The end of the year is upon us, and it's time to reflect on your favorite music of 2021! Here are Jesse Wiza's favorite songs of the year. Once you've made your own list, vote in The Current's Top 89 poll, and we'll count down your Top 89 of 2021 on New Year's Eve and New Year's Day.

If there’s any lesson I’ve taken from this second black hole of a year, it’s the power of live music. There was a short stint early in the summer when it felt safe to go into a crowd, and as soon as I was fully vaccinated I squished between sweaty bodies to watch a brass section bellow on Frenchman Street in New Orleans. It was surreal to be standing in a crowd. I felt myself beaming brighter than I had in months, and I vowed to never take concerts for granted again.

Aside from lessons learned, there's a few recordings that soundtracked the scores of aimless evening drives and walks I went on in an attempt to stay sane in 2021. According to my fitness tracker, I wandered over 400 miles in search of something new to look at beyond the walls of my own apartment. Thank goodness for these releases; they kept me afloat when life felt unbearably soggy.

Top 10 Tracks of 2021

Frances Forever – "Space Girl"
Rodrigo Amarante – "Maré"
Gabriels – "Love and Hate In A Different Time"
Mike Kota – "On My Side"
My Morning Jacket – "Regularly Scheduled Programming"
26 BATS! – "Honeysuckle Rose"
Lake Street Dive – "Making Do"
Ian George – "Post-Corona*"
Lanue – "What I Love The Most"
We Are The Willows & Orchid Eaton – "Keep Your Head Up"

Honorable 2021 Discoveries (Released Before 2021)

Kansas Joe McCoy & Memphis Minnie – “When The Levee Breaks”
Dr. Hook – “When You're In Love With A Beautiful Woman”
The Fairfield Four – “Jesus Gave Me Water”