All Songs Considered (NPR)

Episode: Our No. 1 Songs: 2021

Air date: December 8, 2025
Hosts: Robin Hilton & Stephen Thompson

Episode Overview

In this episode, Robin Hilton and Stephen Thompson look back at 2021—a year marked by the ongoing pandemic and its cultural aftermath—to share and discuss their favorite tracks, the songs that defined the moment, and what stood out musically. They dive into both personal selections and broader cultural touchstones, underscoring how music released that year captured the confusion, isolation, longing, and tentative hopes of the time.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Setting the Scene – Music in 2021

• Pandemic Influence: 2021’s music is noted as a pivotal outpouring of art responding to isolation, anxiety, and reflection created by the pandemic. The hosts discuss how songs were both a product of and a balm for those times.
  • Robin Hilton: "We're starting to get all the stuff that everyone made during 2020." (01:06)
  • Stephen Thompson: "You're starting to get pandemic culture... works that are about the pandemic." (01:10)

2. Stephen’s Favorite Song of 2021

• Jazmine Sullivan – “The Other Side”
  • Stephen Thompson: "It's just a fantasy about making it big, but through another person. And it's a really hauntingly beautiful song. Her phrasing is just brilliant. It's one of the best R and B records of the 21st century." (02:03)
  • Robin initially guesses wrong (expecting Cassandra Jenkins’ “Hard Drive” or Amy Shark), highlighting how many strong contenders there were.

3. The Song That Embodied 2021

• Bo Burnham – “That Funny Feeling” from the Netflix special “Inside”
  • Stephen Thompson: "It's really, to me, the towering example of kind of the best of pandemic isolation entertainment, like works that were created of and for that moment in history... really kind of summing up that sense of overwhelm." (03:58–04:33)
  • Robin identifies Burnham by his signature deadpan lyricism about modern life but has to ask about the name of the song.

4. Robin's Most Resonant Track

• Elizabeth and the Catapult – “Together Alone”
  • Robin describes first hearing the song: "I just bawled my eyes out because it was so beautiful. And I remember thinking, song of the year." (04:41)
  • Lyrics spotlight pandemic-digital fatigue: "My brain is connected to my hand, it's connected to my phone. One more photo of a wedding or a picture perfect home." (06:17)
  • Robin Hilton: "She called this whole album Sincerely E. She called it a love letter to everyone who's been stuck at home... probably my favorite song of the year." (06:37)

5. Other Standout 2021 Releases

• Olivia Rodrigo – “Driver’s License”
  • Stephen Thompson: "Olivia Rodrigo broke through in 2021, you know, with a pop record that, you know, was full of these big Paramore vibes that was fun and kind of poignant at the same." (09:44)
• Big Thief – “Little Things”
  • Recognized by Stephen as one of his favorites from that year for its emotional lyricism. (10:51)
• Maddie Diaz – “History of a Feeling”
  • Stephen Thompson: "Put out a phenomenal record in 2021." (11:14)
• Girl in Red – “Serotonin”
  • Robin highlights the raw, honest take on mental health: “I’m running low on serotonin / Chemical imbalance got me twisting things / Stabilized with medicine…” (12:09)
• Dodie – “Hate Myself”
  • Robin professes his fandom: "Very big Dodie fan. Love that one." (13:54)
• Amy Shark – “Amy Shark”
  • Robin: “So heartbreaking, so beautiful.” (14:54)
  • Stephen: “Beautiful.” (14:00)
• Joel Ortiz – “Uncle Chris’s Car”
  • Robin: “Another incredible song.” (15:13)
  • This track is praised for its vivid, autobiographical storytelling.

6. Reflections on 2021’s Strong Output

• Stephen Thompson: "What a great year." (15:59)
• Robin Hilton: "What a great year 2021 was." (16:00)

Memorable Quotes

• On the challenge of defining the year:
  "Do I pick my favorite song of 2021? Or do I pick the song that most embodies 2021? Because, you know, 2021 still deep. Pandemic."
  — Stephen Thompson (00:51)

• On isolation and digital malaise:
  "My brain is connected to my hand, it's connected to my phone. One more photo of a wedding or a picture perfect tone. It's just so… It’s heartbreaking."
  — Robin Hilton (06:17–06:37)

• On pandemic-created art:
  "It's really, to me, the towering example of kind of the best of pandemic isolation entertainment, like works that were created of and for that moment in history."
  — Stephen Thompson, discussing Bo Burnham (04:33)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 00:28–01:26: Setting up the episode; discussing what shapes a “definitive” 2021 song.
• 02:01–02:26: Stephen reveals Jazmine Sullivan’s "The Other Side" as his top pick.
• 03:06–04:33: Bo Burnham’s “That Funny Feeling”—the song that summed up the year’s existential confusion.
• 04:40–06:37: Robin presents “Together Alone” by Elizabeth and the Catapult; emotional resonance and lyrics.
• 09:44–12:02: Quickfire run through additional highlight tracks—Olivia Rodrigo, Big Thief, Maddie Diaz.
• 12:02–14:54: Emotional/mental health-focused anthems—Girl in Red, Dodie, Amy Shark.
• 15:13–16:00: Joel Ortiz’s “Uncle Chris’s Car” and closing thoughts on 2021’s breadth of amazing music.

Takeaway

This episode is a heartfelt and detail-rich curation of 2021’s defining music, layered with personal connection, contextual insight, and a sense of both the upheaval and beauty that characterized the time. The hosts’ picks spotlight how artists processed, chronicled, and even transcended the year’s uncertainty—making sense of it in ways only music can.

Host sign-off:
"What a great year 2021 was." — Robin Hilton (16:00)
"Thank you, Robin." — Stephen Thompson (16:09)