2021 Power Rankings

Albums


Ranked albums of 2021 as rated by the committee of one.
RANKARTISTALBUMGENREPOWER
INDEX
RATINGTREND
1
Remi WolfJunoIndie Poptimism85. 2
--
T2
Andrew BelleNightshadeNeo Mellow81. 7
--
T2
ColouringWakeNeo Mellow81. 7
--
4
Charli AdamsBullseyeBedroom Pop81. 4
--
5
Arlo ParksCollapsed In SunbeamsNeo-Soul79. 5
--
6
Billie EilishHappier Than EverDark Pop79. 0
--
7
Cory HansonPale Horse RiderIndie Folk77. 9
NEW
ENTRY
8
The Paper KitesRosesFolk Singer77. 8
9
Little SimzSometimes I Might Be IntrovertAlternative Rap77. 1
--
10
GladesPlanetariumIndie Poptimism76. 6
--
T11
Saint RaymondWe Forgot We Were DreamingIndie Pop/Rock75. 0
--
T11
ClaudSuper MonsterBedroom Pop75. 0
--
T11
ISLANDYesterday ParkIndie Rock75. 0
--
14
TyphoonSympathetic MagicIndie Rock74. 8
--
15
Royal CanoeSideliningIndie Pop74. 5
NEW
ENTRY
T16
Alice Phoebe LouGlowChamber Pop74. 2
--
T16
Flock Of DimesHead Of RosesMetropop74. 2
--
18
Olivia RodrigoSOURPop73. 7
NEW
ENTRY
19
Chloe FoyWhere Shall We BeginChamber Folk73. 1
--
20
Joy CrookesSkinPop73. 0
NEW
ENTRY
21
Moon TaxiSilver DreamIndie Rock72. 2
--
T22
COINRainbow MixtapeIndie Poptimism72. 0
--
T22
Jane WeaverFlockMetropop72. 0
--
24
Sufjan Stevens & Angelo De AugustineA Beginner's MindArt Pop71. 4
NEW
ENTRY
T25
LANYgg bb xxIndie Poptimism71. 3
--
T25
Half WaifMythopoeticsMetropop71. 3
NEW
ENTRY
27
Tinashe333Urban71. 0
--
T28
CHVRCHESScreen ViolencePoptron70. 6
--
T28
The AntlersGreen To GoldDream Pop70. 6
--
T28
The Weather StationIgnoranceIndie Pop70. 6
--
T28
JungleLoving In StereoSynth Funk70. 6
--
T28
ElbowFlying Dream 1Britpop70. 6
NEW
ENTRY
T33
Self EsteemPrioritise PleasureArt Pop70. 3
T33
chloe moriondoBlood BunnyBedroom Pop70. 3
NEW
ENTRY
35
Patrick DroneyState Of The HeartPop69. 9
--
T36
Cleo SolMotherNeo-Soul69. 8
--
T36
James BlakeFriends That Break Your HeartElectro-R&B69. 8
--
38
CelesteNot Your MuseNeo-Soul69. 5
NEW
ENTRY
39
Curtis HardingIf Words Were FlowersSoul68. 8
--
40
Matt BerryThe Blue ElephantNeo-Psychedelia68. 7
NEW
ENTRY
41
Pale WavesWho Am I?Indie Pop/Rock68. 6
--
42
Django DjangoGlowing In The DarkIndie Pop68. 4
--
T43
A Winged Victory For The SullenInvisible CitiesClassical68. 0
--
T43
Baby KeemThe Melodic BlueAlternative Rap68. 0
--
T43
Sir SlyThe Rise & Fall Of LoverboyDark Pop68. 0
--
T43
Kanye WestDondaAlternative Rap68. 0
NEW
ENTRY
T47
Kota The Friend & Statik SelektahTo Kill A SunriseRap67. 8
NEW
ENTRY
T47
CavemanSmashIndie Rock67. 8
NEW
ENTRY
T47
The Rare OccasionsBig WhoopGarage Rock Revival67. 8
NEW
ENTRY
50
Helado NegroFar InNeo-Psychedelia67. 7
--
51
Courtney BarnettThings Take Time, Take TimeIndie Rock67. 5
--
52
Mighty OaksMexicoFolk-Pop67. 4
--
53
Zara LarssonPoster GirlPop67. 1
T54
Julien BakerLittle OblivionsIndie Rock66. 9
--
T54
London GrammarCalifornian SoilIndie Poptimism66. 9
--
56
OneRepublicHumanPop66. 8
NEW
ENTRY
T57
W. H. LungVanitiesAlternative Dance66. 7
--
T57
Wolf AliceBlue WeekendAlt-Rock66. 7
--
59
Tep NoChasing HighsTropical House66. 5
--
T60
J. ColeThe Off-SeasonRap66. 3
--
T60
Lucy DacusHome VideoIndie Rock66. 3
NEW
ENTRY
62
Justin BieberJusticePop65. 7
--
63
The StavesGood WomanFolk-Rock65. 4
--
64
Jazmine SullivanHeaux TalesContemporary R&B65. 1
--
65
The Electric SonsArrivalIndie Pop/Rock65. 0
NEW
ENTRY
66
Ben HowardCollections From The WhiteoutIndie Rock64. 8
--
67
Nils FrahmGrazClassical63. 6
--
T68
ColdplayMusic Of The SpheresNeo Mellow63. 0
--
T68
slowthaiTYRONAlternative Rap63. 0
--
70
D SmokeWar & WondersRap62. 3
--
71
Elijah BlakeTHE NEON EONUrban62. 0
--
T72
Joy Oladokunin defense of my own happiness (complete)Pop61. 3
--
T72
TurnstileGLOW ONPost-Hardcore61. 3
NEW
ENTRY
74
LogicBobby Tarantino IIIRap60. 2
75
Lord HuronLong LostChamber Folk59. 9
NEW
ENTRY
76
LUMPAnimalExperimental59. 5
--
77
Aloa InputDevil's Diamond Memory CollectionNeo-Psychedelia59. 4
--
78
The Band CAMINOThe Band CAMINOIndie Pop/Rock59. 1
--
79
Alice Phoebe LouChild's PlayChamber Pop58. 9
--
80
MogwaiAs The Love ContinuesAtmospheric Rock58. 3
--
81
H.E.R.Back Of My MindAlternative R&B57. 6
--
T82
DARKSIDESpiralArt Rock57. 2
--
T82
For Those I LoveFor Those I LoveExperimental57. 2
--
T84
John MayerSob RockPop56. 1
--
T84
Japanese BreakfastJubileeProgressive Indie56. 1
--
86
NasKing's Disease IIRap55. 9
NEW
ENTRY
87
DJ KhaledKHALED KHALEDRap54. 9
--
88
DrakeCertified Lover BoyRap54. 2
--
89
LowHey WhatExperimental53. 6
--
90
Tai VerdesTVPop51. 5
--
91
Luke James & Nu Deco EnsembleA Live SensationAlternative R&B51. 4
NEW
ENTRY
92
Lake Street DiveObviouslyPop51. 0
--
93
Son LuxTomorrows IIIArt Pop50. 4
--
94
WaterparksGreatest HitsEmo-Pop46. 7
NEW
ENTRY
95
Sons Of KemetBlack To The FutureAvant-Garde Jazz46. 4
NEW
ENTRY
96
Jon ForemanDeparturesAlternative Pop/Rock43. 6
--
97
Sean McConnellA Horrible Beautiful DreamFolk Singer42. 9
NEW
ENTRY
98
SAULTNinePsychedelic Soul42. 5
NEW
ENTRY
99
BleachersTake The Sadness Out Of Saturday NightIndie Pop42. 0
--
100
Dame D.O.L.L.A.Different On Levels The Lord AllowedRap38. 9
NEW
ENTRY
101
PoolsideHigh SeasonAlternative Dance37. 4
--
102
Keaton HensonFragmentsDream Pop36. 8
NEW
ENTRY
103
Nick Cave & Warren EllisCARNAGEExperimental36. 3
NEW
ENTRY
104
The BugFireExperimental Hip-Hop31. 2
--
105
Son LuxTomorrows ReworksArt Pop28. 5
--
SCROLL →
Spotify

