THE BEST OF 2021 IN THE WORLD ACCORDING TO JOHN BOMMARITO
It’s time for my annual look back at the year in music.
Per normal, I have broken them into separate categories
because a covers album is usually full of familiar songs as is a Christmas
album. A few artists covered their own material on an album that wasn’t really
a live album (I’m looking at you Barry Gibb, Eric Clapton and Paul Weller) EP's are short so they shouldn’t be counted
the same as an album in my book. I define an EP as a release containing 3-7
songs.
Here is my yearly explanation of how I come up with the
rating: I rate each song on each album on a 10-point scale. Then I do the math.
So if an album has 11 songs, it has 110 possible points. Perhaps it gets 66 points. It's final score would be 6.0. It's usually a pretty good way to determine
what the best albums are. However, I've discovered a flaw in the system. If an album has two songs that are just
awesome, 10 on a 10 scale and then 8 songs that are mediocre, say a 5 out of
10, that would give it a score that makes it appear as the full album is better
than it is. Until I come up with a
better system, this is how it will be. And of course, sometimes there is a tie
with albums having the same score. The top 3 albums of 2021 are all very, very
close in their score so it was almost a 3-way tie at the top and that’s never
happened.
If you’d like to watch/listen to a YouTube playlist of some
of the tracks from these albums, you can go here:
https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLx8NBomfmLsU8o_WiAYwmH2CRi4Kkp6oI
TOP
ALBUMS OF 2021
1-SETH
GLIER-THE CORONATION
2-CHRIS
DUPONT-FLOODPLAINS
2-VERVE
PIPE-THREADS
4-JOHN
MAYER-SOB ROCK
5-ED
SHEERAN-(=) (LIMITED DIGITAL DELUXE EDITION)
6-STEVE
EVERETT-LITTLE WINS
7-JON
MCLAUGHLIN-ALL THE THINGS I SAY TO MYSELF
8-RIN
TARSY-PARADOX
8-NEEDTOBREATHE-INTO
THE MYSTERY
8-SHANE
NICHOLSON-LIVING IN COLOUR
11-ONEREPUBLIC-HUMAN
(JAPANESE EDITION)
12-YOLA-STAND
FOR MYSELF
13-BRANDI
CARLILE-IN THESE SILENT DAYS
13-PAUL
CARRACK-ONE ONE ONE
15-BROTHERS
KOREN-I WANT THE SEA TO BE FREE
16-MAT
KEARNEY-JANUARY FLOWER
17-KALEO-SURFACE
SOUNDS
17-KINGS
OF LEON-WHEN YOU SEE YOURSELF
19-TOAD
THE WET SPROCKET-STARTING NOW
20-IMAGINE
DRAGONS-MERCURY ACT 1
20-ACCIDENTALS-VESSEL
22-BOB
SCHNEIDER-IN A ROOMFUL OF BLOOD WITH A SLEEPING TIGER
22-DELTA
RAE-THE DARK
24-ADELE-30
(TARGET EDITION)
