Noah Kahan remains on top for a second week with “The Great Divide”, while The Neighbourhood moves into second place with their captivating “Hula Girl”. I’ve been a big fan of this Los Angeles-based group since first hearing their song “Sweater Weather” back in the summer of 2013 (it became my 4th favorite song of that entire decade), and am happy they’re still putting out great music. I really love lead singer Jesse Rutherford’s ethereal sensuous vocals. “Waiting for Me” by Northern Virginia-based Talk in Waves (aka singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Jake Mimikos) enters the top 10 after a long, steady climb. He’s another longtime favorite of mine who’s had numerous songs appear on my chart over the past seven years.
Two great songs make their debut this week, starting with the raucous “Your Favorite Toy” by legendary rock band Foo Fighters, entering at #29. To my ears, the song is a bit of a departure from their typical sound, and I honestly didn’t recognize Dave Grohl’s voice the first time I heard it, but I’m really liking it! Entering at #30 is “Sight Unseen” by Australian singer-songwriter Courtney Barnett, featuring American indie folk artist Waxahatchee (aka singer-songwriter Katie Crutchfield). Barnett’s previous single “Stay In Your Lane” recently spent 12 weeks on my chart. Both songs are from her fifth studio album Creature of Habit, which dropped this past Friday, March 27th,
THE GREAT DIVIDE – Noah Kahan (1)
HULA GIRL – The Neighbourhood (3)
WHO’S YOUR BOYFRIEND – Royel Otis (2)
LOST YOUR GHOST – Two Feet (6)
DOUBLETAKE – Edgehill (7)
I REMEMBER WHEN – MISSIO (8)
YOU GOT TO LOSE – The Black Keys (8)
THE WRECKAGE – Silversun Pickups (10)
ZOMBIE – YUNGBLUD (4) 20th week on chart
WAITING FOR ME – Talk in Waves (13)
SWEET LOVE – Stephen Sanchez (14)
SLUMBER PARTY – Brigitte Calls Me Baby (15)
TO SPACE – Kings of Leon (5)
THE OLD LAW – Father John Misty (20)
HEATHER – Secret Postal Society (19)
BEDROOM POSTERS – Yellowcard feat. Good Charlotte (21)
LOOK OUT FOR ME – Turnstile (22)
DIFFERENT KIND OF LOVE – Young the Giant (24)
DRAG PATH – Twenty One Pilots (25)
HUMAN – Brandi Carlile (11)
12 TO 12 – sombr (12) 23rd week on chart
COBRA – Geese (17)
I’VE GOT A BROKEN HEART – The Lemon Twigs (16)
STARLIGHT – Cannons (27)
BURN FOR YOU RMX – Between Daze (28)
FOOL’S GOLD – Buffalo Traffic Jam (29)
HEAVY FOOT – Mon Rovîa (30)
RUBBER BAND MAN – Mumford & Sons w/Hozier (18)
YOUR FAVORITE TOY – Foo Fighters (N)
SITE UNSEEN – Courtney Barnett featuring Waxahatchee (N)
Photo of Noah Kahan taken from his Facebook account
A new week and some exciting changes on my latest Top 30 chart. First off, Vermont-born and now Nashville-based folk pop singer-songwriter Noah Kahan takes over the #1 spot with his heartwarming song “The Great Divide”. The talented 29-year-old began releasing singles in 2017, followed by his debut album Busyhead in 2019, but burst onto the music scene in late 2022 with his breakout single “Stick Season”. Although moderately successful in the U.S. upon release, the song went viral on TikTok after American singer-songwriter Olivia Rodrigo covered it on BBC Radio 1 in the UK, causing it to reach number one in various countries including Australia, Belgium, Ireland, the Netherlands and the UK, as well as reaching the top 10 in Canada, New Zealand, and the U.S. (Wikipedia) “The Great Divide”, which is currently #1 on all Billboard Alternative charts, was the lead and title single from Kahan’s forthcoming fourth album The Great Divide, to be released April 24th.
