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
https://twitter.com/adultmomband/status/1334151451459743744?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
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
Now almost done w/ my low-level-customizing of...my new Epiphone! (here modeled by Heir #2 (of 3)).
— the wrens (@thewrens) September 25, 2020
Make of that what you will..
46. Chubby And The Gang
45. Drug Church
44. Ryley Walker
https://twitter.com/ryleywalker/status/1337406865072922626
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
https://twitter.com/Jbrekkie/status/1157168610126848006
https://twitter.com/Jbrekkie/status/1201218146306101248
28. Weyes Blood
27. Hand Habits
26. Vince Staples
25. St. Vincent
24. Danny Brown - XXXX
https://twitter.com/xdannyxbrownx/status/1319091918610063361
23. Adele
22. The Weather Station - Ignorance (Fat Possum, 2/5)
21. Billie Eilish
https://twitter.com/eilishupd8s3/status/1304074201763139585
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
.@StevenVictor went live on our IG today and got @PUSHA_T to talk about his next album. Sounds like it's produced entirely by the Neptunes & Kanye so far pic.twitter.com/VMWjATjdS0
— RapCaviar (@RapCaviar) December 8, 2020
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
