Well, it's that time of the year when everyone is doing their 'best and worst of' lists, so here is mine. I'm going to list the books and movies and records I read/watched/listened to in 2025 and then pick my favourites. This isn't restricted to what was new in 2025, but what I actually watched and read and heard - some of these items might be very old indeed.
Books:
I read the following in 2025:
Georges Simenon – Maigret Goes To School
Chris Parker – Nameless Lake
Junichiro Tanizaki – Some Prefer Nettles
Georges Simenon – Maigret And The Dead Girl
Haruki Murakami & Jean-Christophe Deveney – Manga Stories
Shirley Stephenson – Bat Walk
Rhys Hughes – Twisthorn Bellow
Georges Simenon – Maigret And The Minister
Andy Cox (editor) – Remains #1
Sarah Lotz – The Three
Sarah Pinborough – Insomnia
Tom Robbins – Another Roadside Attraction
Georges Simenon – Maigret And The Headless Corpse
Nnedi Okorafor – Death Of The Author
George Takei – They Called Us Enemy
Georges Simenon – Maigret Sets A Trap
Terry Grimwood – The Ghost
Shin Jung Keun – A Beautiful Night on the Equator
Neil Campbell – Licensed Premises
Simon Avery – PoppyHarp
Georges Simenon – Maigret’s Failure
Tomorrow, When I Was Young – Julie Travis
Neil Williamson – The Memoirist
Les Vampires – Tim Major
Eugen Bacon – Broken Paradise
Georges Simenon – Maigret Enjoys Himself
Probably Monsters – Ray Cluley
Tim Cooke – The Judgment
Maxim Jakubowski – The Expotamia Manuscript
Trevor Denyer (editor) – Railroad Tales
Georges Simenon – Maigret’s Travels
Seichō Matsumoto – Suspicion
Chris Stein – Under A Rock
Georges Simenon – Maigret’s Doubts
Arthur Mandal – Old Tutor, New Tutor
Alex Older – Only Animals Can Make Me Smile
Steve Shaw (editor) – Major Arcana
Francis Durbridge – Paul Temple Intervenes
Megan Taylor – The Grandchildren
Alison Moore – Eastmouth and other stories
Justine Bothwick – Static
Maj S Jowall & Per Wahloo – The Man Who Went Up In Smoke
Carolyn Stockdale – Water People
Imogen Reid – Fabrication
Philip Terry – Snake Tale
Robert Stone – Regret
JG Lynas – Topsoil
Christopher Priest – The Islanders
Michel Houellebecq – Serotonin
Chris Kelso – Possession
Steven L Peck – A Short Stay In Hell
Georges Simenon – Maigret and the Reluctant Witnesses
The Big-Headed People – D F Lewis
Teika Marija Smits – Waterlore
The Smallest of Things – Ian Whates
Eugen Bacon – Languages of Water
Mike O’Driscoll – The Dream Operator
Georges Simenon – Maigret’s Secret
Jeff Noon – Moon Over Brendle
Georges Simenon – Maigret In Court
David Gladwin – Coldwell
Andy Cox (editor) – Crimewave #13: Bad Light
Georges Simenon – Maigret And The Old People
Stephen Theaker & John Greenwood (editors) – Theaker’s Quarterly Fiction #73
Douglas Thompson – Stray Pilot
Georges Simenon – Maigret And The Lazy Burglar
Woody Allen – What’s With Baum?
Ottessa Moshfegh – Lapvona
Georges Simenon – Maigret And The Good People Of Montparnasse
That's worked out at 69 books this year, which is two down from last year. However, I've also read all or part of another 27 books in my role as one of the judges for the Otherwise awards (ongoing), plus I've proofread and copyedited around another 8 novels as work (with those which were exceptional also making the above list).
Thankfully there weren't many books that I read this year that I absolutely hated, with most of the books attaining either three or four stars in my Goodreads round-up which is equivalent to 'I liked it' and above. However I really struggled with Sarah Lotz's "The Three". where in the right hands, this story of three children who inexplicably survive three separate simultaneous plane crashes might have been a good idea. Unfortunately, Lotz goes down the route of telling the story through the 'book' of a journalist, who in herself is using interviews, witness accounts, secondhand information etc, to drive the story forwards. What I found most annoying, is that despite such a multitude of characters, they all speak in the same voice (barring some thoroughly inappropriate stereotypical racial mannerisms), so - quite frankly - the story is quite numbingly boring. Moving on, whilst I normally enjoy the short stories published as chapbooks under the Nightjar imprint, there were two which only gained either one or two Goodreads stars from me this year. I won't name them, as I think the appreciation of short stories can vary from reader to reader, more so than novels, and generally those in this series are never less than interesting.