The poignant lyrics seem to be a letter to an old friend you’ve lost touch with but still care about: “I can’t recall the last time that we talked. About anything but lookin’ out for cops. We got cigarette burns on the same side of our hands. But we ain’t friends, we’re just morons who broke skin in the same spot. You know I think about you all the time. And my deep misunderstanding of your life. And how bad it must have been for you back then. And how hard it was to keep it all inside.I hope you settle down, I hope you marry rich. I hope you’re scared of only ordinary shit. Like murderers and ghosts and cancer on your skin. And not your soul, and what he might do with it. “
One of my longtime favorite acts is MISSIO, a duo from Austin, Texas comprised of singer-songwriter, musician and producer Matthew Brue and songwriter/producer and musician David Butler, who record music with the help of their silent third partner, producer and frequent collaborator Dwight Baker and drummer Jaydon Bean. I’ve written about them numerous times and four of their songs have reached #1 on my weekly Top 30. Their rip-roaring single “I Remember When” enters the top 10, leaping 14 spots to #8.
Debuting way up high at #9 is “You Got to Lose”, the latest single by another longtime favorite act of mine, Nashville-based blues rockers The Black Keys, made up of singer-songwriter, guitarist and producer Dan Auerbach and drummer Patrick Carney, that sees them return to their garage-rock roots. The song was the lead single from their forthcoming 14th album Peaches!, set for release on May 1st, and it’s quite possibly the fiercest, most raw performance I’ve ever heard from the guys. Originally written in 1958 by Ike Turner, Auerbach’s cover takes inspiration from Earl Hooker’s 1969 blues version, and George Thorogood & The Destroyer’s fiery 1977 version. Recorded while Auerbach was caring for his now late father, who was dealing with the effects of a stroke and esophageal cancer, the song and album were a cathartic release for him. He explained “We weren’t making a record. We were just jamming, like this is for us. Really primal, in a moment when all the nerves were raw, just kinda screaming. We were going through a lot, trying to lift our spirits. I think my dad getting sick made me not give a fuck and just wanna scream for a bit.” (Genius)
Also entering the top 10 at #10 is “The Wreckage” by Los Angeles-based alt-rock band Silversun Pickups. The song is from their seventh album Tenterhooks, which dropped last month, and it’s become one of my favorites of theirs. Besides “You Got to Lose”, there are two other new additions to my chart, starting with “Fool’s Gold” by Bozeman, Montana-based folk band Buffalo Traffic Jam, who are new to me. Consisting of Frankie Cassidy and Nathan Ross, who met as students at Montana State University, they released their self-titled debut EP in 2024, and quickly amassed a huge following, with over 4 million monthly listeners on Spotify and more than 142,000 followers on Instagram. They followed up with several singles which culminated in the release of their six-track EP Take Me Home, which dropped last October and on which “Fool’s Gold” is featured. The poignant song is currently #3 on the Billboard AAA chart.
Debuting at #30 is “Heavy Foot” by folk artist Mon Rovîa, another act that’s new to me. Mon Rovîa is the music project of Afro-Appalachian singer-songwriter Janjay Lowe, who was born in Monrovia, Liberia and adopted at the age of seven by an American family with whom he variously lived in Florida, Montana, the Bahamas, and Tennessee, where he’s now based. The prolific musician began releasing music in 2020 and has since dropped six EPs and an album Bloodline, released in January. Like Buffalo Traffic Jam, Mon Rovîa has quickly garnered a huge following, with over 2.5 million monthly listeners on Spotify, 2 million followers on Facebook and nearly a million followers on Instagram. I’m really liking his music and sweet vocals.
