As 2025 winds down, it feels safe to say this was a year that refused to sit still. New music arrived from every direction, often louder, stranger, and more emotionally direct than expected. Established artists took real risks, emerging voices broke through with confidence, and the lines between scenes, genres, and generations continued to blur in the best possible way.
On the live side, 2025 reminded us why concerts still matter. From sweaty club shows to massive arena sing-alongs and far-flung festival moments, the connection between artists and audiences felt especially charged this year. Whether it was precision metal, cathartic punk, thoughtful indie, or pop delivered at full scale, the shows stayed with us long after the lights came up.
As always, our writers and photographers came at the year from different angles, and that’s what makes this list interesting. What follows is a collection of personal favourites rather than a single consensus, shaped by where we stood in the crowd, what we had on repeat, and the moments that genuinely moved us. These are our Best 5 albums and Best 5 shows of 2025, the records and performances that made this year unforgettable.
Steve Gerrard (Editor/Photographer)
Top 5 Albums
- Deafheaven – Lonely People With Power
- Deftones – Private Music
- Craig Finn – Always Been
- Wednesday – Bleeds
- Greet Death – Die in Love
Honourable mention: Maruja – Pain to Power
Top 5 Shows
- Amenra @ Damnation Festival, Manchester, UK
- Deftones + IDLES @ Bell Centre
- Wednesday @ Club Soda
- Alcest @ Beanfield Theatre
- Wunderhorse @ Le Belmont
Honourable mention: The Weather Station @ Beanfield Theatre
Randal Wark (Writer)
Top 5 Albums
- Turnstile – Never Enough
- Sprints – All That Is Over
- Wet Leg – Moisturizer
- Wolf Alice – The Clearing
- Model/Actriz – Pirouette
Top 5 Shows
- Deftones + IDLES @ Bell Centre
- Ben Harper @ Place des Arts
- Wolf Alice @ Beanfield Theatre
- Actors @ Bar Le Ritz PDB
- Frank Turner (solo) @ Les Foufounes Electriques
Lauren Maddock (Writer)
Top 5 Albums
- Goldie Boutilier – Goldie Boutilier Presents Goldie Montana
- Joy Crookes – Juniper
- Parcels – LOVED
- Swimming Paul – Smiling Through the Pain 2
- INJI – Superlame
Top 5 Shows
- Lorde + The Japanese House + Blood Orange @ Bell Centre
- Berlioz + Bolarinho @ MTELUS
- LP Giobbi + Flytz + NovaMusic @ Newspeak
- Remi Wolf + Dana and Alden @ MTELUS
- 070 Shake + Johan Lenox + Bryant Barnes @ MTELUS
Mike Rogers (Writer)
Top 5 Albums
- The Waterboys – Life, Death and Dennis Hopper
- Haku Circle – Catch
- The Beaches – No Hard Feelings
- Doves – Constellations for the Lonely
- Laufey – A Matter of Time
Top 5 Shows
- Mumford & Sons @ Bell Centre
- Jeff Tweedy @ Beanfield Theatre
- The Waterboys @ Beanfield Theatre
- Doechii @ Osheaga
- Collective Soul @ Place Bell
Daniel Lukes (Writer)
Top 5 Albums
- Strigiform – Aconite
- Igorrr – Amen
- Lamp of Murmuur – The Dreaming Prince in Ecstasy
- Author & Punisher – Nocturnal Birding
- Mellowdeath – Mellowdeath
Top 5 Shows
- Crypta + Sarkasm + Burning Sanctum @ Piranha Bar, Montreal
- Genital Shame + Stander + Wretched Blessing + Pnoom @ Turbo Haüs, Montreal
- Buñuel + Murderous Again + Today Is The Day + Spiritual Poison @ Piranha Bar, Montreal
