EDMTunes Year in Review: Top 10 Albums of 2021

December 10, 2021

We’ve officially started our annual EDMTunes “Best Of” series, which kicked off earlier this week with our Top Five Breakout Artists of 2021. Next up, we’re looking at the Top 10 Albums of 2021. Read on to see what our writers & editors’ top votes were.

10. Ilan Bluestone – Impulse

Ilan Bluestone’s Impulse was a welcome addition in 2021, following his last album, the stunning Scars in 2019. The UK-born producer never fails to warm our hearts with his uplifting trance productions.

9. Solomun – Nobody is Not Loved

His first album since 2009, Solomun pulled out all the stops on Nobody is Not Loved. Featuring collaborations with vocalists Zoot Woman, Anne Clark, ATNA, and even Jamie Foxx, Nobody is Not Loved is the progressive house album we needed this year.

8. Dabin – Between Broken

Dabin’s Between Broken was highly anticipated this year after the success of his last album, Wild Youth, in 2019. This multi-talented artist applied his diverse set of skills on this album which features collaborations from Nurko and William Black.

7. ILLENIUM – Fallen Embers

Known for his crossover hits, ILLENIUM brought us yet another multi-genre album with Fallen Embers. With appearances from Said The Sky, Angels & Airwaves, Excision, HALIENE, Slander, Krewella, Dabin, and many more, Fallen Embers appeals to fans with all different tastes.

6. Armin van Buuren – A State of Trance FOREVER

Armin van Buuren celebrated 1000 episodes of ASOT this year, and gifted us with A State of Trance FOREVER to celebrate. Trance fans were delighted to see some of their favorite artists appear on the album, including Sander van Doorn, Paul Oakenfold, Aly & Fila, Jorn van Deynhoven, Giuseppe Ottaviani, to name few.

5. Rezz – Spiral

Rezz continues to expand her devoted fan base with releases like this year’s Spiral. This marks the third full-length studio album from the artist and demonstrates her ability to completely hypnotize listeners with her mastery of production.

4. ZHU – DREAMLAND 2021

Following the incredible RINGOS DESERT in 2018, DREAMLAND 2021 sees ZHU continuing his hot streak as he sweeps listeners away with standout tracks like ‘How Does It Feel’ with Channel Tres, ‘Distant Lights,’ and ‘Only’ with Tinashe.

3. Gorgon City – Olympia

Gorgon City continues to amaze me with releases as good as Olympia. The album features hit after hit of tracks like ‘Oxygen’ with Aura James, ‘You’ve Done Enough’ with DRAMA, ‘House Arrest’ with Sofi Tukker, and ‘Dreams’ with Jem Cooke.

2. Porter Robinson – Nurture

Porter Robinson has accumulated a mass following and Nurture demonstrates exactly why. The amount of heart and soul he put into this album is apparent, with the combination of uplifting lyrics and multi-instrumental elements that tug at just the right heart strings.

1. Rufus Du Sol – Surrender

It should come as no surprise that Rufus Du Sol’s Surrender made the #1 spot this year, after 2018’s SOLACE also won our #1 album of the year back then. Standout tracks from the album, like ‘Next to Me,’ ‘Alive,’ and ‘On My Knees,’ have already seen immense success, making this one a clear winner for the Top Album of 2021.