Best Albums of 2025

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DownBeat presents a complete list of the 4-, 4½- and 5-star albums from 2025 in one convenient package. It’s a great way to sum up an amazing year in music! CLICK HERE to view the Best Albums of 2025, published in our January 2026 issue.



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    Belá Fleck during an interview with Fredrika Whitfield on CNN.

  • KP2_Print_copy.jpg

    ​Peplowski first came to prominence in legacy swing bands, including the final iteration of the Benny Goodman Orchestra, before beginning a solo career in the late 1980s.

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    The success of Oregon’s first album, 1971’s Music Of Another Present Era, allowed Towner to establish a solo career.

  • DAddario_RSWAB-LG_oninstrument1hi-res_copy.jpg

    Rico’s Anti-Microbial Instrument Swab

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    Richie Beirach was particularly renowned for his approach to chromatic harmony, which he used to improvise reharmonizations of originals and standards.


On Sale Now
March 2026
Maria Schneider
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