The Fine Print

  • The aFIREintheattic Power Index formula is top secret… but here’s a frivolous hint since we like you: It’s sort of like a logarithmic function on the weighted mean of the committee’s song ratings, which is then standardized-ish and scaled from 0 to 100.   Talk nerdy to me.
  • All songs on an album or EP are rated and contribute to its Power Index.   As a result, releases that are cohesive and consistently good, with fewer filler tracks, will invariably score higher than those with only a handful of great songs and a bunch of throwaways. Here, a release cannot be greater than the sum of its parts. For rankings that take that phenomenon into account, look to the aFIREintheattic Awards at the end of each year.
  • Note that EPs can tend toward higher scores than albums because sometimes an EP is a precursor to a full album and that album will contain the songs from the EP but with the addition of filler tracks that drag the Power Index score down.
  • Albums with a Power Index of 80 or higher and EPs with a Power Index of 70 or higher are a solid bet for a top 10 finish. The two highest scoring albums of all-time are Radiohead’s Kid A at 100.0 and OK Computer at 99.9 and the highest scoring EPs are Vancouver Sleep Clinic’s Winter at 96.7 and James Bay’s The Dark Of The Morning at 94.7. And we’ll be forthright: they probably always will be.
  • If a release is in the power rankings but is not in the playlist above, it’s not available on Spotify. The playlist is made up of the most popular song from each album in order based on its current power ranking.

