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.
