2025 was yet another year of nonstop musical highlights, with so many albums that surprised, delighted, confounded, or otherwise fascinated our editors that they could barely narrow down favorites for their personal lists. Even more than in other years, a consensus of what music was truly the year’s best was hard to discern. There was simply too much to choose from.
Considering our typically extensive year-end coverage — from our AllMusic Best of 2025 overview to over a dozen genre-based features — the wide net of sounds and perspectives that have captured our editors’ attention shouldn’t come as much of a surprise. That said, 2025 was especially varied, with only 50 albums listed by more than one editor.
While five of our editors could get behind Pulp‘s decades-awaited return, the spiked hooks of Wet Leg‘s sophomore album and Turnstile‘s punk daydreaming are among the year’s best. Close behind were indie records from perennial favorites Stereolab and Wolf Alice alongside relatively newer faces like the Cords and Horsegirl. Many could also agree that ROSALÍA‘s large-scale sounds, Geese‘s chaotic catchiness, Ichiko Aoba‘s netherworld dreamscapes, and Racing Mount Pleasant‘s large ensemble indie rock debut were undeniable entries from the class of 2025.
From there, however, the well gets deeper. Perusing our picks, you’ll also find essential rap from De La Soul, billy woods, and Little Simz, abstract re-envisionments of pop from FKA twigs, swaggering and bittersweet neo-traditionalist country from Margo Price, interstellar jazz traveling from Marshall Allen’s Ghost Horizons, mixtape-ready indie hits from Sharp Pins, riff-packed metal escapes from Castle Rat, Ghost, and Deftones, and much more. We hope you’ll find something new to love among the hundreds of albums (and singles and tracks) noted below.
Heather Phares
Anika – Abyss
Billy Nomates – Metalhorse
Clark – Steep Stims
Cold Specks – Light for the Midnight
Constant Smiles – Moonflowers
Deerhoof – Noble and Godlike in Ruin
FACS – Wish Defense
FKA twigs – EUSEXUA
Edith Frost – In Space
Jenny Hval – Iris Silver Mist
Hamilton Leithauser – This Side of the Island
Mclusky – The World Is Still Here and So Are We
Ela Minus – DÍA
Oneohtrix Point Never – Tranquilizer
Perfume Genius – Glory
Preoccupations – Ill at Ease
Pulp – More
Stereolab – Instant Holograms on Metal Film
Wet Leg – moisturizer
Wolf Alice – The Clearing
Tim Sendra
Cola Boyy – Quit to Play Chess
Comet Gain – Letters to Ordinary Outsiders
The Cords – The Cords
Delivery – Force Majeure
Good Flying Birds – Talulah’s Tape
Horsegirl – Phonetics On and On
Idle Ray – Even in the Spring
Cherif Megarbane – Hawalat
Melody’s Echo Chamber – Unclouded
Tony Molina – On This Day
Mozart Estate – Tower Block in a Jam Jar
Oruã – Slacker
Saint Etienne – International
Ty Segall – Possession
Sharp Pins – Balloon Balloon Balloon
Stereolab – Instant Holograms on Metal Film
Upchuck – I’m Nice Now
Wet Leg – moisturizer
Winter – Adult Romantix
Sven Wunder – Daybreak
John Bush
Panda Bear – Sinister Grift
Hannah Frances – Nested in Tangles
Emma Swift – The Resurrection Game
caroline – caroline 2
Sombr – I Barely Know Her
Charley Crockett – Lonesome Drifter
Robert Finley – Hallelujah! Don’t Let the Devil Fool Ya
Early James – Medium Raw
Automatic – Is It Now?
