Best Songs of 2025
I figure I’ll be posting the album list first so I don’t need as much of an introduction. The biggest difference between this year and other years is that I’ll be doing a top 95 for this year. However, when you look at the playlist it will just be a top 50. I wanted to keep it consistent with the past years but you can add the extra 45 songs (I made more cuts than I anticipated and I don’t feel like finding the 5 songs that may have made the list) to your listen. Or you can read and see if I ranked a song you liked too low. I will stand by that a top 50 is way more digestible to listen to than an almost top 100. With that said, I’ll be just mentioning the bottom 45 then and will give small written snippets for the rest.
95. The Kooks - Sunny Baby
94. Lucy Dacus - Ankles
93. Creeper - Prey For The Night
92. Hailaker, lilo - Out of My Head (I Said What I Said)
91. Dan English - On a String
90. NGC 4414 - Deep Circuit
89. Twin Shadow - Good Times
88. Theo Bleak - Peach Sky
87. Truthpaste - See You Around
86. Julien Baker, TORRES - Sylvia
85. Pool Kids - Leona Street
84. JOSEPH - Closer to Me
83. The Toxhards - Get Creative! Or Get Radicalized!
82. Jensen McRae - Let Me Be Wrong
81. Ellie Dixon, piri - Guts featuring piri
80. Saint Hotel - Divine
79. The Knocks, Dragonette - Dreams
78. They Are Gutting a Body of Water - the chase
77. Madi Diaz - Hope Less
76. Vox Rea - Julia
75. corook - medicine
74. Sydney Sprague - All Covered in Snow
73. Colony House - OK OK OK OK
72. Black Honey - Shallow
71. Yazmin Lacey - Ribbons
70. Blood Orange - The Field (feat. The Duratti Column, Tariq Al-Sabir, Caroline Polochek, Daniel Caesar)
69. Zach Bryan - Streets of London
68. Your Smith - Telephone Line-Hanging Up All My Hopes
67. Arlie - left behind
66. Gelli Haha - Tiramisu
65. The Wonder Years - Junebug
64. Phin - where it hurts
63. Cigarettes @ Sunset - Pavement
62. Wavves - So Long
61. Annie DiRusso - Ovid
60. Jackie Mere - …being mad bad sad (DSM-5)
59. Liam Kazar - The Word The War
58. Royal Otis - i hate this tune
57. Daisy the Great - Lady Exhausted
56. PUP - Needed To Hear It
55. HUNNY - i can see my house from here
54. The Maine - why i hate it here (dyed red 2011)
53. Coach Party - Georgina
52. Jet City Sports Club - Green Thumb
51. ratbag - lose her
IK I said that I prefer just listening to the top 50 but I do wanna say that the songs mentioned are still amazing in a year with a lot of great music and they still made the list, even if just barely.
50. 209 Northwood - Molly
Funny enough, I have a coworker with this name so I’ve had to make sure not to sing this song around her. This catchy little tune is so much fun of pure indie rock. I found it pretty late in the year but it really was stuck in my head for a whole week. I just can’t get enough of it.
49. Free Range - Lost & Found
Here’s the start of the folk train on the song side. I did really want to like this album more cause I adore this song. It’s so soft and quiet, delicately made. The arrangement of this song with the chosen instruments and how they are layered was a perfect touch. It’s over before I know it but I think it’s what makes me anticipate the next listen so much.
48. Jettee - Proof I’m Alive
Found Jettee last year and here they are making it again, proving how promising their music is. This song is a mixture of indie rock with a little bit of pop punk, especially on the guitar. What stands out the most for me is: one, the amazing guitar and: two, the amazing soaring vocals asking the same questions that I found myself asking growing up and even sometimes now. I think it’s proof that Jettee has so much songwriting in the tank.
