Crack Magazine's Top 50 Albums of 2021

Our edit of the best albums of 2021, featuring Klein, Squid, Ghetts, PinkPantheress and more. From field recordings to the divorce album, via club experiments and self-care rituals.

Source

# 1

SHILOH: Lost For Words by John Glacier

Album • Jul 30 / 2021 UK Hip Hop Experimental Hip Hop Glitch Hop Trap

# 2

im hole by aya

Album • Oct 22 / 2021 Deconstructed Club Glitch Hop

# 3

Honest Labour by Space Afrika

Album • Aug 27 / 2021 Sound Collage Ambient

# 4

Conflict Of Interest by Ghetts

Album • Feb 19 / 2021 UK Hip Hop

# 5

The Melodic Blue by Baby Keem

Album • Sep 27 / 2021 Trap West Coast Hip Hop

# 6

Tear Tracks by Banoffee

Album • Nov 10 / 2021 Electropop Alternative R&B Alt-Pop

# 7

a softer focus by claire rousay

Album • Apr 09 / 2021 Ambient Sound Collage Field Recordings

# 8

WEIGHT OF THE WORLD by Maxo Kream

Album • Oct 18 / 2021 Southern Hip Hop Trap

# 9

Bright Green Field by Squid

Album • May 07 / 2021 Art Punk Post-Punk Experimental Rock

# 10

Promises by Floating Points + Pharoah Sanders

Album • Mar 26 / 2021 Post-Minimalism Third Stream

# 11

Black Encyclopedia of the Air by Moor Mother

Album • Sep 17 / 2021 Abstract Hip Hop Experimental Hip Hop Conscious Hip Hop

# 12

GUMBO'! by Pink Siifu

Album • Aug 02 / 2021 Trap Southern Hip Hop Abstract Hip Hop

# 13

Night in Tijuana by Kelman Duran

Album • Sep 25 / 2021 Electronic Ambient Future Garage

# 14

-io by Circuit des Yeux

Album • Oct 22 / 2021 Neoclassical Darkwave Art Pop

# 15

Space 1.8 by Nala Sinephro

Album • Sep 03 / 2021 Nu Jazz Avant-Garde Jazz

# 16

Afrique Victime by Mdou Moctar

Album • May 21 / 2021 Tishoumaren Psychedelic Rock

# 17

GLOW ON by Turnstile

Album • Aug 27 / 2021 Post-Hardcore Alternative Rock

# 18

Quivering In Time by Eris Drew

Album • Oct 29 / 2021 Breakbeat Deep House

# 19

Still Over It by Summer Walker

Album • Nov 05 / 2021 Contemporary R&B

# 20

Fatigue by L’Rain

Album • Jun 25 / 2021 Neo-Psychedelia Neo-Soul

# 21

FEMINISTA by Tomu DJ

Album • Aug 20 / 2021 Ambient House

# 22

Liminal Soul by Kedr Livanskiy

Album • Oct 01 / 2021 Ambient Pop Electronic Outsider House

# 23

Provisional Licence by M1llionz

Album • Sep 17 / 2021

# 24

For the first time by Black Country, New Road

Album • Feb 05 / 2021 Post-Rock Experimental Rock Post-Punk

# 25

Under the Lilac Sky by Arushi Jain

Album • Jul 09 / 2021 Progressive Electronic Drone

# 26

Ekizikiza Mubwengula by Don Zilla

Album • Jun 18 / 2021 Deconstructed Club

# 27

to hell with it by PinkPantheress

Album • Oct 15 / 2021 Atmospheric Drum and Bass Contemporary R&B Alt-Pop Downtempo

# 28

Queen of the South by Shaybo

Album • Aug 20 / 2021 UK Hip Hop Afrobeats

# 29

Sphere by Salamanda

Album • Sep 29 / 2021 Ambient Ambient Techno

# 30

SINNER GET READY by Lingua Ignota

Album • Aug 06 / 2021 Neoclassical Darkwave Avant-Folk

# 31

CALL ME IF YOU GET LOST by Tyler, The Creator

Album • Jun 25 / 2021 West Coast Hip Hop

# 32

Agor by Koreless

Album • Jul 09 / 2021 Progressive Electronic

# 33

Harmattan by Klein

Album • Nov 19 / 2021 Ambient Experimental

# 34

Painful Enlightenment by Jana Rush

Album • Aug 13 / 2021 Footwork Juke

# 35

Blue Banisters by Lana Del Rey

Album • Oct 22 / 2021 Singer-Songwriter

# 36

Angel Tears in Sunlight by Pauline Anna Strom

Album • Feb 19 / 2021 Ambient New Age Progressive Electronic

# 37

We're All Alone In This Together by Dave

Album • Jul 23 / 2021 UK Hip Hop Conscious Hip Hop

# 38

Siren Spine Sysex by Proc Fiskal

Album • Sep 24 / 2021 IDM

# 39

Before I Die by 박혜진 Park Hye Jin

Album • Sep 10 / 2021 Hip House Cloud Rap

# 40

Intra-I by Theon Cross

Album • Oct 29 / 2021 Nu Jazz

# 41

star-crossed by Kacey Musgraves

Album • Sep 10 / 2021 Folk Pop Singer-Songwriter

# 42

BLACK METAL 2 by Dean Blunt

Album • Jun 11 / 2021 Art Pop

# 43

19 & Dangerous by Ayra Starr

Album • Aug 06 / 2021 Afrobeats Contemporary R&B

# 44

Pray For Haiti by Mach-Hommy

Album • May 21 / 2021 East Coast Hip Hop Abstract Hip Hop

# 45

Dead Rock by Car Culture

Album • May 04 / 2021 Ambient Progressive Electronic

# 46

Punk by Young Thug

Album • Oct 15 / 2021 Pop Rap Southern Hip Hop

# 47

It's Not What You Said, It's Because You Spoke by DJ Pitch

Album • Jul 02 / 2021 Electronic

# 48

Romeo by Sega Bodega

Album • Nov 12 / 2021 Alternative R&B Art Pop Electronic

# 49

KICK ii by Arca

Album • Nov 30 / 2021 Latin Electronic Post-Industrial

# 50

MONTERO by Lil Nas X

Album • Sep 17 / 2021 Pop Rap Pop Trap