I continued ploughing through George Simenon's Maigret novels, reading sixteen of those this year and enjoying all of them (and like last year, one more than the others). If I read around the same number next year I might potentially finish the series, even if that leaves me a little bereft. Speaking of which, unfortunately, this year saw the death of Tom Robbins, a writer I absolutely adore, so I decided to re-read his first novel, "Another Roadside Attraction", however my takeaway was that it was clearly a first novel, and despite flashes of brilliance it meandered and pontificated without his usual wit (something I remember thinking when I first read it in the 90s). I'd suggest, as an alternative, "Jitterbug Perfume", one of my favourite novels which I have re-read many times. Alongside "Another Roadside Attraction", other recommended 3 star reads (which are probably all 3.5) include "Death of the Author" by Nnedi Okorafor, which plays an interesting twist with AI (with a third-quarter-drag which could be explained by the twist at the end and in fact makes rethinking about the novel much more interesting); short story collections, "Licensed Premises" by Neil Campbell (a mixed collection with disquieting appeal) and "The Dream Operator" by Mike O'Driscoll (literary, visceral speculative fiction stories with "The Spaceman" - a kind of coming of age story - being my favourite. In fact, I'd recommended this book on that basis alone); "What's With Baum?" by Woody Allen (whilst the writing could be tighter in places and it needs a better edit, the story is strong and anyone interested in Allen and his movies will find enough familiarity here to enjoy); "Serotonin" by Michel Houellebecq (a novel which started at a cracking and intriguing pace but gradually became bogged down with detail that was far less interesting and which then - apart from a couple of sequences - descended into the same navel-gazing reflections which come to befall the protagonist); and the non-fiction books "Les Vampires" by Tim Major (about the film series of the same name, which reads never less than delightful) and "Under A Rock" by Chris Stein (As an insight into 'fame' this memoir is an insightful window into what happens when the media isn't looking).
There was a large number of 4 star reads this year, including a high number of Maigret novels. Others included Ray Cluley's first collection, now ten years old, "Probably Monsters" (a great selection of stories; proper literature, not just coathangers to hang scrappy, secondhand horror from, but heartfelt examinations of the human condition); "Suspicion" by Seichō Matsumoto (Matsumoto has a knack of really getting to the bottom of his characters and the story arc of the reporter in this novel is sublime, underpinning everything else with immaculate precision); "A Short Stay in Hell" by Steven L. Peck (a short novella which posits a potentially everlasting Hell with a twist: you can get out if you can find the story of your life in a vast library); "The Exopotamia Manuscript" by Maxim Jakubowski (there's a rich warmth to the telling of a man close to the end of his years reminiscing on what was and what might have been and in fact what actually could be); "Stray Pilot" by Douglas Thompson (an excellent piece of work about a pilot who disappears whilst chasing a UFO shortly after WW2 and subsequently reappears after eighty years to reconnect with his family and to warn humanity about climate change issues. This is possibly my favourite of Thompson's novels); "The Man Who Went Up in Smoke" by Maj Sjöwall & Per Wahlöö (the second in their Martin Beck detective series, which - like Maigret - I love and intend to read in full); "Eastmouth and Other Stories" by Alison Moore (a great collection of liminal stories which often capture moments of departure for each main subsequent character, whether tentatively celebratory or edging into the unknown); and "Moon Over Brendle" by Jeff Noon which I've copyedited for the publisher and is due to come out next year (you are in for a treat!).
There were several books this year that I'd rate 4.5/5 but which were just edged out of my top three. These were "They Called Us Enemy" by George Takei (a graphic novel about the treatment of US Japanese citizens in WW2, a timely read and a reminder that only a handful of decisions stand between many of us and our safety); "Lapvona" by Ottessa Moshfegh (a literary exploration of faith and filth); "Poppy Harp" by Simon Avery (a 'wonderfully lovely' folk horror novel, affectionately riffing off 1970s childrens television shows); and especially "The Ghost" by Terry Grimwood (a distillation of a what-if scenario, the consideration of whether what makes a man who he is – a monster, a saviour – is the weight of history, an accumulation of circumstances, or a straightforward personal choice. "The Ghost" is a superlative example of how the best fiction makes us feel: uncomfortable, thoughtful, stirred. I heartily recommend this work which I am still thinking months later).
