THE 50 BEST ALBUMS OF 2025!
I listen to metric tons of music every year. These were my favorite 2025 releases, generally in order with #1 at the end. But on any given day, an album might flip up or down a couple notches.
Oh, and just to give away the punch line: My favorite album of the year was NOT Golliwog. All due respect but I just do not understand all the hype around Billy Woods. I guess my tastes are too low brow?
THE TOP 50 ALBUMS OF 2025
50. Everything Must Go by Goose (jam rock). Startingly, surprisingly great.
49. Criminally Attached by Boldy James and Nicholas Craven (East Coast grime). I’ve lost count of the number of albums Boldy James dropped this year. I think it’s over a half-dozen. When you put out that much stuff in a short period, it’s not all gonna land. Boldy is capable of greatness, but the current state of music rewards quantity over quality, so we end up with a bunch of forgettable albums and a couple really good ones. If You Want More 2025 Boldy…Token of Appreciation by Boldy James and Chuck Strangers was his second best 2025 release.
You Know Who Else Put Out Too Much Content This Year? Lefty Gunplay. Riding on the fame he got from appearing on Kendrick Llamar’s hit single “TV Off,” Lefty issued dozens of singles, several EPs, and a few mixtapes/albums. All of them have good songs, but also all of them have lots of filler. Lefty is definitely a breakout artist of 2025 worth knowing about, but burying us in every bar he’s ever spit has really watered down the effect of his debut.
48. Now Would Be a Good Time by Folk Bitch Trio (folk). Quite a debut. Frankly, I’m kinda shocked it didn’t become hugely popular.
47. Desired Crowns by Che Noir and 7XVethegenius (Buffalo Grime). Neither 7XVe nor Che Noir’s solo outputs this year were memorable, but this blazing hot, powerful two-person album proves the the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. The album never lets go, and has only one feature–by the rapper Reason, who puts in some solid guest work here.
46. Send a Prayer My Way by Julien Baker and TORRES (country). This is a deceptive album that seems to be wispy and thin, but the instrumentation and the subtle vocals mask brilliant depth. I missed it on first listen, until someone I trust insisted that I give it another try. I’m grateful I did.
45. Sharon Van Etten And The Attachment Theory by Sharon by Sharon Van Etten (indie). Van Etten consistently releases high-quality singer/songwriter indie rock. This album is no exception.
44. Drive to Goldenhammer by Divorce (rock). Catchy. Hooky. Power quatro out of Britain.
43. Homer Loan 2 by Verb T (UK rap). Verb T has yet to hit the heights he reached with Morning Process or The Man with Froggy Eyes, but “Homer Loan 2” is the closest he’s come in a long time.
42. Step Brothers 4 Life by Don Trip and Starlito (trap). Don Trip is one of the wittiest, most insightful, and smartest rappers out there. He can drop hard street bars. He can be tender towards his kids. He can be raunchy (but always about his wife). He can boast rap and mourn the dead. Trip is vastly underrated. And whenever he collaborates with Starlito, he seems to be at his best. Trip tends to release many tapes per year. To catch up on the last few years, check out his “best of” titled Gladiator. You can thank me later. See also: Forgiveness is God’s Job, Don Trip’s 2025 solo album.
41. Competition is for Losers by Rizzle Kicks (pop rap). It’s been a long time since we got a Rizzle Kicks album. Worth the wait. Name another rap album that has “Goody Goody Gumdrops” as a chorus?
40. The Party is Over (recovered) by Morgan Wade (country). Morgan Wade is underrated and undervalued. Everything she does is imbued with stadium-level angst and pain and beauty. On “Hardwood Floor,” for example, she sings of the pain of not having a child when all her friends seem to be married with kids, and the loneliness of the chorus echoes like little feet on a hardwood floor. This one is sadder than her prior albums, but still great and rewarding on re-listens.
39. For Melancholy Brunettes (and Sad Women) by Japanese Breakfast (dreampop). Michelle Zauner continues to make wonderfully simple, sexy music without being crass. Unlike her last album, which bordered on pop, this one returns to her rooms of gothic melancholy. Great stuff–even the track with Jeff Bridges.
