Despite taking a break from updating this site, I have still been listening to new music throughout the year. Music still thrills me, provides much needed mental health boosts and a welcome distraction from the state of the world.
So without further delay, here are the 100 songs that have been whittled down from nearly a 1000 that I've had stored online or sitting on shelves in various formats. As for an album of the year, I'd probably pick Wounds and Blessings by Tuxedomoon's Blaine L.Reininger. The Muscle soundtrack by The The is also a fascinating and varied listen (the film was also another triumphant Gerard Johnson work), while Sleaford Mods, Campbell/Mallinder/Benge, Yola, Helado Negro, A Certain Ratio, Pye Corner Audio and Public Service Broadcasting all delivered successful LPs and EPs throughout 2021.
Flipside Reviews Top 100 Tracks 2021:
100
Lambchop - Papa Was a Rolling Stone Journalist
99
Consolidated - Two Minutes To Midnight
98
Jane Weaver - The Revolution of Super Visions
97
Pat Metheny and Jason Vieaux - Four Paths of Light Pt 4
96
Cochemea - Burning Plain
95
New Age Steppers - Send For Me
94
Roger Eno - Time Travelling Sandwich (Fur Elise)
93
The Stranglers - This Song
92
Arlo Parks - Too Good
91
Front Line Assembly - Purge
90
Floating Points, Pharoah Sanders, London Symphony Orchestra - Movement 2
89
Sea Fever - De Facto
88
Modern Studies - The Naked Eye
87
Jah Wobble - Guangzhou Funk
86
Trentemoller and Tricky - No One Quite Like You
85
The Besnard Lakes - Feuds With Guns
84
u-Ziq - Murker
83
Daniel Lanois - (Under The) Heavy Sun
82
Jon Hopkins, Ram Dass and East Forest - Sit Around The Fire
81
Billy Nomates - Heels
80
Seth Lakeman - Make Your Mark
79
Tindersticks - You'll Have To Scream Louder
78
Source Direct - Dangerous Curves
77
Napalm Death - Narcissus
76
Max Richter - Prelude 6
75
Arab Strap - Here Comes Comus!
74
Mogwai - Supposedly, We Were Nightmares
73
Paul Hartnoll - Victor's Theme (from Concrete Plans)
72
TOKiMONSTA and Channel Tres - Naked
71
Nils Frahm - Corn
70
Buscemi, Yves Gaillard, Steve Kashala - Taxi Driver
69
Laxcity - Daydream
68
Teenage Fanclub - The Sun Won't Shine On Me
67
The Psychedelic Furs - Evergreen
66
Saint Etienne - Pond House
65
LoneLady - (There Is) No Logic
64
U-Roy and Santigold - Man Next Door
63
Sons Of Kemet - To Never Forget The Source
62
Tears For Fears - The Tipping Point
61
Infected Senses - Art Club
60
Craig Armstrong - Nocturne 2
59
Dam-Funk - Night Kruise
58
Into Paradise - Only One
57
LTJ Bukem - Flip The Narrative
56
The 7/777 Project and Public Enemy - Power To The People 2021
55
UNKLE - Do Yourself Some Good (Ronin Edit)
54
Lindsey Buckingham - I Don't Mind
53
Roisin Murphy - Kingdom Of Machines
52
Warmduscher - Wild Flowers
51
Little Simz - I Love You, I Hate You
50
A Certain Ratio - Berlin (Cosmodelica Remix)
49
Dry Cleaning - Scratchcard Lanyard
48
Mark Isham - Song Of The Firefly Harmonium
47
Dubstar - I Can See You Outside
46
Ink - Embrace The Meaning
45
Paranoid London - The State Of That
44
Alva Noto and Ryuichi Sakamoto - Monomom
43
Alpha Steppa - The Bubble
42
Cabaret Voltaire - Billion Dollar
41
Dinosaur Jr - I Met The Stones
40
Melby - Somewhere New
39
Damu The Fudgemunk and Raw Poetic - Conversation Peace
38
Robin Guthrie - 815
37
Pye Corner Audio - Hive Mind
36
Ulrich Strauss and Mark Peters - Hindsight Is 20/20 (edit)
35
Kevin Hewick - Humankind
34
Hannah Peel - Emergence In Nature
33
A Certain Ratio - Big Boy Pants
32
Public Service Broadcasting and EERA - People, Let's Dance
31
Blaine L. Reininger - Sun Package
30
Future Islands - The Moon Is Blue
29
Kreidler and Khoes - Nesinado (edit)
28
Chaz Jankel - Never Stop Believing
27
Ohtis and Stef Chura - Schatze
26
Ryuichi Sakamoto - Minamata Piano Theme
25
Sleaford Mods - Spare Ribs
24
Jersey Street - Love Rising Up (ACR remix)
23
Leaving Laurel and Daniel Avery - Winter In The Woods
22
The House In The Woods and Pye Corner Audio - Spectral Corridor Pt 1
21
LoneLady - Former Things
20
Dumbo Tracks and Peaking Lights - Always Something (Indra Dunis Vocal edit)
19
Girl Ray - Give Me Your Love (version francaise)
18
Black Roots - Nothing In The Larder
17
Piroshka - Scratching At The Lid
16
John Beltran - She Is Spring
15
Khruangbin and Leon Bridges - B-Side
14
Philip Glass, Sergio Sorrentino - Orphee's Bedroom
13
Four Tet - Parallel 4
12
Helado Negro - Gemini and Leo
11
Felix Da Housecat - ILL'NOIZE
10
Daniel Avery - Hazel and Gold
9
Public Service Broadcasting - Lichtspiel III: Symphonie Diagonale
8
Cult With No Name - Home Again
7
Campbell, Mallinder, Benge - Dereliction Magical
6
A Certain Ratio - Keep It Together
5
Yola - Dancing Away In Tears
4
Blaine L.Reininger - 100 Sad Fingers
3
The Grid and Robert Fripp - Fire Tower
2
A Certain Ratio and The Emperor Machine - Emperor Machine
1
The The - I Want 2 B U (from Muscle)
Originally 'broadcast' as a three-parter on Spotify under the Splendid Isolation banner, you can listen to the whole 100 right here
