There are many throughlines in the list you’re about to scroll through: triumphant comebacks, showstopping debuts, thrill-seeking left-turns and emotional documents of grief and pain. But what stays with me, after weeks of working on our end-of-year lists, is the element of surprise – your longtime fave’s capacity to catch you off guard, years into their career, or the possibility you could fall instantly in love with an album by an artist you’d never heard of. And isn’t that why we love music? Here’s hoping you find something new and exciting in this list: NME’s 50 best albums of 2025.
Karen Gwee, Managing Editor (Music)
Words by: Alex Flood, Andrew Trendell, Ben Jolley, Daniel Peters, David James Young, Gary Ryan, Georgia Evans, Hollie Geraghty, Joe Goggins, Jordan Bassett, Karen Gwee, Kayleigh Watson, Kyann-Sian Williams, Laura Molloy, Lisa Wright, Mika Chen, Nick Levine, Poppy Burton, Rhian Daly, Rishi Shah, Spencer Hughes, Surej Singh, Tom Morgan and Ziwei Puah
Credit: Shrimptech Enterprises
50. Viagra Boys – ‘Viagr Aboys’
Bog people and talking dogs with dental problems, a wellness shaman and meth-smoking miscreants: Viagra Boys’ fourth LP might have a nightmare-fuel cast, but it also has eclectic, exciting art-punk hooks coming out of every orifice. Proof you can stay freaky and still level up. LW
Credit: JYP Entertainment
49. NMIXX – ‘Blue Valentine’
Perhaps it’s time to admit that NMIXX were ahead of their time when they first unveiled their divisive “MIXX POP” sound in 2022. The girl group’s debut album ‘Blue Valentine’ doubles down with songs running the gamut from pop-rock to reggaeton to EDM – sometimes all in just one track. Energetic, experimental and a blast to listen to. ZWP
Credit: Lizzy Records
48. EsDeeKid – ‘Rebel’
Punkish bravado and glossy, high-voltage shine: with his debut mixtape ‘Rebel’, EsDeeKid took the crown as the UK underground’s true chaos conductor. Over crunchy bass and breath-halting 808s, his gruff Scouse delivery becomes an act of defiant grit, transforming the record into a cultish riot that refuses to be tamed. KSW
Credit: Yana Van Nuffel
47. Rose Gray – ‘Louder, Please’
Born in a playground of warehouse raves and seeking to capture the hedonism of a sticky club dancefloor, Rose Gray’s debut album ‘Louder, Please’ is a prismatic collection of escapist pop. Grounded in four-to-the-floor beats and boosted by soaring melodies, it’s a euphoric celebration of dance music and community. KW
Credit: Silken Weinberg/Hayden Anhedonia
46. Ethel Cain – ‘Willoughby Tucker, I’ll Always Love You’
On her second record, Hayden Anhedönia orchestrates a collision of the storytelling of her already seminal debut ‘Preacher’s Daughter’ with the experimentalism of her divisive 2025 EP ‘Perverts’. Moments of lyrical tenderness brighten murky, distorted sounds, as she once again cements herself as one of the sharpest songwriters of her generation. LM
Credit: The Him Institute
45. Denzel Himself – ‘Violator’
London artist Denzel Himself rips through ‘Violator’ with snarling distortion, neo-soul shimmer and grunge-soaked hallucinations, bending D’Angelo levels of warmth into something warped, wicked and vividly his. It’s fearless, freaky, self-mythologising art from rap’s self-professed Gothy Cowgirl, and one of the year’s most electrifying debut statements. KSW
Credit: Grand Jury Music
44. Samia – ‘Bloodless’
Samia’s third album was an astonishing step up, a vehicle to explore the idea of selfhood and how the world shapes us even without us realising. It would be easy for a weighty subject like that to drag a record down, but in Samia’s hands, it became warm and rich, each song an engrossing vignette. RD
Credit: Independent Jeep Music
43. Erika de Casier – ‘Lifetime’
So soft and sensual, ‘Lifetime’ operates almost as a series of transmissions from a dream. On her first entirely self-produced, self-written record, Erika de Casier balances her signature wide-eyed nostalgia for ’00s R&B with the forward-facing pop sensibilities that have made her one of the most quietly influential artists of the moment. LM
Credit: Dead Oceans
42. Wednesday – ‘Bleeds’
With its captivating mix of muscular Southern rock, slide-filled ballads and bursts of noise, ‘Bleeds’ cements Wednesday as one of America’s best indie bands and Karly Hartzman as one of its most striking songwriters. The transportive follow-up to breakthrough debut ‘Rat Saw God’ plunges you into stories scrappy, singular and strange, Hartzman unspooling these tales with a poet’s concision and empathy. KG
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41. Knucks – ‘A Fine African Man’