Horsegirl – Phonetics On and On
Juana Molina – DOGA
Makaya McCraven – Off the Record
Ryan Davis & the Roadhouse Band – New Threats from the Soul
Wagon Christ – Planet Roll
Kassa Overall – CREAM (Cash Rules Everything Around Me)
Stella Donnelly – Love & Fortune
Sven Wunder – Daybreak
The Cords – The Cords
44th Move – Anthem
Theo Croker – Dream Manifest
Miki Berenyi Trio – “Ubique”
Cass McCombs – “Peace”
Djo – “Basic Being Basic”
Hatchie – “Only One Laughing”
My Morning Jacket – “Time Waited”
Emma-Jean Thackray – “Weirdo”
Theo Croker – “high vibrations”
Automatic – “Black Box”
Toro y Moi – “Stars and Sons”
Pulp – “Spike Island”
Emma Swift – “Beautiful Ruins”
caroline – “Total euphoria”
Clive from Accounts – “e-Magik”
Weval – “DOPAMINE”
Eusebeia – “By the Light of the Moon”
Pinch & Lorem – “Fall True”
Early James – “Steely Knives”
The Lemonheads – “Deep End”
Charley Crockett – “Lonesome Drifter”
Panda Bear – “Ferry Lady”
Matt Collar
Hayley Williams – Ego Death at a Bachelorette Party
Djo – The Crux
Wolf Alice – The Clearing
Brandon Woody – For the Love of it All
Conan Gray – Wishbone
Wet Leg – moisturizer
Sabrina Carpenter – Man’s Best Freind
Hotline TNT – Raspberry Moon
Maddie & Tae – Love & Light
Jaleel Shaw – Painter of the Invisible
Alfa Mist – Roulette
Erik Jekabson – Breakthrough
Margo Price – Hard Headed Woman
Linda May Han Oh – Strange Heavens
Circa Waves – Death & Love
Castle Rat – The Bestiary
Calum Hood – ORDER chaos ORDER
Ruen Brothers – Awooo
Pool Kids – Easier Said Than Done
Zé Ibarra – AFIM
Marcy Donelson [Spotify albums/singles]
Mei Semones – Animaru
The Cords – The Cords
Sharp Pins – Balloon Balloon Balloon
Lightheaded – Thinking, Dreaming, Scheming
Lambrini Girls – Who Let the Dogs Out
caroline – caroline 2
Lifeguard – Ripped and Torn
Horsegirl – Phonetics On and On
Ichiko Aoba – Luminescent Creatures
Wilder Maker – The Streets Like Beds Still Warm
The Saxophones – No Time for Poetry
Folk Bitch Trio – Now Would Be a Good Time
Laura Stevenson – Late Great
Florist – Jellywish
Winter – Adult Romantix
Car Seat Headrest – The Scholars
Nation of Language – Dance Called Memory
Stereolab – Instant Holograms on Metal Film
Panda Bear – Sinister Grift
Charif Megarbane – Hawalat
Heavenly – “Portland Town”
Mei Semones – “I can do what I want”
The Cords – “Fabulist”
Lambrini Girls – “Big Dick Energy”
Vundabar – “I Got Cracked”
Wet Leg – “devina mccall”
Horsegirl – “Julie”
Winter – “Without You”
Edith Frost – “I Still Love You”
Advance Base – “Movie Theater Manager”
Stereolab – “Melodie Is a Wound”
Hand Habits – “Bluebird of Happiness”
The Beths – “Straight Line Was a Lie”
Idle Ray – “Eternal Fade”
Wishy – “Planet Popstar”
Blondshell – “23’s a Baby”
Deerhoof – “Immigrant Songs”
Same Eyes – “Desperate Others”
Mamalarky – “Broken Bones”
Macklemore – “fucked up”
Thom Jurek
Gary Bartz Ntu Troop – The Eternal Tenure of Sound – Damage Control
Chicago Underground Duo – Hyperglyph
Mon Laferte – FEMME FATALE
Emma-Jean Thackray – Weirdo
Joe Armon-Jones – All the Quiet (Part I) / All the Quiet (Part II)
Hiromi’s Sonicwonder – Out There
Dave McMurray – I LOVE LIFE even when I’m hurting