47. Lola Kirke, Peter Dreams, Brian Dunphy, Darren Holden, Jack O’Connel, Sinners Movie - Will Ye Go, Lassie Go?
It does feel quite strange to choose one of the Irish songs on a movie (and event) that centered around black history and appreciation. However, I will choose the song that I liked the most and it was this one. I also don’t think the director wouldn’t have included these songs in here if he didn’t like them too. I just love the vocal layering of the song and good Irish folk song. And the deep register this song gets in the verses is pure gold.
46. Clipse, Ab Liva, Pusha T, Malice - Inglorious Bastards
The long wind up of this song before the beat comes in one of my favorite double edged swords. Sometimes I just want the song to start and other times it really hypes me up. Depends on the day but when the beat does come in, it gets me every time. And the horns to compliment it. Pure greatness. What really sells me is the great production and how the mixing itself keeps the song interesting too.
45. Wet Leg - u and me at home
It was difficult to choose my favorite Wet Leg song as they were all so fun but I landed on this one for its infectious chorus and how well they build it up with a great steady rhythm. I adore the ad-libbed hootin and hollerin in the chorus. It makes it feel so alive and brings the energy up so it feels like everyone is singing along.
44. The Beths - Straight Line Was a Lie
Pure amazing indie rock here. I was always anticipating this song wherever I had it in my listening rotation cause it has such a great energy and beat to it. Such a genius song that it made me wonder how the rest of the album couldn’t be held to this song’s standard. The Beth’s didn’t even make a bad album but this song is just that good.
43. chrysalis - do you?
The guitar tone on this song sells me immediately. I can tell that it was meticulously studied to get it to sound exactly the way it does here. And the banjo (I think) picking in the back is a great compliment for it in the long sustained chorus is also a great choice. Along with the haunting vocals on top, it’s a song that snuck up on me that I enjoyed as much as I have. Didn’t think it would make the top 50 but here it is.
42. The Head and the Heart - After the Setting Sun
Ironically, I did use this as an anchor point when ranking the songs on this playlist. It’s a super solid song that I love but I also can get a little bit tired of it when I hear it too much so the songs above it had to beat its replayability in tandem with songwriting that’s above this level, which I have great respect for this song’s songwriting. It’s so steady and in control of when to get big during the chorus and how to add to the verses to keep it interesting and where to layer the song more. There’s just so much variety within this song without losing the identity of itself.
41. Goldie Boutilier - Favorite Fear
I do think what helps this song so much is the shock factor I still get from it. I didn’t think Boutilier ever wanted to make a rock song like this. This bass driven rock song is groovy and mixed well so that those impacts from the drums hit you when you need to. And the way she layers this song along with the choices of timbre, man it’s the making of a good song. Hope she does some more like this in the future.
40. Jon Bellion - OBLIVIOUS
I can still recall hearing this song for the first song and thinking this is why I still listen to Jon Bellion. His trajectory into the pop world and the songs he’s helped create really didn’t reflect the reason why I loved him in the first place. This song, however, is this piece of pure gold within an album that I struggled to fall in love with. It reminded me of “The Human Condition” and that songwriter and passion is still in there. This was the song that made me feel like it was the grand return of Bellion behind the wheel.
39. Andrew Montana - Fiddle Tune In G
It was difficult to choose a song from this album as they all were so good. I went with this one because I felt like it represented the album the best. When I look at the cover, this is the song I hear. I can’t get over the lyrics of the chorus of this song and how much love he can convey in his words. “I could cry at the size of the moon”. What a lyric. I'd mention the whole thing but it’s better if you just go listen to it, in G I suppose.
38. The Paradox - Get the Message
Pop punk listeners have been celebrating this band in 2025 as they are emerging onto the scene that has often been almost exclusively white artists and left for dead. This band is composed of African Americans and making pop punk tunes that sound like they came out 20 years ago. It’s a sound other pop punk bands struggle to purely create and they all did it without any token band member. My sister also has been listening to them so I’m glad to see them breaking ground even for those who aren’t even huge new music listeners.
