The A.V. Club’s list of 2021’s best albums was determined by 11 critics, who each submitted a ranked ballot of their 20 records of the year. Those ballots can be found below, along with their picks for additional nominations—including best EPs and best reissues. If you’re looking to explore the best records of the year that didn’t make our official list, this is the place to find them. Additionally, this is where you can find our critics’ picks for the best singles of the year. (Spoiler alert: Hope you like “Thot Shit.”)
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Alex McLevy
Top 20 LPs
Indigo De Souza, Any Shape You Take
The Weather Station, Ignorance
The Armed, ULTRAPOP
Torres, Thirstier
Low, Hey What
Son Lux, Tomorrows III
Madlib, Sound Ancestors
Chvrches, Screen Violence
McKinley Dixon, For My Mama And Anyone Who Look Like Her
Jon Hopkins, Music For Psychedelic Therapy
Wednesday, Twin Plagues
Arooj Aftab, Vulture Prince
Noga Erez, KIDS
Bad Bad Hats, Walkman
The Notwist, Vertigo Days
Snail Mail, Valentine
Jazmine Sullivan, Heaux Tales
Ratboys, Happy Birthday, Ratboy
Japanese Breakfast, Jubilee
Little Simz, Sometimes I Might Be Introvert
Top 5 singles
Julien Baker, “Faith Healer”
Tkay Maidza, “Kim”
Lucy Dacus, “Thumbs”
Mdou Moctar, “Afrique Victime”
Megan Thee Stallion, ‘Thot Shit”
Top 5 EPs
Beach Bunny, Blame Game
Holly Humberstone, The Walls Are Way Too Thin
Benny The Butcher and Harry Fraud, The Plugz I Met 2
Lee Ranaldo, In Virus Times
Rebecca Black, Rebecca Black Was Here
Top 5 reissues
Radiohead, Kid A Mnesia
Joni Mitchell, The Reprise Albums (1968-1971)
Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band, The Legendary 1979 No Nukes Concert
John Coltrane, A Love Supreme: Live In Seattle
Nirvana, Nevermind: 30th Anniversary Super Deluxe Edition
Baraka Kaseko
Top 20 LPs
Little Simz, Sometimes I Might Be Introvert
Isaiah Rashad, The House Is Burning
Jazmine Sullivan, Heaux Tales
Genesis Owusu, Smiling With No Teeth
Cleo Sol, Mother
Jungle, Loving in Stereo
Mach Hommy, Pray For Haiti
McKinley Dixon, For My Mama And Anyone Who Look Like Her
Serpentwithfeet, Deacon
Tyler The Creator, Call Me If You Get Lost
Silk Sonic, An Evening With Silk Sonic
Rejjie Snow, Baw Baw Black Sheep
Nao, And Then Life Was Beautiful
Dave, We’re All Alone In This Together
Vince Staples, s/t
Topaz Jones, Don’t Go Tellin’ Your Momma
Pink Sweat$, Pink Planet
Lil Nas X, Montero
Snoh Aalegra, Temporary Highs In The Violet Skies
Tinashe, 333
Top 5 singles
Noname, “Rainforest”
Amber Mark, “Foreign Things”
Megan Thee Stallion, “Thot Shit”
Brent Faiyaz feat. Tyler, The Creator, “Gravity”
J. Cole, Lil Baby, “Pride Is the Devil”
Gabrielle Sanchez
Top 20 LPs
Japanese Breakfast, Jubilee
Snail Mail, Valentine
Adele, 30
Summer Walker, Still Over It
Clairo, Sling
Jazmine Sullivan, Heaux Tales
Tyler, The Creator, Call Me If You Get Lost
Katy Kirby, Cool Dry Place
Faye Webster, I Know I’m Funny Haha
Turnstile, GLOW ON
Remi Wolf, Juno
Silk Sonic, An Evening With Silk Sonic
Tasha, Tell Me What You Miss The Most
Doja Cat, Planet Her
Kacey Musgraves, starcrossed
PinkPantheress, to hell with it
Lil Nas X, Montero
Arlo Parks, Collapsed In Sunbeams
St. Vincent, Daddy’s Home
Lorde, Solar Power
Top 5 singles
Doja Cat feat. SZA, “Kiss Me More”
Japanese Breakfast, “Paprika”
Snail Mail, “Valentine”
MUNA featuring Phoebe Bridgers, “Silk Chiffon”
Mitski, “Working For The Knife”
Cameron Scheetz
Top 20 LPs
Japanese Breakfast, Jubilee
Lil Nas X, Montero
Rostam, Changephobia
Jazmine Sullivan, Heaux Tales
Adele, 30
Arlo Parks, Collapsed In Sunbeams
Magdalena Bay, Mercurial World
Snail Mail, Valentine
Tyler The Creator, Call Me If You Get Lost
Remi Wolf, Juno
Girl In Red, If I Could Make It Go Quiet
Wet, Letter Blue
Doja Cat, Planet Her
Yola, Stand For Myself
Lucy Daucus, Home Video
serpentwithfeet, Deacon
Olivia Rodrigo, Sour
Julien Baker, Little Oblivians
Billie Eilish, Happier Than Ever
Kacey Musgraves, star-crossed
Top 5 singles
Sharon Van Etten and Angel Olsen, “Like I Used To”
MUNA featuring Phoebe Bridgers, “Silk Chiffon”
Ari Lennox, “Pressure”
Jessie Ware, “Please”
Remi Wolf, “Liz”
Tatiana Tenreyro
Top 20 LPs
Japanese Breakfast, Jubilee
Olivia Rodrigo, SOUR
Indigo De Souza, Any Shape You Take
Julien Baker, Little Oblivions
Snail Mail, Valentine
Katy Kirby, Cool Dry Place
Pom Pom Squad, Death Of A Cheerleader
Rosie Tucker, Sucker Supreme
Helado Negro, Far In
Halsey, If I Can’t Have Love, I Want Power
The Armed, Ultrapop
Lana Del Rey, Blue Banisters
Modest Mouse, The Golden Casket
PinkPantheress, To Hell With It
We Are The Union, Ordinary Life
Petey, Lean Into Life
Cheekface, Emphatically No.