- Clown Core + Karneef @ MTELUS, Montreal
- Youth Code + Statiqbloom @ Cassiopeia, Berlin
Mathieu Perrier (Writer)
Top 5 Albums
- Viagra Boys – Viagr Aboys
- Lambrini Girls – Who Let The Dogs Out
- Turnstile – NEVER ENOUGH
- Texas King – Ultraviolet
- Psychedelic Porn Crumpets – Carpe Diem, Moonman
Top 5 Shows
- IDLES @ Riot Fest, Chicago
- Turnstile @ RBC Bluesfest, Ottawa
- Poppy @ Beanfield Theatre
- Machine Head @ MTELUS
- Micah Schnabel @ Theatre Sainte-Catherine
Jamie Siddall (Writer)
Top 5 Albums
- Haley Heynderickx – What of Our Nature
- Puberty Well – Nature of Love
- Runnner – A Welcome Kind of Weakness
- Hayley Williams – Ego Death At A Bachelorette Party
- Floraison Tardive – Radeau Capharnaüm
Top 5 Shows
- Alice Longyu Gao @ La Sala Rossa
- Die Spitz @ Bar Le Ritz PDB
- SHEBAD @ Bedroc
- Puberty Well @ Batiment 7
- Momma @ Fairmount Theatre
Andres Amaya (Photographer)
Top 5 Albums
- twenty one pilots – Breach
- Balu Brigada – Portal
- Matilda Mann – Roxwell
- Wolf Alice – The Clearing
- The Beths – Straight Line Was A Lie
Top 5 Shows
- Oasis @ Wembley Stadium, London
- twenty one pilots @ Budweiser Stage, Toronto
- Balu Brigada @ Fairmount Theatre
- My Chemical Romance @ Rogers Arena, Toronto
- Green Day @ Tecate Pa’l Norte, Mexico
Annette Aghazarian (Writer)
Top 5 Albums
- Dominique Fils-Aimé – Live at the Montreal Jazz Festival
- Folk Bitch Trio – Now Would Be a Good Time
- The Damn Truth – The Damn Truth
- Salin – Rammana
- Pokey LaFarge – Rhumba Country
Top 5 Shows
- The Damn Truth @ MTELUS
- Pokey LaFarge @ Le Studio TD
- Salin @ Cabaret Lion d’Or
- Folk Bitch Trio @ La Toscadura
- Hera @ Le Ministere
Honourable mention: Pussy Riot @ Club Soda
Maxime le Huidoux (Writer)
Top 5 Albums / EPs
- President – King of Terrors
- Of Mice & Men – Another Miracle
- Architects – The Sky, the Earth & All Between
- mgk – Lost Americana
- Sleep Theory – Afterglow
Top 5 Shows
- Falling In Reverse + Hollywood Undead + Point North @ Bell Centre
- Linkin Park @ Bell Centre
- mgk + Julia Wolf @ Bell Centre
- Poppy @ Beanfield Theatre
- Babymetal + Black Veil Brides @ Place Bell
Eric Brisson (Photographer)
Top 5 Albums
- mgk – Lost Americana
- Architects – The Sky, The Earth & All Between
- A Day to Remember – Big Ole Volume 1
- Morgan Wallen – I’m The Problem
- Taylor Swift – The Life of a Showgirl
Top 5 Shows
- mgk @ Bell Centre
- Yungblud @ Hard Rock Live, Ottawa
- Summer of Loud @ Budweiser Stage, Toronto
- Paul McCartney @ Bell Centre
- Jelly Roll @ Place Bell
Kate Woolliams (Photographer)
Top 5 Albums
- Wednesday – Bleeds
- Adrienne Lenker – Live at Revolution Hall
- Geese – Getting Killed
- Bon Iver – SABLE, fABLE
- Ribbon Skirt – Bite Down
Top 5 Shows
- Wednesday @ Club Soda
- PISS @ Les Foufounes Electriques
- Silvana Estrada @ Beanfield Theatre
- Water From Your Eyes @ Bar Le Ritz PDB
- Knitting @ L’Escogriffe
Simon Wellwood (Photographer)
Top 5 Albums
- La Dispute – No One Was Driving The Car
- Mac Miller – Balloonerism
- Deafheaven – Lonely People with Power
- Geese – Getting Killed
- Turnstile – NEVER ENOUGH
Honourable mention: Viagra Boys – Viagr Aboys
Top 5 Shows
- Turnstile @ Ottawa Bluesfest
- Sum 41 Farewell Tour @ Place Bell
- VVOMB @ Batiment 7
- Men I Trust @ Montreal International Jazz Festival