37. Model/Actriz, Verraco - Vespers (Verraco Remix)
I was going to have a Model/Actriz song make the top song list of this year but I couldn’t choose any of their songs over this remix. I’m still not sure how to count remixes but I’ve taken the path that the remix wouldn’t exist without the song so it counts for both artists. This eerie remix captured me in its atmosphere and intriguing choices with what they did with the song. The remixes I’ve heard this year is given me a passion to go find more electronic music that feels like redefining the genre.
36. The Happy Fits - The Nerve
I adore the energy of this song. The hook has me every time I hear it and the chorus is equally catchy on this quirky indie rock song. The Happy Fits really stepped up from their last album and it shows in their craft and how tight the songwriting has gotten. This was the song that displayed it the best with a driving force of pure energy. It’s a fun time, go listen.
35. Witch Post - Rust
I know it’s not even on the upper half of the top 50 but I’ll say that this is one of the smartest songs on this list. The dual lead vocals bouncing back and forth, the variety in the rhythm of the guitar, and using production to create variety too. It’s like they used every trick on this song without making it feel bloated with too many ideas. I would love to hear this live to hear how they pull it off. Emerging band that has so much potential.
34. Jeffery Scott Mack, Hannah Wyatt - River City
Like I mentioned in my album review, this folk music was the stuff I had been waiting for. I’m transported to River City and I understand what Jeffery Scott Mack feels when he thinks about this time and location. I was dying for some good stories and to live through another’s eyes just by their songs. Nothing quite like this one.
33. Men I Trust - Paul’s Song
I didn’t realize this was a reprise on the album until I listened back to it for this list. But I hear it now and understand that I was already familiar with the melody so hearing in a different context can sometimes work really well for the song’s favor. I mean, if you jazz up your own melody, you want me not to put it on my list. Hell nah. That’s my favorite part of Men I Trust is the jazz influence.
32. Lauren Mayberry - Sorry, ETC.
It was a little frustrating not being able to choose half this album since those songs were released in 2024. Not to frame this song in negativity since it’s a great song too. I mention it because it’s not my favorite from the record and it’s still placing this high tells you the quality in which Lauren Mayberry was producing. The energy in this song is fantastic though and she uses it to her advantage keeping it up the whole duration of the song.
31. Daffo - Dagger Song
This is one of those songs that I would consider an instant classic. I feel like I’ve heard this intro a hundred times when it only came out last year. It’s built up so perfectly and adds just enough each verse and chorus. I found Daffo through Discover Weekly (with this song) and my roommate was also in love with this song when she heard it in my car. The great thing is as good as this song is, the rest of the record is great too. It’s not a standout song that feels out of place. Makes me really excited for what other heights Daffo will reach as songwriter.
30. Molly Tuttle - The Highway Knows
God this song is one that feels like home and its songwriting is just so good. It doesn’t do anything fancy but it’s simply a good song and she doesn’t do anything to try to mess up a song that’s perfect the way it is. Especially with that pre-chorus, it’s my favorite part. And the bridge is extended by normal standards but she uses it to really let the song shine through there. Just a solid song that I found through that good ol’ Discover Weekly.
29. HAFFWAY - Sold the Boat
It was a little difficult to choose what song from this record to add to this playlist. I went with this one since I felt like it represented the album the best and doing the best huge chorus out of the bunch. But it lyrically is working really well. Thematically, it’s nothing we haven’t heard before. Diction wise and the painted picture, well HAFFWAY is good at his art. Selling the Boat to represent drowning the sorrows in a drink and not being able to stay afloat. It’s not revolutionary but the picture is painted and the melody helps sell the idea with it well.
28. Petey USA - God in the Grey
Gotta love the former Christian/religious songs. Proclaiming to have found the fire through the trials in life and reconnecting with nature and being grateful for the time that is here. Not needing some higher power to give purpose to life or from capitalism. That’s the thing isn’t it? Purpose doesn’t need to thrusted onto us or be granted. In fact, it finds you during the hardships of life, in the unsure areas where life doesn’t feel black or white. When it feels like the two angles given are trying to tell you it’s one way or another, that grey really starts to make things clear. I appreciate this song and all that it says while being a rockin tune also.
