It’s been an amazing year of music, with the likes of Taylor Swift, Sam Fender and Chappell Roan flying high in the charts.
It was a Brat Brit Awards, with Charli XCX taking home five trophies, while Kendrick Lamar won the same number of Grammy Awards.
In the UK it was the year of Sabrina Carpenter, whose Short N' Sweet is the biggest selling album of 2025 so far (although Taylor Swift is catching up every day with The Life of a Showgirl) and who performed a string of arena gigs to sold out audiences of delighted fans.
But it was Oasis who stole most of the headlines without releasing a single song, thanks to their huge sold-out stadium reunion tour.
Meanwhile, the critics had their own ideas about the artists of the year.
Here are their top 13 albums, according to ratings aggregator site Album of the Year.
Make sure you don't miss a moment of breaking news from across Scotland by signing up to our free newsletter here.
5. Annie & the Caldwells - Can't Lose My (Soul)
'Can't Lose My (Soul)', the debut studio album by American gospel soul group Annie and the Caldwells, earned a positive critical rating of 89 per cent. Released in March, its six songs tell stories of spiritual struggle, redemption and grace. | Contributed
6. Spiritbox - Tsunami Sea
Next up, with a critical rating of 89 out of 100 is 'Tsunami Sea', the second album from Canadian heavy metal band Spiritbox. Critics have described it as a "sonic assault". | Contributed
7. Heartworms - Glutton for Punishment
'Glutton for Punishment' is the debut album from Jojo Orme - known by her stage name of Heartworms, taken from The Shins album of the same name. The NME were among the publications to give the album five stars - helping it earn a critical rating of 89 per cent. | Contributed
8. Cardiacs - LSD
Originally meant to be released in 2008, Cardiac's sixth studio album 'LSD' was indefinitely postponed when frontman Tim Smith had a heart attack and stroke, leaving him unable to play or sing. Over more than a decade the lyrics and compositions were painstakenly established by Tim's family and friends communicating with him using eye signals and an alphabet board. The resultant album has been hailed one of the best of the year, with a critical rating of 89 per cent. | Contributed