EPs


Ranked EPs of 2021 as rated by the committee of one.
RANKARTISTEPGENREPOWER
INDEX
RATINGTREND
1
EMBRZTogether Till It EndsProgressive House93. 6
--
2
Ólafur ArnaldsThe Invisible EPClassical82. 6
NEW
ENTRY
3
Nothing But ThievesMoral Panic IIPost-Rock79. 9
NEW
ENTRY
4
MustafaWhen Smoke RisesNeo-Soul72. 0
--
5
BrothertigerFundamentals, Vol. IIIChillwave71. 4
--
6
Lucky DayeTable For TwoAlternative R&B70. 8
NEW
ENTRY
T7
MysieUndertonesNeo-R&B70. 2
--
T7
ShallouThe Long Way HomeChillbeat70. 2
NEW
ENTRY
T7
Slum SociableThe Street Of Dire NeedsIndie Electronic70. 2
NEW
ENTRY
10
SamiaScoutBedroom Pop69. 6
--
11
TWO LANESReflectionsChillbeat67. 9
--
T12
Andy ShaufWildsChamber Pop66. 7
T12
YosteNothing's everythingShimmer Pop66. 7
NEW
ENTRY
14
Kevin GarrettKeep SleepingPop65. 3
--
T15
Katy KirbyCool Dry PlaceIndie Pop/Rock65. 0
--
T15
PinkPantheressto hell with itIndie Electronic65. 0
--
17
Jorja SmithBe Right BackPop64. 0
--
T18
ÁsgeirThe Sky Is Painted Gray TodayAmbient Folk63. 4
--
T18
beabadoobeeOur Extended PlayBedroom Pop63. 4
--
T18
The AntlersLosing LightDream Pop63. 4
NEW
ENTRY
T21
Another SkyMusic For Winter, Vol. IArt Rock62. 2
NEW
ENTRY
T21
Austin MillzMidasPop62. 2
--
T21
Tornado ClubResetShimmer Pop62. 2
--
24
GallantNeptuneUrban61. 9
--
25
Daði FreyrWelcomeAlternative Dance57. 4
--
26
Damien JuradoThe Monster Who Hated PennsylvaniaChamber Folk57. 2
--
T27
The Chain Gang Of 1974BesidesPoptron56. 6
--
T27
CordaeJust Until....Alternative Rap56. 6
NEW
ENTRY
29
Yot ClubSantolinaLo-Fi Indie55. 8
--
30
Kota The FriendLyrics To GO, Vol. 2Alternative Rap55. 6
--
31
Du BlondeHomecomingGarage Rock Revival54. 1
--
32
Hippo CampusGood Dog, Bad DreamIndie Pop54. 0
NEW
ENTRY
33
Cassandra JenkinsAn Overview On Phenomenal NatureIndie Rock51. 4
T34
DrakeScary Hours 2Rap51. 3
NEW
ENTRY
T34
DuranteMeldProgressive House51. 3
--
36
Vince StaplesVince StaplesAlternative Rap49. 7
NEW
ENTRY
37
CreeperAmerican NoirPost-Emo47. 9
--
38
BrothertigerNew LifeChillwave47. 6
NEW
ENTRY
T39
Jon BryantBack To LoveAmbient Folk47. 0
--
T39
VIC MENSAI TAPERap47. 0
--
41
L’RainFatigueExperimental41. 8
--
42
Local NativesMusic From The Pen Gala 1983Indie Rock41. 2
NEW
ENTRY
43
Kishi BashiEmigrantChamber Pop41. 1
NEW
ENTRY
44
The Dear HunterThe Indigo ChildPost-Rock33. 9
NEW
ENTRY
45
dvsnAmusing Her FeelingsAlternative R&B31. 6
--
SCROLL →
Spotify

The Fine Print

  • The aFIREintheattic Power Index formula is top secret… but here’s a frivolous hint since we like you: It’s sort of like a logarithmic function on the weighted mean of the committee’s song ratings, which is then standardized-ish and scaled from 0 to 100.   Talk nerdy to me.
  • All songs on an album or EP are rated and contribute to its Power Index.   As a result, releases that are cohesive and consistently good, with fewer filler tracks, will invariably score higher than those with only a handful of great songs and a bunch of throwaways. Here, a release cannot be greater than the sum of its parts. For rankings that take that phenomenon into account, look to the aFIREintheattic Awards at the end of each year.
  • Note that EPs can tend toward higher scores than albums because sometimes an EP is a precursor to a full album and that album will contain the songs from the EP but with the addition of filler tracks that drag the Power Index score down.
  • Albums with a Power Index of 80 or higher and EPs with a Power Index of 70 or higher are a solid bet for a top 10 finish. The two highest scoring albums of all-time are Radiohead’s Kid A at 100.0 and OK Computer at 99.9 and the highest scoring EPs are Vancouver Sleep Clinic’s Winter at 96.7 and James Bay’s The Dark Of The Morning at 94.7. And we’ll be forthright: they probably always will be.
  • If a release is in the power rankings but is not in the playlist above, it’s not available on Spotify. The playlist is made up of the most popular song from each album in order based on its current power ranking.