We’ve made it to the end! These are our absolute favorite 10 albums of the year. What we discovered as a team was that we’ll passionately defend the music we love. Each of these was nominated by multiple staffers and then supported by others. The final ordering wasn’t a perfect process, but one we stand by.

If you’re just now joining us, you should probably stop and start more towards the beginning. We’re here with our favorites in part 10, but parts one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight and nine, show the breadth of outright good, new music that graced us through another year of pandemic related political and social mishaps.

Our list concludes with some names you know, like the now-blonde Billie Eilish or the forever offbeat Tyler, the Creator, as well as surprises you may have missed. Pretty much everybody here got nominated for a Grammy Award. Billie Eilish got several noms, again.

10. Gojira

Fortitude – Roadrunner – Tim Hoffman

Gojira returned after an almost five-year hiatus to deliver a prophetic cry of terror in the wake of ecological and social collapse on its seventh album. Fortitude is exemplary of the band’s dedication to incorporating activism into its art. The band donated earnings from single “Amazonia” to an organization protecting the environmental and cultural rights of the native tribes in Brazil’s Amazon region. It’s emphasized by Joe Duplantier’s biting vocals: “Another goldmine is unveiled/ The source of our sorrow/ Learn/ Embedded in these walls of green/ Is the curse that we follow.”

The album deals with the ironic dichotomy of how human greed feeds into our impending destruction, particularly with its emphasis on resource exploitation in the name of industry. Gojira signaled its solidarity to the French “yellow vest” movement, which mirrors the ongoing labor strikes and protests occurring here in the states right now as workers fight for living wages and basic benefits.

The album is certainly something to grit your teeth to, with its pounding percussion and screaming guitars. Metalheads will find headbanger after headbanger on here—whether it’s the scraping of picks on guitar strings on “New Found,” the galloping guitar pickup paired with organ on “Hold On” or the zapping licks of “Born For One Thing.” The environmentally conscious themes delivered with grim prose leave listeners feeling cold and bleak about the state of the world, but hopefully energize them to take action.

9. Billie Eilish

Happier Than Ever – Interscope Records – Mike DeWald

Billie Eilish put aside a world tour because of the pandemic and focused on a new album instead. Smart decision. Happier Than Ever scored big, while also proving the singer is versatile in her musical range and avoiding the dreaded sophomore slump.

It would have been easy to release a record full of radio and playlist-pleasing “Bad Guy” echoes, but Billie Eilish goes in the opposite direction, crafting a record of introspective and generally slower cuts. She mixes some jazz, classical and Latin-sounding arrangements to create a juxtaposition of sounds to go along with her signature alt-pop delivery.

Fear not! The beats are still there, especially on tracks like “I Didn’t Change My Number,” on which Billie Eilish added a little bluesy swagger. Lest we also forget the more experimental side of Billie Eilish, which comes out on songs like the trippy “Oxytocin.” Given her time in the spotlight, some of the lyrics resonate even more, and the tracks feel more intimate and personable to the singer’s experiences.

While there wasn’t necessarily doubt, Billie Eilish also shows she has impressive pipes, especially on songs like the acoustic title track. Happier Than Ever may not have pleased everyone, but it represents an important step in the singer’s growth, showing she has staying power as an artist. Billie Eilish

Now, everyone is wondering: Where does Billie Eilish go next?

8. Wolf Alice

Blue Weekend – Dirty Hit – Skott Bennett

 “I am what I am and I’m good at it/ And you don’t like me well that isn’t fucking relevant.” Of all the moments of swagger on Wolf Alice’s Blue Weekend–and there are quite a number those to choose from–singer Ellie Rowsell’s honest assessment of her own skills on “Smile” is the clearest and unmistakable signal that the London quartet has entered a bold and confident new era. The defiance and the delivery are certainly a match for the muscular space grunge riff that drives the track, but what makes it land even harder is the line before it where Rowsell finds power in her vulnerability as declaring that “sensitive” is her “perfect adjective.” 

Wolf Alice has shown growth on both of its previous albums, but in general kept the songwriting vaguer. This time, as they say, it was personal. And that’s why Blue Weekend is more than just a leap forward–it’s a front-to-back musical and emotional triumph.

