The AllMusic 2025
Year In Review
Pictured above is award-winning Chilean singer and songwriter Mon Laferte who offers a sophisticated brand of Latin music that melds indie and roots rock, blues, bolero, cumbia, ranchera, and electronics with Chilean folk traditions. If that genre-bending description isn't the perfect ambassador for our overall list of albums covering rock, blues, jazz, rap, country, classical, and more, we don't know what is. These are our favorite albums of 2025.
Adrian Quesada
Boleros Psicodélicos II
The guitarist/producer's second batch of collaborations with first-rate vocalists proves just as transcendent and important.
Alice Sara Ott
John Field: Complete Nocturnes
A precise but sensitive performance of the works that defined the Nocturne genre, soon to be taken up by Chopin.
Ambrose Akinmusire
Honey from a Winter Stone
On his sophomore date for Nonesuch, the trumpeter through composes five sprawling post-genre works with a quintet and string quartet.
Anna Lapwood
Firedove
The diversity and drawing power of this young organist's programming reach new heights on this 2025 release.
Anna von Hausswolff
ICONOCLASTS
The Swedish composer, singer, and keyboardist shifts musical focus to embrace dark indie pop without sacrificing her doomy Goth aesthetic.
Annie and the Caldwells
Can't Lose My (Soul)
Inviting and often-funky gospel soul from a Mississippi family group led by one of the main voices of the Staples Jr. Singers.
Ashley Jackson
Take Me to the Water
Hypnotic transformation of spirituals and related materials into harp music with spectacular engineering.
Automatic
Is It Now?
The Los Angeles-based post-punk trio streamline their sound into something closer to '90s alternative dance on their third effort.
Bad Bunny
Debí Tirar Más Fotos
Returning to Puerto Rico amid turbulent political climes, Bad Bunny's sixth album uplifts and uproots in equal doses.
Barbara Hannigan / David Chalmin / Katia Labèque / Marielle Labèque
Electric Fields
A convincing mixture of medieval and Renaissance female-composed music with electronics that shows them fitting together at multiple levels.
Ben Kweller
Cover the Mirrors
Power pop songwriter simultaneously expresses overpowering grief and inspired hopefulness in this loving tribute to his late son.
billy woods
GOLLIWOG
A grim yet fascinating work from the rap visionary, inspired by horror and sci-fi but drawing narratives from real-life experience.
Blood Orange
Essex Honey
Devonté Hynes breaks from film scores and classical compositions to deliver a soul-stirring fifth album under his main alias.
Brandon Woody
For the Love of It All
The Baltimore trumpeter crafts a soulful love letter to his hometown with his Blue Note debut.
Brìghde Chaimbeul
Sunwise
The experimental Scottish piper's third album is a mesmerizing celebration of the seasonal passage.
caroline
Caroline 2
The U.K. octet's intoxicating sophomore LP runs the gamut from spare experimental folk to crushing noise.
Castle Rat
The Bestiary
A crushing doom-fantasy soundtrack tailor-made for dungeon masters plotting the ultimate campaign.
Clipse
Let God Sort Em Out
Sixteen years after their last album, this legendarily furious rap duo hold on to their intensity while exhibiting moments of newfound refinement.
Cola Boyy
Quit to Play Chess
Putting aside disco in favor of a jumble of styles including hip-hop and big beat, the Oxnard, California musician's posthumous album is joyous and inspiring.
Cold Specks
Light for the Midnight
The singer/songwriter transforms some of her hardest times into transcendent, timeless-sounding expressions of empathy.
Comet Gain
Letters to Ordinary Outsiders
The band up the production values -- adding extra keys and horns -- but lose none of their usual fiery passion in the process.
Conan Gray
Wishbone
True love and heartbreak are forever intertwined on the singer's deeply affecting fourth album.
Damon Locks
List of Demands
A riveting pro-Black synthesis of sound collage and spoken word from the Black Monument Ensemble leader.
