{"id":11017,"date":"2025-12-23T15:04:32","date_gmt":"2025-12-23T15:04:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/readtrends.com\/en\/readers-favourite-albums-2025\/"},"modified":"2025-12-23T15:04:32","modified_gmt":"2025-12-23T15:04:32","slug":"readers-favourite-albums-2025","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/readtrends.com\/en\/readers-favourite-albums-2025\/","title":{"rendered":"\u2018It contains the greatest song ever about an ice cream truck\u2019: readers\u2019 favourite albums of 2025 &#8211; The Guardian"},"content":{"rendered":"<article>\n<p>Readers from around the English-speaking world named their favourite albums of 2025 in a year that blended breakthrough debuts with established superstars. Submissions collected by The Guardian highlight everything from baroque art\u2011rock and maximalist R&#038;B to intimate singer\u2011songwriters and experimental electronic palettes. Contributors cited specific tracks, live performances and lyrical moments as reasons for their picks, producing a cross\u2011section of taste rather than chart\u2011driven consensus. The responses underline how 2025\u2019s strongest records connected on stage, in headphones and in memory.<\/p>\n<h2>Key takeaways<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>Respondents ranged in age from 18 to 65, with locations cited from Surrey, UK to Pennsylvania, US and Perth, Australia, showing an international spread of voters.<\/li>\n<li>Geese\u2019s Getting Killed was praised for layered, rhythmic production and Cameron Winter\u2019s writing; the reader highlighted &#8220;Islands of Men&#8221; as a standout track.<\/li>\n<li>Veteran and mainstream artists featured alongside newcomers: Taylor Swift\u2019s The Life of a Showgirl, Florence + the Machine\u2019s Everybody Scream and Self Esteem\u2019s A Complicated Woman all received strong endorsement.<\/li>\n<li>Electronic and experimental entries \u2014 Ninajirachi\u2019s I Love My Computer and Oklou\u2019s Choke Enough \u2014 were singled out for inventive sound design and memorable singles (Oklou\u2019s ICT noted for its ice\u2011cream truck theme).<\/li>\n<li>Hip\u2011hop and soul also featured: Clipse\u2019s Let God Sort Em Out earned praise for emotional depth and Pharrell\u2019s production, while Brooke Combe\u2019s Dancing on the Edge was highlighted as modern British soul with a 1970s feel.<\/li>\n<li>Several voters tied albums to live shows, arguing that records such as Self Esteem\u2019s and Geese\u2019s achieve fuller impact in performance contexts.<\/li>\n<li>Readers repeatedly cited songwriting and emotional honesty \u2014 from Loyle Carner\u2019s parenting themes to Jerskin Fendrix\u2019s family\u2011rooted narratives \u2014 as the decisive factor.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Background<\/h2>\n<p>Year\u2011end lists and reader polls have become a parallel record of musical taste to formal charts and streaming tallies. The Guardian\u2019s call for favourite albums of 2025 drew individual submissions rather than a tally based on sales, producing a qualitative snapshot of what listeners connected with across scenes and countries. This format privileges subjective intensity \u2014 how a record sounded at a gig, how a lyric landed in a moment \u2014 over pure consumption metrics.<\/p>\n<p>2025\u2019s releases arrived amid continued debate about the role of touring in artist visibility, the persistence of genre hybridisation, and an industry still adapting to playlist economics. Many entries in this round of reader picks emphasize composition and live energy, suggesting that for a substantial subset of listeners the album as an artistic unit remains central. The list also reflects a mixture of major label-backed work, independent releases and experimental projects, illustrating the plurality of contemporary music pathways.<\/p>\n<h2>Main event<\/h2>\n<p>Geese\u2019s Getting Killed was hailed by an 18\u2011year\u2011old from Surrey for its tight, layered grooves and Cameron Winter\u2019s novels\u2011in\u2011miniature lyrics; the voter singled out &#8220;Islands of Men&#8221; for its hypnotic build. Picture Parlour\u2019s debut EP earned praise for Katherine Parlour\u2019s distinctive voice and Ella Risi\u2019s guitar work, with a live show at Brixton\u2019s Windmill cited as evidence of upward momentum. Self Esteem\u2019s A Complicated Woman was described by a concertgoer as an album made for the stage, pairing theatrical choral arrangements with blunt, intimate lyricism.<\/p>\n<p>Longer\u2011established names also dominated responses. Taylor Swift\u2019s The Life of a Showgirl inspired obsessive listening for some voters, with tracks such as &#8220;The Fate of Ophelia&#8221; becoming described viral moments. Florence + the Machine\u2019s Everybody Scream drew attention for its vocal peaks and narratives about power and relationships, while Big Thief\u2019s Double Infinity was framed as a deeply personal soundtrack for a listener\u2019s travel memories.