THE GREAT DIVIDE – Noah Kahan (2)
WHO’S YOUR BOYFRIEND – Royel Otis (1)
HULA GIRL – The Neighbourhood (4)
ZOMBIE – YUNGBLUD (3)
TO SPACE – Kings of Leon (5)
LOST YOUR GHOST – Two Feet (6)
DOUBLETAKE – Edgehill (10)
I REMEMBER WHEN – MISSIO (22)
YOU GOT TO LOSE – The Black Keys (N)
THE WRECKAGE – Silversun Pickups (12)
HUMAN – Brandi Carlile (7)
12 TO 12 – sombr (8) 22nd week on chart
WAITING FOR ME – Talk in Waves (14)
SWEET LOVE – Stephen Sanchez (16)
SLUMBER PARTY – Brigitte Calls Me Baby (17)
I’VE GOT A BROKEN HEART – The Lemon Twigs (9)
COBRA – Geese (15)
RUBBER BAND MAN – Mumford & Sons w/Hozier (11)
HEATHER – Secret Postal Society (19)
THE OLD LAW – Father John Misty (20)
BEDROOM POSTERS – Yellowcard feat. Good Charlotte (21)
Australian duo Royel Otis remain at #1 for a second week with “who’s your boyfriend”, while singer-songwriter Noah Kahan moves into second place with “The Great Divide”, which currently tops both the Billboard Alternative and Adult Alternative charts. Nashville-based alternative indie rock band Edgehill enters the top 10 with “Doubletake”, which is featured on their debut album Ode to the Greyhouse, released last month.
There are four new entries to my chart this week, starting with “LOOK OUT FOR ME” by Baltimore, Maryland-based melodic hardcore band Turnstile. Formed in 2010, they consist of lead vocalist Brendan Yates, guitarists Pat McCrory and Meg Mills, bassist Franz Lyons, and drummer Daniel Fang. Coming in at #26, the song is from their critically acclaimed fourth album Never Enough, which won a Grammy for Best Rock Album on February 1st.
Entering at #28 is “Drag Path”, the latest single by my longtime favorite music act, Columbus, Ohio-based duo Twenty One Pilots, comprised of singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Tyler Joseph and dummer Josh Dun. Next up is “Starlight” by L.A.-based dream pop band Cannons, made up of vocalist Michelle Joy, lead guitarist Ryan Clapham, and keyboardist/bassist Paul Davis. The song will be included on their forthcoming fifth album Everything Glows, to be released March 27th. These two, along with Two Feet and Young the Giant, are four acts with songs on this chart who I’ve seen live in concert.
Last, but certainly not least, is “Burn For You RMX” by Between Daze, another act from Baltimore, Maryland who debut at #30. A songwriting/recording project comprised of Johnny Burkhead (vocals), Scott Rodenberg (guitar) and Ken Kundratic (guitar), along with Mike Coyne (bass) and Kevin Walsh (drums), they’ve been making alternative pop/rock and roll music together for over 20 years but really began hitting their stride in 2021 with the release of their single “Burn For You”. They’ve now revisited the track with a terrific newly mastered version by Wye Wye Productions. With a sound somewhat reminiscent of 80s U2 and The Cure, the band states the song is “a poignant exploration of true love and how far one is willing to go to have it.”
WHO’S YOUR BOYFRIEND – Royel Otis (1)
THE GREAT DIVIDE – Noah Kahan (3)
ZOMBIE – YUNGBLUD (2)
HULA GIRL – The Neighbourhood (6)
TO SPACE – Kings of Leon (7)
LOST YOUR GHOST – Two Feet (8)
HUMAN – Brandi Carlile (4)
12 TO 12 – sombr (5) 21st week on chart
I’VE GOT A BROKEN HEART – The Lemon Twigs (9)
DOUBLETAKE – Edgehill (12)
RUBBER BAND MAN – Mumford & Sons w/Hozier (11)
THE WRECKAGE – Silversun Pickups (15)
LOST – almost monday (14)
WAITING FOR ME – Talk in Waves (16)
COBRA – Geese (17)
SWEET LOVE – Stephen Sanchez (18)
SLUMBER PARTY – Brigitte Calls Me Baby (19)
INFINITE SOURCE – Deftones (10)
HEATHER – Secret Postal Society (21)
THE OLD LAW – Father John Misty (22)
BEDROOM POSTERS – Yellowcard feat. Good Charlotte (27)
I REMEMBER WHEN – MISSIO (28)
ALL MY FRIENDS ARE SO DEPRESSED – Joyce Manor (13)
With the US of A now embroiled in a war with Iran, needlessly started by our self-described “Peace President” (aka authoritarian dictator, pedophile, grifter and lunatic mob boss Donald Trump), it almost seems pointless to write about music. Nevertheless, for those few who might give a shit, I’m sharing my latest favorite songs list.
