THE BEST OF 2025 IN THE WORLD ACCORDING TO JOHN BOMMARITO
It’s that
time of year again where I look back at all the releases I heard (key word HEARD)
in 2025. It’s not possible for me to
hear all the records I would like to hear. Especially since my access to
previewing albums for airplay has reduced drastically from where it was 5 years
ago. Most of these records had to be purchased – NOT THAT I AM AGAINST THAT –
in fact I wish more people purchased an album from their favorite artists. It
might help bring concert ticket prices back to earth if you actually did
something other than stream music from your favorite artist. That helps no one
who makes art. There were definitely a
handful of albums I didn’t hear that I am sure would have faired well on my
chart. Albums from The Swell Season, Josh Ritter, Dawes, ZZ Ward, Geese & Suzanne
Vega that might have faired well. I just
never acquired them.
Per usual, I
spend time listening to each record and rate each song on a 1-10 scale.
Sometimes a song gets a plus (i.e. 6+ which I suppose is equivalent to a half a
point which I should account for somehow in the future.) I take the number of total songs and divide
by the total points and get a score between 1 and 10. Occasionally the math reveals that two or
more albums have the same score. In case of a tie, that results in the next
position on the chart being eliminated. For example, if two records have the
same score at the number 6 spot that means there is no number 7 album of the
year. Sensible, right? Turns out this
whole process and compiling this is rather time consuming! It also can be flawed
because an album with 10 songs could potentially have 2 songs I consider a 10
and eight songs I would rather not hear again and that record could have an
overall score of 6 while another record of 10 songs could have 9 songs I rated
a six and one a 5+ and have a lower score when in reality it’s a better record
overall.
I also tend
to break things down into categories because all new releases are not created
equal.
Finally, I
refuse to apologize for liking pop music.
Some of the artists you will see are mainstream pop artists and
presumably I should be embarrassed to include them on my lists, but art is art.
It’s up for an individual to decide what paintings, movies, tv shows, books,
and yes music they like without worrying about whether someone else thinks it’s
lame that they like something they think is bland or sappy or whatever they
want to say. Your opinion is yours and mine is mine. I don’t make fun of people who like music I
think is absolute crap, I just choose to not listen to it.
Onwards…
First off COVERS
albums. It wouldn’t be fair to include a collection of covers in the same pool
as a batch of news songs, would it? This
year I acquired far fewer covers albums than I have in previous years and separating
jazz records into their own category shortened the list.
1--BARBARA STREISAND-THE SECRET OF LIFE PARTNERS VOLUME TWO
2--SISTER HAZEL'S KEN & DREW-LOST CASSETTE COVERS
2--PAUL CARRACK-THE COUNTRY SIDE OF PAUL CARRACK VOL 1
4--LIFE IN 3D-OLDIES
5--COLIN HAY-MAN@WORK VOLUME 2
6--CHRISSIE HYNDE & PALS-DUETS SPECIAL
7--PETER MADCAT RUTH & STEPHEN SEIFERT-THE LEXINGTON
SESSIONS
8--PAUL WELLER-FINDING EL DORADO
My favorite overall
covers record was actually an EP only released to supporters of Tony Lucca’s
new record on Kickstarter. It’s called
Heirloom Covers. It’s actually the highest
scoring record overall in 2025 for me.
Sadly, I can’t recommend a place for you to buy or hear it.
Jazz
records is a category
that should probably have a lot more records in it, because I heard way more
than the ones detailed here. These are just the ones that weren’t just heard at
work, but also added to my personal collection.
1--SHOUT SECTION BIG BAND FEAT TATUM LANGLEY-SWINGIN'
SESSIONS
2--HOLLY COLE-DARK MOON - DELUXE EDITION
3--EMMA SMITH-BITTER ORANGE
4--DEBORAH SILVER & THE COUNT BASIE ORCHSTRA-BASIE ROCKS
5--CHRISTIAN MCBRIDE-WITHOUT FURTHER ADO VOL. 1
6--GINO AMATO-LATIN CROSSROADS 2
6-- ANNA LAURA QUINN-QUINN & BARRETT
8--RACHAEL & VILRAY-WEST OF BROADWAY
9--RICK ROE-THE BRIDGE
10--CAITY GYORGY-WITH STRINGS
11--ELLIE MARTIN-MORNING GLORIES
Next
it was Christmas albums, which are usually full of covers too.
