Albums of the year 2025
Once again, same as it is every year, my albums of the year. Only one more year to go to achieve 40 years of chart lists (see them all!). I didn't get quite as much listening done this year due to some demanding extra-curriculars, and it felt like an "off" year generally, but last year was so rich for new music for me that a drop-off was inevitable. There were a few reissues that gummed up my 2025 deep listening time too. But I still found lots of new things that I really enjoyed, especially in the final third of the year.
1 BALLOON BALLOON BALLOON - Sharp Pins
2 BLEEDS - Wednesday
3 NESTED IN TANGLES - Hannah Frances
4 PHONETICS ON AND ON - Horsegirl
5 LIFE, DEATH AND DENNIS HOPPER - The Waterboys
6 RASPBERRY MOON - Hotline TNT
7 MORE - Pulp
8 IT'S A BEAUTIFUL PLACE - Water From Your Eyes
9 WHEN I PAINT MY MASTERPIECE - Ada Lea
10 GETTING KILLED - Geese
11 JOEY - Joey Joesph
12 EURO COUNTRY - CMAT
13 THE BERRIES - The Berries
14 MICHELANGELO DYING - Cate Le Bon
15 BURY THE KEY - TOPS
16 INSTANT HOLOGRAMS ON METAL FILM - Stereolab
17 BURNOVER - Greg Freeman
18 NEW THREATS FROM THE SOUL - Ryan Davis & The Roadhouse Band
19 SWITCHEROO - Gelli Haha
20 COTTON CROWN - The Tubs
21 GRASS - Grass
22 SONG SHARDS - Peter Stampfel
23 MARAVILHOSAMENTE BEM - Julia Mestre
24 UP LATE WITH DUMBELLS - Dumbells
25 SPRING GROVE - The Ophelias
26 BUGLAND - No Joy
27 SOUNDS LIKE... - Florry
28 TOMORROW COMES CRASHING - Smut
29 LUMINESCENT CREATURES - Ichiko Aoba
30 2 - Foxwarren
31 SNOCAPS - Snocaps
32 I LOVE PEOPLE - Cory Hanson
33 ANTIGONE - Eiko Ishibashi
34 LOVE CHANT - The Lemonheads
35 SPRING BOARD - The Chills
36 BUYER BEWARE - The Men
37 ALL CYLINDERS - Yves Jarvis
38 SINISTER GRIFT- Panda Bear
39 ANIMARU - Mei Semones
40 TIMELESS WORLD FOREVER - Graham Hunt
One record arrived too late for consideration (last week) but I am sure would have made the list given time to bed in, it's a good one:
HOLO BOY - This Is Lorelei
I've stopped using Spotify this year but I know a lot of you still use it so I've done a playlist of a song from each album (bar the one where the artist had taken their music off). You can listen here. I've also done one for Tidal.
Remember that the first person to say "the names of these groups sound made up" or similar has to buy me a Fortnum and Mason Imperial Hamper. £6000. Be on your guard. I've only just finished last year's hamper and I've still got the gout.
Comments (22)
I've been three years deep in a CHVRCHES jag, so I'm constantly listening to the CHVRCHES radio channel on Spotify (Lauren Mayberry, the lead singer, had a very good solo album, *Vicious Creature* at the beginning of the year.). It's led me to Metric, MUNA and Sigrid. Florence + the Machine put out a good album this year, as well.
That Pulp album is so good. My list this year is a little louder and angrier than usual. Just that kind of year.
I scanned the list and didn't find any Neko Case. I understand about getting off Spotify. They have been posting recruiting ads for ICE.
I had a record store owner recommend Wednesday, Bleeds to me when my wife and I were talking about Rilo Kiley. I bought it without knowing/hearing it and gave it a couple spins. While I don't think I'd feel safe making the same jump to someone, the album itself was a winner with me. Seen it mentioned a couple times since I got it so maybe I'm finally in the cool kids club.
Once again I only recognize a few of the names on your list, but this time we've got the same album in our respective Top Ten lists, and at almost the same position! The rest of our lists are of course comically divergent given the very Metal direction I've gone in over the last 15 years. https://www.otisbean.com/writings/music/top-tens.html
Love these lists Dirk, so many new names to conjure with!
1. Dr. Ladysounds would have found the time. Just saying... 2. Genuinely, well done on getting off of Spotify. I don't know how difficult it was for you, but I know that for many, easy access to music is a comfort, so I don't blame anyone who can't make the break. But they are increasingly revealed to be an odious company. 3. Imperial Hamper? Oh my god. Finally I know what Ricky Schroeder got as a gift in the Christmas episode of *Silver Spoons* . I've wondered about this for 40 years.
I just used Spotify for convenience on the move and for risk-free discovery, if I like a record enough to play it repeatedly I try to always buy it on Bandcamp when funds are good. I switched to Tidal, didn't bother taking my playlists or saved albums, just started from scratch again. Dr Ladysounds has retired, Jeremy, and she's busy with the Hootenanny!
I always enjoy these - my listening habits are much narrower and even things that I don't click with are a welcome dose of variety.
I love reading and listening to people's lists for the same reason - even if it's not something I like, I might listen to it once, it widens my field of view. Thank you Glen!
These were all clearly made up... BY THE MUSICIANS WHEN THEY WERE LOOKING FOR A NAME! LOL! Will spend some time pasting these into search boxes. You always send me in good directions.
Pete, you are such a wag
Would love to see a Tidal playlist of these choices!
https://tidal.com/playlist/987331a3-9813-4001-aa0a-704253c0ee0b
This Sharp Pins album is tops
Well, most of the bands I actually recognize here are surprises to me because I hadn't realized they released albums this year (The Chills! The Men! Peter Stampfel?!?!). My personal runaway #1 this year is Weakened Friends, Feels Like Hell. They are a trio from Maine, USA, with a sound I've decided is kind of neo-grunge. The frontwoman & songwriter, Sonia Sturino, projects a mix of fury & desperation that I personally find compelling.
The Chills album is posthumous, his last project with his current (young) band was re-recording early demos, many with new lyrics and amendments. It's a lovely record but I found it a little too bittersweet following Martin Phillips' passing to play as often as I might have otherwise - they are/were one of my favourite groups.
We're at the stage now where about half the bands I recognize off your charts (which is still only sitting at around 12%), I only recognize because they've appeared on your past charts. Thanks for sharing—this is and I think will always be a high point of the season!
That Sharp Pins record is great, plus Radio DDR was rereleased this year too, so a bumper year. I love that Sharp Pins sounds a lot like GBV so I can just pretend it's them. The Tubs, Snocaps, Hotline TNT and Horsegirl would all make my nice list this year too. Maybe Gelli Haha too though I find that record wears a bit thin before the end. Bounce House is a fantastic song though. But, sadly, not Wednesday. I can never get past her voice. Harsh I know but there it is.
I can see that. It took me a while to warm up to Wednesday, the last album was so critically liked but I couldn't see it at the time. The singles off this record were a way in for me and then I went back and enjoyed the previous one too.
They do a SIX GRAND hamper?!
They sure do!