Joe’s 2021 Complete Album Rankings

Hello. Here are the 188 albums I listened to in 2021, intricately detailed and arranged just the way I like them. I’m not going to use the point system here that I rely on for my internal lists, Tastes Like Music norms take precedence. These are in the exact finishing order.

However, if you’d like to see the internal list with my point system ratings, and comments on most of the albums… you can click here to check out the Google spreadsheet I used. Feel free to leave me comments on my ratings, and leave any albums that you think I missed.

If you missed it, don’t forget to check out our video for our top 10 albums of the year!

My Stars System

5 – Masterpiece
4.5 – Excellent
4 – Very Good
3.5 – Good
3 – Average/unremarkable
2.5 – Poor
2 – Bad
1.5 – Awful
1 – Unlistenable
.5 – Corey Feldman

The Rankings

4.5 Stars

Pink Noise – Laura Mvula
Blue Weekend – Wolf Alice
Hushed and Grim – Mastodon
I Don’t Live Here Anymore – The War on Drugs

4 Stars

In These Silent Days – Brandi Carlile
Dream Weapon – Genghis Tron
Valentine – Snail Mail
The Turning Wheel – Spellling
Typhoons – Royal Blood
Outside Child – Allison Russell
An Evening with Silk Sonic – Silk Sonic
Fun House – Hand Habits
Art of Losing – The Anchoress
Motorheart – The Darkness
The Battle at Garden’s Gate – Greta Van Fleet
Chemtrails Over the Country Club – Lana Del Rey
Senjutsu – Iron Maiden
Stand For Myself – Yola
America’s Got Talons – Adjective Animal
A View from the Top of the World – Dream Theater
Jubilee – Japanese Breakfast
And Then Life Was Beautiful – Nao
Topaz – Israel Nash
Fatigue – L’Rain
Blue Heron Suite – Sarah Jarosz
Blue Banisters – Lana Del Rey
JT – Steve Earle and the Dukes
Ocean to Ocean – Tori Amos
Long Lost – Lord Huron
Fortitude – Gojira
The Myth of the Happily Ever After – Biffy Clyro
Bloodmoon – Converge
Open Door Policy – The Hold Steady
Flock – Jane Weaver
Smiling With No Teeth – Genesis Owusu
Heart – Eric Church
Butterfly 3000 – King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard
Daddy’s Home – St. Vincent
History of a Feeling – Maddy Diaz
Seek Shelter – Iceage
Brighten – Jerry Cantrell

