Tag: Alabama Shakes

My Top 30 Songs for September 27-October 3, 2026

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Weekly Top 30's6 Comments
Photo of The Neighbourhood from their Facebook account

After spending three weeks at #2, “Private” by The Neighbourhood finally dislodges “Rein Me In” to take over the top spot on my latest chart. The captivating song is from their fifth studio album (((((ultraSOUND))))), released last November, although the track itself was actually released at the end of October but didn’t begin charting until June. Formed in Ventura County west of Los Angeles in 2011, the band consists of four of the five original members: heavily tattooed, silky-voiced vocalist Jesse Rutherford, guitarists Jeremy Freedman and Zach Abels and bassist Mikey Margott, as well as drummer Brandon Fried who joined in 2014. I love their sophisticated style of alternative rock that incorporates elements of pop, electronic, hip hop and R&B.

I’ve been a big fan of The Neighbourhood from the moment I first heard their magnificent song “Sweater Weather” back in the summer of 2013. It ultimately became my favorite song of 2013 and 4th favorite song of the entire decade of the 2010s, and is obviously a favorite of many others, as it’s been streamed nearly 5 billion times just on Spotify alone. Since March, The Neighbourhood has been on their worldwide tour which will conclude in Los Angeles in December. “Private” is their fourth song to top my chart, after the aforementioned “Sweater Weather”, “Stargazing” in 2021, and “Hula Girl”, also from (((((ultraSOUND))))), this past April. I love the song’s hypnotic beat, gentle thumping bassline and intricate blend of jangly, chiming and grungy guitar notes. But most of all, I love Rutherford’s sensuous croons that add to the eerily enchanting sound.

Entering the top 10 are “Stone Over Water” by Death Cab for Cutie, “I Feel Hope Coming” by Alabama Shakes, and “We Might as Well Be Strangers” by Weezer featuring Wednesday.

For a third week there are two new entries to my chart, starting with “Good Times // End Times” by American progressive/funk rock band Goose. The song is from their sixth album BIG MODERN!, which dropped in June, and follows “Good2B”, which spent 12 weeks on my chart over the summer, peaking at #4. I’ve come to like this band a lot!

The second new entry is “Already Gone” by the enigmatic and dangerously sexy country artist Orville Peck (born Daniel Pitout in South Africa and now based in Los Angeles). In addition to his unique brand of alternative country and deep baritone singing voice, Peck (who is gay) is known for often wearing a fringed mask and not showing his face. In a 2023 interview for People magazine, he elaborated on his decision to wear a fringed mask: “I grew up loving country where there was an intersection between theatricality and very honest songwriting. Dolly’s a perfect example—the big wigs, the crazy outfits, but it’s her. For me, I was obsessed with the Lone Ranger, cowboys hiding their face, so that’s what I wanted to do.” He’s also an actor who made his Broadway debut on March 31, 2025, playing the Emcee in the revival of Cabaret for 16 weeks. “Already Gone” is from his fourth studio album Mule, released September 18th.

  1. PRIVATE – The Neighbourhood (2)
  2. REIN ME IN – Sam Fender & Olivia Dean (1)
  3. LOST BOYS – Phoebe Bridgers (5)
  4. BEACHES IN TENNESSEE – Cage the Elephant (6)
  5. MARIANNE – Fontaines D.C. (7)
  6. HEART STOP – The Revivalists (4)
  7. ONLINE – Western Jaguar (3)
  8. STONE OVER WATER – Death Cab for Cutie (11)
  9. I FEEL HOPE COMING – Alabama Shakes (12)
  10. WE MIGHT AS WELL BE STRANGERS – Weezer feat. Wednesday (13)
  11. I CAN TAKE THE SUN OUT OF THE SKY – Brigitte Calls Me Baby (14)
  12. NO MORE REGRETS – almost monday (10)
  13. RAGING HALLS – Lyia Meta (8)
  14. DOORS – Noah Kahan (9)
  15. LOSER – Tame Impala (19)
  16. EVERGREEN – Young the Giant (17)
  17. EDGE OF THE EARTH – The Beaches (18)
  18. BEHIND THE LINES OF REASON – Hardwicke Circus (20)
  19. WINDOW – Foo Fighters (22)
  20. METASTASIZED – Bealby Point (23)
  21. HOLD ME IN THE DARK – Myles Smith (15)
  22. THE ENDLESS BORDER – Velvet Jesus (16)
  23. LOVE TO GO – Edgehill (26)
  24. YOUNG AGAIN – Shinedown (27)
  25. HIGH HOPES 3000 – ROLE MODEL (29)
  26. BLACK DOG RABBIT HOLE – Devon Gilfillian (30)
  27. REPEAT OFFENDER – Gloom is Okay (21)
  28. SELF AWARE – Temper City (24) 20th week on chart
  29. GOOD TIMES // END TIMES – Goose (N)
  30. ALREADY GONE – Orville Peck (N)

My Top 30 Songs for September 20-26, 2026

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Weekly Top 30's8 Comments

It’s a third week on top for the beautiful “Rein Me In” by Sam Fender and Olivia Dean, as well as a third week at #2 for “Private” by The Neighbourhood, who’ve spent much of this year on their world tour which began in late March and concludes in their hometown of Los Angeles in December. Fontaines D.C. are the biggest upward movers again this week as their mesmerizing song “Marianne” jumps 10 spots to #7.

There are two new entries to my chart again this week, starting with “High Hopes 3000” by Los Angeles-based artist ROLE MODEL, the music project of 28-year-old singer-songwriter Tucker Harrington Pillsbury. The song is from his third studio album Chuck Timely & The Hourglass, which dropped August 7th. His 2025 single “Sally, When the Wine Runs Out” topped my chart exactly one year ago.

