PopMatters' 70 Best Albums of 2025 So Far
The 70 best albums of 2025 offer sublime music as major artists return with new work and brilliant new sounds bubble up from the underground and worldwide.
Published: June 26, 2025 11:00
Source
| Rank | Album | Artist | Info |
|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Arcadia | Alison Krauss & Union Station | Mar-28-2025, Progressive Bluegrass |
| #2 | Can't Lose My (Soul) | Annie and the Caldwells | Mar-21-2025, |
| #3 | Horror | Bartees Strange | Feb-14-2025, Indie Rock |
| #4 | Gut | Baths | Feb-21-2025, Indietronica |
| #5 | LOWER | Benjamin Booker | Jan-24-2025, Art Rock |
| #6 | HausLive 4 | Bill Orcutt Guitar Quartet | Apr-29-2025, |
| #7 | GOLLIWOG | billy woods | May-09-2025, Experimental Hip Hop |
| #8 | Here We Go Crazy | Bob Mould | Mar-07-2025, Alternative Rock |
| #9 | SABLE, fABLE | Bon Iver | Apr-11-2025, Pop Soul |
| #10 | The Purple Bird | Bonnie "Prince" Billy | Jan-31-2025, Alt-Country |
| #11 | Death & Love, Pt. 1 | Circa Waves | Feb-07-2025, Indie Rock |
| #12 | Halo On The Inside | Circuit des Yeux | Mar-14-2025, Post-Industrial |
| #13 | Rift | Clara Mann | Mar-07-2025, Contemporary Folk |
| #14 | Light for the Midnight | Cold Specks | Apr-09-2025, |
| #15 | Losin' | Colin Miller | Apr-25-2025, Alt-Country |
| #16 | Lust for Life, Or: 'How To Thread The Needle And Come Out The Other Side To Tell The Story' | Courting | Mar-14-2025, Post-Punk Revival |
| #18 | Raw Muscular Power | Death By Unga Bunga | Feb-07-2025, Garage Rock |
| #19 | Yarın Yoksa | Derya Yildirim & Grup Simsek | Mar-14-2025, Psychedelic Rock |
| #20 | Music Can Hear Us | DJ Koze | Apr-04-2025, Electronic Dance Music |
| #21 | In Between | Elana Sasson | Apr-18-2025, |
| #22 | EUSEXUA | FKA twigs | Jan-24-2025, Electronic Dance Music |
| #23 | A.O.E.I.U. (An Ordinary Exercise In Unity) | Florence Adooni | Feb-28-2025, Highlife |
| #24 | Everything Must Go | Goose | Apr-25-2025, Indie Rock |
| #25 | Dracones | Hüma Utku | Apr-04-2025, |
| #26 | Glutton For Punishment | Heartworms | Feb-07-2025, Darkwave |
| #27 | Bees In The Bonnet | Hedvig Mollestad Trio | May-09-2025, Jazz-Rock |
| #28 | Phonetics On and On | Horsegirl | Feb-14-2025, Indie Rock |
| #29 | Wild and Clear and Blue | I'm With Her | May-09-2025, |
| #30 | Tết 41 | JakoJako | Apr-25-2025, |
| #31 | Foxes in the Snow | Jason Isbell | Mar-07-2025, Americana |
| #33 | Middle | Jesse Welles | Feb-21-2025, Folk Rock |
| #35 | Ekoya | Jupiter & Okwess | Jan-31-2025, |
| #36 | Kiniata | Kin'Gongolo Kiniata | Apr-04-2025, |
| #37 | WITNESS | Kronos Quartet, Mary Kouyoumdjian | Mar-14-2025, |
| #38 | Forever | Lilly Hiatt | Jan-31-2025, Alternative Rock |
| #39 | Tears of Injustice | Mdou Moctar | Feb-28-2025, Tishoumaren |
| #40 | Harsh & Exciting | Moonrisers | May-30-2025, |
| #41 | Flowers For The Living | Mourning [A] BLKstar | May-16-2025, |
| #42 | You Are Always On My Mind | OHYUNG | Mar-28-2025, |
| #43 | Dance Therapy | Ora the Molecule | Mar-21-2025, Nu-Disco |
| #44 | Another Place | Pachyman | May-23-2025, Dub |
| #45 | Flickering Resonance | Pelican | May-16-2025, Post-Metal |
| #46 | SOL | Raúl Monsalve y los Forajidos | Mar-21-2025, |
| #47 | End of the Middle | Richard Dawson | Feb-14-2025, Singer-Songwriter |
| #48 | Junior | Rodeo Boys | Apr-25-2025, |
| #49 | People Watching | Sam Fender | Feb-21-2025, Heartland Rock |
| #50 | Ylh Byebye | Sami Galbi | May-02-2025, |
| #51 | Blood On the Silver Screen | SASAMI | Mar-07-2025, Pop Rock |
| #52 | A Complicated Woman | Self Esteem | Apr-25-2025, Alt-Pop |
| #54 | If It All Works Out | Sir Woman | Feb-21-2025, |
Markdown
