The Best Albums of 2025 (So Far)

Posted by Jason Tate
Best of 2025 (So Far)

I am starting to feel like these “time to rank things” lists pop back up on me quicker and quicker each year. We are once again halfway through the year, and that means it’s time to reflect on the best albums of the year (so far). Below, you will find both our combined staff top 30, as well as individual lists from our contributors and moderators. We hope you’ll find something new to love.

Note: You can share your own list in our music forum.

The Top Albums of 2025 (So Far)

  1. Turnstile – Never Enough
  2. Spiritbox – Tsunami Sea
  3. Bon Iver – SABLE, fABLE
  4. Coheed & Cambria – Vaxis – Act III: The Father of Make Believe
  5. Anxious – Bambi
  6. Momma – Welcome To My Blue Sky
  7. Moving Mountains – Pruning Of The Lower Limbs
  8. The Maine – Dyed
  9. PUP – Who Will Look After the Dogs?
  10. Underoath – The Place After This One
  11. Arm’s Length – There’s A Whole World Out There
  12. Hotline TNT – Raspberry Moon
  13. Greet Death – Die In Love
  14. Jason Isbell – Foxes in the Snow
  15. Cloakroom – Last Leg Of The Human Table
  16. Deafheaven – Lonely People With Power
  17. Lady Gaga – Mayhem
  18. Charmer – Downpour
  19. Haim – I Quit
  20. Silverstein – Antibloom
  21. Winona Fighter – My Apologies to the Chef
  22. Superheaven – Superheaven
  23. Matt Nathanson – King of (Un)Simple
  24. The Callous Daoboys – I Don’t Want to See You in Heaven
  25. Ethel Cain – Perverts
  26. Oversize – Vital Signs
  27. Counting Crows – Butter Miracle
  28. Japanese Breakfast – For Melancholy Brunettes (& sad women)
  29. L.S. Dunes – Violet
  30. Lorde – Virgin

The Playlist

Looking for an easy way to check out all of the albums in our top thirty? We’ve got a playlist for that. You’ll find one on Apple Music and one on Spotify with one great song from each great album.

The Nerd Stat Stuff

Our final compiled list was put together using our ranking algorithm. There were 9 contributors and 121 unique albums across all of the lists. In total, 34 albums out of the 121 were on more than one list with the number one album appearing on 7 of the 9 lists.

Contributor Lists

Jason Tate

  1. Moving Mountains – Pruning of the Lower Limbs
  2. The Maine – Dyed (2008-2023)
  3. Turnstile – Never Enough
  4. Spiritbox – Tsunami Sea
  5. Coheed and Cambria – The Father of Make Believe
  6. Matt Nathanson – King of (Un)Simple
  7. Heartwork – Revisionist History
  8. Oversize – Vital Signs
  9. Winona Fighter – My Apologies to the Chef
  10. Underoath – The Place After This One
  11. The Callous Daoboys – I Don’t Want to See You in Heaven
  12. Slow Joy – A Joy So Slow at Times I Don’t Think It’s Coming
  13. Scowl – Are We All Angels
  14. Bon Iver – Sable, Fable
  15. Lady Gaga – Mayhem
  16. Grayscale – The Hart
  17. Miley Cyrus – Something Beautiful
  18. Anxious – Bambi
  19. Arm’s Length – There’s A Whole World Out There
  20. Sunday (1994) – Devotion (EP))
  21. Ruston Kelly – Dirt Emo Vol. 2 (EP)
  22. Nightly – Songs to Drive To
  23. Scott Sellers – One and, and, and, and One and, and Three and, and
  24. Momma – Welcome to My Blue Sky
  25. Charmer – Downpour
  26. The Young Hearts – The Good, the Bad, & the Rest of Us (EP)
  27. Lucy Dacus – Forever Is a Feeling
  28. Spitalfield – Play + Record (EP)
  29. Felicity – Mixtape For The End of the World, Vol. 1
  30. Last Night Saved My Life – The First Hello

It’s been a strong first half of the music year for me. And one of the big reasons is that the Moving Mountains release has decimated me in the best way possible. Earnest, emotional, and downright exciting. It’s the kind of album that I go into every year hoping I’ll find. The one that just knocks me on my ass. The rest of my top thirty is rounded out with a bunch of great music, some fun EPs that are worth your time, and as a whole I’ve been very pleased with how the year’s gone so far. And the best part? I know we have a lot of great music coming in the back half of 2025. Buckle up!

