My favorite albums from 2025
It's that time of year again! By now, pretty much every music site has their end of year list up... and some were posted in mid November (way too early and a big reason why later 2024 releases end up getting lumped in with this year's actual releases. Boo.)
Regardless of any other site, I try to take my time and make sure I deliver the goods. As a one-man show and someone who listens to a LOT of records over the course of the year (840+ in the last year!) it takes a lot of work and seeing all of these other lists posted so early only adds to the stress. But I kept my blinders on and plowed through an expedited re-listen of my 60 or so finalists for the year.
The good news is my rough tracking during the year has once again provided a pretty accurate framework for this final list. A few albums, like those from Wet Leg, Bartees Strange, Spite House, and quickly, quickly ended up making a bigger jump than I expected, but all in all I was pleased at how well my original list did, considering the sheer quantity of music I consumed this year.
With all that said, I'll get to the list. It was a pretty damn good year for music if you ask me... I hope you feel the same.
The Top 20
Saya Gray put out the most interesting and infectious collection of songs this year and her R&B and electronica tinged folk songs have been in a constant rotation, both in my ears and my head. She's a creative and talented force that's really coming into her own. I can't wait to see what she does next.
Favorite tracks: "...THUS IS WHY (I DON'T SPRING 4 LOVE)", "PUDDLE (OF ME)", "LIE DOWN", and "10 WAYS (TO LOSE A CROWN)"
And my goodness, watch this if you haven't:
Saya Gray - Tiny Desk Concert
Side note: Gray released a demo mixtape for this album in October. You can hear little pieces of these songs, amongst other creative outbursts. Love hearing things like this... I hope she evolves some of the other parts into songs, as some are quite good.
Wednesday followed up their critically acclaimed Rat Saw God (2023) with an even better album. Their grunge-y country and shoegaze sound is chef's kiss... Karly Hartzman and crew are locked in and wrote some of their best songs yet – sharing their stories and love of North Carolina with the world.
(Side note: I know there are a few Buffalo area folks reading this... you better run and get your tickets for their appearance next year at Babeville!)
Favorite tracks: "Reality TV Argument Bleeds", "Townies", "Wound Up Here (By Holdin' On)", and "Bitter Everyday"
Wet Leg burst into the mainstream in 2021 with "Chaise Longue" off their fun 2021 self-titled debut album. Their sophomore follow-up took that quirkiness and fun and doubled down on the songwriting, producing a stellar album start to finish. This record was in my top 20 since release, but my recent focus on the finalist list made it clear how much these songs really do stand out. The fun post-punk, indie rock, and pop elements are all still there... the quality knob has just been turned up to 11.
Favorite tracks: "CPR", "mangetout", "u and me at home", and "liquidize"
The rest of the top 20...
- Getting Killed by Geese (Listen)
FFO: Television, The Strokes, Parquet Courts, LCD Soundsystem, Yes, and Radiohead. - viagr aboys by Viagra Boys (Listen)
FFO: art punk, NY Dolls, Richard Hell & the Voidoids - Something to Consume by Die Spitz (Listen)
FFO: Motorhead, Hole, Nirvana, Babes of Toyland - Double Infinity by Big Thief (Listen)
FFO: alt folk X indie rock, Mitski, Waxahatchee - Equus Caballus by Men I Trust (Listen)
FFO: Vibe-y indie bedroom pop, with jazz and R&B influences - Cabin in the Sky by De La Soul (Listen)
FFO: old school hip hop, A Tribe Called Quest - I Heard That Noise by quickly, quickly (Listen)
FFO: dreamy lo-fi indie folk with a side of psychedelia and weird, folktronica, The Microphones - Sable, Fable by Bon Iver (Listen)
FFO: folk X electronica, Sufjan Stevens, Frank Ocean X Fleet Foxes - Baby by Dijon (Listen)
FFO: Bon Iver, R&B X soul X pop - Animaru by Mei Semones (Listen)
FFO: maybe Joao Gilberto x The Anniversary/Rainer Maria? - LOTTO by They Are Gutting a Body of Water (Listen)
FFO: experimental indie rock X shoegaze, feeble little horse, SPIRIT OF THE BEEHIVE, Sword II, Horse Jumper of Love - Patience, Moonbeam by Great Grandpa (Listen)
FFO: Big Thief, Alex G, Jeremy Enigk (from Sunny Day Real Estate), alt country, and emo - Dog Earred by Billie Martin (Listen)
FFO: folk, Laura Marling, Kate Bush, and Nick Drake - Desertion by Spite House (Listen)
FFO: dynamic post-hardcore like Samiam, Seaweed, Jawbreaker - What of Our Nature by Haley Heynderickx and Max Garcia Conover (Listen)
FFO: political folk, Woody Guthrie, Mitski, Adrianne Lenker, Big Thief - Hourglass by Antibalas (Listen)
FFO: Afro-beat, jazz, funk - s/t by Racing Mount Pleasant (Listen)
FFO: Broken Social Scene, Arcade Fire, Black Country New Road, Most Serene Republic, a touch of emo like Cursive and Foxing
