A wonderful tradition at this time of the year is to list the wonderful music that rocked your boat in the about-to-end year. So please let us exchange what you loved. How about you post 5 albums newly released in 2025, 1 back-issue, and one album you thought was Prince-like. And of course honorary mentions if need be

I will start:

Best new music in 2025:

• Kalis Uchis - Sincerely: P.S.
• Young Gun Silver Fox - Pleasure
• Greeetea Peng - TELL DEM IT'S SUNNY
• Honoré - the three singles issued this year - hope an album is coming soon
• Grateful Cat - Ready to Go Anywhere
• Bad Bunny - DeBi TITAT MAS FOTos

Back-Issue:

• Bruce Springsteen - Track II

Prince-like

Must make a pass here...

Honorary mention:

• Ezra Collective + Yazmin Lacey - God Gave Me Feet For Dancing (Tasty or Not Remix) - check out both artists if you don't know them

So now over to you

[Edited 12/5/25 17:08pm]

Didn't purchase much this year or hear too many current titles other than what my kids listen to. However:

Best Album- Clipse "Let God Sort 'Em Out"

Best Old Stuff I'm Hearing For The 1st Time- James Brown Live At The Apollo Vol. 4 (1972)

Krid said:

ShellyMcG said:

The only person there I've even heard of is Bruce Springsteen. Which I think just about sums up my relationship with music in 2025

Go on then, check them out, you are not too old yet

my favorite album of 2025: "Blue Magic" by Nicholas Cole----this is some really mesmerizing stuff! He's an amazing jazz pianist/keyboardist and his album is excellent....lots of 70s soul influences and sounds.Songs like "Brown Sugar","Shine" and the title track are so smooth and intoxicating.

a few other albums I really enjoyed this year....

* Durand Jones and the Indications 'Flowers'---these guys never disappoint.Retro soul music at its best.

*Lalah Hathaway 'Vantablack'----I think it actually came out in 2024,but I was late getting into it.The single "No Lie" is a favorite of mine.

Clipse - Let God Sort Em Out

Lily Allen - West End Girl

De La Soul - Cabin in the Sky

Krid said:

ShellyMcG said:

The only person there I've even heard of is Bruce Springsteen. Which I think just about sums up my relationship with music in 2025

Go on then, check them out, you are not too old yet

.

Kali Uchis is so good, she even did tunes with Bootsy

Elmiene

Nao

Teyana Taylor

Miguel

Lean Thomas

Polyphia

Phil Lassieter

Chris Dave live

Tom Misch

Yussef Dayes

Raye

Judith Hill

Marcus King

Robert Glasper

Black Alley

There was some good music to be had if you looked for it:

--Brandi Carlisle - I like her whole discography but to release her best album after so many is an accomplishment worth noting. Beautiful and meaningful.

--Olivia Dean - The Art of Loving You - It has been a long time since a new black mainstream female artist is reminiscent of some of the pre-hiphop stars of the late 1900s but has a style of her own. What is impressive is that she finds the edge of commercial and the artistic and blends it together. She already has had two huge singles yet other songs you can hear some real sophistication almost jazz like phrasing. I hope she doesn't succomb to just the commercial side.

--Gilliam Welch - Woodland - No female does better Amercana than she does. What a critical comeback!

--Rosalia - I know this may be trendy due to it being the highest acclaimed album of the year per Metacritic, but honestly who sings everthing from opera to pop to even a little hiphop in 11 languages on one album. A list of one. And, she does it well!

Jeff Buckley - It's Never Over. This was the soundtrack to the documentary on the streaming services (Currently HBO/Max) that features all of the tracks of one of my top 5 albums of all time - "Grace"- as well as some of his other tracks which are less stellar but still interesting. The documentary is worth seeing as well.

[Edited 12/14/25 23:51pm]

While I've purchased a lot of random music this year, my favorite album of 2025 is
Chewing the Fat by Franc Moody