Best Of 2025 (December 15th, 2025) Listen to Best Of 2025 (December 15th, 2025) on YouTube Music - a dedicated music app with official songs, music videos, remixes, covers, and more.

For everyone whom I've met through the countdowns, Bluesky, and my fellow Twitter defectors, here's the songs that moved me in the past 12 months. ⤵️💜❤️

#2005SongsTop20
#2000SongsTop20
#1993AlbumsTop20
#1994AlbumsTop20
#1995AlbumsTop20

#1994AlbumsTop20
#MusicChallenge
No Rank 20/20

Stone Temple Pilots - Purple

This may be the 90’s ultimate version of a 70’s roadtrip album. A rocking, sing - a - longable (my word) soundtrack to the early 90’s. You know the words…

#1994AlbumsTop20
#18

The Sun Rises In The East

Premier gave Jeru bonkers beats for this project. A standout from that epic Gang Starr foundation run.

The Da Bichez 12” is a grail and was heavily bootlegged. Real copies have a sticker sleeve (with the ghost catalog number).

#1994AlbumsTop20
#MusicChallenge
No Rank 19/20

The Wedding Present - Watusi

Yeah, so I’ll throw the Weddoes on just about any list. You got me. However, this I such a great 60’s garage rock throwback as well as a preview of the Strokes a decade later.

#1994AlbumsTop20
#17

Blowout Comb. 9th Wonder is a monster and the pivot from jazz to funk was flawless. Transcends the genre. Still in heavy rotation.

Graffiti

www.youtube.com/watch?v=xC3U...

Borough Check

www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pu9h...

#1994AlbumsTop20
#musicchallenge

Massive Attack - Protection

#1994AlbumsTop20
#MusicChallenge
No Rank 18/20

Weezer - Weezer

There’s debuts, and then there’s debuts. Lyrically and musically astute and produced by a guy that knew some things about eponymous debuts. Doing it all while also replacing a band mate during recording is the nuts. Whale of an album.

Premier & Guru looking thoughtful against an overexposed red background.

Day 20
#1994AlbumsTop20
#MusicChallenge

HARD TO EARN
Gang Starr

I tried just choosing albums I liked at the time, but have allowed myself this one later discovery as it’s a Hip Hop classic, full of powerhouse beats, precision rhymes & inventive samples.

Try
MASS APPEAL
youtu.be/y9lNbNGbo24?...

#1994AlbumsTop20
#MusicChallenge
#musicsky
Day 20

Just top-level pop, rock, and even some folk played with sincerity and feeling. My no. 1 for the year, it’s truly stuck with me!

Toad The Wet Sprocket - Dulcinea

“Crowing”
youtu.be/5HGRfMvWGF0?...

“Reincarnation Song”
youtu.be/pd687qLpbqk?...

#1994AlbumsTop20
#MusicChallenge

20. Grace, by Jeff Buckley.

I had heard my brother’s copy of Live At Sin-é, and heard Jeff playing late night on Mark Radcliffe’s show - and this song in particular blew me away:

youtu.be/HxfE6PJmGS8?...

#1994AlbumsTop20

REM - Monster

Track: Strange Currencies

These words, "You will be mine".
youtu.be/j4iuG7StmPc?...

#1994AlbumsTop20

After six years in the musical wilderness the Mael brothers return with a Euro Dance stomper. The beginning of Sparks’ second golden age. They’ve never looked back

#1994AlbumsTop20
#16

For Your Own Special Sweetheart

Damn this still sounds so good… J Robbins can produce so well. Glad they got some shine for Savory. It’s a monster of a tune. Fun fact - the band I’ve seen the most times (18).

Savory

www.youtube.com/watch?v=xFvz...

