Which albums are turning 25 in 2025?

In late ‘90s and early 2000s, pop music was all the rage and Britney Spears was right at the forefront of it. Just a year after releasing her debut …Baby One More Time, Spears returned with Oops!...I Did It Again. The album featured hit singles such as “Lucky,” “Stronger,” and the titular track, and it helped Spears win the Billboard Music Award for Artist of the Year. 

Just two years after releasing their third album Aquemini, hip-hop duo Outkast returned with their fourth album Stankonia. The album included hit singles like “B.O.B.,” “So Fresh, So Clean,” and “Ms. Jackson,”—a track that earned the group their first No. 1 hit on the Billboard Hot 100. Stankonia ended up winning a Grammy Award for Best Rap Album. 

Nelly Furtado came onto the scene and took over radio airwaves with her debut album Whoa, Nelly. The album blended elements of pop, trip-hop, and rock, as it garnered four singles including her smash hits “I’m Like a Bird” and “Turn Off the Light.” Furtado’s “I’m Like a Bird” earned her a Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance. 

Just three years after releasing her Live album, Erykah Badu returned in 2000 with Mama’s Gun. Her smooth vocals and neo-soul sound shine on singles like “Didn’t Cha Know” and “Bag Lady.” Mama’s Gun became a top 20 hit on the Billboard 200 chart. 

Two years after releasing her previous album Ray of Light, pop legend Madonna returned with her eighth album Music. It garnered three singles including “Don’t Tell Me,” “What It Feels Like For a Girl,” and the titular track. At this point in her career, Madonna still showcases her superstar status in the pop world, the album was 4x platinum within ten days of its release. 

Jill Scott is the type of singer whose smooth vocals make for an easy listening. At the beginning of her career, she was already working in the Philadelphia music scene, but she was introduced to the world in 2000 with her debut album Who Is Jill Scott? Words and Sounds Vol. 1. It helped recognize her as one of neo-soul’s rising stars with singles like “Gettin’ In The Way,” “A Long Walk,” and “The Way.” 

Riding the success from his sophomore album The Slim Shady LP, Eminem kept the ball rolling a year later with The Marshall Mathers EP. This album helped catapult his status to another level thanks to his singles “The Real Slim Shady,” “The Way I Am,” and “Stan.” Not only did the album become one of Eminem’s best-selling works but it also won a Grammy Award for Best Rap Album. 

Since the mid-90s, D’Angelo was a rising star in the neo-soul world, but it was his sophomore studio album Voodoo that helped establish his sound even more. Some of the album’s hit singles include “Left & Right,” “Send It On,” and “Untitled (How Does It Feel).” The latter won a Grammy Award for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance, and the album won for Best R&B Album.

Pop music and boy bands were literally everywhere in the year 2000, and *NSYNC pushed themselves to superstar status even further with their album No Strings Attached. The group inspired dances everywhere with the music videos for their hit songs “Bye Bye Bye” and “It’s Gonna Be Me.” No Strings Attached became the best-selling album of the year. 

After an eight-year hiatus, English band Sade released their fifth album Lover’s Rock. Unlike their previous projects that were mostly jazz and quiet storm-based in sound, this time around, the band focused more on soul, reggae, and pop. Lover’s Rock included hit singles “King of Sorrow” and “By Your Side.” 

Alternative rock band Linkin Park came onto the scene in 2000 with their debut album Hybrid Theory. They were always the type of band in which their videos were in heavy rotation on TV channels like MTV and VH1. The album garnered four singles including “One Step Closer,” “Crawling,” and their signature smash “In The End.”

Following the success of her self-titled debut album, Mýa returned two years later with her sophomore album Fear of Flying. This time around, she wanted to expand her sound by working with different producers such as Rodney Jerkins, Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, Christopher “Tricky” Stewart,” Swizz Beatz, and more. She teamed up with rapper Jadakiss on the album’s lead single “Best of Me,” and then followed up with her dance track “Case of the Ex.” 

