My Top 30 Songs for October 11-17, 2026

This week’s chart was a bit of a challenge, as I wanted to put all of my top three songs at number one. In the end, I decided to keep The Neighbourhood‘s mesmerizing “Private” on top for a third week, as I continue to love it immensely. It’s now become my second-favorite song by them, after “Sweater Weather”. Phoebe Bridgers‘ “Lost Boys” and Fontaines D.C.‘s “Marianne” remain at #2 and #3. Cage the Elephant holds at #4 for a third week with “Beaches In Tennessee” which currently tops all of Billboard‘s various Alternative charts. Even though they’re one of my longtime favorite bands, I just don’t think “Beaches In Tennessee” is anywhere near as good as many of their earlier hits. Tame Impala enters the top 10 at #7 with “Loser”.

Another challenge was deciding what new songs to place on my chart, as there were several worthy candidates. But given that I was only willing to drop two songs from my chart, there are only two new entries again this week, both by acts entirely new to me despite the fact they’ve been putting out music for several years. The first, entering at #29, is “Exit Signs” by English indie rock band LEAP. Originally founded in 2021 as the solo project of singer-songwriter Jack Scott, the act now also includes Hector Cottam (drums), Declan Brown (bass) and Adam Mason (guitar). To date, LEAP has released five EPs and one album, Entropy (which dropped last October 2025), all of them self-recorded and produced. The electrifying “Exit Signs” was actually released three years ago on their EP Dark Habits and is also featured on Entropy, however is now getting significant airplay for some reason and I’m happy for both LEAP and me!

My second new entry, courtesy of my young friend Nick, is “Bottle” by American singer-songwriter Remi Wolf. Born in Palo Alto, California, she began making music at the age of 14, and while still a senior in high school she appeared as a contestant on American Idol in 2014. She subsequently moved to Los Angeles to attend the USC Thornton School of Music, from which she graduated in 2018. Between 2019 and 2021, she released three successive EPs humorously titled You’re a Dog!, I’m Allergic to Dogs! and We Love Dogs!, followed by her debut studio album, Juno, in October 2021. She released her second album Big Ideas in July 2024, and her third studio album Mud, this past Friday October 9th. The lyrically dark but sonically enchanting “Bottle” was released as a single on August 20th and is featured on Mud.

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

My Top 30 Songs for October 4-10, 2026

The Neighbourhood remain on top for a second week with “Private”, while Phoebe Bridgers‘ “Lost Boys” slides into second place, followed by Fontaines D.C.‘s “Marianne” at #3. “I Can Take the Sun Out of the Sky” by Brigitte Calls Me Baby enters the top 10.

For the fourth week there are two new entries to my chart, starting with “I Kinda Like That” by American pop-punk band The Paradox. Formed in Atlanta, Georgia in 2024, the all-Black four piece consists of Eric Dangerfield (lead vocals, rhythm guitar), Donald Bryant (bass), Christopher “Xelan” Bernard (lead guitar, backing vocals), and Percy “PC3” Crews (drums). Their exuberant sound is influenced by such pop-punk legends as Blink-182, Sum 41 and Green Day, and their 2025 single “Get the Message” reached #1 on the Billboard Alternative Airplay chart this past January and peaked at #3 on my chart in early February. “I Kinda Like That” is featured on their EP Proceed With Caution, which dropped this past Friday, October 2nd.

The second new entry is “oh yeah? by Los Angeles-based singer-songwriter, guitarist and record producer Steve Lacy. The song is the title track from his third studio album Oh yeah?, released on July 17th. His 2022 hit “Bad Habit” reached #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart as well as my chart, and ranks #6 on my 100 Best Songs of 2022 list.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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 June 7-13, 2026

Photo of Death Cab for Cutie by Ryan Russell

After a two-week hiatus due to being on vacation in Georgia and western North Carolina, I’m back with my latest top 30 chart. American indie pop-rock band Death Cab for Cutie jumps four spots to take over the #1 spot with their pensive single “Riptides”, displacing last week’s top song “Slumber Party” by Brigitte Calls Me Baby. Formed in 1997, Death Cab for Cutie currently consists of Ben Gibbard (vocals, guitar, piano), Nick Harmer (bass), Dave Depper (guitar, keyboards, backing vocals), Zac Rae (keyboards, guitar), and Jason McGerr (drums). “Riptides” is the lead single from their 11th studio album I Built You a Tower, which dropped this past Friday, June 5th. The album’s rather melancholic yet upbeat tone was inspired by band frontman and songwriter Ben Gibbard’s experiences dealing with the end of his marriage while also constantly being on tour. I’ve been a longtime fan of Death Cab for Cutie and have always loved Gibbard’s comforting tenor vocals. They previously topped my chart with “Gold Rush” in 2018, though “Here to Forever” reached #2 in 2022.

