We asked WXPN hosts to do the near-impossible and pick just 10 favorite albums from 2025. As Bruce Warren put it, “What does ‘top albums’ mean anyway? The LPs I think are the best? The records I listened to the most?”

However they interpreted the assignment, one record kept surfacing. Geese’s Getting Killed showed up on seven lists. Mike Vasilikos said it “totally floored me and forced its hand to the top of my list.” Amber Miller went further, splitting time into two eras: “BGK (before Getting Killed) and AGK (after Getting Killed).”

Beyond that consensus, the lists head in wildly different directions. Raina Douris picked the albums that “moved me this year” and that she “kept coming back to.” Kristen Kurtis zeroed in on artists who had “SOMETHING TO SAY” and on records where emotions were spilling over the edges. And Chuck van Zyl, sorting through a year that brought “40–60 new releases per month” to Star’s End, called 2025 “a plentiful year in Spacemusic.” Explore their full lists below, along with personal reflections, underrated picks, and a few early hints at what they’re looking forward to in 2026.

Jim McGuinn

Acting PD / On-Air Host

It’s the year of Geese, and after trying to resist the groundswell of attention they have been receiving, sure enough—the more I listened, the more I wanted to listen. Is it the confusion, noise, cacophony, terror and joy of 2025? I don’t know why, but this album just seems to capture where we’re at musically / culturally. Also dug discovering (or finally going deeper) into artists like Jesse Welles, CMAT and Sharp Pins, hearing the evolution of Turnstile, the best Brandi project of the decade, a solid sophomore effort (and killer live gig!) from Wet Leg, a fine addition of the Attachment Theory to Sharon Van Etten, and sweet local jams from Mt. Joy and The Tisburys.

Getting Killed — Geese
Moisturizer — Wet Leg
Middle — Jesse Welles
Sharon Van Etten and the Attachment Theory — Sharon Van Etten and the Attachment Theory
A Still Life Revisited — The Tisburys
Euro-Country — CMAT
Hope We Have Fun — Mt. Joy
Returning To Myself — Brandi Carlile
Balloon Balloon Balloon — Sharp Pins
Never Enough — Turnstile

Didn’t get enough attention in 2025

Ok Go – And The Adjacent Possible and Sloan – Based on the Best Seller. I’m always rooting for the clever guitar rock to warm more hearts and minds!

Most excited for in 2026

The No Good Crowd, of course (my band). But also: Alabama Shakes, Courtney Barnett, Sugar, Lana Del Rey, Charli XCX, Gorillaz, Ratboys, Squeeze…

Dan Reed

MD / Afternoon Host

My list has more than nine, but less than eleven…

Getting Killed — Geese
Never Enough — Turnstile
Baby — Dijon
Straight Line Was A Lie — The Beths
Caveman Wakes Up — Friendship
Phonetics On And On — Horsegirl
Twilight Override — Jeff Tweedy
West End Girl — Ben Arnold
XI — Lily Allen
Thee Black Boltz — Tunde Adebimpe

Most excited for in 2026

Anything created by actual humans.

Kristen Kurtis

Morning Show Host

I dug folks that had SOMETHING TO SAY (Hayley, Brittany, CMAT) or emotions to pour out of themselves (JB, Brandi), folks who continued to experiment with and evolve their sounds (Bartees, Geese, the LDP), and folks who wanted to get you dancing or uplift your spirits (Gaga, Valerie).

Ego Death at a Bachelorette Party — Hayley Williams
MAYHEM — Lady Gaga
Horror — Bartees Strange
Black Thunder — Brittany Davis
For Melancholy Brunettes (& sad women) — Japanese Breakfast
Owls, Omens, and Oracles — Valerie June
EURO-COUNTRY — CMAT
Getting Killed — Geese
Returning to Myself — Brandi Carlile
From the Pyre — The Last Dinner Party

Didn’t get enough attention in 2025

Black Thunder by Brittany Davis.

Most excited for in 2026

Tori Amos – In Times of Dragons.

Mike Vasilikos

Midday Host

Tough to boil it down to just TEN records this year! So much good music in 2025. Truthfully, most of my list was set until Geese dropped their new album—which totally floored me and forced its hand to the top of my list.

Getting Killed — Geese
Sharon Van Etten & The Attachment Theory — Sharon Van Etten & The Attachment Theory
Snipe Hunter — Tyler Childers
Clams Casino — Brian Dunne
Foxes in the Snow — Jason Isbell
Euro-Country — CMAT
Snocaps — Snocaps
Sounds Like… — Wednesday
Bleeds — Florry
Balloonerism — Mac Miller

Didn’t get enough attention in 2025

Brian Dunne – Clams Casino.

