Spring Awakening, after the break!
Revisit Part 1: "The Listened List for Winter '25 / '26" here!
The Listened List - Spring '26
Can you believe that 50 (!!!) new LPs, EPs, and Mixtapes from a variety of genres got our GOLD STICKER during this quarter?! (This is 50). That wasn't intentional. The truth is, I had no strategy beyond a desire to experience anything & everything I could during this period. And we did!
Many of my longtime favorites like Dermot Kennedy, Noah Kahan, Kacey Musgraves, The Boxer Rebellion, Future Islands, Jessie Ware, Vince Staples, Evanescence, and Olivia Rodrigo made spectacular returns... while others crashed and burned. We even made time for classics from Daughtry, Default, AAR, Paramore, Sara Bareilles, Michael Bublé, Michael Jackson, & Fall Out Boy while spending a good chunk of time absorbing iconic Japanese City Pop (especially Tomoko Aran) and exploring Coachella's latest roster like Underscores, Sombr, Sabrina Carpenter, and Nine Inch Noize... whom we saw live back in March!
This spring season felt exuberant and alive as our 2026 Soundtrack began to grow into something truly special. Here are all the albums that connected with this listener most...
My Spring 2026 Gold Sticker Recommendations!
(Spotify Album Stream links provided)
Don't be surprised if these Gold Stickers picks rank quite high in our Final 25!
You'll have to wait until 2026's conclusion to read how I truly feel. Sorry! Maybe I'm planning on writing about every Gold Sticker pick around then? In the biggest Favorite Albums countdown ever??? Sounds fun, right? (#spoilers)
This new series seriously upends my decades old tradition. For there's no more mystery hiding behind the scenes when December unveils itself. Everything I'm loving is totally out in the open for the first time ever. These are unprecedented times indeed. "Do I really need a Top 25 Countdown anymore?" Valid questions I keep mediating on.
I just hope you make time to experience all these fantastic albums... someday!
Below you'll find my entire "Listened List for Spring 2026". Pay no attention to that heavy metal season that happened. Those albums helped immensely when I needed them. Plus, I got to reconnect with Wage War. So Win-Win!
(And, just so you know, I had to revisit 'Donda' after listening to 'Bully' to clean my soul.)
Everything I Listened To This Quarter (In Order, w/ Typos - Cut Off on June 19th):
- 'ARIRANG' by BTS
- 'The Internet Killed The Neighborhood' by Marlon Craft
- 'This Music May Contain Hope' by Raye
- 'Everything Glows' by Cannons
- 'Bully' by Ye
- 'F.I.G' by Naomi Scott
- 'ADL' by Yeat
- 'Have U BN 2 Heaven @ Nite' by Kid Cudi
- 'Press Start' by Samurai Pizza Cats
- 'Spiritual Content' by Sunglaciers
- 'The Second I'm Asleep' by Boxer Rebellion
- 'Whatever's Clever' by Charlie Puth
- 'Trying Times' by James Blake
- 'The Weight of the Woods' by Dermot Kennedy
- 'Pleasure Seekers' by Takuya Nakamura
- 'My Lover' by Claire Rosinkranz
- 'Ska Showdown' by Tokyo Ska Paradise Orchestra
- 'Shin On' by Yuzu
- 'Big Mama EP' by Flying Lotus
- 'Do You Still Love Me?' BY Ella Mai
- 'Distracted' by Thundercat
- 'Urgh'by Mandy Indiana
- 'My Ghost Go Ghost' by BY Storm & Injury Reserve
- 'War Cash' by Crimeapple & Evidence
- 'Dreamcrush' by MOL
- 'I Guess U Had To Be There' by Elucid & Seeb Bash
- '656' by Roc Marciano
- 'The Mirror' by Buck Meek
- 'Doppelganger' by Peaer
- 'Filin' by Melissa Aldana
- 'An Undying Love for a Burning World' by Neurosis
- 'U' by underscores
- 'LeBron Flocka James 2k26' by Wakka Flokka Flame
- 'Overspace & Supertime' by Cryptic Shift
- 'The Long Goodbye' by the Twilight Sad
- 'Cononach' by Hellripper
- 'Love is Not Enough' by Converge
- 'Wor$t Girl in America' by Slayyyter
- 'Nine Inch Noize' by Nine Inch Nails & Boys Noize
- 'The Hard Way' by Cameron Whitcomb
- 'Deep Water EP' by Cameron Whitcomb
- 'Superbloom' by Jessie Ware
- 'VOLUMES: ONE (Live)' by Bon Iver
- 'Same Difference' by Swae Lee
- '1983' by Flying Lotus
- 'A Time for Love' by Stacey Kent
- 'Magnolia EP' by Paris91
- 'Assassin Creed: The Piano Collection' by Nicolas Horvath
- 'Push it EP' by Escaflowne
- 'Nail EP' by Yves
- 'Halo' by Tiffany Day
- 'The Great Divide' by Noah Kahan
- 'Michael (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)' by Michael Jackson
- 'Sacred II' by Jessica Baio
- 'The Great Impersonator (Deluxe)' by Halsey
- 'Middle of Nowhere' by Kacey Musgraves
- 'Sometimes He Comes Back' by Daniel Deluxe
- 'FENAN' by Kneecap
- 'Can We Hang Out Sometime' by Good Kid
- 'Mother Mary: Greatest Hits' by Anne Hathaway (Honorable Mention!!!)
