Songs are miraculous things. These little slices of music, usually just a few minutes long, can completely overtake us—changing our mood, realigning our outlook, or even triggering some emotional catharsis we didn’t even know we needed. Okay, most of them do no such thing, it’s true—but that’s why the ones that do achieve such potent results are all the more affecting.
2021 found our tastes in individual songs all over the map, possibly in order to better mirror our tempestuous relationship with the outside world, which goes from enticing to frightening so abruptly these days that we occasionally check to see if we have bungee cords attached to our bodies. A few caveats: Any artists that already made our Best Albums Of 2021 list were disqualified from inclusion here, in order to showcase the breadth and scope of musicians making such fantastic music this past year. (Sorry, mini masterpieces like Low’s “Days Like These” and Indigo De Souza’s “Kill Me.”)
Also, there was no double dipping: No one appears on this list twice, even if—like The Foxies or Megan Thee Stallion—there was good reason to nominate them for more than one track. There’s plenty of excellence to go around, and a few deserving names wouldn’t have appeared had we simply gone with the songs everyone already knows and loves. Hopefully, this is a chance for you to discover a track that escaped your attention over the past year; if nothing else, consider it an opportunity to hear some high points in genres you may normally avoid. Yes, that includes death metal. That shit thumps.
Note to desktop users: If you’d like to read this in a scrolling format, simply narrow your browser window.
Songs are miraculous things. These little slices of music, usually just a few minutes long, can completely overtake us—changing our mood, realigning our outlook, or even triggering some emotional catharsis we didn’t even know we needed. Okay, most of them do no such thing, it’s true—but that’s why the ones that do achieve such potent results are all the more affecting.2021 found our tastes in individual songs all over the map, possibly in order to better mirror our tempestuous relationship with the outside world, which goes from enticing to frightening so abruptly these days that we occasionally check to see if we have bungee cords attached to our bodies. A few caveats: Any artists that already made our were disqualified from inclusion here, in order to showcase the breadth and scope of musicians making such fantastic music this past year. (Sorry, mini masterpieces like Low’s “Days Like These” and Indigo De Souza’s “Kill Me.”) Also, there was no double dipping: No one appears on this list twice, even if—like The Foxies or Megan Thee Stallion—there was good reason to nominate them for more than one track. There’s plenty of excellence to go around, and a few deserving names wouldn’t have appeared had we simply gone with the songs everyone already knows and loves. Hopefully, this is a chance for you to discover a track that escaped your attention over the past year; if nothing else, consider it an opportunity to hear some high points in genres you may normally avoid. Yes, that includes death metal. That shit thumps. Note to desktop users: If you’d like to read this in a scrolling format, simply narrow your browser window.
I was kinda surprised I haven’t seen this album show up on any year-end lists. Maybe because it came out in February, it slipped off the radar. And this was my favorite song of the year:
Love The Hold Steady. I don’t like this album quite as much as Thrashing, which was an insane return to form, but it’s still pretty great.Also ALEX nice work picking a great Orla Gartland track!
Oh, wow, thanks! I just now noticed that after you pointed it out. I obviously heard the way she pronounced it as “longue”, but didn’t notice the name of the song. Haha, TIL, indeed.
Are these the best songs of 2021 according to punk lesbians? Sure. I’m here with my punk lesbian friends now and they fucking love it. Are they the best songs of 2021 period? Fuck no. Where’s Lil Nas X? Where’s GAYLE? Where’s Emmy Meli? Where’s Cardi B? Wheres’ Dua Lipa? Where’s Justin Bieber? Where’s Miley Cyrus? Where’s Rüfus De Sol? Where’s Flight Facilities? Where’s fucking Adele? Where’s The Weeknd? Where’s Julia Jacklin?
Jesus, Erik. There is a world of music outside of the one top-40 radio station you listen to. Julia Jacklin is a strange addition to a list including Miley Cyrus and Cardi B.
Meh. I’m consistently underwhelmed by the best music of the year lists I’ve seen. Music sensibilities seem to have shifted pretty dramatically in the past 20 years. Here are 10 much better songs:Wet Dream by Wet LegBehind You by PostdataLove and Hate in a Different Time by The GabrielsStand for Myself by YolaBlack Myself (Moby Remix) by Amythyst KiahUndone by The ShivasNot Dead Yet by Lord HuronRely On by Jade BirdOversharers Anonymous by Wild PinkHowl by The Bones of J.R. Jones
My five favorite songs of the year:5. The Milk Carton Kids / New York Lonely Boy4. Roan Yellowthorn / Acid Trip3. Lil Nas X / Sun Goes Down2. Coldplay / Biutyful1. Jensen McRae / Immune
True dat. And regarding Keshi, “beside you” — the AV Club reviewer called out his “impressive vocal range.” WTF? The whole song is auto tuned, and so sounds like every other crap song in the last decade.