38. Alfredo 2 by Freddie Gibbs and Madlib (Midwest hip hop). Saying Alfredo 2 is not as good as the first one is not quite the same as saying John Wick 2 wasn’t as good as the first one–but it’s close. Alfredo took more risks and Gibbs was younger and less experienced then. He’s more polished now, and less hungry, but he’s still one of the best in the game.
37. Doin’ Fine by Josiah Flores (traditional country). Just beautiful, straightforward songwriting.
36. Let God Sort ‘Em Out by Clipse (east coast gangsta rap). Pusha T and Malice are two of my all-time favorite rappers, but this reunion album was just under the wire for my top 25 list. It’s got wit and style, which is what Clipse are known for, but it’s also just a little…I dunno…Underwhelming. Still, “just OK” for Pusha and Malice is excellent for nearly everyone else.
35. Ego Death at a Bachelorette Party by Hayley Williams (pop)
Taylor is not making my list this year. I liked her Showgirl album but I didn’t love it. On the other hand, Hayley Williams’ album never stops bringing it, even on multiple listens.
34. Bright Nights by ‘Allo Darlin’ (twee pop).
It’s been 10 years since this band released “We Come From the Same Place.” That album was a masterpiece of folk pop. This one is even better.
33. Exploding Trees & Airplane Screams by Patterson Hood (alt-country).
More Southern Gothic romance from the greatest living master of the genre. Plus, how great is it to be able to make a mid-year list where Hood is immediately followed by his former bandmate?
32. Phonetics On and On by Horsegirl (Americana)
Whenever I make a “best of the year” list and then compare it to the lists made by other sites, mine is always different. I have a lot more accessible music on my list, because that’s what I like, and I don’t do service to the stuff that I know everyone else will promote just so that my list will be seen as credible. But I’m confident Horsegirl’s album will be on a lot of peoples’ lists. Why? Because it’s that good.
31. Jestures by Atmosphere (hip hop)
Doing a “concept” rap album is a risk–it can feel gimmicky or the weight of the idea can limit the content. Not so here. “Jestures” is a 26-song album: One for each letter of the alphabet. A simple idea that allows Slug to spread out and grow up. Not all rappers have the talent, depth, and self-awareness to age on wax. Slug does. Ant’s beats continue to reflect his skill as a producer, which is to say he knows that the star here is Slug and is content to be an extremely supportive co-star.
30. Cuntry by Cleo Reed (protest folk)
29. Who’s the Clown? by Audrey Hobert (indie singer-songwriter pop)
In a year where Taylor Swift put out a happy album, Audrey picks up the mantle for best cynical pop. Smart, genuinely funny, and seriously catchy–this album rises to the top of a very crowded genre. Plus the album cover is creepy AF.
28. Satisfied Soul by Brother Ali and Ant (conscious rap)
Atmosphere’s producer teams up with one of raps most unapologetically personal political activists. Great record. If you’re a fan of lyric-driven rap and you don’t know Brother Ali, welcome to the party. Stay a while with his other, late-’25 release, Brother Minutester Vol 2. It’s 16 tracks, each one minute long.
27. Essex Honey by Blood Orange (soul)
26. Bleeds by Wednesday (Americana punk)
I really admired MJ Lenderman’s Manning Fireworks when I first heard it, but for some reason I forgot about it at the end of 2024. Months later, when I was looking through everybody else’s “best of the year” lists, Lenderman was all over it. So I made sure to pick up this album. Very glad I did.
25. Who Let the Dogs Out by Lambrini Girls (punk).
It’s fun to be angry. It’s cool to be outraged and not be a dick about it.
24. Mulberry Silk Road by Errol Holden and Roc Marciano (East Coast underground rap)
I’m going to acknowledge from the jump that this album isn’t for everyone. But then, I don’t think Roc Marciano is broadly popular, either. Heads love him, but outside of that he’s never become a huge name. This album is esoteric and strange, and I didn’t quite get it until the track Rod Lavers with the Stussy Hoodie crept on with a low-volume, fuzzy piano that instantly recalls “Over the Hills and Far Away” by Led Zeppelin. Suddenly, I got it. I got the whole album. It’s strange and fascinating.