Australian duo Royel Otis takes over the top spot with their infectious pop gem “who’s your boyfriend”. With lyrics describing an on again, off again love triangle – “Who’s your boyfriend now? ‘Cause you’re sleepin’ with him, but it’s me you’re thinkin’ about” – an old guy like me probably shouldn’t but fuck, I love it! The song is from their second album hickey, released last August. I’ve become a big fan of this talented young duo, and “who’s your boyfriend” is their third song to top my chart, after “Murder on the Dancefloor” (which ranks #4 on my 100 Best Songs of 2024 list) and “moody” (which ranks #4 on my 100 Best Songs of 2025 list).
In other chart news of note, “Rubber Band Man” by English folk rock band Mumford & Sons, with added vocals by Irish singer-songwriter Hozier, reverses course and moves up six spots to #11. It peaked at #7 in late January, but after seeing them on last weekend’s Saturday Night Live show, I realize how much I still like this song.
The lone new entry this week is “Different Kind Of Love”, by L.A.-based alternative pop rock band Young the Giant. Released February 6th, it’s their first new music since 2023 and the lead single from their forthcoming sixth album Victory Garden, planned for release on May 1st. It’s hard to believe it’s been nearly seven years since I saw them in concert in 2019.
WHO’S YOUR BOYFRIEND – Royel Otis (2)
ZOMBIE – YUNGBLUD (1)
THE GREAT DIVIDE – Noah Kahan (4)
HUMAN – Brandi Carlile (5)
12 TO 12 – sombr (3) 20th week on chart
HULA GIRL – The Neighbourhood (8)
TO SPACE – Kings of Leon (9)
LOST YOUR GHOST – Two Feet (10)
I’VE GOT A BROKEN HEART – The Lemon Twigs (7)
INFINITE SOURCE – Deftones (6)
RUBBER BAND MAN – Mumford & Sons w/Hozier (17)
DOUBLETAKE – Edgehill (15)
ALL MY FRIENDS ARE SO DEPRESSED – Joyce Manor (14)
LOST – almost monday (18)
THE WRECKAGE – Silversun Pickups (19)
WAITING FOR ME – Talk in Waves (21)
COBRA – Geese (22)
SWEET LOVE – Stephen Sanchez (23)
SLUMBER PARTY – Brigitte Calls Me Baby (24)
DRACULA – Tame Impala (16) 20th week on chart
HEATHER – Secret Postal Society (25)
THE OLD LAW – Father John Misty (26)
THE FEAR – Future Theory (11) 20th week on chart
GET THE MESSAGE – The Paradox (12)
WHITE HORSES – Wolf Alice (13)
PARACHUTE – Hayley Williams (28)
BEDROOM POSTERS – Yellowcard feat. Good Charlotte (29)
Hard to believe we’re already into March, as time seems to fly by at an ever-faster speed. YUNGBLUD remains on top for a second week with “Zombie”, while Royel Otis moves into second place with “who’s your boyfriend”. Three songs enter the top 10, beginning with “The Great Divide” by Noah Kahan, leaping seven spots to #4, “To Space” by Kings of Leon, climbing three spots to #9, and “Lost Your Ghost” by Two Feet, moving up four spots to #10.
