My 2021 Year in Music
My 2021 Wrapped
What a year for music! In 2021, I scrobbled 4,129 tracks across 393 different artists and 710 albums. Thatβs roughly 241 hours of music - or about 10 days of non-stop listening. On average, the albums I listened to are 28 years old.
Crowded House made their mark across January, March, November, making up 6% of your year.
Lets dive into the numbers and see what made 2021 special.
By the Numbers
Thats 10 days of music, or roughly 11 tracks per day. My peak listening month was January with 971 scrobbles.
Artist of the Year
Crowded House
With 246 plays (6% of my total listening), Crowded House dominated my 2021. They were my top artist in January, March, November.
- View Crowded House on russ.fm
Album of the Year
βSongs from the Big Chairβ by Tears for Fears
This album earned the top spot with 16 plays (0.4% of my listening). It was my most-played album in January, June, July.
Top 25 Artists
- π₯ Crowded House β 246 plays
- π₯ Pink Floyd β 209 plays
- π₯ New Order β 158 plays
- 4. Depeche Mode β 147 plays
- 5. Genesis β 129 plays
- 6. Steven Wilson β 113 plays
- 7. David Bowie β 110 plays
- 8. INXS β 99 plays
- 9. U2 β 98 plays
- 10. Simple Minds β 97 plays
View artists 11-25
- 11. Tears for Fears β 85 plays
- 12. The Smiths β 84 plays
- 13. James β 76 plays
- 14. Jesus Jones β 71 plays
- 15. Oceansize β 71 plays
- 16. Marillion β 68 plays
- 17. Kate Bush β 61 plays
- 18. Suede β 60 plays
- 19. Primal Scream β 55 plays
- 20. Radiohead β 48 plays
- 21. Gary Numan β 47 plays
- 22. XTC β 47 plays
- 23. The War on Drugs β 47 plays
- 24. The Stone Roses β 45 plays
- 25. The Smashing Pumpkins β 44 plays
Top 50 Albums
- π₯ Songs from the Big Chair by Tears for Fears β 16 plays
- π₯ The Very Very Best Of Crowded House by Crowded House β 12 plays
- π₯ The Stone Roses by The Stone Roses β 11 plays
- 4. Bricks Are Heavy by L7 β 10 plays
- 5. Screamadelica by Primal Scream β 10 plays
- 6. To the Bone by Steven Wilson β 10 plays
- 7. Singles by New Order β 9 plays
- 8. Once Upon a Time by Simple Minds β 9 plays
- 9. Frames by Oceansize β 9 plays
- 10. The Joshua Tree by U2 β 9 plays
View albums 11-50
- 11. Hatful of Hollow by The Smiths β 9 plays
- 12. A Momentary Lapse of Reason by Pink Floyd β 8 plays
- 13. THE FUTURE BITES by Steven Wilson β 8 plays
- 14. Misplaced Childhood by Marillion β 8 plays
- 15. The Singles 86-98 by Depeche Mode β 8 plays
- 16. James: The Best Of by James β 7 plays
- 17. Copper Blue by Sugar β 7 plays
- 18. Doolittle by Pixies β 7 plays
- 19. Last Splash by The Breeders β 7 plays
- 20. Ten by Pearl Jam β 7 plays
- 21. Hounds of Love by Kate Bush β 7 plays
- 22. Doubt by Jesus Jones β 7 plays
- 23. Some Friendly by The Charlatans β 7 plays
- 24. Black Sea by XTC β 6 plays
- 25. Songs to Learn & Sing by Echo & the Bunnymen β 6 plays
- 26. Electriclarryland by Butthole Surfers β 6 plays
- 27. The Last Domino by Genesis β 6 plays
- 28. Temple of the Dog by Temple of the Dog β 6 plays
- 29. The Best of Depeche Mode, Vol. 1 by Depeche Mode β 6 plays
- 30. Greatest Hits by Happy Mondays β 6 plays
- 31. The Best Of by Joy Division β 6 plays