Great list—a better list than the albums list imo, for having more variety, and feeling a lot less cookie cutter.Don’t know if I’d call it song of the year or anything but one song I keep going back to is Renegade by Big Red Machine w/ Taylor Swift
Every year I look at lists of songs and listen to find what I’ve missed. Usually there are a few great standouts among a sea of overproduced garbage. This is the first time I want to throw out every song the year and start over. We had a global pandemic, with folks cooped up for an entire year, and this is the best music the world was able to produce in those circumstances? The best song in the bunch (and yes, I did listen to them all) was a bunch of young kids showing more talent than all of the rest of them put together. I also can’t say anything bad about Sharon Van Etten & Angel Olsen. Can we have a do-over? Or please, have the kids grow up already and show everyone else how it’s done.
What is it about music specifically that makes you veer toward completely out of touch as you age quicker than other forms of entertainment? I’ve heard 2 of these songs, while I’ve seen most of the Top 25 movies and more than half of the Top 25 TV Shows. What happened to me?!
I listen to Alt Nation on Sirius for 2 hours every weekday and I’ve never heard 19 of these songs (Thot Sht being the outlier but it’s not on the alt station). How does someone “discover” these songs if they’re not on the radio?
For me anyway, it’s just that there’s SO GODDAMN MUCH of it now, plus all music is more accessible now than it’s ever been, so keeping up with whatever’s hip and/or with it can be an exercise in deep, deep frus.. FUCK IT I’M LISTENING TO THE BEATLES AGAIN.
CHVRCHES – Good GirlsHolly Humberstone – The Walls are Way Too ThinTaylor Swift – All Too Well (seriously, how is this not on the list.)David Ferguson – The Housebuilding Song (okay this is 90% a shtpost mostly because Red Dead Redemption II came out so long ago but the OST didn’t release until this year. Still slaps.)
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I was kinda surprised I haven’t seen this album show up on any year-end lists. Maybe because it came out in February, it slipped off the radar. And this was my favorite song of the year:
This is great—thanks for the recommendation!
Love The Hold Steady. I don’t like this album quite as much as Thrashing, which was an insane return to form, but it’s still pretty great.Also ALEX nice work picking a great Orla Gartland track!
Really dug this one. Felt like a fine return to form after a couple lackluster albums.
Prioritise Pleasure by SELF ESTEEM is clearly the song of the year, although I will also hear arguments for The Weather Station’s The Robber.
I gotta go with “Chaise Lounge” by Wet Leg. This band is so fun.
And now, it’s even better, because I get to annoy Erik Veland up above by putting another “punk lesbian” song in his pipe for him to smoke.
Was able to score the 7″ single and have preordered the LP coming out in the spring. One of the more delightful musical surprises of 2021.
Same! Just pre-ordered yesterday, so I got the 4-track sampler while I wait.
It’s “longue,” which is actually the correct (French) term. I like the song too.
Oh, wow, thanks! I just now noticed that after you pointed it out. I obviously heard the way she pronounced it as “longue”, but didn’t notice the name of the song. Haha, TIL, indeed.
Isn’t Baby Keem a dead ringer for that young guy who dead-ass pretended to be a doctor, without a college degree let alone an MD, and went to jail?
Are these the best songs of 2021 according to punk lesbians? Sure. I’m here with my punk lesbian friends now and they fucking love it. Are they the best songs of 2021 period? Fuck no. Where’s Lil Nas X? Where’s GAYLE? Where’s Emmy Meli? Where’s Cardi B? Wheres’ Dua Lipa? Where’s Justin Bieber? Where’s Miley Cyrus? Where’s Rüfus De Sol? Where’s Flight Facilities? Where’s fucking Adele? Where’s The Weeknd? Where’s Julia Jacklin?
Best =/= Biggest. and dude, Adele? really?