Most of the songs are first-person, and there’s no mistaking them as anything but documentary-style retellings of Rowsell’s real life experiences. Of course none of this would work were it not for the fearlessness and chemistry of the entire band. Rowsell, guitarist Joff Oddie, bassist Theo Ellis and drummer Joel Amey dove into every last detail of the album with producer Markus Dravs. The result is a stunning, textured and self-assured collection of songs and sounds with nuance, warmth and typical Wolf Alice variety.

The album doesn’t dwell in emotions rather than confront them head on before moving on. “Last Man On Earth” does all of this within one song. Starting on a simple piano and vocal foundation the song follows power ballad convention to build into something bigger mid-song, but even though you know the rocket is going to launch, you’re still in awe when it soars. The album comforts, challenges and reveals more with each listen.

7. Little Simz

Sometimes I Might Be Introvert – AWAL – Tim Hoffman

Hot off the success of 2019’s GREY Area, U.K. rapper Little Simz is proving to be a lyrical heavyweight. The on-the-nose title Sometimes I Might Be Introvert clearly lays out the themes of introspection, anxiety and insecurity peppered with her observations on sociopolitical trends. She weighs on her insecurities as an artist, becoming gradually alienated by those around her due to rising stardom—while simultaneously taking pride in her individuality and accomplishments. She can see past the cracks in the surface behind government manipulation and the superficiality of celebrity status.

Simz maintains a grounded presence with listeners along the way, celebrating Black women around the world from an array of diverse cultures on “Woman,” struggles with her problems stemming from her father and her early life circumstances on “I Love You, I Hate You” and “How Did You Get Here,” as well as her fears of being patronized and feeling unheard on “Two Worlds Apart.” The transparency on display can get almost uncomfortable at times, like reading someone’s open diary—which is to say that it’s an extremely honest portrayal of self.

Much of the production carries an orchestral sound, but still incorporates plenty of synth, funk and garage influences. In a bit of pond-hopping exchange, some clear influence was drawn from the stylings of Tyler, the Creator, particularly on “I Love You, I Hate You” as well as “Standing Ovation,” between the song structure of the former and the production switch-up on the latter. Little Simz’s self-awareness, bordering on existential crisis, is something many of us can relate to after having to contend with the difficult realities of the last two years and the internal reflection that was necessary for everyone on both an individual and societal level.

6. Olivia Rodrigo

SOUR – Interscope Records – Domenic Strazzabosco

When Olivia Rodrigo made her acting debut on “High School Musical: The Musical: The Series,” she didn’t send shockwaves through the entertainment industry that previous leads from the film franchise did in the mid-aughts. But pop stardom came soon after with the release of her debut single in January. Her vivid and poetic storytelling centered, presumably, on the breakup between her and “HSMTMTS” costar Joshua Bassett. “Driver’s License” narrates her dramatic, high-school-like heartbreak over a boy. “She’s everything I’m insecure about/ Yeah, today I drove through the suburbs/ ‘Cause how could I ever love someone else,” she sings. Check out the bridge (or even just the “SNL” skit about that bridge) and you’ll feel something you didn’t know music in 2021 even still had in it.

After spending eight consecutive weeks at No. 1, Rodrigo followed it up with the Top 3 hit “Deja Vu” (inspired by Taylor Swift) and punk-rock, Paramore-like “Good 4 U”—which also hit No. 1. Needless to say, pop culture talked about Rodrigo non-stop through 2021, and early buzz shows she may sweep the Grammys next year, just like Billie Eilish did in 2020 after the release of her debut.

Her debut album, SOUR delivered and continued to reclaim its top spot several times over the summer. Her current place in pop music is reminiscent of countless other Disney stars who were dissected by the press and produced a string of pop hits. But SOUR is reminiscent of other coveted female singer-songwriter-musicians like Sheryl Crow or even Carole King. Feel the 19-year-old’s angst full force on grungy album opener “Brutal,” or her never-ending love and influence from Swift on the quieter piano track “1 Step Forward, 3 Steps Back.”

She’s got the energy of a Gen-Zer recently propelled to fame, but the songwriting and performing skills of a seasoned musician. She’s easily Disney’s biggest and best export in the last several years, and I hope she has a long career ahead of her.