The Stats: For the first half of the year, I’ve listened to 1,097 albums, 531 artists, and 8,502 songs (14,156 scrobbles). My most played album of the year so far is Midtown’s Living Well is the Best Revenge. (Well, how about that.) And, my most played artist so far this year is The Ataris. If you’d like to follow more of my listening habits, please subscribe to my newsletter or check out my blog.

Craig Manning

  1. Bruce Springsteen – Tracks II: The Lost Albums
  2. Ryan Hurd – Midwest Rock & Roll
  3. Jason Isbell – Foxes in the Snow
  4. Maren Morris – Dreamsicle
  5. Ken Yates – Total Cinema
  6. Trousdale – Growing Pains
  7. Anxious – Bambi
  8. The Maine – Dyed
  9. Momma – Welcome to My Blue Sky
  10. Matt Nathanson – King of Unsimple
  11. I’m with Her – Wild and Clear and Blue
  12. The Head and the Heart – Aperture
  13. Florry – Sounds Like…
  14. Counting Crows – Butter Miracle
  15. Hotline TNT – Raspberry Moon
  16. Mae Erlewine – What It Takes
  17. Bon Iver – Sable, Fable
  18. Knox – Going Going Gone
  19. Haim – I Quit
  20. Michigander – Michigander

Adam Grundy

  1. Anxious – Bambi
  2. Arm’s Length – There’s A Whole World Out There
  3. Coheed and Cambria – Vaxis III: The Father of Make Believe
  4. Momma – Welcome To My Blue Sky
  5. Underoath – The Place After This One
  6. Spiritbox – Tsunami Sea
  7. Turnstile – NEVER ENOUGH
  8. L.S. Dunes – Violet
  9. Catbite – Doom Garden
  10. Silverstein – Antibloom
  11. E.R.I.E. – The Highs, The Lows and everything in Between
  12. Lyn Lapid – Buzzkill
  13. Luke Spiller – Love Will Probably Kill Me Before Cigarettes and Wine
  14. The Maine – Dyed (2008-2023)
  15. Amber Pacific – All In
  16. TopHouse – Practice
  17. Out Of Service – Devastation Awaits
  18. Lady Gaga – Mayhem
  19. Teddy Swims – I’ve Tried Everything but Therapy (Part 2)
  20. Beach Bunny – Tunnel Vision
  21. The Backfires – This Is Not An Exit
  22. Bartees Strange – Horror
  23. FRND CRCL – JRSY FRSH
  24. Sarah Rose Project – Sarah Rose Project
  25. Car Seat Headrest – The Scholars
  26. HAIM – I Quit
  27. Arrows In Action – I Think I’ve Been Here Before (Side A)
  28. JR JR – Back to the Land
  29. Superheaven – Superheaven
  30. Shayfer James – Summoning

Drew Beringer

  1. Home is Where – Hunting Season
  2. Baths – Gut
  3. Cloakroom – Last Leg of the Human Table
  4. Deafheaven – Lonely People With Power
  5. The Callous Daoboys – I Don’t Want To See You In Heaven
  6. Adult Mom – Natural Causes
  7. Planning for Burial – It’s Closeness, It’s Easy
  8. Greet Death – Die in Love
  9. For Your Health – This Bitter Garden
  10. Charmer – Downpour
  11. Turnstile – Never Enough
  12. Hotline TNT – Raspberry Moon
  13. Pet Symmetry – Big Symmetry
  14. Moving Mountains – Pruning of the Lower Limbs
  15. Scowl – Are We All Angels
  16. PUP – Who Will Look After The Dogs?
  17. Shearling – Motherfucker, I am Both: “Amen” and “Hallelujah”…
  18. Tunde Adebimpe – Thee Black Boltz
  19. Laura Stevenson – Late Great
  20. Club Night – Joy Coming Down