- 'Beneath The Surface EP' by Seether
- 'Before I Forget (Deluxe)' by The Kid LAROI
- 'American Psycho EP' by Private Party & Ross Collins
- 'Kehlani' by Kehlani
- 'Romantice the Dive' by Metric
- 'The Ghost of a Future Dead' by At the Gates
- 'It Calls Me By Name EP' by Wage War
- 'The Valour Hour EP' by Yuna
- 'Beemer on Broadway' by CRIMEAPPLE
- 'The End is Not the End' by Atreyu
- 'Silence outlives the earth' by ERRA
- 'Habibti' by Drake
- 'Iceman' by Drake
- 'Maid of Honour' by Drake
- 'Broken View' by Sam Barber
- 'A shift in perspective ep' by Rezz
- 'Extraordinary' by Gareth Donkin
- ''Live at the Mohegan Sun' by Godsmack
- 'Movie' by Sofiane Pamart
- 'Time Was On Our Side' by Matt Jordan
- 'Amerika's Next Top Party (Extended Cut) by Partyof2
- 'From a Hole in the Floor to a Foundation of Youth' by Future Islands
- 'Little Wide Open' by Kevin Morby
- 'American Stories' by Rostam
- 'Everyone for ten minutes' by bleachers
- 'Florescence' by Maisie Peters
- 'Love is the new Gangsta ' by 6Lack
- 'HIPERSENTIMENTAL' by Jacinto
- 'Laziness EP' by LITA
- 'The Great Southern Trendkill (20th Anniversary Edition)' by Pantera
- 'Star Wars: The Mandolorian & Grogu (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)' by Ludwig Goransson
- 'EI8HT' by Shinedown
- 'Dancing on the Wall' by Muna
- 'Enter Sandman' by Walk Off the Earth
- 'Por Si Manana No Estoy' by Omar Courtz
- 'Omakase' by Alvaro Diaz
- 'Baby Love Cry EP' by Four Tet
- 'Shake Tape EP' by DRAM
- 'It's Been Awful' by Isaiah Rashad
- 'Z' by Skrilla
- 'Victory Garden' by Young the Giant
- 'E-Side 4' by Yoasobi
- 'Dear Jubilee...' by Various Artists
- 'K-Pops Soundtrack' by Various Artists
- 'Heavy Serenade' by NMIXX
- 'American Football (LP4)' by American Football
- 'Big Mama' by Latto
- 'Singing' by Gia Margaret
- 'Bakuretsu Aishiteru / Sukisugite METSU EP' by M!LK
- 'aRange' by Dish//
- 'Cry Baby' by Vince Staples
- 'So Much To Say EP' by Daisy Grenade
- 'Necropalace' by Worm
- 'A Light So Dim' by Ultha
- 'Dua Lipa - Live From Mexico' by Dua Lipa
- 'Sanctuary' by Evanescence
- 'People (doesnt equal) Possessions' by Lucy Clearwater
- 'Masters of the Universe (Original Soundtrack) by Danny Pemberton & Brian May
- 'Growing Pains (Deluxe)' by Trousdale [2025]
- 'you seem pretty sad for a girl so in love' by Olivia Rodrigo
- 'Dirty Blonde' by Bebe Rexha
- 'Ancient History' by Wiki
- 'Sir Render' by Navy Blue
- 'flow state' by Keith Urban
- 'What Happens in the Dark' by Black Market Heart
- 'Atmosphere' by Natalie Shay
- 'Dr*gs R Bad' by Lucki
- 'Mas Tempo Vol. 2 EP' by Skepta
- 'Louder, Then' by Alicia Waller
- 'U' by Baauer
- 'If We Could, We Would' by Gracie & Rachel
- 'Be About It' by Gemma
- "So Help Me God" by Kelsey Lu
- 'It Comes In Waves' by New Constellations
- 'Walnut Street' by A Box of Stars
- 'Tentey' by Sondaeblu
- 'Red Kachina' by Sondaeblu & The Niiji's
- 'Superclasico Vol 3' by Various Artists
- 'Hell's Kitchen Broadway (LA Cast)' by Various Artists
- 'Sakura' by Devin Morrison
- 'Experimental Rap' by JPEGMafia
- 'Bulldawg' by Kenny Mason
- 'Archangel' by Kettama
- 'Inferno' by Boards of Canada
Thanks for reading this far! Go listen to something new!
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