3.5 Stars

12 Songs About Loneliness – Bantug
I Know I’m Funny haha – Faye Webster
Prioritise Pleasure – Self Esteem
Deadpan Love – Cautious Clay
Not Your Muse – Celeste
Sling – Clairo
Seeking New Gods – Gruff Rhys
Coral Island – The Coral
The Moon and Stars – Valerie June
Mood Valiant – Hiatus Kaiyote
Milion Masks of God – Manchester Orchestra
Wilds – Andy Shauf
Is 4 Lovers – Death From Above
Tasjan! Tasjan! Tasjan! – Aaron Lee Tasjan
For Free – David Crosby
Harmony House – Dayglow
Obviously – Lake Street Dive
Flux – Poppy
Popular Mechanics – Sam Outlaw
In Standard Definition – Art d’Ecco
Ramble On – Charlie Marie
Screen Violence – Chrvrches
Medicine at Midnight – Foo Fighters
Forever Isn’t Long Enough – Alfie Templeman
Voyage – ABBA
one hand on the steering wheel the other sewing a garden – Ada Lea
Ritual Divination – Here Lies Man
Eye to Eye – Datsuns
Raise the Roof – Robert Plant and Allison Krause
If I Can’t Have Love I Want Power – Halsey
Collapsed in Sunbeams – Arlo Parks
On All Fours – Goat Girl
Cool Dry Place – Katy Kirby
Mammoth WVH – Mammoth WVH
Ignorance – The Weather Station
Servant of the Mind – Volbeat
Due North – Liam Kazar
Escapades – Gaspard Auge
Dancing With the Devil – Demi Lovato
Surrounded by Time – Tom Jones
Sob Rock – John Mayer
Heaux Tales – Jazmine Sullivan
Lindsey Buckingham – Lindsey Buckingham
Wolffpack – DeWolff
Driver – Adult Mom
Death of a Cheerleader – Pom Pom Squad
Try Harder – Aerial East
The Bitter Truth – Evanescence
Big Sky Pipe Dream – Nordista Freeze
Sometimes I Might Be Introvert – Lil Simz
Big Colors – Ryan Adams
Any Shape You Take – Indigo De Souza
Glow On – Turnstile
They’re Calling Me Home – Rhiannon Giddens
The World Ends When You Die – Skyway Man
29: In Stone – Carly Pearce
Texis – Sleigh Bells
Afrique Victime – Mdou Moctar
My Morning Jacket – My Morning Jacket
Friends That Break Your Heart – James Blake
Sweep It Into Space – Dinosaur Jr.
God is Partying – Andrew WK
Second Sight – Buck Meek
Sour – Olivia Rodriguez
Yol – Altin Gun
30 – Adele
Love Will Be Reborn – Martha Wainwright
Mythopoetics – Half Waif
Private Space – Durand Jones & The Indications
Build a Problem – Dodie
Let Me Do One More – Illuminati Hotties
Hey What – Low
Bright Green Field – Squid
Good Woman – The Staves
From Dreams to Dust – The Felice Brothers
Where Shall We Begin – Chloe Foy
Home Video – Lucy Dacus
When You See Yourself – Kings of Leon
Infinite Granite – Deafheaven
Hopeless Romantic – Bobby Dove
Catspaw – Matthew Sweet
Dirty Honey – Dirty Honey
Duly Noted – TUNS
Promises – Floating Points & Pharoah Sanders
If I could Make It Go Quiet – girl in red
Bloom Baby Bloom – Haiva Ru
Donda – Kanye West
Carnage – Nick Cave & Warren Ellis
Notes With Attachments – Pino Palladino
The Future Bites – Steven Wilson
Exit Wounds – The Wallflowers
Tonic Immobility – Tomahawk
In Defense of My Own Happiness – Joy Oldokun

3 Stars

Inked in Red – Vision Video
Southern Curiosity – Fancy Hagood
Scaled & Icy – 21 Pilots
Happier Than Ever – Billie Eilish
OK Human – Weezer
Below – Beartooth
Planet Her – Doja Cat
Speed Kills – Chubby and the Gang
Dark in Here – The Mountain Goats
It Won’t Always Be Like This – Inhaler
Pressure Machine – Killers
Thirstier – Torres
The Quest – Yes
Dark Matters – The Stranglers
If Words Were Flowers – Curtis Harding
Silence/Motion – Blackwater Holylight
Queens of the Summer Hotel – Aimee Man
star-crossed – Kacey Musgraves
Glow – Alice Phoebe Lou
When Smoke Rises – Mustafa
Montero – Lil Nas X
Superwolves – Bonnie Prince Billy and Matt Sweeny
An Overview on Phenomenal Nature – Cassandra Jenkins
Soul – Eric Church
This Too Shall Pass – Chris Wilhelm
Music of the Spheres – Coldplay
Flat Moon – Field Music
Ancient Dreams in a Modern Land – Marina
In the Meantime – Alessia Cara
I Thought Of You – Julie Doiron
Detroit Stories – Alice Cooper
Dangerous: The Double Album – Morgan Wallen
You’re Welcome – A Day to Remember
Bodies – AFI
Wink – Chai
Strawberry Mansion – Langhorne Slim
Pick a Day to Die – The Sunburned Hand of Man
Rosegold – Ashley Monroe

2.5 Stars

Things Take Time – Courtney Barnett
Baptize – Atreyu
Van Weezer – Weezer
Solar Power – Lorde
Comfort to Me – Amyl and the Sniffers
Cavalcade – Black Midi
New Long Leg – Dry Cleaning
For Those I Love – For Those I Love
Not in Chronological Order – Julia Michaels
Reckless – Morgan Wade
The Solution is Restless – Joan as Policewoman

2 Stars

For the First Time – Black Country, New Road
Sinner Get Ready – Lingua Ignota
Injury Reserve – By the Time I Get to Phoenix
Whole Lotta Red – Playboi Carti
Justice – Justin Bieber