Youre on the wrong site, maybe even planet, for Bieber appreciation, but nice misogyny and homophobia, ErikTake your shirt’s advice and whine less
Jesus, Erik. There is a world of music outside of the one top-40 radio station you listen to. Julia Jacklin is a strange addition to a list including Miley Cyrus and Cardi B.
LOL
And where have all the cowboys gone?
Cosco, there was a really big sale.
I mean, Lil Nas X should have several songs on this list.Who wrote this list? Seriously weird.
Is it one of the 20 best songs of the year? No.But, is it the song of the season? You know it!
The Melting of the Sun. St. Vincent.
My song of the year is “Sunglasses” by Black Country, New Road.
Meh. I’m consistently underwhelmed by the best music of the year lists I’ve seen. Music sensibilities seem to have shifted pretty dramatically in the past 20 years. Here are 10 much better songs:Wet Dream by Wet LegBehind You by PostdataLove and Hate in a Different Time by The GabrielsStand for Myself by YolaBlack Myself (Moby Remix) by Amythyst KiahUndone by The ShivasNot Dead Yet by Lord HuronRely On by Jade BirdOversharers Anonymous by Wild PinkHowl by The Bones of J.R. Jones
Mitski’s “Working For The Knife” is NOT “industrial” in the slightest. lol…
Timothy Fleet & Wayne Murray – “SOS”
Sneaker Pimps – “Child in the Dark”
Roosevelt – “See You Again”
Electric Youth – “Modern Fears”
Above & Beyond – “Almost Home”
So which of these is the lightest dream-pop alluded to in the subhead? I ain’t gonna listen to all of them.
My five favorite songs of the year:5. The Milk Carton Kids / New York Lonely Boy4. Roan Yellowthorn / Acid Trip3. Lil Nas X / Sun Goes Down2. Coldplay / Biutyful1. Jensen McRae / Immune
Cough “Driver’s License is the best song of the year” cough.
They call this stuff best of the year while rock and metal is selling out 100k concerts.
True dat. And regarding Keshi, “beside you” — the AV Club reviewer called out his “impressive vocal range.” WTF? The whole song is auto tuned, and so sounds like every other crap song in the last decade.
the list is mostly rock and there are multiple metal songs lol
none of that crap was even rock
then you don’t know what “rock” means
Yep – the boomers have the money to spend!
Ahh sad teen has no money, boomers are your parents, and we all know your mom
Great list—a better list than the albums list imo, for having more variety, and feeling a lot less cookie cutter.Don’t know if I’d call it song of the year or anything but one song I keep going back to is Renegade by Big Red Machine w/ Taylor Swift
Where the hell is Silk Sonic?
Every year I look at lists of songs and listen to find what I’ve missed. Usually there are a few great standouts among a sea of overproduced garbage. This is the first time I want to throw out every song the year and start over. We had a global pandemic, with folks cooped up for an entire year, and this is the best music the world was able to produce in those circumstances? The best song in the bunch (and yes, I did listen to them all) was a bunch of young kids showing more talent than all of the rest of them put together. I also can’t say anything bad about Sharon Van Etten & Angel Olsen. Can we have a do-over? Or please, have the kids grow up already and show everyone else how it’s done.
What is it about music specifically that makes you veer toward completely out of touch as you age quicker than other forms of entertainment? I’ve heard 2 of these songs, while I’ve seen most of the Top 25 movies and more than half of the Top 25 TV Shows. What happened to me?!
You grew up. It happens to all of us.
OK, millenial.
I listen to Alt Nation on Sirius for 2 hours every weekday and I’ve never heard 19 of these songs (Thot Sht being the outlier but it’s not on the alt station). How does someone “discover” these songs if they’re not on the radio?
For me anyway, it’s just that there’s SO GODDAMN MUCH of it now, plus all music is more accessible now than it’s ever been, so keeping up with whatever’s hip and/or with it can be an exercise in deep, deep frus.. FUCK IT I’M LISTENING TO THE BEATLES AGAIN.
Allison Russell’s album, “Outside Child,” is a game-changer, and any of the songs from it should be on all the best of 2021 lists.
CHVRCHES – Good GirlsHolly Humberstone – The Walls are Way Too ThinTaylor Swift – All Too Well (seriously, how is this not on the list.)David Ferguson – The Housebuilding Song (okay this is 90% a shtpost mostly because Red Dead Redemption II came out so long ago but the OST didn’t release until this year. Still slaps.)
I’m angry you didn’t pick the music I like!!!