De La Soul
Cabin in the Sky
On their first album since founding member Trugoy the Dove's death, this rap institution grapples with mortality without losing any of their sunny positivity.
Deftones
Private Music
With returning producer Nick Raskulinecz, the alt-metal vets craft a flawless stunner of a tenth album.
Dijon
Baby
An enthralling second album from the progressive R&B artist, fresh from working with Justin Bieber and Bon Iver (and Paul Thomas Anderson).
Djo
The Crux
The third album from the Stranger Things star showcases his wry and hooky mix of vinyl era-inspired pop.
Duo Ruut
Ilmateade
Elegant, minimalist folk from this Estonian duo who perform on a shared instrument while singing intricate harmonies.
Edith Frost
In Space
The singer/songwriter's first album in 20 years adds more wisdom and poignancy to her artfully simple music.
Emma-Jean Thackray
Weirdo
An emotionally complex, grieving, and enriching work of a one-woman band crossing jazz, soul, funk, and alt-rock.
Eric Church
Evangeline vs. The Machine
Four years after his last studio album, the singer/songwriter delivers seven new songs and a cover that showcase visionary writing and production.
Everything Is Recorded
Temporary
The sorrowful, comforting, and folk-inspired third album from Richard Russell's cross-generational collective of singers and players.
Faten Kanaan
Diary of a Candle
The electronic composer's enigmatic sixth album is enchanting and transporting.
Fergus McCreadie
The Shieling
The Isle of Skye trio masterfully builds a harmonic language integrating Scottish folk tradition with contemporary and post-bop jazz.
FKA twigs
EUSEXUA
The multifaceted artist's kinetic third album thrives in the complexities of intimacy and identity.
Florence + the Machine
Everybody Scream
Mystical sixth set of Baroque pop anthems from the English band features the show-stopping title track.
Franz Halász
Villa-Lobos: The Complete Solo Works
An excellent survey of Villa-Lobos' solo guitar music, much of it not terribly common.
Geese
Getting Killed
Geese at their most chaotic, delivering an assured yet jarring set of no wave-tinged art-rock missives that are as unnerving as they are affecting.
Gerd Schaller / Philharmonie Festiva
Bruckner 3, Version 1877
A superbly recorded live performance of one of the many versions of Bruckner's Third.
Ghost
Skeletá
Tobias Forge steers Ghost into darker waters while continuing to mine the vestiges of Kevin Seal and Adam Curry-era Headbangers Ball.
Good Flying Birds
Talulah's Tape
Thrilling amalgamation of indie pop and rock styles -- from C-86 to shoegaze to lo-fi -- delivered with equal amounts of deftness and energy.
Hamilton Leithauser
This Side of the Island
Eight years in the making, the former Walkmen frontman's rousing fourth album dares to be uplifting during difficult times.
Hayden Pedigo
I'll Be Waving as You Drive Away
Another quiet instrumental gem from the Texas fingerstyle guitarist.
Hayley Williams
Ego Death at a Bachelorette Party
The Paramore singer lets go of the past and moves forward on her artful, introspective third solo album.
Horsegirl
Phonetics On and On
The band's near-perfect second album dispenses with noise in favor of space and restraint while adding more hooks and tenderness along the way.
Hotline TNT
Raspberry Moon
The band deliver a euphoric and thrillingly organic follow-up to their Third Man Records debut.
Ichiko Aoba
Luminescent Creatures
Whispery vocals, delicate classical guitar, and impressionistic chamber accompaniment etch the transportive sequel to Windswept Adan.
JADE
THAT'S SHOWBIZ BABY!
Thrilling debut LP from the former Little Mix member that takes inspiration from across the contemporary pop spectrum.
Jean-Efflam Bavouzet
Ravel: Complete Works for Solo Piano
A superb cycle of Ravel's piano music seems attuned to the composer's intentions at every turn.
Joe Armon-Jones
All the Quiet (Part I)
On the opening half of a projected double album, the pianist and his collaborators deliver an expansive, ear-opening investigation into spacious groove.
