The following is a list of events and releases that happened in 2021 in music in the United States.
Notable events January 8 – Olivia Rodrigo releases her debut single, "Drivers License", which was met with critical acclaim and goes on to break several records. 29 – Lia Ices releases her first album in four years, Family Album.
February 5 – Foo Fighters release their first album in nearly four years, Medicine at Midnight. 7 – Eric Church and Jazmine Sullivan performs the national anthem, H.E.R. performs "America The Beautiful", and The Weeknd performs the halftime show during Super Bowl LV at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida. 12 Jillette Johnson releases her first album in four years, It's A Beautiful Day And I Love You. Robin Thicke releases his first album in seven years, On Earth, and in Heaven. In response to her dispute with her former record label, Big Machine Records, over the ownership of master recordings to her earlier discography, Taylor Swift releases "Love Story (Taylor's Version)", a re-recording of her 2008 song, and the first in a series of re-recordings of both her older songs and albums. 26 – Julien Baker releases her first album in four years, Little Oblivions. NOFX release their first album in five years, Single Album.
March 5 – Tigers Jaw release their first album in four years, I Won't Care How You Remember Me. A Day to Remember release their first album in nearly five years, You're Welcome. It was also the final album featuring founding bassist Josh Woodard before he departed from the band in October 2021. Chevelle release their first album in five years, Niratias. It was also their first album released as a duo following the departure of longtime bassist Dean Bernardini at the end of 2019. Kings of Leon release their first album in nearly five years, When You See Yourself. The Spill Canvas release their first album in nine years, Conduit. 12 – Rob Zombie releases his first album in five years, The Lunar Injection Kool Aid Eclipse Conspiracy. Nick Jonas release his first solo album in nearly five years, Spaceman. Eyehategod release their first album in seven years, A History of Nomadic Behavior. 14 – The 63rd Annual Grammy Awards took place at the Los Angeles Convention Center. The Awards were originally scheduled for January 31, at the Staples Center but were pushed back due to escalating COVID-19 cases and health concerns in Los Angeles County. Beyoncé won the most awards with four. Billie Eilish won her second consecutive Record of the Year award for "Everything I Wanted", while Taylor Swift won her third Album of the Year award for Folklore. 19 – KSHMR releases his debut album Harmonica Andromeda. Justin Bieber releases his sixth album, Justice. It was Bieber's first album in over a year. 26 – Evanescence release their first album of all-original material in ten years, and first overall in four years, The Bitter Truth. Tomahawk release their first album in eight years, Tonic Immobility. The Juliana Theory release their first album in 16 years, A Dream Away. Adrian Smith (Iron Maiden) and Richie Kotzen (The Winery Dogs) release their self titled debut album, Smith/Kotzen.
April 2 – Demi Lovato releases her first album in nearly four years, Dancing with the Devil... the Art of Starting Over. 9 – Taylor Swift releases Fearless (Taylor's Version), a re-recorded version of her 2008 album of the same name. Swift had announced her intention to re-record her first six studio albums after her master recordings were sold to Scooter Braun. The album became the first ever re-recorded album to top the US Billboard 200 chart. Rapper DMX dies at the age of 50, one week after suffering a heart attack from a drug overdose. 16 – Cannibal Corpse release their first album in four years, Violence Unimagined. Liquid Tension Experiment release their first album in 22 years, Liquid Tension Experiment 3. The Offspring release their first album in nearly nine years, Let the Bad Times Roll. It is also their first album without original bassist Greg K., who was fired from the band in 2018, and their last album with drummer Pete Parada who was ejected from the band in August 2021. 18 – The 56th Academy of Country Music Awards takes place at various locations in Nashville. 23 – Porter Robinson releases his sophomore album, and also his first in seven years, Nurture. Dinosaur Jr. release their first album in five years, Sweep It Into Space. 30 – Flotsam and Jetsam are scheduled to begin their Demolition of North America tour at the Club Red in Tempe, Arizona; this tour had previously been postponed from 2020 to this year, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but was put on hold until further notice. A new album, Blood in the Water, previously expected to coincide with the tour, is released on June 4. Manchester Orchestra release their first album in four years, The Million Masks of God. Dropkick Murphys release their first album in four years, Turn Up That Dial. Shelley, formerly DRAM, releases his first album in nearly five years, Shelley FKA DRAM.
May 7 – Miranda Lambert, Jack Ingram and Jon Randall release their collaborative album, The Marfa Tapes. Travis Tritt releases his first album in fourteen years, Set in Stone. 14 – Alan Jackson releases his first album in six years, Where Have You Gone. St. Vincent releases her first album in nearly four years, Daddy's Home. 21 – Blake Shelton releases his first album in nearly four years, Body Language. Olivia Rodrigo's debut album, Sour, is released to critical acclaim and commercial success. Counting Crows release their first new music in seven years, Butter Miracle, Suite One, a four-song EP that plays as a suite. 22 – Italy wins the Eurovision Song Contest 2021 with “Zitti e Buoni” by Mäneskin. 23 – The Billboard Music Awards take place in Los Angeles. Chayce Beckham wins the nineteenth season of American Idol. Willie Spence is named runner-up. 24 – Megadeth parts ways with its co-founder, bassist David Ellefson, following accusations of sexual misconduct on his part. Ellefson denied the allegations as false and is currently pursuing charges and a defamation lawsuit against the accuser. The woman involved also made a statement denying the allegations. 25 – Cam Anthony wins the twentieth season of The Voice. Kenzie Wheeler was named runner-up. Jordan Matthew Young, Rachel Mac, and Victor Solomon finish third, fourth, and fifth place respectively. 28 – DMX's first album in nine years (and also his final album), Exodus, is released following his death in April.