Yazz Ahmed – A Paradise in the Hold
Amina Claudine Myers – Solace of the Mind
Suburbo – Braving the Muskrat
Kokoroko – Tuff Times Never Last
Theon Cross – Affirmations: Live at Blue Note New York
Matthew Herbert & Momoko Gill – Clay
Harold López-Nussa – Nueva Timba
Kassa Overall – CREAM (Cash Rules Everything Around Me)
Johnathan Blake – My Life Matters
Kalia Vandever – Another View
Craig Taborn / Nels Cline / Marcus Gilmore – Trio of Bloom
Mary Halvorson – About Ghosts
Steve Tibbets – Close
Andy Kellman [Spotify]
Dijon – Baby
Rochelle Jordan – Through the Wall
Damon Locks – List of Demands
RAVEN – GNOSIS
Blood Orange – Essex Honey
Rafiq Bhatia – Environments
keiyaA – hooke’s law
Mourning [A] BLKstar – Flowers for the Living
Nazar – Demilitarize
Yaya Bey – do it afraid
Nourished by Time – The Passionate Ones
Ambrose Akinmusire – Honey from a Winter Stone
Death in Vegas – Death Mask
Peyton – Au
Yazz Ahmed – A Paradise in the Hold
Say She She – Cut & Rewind
Nyron Higor – Nyron Higor
Sudan Archives – THE BPM
SML – How You Been
Joviale – Mount Crystal
Lady Wray – “You’re Gonna Win”
Laura Groves – “Deep Blue”
Dijon – “Yamaha”
Rochelle Jordan – “Doing It Too”
Demae – “Don’t Play the Fool”
Leon Thomas – “Just How You Are”
Yazmin Lacey – “Ain’t I Good for You”
Debórah Bond – “Amber Dust”
GENA – “Circlesz”
Gabriel Jacoby – “Baby”
Mamacita – “Tu Amor”
Joy Spheres Rees – “Trust the Feeling”
Ami Taf Ra – “Gnawa”
Verses GT – “Found”
Priori – “Silicate Tusks [Loidis Reconfiguration]”
MOBBS & Susu Laroche – “Roam”
Quade – “See Unit”
Eusebeia – “By the Light of the Moon”
DjRUM – “A Tune for Us”
TEAL – “Locked In 2 Love”
James Monger [Spotify]
Ghost – Skeletá
Geese – Getting Killed
Brighde Chaimbeul – Sunwise
Perfume Genius – Glory
Hayden Pedigo – I’ll Be Waving as You Drive Away
Turnstile – NEVER ENOUGH
No Joy – Bugland
John Southworth – The Red Castle
Castle Rat – The Bestiary
Fergus McCreadie – The Shieling
Adrian Quesada – Boleros Psicodélicos II
Wet Leg – moisturizer
Faten Kanaan – Diary of a Candle
The Last Dinner Party – From the Pyre
Coroner – Dissonance Theory
ROSALÍA – LUX
Steve Gunn – Daylight Daylight
Various Artists – Sinners
Joan Shelley – Real Warmth
Rival Consoles – Landscape from Memory
Prewn – “System”
Daniel Romano – “Even If It’s Obscure”
Saya Gray – “PUDDLE ( OF ME )”
Eli Minus – “UPWARDS”
Sam Fender – “People Watching”
Lucius – “Gold Rush”
GOON – “Begin Here”
Silvana Estrada – “Dime”
Ninajirachi – “Fuck My Computer”
Brawny Lad – “Tell Your Dad”
Emma Pollock – “Prize Hunter”
Jonathan Hultén – “The Dream Was the Cure”
Little Simz – “Lion”
Logan Bowden – “Remain”
Sabrina Carpenter – “House Tour”
Suede – “Dancing with the Europeans”
Sabaton – “Templars”
Tautumeitas – “Mēs dancosim”
The Hidden Cameras – “Undertow”
Pulp – “Spike Island”
Timothy Monger
John Southworth – The Red Castle
Faten Kanaan – Diary of a Candle
Tristen – Unpopular Music
Brìghde Chaimbeul – Sunwise
Duo Ruut – Ilmateade
Hayden Pedigo – I’ll Be Waving as You Drive Away
Steve Gunn – Daylight Daylight
Shrunken Elvis – Shrunken Elvis
Turnstile – NEVER ENOUGH
Little Simz – Lotus
Ghost – Skeletá
