Once again, out of sheer obsession and love for visual art, I have compiled my 100 favorite album covers of the year. Keep in mind that this list is not ranked in any way, instead ordered left to right by aesthetics, imagery, and framing, with an emphasis on color this year. There is so much great album artwork that was left on the cutting room floor, and I’m sure there is an even greater number of albums that I didn’t happen to catch. 100 seems like a lot until you have to start cutting it down! I hope you enjoy these covers as much as I do!

Click or tap the 10×10 grid to see 2021’s high-res image. To see 2020’s featurette, click or tap here. –neekafat

Emma Ruth Rundle // Engine of Hell

Alice Phoebe Lou // Glow

Hayley Williams // Flowers for Vases / DESCANSOS

Mogwai // As the Love Continues

Magdelena Bay // Mercurial World

Rhye // Home

Lingua Ignota // SINNER GET READY

Unireqvited // Beautiful Ghosts

Celeste // Not Your Muse

Eomac // Cracks

BLACK MIDI // Cavalcade

Papangu // Holoceno

Abscession // Rot of Ages

ZAÄAR // Magická Dźungl’a

Sordide // Les Idées Blaches

Son Lux // Tomorrows III

Loscil // Clara

Der Weg einer Freiheit // Noktvrn

Capstan // SEPARATE

Maggie Rose // Have a Seat

Pharoah // The Powers That Be

The Plot in You // Swan Song

Altin Gün // Yol

Perturbator // Lustful Sacraments

Sydney Sprauge // maybe i will see you at the end of the world

Soda Blonde // Small Talk

Arab Strap // As Days Get Dark

Idles // Crawler

Architects // For Those That Wish to Exist

Geese // Projector

Skepticism // Comparison

Lunar Shadow // Wish to Leave

Porter Robinson // nature

R.A.P. Ferreira // The Light Emitting Diamond Cutter Scriptures

Creature // Eloge De L’ombre

John Dwyer // Witch Egg

Darkside // Spiral

The Weather Station // Ignorance

Sad Night Dynamite // Sad Night Dynamite

Jessica Moss // Phosophenes

The Notwist // Vertigo Days

Delta Sleep // Spring Island

Sir Sly // The Rise & Fall of Loverboy

Lil Nas X // MONTERO

Maarja Nuut // Hinged

Tinashe // 333

Kayo Dot // Moss Grew on the Swords and Plowshares Alike

Esoctrilihum // Dy’th Requiem for the Serpent Telepath

Silent Planet // Iridescent

Wolf Alice // Blue Weekend

Nervous Dater // Call in the Mess

Fly Pan Am // Frontera

Lucy Dacus // Home Video

La Femme // Paradigmes

Aeon Station // Observatory

DZ Deathrays // Positive Rising: Part 2

J. Cole // The Off-Season

nothing,nowhere // Trauma Factory

Slow Crush // Hush

De Arma // Strayed in Shadows

Dream Unending // Tide Turns Eternal

I.M // Duality

London Grammar // California Soil

SYML // DIM

Darkthrone // Eternal Hails…

Cynic // Ascension Codes

Eidola // The Architect

Topaz Jones // Don’t Go Tellin’ Your Momma

Japanese Breakfast // Jubilee

Makthaverskan // För Allting

Chevelle // NIRATIAS

Lucero // When You Found Me

Churchburn // Genocidal Rite

N0V3L // NON-FICTION

ACAUSAL INTRUSION – Nulitas

Full of Hell // Garden of Burning Apparitions

Middle Kids // Today We’re the Greatest

King Woman // Celestial Blues

Failure // Wild Type Droid

Calva Louise // Euphoric

Against the Current // FEVER

Trash Boat // Don’t You Feel Amazing?

The Jungle Giants // Love Signs

Bicep // Isles

Sumo Cyco // Initiation

Young Thug // PUNK

The Datsuns // Eye to Eye

Injury Reserve // By the Time I Get to Phoenix

Halsey // If I Can’t Have Love, I Want Power (Deluxe)

Major Murphy // Access

(G)I-DLE // I Burn

Kataan // Kataan

Beachy Head // Beachy Head

The Coral // Coral Island

Raibard // Dark Realm of the Daylight

Weedpecker // IV: The Stream of Forgotten Thoughts

NEPTUNIAN MAXIMALISM // Solar Drone Ceremony

Midnight Odyssey // Biolume Part 2 – The Golden Orb

Zanias // Unearthed

Xiu Xiu // OH NO