The second new entry is “Black Dog Rabbit Hole” by Nashville-based soul singer-songwriter Devon Gilfillian. The song is featured on his fourth album Time Will Tell, released on June 26th. His 2020 single “Unchained” reached #10 on my chart and ranks #68 on my 100 Best Songs of 2020 list.

  1. REIN ME IN – Sam Fender & Olivia Dean (1)
  2. PRIVATE – The Neighbourhood (2)
  3. ONLINE – Western Jaguar (3)
  4. HEART STOP – The Revivalists (4)
  5. LOST BOYS – Phoebe Bridgers (7)
  6. BEACHES IN TENNESSEE – Cage the Elephant (8)
  7. MARIANNE – Fontaines D.C. (17)
  8. RAGING HALLS – Lyia Meta (5)
  9. DOORS – Noah Kahan (6)
  10. NO MORE REGRETS – almost monday (9)
  11. STONE OVER WATER – Death Cab for Cutie (13)
  12. I FEEL HOPE COMING – Alabama Shakes (15)
  13. WE MIGHT AS WELL BE STRANGERS – Weezer feat. Wednesday (11)
  14. I CAN TAKE THE SUN OUT OF THE SKY – Brigitte Calls Me Baby (12)
  15. HOLD ME IN THE DARK – Myles Smith (14)
  16. THE ENDLESS BORDER – Velvet Jesus (10)
  17. EVERGREEN – Young the Giant (20)
  18. EDGE OF THE EARTH – The Beaches (21)
  19. LOSER – Tame Impala (23)
  20. BEHIND THE LINES OF REASON – Hardwicke Circus (22)
  21. REPEAT OFFENDER – Gloom is Okay (16)
  22. WINDOW – Foo Fighters (24)
  23. METASTASIZED – Bealby Point (25)
  24. SELF AWARE – Temper City (18)
  25. FREAKING OUT – Michigander (19)
  26. LOVE TO GO – Edgehill (29)
  27. YOUNG AGAIN – Shinedown (30)
  28. PICKING DRAGON’S POCKETS – Modest Mouse (26)
  29. HIGH HOPES 3000 – ROLE MODEL (N)
  30. BLACK DOG RABBIT HOLE – Devon Gilfillian (N)

My Top 30 Songs for September 13-19, 2026

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Weekly Top 30's6 Comments
Sam Fender & Olivia Dean from the “Rein Me In” video

Sam Fender and Olivia Dean remain on top for a second week with “Rein Me In”, while Los Angeles alt rock band The Neighbourhood hold the #2 spot again with their captivating “Private”. “Online” by British Columbia, Canada-based artist Western Jaguar advances two spots to #3. In addition to Western Jaguar, two other Canadian acts are represented on this chart – The Beaches, whose song “Edge of the Earth” sits at #21, and Bealby Point, whose song “Metastasized” currently ranks #25. I must state that I’m both horrified and furious that our out-of-control lunatic president has started a needless economic war with our friendly neighbors to the north.

Irish band Fontaines D.C. are this week’s biggest upward movers, as their song “Marianne” leaps 11 spots to #17.

There are two new additions to my chart this week, the first of which is the wonderfully boisterous “Love To Go” by Nashville-based alt-rock band Edgehill, comprised of Chris Kelly (lead vocals and guitar), Jake Zimmermann (lead guitar and vocals), and Aidan Cunningham (drums). The trio have been putting out great songs since 2022, but I only learned about them earlier this year with the release of their song “Doubletake”, which ultimately went all the way to #1 on the Billboard Alternative Airplay chart and #2 on my chart. Both “Doubletake” and “Love To Go” are from their debut album Ode to the Greyhouse, which was released this past February.

The second new entry is “Young Again” by Florida-based rock band Shinedown. Formed in 2001, the lineup presently includes founding members Brent Smith (lead vocals) and Barry Kerch (drums), as well as Zach Myers (guitar, piano, backing vocals) and Eric Bass (bass, guitar, piano, backing vocals). Shinedown has the most #1 singles on the Billboard Mainstream Rock charts with 23, and all 37 of their released singles have reached the top five. To date, the band has sold more than 10 million records worldwide. (Wikipedia) “Young Again” is from their eighth album EI8HT, released this past May and also includes their song “Three Six Five”, which spent 12 weeks on my chart last year.

  1. REIN ME IN – Sam Fender & Olivia Dean (1)
  2. PRIVATE – The Neighbourhood (2)
  3. ONLINE – Western Jaguar (5)
  4. HEART STOP – The Revivalists (7)
  5. RAGING HALLS – Lyia Meta (3)
  6. DOORS – Noah Kahan (4)
  7. LOST BOYS – Phoebe Bridgers (10)
  8. BEACHES IN TENNESSEE – Cage the Elephant (9)
  9. NO MORE REGRETS – almost monday (8)
  10. THE ENDLESS BORDER – Velvet Jesus (6)
  11. WE MIGHT AS WELL BE STRANGERS – Weezer feat. Wednesday (15)
  12. I CAN TAKE THE SUN OUT OF THE SKY – Brigitte Calls Me Baby (16)
  13. STONE OVER WATER – Death Cab for Cutie (17)
  14. HOLD ME IN THE DARK – Myles Smith (14)
  15. I FEEL HOPE COMING – Alabama Shakes (20)
  16. REPEAT OFFENDER – Gloom is Okay (11)
  17. MARIANNE – Fontaines D.C. (28)
  18. SELF AWARE – Temper City (12)
  19. FREAKING OUT – Michigander (13)
  20. EVERGREEN – Young the Giant 22)
  21. EDGE OF THE EARTH – The Beaches (23)
  22. BEHIND THE LINES OF REASON – Hardwicke Circus (24)
  23. LOSER – Tame Impala (25)
  24. WINDOW – Foo Fighters (26)
  25. METASTASIZED – Bealby Point (27)
  26. PICKING DRAGON’S POCKETS – Modest Mouse (18)
  27. WE SHOULD TALK – Bleachers (19)
  28. LOVE ME NOT – Grace Potter (21)
  29. LOVE TO GO – Edgehill (N)
  30. YOUNG AGAIN – Shinedown (N)

