About this episode

The episode features a roundtable discussion on the best music of 2025 and the trends that shaped the year.

The Slate Music Club returns, in this special year-end edition of Hit Parade’s The Bridge! Host Chris Molanphy joins New York Times pop music critic Lindsay Zoladz , and Julianne Escobedo Shepherd of Hearing Things in a critics’ roundtable led by Slate’s own Carl Wilson. They discuss their favorite albums and singles, as well as the trends that shaped music in 2025. Among this year’s big musical questions: Have we reached peak Bad Bunny yet? Did those animated Demon Hunters reinvent K-pop? Are Geese the saviors of rock, or just muppets with guitars? Is hip-hop ready to move on from Kendrick and Drake? Plus: Rosalia, Water for Your Eyes, Gaga, Wednesday—and of course, Taylor Swift. Note: Slate Plus members can hear this special episode in full. Ad-supported listeners will hear the first half. Want to hear the whole discussion? Sign up for Slate Plus! Unlock monthly early-access episodes, bonus episodes of “The Bridge,” and ad-free listening across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Visit slate.com/hitparadeplus to get access wherever you listen. Podcast production by Kevin Bendis. Don’t miss the rest of this year’s Slate Music Club episode! Become a Slate Plus member! Join for…

More episodes of Hit Parade | Music History and Music Trivia

• The Queen of Disco Edition Part 1 (Encore) · April 10, 2026 · 31 min
• Feet on the Ground, Reaching for the Stars Edition Part 2 · March 27, 2026 · 52 min
• Feet on the Ground, Reaching for the Stars Edition Part 1 · March 20, 2026 · 56 min
• Country Roads and Summer Nights Edition Part 2 · February 27, 2026 · 55 min
• Country Roads and Summer Nights Edition Part 1 · February 13, 2026 · 1h 4m
• Starman to Blackstar Edition Part 2 · January 30, 2026 · 57 min

Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the Hit Parade | Music History and Music Trivia podcast page.