There are two new debuts this week, however, a total of five songs have entered my charts since my last post so I’ll mention them all. First off is the lovely “Exit Wound” by another longtime favorite act Ships Have Sailed. Based in Los Angeles, the duo is made up of singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Will Carpenter and drummer Art Andranikyan, though more recently they’ve collaborated with a number of other songwriters and musicians. I’ve written about them for this blog more times than I can remember, and several of their songs have appeared on my charts. “Exit Wound” was co-written by Carpenter and Bill O’Hanlon.

Next up is “Ride Lonesome” by singer-songwriter, producer and multi-instrumentalist Beck. Released in April, the song is his first new music in two years and has a laid-back Americana sound. I like how he continually changes up his sound, keeping it fresh by his willingness to venture into new styles and genres.

The third song among the three previous debuts is the very cool-sounding “Good2B” by American rock band Goose (not to be confused with the band Geese), which currently consists of Rick Mitarotonda (guitar, vocals), Trevor Weeks (bass, vocals, poetry), Peter Anspach (keyboards, guitar, vocals) and Cotter Ellis (drums, vocals). Their eclectic jam band sound has been compared to the funk and progressive rock influences of Phish and Umphrey’s McGee and the folk, jazz, and blues influences of the Grateful Dead. The song will be included on their sixth studio album Big Modern, set for release on June 12th.

The first of this week’s two new entries is “Picking Dragons’ Pockets” by the always zany and unorthodox Portland, Oregon-based alt-rock band Modest Mouse. Formed in 1993, the band has undergone numerous personnel changes over the years and presently consists of frontman and founding member Isaac Brock (lead vocals, guitars, banjo), Russell Higbee (bass, guitar, keyboards, backing vocals), Ben Massarella (drums, percussion), Simon O’Connor (guitar, backing vocals), Damon Cox (drums, percussion) and Keith Karman (keyboards, guitar, bass, backing vocals). The song is from their eighth studio album An Eraser and a Maze, which also dropped this past Friday, June 5th.

An interesting tidbit of info I found on their Wikipedia page referenced a 2016 study conducted by Italian music data company Musixmatch which surveyed 43,414 songs spanning multiple genres. It found that Modest Mouse was one of the most profane bands among the subjects categorized as “indie rock,” second only to The Neighborhood (whose song “Hula Girl” recently topped my chart). It was estimated that Modest Mouse used profanity every 310 words, and that the top three swear words uttered by the band were “shit,” “fuck” and “ass,” respectively.

The second new entry this week, and the final of five overall, is the hard-hitting “Raging Halls” by insanely talented Malaysian artist Lyia Meta. A highly accomplished, award-winning and Grammy-nominated Renaissance woman, Lyia is a singer, songwriter, musician and vocal coach, as well as a writer, teacher and visual artist whose work spans multiple media formats. 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.

“Raging Halls” 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.”

