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TOP 40 ROCK ALBUMS OF 2021
Ultimate Classic Rock Staff
Updated: December 21, 2021
UCR
The first half of 2021 had little to offer as far as new music arrivals. The release schedule was slow, but as the pandemic pushed on, more artists unveiled what they had been up to over the course of lockdown, making for an influx of new material during the back half of the year.
For some artists, 2021 was a year of firsts: KK's Priest, Mammoth WVH and Dirty Honey released debut albums. Others dug into others' catalogs, with artists such as Chrissie Hynde, Peter Frampton, the Black Keys and Jason Isbell releasing albums of cover songs. Some - like Iron Maiden, Yes and the esteemed duo of Robert Plant and Alison Krauss - released their first new work in years, much to the delight of eagerly waiting fans.
Another highlight of the year arrived in the form of collaborative endeavors: Paul McCartney's 2020 release McCartney III was refashioned as McCartney III Imagined, which featured reworked cover versions of the album's songs. Metallica indulged in a similar project, inviting younger artists like Weezer, St. Vincent, Phoebe Bridgers and dozens more to cover their favorite songs from the band's classic Black Album.
Elton John also teamed up with friends - including Stevie Nicks, Dua Lipa and Eddie Vedder - for an album whose title, The Lockdown Sessions, perhaps most accurately described the working reality of 2021 for most artists.
While the pandemic may have thwarted most touring plans and ended up reworking how records were made, there was a lot to listen to this past year, as you'll see in the below list of the Top 40 Rock Albums of 2021.
Top 40 Rock Albums of 2021
In spite of the ongoing pandemic, music soldiered on.
Gallery Credit: UCR Staff
UMe
40. Elvis Costello, 'Spanish Model'
Spanish Model, Elvis Costello's new spin on his landmark 1978 album, This Year's Model, utilized tapes from the original sessions, but stripped away Costello's vocals and replaced them with contemporary Latin American artists including Juanes, Luis Fonsi and others. Costello's own newly recorded and slightly sneering voice can be heard from time to time on the record, but the spotlight here is on the Spanish singers as they offer sharp and snappy renditions of these classic songs. The album's original track listing is rearranged, too, resulting in a work that sounds brand new. - Allison Rapp
Universal
39. Ringo Starr, 'Zoom In'
No one would have blamed Ringo Starr for spending quarantine like we all did: moping around in bedclothes while eating snacks directly out of the bag. Instead, Starr crafted one of his most joyously upbeat recordings – that, of course, is saying something – but in a bite-sized five-song format. A suitably impressive number of famous friends phoned in, both here and on the subsequent Change the World EP, but Starr remains the ever-affable center of attention. The results, in another time and another place, might have felt at best corny and at worst insufferably cheery. But in this time and this place, let's face it, we needed all of the corny cheeriness we could get. – Nick DeRiso
Ipecac Recordings
38. Tomahawk, 'Tonic Immobility'
At first blush, Tonic Immobility, the first Tomahawk album since 2013’s Oddfellows, almost sounds downright normal. The Mike Patton-led supergroup opens its fifth LP with a triumvirate of hooky, muscular alt-metal gems, full of chunky riffs by Jesus Lizard guitarist Duane Denison and powerhouse grooves from ex-Helmet drummer John Stanier and Mr. Bungle bassist Trevor Dunn. But Tonic Immobility quickly shifts gears, cycling through knotty prog-metal, gut-busting thrash, sprawling post-rock and an eerie, spoken-word lounge act — often within the same song. Patton’s vocal acrobatics are predictably astounding, as he barks, croons, howls, taunts and cackles his way through these dozen tracks. “Got a birthing coach with a COVID smile / We labor alone today,” he purrs on the evergreen “Doomsday Fatigue.” It’s not quite easy listening — but why would Patton fans ever want that? - Bryan Rolli
