"Sad and Beautiful World" by Mavis Staples and Levon Helm
For 2025's year-in-music survey, we winnowed contributions down to two lists of top fives – the top five album releases and top five singles (which weren't necessarily on any of the top five albums).
We greatly appreciate the strong partnerships the Reader enjoys with nearly all of our local radio stations. Not all we invited participated, and we failed to invite a couple stations; we apologize for that, and want them in next year. And we always love having local musicians and fellow taste-makers share what got their attention. If you want to contribute to next year's annual review, please e-mail music@rcreader.com.
Radio Stations
99PlusKFMH.com
Bill Klutho
Best 1 to 5 Albums Released in 2025
Warren Haynes, Million Voices Whisper/The Whisper Sessions
Murder by Death, Egg & Dart
Buddy Guy, Ain’t Done With the Blues
Icecream Hands, Giant Fox Pineapple Tree
Goose, Everything Must Go/Chain Yer Dragon
Best 1 to 5 Singles Released in 2025
Goose, “Rockdale”
Murder by Death, “Loser”
Kerry Tucker, “Hold Back Rosalee”
Larry McCray, “Heartbreak City”
Taj Mahal/Keb’ Mo’ (featuring Ruby Amanfu), “Room On The Porch”
Tom Maicke
Best 1 to 5 Albums Released in 2025
Jeff Tweedy, Twilight Override
Mavis Staples and Levon Helm, Sad And Beautiful World
Wednesday, Bleeds
Kerry Tucker, Undertow
Half Man Half Biscuit, All Asimov And No Fresh Air
Best 1 to 5 Singles Released in 2025
Jeff Tweedy, "Lou Reed Was My Babysitter"
Mavis Staples- "Chicago"
Wednesday, "Pick Up That Knife"
Kerry Tucker, "Hold Back Rosalee"
Half Man Half Biscuit, "Jack's Been To The National"
Jim Hunter
Best 1 to 5 Albums Released in 2025
Various Artists, A Tribute to the King of Zydeco
Amanda Shires, Nobody's Girl
The Waterboys, Life, Death & Dennis Hopper
Tedeschi-Trucks Band, Mad Dogs & Englishmen Revisited
Sugar Ray & The Bluetones, Blues From Sibculo
Best 1 to 5 Singles Released in 2025
Half Man, Half Biscuit, "Horror Clowns are D**kheads"
James McMurtry, "Pinocchio In Vegas"
Henhouse Prowlers, "Land of Confusion"
Little Feat, "Too High To Cut My Hair"
Buddy Guy w/Joe Walsh, "How Blues Is That"
Mary of the Heartland
Best 1 to 5 Albums Released in 2025
Neko Case, Neon Grey Midnight Green
Valerie June, Owls, Omens & Oracles
Frankie & The Witch Fingers, Trash Classic
Einstein's Sister, Exit Strategies
Horsegirl, Phonetics On and On
Tommy Lang
Best 1 to 5 Albums Released in 2025
Bartees, Strange Horror
Geese, Getting Killed
King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard, Phantom Island
Wednesday, Bleeds
Wet Leg, moisturizer
Best 1 to 5 Singles Released in 2025
Foo Fighters, “Today’s Song”
St Paul & the Broken Bones, “Fall Moon”
Bartees Strange, “Sober”
Tame Impala, “Dracula”
Hayley Williams, “Glum”
Roberto Nache/Roberto's Top 5's
Top Five Albums With 99Plus 2025
Geese, Getting Killed
Third Mind, Right Now!