On ‘A Fine African Man’, Knucks writes like a poet rooted in two places at once: London guiding his flow and Nigerian Igbo pride lighting the path beneath it. Slick rap, grit and heritage are stitched into a reflective tapestry, his verses unfolding like philosophical diary entries – a richly assured testament to home, lineage and the man he’s becoming. KSW
Credit: Music For Nations
40. Vlure – ‘Escalate’
“I’m gonna dance until my body’s numb,” VLURE frontman Hamish Hutcheson pledges on ‘Heartbeat’, an early cut from ‘Escalate’ – and the Glasgow rave-punks’ debut found transcendence in the sweaty darkness. Acid-soaked house, techno, bolshy guitars and emotional honesty combine in a paean to club culture and their home city that pushes a night to its limit. GR
Credit: Mikey Thomas
39. Maruja – ‘Pain to Power’
On their powerful debut album, Maruja channel the collective pain and vitriol of the world into raw, intense and uplifting protest music. On this superbly crafted blend of soaring jazz, punk and post-rock, the band use their voices in an all-important rallying cry: “Solidarity is never unattainable.” SS
Credit: Columbia Records
38. Tyler, the Creator – ‘Don’t Tap The Glass’
Nine albums in and hot on the heels of ‘Chromakopia’, ‘Don’t Tap The Glass’ is Tyler, the Creator at his playful best. Eschewing a concept, punchy rhythms and retro synths balance an undeniable dance spirit with ’80s hip hop and inimitable, cocksure braggadocio; it’s frivolous, fast and, most importantly, recklessly fun. KW
Credit: Empire
37. Rochelle Jordan – ‘Through the Wall’
‘Through The Wall’ is the portrait of an artist who’s not only found their groove, but has embraced it so thoroughly that all fears and insecurities just melt away. Rochelle Jordan’s exquisite third album – a lush, luxurious mix of house, soul, R&B and pop polish – showcases the culmination of a hard-earned musical journey. ZWP
Credit: Jagjaguwar
36. Folk Bitch Trio – ‘Now Would Be a Good Time’
Trends come and go, but three-part harmonies are forever. Enigmatic and atmospheric, ‘Now Would Be A Good Time’ plays like a lost soundtrack to Picnic at Hanging Rock. Folk Bitch Trio pack yearning, infatuation, growing pains, uncertainty, sex and death into nine songs where haunting, interlocking vocals are the only constant. JG
Credit: Paul Thomas Anderson
35. Haim – ‘I Quit’
Split between stadium-sized, festival-ready anthems and quieter reflective moments, the Haim sisters’ fourth album is their most diverse collection to date. Encompassing pop hooks (‘Relationships’), road trip reminiscences (‘Take Me Back’), country (‘All Over Me’) and rock (‘Everybody’s Trying To Figure Me Out’), ‘I Quit’ saw Alana, Danielle and Este take charge of the post-break-up narrative. BJ
Credit: Frank Feiber
34. Wretch 32 – ‘Home?’
In a time where belonging feels earned and not inherent, Wretch 32 sits with the quiet ache of displacement. As he asks, plainly, “Where is home?” he offers warm, soul-nourishing reflections for the unanchored, full of tender meditations on family, grief and selfhood that form his most quietly powerful album to date. KSW
Credit: R&R/Warner Records
33. Dijon – ‘Baby’
Between collaborations with Bon Iver, Justin Bieber and Paul Thomas Anderson, this year Dijon delivered his stunning second record, ‘Baby!’. He pushes his signature production style – warm, tactile, as if you were right in the room with him – to its limits in service of frenzied transcendence. A spiritual experience. KG
Credit: City Slang
32. Lambrini Girls – ‘Who Let The Dogs Out’
The world is on fire, and on their debut album, the Brighton punk-heroes respond by bringing an Exocet missile to a gunfight. Ferocious and funny, their endlessly quotable lyrics skewer police brutality, misogyny and nepo babies over exhilarating barbed-wire riffs, while the riotous party-starting electroclash of ‘Cuntology 101’ provides an empowering (and joyously sweary) manifesto. GR
Credit: Pale Chord/Rise Records
31. Spiritbox – ‘Tsunami Sea’
On their masterful second album, Spiritbox make good on the promise of the title ‘Tsunami Sea’ with an abrasive metalcore onslaught. But it’s the Canadian quartet’s profound, soul-stirring touch that sets this record apart, as Courtney LaPlante shapeshifts between angel and demon above a blissful – and sometimes disturbing – atmosphere. RS
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30. Annahstasia – ‘Tether’
Annahstasia’s debut album is riveting from the off. The grain and growl of her baritone on ‘Be Kind’, the first song on ‘Tether’, marks her as an artist to ignore at your peril. Across this record, she proves relentlessly magnetic whether in an intimate duet (‘Slow’, with Obongjayar), a stripped-down meditation on capitalism (‘Silk And Velvet’) or an intense rock number (‘Believer’). KG
Credit: Island Records
29. The Last Dinner Party – ‘From The Pyre’