Rostam, Changephobia
Lucy Dacus, Home Video
Girl In Red, If I Could Make It Go Quiet
Top 5 singles
Olivia Rodrigo, “Deja Vu”
Parquet Courts, “Walking At A Downtown Pace”
Snail Mail, “Valentine”
Megan Thee Stallion, “Thot Shit”
Mitski, “Working For The Knife”
Top 5 EPs
Mannequin Pussy, Perfect
Hannah Jadagu, What Is Going On
Pronoun, SOUND THE ALARMS!!!1!
Jhariah, A BEGINNER’S GUIDE TO FAKING YOUR DEATH
Rebecca Black, Rebecca Black Was Here
Top reissues
My Bloody Valentine, Loveless
Radiohead, Kid A Mnesia
Nirvana, Nevermind (30th anniversary edition)
David Anthony
Top 20 LPs
Turnstile, Glow On
Fiddlehead, Between The Richness
The Armed, ULTRAPOP
Hyperdontia, Hideous Entity
Pan-Amerikan Native Front, Little Turtle’s War
Carcass, Torn Arteries
Anika Pyle, Wild River
Regional Justice Center, Crime and Punishment
Hurry, Fake Ideas
Hulder, Godslastering: Hymns of a Forlorn Peasantry
Canal Irreal, Canal Irreal
Thirdface, Do It With A Smile
Concrete Winds, Nerve Butcherer
Slant, 1집
Galvanizer, Prying Sight of Imperception
Jeff Rosenstock, Ska Dream
Socioclast, Socioclast
Laura Stevenson, Laura Stevenson
Ratboys, Happy Birthday, Ratboy
Floatie, Voyage Out
Top single
Snow Ellet, “Cannonball”
Somewhere between untitled-era blink-182, mid-period Get Up Kids, and the Postal Service is this incredible Snow Ellet song. Easily the hookiest thing in a year full of pop-minded singles.
Top EP
Militarie Gun, All Roads Lead To The Gun II
This band’s development has been absolutely thrilling to watch, and if not for that Snow Ellet tracks, “Big Disappointment” would easily have been my song of the year.
Top reissue
Dazy, MAXIMUMBLASTSUPERLOUD: The First 24 Songs
A collection of 24 lo-fi jams that fall somewhere between brit-pop and noise-rock. What’s not to love
Max Freedman
Top 20 LPs
The Weather Station, Ignorance
L’Rain, Fatigue
Indigo de Souza, Any Shape You Take
Turnstile, GLOW UP
SPELLLING, The Turning Wheel
Japanese Breakfast, Jubilee
Jazmine Sullivan, Heaux Tales
Tyler, the Creator, CALL ME IF YOU GET LOST
Snail Mail, Valentine
Low, HEY WHAT
Halsey, If I Can’t Have Love, I Want Power
The Armed, ULTRAPOP
Dry Cleaning, New Long Leg
TORRES, Thirstier
St. Vincent, Daddy’s Home
Remi Wolf, Juno
Lucy Dacus, Home Video
ada lea, one hand on the steering wheel the other sewing a garden
Lingua Ignota, SINNER GET READY
Lily Konigsberg, Lily We Need To Talk Now
Top 5 singles
The Weather Station, “Atlantic”
Indigo de Souza, “Real Pain”
L’Rain, “Kill Self”
Turnstile, “BLACKOUT”
Spirit of the Beehive, “THERE’S NOTHING YOU CAN’T DO”
Top EP
LSDXOXO: Dedicated 2 Disrespect
The Berlin-via-New-York-via-Philly producer’s first release for XL is full of tough-as-nails techno shuffling, monotone vocal delivery, and unflinchingly horny, campy lyrics. Together, all these elements bring the 4 a.m. queer rave vibes to you anytime, anywhere.
