Each year at NPR Music, we curate two flagship lists: The Best Albums of the Year and The Best Songs of the Year. But there's a lot more recommendations and criticism where those came from.
You'll find all of NPR Music's year-end journalism — including content from our partner public radio stations and personal picks from our critics and hosts — on this page. Come back often throughout the month of December to see all of our coverage.
The Best Songs of 2025
This is the sound of public radio in 2025. Our list was curated by more than 60 writers and DJs across the NPR Music Network, and runs the gamut of sounds, scenes and styles.. Read the full list.
The Best Albums of 2025
NPR Music critics, podcast hosts, editors and Tiny Desk producers each singled out one album we'd recommend to anyone who came calling. Read our list of the 12 best albums of the year.
Our No. 1 Album of 2025
For the first 10 months of the year, consensus felt hard to come by. We all found plenty of music to love, but we weren't always drawn toward the same signals. Enter Rosalía's LUX. Read about our favorite album of 2025.
The Best Classical Albums of 2025
Discover a broad range of this year's most compelling classical recordings, including symphonic booty-shakers, mystic violin, pipe organ prog and a guided tour of 18th century German chart-toppers. Read the list.
The Year in Guitar Music
From Gwenifer Raymond's beautiful and brash fingerstyle to Rafael Toral's stretched-out jazz standards, not to mention William Tyler's glitched hymns and Vernon Reid's ecstatic shred, there's so much diversity to be found in six strings. Read the list.
Podcast: All Songs Considered's Favorite Songs of 2025
When the dust settles on 2025, what songs will remain in heavy rotation? Robin Hilton and friends look back at a dizzying amount of music and share some of their picks for the best tracks of the year. Listen to the episode.
Podcast: New Music Friday's Best Albums of 2025
New Music Friday host Stephen Thompson welcomes NPR Music pop critic Ann Powers and their editor Daoud Tyler-Ameen to the show to discuss the 12 albums our team selected for the big list. Listen to the episode.
Podcast: Alt.Latino's Favorite Music of 2025
This year was bookended by two major statements in Latin music: Bad Bunny's ode to Puerto Rico, DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS ,and Rosalía's genre-defying masterpiece, LUX. But a lot happened in between. Listen to the episode.
Podcast: The Biggest Music Stories of 2025
Robin Hilton and friends look back at the year's most defining moments in music, from Kendrick Lamar's Super Bowl performance to the Sean Combs trial and much more. Listen to the episode.
NPR Music Staff Lists
Our critics, podcast hosts, editors and Tiny Desk producers share their individual Top 10 albums of the year.
- Ann Powers, pop critic and correspondent
- Robin Hilton, All Songs Considered host
- Stephen Thompson, New Music Friday and Pop Culture Happy Hour host
- Felix Contreras, Alt.Latino host
- Anamaria Sayre, Alt.Latino host
- Nate Chinen, jazz critic
- Tom Huizenga, classical critic
- Rodney Carmichael, hip-hop critic
- Bobby Carter, Tiny Desk series producer
- Sheldon Pearce, critic and editor
- Hazel Cills, editor
- Lars Gotrich, Viking's Choice
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