The 40 Best Albums of 2021
Above is Metacritic's list of the 40 best-reviewed albums of 2021, ranked by Metascore. This list only includes new albums receiving at least 15 reviews from professional critics (though you'll find a quick list of the top albums with a smaller number of reviews at the end of the gallery.)
Otherwise, all full-length studio albums (or mixtapes) released between January 1, 2021 and December 31, 2021 are eligible, though reissues, live albums, box sets and other compilations are excluded. (Those excluded titles, too, are included in a separate list at the end of the gallery.) Albums are ranked by Metascore prior to rounding based on scores as of December 21, 2021.
(#17) In a year that also saw her teaming with Carrie Brownstein to write and star in a feature film, Annie Clark also released her sixth studio album as St. Vincent. The Grammy-nominated, 1970s-influenced Daddy's Home enlists Jack Antonoff as a co-producer and co-writer, and it's her fourth straight studio album to score 85 or higher.
“It's masterful stuff: a full conceptual realisation, filled with great melodies, deep grooves, colourful characterisations and sonic detail that reveals itself over repeated plays. ... A keeper for the decades to come.” —Mojo
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