5. Lord Huron

Long Lost – Whispering Pines Studios Inc./Republic – Roman Gokhman

Out of all the music I listened to in 2021, this was the album I kept coming back to time and time again. Lord Huron created such a complete work of art that was fully immersive in terms of music, visuals and storytelling. While it tugs at your emotions, demanding the likes of love, excitement, anxiety and suspense, it’s not a simple surge of adrenalin. Lord Huron created an immersive environment in which you wanted to get lost, with riddles to solve and a mystery to solve.

The entire marketing campaign surrounding the album, with mysterious videos, letters from people who don’t exist and new mythology about the band’s studio deserves some sort of award. But the music, a combination of guitar-led Western, folk-rock, jangly bar tunes and winsome balladry, found a way to dig deep into my subconscious long after I needed to be listening to it. This industry moves fast and over that same time I listened to hundreds of songs I’ve since forgotten about, but not Long Lost by Lord Huron.

The further you go, the more intertwined the stories you get, from the trotting tune “Love Me Like You Used To,” to smoky “Meet Me in the City,” ‘50s-crooner-like title track and rollicking “Not Dead Yet.” The songs are broken up by bits of dialogue that are part narrator and part ghost.

4. Brandi Carlile

In These Silent Days – Low Country Sound/Elektra – Ben Schultz

Brandi Carlile’s latest album doesn’t rock very hard. The two tracks where she tries cranking it up a notch, “Broken Horses” and “Sinners, Saints and Fools,” are probably the two weakest. The former gets tangled up in its own metaphors and the latter’s lyrics are too bland for its pro-immigrant message to have much bite.

But in the end, it doesn’t matter much that In These Silent Days is relatively low on raw power. That’s because Brandi Carlile is not too interested in raging against the machine these days. Instead, her heart and mind are focused on less flashy, more sustaining subjects: love that endures, parent-child bonds, learning from mistakes, making peace, rising above.

Fortunately, her singing and writing have matured along with her perspective. That’s how a ballad like piano-led closer “Throwing Good After Bad” can hit harder than the louder stuff. Carlile understands the person who’s leaving her so well that she can’t even get that worked up about it. This, in turn, only underlines what a huge mistake this unnamed other is making.

Other songs on In These Silent Days make clear how full and rich a life Brandi Carlile leads right now. “You and Me on the Rock” celebrates simple, unadorned living away from the rat race. The luminous “This Time Tomorrow” and the mournful “When You’re Wrong” offer empathy and support to loved ones in their respective hours of darkness. On “Letter to the Past,” “Mama Werewolf” and “Stay Gentle,” Carlile gives her kids hard-earned advice and selfless devotion.

Last but not least is the album’s stately opening song, “Right on Time.” Carlile begs a lover to come back for one more try. She may still have some hard feelings (“And I don’t take it back, I did what I had to do”), but she knows she’s not blameless (“You might be angry now, of course you are”). Featuring the most assured singing of her career, it’s the best track on her best album to date.

3. Tyler, The Creator

Call Me If You Get Lost – Columbia Records – Tim Hoffman

Nobody in hip-hop has undergone quite the change in artistic trajectory like Tyler, The Creator… except for maybe Kanye West. Call Me If You Get Lost is quintessentially Tyler’s most indulgent work to date, delivering the equivalent of a Wes Anderson film in album form. The trajectory we have witnessed from Flower Boy and IGOR signals the maturation of his style, but Tyler doesn’t forget his roots as a horrorcore and shock rapper who was being canceled before being canceled was really a thing.

We’re introduced to a new alternate persona in the form of “Sir Baudelaire,” an over-the-top aristocrat who falls head over heels for one of his friends’ girlfriends. With the number of personas Tyler, the Creator keeps introducing, he’s on his way to becoming the next Kool Kieth. (Imagine what a collaboration like that would sound like). The production throughout the record highlights Tyler’s versatility, as he samples classic hip-hop artists like Gravediggaz and Nas on “LUMBERJACK” and “MANIFESTO” respectively, alongside these complex orchestral instrumentals embracing horns, piano and more—with the standout number “SWEET/ I THOUGHT YOU WANTED TO DANCE,” where he transitions from R&B into reggae over the course of the song.

The album brings a lot of big names to the table, such as Lil Wayne on the lavish “Hot Wind Blows,” Odd Future alum Domo Genesis on “MANIFESTO,” Ty Dolla $ign and YoungBoy Never Broke on lead single “WUSYANAME,” and DJ Drama delivering adlibs throughout the album like a Gangsta Grillz mixtape. The grandiosity of the album leaves listeners in awe, particularly in how well Tyler integrates different elements of his early and later career. Everything from Bastard to IGOR is on display, from the confrontational and controversial to the thoughtful and meditative. It’s crazy to witness this incredible overhaul in an artist’s evolution.