Entering my chart this week are “Bedroom Posters” by American pop-punk band Yellowcard, along with American rock band Good Charlotte. The song is a new version of the original that’s featured on Yellowcard’s latest album Better Days, released last October. The album’s title track went to #1 last year on the Billboard Alternative Airplay chart and peaked at #6 on my chart. The second new entry, coming in at #30, is “I Remember When”, the hard-charging and boisterous new single by Texas-based duo MISSIO, who’ve been one of my favorite acts since 2017. I’ve written about them numerous times on this blog, and several of their songs have topped my charts.
ZOMBIE – YUNGBLUD (1)
WHO’S YOUR BOYFRIEND – Royel Otis (3)
12 TO 12 – sombr (2)
THE GREAT DIVIDE – Noah Kahan (11)
HUMAN – Brandi Carlile (5)
INFINITE SOURCE – Deftones (4)
I’VE GOT A BROKEN HEART – The Lemon Twigs (9)
HULA GIRL – The Neighbourhood (10)
TO SPACE – Kings of Leon (12)
LOST YOUR GHOST – Two Feet (14)
THE FEAR – Future Theory (6)
GET THE MESSAGE – The Paradox (7)
WHITE HORSES – Wolf Alice (8)
ALL MY FRIENDS ARE SO DEPRESSED – Joyce Manor (15)
DOUBLETAKE – Edgehill (16)
DRACULA – Tame Impala (13)
RUBBER BAND MAN – Mumford & Sons w/Hozier (17)
LOST – almost monday (19)
THE WRECKAGE – Silversun Pickups (20)
HOLY ROLLER – The Format (18)
WAITING FOR ME – Talk in Waves (22)
COBRA – Geese (24)
SWEET LOVE – Stephen Sanchez (25)
SLUMBER PARTY – Brigitte Calls Me Baby (26)
HEATHER – Secret Postal Society (27)
THE OLD LAW – Father John Misty (28)
WORLD APART – Bike Routes (23)
PARACHUTE – Hayley Williams (30)
BEDROOM POSTERS – Yellowcard feat. Good Charlotte (N)
Photo of YUNGBLUD taken from a 2025 article in Rock Sound
The beautiful anthem “Zombie” by English singer-songwriter, musician and actor YUNGBLUD takes over the top spot on my chart this week after sombr’s five-week run with “12 to 12”. He calls the song a “love letter to nurses”, and it covers me with goosebumps every time I hear it. From his fourth studio album Idols, released in June 2025, “Zombie” is the first of his singles to reach #1 on my chart, as well as the Billboard Alternative Airplay chart. Both song and album were nominated for Grammys. His 2022 single “Funeral” reached #3 on my chart and ranks #40 on my 100 Best Songs of 2022 list.
Born Dominic Richard Harrison, the charismatic YUNGBLUD’s music has been described as alternative rock, featuring elements of pop-punk, pop rock and hip-hop. He’s cited a wide range of musical influences, including such artists as Arctic Monkeys, The Beatles, The Cure, Nirvana, Avril Lavigne, the Clash, Soundgarden, My Chemical Romance, Marilyn Manson, Freddie Mercury, Mick Jagger, Elton John, Chrissie Hynde, Siouxsie Sioux of Siouxsie and the Banshees, Lady Gaga, Lorde, Post Malone, Kanye West, Eminem, and Katy Perry. He also had a close friendship with Ozzy Osbourne, who he considered a mentor. (Wikipedia)
Earlier this month, YUNGBLUD won the Grammy for Best Rock Performance for his cover of the Black Sabbath song “Changes”, featuring Frank Bello on bass, Nuno Bettencourt on guitar, Sleep Token II on drums, and Adam Wakeman on keyboards. Recorded at the Back to the Beginning benefit concert by Black Sabbath, along with a number of supporting artists, on July 5, 2025, the song was released as a charity single later that month.