Also by Roc Marciano…
This year, Roc released The Coldest Profession with the great DJ Premier. These are both storied figures in hip hop and while this is not either of their best album, it’s solid and I’m sure I’ll be listening to it years from now.
23. Welcome to My Blue Sky by Momma (indie rock)
Indie pop doesn’t get much hookier than this…
22. Cabin in the Sky by De La Soul (Native Tongue Hip Hop)
The band plays tribute to founding member Trugoy, including using unreleased vocal tracks, in their tenth record…That by itself is an achievement. Granted, De La made their rep in days when recording artists could still get rich off an album, but still they’ve never been about quantity–just quality. DLS have never released a bad record, but “Cabin” is one of their best. If I had to quickly rank it, I’d say it’s #3–under “…Is Dead” and their revelatory first album. And like their first one, Cabin constantly keeps you guessing–jumping from the kind of playful bop you’d expect through a cover of Bananarama’s “Cruel Summer” and ending with the nearly political “Don’t Push Me,” which pays tribute to Grandmaster Flash.
The only problem here, and it’s not a small one, is all the skits. When will rap artists understand that NOBODY likes skits and they significanly reduce listenability.
Want another album by an O.G. from the golden age of hip hop?
Natural Forces by Masta Ace and Tom Caruana (O.G. Boom Bap). I try to avoid putting “best of” and “compilation” albums on my end of year list, preferring instead to look at intentional, complete projects. But what makes this album of remixes so special is that it’s emphatically NOT a “best of.” The chosen cuts range from very recent to underground singles and leans heaviest on his days as “Masta Ace Incorporated.” Plus, there’s features from the likes of Guru, Phonte, Wordsworth, Edo G, Torae, Stricklin and Large Professor. And there are some new originals, too.
And there’s not a single cut from Disposable Arts or Long Hot Summer.
Masta Ace is in my top 5, and Tom Caruana is a well-established producer who, like Ace, has been in the game since the ’90s. His remixes never disappoint–especially his Beatles/Wu Tang mixape.
21. Moisturizer by Wet Leg (indie)
I don’t think Wet Leg have ever released a bad album, but of all their great records, this one is my favorite. Not a single skippable or redundant track.
And if Wet Leg whets your appetite, also try
The Straight Line Was a Lie by The Beths.
20. Michigander by Michigander.
What is “Michigander”? Well, it’s Jason Singer. It’s rock. It’s pop. It’s smart. It’s fun. It’s an awesome debut.
If you’re into quirky indie pop, you’ll probably also enjoy…
- You Wanna Fade? by Alien Boy (indie). Lots of potential here. Three or four more songs as great as “Changes” and this would have made my list.
19. Reverie by Pony Gold
Small town Americana from Canadian Theresa Anne Bromley. The lyrics are full of raw power and insight. The music is genre-fluid, recalling at once edgier ’90s grunge that borders on cowpunk and the plaintive timeless songs of Lucinda Williams. Fantastic.
18. Can’t Rush Greatness by Central Cee (UK drill). 
Central Cee’s official debut became, deservedly, the first UK rap album to break into the U.S.’s top 10.
Point of clarification: I mean, it deserves to be popular in the U.S.–not that no UK rap before it should have ALSO been in the top 10. Just off the top, I can name several albums that should have beaten Central Cee here: Skinnyman’s only album and pretty much all of Simz’s records, several Datkid and Leaf Dog projects, and, of course, Psychodrama by Dave. There are many more.
I hope Cee’s breakthrough is the beginning of great things to come both for him and for U.S. recognition of UK hip hop.
Want More UK Rap?
UK OGs Leaf Dog and Datkid both released albums this year that well-worth your time.
17. Caveman Wakes Up by Friendship (ambient country)
This album defies genres and is absolutely stunning.
16. Love & Rockets 3:16 (The Emancipation) by Murs (old school underground hip hop)
I’ve read that this will be the final album by a man who is a true hero of underground rap. Murs has put out more great albums than I can count, including his terrific collaborations with Slug as the rap duo “Felt.” I hope the rumors that he’s quitting are untrue, but if they’re not, then this is a wonderful swan song. Murs can get away with rapping about crips and bloods alongside the love he has for his family and his own insecure belief that he’s too old for this stuff. (P.S.: You’re wrong, Murs. The game needs you.)