Wet Leg, moisturizer
Daniel Donato, Horizons
Wednesday, Bleeds
Top Five Tunes With OTBT 2025
Daniel Donato, “Chore”
Cut.Rate.Box, “Reel Life”
Half Man Half Biscuit, “Horror Clowns Are Dickheads”
Ana Popovic, “Hurt So Good”
Third Mind, “Shake Sugaree”
Top Five Albums With Off The Beaten Track 2025
FACS, Wish Defense
Highschool, Highschool
Skinner, New Wave Vaudeville
TY, WE R TY
Benefits, Constant Noise
WQUD FM 107.7
Katie Anderson Office Manager
Best 1 to 5 Albums Released in 2025
Warren Zeiders, Relapse, Lies, & Betrayal
Nine Inch Nails, TRON: Ares (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
Good Charlotte, Motel Du Cap
Three Days Grace, Alienation
Angela Meyer, Blood Disease
Best 1 to 5 Singles Released in 2025
Corey Kent and Koe Wetzel, Rocky Mountain Low
Shinedown, Three Six Five
Benson Boone, Sorry I'm Here For Someone Else
Tyler Braden, DEVIL YOU KNOW
Wesley Green and Charlie Farley, Lotta Bit Country
Aaron Dail General Manager
Best 1 to 5 Albums Released in 2025
Morgan Wallen, I’m the Problem
Gavin Adcock, Own Worst Enemy
Turnpike Troubadours, Price of Admission
Riley Green, Don’t Mind If I do
Zach Top, Ain’t In It For My Health
Best 1 to 5 Singles Released in 2025
Turnpike Troubadours, “Heaven Passing Through”
Gavin Adcock, “Morning Bail”
Zach Top, “Tailgates and Tanlines”
Morgan Wallen, “Skoal, Chevy, and Browning”
Justin Moore, “Time’s Tickin”
Jocefis
Best 1 to 5 Albums Released in 2025
Lachy Doley (best showman out there, hands down), Live in Paris
The Textures, Perennials
LA Guns, Leopard Skin
Aerosmith and YUNGBLUD, One More Time
Jethro Tull, Curious Ruminant
Best 1 to 5 Singles Released in 2025
Lachy Doley/Bootsie Collins “Get Out Your Ear's Way”
The Textures, “Do-Right”
Alborn, “While The Gettin's Good”
Aerosmith and YUNGBLUD, “My Only Angel”
Post Malone andMorgan Wallen, “I Had Some Help”
Mamma C
Best 1 to 5 Albums Released in 2025
John Fogerty, Legacy
Spinal Tap: The End Continues (Music soundtrack)
Waylon Jennings, Songbird
Mavis Staples and Leon Helm, Sad and Beautiful World
Alex Warren, You’ll Be Alright, Kid
Best 1 to 5 Singles Released in 2025
Alex Warren, “Ordinary”
Benson Boone, “Mystical Magical”
Kendrick Lamar, “Not Like Us”
Mavis Staples and Levon Helm, “Sad and Beautiful World”
Waylon Jennings, “Songbird”
Outlaw Dave
Best 1 to 5 Albums Released in 2025
Colter Wall, Memories and Empties
Jake Worthington, When I Write The Song
Charley Crockett, Dollar A Day
Lukas Nelson, American Romance
Waylon Jennings, Songbird
Best 1 to 5 Singles Released in 2025
Cody Jinks, “When You Can't Remember”
Turnpike Troubadours, “Just Like Old Times”
Colter Wall, “Memories and Empties”
Charley Crockett, “All Around Cowboy”
Jake Worthington, “When I Write the Song”
Planet 93.9
Darren Pitra
Best 1 to 5 Albums Released in 2025
Ringo Starr, Look Up
The Marcus King Band, Darling Blue
Best 1 to 5 Singles Released in 2025
Wet Leg, “Mangetout”
Shinedown, “Three Six Five”
Role Model, “Sally, When The Wine Runs Out”
AJR, “Betty”
The Format, “Holy Roller”
I-Rock 93.5
Trevor @ The Lever The Local Stage,
Best 1 to 5 Albums Released in 2025
Pit Lord, Massive Grilling Capacity
Deftones, Private Music
Pat Metheny Group, The Lore
Deafhaven, Lonely People With Power
Lady Gaga, MAYHEM
Best 1 to 5 Singles Released in 2025
Limp Bizkit, “Making Love to Morgan Wallen” (Still the best band to ever play the Mississippi Valley Fair)
2. Dead Ginger, “Borocco” (ft Wayne Lyter)
3. Kim Dracula, “In Threes”
4. Chuck Murphy, “S&S”
5. Bonertron, “Much Love”
Stompbox Brewing
Jamie Prickett
Best 1 to 5 Albums Released in 2025
Deafheaven, Lonely People with Power
Coroner, Dissonance Theory
Testament, Para Bellum
Cold Steel, Discipline & Punish
Hooded Menace, Lachrymose Monuments of Obscuration
Best 1 to 5 Singles Released in 2025
Deafheaven, “Heathen”
Fugitive, “Spheres of Virulence”
Death Angel, “Cult of the Used”
Testament, “Shadow People”
Archspire, “Carrion Ladder”
Joe Ronnebeck
Best 1 to 5 Albums Released in 2025
Dead Meadow, Voyager to Voyager
Causa Sui, In Flux
Pelican, Flickering Resonance
Ever Age, Ever Age
Wet Leg, moisturizer
Best 1 to 5 Singles Released in 2025
Dead Meadow, “Question of Will”
Wet Leg, “Mangetout”
Water From Your Eyes, “Life Signs”
Lottie's, “The Cut”
Die Spitz, “American Porn”
Web
Joseph Chonto
Best 1 to 5 Albums Released in 2025
Sunset Boulevard – Elvis Presley: A five-CD set of Elvis’ early 70s recordings from the legendary Hollywood studio. What makes this set special (if not mandatory) is that like previous sets “Memphis” and “In Nashville,” all the later-added strings, horn sections, background vocals, etc, have been stripped out, so one hears in much more detail the nuances of Elvis’s vocals and the brilliance of his backing band (which included James Burton). Disc One are the master takes, Two are outtakes, and Three through Five are rehearsals; the spontaneity and deep focus in these tracks are revelatory. Drummer Ronnie Tutt often kicks up a storm and lights fires under the band. There are some syrupy songs, of course, but the excellent playing often redeems these. And even Elvis cracks up occasionally.