How do you follow an instantly star-making debut album: shake things up or dive deeper into the world you created? The Last Dinner Party chose the latter, delivering a record rich in drama and depth, packed with the compelling narrative songwriting and knack for a hook that won us over in the first place. RD
Credit: XL Recordings
28. Nourished by Time – ‘The Passionate Ones’
With a breathtaking sonic palette of synth-funk, lo-fi pop, quiet storm and post-punk, Nourished By Time’s miraculous sophomore album is driven by the hope for a better world. Marcus Brown delivers propulsive performances – with lyrics about finding love and strength amid soul-crushing capitalism – that make ‘The Passionate Ones’ so captivating. DP
Credit: Polydor Records
27. Florence + the Machine – ‘Everybody Scream’
On ‘Everybody Scream’, Florence Welch asks what it means to be immortalised – and somehow manages to answer with a vulnerable assessment of what it means to be mortal. Imbued with paganism, physicality and poetry, the record is a breathtaking look at the female experience so deeply human it’s almost primal. PB
Credit: Bobby Doherty
26. Big Thief – ‘Double Infinity’
Big Thief have earned the right to do whatever they want, which on ‘Double Infinity’ meant assembling 13 musicians, all playing live. In true Big Thief fashion, the results sound mystical, joyful and intuitive. Whether they start a song with a giggling fit or end it by abandoning language, the playfulness is palpable, even on their most moving material yet. SH
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25. Clipse – ‘Let God Sort Em Out’
If there’s one thing brotherly rap duo Clipse are good at, it’s finding euphemisms for cocaine. With references to Mike Tyson (“blow to the face”) to Lady Gaga (‘cause she’s white and luxurious, geddit?), Malice and Pusha T’s first album in 16 years pairs devilish wit and pitiless beats courtesy of Pharrell. JB
Credit: Universal Music New Zealand
24. Lorde – ‘Virgin’
‘Virgin’ marks a fierce rebirth for Lorde. Written amid personal upheaval, it cuts straight into relationship wreckage, pregnancy scares and disordered eating with disarming clarity. Jagged synths and intimate vocals drive her forward as she claims her body and identity with bold, unflinching force – proving this era is entirely her own. GE
Credit: AD 93/Many Hats
23. YHWH Nailgun – ‘45 Pounds’
YHWH Nailgun, by their own admission, aren’t for everyone. For those adventurous enough to explore indie’s outer reaches, however, ‘45 Pounds’ was one of 2025’s most entrancing, addictive listens. A writhing, genre-defiant 21-minute shapeshift with an unrelenting percussive drive, it presents propulsive, progressive ideas so crazy they just might work. DJY
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22. Wet Leg – ‘Moisturizer’
Balancing witty one-liners (‘Mangetout’), explicit romance (‘Pillow Talk’) and rock-leaning riffs (‘CPR’), Wet Leg amped up their sardonic songwriting on chart-topping second album ‘Moisturizer’. Following up a Grammy-winning debut must have felt daunting, but there are no signs of that pressure; in fact, lead single ‘Catch These Fists’ could go toe-to-toe with indie anthem ‘Chaise Longue’. BJ
Credit: Reprise Records
21. Deftones – ‘Private Music’
A full-throttle success, the 10th album from the cross-generationally adored Deftones is a concise collection of dreamy alt-metal that sees the veterans playing to their singular strengths. Highlights like the sprightly ‘Milk Of The Madonna’ and soulful ‘Infinite Source’ will have you feeling like you’re floating through the cosmos. TM
Credit: Tish Murtha
20. Sam Fender – ‘People Watching’
Though its title suggested an observer documenting life’s mundanities from a distance, the contents of ‘People Watching’ proved anything but detached. From hooky jam ‘Arm’s Length’ to heartbreaking ballad ‘Remember My Name’ – a love song dedicated to his late grandparents – this album allowed us closer than ever before to the friends and family that made Sam Fender who he is today. AF
Credit: Streamline/Interscope Records
19. Lady Gaga – ‘Mayhem’
Before releasing ‘Mayhem’, Lady Gaga expressed apprehension about returning to the sound her fans first fell in love with. Naturally, the record was a return to form so assured that all those anxieties dissolved, the self-doubt probed and ultimately drowned out by a flurry of edgy, theatric synth-pop bangers. PB
Credit: Capitol Records
18. Olivia Dean – ‘The Art of Loving’
In a discourse of embarrassing boyfriends and dating driven by apps and algorithms, Olivia Dean’s second album, ‘The Art of Loving’, offers astute observations of modern love. Breezy, soulful pop belies lyrics of desire, fear and the grey in-between, all delivered in Dean’s poised yet vulnerable croon. KW