As usual, however, I default to Goodreads for those few books which I rated 5/5 during the year, and on this occasion there were only three, which makes my final selection much easier. So, without further ado, here are my third place and then my top two favourite reads of 2025:
In reverse order:
"Maigret And The Old People" by Georges Simenon
"Nameless Lake" by Chris Parker
And the winner is:
"The Islanders" by Christopher Priest
Movies:
I watched the following in 2025:
Black Christmas (1974, Bob Clark)
Kneecap (2024, Rich Peppiatt)
Bird (2024, Andrea Arnold)
Passages (2023, Ira Sachs)
The Five Devils (2022, Léa Mysius)
The Frozen Ground (2013, Scott Walker)
Casino (1995, Martin Scorsese)
Don't Worry Darling (2022, Olivia Wilde)
Dalíland (2022, Mary Harron)
Les Chansons d'amour (2007, Christophe Honoré)
Eyes Wide Shut (1999, Stanley Kubrick)
The Settlers (Spanish: Los colonos, 2023, Felipe Gálvez Haberle)
Run Lola Run (1998, Tom Tykwer)
Sex, Lies, and Videotape (1989, Steven Soderbergh)
The Vanishing (Dutch: Spoorloos, 1988, George Sluizer)
The Third Man (1949, Carol Reed)
Longlegs (2024, Osgood Perkins)
Jerry Springer: Fights, Camera, Action (2025, Luke Sewell)
Skinamarink (2022, Kyle Edward Ball)
The Elephant Man (1980, David Lynch)
Werckmeister Harmonies (2000, Béla Tarr and Ágnes Hranitzky)
Fracture (2007, Gregory Hoblit)
Inland Empire (2006, David Lynch)
Human Traffic (1999, Justin Kerrigan)
Queer (2024, Luca Guadagnino)
Civil War (2024, Alex Garland)
The Girl With The Needle (2024, Magnus von Horn)
Good Will Hunting (1997, Gus Van Sant)
Runaway Jury (2003, Gary Fleder)
Shanghai Blues (1984, Tsui Hark)
Mississippi Burning (1988, Alan Parker)
Get Carter (1971, Mike Hodges)
The Count of Monte Cristo (1934, Rowland V. Lee)
Adolescence (2025, Philip Barantini)
Love & Mercy (2014, Bill Pohlad)
Bug Diner (2024, directed by Phoebe Jane Hart) (short film)
Bring Them Down (2024, Christopher Andrews)
Escape From New York (1981, John Carpenter)
The Crow (1994, Alex Proyas)
The Crow (2024, Rupert Sanders)
Wings of Desire (1987, Wim Wenders)
Asteroid City (2023, Wes Anderson)
The Hoose-Gow (1929, James Parrott) (short film)
Come Clean (1931, James W. Horne) (short film)
Brats (1930, James Parrott) (short film)
Kiss the Girls (1997, Gary Fleder)
Time of the Wolf (2003, Michael Haneke)
The Fog (1980, John Carpenter)
Fright Night (1985, Tom Holland)
The Saragossa Manuscript (1965, Wojciech Has)
Armadillotown (2025, Andrew Hook) (short film)
Parthenope (2024, Paolo Sorrentino)
Cadillac Man (1990, Roger Donaldson)
Insomnia (2002, Christopher Nolan)
The Moor (2024, Chris Cronin)
Certified Copy (2010, Abbas Kiarostami)
Following (1998, Christopher Nolan)
La Cabina (1972, Antonio Mercero) (short film)
Dan in Real Life (2007, Peter Hedges)
Yakuza Graveyard (1976, Kinji Fukasaku)
The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert (1994, Stephan Elliott)
Devo (2024, Chris Smith)
Mauvaise Graine (1934, Billy Wilder and Alexander Esway)
Chernobyl Diaries (2012, Brad Parker)
Identity (2003, James Mangold)
Empire Records (1995, Allan Moyle)
Punch-Drunk Love (2002, Paul Thomas Anderson)
The Monkey (2025, Osgood Perkins)
Megalopolis (2024, Francis Ford Coppola)
Island of Terror (1966, Terence Fisher)
Almost Famous (2000, Cameron Crowe)
Heretic (2024, Scott Beck and Bryan Woods)
First Love (2019, Takashi Miike)
Dr No (1962, Terence Young)
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (2011, Tomas Alfredson)
Nosferatu (2024, Robert Eggers)
Frankenstein (2025, Guillermo del Toro)
You Should Have Left (2020, David Koepp)
Intimate Confessions Of A Chinese Courtesan (1972, Chor Yuen)
The Eight Diagram Pole Fighter (1984, Lau Kar-leung)
Clan Of The White Lotus (1980, Lo Lieh)
Five Deadly Venoms (1978, Chang Cheh)
King Boxer (1972, Jeong Chang-hwa)
Dirty Ho (1979, Lau Kar-leung)
Crippled Avengers (1978, Chang Cheh)
The One-Armed Swordsman (1967, Chang Cheh)
Pillion (2025, Harry Lighton)
The Exterminating Angel (1962, Luis Buñuel)
Waiting For Guffman (1996, Christopher Guest)
Beauty and the Beast (Czech: Panna a netvor, 1978, Juraj Herz)
A Time to Kill (1996, Joel Schumacher)
Duel (1971, Steven Spielberg)
The Apartment (1960, Billy Wilder)
Union City (1980, Mark Reichert)
The Lives of Others (2006, Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck)
The Protagonists (1999, Luca Guadagnino)
Barking In The Dark (2025, Marie Losier) (short film)
House by the River (1950, Fritz Lang)
A Few Good Men (1992, Rob Reiner)
Porco Rosso (1992, Hayao Miyazaki)