Most excited for in 2026

Dove Ellis – Blizzard (technically a Dec 2025 release, but an artist to keep an ear out for in 2026, for sure!).

Bruce Warren

Do-er of many things

What does “top albums” mean anyway? The LPs I think are the best? The records I listened to the most? The answer should be yes to these last two questions. There’s so much music out though, it’s impossible to take it all in. Not on the list (but should be) if we had more selections: Kathleen Edwards, Olivia Dean, Davido, Oklou, caroline, Wednesday, Ichiko Aoba, Panda Bear, Sharp Pins and Mary Halvorson (excellent jazz record).

Getting Killed — Geese
Never Enough — Turnstile
Sharon Van Etten & The Attachment Theory — Sharon Van Etten & The Attachment Theory
Earthstar Mountain — Hannah Cohen
Ego Death At A Bachelorette Party — Hayley Williams
Sounds Like… — Florry
New Threats From The Soul — Ryan Davis & The Roadhouse Band
From The Private Collection of Saba & No ID — Saba & No ID
Essex Honey — Blood Orange
Twilight Override — Tweedy

Raina Douris

World Cafe Host

Let me put a disclaimer on this: I hate ranked lists and I have a hard time rating music. These are the albums that moved me this year, that I kept coming back to, that I felt. Every single one of these albums gave me physical chills at one point while listening to them.

Getting Killed — Geese
Everybody Scream — Florence + the Machine
Neon Grey Midnight Green — Neko Case
Mourners — Trupa Trupa
Headlights — Alex G
Thee Black Boltz — Tunde Adebimpe
Who Will Look After the Dogs? — PUP
Glory — Perfume Genius
Sinister Grift — Panda Bear
Paradise Now — Obongjayar

Didn’t get enough attention in 2025

Obongjayar – Paradise Now.

Most excited for in 2026

It’s a toss up between Peaches and Lana Del Rey.

Stephen Kallao

Contributing Host, World Cafe

No way, Jose.

Lazarus Original Series Soundtrack — Kamasi Washington, Bonobo, Floating Points
Earthstar Mountain — Hannah Cohen
Billboard Heart — Deep Sea Diver
Sinister Grift — Panda Bear
Restless — Palmyra
Horizons — Daniel Donato
Moments — Cut Copy
Planting By the Signs — Richard Russel’s Everything is Recorded
Temporary — SG Goodman
C.R.E.A.M. — Kassa Overall

Didn’t get enough attention in 2025

Obviously, an anime soundtrack isn’t going to grab Joe public’s attention, but while Shintaro Watanabe’s new series fell flat, the music was sublime. It’s essentially three excellent albums from artists I’ve always enjoyed (Kamasi, Bonobo, Floating Points). It’s definitely a mood.

Most excited for in 2026

The one that makes me happy, finally.

Eric Schuman

Host/Producer, Indie Rock Hit Parade

Just a nice assortment of albums I liked this year!

MAD! — Sparks
Sharon Van Etten & the Attachment Theory — Sharon Van Etten & the Attachment Theory
Make Up / Lost Time — Landlady
EURO-COUNTRY — CMAT
Horror — Bartees Strange
Altogether Stranger — Lael Neale
Songs for Other People’s Weddings — Jens Lekman
Instant Holograms on Metal Film — Madeline Kenney
Kiss from the Balcony — Stereolab
Chime Oblivion — Chime Oblivion

Didn’t get enough attention in 2025

Marissa Nadler – New Radiations.

Most excited for in 2026

Gorillaz – The Mountain.

Amber Miller

Host

It was the year of Geese for me. Life will now be split in two distinct timeframes…BGK (before “Getting Killed”) and AGK (after “Getting Killed”). I never knew that I needed an album that sounded like a perfectly balanced hybrid of Radiohead, Car Seat Headrest and Neutral Milk Hotel…but now I can’t imagine life without it.

Getting Killed — Geese
Sharon Van Etten & The Attachment Theory — Sharon Van Etten
Double Infinity — Big Thief
Get Sunk — Matt Berninger
This Side of the Island — Hamilton Leithauser
Everybody Scream — Florence + The Machine
Moisturizer — Wet Leg
Phonetics On And On — Horsegirl
Sable, Fable — Bon Iver
With Trampled By Turtles — Alan Sparhawk

Rahman Wortman

On-Air DJ

I think with all of my picks the production is what stands out the most to me. With each album I found myself enjoying the instrumentals or instruments being played before I paid attention to the lyrics. The lyrics then became icing on the cake!

