Rough Trade Announce First Global Edition Of Albums Of The Year For 2025 12 Nov 2025
VIAGRA BOYS FIRST SELF-RELEASED ALBUM 'VIAGR ABOYS' TAKES NO.1 SPOT IN THE TOP 30 ALBUMS OF THE YEAR
ALSO FEATURING
OKLOU, PULP, TURNSTILE, HAYLEY WILLIAMS, CAMERON WINTER, CMAT, HOTWAX, GEESE, JEHNNY BETH, BON IVER, MATT BERNINGER + MANY MORE
LIMITED EDITION VINYL RELEASES EXCLUSIVELY FOR ROUGH TRADE, INCLUDING VIAGRA BOYS LEAD TITLE EXCLUSIVE + SHRIMP SESSIONS LP, OKLOU REMIX EP AND CAMERON WINTER LIVE 7" AND ROUGH TRADE EXCLUSIVE COLOURWAYS FROM HOTLINE TNT, TURNSTILE, CMAT + MORE
The first ever global edition of independent retailer Rough Trade's Top 30 Albums has today been announced.
Swedish post-punk powerhouse Viagra Boys take the top spot with viagr aboys, the band's first release on their own label, Shrimptech Enterprises, launched earlier this year. Formed in Stockholm in 2015 and made up of members from cult acts including Les Big Byrd, Pig Eyes and Nitad, the band have carved a reputation for their chaotic energy and razor-sharp satire. A self-reflective, semi-self-titled surrealist masterstroke, viagr aboys sees them embrace what they do best... taking on the absurdities of modern life with sardonic wit, dance-punk swagger and a surprising touch of introspection. From the pounding punk of Man Made of Meat to the melancholic piano ballad River King, it's an adrenaline-fuelled return that captures Viagra Boys at their most raw, unfiltered and brilliantly unpredictable.
Viagra Boys say:
Shrimptech Enterprises AB Official Communiqué; Viagra Boys (and/or affiliated shell companies) would like to extend our deepest gratitude towards Rough Trade for awarding viagr aboys with Album Of The Year 2025™.
Sales through all Rough Trade locations and online internet shops have been simply outstanding since its April 25th release, resulting in Shrimptech Enterprises AB stock soaring to stratospherical levels during Q2 and Q3 of the fiscal year.
Shrimptech Enterprises AB and Viagra Boys would like to extend our heartfelt gratitude to Rough Trade and all individuals who bought the record and thus saving us from inevitable bankruptcy due to ill informed investments in the horse medicine sector and/or various pending copyright infringements lawsuits. You will be awarded with Very Special Records and questionable merchandise in due time.
Best regards,
Shrimptech Enterprises AB Corporate Relations Division
Lawrence Montgomery, Managing Director, Rough Trade
"Rough Trade has enjoyed a strong year in 2025, marked by continued growth across all markets and the successful expansion of its global footprint. The highlight was the opening of Rough Trade Below in New York City, a purpose-built retail and live space tucked beneath our Rockefeller Center store. The new venue has quickly become a focal point for the city's independent music scene and another step in our mission to bring artists and fans face-to-face.
Across our stores and event spaces, Rough Trade hosted more than 1,500 live events worldwide this year, from intimate in-stores to landmark album launches and international tours. Vinyl sales jumped by more than 20% year-on-year, underscoring the enduring and expanding appeal of physical music culture. It all comes back to what we care about most: community, curation, and discovering music together."
Emily Waller, Global Head of Brand and Content
"What makes Viagra Boys so special is that their vision is entirely their own. In the seven years since we first got behind them, they've never wavered from that authentic path, owning it with a commitment to their music and their fanbase that feels rare and vital. For that, our Rough Trade community has thanked them again and again. In 2025, it earns them the crown."
The list reflects a sharp focus on independent and genre-pushing artists, with a strong UK–US core and a standout European export presence, led by Viagra Boys. Alongside UK favourites such as Pulp, Black Country, New Road and Lambrini Girls, the list features US names including Turnstile, Samia, Bon Iver and Hayley Williams, alongside European acts like Jehnny Beth, Smerz, Brutalismus 3000 and Buntspecht.
Spanning indie, post-punk, experimental electronic and credible pop spotlighting artists who shape culture through creative influence rather than mainstream dominance. Many are signed to independent labels or maintain a fiercely independent identity, underscoring Rough Trade's role as the tastemaker in alternative music. Together, these artists reflect a vibrant cross-section of the most relevant and exciting music today.
To celebrate the Top 30 list, a selection of artists have partnered with Rough Trade to release exclusive vinyl variants available through Rough Trade Stores, including Viagra Boys Lead Title Exclusive + Shrimp Sessions Lp, Oklou Remix Ep, Bon Iver 200 copies of SABLE, fABLE photography zine, with 50 signed at random, Cameron Winter Live 7" ft. Try As I May and The Rolling Stones recorded live at St. John's Lutheran Church, and various colour variants LPs from Hotline TNT, Turnstile, Geese, CMAT and many more.
Ahead of its 50th anniversary in 2026, this year has been a landmark year for Rough Trade, highlighted by the launch of its first-ever global Album of the Year list. With seven stores across the UK, one in Berlin, and two in New York, including a new location at Rockefeller Center complementing the existing store at 1250 6th Avenue, the retailer continues to grow its international presence. Alongside thriving UK, US and EU web stores and a series of pop-up activations, Rough Trade's expansion shows no sign of slowing. Last year also saw the successful opening of two new UK locations: one in Liverpool and another on London's legendary Denmark Street.
Across its venues and event spaces, Rough Trade hosted more than 1,500 live events worldwide in the past year, ranging from intimate in-stores to landmark album launches and international tours. Vinyl sales rose by over 20% year-on-year, underlining the enduring and growing appeal of physical product.