My Top 30 Songs for September 6-12, 2026

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Weekly Top 30's10 Comments
Sam Fender & Olivia Dean taken from the “Rein Me In” video

After several weeks of waiting in the wings, the gorgeous “Rein Me In” by English singer-songwriter Sam Fender and English singer-songwriter Olivia Dean (who won the Best New Artist Grammy earlier this year) ascends to the top of my chart. The song is a re-recorded duet version of the original from Fender’s third studio album People Watching. The original version of “Rein Me In” was released in June 2025 as the sixth single from the album and eventually became Fender’s first song to reach #1 on the UK Singles Chart in February 2026, as well as winning the Brit Award for Song of the Year. In addition to Fender and Dean’s great vocals, I love the beautiful piano, jangly guitar and blaring sax.

Fender debuted the new version during a show at London Stadium in June, bringing Dean on stage to perform it with him. Videos of that performance went viral, and the two performed it again nine days later at Fender’s St. James’ Park concert. Fender announced the official release of the new version on June 20th, stating that Dean “added a female perspective to ‘Rein Me In,’ and I think it’s all the better for it“. The original and duet versions ended up spending a combined 23 non-consecutive weeks at number one, making it the longest-running number-one single in UK music history. The song also topped the charts in Australia and Ireland and reached #2 in New Zealand. It became Fender’s first entry on the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at number 45. “Rein Me In” is his second song to reach #1 on my chart, the first being his 2021 single “Seventeen Going Under”.

In other chart developments of note, The Neighbourhood move into second place with “Private”, while Cage the Elephant‘s “Beaches In Tennessee” and Phoebe Bridgers‘ “Lost Boys” enter the top 10. The sole debut this week, entering at #28, is the enthralling “Marianne”, the new single from the always wonderful Irish rock band Fontaines D.C. The song is the lead single from their forthcoming fifth album Dopamine Chamber, set for release October 16th.

  1. REIN ME IN – Sam Fender & Olivia Dean (3)
  2. PRIVATE – The Neighbourhood (4)
  3. RAGING HALLS – Lyia Meta (1)
  4. DOORS – Noah Kahan (2)
  5. ONLINE – Western Jaguar (6)
  6. THE ENDLESS BORDER – Velvet Jesus (7)
  7. HEART STOP – The Revivalists (8)
  8. NO MORE REGRETS – almost monday (10)
  9. BEACHES IN TENNESSEE – Cage the Elephant (11)
  10. LOST BOYS – Phoebe Bridgers (12)
  11. REPEAT OFFENDER – Gloom is Okay (5)
  12. SELF AWARE – Temper City (9)
  13. FREAKING OUT – Michigander (14)
  14. HOLD ME IN THE DARK – Myles Smith (15)
  15. WE MIGHT AS WELL BE STRANGERS – Weezer feat. Wednesday (17)
  16. I CAN TAKE THE SUN OUT OF THE SKY – Brigitte Calls Me Baby (19)
  17. STONE OVER WATER – Death Cab for Cutie (20)
  18. PICKING DRAGON’S POCKETS – Modest Mouse (13)
  19. WE SHOULD TALK – Bleachers (18)
  20. I FEEL HOPE COMING – Alabama Shakes (23)
  21. LOVE ME NOT – Grace Potter (16)
  22. EVERGREEN – Young the Giant 24)
  23. EDGE OF THE EARTH – The Beaches (25)
  24. BEHIND THE LINES OF REASON – Hardwicke Circus (26)
  25. LOSER – Tame Impala (27)
  26. WINDOW – Foo Fighters (29)
  27. METASTASIZED – Bealby Point (30)
  28. MARIANNE – Fontaines D.C. (N)
  29. EXIT WOUND – Ships Have Sailed (21)
  30. MARATHONS – Sorry Ghost (22)

My Top 30 Songs for August 30-September 5, 2026

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Weekly Top 30's9 Comments
Photo of Lyia and Cha Cha Girl taken from her Facefook account

“Raging Halls” by Malaysian singer-songwriter extraordinaire Lyia Meta remains atop my chart for a second week, while American singer-songwriter Noah Kahan moves into second place with “Doors”. Entering the top 10 is “no more regrets” by San Diego, California-based indie pop band almost monday.

There are three new additions to my chart this week, starting with “Loser” by Australian act Tame Impala, the music project of singer-songwriter, producer and multi-instrumentalist Kevin Parker. The song, which debuts at #27, was actually released last September (2025) as the second single from Tame Impala’s fifth album Deadbeat, which dropped a month later, but as with The Beaches’ “Edge of the Earth” is currently appearing on various alternative charts (which heavily influence my own chart). His single “Dracula” spent three weeks at the top of my chart at the beginning of this year.