Credit: Sony Music UK/RCA Records
17. JADE – ‘That’s Showbiz, Baby!’
Chaotic, intense, and distinct, JADE’s debut solo album is a shining showcase of a pop star thriving in the face of the music industry’s madness and mayhem. Steeped in electronica, synth-pop and disco, ‘That’s Showbiz, Baby!’ proves JADE has the creativity (‘Angel Of My Dreams’), artistic know-how (‘Midnight Cowboy’) and emotional depth (‘Plastic Box’) to go beyond the ordinary. ZWP
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16. Pulp – ‘More’
“Won’t it be strange when we’re all fully grown?” asked Pulp on ‘Disco 2000’ back in 1995. Three decades later, for their first album in 14 years, they’ve given us a reunion record sprightly and smart enough to sit among their best work. The Britpop icons are older, wiser, still in it for misfits and dancing through their glory days. AT
Credit: Johnny Pitts
15. Blood Orange – ‘Essex Honey’
On ‘Essex Honey’, Dev Hynes channels the loss of his mother and the echoes of past grief into shimmering orchestral pop that traces his return to the London suburbs. Ambient R&B, jazz flourishes, field recordings and hushed vocals from Lorde, Mustafa, Zadie Smith and others flow with soft elegance, shaping a masterful reflection on loss and belonging. GE
Credit: XL Recordings
14. Jim Legxacy – ‘Black British Music (2025)’
‘Black British Music (2025)’ is deceptively light. Over sweet Afropop (‘Sun’), fleet-footed FIFA-core (‘’06 Wayne Rooney’), nostalgic R&B flips (‘SOS’) and more besides, Jim Legxacy metabolises life-shattering traumas and smaller indignities alike. His XL Recordings debut is a melodic, melancholic marvel, cementing the south Londoner as a generational talent. KG
Credit: Nieves Gonzales
13. Lily Allen – ‘West End Girl’
After branching out into acting, Lily Allen reminds us of her original role as an uncommonly observant and merciless singer-songwriter. On this raw nerve of a divorce album, she sifts through the wreckage over suitably muted two-step, flamenco and dancehall beats. It even turned the incredulous refrain “Who the fuck is Madeline?” into a meme. NL
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12. Amaarae – ‘Black Star’
With ‘Black Star’, Amaarae inscribes herself into a glittering constellation of Black artistic excellence. This giddy club record revels in its audacity, whether it’s the indelible chorus “Ketamine, coke and molly”, the Cher interpolation on ‘She Is My Drug’, or Eurotrance thrill ride ‘Fineshyt’. But Amaarae always locates humanity in the debauchery, her appetite only ever rivalled by her ambition. KG
Credit: Columbia Records
11. Wolf Alice – ‘The Clearing’
With their perfectly ripened fourth album, Wolf Alice returned more assured than ever. Potent reflections on love, friendship and aging came hand-wrought with brassy riffs, craggy drumbeats and well-worn piano keys, as the four-piece found contentment in the space where everything and nothing is certain. HG
Credit: Charlie Engham
10. PinkPantheress – ‘Fancy That’
From the moment she coolly greets us – “My name is Pink and I’m really glad to meet you” – she’s off. ‘Fancy That’ unfurls into a flirty hopscotch between pop’s past and present, distilling PinkPantheress’ appeal into its most self-assured form yet: saccharine beats, sharply selected samples and diaristic longing, all sealed with kitsch and kisses. MC
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9. Hayley Williams – ‘Ego Death at a Bachelorette Party’
Cathartic and profoundly personal, ‘Ego Death At A Bachelorette Party’ at times plays out like a peek into Hayley Williams’ therapy sessions. Now unshackled from a decades-long record deal, the Paramore leader has made a kaleidoscopic third album that’s her most creative and vital work yet. SS
Credit: Atiba Jefferson
8. Turnstile – ‘Never Enough’
With a literally cinematic vision, Turnstile marshalled the momentum of the game-changing ‘Glow On’ and took hardcore widescreen with album four. From the walloping title track to the swinging new-wave of ‘I Care’, through to the trumpeting fanfare of ‘Dreaming’, ‘Never Enough’ is soaring ambition fully realised. DJY
Credit: Noah Dillon
7. Rosalía – ‘Lux’
