In the past, I've often taken time at the end of the year to review what I considered to be the best music of the year. Caveat: I can't — and don't — keep up with everything. This post is me telling you what are my favorites among the music I actually purchased/downloaded/streamed, in 2025. Links will be for Apple Music, as that is my streaming platform of choice (however, I have physical copies — vinyl and/or CD — of many of these). You can also go directly to the PLAYLIST I've made — and friend me on Apple Music.
FAVORITE ALBUMS
Albums are not the powerhouse music format in our current era. Streaming has made singles the dominant format as singles keep the content coming and ever-present. However, being a good Gen-Xer, I do love full-length projects and EPs. Here are my favorite albums of 2025, in no particular order.
There's little way for this NOT to be known as Isbell's 'post-divorce album.' Solo and acoustic — without the 400 Unit in tow — Isbell's songwriting, more-trained voice, and acoustic guitar playing are on display here. While many songs are about new love, some are (seemingly, at least) about his split from Amanda Shires. However, for my money, Isbell is at his best on songs like Crimson and Clay — introspective and personal, but also laced with social commentary. I caught a show this summer and songs from this record soared with the 400 Unit. I'll look forward to any live album that may come from this era to hear more fleshed-out versions. However, this documents a particular time in Isbell's career and he continues to shine as one of America's great living songwriters.
Mammoth (now, without the WVH tag in the name) released their third album this year. Essentially, this is Wolfgang Van Halen's project (as he continues to play every instrument and sing every note on every song). He continues the stellar rock songwriting he had on his first two albums but ever-so-subtlely improves both playing and songwriting. Standout tracks include the title track (with a fun finger-tapping guitar intro as the main theme) and Same Old Song. Sometimes straight-ahead, sometimes progressive, The End is all-the-time rock goodness.
I'm a fan of Counting Crows' first two albums. Recovering the Satellites is as good a front-to-back album as was made in the 1990s. It is perfect for fall and winter, if that makes sense. After a heads-up from a friend this year, I checked out the band's latest offering and was, frankly, kind of blown away by how much I enjoyed it. If Satellites is autumn heading into winter, this is late summer heading into autumn. The trilogy of Elevator Boots/Angel of 14th Street/Bobby and the Rat-Kings that closes out the album is a band having fun and doing their Sprinsteen-esque best to paint a portrait with melody. Standout tracks include those three and Virginia Through The Rain (Spaceman in Tulsa is great too, but parental discretion is advised with the lyrics, haha). As my friend said, this is the sound of a band having fun in the studio.
The (prolific) Cold Stares released the second part of their work The Southern (part one was 2024), a collection of songs recorded in Memphis in 2023-2024 (from what I can remember). The band keeps new music flowing on a regular basis and, I'll be honest, it's not always easy to keep up, but The Southern, Pt. 2 is worth repeated listens. While firmly meshed in the blues-rock vein, the album finds the band stretching their legs a little more often than has always been the case. Standout tracks include Changed Her Mind Again, A Little More Rope, and Automobile.
The songwriting, recording, and touring machine that is Mark Tremonti (Creed/Alter Bridge/Tremonti/Sinatra projects) kicked off 2025 with his solo project's latest album. While not as strong as the previous release, Marching In Time, The End Will Show Us How is still Tremonti in full flight — heaviness with ample melody. Standout tracks include the slow-burners All The Wicked Things, The Mother, The Earth, And I, and the title track.
A friend tipped me off to this blues guitarist's instrumental album earlier this year and, while I'm not usually a big fan of only-instrumental albums, this one varied and full of Stratocaster-tone tastiness. While there are a lot of notes played here, the English guitarist deftly weaves melody in each track to prevent it from being a cacophony of notes. Standout tracks include Drivetrain and El Vaquero.
SINGLES: WORTHY OF MENTION
Below are singles that are just as worthy of your time as the top albums listed — as they are all stellar works. Listed in no particular order.
The first single from one of my favorite band's 2026 release (check back next year to see if the album makes this list) is pretty standard Alter Bridge, but, somehow looser and more free. All the AB dynamics are there, but the inclusion of one Myles Kennedy vocal phrase gives the entire track a freer feeling. It definitely whets the appetite for the full record coming in January.
I was a long-time fan of Brother Cane's sophomore album Seeds — and listened to it a LOT in my younger days (and still do today). Their self-titled debut and third album, Wishpool, were also really good, but Seeds kept me hooked. I was so excited when the long-time-absent band released two new songs a couple of years back and, this year, announced a new album for 2026 (Magnolia Medicine) with this song as the lead single. Color me excited by Brother Cane's return!
I enjoyed this whole album, but I kept going back to this song over and over. Full of righteous anger about the state of our country and the issues she sees as troublesome, songwriter Brandi Carlile tackles serious issues with grace and fury on this track. I often think a song is good if it makes me want to write a song that makes me feel the same way. This track does just that.
Citizens is a prolific band that alternates between writing songs for the church and writing songs infused with their personal discipleship as followers of Jesus. while they released a full project this year that is really good, I kind of got stuck on this one song from their EP Living is proof. Declarative and deep, this track expresses reliance on the Sovereign while expressing faith that He is good.
My second instrumental project on this list, the only thing keeping it from joining the full albums list is that it's long (20 tracks) and I've only really given it two full listens. I'll always check out Marty Stuart work and this makes me admire his (and the band's) talent all the more. Making an instrumental album that keeps your attention is no small feat. Bat Patrol gives The Dark Knight (60s version) vibes while also staying in the vein of surf/country/Martian-Hillbilly vibes that the band does so well.
Like so many others, I first heard of Jesse Welles via videos on Instagram where he sang social and political commentary via short songs. While he releases music at a furious pace (more than a couple full albums were released in 2025), he is at his best doing his Dylan-esque take on what's happening now. There is an immediacy to his work that also cuts to the heart of matters. The three-song single No Kings (the title track would've been a massive Blowin' In The Wind type classic in a different era) is among his best work in 2025. I'll also add that the single United Health is a stellar take-down of a system in which we all have to take part.
LISTEN - No Kings
LISTEN - United Health (parental discretion is also advised with the lyrics)
MUSIC I'VE MADE
As you may know, I make music from time to time. This year saw the release of a compilation project from the first 25 years of Redemption Christian Church music. This project put a bow on this first era of Redemption Music. We've already written the first song for era II (a Christmas song we debuted this December, but have yet to record ... 2026, perhaps?)
This is the very best representation of the songs we've written at Redemption in the first 25 years (songwriting began with one song in 2004 — and continued in earnest from 2008 through 2018. We've had a few songs since then, but nothing like that initial era. As I've transitioned to my role as an Executive Minister (XP), I've started stepping back from my worship minister role significantly. However, I've really encouraged songwriting for the church to continue. This project represents 25 of the best songs we've written and recorded. This year, we tweaked a few of the songs that had been pulled from streaming because of some people involved with the recording of the original versions. The re-imagined versions seek to correct those missteps (IYKYK).
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