- 32. Daydream Nation by Sonic Youth β 5 plays
- 33. Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain by Pavement β 5 plays
- 34. OK Computer by Radiohead β 5 plays
- 35. Effloresce by Oceansize β 5 plays
- 36. Use Your Illusion I by Guns Nβ Roses β 5 plays
- 37. Woodface by Crowded House β 5 plays
- 38. Out Of Time by R.E.M. β 5 plays
- 39. Badmotorfinger by Soundgarden β 5 plays
- 40. Blood Sugar Sex Magik by Red Hot Chili Peppers β 5 plays
- 41. Forty: The Best of Simple Minds 1979-2019 by Simple Minds β 5 plays
- 42. Lost in the Dream by The War on Drugs β 5 plays
- 43. The Division Bell by Pink Floyd β 5 plays
- 44. Schubert Dip by EMF β 5 plays
- 45. Everyone Into Position by Oceansize β 5 plays
- 46. Angel Dust by Faith No More β 5 plays
- 47. Viva Hate by Morrissey β 5 plays
- 48. The Hurting by Tears for Fears β 4 plays
- 49. Star by Belly β 4 plays
- 50. Peepshow by Siouxsie and the Banshees β 4 plays
Monthly Breakdown
Heres how my listening habits shifted throughout the year:
Most active month: January (971 plays)
Quietest month: May (3 plays)
Best quarter: Q1 (Jan-Mar) (1,766 plays)
View monthly data as table
| Month | Plays | Above Average |
|---|---|---|
| January | 971 | β |
| February | 482 | β |
| March | 313 | |
| April | 682 | β |
| May | 3 | |
| June | 153 | |
| July | 6 | |
| August | 337 | |
| September | 353 | β |
| October | 104 | |
| November | 230 | |
| December | 495 | β |
Genre Breakdown
My top genres based on album metadata from my collection:
View as text list
- 1. Rock β 656 plays (15.9%)
- 2. Alternative β 425 plays (10.3%)
- 3. Adult Alternative β 381 plays (9.2%)
- 4. Pop β 336 plays (8.1%)
- 5. Alternative Rock β 265 plays (6.4%)
- 6. Indie Rock β 184 plays (4.5%)
- 7. College Rock β 177 plays (4.3%)
- 8. Electronic β 176 plays (4.3%)
- 9. Pop/Rock β 166 plays (4%)
- 10. Pop Rock β 136 plays (3.3%)
Hidden Gems
These albums might not have topped the charts, but they earned a special place in my rotation:
- βViva Hateβ by Morrissey
- βAngel Dustβ by Faith No More
- βEveryone Into Positionβ by Oceansize
- βSchubert Dipβ by EMF
- βThe Division Bellβ by Pink Floyd
- βLost in the Dreamβ by The War on Drugs
New Discoveries (Released in 2021)
These albums were released in 2021 and made their way into my rotation:
Featured Albums
Songs from the Big Chair by Tears for Fears π§
16 plays in this year
Recording & creation ποΈ
Released in 1985, Songs from the Big Chair was Tears for Fearsβ deliberate leap from the claustrophobic synthβpop of The Hurting to a widescreen, arenaβready sound. The title comes from the 1976 TV film Sybil β the βbig chairβ as a therapy trope β which reflects the bandβs ongoing fascination with psychology and primalβscream ideas. Production was led by Chris Hughes with heavy creative input from Roland Orzabal and Ian Stanley; sessions stretched over months as songs were built, deconstructed and rebuilt. Fun fact: βEverybody Wants to Rule the Worldβ was the last song written for the album and came together in about a week, while other tracks ran over six minutes and forced the band to pare the vinyl to just eight expansive pieces.