InsideOut / Sony
37. Yes, 'The Quest'
Would anyone fault Yes if The Quest sucked? Not many bands, even one that’s cycled through musicians so frequently, can sustain the creative juices over 22 albums. And they faced new challenges here: working during a pandemic — and for the first time without co-founding bassist Chris Squire, who died in 2015. It isn’t perfect — too much of the album sags with sleepy balladry. But with its more robust production and unobtrusive orchestral backing, The Quest is a surprisingly ambitious rebound from 2014’s Heaven & Earth, approaching their classic grandeur on epic cuts like “Leave Well Alone” and “Dare to Know.” - Ryan Reed
Blackend Recordings
36. Various Artists, 'The Metallica Blacklist'
There’s no questioning the importance of Metallica’s 1991 self-titled album, known to the world as the Black Album. For its 30th anniversary, the band released a sprawling set called The Metallica Blacklist featuring a vast array of artists reimagining the Black Album’s tracks. The sheer scope of the project is daunting, with more than 50 artists contributing to the set. While the album's size is part of its appeal, it’s also its downfall. Six versions of “Enter Sandman,” seven interpretations of “Sad but True,” another seven of “The Unforgiven,” 12 versions of “Nothing Else Matters” - at some point, it all becomes repetition, regardless of how good the material is. Whittled down to the very best cuts, The Metallica Blacklist would probably rank higher on our list. Even in its bloated form, the project is more than worthy of a spot here. - Corey Irwin
Crush Music / Atlantic Records
35. Weezer, 'Van Weezer'
Van Weezer was never going to boast the seedy danger of '80s glam metal, no matter the title and album-cover treatment. Asking that from Weezer is to misunderstand the group, certainly at this late date. Sure, this is their rockingest project since 2002’s Maladroit, perhaps the band's best post-reunion LP. But Van Weezer is really – like so much of their music – about sweet nostalgia, something Rivers Cuomo totally cops to in "I Need Some of That" when he longs for a place where he can "press rewind and go back to a simpler place." His apparently eternal boyishness ensures that Van Weezer is too hooky, too happy and at times maybe too damned cute to have emerged from the Sunset Strip. (More like Saved by the Bell.) In the end, however, this isn't a problem. In fact, it's a strength. Call Van Weezer a guilty pleasure, if you must, but that's not always a bad thing. – DeRiso
Napalm Records
34. Monster Magnet, 'A Better Dystopia'
Monster Magnet frontman Dave Wyndorf noted in the news release for A Better Dystopia that he didn't want to spend his quarantine "panhandling on the internet, hawking masks and Zoom-rocking practice sessions." So the band instead hunkered down in a small New Jersey recording studio and let loose on covers of obscure late-'60s and early-'70s psychedelic and garage-rock gems. A Better Dystopia's 13 songs are perfectly chosen and delivered with high skill and wild abandon. These 48 minutes fly by, with strong takes on the Scientists' "Solid Gold Hell" and the Table Scraps' "Motorcycle (Straight to Hell)" getting especially high marks. The result is one hell of a fun ride that also helps to illustrate exactly where Wyndorf got his unique sensibility. — Matthew Wilkening
Ipecac
33. Melvins, 'Working With God'
