Top 10 albums I listened to in 2021 · 6:46am Dec 31st, 2021
2021 has been a significant year for me in terms of music. It's the year I started to heavily listen to numerous albums from a wide range of bands/artists. With that said before the year ends I wanted to look back and make a list of my favorites throughout this year.
I recommend you listen to the songs associated with each album while you read just so you get more immersed and have a better understanding, you don't have to of course. Lastly I do have one rule before I start, that being only one album per artist/band.
10. The Stone Roses - Debut Album
Year of release: 1989
Genre: Alternative rock/ Indie Rock
There's a good reason this album is credited with revolutionizing music. I loved the Pink Floyd elements incorporated into this album, It's psychedelic but it's still something you can dance to. It has a very indie vibe to it and helped kick off the third British invasion in America. All the songs are amazing, I 100% recommend this album.
9. Chaos A.D - Sepultura
Year of release: 1993
Genre: Groove Metal/ Metal
After my review of Roots and with how much I loved that album. It motivated me to start checking out Sepultura's discography, which lead me to this album. Holy shit I didn't think anything could beat Roots but I was proved wrong. The songs on here are heavier and even more brutal. This album is also where they started incorporating Brazilian tribal drums, which made me happy. The real reason I say this is better than Roots is because of the last song off the album, Chaos B.C. it's a remix of the first song off the album. A remix that consists of Samba, Techno, and Metal. The way I'm describing it may make it sound like it's shit, but I shit you not I had a big goofy smile on my face the first time I heard it. It's such a unique song.
8. Enema Of The State - Blink-182
Year of release: 1999
Genre: Pop Punk
I was not expecting to love this album as much as I did. I first listened to this album just a couple days ago but ever since then I've been replaying it constantly. I don't know what it is about it but just listening to this album makes me happy. The transitions between songs are so smooth and bleed into each other perfectly (which is my secret kink). I don't want to say much since I want to do a review of this album in full but just know that I absolutely love this album. My only problem is The Party Song. After the greatness that is Adam's Song and All the Small Things they completely had to ruin the moment with that shitty song and I hate it. But other than that I love this album.
7. Purple - Stone Temple Pilots
Year of release: 1994
Genre: Alternative rock/ Grunge
God this album is so good. This album was a big middle finger to critics that felt that Stone Temple Pilots were ripping off Pearl Jam and had no talent whatsoever. This album is not as heavy as their debut album Core but because of that I feel like it's more accessible to the general audience. Every song has their own thing going on so you won't feel bored upon re-listening to it. Their secret song 12 gracious melodies is also a treat for those who stick around the last song long enough.
6. Vs - Pearl Jam
Year of release: 1993
Genre: Alternative rock/ Grunge
Speaking of Pearl Jam their album Vs is a great follow up to their debut album Ten. Like Purple each song has their own thing going on, there's lots of variety here. You won't ever get bored, from fast paced rock songs to soft acoustic ballads. There's something here for everyone. One of my favorite songs on here Blood pushes Eddie Vedder's vocals to produce the best screams you'll hear out of a rock song.
5. Jar of Flies - Alice in Chains
Year of release: 1993
Genre: Alternative rock/ Grunge
You know the "Chains" part of my name comes from this band. Anyways this album is dark and full of emotions ranging from depression, resentment, etc and deals with topics like drug addiction. It didn't help that frontman Layne Staley was dealing with drug addiction at the time and was slowly taking a toll on the band. It beautifully mixes symphonic instruments with the dirty grunge tone, producing a unique sound. This album also holds one of my favorite songs of all time. A song I can't sing without getting teary eyed, that song being Nutshell.
4. El Nervio del Volcán - Caifanes
Year of release: 1994
Genre: Alternative rock/ Progressive rock/ Rock en Español
As I mentioned in my Caifanes debut album review. This band holds a special place in my heart, it being my introduction to rock from my Dad. That said it took me until this year to hear their entire discography. This being their 2nd best album, this is also where they established their own distinct sound. This album also holds a lot of hits and is probably their most well known album. The band is at their peak (musically speaking) here. This album feels as if they're all actually playing together in the recording studio. This album also holds another favorite song of mine. That being Ayer me dijo un ave a soft, emotional song that incorporates acoustic guitars and string instruments. Overall this is such a well put together album.
3. Graduation - Kanye West
Year of release: 2007
Genre: Hip Hop/ Rap/ Alternative Rap
This album is the reason why I love Kanye West and why I listened to his entire discography this year. Like Enema of the state this album always lifts my spirits up everytime I hear it, I never get bored of it. My love for this album probably stems from the beats/samples that Kanye uses, it fills me with nostalgia. I also just want to say real quick how much I adore the song I Wonder, I get pretty emotional everytime I hear it. While I do acknowledge that My beautiful dark twisted fantasy is the better album, there's just something about this album that I can't help but love more. I strongly recommend this to people who want to get into Kanye West, it makes for a great introductory album.
2. Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness - The Smashing Pumpkins
Year of release: 1995
Genre: Alternative Rock/ Indie Rock/ Grunge
This was probably the biggest surprise for me out of all the albums I listened to in 2021. Mellon Collie is an adventure of an album! It has a wonderful mix of soft, meaningful songs and heavy, head banging tunes. Add in the fact that it's a double album, an album containing 28 songs and it was still able to capture my attention is a big accomplishment. Also like Jar of Flies I love how they incorporate string instruments on some of the songs. My only critique is that it has a very long runtime of 2 hours, so those who want to check it out themselves better spare some time. I might make a review of this album as well but other than that this album is an absolute gem.
1. Foo Fighters - Debut Album
Year of release: 1995
Genre: Alternative Rock/ Grunge
I won't talk too much about this album since I already made a whole review of it on my blog. Just know that this is one of the best debut albums ever made. An album that holds songs that Dave Grohl wrote during his Nirvana days as well as some new songs. This album is what convinced me to listen to the Foo Fighters entire discography and cemented them as one of my favorite bands of all time. It has a good mix of songs and keeps your attention constantly. I know comparing this to all the other albums I talked about on here may make it seem extremely basic. But I don't know there's just something that keeps me coming back. This was after all the album I listened to the most this year.
With that being said I conclude My top 10 list. If you made it this far I want to personally thank you for taking time of your day to listen to the opinion of a nobody like me on the internet. Hope you guys have a nice one! and Happy New Years!
Grab a muffin on your way out!