June 4 – Rise Against release their first album in four years, Nowhere Generation. – Atreyu release Baptize, their first album without co-frontman Alex Varkatzas (who left in 2020), and also with Brandon Saller moving away from the drums to focus only on vocals. – Lloyd Banks releases his first album in 11 years, The Course of the Inevitable. – Liz Phair releases her first album in 11 years, Soberish. – Japanese Breakfast release their first album in four years, Jubilee. 9 – The CMT Music Awards take place in Nashville. Kane Brown and Kelsea Ballerini hosts. 11 – AFI release their first album in four years, Bodies. – Azure Ray release their first album in 11 years, Remedy. – Garbage release their first album in five years, No Gods No Masters. – Maroon 5 release their first album in nearly four years, Jordi. 18 – Fear Factory release their first album in six years, Aggression Continuum. It is their first studio album released following former vocalist Burton C. Bell's departure from the previous year, though his vocals from the album's 2017 sessions are still present. 25 Gary Allan releases his first album in eight years, Ruthless. Modest Mouse release their first album in six years, The Golden Casket.
July 9 – The Wallflowers release their first album in nine years, Exit Wounds. 16 – Caveman release their first album in five years, Smash. – John Mayer releases his first album in four years, Sob Rock. 23 Descendents release their first album in five years, 9th & Walnut. Dave Matthews Band embarked on their 2021 Summer Tour, playing the first show in Raleigh, NC. 24 – Green Day, Fall Out Boy, and Weezer kicked off the Hella Mega Tour, which had been postponed from 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 30 – Jack Antonoff's project Bleachers releases its first album in four years, Take the Sadness Out of Saturday Night. – Isaiah Rashad releases his first album in five years, The House Is Burning. – Billie Eilish releases her sophomore album, Happier Than Ever. It was Eilish's first album in two years.
August 6 – Willy Mason releases his first album in eight years, Already Dead. Billy Currington releases his first album in six years, Intuition. 13 – Quicksand release their first album in four years, Distant Populations. 18 – Kiss resumed their End of the Road World Tour at Xfinity Center in Mansfield, Massachusetts, following 17 months of postponement due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 20 – Connie Smith releases her first album in ten years, The Cry of The Heart. James McMurtry releases his first album in six years, The Horses and the Hounds. 27 – OneRepublic release their first album in nearly five years, Human.
September 3 – Molly Lewis releases her first album in six years, The Forgotten Edge. 10 – Sleigh Bells release their first album in five years, Texis. 12 – The 2021 MTV Video Music Awards took place at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. 17 – Candlebox release their first album in five years, Wolves. 17 – ZillaKami releases his debut album, DOG BOY. 24 – Angels & Airwaves release their first album in seven years, Lifeforms.
October 12 – Smash Mouth singer Steve Harwell announced his retirement from the band to focus on his health following an erratic performance at the Big Sip festival in Bethel, New York. 15 – Kelly Clarkson releases her second Christmas album, and also first in nearly four years, When Christmas Comes Around.... Gemini Syndrome release their first album in five years, 3rd Degree – The Raising. 19 – The 52nd GMA Dove Awards were held at the Allen Arena located in Nashville, Tennessee. Steven Furtick led the non-artist nominations with ten nominations, whilst Elevation Worship and Brandon Lake led the artist nominations with seven each. 22 – Fuel release their first album in seven years, Anomaly. It is their first and only album to feature lead singer John Corsale, following the second departure of original lead singer Brett Scallions. Co-founding member Carl Bell made his return on this album for the first time since 2007's Angels & Devils, and drummer Kevin Miller appeared for the first time since 2003's Natural Selection. Every Time I Die release their first album in five years, Radical. Together Pangea release their first album in eleven years, Dye. 29 – Mastodon release their first album in four years, Hushed and Grim. The War on Drugs release their first album in four years, I Don't Live Here Anymore. Tori Amos releases her first album in four years, Ocean to Ocean. Jerry Cantrell releases his first solo album in 19 years, Brighten. 31 – Limp Bizkit release their first album in ten years, Still Sucks.
November 10 – The Country Music Association Awards took place at the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville; Luke Bryan hosts. 12 – Taylor Swift releases her second re-recorded album, Red (Taylor's Version), a freshly recorded issue of her 2012 studio album, Red. Silk Sonic, consisting of Bruno Mars and Anderson .Paak, release their debut album, An Evening with Silk Sonic. It was Mars' first album in five years. Walk the Moon release their first album in four years, Heights. It was their first album recorded as a trio after the band parted ways with bassist Kevin Ray in 2020. 19 – Exodus release their first studio album in seven years, Persona Non Grata. Converge and Chelsea Wolfe release their collaborative album, Bloodmoon: I. It was Converge's first album in four years.