Trevor Graham

  1. Moving Mountains – Pruning Of The Lower Limbs
  2. Cloakroom – Last Leg Of The Human Table
  3. Hannah Cohen – Earthstar Mountain
  4. Men I Trust – Equus Caballus
  5. Great Grandpa – Patience, Moonbeam
  6. Charmer – Downpour
  7. Greet Death – Die In Love
  8. Ruby Haunt – Blinking In The Wind
  9. MIKE – Showbiz!
  10. Bon Iver – SABLE, fABLE
  11. Superheaven – Superheaven
  12. OVERSIZE – Vital Signs
  13. Mei Semones – Animaru
  14. Glare – Sunset Funeral
  15. Momma – Welcome To My Blue Sky
  16. Ovrkast. – While The Iron Is Hot
  17. Dirty Art Club – The Silver Suite
  18. Aminé – 13 Months Of Sunshine
  19. Japanese Breakfast – For Melancholy Brunettes (& sad women)
  20. Hotline TNT – Raspberry Moon
  21. SOM – Let The Light In
  22. Foxwarren – 2
  23. Athletics – What Makes You Think This Is How It All Ends?
  24. Pure Hex – Spilling/Five Of Tears
  25. PUSH – maybe our days are numbered
  26. Saba – From The Private Collections of Saba and No ID
  27. lots of hands – into a pretty room
  28. Glyss – Eternal Return
  29. Little Simz – Lotus
  30. Bedridden – Moths Strapped To Each Other’s Backs

Ashley Perez

  1. Pirouette – Model/Actriz
  2. TURNSTILE – NEVER ENOUGH
  3. PUP – Who Will Look After the Dogs?
  4. Ministry – The Squirrely Years Revisited
  5. Pixel Grip – Percepticide: The Death of Reality
  6. House of Protection – Outrun You All EP
  7. Wednesday 13 – Mid Death Crisis
  8. MS PAINT – No Separation EP
  9. Alien Weaponry – Te Ra

Aaron Mook

  1. Deafheaven – Lonely People With Power
  2. Greet Death – Die in Love
  3. Youth Lagoon – Rarely Do I Dream
  4. Ethel Cain – Perverts
  5. Japanese Breakfast – For Melancholy Brunettes (& sad women)
  6. Bon Iver – SABLE, fABLE
  7. Friendship – Caveman Wakes Up
  8. Anthony Green – So Long, Avalon
  9. Momma – Welcome to My Blue Sky
  10. Turnstile – NEVER ENOUGH
  11. PUP – Who Will Look After the Dogs?
  12. Jason Isbell – Foxes in the Snow
  13. Westside Gunn – 12
  14. Hotline TNT – Raspberry Moon
  15. Lorde – Virgin

Garrett Lemons

  1. Spiritbox – Tsunami Sea
  2. Anxious – Bambi
  3. Coheed & Cambria – Vaxis – Act III: The Father of Make Believe
  4. Skrillex – Fuck U Skrillex You Think Ur Andy Warhol but Ur Not!! <3
  5. Underoath – The Place After This One
  6. Arm’s Length – There’s A Whole World Out There
  7. Bon Iver – SABLE, fABLE
  8. Moving Mountains – Pruning of the Lower Limbs
  9. Lady Gaga – Mayhem
  10. The Maine – dyed
  11. Lizzo – My Face Hurts From Smiling
  12. Turnstile – Never Enough
  13. Lorde – Virgin
  14. Mumford & Sons – Rushmere
  15. Ethel Cain – Perverts
  16. Haim – I Quit
  17. Lil Wayne – Tha Carter VI
  18. L.S. Dunes – Violet

Brett Bodner

  1. Sleep Token – Even in Arcadia
  2. Turnstile – Never Enough
  3. Silverstein – Antibloom
  4. Spiritbox – Tsunami Sea
  5. Winona Fighter – My Apologies to the Chef
  6. Jason Isbell – Foxes in the Snow
  7. PUP – Who Will Look After the Dogs?
  8. Counting Crows – Butter Miracle: The Complete Sweets!
  9. A Day to Remember – Big Ole Album Vol. 1
  10. Anxious – Bambi
  11. Coheed & Cambria – Vaxis – Act III: The Father of Make Believe
  12. Beach Bunny – Tunnel Vision
  13. Arm’s Length – There’s a Whole World Out There
  14. Bartees Strange – Horror
  15. Killswitch Engage – This Consequence
  16. Julien Baker & Torres – Send a Prayer My Way
  17. Underoath – The Place After This One
  18. Lucy Dacus – Forever Is a Feeling
  19. Bon Iver – Sable, Fable
  20. Superheaven – Superheaven
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