Sound & style β what makes it distinctive πΉ
What sets the album apart is its hybrid identity: synthβpop/newβwave sensibilities married to popβrock dynamics. It keeps layered synth pads, arpeggios and sequenced patterns at its core, but overlays them with jangly guitars, live bass and drumming β producing warmth and a human pulse that pure synth records often lacked. The arrangements favor big choruses and dramatic builds (listen to the slow escalation of βShoutβ), yet the lyrics keep an introspective and political edge: power and corruption in βEverybody Wants to Rule the World,β catharsis in βShout,β and tenderness in βI Believe.β The albumβs bookending of βBrokenβ and βHead Over Heelsβ shows their artful use of motifs and sequencing, almost like personalities occupying the same βbig chair.β
Production aesthetics & synth palette βοΈ
Midββ80s studio polish is all over the record: gated reverb drums, roomy digital reverbs, tightly programmed sequences and multiβlayered synth textures. Rather than replacing traditional instruments, synths provide atmosphere, hooks and rhythmic scaffolding β pads for emotional swells, arpeggiated lines for momentum, and melodic synth leads that sit beside guitar lines. The production balances electronic precision with live energy, giving the album both sheen and soul.
Reception, MTV & legacy πΊ
Commercially it was a breakthrough: multiβplatinum sales worldwide, US No.1 and prolonged chart life in the UK. Singles β especially βShoutβ and βEverybody Wants to Rule the Worldβ β became MTV staples; their videos translated the bandβs psychological seriousness into cinematic, accessible images and widened their audience. Over time the album has become a landmark of 1980s pop: a template for marrying thoughtful, darker themes to radioβfriendly production and a touchstone for later artists who mined the emotional, synthβforward β80s sound.
The Very Very Best of Crowded House by Crowded House πΆ
12 plays in this year
Recording history & creation process π§
Released by Capitol/EMI in October 2010 as a 25thβanniversary compilation, The Very Very Best of Crowded House is a labelβcurated career snapshot that pulls singles from the bandβs Capitol era (1986β2007). It isnβt a new studio statement so much as a retelling: the standard CD collects 19 singles, a deluxe digital edition stretches to 32 tracks (including a rare 1987 live cover of Hunters & Collectorsβ βThrow Your Arms Around Meβ), and a CD+DVD box set bundles 25 promo videos. The vinyl was notable β a 2Γ180g LP cut from the original analogue masters at Abbey Road β giving longtime fans a highβquality analogue revisit. Band involvement appears limited; the set was largely an EMI effort to repackage and reframe the catalogue after the band moved labels.
Musical style, guitar work & rhythm section πΈ
This compilation distills Crowded Houseβs signature blend of pop-rock, jangleβpop and alternative sensibility. Neil Finnβs songwriting β economical, melody-first guitar parts and unforgettable choruses β drives the songs: chiming Rickenbacker-esque strums (βWeather With Youβ), delicate arpeggios (βFall at Your Feetβ), and tight riffing (βSomething So Strongβ). Producers like Mitchell Froom and Youth added textured keyboards and sonic quirks, pushing some tracks into richer, more atmospheric territory. Rhythmically the record leans on Nick Seymourβs melodic, songβshaping bass and Paul Hesterβs feel-driven drumming; their interplay keeps ballads grounded and uptempo numbers buoyant. On reunion tracks (from Time on Earth) Matt Sherrodβs punchier drumming modernizes the groove.
Reception, legacy & streamingβera role π
The compilation reached the Top 20 in Australia and New Zealand on release and resurfaced in the ARIA Top 5 in 2016 around the bandβs highβprofile βEncoreβ moments. Critics largely accepted it as the clearest singleβdisc gateway to the band (AllMusic called the expanded set nearly definitive), even while noting its labelβdriven timing. More importantly, the album functions as the default streaming anthology: it consolidates the bandβs most shared and playlisted tracks β βDonβt Dream Itβs Over,β βBetter Be Home Soon,β βFour Seasons in One Dayβ β making their music discoverable to a new generation online.
