It’s been another stellar year for album releases including the return of some of our favourite acts this year as we compiled our Top 10 Albums of 2025 list.
As ever at the end there is a Spotify playlist at the end of some of our favourite songs of the year, including those by artists in our Top 10 Albums of 2025 list. Please do ensure you don’t just listen on the controversial streaming site and do buy physical copies of their releases, their merchandise and go and see them next time they visit your area if you can.
Here is our Top 10 Albums of 2025.
10. Ku! -Ku!
Spanish lo-fi punk/rock act Ku! and their self titled debut has emerged as one of the treats of the year, especially opener Txan Txan, which is full of joyous guitar interplay.
Read out full review here.
9. The Lottery Winners – Koko
Feel good Greater Manchester band the Lottery Winners are back with a follow up to 2023’s Anxiety Replacement Therapy with Koko, another fine collection of sing along choruses and tales of survival.
Once again they’ve attracted a raft of musicians to join in the fun and introspection, including Frank Turner. Keep On Keeping On, is a perfect pick me up we all need.
Read our full review here.
8. Bright Lights by Allo Darlin
One of two returning artists for our run down this year is indie stalwarts Allo Darlin, who returned in 2025 with their first album for almost a decade. Its another strong collection from Elizabeth Morris and co.
7. Sam Fender – People Watching
Sam Fender’s third album blends stadium sized pop, deeply personal memories and stark commentary on the state of England. Unsurprising it caught the ear of this year’s Mercury Awards judges who named it their album of the year. The Newcastle singer donated his £25,000 prize to support grassroots music venues. Could we love him anymore?
Read our full review here.
6. Greentea Peng – Tell Dem Its Sunny
We played this second album from Greentea Peng, aka singer Aria Wells, relentlessly when it was released earlier this year, especially the phenomenal tracks TARDIS (hardest) and Nowehere Man. She blends soul, trip-hop, jazz, reggae and more, with Massive Attack among artists she has been compared to for good reason.
5. Divorce – Drive to Goldenhammer
Antarctica, by Nottingham four-piece Divorce, is one of the stand out singles of the year. Luckily the rest of their album is great too.
Read out full review here.
4. Utopia by Gwenno
Four albums in this is the first that is mainly in English by The Pipettes singer Gwenno, who predominantly sings in Welsh and Cornish. This is a remarkably dreamy pop treat we are confident you will love. And is that echoes of Billie Jean strutting down the streets of Brighton that we hear on her track The Devil?
3. Matt Berry – Heard Noises
Its taken a while but people are finally taking Matt Berry the musician seriously, with his latest album Heard Noises peaking at 22 in the sales chart – his biggest success yet.
His talent will come as no surprise to long time fans of his music. They know that while more famous for his comic acting he is a prolific musician.
Read our full review here.
2. The Mountain Goats- Through This Fire Across From Peter Balkan
This is another ambitious collection from John Darnielle, Matt Douglas and Jon Wurster and the first in 23 albums without long time bassist Peter Hughes, who left the band this year. They dedicate this to Hughes through a fine 12 songs themed around a shipwreck inspired by a dream Darnielle had. There’s a real Broadway feel to this, and no wonder with Hamilton creator Lin-Manuel Miranda appearing.
Read our full review here.
1. Cardiacs – LSD
Cardiacs’ final album LSD may well be the most important album of the year. It is certainly our favourite.
The beloved band’s leader Tim Smith was left needing constant care after a cardiac arrest and stroke in 2008 and unable to finish their epic album LSD. His band mates pulled out all the stops and have eventually got it finished, sadly too late for Smith to hear, as he passed away in 2020.
The result is one of their finest releases offering the smartest, most complex, most proggy rock you will hear all year. Please do buy this if you enjoy listening to it as the artwork and linear notes about the making of this album are beautifully done.
Read our full review here.
Best tracks of 2025
Compiled by Joe Lepper and Dorian Rogers
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