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. That’s 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
”Songs from the Big Chair” 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
- 🥇 Crowded House — 246 plays
- 🥈 Pink Floyd — 209 plays
- 🥉 New Order — 158 plays
- 4. Depeche Mode — 147 plays
- 5. Genesis — 129 plays
- 6. Steven Wilson — 113 plays
- 7. David Bowie — 110 plays
- 8. INXS — 99 plays
- 9. U2 — 98 plays
- 10. Simple Minds — 97 plays
View artists 11-25
- 11. Tears for Fears — 85 plays
- 12. The Smiths — 84 plays
- 13. James — 76 plays
- 14. Jesus Jones — 71 plays
- 15. Oceansize — 71 plays
- 16. Marillion — 68 plays
- 17. Kate Bush — 61 plays
- 18. Suede — 60 plays
- 19. Primal Scream — 55 plays
- 20. Radiohead — 48 plays
- 21. Gary Numan — 47 plays
- 22. XTC — 47 plays
- 23. The War on Drugs — 47 plays
- 24. The Stone Roses — 45 plays
- 25. The Smashing Pumpkins — 44 plays
Top 50 Albums
- 🥇 Songs from the Big Chair by Tears for Fears — 16 plays
- 🥈 The Very Very Best Of Crowded House by Crowded House — 12 plays
- 🥉 The Stone Roses by The Stone Roses — 11 plays
- 4. Bricks Are Heavy by L7 — 10 plays
- 5. Screamadelica by Primal Scream — 10 plays
- 6. To the Bone by Steven Wilson — 10 plays
- 7. Singles by New Order — 9 plays
- 8. Once Upon a Time by Simple Minds — 9 plays
- 9. Frames by Oceansize — 9 plays
- 10. The Joshua Tree by U2 — 9 plays
View albums 11-50
- 11. Hatful of Hollow by The Smiths — 9 plays
- 12. A Momentary Lapse of Reason by Pink Floyd — 8 plays
- 13. THE FUTURE BITES by Steven Wilson — 8 plays
- 14. Misplaced Childhood by Marillion — 8 plays
- 15. The Singles 86-98 by Depeche Mode — 8 plays
- 16. James: The Best Of by James — 7 plays
- 17. Copper Blue by Sugar — 7 plays
- 18. Doolittle by Pixies — 7 plays
- 19. Last Splash by The Breeders — 7 plays
- 20. Ten by Pearl Jam — 7 plays
- 21. Hounds of Love by Kate Bush — 7 plays
- 22. Doubt by Jesus Jones — 7 plays
- 23. Some Friendly by The Charlatans — 7 plays
- 24. Black Sea by XTC — 6 plays
- 25. Songs to Learn & Sing by Echo & the Bunnymen — 6 plays
- 26. Electriclarryland by Butthole Surfers — 6 plays
- 27. The Last Domino by Genesis — 6 plays
- 28. Temple of the Dog by Temple of the Dog — 6 plays
- 29. The Best of Depeche Mode, Vol. 1 by Depeche Mode — 6 plays
- 30. Greatest Hits by Happy Mondays — 6 plays
- 31. The Best Of by Joy Division — 6 plays
- 32. Daydream Nation by Sonic Youth — 5 plays
- 33. Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain by Pavement — 5 plays
- 34. OK Computer by Radiohead — 5 plays
- 35. Effloresce by Oceansize — 5 plays
- 36. Use Your Illusion I by Guns N’ Roses — 5 plays
- 37. Woodface by Crowded House — 5 plays
- 38. Out Of Time by R.E.M. — 5 plays
- 39. Badmotorfinger by Soundgarden — 5 plays
- 40. Blood Sugar Sex Magik by Red Hot Chili Peppers — 5 plays
- 41. Forty: The Best of Simple Minds 1979-2019 by Simple Minds — 5 plays
- 42. Lost in the Dream by The War on Drugs — 5 plays
- 43. The Division Bell by Pink Floyd — 5 plays
- 44. Schubert Dip by EMF — 5 plays
- 45. Everyone Into Position by Oceansize — 5 plays
- 46. Angel Dust by Faith No More — 5 plays
- 47. Viva Hate by Morrissey — 5 plays
- 48. The Hurting by Tears for Fears — 4 plays
- 49. Star by Belly — 4 plays
- 50. Peepshow by Siouxsie and the Banshees — 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 | ✓ |
| February | 482 | ✓ |
