My Year in Music (2025)
- Garrett Bugay
- Jan 21
- 8 min read
Welcome to my 4th annual music-of-the-year list! While I didn't quite reach my personal heights of listening that was last year, I came awfully close. I listened to 1,151 artists and 2,465 songs. I also made a concerted effort to listen to things that are not on my usual radar. I started getting email updates from Pitchfork and occassionally looked into their suggestions throughout the year. I also listened to the entirety of their top 100 songs of 2025 list, which not only helped with my personal playlists for the year, but also gave me inspiration to listen to more albums and widen my musical scope. I went to 7 concerts and saw these artists live:
Rubblebucket
Vampire Weekend
Geese
Blondshell
Phantogram
Open Mike Eagle
Marina
Mallrat
SG Lewis
Cut Copy
Ora the Molecule
This was a fantastic year for music. We had notable mainstream artists put out some of their best work, including Lady Gaga, Selena Gomez, Sabrina Carpenter, and 87 year old Mavis Staples, who produced a legitimate masterpiece of a record. I discovered a bunch of new artists that I now adore (Marina, Ethel Cain, Sam Fender, Austra, and Marie Davidson). I'm so excited to share the artists, albums and songs that moved me, inspired me, made me dance, and/or helped me process all of life's ups and downs. Like the previous versions of this list, I will be including 52 albums (one for each week of the year), my top 12 albums and top 12 songs (one for each month of the year), honorable mentions (which include 48 additional records for a grand total of 100!), and my newest "best of" playlists, which feature my favorite tracks of artists after listening to their entire discography in chronological order. I will organize the albums by genre and include my favorite tracks from each. The one new addition this year involves the inclusion of a "similar to" addendum, which indicates when certain artists remind me of other artists that may be more well known. This is my most ambitious attempt at this list and hopefully the range and variety shines through. As always, feel free to skip to your favorite genre or playlist and enjoy!
(*) = top 12 Album or Song
Top 52 Albums of the Year (Genres in Alphabetical Order):
Alternative:
Blood Orange (Essex Honey)
2: Thinking Clean
4: The Field
5: Mind Loaded
*Ethel Cain (Willoughby Tucker, I'll Always Love You)
3: F**k Me Eyes
4: Nettles
9: Tempest
*Sam Fender (People Watching)
1: People Watching
3: Chin Up
4: *Wild Long Lie
6: Crumbling Empire
NoSo (When Are You Leaving?)
2: *Sugar
7: Who Made You This Sweet
9: Nara
Mini Trees (Slow It Down)
1: Spinning
3: Close
4: Hard To Love
Rachel Bobbitt (Swimming Towards the Sand)
1: Don't Cry
4: Hands Hands Hands
Shura (I Got Too Sad For My Friends)
1: Tokyo
2: Leonard Street
10: If You Don't Believe In Love (Feat. Helado Negro)
Babygirl (Stay Here Where It's Warm)
2: All Is Well
3: Dancing With Her
4: You Don't Need A Reason to Call
Fanclubwallet (Living While Dying)
2: Cotton Mouth
3: Know You Anymore
7: Do You Hate Me
Silvana Estrada (Vendran Suaves Lluvias)
2: Dime
3: Lila Aleli
4: Flores
7: Como Un Pajaro
Anna von Hausswolff (Iconoclasts)
3: The Iconoclast
5: The Mouth
7: Aging Young Women (Feat. Ethel Cain)
Skullcrusher (And Your Song is Like a Circle)
3: Living
5: Changes
8: Exhale
Country:
*Jason Isbell (Foxes in the Snow)
2: Ride to Robert's
9: *Good While it Lasted
11: Wind Behind the Rain
Ryan Davis & the Roadhouse Band (New Threats From the Soul)
1: New Threats From the Soul
5: Simple Joy
6: Mutilation Falls
Electronic:
Austra (Chin Up Buttercup)
1: Amnesia
3: Siren Song
5: Fallen Cloud
Euan Ellis (Future Now)(Similar to Com Truise)
1: Genesis
2: Event Horizon
11: Proof of Sound
Weval (Chorophobia)(Electronic)
2: Moving On
3: Movement
4: Just Friends
*Causeway (Anywhere)
5: Human (Feat. Hannah Lew)
8: Dancing with Shadows
9: Ruin Me
Barry Can't Swim (Loner)(Similar to Jamie XX)
1: The Person You'd Like To Be
3: Kimpton
10: Childhood
*The Cure (Mixes of a Lost World)
2: Endsong (Orbital Remix)
3: Drone:Nodrone (Daniel Avery Remix)
6: And Nothing Is Forever (Danny Briottet & Rico Conning Remix)
11: A Fragile Thing (Sally C Remix)
Cut Copy (Moments)
1: Solid
2: *Belong to You
6: Moments
SG Lewis (Anemoia)
3: Sugar (Feat. Shygirl)
7: *Back of My Mind
DJ Koze (Music Can Hear Us)
9: A Donde Vas?