Entering at #29 is “Window” by legendary American rock band the Foo Fighters. The song is from their 12th studio album Your Favorite Toy, released this past April. And coming in at #30 is “Metastasized”, the latest single by Vancouver, Canada-based indie pop-rock band Bealby Point, who currently consist of Jack Armstrong (lead vocals, guitar), Jordan Studer (bass) and Zack Yeager (drums). I’ve been a big fan of theirs since learning about them in 2021, and have featured them several times on this blog. “Metastasized” will be included on their forthcoming debut album Happiness Frontier.

  1. RAGING HALLS – Lyia Meta (1)
  2. DOORS – Noah Kahan (3)
  3. REIN ME IN – Sam Fender & Olivia Dean (4)
  4. PRIVATE – The Neighbourhood (5)
  5. REPEAT OFFENDER – Gloom is Okay (2)
  6. ONLINE – Western Jaguar (7)
  7. THE ENDLESS BORDER – Velvet Jesus (8)
  8. HEART STOP – The Revivalists (10)
  9. SELF AWARE – Temper City (6)
  10. NO MORE REGRETS – almost monday (11)
  11. BEACHES IN TENNESSEE – Cage the Elephant (12)
  12. LOST BOYS – Phoebe Bridgers (13)
  13. PICKING DRAGONS’ POCKETS – Modest Mouse (9)
  14. FREAKING OUT – Michigander (16)
  15. HOLD ME IN THE DARK – Myles Smith (17)
  16. LOVE ME NOT – Grace Potter (18)
  17. WE MIGHT AS WELL BE STRANGERS – Weezer feat. Wednesday (19)
  18. WE SHOULD TALK – Bleachers (20)
  19. I CAN TAKE THE SUN OUT OF THE SKY – Brigitte Calls Me Baby (21)
  20. STONE OVER WATER – Death Cab for Cutie (22)
  21. EXIT WOUND – Ships Have Sailed (14)
  22. MARATHONS – Sorry Ghost (15)
  23. I FEEL HOPE COMING – Alabama Shakes (26)
  24. EVERGREEN – Young the Giant 28)
  25. EDGE OF THE EARTH – The Beaches (29)
  26. BEHIND THE LINES OF REASON – Hardwicke Circus (30)
  27. LOSER – Tame Impala (N)
  28. IN THE STARS – The Rolling Stones (25)
  29. WINDOW – Foo Fighters (N)
  30. METASTASIZED – Bealby Point (N)

My Top 30 Songs for August 23-29, 2026

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Weekly Top 30's6 Comments
Photo of Lyia Meta taken from her Facebook account.

Malaysian artist Lyia Meta is a highly accomplished, award-winning and Grammy-nominated Renaissance woman in every sense of the word. She’s not only an insanely talented singer, songwriter and musician, she’s also a writer, teacher, vocal coach and visual artist whose work spans multiple media formats (she surprised me with a pencil-drawn portrait of myself in 2019, which I proudly hang on my bedroom wall).

Possessing a rich contralto singing voice, she’s recorded songs across a wide range of genres including blues, jazz, pop, country, rock and metal. She ranks among my favorite female vocalists, and I’ve featured her numerous times on this blog. We’ve been following each other on social media since 2018, and I finally had the pleasure of meeting Lyia and her husband Zack in person in January when they were in Los Angeles. I’m now thrilled to place her powerful single “Raging Halls” at #1, her first song to top my chart and on the week of my birthday, no less!

The hard-hitting song was co-written by Lyia and E.G. Holmes, who co-produced the track with her longtime Nashville-based collaborator Bob McGilpin (who also played lead and rhythm guitar, bass, drums and synths). Additional contributions on the track include rhythm guitar by Christian Wentz, guitar and synths by John Foster, orchestration and keyboards by Gene Rabbai and backing harmonies by Lisa Brokop. Lyia says the song “explores the tension between desire, risk, and the moment where hesitation transforms into action.” With its soaring melodies and scorching riffs, the song calls to mind some of the great 80s anthems by Journey, Heart and Whitesnake.

Two songs enter the top 10: the captivating “The Endless Border” by Belgian alternative indie rock band Velvet Jesus, advancing three spots to #8, and “Heart Stop” by New Orleans-based alternative roots rock band The Revivalists, which moves up two spots to #10.

There are three new debuts this week, beginning with “Evergreen” by Southern California-based alternative pop rock band Young the Giant. Formed in Irvine, California in 2004, they currently consist of Sameer Gadhia (lead vocals), Jacob Tilley (guitar), Eric Cannata (guitar), Payam Doostzadeh (bass), and Francois Comtois (drums). “Evergreen” is from their sixth album Victory Garden, released on May 1st, and follows “Different Kind of Love”, which peaked at #4 on my chart in early June. It’s hard to believe it’s been seven years since I saw them in concert in 2019.

Entering at #29 is “Edge of the Earth” by Canadian female pop rock band The Beaches. Formed in Toronto in 2009, they’re comprised of sisters Jordan (lead vocals, bass) and Kylie Miller (guitar, backing vocals), Leandra Earl (keyboards, guitar, backing vocals), and Eliza Enman-McDaniel (drums). “Edge of the Earth” was originally released nearly three years ago as the title track of their six-song EP, which also included their marvelous hit single “Blame Brett” that reached #5 on my chart and ranks #46 on my 100 Best Songs of 2024 list. It’s currently moving up the Billboard Alternative Airplay chart (I’m even hearing it played on my local alt-rock station here in Palm Springs), so I’m guessing it went viral on TikTok or similar.

