The music of 2025 has been some of the weirdest and most experimental to become popular since the days of the pandemic, with both previously unknown and well-established artists making major strides in popular culture. With underground scenes becoming nearly mainstream and new talent emerging everywhere, 2025 carried a strong sense of innovation and experimentation. This creative risk-taking allowed many artists to grow fully into their identities, leading to one of the strongest years for independent music in recent memory.
The year saw new and veteran artists thriving within the same scenes, with talent overlapping across generations to create ecosystems rarely seen before. It did not matter whether a band was five or 35 years old. What mattered was the quality of the music, which reached remarkable heights in 2025. To start off the new year, here is my personal list of the top eight albums of 2025.
No. 8: Never Enough – Turnstile
Once known as a hardcore staple, Turnstile has almost completely reinvented their sound. The heavy riffs and mosh-ready anthems of their past two albums have evolved into a wide-ranging blend of genres. The band dabbles in post-punk pastiche on “SEEIN’ STARS,” reminiscent of Talking Heads, while the title track, “NEVER ENOUGH,” leans into slower, more traditional punk territory.
Turnstile take so many risks on this album that it is nearly impossible to predict where they will go next. They now exist in a space far removed from their peers, making Never Enough one of the most unpredictable releases of the year.
Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/album/52yD51X7yDinwlg6tbCtpP Listen on Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/us/album/never-enough/1805820903
No. 7: Ego Death at a Bachelorette Party – Hayley Williams
Paramore frontwoman Hayley Williams conducted an unusual social experiment with her second solo album. She released 17 of the album’s 18 songs as singles, later assembling the album based on playlists created by listeners and adding one final track, “Parachute.”
The experiment paid off. Despite being released individually, the songs fit together seamlessly, forming one of the most cohesive albums of the year. Tracks like “Mirtazapine” stand out for their vocal performance, showcasing a power not heard from Williams since Paramore’s early years. The album remains strong both as a complete project and as a collection of standalone songs, earning it a Grammy nomination.
Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/album/3MROTtttK946gHaTkXeP8b Listen on Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/us/album/ego-death-at-a-bachelorette-party/1850011909
No. 6: Revengeseekerz – Jane Remover
Jane Remover’s years of producing within the hyperpop scene clearly paid off. The sampling on Revengeseekerz is extraordinarily complex, creating a sound that feels alive and constantly in motion. The album pulses with energy, weaving intricate beats together with relentless momentum.
The vocals strike a perfect balance between digital chaos and clarity, enhancing the production without being overshadowed by it. As a follow-up to her previous work, Revengeseekerz solidifies Remover’s place as one of the most inventive artists in the genre.
Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/album/21b4cDNse2AMpj94ykfuON Listen on Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/us/album/revengeseekerz/1800020675
No. 5: Bleeds – Wednesday
As a well-established alt-folk band, Wednesday takes a significant leap forward by incorporating shoegaze elements into Bleeds. The band manages to merge the two styles without losing their folk roots, blending them with surprising elegance.
Tracks like “Pick Up That Knife” showcase abrupt stylistic switches, highlighting how experimental the album can be. Still, Wednesday has not lost their ability to write hooks, most notably on “Townies,” where the chorus blends seamlessly into the verses despite contrasting styles.
Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/album/29HKbQ2pgXgElTnH66mFXK Listen on Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/us/album/bleeds/1807870796
No. 4: Moisturizer – Wet Leg
Wet Leg’s debut captured spite, sarcasm and self-parody with a tongue-in-cheek tone. “They’re objectively really well-polished and better than something a 30-year-old would write, but you can’t help but feel they’re a little immature due to the nature of the music,” said Dakota Corbin, a freshman.
On their sophomore effort, Wet Leg retain their signature snark while delivering a more technical and meaningful release. The guitars are tighter, the hooks are stronger and the rhythm is more refined, particularly on love songs. Despite the polish, the band sacrifices none of its lyrical edge, evoking early-era Arctic Monkeys with layers of sarcasm beneath the surface. Songs like “CPR” reflect a sincere, post-ironic joy emblematic of modern youth.
Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/album/3YVnHpyms4rLr3fXS0ROQy Listen on Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/us/album/moisturizer/1802918329
No. 3: Getting Killed – Geese
Geese are the kind of band that continuously defy expectations. The album’s opener, “Trinidad,” features Cameron Winter alongside JPEGMAFIA, screaming about a bomb in his car over a chaotic horn section. The comparison to late-1990s Radiohead is hard to ignore, particularly in how quickly the band has evolved since its debut.
Songs like “Taxes” blend delicate melodies with instrumental chaos, resulting in one of the most memorable choruses of the year. Getting Killed feels like an artistic turning point, leaving listeners eager to see what comes next.
Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/album/0eeXb23yMW6EaIgm63xxPC Listen on Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/us/album/getting-killed/1818548779
No. 2: Private Music – Deftones
With Private Music, Deftones complete their three-decade evolution from nu-metal to shoegaze. The album is defined by the atmosphere, creating immersive soundscapes that feel almost cinematic. “The songs are like their own worlds,” said Adriel Nuñez, a sophomore.
Tracks like “Milk of the Madonna” bridge the band’s old and new sounds, while “Souvenir” fully embraces shoegaze textures. Chino Moreno’s lower vocal register and heavily layered guitars add new depth, making this one of the strongest albums in the band’s catalog.
Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/album/1gmWnG5TeRj91Tdm2lpEvJ Listen on Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/us/album/private-music/1825435148
No. 1: Lotto – They Are Gutting a Body of Water
Philadelphia shoegaze band, They Are Gutting a Body of Water, often referred to as TAGABOW, has been among the most experimental acts in the genre for nearly a decade.
“The band is at their best when they delve deep into their own lack of emotion,” said Chloe Jonas, a freshman.
That emotional distance disappears on Lotto. Frontman Douglas Dulgarian delivers deeply personal lyrics, recounting childhood trauma on “Sour Diesel” and addiction on “The Chase.” On “AMERICAN FOOD,” he details losing an unscratched lottery ticket down a sewer drain, nearly running into traffic over it.
The album strips away the band’s previous electronic experimentation in favor of raw, live-show energy. With unpolished production and layered guitars, Lotto feels intensely intimate, as if the artist is confiding directly in the listener. It is a rare and special release, deserving repeated listens and setting high expectations for what TAGABOW might accomplish in 2026.
Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/album/5oX9RPR1fBvHzpgtmxVdPI Listen on Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/us/album/lotto/1821845532