My Top Twenty-Five Records

by Jeremy D. Cherry

Starting back in 2017, I began documenting my favorite records that came out each year. It started as a fun way keep track of what I’d been spinning but morphed into serious business, a stage for friendly debate. Now, my tastes can be quite dad-rocker, but I try to throw some surprises in the mix. I’m not claiming these are the best albums that came out each year, simply my favorite.

Here’s my top five favorite tracks from each year:

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Don’t miss each year’s mix featuring my favorite track from each record.

2024

  1. Two Star & The Dream Police, Mk.gee

  2. Keep Me on Your Mind/See You Free, Bonny Light Horseman

  3. Tigers Blood, Waxahatchee

  4. Songs of A Lost World, The Cure

  5. First Light, Jónsi

  6. Revelator, Phosphorescent

  7. Charm, Clairo

  8. Only God Was Above Us, Vampire Weekend

  9. SABLE,, Bon Iver

  10. All Now, The Staves

  11. Hovvdy, Hovvdy

  12. Five Dice, All Threes, Bright Eyes

  13. Revelation, Leif Vollebekk

  14. Manning Fireworks, MJ Lenderman

  15. Woodland, Gillian Welch, Dave Rawlings

  16. The Past Is Still Alive, Hurray For The Riff Raff

  17. Santa Cruz, Pedro the Lion

  18. Passage Du Desir, Johnny Blue Skies

  19. Dulling the Horns, Wild Pink

  20. Ooh La La, Guster

  21. Weird Faith, Madi Diaz

  22. Don’t Forget Me, Maggie Rogers

  23. Leon, Leon Bridges

  24. My Method Actor, Nilüfer Yanya

  25. Sonido Cósmico, Hermanos Gutiérrez

Here’s my favorite track from each record:

Listen on Spotify ›

2023

  1. Is It?, Ben Howard

  2. ÁTTA, Sigur Ròs

  3. The Record, Boygenius

  4. Javelin, Sufjan Stevens

  5. In the End It Always Does, The Japanese House

  6. Appaloosa Bones, Gregory Alan Isakov

  7. Celebrants, Nickel Creek

  8. søn of dad, Stephen Wilson Jr.

  9. Every Day Like the Last, Wye Oak

  10. Love Songs for Losers, The Lone Bellow

  11. Weathervanes, Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit

  12. Time Will Wait For No One, Local Natives

  13. Higher, Chris Stapleton

  14. Jump for Joy, Hiss Golden Messenger

  15. Montclair (Live at the Wellmont Theater), Pinegrove

  16. From The Valley, Ilsey

  17. A River Running to Your Heart, Fruit Bats

  18. First Two Pages of Frankenstein, The National

  19. Secret Stratosphere, William Tyler & The Impossible Truth

  20. Imaginary People, Viv & Riley

  21. Unreal Unearth, Hozier

  22. End, Explosions in the Sky

  23. Hadsel, Beirut

  24. My Entire Life, Susto

  25. Joy’All, Jenny Lewis

Here’s my favorite track from each record:

Listen on Spotify ›

2022

  1. Being Funny In A Foreign Language, The 1975

  2. Anaïs Mitchell, Anaïs Mitchell

  3. Rolling Golden Holy, Bonnie Light Horseman

  4. Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers, Kendrick Lamar

  5. Dragon New Warm Mountain I Believe In You, Big Thief

  6. WE, Arcade Fire

  7. Break Me Open, S. Carey

  8. 11:11, Pinegrove

  9. Blue Rev, Alvvays

  10. PAINLESS, Nilufer Yanya

  11. I Walked With You A Ways, Plains

  12. (self-titled), Marcus Mumford

  13. BRIGHTSIDE, The Lumineers

  14. LOUIE, Kenny Beats

  15. Alpha Zulu, Phoenix

  16. Surrender, Maggie Rogers

  17. Things Are Great, Band of Horses

  18. Havasu, Pedro the Lion

  19. Life on Earth, Hurray for the Riff Raff

  20. Cheat Codes, Danger Mouse & Black Thought

  21. A Light for Attracting Attention, The Smile

  22. ILYSM, Wild Pink

  23. Lighten Up, Erin Rae

  24. Sometimes, Forever, Soccer Mommy

  25. Gemini Rights, Steve Lacy

Here’s my favorite track from each record:

Listen on Spotify ›

2021

  1. Pressure Machine, The Killers

  2. I Don’t Live Here Anymore, The War on Drugs

  3. Good Woman, The Staves

  4. A Billion Little Lights, Wild Pink

  5. Collections From The Whiteout, Ben Howard

  6. Changephobia, Rostam

  7. How Long Do You Think It’s Gonna Last?, Big Red Machine

  8. Head of Roses, Flock of Dimes

  9. Screen Violence, CHVRCHES

  10. Little Oblivions, Julien Baker

  11. Gold-Diggers Sound, Leon Bridges

  12. Hope for Sale, Chiiild

  13. A Pillar of Salt, Noah Gunderson

  14. Sob Rock, John Mayer

  15. Donda, Kanye West

  16. Promises, Floating Points, Pharoah Sanders

  17. Watchhouse, Watchhouse

  18. Obsidian, Jónsi

  19. January Flower, Mat Kearney

  20. 30, Adele

  21. In Heaven, Strand of Oaks

  22. In These Silent Days, Brandi Carlile

  23. Take the Sadness Our of Saturday Night, Bleachers

  24. CALL ME IF YOU GET LOST, Tyler, the Creator

  25. Home Video, Lucy Dacus

Here’s my favorite track from each record:

Listen on Spotify ›

2020

  1. Half Moon Light, The Lone Bellow

  2. Punisher/Copycat Killer, Phoebe Bridgers

  3. Shore, Fleet Foxes

  4. Transmigration Blues, The Dead Tongues

  5. Beginners, Christian Lee Hutson

  6. The Avalanche, Owen

  7. Cannot Be, Whatsoever, Novo Amor

  8. Reunions, Jason Isbell & the 400 Unit

  9. Free Love, Sylvan Esso

  10. The Slow Rush, Tame Impala

  11. Shape & Destroy, Ruston Kelly

  12. Suddenly, Caribou

  13. The Ascension, Sufjan Stevens

  14. Peopled with Dreams, John Mark McMillan

  15. Notes on a Conditional Form, The 1975

  16. Through A Dark Wood, Sea Wolf

  17. Chewing Cotton Wool, The Japanese House

  18. Imploding The Mirage, The Killers

  19. Shiver, Jónsi

  20. folklore, Taylor Swift

  21. Saint Cloud, Waxahatchee

  22. RTJ4, Run the Jewels

  23. Off Off On, This is the Kit

  24. My Love is a Hurricane, David Ramirez

  25. The Balladeer, Lori McKenna

Here’s my favorite track from each record:

Listen on Spotify ›

2019

  1. Better Oblivion Community Center, Better Oblivion Community Center

  2. Phoenix, Pedro the Lion

  3. I Love You. It’s a Fever Dream., Tallest Man on Earth

  4. Eraserland, Strand of Oaks

  5. Terms of Surrender, Hiss Golden Messenger

  6. i,i, Bon Iver

  7. Father of the Bride, Vampire Weekend

  8. I am Easy to Find, The National

  9. UFOF / Two Hands, Big Thief

  10. Lover, Noah Gunderson

  11. New Ways, Leif Vollebekk

  12. Goes West, William Tyler

  13. The Highwomen, The Highwomen

  14. Wooh Dang, Daniel Norgren

  15. III, The Lumineers

  16. Secondhand Smoke, Sean McConnell

  17. Jaime, Brittany Howard

  18. Violet Street, Local Natives

  19. Look Up & Fly Away, Darlingside

  20. Front Porch, Joy Williams

  21. As Far As I Can See, Phil Cook

  22. Ode to Joy, Wilco

  23. Silencia, Hammock

  24. American Football (LP3), American Football

  25. Good at Falling, The Japanese House

Here’s my favorite track from each record:

Listen on Spotify ›

2018

  1. By the Way, I Forgive You, Brandi Carlile

  2. A Brief Inquiry Into Online Relationships, The 1975

  3. Hundred Acres, S. Carey

  4. Evening Machines, Gregory Alan Isokov

  5. boygenius, boygenius

  6. C’est La Vie, Phosphorescent

  7. Summertime Songs, Field Report

  8. Big Red Machine, Big Red Machine

  9. Traversa, Geotic

  10. The Hex, Richard Swift

  11. Caer, Twin Shadow

  12. To the Sunset, Amanda Shires

  13. Passwords, Dawes

  14. Noonday Dream, Ben Howard

  15. Malibu Nights, LANY

  16. DAYTONA, Pusha T

  17. My New Moon, Amos Lee

  18. HOME, John Butler Trio

  19. Honey, Robyn

  20. Golden Hour, Kacey Musgraves

  21. WARM, Jeff Tweedy

  22. Kindness, A Rebel, River Whyless

  23. DROGAS WAVE, Lupe Fiasco

  24. Birthplace, Novo Amor

  25. Singularity, Jon Hopkins

Here’s my favorite track from each record:

Listen on Spotify ›

2017

  1. Hallelujah Anyhow, Hiss Golden Messenger

  2. A Deeper Understanding, The War on Drugs

  3. DAMN., Kendrick Lamar

  4. Something to Tell You, HAIM

  5. Stranger in the Alps, Phoebe Bridgers

  6. The Nashville Sound, Jason Isbell & the 400 Unit

  7. Twin Solitude, Leif Vollebekk

  8. Just for Us, Francis and the Lights

  9. Prisoner, Ryan Adams

  10. We’re Not Going Anywhere, David Ramirez

  11. Crack Up, Fleet Foxes

  12. Afterglow, Ásgeir

  13. Wonderful, Wonderful, The Killers

  14. Near the Wild Heart of Life, Japandroids

  15. Turn Out the Lights, Julien Baker

  16. Sleep Well Beast, The National

  17. Colors, Beck

  18. Beast Epic, Iron & Wine

  19. Hard Love, Strand of Oaks

  20. Half-Light, Rostam

  21. Romaplasm, Baths

  22. Pleasure, Feist

  23. Hug of Thunder, Broken Social Scene

  24. Whiteout Conditions, The New Pornographers

  25. The Thrill of it All, Sam Smith

Here’s my favorite track from each record:

Listen on Spotify ›