John Southworth
The Red Castle
Southworth hits another career peak with this smart pop hymnal inspired by the death of his father.
Kathleen Edwards
Billionaire
With a little help from Jason Isbell, the Canadian tunesmith hones her observations into one of her very best albums.
Keiyaa
hooke's law
A world-weary but purposeful second album from the singular avant-R&B singer, songwriter, and producer.
Lady Gaga
MAYHEM
The pop chameleon's seventh mainline set embraces the chaos of being unbound by genre.
Lambrini Girls
Who Let the Dogs Out
With earned outrage cranked up high and apologies at near zero, the U.K. power duo take on misogyny, capitalism, and more on an irrepressible debut.
Little Simz
Lotus
The acclaimed U.K. rapper's sixth album explores themes of transformation, growth, and self-empowerment.
Lorde
Virgin
The New Zealand singer's fourth album is a boldly candid, potent declaration of personal and creative reawakening.
Maddie & Tae
Love & Light
A confident and savvy fourth album of empowered country-pop from the Nashville duo.
Margo Price
Hard Headed Woman
Price balances a swaggering '70s outlaw country attitude with moments of bittersweet intimacy on her fifth album.
Marshall Allen
Live in Philadelphia
Incredible performances by the Arkestra leader along with members of Irreversible Entanglements, Yo La Tengo, Wolf Eyes, and others.
Masaaki Suzuki
Masaaki Suzuki plays Bach Organ Works, Vol. 6 … leipziger choräle (I) …
Splendidly transparent treatments of a key group of Bach organ works.
Mclusky
The World Is Still Here and So Are We
After a two-decade hiatus, the Welsh trio return with some of their wittiest, hardest-hitting songs.
Mei Semones
Animaru
A delightful and sometimes stunning full-length debut showcasing the songwriter's singular fusion of indie pop, bossa nova, jazz, and rock.
Mon Laferte
FEMME FATALE
The Mexico-based Chilean singer/songwriter, a big band, and special guests use jazz, soul, ranchera and bolero to reclaim the title for feminist manifesto.
Natalia Lafourcade
Cancionera
Seeking creative and metaphysical transformation, the singer/songwriter cut this set live-to-analog tape in a single take.
No Joy
Bugland
The genre-defiant polymath collaborates with co-producer Fire-Toolz on an album of maximalist pop that never stops changing gears but somehow never overwhelms.
Nourished by Time
The Passionate Ones
A singular second album from self-produced genre-agnostic singer/songwriter Marcus Brown, his first for XL Recordings.
Olivia Dean
The Art of Loving
A philosophical and endearing second album from the Mercury Prize-nominated singer/songwriter, inspired by artist Mickalene Thomas and author bell hooks.
Oneohtrix Point Never
Tranquilizer
Inspired by the internet's impermanence, Daniel Lopatin returns to his musical roots and finds the lasting soul within digital detritus.
Panda Bear
Sinister Grift
While just as sunny and dreamlike as earlier work, live band instrumentation makes this Animal Collective member's solo album sound uncharacteristically friendly and carefree.
Perfume Genius
Glory
Equal parts tough and vulnerable, moving and witty, Mike Hadreas' seventh album continues the opening up of his music.
PinkPantheress
Fancy That
Fun and frivolous mixtape rooted in U.K. garage and funky house, sampling Basement Jaxx, Underworld, and Sugababes.
Pulp
More
Pulp's first album in 24 years contemplates the difference between aging and maturity with their expected wit and surprising tenderness.
Rafiq Bhatia
Environments
The wondrous second album from the guitarist, composer, and sound designer, aka one-third of the Academy Award-nominated Son Lux.
Rosalía
LUX
The Catalonian's fourth set soars in its maximalist exploration of faith and femininity.
Saint Etienne
International
The band's collaboration-studded final album harkens back to the stylishly nostalgic sound of their early work while still coming across as resolutely up-to-date.