In other chart news of note, “who’s your boyfriend” by Australian duo Royel Otis advances three spots to #3, while Deftones‘ “infinite source” moves up a spot to #4 and Brandi Carlile‘s inspirational “Human” moves up three spots to #5. L.A.-based alternative pop-rock band The Neighbourhood enter the top 10 with their lovely “Hula Girl”. Vermont folk rock artist Noah Kahan has the biggest upward mover this week with “The Great Divide”, which leaps 15 spots to #11, while “Lost Your Ghost” by Brooklyn, New York artist Two Feet jumps seven spots to #14.
The lone new entry this week is “Parachute” by singer-songwriter Haley Williams, who’s also a member of and lead vocalist for Nashville-based rock band Paramore. The song is from her third solo album Ego Death at a Bachelorette Party, released last August.
ZOMBIE – YUNGBLUD (2)
12 TO 12 – sombr (1)
WHO’S YOUR BOYFRIEND – Royel Otis (6)
INFINITE SOURCE – Deftones (5)
HUMAN – Brandi Carlile (8)
THE FEAR – Future Theory (3)
GET THE MESSAGE – The Paradox (4)
WHITE HORSES – Wolf Alice (7)
I’VE GOT A BROKEN HEART – The Lemon Twigs (10)
HULA GIRL – The Neighbourhood (11)
THE GREAT DIVIDE – Noah Kahan (26)
TO SPACE – Kings of Leon (12)
DRACULA – Tame Impala (9)
LOST YOUR GHOST – Two Feet (21)
ALL MY FRIENDS ARE SO DEPRESSED – Joyce Manor (16)
Given America’s ongoing descent into an authoritarian dictatorship led by a cruel and corrupt narcissistic lunatic and pedophile who operates like a literal mob boss, I haven’t been in the frame of mind to write about music since the start of the year. I’m still feeling pretty disheartened and anxious about what new horrors Combover Caligula and his odious administration will unleash upon us in the coming weeks and months, but wanted to write a post of my current favorite songs mainly because a few of my favorite indie music acts have songs on this week’s chart, and this is my way of letting them know.
First off, the amazing singer-songwriter sombr holds the top spot for a fifth week with his exuberant pop gem “12 to 12”. The talented 20-year-old was nominated for a Best New Artist Grammy, and his song “back to friends” was my favorite song last year. Moving into second place is “Zombie” by English singer-songwriter, musician and actor YUNGBLUD (born Dominic Richard Harrison). The biggest upward mover is “Lost Your Ghost” by New York City-based singer-songwriter and musician Two Feet (aka Bill Dess), jumping nine spots to #21.
The aforementioned favorite indie acts with songs on this chart are English psychedelic rock band Future Theory, who’s fantastic track “The Fear” spends its fifth week in the top 3 (peaking at #2 last week), Virginia singer-songwriter and musician Talk in Waves (aka Jake Mimikos), who’s “Waiting for Me” sits at #24, and Welsh singer-songwriter and musician Secret Postal Society (aka Craig Mapstone), who’s song “Heather” debuts at #29.
Other new debuts include “The Great Divide” by singer-songwriter Noah Kahan, at #26, “SWEET LOVE” by young Nashville-based singer-songwriter Stephen Sanchez, at #27, “Slumber Party” by Chicago-based alternative rock band Brigitte Calls Me Baby, at #28, and “The Old Law” by American singer-songwriter, musician and producer Father John Misty (aka Joshua Michael Tillman), at #30. (It seems nearly every artist has a musical alter-ego.)
12 TO 12 – sombr (1)5th week at #1
ZOMBIE – YUNGBLUD (5)
THE FEAR – Future Theory (2)
GET THE MESSAGE – The Paradox (3)
INFINITE SOURCE – Deftones (6)
WHO’S YOUR BOYFRIEND – Royel Otis (9)
WHITE HORSES – Wolf Alice (7)
HUMAN – Brandi Carlile (8)
DRACULA – Tame Impala (4) Spent 3 weeks at #1
I’VE GOT A BROKEN HEART – The Lemon Twigs (10)
HULA GIRL – The Neighbourhood (13)
TO SPACE – Kings of Leon (15)
TANANA – Portugal. The Man (11)
RUBBER BAND MAN – Mumford & Sons w/Hozier (12)
ASKING FOR A FRIEND – Foo Fighters (14)
ALL MY FRIENDS ARE SO DEPRESSED – Joyce Manor (17)
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.