The third new entry is the exuberant “Behind The Lines Of Reason” by the charismatic English alternative indie rock band Hardwicke Circus. Formed in 2015, the band has undergone a few changes in lineup and is now comprised of brothers Jonny (lead vocals, guitar) and Tom Foster (drums, backing vocals), along with Ben Wilde (bass, backing vocals), Zack McDade (lead guitar, backing vocals), Conor Morrissey (keyboards, backing vocals) and Andy Sax (saxophone, backing vocals). I reviewed their marvelous 2023 album Fly the Flag and am happy to see them back with “Behind The Lines Of Reason”, which dropped July 17th.

  1. RAGING HALLS – Lyia Meta (2)
  2. REPEAT OFFENDER – Gloom is Okay (1)
  3. DOORS – Noah Kahan (3)
  4. REIN ME IN – Sam Fender & Olivia Dean (4)
  5. PRIVATE – The Neighbourhood (5)
  6. SELF AWARE – Temper City (6)
  7. ONLINE – Western Jaguar (8)
  8. THE ENDLESS BORDER – Velvet Jesus (11)
  9. PICKING DRAGONS’ POCKETS – Modest Mouse (9)
  10. HEART STOP – The Revivalists (12)
  11. NO MORE REGRETS – almost monday (13)
  12. BEACHES IN TENNESSEE – Cage the Elephant (17)
  13. LOST BOYS – Phoebe Bridgers (18)
  14. EXIT WOUND – Ships Have Sailed (7)
  15. MARATHONS – Sorry Ghost (10)
  16. FREAKING OUT – Michigander (20)
  17. HOLD ME IN THE DARK – Myles Smith (21)
  18. LOVE ME NOT – Grace Potter (22)
  19. WE MIGHT AS WELL BE STRANGERS – Weezer feat. Wednesday (23)
  20. WE SHOULD TALK – Bleachers (24)
  21. I CAN TAKE THE SUN OUT OF THE SKY – Brigitte Calls Me Baby (25)
  22. STONE OVER WATER – Death Cab for Cutie (26)
  23. WHO WILL YOU FOLLOW – Evanescence (14)
  24. GO FUCK URSELF – Fat Dog (15)
  25. IN THE STARS – The Rolling Stones (16)
  26. I FEEL HOPE COMING – Alabama Shakes (30)
  27. HOMEWRECKER – sombr (19) 20th week on chart
  28. EVERGREEN – Young the Giant (N)
  29. EDGE OF THE EARTH – The Beaches (N)
  30. BEHIND THE LINES OF REASON – Hardwicke Circus (N)

My Top 30 Songs for August 16-22, 2026

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Weekly Top 30's3 Comments
Photo of Gloom is Okay by Arran Dawson Media

Scottish rock band Gloom is Okay hold the top spot for a second week with their exquisite “Repeat Offender”, while Malaysian artist extraordinaire Lyia Meta moves into second place with her powerful anthem “Raging Halls”. She just released another great single “For You” a week ago. “Doors” by Noah Kahan advances a spot to #3, and “Rein Me In” by English singer-songwriters Sam Fender and Olivia Dean, and “Private” by LA-based alt rock band The Neighbourhood, each move up two spots to #4 and #5, respectively.

After five debut songs last week, I have only one new addition to my chart this week: “I Feel Hope Coming” by Southern blues rock band Alabama Shakes. Fronted by powerhouse vocalist and guitarist Brittany Howard, the group also includes guitarist Heath Fogg and bassist Zac Cockrell. The song is the third in a series of singles they’ve been releasing over the past year that began last August with “Another Life”, which spent two weeks at #1 on my chart last November. All will be included on their forthcoming third album I Must Be Dreaming, to be released August 28th.

  1. REPEAT OFFENDER – Gloom is Okay (1)
  2. RAGING HALLS – Lyia Meta (3)
  3. DOORS – Noah Kahan (4)
  4. REIN ME IN – Sam Fender & Olivia Dean (6)
  5. PRIVATE – The Neighbourhood (7)
  6. SELF AWARE – Temper City (2)
  7. EXIT WOUND – Ships Have Sailed (5)
  8. ONLINE – Western Jaguar (9)
  9. PICKING DRAGONS’ POCKETS – Modest Mouse (8)
  10. MARATHONS – Sorry Ghost (10) 
  11. THE ENDLESS BORDER – Velvet Jesus (14)
  12. HEART STOP – The Revivalists (15)
  13. NO MORE REGRETS – almost monday (17)
  14. WHO WILL YOU FOLLOW – Evanescence (13)
  15. GO FUCK URSELF – Fat Dog (12)
  16. IN THE STARS – The Rolling Stones (16)
  17. BEACHES IN TENNESSEE – Cage the Elephant (21)
  18. LOST BOYS – Phoebe Bridgers (23)
  19. HOMEWRECKER – sombr (11)
  20. FREAKING OUT – Michigander (22)
  21. HOLD ME IN THE DARK – Myles Smith (24)
  22. LOVE ME NOT – Grace Potter (26)
  23. WE MIGHT AS WELL BE STRANGERS – Weezer feat. Wednesday (27)
  24. WE SHOULD TALK – Bleachers (28)
  25. I CAN TAKE THE SUN OUT OF THE SKY – Brigitte Calls Me Baby (29)
  26. STONE OVER WATER – Death Cab for Cutie (30)
  27. GOOD2B – Goose (18)
  28. GOING SHOPPING – The Strokes (20)
  29. FREAKIN’ OUT – Dexter and The Moonrocks (19)
  30. I FEEL HOPE COMING – Alabama Shakes (N)

100 Best Songs of 2025

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Song Lists27 Comments

Well, I thought 2024 was a trying year, but 2025 turned out to be an even bigger shitshow! Between the death of my cat and the unending nightmare of the odious and spectacularly corrupt Trump regime, it’s a wonder I (and millions of others) survived this year intact. Thankfully, there was lots of great music to help keep us relatively sane.