Say She She
Cut & Rewind
The Nile Rodgers-approved "discodelic" vocal group turns up the heat with an even more dancefloor-oriented third album.
Sharp Pins
Balloon Balloon Balloon
Near brilliant, almost perfect lo-fi power pop, beat group revivalism, and folk-rock jangle that will thrill anyone with any interest at all in any of those genres.
Shrunken Elvis
Shrunken Elvis
A sleek and satisfying amalgam of jazz fusion, ambient, and hi-fi guitar music from this experimental Nashville trio.
Slikback
Attrition
The Kenyan artist's debut release for Planet Mu is a fiery, cinematic hybrid of trap, industrial, footwork, and gqom.
Stereolab
Instant Holograms on Metal Film
The band's first album in 15 years is a dynamic, uplifting call to action that pushes their legacy forward.
Steve Gunn
Daylight Daylight
Gunn's second album of 2025 is a minimalist troubadour set featuring production and orchestrations by James Elkington.
Steve Tibbetts
Close
On his first recording in seven years, the Minnesota-based guitarist reflects on family memories, the shadow nature of all music, and more.
Sudan Archives
THE BPM
A highly energized and pleasure-seeking third album from singer, songwriter, and violinist Brittney Parks.
The Cords
The Cords
Two teenage sisters from Scotland deliver an all bops, no flops debut brimming with tuneful, jangly vintage indie pop.
The Last Dinner Party
From the Pyre
The U.K. group's sophomore effort follows in its predecessor's bedazzled footsteps, delivering lusty thespian rock to the masses with wit, warmth, and swagger.
Tony Molina
On This Day
The Bay Area singer/songwriter delivers another near-perfect album made up of Baroque pop miniatures and brief folk-rock gems.
Tortoise
Touch
The post-rock veterans return from a nine-year hiatus with a playful album that balances clockwork precision and jam-session spontaneity.
Tristen
Unpopular Music
The Nashville smart pop artist celebrates her cult status on another impeccable set.
Turnstile
NEVER ENOUGH
Weighted by expectations, the Baltimore band rise to the occasion on their surprising and satisfying fourth LP.
Ty Segall
Possession
The sonic chameleon jumps a level to try classic rocker with strings and horns on for size and finds the fit to be perfect.
Tõnu Kaljuste / Concerto Copenhagen / Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir
Arvo Pärt: Lente
Baroque-orchestra readings of Pärt have unusual intensity and warmth.
Upchuck
I'm Nice Now
The band's third album delivers high-intensity hardcore, but also churning grunge, hard rock swagger, and even a couple of melody-adjacent songs.
![Sinners [Original Motion Picture Soundtrack]](https://fastly-s3.allmusic.com/release/mr0006674060/front/400/fXSc39xFuDL1zNtNydBhchyhM-OFI8zG4l-qVpXXB1I=.jpg)
Various Artists
Sinners [Original Motion Picture Soundtrack]
The music for Ryan Coogler's blockbuster musical horror film features an impressive cross-generational mix of players.
Vox Clamantis / Jaan-Eik Tulve
Arvo Pärt: And I heard a voice
Superbly performed and recorded Pärt performances, released in 2025 to mark the composer's 90th birthday.
Wet Leg
moisturizer
The band's first album as a five-piece goes beyond virally catchy singles with witty, heartfelt love songs for people who don't want to fall in love.
Wilder Maker
The Streets Like Beds Still Warm
In a sharp left turn, Gabriel Birnbaum and band tender an immersive improvisational, experimental LP inspired by film noir, the first of a trilogy.
Winter
Adult Romantix
Top-notch shoegaze spiked with dream pop as expected, but this time amped up, dialed down, and better all-around.
Wolf Alice
The Clearing
A heartfelt tour de force, the band's fourth album taps into rock & roll's undying power to reflect inner truths and bring fantasies to life.
Yazz Ahmed
A Paradise in the Hold
Ten years in the making, the composer/trumpeter and her stellar cast juxtapose modern electric jazz and Bahraini folk sounds.