Black Country, New Road – Forever Howlong
Castle Rat – The Bestiary
Lido Pimienta – La Belleza
ROSALÍA – LUX
Donna Regina – Lilac
FKA twigs – EUSEXUA
Pulp – More
The Last Dinner Party – From the Pyre
Lambrini Girls – Who Let the Dogs Out
Brawny Lad – “Tell Your Dad”
Alex G – “June Guitar”
Kae Tempest – “Know Yourself”
William Tyler – “Star of Hope”
Nico Georis – “Who Knows the Path”
The Hidden Cameras – “Undertow”
Madison Cunningham – “Shore”
Perfume Genius – “No Front Teeth”
Lael Neale – “Tell Me How to Be Here”
Ty Segall – “Shoplifter”
Julia Mestre – “Maravilhosamente Bem”
Panda Bear – “Virginia Tech”
DJO – “Back on You”
Say She She – “Cut & Rewind”
Debbii Dawson – “You Killed the Music”
uh – “jungle parkway”
Benefits – “Land of the Tyrants”
Sunny War – “One Way Train”
Die Spitz – “Throw Yourself to the Sword”
Suede – “Dancing with the Europeans”
Paul Simpson [Spotify]
Sudan Archives – THE BPM
Marshall Allen’s Ghost Horizons – Live in Philadelphia
Kelela – In the Blue Light
Ichiko Aoba – Luminescent Creatures
billy woods – GOLLIWOG
Introspekt – Moving the Center
SHERELLE – WITH A VENGEANCE
De La Soul – Cabin in the Sky
Little Simz – Lotus
Hiromi’s Sonicwonder – Out There
Swans – Birthing
clipping. – Dead Channel Sky
Armand Hammer / The Alchemist – Mercy
Slikback – Attrition
Ship Sket – InitiatriX
Oneohtrix Point Never – Tranquilizer
Barker – Stochastic Drift
Masma Dream World – PLEASE COME TO ME
Jefre Cantu-Ledesma – Gift Songs
Maria Somerville – Luster
Hannah Jadagu – “My Love”
Sudan Archives – “DEAD”
NEW YORK – “think of you”
Weval – “DOPAMINE”
Mechatok – “Addiction”
PinkPantheress – “Illegal”
Saint Etienne – “Glad”
Little Simz – “Free”
Westside Gunn f/ Doechii – “EGYPT [Remix]”
Barry Can’t Swim – “Still Riding”
Beatrice Dillon – “Basho”
Ichiko Aoba – “Luciférene”
clipping. – “Change the Channel”
e-Dancer f/ DJ Minx – “Detroit”
Mirror Touch – “Twin Moon”
Brown Angel – “En Movimiento”
Robert Hood – “Art School”
Dope on Plastic – “Life Energy”
Kali Uchis – “Sunshine & Rain…”
Zara Larsson – “Midnight Sun”
Sean Westergaard
Ches Smith – Clone Row
Jacob Garchik – Ye Olde 2: At the End of Time
Jon Irabagon – Server Farm
Adrian Sherwood – The Collapse of Everything
Marshall Allen’s Ghost Horizons – Live in Philadelphia
Mary Halvorson – About Ghosts
Various Artists – Soul of the Machine: A Celebration of the Life & Legacy of ARP founder Alan R. Pearlman
Craig Taborn / Nels Cline / Marcus Gilmore – Trio of Bloom
BASIC – Dream City
The Ed Palermo Big Band – Prog vs. Fusion: A War of the Ages
Patricia Brennan – Of the Near and Far
William Schimmel & Elliott Sharp – The World Is a Pleated Bellows
Bootstrappers – The Myth of Flight
Three-Layer Cake – Sounds the Color of Grounds
Krokofant – 6
Stephan Thelen – Worlds in Collision
Burnt Sugar The Arkestra Chamber – If You Can’t Dazzle Them with Your Brilliance, Then Baffle Them with Your Blisluth, Pt. Two
Neil Z. Yeung [Spotify]
Ghost – Skeletá
Deftones – Private Music
Lady Gaga – MAYHEM
Daya – Til Every Petal Drops
Western Education – Millennial Youth
Twenty One Pilots – Breach
Nine Inch Nails – TRON: Ares
JADE – THAT’S SHOWBIZ BABY!
