The 101 Most Anticipated Albums Of 2021

The 101 Most Anticipated Albums Of 2021

Now that the best music of 2020 has been thoroughly examined, it’s time to look to the future. Our list of the most anticipated albums of 2021 has arrived.

How did we assemble this list? We started with the albums that have already been announced. We checked social media for clues about who’s been in the studio. We asked labels and publicists if there’s anything coming up they could tease. We skimmed interviews for hints about upcoming music. Having compiled a large pool of candidates, we then debated about which of them are most noteworthy. And before publishing, we decided whether we really believed this is the year Dear Tommy or Masochism or the next Wrens album is finally gonna materialize.

The results of that process are below. Check out our list, then hit the comments section to let us know which upcoming releases you’re excited about.

101. Drake – Certified Lover Boy (OVO/Republic, January)

100. Foo Fighters – Medicine At Midnight (Method, 2/5)

99. Slowthai – TYRON

98. Chvrches

97. The Hold Steady – Open Door Policy (Positive Jams/Thirty Tigers, 2/19)

96. Hiss Golden Messenger

95. 박혜진 Park Hye Jin

94. Katy Kirby – Cool Dry Place (Keeled Scales, 2/19)

93. Bleachers

92. Lil Nas X

91. Red Hot Chili Peppers

90. Editrix – Tell Me I’m Bad (Exploding In Sound, 2/5)

89. Courtney Barnett

88. Steve Gunn

87. Nation Of Language

86. R.A.P. Ferreira – bob’s son: R​.​A​.​P. Ferreira in the garden level cafe of the scallops hotel (Ruby Yacht, 1/1)

85. Enforced – Kill Grid (Century Media, 3/12)

84. Tigers Jaw – I Won’t Care How You Remember Me (Hopeless, 3/5)

83. Silverbacks

82. CHAI

81. Bernice – Eau De Bonjourno (Telephone Explosion/figureeight, 3/5)

80. For Your Health – In Spite Of (Twelve Gauge, 2/21)

79. Palberta – Palberta5000 (Wharf Cat, 1/22)

78. Adult Mom

77. Queens Of The Stone Age

76. IAN SWEET

75. The Goon Sax

74. Portrayal Of Guilt – We Are Always Alone

73. Archers Of Loaf

72. Dry Cleaning

71. Madlib – Sound Ancestors

70. Mdou Moctar

69. Cloud Nothings – The Shadow I Remember (Carpark, 2/26)

68. Flock Of Dimes

67. My Morning Jacket

66. Tribulation – Where The Gloom Becomes Sound (Metal Blade/Century Media, 1/29)

65. Mastodon

64. Lande Hekt – Going To Hell (Get Better, 1/22)

63. Squid

62. The Staves – Good Woman (Nonesuch, 2/5)

61. Turnstile

60. Bat Fangs

59. Travis Scott – Utopia

58. Liz Phair – Soberish

57. Conway The Machine – God Don’t Make Mistakes (Shady, Winter)

56. Arab Strap – As Days Get Dark (Rock Action, 3/5)

55. One Step Closer – This Place You Know (Spring)

54. Angel Du$t

53. Phoenix

52. Viagra Boys – Welfare Jazz (YEAR0001, 1/8)

51. Illuminati Hotties

50. Girl Band

49. Rihanna

48. Dinosaur Jr.

47. The Wrens

46. Chubby And The Gang

45. Drug Church

44. Ryley Walker

43. Iceage

42. Laura Stevenson

41. Strand Of Oaks

40. ScHoolboy Q

39. Black Country, New Road – For The First Time (Ninja Tune, 2/5)

38. Blanck Mass

37. Clairo

36. The World Is A Beautiful Place And I Am No Longer Afraid To Die

35. Tierra Whack

34. Parquet Courts

33. Denzel Curry – Melt My Eyez, See Your Future

32. Wild Pink – A Billion Little Lights (Royal Mountain, 2/19)

31. Spoon

30. Mannequin Pussy

29. Japanese Breakfast

28. Weyes Blood

27. Hand Habits

26. Vince Staples

25. St. Vincent

24. Danny Brown – XXXX

23. Adele

22. The Weather Station – Ignorance (Fat Possum, 2/5)

21. Billie Eilish

20. Noname – Factory Baby

19. Lucy Dacus

18. FKA twigs

17. Julien Baker – Little Oblivions (Matador, 2/26)

16. Deafheaven

15. SZA

14. The Cure

13. Rosalía

12. Snail Mail

11. Pusha T

10. Arcade Fire

9. Big Thief

8. Cardi B

7. Father John Misty

6. Lana Del Rey – Chemtrails Over The Country Club

5. Sky Ferreira – Masochism

4. The War On Drugs

3. Kacey Musgraves

2. Lorde

1. Kendrick Lamar

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