CIMS WEEKLY CHARTS: WEEK ENDING 12/18/25 + YEAR END LISTS

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Hi Everyone,

As we close out another year and head into the holiday season, we want to extend a huge thanks to everyone who worked with us.

This year was a huge milestone as we celebrated 30 years of CIMS. Congrats to our stores. I raise a glass to our organization and everyone along the way who has been a part of making this journey possible. Thank you for your support throughout the years, and here is to many more!

I look forward to working with you all in the new year.

Have a wonderful holiday, and til then, here are the charts and some of our personal favorite albums this year.

Andrea

Andrea Paschal
Executive Director
Coalition of Independent Music Stores
ThinkIndie Distribution
3738 4th Terrace North
Birmingham, AL 35222
Phone: 205.595.1932 x.208
Fax: 205.595.1938
Email : andrea@cimsmusic.com
cimsmusic.com
#cimsmusic

ANDREA PASCHAL
CIMS/THINKINDIE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR


Andrea’s Favorite Albums of 2025  (in no particular order)

Pulp- More
Rosalía- Lux
Florence and the Machine- Everybody Scream
Geese- Getting Killed
Drop Nineteens- 1991
Polo & Pan- 22:22
Stereolab- Instant Holograms on Metal Film
Alabaster de Plume- A Blade because a blade is whole
Saya Gray- Saya
Berlioz- Open this Wall (this came out in 2024) but it was still one of my most listened to albums of 2025

LIZ BOGER
CIMS SALES & MARKETING


In no particular order:

Wet Leg/ Moisturizer
Japanese Breakfast/ For Melancholy Brunettes (& Sad Women)
Cardi B/ Am I the Drama?
Royal Otis/ Hickey
Haim/ I Quit
Balu Brigada/ Portal
Pool Kids/ Easier Said Than Done
Sombr/ I Barely Know Her
UFO/ UFOs (just a single, but it’s my fav song of 2025 and I can’t leave it off 🙃)

BLAKE WIMBERLY
CIMS/THINKINDIE SECRETARY OF WAR


Paul St. Hilaire- w/ The Producers (Kynant)
Chaos In The CBD- A Deeper Life (In Dust We Trust)
Barker- Stochastic Drift (Smalltown Supersound)
Stereolab- Instant Holograms On Metal Film (Warp)
J. Albert- Return To Sender
Unspecified Enemies- Romance In The Age of Adaptive Feedback (Numbers)
Johnny Nash- Once Was Ours Forever (Melody As Truth)
Al Wootton- Calvinist Hospitality (TRULE)
Red Axes- Promo Only 1 - WFSB Re-Edit (Jolly Jams)
kingkon2k11- Last Dance Before Dawn (Golden Triangles)

ASHLEY VASKE
CIMS/THINKINDIE ACCOUNTING

 

Favorite 2025 Albums:

Poliça- Dreams Go
The Cure- Mixes of a Lost World
Other Lives- Volume V
Florence + The Machine- Everybody Scream
Coeur De Pirate- Cavale
Haim- I Quit
Car Seat Headrest- The Scholars
Polo & Pan- 22:22
FKA Twigs- EUSEXUA
Ken Pomeroy- Cruel Joke
Neko Case- Neon Grey Midnight Green
Mdou Moctar- Tears of Injustice

SCOTT REGISTER
THINKINDIE A&R


For the first time since we began sending these lists out, I am doing something different from the Reg’s Baker’s Dozen I normally submit. Knew I was in trouble this go-round when I could reel off 15 albums that I immersed myself in this year. So, I'm taking a more traditional route and naming my Top 25 (in no particular order, but the first 10 -15 would be on a smaller list if I cut it down. Thanks to the music makers for giving the world a place to escape to, where they can connect to the world and gain perspective.

Rosalia - Lux - Columbia Records
Ken Pomeroy - Cruel Joke - Rounder Records
Kathleen Edwards - Billionaire - Dualtone
The Swell Season - Forward - Masterkey Sounds & Plateau Records
Florence & The Machine - Everybody Scream - Polydor/Republic Records
Pete Droge - Fadeaway Blue - Missing Piece Records
Geese - Getting Killed - Partisan Records
Wednesday - Bleeds - Dead Oceans
David Lowery - Fathers, Sons & Brothers - Cooking Vinyl
Brandi Carlile - Returning To Myself - Interscope/Lost Highway Records
James McMurtry - The Black Dog & The Wandering Boy - New West Records
Rachael Yamagata - Starlit Alchemy - Julian Records
Emily Hines - These Days - Keeled Scales
S.G. Goodman - Planting By The Signs - Thirty Tigers
Mavis Staples - Sad And Beautiful World - ANTI-
Wet Leg - moisturizer - Domino Recording Company
Andy Stochansky - Poetry Of Birds - ENCI Records
The Belair Lip Balms - Again - Third Man Records
Chance Pena - When I Change My My, I Don't Mean It - Columbia
Ben Kweller - Cover The Mirrors - The Noise Company
Royal Otis - Hickey - Ourness/Capitol
Tom Smith - There Is Nothing In The Dark That Isn't There In The Light- PIAS
Waylon Jennings - Songbird - Son Of Jessi
The Autumn Defense - Here and Now - Yep Roc Records
Lera Lynn - Comic Book Cowboy - Self-Released

RUSSELL COTHRAN
THINKINDIE SALES & MARKETING


26 For 25
Pulp- Spike Island
Tame Impala- End Of Summer
Mark Pritchard/Thom Yorke- This Conversation Is Missing Your Voice
Phiz- i lost my fkin mind/ If I Had Known
Tunde Adebimpe- Magnetic 
Momma- I Want You
FKA Twigs- Hard
The Dears- Tomorrow & Tomorrow
Clipse- Chain & Whips
Sharon Van Etten- Idiot Box
Tennis- Weight Of Desire
Hamilton Leithauser- Knockin’ Heart
Haim- Relationships
Tycho/Paul Banks- Boundary Rider
Geese- Taxes
Ethel Cain- Fuck Me Eyes
Sophia Stel- Everyone Falls Asleep In Their Own Time
Nine Inch Nails- As Alive As You Need Me To Be
Saya- Thus Is Why
2Hollis- Flash
Hannah Cohen- Earthstar
Wolf Alice- The Sofa
She’s Green- Graze
Idles- Rabbit Run
Guided By Voices- Lucy’s World
Ben Kweller/Flaming Lips- Killer Bee

Top Albums 
Pulp- More
The Dears- Life Is Beautiful Life Is Beautiful Life Is Beautiful
Clipse- Let God Sort Em Out
Tame Impala- Deadbeat
Stereolab- Instant Holograms On Metal Film
Nation Of Language- Dance Called Memory
Sharon Van Etten- Sharon Van Etten & the Attachment Theory
Mark Pritchard/Thom Yorke- Tall Tales
Tyler, The Creator- Don’t Tap The Glass
Tunde Adebimpe- Thee Black Boltz
M-83- Resurrection OST
Nine Inch Nails- Tron: Ares OST
Tennis- Face Down In The Garden

JOHNNIE SHANEYFELT
THINKINDIE WAREHOUSE


Hudson Freeman- is a Folk Artist
Geese- Getting Killed
Justin Bieber- SWAG
Justin Bieber- SWAG II
Tyler Childers- Snipe Hunter
BigXthaplug- Take Care
Deftones- Private Music
Between The Buried And Me- The Blue Nowhere
Mk.gee- Two Star and The Dream Police (2024)
Cameron Winter- Heavy Metal (2024)