As I do at the end of each year, I’ve compiled a list of my 100 favorite songs for the past year. I’ve previously posted my list of the 100 Best Indie Songs of 2025 (which you can read here), and now this new list represents a compilation of my favorite songs of 2025 (23 of which also appear on my 100 Best Indie Songs list.) I avoid ranking albums, as there are simply far too many I’ve either not heard or had the time to fully listen to, therefore any list I might compile would be woefully inadequate.

As a music blogger, I’m exposed to a tremendous amount of new music over the course of a year, both from the thousands of artists and bands I follow, as well as all the music I learn about from fellow bloggers. Despite this, I’ve heard only a tiny fraction of all the music released in 2025, which was clearly evident to me when I perused the year-end best song lists of music sites and publications like Consequence, The Fader, Rolling Stone, NPR, etc. Therefore, my list includes only songs I know, and I’m certain there are likely hundreds of great ones that should be included, except that I’ve never heard them. Among the thousands of songs I did hear in 2025, there were many outstanding ones, and it frustrates me to have to cull my list down to only 100, omitting quite a few that I really like. It’s also a challenge ranking them, because a song at #40 isn’t necessarily any better than a song at #70. Perhaps it’s a pointless exercise to even rank them at all, except for the fact that I love making lists!

Music tastes are very subjective, and while I don’t understand how others cannot share my love for a particular song or artist, I fully realize that not one person will agree with all my song choices or rankings. I’m an unapologetic lover of pop, but also love dream rock, folk rock and alternative rock, so a lot of songs on my list reflect those genres. My favorite music artist this year was sombr (the hyper-talented 20-year-old American singer-songwriter and producer born Shane Michael Boose), who’s gorgeous, anthemic torch song “back to friends” is #1, while his equally great “undressed” is #11 and “12 to 12” comes in at #29. Also ranking highly are songs from favorite acts of mine who ranked highly on previous years lists, including Royel Otis, Lord Huron, Twenty One Pilots, Fontaines D.C., The Black Keys, Talk in Waves and Frank Joshua.

Most of the songs on this list were released in 2025, however, several were released in 2024 but didn’t ‘peak’ until 2025. Likewise, several songs released after November 1st are still moving up my weekly charts and won’t peak until early 2026, thus will appear on next year’s list. The few songs in this Top 100 that also appeared on my 100 Best Songs of 2024 list are indicated with an asterisk *. I’ve created both YouTube and Spotify playlists for this Top 100, which are included at the end of the post. Hopefully you’ll find some of your own personal favorites on it. Let me know what songs resonated with you in 2025.

  1. BACK TO FRIENDS – sombr
  2. THE FAITHFUL HEART – Wons Phreely + The Horses (my #1 indie song)
  3. SO COLD – Balu Brigada
  4. MOODY – Royel Otis
  5. NOTHING I NEED – Lord Huron
  6. NO RAIN, NO FLOWERS – The Black Keys
  7. THE LINE (from Arcane League of Legends) – Twenty One Pilots
  8. IT’S AMAZING TO BE YOUNG – Fontaines D.C.
  9. IMPOSTER SYNDROME – Fake Empire
  10. FIVE MORE SECONDS – Seafret & KT Tunstall
  11. UNDRESSED – sombr
  12. SAD IN CAROLINA – Dexter and The Moonrocks *
  13. TIME WAITED – My Morning Jacket
  14. ENSENADA – Sublime
  15. WALLS – Frank Joshua
  16. ANOTHER LIFE – Alabama Shakes
  17. THE CONTRACT – Twenty One Pilots
  18. FEELS RIGHT – Talk in Waves
  19. ARROW – The Head And The Heart
  20. TAKE THIS HEART – Brian Lambert
  21. THE WEATHER – All Time Low
  22. BAD DREAMS – Teddy Swims
  23. CITY WALLS – Twenty One Pilots
  24. METAVERSE – Cage the Elephant
  25. SALLY, WHEN THE WINE RUNS OUT – ROLE MODEL
  26. NEVER ENOUGH – TURNSTILE
  27. PORCELAIN (LOSING ALL MY PATIENCE) – Somebody’s Child
  28. JUPITER – almost monday feat. Jordana
  29. 12 TO 12 – sombr
  30. PEOPLE WATCHING – Sam Fender
  31. DRACULA – Tame Impala
  32. THE NIGHT BEFORE – The Black Keys
  33. BOBBY SOX – Green Day *
  34. SUSHI AND COLA COLA – St. Paul & The Broken Bones
  35. RUSHMERE – Mumford & Sons
  36. CONTROLLER – Moody Moody
  37. NEVERENDER – Justice feat. Tame Impala *
  38. A TEAR IN SPACE (AIRLOCK) – Glass Animals *
  39. ELEGANTLY WASTED – Hermanos Gutiérrez feat. Leon Bridges
  40. BAD LARRY – Cloakroom
  41. LOVE IS A FIRE – Art Block
  42. YOU’RE MY DRUG – Talk in Waves
  43. THE TURNAROUND – DelCobras
  44. BASIC BEING BASIC – Djo
  45. BACKSEAT – Balu Brigada
  46. ARCHBISHOP HAROLD HOLMES – Jack White
  47. SAILOR SONG – Gigi Perez
  48. AUTUMN LEAVES – Secret Postal Society
  49. IN THE LIVING ROOM – Maggie Rogers
  50. MISTAKES – Caamp
  51. DOWNSTAIRS – Matt Maeson
  52. LONDON TOWN – HEALER
  53. MORTAL WOUND – The Veils
  54. DETROIT – Badflower
  55. POLYESTER (YES SIR) – Sorry Ghost
  56. LAREDO – Leon Bridges
  57. CATCH THESE FISTS – Wet Leg
  58. AS ALIVE AS YOU NEED ME TO BE – Nine Inch Nails
  59. LUTHER – Kendrick Lamar & SZA
  60. BETTER DAYS – Yellowcard
  61. SAME OLD SONG – The Lumineers
  62. SHE WANTS TO GO DANCING – Mt. Joy
  63. STRAIGHT TO THE GROUND – Unquiet Nights
  64. RIPPLE – Good Neighbours
  65. BETTER OFF EVENTUALLY – Bealby Point
  66. SNAKESKIN – NAVE
  67. THE FATE OF OPHELIA – Taylor Swift
  68. BARBARIAN – AWOLNATION
  69. BONNET OF PINS – Matt Berninger
  70. ORDINARY CREATURE – Of Monsters and Men
  71. POOR SAD INDIE EVERYTHING – Icarus Phoenix
  72. WITHOUT A DOUBT – Charm School
  73. ASSHOLE – The Lumineers
  74. GILD THE LILY – Billy Strings
  75. SPECTER – Bad Omens
  76. LIGHT YEARS APART – Unobliterated
  77. LET THINGS GO – Caamp
  78. RITALIN – Dexter and The Moonrocks
  79. SO FAR SO FAKE – Pierce the Veil
  80. THE FEAR – Future Theory
  81. THE SUBWAY – Chappell Roan
  82. SPIKE ISLAND – Pulp
  83. WRECK – Neko Case
  84. MOTHER – Lyia Meta & Mark Allen Lanoue
  85. BLOOM BABY BLOOM – Wolf Alice
  86. DAY & NIGHT – Oli Barton
  87. LUCY – Mt. Joy
  88. WHO’S A FRAUD? – Still Traffico
  89. HORNETS – Western Jaguar
  90. ANKLES – Lucy Dacus
  91. HESITATE – Meltt
  92. GIVING UP – Michigander
  93. THREE SIX FIVE – Shinedown
  94. RELATIONSHIPS – HAIM
  95. AFTERLIFE – Alex G
  96. GET THE MESSAGE – The Paradox
  97. DANG – Rainbow Kitten Surprise
  98. SUGAR ON MY TONGUE – Tyler, The Creator
  99. WHAT WAS THAT – Lorde
  100. AFTERLIFE – Sharon Van Etten

