Spotify told me I listened to 5,106 artists across 465 ‘genres’ in 2025. I streamed 9,944 songs and played125 albums. My total listening time was 83,212 minutes, 57 days. I spin a lot of vinyl. I also have a few other streaming services. Music always playing... life’s soundtrack.
Mavis Staples makes two appearances on this year’s playlist. “Sad and Beautiful World” is hauntingly reflective. It made the list the day I heard it. Staples also appears on “Walk This Road” with The Doobie Brothers. Yes, they’re still making new music. Listen to the music.
Say She She also made two appearances this year. I love their vibe and energy. They’re a female-led band out of Brooklyn that describes their sound as “discodelic soul”. Channeling the very best of their inner Nile Rogers and Chic. Disco-boogie fever, with a funk twist.
A few of my favorite acts were back with new releases in 2025. Big Thief’s “All Night All Day” made the playlist as did Courtney Barnett’s “Stay in your lane”. Hurray for The Riff Raff, Cate Le Bon, Blood Orange and FKA Twigs also make appearances. If any of these artists are new to you, they’re worth looking further into. Consistently provocative, emotionally honest.
Geese is a new band to me. I came late to their party. The song “Taxes” makes an appearance this year. Their influences run broad and deep. Their energy powerful. One of the best quotes I read about their music, it’s manically brilliant. It is, and so much more.
I would throw Oral Habit and Turnstile into a similar blender of genre bending craftsmanship. It’s high vitality, demanding to be heard. There’s a post-punk edge infused throughout, though Turnstile manages to add additional layers of pop, funk and psychedelia.
Coming in at 25 minutes, I chose not to include the remix of Pink Floyd’s “Shine On You Crazy Diamond” Parts 1-9. The song was written by the band for Syd Barret, Pink Floyd’s co-founder and front man. It appears on the album Wish You Were Here, which just turned 50.
“Shine On You Crazy Diamond” was originally released in two parts. Parts 1-5 is the opening track. Parts 6-9, the last track. It remains an astounding album. I’m grateful the band chose to put out a one-piece version of the song. I’ve read it was originally written to be a single composition, the first side of the album. A momentary lapse reconciled.
Here’s a link to the new stereo mix: “Shine On You Crazy Diamond, Pts 1-9”
I remember first hearing Philip Glass play live with my wife at a small school auditorium in Madison, New Jersey. We lived there when we first got married and while I attended grad school at NYU. A train and path ride back and forth each day to school. Forever young.
We still talk about that evening. How fortunate we were to see Glass play such an intimate performance. Glass Gaze is an album from the French classical guitar duo Roxane Elfasci and Baptiste Erard. They’re joined by the percussionist Théo Lampérier. Glass Gaze reimagines Glass’ Piano Etudes, which were written between 1991 and 2012.
The 2025 Glass Gaze album includes 12 of the 20 etudes Glass recorded. I’ve included “Etude Nº6” on my playlist. Here’s a link to the full repertoire: Philip Glass, The Complete Piano Etudes. It’s magical. Happy listening!
There’s always astonishing music being made. Stop. Search for it. Listen!
“We all do ‘do, re, mi’… you’ve got to find the other notes yourself.” Louis Armstrong