2025 was quite a year, filled with returns from seasoned vets, staggering debuts, and surprise rollouts that just kept getting better. That said, we can’t wait to see how the next 12 months unfold. We’ve already been promised a new Slipknot album — an experimental turn that the band originally recorded in 2008 — and releases from Poppy, Joyce Manor, and Angel Du$t aren’t too far away either. Given that it’s the start of the year, we asked our readers to vote on their most anticipated albums of 2026. Their answers had us considering everything that we have to look forward to. Find the top fan picks ranked below.
Read more: 50 best albums of 2025
5. Bad Omens
Though there’s no release date or title in mind, Bad Omens put out four heavy singles during the back half of 2025, each more enticing than the last. If anything, it felt like the band were preparing to enter their next explosive chapter. In an interview last year, frontman/producer Noah Sebastian even hinted at what their next full-length could look like. “I’m toying with this idea of, ‘Maybe I’m gonna make more than one record or just one really large record that tells more of a story about why the record sounds the way it does,’” he said. “I don’t know. I’m still playing with it.” Either way, it seems like the follow-up to THE DEATH OF PEACE OF MIND will be epic.
4. Waterparks
Waterparks have appeared on the cover of this magazine multiple times, so of course their sixth studio album is highly anticipated by our readers. We’ve already received a few singles and a collaboration with 5SOS’ Michael Clifford, where the band are pairing their wildly eclectic style with tales of anxiety, disillusionment, and fan overwhelm. Given the scale of 2023’s INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY and that their constantly moving frontman Awsten Knight has been teasing fans with album updates in between hiidef drops, it’s bound to be another triumph for the pop trio.
3. Motionless In White
Motionless In White haven’t released an album since 2022’s Scoring the End of the World, but that’s all set to change this year. Frontman Chris Motionless revealed the news while they were onstage at Apocalypse Festival this past fall, sharing that the album’s lead single, “Afraid of the Dark,” would arrive at the end of January. Because Motionless In White will be celebrating their 20th anniversary as a band this year, complemented by relentless touring, it’s going to be a major year.
2. Social Distortion
It’s been 15 long years since Social Distortion released 2011’s Hard Times and Nursery Rhymes. In between, they toured with Bad Religion, celebrated the 40th anniversary of Mommy’s Little Monster, and frontman Mike Ness recovered from tonsil cancer. The latter makes the fact that they’re readying a new album all the more significant. “My voice is stronger than it’s ever been,” he shared in a recent interview. “I think I’m singing like there’s no tomorrow.” In that same conversation, Ness also confirmed that the Orange County greats’ long-awaited LP will arrive in May, which we’re dying to hear.
1. MCR5
Just like last year, our readers have been holding out hope for the long-fabled MCR5. Theories have popped up ever since My Chemical Romance scrapped The Paper Kingdom, spawning endless Reddit threads and leaving fans wondering if 2022’s “The Foundations of Decay” was an entry point or a one-off. Whether or not there’s new music, though, it’s going to be another monumental year for MCR. The Black Parade officially turns 20 in October, and they’re celebrating with an extended stadium tour, where every night feels like a Broadway production. They’ll also reunite with the Used for a special Devil’s Night performance, so as with everything they do, all bets are off.