Honorable Mention (these songs would rank #s 101-115):

EVERYBODY SCREAM – Florence + The Machine

ROUTINES IN THE NIGHT – Twenty One Pilots

SCARS – Secret Postal Society

DARKERSIDE – David Kushner

MY MIND IS A MOUNTAIN – Deftones

REMEMBER US? – Two Feet

EVERYTHING IS PEACEFUL LOVE – Bon Iver

GOLDEN – HUNTR/X: EJAE, Audrey Nuna & REI AMI

TODAY’S SONG – Foo Fighters

WATCH ME GO – Lord Huron

EMERGENCE – Sleep Token

REALITY BUZZ – Future Theory

HERE WE GO AGAIN – Set the Tone

SO LONG – Wavves

ENOUGH – Jeff Tweedy

Here’s the YouTube playlist:

And the Spotify playlist:

My Top 30 Songs for December 21-27, 2025

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Weekly Top 30'sLeave a comment

There aren’t many changes to my chart for the final full week of 2025. Twenty One Pilots remain at #1 with “City Walls”, while Tame Impala‘s “Dracula” moves into second place and sombr‘s “12 to 12” moves up a notch to #3. English psychedelic alt-rock band Future Theory enter the top ten with “The Fear”.

Two songs – both of which have been around a while – finally enter my chart, starting with “Asking For A Friend” by venerable rock band Foo Fighters, coming in at #29. The second new entry is “Caramel” by English alternative metal rock band Sleep Token, who charted earlier in the year with their dramatically beautiful song “Emergence”. Both tracks are from their fourth studio album Even In Arcadia, released this past May.

  1. CITY WALLS – Twenty One Pilots (1)
  2. DRACULA – Tame Impala (3)
  3. 12 TO 12 – sombr (4)
  4. THE WEATHER – All Time Low (2)
  5. DOWNSTAIRS – Matt Maeson (5)
  6. THE FATE OF OPHELIA – Taylor Swift (6)
  7. ORDINARY CREATURE – Of Monsters and Men (7)
  8. SPECTER – Bad Omens (8)
  9. SO FAR SO FAKE – Pierce The Veil (12)
  10. THE FEAR – Future Theory (10)
  11. LUCY – Mt. Joy (11)
  12. GET THE MESSAGE – The Paradox (13)
  13. WATCH ME GO – Lord Huron (14)
  14. ZOMBIE – YUNGBLUD (17)
  15. REMEMBER US? – Two Feet (20)
  16. ANOTHER LIFE – Alabama Shakes (9)
  17. TANANA – Portugal. The Man (18)
  18. BY YOUR SIDE – Meltt (19)
  19. RUBBER BAND MAN – Mumford & Sons w/Hozier (21)
  20. MADALENA – Goose (22)
  21. INFINITE SOURCE – Deftones (23)
  22. WHITE HORSES – Wolf Alice (24)
  23. HUMAN – Brandi Carlile (25)
  24. STAY IN YOUR LANE – Courtney Barnett (26)
  25. ELEGANTLY WASTED – Hermanos Gutiérrez feat. Leon Bridges (15)
  26. ENSENADA – Sublime (16)
  27. WHO’S YOUR BOYFRIEND – Royel Otis (28)
  28. I’VE GOT A BROKEN HEART – The Lemon Twigs (29)
  29. ASKING FOR A FRIEND – Foo Fighters (N)
  30. CARAMEL – Sleep Token (N)