Albums of the Year 2025 Top 30 + Vinyl Exclusives
Available in-store and online at roughtrade.com
1. Viagra Boys – viagr aboys
Rough Trade Exclusive viagr aboys tri-colour LP
Rough Trade Exclusive Shrimp Sessions IV LP
Rough Trade Exclusive t-shirt
Limited Edition Signature Brew bespoke beer (UK only)
2. Oklou – Choke Enough
Rough Trade Exclusive Choke Enough clear LP
Rough Trade Exclusive Choke Enough Expansion Pack dark green full-length remix EP
3. Pulp – More
Rough Trade Exclusive Man Comes Around 3-track 12"
Joint 4. Cameron Winter – Heavy Metal
Rough Trade Exclusive Heavy Metal light blue/white splatter LP + exclusive live 7" ft. Try As I May and The Rolling Stones recorded live at St. John's Lutheran Church
Joint 4. Geese – Getting Killed
Rough Trade Exclusive Getting Killed cream/red splatter LP + exclusive live 7" ft. 100 Horses and Half Real recorded at the Rough Trade out-store at The George Tavern, London
5. Turnstile – Never Enough
Rough Trade Exclusive neon green LP
6. Black Country, New Road - Forever Howlong
Rough Trade Exclusive Forever Howlong Demos: Live at the Cornish Bank LP
7. Samia – Bloodless
Rough Trade Exclusive Bloodless glittery black LP
with Bloodless Tour Live From First Avenue CD, includes 12-panel fold-out poster
8. Jason Isbell – Foxes In The Snow
Rough Trade Exclusive Jason Isbell: Live in Dublin LP
9. Caroline – Caroline 2
Rough Trade Exclusive not everything needs to even out 12"
10. Hayley Williams – Ego Death At A Bachelorette Party
Rough Trade Exclusive Ego Death At A Bachelorette Party mirtazapine teal splash LP
11. Saint Etienne – International
Rough Trade Exclusive International signed test pressing LP
12. Bon Iver – SABLE, fABLE
200 copies of SABLE, fABLE photography zine, with 50 signed at random by the artist
13. CMAT – Euro-Country
Limited Edition Euro-Country pink yolk in clear vinyl LP
14. Lemonheads – Love Chant
Limited Edition Love Chant picture disc
Rough Trade Exclusive 2 Weeks In Australia 2 live LP
15. Lambrini Girls – Who Let The Dogs Out
Rough Trade Exclusive SLUTCORE VERSION FOR KIDS WHO CAN'T READ GOOD white vinyl with Live at Brixton Electric CD LP
16. HotWax – Hot Shock
Rough Trade Exclusive Live at Rough Trade East LP
17. Saya Gray – Saya
Rough Trade Exclusive LP of unreleased demos and new tracks
18. Hotline TNT – Raspberry Moon
Rough Trade Exclusive Raspberry Moon acai green tea LP with alternate sleeve
19. Say She She – Cut and Rewind
Rough Trade Exclusive Larger Than Live! EP ft. covers
20. Jensen McRae – I Don't Know How But They Found Me
Rough Trade Exclusive I Don't Know How But They Found Me sky blue LP + bonus flexi disc
21. Clipse – Let God Sort Em Out
Rough Trade Exclusive pink deluxe LP
22. Brutalismus 3000 – Goodbye Salo
Rough Trade Exclusive 12" of remixes
23. Jehnny Beth – You Heartbreaker, You
Rough Trade Exclusive Live at Rough Trade East 12"
24. Tropical Fuck Storm – Fairyland Codex
Rough Trade Exclusive Fairyland Codex fairyland frost LP
Rough Trade Exclusive Live at 3RRR FM LP
25. Matt Berninger – Get Sunk
Rough Trade Exclusive Get Sunk white/blue marbled LP+ bonus X-RAY flexi disc ft. Bonnet Of Pins
26. YHWH Nailgun – 45 Pounds
45 Pounds LP + Rough Trade Exclusive bonus flexi disc ft. live recording of Hawk
27. Smerz – Big City Life
Rough Trade Exclusive Big City Life pink LP
28. Annahstasia – Tether
Rough Trade Exclusive Tether black silk LP + bonus flexi disc ft. Sunday
29. Quadeca – Vanisher, Horizon Scraper
Rough Trade Exclusive Vanisher, Horizon Scraper LP + bonus flexi disc ft. Melisa
30. Buntspecht – Konstrukt 5
Rough Trade Exclusive Konstrukt 5 green and grey splatter LP + bonus live CD
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THE HEADLINES
Music discovery: More channels, more problems (see Reports)
The 10 biggest AI music stories of 2025 (see Features)
Do pop stars write their own hits—and if not, who does? (see Analysis)
TikTok unveils its Year in Music Report (see Digital)
Coldplay, U2, Ed Sheeran named most popular touring artists of the millennium (see News)
King Gizzard, having pulled music from Spotify in protest, find genAI clones on the platform (see Digital)
UK parliamentarians join call to regulate most powerful AI systems (see News)
Martin Mills is trying to thwart a record industry takeover by Universal (see Features)
IMPF says members should reject AI deals that do not value songs properly (see News)
Which songs do we replay the most? (see Analysis)
Spotify Wrapped 2025 goes live (see Digital)
Daddy Yankee files lawsuit against former manager and third parties for alleged royalty scheme (see News)
EU touring: Impact of Brexit worsening, says UK Music report (see Reports)
ORCA released a report analysing the economic investments and social impact of nine leading independent record labels (see Reports)
Jorja Smith’s label requests share of royalties from ‘AI-cloned’ song (see News)