In 2024 I watched 89 movies and this year the list comes in at 100, which I'm pleased with. Clearly, unlike last year, we didn't binge-watch so much Masterchef! This remains a long list to narrow down to my top three, and unlike books I don't have a site equivalent to Goodreads with which to guide my memory (I did start posting on Letterboxd but I just haven't kept up with it due to the huge backlog of films I'd want to document).
As usual, however, I'm discounting movies I've previously seen. So this takes out "Union City (1980) - my book on this film is definitely due out next year; "The Elephant Man" (1980), rewatched due to David Lynch's sad passing; "Get Carter" (1971), even better than remembered; "Wings of Desire" (1987), such a superb piece of work from Wim Wenders; "Dr No" (1962), a planned rewatch of the classic Bond films starting and then stopping with this definitive film; "The Exterminating Angel" (1962), Buñuel's absolute classic; "Duel" (1971), Spielberg's first feature and excellent to boot; and "The Vanishing" (Dutch: "Spoorloos", 1988), an absolutely superb and brilliantly conceived film which has me sobbing every time I watch it.
Those movies which I found annoying or awful are easy to chronicle, and thankfully these were few and far between, however they included "Casino" (1995, Martin Scorsese), a film which I found dull, with the whole story told rather than shown: a story in itself which isn't that interesting); "Don't Worry Darling" (2022), a 'Stepford Wives' film that only goes in one direction; "Eyes Wide Shut" (1999), a Kubrick misfire which I felt to be one of the worst films I've ever seen; "Longlegs" (2024, Osgood Perkins) which - despite liking a lot of this director's films - I thought was shite; "Queer" (2024, directed by Luca Guadagnino) where - again - I like a lot of this director's work but I found this a rambling, overlong and ultimately boring film; "Megalopolis" (2024, Francis Ford Coppola) which I found turgid; and "Nosferatu" (2024, Robert Eggers), a film which majestically adds nothing to F. W. Murnau's 1922 original other than Salvador Dali with asthma.
Whilst the number of films I actively loathed were few, looking down my list again I feel there are many that I kind-of-liked but few I became really excited about. Those I would recommend as definitely worth a watch, however, include "The Five Devils" (2022), a French fantasy-drama with an interesting premise; "Run Lola Run" (1998), which I've heard so much about but which feels bound by the time constraint rather than freed by it; "Inland Empire" (2006), our second David Lynch memorial watch which I thought to be an exploration in disintegration with some excellent scenes coupled with moments bordering on tedium; "Civil War" (2024), a well-paced interesting film that mostly gets it right but is also a harrowing indication of where things are going; "The Girl With The Needle" (2024), a bleak, beautifully-acted film about decisions foistered by circumstances; "Mississippi Burning" (1988), a film which does exactly what it needs to do; "The Count of Monte Cristo" (1934), a great re-telling of a classic story; "The Crow" (1994), which I surprisingly enjoyed much more than I thought I would, and was certainly considerably better than "The Crow" (1994) which I watched the following evening and which was dreadful; "Parthenope" (2024, Paolo Sorrentino), a director whom I love, and whilst parts of this film didn't seem quite as vibrant as some of his other material, there were numerous jaw dropping, beautiful moments which elevated the film beyond anything his contemporaries are producing; "The Moor" (2024, Chris Cronin), which maintained a good atmosphere up to the last ten minutes; "Following" (1998), Christopher Nolan's neat neo-noir debut; the short 1972 film "La Cabina", the story of a man stuck in a telephone box which moves methodically to a chilling conclusion; "Punch-Drunk Love", a Paul Thomas Anderson film featuring Adam Sandler which sounds like an oxymoron but which I greatly enjoyed; "Island of Terror" (1966), in which Peter Cushing has to defeat man-made creatures that suck the bones out of your body; and "The Apartment" (1960, Billy Wilder), featuring superlative performances by Jack Lemmon and Shirley MacLaine (the latter especially brilliant in her role). Towards the end of the year we also watched eight Shaw Brothers' produced 'kung-fu' films ranging from 1967 to 1984, all of which were nothing less than entertaining, with the stand-out being "Crippled Avengers" (1978, Chang Cheh) which was excellent.