Melvins brought back members of the "Melvins 1983" lineup for their 24th studio album, as original drummer Mike Dillard returned to his post for the first time since 2013's Tres Cabrones. (Longtime current drummer Dale Crover, who wasn't in the band in 1983, moved over to bass.) Dillard's approach is far more direct than Crover's nuanced wizardry, and the shift once again seems to have brought out the delightfully primal side of singer-guitarist Buzz Osborne's playing. Humorous and profane takes on the Beach Boys' "I Get Around" and Harry Nilsson's "You're Breaking My Heart" might grab your attention at first, but the more lasting thrills can be found on original propulsive rockers such as "Bouncing Rick" and "The Great Good Place." — Wilkening
UMG
32. Various Artists, 'I'll Be Your Mirror: A Tribute to the Velvet Underground & Nico'
Another reminder of the Velvet Underground's unending influence arrived in the form of I'll Be Your Mirror, a tribute album comprised of covers from the band's debut album. Iggy Pop, Michael Stipe, Courtney Barnett, Sharon Van Etten, St. Vincent, Andrew Bird and others lend their signature styles while adhering to the outre appeal of the LP. Also of note is the number of women singer-songwriters included here - a testament to the original album's influence (in addition to singer Nico, the Velvets' drummer was a woman). I'll Be Your Mirror ends up a tribute to both the 1967 classic and the artists its influenced over the decades. - Rapp
Frontiers Music SRL
31. L.A. Guns, 'Checkered Past'
Thirty-five years of hard living and band-name-usage lawsuits have done nothing to dilute L.A. Guns’ raunch-rock racket. Checkered Past, the band’s third consecutive album to feature a reunited Tracii Guns and Phil Lewis, opens like a freight train with the raucous “Cannonball,” full of Guns’ clobbering riffs and Lewis’ raspy shrieks. From there, L.A. Guns churn high-speed punk-metal (“Dog,” “Better Than You”) and sleazy arena rock (“Bad Luck Charm,” “Living Right Now”) with all the swagger and intensity of a veteran club act tearing through a sweaty set. Even the ballads mercifully avoid weepy nostalgia: “Get Along” is a loose-limbed acoustic jam, while “Let You Down” is a doom-laden epic and master class in dynamics. - Rolli
Reprise
30. Mastodon, 'Hushed and Grim'
As with many bands that straddle the line between metal and progressive rock, Mastodon seem to divide hardcore fans with each album — some crave the raw heaviness of 2004’s Leviathan, while others relish the cosmic chaos of 2009’s Crack the Skye. In that sense, the band’s eighth LP is like a “best of” in all but name, twisting and turning over 86 minutes between brutal intensity (“Pushing the Tides”) and arena-sized prog epics (“Peace and Tranquility”). There are also unexpected flourishes: the shuffling drum groove on “The Beast,” the climactic strings on closer “Gigantium,” the various French horns and Indian string instruments and added synthesizers. Hushed and Grim pulls off a tricky balance: looking through the windshield and the rear-view mirror simultaneously. - Reed
Ex1 Records
29. KK's Priest, 'Sermons of the Sinner'
After his attempts to return to Judas Priest were rejected, guitarist K.K. Downing shifted to a backup plan: writing an album’s worth of songs that sounded like vintage Priest. Downing even recruited onetime bandmate Tim "Ripper" Owens for vocals. The results sound like Priest's 1990 album Painkiller. It's a fitting reunion with Owens, who recorded two records with Judas Priest, as well as one of the best metal albums of the year. - Matt Wardlaw
Crush Music / Atlantic
28. Weezer, 'OK Human'
The first of two Weezer albums released in the first half of 2021 is the less-gimmicky one, concept-free and the better record because of that. Unlike the hair-metal tribute Van Weezer that came out four months later, OK Human riffs on Radiohead (see: that title) by turning things around with a totally analogue recording rooted in the chamber-pop music from the mid '60s through early '70s. With an orchestra aiding the band without getting in the way, it's the most organic-sounding Weezer album and one of their best, with tracks like "All My Favorite Songs" finding a sweet spot between melancholy and joy. — Michael Gallucci