The Rest (21-60)
- God Save the Gun by Militarie Gun (Listen)
FFO: post-hardcore, Fiddlehead, Drug Church, High Vis - Let God Sort Em Out by Clipse (Listen)
FFO: Pusha T, Nas, Freddie Gibbs, Jay Z - Horror by Bartees Strange (Listen)
FFO: indie rock X bedroom pop X classic rock X hip-hop X country X electronic - private music by Deftones (Listen)
FFO: shoegaze X metal X post-hardcore - Who Let the Dogs Out by Lambrini Girls (Listen)
FFO: snotty funny political punk, SPRINTS, Amyl and the Sniffers, IDLES - Near Death Travel Services by Deadguy (Listen)
FFO: hardcore, mathcore, Every Time I Die, Botch, The Dillinger Escape Plan, Turmoil - Electric Hour by Sword II (Listen)
FFO: feeble little horse, SPIRIT OF THE BEEHIVE, TAGABOW - Belong by Jay Som (Listen)
FFO: Japanese Breakfast, Soccer Mommy, Snail Mail, Alvvays - Ego Death by Hayley Williams (Listen)
FFO: Paramore - System by Prewn (Listen)
FFO: noisy indie rock X orchestral pop X bedroom pop; PJ Harvey - Cowards by Squid (Listen)
FFO: experimental rock, new wave, jazz, prog rock, and krautrock - Never Enough by Turnstile (Listen)
FFO: post-hardcore, Angel Du$t, Drain, Trapped Under Ice, Drug Church - High Wallow and the Supermoon by Saintseneca (Listen)
FFO: alt folk X indie rock - God Does Love Ugly by JID (Listen)
FFO: Atlanta hip hop, Kendrick Lamar, Outkast - Altar by NewDad (Listen)
FFO: The Cure, The Jesus and Mary Chain, Slow Pulp, Cherry Glazerr, 80s and 90s alt rock - s/t by Snocaps (Listen)
FFO: Swearin', Waxahatchee, P.S. Eliot - Cutthroat by Shame (Listen)
FFO: Fontaines DC, The Murder Capital, IDLES, post-punk - Bloodless by Samia (Listen)
FFO: Indigo De Souza, Squirrel Flower, Soccer Mommy, Gracie Abrams, Angel Olsen - Billboard Heart by Deep Sea Diver (Listen)
FFO: The Shins, Sharon Van Etten, Wye Oak, and Bully - Bambi by Anxious (Listen)
FFO: Fiddlehead, Samiam, Jimmy Eat World, and many other late 90s/early 2000s emo bands - Alfredo 2 by Freddie Gibbs and Alchemist (Listen)
FFO: Clipse, Boldy James, Westside Gunn, Benny the Butcher - Caroline 2 by caroline (Listen)
FFO: experimental rock x emo x folk, Broken Social Scene, Water From Your Eyes - Drive to Goldenhammer by Divorce (Listen)
FFO: Belle & Sebastian, Arcade Fire, Los Campesinos!, Peach Pit, Frightened Rabbit, St. Vincent... along with elements of folk, alt country, prog, post-punk, and shoegaze. Wilco X ABBA? - Blame it on the Weather by Kerosene Heights (Listen)
FFO: Braid, late 90s/early 2000s emo - Hell is an Airport by Liquid Mike (Listen)
FFO: power pop punk, Sugar, Weezer - Precipice by Indigo De Souza (Listen)
FFO: Samia, Wednesday, Soccer Mommy, Snail Mail - For Melancholy Brunettes by Japanese Breakfast (Listen)
FFO: bedroom pop X folk, Snail Mail, Mitski, Soccer Mommy, Jay Som - Straight Line Was a Lie by The Beths (Listen)
FFO: indie rock, power pop, Beach Bunny, Soccer Mommy, Swearin' - The Longer This Goes by Forth Wanderers (Listen)
FFO: Slow Pulp, Great Grandpa, Ovlov, indie rock X emo - The Live You Save by Flock of Dimes (Listen)
FFO: Wye Oak, Sylvan Esso, Madeline Kenney - 2 by Foxwarren (Listen)
FFO: folk x psychedelia x indie rock, Big Thief, Kevin Morby - Everybody Scream by Florence + the Machine (Listen)
FFO: Lorde, Hozier, Lana del Rey, Halsey - Planting By the Signs by S.G. Goodman (Listen)
FFO: Tyler Childers, Margo Price, Waxahatchee, Plains - Here We Go Crazy by Bob Mould (Listen)
FFO; Sugar, Husker Du, power pop - Don't Tap That Glass by Tyler, the Creator (Listen)
FFO: dance party Tyler - Blindness by The Murder Capital (Listen)
FFO: shame, Fontaines DC, TV Priest, IDLES, Squid - Downpour by Charmer (Listen)
FFO: midwest emo, Anxious, Free Throw, Hot Mulligan - Glory by Perfume Genius (Listen)
FFO: bedroom pop, glam rock, piano ballads, singer-songwriter, folk and everything in between - Neighborhood Gods Unlimited by Open Mike Eagle (Listen)
FFO: intelligent hip hop, billy woods, Armand Hammer - And Your Song is Like a Circle by Skullcrusher (Listen)
FFO: Nick Drake, folktronica, Cranberries, singer songwriter
Listen
If you want to get a taste of the entire list, I've created a playlist in Apple Music with one track from each finalist. (View the post on the web to get the playlist!)
More From CT
If 60 records aren't enough, I've got another 50+ listed in this post:
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And, if you are looking for a New Year's Resolution, why not quit Spotify?
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Finally, maybe you missed the latest Crucial Tracks interview?
Jason
Thanks, seriously
That's a wrap for 2025! Thank you so much for reading this year, using the Crucial Tracks app (if you aren't, why not?!?!), and sending in your comments/feedback/thanks/etc... I'm so grateful for all of you – you've helped me (mentally) keep this little project going over the last couple years.
Here's to a happy and healthy 2026!
--Jason
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