#1994AlbumsTop20
#MusicChallenge
No Rank 17/20

Jawbox - For Your Own Special Sweetheart

Major label debuts are tricky AF. Will they wash away the sound you worked hard to perfect? In this case, just enough polish in the edits to sound bigger but also keep faith with earlier work. “Breathe”

#MusicChallenge 🎧 #1994AlbumsTop20
1. Jar Of Flies by #AliceInChains
some days are just Jar Of Flies days -nothing else will do. A perfect set of songs that can either comfort or devastate -Nutshell, Don't Follow, No Excuses & those strings & harmonies in I Stay Away ❤️🤘😎
youtu.be/ODTv9Lt5WYs?...

Album:
1️⃣
Nirvana-Unplugged In New York

Song:
1️⃣
Beastie Boys-Sabatoge

The album that signified the death of grunge. I just wish we hadn't lost Kurt, too. Thank you, Barry @musiccountdownguy.bsky.social for hosting us-this particular trip down memory lane was the most fun of all! ⤵️

#1994AlbumsTop20

#1994AlbumsTop20

1. Suede - Dog Man Star.

🎶 We Are The Pigs
The Wild Ones
New Generation
Introduced The Band
The Power

youtu.be/fxtIwh1Nz0k?si…

#1994AlbumsTop20
#MusicChallenge
No Rank 16/20

Echobelly - Everyone’s Got One

I played the crap out of this disc when I got it. Thank you to the fabulous Debbie Smith on guitar. Was shocked when I saw them and there may not even have been 100 people in the room. “Call Me Names” is a fave

#1994AlbumsTop20
⭐01⭐

💿 Dog Man Star
🎙Suede

How to follow up an excellent debut album? By releasing an excellent second one! Just as the debut was about desire, sex and sensuality, this one was the sound of the after party. Majestic.

Heroine
youtu.be/x3fdsfCibAA?...

#1994AlbumsTop20

Guided by Voices - Bee Thousand

#1994AlbumsTop20
Many thanks to Barry for arranging this.
Looking forward to the next challenge.

1. Portishead - Dummy
Nothing in it for my top 5 - anyone of these could be my No.1 on any given day.

Wandering Star
Numb
Glory Box

www.youtube.com/watch?v=8T0c...

#1994AlbumsTop20
#MusicChallenge

Day 20: Vitalogy - PJ

1994 was genuinely one of the best years for new music. I really liked No Code but this is for many perhaps the last great PJ record.

#1994AlbumsTop20 Number 1
Nine Inch Nails
The Downward Spiral

Now this might be because I discovered this record around 16, but for me it is absolutely integral. The full gamut of angst, through rage, despair, anger, acceptance. Its a cathartic, bruising listen, and nothing sounds like it, still.

#1994albumstop20

Kristin Hersh - Hips and Makers

A beautiful, beautiful, BEAUTIFUL album.
A less-is-more manifesto and about as far from what was trendy at the time as it was humanly possible, the softest punch in the face of Britpop.

Velvet Days:
m.youtube.com/watch?v=WalW...

#1994AlbumsTop20 1
Oasis | Definitely Maybe

This pips Manics to No 1 because this was THE album of 1994. They never bettered this and the b-sides from the singles were magnificent too.

Fave songs : Rock'nRoll Star,Slide Away,Cigarettes & Alcohol,Live Forever

#1994AlbumsTop20 No. 2
Portishead
Dummy

To this day, nearly 31 years later, it has been imitated and referenced, but never bettered. Not a trim of fat on it, from the opening eeriness Mysterons to the fade out of Glory Box, Dummy nails the assignment. Lush, ethereal, spooky, paranoid, laidback...

#1994AlbumsTop20

20/20 Underworld - Dubnobasswithmyheadman

A dark and long and luscious electronic album - the creative rebirth of Underworld who were just getting started! We all know what came next…

Favourite track - Cowgirl

#1994AlbumsTop20
Joint 1st:
Suede - Dog Man Star
Favourite songs:
We Are The Pigs
New Generation
The Asphalt World

#1994AlbumsTop20
#MusicChallenge

0️⃣1️⃣ Parklife // Blur

End of a Century
music.apple.com/gb/album/end...
This Is a Low
music.apple.com/gb/album/end...
Tracy Jacks
music.apple.com/gb/album/tra...