Let God Sort Em Out — Clipse
Alfredo 2 — Freddie Gibbs & Alchemist
NSFW — The Paradox
Your Love Alone — Nesta
Everything is a lot — Wale
Manifesto — Major Key
Love on Purpose — Beano French
Pholks — Leon Thomas
When In Doubt — Chioke
Deadbeat — Tame Impala

Didn’t get enough attention in 2025

I think all the albums besides Manifesto got the right amount of attention. The local scene in Philly needs to know more about Major Key and her ability as an MC.

Most excited for in 2026

I’m praying 2026 leads to a Sade album.

Keith Kelleher

Host/Programmer, Sleepy Hollow

As usual there are so many albums to pick through each year and 2025 was no different. Many choice picks for loud, quiet, sublime, defiant, thoughtful and sonically diverse run the gamut from rock to jazz, ambient and beyond—much like Sleepy Hollow. Something for every mood and time of day. May your musical discovery be as fulfilling in 2026!

Billionaire — Kathleen Edwards
Luminal/Lateral/Liminal — Brian Eno & Beattie Wolfe
Here We Go Crazy — Bob Mould
Detour — Boz Scaggs
Foxes In The Snow — Jason Isbell
Belonging — Branford Marsalis Quartet
Without Further Ado, Vol 1 — Christian McBride Big Band
Sidereal Days (Day 1) — Bill Scorzari
West Of Broadway — Rachael & Vilray
Sharon Van Etten & The Attachment Theory — Sharon Van Etten & The Attachment Theory

John Morrison

Host/Writer

Rap albums about aging, gnarly, unhinged punk, and deeply spiritual jazz. 2025 wasn’t a mind-blowing year for me overall, but it had plenty of bright, brilliant moments.

Cabin in the Sky — De La Soul
Demo — Commitment
Feral Moons — Yikes The Zero
CREAM — Kassa Overall
AFTER — yaz lancaster
Under The Surface — Sumi Tonooka
DROMEDARIES X ALEXOTERIC — The Burning Bright Light
Forty — Blu & August Fanon
List of Demands — Damon Locks
Delicious Collision — gushes

Didn’t get enough attention in 2025

gushes – Delicious Collision is a maddening prog-metal/noise/theatrical banger. So good.

Most excited for in 2026

I hear Janet Jackson is releasing a new album, right? That’s gotta be seriously good.

Jonny Meister

Host/Producer, The Blues Show

There are a lot of “number elevens” that maybe should have made the list. Some of these focus on older music, with two giving strong new performances of older songs (Colin Hancock and Maria Muldaur), and two being previously unreleased older recordings (Johnnie Johnson and Jim Brewer with Dan Smith).

Ain’t Done With The Blues — Buddy Guy
Talkin’ Heavy — D.K. Harrell
Room On The Porch — Taj Mahal & Keb’ Mo’
Cat & The Hounds — Colin Hancock’s Jazz Hounds featuring Catherine Russell
New Southern Vintage — Candice Ivory
Hard Road — Christone “Kingfish” Ingram
Take It Easy Greasy — Jim Brewer with Dan Smith
I’m Just Johnnie — Johnnie Johnson
Bob Is Back! — Bob Stroger & The Headhunters
One Hour Mama — The Blues Of Victoria Spivey — Maria Muldaur

Didn’t get enough attention in 2025

Maybe Cat & The Hounds by Colin Hancock’s Jazz Hounds featuring Catherine Russell, which also features the incredibly talented blind musician Jerron Paxton.

Most excited for in 2026

Obviously there will be many that so far I know nothing about. Eric Bibb’s One Mississippi is one I anxiously anticipate.

Chuck van Zyl

Star’s End Host

Across 2025 Star’s End presented 40-60 new releases per month. So trying to select only 10 albums to summarize such a plentiful year in Spacemusic from out of the hundreds produced has been a daunting task. While the established/veteran Electronic Musicians reliably advance their art and craft, a great many new names have entered the field—bringing with them ideas, influences and atmospheres never before realized in a genre recognized for its discovery and innovation. As Star’s End approaches its 50th year of broadcast over the WXPN airwaves I find the endeavor, with all its forward-looking, imaginative musicians and listeners, continually renewing—and more meaningful than ever before.

Aftermath — Cosmic Ground
Tone Science 10: The Final Patch — Various Artists
Drawn Into the Edge Effect — Andrea Cichecki
Protostar — Martin Sturtzer
Rendering Time — Deborah Martin/Jill Haley
Hydrology — Loula Yorke
Portals and Spirals — Steve Roach
Incubation — Robert Rich/Markus Reuter
The Absence of Being — Raica
Into the Night — Jeannine Wagar

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