25-COLDPLAY-MUSIC
OF THE SPHERES (JAPANESE EDITION)
26-GABE
DIXON-LAY IT ON ME
27-NATHANIEL
RATELIFF & THE NIGHTSWEATS-THE
FUTURE (TARGET EDITION)
28-EVANESSENCE-THE
BITTER TRUTH (JAPANESE EDITION)
29-DEL
AMITRI-FATAL MISTAKES
30-NOAH
GUNDERSEN-A PILLAR OF SALT
30-KACEY
MUSGRAVES-STAR CROSSED (TARGET EDITION)
30-SERENA
RYDER-THE ART OF FALLING APART
30-JOSHUA
RADIN-THE GHOST AND THE WALL
34-BIRDY-YOUNG
HEART
34-PENTATONIX-THE
LUCKY ONES (JAPANESE EDITION)
36-BLUES
TRAVELER-TRAVELER'S BLUES
36-AMYTHYST
KIAH-WARY AND STRANGE
38-CRAIG
CARDIFF-ALL THIS TIME RUNNING
39-WALLFOWERS-EXIT
WOUNDS
39-STAVES-GOOD
WOMAN
39-ANDREA
VON KAMPEN-THAT SPELL
39-STING-THE
BRIDGE (DELUXE JAPANESE EDITION)
39-RYANHOOD-UNDER
THE LEAVES
44-FOY
VANCE-SIGNS OF LIFE
45-SWITCHFOOT-INTERROBANG
46-MARK
JEWETT-THE LUCKY ONE
47-ROUGH
AND TUMBLE-WE'RE ONLY FAMILY IF YOU SAY SO
47-DAVE
GAHAN & SOULSAVERS-IMPOSTER
47-RECORD
COMPANY-PLAY LOUD
50-ELTON
JOHN-THE LOCKDOWN SESSIONS (JAPANESE EDITION)
51-DAUGHTRY-DEARLY
BELOVED
52-CINDY
ALEXANDER-LIGHTNING
52-LAKE
STREET DIVE-OBVIOUSLY
54-MAROON
5-JORDI (TARGET EDITION)
55-JADE
BIRD-DIFFERENT KINDS OF LIGHT
55-NEWTON
FAULKNER-INTERFERENCE (OF LIGHT)
57-CHEAP
TRICK-ANOTHER WORLD
57-COLIN
JAMES-OPEN ROAD
59-JACKSON
BROWNE-DOWNHILL FROM EVERYWHERE
59-EMILY
WOLF-OUTLIER
61-PRINCE-WELCOME
2 AMERICA
61-CROWDED
HOUSE-DREAMERS ARE WAITING
61-ANDERSON
EAST-MAYBE WE NEVER DIE
64-DAVID
GRAY-SKELLIG
65-DURAN
DURAN-FUTURE PAST (JAPANESE EDITION)
66-TORI
AMOS-OCEAN TO OCEAN
67-PAUL
MCCARTNEY-III IMAGINED
67-BILLY
BRAGG-THE MILLION THINGS THAT NEVER HAPPENED
69-TEXAS-HI
70-AIMEE
MANN-QUEENS OF THE SUMMER HOTEL
71-PAULWELLER-FAT
POP VOL. 1
72-VAN
MORRISON-LATEST RECORD PROJECT VOLUME 1
73-CHRIS
THILE-LAYSONGS
73-ALISON
RUSSELL-OUTSIDE CHILD
TOP COVERS
ALBUMS OF 2021
1--COLIN
HAY-I JUST DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO WITH MYSELF
2--BRIAN
VANDER ARK-PLANET SUNDAY SESSIONS VOLUME II
3--MATT
NATHANSON-ACHTUNG MATTY
3--REBECCA
LOEBE-SECONDHAND SONGS
5--2CELLOS-DEDICATED
6--BARRY
GIBB-GREENFIELDS: THE GIBB BROTHERS' SONGBOOK
7--JESSE
TERRY-FORGET-ME-NOTS VOLUMES 1 & 2
8--CHRIS
CORNELL-NO ONE SINGS LIKE YOU ANYMORE VOL. 1
9--PAUAL
COLE-AMERICAN QUILT
9--JASON
ISBELL AND THE 400 UNIT-GEORGIA BLUE
9--RAUL
MALO-QUARANTUNES
9--PETE
YORN-SINGS THE CLASSICS
13--TONY
BENNETT & LADY GAGA-LOVE FOR SALE (JAPANESE EDITION)
