2021 Power Rankings

Albums


Ranked albums of 2021 as rated by the committee of one.
RANKARTISTALBUMGENREPOWER
INDEX
RATING
1
Remi WolfJunoIndie Poptimism85. 2
2
Silk SonicAn Evening With Silk SonicPop83. 3
T3
Andrew BelleNightshadeNeo Mellow81. 7
T3
ColouringWakeNeo Mellow81. 7
5
Charli AdamsBullseyeBedroom Pop81. 4
6
Arlo ParksCollapsed In SunbeamsNeo-Soul79. 5
7
Billie EilishHappier Than EverDark Pop79. 0
8
Lightning BugA Color Of The SkyIndie Rock78. 1
9
Cory HansonPale Horse RiderIndie Folk77. 9
10
The Paper KitesRosesFolk Singer77. 8
11
Little SimzSometimes I Might Be IntrovertAlternative Rap77. 1
12
GladesPlanetariumIndie Poptimism76. 6
T13
Saint RaymondWe Forgot We Were DreamingIndie Pop/Rock75. 0
T13
ClaudSuper MonsterBedroom Pop75. 0
T13
ISLANDYesterday ParkIndie Rock75. 0
16
TyphoonSympathetic MagicIndie Rock74. 8
17
Royal CanoeSideliningIndie Pop74. 5
T18
Alice Phoebe LouGlowChamber Pop74. 2
T18
Flock Of DimesHead Of RosesMetropop74. 2
T18
Yellow OstrichSoftAlternative74. 2
21
Olivia RodrigoSOURPop73. 7
22
Chloe FoyWhere Shall We BeginChamber Folk73. 1
23
Joy CrookesSkinPop73. 0
24
Pink Sweat$PINK PLANETPop72. 5
25
Moon TaxiSilver DreamIndie Rock72. 2
T26
COINRainbow MixtapeIndie Poptimism72. 0
T26
Jane WeaverFlockMetropop72. 0
28
Sufjan Stevens & Angelo De AugustineA Beginner's MindArt Pop71. 4
T29
LANYgg bb xxIndie Poptimism71. 3
T29
Half WaifMythopoeticsMetropop71. 3
31
Tinashe333Urban71. 0
T32
CHVRCHESScreen ViolencePoptron70. 6
T32
The AntlersGreen To GoldDream Pop70. 6
T32
The Weather StationIgnoranceIndie Pop70. 6
T32
JungleLoving In StereoSynth Funk70. 6
T32
ElbowFlying Dream 1Britpop70. 6
T32
Emmit FennFar From HereNeo Mellow70. 6
T32
Hazy MountainsPull Of The MoonElectronic70. 6
39
RooseveltPolydansElectropop70. 5
T40
Self EsteemPrioritise PleasureArt Pop70. 3
T40
chloe moriondoBlood BunnyBedroom Pop70. 3
42
Patrick DroneyState Of The HeartPop69. 9
T43
Cleo SolMotherNeo-Soul69. 8
T43
James BlakeFriends That Break Your HeartElectro-R&B69. 8
T43
RhyeHomeIndie R&B69. 8
T43
RunnnerAlways RepeatingAlternative69. 8
47
CelesteNot Your MuseNeo-Soul69. 5
48
Still CornersThe Last ExitAlternative69. 2
T49
Curtis HardingIf Words Were FlowersSoul68. 8
T49
AquiloA Safe Place To BeAmbient Folk68. 8
51
Matt BerryThe Blue ElephantNeo-Psychedelia68. 7
52
Pale WavesWho Am I?Indie Pop/Rock68. 6
53
Django DjangoGlowing In The DarkIndie Pop68. 4
T54
A Winged Victory For The SullenInvisible CitiesClassical68. 0
T54
Baby KeemThe Melodic BlueAlternative Rap68. 0
T54
Sir SlyThe Rise & Fall Of LoverboyDark Pop68. 0
T54
Kanye WestDondaAlternative Rap68. 0
T58
Kota The Friend & Statik SelektahTo Kill A SunriseRap67. 8
T58
CavemanSmashIndie Rock67. 8
T58
The Rare OccasionsBig WhoopGarage Rock Revival67. 8
T58
Billie MartenFlora FaunaAlternative67. 8
T58
FoxingDraw Down The MoonPost-Rock67. 8
T58
serpentwithfeetDEACONAlternative R&B67. 8
T58
Strand Of OaksIn HeavenFolk-Rock67. 8
65
Helado NegroFar InNeo-Psychedelia67. 7
66
Indigo De SouzaAny Shape You TakeAlternative67. 6
67
Courtney BarnettThings Take Time, Take TimeIndie Rock67. 5