Wolf Alice – The Clearing
Wet Leg – moisturizer
Alison Goldfrapp – Flux
Garbage – Let All That We Imagine Be the Light
Tame Impala – Deadbeat
Miley Cyrus – Something Beautiful
Tori Amos – The Music of Tori and the Muses
Sleep Token – Even in Arcadia
Demi Lovato – It’s Not That Deep
Florence + the Machine – Everybody Scream
Tetrarch – The Ugly Side of Me
Turnstile – NEVER ENOUGH
Lady Gaga – “Abracadabra”
Sam Fender – “People Watching”
Teddy Swims – “Bad Dreams”
Florence + the Machine – “Everybody Scream”
Ariana Grande – “twilight zone”
Franz Ferdinand – “Hooked”
The Heavy Heavy – “Feel”
Lola Young – “Messy”
Michael Kiwanuka – “Floating Parade”
My Morning Jacket – “Time Waited”
The Black Keys – “No Rain, No Flowers”
Leon Bridges – “Laredo”
Nicholas Britell / Brandon Roberts – “NIAMOS!” / “Brasso”
Sabrina Carpenter – “Manchild”
HUNTR/X – “Golden”
Scowl – “Tonight (I’m Afraid)”
Hayley Williams – “Ego Death at a Bachelorette Party”
David Byrne – “Everybody Laughs”
T. Kao – “Toy Soldiers”
Σtella – “Baby Brazil”
James Wilkinson
Pulp – More
Stereolab – Instant Holograms on Metal Film
Gwenno – Utopia
Gruff Rhys – Dim Probs
Edith Frost – In Space
Beirut – A Study of Losses
The Cords – The Cords
Lael Neale – Altogether Stranger
Horsegirl – Phonetics On and On
The Tubs – Cotton Crown
Dean Wareham – That’s the Price of Loving Me
Valerie June – Owls, Omens, and Oracles
Lightheaded – Thinking, Dreaming, Scheming
Neil Young & the Chrome Hearts – Talkin to the Trees
Margo Price – Hard Headed Woman
Esther Rose – Want
Alfa Mist – Roulette
Ringo Starr – Look Up
Hollie Cook – Shy Girl
Cloth – Pink Silence
Rich Wilson
Racing Mount Pleasant – Racing Mount Pleasant
Superchunk – Songs in the Key of Yikes
Pulp – More
Turnstile – NEVER ENOUGH
Warrington-Runcorn New Town Development – Public Works and Utilities
Chat Pile / Hayden Pedigo – In the Earth Again
Ways Away – I’m Not You
The Beths – Straight Line Was a Lie
Anna von Hausswolff – ICONOCLASTS
Wednesday – Bleeds
Hotline TNT – Raspberry Moon
Mogwai – The Bad Fire
Snocaps – Snocaps
Matt Pryor – The Salton Sea
The Smith Street Band – Once I Was Wild
Greg Freeman – Burnover
Matt Jencik / Midwife – Never Die
Career Woman – Lighthouse
Spite House – Desertion
Lily Seabird – Trash Mountain
David Crone [Spotify]
La Dispute – No One Was Driving the Car
Cameron Winter – Heavy Metal
Mei Semones – Animaru
Bad Bunny – Debí Tirar Más Fotos
Geese – Getting Killed
billy woods – GOLLIWOG
Ichiko Aoba – Luminescent Creatures
ROSALÍA – LUX
Natalia Lafourcade – Cancionera
De La Soul – Cabin in the Sky
Open Mike Eagle – Neighborhood Gods Unlimited
Deftones – Private Music
Not for Radio – Melt
Mac Miller – Balloonerism
Racing Mount Pleasant – Racing Mount Pleasant
glaive – Y’all
Samia – Bloodless
Hayley Williams – Ego Death at a Bachelorette Party
Loyle Carner – hopefully !