13: Buschtaxi
14: Aruna
Purity Ring (Purity Ring)
8: the long night
9: imanocean
The Midnight (Syndicate)
3: *Runaways (Feat. Bonnie McKee)
7: Digital Dreams
17: Summer's Ending Soon
Emil Rottmayer (V.O.L.T)
1: Infrared
2: V.O.L.T
6: Radiate
Antony Szmierek (Service Station at the End of the Universe)
3: The Great Pyramid of Stockport
5: Yoga Teacher
9: Take Me There
*Marie Davidson (City of Clowns)
2: Demolition
4: Push Me F******d
5: Fun Times
8: Contrarian
House/Instrumental:
*Kieran Hebden & William Tyler (41 Longfield Street Late 80's)
1: If I Had a Boat
2: Spider Ballad
7: *Secret City
Alina Bzhezhinska & Tulshi (Whispers of Rain)(Similar to Mary Lattimore)
2: Nomad's Nocturne
3: Whisper's of Rain
4: Warm Days, Cold Nights
Cassandra Jenkins (My Light, My Massage Parlor)
3: Omakase of Time
5: Wormhold Music
Rap/R&B:
Clipse (Let God Sort Em Out)
3: P.O.V. 7: M.T.B.T.T.F.
Chance the Rapper (Star Line)
6: Back To The Go
11: Tree
17: Speed of Love
*Mavis Staples (Sad and Beautiful World)
2: Beautiful Strangers
3: *Sad and Beautiful World
7: We Got to Have Peace
9: Satisfied Mind
Aesop Rock (Black Home Superette)
6: So Be It (Feat. Open Mike Eagle)
9: Ice Sold Here
Rock:
Arc De Soleil (Lumin Rain)(Similar to Khruangbin)
4: Sunchaser
5: Midnight In Saqqara
8: Dunes of Djoser
*Geese (Getting Killed)
2: Cobra
9: Bow Down
11: Long Island City Here I Come
Jay Som (Belong)
1: Cards on the Table (Feat Mini Trees)
2: Float
3: What You Need
11: Want It All
Blondshell (If You Asked For a Picture)
1: Thumbtack
5: Two Times
7: 23's A Baby
Constant Smiles (Moonflowers)
5: Harriman
7: When You're Gone
Greet Death (Die In Love)
3: Country Girl
5: Emptiness is Everywhere
9: Love Me When You Leave
Momma (Welcome to My Blue Sky)
2: I Want You (Fever)
8: Bottle Blonde
*Young Gun Silver Fox (Pleasure)(Similar to Hall & Oates)
1: Stevie & Sly
3: Late Night Last Train
5: Holding Back The Fire
Pop:
*IDER (Late to the World)
2: Attachment Theory
4: *Girl
8: You Don't Know How to Drive
Lady Gaga (Mayhem)
2: Abracadabra
7: Killah (Feat. Gesaffelstein)
*Marina (Princess of Power)
1: Princess of Power
3: *Cuntissimo
5: Cupid's Girl
8: Digital Fantasy
Sabrina Carpenter (Man's Best Friend)
1: Manchild
2: Tears
12: Goodbye
Lily Allen (West End Girl)
1: West End Girl
4: Tennis
6: *Relapse
7: P***y Palace
St. Lucia (Fata Morgana: Dawn)
3: Pie In The Sky
4: Falling Asleep
8: Rolling Man
Selena Gomez (I Said I Loved You First)
3: Call Me When You Break Up
5: Don't Wanna Cry
8: Bluest Flame
The Knocks & Dragonette (Revelation)(Similar to Carly Rae Jepsen)
1: Revelation
2: Love Me Alive
7: Dreams
Sorry Girls (Dreamwalker)
1: Falling Down Stairs
4: Ricochet
Honorable Mentions:
Avalon Emerson (Perpetual Emotion Machine)(Electronic)
1: Don't Be Seen With Me
2: E After Next
4: Treat Mode
The Weeknd (Hurry Up Tomorrow)(Pop)
7: Open Hearts
17: Give Me Mercy
David Byrne & Ghost Train Orchestra (Who Is the Sky?)(Rock)
1: Everybody Laughs
4: A Door Called No
Tame Impala (Deadbeat)(Electronic)
7: Piece Of Heaven
12: End Of Summer
Blusher (Racer EP)(Pop)
3: Last Man Standing
5: WhateverWhatever
Ichiko Aoba (Luminescent Creatures)(Alternative)
1: Coloratura
8: *Luciferene
Sigrid (There's Always More That I Could Say)(Pop)
5: Two Years
6: Hush Baby, Hurry Slowly
Emmett Kai (Dream_Speed)(House/Instrumental)
1: Bump of Chlorine
3: Cities in Orbit
bdrmm (Microtonic)(Electronic)
3: Infinity Peaking
4: Snares
Oklou (Choke Enough)(Pop)
8: Take Me By The Hand
13: Blade Bird
Glittr (Harpangel EP)(Electronic)
2: Harpangel
4: In - Between
Erika de Casier (Lifetime)(Electronic)
5: December
