In The Loop Magazine’s ‘Best of 2025’ Edition

Dec 23, 2025 admin_bitlc Features, Music News, Reviews 0

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It’s that time of year again! Here’s our opinions and thoughts on what was the best in live music, concerts and events that happened in 2025.

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James Currie

For me, it was a mixed year. Some new music was discovered, some amazing concerts were witnessed and a few albums that are in regular rotation made my ‘Best Of’ list.

Best albums of 2025 (in no particular order)

• Peter Criss – self titled (2025)
• Wolf Alice – The Clearing
• Turnstile – Never Enough
• Deftones – Private Music
• Geese – Getting Killed
• Wet Leg – Moisturizer
• Jeff Tweedy – Bleeds
• The Horrors – Night Life
• Death In Vegas – Death Mask
• King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard – Phantom Island
• Sleep Token – Even in Arcadia
• Health – Conflict DLC
• Daisychain – Daisychain
• Finitribe – The Sheer Action of Fini Tribe

Best concerts of 2025 (in no particular order)

• Wet Leg – North American Moisturizer Tour at Salt Shed
• Billy Corgan –  A Night of Mellon Collie and Infinite Sadness at Lyric Opera
• Queens of the Stone Age – The Catacombs Tour at Chicago Theatre
• Squirrel Nut Zippers – Christmas Caravan Tour at Park West
• Teatro Zinzanni – at Hotel Cambria
• Martin Atkins Presents: Extremeties at Reggies
• Riot Fest 2oth Anniversary – Douglas Park
• Kula Shaker: North American Tour at Bottom Lounge
• Simple Minds: Alive and Kicking Tour 2025 – Northerly Island
• Nick Cave: The Wild God Tour – Salt Shed
• Graham Lesh & Friends (opening night of the club) – Garcia’s Chicago
• Black Sabbath (Back to the Beginning) (livestream) – Villa Park Burmingham, UK
• Grace Jones – Ravinia

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Kelly Clausen

I didn’t go to as many shows as I would have liked to but the ones I saw were pretty great. Here are my top concerts and events of 2025.

• Teatro Zinzanni – at Hotel Cambria
• Squirrel Nut Zippers – Christmas Caravan Tour at Park West
• Simple Minds: Alive and Kicking Tour 2025 – Northerly Island
• Iggy Pop – Salt Shed
• Japanese Breakfast – Salt Shed
• Third Eye Blind – Brookfield Roaring Nights (Brookfield Zoo)
• Windy City Smokeout – United Center

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Harrison Kristoff

Best Concerts 0f 2025

• Buckethead – Des Plaines Theatre
• Old Crow Medicine Show – Genesee Theatre
• Deftones – United Center
• Underworld – Radius
• AC/DC – Soldier Field
• The Black Crowes – Ravinia
• Linkin Park – United Center
• Oasis – Soldier Field
• Nine Inch Nails – United Center
• Paul McCartney – United Center

Best Albums of 2025

• Skrillex – Fuck U Skillex You Think Ur Andy Warhol But Ur Not!
• Deftones – Private Music
• Wet Leg – Moisturizer
• Thom York & Mark Pritchard – Tall Tales
• Pulp – More
• Horsegirl – Phonetics On and On
• Turnstile – Never Enough
• Geese – Getting Killed
• Wednesday – Bleeds

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• Best albums of 2025, Best concerts of 2025, Best live 2025, Best of, Best of 2025, Best of Chicago 2025

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