When Rosalía dropped ‘Berghain’ in October, it was clear her next album would be ambitious and unpredictable. To call ‘Lux’ either of those things, though, feels like an understatement. Taking inspiration from female saints around the world, telling multilingual stories, it’s a record of grand scope and beauty. RD
Credit: True Panther
6. Oklou – ‘Choke Enough’
Oklou’s breakthrough debut is aquatic cloud-pop for those anxious not to wake up the neighbours – not out of courtesy, but to avoid being perceived at all. Listening to ‘Choke Enough’ is akin to feeling a sudden gust of clean air in a windowless room. It’s refreshing and spellbinding in its quietude. DP
Credit: Rimas Entertainment
5. Bad Bunny – ‘Debí Tirar Más Fotos’
“I should have taken more photos”: so goes the rueful title of Bad Bunny’s sixth studio album. On ‘Debí Tirar Más Fotos’, the Puerto Rican superstar makes every shot count. It’s a breathtaking extravaganza in every way: from his joyful marshalling of salsa, bomba, plena, reggaeton and myriad other Latin styles and genres, to the scale of the storytelling: heartbreak for the ages on ‘Baile Inolvidable’, tender regret on diaspora anthem ‘DtMF’, sly and referential digs at exes on ‘Bokete’ and ‘Turista’, and sharp, sombre political observation on ‘Lo Que Le Pasó a Hawaii’. A masterwork by an artist at the peak of his powers. KG
Credit: AWAL Recordings
4. CMAT – ‘Euro-Country’
She did the butcher, she did the baker, she turned a song about vicious online trolling (‘Take A Sexy Picture Of Me’) into a global breakout moment and, with third album ‘Euro Country’, CMAT cemented herself as a generational talent – one capable of investigating deep-seated Irish trauma and concocting a capitalist metaphor about Jamie Oliver within the same 50 minutes. At turns hilarious, devastating, rageful and proud, ‘Euro-Country’’s complexity and breadth showed the magic that can happen when an artist is given space to wholly be themselves. It helps, of course, when the artist in question is as smart a songwriter as Ciara Mary-Alice Thompson. LW
Credit: Young
3. FKA Twigs – ‘Eusexua’
“‘Eusexua’ is a state of being,” FKA Twigs declared upon releasing the title track of her transcendent third album, a portmanteau of the words “euphoria” and “sexual” born out of a transformative techno club experience in Prague. Through a series of endorphin-rushing revelations – moments of arresting vulnerability alongside chemical collisions of pure nirvana – Twigs rediscovers herself. From the anonymous conquest of ‘Perfect Stranger’ to the fighting resolve of ‘Wanderlust’, ‘Eusexua’ unfurls like a scroll of holy doctrine proclaiming the communal power of the dancefloor. All it asks is that you give yourself the permission to join her there. HG
Credit: Ethan James Green
2. Addison Rae – ‘Addison’
Addison Rae dreamt ‘Addison’ into existence, working from a mood board of colours and vague feelings rather than specific sonic references. What emerged from this vibes-based approach is one of the best pop debuts in recent memory: starry-eyed, enigmatic observations on love, fame and money for an era in need of its hedonistic ethos. In an ascent akin to A Star Is Born for the digital generation, Rae steps into a pink-hued spotlight and takes it away. “Let’s see how far I go,” she wistfully wonders on ‘Times Like These’. She seems destined for a long, fruitful journey. LM
Credit: Partisan Records
1. Geese – ‘Getting Killed’
“There’s a bomb in my car!” squawks Cameron Winter. Welcome to the panic attack in the fever dream that is living in 2025, and Geese’s ‘Getting Killed’ – the perfect soundtrack.
Who ordered this absurd, poetic explosion of jazz, rock and noise – where Radiohead, Black Midi, The Strokes, Van Morrison, and Ukrainian choir samples collide without being crushed beneath the pretension? It’s a rare, unpredictable record that comes with such melody in the madness, control in the chaos. It’s a total thrill, but then “all people must smile in times of war”, as Winter croons on ‘100 Horses’.
‘Getting Killed’ should be enough to wake people up from their exhausted nostalgia and realise that New York – and guitar music at large – is alive and kicking down their front door. At least, it’s easily the album of the year. Stay wild and carry on. AT
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