Resident Advisor's Best Albums of 2021

Leftfield R&B, rave euphoria, ambient jazz—the RA staff and contributors pick their favorite albums of the year.

Source

# 1
Album • Apr 23 / 2021 Breakbeat
# 2
Album • Apr 16 / 2021 UK Bass
# 3
Album • Jul 09 / 2021 Progressive Electronic Drone
# 4
Album • Oct 22 / 2021 Deconstructed Club Glitch Hop
# 5
Album • Jun 18 / 2021 House
# 6
Album • Apr 30 / 2021 Alternative R&B
# 7
Album • Jun 11 / 2021 Art Pop
# 8
Album • Jul 23 / 2021 Footwork
# 9
Album • Jan 15 / 2021 IDM Ambient Field Recordings
# 10
Album • May 21 / 2021 Contemporary R&B
# 11
Album • Oct 29 / 2021 Breakbeat Deep House
# 12
Album • Mar 26 / 2021 Post-Minimalism Third Stream
# 13
Album • Jun 24 / 2021 Alternative R&B
# 14
Album • Oct 08 / 2021 IDM
# 15
Album • Sep 17 / 2021 Ambient Pop Psychedelic Folk
# 16
Album • Aug 13 / 2021 UK Bass
# 17
Album • Jun 25 / 2021 Neo-Psychedelia Neo-Soul
# 18
Album • Jun 04 / 2021 UK Bass IDM
# 19
Album • Mar 05 / 2021 Weightless Alternative R&B
# 20
Album • Sep 03 / 2021 Nu Jazz Avant-Garde Jazz
# 21
Album • Jun 25 / 2021 Ambient Electroacoustic
# 22
Album • May 07 / 2021 IDM Techno Breakbeat
# 23
Album • Aug 27 / 2021 Sound Collage Ambient
# 24
Album • Oct 01 / 2021 Minimal Wave Art Pop
# 25
Album • Dec 14 / 2020
# 26
Amapiano Now by Various Artists
Album • Jul 23 / 2021
# 27
The Sound of Limo by Various Artists
Album • Aug 06 / 2021 Tech House
# 28
Album • Jun 04 / 2021
# 29
Album • Jan 22 / 2021 Ambient Dub Downtempo