  1. RIPTIDES – Death Cab for Cutie (5)
  2. SLUMBER PARTY – Brigitte Calls Me Baby (1)
  3. BEDROOM POSTERS – Yellowcard feat. Good Charlotte (3)
  4. GOING SHOPPING – The Strokes (6)
  5. DRAG PATH – Twenty One Pilots (2)
  6. DIFFERENT KIND OF LOVE – Young the Giant (4)
  7. HEADLIGHTS – In Color (9)
  8. HOMEWRECKER – Sombr (10)
  9. FREAKIN’ OUT – Dexter and The Moonrocks (11)
  10. WAITING FOR ME – Talk in Waves (7)
  11. HEAVY FOOT – Mon Rovîa (8)
  12. DROP DEAD – Olivia Rodrigo (14)
  13. SELF AWARE – Temper City (18)
  14. DYING TO LOVE – Bad Omens (15)
  15. TO LOVE SOMEBODY – Holly Humberstone (17)
  16. BE WITH YOU – Muse (16)
  17. UNTIL THE SUN EXPLODES – Sublime (19)
  18. YOUR FAVORITE TOY – Foo Fighters (13)
  19. LOOK OUT FOR ME – Turnstile (12)
  20. THE GREAT DIVIDE – Noah Kahan (20)
  21. KILL ME FAST – Three Days Grace (24)
  22. STARLIGHT – Cannons (21)
  23. IN MY ROOM – Julia Wolf (27)
  24. EXIT WOUND – Ships Have Sailed (28)
  25. RIDE LONESOME – Beck (29)
  26. GOOD2B – Goose (30)
  27. I REMEMBER WHEN – MISSIO (22)
  28. YOU GOT TO LOSE – The Black Keys (23)
  29. PICKING DRAGONS’ POCKETS – Modest Mouse (N)
  30. RAGING HALLS – Lyia Meta (N)

My Top 30 Songs for May 17-23, 2026

Twenty One Pilots maintain a firm grip on the top spot for a third week with their beautiful song “Drag Path”, while Brigitte Calls Me Baby‘s delightfully boisterous “Slumber Party” and Talk in Waves‘ plaintive Americana-tinged “Waiting for Me” move up a notch to #s 2 and 3, respectively. “Riptides” by Death Cab for Cutie moves up three to enter the top 10 at #10, and The Strokes are the biggest upward movers again this week, as “Going Shopping” jumps seven spots to #13.

Four terrific songs enter my chart this week, starting with the infectious “Until The Sun Explodes” by Long Beach, California-based ska punk band Sublime, comprised of founding members Eric Wilson (bass) and Bud Gaugh (drums), as well as vocalist Jakob Newell, son of founding member Bradley Nowell who died in 1996. Their previous single “Ensenada” reached #1 on my chart this past November and has spent nearly eight months and counting at #1 on Billboard‘s Rock/Alternative Airplay chart!

Coming in at #28 is “Self Aware”, the debut single by Israeli alternative rock band Temper City, which consists of musicians Chen Kordova, Aviv Barenholz and Eitan Peled. Released in February, the song quickly went viral on TikTok and has already amassed over 109 million streams on Spotify, and 3.7 million views on YouTube. The track’s style and sound have been compared to acts like Steve Lacy, Hozier, Cage the Elephant and The Neighbourhood, all favorites of mine. I only heard it a few days ago and already love it. I was surprised to learn that it’s the first song by an Israeli band to ever appear on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart.

Next up is “Kill Me Fast” by veteran Canadian rock band Three Days Grace. Formed in the 90s and now based in Toronto, they’re comprised of the original line-up of guitarist and lead vocalist Adam Gontier, drummer and backing vocalist Neil Sanderson and bassist Brad Walst, plus Barry Stock who joined as lead guitarist in 2003, and Walst’s younger brother Matt, who was a longtime songwriter for the band and became lead singer in 2013 when Gontier left Three Days Grace (he rejoined in 2024). The song is from their eighth studio album Alienation, released in August 2025.

The fourth new entry is “In My Room” by American singer-songwriter and record producer Julia Wolf (born Julia Capello). The song was originally released in March 2024 as the lead single from her second studio album Pressure, which dropped in May 2025, but was re-released as the title track of a five-song EP in late March, at which point it finally charted in the U.S. Wolf states the rather dark song is about missing an ex-partner who’s moved on.