T68
Mighty OaksMexicoFolk-Pop67. 4
T68
Hand HabitsFun HouseIndie Rock67. 4
T68
HousesDrugstore HeavenAlternative67. 4
71
Zara LarssonPoster GirlPop67. 1
T72
Julien BakerLittle OblivionsIndie Rock66. 9
T72
London GrammarCalifornian SoilIndie Poptimism66. 9
74
OneRepublicHumanPop66. 8
T75
W. H. LungVanitiesAlternative Dance66. 7
T75
Wolf AliceBlue WeekendAlt-Rock66. 7
T75
SG LewistimesElectronic66. 7
78
Tep NoChasing HighsTropical House66. 5
T79
J. ColeThe Off-SeasonRap66. 3
T79
Lucy DacusHome VideoIndie Rock66. 3
81
Justin BieberJusticePop65. 7
82
The StavesGood WomanFolk-Rock65. 4
83
Jazmine SullivanHeaux TalesContemporary R&B65. 1
84
The Electric SonsArrivalIndie Pop/Rock65. 0
85
Ben HowardCollections From The WhiteoutIndie Rock64. 8
86
Cautious ClayDeadpan LoveNeo-R&B64. 1
87
Shire TTomorrow’s PeopleElectronic64. 0
88
Nils FrahmGrazClassical63. 6
T89
ColdplayMusic Of The SpheresNeo Mellow63. 0
T89
slowthaiTYRONAlternative Rap63. 0
91
HONNELET’S JUST SAY THE WORLD ENDED A WEEK FROM NOW, WHAT WOULD YOU DO?Pop62. 9
92
SurfacesPacificoPop62. 4
T93
D SmokeWar & WondersRap62. 3
T93
ClairoSlingAlternative62. 3
95
Black Country, New RoadFor The First TimePost-Rock62. 2
T96
Elijah BlakeTHE NEON EONUrban62. 0
T96
The War On DrugsI Don’t Live Here AnymoreIndie Rock62. 0
98
Lia IcesFamily AlbumIndie Folk61. 9
99
Art School GirlfriendIs It Light Where You AreMetropop61. 5
T100
Joy Oladokunin defense of my own happiness (complete)Pop61. 3
T100
TurnstileGLOW ONPost-Hardcore61. 3
T100
POSTDATATwin FlamesIndie Rock61. 3
T103
LogicBobby Tarantino IIIRap60. 2
T103
PellFloating While Dreaming IIRap60. 2
105
Lord HuronLong LostChamber Folk59. 9
106
LUMPAnimalExperimental59. 5
107
Aloa InputDevil's Diamond Memory CollectionNeo-Psychedelia59. 4
108
The Band CAMINOThe Band CAMINOIndie Pop/Rock59. 1
109
Alice Phoebe LouChild's PlayChamber Pop58. 9
110
MogwaiAs The Love ContinuesAtmospheric Rock58. 3
111
H.E.R.Back Of My MindAlternative R&B57. 6
T112
DARKSIDESpiralArt Rock57. 2
T112
For Those I LoveFor Those I LoveExperimental57. 2
T112
GrouperShadeAmbient57. 2
115
ZHUDREAMLANDDeep House57. 0
116
Lana Del ReyChemtrails Over The Country ClubAlternative56. 4
T117
John MayerSob RockPop56. 1
T117
Japanese BreakfastJubileeProgressive Indie56. 1
119
NasKing's Disease IIRap55. 9
120
Tony AllenThere Is No EndAlternative Hip-Hop55. 7
121
loscilClaraAmbient55. 6
122
Art d'EccoIn Standard DefinitionGlam Rock55. 1
123
DJ KhaledKHALED KHALEDRap54. 9
124
Hayden ThorpeMoondust For My DiamondArt Pop54. 4
125
DrakeCertified Lover BoyRap54. 2
126
Ed Sheeran=Pop53. 9
T127
LowHey WhatExperimental53. 6
T127
Baby BoysThreesomeAlternative53. 6
129
Tai VerdesTVPop51. 5
130
Luke James & Nu Deco EnsembleA Live SensationAlternative R&B51. 4
131
Lake Street DiveObviouslyPop51. 0
132
Lana Del ReyBlue BanistersAlternative50. 7
133
Son LuxTomorrows IIIArt Pop50. 4
134
The Lighthouse And The WhalerTalkIndie Rock49. 1
135
BROCKHAMPTONROADRUNNER: NEW LIGHT, NEW MACHINEAlternative Rap48. 5
136
Snail MailValentineAlternative47. 4