6: Delusional
CMAT (Euro-Country)(Pop)
2: Euro-Country
Tornado Club (Mercury)(Electronic)(Similar to Shallou)
6: Keep Me Waiting
10: Retrospective
Kassa Overall (Cream)(Jazz)
2: Big Poppa
4: Rebirth of Slick
Tyler the Creator (Don't Tap the Glass)(Rap/R&B)
1: Big Poe (Feat. Sk8brd & Pharrell Williams)
6: Ring Ring Ring
Nombe (Diaspora)(Electronic)
5: Please Don't Feed The Lions
6: Ipanema (Cafune)
Japanese Breakfast (For Melancholy Brunettes (& sad women))(Alternative)
3: Honey Water
4: Mega Circuit
9: Winter in LA
Aly & AJ (Silver Deliverer)(Alternative)
1: Silver Deliverer
2: What It Feels Like
Morgan Willis (Hotline Summer)(Electronic)
2: Set Me Free
4: Hotline Summer
5: Malibu Sunset
Soupless (The Outside)(Rock)
3: Hoping
7: Tick On
Akasha System (Heliocene)(Electronic)
2: Purity Vector
3: Photonic Loop
Volt Age (Arrival)(Electronic)
2: Starflight
11: Arrival (Feat. Jakob Betke)
Nino Paid (Love Me As I Am)(Rap/R&B)
9: Progress Report
14: Love Me As I Am
Anna of the North (Girl in a Bottle)(Pop)
3: Call Me
4: Waiting For Love
Hotel Pools & BrotherTiger (Paradigms)(Electronic)(Similar to Washed Out)
3: Into the Blue
6: Haze
Zoe Ferris (Pushing Daisies EP)(Alternative)
3: First Glance
4: Touch Ground
Nora Van Elken (Deutschland)(House/Instrumental)
7: Berlin
12: Stuttgart
Jade (That's Showbiz Baby)(Pop)
3: FUFN (F**k You For Now)
4: Plastic Box
Samia (Bloodless)(Alternative)
2: Bovine Excision
7: Spine Oil
12: North Poles
We Are Scientists (Qualifying Miles)(Rock)
Top Tracks:
1: A Prelude To What
3: Dead Letters
The Kooks (Never/Know)(Alternative)
Top Tracks:
1: Never Know
4: If They Could Only Know
Ora the Molecule (Dance Therapy)(Electronic)
2: Intergalactic Dance
5: Is This Love?
Bleach Lab (Close to the Flame EP)(Alternative)
2: Feel Something
4: Close To The Flame
Bruce Springsteen (Tracks II)(Rock)
Disc 1:
5: Sugarland
Disc 2:
1: Blind Spot
Disc 3:
9: My Master's Hand
Disc 4:
5: Under A Big Sky
Disc 5:
10: When I Build My Beautiful House
Disc 6:
10: Another You
Disc 7:
8: Cutting Knife
SYML (Nobody Lives Here)(Alternative)
1: Carry No Thing
6: Wake
7: Heavy Hearts
Everyone Says Hi (Everyone Says Hi)(Alternative)
2: Lucky Stars
3: Only One
5: I Wish I Was In New York City
Cass McCombs (Interior Live Oak)(Alternative)
2: Peace
6: I'm Not Ashamed
Robert Kretzschmar (Make A Wish)(Electronic)(Similar to Air)
3: Chestnut Tree
Goldie Boutilier (Goldie Boutilier Presents Goldie Montana)(Pop)
2: Neon Nuptials
3: Snake Eyes
Barker (Stochastic Drift)(Electronic)
2: Reframing
7: Fluid Mechanics
8: Stochastic Drift
Greg Freeman (Burnover)(Rock)
4: Gallic Shrug
5: Gulch
Brown Horse (All the Right Weaknesses)(Rock)
4: Dog Rose
7: Radio Free Bolinas
Elskavon (Panoramas)(Electronic)
3: Blending
11: Ample
Otherwish (It's Okay to Wonder EP)(Electronic)
1: It's Okay To Wonder
2: All About This
Allexa Nava (No Language EP)(Jazz)
3: For Those Not Here (Our Version)
5: In The Final
Caroline Kingsbury (Shock Treatment EP)(Pop)
1: Shock Treatment
6: What Kind of Person
Fiona-Lee (Nothing Compares to Nineteen EP)(Alternative)
3: Through It All
6: To Make Me Feel Good
2025 Playlist (Short Version)
Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/us/playlist/my-year-in-music-2025-short-version/pl.u-d2b0MX0tLR04p4
2025 Playlist (Long Version)
Best of Playlists:
Air:
Carly Rae Jepsen:
Kylie Minogue:
Arc De Soleil:
Marina:
SG Lewis:
Bit Harmony: A Video Game Music Podcast:
Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/us/playlist/best-of-bit-harmony-a-video-game-music-podcast/pl.u-DdANvNqT09Jqyq
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