My Top 30 Songs for December 14-20, 2025

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Weekly Top 30's9 Comments
Photo of Twenty One Pilots from their Facebook account

It’s a particularly exciting chart this week as we approach the end of 2025, with a new #1 song and two fantastic new debuts, incidentally all by duo acts. Twenty One Pilots, my favorite music act for the past ten years, takes over the top spot with “City Walls”, marking their 14th song to top my chart, and their third this year alone, following “The Line” this past March and “The Contract” in August. Like “The Contract”, “City Walls” is from their eighth studio album Breach, which was released September 12th and serves as the final installment in their decade-long narrative arc explored by their previous albums Blurryface (2015), Trench (2018), Scaled and Icy (2021), and Clancy (2024).

(For those who’ve been living under a rock, Twenty One Pilots are based in Columbus, Ohio and consist of the dynamic duo of singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and producer Tyler Joseph and power drummer Josh Dun. “City Walls” was written and produced by Joseph and his longtime collaborator Paul Meany, the lead singer and keyboardist for alternative rock project Mutemath, who opened for Twenty One Pilots on their Emotional Roadshow Tour that I saw in 2016.)

According to songsdiscussion.com, “‘City Walls’ delves into powerful themes of betrayal, reluctant leadership, and the immense psychological cost of rebellion, all set within the band’s established Dema and Trench narrative. The song’s core meaning centers on a protagonist who feels utterly abandoned by a trusted guide who was supposed to show him the way past the oppressive “city walls.” Now, he is forced to lead a dangerous and uncertain “breach” on his own, all while battling the severe fragmentation of his own mental state under the crushing weight of his new responsibility.“

The accompanying music video for the song, directed by Jensen Noen, runs for nearly ten minutes, making it the longest music video Twenty One Pilots have ever released. (The track itself is 5:22 minutes long.) Band frontman Tyler Joseph stated that the video serves as the proper conclusion to the story surrounding the conceptual city of “Dema”, a fictional location in the world of “Trench”, and its two central characters, Clancy (portrayed by Joseph) and Torchbearer (portrayed by drummer Josh Dun). With a production budget of $1 million, “City Walls” is one of the most expensive music videos of all time, as well as the second most expensive music video of the 2020s. Wikipedia

As I noted earlier, we have two marvelous new debuts, starting with “who’s your boyfriend” by Sydney, Australia-based duo Royel Otis. Comprised of Otis Pavlovic (lead vocals, rhythm guitar, piano) and Royel Maddell (lead guitar, backing vocals, bass, synthesizer), they’ve previously reached #1 twice on my chart, with “Murder on the Dancefloor” in 2024 and “moody” earlier this year. Like “moody”, “who’s your boyfriend” is from their third studio album hickey.

The second debut is “I’ve Got A Broken Heart”, the latest single by hyper-talented jangle pop-rock duo The Lemon Twigs. Based in Long Island, New York, they consist of brothers Brian and Michael D’Addario, both of whom are vocalists, songwriters and multi-instrumentalists. Their wonderful song “My Golden Years” reached #1 on my chart and ranks #5 on my Top 100 Songs of 2024 list (right behind “Murder on the Dancefloor”). “I’ve Got A Broken Heart” was released on November 25th as a double single also featuring “Friday (I’m Gonna Love You)”.

  1. CITY WALLS – Twenty One Pilots (2)
  2. THE WEATHER – All Time Low (1)
  3. DRACULA – Tame Impala (3)
  4. 12 TO 12 – sombr (10)
  5. DOWNSTAIRS – Matt Maeson (5)
  6. THE FATE OF OPHELIA – Taylor Swift (6)
  7. ORDINARY CREATURE – Of Monsters and Men (7)
  8. SPECTER – Bad Omens (9)
  9. ANOTHER LIFE – Alabama Shakes (4)
  10. SO FAR SO FAKE – Pierce The Veil (12)
  11. THE FEAR – Future Theory (13)
  12. LUCY – Mt. Joy (14)
  13. GET THE MESSAGE – The Paradox (15)
  14. WATCH ME GO – Lord Huron (16)
  15. ELEGANTLY WASTED – Hermanos Gutiérrez feat. Leon Bridges (8)
  16. ENSENADA – Sublime (11)
  17. ZOMBIE – YUNGBLUD (18)
  18. TANANA – Portugal. The Man (19)
  19. BY YOUR SIDE – Meltt (20)
  20. REMEMBER US? – Two Feet (21)
  21. RUBBER BAND MAN – Mumford & Sons w/Hozier (22)
  22. MADALENA – Goose (23)
  23. INFINITE SOURCE – Deftones (24)
  24. WHITE HORSES – Wolf Alice (25)
  25. HUMAN – Brandi Carlile (30)
  26. STAY IN YOUR LANE – Courtney Barnett (29)
  27. SUSHI AND COCA-COLA – St. Paul & The Broken Bones (17)
  28. WHO’S YOUR BOYFRIEND – Royel Otis (N)
  29. I’VE GOT A BROKEN HEART – The Lemon Twigs (N)
  30. DANG – Rainbow Kitten Surprise (28)