Other than the above which are all worth your time, there were a few more films that really got under my skin, and here are those recommendations: "Asteroid City" (2023, Wes Anderson). I felt this was a return to form and marginally more confrontational than usual, however he does veer extremely close to an Art for Art's Sake vibe and whilst that isn't something I'm against, sometimes I want a smidgeon more depth. Anyway, I enjoyed it; "Time of the Wolf" (2003, Michael Haneke), a post-apocalyptic drama which carries a disturbing ring of truth about it; "The Saragossa Manuscript" (1965, Wojciech Has), a cult Polish film containing films within films, which was extremely entertaining. I can see how Bunuel and Lynch liked it (apparently). Good stuff; "The Monkey" (2025, Osgood Perkins), a horror film which is unashamedly fun throughout; "Frankenstein" (2025, Guillermo del Toro) which I greatly enjoyed (in a fight between this and Eggar's "Dracula", this film wins hands down); "Beauty and the Beast" (Czech: Panna a netvor, 1978, Juraj Herz) which gives Cocteau's film a run for the money; and "The Protagonists" (1999, Luca Guadagnino), a semi-documentary about a true crime but presented in a decidedly non-traditional documentary way. Definitely an interesting experiment. Out of all of these films, I saw only one at the cinema this year, which was "Pillion" (2025, Harry Lighton), a gay relationship film which I felt hit just the right tone and almost made my top three this year. Finally, I would highly recommend two music documentaries, "Devo" (2024, Chris Smith), a great insight into this revolutionary band and why it is important to be subversive even when you inevitably become part of the system, and the short film, "Barking In The Dark" (2025, Marie Losier) which covers The Residents' career and has some very interesting archival material for those yet to discover this band's genius.
Anyway, whilst as usual I get the feeling that another day might produce marginally different results, today here are my top three movies that I saw for the first time in 2025.
Again, in reverse order:
"Bird" (2024) - Andrea Arnold
"Bird" (2024) - Andrea Arnold
I watched this at the beginning of the year and it's easy to forget how good something is after twelve months, however this has stayed with me and I found it interestingly compulsive. A good mix of hard reality and wishful fantasy that is definitely worth your time.
"Skinamarink" (2022) - Kyle Edward Ball
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This is a quite a difficult horror film to categorise, and won't be to everyone's taste, however I felt it to be a study in sustained quiet terror with some genuinely unnerving scenes. The kind of film that stays in your head long after having watched it.
And the winner is...
"Werckmeister Harmonies" (2000) - Béla Tarr
Records:
I listened to the following albums in 2025:
New Found Glory – December’s Here
Nancy Sinatra – Sugar
Blonde Redhead – Penny Sparkle
Nadine Shah – Filthy Underneath
Hitsujibungaku – 12 Hugs (Like Butterflies)
The Stranglers – Black and White
Lambrini Girls – Who Let The Dogs Out?
Peter Perrett – The Cleansing
English Teacher – This Could Be Texas
Idles – TANGK
The Stranglers – La Folie
The xx – I See You
Barry Adamson – Cut To Black
Goat Girl – Below The Waste
The Fall – I Am Kurious Oranj
Devo – Shout
Blonde Redhead – Blonde Redhead
Hayley Williams – Petals For Armor
Plvs Vltra – Parthenon
The Lovely Eggs – Eggsistentialism
The Raveonettes – The Raveonettes Sing...
Action Pact – Mercury Theatre – On The Air
Okotobe Beaver – Itekoma Hits
The Plastics – Welcome Back
Cœur de Pirate – Blonde
Iggy Pop – Soldier
Buzzcocks – Love Bites
Kacey Musgraves – Deeper Well
Chrystabell & David Lynch – Cellophane Memories
Sonic Youth – Evol
Julee Cruise – Floating Into The Night
The Residents – God In Three Persons
Butthole Surfers – Rembrandt Pussyhorse
Echobelly – On
Taylor Swift – Folklore: The Long Pond Studio Sessions
Rachel Sweet – Protect The Innocent
Talking Heads – Remain in Light
Throwing Muses – Sun Racket
Link Wray – The Shadow Knows
Panic At The Disco – Pretty. Odd.
