25 Standout Songs From 2025
Hello! Lately I’ve been obsessively pessimistic and feel far worse knowing I’m not alone in that. I made this website to share the good in the world and it feels like there isn’t any left. Well, that feeling is wrong. The ruling class wants us to feel that way and I refuse, as cliche as that sounds.
I am also reminded of how integral art is, it shows us a current reflection of our times. Artists, musicians, community organizers, and creatives have shown up, however. 2025 to me represents that anger, that exhaustion, and the demand for change. It is also hopeful, resilient, and shows us a path forward. Please enjoy a list of some of my favorite songs from last year, whether it calls out the wrongfulness of everything or offers reprieve with a good time.
25 Standout Songs From 2025 (#25 - #11)
25: “Perplexing Little Halfway House” by Coma Cinema - Whether it’s his solo work, Coma Cinema, or Elvis Depressedly, Mathew Cothran’s music is usually damn sad. I didn’t enjoy the new album as much as his other work, but this song was definitely on rotation for a bit for me in 2025. Nothing like a good sad acoustic to start the list.
24: “Lifeworld” by Oneohtrix Point Never - I don’t know much about Oneothrix Point Never, but I loved this album and song. It is just a track you want to live in. I don’t know or understand how he makes the sounds he does but I’m listening to anything he creates that leans more on the ambient side of his electronic soundscape.
23: “The Intoxication of Power” by BRUIT - I wish I got into this band sooner. They made the best and most important post-rock album of 2025 to me, and this song and album closer really capitalize on how it feels to be living through this hellscape. I think this album will go down in history as some of the greats along Godspeed You! Black Emperor and others pushing the genre to reflect the current state of affairs.
22: “Never Let Me Go” by Elijah Fox - I’m late to Elijah’s ambient game. I found him through Yussef Dayes, but have come to love his solo catalogue as of recent. This album is a great listen for piano/synth ambient, but this track is a constant spin for me. I absolutely love it front to back and have to hum or tap along every time.
21: “Req_under” by Alicks - Alicks has been a favorite artist of mine for quite some time. Through his beginnings in ambient electronic and hi-fi beats, he’s becoming more obsessed with ambient and drone as of recent. This song represents how good of a landscape he can create in that realm, the atmosphere is impeccable and when the horns come in it somehow ascends it even higher. I hope we got more Alicks in 2026!
20: Super Nintendo - Armand Hammer - I love how simple and silly the beat is, but the lyrics are nothing but. It harkens back to a simpler time for both ELUCID and Billy Woods, but the way they craft words are truly unique, and nothing is ever that simple. I love this collab and will always look forward to more from them.
19: “hollowing” by Coastlands - I really enjoyed Coastlands’ self-titled and thought this song was the best of what they had to offer from it. It just nails the metal meets shoegaze direction, the start pummels you, and keeps its presence throughout. I’d wholly recommend this song for anyone who enjoys Holy Fawn and the likes.
18: “Requiem for Johan” by Hammock - Hammock can never disappoint with an ambient album, and this track serves as a remembrance for a friend and musician. Johan Johansson was a wonderful film and music composer, and this track matches the weight of his loss made by his friends and collaborators. This track moved me to tears when I first heard it, it’s that good.
17: “Men in Bars” (ft. Jeff Bridges) by Japanese Breakfast - While I did enjoy the new JB album, it feels like it flew way under the radar. Maybe not as adored as Paprika, or I missed its praises, but this track is too fun. I don’t know how this pairing even came to be but it is a highlight of 2025 for sure. Check it out!
16: L.L.M.A. by Appellative - A cheeky inclusion as it is from my friend, but I just love this track and the momentum it offers. I wish this style of energetic post-rock was still being made, and I hope to hear more of this in any way. Calling on you, Tides of Man and Appellative. Give me more!
15: The Last Line (Author Unknown) by Project: Heavensent - This falls under one of the best album closers of 2025 to me. The field recording aspect of it, the acoustic guitar to end a heavy-ladden album, it does everything it needs to and more. Another track I need to hear more than once to get my fill. If you haven’t heard the album, give this a shot and see how you feel.
14: “Ghosts” by Moving Mountains - A great single and comeback for Moving Mountains. Their move from post-hardcore to alternative seemed effortless, especially when crafting songs as rich as this one. I wasn’t huge into their new album, but this is certainly a standout that hit me at the right time and sent me back into their stellar catalogue for a while.
13: “Environmental Catastrophe Film” by La Dispute - Such an important song and album from the band, showcasing some of their angriest moments yet. I was never fully into La Dispute until this album, and I beg everyone to at least dig into some of their lyrics and themes here. The album represents a loss of agency over one’s life after reflecting on a real story of a self-driving car that killed an innocent pedestrian. Sad times indeed.
12: “Just Can’t Wait” by Kokoroko - Incredible vibes from an album with an important message (Tuff Times Never Last). It also holds a special place in my heart because a close friend of mine adored this band who’s no longer with us, and he would’ve loved this song and album. The jazzy dance vibes and all-out love for all aspects of African music is alive in Kokoroko’s newest album, and I know my friend would’ve loved it and danced along with me. Miss you bud.
