For a full list and year-end wrap-up click here: MaxSounds 2021

MaxSounds 2021 Top 20

1. Clap Your Hands Say Yeah • New Fragility
2. The War On Drugs • I Don’t Live Here Anymore
3. Deap Vally • Marriage
4. Amyl and the Sniffers • Comfort to Me
5. La Luz • La Luz
6. My Morning Jacket • My Morning Jacket
7. Sleater Kinney • Path of Wellness
8. The Weather Station • Ignorance
9. Flock of Dimes • Head of Roses
10. Steven Wilson • The Future Bites
11. Geese • Projector
12. Chvrches • Screen Violence
13. Duran Duran • Future Past
14. Dry Cleaning • New Long Leg
15. Goat Girl • On All Fours
16. Marissa Nadler • The Path of the Clouds
17. Snail Mail • Valentine
18. Howlin Rain • The Dharma Wheel
19. Clinic • Fantasy Island
20. Dummy • Mandatory Enjoyment

Bonus Album

Flaming Lips with Nell Smith • Where the Viaduct Looms

More Notable LPs & Late Discoveries

• Besnard Lakes • The Besnard Lakes Are the Last…
• Bizou • Tragic Lover
• Courtney Barnett • Things Take Time
• Jehnny Beth & Bobbie Gillespie • Utopian Ashes
• The Warlocks • EXP

ROCK: Hard • Classic • Prog • Post • Metal

• The Foo Fighters • Medicine at Midnight
• Mammoth • Mammoth WVH
• Mastadon • Hushed and Grim
• The Pretty Reckless • Death of Rock and Roll

POP MATTERS

• Lorde • Solar Power
• The Marias • CINEMA
• Olivia Rodrigo • SOUR
• Phoebe Bridgers • Punisher
• Wolf Alice • Blue Weekend