| Rank | Album | Artist | Info |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Arcadia | Alison Krauss & Union Station | Album, Mar-28-2025, Progressive Bluegrass |
| #2 | Can't Lose My (Soul) | Annie and the Caldwells | Album, Mar-21-2025, |
| #3 | Horror | Bartees Strange | Album, Feb-14-2025, Indie Rock |
| #4 | Gut | Baths | Album, Feb-21-2025, Indietronica |
| #5 | LOWER | Benjamin Booker | Album, Jan-24-2025, Art Rock |
| #6 | HausLive 4 | Bill Orcutt Guitar Quartet | Album, Apr-29-2025, |
| #7 | GOLLIWOG | billy woods | Album, May-09-2025, Experimental Hip Hop |
| #8 | Here We Go Crazy | Bob Mould | Album, Mar-07-2025, Alternative Rock |
| #9 | SABLE, fABLE | Bon Iver | Album, Apr-11-2025, Pop Soul |
| #10 | The Purple Bird | Bonnie "Prince" Billy | Album, Jan-31-2025, Alt-Country |
| #11 | Death & Love, Pt. 1 | Circa Waves | Album, Feb-07-2025, Indie Rock |
| #12 | Halo On The Inside | Circuit des Yeux | Album, Mar-14-2025, Post-Industrial |
| #13 | Rift | Clara Mann | Album, Mar-07-2025, Contemporary Folk |
| #14 | Light for the Midnight | Cold Specks | Album, Apr-09-2025, |
| #15 | Losin' | Colin Miller | Album, Apr-25-2025, Alt-Country |
| #16 | Lust for Life, Or: 'How To Thread The Needle And Come Out The Other Side To Tell The Story' | Courting | Album, Mar-14-2025, Post-Punk Revival |
| #18 | Raw Muscular Power | Death By Unga Bunga | Album, Feb-07-2025, Garage Rock |
| #19 | Yarın Yoksa | Derya Yildirim & Grup Simsek | Album, Mar-14-2025, Psychedelic Rock |
| #20 | Music Can Hear Us | DJ Koze | Album, Apr-04-2025, Electronic Dance Music |
| #21 | In Between | Elana Sasson | Album, Apr-18-2025, |
| #22 | EUSEXUA | FKA twigs | Album, Jan-24-2025, Electronic Dance Music |
| #23 | A.O.E.I.U. (An Ordinary Exercise In Unity) | Florence Adooni | Album, Feb-28-2025, Highlife |
| #24 | Everything Must Go | Goose | Album, Apr-25-2025, Indie Rock |
| #25 | Dracones | Hüma Utku | Album, Apr-04-2025, |
| #26 | Glutton For Punishment | Heartworms | Album, Feb-07-2025, Darkwave |
| #27 | Bees In The Bonnet | Hedvig Mollestad Trio | Album, May-09-2025, Jazz-Rock |
| #28 | Phonetics On and On | Horsegirl | Album, Feb-14-2025, Indie Rock |
| #29 | Wild and Clear and Blue | I'm With Her | Album, May-09-2025, |
| #30 | Tết 41 | JakoJako | Album, Apr-25-2025, |
| #31 | Foxes in the Snow | Jason Isbell | Album, Mar-07-2025, Americana |
| #33 | Middle | Jesse Welles | Album, Feb-21-2025, Folk Rock |
| #35 | Ekoya | Jupiter & Okwess | Album, Jan-31-2025, |
| #36 | Kiniata | Kin'Gongolo Kiniata | Album, Apr-04-2025, |
| #37 | WITNESS | Kronos QuartetMary Kouyoumdjian | Album, Mar-14-2025, |
| #38 | Forever | Lilly Hiatt | Album, Jan-31-2025, Alternative Rock |
| #39 | Tears of Injustice | Mdou Moctar | Album, Feb-28-2025, Tishoumaren |
| #40 | Harsh & Exciting | Moonrisers | Album, May-30-2025, |
| #41 | Flowers For The Living | Mourning [A] BLKstar | Album, May-16-2025, |
| #42 | You Are Always On My Mind | OHYUNG | Album, Mar-28-2025, |
| #43 | Dance Therapy | Ora the Molecule | Album, Mar-21-2025, Nu-Disco |
| #44 | Another Place | Pachyman | Album, May-23-2025, Dub |
| #45 | Flickering Resonance | Pelican | Album, May-16-2025, Post-Metal |
| #46 | SOL | Raúl Monsalve y los Forajidos | Album, Mar-21-2025, |
| #47 | End of the Middle | Richard Dawson | Album, Feb-14-2025, Singer-Songwriter |
| #48 | Junior | Rodeo Boys | Album, Apr-25-2025, |
| #49 | People Watching | Sam Fender | Album, Feb-21-2025, Heartland Rock |
| #50 | Ylh Byebye | Sami Galbi | Album, May-02-2025, |
| #51 | Blood On the Silver Screen | SASAMI | Album, Mar-07-2025, Pop Rock |
| #52 | A Complicated Woman | Self Esteem | Album, Apr-25-2025, Alt-Pop |
| #54 | If It All Works Out | Sir Woman | Album, Feb-21-2025, |