11: “Daddies” by Porches - While not a new song, it was new to me from Porches’ old catalogue. It is extremely catchy, fun, hooky, all that good stuff. Overall, it’s a great alt-country/emo vibe from a man making things completely different from this these days. I spun this song to death which earned it a high placement, but all of these songs are so good it is hard to compare.
25 Standout Songs From 2025 (#10 - #1)
10: “entrees not entrees” by osth - This begins my top 10, and another cheeky inclusion for a song I made with my friend Zach (Appellative) while visiting Australia in 2023. I don’t care though, it is SUCH an earworm. For some context, these are live improvised jams that we made when I visited him and we loved them so much we put it out as a fun little release. No edits or quantizing here, just humans making art. As it always should be. I played the drums which was a cheap e-kit that broke multiple times when playing, I might have had better luck with a Rock Band drumset. Regardless, the vibes are great here and it is a certified indie rock banger.
9: “Sacred Relic” by The Acacia Strain - This might be the heaviest song of all time to me. I don’t care about definitions of heavy or what might indicate it, this song just takes the cake and you’ll know once you hear it. The simplicity of the breakdown makes it huge, the guitar tone is some of the heaviest I’ve heard. The ending sounds like one of the worst ways to go, having high and low vocals lash out with an unrepentant “THERE IS NO GOD THAT CAN SAVE YOU FROM THE THINGS YOU HAVE DONE.” I hope that’s true for the rich elite ruining our lives.
Sacred Relic - The Acacia Strain
8: “The Marvelous Orange Tree” by Deafheaven - This track is CRUSHING. A huge album ender for one of the best metal albums of 2025, it knows exactly how big it needs to be and stays in that pocket for the duration of the song. The drum fill to start it off gets me going every time, but the weight of the track itself keeps me listening. Deafheaven are one of the best metal acts around.
The Marvelous Orange Tree - Deafheaven
7: “Cherry” by Slow Crush - I’ve loved seeing how this band has evolved, and this track is a great representation of their new album Thirst. It is heavy, moody, brooding, and reminiscent of the best alternative-metal-meets-shoegaze clash of songs we’ve had a la Deftones. This is something of its own though, and Slow Crush have been putting in the hard work, constantly touring, and showcasing this stellar track to the world.
6: “Graze” by she’s green - One of the heavier shoegaze tracks from the band and what an absolute knockout of a song. I love the energy and shift in tone on this in the back half. It’s easy to get lost in the harsh guitar chords screaming through the ending, and a reminder that shoegaze can go wherever you want it to, and it should be this.
5: “Aside” by Dust - One of the most interesting and refreshing releases of 2025 for me. Mixing post-punk with sax is a recipe for success, but it’s in the execution where Dust thrives. “Aside” reminds me of how it felt hearing music in the 90s and early 2000s, the bass line is such a damn vibe, and I think this track showcases their intricateness wonderfully. Do not sleep on this band, they make me feel how people who talk about Black Midi or BCNR feel. I like this way more.
4: “Parasites!” by Good Teal - The second I heard this I was sold. Who would’ve thought I’d have found one of my new favorite acts and records of 2025? Turnstile might have shown the world where hardcore can go this year, but it must be remembered that Turnstile also started out as a small act like Good Teal. Go see them live, support their music, buy their merch, and be there now so you can see when they take off in similar fashion. This is hardcore meets punk and alternative, with even some metalcore thrown in there? It is hard to describe in the best way, but you’ll feel it immediately like I did.
3: “Soot” by Mumrunner - I love making bold claims, and to me, this track has the best drumming of any shoegaze I’ve heard. The song is also great front to back, with the ending B section filled with built-up longing and explosive drum fills to nail the point home. I love the whirring instruments throughout, the ending solo is full of emotion and I still hold it as one of the best tracks in their respective genres. This band deserves so much attention and love, please give them a go and consider picking up a vinyl or supporting them on Bandcamp.
2: “defense attorney” by R.A.P. Ferriera - R.A.P. has constantly impressed and improved his craft, and this song reflects the inner turmoil most of us feel when staying current to world events and how little empathy or humanity seems left in the world we know. The song tackles hard topics and themes that mainstream news coverage wouldn’t dare to, but it also offers hope and a reason to believe in “us” again. I have seen the strength of humanity through numbers and the community of people refusing to accept this status quo, and with R.A.P. as our lawyer, maybe the love for this world will indeed grow back. I cannot stress how important and worthwhile this song will be when listening and hearing what is being said, and the conversational nature he follows while speaking to his producer (Kenny Segal) makes it all the more human.
1: "exhaust" by Earl Sweatshirt - Looking back on 2025, Earl’s album was a beacon of light and hope amongst quite a chaotic backdrop. The song was an immediate favorite from Live Laugh Love and a hell of a closer track. I couldn’t stop listening to it the first time I heard it, the beat is forever locked in my head and needs multiple spins any time I put it on. “I’m airmailing you strength” also presents a full circle moment from an artist known for bleak lyricism for quite some time. I hope we all can find what Earl found.
Thank you to anyone and everyone who made it this far. I will be posting more soon, but still have some 2025 things to cover before jumping into 2026. If you’re looking for a playlist for these songs, I don’t have one. One reason is because the music is a bit of everything, and I’d rather have people source out what they want. I also can’t be bothered to make one, especially on any given streaming app that makes me mad it exists. Support the artists above if you liked what you heard!
Peace.
Written by Evan Lurie