Politics, themes & why it still matters ποΈ
Though primarily personal and introspective, the set includes flashes of social commentary β βChocolate Cakeβ skewers consumer excess, while βPour Le Mondeβ reads as a cautious plea about war and responsibility. The emotional clarity β themes of home, longing and resilience β plus the crossβgenre blend of pop craft and altβtexture make these songs stubbornly timeless. In short: whether you hear it on vinyl, a curated playlist or in a social feed, this compilation frames Crowded House as masters of melodic storytelling whose subtlety and craft still resonate.
The Stone Roses by The Stone Roses πΈπΌ
11 plays in this year
Recording story & studio craft ποΈ
The debut was built slowly and carefully across 1988β89 with producer John Leckie, tracked at places like Battery and Rockfield (with one session at Sawmills). Leckieβs motto was βdonβt roll tape until the band can do it with confidenceβ β that patience shows. They recorded to two synchronized Studer 24βtrack machines (48 tracks), running tape at 30 ips with no Dolby, which helped preserve a clear, punchy acoustic top end. Little production flourishes that reward repeat listens: up to eight guitar overdubs on parts, a Leslie-speaker guitar on βBye Bye Badman,β subtle AMS-triggered samples for drum reinforcement, and Ian Brown often singing relaxed takes from the control room. The band blended DI bass with miked amps, close-miked guitars (SM57/Neumann) and generous Lexicon/EMT reverbs to make vocals and guitars float in the mix.
Musical style, synths, and how it sounds β¨
Sonically the record is a hybrid: jangly β60s psychedelia, indie guitar pop, and danceβfriendly rhythms β the blueprint of the βbaggyβ/Madchester vibe. John Squireβs chiming, textural guitar work sits alongside Maniβs melodic, round bass and Reniβs shuffled drum grooves to create tracks that feel both breezy and hypnotic. Synthesizers arenβt front-and-center as on synthpop records, but they furnish atmosphere and effects (Emulator samples, studio reverbs and delays) rather than dominate β adding modern sheen to a guitar-first palette.
Reception, legacy and influence π€
Upon release the album was hailed as a landmark UK debut β critically adored and enormously influential, if not an overnight global smash. It anchored the lateββ80s/earlyββ90s Manchester scene and directly shaped Britpopβs next wave: Oasis, Blur, Suede and countless indie acts cited it as a touchstone. Its songs became festival standards and the album resurfaces on βbest ofβ lists as a record that married pop hooks with underground credibility.
Visual era, MTV, and mainstream vs underground visuals ποΈ
Visually the band cultivated a distinctive look: John Squireβs Pollockβinspired cover art and stylized graphics gave the record an artβschool pedigree that stood apart from glossy MTV pop. They lived between two worlds β club/dance culture and the indie guitar underground β so they didnβt rely solely on video rotation. Their mystique was partly built on live reputation, press, striking artwork and the cultural moment: a guitar band that sounded like it could soundtrack a rave, which is how they bridged mainstream attention without selling out.
In short: The Stone Roses redefined lateββ80s British rock by proving that studio craft, dance rhythms and psychedelic guitar textures could coexist β and that approach rewired British pop for the decade to come.
Bricks Are Heavy by L7 πΈ
10 plays in this year
Recording & creation β Smart Studios, major-label push, and Butch Vig π οΈ
Released April 14, 1992 on Slash Records, Bricks Are Heavy was L7βs third album and their breakout. After indie runs on Epitaph and Sub Pop, the band tapped Butch Vigβfresh off Nevermindβto produce at Smart Studios in Madison, Wisconsin. That pairing gave L7 a bigger budget and the polish Vig was known for, but the sessions kept the bandβs live, confrontational energy intact. Donita Sparks pushed into more personal songwriting (the hit βPretend Weβre Deadβ started as a breakup song), Jennifer Finch and Suzi Gardner doubled down on riffy aggression, and Dee Plakas held down a swingy but pummelling groove. The result sounds tighter than their earlier lo-fi records while still sounding like a band ready to punch you in the face.
