Top 89 of 2025: Jessica Paxton's top music of the year
December 03, 2025

The end of the year is upon us, and it's time to reflect on your favorite music of 2025! Here is Jessica Paxton's favorite music of the year. Once you've made your own list, vote in The Current's Top 89 poll by Sunday, Dec. 14, and we'll count down your Top 89 of 2025 at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 31.
Top songs of 2025
Disclosure feat. Anderson .Paak - NO CAP (guilty pleasure of the year!)
Thundercat - I Wish I Didn't Waste Your Time
Mavis Staples - Human Mind
Divorce - Antarctica
Elbow - Sober
Dijon - Yamaha
Royel Otis - who's your boyfriend
Neko Case - Wreck
Kendrick Lamar feat. SZA - Luther
Tunde Adebimpe - Magnetic
Jeff Tweedy - Enough
Lucy Dacus - Best Guess
Nation of Language - Inept Apollo
Perfume Genius - It's A Mirror
Danger Mouse & Black Thought featuring Rag 'n' Bone Man - UP
Supermodel* - i used to live in England
Favorite sessions
Lady Blackbird (April 22) - Incredible acoustic performance and empowering conversation about inclusivity, joy, and self-love.
Lucy Dacus (May 5) - Lucy has the grace and insight of someone wise beyond her years. Such a treat to chat this beautiful soul — and the session from her talented band was absolutely exquisite.
Royel Otis (Oct. 2) - Another fantastic session (those vocals! that delightfully jangly guitar!) but I also didn't realize how completely charming and funny these two gents would be. Funniest band origin story ever!
Performance of a lifetime
David Byrne // Who is the Sky? Tour (Nov. 3, Orpheum Theatre) I never thought this icon and his band of dancers/performers could top his 2020 American Utopia tour (when I got to see it on Broadway) but they proved me wrong! Absolutely astounding visually and so many smiles in that packed-to-the-gills room. Much-needed musical balm for the times.
