The Top Singles of 2021 & Greg’s Mixtape
Some songs can define our memory of a year when we look back. Host Jim DeRogatis and production staff share the songs that defined 2021 for them. Plus, host Greg Kot shares his 2021 mixtape and pays tribute to musicians who died in 2021.
Apple Podcasts / Overcast / Spotify / tunein / Stitcher / RSS
Obituaries
Though Sound Opinions frequently airs obituaries, on today's show Jim and Greg are memorializing artists we missed earlier in the year. Some musicians talked about more in depth include Sophie, Wanda Young of the Marvelettes, Chick Corea and Richard Kirk.
Top Singles of 2021
Jim is joined by the production staff to share his top five singles of 2021.
Jim
- Lizzo, "Rumors (feat. Cardi B)"
- Caroline Polacheck, "Bunny Is a Rider"
- Beach Bunny, "Oxygen"
- City Girls, "Twerkulator"
- Yotuel, Gente de Zona, Descemer Bueno, Maykel Osorbo, El Funky, "Patria y Vida"
Production Staff
- Mary: MUNA, "Silk Chiffon (feat. Phoebe Bridgers)"
- Sol: Emotional Oranges, "All That (feat. Channel Tres)"
- Katie: KAYTRANADA, "Intimidated (feat. H.E.R.)"
- Alex: Mannequin Pussy, "Control"
- Andrew: Bo Burnham, "That Funny Feeling"
Greg’s 2021 Mixtape
Greg plays two sets of songs from his 2021 mixtape, Living In the Good Times?
Listen to the full mixtape here.
Set 1
- Sparks, "So May We Start"
- Turnstile, "MYSTERY"
- Wet Leg, "Chaise Longue"
- Horsegirl, "Billy"
- Ric Wilson, "Pull A James Baldwin"
Set 2
- Jelani Aryeh, "Marigold"
- Quivers, "You’re Not Always On My Mind"
- Prince, "Hot Summer"
- Nick Waterhouse, "Vincentine"
- Cocktail Slippers, "She Devil (Shout It out Loud!)"
Featured Songs:
- Lizzo, "Rumors (feat. Cardi B)," Rumors (Single), Atlantic, 2021
- Sophie, "Bipp," Product, Numbers, 2015
- The Marvelettes, "Please Mr. Postman," Please Mr. Postman, Motown, 1961
- Return to Forever, "Hymn of the Seventh Galaxy," Hymn of the Seventh Galaxy, Polydor, 1973
- Cabaret Voltaire, "Nag, Nag, Nag," Nag, Nag, Nag (Single), Rough Trade, 1979
- Muna, "Silk Chiffon (feat. Phoebe Bridgers)," Silk Chiffon (Single), Saddest Factory, 2021
- Emotional Oranges, "All That (feat. Channel Tres)," The Juicebox, Avant Garden, 2021
- Caroline Polachek, "Bunny Is a Rider," Bunny Is a Rider (Single), Perpetual Novice, 2021
- Kaytranada, "Intimidated (feat. H.E.R.)," Intimidated, RCA, 2021
- Beach Bunny, "Oxygen," Oxygen (Single), Mom+Pop, 2021
- Mannequin Pussy, "Control," Perfect, Epitaph, 2021
- City Girls, "Twerkulator," Twerkulator (Single), Quality Control, 2021
- Bo Burnham, "That Funny Feeling," Inside (The Songs), Republic, 2021
- Yotuel, Gente de Zona & Descemer Bueno, "Patria y Vida (feat. Maykel Osorbo & El Funky)," Patria y Vida (Single), Chancleta, 2021
- Sparks, Adam Driver & Marion Cotillard, "So May We Start (feat. Simon Helberg) [From "Annette"]," So May We Start (feat. Simon Helberg) [From: "Annette"] (Single), CG Cinema International, 2021
- Turnstile, "MYSTERY," GLOW ON, Roadrunner, 2021
- Wet Leg, "Chaise Longue," Chaise Longue (Single), Domino, 2021
- Horsegirl, "Billy," Billy (Single), Matador, 2021
- Ric Wilson, "Pull A James Baldwin," Pull A James Baldwin (Single), Free Disco / EMPIRE, 2021
- Jelani Aryeh, "Marigold," I've Got Some Living To Do, No Matter, 2021
- The Quivers, "You're Not Always On My Mind," Golden Doubt, Ba Da Bing!, 2021
- Prince, "Hot Summer," Welcome 2 America, Legacy, 2021
- Nick Waterhouse, "Vincentine," Promenade Blue, Innovative Leisure, 2021
- Cocktail Slippers, "She Devil (Shout It out Loud!)," She Devil (Shout It out Loud!), Wicked Cool, 2021
- Robert Finley, "Sharecropper's Son," Sharecropper's Son, Easy Eye, 2021
Dear Listeners,
For more than 15 years, Sound Opinions was a production of WBEZ, Chicago's public radio station. Now that the show is independent, we're inviting you to join the band and lend a hand! We need your support more than ever because now we have to do all the behind-the-scenes work that WBEZ handled before (like buying insurance and paying for podcast hosting, ugh). Plus, we have some exciting ideas we'd like to try now that there's no one to tell us no!