27. Jason Isbell - Gravelweed
This is probably my favorite written folk song from this year. I luckily don’t feel this song in my core. What I do appreciate is that it’s an honest song. There was no hiding in the vocabulary. In fact, I think the diction depicts the narrator as not a great person. To write oneself (supposedly) in a light that’s not the greatest is a really brave thing to do. And to do so without sounding like the narrator made themselves into a punching bag is also another feat. It’s not a “woe is me and my mistakes” or an exaggeration of how awful they were. Or a big apology about their wrongs. It’s just honest about the mistakes made and how those mistakes looked and why they happened without making them sound like an excuse. Gravelweed is being honest about being wrong and that’s something I think we can all appreciate and understand.
26. Anxious - Bambii’s Song
This album was a little disappointing with all the band had to live up to. However, there were great moments still and this was one of those. The band knew what they wanted to set up sound wise and lyrically and they do it all here in this one song (it is the title track but it’s a hell of one). I can feel the passion just shining off this track as each band member is doing their absolute best to make the title track they can. Pulling out all of the stops to make an anthem song that doesn’t really read as one.
25. Vines- I’ll Be Here
Vines has been all over the place quality wise to me. Most of the time, I feel like she’s falling back on what she finds is safe and doesn’t know how to move forward as an artist without alienating the sound she’s created. However, there are also times when it feels like there are songs that can only exist because of the dedication to atmospheric sad songs. I’ll Be Here was that trophy moment that let me know that Vines still knows what she’s doing, even if I don’t love all of it. The feeling of sinking into the ground as a blackhole sends your spirling towards it and all you can think is how you couldn’t escape it even if you wanted to and tried. But accepting it is all that’s happening.
24. Lola Young - SPIDERS
A lot to love from this record but this song was always the one that stood out to me. It’s a rock ballad that puts a lot of focus on her vocal performance and I feel Lola hits it out of the park, utilizing all aspects of her voice. And also doesn’t hold back on the fuzzy guitars so it actually feels like a rock song and not pop rock. A really well made song that adds a lot of variation to it without going overboard with doing new things. Idk I don’t have a lot to say about this song other than it’s really solid and Lola Young isn’t just a here and gone singer and there’s more to her than I think a lot of people are thinking. This song should be proof enough.
23. Motherfolk - Money, Now
Don’t worry, this isn’t a folk song despite the band name. Indie pop alt rock is what I guess I would put it as. Catchy is what I’ll call it and a really good vocal performance. But it’s a unique song without dipping into the experimental side. The violin does a lot in that aspect to keep the song fresh without coming off as a crutch. But Motherfolk gave it all in this song and convinced me to look into their album.
22. Djo - Link
I won’t lie, it feels a little blasphemous to pick this song over some of his two amazing singles. But there’s a great energy to this song that I love. And when I broke the news to my wife that I chose this song, she said it makes sense cause it sounds like it came from the movie Sing Street. It made a lot of sense cause I love the 80’s British rock music that pioneered the 90’s British revival. Sing Street specifically focuses on the Irish influence but they were overall doing the same thing. Djo’s “Link” feels like it would fit right in there with its fun and solid songwriting.
21. Truman Sinclair - What’s On Your Mind?
I have loved this riff and opening line ever since I heard it at the beginning of 2025. Truman Sinclair was a great late find of 2024 and I saw that pay off with this song and album (and he’s already made a great ep for 2026). I love that this song feels like it was made with just feeling and wasn’t toiled over. It feels so natural and removed from the guardrails that most songwriting has. Like there’s a little guitar solo after the opening chorus. It's a ball of energy of a song that doesn’t want to form into anything in particular, making the song feel a lot longer than it actually is because it feels like a moment.