Oklou – Choke Enough
Ichiko Aoba – “pirsomnia”
Cameron Winter – “Love Takes Miles”
La Dispute – “Environmental Catastrophe Film”
Bad Bunny – “BAILE INoLVIDABLE” / “DtMF”
Geese – “Cobra”
billy woods – “Waterproof Mascara”
Laufey – “Snow White”
ROSALÍA – “La Yugular”https://www.allmusic.com/”La Rumba del Perdón”
Mei Semones – “Sasayaku Sakebu”
glaive – “Asheville”https://www.allmusic.com/”Modafinil”
Rio Da Yung Og – “RIO FREE”
Dave – “My 27th Birthday”
Mac Miller – “Funny Papers”
Clipse – “Chains & Whips”
Samia – “Fair Game”
Magdalena Bay – “Star Eyes”
Hayley Williams – “Parachute”
LE SSERAFIM – “ASH”
Earl Sweatshirt – “TOURMALINE”
Turnstile – “I CARE”
Liam Martin [Spotify]
Anna von Hausswolff – ICONOCLASTS
Swans – Birthing
Pulp – More
Turnstile – NEVER ENOUGH
Tunde Adebimpe – Thee Black Boltz
Darkside – Nothing
Racing Mount Pleasant – Racing Mount Pleasant
Deerhoof – Noble and Godlike in Ruin
Matt Berninger – Get Sunk
Sudan Archives – THE BPM
Hieroglyphic Being – Dance Music 4 Bad People
Geese – Getting Killed
Psychedelic Porn Crumpets – Carpe Diem, Moonman
Great Grandpa – Patience, Moonbeam
Wolf Alice – The Clearing
Japanese Breakfast – For Melancholy Brunettes (& Sad Women)
Mogwai – The Bad Fire
Impérieux – Rezil
Just Mustard – WE WERE JUST HERE
Abdomen – Yes, I Don’t Know
The Orchestra (For Now) – “Escape from New York”
Daniel Avery – “In Keeping (Soon We’ll Be Dust)”
bar italia – “Fundraiser”
Guerilla Toss – “Krystal Ball”
Hayley Williams – “Ego Death at a Bachelorette Party”
Westside Cowboy – “I’ve Never Met Anyone I Thought I Could Really Love (Until I Met You)”
Blonde Redhead / Brooklyn Youth Chorus – “Before [Choir Version]”
Ugly (UK) – “Next to Die”
Empanadas Ilegales – “Gher Bede (Sanguijuela)”
Queens of the Stone Age – “Suture Up Your Future [Alive in the Catacombs]”
Beirut – “Guericke’s Unicorn”
Elbow – “Sober”
The New Eves – “Rivers Run Red”
Say Sue Me – “Time Is Not Yours”
Snapped Ankles – “摆烂 Bai Lan”
Antony Szmierek – “The Great Pyramid of Stockport”
Kaidi Tatham – “So Happy”
Arc De Soleil – “Sunchaser”
High. – “Flowers”
Glare – “Mourning Haze”
