Year-End Lists

Hanif Abdurraqib: 115 Favorite Albums Of 2025, posted with links to good writing, a list of favorite EPs, and a short essay about Brian Wilson

[see also 2023 • 2022 • 2021 • 2020 • 2018 • 2017 • 2016]

1. hooke’s law
   KeiyaA
2. The Spiritual Sound
   Agriculture
3. Only Dust Remains
   Backxwash
4. Devotion & the Black Divine
   anaiis
5. Lotus
   Little Simz
6. Golliwog
   Billy Woods
7. All Cylinders
   Yves Jarvis
8. A Room With A Door That Closes
   Maiya Blaney
9. A City Drowned in God's Black Tears
   Infinity Knives & Brian Ennals
10. Mercy
    Armand Hammer & The Alchemist
11. Baby
    Dijon
12. The BPM
    Sudan Archives
13. Insatiable
    Divide and Dissolve
14. Through The Wall
    Rochelle Jordan
15. Slaughter
    Yasmin Nur
16. Black Star
    Amaarae
17. Magic, Alive!
    McKinley Dixon
18. Dreamwalker
    Sorry Girls
19. Tether
    Annahstasia
20. Did You Enjoy Your Time Here…?
    PremRock
20. Saisir Le Feu
    ShrapKnel & Mike Ladd
20. Armature
    ShrapKnel & Ohbliv
20. Lincoln Continental Breakfast
    ShrapKnel & Raphy
21. Waiting Room
    Kathryn Mohr
22. Hex Key
    Mamalarky
23. Espejismo
    Fines Double
24. It's a Beautiful Place
    Water From Your Eyes
25. Lux
    Rosalía
26. Pulse
    Qur'an Shaheed
27. Essex Honey
    Blood Orange
28. Bugland
    No Joy
29. Delicious Collision
    Gushes
30. ghayoom
    nabeel
31. Pleaser
    Pretty Bitter
32. Gold Star Baby
    The Aces
33. Never Enough
    Turnstile
34. The Breeze Grew a Fire
    Mereba
35. Earthkeeper
    Pinkshift
36. Mount Crystal
    Joviale
37. Bleeds
    Wednesday
38. A Constant Charade
    Elujay
39. Cut & Rewind
    Say She She
40. Attrition
    Slikback
41. can I say something...?
    nurse joy
42. Every Video Without Your Face, Every Sound Without Your Name
    Lucy Liyou
43. Temporary
    Everything Is Recorded
44. Die In Love
    Greet Death
45. Wrong Side Of Heaven
    End It
46. Lifetime
    Erika de Casier
47. Describe
    Hannah Jadagu
48. the day after...
    whereisfox
49. Phonetics On and On
    Horsegirl
50. Hits of Ash
    African-American Sound Recordings
50. Runway Cremations
    African-American Sound Recordings
51. Totality
    Natural Information Society and Bitchin Bajas
52. Forever Is a Feeling
    Lucy Dacus
53. Musical Chairs
    Artificial Go
54. SWEET TOOTH
    Halima
55. To Dry a Tear
    Khamari
56. Decisions
    Blankenberge
57. Leash Aggression
    Pigeon Pit
58. Neighborhood Gods Unlimited
    Open Mike Eagle
59. Feral
    Bore
60. Two Hundred Thousand Dollars
    Camp Trash
61. Turn
    Blood Root
62. Fight the Power!
    Mike Shabb
63. Strange Devotion
    Maura Weaver
64. Revengeseekerz
    Jane Remover
65. WhatsReallyGood.
    See The Lieutenant
66. I Promise No One's Watching
    Nxdia
67. Hymnal
    Lyra Pramuk
68. Ego Death at a Bachelorette Party
    Hayley Williams
69. Try Searching for a Lover
    Avenade
70. A Strong Desire to Survive
    duendita
71. Thee Black Boltz
    Tunde Adebimpe
72. A Danger to Ourselves
    Lucrecia Dalt
73. Way Too Much
    Superstar Crush
74. Goyard Ibn Said
    Ghais Guevara
75. Run Away With A Wild And A Rare One
    Wave Generators
76. In The Earth Again
    Chat Pile & Hayden Pedigo
77. WITH A VENGEANCE
    Sherelle
78. Scorpio
    Madison McFerrin
79. All of your anger is actually shame (and I bet that makes you angry)
    Gloin
80. Patience, Moonbeam
    Great Grandpa
81. Can't Lose My (Soul)
    Annie and the Caldwells
82. Portrait of My Heart
    Spellling
83. Former You
    Hammydown
84. Who Let the Dogs Out
    Lambrini Girls
85. Wiretaps for Oral
    Saint Abdullah & Jason Nazary
86. We Were Just Here
    Just Mustard
87. Oh Snap
    Cécile McLorin Salvant
89. High Heart
    Plastic Girl in Closet
90. Swirl
    Flora Hibberd
91. Sortilège
    Preservation & Gabe 'Nandez
92. Talulah's Tape
    Good Flying Birds
93. CRYSALIS
    Jenevieve
94. Swear
    Empty Heaven
95. While The Iron Is Hot
    Ovrkast.
96. Mayday
    With Hidden Noise
97. Hands In The Air!
    Told Not To Worry
98. Tomorrow We Escape
    Ho99o9
99. West End Girl
    Lily Allen
100. I'm Nice Now
     Upchuck
101. Thus Spoke the Broken Chanteuse
     Wet Kiss
102. Trainspotting
     Rome Streetz & Conductor Williams
103. Five Prayers
     Joy Guidry
104. Become Nothing
     CHOP CHOP CHOP CHOP CHOP CHOP CHOP
105. Face To The Flywire
     Platonic Sex
106. New Thing
     Avery Friedman
107. UNTITLED
     Jeremiah Cymerman
108. Warlord of the Weejuns
     Goya Gumbani
109. 45 Pounds
     YHWH Nailgun
110. Forward
     First Day Back
111. It's Closeness, It's Easy
     Planning For Burial
112. Lonely People with Power
     Deafheaven
113. Living in a Glass House
     Makin' Out
114. Renascence
     Cymande
115. Alex
     Daughter of Swords