20. Wilder Woods - Descendents
It was difficult to choose the song I wanted from this record but what got me to choose this one is because of the vocal performance from Bear in this one. Pre-chorus (or chorus if you count it that way) where he’s just building up in a vocal “Ah” is such a great touch to this song. But it also has an amazing bass line and guitar tones. He built this song so well and it never gets old listening to it.
19. Leven Kali - In the End
This song is so smooth. Man it’s bass line is silky and the whole thing feels like it’s so in control. It sits on sounds and emotions that I haven’t heard in such a long time. It’s all there to build to the big payoff of the big final chorus. This funky R&B song feels like transportation to another time when R&B was made with physical instruments and focuses on having the audience experience something they won’t forget. The room is an oyster and the moment is the pearl. Get Leven Kali on artists to watch out for cause I think I’m even late to finding his expertise.
18. Tiga, Pusha T, Benny Benassi, Laherte - Bugatti (Benny Benassi and Laherte Extended Remix)
This is one of my favorite remixes. It’s so much fun and there’s so much they do with the track. I listened to the original since I hadn’t heard of it. It’s a typical mid 2010s electronic pop hit. But this remix takes everything to the next level. Textures, breakdowns, and a club thumping beat, I felt like I was racing the freeway. And I can’t get enough of it, the original remix isn’t enough. To be fair, I feel like the original doesn’t climb as much and the extended remix doesn’t get stale. There’s so much they show off in the track of what could be obtained in the song so it just keeps going without overstaying the welcome.
17. Slow Joy - Do I Wear You Out?
I don’t think there’s not a year that there aren't relationship problems. Oddly enough, it’s a good sign. Because without struggle there isn’t growth, there’s something your partner isn’t holding you accountable to. It’s a frustrating thing to find yourself (and your partner) making the same mistakes and having the same conversations. Sometimes to an exhausting amount of time. This song knows that feeling and maybe even craves it because Slow Joy knows that person doesn’t give up on you. They’re tired, annoyed, and grumpy but they are still around and they hold value in that attribute. Loyalty, in the way of not giving up on your partner when it’s easier to let go, is unconditional love. (Of course, do not be loyal to those who don’t hold your best interests in their heart.)
16. Jeremaiah Faites - Olson
Scores are funny to compare, like I said in my album review. But what I tend to do is focus on specific pieces in scores that invoke the most emotion and put me in the film again. Or bring the emotion of the scene right into my heart. “Olson” is literally one of the best score pieces I’ve heard. It captures everything The Long Walk wanted to make the audience feel. The intensity of the situation, the loss of found brothers, and how their situation is astonishingly sad. It’s a piece that honors those losses and conversations.
15. Your Smith - Change of Heart
This song may have snuck in by simply being my most played song in the past year since I think it snuck in as a single, on an EP, and on the album. However, it’s such a great pop singer-songwriter song. Just quirky enough brass to keep anyone interested and a simple but effective bass line. Along with some nice production techniques that really balance the mix that allow the song to have the right energy the whole time. It mixes itself up on how it proceeds forward the whole time without making the listener feel like their missing out on their payoff. It’s a clever song that really showcases Your Smith’s talents.
14. Abhi The Nomad, Harrison Sands - Do Not Destroy
Yeah, now you can tell what I was talking about when I get excited about this artist. The bass line and great chorus keeps me coming back. I mean the guitar in the chorus is so refreshing in the way it’s used. It’s an actual rock chorus in a hip hop song and doesn’t sacrifice catchiness or any hip hop elements to get there. Abhi really shows how creative he can get in the songwriting process. I think this song fully encompasses what I love about discovering Abhi. Granted, it is the song that was put in my Discover Weekly but it remained one that I loved to hear every time it came on.
13. Penny and Spearow - Breakdown
I didn’t know at the time but I think this song can really encompass the whole year. A foreshadowing lyrically and tonally isn’t a depressing song. Sure there were some low moments but it was a lot of the motions of going through every day while mentally feeling the doom ahead. Regardless, this song was easy to sing with and it kinda crept up on this list, especially this high. I was expecting it to barely miss the list but here it is ranked high. The tonality mashing, the fact I kept thinking about this song even in November, and the cry to feel loved through your mistakes and emotional shortcomings helped the song climb.
