And now we turn our attention to 2026 with Stereogum’s annual preview of what we’re excited to hear next year. This time I’ve broken the list into sections to provide context around which inclusions are realistic. The usual ground rules apply: no reissues, deluxes, live albums, EPs, or maxi-singles (even if they have 11 tracks).
First up are 50 already announced LPs selected from hundreds already available to pre-order. These albums, ordered chronologically, are highlighted because they’re great (Stereogum has heard most of them!) or because we are very curious if they’re great. They all have titles and release dates and, aside from A$AP Rocky, we have no reason to believe they won’t come out when promised.
Then you’ll find a much longer list of educated guesses, presented alphabetically. These albums have not been scheduled for release, but we’re anticipating them because we heard artists tease them, were deafened by industry whispers, or read the tea leaves. I didn’t pull the names out of nowhere, but not all of them guaranteed new records.
The next section contains some wishful thinking. They’re albums that have been speculated about, in some cases for a very long time, and they’re especially why this article is broken into sections. It would be silly to imply Masochism and King Gizzard LP28 are on equal footing and it only took a decade for this feature to address that. Chappell Roan goes in this sub-list because she told Vogue that her second album is probably going to take five years. I do not think it will take five years, but I’m not about to call Chappell Roan a liar on this website. I needed some evidence to include an act here and it had to be more than a new LLP.
And that’s 200 albums!
“What about Drake’s Iceman?” said none of you. A bonus section at end of this post contains a mix of announced and rumored new releases that you may find notable, even if I personally don’t necessarily expect to enjoy them (prove me wrong, Charles Puth). I have not heard any. If they come, I will check them out because it’s my job. Your hungies may vary.
The three best albums of 2025 were all on the last Most Anticipated, so read closely. (For an amusing blast from the past, you can also check out Stereogum’s album preview from 2006.) Check out the list below and tell me *Iceman voice* what did I miss?
SCHEDULED
1/9
Zach Bryan With Heaven On Top
Dry Cleaning Secret Love
Winged Wheel Desert So Green
Jenny On Holiday Quicksand Heart
1/16
A$AP Rocky DON’T BE DUMB
Jana Horn Jana Horn
Julianna Barwick & Mary Lattimore Tragic Magic
Peaer Doppelganger
Sassy 009 Dreamer+
1/23
Ari Lennox Vacancy
Lucinda Williams World’s Gone Wrong
PVA No More Like This
1/30
Joyce Manor I Used To Go To This Bar
Lande Hekt Lucky Now
Plantoid Flare
Softcult When A Flower Doesn’t Grow
Stabbing Eon Of Obscenity
Yumi Zouma No Lost Love To Kindness
2/6
Daphni Butterfly
Dirt Buyer Dirt Buyer III
Mandy, Indiana URGH
Puscifer Normal Isn’t
Ratboys Singin’ To An Empty Chair
Ulrika Spacek EXPO
2/13
Angel Du$t Cold 2 The Touch
Danny L Harle Cerulean
Cardinals Masquerade
Charli XCX Wuthering Heights
Converge Love Is Not Enough
PONY Clearly Cursed
Remember Sports The Refrigerator
Worm Necropalace
2/20
Lucid Express Instant Comfort
Peaches‘ No Lube So Rude
2/27
Bill Callahan My Days Of 58
Cootie Catcher Something We All Got
Crooked Fingers Swet Deth
