The Best Albums of 2025, So Far

Celebrate New Bands for Old Heads' one year anniversary with my most listened to albums of the first half of 2025. Also: giveaways and listening parties return!

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I started this newsletter almost exactly one year ago today.

The first thing I told you in my second ever post was just how much top ten lists — or any best of lists, really — stress me the fuck out. Great timing, since the midpoint of the year is when everyone is bursting at the seams to shove their ranked lists down your throat.

My stance hasn’t changed in the last year, but my approach to today’s list (such as it is) has. Just a touch.

This isn’t so much a “best of 2025” list as it is a “records I listened to the most in 2025” list.

I never recommend anything that I don’t genuinely love, but I usually focus much more on what I think you will like¹, rather than what I’m actually spinning the most often.

Have I earned the right to make a “subjective” recommendation list? Unclear.

Are all lists subjective anyway? Yeah, of course.

But I really felt like being a bit more true to my actual listening hab…