12. The Swell Season - Pretty Stories
I didn’t mention it in my album list but Marketa really blew me away on this record. 3 of her 4 songs on the record are among her best work. Glen has a lot to live up to get those highs (and he brought some good but not great songs) but Marketa just blew him out of the water with the quality of songs she brought. They are simply breathtaking, beautiful, and emotional. It was tough to choose between this and her solo song but I would rather represent the group since I think they elevate each other and this was the highest elevation of the two here. This song is the homecoming that the fans were waiting for. This slow burn of a song honestly made me think it was the last song on the record my first listen and I was fully content to let it be even though I had 2 songs left to listen to. This song is that good that the 14 years of waiting was worth it for this moment and I would sacrifice 2 songs without knowing it because this is all I needed.
11. Bon Iver - There’s a Rhythm
I know I’ve been talking about tough choices but this one really is the epitome of the tough choice. I had most of the eligible songs on the record for this playlist and it took multiple listens to finally choose one. What made me choose this one was that this was the one I thought of when I think of the record. I see the cover art and this song is the feeling I get from it. It’s a steady beat with indie piano vibes over it with a country guitar to build it up more. It’s really not that complex of a song but it’s an important one. I would be happy if the next record was more of this but one could argue that this record is that one, hence my great appreciation for it. Bon Iver made the record for me and all other requests can go to other enjoyers, I had my moment and I’m grateful for it.
10. Arm’s Length - Palinopsia
Arm’s Length continues to make the list ever since I discovered them back in 23. They are slowly proving how good they are at making emo rock music and I keep on pointing to them saying they are doing the thing we’re all asking for. It was a little bit of a straight forward album on this one but they were bound to hit a bullseye sending all the darts in one direction. This song is that moment on the record. If you like Movements (or bands like them), this is the band to check out. A little more partial to the first record but I’ve seen others rank this one for their year end. Regardless, at least this song to get yourself interested if you haven’t yet.
9. Ben Kweller - Optimystic
The relentless guitars on this song are amazing. I love it. And the sing along style of singing really sells the song for me and makes it so I remember from the moment I heard it. One of my favorite touches, though, is the backing vocals. Do a marvelous job of adding another dynamic to the straightforward rock song. The added/extended chorus at the end also adds a ton to the replayability of the song and keeps it from getting stale. This is another of those ball of energy songs that feels like it’s a 2 and half minute song but is actually much longer. For a while, I couldn’t stop playing this one as it kept getting stuck in my head.
8. Matt Maeson - Downstairs
Another artist that I’m late for and found through Discover. I knew as soon as I heard this song though that I would love it. I do think lyrically, this was the song. With all that’s going on in the world, I think a lot of people would agree with the sentiment. Ignoring everything because it all feels like so much all at once. I can’t carry the weight of it all but I feel responsible to help all of it and that’s not even considering the personal (which this song speaks more on) that already feels like more than enough. Downstairs was the theme song. The indie rock tune that’s screaming into the void. And that’s the part where I know I’m late cause I’ve learned that Matt Maeson has been doing that for a while now. More backlog for me to find.
7. Tame Impala - Dracula
I’m usually a hipster and liking the underdog stuff or picking a song that wasn’t a single (or a severely overlooked single). This time, however, I am with the crowd. It was a close race but man this song just has much going for it. It’s groovy, has a ton of love in the rhythm, and the effects that are added give a lot of depth to the song. And it’s fascinating that you don’t notice most of it until you put on headphones. There’s so much nuance for a song that ended up trending. What am I saying though?! It’s Tame Impala and his effort has never been minimal. Loved the album and this bass thumping song was the highlight.