<\/p>\n<p>On the experimental and electronic side, Ninajirachi\u2019s I Love My Computer was likened to a modern Wall of Sound built around digital textures and playful retro bleeps. Dijon\u2019s Baby earned notice for dense R&#038;B arrangements and high\u2011profile collaborators like Pino Palladino, Justin Bieber and Justin Vernon. Oklou\u2019s Choke Enough was the pick of a Perth listener who praised its irresistible hooks and singled out ICT as an inventive, characterful single.<\/p>\n<p>Hip\u2011hop and genre\u2011bending releases made strong showings: Clipse\u2019s Let God Sort Em Out was celebrated as one of the year\u2019s best rap records for its candid opener about personal loss and Pharrell\u2019s production, and Loyle Carner\u2019s Hopefully! was noted for parenting themes and finely wrought songwriting. The list also includes soul and instrumental projects such as El Michels Affair\u2019s 24 Hr Sports, which mixes dusty production with hip\u2011hop sensibilities.<\/p>\n<h2>Analysis &#038; implications<\/h2>\n<p>The diversity of reader picks underlines a key trend of 2025: listeners prize emotional specificity and craft over homogenous streaming visibility. Multiple submissions celebrated albums that reward repeated listens and live experiences, suggesting that the album format retains cultural value where it fosters narrative continuity or theatricality. This may help explain why acts who blur the line between record and show \u2014 Self Esteem, Geese, Florence + the Machine \u2014 featured prominently in reader selections.<\/p>\n<p>Genre fluidity also shows up consistently. Voters placed baroque\u2011tinged art rock, maximalist R&#038;B, electronic experimentation and classic soul in the same conversation, which reflects both artists\u2019 willingness to borrow across traditions and listeners\u2019 increasing comfort with hybrid forms. For labels and promoters, that means successful campaigns often foreground storytelling, collaborators and live performance as part of an album\u2019s identity, not just single\u2011track streaming numbers.<\/p>\n<p>These choices also point to the continuing role of local scenes and concerts in developing fandom. Several readers referenced small\u2011venue moments that crystallised their attachment to records, indicating that grassroots touring remains a crucial engine for momentum, particularly for emerging acts such as Picture Parlour and Jerskin Fendrix. For the broader industry, investments in touring infrastructure and development slots may still yield high cultural returns.<\/p>\n<h2>Comparison &#038; data<\/h2>\n<figure>\n<table>\n<thead>\n<tr>\n<th>Artist<\/th>\n<th>Album<\/th>\n<th>Notable track(s)<\/th>\n<th>Listener location<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td>Geese<\/td>\n<td>Getting Killed<\/td>\n<td>Islands of Men, Half Real<\/td>\n<td>Surrey, UK<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Lily Allen<\/td>\n<td>West End Girl<\/td>\n<td>(wordplay, layered vocals)<\/td>\n<td>Ireland<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Picture Parlour<\/td>\n<td>The Parlour<\/td>\n<td>baroque\/art\u2011rock highlights<\/td>\n<td>London, UK<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Self Esteem<\/td>\n<td>A Complicated Woman<\/td>\n<td>The Deep Blue Okay, Focus Is Power<\/td>\n<td>Exeter, UK<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Ninajirachi<\/td>\n<td>I Love My Computer<\/td>\n<td>computer\u2011themed sound design<\/td>\n<td>Pennsylvania, US<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Oklou<\/td>\n<td>Choke Enough<\/td>\n<td>ICT, Harvest Sky<\/td>\n<td>Perth, Australia<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Taylor Swift<\/td>\n<td>The Life of a Showgirl<\/td>\n<td>Opalite, The Fate of Ophelia<\/td>\n<td>Oxford, UK<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Clipse<\/td>\n<td>Let God Sort Em Out<\/td>\n<td>emotional opener, Pharrell production<\/td>\n<td>Scotland<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table><figcaption>Selected entries from reader submissions, showing artist, album, cited tracks and voter location.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>The table above samples the variety of submissions and underscores the geographic spread of voters. While not a quantitative poll, the list demonstrates recurring motifs \u2014 standout singles, live resonance and cross\u2011genre production \u2014 that help explain why these records lingered with listeners.<\/p>\n<h2>Reactions &#038; quotes<\/h2>\n<blockquote>\n<p>&#8220;This record made me sing and cry at the same time \u2014 it felt enormous live.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p><cite>Jacqui Martin, 50, Exeter<\/cite>\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Jacqui referenced Self Esteem\u2019s combination of arena\u2011scale hooks and intimate lyricism as central to her experience; the live setting amplified the album\u2019s emotional dynamics.<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>&#8220;I keep waking up with a Taylor Swift chorus in my head \u2014 it\u2019s been my daily soundtrack.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p><cite>Anna Harries, Oxford<\/cite>\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Anna\u2019s submission describes how a few immediate hooks from The Life of a Showgirl became persistent earworms, a common thread among the most frequently cited albums.