14--JAKE
SHIMABUKURO-JAKE AND FRIENDS
15--SARA
WATKINS-UNDER THE PEPPER TREE
16--ERIC
CLAPTON-THE LADY IN THE BALCONY - LOCKDOWN SESSIONS
17--PIANO
GUYS-CHILL
17--PIANO
GUYS-LULLABY
19--ROBERT
PLANT & ALISON KRAUSS-RAISE THE ROOF (TARGET EDITION)
20--MOBY-REPRISE
21--PAUL
WELLER-AN ORCHESTRATED SONGBOOK
22--CANADIAN
BRASS-CANADIANA
23--AOIFE
O'DONOVAN-AOIFE PLAYS NEBRASKA
24--CHRISSIE
HYNDE-STANDING IN THE DOORWAY - CHRISSIE HYNDE SINGS BOB DYLAN
25--SEAN
MCCANN-SHANTY MAN
TOP EP's
OF 2021
1-ALAN
DOYLE-BACK TO THE HARBOUR
2-DEL
AMITRI-FATAL MISTAKES OUTTAKES AND B-SIDES
2-ACCIDENTALS-TIME
OUT SESSION #1
4-ANTWAUN
STANLEY & TYLER DUNCAN-ASCENSION
4-BAHAMAS-LIVE
TO TAPE VOLUME 1
6-SAVANNAH
CONLEY -SURPRISE, SURPRISE
7-TRAGICALLY
HIP-SASKADELPHIA
8-DOOBIE
BROTHERS-DOOBIE BROTHERS
TOP LIVE
ALBUMS OF 2021
1--NEEDTOBREATHE-INSIDERS
LP VOL. VIII
2--SARA
BAREILLES-AMIDST THE CHAOS-LIVE FROM THE HOLLYWOOD BOWL
3--U2-LIVE
AT THE APOLLO
4--NOIRAH
JONES-…TIL WE MEET AGAIN
5--RICK
SPRINGFIELD-ORCHESTRATING MY LIFE: LIVE
6--SAM
SMITH-LIVE AT ABBEY ROAD STUDIOS
7--SISTER
HAZEL-BEFORE THE AMPLIFIERS 2
8--NATHANIEL
RATELIFF-RED ROCKS 2020
9--COWBOY
JUNKIES-MUSIC IS THE DRUG-LIVE RECORDINGS FROM 2012, 2017 & 2018
TOP
CHRISTMAS ALBUMS OF 2021
1--NORAH
JONES-I DREAM OF CHRISTMAS (TARGET EDITION)
2--WE
BANJO 3-A WINTER WONDERFUL
3--ROB
THOMAS-SOMETHING ABOUT CHRISTMAS TIME
4--KELLY
CLARKSON-WHEN CHRISTMAS COMES AROUND
5--STEVE
PERRY-THE SEASON
6--PUSH
STARS-WHEN CHRISTMAS COMES HOME
7--VARIOUS-ROCK
BY THE SEA CHRISTMAS VOL. 12
8--JESSE
TERRY-PEACE
SETH
GLIER-IF IT WASN'T FOR YOU (ACOUSTIC)
SETH
GLIER-SOMEBODY BREAK MY HEART
SETH
GLIER-A GIFT
CHRIS
DUPONT-RETRIVE (WITH OLIVIA DEAR)
CHRIS
DUPONT-JACKET
CHRIS
DUPONT-BURIED (WITH RIN TARSY)
THE
VERVE PIPE-NO ONE'S GONNA BREAK THIS HEART (AGAIN)
THE
VERVE PIPE-SET ME ON FIRE
THE
VERVE PIPE-LOVE WILL FIND YOU AGAIN
JOHN
MAYER-TIL THE RIGHT ONE COMES
JOHN
MAYER-LAST TRAIN HOME
ED
SHEERAN-SHIVERS (ACOUSTIC)
ED
SHEERAN-BAD HABITS (ACOUSTIC)
STEVE
EVERETT-WHAT'S IN THE WELL
STEVE
EVERETT-VICTORIA
JON
MCLAUGHLIN-WHY IT HURTS
JON
MCLAUGHLIN-A BREAK UP SONG
RIN
TARSY-FREE
RIN
TARSY-94
NEEDTOBREATHE-CARRY
ME (DARK HORSE SESSIONS)
NEEDTOBREATHE-INTO
THE MYSTERY
SHANE
NICHOLSON-HARVEST ON VINYL
SHANE
NICHOLSON-LIFE AIN'T FINE
COLIN
HAY-DRIVING WITH THE BRAKES ON
BRIAN
VANDER ARK-FALL AT YOUR FEET
MATT
NATHANSON-ONE