1--ACCIDENTALS & KABOOM STUDIO ORCHESTRA-SONUS BOREALIS
- A HOLIDAY WINTER COLLECTION
2--OLIVIA VAN GOOR-WAITING FOR SANTA
3--JAKE SHIMABUKURO-TIS THE SEASON
4--APRIL VARNER-WINTER SONGS VOL. 2
5--EMMALINE-THE CHRISTMAS ALBUM
6--STEVE TAYLOR THREE-WELCOME TO THE JINGLE
My
highest rated Christmas release was actually an EP from Erick Baker called
Happy Christmas.
Best
Live albums of 2025:
1--MATT NATHANSON-PLEASE PET BUT DO NOT RIDE THE HORSE
2--BEN FOLDS-LIVE WITH THE NATIONAL SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
3--WILDER WOODS-LIVE AT THE RYMAN
4--CHEAP TRICK-ARE YOU READY? LIVE 12-31-1979
5--ONEREPUBLIC-ONE NIGHT IN MALIBU
5--STING-3.0 LIVE
Best EPs. Defined as 30 minutes or less.
1--LEWIS CAPALDI-SURVIVE
2--REBEL EVES-SHAKE THE GROUND
3--JESS MERRITT-WILD IN ME
4--LAKE STREET DIVE AND LAWRENCE-THE CITY WINTER SESSIONS
4--JOSHUA CALEB SMITH-WILD HORSES
6--ARON!-COZY YOU (AND OTHER NICE SONGS)
7--ALISON ALBRECHT-HURTS TO BE WISER
8--ROUGH & TUMBLE-WINTER HARE
9--KATIE PRUITT-THE PLEASANTVILLE SESSIONS
And
finally, the best albums I heard in 2025. In regards to everything you see
here, there was limited time to go back and re-review and album after my
initial determinations. Over time some of these will rise and fall, but this is
what it looks like today. This represents what I had time to hear and what I
may have purchased throughout the year. Sometimes when I see how it shakes out,
I myself am surprised that some records are as high or as low as they are, but
math is math:
1--MATT NATHANSON-KING OF (UN) SIMPLE
2--SAM ROBBINS-SO MUCH I STILL DON'T SEE
3--THE ACCIDENTALS-TIME OUT #3
4--MAY ERLEWINE-WHAT IT TAKES
4--LIZ LONGLEY-NEW LIFE
6--STEPHEN KELLOGG-TO YOU, OLD FRIEND
7--TROUSDALE-GROWING PAINS
7--TEDDY SWIMS-I'VE TRIED EVERYTHING BUT THERAPY (PART 2)
9--KORA FEDER-SOME KIND OF TRUTH
9--ELTON JOHN & BRANDI CARLILE-WHO BELIEVES IN ANGELS
(DIGITAL DELUXE EDITION)
9--MUMFORD & SONS-RUSHMERE
9--TAYLOR SWIFT-THE LIFE OF A SHOWGIRL (+2)
9--CHRIS TRAPPER-WATCHING SPARKS FLY BY
9--DAVID WILCOX-THE WAY I TELL THE STORY
15--ED SHEERAN-PLAY (DELUXE)
16--DREW & ELLIE HOLCOMB-MEMORY BANK
17--VERVE PIPE-RECONCILED
17--DAR WILLIAMS-HUMMINGBIRD HIGHWAY
19--KYLE JOE-TAKE IT EASY
20--ROB THOMAS-ALL NIGHT DAYS
21--BRANDI CARLILE-RETURNING TO MYSELF
21--EDWIN MCCAIN-LUCKY
23--CIAN DUCROT-LITTLE DREAMING
23--HEAD AND THE HEART-APERTURE
25--BENSON BOONE-AMERICAN HEART
25--ARI HEST-THE TREEHOUSE PROJECT YEAR THREE
25--WILDER WOODS-CURIOSO
28--BRYAN ADAMS-ROLL WITH THE PUNCHES (DELUXE EDITION)
28--MICHIGANDER-MICHIGANDER
28--CAROLINE SPENCE-HEART GO WILD