Spinefarm
27. Black Label Society, 'Doom Crew Inc.'
The title of Black Label Society’s 11th studio album is not a misnomer. Zakk Wylde and his motley crew deliver an onslaught of bluesy, sludgy riffs that the bandleader gleefully admits he picked up at the “Lord Iommi swap meet.” The longtime Ozzy Osbourne consigliere pays homage to “Children of the Grave” on the swinging “Destroy & Conquer,” and he flexes his knack for melancholy hooks and hypnotic vocal harmonies on mid-tempo stompers “Set You Free” and “End of Days.” As always, Wylde’s dizzying, wah-drenched solos are nothing short of spectacular, and his twin-lead interplay with guitarist Dario Lorina adds some extra zest to Black Label Society’s tried-and-true sonic brew. - Rolli
Cooking Vinyl
26. The Darkness, 'Motorheart'
The Darkness don’t reinvent the wheel on their insanely fun seventh LP — big-guitar frivolity has always been their MO (Pause for a second and consider just how unsettling a serious Darkness album would be.) Motorheart is everything these guys have always done well: heavy riffs and solos, detailed but unfussy arrangements, comically over-the-top lyrics, falsetto hooks that aim straight for the pleasure zone. The centerpiece is the title track: Over a wild, palm-muted riff, frontman Justin Hawkins sings about a romance — and eventual falling-out — with a sex robot. It’s a song so hilarious and cinematic that no other band (except maybe Tenacious D) could pull it off. - Reed
Independent
25. Dirty Honey, 'Dirty Honey'
Dirty Honey abide by retro-rock’s Golden Rule: You’ve got to steal from more than one source. The Los Angeles foursome’s eponymous debut full-length incorporates Led Zeppelin’s thunder-god riffing, the Black Crowes’ barroom boogie and Aerosmith’s streetwise snarl, all topped with an air of Sunset Strip hedonism. Singer Marc LaBelle and guitarist John Notto ape the archetypal frontman-guitarist duos of yesteryear; hear the skyscraping howls on “The Morning” and the slash-and-burn solos on “Gypsy.” Dirty Honey may not do anything new here, but the bluesy, album-closing ballad “Another Last Time” signals more ambitious and grandiose material on LP2. - Rolli
Warner
24. Royal Blood, 'Typhoons'
Across their seven-year existence, Royal Blood had already proven they knew how to get loud. On their third album, 2021’s Typhoons, they show they also know how to get down. Opening song “Trouble’s Coming” is an infectious dance-floor jam, while the title track boasts a soaring, fist-pump-inducing chorus. Though the duo of Mike Kerr and Ben Thatcher may have found their inner disco ball, they didn’t lose any of the frenzied energy and fierce riffs that made Royal Blood one of the most promising acts of the past decade. It’s rare to find an album that can incite both a mosh pit and a dance party. Typhoons is one such release. - Irwin
UMe
23. Peter Frampton, 'Frampton Forgets the Words'
That Peter Frampton can play with such subtle fluidity may come as a surprise to anyone who last checked in during the Comes Alive era. But this smartly titled instrumental project isn't Frampton's initial foray into lyric-less brilliance: He won a Grammy for his first one, 2006's excellent Fingerprints. Forgets the Words is in some ways rangier, as his new set of covers draws deft lines between R&B (Sly and the Family Stone's "If You Want Me to Stay," Marvin Gaye's "One More Heartache"), pop (Roxy Music's "Avalon"), Americana (Alison Krauss' "Maybe"), jazz (Jaco Pastorius' "Dreamland") and – of course – rock (George Harrison's "Isn't It a Pity," Radiohead's "Reckoner," David Bowie's "Loving the Alien"). In the end, however, Forgets the Words makes the same case: There's far more to Peter Frampton than his open-shirted talk-box heyday. — DeRiso
Southeastern
22. Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit, 'Georgia Blue'
“If Biden wins Georgia, I’m gonna make a charity covers album of my favorite Georgia songs,” Jason Isbell pledged in November 2020. The singer-songwriter kept his word, turning out Georgia Blue, which honors some of the Peach State's most acclaimed artists. R.E.M. are represented by a version of “Driver 8,” while Isbell and his band collaborate with former Black Crowes drummer Steve Gorman for a take on that group’s “Sometimes Salvation.” One can hope Isbell will continue to offer challenges that result in albums like this one. - Wardlaw
Mom + Pop
21. Sleater-Kinney, 'Path of Wellness'