And if updated ’90s boom-bap moves you, check out:
Sound of Market by The High & Mighty. Just solid hip hop from rapper Mr. Eon and DJ Mighty Me with features from Sadat X, Large Professor and one of the KINGS of boom-bap, the great MC Serch.
15. Space Brain by Alex Williams (cover songs)
This album represents why I still blog after doing it for 20 years and after the medium basically died a decade ago. It’s because sometimes I find stuff that’s just…Fantastic. Country(ish) takes on classic metal songs ranging far across that genre, from Motorhead to Ratt to Ozzy to Priest…Fantastic album. I don’t even love the ’80s hair band genre, s0 I dig these even better than some of the originals.
Like Covers Albums? Me too! Check these out:
- Promises by Lissie, with the standouts America (Simon and Garfunkle) and I’ll Stand by You (Pretenders).
- Covers by Kathleen Edwards, because covering Jason Isbell is hard as hell–seeing as how his own versions are nearly always perfect
- Making Good Time by Iron And Wine And Ben Bridwell, with truly novel takes on classic U2 and the timeless “More Than This” by Roxy Music.
14. Baloonerism by Mac Miller (hip hop)
Posthumous albums are usually bad and second posthumous albums are usually worse. This one is better than some of the albums Miller released when he was alive. It was actually created as an album in 2014, which is probably why it’s so good, but wasn’t released until now.
13. Getting Killed by Geese (alternative rock)
12. The Narrow Way by Nicholas Jamerson (contemporary Appalachian Americana)
Nicholas Jamerson has been making fantastic “story telling” style country music for many years, under the radar, and with this album his lyrical genius is matched to quieter, more contemplative songs. It’s a fascinating album.
11. Planting between the Signs by SG Goodman (indie)
Without giving up the melancholic undertone that is SG Goodman’s brand, the artist comes out with an album that has some of her most accessible songs to date.
10. Songbird by Waylon Jennings (country)
The great label Thirty Tigers offer previously unreleased songs from Waylon Jennings’ best years (1973-1984). Jennings was and is, in my view, the best of the outlaws. That’s right, the best. Not Cash. Not Kristofferson. Jennings. In addition to the titular Christie McVie cover, there’s songs by Cash, Hank Williams Jr, JJ Cale, and, of course, Jennings himself.
Waylon’s The Best but Here’s the Rest:
A Few More Great Country Albums From ’25…
- Evangeline vs. The Machine by Eric Church, wherein he covers Tom Waits(!)
- Hey Country Queen by McKenzie Carpenter
- Corn Queen by Hailey Whitters
- Price of Admission by Turnpike Troubadours
9. If You Asked For A Picture by Blondshell (indie pop)
Great songs and, frankly, sexy as all get out. Out of all the albums on this list, I think this one surprised me the most this year. A deluxe edition was released later in the year that the band Folk Bitch Trio covering Change. FBT’s 2025 album was also pretty great–worth checking out.
8. Home? by Wretch 32 (grime/R&B)
Wretch 32 has been on the scene for many years but up until now he hasn’t made an album worth noting. His best work has been features on songs by Ghetts or Giggs. Which is why I was so unprepared for Home?, an absolutely brilliant collection of slick hip hop/R&B with bars that may actually break your heart. Kano features on Home Sweet Home, paying tribute to his own brilliant work, and you’ll also find Skip Marley, Ghetts, Little Simz, and others.
7. Snipe Hunter by Tyler Childers (Country Rock)
Snipe Hunter is not the easiest Tyler Childers album to enjoy (that would be Purgatory), and it’s not the most experiential (that would be his 3-disc “Can I Take My Hounds to Heaven?”), but Snipe Hunter is his most unusual. Childers slides from punk to country, from traditional to ultra-modern, with content that moves from Eastern spirituality to a dog’s view of hunting big game–and manages to make this still feel like a complete album and not a hodgepodge of randomly selected songs.
