We asked for your lists so we thought it was only fair we share ours. Check out Top 10 albums of the year lists from our on-air staff below and join us all day on New Year’s Eve as we count down to the #1 album of 2021 as chosen by you our listeners!

Amber Hoback / Music Director / Mid-Day Host

1. Arlo Parks – Collapsed in Sunbeams
2. Lord Huron – Long Lost
3. Dori Freeman – Ten Thousand Roses
4. Modest Mouse – The Golden Casket
5. Parquet Courts – Sympathy For Life
6. Paula Fuga – Rain On Sunday
7. Good Morning – Barnyard
8. Robert Plant & Alison Krauss – Raise The Roof
9. The Marias – Cinema
10. Joy Oladokun – in defense of my own happiness

On Parquet Courts: Another dose of cold brew and this album keep me awake as daylight savings lures me to bed around 4pm. A nice mix of rock, funk, and tempo; I find myself going back to this album when I’m not sure what I want to listen to. It’s become my ‘default’.

Tad Abbey / Assistant Program Director / Afternoon Host

1. The War on Drugs- I Don’t Live Here Anymore
2. Lucy Dacus – Home Video
3. Jon Batiste – We Are
4. Adele -30
5. Billy Strings-Renewal
6. Hiss Golden Messenger- Quietly Blowing It/ Oh Come All Ye Faithful
7. My Morning Jacket – My Morning Jacket
8. Arlo Parks Collapsed in Sunbeams
9. Gov’t Mule- Heavy Load Blues
10. Tedeschi Trucks Band f/ Trey Anastasio – Layla Revisited Live at Lockin’

On Billy Strings: The songwriting of Billy Strings is familiar with tales of love, loss, and life. The arrangement of his music and his talents with a guitar are spectacular. For those moments where only the true prescription is a glass of rye and contemplation, Billy Strings fills the air with your own sense of Renewal.

Desiré Moses / Managing Producer (Hear Together) / Evening Host

1. Japanese Breakfast – Jubilee
2. Strand of Oaks – In Heaven
3. The Weather Station – Ignorance
4. The War on Drugs – I Don’t Live Here Anymore
5. Arlo Parks – Collapsed in Sunbeams
6. Cautious Clay – Deadpan Love
7. Brandi Carlile – In These Silent Days
8. Sleater-Kinney – Path of Wellness
9. Lucy Dacus – Home Video
10. Adele – 30

On Japanese Breakfast: While memoir Crying in H Mart chronicles her relationship with her mother from  adolescence through early adulthood, while caring for her mother as she died of cancer, Jubliee sees Zauner reclaiming a sense of peace and exaltation. On “Paprika,” the album’s opening track (and my personal favorite), Zauner explores the duality of creating art in the public eye across an explosion of horns and strings. The album’s lead single, “Be Sweet,” is a perfect dose of pop goodness that harkens back to the ’80s in all its synth goodness.”

Bob Mosolgo / Morning Host

1. Various – Highway Butterfly: The Songs of Neal Casal
2. Manchester Orchestra – A Million Masks of God
3. Hiss Golden Messenger – Quietly Blowing It
4. John Hiatt and the Jerry Douglas Band – Leftover Feelings
5. Sierra Ferrell – Long Time Coming
6. Los Lobos – Native Sons
7. Leon Bridges – Gold-Diggers Sound
8. James McMurtry – The Horses and the Hounds
9. Kacey Musgraves – Star Crossed
10. Japanese Breakfast – Jubilee

On Highway Butterfly: I don’t usually include tribute releases in my top 10 but I could not let that happen with this one. Besides the wonderful versions of Casal’s songs on the three disk set it served to educate me on an artist that I had previously overlooked. Going back to the originals was a side benefit I had not expected. Add in the support of a good cause in the Neal Casal Foundation and you have even more to love!

Mark Keefe / General Manager / Program Director

1. Arlo Parks – Collapsed In Sunbeams
2. Tedeschi Trucks Band featuring Trey Anastasio – Layla Revisited Live At LOCKN’
3. Christone Kingfish Ingram – 662
4. The War On Drugs – I Don’t Live Here Anymore
5. Gov’t Mule – Heavy Load Blues
6. Hiss Golden Messenger – O Come All Ye Faithful
7. Billy Strings – Renewal
8. Strand Of Oaks – In Heaven
9. Courtney Barnett – Things Take Time, Take Time
10. Cautious Clay – Deadpan Love

On Hiss Golden Messenger: As much as I wanted to list both of HGM’s releases on my top 10, I felt I needed to choose. So, I chose the “holiday” album, not because it’s better, but because I always rejoice when a new holiday album gets released that’s actually GOOD and not just a re-working of the same tunes that get rehashed this time of year. This does have some reworked classics, but Hiss Golden Messenger makes them their own and then contributes a few originals that are a welcome addition to the holiday cannon.

Patrick Coman / Director of Events & Promotions / Weekend Host

1. The War on Drugs – I Don’t Live Here Anymore
2. Japanese Breakfast – Jubilee
3. Courtney Barnett – Things Take Time, Take Time
4. Parker Millsap – The Real Thing
5. Strand of Oaks – In Heaven
6. Sierra Ferrell – Long Time Coming
7. Matthew E. White – K Bay
8. Torres – Thirstier
9. Big Red Machine – How Long Do You Think It’s Gonna Last?
10. Free Union – No Pressure

On Matthew E. White : So good to hear new music from Richmond’s Matthew E. White this year. While the album struck me from first listen, I truly fell in love after our amazing session with MEW at his Spacebomb studios in Richmond. Hearing him talk about the making of the album and watching the songs come together live has only deepened my respect for one of Central VA’s most vibrant musicians.