Path of Wellness, Sleater-Kinney's first album without drummer Janet Weiss since 1996, as well as their first self-produced record in the history of their nearly 30-year career, marks another departure from the band's original unflinching style. Their previous album, 2019's The Center Won't Hold, kept things slick, sexy and polished; Path of Wellness gladly incorporates more grit, experimentation and organized chaos. Recorded over during summer 2020 in Oregon, in the midst of nationwide protests and encroaching wildfires, an ironic sense of confidence and acceptance permeates the LP. Carrie Brownstein and Corin Tucker aren't trying to replicate what they had with Weiss but instead discover a new direction in which to take their music. - Rapp
RCA
20. Kings of Leon, 'When You See Yourself
Kings of Leon made their hoped-for destiny real by becoming mainstream rock stars, playing bigger and bigger songs before bigger and bigger audiences. Somewhere along the way, however, they started to take the process – and then, it seems, themselves – far too seriously. Their music lost its agency, its free-wheeling vibe. Once seen as saviors of Southern rock, Kings of Leon became a bit of a drag. The intriguing thing about how they've come back from the brink is that the Followills started taking things even more seriously. But rather than trying (and trying) to write the Next Anthem, they began peering inward. Wholly unexpected, that introspection provides the emotional foundation for darker, yet far more authentic new successes on When You See Yourself. Maybe Kings of Leon will never be huge stars again (in fact, this album's shadowy soundscapes likely ensure it), but at least they've broken out of the gilded arena-rock cage they built for themselves. – DeRiso
Double J
19. Jerry Cantrell, 'Brighten'
Jerry Cantrell pulls out all the stops on Brighten, recruiting an all-star backing band including Guns N’ Roses bassist Duff McKagan, Paul McCartney drummer Abe Laboriel Jr. and Dillinger Escape Plan vocalist Greg Puciato. Yet there’s never any question who’s running the show on the guitarist’s first solo LP in 19 years. Brighten sounds more California than Seattle, full of bucolic folk tunes and outlaw country anthems that are speckled with pedal steel guitar and smoky Hammond organ. “Atone” and “Had to Know” tread familiar territory with crunchy riffs and menacing hooks, but Cantrell goes full singer-songwriter on album highlight “Black Hearts and Evil Done,” a breezy acoustic number that finds the Alice in Chains riffmaster taking stock of a broken world but stopping just short of offering solutions. - Rolli
Inside Recordings
18. Jackson Browne, 'Downhill From Everywhere'
There’s a pandemic-appropriate sense of doomy resignation surrounding Downhill From Everywhere, but it was written before COVID stopped the world from spinning. Besides, Jackson Browne has always been pretty resigned and very much doomy. So, what he's given us here after six years away is actually textbook Browne – a sometimes tricky blend of the personal and political. He’s walked that line for decades, and when Browne keeps his balance, there's been no one better. (See this LP’s poignant, finely drawn song “The Dreamer,” which puts a human face on the immigration crisis.) The difference here is a feeling that time, for Browne, is running short – a theme that shapes “My Cleveland Heart” and “Minutes to Downtown,” but echoes throughout. – DeRiso
Interscope
17. Elton John, 'The Lockdown Sessions'
Elton John didn't just stare at his ceiling during quarantine. He put the downtime to good use by recruiting some old and new friends to record an album. Most of The Lockdown Sessions' tracks were made remotely and during the COVID era (though a handful were recorded under different circumstances), and the result is a record that spans generations and genres. Dua Lipa and Rina Sawayama's pop songs are highlights, but Eddie Vedder and Stevie Nicks are here, too, joining the global, genre-crossing party that only someone of John's stature could host. - Gallucci
TripleLift
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Lava/Republic
16. Greta Van Fleet, 'The Battle at Garden's Gate'
