2025’s Top 20 Rock Albums

As classic rock finds new ways to expand in the 21st century, the artists whose careers stretch back half a century or more continue to grow, too.

As the list below of the Top 20 Rock Albums of 2025 shows, some of those artists look back to their pasts for inspiration, while many others move forward with new members, new music and exciting new ways of expressing themselves.

The best albums of 2025, as selected by the UCR staff, include many familiar names, a few more recent ones and artists whose careers have weathered the turmoil and ups and downs of the decades. Whether it’s new collaborators or renewed relationships with former bandmates, these artists don’t merely rest on their pasts.

READ MORE: Album Reviews of 2025 Releases

Not all of the year’s best albums were recorded in the 21st century: Bruce Springsteen headed back to his vault for a compilation set that uncovered unreleased recordings dating back to the ’80s that, for one reason or another, have sat on the shelves for years. Technically, archival recordings that finally saw the light of day, the box is among the year’s best.

As you look over the Top 20 Rock Albums of 2025, a theme emerges: Rock music hasn’t entered its old-man stage yet, complacent to rest on its reputation while spinning tales from the past. The best LPs of the past 12 months still have something to say, and they found exciting ways to say it.