Nina Hernandez
Top 20 LPs
Billie Eilish, Happier Than Ever
James Blake, Friends That Break Your Heart
Willow Smith, Lately I Feel Everything
Renee Goust, Resister
Doja Cat, Planet Her
Young MA, Off The Yak
Olivia Rodrigo, SOUR
Arlo Parks, Collapsed In Sunbeans
Fana Hues, Hues
Rico Nasty, Nightmare Vacation
Isaiah Rashad, The House Is Burning
Summer Walker, Still Over it
Dawn Richard, Second Line
Jazmine Sullivan, Heaux Tales
Mach-Hommy, Pray For Haiti
Japanese Breakfast, Jubilee
Little Simz, Sometimes I Might Be Introvert
Lil Nas X, Montero
Tyler, The Creator, Call Me if You Get Lost
Karol G, KGO516
Top single
“Girls Girls Girls,” Fletcher
New Jersey vocalist Fletcher stuns by twisting Katy Perry’s “I Kissed A Girl” into a truly sexy ode to women who unapologetically love other women. Beyond content, Fletcher completely remakes Perry’s bubblegum pop into a raucous club banger.
Lily Moayeri
Top 20 LPs
Silk Sonic, An Evening With Silk Sonic
Little Simz, Sometimes I Might Be Introvert
Jungle, Loving in Stereo
Yebba, Dawn
IDLES, Crawler
Duran Duran, Future Past
Hard Feelings, Hard Feelings
Leon Bridges, Gold-Diggers Sound
Billie Eilish, Happier Than Ever
Still Woozy, If This Isn’t Nice, I Don’t Know What Is
Dave Gahan And The Soulsavers, Imposter
Rhys Langston, Stalin Bollywood
Martina Topley-Bird, Forever I Wait
Greta Van Fleet, The Battle at Garden’s Gate
Lady Blackbird, Black Acid Soul
POND, 9
José González, Local Valley
Rufus du Sol, Surrender
Gorgon City, Olympia
The The, The Comeback Special
Clayton Purdom
Top 20 LPs
Tyler, The Creator, Call Me If You Get Lost
Madlib, Sound Ancestors
Isaiah Rashad, The House Is Burning
Floating Points, Promises
Dry Cleaning, New Long Leg
Armand Hammer, Haram
Wiki, Half God
Tirzah, Colourgrade
Ka, A Martyr’s Reward
Kacy Hill, Simple, Sweet, And Smiling
Aesop Rock, Garbology
Low, Hey What
Faye Webster, I Know I’m Funny Haha
Mach-Hommy, Pray For Haiti
JPEGMafia, LP!
Darkside, Spiral
Grouper, Shade
Pink Siifu & Fly Anakin, Smokebreak
Lone, Always Inside Your Head
Space Afrika, Honest Labour
Top single
Baby Keem featuring Kendrick Lamar, “Family Ties”
And then Kenny returned from the mountaintop batshit gonzo, like mad that rap continued without him, mad that rappers rapped at all, standing behind you while you listen to the track, mad that you’re listening to it. Like the man says: burn that shit. But have some fun doing it, you know
Annie Zaleski
Top 20 LPs
Duran Duran, Future Past
Tents, Limbo
Tori Amos, Ocean to Ocean
Garbage, No Gods No Masters
PONY, TV Baby
Crowded House, Dreamers are Waiting
Quivers, Golden Doubt
The Chills, Scatterbrain
Mogwai, As The Love Continues
Halsey, If I Can’t Have Love, I Want Power
Palberta, Palberta5000
The Goon Sax, Mirror II
Marissa Nadler, The Path Of The Clouds
Mammoth WVH, Mammoth WVH
Snail Mail, Valentine
Adult Mom, Driver
Remi Wolf, Juno
The Go! Team, Get Up Sequences Part One
Arlo Parks, Collapsed In Sunbeams
Turnstile, Glow On
Top 5 singles
MUNA featuring Phoebe Bridgers, “Silk Chiffon”
Halsey, “I Am Not a Woman, I’m a God”
The Linda Lindas, “Oh!”
Duran Duran, “Anniversary”
Sarko Montaug, “Possessive”
Best reissue
Rhythm And Paranoia: The Best Of Bush Tetras (Wharfcat)
This compilation is a comprehensive intro to post-punk legends the Bush Tetras, but also is a reminder that their catalog remains as fresh, vital, and searing now as it was 40 years ago.