These Michigan retro-rock revivalists saw your “Led Zeppelin cosplay” jokes and raised you some strings. Everything about Greta Van Fleet’s second full-length is more expansive: the instrumentation, the song lengths, the budget, the fantasy-realm absurdity, the physical range of Josh Kiszka’s Valhalla-seeking shriek. Working with top-drawer producer Greg Kurstin (Paul McCartney, Foo Fighters, Adele), Greta Van Fleet leaned into their proggiest, heaviest instincts — jettisoning the dopey folk-rock detours (“You’re the One”) that bogged down stretches of their 2018 debut, Anthem of the Peaceful Army. They sound more natural in this cinematic space, allowing guitarist Jake Kiszka to orchestrate riffs on a bigger scale (like on epics “Age of Machine” and “The Weight of Dreams”). Sure, nothing about The Battle of Garden’s Gate is particularly original — but who cares? Few bands recycle the past with such flair and finesse. — Reed
BMG
15. Chrissie Hynde, 'Standing in the Doorway: Chrissie Hynde Sings Bob Dylan'
Chrissie Hynde is no stranger to Bob Dylan tunes. She's joined him on stage, regularly sung "Forever Young" with the Pretenders, and utterly owned "I Shall Be Released" at his 30th anniversary concert. Still, a quarantine project devoted to covering this vast catalog – sparked by the surprise arrival of a new Dylan song, "Murder Most Foul," in the early days of lockdown last year – would have to somehow claim its own narrative voice. Hynde finds unlikely purchase by returning to early-'80s Dylan fare. Songs like "In the Summertime," "Sweetheart Like You" and "Don't Fall Apart on Me Tonight" are typically, and sometimes rightly, overlooked in a discography stuffed with era-defining classics. But they're also unexamined enough to give Hynde plenty of interpretive space, opening our ears to her tough vulnerability before she returns to the perhaps more-expected "Love Minus Zero / No Limit" and "Every Grain of Sand." Well named, this album's title track is its triumph. She has a sigh that's worth a million words. – DeRiso
3 Legged Records
14. Blackberry Smoke, 'You Hear Georgia'
There's always been a steady stream of strong rock bands out of Atlanta, Ga., Blackberry Smoke among them. Their seventh studio album, You Hear Georgia, marks the group's 20th anniversary, and Blackberry Smoke aimed to emphasize that deeply rooted connection with their Southern roots. Working with fellow Georgian producer Dave Cobb and special guests including Allman Brothers guitarist Warren Haynes, the Black Bettys and Jamey Johnson, You Hear Georgia is a hardy combination of driving rock tracks and slower, more relaxed country folk-esque tunes recorded at Nashville's famed RCA Studios. The result is an honorable homage to their home state. — Rapp
BMG
13. Duran Duran, 'Future Past'
Duran Duran burst onto the scene 40 years ago like harbingers of a sleek synth-pop future, so it’s only fitting that they would evoke their glittery mid-‘80s heyday to cut an exciting path forward on Future Past. Songs like “Beautiful Lies” and “Anniversary” recall smash hits like “The Reflex” and “Notorious,” combining glistening synths with funky bass lines and throbbing, club-ready beats. But Duran Duran also stretch their musical muscles on Future Past, incorporating languid surf-rock guitars and head-spinning sonics on “Nothing Less” and jazzy piano chords on mesmerizing album closer “Falling.” Simon Le Bon exudes lust, longing and unadulterated joy in equal measure, imploring on the majestic title track, “Don't you cry for what will never last.” On Future Past, Duran Duran sound ready and willing for whatever comes next. - Rolli
BMG
12. Cheap Trick, 'In Another World'
To paraphrase Cheap Trick themselves, “Everything works if you let it.” So when it came to In Another World, their 20th studio album, they didn’t veer from the usual playbook. But Cheap Trick are hardly just churning out tired retreads of their glory years: If anything, they’re adding vital chapters, with new music that’s as tightly constructed and energetically rockin’ as their most celebrated albums. One can argue that drummer Daxx Nielsen has given the group a much-needed shot in the arm on the records they’ve made since his 2010 arrival. “The Summer Looks Good on You” oozes with attitude paired with a glorious vocal snarl from Robin Zander, while “Boys & Girls & Rock N Roll” has a delightful Bowie-esque tint. “Light Up the Fire” is a rowdy, psychedelic crusher that features some choice guitar shredding from the ever-colorful Rick Nielsen, and the album closer of John Lennon’s “Gimme Some Truth” is another worthy addition to their Beatles-related songbook. In Another World is arguably the best album Cheap Trick has put forth in the past decade. — Wardlaw