Silver in Seattle: Live at the Penthouse – Horace Silver: From 1965, a burning set featuring a young Woody Shaw and slightly more seasoned Joe Henderson, both playing hard — as does drummer Roger Humphries and of course Silver, insistent and hot throughout. Another great discovery from jazz detective Zev Feldman.
The Autumn Stone – Small Faces Curated by drummer Kenney Jones, this 3-CD release rights all previous wrongs and includes stripped-down acoustic mixes, unreleased tracks, stereo and mono mixes — a feast for Small Faces fans. If you don’t know, you better get to it.
Look Up – Ringo Starr: Ringo has always been a devotee of American country music. His first solo album, Beaucoups of Blues, was an impressive country album recorded in Nashville with the city’s finest providing backing. Look Up has Ringo revisiting the genre, with the cream of today’s players and the results are wonderful.
The Complete Piano Sonatas – Hans Winterberg/Jonathan Powell Winterberg was a Czech modernist composer and survivor of the Terezin concentration camp (fellow equally brilliant composers Gideon Klein, Hans Krása, Viktor Ullman, Pavel Haas, Erwin Schulhoff, and others had been transported to Auschwitz and murdered, just before Winterberg’s internment). Winterberg studied under Haba and Zemlinsky, and he made full use of the tonal/atonal sonic palette. Like his orchestral and chamber musics, these sonatas are bracing, challenging, meditative — first-rate music composed 1936-50 and just now finally recorded and issued. The 2025 release that perhaps deserves the most celebration.
Singles
I haven’t paid attention to singles for decades, except when forced to in restaurants, shopping malls, etc., where I’m always dumbfounded by how intelligence-insulting so much of the pop music of the last 30+ years has devolved to. HOWEVER, The Guardian had a piece on songs you probably hadn’t but should hear. The one that grabbed me was “Walk Away” by Berlin-based Anika, who is the antithesis of the current crop of popsters. On a Youtube concert video she sings without dancing, or even gesticulating. Her face is deadpan like a poker player’s. Her voice and phrasing are icy, cutting, and compelling. “Walk Away” begins with “The truth is I don’t really like myself /And the truth is I don’t really like anyone else.” Quoting from The Guardian: “’Walk Away’ never sinks into a confessional wallow . . . refusing to grant despair the dignity of stillness . . . refreshingly unfiltered: a song that refuses both likability and apology, sounding all the better for it.” An anthem of misanthropy. I love it.
Sean Moeller – Raccoon Motel
Best 1 to 5 Albums Released in 2025
Geese, Getting Killed -
Gordi, Like Plasticine Translucent Sea Blue
Liam Kazar, Pilot Light – Blue
Folk Bitch Trio, Now Would Be a Good Time
Chris Crofton, I’m Your Man
Best 1 to 5 Singles Released in 2025
Geese, “Taxes”
Gordi, “Alien Cowboy”
HAFFWAY, “Better If Worse”
Will Johnson, “All Dragged Out”
Ben Kweller, “Dollar Store”
Man on Street
Chris Bernat/Chrash
Best 1 to 5 Albums or Songs Released in 2025
Wet Leg, moisturizer Bringing back guitar rock one sexy hook at a time with looks and lyrics that slay.
Wednesday, Bleeds Reminds me that ponderous slacker indie rock once ruled supreme.
Geese, Getting Killed Kinda its own thing. A musical assault with lyrics that challenge reality. Storyline subversion and observational perversion.
Jeff Tweedy, Twilight Override Sounds like he’s having fun again.
Guided by Voices, Thick Rich and Delicious Bob Pollard is the most prolific man in the history of rock, and every so often he still hits it out of the park.
Best 1 to 5 Singles Released in 2025
Turnstile, “Seing Stars” Reminds me of the Police “When the World is Running Down You Make the Best of What’s Still Around.”
Your Smith, “Mr.Revival” (featuring Michael McDonald) Chrash played with her once at the Mill in Iowa City and I have a soft spot for his voice.
Kerry Tucker, “Hold back Rosalee” I love Kerry Tucker and I had a great time gathering with a group of friends to sing the chorus on this recording last year.
Wet Leg, “Davina Mccall” Hypnotic and beautiful melody. The Tiny Desk version is superior, but something about the verse is, in either case, irresistible.
Jeff Tweedy, “Lou Reed Was My Babysitter” Check the Stephan Colbert performance and watch his kids playing in the band. The chorus is “The dead don’t die, the dead don’t die, the dead don’t die.”
