Uncovering the Next Generation's Hall of Fame
| ⇦ 2020 | 2022 ⇨ |
The Best Music of 2021
Here is a selection of the best albums and songs from 2021. Hall of Famers are highlighted in orange.
For a list of the top artists who made their debut recording in 2021, check out this list.
| Albums (?) | Wikipedia | |
| Adele | 30 | ☆ |
| Billie Eilish | Happier Than Ever | ☆ |
| Black Country, New Road | For the First Time | ☆ |
| Brandi Carlile | In These Silent Days | ☆ |
| Chvrches | Screen Violence | ☆ |
| Coldplay | Music of the Spheres | ☆ |
| Doja Cat | Planet Her | ☆ |
| Dream Theater | A View from the Top of the World | ☆ |
| Ed Sheeran | = | ☆ |
| Eric Church | Heart & Soul | ☆ |
| H.E.R. | Back of My Mind | ☆ |
| Halsey | If I Can't Have Love, I Want Power | ☆ |
| Japanese Breakfast | Jubilee | ☆ |
| Jazmine Sullivan | Heaux Tales | ☆ |
| Jon Batiste | We Are | ☆ |
| Kacey Musgraves | Star-Crossed | ☆ |
| Lana Del Rey | Chemtrails Over the Country Club | ☆ |
| Lil Nas X | Montero | ☆ |
| Little Simz | Sometimes I Might Be Introvert | ☆ |
| Lorde | Solar Power | ☆ |
| Olivia Rodrigo | Sour | ☆ |
| Robert Plant and Alison Krauss | Raise the Roof | ☆ |
| Silk Sonic | An Evening with Silk Sonic | ☆ |
| Snail Mail | Valentine | ☆ |
| St. Vincent | Daddy's Home | ☆ |
| The Killers | Pressure Machine | ☆ |
| The Pretty Reckless | Death by Rock and Roll | ☆ |
| Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga | Love for Sale | ☆ |
| twenty one pilots | Scaled and Icy | ☆ |
| Songs (?) | Wikipedia | |
| ABBA | I Still Have Faith In You | ☆ |
| Adele | Easy on Me | ☆ |
| Angel Olson feat. Sharon Van Etten | Like I Used To | ☆ |
| Billie Eilish | Happier Than Ever | ☆ |
| Billie Eilish | Billie Bossa Nova | ☆ |
| Brandi Carlile | Broken Horses | ☆ |
| Brandi Carlile | Right on Time | ☆ |
| BTS | Butter | ☆ |
| Coldplay and BTS | My Universe | ☆ |
| Ed Sheeran | Bad Habits | ☆ |
| Elton John and Dua Lupa | Cold Heart (Pnau Remix) | ☆ |
| Gojira | Amazonia | ☆ |
| H.E.R. | Fight for You | ☆ |
| Halsey | I Am Not a Woman, I'm a God | ☆ |
| Japanese Breakfast | Be Sweet | ☆ |
| John Mayer | New Light | ☆ |
| Jon Batiste | Freedom | ☆ |
| Lana Del Rey | White Dress | ☆ |
| Lil Nas X | Montero (Call Me by Your Name) | ☆ |
| Lil Nas X and Jack Harlow | Industry Baby | ☆ |
| Modest Mouse | We Are Between | ☆ |
| Olivia Rodrigo | Drivers License | ☆ |
| Olivia Rodrigo | Good 4 U | ☆ |
| Olivia Rodrigo | Deja Vu | ☆ |
| Pink | All I Know So Far | ☆ |
| Robert Plant and Alison Krauss | Can't Let Go | ☆ |
| Silk Sonic | Leave the Door Open | ☆ |
| The Killers | Quiet Town | ☆ |
| The Linda Lindas | Oh! | ☆ |
| Tori Amos | Speaking with Trees | ☆ |
| Tyler the Creator | WUSYANAME | ☆ |
| Various Artists | We Don't Talk About Bruno | ☆ |
| Wet Leg | Chaise Longue | ☆ |
| Wolf Alice | Smile | ☆ |
| ⇦ 2020 | 2022 ⇨ |