Posted on by General Manager

WRTC’S Annual Top 100 Rock Albums

As 2025 draws to a close, it’s time for holidays, family gatherings, pulling out the winter clothes, gift shopping and of course, the inevitable onslaught of “best of” lists.

Never one to back down from a challenge, we bring you the WRTC Top 100 rock albums for 2025!

The most-played new rock releases on the WRTC airwaves between Dec. 1, 2024 and Nov. 30, 2025. The list is based on “spins” as reported to Spinitron.

Those of you expecting Taylor Swift will be disappointed as British progressive rocker Steven Wilson and American swamp rockers Little Feat easily conquer the top two spots with brand new albums that were popular with many of WRTC’s rock DJs. Relative newcomers Fantastic Cat finished third.

Among the others in the Top 10 are perennial favorites such as Suzanne Vega, Bruce Springsteen and Hawkwind as well as younger, up-and-coming act Goose.

See the full list below and be sure to tune in to The Devo Rock Show on Dec. 29 as he and his guest, DJ Rob of Crashing the Ether, countdown highlights from the list. The program airs 9 a.m.-noon. Click here to listen live.

THE LIST

  1. Steven Wilson — The Overview
  2. Little Feat — Strike Up The Band
  3. Fantastic Cat — Now That’s What I Call Now That’s What I Call Fantastic Cats
  4. Low Cut Connie — Connie Live
  5. Hawkwind — Live At The Royal Albert Hall
  6. The Ed Palermo Big Band — Prog vs. Fusion – A War of the Ages
  7. Goose — Everything Must Go
  8. Bruce Springsteen — Land Of Hope & Dreams
  9. The Black Keys — No Rain, No Flowers
  10. Suzanne Vega — Flying with Angel
  11. Role Model — Kansas Anymore
  12. Brian Dunne — Clams Casino
  13. The Cure — Songs Of A Lost World
  14. The Who — Live At The Oval 1971
  15. John Hammond — Bear’s Sonic Journals: You’re Doin’ Fine
  16. The Jellybricks — Dreaming In Stereo
  17. The Moons Of Jupiter — The Moons of Jupiter
  18. My Morning Jacket — is
  19. Sloan — Based on the Best Seller
  20. Olivia Dean — The Art of Loving
  21. The 860 — The Water’s Fine
  22. 20/20 — Back To California
  23. Roger Waters — This Is Not A Drill: Live From Prague
  24. Tears For Fears — Songs For A Nervous Planet
  25. Los Straitjackets — Somos Los Straitjackets
  26. Dennis Weise — Arcane Dream
  27. Sparks — MAD!
  28. Tate McRae — So Close To What
  29. David Bowie — I Can’t Give Everything Away (2002-2016)
  30. The Who — Who Are You (Super Deluxe Edition)
  31. Elton John & Brandi Carlisle — Who Believes In Angels?
  32. Goose — Chain Yer Dragon
  33. Pink Floyd — Live at Pompeii: MCMLXXII
  34. Wet Leg — Moisturizer
  35. Crowded House — Gravity Stairs
  36. Kathleen Edwards — Billionaire
  37. Buckingham Nicks — Buckingham Nicks
  38. Sarah and the Sundays — Like A Damn Dog
  39. Tommy Keene — Performance: Rockin’ The IOTA (Live)
  40. Simple Minds — Live in the City of Diamonds
  41. Jimmy Page/Black Crows — Live at the Greek
  42. Ravyn Lenae — Bird’s Eye
  43. The Mommyheads — One Eyed Band
  44. Tony Levin — Bringing It Down to the Bass
  45. Odin Stone — Dark Times
  46. Sam Fender — People Watching
  47. The Beths — Straight Line Was A Lie
  48. J.D. Simo & Luther Dickinson — Do The Rump!
  49. The Rolling Stones — Black And Blue (Super Deluxe)
  50. Chris Trapper — Watching Sparks Fly By
  51. Joe Bonamassa — Breakthrough
  52. Kevin Atwater — Achilles
  53. Lettuce — Lettuce with the Colorado Symphony (Live)
  54. The Doobie Brothers — Walk This Road
  55. Slash — Orgy of the Damned
  56. Mik Miz — Sometimes By Surprise
  57. The Wood Brothers — Puff of Smoke
  58. Jeff Tweedy — Twilight Override
  59. Samantha Fish — Paper Doll
  60. Kelley Stoltz — La Fleur
  61. Love Fiend — Handle With Care
  62. The Beatles — Anthology 4
  63. Amöniacö — Live at Unisono Buenos Aires
  64. Hawkwind — There Is No Space For Us
  65. Jethro Tull — Curious Ruminant
  66. Molly Tuttle — So Long Little Miss Sunshine
  67. Mumford & Sons — Rushmere
  68. Neil Young and the Chrome Hearts — Talkin to the Trees
  69. The Brobecks — Happiest Nuclear Winter
  70. The Chesterfield Kings – We’re Still All The Same
  71. Clairo — Charm
  72. Bruce Springsteen — Tracks II: The Lost Albums
  73. Carbon Leaf — Time is the Playground
  74. David Byrne — Who Is The Sky?
  75. Erykah Badu — Next To You
  76. Grey Gallows — ΣΑΝ ΤΗ ΝΥΧΤΑ (San ti nychta)
  77. Guided By Voices — Universe Room
  78. Larkin Poe — Bloom
  79. Lucy Dacus — Forever Is A Feeling
  80. MJ Lenderman — Manning Fireworks
  81. Peach Pit — Did You Love Somebody
  82. The Goo Goo Dolls — Summer Anthem
  83. The Heavy Heavy — Live
  84. Eddie 9V — Saratoga
  85. Alice Cooper — The Revenge Of Alice Cooper
  86. Waxahatchee — Tigers Blood
  87. The Nines — Echoes of Past Future
  88. The Len Price 3 — Misty Medway Magick
  89. Bon Iver — SABLE, fABLE
  90. Dire Straits — Brothers In Arms (40th Anniversary)
  91. Djo — The Crux
  92. Dropkick Murphys — For The People
  93. Dua Lipa — Radical Optimism
  94. Genesis — The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway (2025 Mix)
  95. Ivy — Traces of You
  96. Magdalena Bay — Imaginal Disk
  97. Malcolm Todd — Malcolm Todd
  98. Remi Wolf — Big Ideas
  99. The Chills — Spring Board: The Early Unrecorded Songs
  100. Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross — Challengers (Original Score)