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
| Rank | Album | Artist | Info |
|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | New Music and Big Pop | Another Michael | Feb-19-2021, Bedroom Pop |
| #2 | Doomin' Sun | Bachelor, Jay Som, Palehound | May-28-2021, Indie Rock |
| #3 | Valdez | Birds of Maya | Jun-25-2021, Heavy Psych |
| #4 | For the first time | Black Country, New Road | Feb-05-2021, Post-Rock |
| #5 | Cavalcade | black midi | May-26-2021, Avant-Prog |
| #6 | New Long Leg | Dry Cleaning | Apr-02-2021, Post-Punk |
| #7 | I Know I'm Funny haha | Faye Webster | Jun-25-2021, Singer-Songwriter |
| #8 | Fun House | Hand Habits | Oct-22-2021, Singer-Songwriter |
| #9 | I Became Birds | Home Is Where | Jul-06-2021, Midwest Emo |
| #10 | Show Me How You Disappear | IAN SWEET | Mar-05-2021, Indie Pop |
| #11 | Seek Shelter | Iceage | May-07-2021, Alternative Rock |
| #12 | Let Me Do One More | illuminati hotties | Oct-01-2021, Indie Rock |
| #13 | Any Shape You Take | Indigo De Souza | Aug-27-2021, Indie Rock |
| #14 | To See the Next Part of the Dream | Parannoul | Apr-19-2021, Shoegaze |
| #15 | Jubilee | Japanese Breakfast | Jun-04-2021, Indie Pop |
| #16 | Life is pain Idiot | Liquids | Jan-30-2021, Garage Punk |
| #17 | HEY WHAT | Low | Sep-10-2021, Post-Industrial |
| #18 | Home Video | Lucy Dacus | Jun-25-2021, Singer-Songwriter |
| #19 | Afrique Victime | Mdou Moctar | May-21-2021, Tishoumaren |
| #20 | Life, and Another | Mega Bog | Jul-23-2021, Art Pop |
| #21 | CARNAGE | Nick Cave & Warren Ellis | Feb-25-2021, Chamber Pop |
| #22 | Valentine | Snail Mail | Nov-05-2021, Indie Rock |
| #23 | ENTERTAINMENT, DEATH | SPIRIT OF THE BEEHIVE | Apr-09-2021, Neo-Psychedelia |
| #24 | Bright Green Field | Squid | May-07-2021, Art Punk |
| #25 | ULTRAPOP | The Armed | Apr-16-2021, Noise Rock |
| #26 | I Don’t Live Here Anymore | The War on Drugs | Oct-29-2021, Heartland Rock |
| #27 | Ignorance | The Weather Station | Feb-05-2021, Sophisti-Pop |
| #28 | Petunia | Tonstartssbandht | Oct-22-2021, Psychedelic Pop |
| #29 | GLOW ON | Turnstile | Aug-27-2021, Post-Hardcore |
| #30 | Twin Plagues | Wednesday | Aug-13-2021, Shoegaze |
| #31 | The Asymptotical World | Yves Tumor | Jul-15-2021, |
Markdown
| Rank | Album | Artist | Info |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | New Music and Big Pop | Another Michael | Album, Feb-19-2021, Bedroom Pop |
| #2 | Doomin' Sun | BachelorJay SomPalehound | Album, May-28-2021, Indie Rock |
| #3 | Valdez | Birds of Maya | Album, Jun-25-2021, Heavy Psych |
| #4 | For the first time | Black Country, New Road | Album, Feb-05-2021, Post-Rock |
| #5 | Cavalcade | black midi | Album, May-26-2021, Avant-Prog |
| #6 | New Long Leg | Dry Cleaning | Album, Apr-02-2021, Post-Punk |
| #7 | I Know I'm Funny haha | Faye Webster | Album, Jun-25-2021, Singer-Songwriter |
| #8 | Fun House | Hand Habits | Album, Oct-22-2021, Singer-Songwriter |
| #9 | I Became Birds | Home Is Where | Album, Jul-06-2021, Midwest Emo |
| #10 | Show Me How You Disappear | IAN SWEET | Album, Mar-05-2021, Indie Pop |
| #11 | Seek Shelter | Iceage | Album, May-07-2021, Alternative Rock |
| #12 | Let Me Do One More | illuminati hotties | Album, Oct-01-2021, Indie Rock |
| #13 | Any Shape You Take | Indigo De Souza | Album, Aug-27-2021, Indie Rock |
| #14 | To See the Next Part of the Dream | Parannoul | Album, Apr-19-2021, Shoegaze |
| #15 | Jubilee | Japanese Breakfast | Album, Jun-04-2021, Indie Pop |
| #16 | Life is pain Idiot | Liquids | Album, Jan-30-2021, Garage Punk |
| #17 | HEY WHAT | Low | Album, Sep-10-2021, Post-Industrial |
| #18 | Home Video | Lucy Dacus | Album, Jun-25-2021, Singer-Songwriter |
| #19 | Afrique Victime | Mdou Moctar | Album, May-21-2021, Tishoumaren |
| #20 | Life, and Another | Mega Bog | Album, Jul-23-2021, Art Pop |
| #21 | CARNAGE | Nick Cave & Warren Ellis | Album, Feb-25-2021, Chamber Pop |
| #22 | Valentine | Snail Mail | Album, Nov-05-2021, Indie Rock |
| #23 | ENTERTAINMENT, DEATH | SPIRIT OF THE BEEHIVE | Album, Apr-09-2021, Neo-Psychedelia |
| #24 | Bright Green Field | Squid | Album, May-07-2021, Art Punk |
| #25 | ULTRAPOP | The Armed | Album, Apr-16-2021, Noise Rock |
| #26 | I Don’t Live Here Anymore | The War on Drugs | Album, Oct-29-2021, Heartland Rock |
| #27 | Ignorance | The Weather Station | Album, Feb-05-2021, Sophisti-Pop |
| #28 | Petunia | Tonstartssbandht | Album, Oct-22-2021, Psychedelic Pop |
| #29 | GLOW ON | Turnstile | Album, Aug-27-2021, Post-Hardcore |
| #30 | Twin Plagues | Wednesday | Album, Aug-13-2021, Shoegaze |
| #31 | The Asymptotical World | Yves Tumor | EP, Jul-15-2021, |