Amplifier’s long In Memoriam playlist honors musicians lost in 2025

Lindsay Zoladz’s Amplifier newsletter compiled an expansive In Memoriam playlist honoring musicians who died in 2025, calling it the longest such list she has made and a measure of the year’s losses. The roundup noted an eerie coincidence in June: Sly Stone died on June 9 and Brian Wilson on June 11, each aged 82.

Zoladz and critics reflected on parallels between the two — both led family bands, were hailed as musical geniuses and, in their best work, were described as “architects of joy.” The 20-track playlist spans genres and generations. It includes neo‑soul innovator D’Angelo; rock figures such as Ozzy Osbourne, Ace Frehley and Supertramp’s Rick Davies; singer‑songwriters Marianne Faithfull, Joe Ely and Todd Snider; and classic voices like Connie Francis and Roberta Flack.

Other artists featured range from reggae trailblazer Jimmy Cliff to vibraphonist Roy Ayers, Latin‑jazz pianist Eddie Palmieri and smooth‑jazz composer Chuck Mangione. The list also acknowledges contributors such as Sam Moore and guitarist Steve Cropper. Zoladz highlighted representative tracks — including Sly & the Family Stone’s “Dance to the Music,” the Beach Boys’ “God Only Knows,” D’Angelo’s “Devil’s Pie” and Roberta Flack’s “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face” — as entry points to the playlist.

The newsletter closes with a request for reader help: Zoladz asked subscribers to submit a song they discovered in 2025 and explain why, promising a reader‑curated installment early in 2026.

Key Topics

Culture, Lindsay Zoladz, Amplifier Newsletter, Sly Stone, Brian Wilson, D'angelo