6. Coheed and Cambria - Play the Poet
I was given quite the whiplash moment whenever I heard this song. Josh on the drums killing with this crazy beat that sounds right out of an electronic song. I don’t remember when Coheed went this hard on a song. It’s been a little bit that’s for sure. It’s experimental while still maintaining the hard rock identity. What it ended up with is the band feeling like it’s firing on all cylinders and is this unrelenting force of sound. I don’t think a song has given me as much of a surprise as this song did on first listen from a band I was already familiar with. It truly is Coheed pushing the limits of what they can do in a song.
5. Nine Inch Nails - As Alive As You Need Me To Be
Last year was the year of NiN for me. Not only were they preparing to release the Tron:Ares soundtrack but I had a coworker/friend who invited me to a concert (which really is one of the coolest concerts ever. Felt like the future). So I ended up listening to some of their earlier albums in prep. So there was a lot of NiN with no complaints from me. I’ve quickly learned how their legacy is actually behind the talent they have. With that said, I do believe this is my favorite NiN song I’ve heard. The pairing of them with the Tron world felt like it was something all of us didn’t know we needed. Industrial electronic rock has never peaked quite like this song. It’s so well made and got its well deserved Grammy win. The movie wasn’t worth watching in theaters but the soundtrack was worth the visuals. *Also every time this song plays, my wife and I have to fake walk down the runway like Jared Leto.
4. Doves - Orlando
I wasn’t familiar with the legacy of Doves and their impact in 90s music. And I’m still unfamiliar for the most part. All I learned is that they are important but I didn’t get around to listening to it. From what I can tell, they are a 90s band that loved late 60s music and continued doing that. This song… is not that. What it does is rely upon that baseline of songwriting but it combines it with some incredible euphoric synths and piano. I’ve never heard an artist full commit to something that sounds like this. I feel like Doves was the right band to create a song like this. I’m not even sure what to call a song like this but it gives me goosebumps every time. It’s experimental and incredibly made.
3. Bongo Chico - 1995
To be nostalgic for a time before I existed. A lot of people feel this for the 80s. Me, I would love to be in the 90s and no other song keeps me in that dream than this one. I’m not even a nostalgic person but this song makes me one. The year was chosen because Tim Foreman is in a band called Switchfoot. And they released their first album in 1996 which determined the course of their lives. This is the moment right before that happened. Before being a bassist was a career. It’s such a different time to be a free teenager who’s just chasing life and living to the fullest, capturing moments and wanting to have them everyday. Carefree but yearning. All of that bundled in a solid rock song and lyrics that’s more about imagery, cultural moments, and knowing time was being stamped. It’s such a great song. If there’s another album later, this is the song that’s created the precedent of what to expect.
2. Jacob Collier, AURORA - A Rock Somewhere / The Seed - For Greenpeace
I am taken back so much by this song with how beautiful it is. The ice cracking, isolated piano, and great performances from both. And they chose the best combo of songs to put together. It also just feels like two musicians who clearly are extremely good at what they do and we are witnesses to what they can do within a quick collab that’s a mashup and not even its own song. And using this for Greenpeace puts it in a context of them singing for earth and the cries that feel it’s from the earth itself. Truly beautiful. I’m willing to break some rules to get this song heard more. It technically came out the year before but it was a youtube exclusive so I didn’t know about it until they posted it to spotify. And it’s not a new song… yeah I should stop giving more rules it’s breaking. It’s close enough to counting and it’s too good not to include so here it is.
Hayley Williams - Disappearing Man
I don’t think I have felt so called out, seen, and advised in all the same song. I think it had to be this song after I heard it. I want to cry, do better, and burrow myself all at once. All on top of this mesmerizing bass line. I love the rhythm and the added layers of synth that hide in the mix. And the layering of vocals on this track is so good. There’s just so much working on this song for me that I couldn’t help but put it up here. It’s just so good that I kind of lose my words for it as it feels like a cry that I must respond to. A surrender that I must abide to.














