The best music of 2025

What were the best and biggest music moments of 2025? Teeks at the Auckland Town Hall? Singing along to Chappell Roan's The Subway? Joining nearly 300,000 music fans at Spain's biggest music festival? Some of RNZ's music experts weigh in with their picks from a big year in music.

Picking a favourite song to sum up an incredible year of music releases is impossible, but Tipuna Rakau from Geneva AM’s album Pikipiki has been on high rotate for me. An 80s-inspired, disco-infused te reo Māori track that speaks to the legacy of our ancestors and where we come from. It's a banger. - Kara Rickard, Music 101 Presenter

I have a few friends who expect me to pretty much only like classical music so I like to surprise them now and again, either with my other love for country music (blame it on my banjo-playing American uncle, the one related to Patsy Cline!) or great female vocalists like Chappell Roan. I think The Subway just plays to the great range in Chappell’s voice. - Andrew Clark, RNZ Concert Mornings Presenter

UK producer Tom Kerridge’s heartfelt tribute to a loved one will resonate with many who have experienced loss and heartbreak in 2025. While a subtle kick drum and baseline drive things, it’s the ethereal harmonies of The Gospel of Thomas & The Voices of Epoch entwined with shimmering chords and acid tones that bring an empowering feeling of reflection and hope. - Zen Yates-Fill, RNZ Music Co-ordinator

Pivoting from dance music to ‘digital rock’, expat producer Eden Burns’ And the Make Believers mixes post-punk melodies with a modern palette to great effect. Exuberant throughout, tracks like ‘Goodbye Jingle’ are particularly smile-inducing despite being mostly vocal-free. - Tony Stamp, Music 101 producer

The 2010s called, they said this tune goes hard. Time really is a flat circle, all the things we once thought were just a trending, fleeting moment, are proving to be a little more timeless. Listening to this single will transport you back to watching a trailer to the first Twilight film. - So'omalo Iteni Schwalger, Multi-Media Producer

The fourth studio album from The Beths is all hits, no skips for me. A record that you can just as easily cry to or listen to while out for a run. It's a bit of an emotional rollercoaster but I love the steady glow of hope beneath every track and the belief that even in the messiness, doing your best is always enough. - KR

Taking cues from Sun Ra, Alice Coltrane and Azymuth, Circling Sun tap into a cosmic energy, drawing on deep wells of improvisation and soul that seem to exist outside of time and space. Brazilian and Afro rhythms sit front and centre, layering hypnotic patterns beneath heavenly gospel arrangements, creating a choral cadence that lifts the spirit and sends you drifting toward the stars. - Z Y-F

The second album by multi-hyphenate Wellington artist MĀ addressed some serious topics (the climate crisis among them), but did so with an abundance of charm, warmth, and a healthy sense of humour. The grooves are irresistible, and her voice is as inviting as ever, guiding listeners through some turbulent waters with ease. - TS

Given I’m Scottish, we decided to start a 'Celtic Corner' with folk music from Scotland, Ireland and beyond, to offer more variety to listeners on the RNZ Concert Mornings programme.

The audience love Julie’s voice when she sings in the Gaelic language, especially the Eriskay Love Lilt which is on this album. She has such a haunting voice anyway but this really showcases the beauty of one of the oldest languages in Scotland. - AC

Primavera Sound is one of the most inclusive and thoughtful events I’ve ever attended. From the outset, the atmosphere was electric and intentional. Ninety-minute sets were the norm, so artists and punters (nearly 295,000 of us) could really settle into a show. The set times, alongside the 311 performances, created a stacked line up and a delightfully difficult list to cherry pick from. My top three were LCD Soundsystem, Kim Deal and Caribou, all artists I never thought I would get to see play live and were equally brilliant. - Maggie Tweedie, On The Air presenter

After a break from performing in NZ, Teeks returned for a one-off show at the Auckland Town Hall. Even though it was sold out it felt surprisingly intimate. I’ve never seen a crowd so captivated. There were tears, a standing ovation and a haka tautoko which felt like the most perfect way to end the night. - KR

A glorious homecoming for one of NZ’s best bands in celebration of their 20-odd-years-in-the-making LP Something Good is Happening, this show was something special. I don’t think I’ve ever seen so many people sing along so enthusiastically, classic tunes and new favourites alike. - TS

Getting to see Russian pianist Daniil Trifonov playing Rachmaninov’s Piano Concerto Number 3 was incredible. When he walked on the stage though, there were audible gasps from audience members as he looked like he’d just woken up. He also had very long hair which, when he started playing, also seemed to cover his eyes at times. Recently I met a young pianist in Vienna recently, Lukas Sternath, who told me that “when you play as well as Trifonov you don't need to see the keyboard!” - AC