- Distraction4ever @ L’Escogriffe Bar
Honourable mention: Deftones @ Bell Centre
Simon Williams (Writer)
Top 5 Albums
- Deftones – Private Music
- Turnstile – Never Enough
- Franz Ferdinand – The Human Fear
- Balu Brigada – Portal
- Sasami – Blood on the Silver Screen
Top 5 Shows
- Oasis @ Rogers Stadium, Toronto
- Fontaines D.C. @ Musilac, Aix-les-Bains, France
- Mew @ Toyosu PIT, Tokyo, Japan
- Razorlight @ O2 Institute, Birmingham, England
- Soccer Mommy @ Live House ANIMA, Osaka, Japan
Michael Anestopoulos (Writer)
Top 5 Albums
- Turnstile – NEVER ENOUGH
- twenty one pilots – Breach
- Arm’s Length – There’s A Whole World Out There
- Joey Valence & Brae – HYPERYOUTH
- Ninajirachi – I Love My Computer
Top 5 Shows
- Turnstile + Speed @ Outer Harbour, Buffalo, NY
- Olivia Rodrigo @ Osheaga
- Parcels @ Place Bell
- PUP @ Lee’s Palace, Toronto
- Hot Mulligan + Arm’s Length + Drug Church @ HISTORY, Toronto
Richard Brunette (Writer)
Top 5 Albums
- Sleep Token – Even In Arcadia
- Architects – The Sky, the Earth & All Between
- Deftones – Private Music
- NF – FEAR
- Spiritbox – Tsunami Sea
Top 5 Shows
- Deftones @ Bell Centre
- Korn + Gojira @ Bell Centre
- Architects @ Place Bell
- Sum 41 Farewell Tour @ Place Bell
- Linkin Park @ Bell Centre
Dominic Blewett (Photographer)
Top 5 Albums
- Holden & Zimpel – The Universe Will Take Care Of You
- Jenny Hval – Iris Silver Mist
- Panda Bear – Sinister Grift
- John Maus – Later Than You Think
- Half Man Half Biscuit – All Asimov And No Fresh Air
Top 5 Shows
- Grandaddy @ Studio TD
- Beak @ Fairmount Theatre
- Pixies @ MTELUS
- Nick Cave @ Place Bell
- Panda Bear @ MTELUS
As these lists came together, a few clear patterns emerged, even across wildly different tastes and listening habits. Some records and shows kept popping up, no matter who was doing the listening or where they were standing in the room.
On the album side, Deftones’ Private Music was the most consistent crossover pick, appearing on multiple lists from writers and photographers alike. Turnstile’s NEVER ENOUGH followed close behind, showing just how firmly the band has planted itself in both the punk and mainstream rock conversation. Wednesday’s Bleeds also landed with serious staying power, while Deafheaven’s Lonely People With Power and Architects’ The Sky, the Earth & All Between came up repeatedly as heavy hitters that delivered on ambition and impact.
Live, a similar story played out. Deftones at the Bell Centre was one of the most frequently cited shows of the year, clearly leaving a mark across the team. Turnstile’s live run, whether at festivals or headline slots, showed up more than once, as did Wednesday’s Montreal show, proof that their rise wasn’t just a studio phenomenon. Big rooms like Place Bell and the Bell Centre featured often, but so did smaller venues, reinforcing how strong 2025 was at every scale.
Taken together, these overlaps say a lot. This was a year where certain artists cut across scenes and personal taste in a way that’s hard to fake. If nothing else, it’s a reminder that when music really connects, it finds you whether you’re writing about it, photographing it, or just losing your voice somewhere in the crowd.
Here’s to 2026!
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