Top Tunes 2021
I’ve just about squeezed this out while it’s still January – my annual compilation of favourite songs from those I bought in the last year (not all were released this year). As a deviation from the electronic pop favourites of last year, I’ve gone a bit post-punk, or whatever the kids are calling it nowadays: Squid; Black Country, New Road; and a cracking new album from Mogwai. But my absolute favourite is Darkside (both albums) and Nicolas Jaar from 2013.
Róisín Murphy gets in again, with a banging remix from her producer Crooked Man. Snapped Ankles make a welcome return and there’s a fab Hot Chip remix of long time favourite Django Django.

Because I keep these playlists roughly to the length of a CD, there are some notable omissions from this list. Black Midi is one, although I find it a little hard work at the moment. Also a classic oldie from Metronomy, some Seventies jazz funk from Ian Carr’s Nucleus, and a classic album from Love which was largely unknown to me – an omission generously corrected by my good friend Anthony.
The Best Songs I Bought in 2021, Ever
- Pearl in the Palm by W. H. Lung from the album Vanities
- Teeth by Working Men’s Club from the album Working Men’s Club
- Black Widow Spider by Parquet Courts from the album Sympathy For Life
- G.S.K. by Squid from the album Bright Green Field
- The Limit by DARKSIDE from the album Spiral
- Der Rhythmus der Maschinen by Public Service Broadcasting from the album Bright Magic
- Push/Pull by bdrmm from the album Bedroom
- Ritchie Sacramento by Mogwai from the album As The Love Continues
- Hardcore Jealousy by Róisín Murphy from the album Crooked Machine
- The Revolution Of Super Visions by Jane Weaver from the album Flock
- Athen’s, France by Black Country, New Road from the album For The First Time
- Festival by Tom Misch & Yussef Dayes from the album What Kinda Music
- Too Many Kids Finding Rain In the Dust by Nicolas Jaar from the album Space Is Only Noise
- You’ll Have to Scream Louder by Tindersticks from the album Distractions
- All I Ever Need by Caribou from the album Our Love
- Illumina by Lamb from the album The Secret Of Letting Go
- Emergence in Nature by Hannah Peel from the album Fir Wave
- Shared Particles by AK/DK from the album Shared Particles
- Rhythm Is Our Business by Snapped Ankles from the album Forest Of Your Problems
- Glowing in the Dark (Hot Chip remix) by Django Django from the EP Glowing in the Dark – the Remixes
You can listen to the playlist on Spotify or Apple Music.