earMUSIC
11. Alice Cooper, 'Detroit Stories'
Alice Cooper has certainly built himself a brand. His 21st studio album, Detroit Stories, is instantly recognizable as being his. Working with his tried-and-true band of musicians, along with longtime producer Bob Ezrin, Cooper incorporated the usual drama and embellishment, but this time he offered another theme for fans to follow: nostalgia. Born in Detroit, Cooper moved away when he was young and attempted, as many young rock bands of the time did, to launch a musical career out of L.A. with the Alice Cooper Band. He eventually made his way back to Detroit, where the group found mainstream success being themselves. This was the unconventional, gritty community that Cooper paid tribute to on Detroit Stories, which features numerous fellow Detroit names like Wayne Kramer from MC5 and Johnny “Bee” Badanjek from Mitch Ryder and the Detroit Wheels. On his cover of the Velvet Underground’s “Rock ‘n’ Roll,” Cooper even shifts lyrics that look back on New York to focus on Detroit. For many fans, part of the appeal of Cooper is that he's always looking forward, but on Detroit Stories, he proves that looking back can be just as much fun. — Rapp
Concord
10. Billy F. Gibbons, 'Hardware'
On his third studio album, Hardware, Billy Gibbons brought the heat. The legendary ZZ Top guitarist actually set up shop in the California desert when crafting this record, and that proved to be the perfect location to crank the volume. “You’re surrounded with a lot of sand, rocks and cactus – maybe a few rattlesnakes thrown in for good measure," Gibbons said. “But that was really the environment that served as a very creative outlet to make some loud noise.” Hardware was made with only a small handful of people working by Gibbons' side (including drummer Matt Sorum and guitarist Austin Hanks), but there was another person Gibbons wanted to honor with a scorching record like this one: his longtime producer Joe Hardy, who worked with Gibbons on his two previous solo albums, and for whom he named Hardware. Between the LP's opening track, the bluesy "My Lucky Card," the special guest appearance from Southern rock sisters Rebecca and Megan Lovell of Larkin Poe on "Stackin' Bones," and the psychedelic spoken word of the final song "Desert High," Gibbons lets rip as only he can. — Rapp
Capitol
9. Paul McCartney, 'McCartney III Imagined'
Last year’s McCartney III was already a triumph. The former Beatle recorded a one-man-band effort during peak COVID times yet somehow found a way to make the LP both experimental and fun. Then he doubled down on the project, releasing McCartney III Imagined in 2021. Unlike the original, this retooled version features plenty of collaborators: Josh Homme from Queens of the Stone Age shows up on "Lavatory Lil,” while indie-rock darling Phoebe Bridgers guests on "Seize the Day." St. Vincent, Damon Albarn and Anderson .Paak are here, too, but the crown jewel of the album is a funked-out rendition of "Find My Way" featuring Beck. With McCartney III Imagined, McCartney shows that while he can have a good time alone, the trip is much more enjoyable with friends. - Irwin
BMG
8. Iron Maiden, 'Senjutsu'
Since 2003’s Dance of Death, Iron Maiden’s albums have been getting progressively longer, peaking with 2015’s The Book of Souls, which clocked in at more than an hour and a half. Senjutsu is almost as long and marks their second double album in a row, with three of the album's last four tracks stretching past the 10-minute mark. The band always gives fans plenty to unpack, and they serve an engaging opus here that should keep the faithful busy for years to come. - Wardlaw
EX1 Records
7. Mammoth WVH, 'Mammoth WVH'
Wolfgang Van Halen had to thread quite a narrow needle while launching his solo career: establishing a musical identity separate from his father Eddie's massive shadow while still living up to his family's high standards, just months after the guitar legend's death. No pressure, right? But he pulls it off with seeming ease on Mammoth WVH, acting as a one-man band on an impressively sharp and hook-filled collection of songs that draw from a completely different set of influences than Van Halen. You won't find any of David Lee Roth or Sammy Hagar's cocky vocal swagger or winking sexual foreplay here. But there's a big dose of pop smarts along with plenty of clever, complex instrumental bits to reward repeated listens. Best of all, the disciplined focus on structure, hooks and melodies never wavers. No wonder Eddie couldn't stop raving about this record. — Wilkening