| March | 313 | |
| April | 682 | ✓ |
| May | 3 | |
| June | 153 | |
| July | 6 | |
| August | 337 | |
| September | 353 | ✓ |
| October | 104 | |
| November | 230 | |
| December | 495 | ✓ |
Genre Breakdown
My top genres based on album metadata from my collection:
View as text list
- 1. Rock — 657 plays (15.9%)
- 2. Alternative — 426 plays (10.3%)
- 3. Adult Alternative — 382 plays (9.3%)
- 4. Pop — 336 plays (8.1%)
- 5. Alternative Rock — 265 plays (6.4%)
- 6. Indie Rock — 184 plays (4.5%)
- 7. College Rock — 177 plays (4.3%)
- 8. Electronic — 176 plays (4.3%)
- 9. Pop/Rock — 166 plays (4%)
- 10. Pop Rock — 136 plays (3.3%)
Hidden Gems
These albums might not have topped the charts, but they earned a special place in my rotation:
- “Viva Hate” by Morrissey
- “Angel Dust” by Faith No More
- “Everyone Into Position” by Oceansize
- “Schubert Dip” by EMF
- “The Division Bell” by Pink Floyd
- “Lost in the Dream” 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 🎵
16 plays in this year
A Year-End Highlight 🎸
With 16 plays this year, “Songs from the Big Chair” by Tears for Fears earned its place as one of my most-listened albums. This record showcases the artist’s distinctive sound and continues to resonate with each listen.
Why It Matters 🌟
The impact of this work demonstrates why it became a staple in my rotation throughout the year. Its staying power speaks to the quality of the music and its ability to connect.
The Very Very Best Of Crowded House by Crowded House 🎵
12 plays in this year
A Year-End Highlight 🎸
With 12 plays this year, “The Very Very Best Of Crowded House” by Crowded House earned its place as one of my most-listened albums. This record showcases the artist’s distinctive sound and continues to resonate with each listen.
Why It Matters 🌟
The impact of this work demonstrates why it became a staple in my rotation throughout the year. Its staying power speaks to the quality of the music and its ability to connect.
The Stone Roses by The Stone Roses 🎵
11 plays in this year
A Year-End Highlight 🎸
With 11 plays this year, “The Stone Roses” by The Stone Roses earned its place as one of my most-listened albums. This record showcases the artist’s distinctive sound and continues to resonate with each listen.
Why It Matters 🌟
The impact of this work demonstrates why it became a staple in my rotation throughout the year. Its staying power speaks to the quality of the music and its ability to connect.
Bricks Are Heavy by L7 🎵
10 plays in this year
A Year-End Highlight 🎸
With 10 plays this year, “Bricks Are Heavy” by L7 earned its place as one of my most-listened albums. This record showcases the artist’s distinctive sound and continues to resonate with each listen.
Why It Matters 🌟
The impact of this work demonstrates why it became a staple in my rotation throughout the year. Its staying power speaks to the quality of the music and its ability to connect.
Screamadelica by Primal Scream 🎵
10 plays in this year
A Year-End Highlight 🎸
With 10 plays this year, “Screamadelica” by Primal Scream earned its place as one of my most-listened albums. This record showcases the artist’s distinctive sound and continues to resonate with each listen.
Why It Matters 🌟
The impact of this work demonstrates why it became a staple in my rotation throughout the year. Its staying power speaks to the quality of the music and its ability to connect.