6. Gluttons for Punishment by Heartworms (Goth)
For her first full-length, Josephine Orme, who performs as Heartworms, knocks it out of the park. This album is fantastic, and even better after multiple listens, which is a good thing since they’ve also released remixes this year to keep this album at the front of everybody’s mind.
5. Snocaps (Self Titled) (Indie Folk)
Here’s a powerhouse supergroup: Allison “Waxahatchee” Crutchfield and Brad Cook (also from Waxahatchee amongst many others), Allison’s sister Katie, and MJ Lenderman. Wow. Great songwriting, fantastic music–this is an album to get lost in. And I love that it was a surprise Halloween release.
4. From The Private Collection of Saba and No ID
One of Chicago’s most consistently inventive rappers works with one of Chicago’s best producers (or maybe the best, period). Saba released two albums this year, with second being titled Coffee. Coffee was good. This one was great.
3. Lotus by Little Simz (UK hip hop)
Little Simz has been at the top of the hip hop game for years now. Her latest goes full-on spoken word at several points while weaving across hip hop and jazz with a fluidity that belies the absolutely raw lyrical content. Simz isn’t just a top British rapper or a top female rapper. She’s a top rapper, period.
If ya dig smart, conscious, provocative, not-American hip hop, try…
- Hopefully by Loyle Carner. Like most of the artist’s work, it can be classified as hip hop but it’s really just a warm record about love that has some of the elements of the genre, alongside many others. Carner is a truly slept-on talent here in America.
- Only Dust Remains by Backxwash. This Zambian-Canadian rapper’s album is HEAVY. It’s not the kind of thing I will find myself listening to very often, but when I have the time to focus and pay attention it’s incredibly rewarding.
- Self Titled by Kae Tempest. Tempest’s work is definitely much more hip hop than his earlier stuff, and more mainstream-sounding, but that’s not a bad thing. There’s still a lot of the old poetic spoken word style, but overall it’s more musical. Then again, the beats aren’t why we love Kae Tempest. It’s the powerful words, which move seamlessly from beautiful love (“I can’t believe the peace I feel in your company/When did it happen?/Happiness”) to pure dysfunction (“Me and you and our diagnoses/A perfect match in a bag of explosives”).
2. Never Enough by Turnstile (Postpunk)
Turnstile have been online critic darlings for years, but I confess that I never really “got” them before this album. I guess that makes sense, because my tastes skew towards mainstream and I don’t really dig much hardcore–and on this album, Turnstile make the “turn” to much more polished, melodic songs. They’ve approached this area before, but here they fully embrace it.
1. Foxes in the Snow by Jason Isbell (Americana/Folk)
Of course this the top album on my list. Jason Isbell is easily my favorite musician these days. This is his first solo (i.e., without the 400 Unit) and acoustic record. And it’s outstanding.
This is Isbell’s “divorce” album. It’s full of self-reflection, without any blaming (himself or his ex-wife) or rage. Isbell has written angry, he’s written remorseful, and he’s written as a drunken asshole. Having gone through all of this, he has emerged a “real man.” I saw him do this album acoustically in a small venue where he told a story about how he recently learned how to sing instead of just scream a lot. Content-wise, this is pretty close to the same thing: He’s always done the rough and rugged, but here he is poetic and sweet.
Nearly every Jason Isbell album is a masterpiece, and each has its own special flavor. Foxes in the Snow may not be his best, but it’s his most mature so far.
MORE 2025 MUSIC FROM JASON ISBELL …
Decoration Day by the Drive-By Truckers. The classic album–Isbell’s first appearance on wax–got a deluxe reissue this year that included a 2002 concert where the band begins testing these songs out for a live audience. This is one of the best albums of all time. For fans of Isbell, it’s “the one with Outfit” and also, of course, the amazing title track.
Something More Than Free by Jason Isbell. To celebrate 10-years after the release of one of his best albums, Isbell remastered and added one song. Hardly in the realm of the wonderful anniversary release of Southeastern, which included demos and a full live performance of the album, but the remastering is done well and … It’s Jason Isbell. One new song is one new song.