RCA / Roswell
6. Foo Fighters, 'Medicine at Midnight'
Foo Fighters will never escape that middle-of-the-road, '90s-meets-the-'00s rock 'n' roll thing they do, so calling their 10th album, Medicine at Midnight, a shift in style really means they've added a few new detours. It's pretty much what you expect from a Foo Fighters album: fist-raising anthems and arena-shaking rock songs sprinkled with a dash of introspection. What's new here are the dance and pop elements Dave Grohl drops into songs like "Shame Shame" and "Waiting on a War." Medicine at Midnight won't change the way you think about Foo Fighters, but it does offer some insight into what they're capable of when they switch lanes. — Gallucci
Three Blind Mice / BMG
5. David Crosby, 'For Free'
David Crosby has been on a creative tear the past decade, releasing five albums since 2014. Boasting collaborations with Michael McDonald and Steely Dan’s Donald Fagen, Crosby enters his 80th year with some of his strongest solo songs ever. And For Free is one of his most accessible albums to boot, reflecting on getting older, losing friends, social issues and more. With records like this, Crosby stages a late-career rebirth that hopefully will yield similar results for years to come. - Wardlaw
Easy Eye Sound / Nonesuch
4. The Black Keys, 'Delta Kream'
The Black Keys have spent the past several years proving they're capable of more than just replicating the hill country blues that helped launch their career two decades ago. But on their 10th album, they swivel back to the sound for their least-fussy and rawest record since 2010's Brothers made them new-century rock 'n' roll saviors. Covering songs by R.L. Burnside, Junior Kimbrough and others (and also employing sidemen who've played with the late bluesmen), Dan Auerbach and Patrick Carney are back in their element on Delta Kream, pounding out garage-rock stompers like "Poor Boy a Long Way From Home" and John Lee Hooker's oft-covered "Crawling Kingsnake" that are injected with a bit of back-road history and lots of grit. — Gallucci
Reprise
3. Neil Young, 'Barn'
For decades, you put on a new Neil Young record wondering if it featured Tenderhearted Neil or Amp-Melting Neil. Thanks to a key change in the Crazy Horse lineup, Barn gives us both. Stalwart guitarist Frank “Poncho" Sampedro left after 2012’s scorching Psychedelic Pill, replaced by Nils Lofgren – a pre-E Street Band collaborator in Crazy Horse. Lofgren is perfectly capable of burning down said barn in a two-guitar duel, as on “Canerican” or “Human Race." But he also brings more complex multi-instrumentalist textures to the project, adding lonesome accordion to “Song of the Seasons” and a fun honky-tonk turn on the piano for “Heading West.” That seems to have given Young an uncommon focus, as Barn became the best showcase for his ever-roving muse in many, many years. – DeRiso
Rhino
2. Lindsey Buckingham, 'Lindsey Buckingham'
Lindsey Buckingham's first solo album in 10 years is also his first since splitting with Fleetwood Mac, separating from his wife and undergoing heart surgery. Although Lindsey Buckingham was self-recorded before all of those life-altering events, the record sounds like a breakup album bathed in a sunny pop glow. Make no mistake, relationship discord runs throughout the songs - which can be deceivingly upbeat, thanks to Buckingham's melodic smarts - driving an undercurrent of hurt that's at the heart of the record. - Gallucci
Rounder
1. Robert Plant and Alison Krauss, 'Raise the Roof'
Like 2007's Grammy-winning Raising Sand, this follow-up album from former Led Zeppelin singer Robert Plant and bluegrass star Alison Krauss feels like a warm, comforting blanket amid a storm of turmoil. T Bone Burnett's often dry and leathered production bathes the excellent choice of covers the singers take on here, finding the middle ground between Plant's lived-in growl and Krauss' piercing twang. Raise the Roof blends their voices until a singular, honeyed tone glides into the landscape and covers the surroundings with the sound of nuanced and texturized Americana. - Gallucci
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