Pitchfork's 31 Best Rock Albums of 2021

From Snail Mail’s explosive breakup anthems to the Armed’s conceptual fireworks, Lucy Dacus’ home movies to Mdou Moctar’s virtuosic guitar anthems, these are the rock albums that stood out this year.

Published: December 08, 2021 14:00 Source

# 1

New Music and Big Pop by Another Michael

Album • Feb 19 / 2021 Bedroom Pop Indie Pop

# 2

Doomin' Sun by Bachelor + Jay Som + Palehound

Album • May 28 / 2021 Indie Rock Dream Pop

# 3

Valdez by Birds of Maya

Album • Jun 25 / 2021 Heavy Psych Noise Rock

# 4

For the first time by Black Country, New Road

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

# 5

Cavalcade by black midi

Album • May 26 / 2021 Avant-Prog

# 6

New Long Leg by Dry Cleaning

Album • Apr 02 / 2021 Post-Punk

# 7

I Know I'm Funny haha by Faye Webster

Album • Jun 25 / 2021 Singer-Songwriter Alt-Country

# 8

Fun House by Hand Habits

Album • Oct 22 / 2021 Singer-Songwriter Indie Folk

# 9

I Became Birds by Home Is Where

Album • Jul 06 / 2021 Midwest Emo Post-Hardcore

# 10

Show Me How You Disappear by IAN SWEET

Album • Mar 05 / 2021 Indie Pop

# 11

Seek Shelter by Iceage

Album • May 07 / 2021 Alternative Rock Art Rock

# 12

Let Me Do One More by illuminati hotties

Album • Oct 01 / 2021 Indie Rock Indie Pop

# 13

Any Shape You Take by Indigo De Souza

Album • Aug 27 / 2021 Indie Rock

# 14

To See the Next Part of the Dream by Parannoul

Album • Apr 19 / 2021 Shoegaze Emo

# 15

Jubilee by Japanese Breakfast

Album • Jun 04 / 2021 Indie Pop Chamber Pop

# 16

Life is pain Idiot by Liquids

Album • Jan 30 / 2021 Garage Punk

# 17

HEY WHAT by Low

Album • Sep 10 / 2021 Post-Industrial Ambient Pop Experimental Rock

# 18

Home Video by Lucy Dacus

Album • Jun 25 / 2021 Singer-Songwriter

# 19

Afrique Victime by Mdou Moctar

Album • May 21 / 2021 Tishoumaren Psychedelic Rock

# 20

Life, and Another by Mega Bog

Album • Jul 23 / 2021 Art Pop

# 21

CARNAGE by Nick Cave & Warren Ellis

Album • Feb 25 / 2021 Chamber Pop Art Pop

# 22

Valentine by Snail Mail

Album • Nov 05 / 2021 Indie Rock Indie Pop

# 23

ENTERTAINMENT, DEATH by SPIRIT OF THE BEEHIVE

Album • Apr 09 / 2021 Neo-Psychedelia Noise Pop

# 24

Bright Green Field by Squid

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

# 25

ULTRAPOP by The Armed

Album • Apr 16 / 2021 Noise Rock Post-Hardcore

# 26

I Don’t Live Here Anymore by The War on Drugs

Album • Oct 29 / 2021 Heartland Rock

# 27

Ignorance by The Weather Station

Album • Feb 05 / 2021 Sophisti-Pop Art Pop

# 28

Petunia by Tonstartssbandht

Album • Oct 22 / 2021 Psychedelic Pop Neo-Psychedelia

# 29

GLOW ON by Turnstile

Album • Aug 27 / 2021 Post-Hardcore Alternative Rock

# 30

Twin Plagues by Wednesday

Album • Aug 13 / 2021 Shoegaze Indie Rock

# 31

The Asymptotical World by Yves Tumor

EP • Jul 15 / 2021