GENA (Liv.e & Karriem Riggins) The Pleasure Is Yours
Gorillaz The Mountain
Lala Lala Heaven 2
Nothing A Short History Of Decay
3/6
Hater Mosquito
3/13
NO/MÁS No Peace
Sweet Pill Still There’s A Glow
The Notwist News From Planet Zombie
3/20
Footballhead Weight Of The Truth
Ladytron Paradises
3/27
Tigers Jaw Lost On You
4/3
Makthaverskan Glass And Bones
4/10
gobbinjr crystal rabbit moon
EDUCATED GUESSES
@
2hollis
aespa
Aldous Harding
Alex Lahey
Alexis Taylor
American Football
Arctic Monkeys
At The Gates
Basement
Beth Orton
Beyoncé ACT III
Big Thief
Boldy James & Futurewave The Pop Catcher
Bosse-de-Nage
Brennan Wedl
Bruce Springsteen
Buck Meek
Carly Rae Jepsen
Coalesce
Crippling Alcoholism
Denzel Curry, ULTRAGROUND, & Working On Dying Strictly 4 Da Scythe
Doechii
Dream Unending
Fcukers
Final Gasp
fish narc
Flying Lotus
GloRilla
Gojira
Harry Styles
IDK Even The Devil Smiles
Immolation
Interpol
Isaiah Rashad All My Heroes Are Junkies [working title]
James Blackshaw
Joanna Sternberg
Julia Jacklin
Kehlani
Kim Gordon
Kim Petras Detour
King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard
Lana Del Rey Lasso The Right Person Will Stay Classic Stove
Laurel Halo
Lindsey Buckingham
Local Natives
Madonna Confessions On A Dancefloor Part 2
Maria BC
Massive Attack
Mastodon
Mitski
Mk.gee
MUNA
Normani
Olivia Rodrigo
Paul McCartney
Phoebe Bridgers
Protomartyr
RAYE
Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever
Rostam American Stories
Sam Fender
Show Me The Body
Shudder To Think
Snail Mail
Sweeping Promises
Terror Still Suffer
The 1975 DOGS [working title]
The Avalanches
The Chisel
The Cure
The Flaming Lips
The Internet
The Roots End Game
The Shins
The War On Drugs
Tori Amos In Times Of Dragons
Tove Lo
Tripping Daisy
Triptykon
U2
Victoria Monét
Weyes Blood
Yard Act
youbet
COULD BE 2026, COULD BE 2036
Bad Religion
Brian Wilson‘s Cows In The Pasture, recorded in 1970
Cake‘s first album since 2011
Car Colors‘ debut album
Chappell Roan‘s second album
Courtney Love‘s first album since 2010
D’Angelo‘s posthumous album
Frank Ocean‘s first album since 2016
Janet Jackson‘s Black Diamond [working title]
Joanna Newsom‘s first album since 2015
King Diamond Saint Lucifer’s Hospital 1920
LCD Soundsystem
Michael Stipe‘s solo album
Modest Mouse
My Bloody Valentine‘s first album since 2013
Nine Inch Nails‘ next non-soundtrack album
Rihanna‘s first album since 2016
Sky Ferreira Masochism
Slipknot‘s Look Outside Your Window, recorded in 2008
Solange
Soundgarden‘s final album
Taylor Swift‘s Reputation (Taylor’s Version)
The Highwomen
The Hot Boys‘ reunion album
The Strokes
Toadies‘ The Charmer
Tool
ALSO
4 Non Blondes‘ reunion album
As I Lay Dying
BTS‘ post-military service comeback album
Charlie Puth‘s Whatever’s Clever! (3/6)
Def Leppard
DJ Khaled‘s Aalam Of God
Drake‘s Iceman
Ed Sheeran‘s Rewind
Faces‘ reunion album
Gen Z Black Flag‘s debut album
Grimes
Gunna & Offset‘s collaborative album
King Crimson‘s first album since 2003
Limp Bizkit
Lizzo‘s possibly shelved Love In Real Life
Megadeth‘s final album Megadeth (1/23)
Meghan Trainor‘s Toy With Me (4/26)
Ministry‘s final album, with Paul Barker back in the group
Morrissey‘s You’re Right, It’s Time
Noah Kahan
Playboi Carti‘s BABY BOI [working title]
Robbie Williams‘ Britpop (2/6)
Shaboozey
Sublime Till The Sun Explodes
The Rolling Stones
Tiësto
Vinnie Vincent Invasion Judgement Day Guitarmageddon