137
WaterparksGreatest HitsEmo-Pop46. 7
138
Sons Of KemetBlack To The FutureAvant-Garde Jazz46. 4
139
Hiatus KaiyoteMood ValiantAlternative46. 2
140
Jon ForemanDeparturesAlternative Pop/Rock43. 6
141
Sean McConnellA Horrible Beautiful DreamFolk Singer42. 9
142
Chet FakerHotel SurrenderAlternative42. 7
143
SAULTNinePsychedelic Soul42. 5
T144
BleachersTake The Sadness Out Of Saturday NightIndie Pop42. 0
T144
LordeSolar PowerAlternative42. 0
146
Dame D.O.L.L.A.Different On Levels The Lord AllowedRap38. 9
147
PoolsideHigh SeasonAlternative Dance37. 4
148
Keaton HensonFragmentsDream Pop36. 8
149
Nick Cave & Warren EllisCARNAGEExperimental36. 3
150
The BugFireExperimental Hip-Hop31. 2
151
Son LuxTomorrows ReworksArt Pop28. 5
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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
RATING
1
EMBRZTogether Till It EndsProgressive House93. 6
2
Ólafur ArnaldsThe Invisible EPClassical82. 6
3
Nothing But ThievesMoral Panic IIPost-Rock79. 9
4
NiiaIf I Should DiePop72. 1
5
MustafaWhen Smoke RisesNeo-Soul72. 0
6
BrothertigerFundamentals, Vol. IIIChillwave71. 4
7
Lucky DayeTable For TwoAlternative R&B70. 8
T8
MysieUndertonesNeo-R&B70. 2
T8
ShallouThe Long Way HomeChillbeat70. 2
T8
Slum SociableThe Street Of Dire NeedsIndie Electronic70. 2
11
SamiaScoutBedroom Pop69. 6
12
TWO LANESReflectionsChillbeat67. 9
T13
Andy ShaufWildsChamber Pop66. 7
T13
YosteNothing's everythingShimmer Pop66. 7
15
Emotional OrangesThe JuiceboxUrban65. 5
16
Kevin GarrettKeep SleepingPop65. 3
T17
Katy KirbyCool Dry PlaceIndie Pop/Rock65. 0
T17
PinkPantheressto hell with itIndie Electronic65. 0
19
Jorja SmithBe Right BackPop64. 0
T20
ÁsgeirThe Sky Is Painted Gray TodayAmbient Folk63. 4
T20
beabadoobeeOur Extended PlayBedroom Pop63. 4
T20
The AntlersLosing LightDream Pop63. 4
T23
Another SkyMusic For Winter, Vol. IArt Rock62. 2
T23
Austin MillzMidasPop62. 2
T23
Tornado ClubResetShimmer Pop62. 2
T23
ZephScared Of EverythingBedroom Pop62. 2
27
GallantNeptuneUrban61. 9
28
Daði FreyrWelcomeAlternative Dance57. 4
29
Damien JuradoThe Monster Who Hated PennsylvaniaChamber Folk57. 2
T30
The Chain Gang Of 1974BesidesPoptron56. 6
T30
CordaeJust Until....Alternative Rap56. 6
32
Yot ClubSantolinaLo-Fi Indie55. 8
33
Kota The FriendLyrics To GO, Vol. 2Alternative Rap55. 6
T34
Du BlondeHomecomingGarage Rock Revival54. 1
T34
KhalidScenic Drive (The Tape)Pop54. 1
36
Hippo CampusGood Dog, Bad DreamIndie Pop54. 0
37
Tep NoDaytrippin'Tropical House53. 6
38
Cassandra JenkinsAn Overview On Phenomenal NatureIndie Rock51. 4
T39
DrakeScary Hours 2Rap51. 3
T39
DuranteMeldProgressive House51. 3
41
Vince StaplesVince StaplesAlternative Rap49. 7
42
CreeperAmerican NoirPost-Emo47. 9
43
BrothertigerNew LifeChillwave47. 6
T44
Jon BryantBack To LoveAmbient Folk47. 0
T44
VIC MENSAI TAPERap47. 0
46
L’RainFatigueExperimental41. 8
47
Local NativesMusic From The Pen Gala 1983Indie Rock41. 2
48
Kishi BashiEmigrantChamber Pop41. 1
49
The Dear HunterThe Indigo ChildPost-Rock33. 9
50
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.