The Alternative's 50 Top Records of 2021

After a long year of difficult times and great music, our staff voted and put together our top 50 releases of the year, along with the winners of our 4 awards: AOTY, Best Debut, Most Underrated and Best Non LP.

Published: December 21, 2021 15:52 Source

# 1

GLOW ON by Turnstile

Album • Aug 27 / 2021 Post-Hardcore Alternative Rock

# 2

Little Oblivions by Julien Baker

Album • Feb 26 / 2021 Singer-Songwriter Indie Rock

# 3

Jubilee by Japanese Breakfast

Album • Jun 04 / 2021 Indie Pop Chamber Pop

# 4

A Billion Little Lights by Wild Pink

Album • Feb 19 / 2021 Indie Rock

# 5

Blood Bunny by chloe moriondo

Album • May 07 / 2021 Indie Pop Pop Rock

# 6

Between the Richness by Fiddlehead

Album • May 21 / 2021 Emo Post-Hardcore

# 7

SOUR by Olivia Rodrigo

Album • May 21 / 2021 Pop Singer-Songwriter

# 8

Any Shape You Take by Indigo De Souza

Album • Aug 27 / 2021 Indie Rock

# 9

I Became Birds by Home Is Where

Album • Jul 06 / 2021 Midwest Emo Post-Hardcore

# 10

Draw Down The Moon by Foxing

Album • Aug 06 / 2021 Indie Rock Indie Pop

# 11

ULTRAPOP by The Armed

Album • Apr 16 / 2021 Noise Rock Post-Hardcore

# 12

Mood Ring by Kississippi

Album • Aug 06 / 2021 Indie Pop Synthpop

# 13

Home Video by Lucy Dacus

Album • Jun 25 / 2021 Singer-Songwriter

# 14

This Place You Know by One Step Closer

Album • Sep 24 / 2021 Melodic Hardcore Emocore

# 15

Radical by Every Time I Die

Album • Oct 22 / 2021 Metalcore Mathcore

# 16

Another Kill For The Highlight Reel by Save Face

Album • Oct 29 / 2021 Emo-Pop

# 17

New Music and Big Pop by Another Michael

Album • Feb 19 / 2021 Bedroom Pop Indie Pop

# 18

Illusory Walls by The World Is A Beautiful Place & I Am No Longer Afraid To Die

Album • Oct 08 / 2021 Post-Rock Midwest Emo

# 19

Don't Know What I Am by Alien Boy

Album • Aug 20 / 2021 Shoegaze Emo

# 20

Saccharine by Pinkshift

EP • Apr 02 / 2021 Pop Punk

# 21

Perfect by Mannequin Pussy

EP • May 21 / 2021 Indie Rock Power Pop

# 22

GAMI GANG by Origami Angel

Album • Apr 30 / 2021 Emo-Pop Pop Punk Midwest Emo

# 23

Sucker Supreme by Rosie Tucker

Album • Apr 30 / 2021 Indie Pop Power Pop

# 24

The Shadow I Remember by Cloud Nothings

Album • Feb 26 / 2021 Indie Rock Emo

# 25

Let Me Do One More by illuminati hotties

Album • Oct 01 / 2021 Indie Rock Indie Pop

# 26

A Beginner's Guide To Faking Your Death by Jhariah

Album • Jul 23 / 2021 Emo-Pop Pop Punk

# 27

MONTERO by Lil Nas X

Album • Sep 17 / 2021 Pop Rap Pop Trap

# 28

Twin Plagues by Wednesday

Album • Aug 13 / 2021 Shoegaze Indie Rock

# 29

ENTERTAINMENT, DEATH by SPIRIT OF THE BEEHIVE

Album • Apr 09 / 2021 Neo-Psychedelia Noise Pop

# 30

Cool Dry Place by Katy Kirby

Album • Feb 19 / 2021 Singer-Songwriter Indie Pop

# 31

Somewhere by Sun June

Album • Feb 05 / 2021 Indie Pop

# 32

SUP by Super American

Album • Oct 22 / 2021 Pop Punk Emo-Pop

# 33

suburban indie rock star by snow ellet

EP • Aug 13 / 2021 Power Pop Emo-Pop Indie Rock

# 34

Laura Stevenson by Laura Stevenson

Album • Aug 06 / 2021 Singer-Songwriter Folk Rock

# 35

The Million Masks Of God by Manchester Orchestra

Album • Apr 30 / 2021 Indie Rock

# 36

CALL ME IF YOU GET LOST by Tyler, The Creator

Album • Jun 25 / 2021 West Coast Hip Hop

# 37

Life in Your Glass World by Citizen

Album • Mar 26 / 2021 Post-Punk Revival Alternative Rock

# 38

An Overview on Phenomenal Nature by Cassandra Jenkins

Album • Feb 19 / 2021 Singer-Songwriter

# 39

Cavalcade by black midi

Album • May 26 / 2021 Avant-Prog

# 40

Absolutely by Dijon

Album • Nov 05 / 2021 Alternative R&B Neo-Soul

# 41

Excelsior! by Johanna Samuels

Album • May 14 / 2021 Folk Rock

# 42

Four People in an Elevator and One of Them Is the Devil by Mister Goblin

Album • Feb 19 / 2021 Indie Rock

# 43

Nurture by Porter Robinson

Album • Apr 23 / 2021 Electropop Synthpop

# 44

At the Moonbase by Slaughter Beach, Dog

Album • Dec 24 / 2020 Indie Pop Indie Folk

# 45

Shake the Spins by Kitner

Album • Oct 01 / 2021 Indie Rock

# 46

New Long Leg by Dry Cleaning

Album • Apr 02 / 2021 Post-Punk

# 47

Red (Taylor's Version) by Taylor Swift

Album • Nov 12 / 2021 Pop Rock Singer-Songwriter

# 48

MAXIMUMBLASTSUPERLOUD: The First 24 Songs by Dazy

Album • Aug 20 / 2021 Power Pop

# 49

Drives Out East by Koyo

EP • Jul 06 / 2021 Emo-Pop Pop Punk

# 50

Death of a Cheerleader by Pom Pom Squad

Album • Jun 25 / 2021 Indie Rock