Daily Newsletter, December 20, 2025

Weekly roundups take a vacation

Ljubinko Zivkovic
December 20, 2025

The Best Albums of 2025 - Atwood Magazine

As 2025 comes to a close, Atwood Magazine celebrates the music that had the greatest impact on our lives. Here are the best albums of the year!

atwoodmagazine.com/2025-albums-of-the-year/?utm_source=flipboard&utm_content=LjubinkoZiv2tpu%2Fmagazine%2FMy+music

BrooklynVegan's Top 55 Albums of 2025

From countrified indie rock to black metal, from NYC's most exciting new band to the return of Richmond's best rap duo, here are the best albums of 2025.

www.brooklynvegan.com/brooklynvegans-top-55-albums-of-2025/?utm_source=flipboard&utm_content=LjubinkoZiv2tpu%2Fmagazine%2FMy+music

The 10 Best Experimental Albums Of 2025

Once again, here are my personal picks for the year’s best in abattoir jazz, diaristic field recordings, audio Rothkos, ambient epics, electroacoustic cinema, marathon improv, and backroom electronica.

stereogum.com/2483207/the-10-best-experimental-albums-of-2025/lists/year-in-review/2025-in-review?utm_source=flipboard&utm_content=LjubinkoZiv2tpu%2Fmagazine%2FMy+music

Post-Trash's Year In Review: The Best of 2025 — POST-TRASH

We present Post-Trash’s Year In Review , featuring one hundred of our favorite releases throughout 2025. It’s been a great year for discovering new music and we hope you find something you love. Dig in and explore.

post-trash.com/news/2025/11/27/post-trashs-year-in-review-the-best-of-2025

AllMusic Loves 2025

2025 was yet another year of nonstop musical highlights, with so many albums that surprised, delighted, confounded, or otherwise fascinated our editors that they could barely…

www.allmusic.com/blog/post/allmusic-loves-2025

The 10 Best Shoegaze Albums of 2025

stereogum.com/2482752/the-10-best-shoegaze-albums-of-2025/lists/year-in-review/2025-in-review?utm_source=flipboard&utm_content=LjubinkoZiv2tpu%2Fmagazine%2FMy+music

Is pop music really getting dumber? A music professor explains what the science really says

Scientific studies claim that modern music has become simpler than ever before, both lyrically and musically. But are they measuring what really matters?

www.musicradar.com/artists/is-pop-music-really-getting-dumber-a-music-professor-explains-what-the-science-really-says?utm_source=flipboard&utm_content=topic/entertainment

YouTube vs Billboard: Why Streaming Data Is Leaving the Charts in 2026

How YouTube Leaving Billboard Could Reshape Chart Strategy and Artist Rollouts

dwntwnwrld.medium.com/youtube-vs-billboard-why-streaming-data-is-leaving-the-charts-in-2026-8968ca71132d

The 10 Best Soul/R&B Albums of 2025

In these challenging times, the best soul and R&B albums walked tall and carried a big stick, while also being a much-needed balm and source of warmth.

www.popmatters.com/best-soul-albums-of-2025?utm_source=flipboard&utm_content=LjubinkoZiv2tpu%2Fmagazine%2FMy+music

These 13 bands were musical dead ends

Thirteen singular bands who were so bizarre, complex, or idiosyncratic that they left no musical heirs

www.classical-music.com/rock/musical-dead-ends?utm_source=flipboard&utm_content=LjubinkoZiv2tpu%2Fmagazine%2FMy%20music

1970: The Year in Rock Music - Best Classic Bands

Looking back at the year in music in 1970, few could have imagined where we were headed. There were few signs at the start of the decade

bestclassicbands.com/1970-music-highlights-1-1-200/?utm_source=flipboard&utm_content=LjubinkoZiv2tpu%2Fmagazine%2FMy+music

1975 was the Year of Orchestral Rock. These 8 albums are the pinnacle

In 1975, orchestral rock reached its majestic peak — where symphonic ambition met rock power in a series of landmark albums

www.classical-music.com/rock/orchestral-rock?utm_source=flipboard&utm_content=LjubinkoZiv2tpu%2Fmagazine%2FMy%20music

The 10 best music books of 2025

Paste Magazine is your source for the best music, movies, TV, comedy, videogames, books, comics, craft beer, politics and more. Discover your favorite albums and films.

www.pastemagazine.com/music/best-books/the-10-best-music-books-of-2025?utm_source=flipboard&utm_content=LjubinkoZiv2tpu%2Fmagazine%2Fbooks

Songs You Need In Your Life This Week

The FADER's weekly roundup of the best new songs right now including "Dread" by A. G. Cook, "Playground" by Amindi, "Patience" by Chris Patrick, "Miracle Drug" by Draag, and more.

www.thefader.com/2025/12/17/songs-you-need-in-your-life-december-17-2025?utm_source=flipboard&utm_content=LjubinkoZiv2tpu%2Fmagazine%2FMy+music

5 songs you need to hear this week (December 18, 2025)

Paste Magazine is your source for the best music, movies, TV, comedy, videogames, books, comics, craft beer, politics and more. Discover your favorite albums and films.

www.pastemagazine.com/music/best-new-songs/best-new-songs-december-18-2025?utm_source=flipboard&utm_content=LjubinkoZiv2tpu%2Fmagazine%2FPlaylists