End of the Year Review 2025

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This is year 17 of doing this list. I love this. You can see that this year is a little abbreviated. I have basically one New Year’s resolution: Listen to more music. In 2025, I didn’t listen to as much as I normally do, and that will change for this year. I think this list is a bit more concise, and I am still very proud of the 50 Songs and the 15 albums. I hope you find something that you like. If I missed something or you really liked something I didn’t, let me know. With all of that stated, this is only my opinion. Enjoy

75 Best Songs of 2025 on Spotify: J + R Best of 2025

ALL 17 YEARS OF J+R LISTS

  1. Turnstile – “NEVER ENOUGH”
  2. Wet Leg – “catch these fists”
  3. Freddie Gibbs/The Alchemist – “Ensalada” ft. Anderson.Paak
  4. Bon Iver – “Everything Is Peaceful Love”
  5. Saba/No ID – “Woes of the World”
  6. Japanese Breakfast – “Mega Circuit”
  7. Tame Impala – “Afterthought”
  8. Viagra Boys – “Uno II”
  9. Youth Lagoon – “Football”
  10. Hayley Williams – “Ego Death At A Bachelorette Party”
  11. Waxahatchee/Kevin Morby – “You Found Me”
  12. Doesone – “Restaurant Not”
  13. Viagra Boys – “The Bog Bag”
  14. Larry June/2 Chainz/The Alchemist – “I Been”
  15. Perfume Genius – “It’s a Mirror”
  16. Clipping. “Welcome Home Warrior” ft. Aesop Rock
  17. Turnstile – “DULL”
  18. Danny Brown – “Copycats”
  19. Wet Leg – “mangetout”
  20. Larry June/2 Chainz/Alchemist – “I Been”
  21. Wet Leg – “CPR”
  22. Oklou – “blade bird”
  23. Drugdealer/Weyes Blood – “Real Thing”
  24. Hayley Williams – “Ice In My OJ”
  25. Tunde Adebimpe – “Drop”
  26. JID – “VCRs” ft. Vince Staples
  27. Viagra Boys – “Man Made of Meat”
  28. McKinley Dixon – “Sugar Water” ft. Quelle Chris & Anjimile
  29. This Is Lorelei – “Dancing in the Club” ft. MJ Lenderman 
  30. Tame Impala – “Dracula”
  31. Chance Pena – “Good Love Die”
  32. Turnstile – “I CARE”
  33. Black Country, New Road – “Besties”
  34. Destroyer – “Hydroplaning Off the Edge…”
  35. Freddie Gibbs/The Alchemist – “1995”
  36. Benny the Butcher – “Hood on Fire” ft. Bruiser Wolf
  37. Wolf Alice – “The Sofa”
  38. Turnstile – “Birds”
  39. Pimp Jong ILL/Sev Seveer – “Rareware”
  40. Tame Impala – “End of Summer”
  41. Tunde Adebimpe – “Magnetic”
  42. Bruiser Wolf – “Tubi”
  43. JID – “WRK”
  44. The Last Dinner Party – “Count the Ways”
  45. Bruiser and Bicycle – “Part of the Show”
  46. Mac DeMarco – “Shining”
  47. Bon Iver – “SPEYSIDE”
  48. Ryan Davis & the Roadhouse Band – “New Threats…”
  49. Clipse – “Birds Don’t Sing” ft. John Legend
  50. Wednesday – “Elderberry Wine”
  51. Squid – “Building 650”
  52. Destroyer – “Bologna” ft. Fiver
  53. Mac Miller – “Funny Papers”
  54. Panchiko – “Shandy in the Graveyard” ft. billy woods
  55. Curren$y – “Zack Morris Phone” ft. Bruiser Wolf
  56. Sharon Van Etten – “Trouble”
  57. Previous Industries – “West Coast Video” ft. Open Mike Eagle/Video Dave
  58. Freddie Gibbs – “Nobody”
  59. Indigo De Souza – “Heartthrob”
  60. Jalenn. – “art major”
  61. Horsegirl – “Frontrunner”
  62. Saya Gray – “LIE DOWN”
  63. Nourished by Time – “9 2 5”
  64. Little Simz – “Free”
  65. Geese – “Taxes”
  66. Lauren Auder – “yes”
  67. Tunde Abedimpe – “God Knows”
  68. Sam Fender – “Rein Me In”
  69. THE ANXIETY – Meet Me At Our Spot” ft. WILLOW/Tyler Cole
  70. McKinley Dixon – “We’re Outside, Rejoice!”
  71. Blood Orange – “The Field” ft. A Bunch of People
  72. Youth Lagoon – “Speed Freak”
  73. Water From Your Eyes – “Playing Classics”
  74. Qudeca – “MONDAY”
  75. Jesse Welles – “War Isn’t Murder”

15. The Last Dinner Party – From the Pyre

14.Youth Lagoon – Rarely Do I Dream 

13.Bruiser and Bicycle – Deep Country 

12.JID – God Does Like Ugly

11.Tunde Adebimpe – Thee Black Boltz

10.Tame Impala – Deadbeat

9.McKinley Dixon – Magic, Alive!

8.Viagra Boys – viagr aboys

7.Hayley Williams – Ego Death At A Bachelorette Party

6.Wet Leg – moisturizer 

5.Bon Iver – SABLE, fABLE

4.Bruiser Wolf – MADE BY D___

3.Clipse – Let God Sort Em Out

2. Freddie Gibbs – Alfredo 2

1.Turnstile – NEVER ENOUGH

    Turnstile – NEVER ENOUGH

    Turnstile took my 2025 by storm. I was not aware of how good they are until I heard “MYSTERY” from their 2021 album, GLOW ON. I was hooked. I couldn’t wait to hear NEVER ENOUGH. When you anticipate something so much, the payoff is rarely this satisfying. I loved this album so much that my Spotify Wrapped was basically all NEVER ENOUGH. I am not embarrassed by that; you are. It is a beautiful album that is soft, dreamy, noisy, and well, hardcore. The balance of dreamy vocals and traditional hardcore instrumentation is done to perfection. I was lucky enough to see them live this year as well. What an incredible live band. I highly suggest that you go see them, but do some arobics before you do. It was fun, but it made me want to work out more so that I am ready for the next one. Give it and GLOW ON a listen. I have now moved on to the rest of their catalog and have gotten on a cardio plan to make sure I don’t have a heart attack at the next show.

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