  1. DRAG PATH – Twenty One Pilots (1)
  2. SLUMBER PARTY – Brigitte Calls Me Baby (3)
  3. WAITING FOR ME – Talk in Waves (4)
  4. BEDROOM POSTERS – Yellowcard feat. Good Charlotte (7)
  5. LOOK OUT FOR ME – Turnstile (6)
  6. DIFFERENT KIND OF LOVE – Young the Giant (9)
  7. I REMEMBER WHEN – MISSIO (2)
  8. YOUR FAVORITE TOY – Foo Fighters (10)
  9. YOU GOT TO LOSE – The Black Keys (5)
  10. RIPTIDES – Death Cab for Cutie (13)
  11. THE GREAT DIVIDE – Noah Kahan (11)
  12. HEAVY FOOT – Mon Rovîa (12)
  13. GOING SHOPPING – The Strokes (20)
  14. BURN FOR YOU RMX – Between Daze (15)
  15. HEADLIGHTS – In Color (18)
  16. HOMEWRECKER – sombr (19)
  17. SITE UNSEEN – Courtney Barnett featuring Waxahatchee (17)
  18. DOUBLETAKE – Edgehill (8)
  19. STARLIGHT – Cannons (14)
  20. FREAKIN’ OUT – Dexter and The Moonrocks (23)
  21. YOU AND FOREVER – Bleachers (21)
  22. DYING TO LOVE – Bad Omens (22)
  23. DROP DEAD – Olivia Rodrigo (25)
  24. BE WITH YOU – Muse (24)
  25. TO LOVE SOMEBODY – Holly Humberstone (27)
  26. HULA GIRL – The Neighbourhood (16) 21st week on chart
  27. UNTIL THE SUN EXPLODES – Sublime (N)
  28. SELF AWARE – Temper City (N)
  29. KILL ME FAST – Three Days Grace (N)
  30. IN MY ROOM – Julia Wolf (N)

My Top 30 Songs for May 10-16, 2026

Photo of Josh Dun and Tyler Joseph from their Facebook account.

Twenty One Pilots remain at #1 for a second week with “Drag Path”, while MISSIO hold at #2 again after spending a week at #1. Chicago-based Brigitte Calls Me Baby moves up two to #3 with their exhilarating “Slumber Party”, and Northern Virginia singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Talk in Waves also advances two spots to #4 with his heartfelt “Waiting for Me”.

Entering the top 10 are “Different Kind Of Love” by Young the Giant, moving up two spots to #9, and “Your Favorite Toy” by Foo Fighters, also advancing two spots to #10 and still going strong after more than 30 years! The Strokes are the biggest upward movers this week as their delightfully wry “Going Shopping” jumps seven spots to #20. Backed by a lighthearted, bouncy groove, Julian Casablancas muses about materialism, growing older, societal alienation and the push and pull of city vs. country living (all things I’ve wrestled with myself). There are no new additions to my chart this week.

  1. DRAG PATH – Twenty One Pilots (1)
  2. I REMEMBER WHEN – MISSIO (2)
  3. SLUMBER PARTY – Brigitte Calls Me Baby (5)
  4. WAITING FOR ME – Talk in Waves (6)
  5. YOU GOT TO LOSE – The Black Keys (4)
  6. LOOK OUT FOR ME – Turnstile (7)
  7. BEDROOM POSTERS – Yellowcard feat. Good Charlotte (10)
  8. DOUBLETAKE – Edgehill (3)
  9. DIFFERENT KIND OF LOVE – Young the Giant (11)
  10. YOUR FAVORITE TOY – Foo Fighters (12)
  11. THE GREAT DIVIDE – Noah Kahan (8)
  12. HEAVY FOOT – Mon Rovîa (13)
  13. RIPTIDES – Death Cab for Cutie (16)
  14. STARLIGHT – Cannons (14)
  15. BURN FOR YOU RMX – Between Daze (15)
  16. HULA GIRL – The Neighbourhood (9) 20th week on chart
  17. SITE UNSEEN – Courtney Barnett featuring Waxahatchee (18)
  18. HEADLIGHTS – In Color (23)
  19. HOMEWRECKER – sombr (25)
  20. GOING SHOPPING – The Strokes (27)
  21. YOU AND FOREVER – Bleachers (22)
  22. DYING TO LOVE – Bad Omens (24)
  23. FREAKIN’ OUT – Dexter and The Moonrocks (26)
  24. BE WITH YOU – Muse (28)
  25. DROP DEAD – Olivia Rodrigo (29)
  26. FOOL’S GOLD – Buffalo Traffic Jam (17)
  27. TO LOVE SOMEBODY – Holly Humberstone (30)
  28. SONG OF THE FUTURE – U2 (21)
  29. SWEET LOVE – Stephen Sanchez (19)
  30. THE OLD LAW – Father John Misty (20)