<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>&#8220;ICT is the most delightful song about an ice\u2011cream truck I\u2019ve ever heard \u2014 utterly joyful.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p><cite>Chloe, 40, Perth<\/cite>\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Chloe\u2019s enthusiasm for Oklou\u2019s single signals how an idiosyncratic hook can define a listener\u2019s attachment to an album.<\/p>\n<aside>\n<details>\n<summary>How this reader roundup works<\/summary>\n<p>The selections summarised here come from individual Guardian readers who responded to a call for their favourite albums of 2025. This is not a representative or statistically weighted poll: responses reflect personal preference, memory of live shows, and subjective criteria such as lyricism or production. As such, the list is best read as a qualitative snapshot of passionate listeners rather than a market share report.<\/p>\n<\/details>\n<\/aside>\n<h2>Unconfirmed<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>Whether these reader favourites correlate directly with commercial sales or streaming chart positions \u2014 no sales or streaming data were provided with the submissions.<\/li>\n<li>Any claim that a single reader\u2019s description (for example, &#8220;the greatest song ever about an ice\u2011cream truck&#8221;) represents a broader consensus \u2014 these are individual perspectives.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Bottom line<\/h2>\n<p>The Guardian\u2019s reader submissions for favourite albums of 2025 emphasise the continued cultural value of albums that reward repeated listening, live performance and close attention to songwriting. From debut EPs to major releases, voters prized narrative cohesion, distinctive production and moments that translate into powerful concert experiences.<\/p>\n<p>For artists and industry observers, the entries underline two practical points: first, investing in live presentation and storytelling around an album can deepen listener attachment; second, genre boundaries remain porous, and hybrid approaches often reap critical and emotional reward. Ultimately, these reader picks are a reminder that musical taste in 2025 is as much about personal connection as it is about metrics.<\/p>\n<h2>Sources<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/music\/2025\/dec\/23\/readers-favourite-albums-of-2025\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">The Guardian \u2014 readers\u2019 favourite albums of 2025 (UK newspaper; reader submissions)<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/article>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Readers from around the English-speaking world named their favourite albums of 2025 in a year that blended breakthrough debuts with established superstars. Submissions collected by The Guardian highlight everything from baroque art\u2011rock and maximalist R&#038;B to intimate singer\u2011songwriters and experimental electronic palettes. Contributors cited specific tracks, live performances and lyrical moments as reasons for their &#8230; <a title=\"\u2018It contains the greatest song ever about an ice cream truck\u2019: readers\u2019 favourite albums of 2025 &#8211; The Guardian\" class=\"read-more\" href=\"https:\/\/readtrends.com\/en\/readers-favourite-albums-2025\/\" aria-label=\"Read more about \u2018It contains the greatest song ever about an ice cream truck\u2019: readers\u2019 favourite albums of 2025 &#8211; The Guardian\">Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":11015,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"rank_math_title":"Readers\u2019 favourite albums of 2025 | The Guardian","rank_math_description":"A curated roundup of readers' favourite albums of 2025 \u2014 from Geese to Taylor Swift \u2014 with highlights, listener reactions and context on genre trends.","rank_math_focus_keyword":"readers,albums 2025,Geese,Taylor Swift,favorite albums","footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-11017","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-top-stories"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/readtrends.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11017","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/readtrends.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/readtrends.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/readtrends.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/readtrends.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=11017"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/readtrends.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11017\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/readtrends.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/11015"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/readtrends.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=11017"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/readtrends.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=11017"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/readtrends.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=11017"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}