratings
  33. 34Réelle vie 3.0 coverRéelle vie 3.0Maes · 20214.0 score · 4.1 avg · 4 ratings
  34. 35Contrôle coverContrôleKeBlack · 20214.0 score · 4.1 avg · 5 ratings
  35. 36Die Liebe ist tot coverDie Liebe ist totHämatom · 20214.0 score · 4.1 avg · 7 ratings
  36. 37Hushed and Grim coverHushed and GrimMastodon · 20214.0 score · 4.0 avg · 13 ratings
  37. 38Culture III coverCulture IIIMigos · 20214.0 score · 4.0 avg · 10 ratings
  38. 39Dear Monsters coverDear MonstersBad Wolves · 20214.0 score · 4.0 avg · 4 ratings
  39. 40Chemtrails Over the Country Club coverChemtrails Over the Country ClubLana Del Rey · 20214.0 score · 4.0 avg · 12 ratings
  40. 41Scaled and Icy coverScaled and IcyTwenty One Pilots · 20213.9 score · 3.9 avg · 9 ratings
  41. 42Violence Unimagined coverViolence UnimaginedCannibal Corpse · 20213.9 score · 3.9 avg · 9 ratings
  42. 43A View From the Top of the World coverA View From the Top of the WorldDream Theater · 20213.9 score · 3.9 avg · 7 ratings
  43. 44Fearless (Taylor's version) coverFearless (Taylor's version)Taylor Swift · 20213.9 score · 3.9 avg · 5 ratings
  44. 45Reflections - 50 Heavy Metal Years of Music coverReflections - 50 Heavy Metal Years of MusicJudas Priest · 20213.9 score · 3.9 avg · 5 ratings
  45. 46Lost Not Forgotten Archives: Train of Thought Instrumental Demos (2003) coverLost Not Forgotten Archives: Train of Thought Instrumental Demos (2003)Dream Theater · 20213.9 score · 3.9 avg · 5 ratings
  46. 47Cavalcade coverCavalcadeblack midi · 20213.9 score · 3.8 avg · 3 ratings
  47. 48Yum Yum Bedlam coverYum Yum BedlamInsane Clown Posse · 20213.9 score · 3.8 avg · 3 ratings
  48. 49Colors II coverColors IIBetween the Buried and Me · 20213.9 score · 3.8 avg · 3 ratings
  49. 50Eternal Hails...... coverEternal Hails......Darkthrone · 20213.9 score · 3.9 avg · 8 ratings

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Best albums of 2021 by genre

The genres that carried the period here, each with what listeners rate highest inside it.

Best Hip-Hop albums of 2021

842 albums from 2021

Best Jazz albums of 2021

447 albums from 2021

Best Pop albums of 2021

394 albums from 2021

Best Rock albums of 2021

379 albums from 2021

Best Folk albums of 2021

370 albums from 2021

Best Soul albums of 2021

363 albums from 2021

The artists of 2021

Everyone who put a record out then, ordered by how listeners rate their catalog rather than by that one release.

Every artist of 2021, ranked →

2021, month by month

Not everything that came out, just where the weight fell. Some months carried a year; some were quiet and worth knowing about.

January

February

March

April

May

June

July

August

September

October

November

December

FAQ

What are the best albums of 2021?
On Riffiter, the highest-rated album of 2021 is Sometimes I Might Be Introvert by Little Simz (4.5/5). The ranking below orders the year's releases by community rating.
How is the 2021 ranking decided?
By Riffiter listeners. Each album's community rating sets its place. Until a release has enough ratings, its popularity stands in, and the order shifts as more people rate.
Does the best-of-2021 list change?
Yes. It's built from live community ratings, so the order updates as people rate 2021 releases. The page refreshes a few times a day.