The Top Songs of 2021

For the first time in many, many years I have compiled a list of my favorite songs in addition to compiling my favorite albums. I hope it helps you discover some new artists or reminds you to dive further into a relationship with artists you already know and love.

For more reflections on the music of 2021, check out the intro to my Top Albums list for 2021.

A couple more notes on the songs list specifically:

i) You can listen to all of the songs below in one convenient playlist on Spotify, presented as part of my “What’s Good” playlist series.

ii) While Spotify’s utmost virtue is convenience, its tragic flaw is being completely unwilling to pay artists anything close to a living wage. Needless to say, this sucks a lot and I feel it’s important to yell about it whenever I can.

iii) Because Spotify is the worst, I’ve also included a link to each song on Bandcamp, when possible. I hope that will make it easier for you to financially support the artists of your favorite songs on the list.

iv) You can obviously still support the artists whose songs aren’t listed on Bandcamp, as well—and the best way to do that is to purchase concert tickets and merch directly from the artist’s official site or from a local independently owned record store.

OK now on to a list of complete and utter bangerssss! Enjoy!

101. Arca — “Rakata”

100. Wet Leg — “Chaise Longue” (on Bandcamp)

99. Samantha Crain — “Bloomsday” (on Bandcamp)

98. Cautious Clay — “Wildfire” (on Bandcamp)

97. Arlo Parks — “Eugene” (on Bandcamp)

96. Courtney Barnett — “Write a List of Things To Look Forward To” (on Bandcamp)

95. Indigo De Souza — “Pretty Pictures” (on Bandcamp)

94. BbyMutha — “rainyday” (on Bandcamp)

93. NNAMDÏ & Lynyn — “Barely Reason for a Smile” (on Bandcamp)

92. The Weather Station — “Robber” (on Bandcamp)

91. Bachelor — “Stay in the Car” (on Bandcamp)

90. Lil Nas X — “MONTERO (Call Me By Your Name)”

89. Tkay Maidza — “Syrup”

88. Hana Vu — “Everybody’s Birthday” (on Bandcamp)

87. Lazerbeak — “Summer Blockbuster” (on Bandcamp)

86. illuminati hotties — “Pool Hopping” (on Bandcamp)

85. J Balvin — “Que Locura”

84. The Marías — Un Millón

83. Sufjan Stevens & Angelo De Augustine — “Back to Oz” (on Bandcamp)

82. Altin Gün — Hey Nari (on Bandcamp)

81. YEИDRY — “YA”

80. Billie Eilish — “Therefore I Am”

79. Snail Mail — “Ben Franklin” (on Bandcamp)

78. Burna Boy & Don Jazzy — “Question”

77. BROCKHAMPTON — “COUNT ON ME”

76. Khruangbin & Leon Bridges — “B-Side” (on Bandcamp)

75. Tierra Whack — “Millions”

74. Dijon — “Many Times”

73. Porches — “Okay” (on Bandcamp)

72. BERWYN — “VINYL”

71. Mariah the Scientist — “2 You”

70. Billie Eilish — “NDA”

69. CHAI — “Donuts Mind If I Do” (on Bandcamp)

68. Baby Keem — “first order of business”

67. Samia — “Show Up” (on Bandcamp)

66. Lunar Vacation — “Mold” (on Bandcamp)

65. Clairo — “Amoeba”

64. Hand Habits — “More Than Love” (on Bandcamp)

63. Big Red Machine & Taylor Swift — “Renegade” (on Bandcamp)

62. CHVRCHES — “Good Girls”

61. Sharon Van Etten & Angel Olson — “Like I Used To”

60. Mdou Moctar — “Chismiten” (on Bandcamp)

59. Leon Bridges — “Details”

58. Snail Mail — “Madonna” (on Bandcamp)

57. Tyler, The Creator — “CORSO”

56. Snoh Aalegra — “VIOLET SKIES”

55. Yasmin Williams — “Juvenescence” (on Bandcamp)

54. slowthai — “nhs” (on Bandcamp)

53. Jorja Smith — “Gone”

52. José González — “El Invento” (on Bandcamp)

51. Squirrel Flower — “Flames and Flat Tires” (on Bandcamp)

50. Wiki & Navy Blue — “Can’t Do This Alone” (on Bandcamp)

49. Sun June — “Everything I had” (on Bandcamp)

48. TORRES — “Don’t Go Puttin Wishes in My Head” (on Bandcamp)

47. Bad Bad Hats — “Always on Time” (on Bandcamp)

46. Young Thug — “Tick Tock”

45. Claud — “Guard Down” (on Bandcamp)

44. Big Red Machine, Fleet Foxes, & Anaïs Mitchell — “Phoenix” (on Bandcamp)

43. James Blake — “Life Is Not the Same”

42. serpentwithfeet — “Same Size Shoe” (on Bandcamp)

41. Skullcrusher — “Storm in Summer” (on Bandcamp)

40. Flock of Dimes — “Two” (on Bandcamp)

39. Topaz Jones — “Herringbone”

38. Julien Baker — “Favor” (on Bandcamp)

37. Saba & Daoud — “Fearmonger”

36. Orla Gartland — “More Like You” (on Bandcamp)

35. Lydia Ainsworth — “Parade” (on Bandcamp)

34. Cautious Clay — “Shook” (on Bandcamp)

33. Valley Maker — “Mockingbird” (on Bandcamp)

32. Katy Kirby — “Traffic!” (on Bandcamp)

31. Topaz Jones — “D. I. A. L.”

30. Faye Webster — “In A Good Way” (on Bandcamp)

29. Bad Bad Hats — “Walkman” (on Bandcamp)

28. Lucy Dacus — “Hot & Heavy” (on Bandcamp)

27. CHVRCHES — “Asking for a Friend”

26. Squirrel Flower — “Hurt A Fly” (on Bandcamp)

25. Bad Bad Hats — “Awkward Phase” (on Bandcamp)

24. Claud — “Cuff Your Jeans” (on Bandcamp)

23. Faye Webster — “I Know I’m Funny haha” (on Bandcamp)

22. Katy Kirby — “Cool Dry Place” (on Bandcamp)

21. Kacey Musgraves — “justified”

20. Half Waif — “Party’s Over” (on Bandcamp)

19. Big Red Machine & Anaïs Mitchell — “Latter Days” (on Bandcamp)

18. Lakeyah, Tee Grizzley, & DJ Drama — “313–414”

17. Charli XCX, Christine and the Queens, & Caroline Polachek — “New Shapes”

16. Japanese Breakfast — “Be Sweet” (on Bandcamp)

15. Lil Nas X — “THATS WHAT I WANT”

14. Aventura & Bad Bunny — “Volví”

13. Ebhoni — “X-Ting”

12. Lucy Dacus — “Brando” (on Bandcamp)

11. The War On Drugs — “I Don’t Wanna Wait”

10. serpentwithfeet — “Fellowship” (on Bandcamp)

9. Snail Mail — “Headlock” (on Bandcamp)

8. Faye Webster — “Cheers” (on Bandcamp)

7. Sydney Sprague — “steve” (on Bandcamp)

6. Little Simz & Obongjayar — “Point and Kill”

5. MUNA & Phoebe Bridgers — “Silk Chiffon” (on Bandcamp)

4. Samantha Crain — “Pick Apart” (on Bandcamp)

3. Little Simz & Cleo Sol — “Woman”

2. Caroline Polachek — “Bunny Is A Rider” (on Bandcamp)

1. Indigo De Souza — “Hold U” (on Bandcamp)