Robert Christgau: Dean of American Rock Critics

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This was originally published as free content, in Robert Christgau's And It Don't Stop newsletter. You can have Christgau's posts delivered to your mailbox if you subscribe.

Dean's List: 2025

The 61 best albums of the past year (or so)

Introduction moved here

Expand reviews

  1. Margaret Glaspy: The Golden Heart Protector (ATO)
  2. CMAT: Euro-Country (AWAL)
  3. Bruce Springsteen: Land of Hope & Dreams (Columbia)
  4. Body Type: Expired Candy (Poison City)
  5. S.G. Goodman: Planting by the Signs (Slough Gates/Thirty Tigers)
  6. Rhett Miller: A Lifetime of Riding by Night (ATO)
  7. The Mekons: Horror (Fire)
  8. Lily Allen: West End Girl (BMG)
  9. Haim: I Quit (Columbia)
  10. Jason Isbell: Foxes in the Snow (Southeastern)
  11. Jeff Evans Porkestra: When Pigs Dance (self-released)
  12. Big Thief: Double Infinity (4AD)
  13. Margo Price: Hard Headed Woman (Loma Vista)
  14. Buck 65: Keep Moving (Handsmade)
  15. Robert Forster: Strawberries (Tapete)
  16. Public Enemy: Black Sky Over the Projects: Apartment 2025 (Enemy)
  17. James McMurtry: The Black Dog and the Wandering Boy (New West)
  18. The Kasambwe Brothers: The Kasambwe Brothers (MASS MoCA)
  19. Dingonek Street Band: Primal Economics (Accurate '18)
  20. Todd Snider: High, Lonesome and Then Some (Thirty Tigers/Aimless)
  21. Lambrini Girls: Who Let the Dogs Out (City Slang)
  22. Sabrina Carpenter: Man's Best Friend (Island)
  23. Ale Hop & Titi Bakorta: Mapambazuko (Nyege Nyege Tapes)
  24. Jubal Lee Young: Squirrels (Reconstruction)
  25. Jax: Dear Joe, (Atlantic)
  26. Danny Brown: Stardust (Warp)
  27. Marshall Allen: New Dawn (Mexican Summer)
  28. Tyler Childers: Snipe Hunter (Hickman Holler/RCA)
  29. Amanda Shires: Nobody's Girl (ATO)
  30. Wednesday: Bleeds (Dead Oceans)
  31. Craig Finn: Always Been (Tamarac)
  32. Adrianne Lenker: Live at Revolution Hall (4AD)
  33. Ms. Ezra Furman: Goodbye Small Head (Bella Union)
  34. Girl Scout: Headache (Human Garbage)
  35. Common/Pete Rock: The Auditorium Vol. 1 (Loma Vista)
  36. Chuck D Presents Enemy Radio: Radio Armageddon (Def Jam)
  37. Amadou & Mariam: La Vie Est Belle (Because)
  38. FACS: Wish Defense (Trouble in Mind)
  39. Mahotella Queens: Buya Buya Come Back (Umsakazo)
  40. Helene Cronin: Maybe New Mexico (self-released)
  41. Patterson Hood: Exploding Trees and Airplane Screams (ATO)
  42. The Delines: Mr. Luck and Ms. Doom (El Cortez)
  43. Bill Scorzari: Sidereal Days (Day 1) (self-released)
  44. Manu Chao: Viva Tu (Because)
  45. Billy Woods: Golliwog (Backwoodz Studioz)
  46. Lucy Dacus: Forever Is a Feeling (Geffen)
  47. Kadef: Kadef (RR Gems)
  48. Willi Carlisle: Winged Victory (Signature Sounds)
  49. Corook: Committed to a Bit (Atlantic)
  50. Grace Potter: Medicine (Hollywood)
  51. Peter Stampfel, Friends & Daughters: Song Shards (Jalopy)
  52. Funkrust Brass Band: Make a Little Spark (self-released)
  53. Jenny Hval: Iris Silver Mist (4AD)
  54. Jeffrey Lewis: The EVEN MORE Freewheelin' Jeffrey Lewis (Vintage Voltage)
  55. Sudan Archives: The BPM (Stones Throw)
  56. Neil Young and the Chrome Hearts: Talkin to the Trees (Reprise)
  57. Wet Leg: Moisturizer (Domino)
  58. GloRilla: Glorious (CMG/Interscope)
  59. PinkPantheress: Fancy That (Warner)
  60. Smerz: Big City Life (Escho)
  61. Skrillex: F*ck U Skrillex U Think Ur Andy Warhol but Ur Not!! <3 (Atlantic/Owsla)

And It Don't Stop, May 7, 2026


2024 Essay | --