My 10 favourite music albums of 2025

This year, as good as Spotify playlists can be, I have consciously returned to listening to music albums. I've found it a lot more satisfying, and discovered some absolute gems.

Here are my favourites, in no particular order. There's a mix of genres, and I've indicated in what kind of situations I might listen to them.

We'll start with the album Beats & Pieces by Catching Flies and The West Green Quartet, which came out in April. That's mainly because I'm listening to it right now as I compose this on my laptop at the kitchen table.

It's a really chill album that's easy to listen to while relaxing or doing light work. I also listen to it when driving by myself, preferably through picturesque countryside.

I stumbled across Black British Music by Jim Legxacy via a 5-star review in The Guardian when it was released in July. It's like nothing else, and the I'll let people who are better with words describe it, namely reviewer Alexis Petridis:

It feels like the work of someone who has grown up with the all-you-can-eat buffet of streaming as standard, hurling contrasting ideas and inspirations at you in a way that recalls someone continually pressing fast-forward in a state of excitement.

It's not one I listen to with the rest of my family around, so I usually have this on either in the car or via our Google display while doing whatever washing-up can't go in the dishwasher.

I've loved Faithless ever since my sister and I clubbed together to buy Reverence/Irreverance in 1996. We used to take turns with CD1 and CD2. Interestingly, their latest release, Champion Sound, which came out in September, also takes a 'Disc 1' and 'Disc 2' approach, with the former being released before the latter.

I might listen to this at the gym or out for a walk if I'm not listening to a podcast. Music that puts a swagger in my step.

Released at the end of January, Hurry Up Tomorrow by The Weeknd is an incredible achievement. It's both an extremely polished album, and incredibly raw. Some of the lyrics are incredibly dark, but they're fused with an incredible rhythm and that signature voice of his.

The rest of my family like The Weeknd, so I play this everywhere and anywhere. It often goes on in the car when my wife, daughter, and I travel to away football fixtures.

I've enjoyed individual tracks by Lack of Afro before, but Love Dealer, which came out in October, was the first of his albums where I liked every track. It's a relentlessly upbeat and joyful record and one that will put a smile on your face.

Again, it's one that's born from pain, but you wouldn't know it unless you'd heard Adam Gibbons, the multi-talented musician behind the project, be interviewed. I listen to this any time I need a pick-me-up. Great stuff.

Sam Fender won the Mecury Prize 2025 for People Watching. The win was well-deserved, but I'm not the first person to think that he should have won it for his second album, Seventeen Going Under, a family favourite.

This will often go on in the car as not only is it great music, but Fender is a local boy, having grown up not too far away from where we live. Deep and meaningful lyrics coupled with choruses you can sing along to.

Debí Tirar Más Fotos by Bad Bunny was released right at the start of the year, on 5th January. My daughter loves learning Spanish, so we tend to listen to either Latin American music or Spanish pop on the way to her football training.

I'm also learning Spanish, so it's interesting being able to increasingly understand some of the words. Although, admittedly, not that many...

Jamie xx, who was one half of the band the xx, has created a banger of an album with In Waves. Also released in January, it's an upbeat rollercoaster with contributions ranging from former bandmate Romy to The Avalanches.

I might listen to this in the gym, or if I need to get some work done. Weird and wonderful in places with some great samples. I really like it.

I'm a big fan of Satin Jackets, and so it's a no-brainer that Cruise Control, released in July, would be on my top 10 list. It's easy music to listen to, and so I'll put it on pretty much anywhere and everywhere – especially when I'm working on my laptop in the room we call the 'spare lounge'.

I particularly enjoy Satin Jackets' collaborations with the artist Tailor, having first come across both of them via a track which featured them both.

USB by Fred again... only came out on December 12th, so it's still growing on me as an album. But it's a wonderfully eclectic album, as you'd expect from someone who grew up next door to Brian Eno and who has collaborated with him on projects.

My son likes this, but my wife and daughter don't. So it's one for the gym, times when I'm wearing my headphones, and perhaps when I'm in the car alone.

Honourable mentions

Chroma 001 Helium by Bicep which was released in November is a little bit bonkers, in a good way. Everything from the track listing to the varying intensity of the beats. It's growing on me, but just missed out on my top 10.

I really love Barry Can't Swim's debut album When Will We Land? which was released a couple of years ago. His most recent, Loner, came out in July, and while it's very good, it's not quite at the level of that first album. A dance album, but thoughtful.

I've enjoyed listening to the artist Fake Blood ever since I added him to the acknowledgements section of a report I wrote in 2011. I really couldn't have powered through the work I had to do at that time without listening to his extremely motivational remixes.

Rooftops has some fantastic tracks on it. For example, 'Popping Candy' is perfect for the gym, which is where I've been listening to it for the past couple of months, having missed it's release when it came out in May.

I'm excited about music that comes out next year. I usually discover music either through Spotify itself (I've been a Premium member since 2009 so it knows what I like), BBC Radio 6 Music, or reading album reviews in various places.

If you've listened to an album (or EP!) that you particularly enjoyed that came out in 2025, why not share it in the comments below? 🙂