2. Rise Against

Nowhere Generation – Loma Vista – Tim Hoffman

The fallout of the last two years has been palpable, and there has been no escape from the toxicity stemming from the plethora of failures from our leaders and institutions. Young people, in particular, have bared the brunt of the worst. Nowhere Generation examines the unique plight millennials and Gen-Zers face in an uncertain future lying in wait.

Much like Gojira’s Fortitude, Rise Against pulls no punches as Tim McIlrath digs into the depths of nearly every political issue under the sun. Climate change, war, economic inequality, automation, labor rights and gun violence are all scrutinized, tied together intricately through themes of hopelessness, anguish and desperation. The album wears the sound of social decay and collapse on its sleeve, with loud, abrasive and rapid guitar melodies paired with thunderous bass to reflect the intense anxieties being felt by so many. The titular lead single is anthemic to this disaffected and displaced demographic of defeated doomers.

Despite the dismal and bleak observations and critiques, the album is surprisingly energizing to listen to. Perhaps it’s the cathartic release of the pent-up rage many are grappling with that makes Nowhere Generation so compelling. It never comes across as preachy despite the lyrical lambasting with which McIlrath lashes out, and the album is easily the band’s best work since 2011’s Endgame. It delivers many memorable lyrics, citing historical and contemporary instances of social unrest—with my personal favorite on “Sudden Urge,” when McIlrath sings, “I am as patient as a volcano/ A butterfly in a landmine field/ I am a dandelion making guns go silent/ Sticking out of every barrel cold as steel.”

With plenty of gems in the punk rock scene having dropped throughout the year, Rise Against delivered what is easily the crown jewel of the lot. Perhaps this is the album to kick off the genre revival for which many have been looking so desperately. Nowhere Generation is another soundtrack to score the revolution that won’t be televised.

1. Yola

Stand for Myself – Easy Eye Sound – Mike DeWald

Yola’s Stand For Myself is such a grand album, and one that may have very well flown under the radar for some music fans. Yolanda Claire Quartey, better known as Yola, faced plenty of challenges on her way up, from prejudice to homelessness, at one point even losing her voice. That experience emotes through the singer’s spectacular vocals. The songs delivered here are done so with such a nuance that it’s easy to hear the joy and pain in each passing verse. For Stand For Myself, the U.K.-born singer teamed with the Black Keys’ Dan Auerbach to create a record that spans genres and eras, while still feeling like something fresh and new.

Digging into a throwback sound isn’t necessarily something new, but Yola achieves it in such an authentic way that the record transports listeners in a musical time machine. It’s not just a range of influences, but also a range of emotions. Upbeat tracks like “Diamond Studded Shoes” fly high with an infectious energy that’s impossible to not tap your toe along. On the other hand, slower and bluesier ballads like “Barely Alive” or “Great Divide” show off the singer’s range, both in delivery and message. The simplest vocal crack conveys so much to drive home happiness or sadness. To be able to both deliver and capture that level of vocal nuance is a difficult feat.

Auerbach deserves an honorable mention here as well. The production on the offering is top notch, and the vocal harmonies and arrangements elevate the tracks to an even higher level. Auerbach succeeds at keying into what Yola does best and building around it. The songs are well written, well produced and well delivered. There’s not much more you can ask for in a record. Don’t sleep on the final song, “Stand For Myself,” which crescendos into a massive wall of sound, closing out the record in fine fashion.

Yola taps into soul, blues and funk, but maybe more importantly, she’ll often take a detour into country and Americana. On tracks like “Whatever You Want,” Yola digs deeper into the country sounds, mixing in some steel guitar. In a genre needing fresh voices and new perspectives, Yola smashes through the clouds like a ray of light. Playing shows with the likes of Chris Stapleton, Yola is primed to ring in a new generation of talent.

10. Gojira. 9. Billie Eilish. 8. Wolf Alice. 7. Little Simz. 6. Olivia Rodrigo. 5. Lord Huron. 4. Brandi Carlile. 3. Tyler, The Creator. 2. Rise Against. 1. Yola.