Hallan – Completum
Taylor Swift – Lover (Live From Paris)
The Police – Ghost In The Machine
Hugh Cornwell & Robert Williams – Nosferatu
Mattiel – Satis Factory
The Sundays – Reading, Writing and Arithmetic
The Only Ones – The Only Ones
Skids – Absolute Game
The Residents – Warning: Uninc. (Live and Experimental Recordings 1971–1972)
Snapped Ankles – Come Play The Trees
The Residents – Doctor Dark
Snapped Ankles – Stunning Luxury
Snapped Ankles – Blurtations
The Residents – The Bunny Boy
Anarchistwood – Chiasmata
The Residents – Animal Lover
The Residents – The Ghost Of Hope
Barry Adamson – Back To The Cat
Magazine – The Correct Use Of Soap
Magazine – No Thyself
Dave Formula – Satellite Sweetheart
The Widows – Mono Deluxe
The Velvet Underground – The Velvet Underground & Nico
The Beach Boys – Pet Sounds
Throwing Muses – Midnight Concessions
Can – Ege Bamyasi
Coil – Horse Rotorvator
Nurse With Wound – Chance Meeting on a Dissecting Table of a Sewing Machine and an Umbrella
Melt–Banana – 3+5
Throbbing Gristle – 20 Jazz Funk Greats
Nina Hagen – NunMonkSexRock
Art Brut – Bang Bang Rock and Roll
Welly – Big In The Suburbs
bis – Systems Music for Home Defence
Brazilian Girls – Brazilian Girls
Amyl & The Sniffers – Cartoon Darkness
Snapped Ankles – Hard Times Furious Dancing
Sparks – The Girl Is Crying In Her Latte
Massive Attack – Mezzanine
De La Soul – 3 Feet High and Rising
Cœur De Pirate – Cœur De Pirate
Viagra Boys – Cave World
Lou Reed – Berlin
The Flaming Lips – King's Mouth
The Clash – The Clash
Blondie – The Curse of Blondie
Blondie – Blondie
Blondie – No Exit
Cœur De Pirate – En cas de tempête, ce jardin sera fermé
The Clash – Give 'Em Enough Rope
The Residents – The Third Reich 'n' Roll (pREServed edition)
Faust – Faust IV
Swans – The Beggar
Viagra Boys – viagr aboys
Bedouin Soundclash – Street Gospels
Jenny Hval – Iris Silver Mist
Viagra Boys – Street Worms
Viagra Boys – Welfare Jazz
Arooj Aftab – Night Reign
Butthole Surfers – Pioughd
Bedouin Soundclash – Light The Horizon
X–Ray Spex – Germfree Adolescents
X–Ray Spex – Conscious Consumer
Supergrass – I Should Coco
Public Image Ltd – End Of The World
The Residents – Whatever Happened to Vileness Fats?
Copeland – Beneath Medicine Tree
Big Joanie – Sistahs
Sparks – MAD!
Laurie Anderson – Big Science
Laurie Anderson – Homeland
Marina – Princess of Power
Butthole Surfers – Psychic... Powerless... Another Man's Sac
Shonen Knife – Yama–no Attchan
Brian Wilson – Smile
The Ravenettes – Pe'ahi II
Sparks – Propaganda
Sparks – Gratuitous Sax & Senseless Violins
Nadine Shah – Kitchen Sink
Butthole Surfers – Butthole Surfers
Butthole Surfers – Independent Worm Saloon
Butthole Surfers – Weird Revolution
Pop Will Eat Itself – Box Frenzy
Panic Shack – Panic Shack
Hotel Lux – Barstool Preaching
Hotel Lux – Hands Across The Creek
The Linda Lindas – No Obligation
Less Than Jake – Losing Streak
Sun’s Signature – Sun’s Signature
PINS – Wild Nights
Blonde Redhead – The Shadow Of The Guest
Gary Numan – Telekon
Dev2.0 – Dev2.0
PINS – Girls Like Us
PINS – Bad Thing
PINS – Hot Slick (Piano Versions)
Hitsujibangaku – POWERS
Cocteau Twins – Head Over Heels
Hermanos Gutierrez – Hoy Como Ayer
Mercury Rev – Born Horses
Various Artists – Exotic–O–Rama
PINS – Hot Slick
Descendents – Everything Sucks
The Stranglers – Rattus Norvegicus
The Cure – Songs Of A Lost World
Coeur De Pirate – Cavale
Mdou Moctar – Funeral for Justice
Sonic Youth – Sister
William Onyeabor – Atomic Bomb
Taylor Swift – The Life Of A Showgirl
Lou Reed and John Cale – Songs For Drella
Boko Yout – Gusto
Hitsujibungaku – Don't Laugh It Off
Sparks – Madder
The Ghost Wolves – Consumer Waste
Howard Devoto – Jerky Versions Of The Dream
Howard Devoto – Designoid
The Residents – The King & Eye
City & Color – If I Should Go Before You
Bow Wow Wow – See Jungle! See Jungle! Go Join Your Gang Yeah, City All Over! Go Ape Crazy!