31--MIKE FARRIS-THE SOUND OF MUSCLE SHOALS
31--JASON ISBELL-FOXES IN THE SNOW
31--JON MCLAUGHLIN-SCENARIOS
31--CURTIS STIGERS-SONGS FROM MY KITCHEN VOLUME 1
35--KANIN WREN-WREN
36--MICHAEL FRANTI & SPEARHEAD-WELCOME TO THE FAMILY
36--TONY LUCCA-HEIRLOOM
38--MATT ANDERSEN-THE HAMMER & THE ROSE
39--MYRON ELKINS-NOSTALGIA FOR SALE
40--KALEO-MIXED EMOTIONS
40--KEYNOTE SISTERS-TEMPORARY BY DESIGN
40--J.R. RICHARDS-MY DARKEST HOUR
43--JOHN GORKA-UNENTITLED
44--GOO GOO DOLLS-SUMMER ANTHEM
45--GREEN DAY-SAVIORS (EDITION DE LUXE)
46--RUSTON KELLY-PALE, THROUGH THE WINDOW
47--LAUFEY-A MATTER OF TIME
48--GARETH ASHER-THE TIME IS NOW
48--ALISON BROWN & STEVE MARTIN-SAFE SENSIBLE AND SANE
48--LESLIE JORDAN-THE ANTAGNOIST
48--HEATHER MALONEY-EXPLODING STAR
48--SARAH MCLACHLAN-BETTER BROKEN (TARGET EDITION)
53--KRISTEN FORD-PINTO (DELUXE EDITION)
54--SETH WALKER-WHY THE WORRY
55--COUNTING CROWS-BUTTER MIRACLES THE COMPLETE SWEETS
56--MOLLY TUTTLE-SO LONG LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE
56--MIKE WARD PSYCHOSONGS-THE TIME THAT REMAINS
58--COWBOY JUNKIES-MORE ACOUSTIC JUNK
58--KATHLEEN EDWARDS-BILLIONAIRE
58--SIERRA HULL-A TIP TOE HIGH WIRE
58--SELKEN-THE WINDS
62--GRACE POTTER-MEDICINE
62--FLORENCE + THE MACHINE-EVERYBODY SCREAM (CHAMBER
EDITION)
64--CYNTHIA ERIVO-I FORGIVE YOU
64--RUTHIE FOSTER-MILEAGE
64--I'M WITH HER-WILD AND CLEAR AND BLUE
64--BILLY KING-CHILL
64--LUMINEERS-AUTOMATIC
64--BOY & BEAR-TRIPPING OVER TIME
69--MIKE PETERS-1991-2005 LIFE SOUNDTRACK
71--DAVID GRAY-DEAR LIFE
71--WILLIAM PRINCE-ON ROLLS THE WHEEL
71--WAR & TREATY-PLUS ONE
74--CHEAP TRICK-ALL WASHED UP
74--OF MONSTERS AND MEN-ALL IS LOVE AND PAIN IN THE MOUSE
PARADE
76--ANDERSON EAST-WORTHY
76--HONEYMOON SUITE-WAKE UP WHEN THE SUN GOES DOWN
76--ALISON KRAUSS
& UNION STATION-ARCADIA
79--MARCUS KING-DARLING BLUE
79--VAN MORRISON-REMEMERING NOW
81--A.J. CROCE-HEART OF THE ETERNAL
81--GRANT-LEE PHILLIPS-IN THE HOUR OF DUST
83--BUSH-I BEAT LONELINESS
83--NINE INCH NAILS-TRON ARES
83--DAVID RAMIREZ-ALL THE NOT SO GENTLE REMINDERS
86--GOLDPINE-THREE
87--DOOBIE BROTHERS-WALK THIS ROAD
87--HOWARD JONES-PIANO COMPOSED
87--JESS NOLAN-RIGHT AT HOME
87--ROBERT PLANT-SAVING GRACE
91--KATE HINOTE TRIO-STOWAWAYS
91--NOAH HUBBARD-A HOME IN THE HEARTLAND
91--WILDWOODS-DEAR MEADOWLARK
94--DAVE & KRISTI-THE CHICKADEES
95--NEWTON FAULKNER-OCTOPUS (DIGITAL DELUXE VERSION)
96--SCOTT TYLER-SCOTCH FILES
97--GREATER ALEXANDER-LET LOVE IN
98--PETE DROGE-FADE AWAY BLUE
98--ELIZA GILKYSON-DARK AGES
98--PATTY GRIFFIN-CROWN OF ROSES
98--MAROON 5-LIVE IS LIKE
98--STYX-CIRCLING FROM ABOVE
98--CHRIS THILE-BACH SONATAS & PARTITAS VOL 2