P!nk may be known as a singer in the pop-rock realm, however, she started her career in the R&B world with her debut album Can’t Take Me Home. The R&B elements were heavy as she worked with notable songwriters and producers such as Kandi Burruss, Kevin “She’kspere” Briggs, Christopher “Tricky” Stewart, and Babyface to name a few. The album garnered three singles including “There You Go” and “Most Girls.” 

While ‘90s hip-hop became more popular with rappers from the West, East, and South, rapper Nelly turned rap fans' focus onto the Midwest with his debut album Country Grammar. Not only did he have his own sound, but he had a style that wasn’t like rappers from other regions. In addition to his debut single “Country Grammar,” he followed up with three other hit tracks with “E.I.,” “Batter Up,” and the smooth song “Ride With Me.” 

In 2000, rock band U2 released their tenth album All That You Can Leave Behind. The album garnered four singles including “Elevation” and their smash hit “Beautiful Day.” Every single won multiple Grammy Awards, and the album won for Best Rock Album. 

In 2000, the world was introduced to soulful singer Musiq Soulchid with his debut album Aijuswanaseing. Whether he was trying to impress a potential partner on his single “Just Friends,” or highlighting the love people have for higher beings on his single “Love,” it’s the type of album that R&B and neo-soul fans adore.  

Carl Thomas was the newest signee to Bad Boy Records when he released his debut album Emotional. While his first single “Summer Rain” saw solid success,” it was his second single “I Wish” that truly broke Thomas through to mainstream audiences. The song might have lyrically told the story of two people in a situationship, but the track propelled Thomas to a top 20 hit on the Billboard Hot 100. 

In the late ‘90s, rock band Coldplay was building up their momentum with a couple of EPs, but it was in 2000 when they released their debut studio album Parachutes that helped put them on a mainstream radar. While the album garnered four singles, it was their second single “Yellow” that became their first big hit. The track peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard Adult Alternative Songs chart. 

Three years after his previous album One Day It’ll All Make Sense, rapper Common returned with his fourth album Like Water for Chocolate. In typical Common form, the rapper keeps with a conscious rap sound. The album garnered three singles including the smash hit “The Light.” 

Following the success of his sophomore album All That I Am, R&B singer Joe returned three years later with his third album My Name Is Joe. In typical Joe form, he’s a master at making ballads like his single “I Wanna Know,” but he also blends R&B and hip-hop on his hit song “Stutter.” 

Following the success of his previous self-titled album that pushed him into American audiences, Ricky Martin followed up with his next album Sound Loaded. The lead single was the dance-heavy track “She Bangs,”  followed up by a smooth duet alongside pop princess Christina Aguilera with “Nobody Wants To Be Lonely.” 

From the late ‘90s to the early 2000s, gospel music started to change by adding in more elements of R&B. It was no different when sister duo Mary Mary came onto the scene with their debut album Thankful. The lead single “Shackles (Praise You)” was produced by Warryn Campbell, who’s been known to work with R&B artists such as Brandy, Kelly Price, Alicia Keys, and more. 

Rock band 3 Doors Down came onto the scene in 2000 with their debut album The Better Life. The album garnered three singles including “Be Like That,” “Loser,” and their smash hit “Kryptonite.” 

By the time Snoop Dogg released his fifth album The Last Meal, he already established himself as a rapper from the West Coast who helped usher in the g-funk sound. He worked with Timbaland on the lead single “Snoop Dogg (What’s My Name Part 2)” and then worked with his frequent collaborator Dr. Dre on the follow-up track “Lay Low.” The Last Meal peaked at No. 4 on the Billboard 200. 

Following the success of her 1998 sophomore album Some Things I Know, country singer Lee Ann Womack returned with her third album I Hope You Dance. While the album garnered four singles, it was the titular track that helped her crossover with country and adult contemporary charts. On the track, Womack lyrically hopes for a better future for children.