Various Artists – Monster-O-Rama
Bow Wow Wow – Girl Bites Dog
Pop Will Eat Itself – Delete Everything
Taylor Swift – Fearless
Hayley Williams – Ego Death At A Bachelorette Party
Hotel Lux – The Bitter Cup
Cœur de Pirate – Roses
Maximo Park – A Certain Trigger
Blonde Redhead – 23
The Raveonettes – Chain Gang Of Love
The Raveonettes – Lust Lust Lust
The Ravenettes – Pe'ahi
Cœur de Pirate – Perséides
Cœur de Pirate – Impossible à aimer
That's exactly 174 albums which is 5 less than I listened to last year, but still a figure that I'm happy with. For the purposes of my favourites, as I've done with my movie list, I will discount anything previously listened to. And unlike movies and books (which - even with favourites - I rarely read/see more than a handful of occasions in a lifetime), music is an entirely different kettle of fish and predominantly most of these will be re-listens. I haven't done a count in previous years, but I note approximately 35% of these records were new to me which isn't too bad a percentage I feel.
Revisits this year included the usual old favourites such as Blonde Redhead, The Stranglers, Maximo Park, X-Ray Spex and Blondie. I also attended 27 gigs this year, so much of my listening revolved around preparation for these concerts, including albums by The Raveonettes, Butthole Surfers (the gig was singer, Gibby Haynes, solo, and was one of my best gigs ever), PINS (although the gig was cancelled!), Snapped Ankles and Hotel Lux to name just a few. For those interested, my list of gigs attended with photos was blogged here. I've also bought quite a lot of vinyl this year, but haven't had a huge opportunity to play it, so other than favourite Cœur De Pirate (I bought her entire back catalogue on vinyl from Canada, taking advantage of free postage), most of the music was streamed via Spotify - an app which believes I'm 83 years old because I played a lot of Link Wray whilst writing a movie this year!
Special mentions to the following which I've previously listened to but haven't heard in a while: Rachel Sweet's "Protect The Innocent" (a darker second album compared to her debut); Hugh Cornwell & Robert Williams' "Nosferatu" (an incredibly inventive album from 1979, which I was lucky enough to hear Hugh perform in full this year); Howard Devoto's "Jerky Versions Of The Dream" (an album I'm always glad to revist, lyrically and musically brilliant); Bow Wow Wow's "See Jungle! See Jungle! Go Join Your Gang Yeah, City All Over! Go Ape Crazy!" (a contender for the longest album title ever); various Sparks albums, including favourites "Propaganda" and "Gratuitous Sax and Senseless Violins"; and Blondie's first (self-titled) album and their (as it was then) comeback album "No Exit" which remind me how much I love that band. And also The Residents' "The Third Reich 'n' Roll (pREServed edition)", a sonic wonder of phonetic organisation!
Older records heard for the first time (some surprises here!) which I especially enjoyed included the eponymous "The Velvet Underground & Nico" (not sure why I've never heard that in full before); "The Clash" by The Clash (likewise, although they were always a bit too rough and ready for me; I do prefer "Give 'Em Enough Rope" from that period); "Pet Sounds" by The Beach Boys (the production on this record is insane!); Throbbing Gristle's "20 Jazz Funk Greats" (I thought I had heard this before, but after listening to it this year I certainly couldn't have done); "Faust IV" by Faust (some tremendous sounds on this!), The Residents' "The King & Eye" (our eyeball heroes perform some nifty Elvis tracks); De La Soul's "3 Feet High and Rising" (lovely trip-hop); Laurie Anderson's "Big Science" (which I knew I would always love, but had never actually listened to), but also her album "Homeland", which I thought was excellent; Nigerian desert blues band Mdou Moctar's "Funeral for Justice" which has a compelling rhythm; the album "Systems Music for Home Defence" by bis (a band I have always loved but this 2022 record had gone under my radar); Barry Adamson's moody and filmic "Cut To Black"; and Nadine Shah's "Kitchen Sink" (I'm catching up with her material after last years "Filthy Underneath" absolutely blew me away).