Sound & style β heavy hooks, punk fury, and unexpected textures π₯
What makes Bricks Are Heavy distinctive is how it marries punk vitriol with hooky alt-rock melodies. Guitars are sludgy and chugging, vocals flip from sneer to near-harmony, and arrangements embrace dynamicsβbig crunchy choruses next to tight, groove-driven verses. Tracks like βScrapβ and βShitlistβ deliver pure riff violence; βEvergladeβ uses gang vocals and almost hip-hop rhythmic accents; βPretend Weβre Deadβ wraps a melancholy breakup lyric in a deceptively anthemic chorus. The album keeps a DIY snarl even with Vigβs sheen, producing something both radio-ready and unapologetically raw.
Reception & cultural moment β charting, controversy, and the grunge wave π
Bricks Are Heavy arrived at the peak of the alternative-rock/grunge explosion. It peaked modestly at #160 on the Billboard 200, but βPretend Weβre Deadβ became a staple on alternative radio and MTV, widening L7βs reach. Critics praised the songwriting and muscular production; fans noticed the band hadnβt sold out their attitude. L7βs unapologetic feminism and in-your-face anticsβthink the notorious tampon throw at Reading and provocative TV appearancesβkept them controversial and visible, cementing their place in early-β90s alt culture.
Legacy β influence, DIY spirit, and redefining rock norms β
The album endures as a landmark for women-fronted hard rock in the grunge era. It showed you could be melodic and heavy, political and personal, polished and punk. L7 kept a DIY ethos in attitude if not in budget: they carried underground credibility into mainstream spaces and refused to soften their stance. Bricks Are Heavy influenced later riot-grrrl and alt-rock acts and still sounds urgent todayβits 30th-anniversary reissues and ongoing reunion tours testify to a record that helped redefine what heavy rock could be when run through a feminist, no-bullshit lens.
Screamadelica by Primal Scream π§
10 plays in this year
Recording & creation story π οΈ
Screamadelica grew out of bedroom demos, late-night jamming and a very 1990s DIY spirit. Primal Scream started with rough sketches in Andrew Innesβ flat and a run-down shack studio where they slept on the floor between takes. Early singles β most famously the Andrew Weatherall rework that became βLoadedβ β gave them the cash and confidence to move into better studios and buy an Akai S1000 sampler, which utterly changed their approach. Rather than rigid verse/chorus writing, songs began as keyboard/sampler jams; anyone who had a good idea could walk into the studio and add it. Producers and DJs (Andrew Weatherall, Alex Paterson of The Orb) became central collaborators, and even Jimmy Miller was drafted to mix βMovinβ On Up.β The result feels like a band rewired by club culture.
Sound & what makes it distinctive π
Screamadelica fuses rock guitars, soul vocals, psychedelic textures and rave-era electronic production. Samples (from James Brown-style drums to Indian strings), dub delays, euphoric piano stabs and sprawling groove-based arrangements replace conventional rock songcraft. Tracks range from extended acid-house evolutions to Stonesy rockers and gospel-tinged anthems; the album moves like a DJ set as much as a rock record. That willingness to let atmosphere, repetition and dancefloor logic drive songs is the albumβs signature.
Reception, success & legacy π
Released September 1991 on Creation Records, it became a landmark: critical acclaim, strong sales in the UK (top ten) and the inaugural Mercury Prize in 1992. Itβs been celebrated in 25th/30th anniversary reappraisals and is routinely cited as one of the eraβs most influential albums. More than a one-off hit, it opened mainstream doors for rock acts to borrow club tools and mindsets.
Why it matters β context, influence & how it reshaped rock π
Screamadelica arrived during the alternative explosion but took a different route than grungeβs guitar-bent angst. Instead of retreating into rawness, Primal Scream embraced communal ecstasy and electronic texture. It married indie DIY values with club production: samplers, edits, DJ-driven mixes and open collaboration. That hybrid helped birth the indie-dance and alt-electronic strands of the 1990s and beyond, proving rock could be expansive, spiritual, and danceable. In short: it rewrote what a rock album could sound like, and did so while still feeling like a full-on celebration.