Onto 2025 releases. There were two which weren't quite as compelling as I thought they might have been. Having seen Welly last year perform an infectious gig I had hopes for "Big In The Suburbs", but found it overlong where it could have distilled their bis/Sultans of Ping/Art Brut style more succinctly; and Viagra Boy's support act, Boko Yout, who were excellent when I saw them, delivered "Gusto" with not quite enough...er...gusto. Although having only listened to both of these records once, perhaps I'm doing them a disservice. Alternatively, I thought there were some great albums this year, including The Linda Lindas "No Obligation" (especially the song "All In My Head" which is an incredibly compulsive pop song from this very young band); Peter Perrett's ambitious double album "The Cleansing" (and yeah, I've just realised these first two are late 2024 releases, but who cares); Panic Shack's self-titled debut album, full on girl-power and brilliant live; laconic Hotel Lux's "The Bitter Cup", which consolidates their previous sound and then takes it further; Blonde Redhead's "The Shadow Of The Guest", an album of remixed and choral renditions of songs from their superb 2023 album "Sit Down for Dinner"; "Midnight Concessions" by Throwing Muses (almost a continuation of 2020's "Sun Racket"); Lambrini Girls first full length album, "Who Let The Dogs Out?", which encapsulates their great live sound, but does make me wonder if the targets are becoming too by-the-numbers (despite how heavily I agree with their politics); Taylor Swift's "The Life Of A Showgirl" which is one-half of an absolutely brilliant pop album coupled with some half-baked songs I wasn't quite as keen on; Snapped Ankles' fourth record, "Hard Times Furious Dancing" which continues to plough their same field, but perhaps not quite en pointe as previously; and "Princess of Power" by Marina (formerly ...and the Diamonds), which is a great return to form and an album I thoroughly enjoyed (the track, "Cuntissimo", is absolutely infectious.
Whilst my favourite album this year has never been in doubt, I've found it extremely difficult choosing my second and third places. There are five albums would might easily rotate in those positions, and so my decision today might be different tomorrow. Either way, I highly recommend all of the following, which - interestingly - were all released in 2025 (and four out of the five acts I saw live this year).
Those albums which came extremely close then are "MAD!" by Sparks. At times, I think Sparks might be my favourite band ever, and considering this is their 26th studio album you might think they could have tailed off a bit, but here songs such as "Do Things My Own Way", "A Little Bit Of Light Banter", "Lord Have Mercy" and especially "My Devotion" make this an extra special album for me; "Don't Laugh It Off" by Japanese band Hitsujibunaku who in a previous year came top in my list with "Powers", is a storming record of melodic songs with a hard edge, all complimented by Moeka Shiotsuka's beautiful voice, and deservedly is up here with the best (perhaps not quite making it as I have no idea what the lyrics might be); and "Cavale" by Cœur de Pirate, a brilliant pop album and definitely the best from her (Béatrice Martin) recently, however a record which doesn't quite make my top three possibly because it's only been out a few months and I haven't totally been able to immerse myself in it.
Bearing in mind the above might easily be listed below, here are my top three records of 2025 in reverse order:
"Pe'ahi 2" (2025) - The Raveonettes
Definitely one of my favourite bands of the last few years, Viagra Boys are funny, energetic, lyrically interesting, and have a much broader sound than might be initially imagined. Their performance at Brixton Academy was probably my favourite gig this year. Whilst this record initially didn't seem to match the themes set by their previous, "Cave World", this fourth album has continued to grow on me, especially "Man Made Of Meat", "Uno II", and "Medicine For Horses" (the lyrics on that song being my favourite of the year: Hey baby, can I borrow your car? / I wanna drive into a wall and make us two-dimensional / And, by the way, I need your credit card / I need to pay a guy to get my pineal gland re-calcified). I also love the title of this record, which is how I usually write the band's name when sending emails to friends to avoid them being marked as spam. The acknowledgement of that seems to sum up the band for me - they don't take themselves too seriously (whilst simultaneously taking themselves seriously). Another great record.
And the winner is...
"Doctor Dark" (2025) - The Residents
So that's it, my summary of what I read, watched and listened to this year! Drop back in next year, but as has become usual I'll end with a song that captivated me during 2025 and is sufficiently quirky to deserve the final note to send off this long post. As previously mentioned, here is "All In My Head" by The Linda Lindas with its absolute killer chorus.