BACK TO FRIENDS – sombr
THE FAITHFUL HEART – Wons Phreely + The Horses (my #1 indie song)
SO COLD – Balu Brigada
MOODY – Royel Otis
NOTHING I NEED – Lord Huron
NO RAIN, NO FLOWERS – The Black Keys
IT’S AMAZING TO BE YOUNG – Fontaines D.C.
THE LINE (from Arcane League of Legends) – Twenty One Pilots
IMPOSTER SYNDROME – Fake Empire
FIVE MORE SECONDS – Seafret & KT Tunstall
UNDRESSED – sombr
SAD IN CAROLINA – Dexter and The Moonrocks *
TIME WAITED – My Morning Jacket
ENSENADA – Sublime
WALLS – Frank Joshua
ANOTHER LIFE – Alabama Shakes
THE CONTRACT – Twenty One Pilots
FEELS RIGHT – Talk in Waves
ARROW – The Head And The Heart
TAKE THIS HEART – Brian Lambert
THE WEATHER – All Time Low
BAD DREAMS – Teddy Swims
CITY WALLS – Twenty One Pilots
METAVERSE – Cage the Elephant
SALLY, WHEN THE WINE RUNS OUT – ROLE MODEL
NEVER ENOUGH – TURNSTILE
PORCELAIN (LOSING ALL MY PATIENCE) – Somebody’s Child
JUPITER – almost monday feat. Jordana
12 TO 12 – sombr
PEOPLE WATCHING – Sam Fender
DRACULA – Tame Impala
THE NIGHT BEFORE – The Black Keys
BOBBY SOX – Green Day *
SUSHI AND COLA COLA – St. Paul & The Broken Bones
RUSHMERE – Mumford & Sons
CONTROLLER – Moody Moody
NEVERENDER – Justice feat. Tame Impala *
A TEAR IN SPACE (AIRLOCK) – Glass Animals *
ELEGANTLY WASTED – Hermanos Gutiérrez feat. Leon Bridges
BAD LARRY – Cloakroom
LOVE IS A FIRE – Art Block
YOU’RE MY DRUG – Talk in Waves
THE TURNAROUND – DelCobras
BASIC BEING BASIC – Djo
BACKSEAT – Balu Brigada
ARCHBISHOP HAROLD HOLMES – Jack White
SAILOR SONG – Gigi Perez
AUTUMN LEAVES – Secret Postal Society
IN THE LIVING ROOM – Maggie Rogers
MISTAKES – Caamp
DOWNSTAIRS – Matt Maeson
LONDON TOWN – HEALER
MORTAL WOUND – The Veils
DETROIT – Badflower
POLYESTER (YES SIR) – Sorry Ghost
LAREDO – Leon Bridges
CATCH THESE FISTS – Wet Leg
AS ALIVE AS YOU NEED ME TO BE – Nine Inch Nails
LUTHER – Kendrick Lamar & SZA
BETTER DAYS – Yellowcard
SAME OLD SONG – The Lumineers
SHE WANTS TO GO DANCING – Mt. Joy
STRAIGHT TO THE GROUND – Unquiet Nights
RIPPLE – Good Neighbours
BETTER OFF EVENTUALLY – Bealby Point
SNAKESKIN – NAVE
THE FATE OF OPHELIA – Taylor Swift
BARBARIAN – AWOLNATION
BONNET OF PINS – Matt Berninger
ORDINARY CREATURE – Of Monsters and Men
POOR SAD INDIE EVERYTHING – Icarus Phoenix
WITHOUT A DOUBT – Charm School
ASSHOLE – The Lumineers
GILD THE LILY – Billy Strings
SPECTER – Bad Omens
LIGHT YEARS APART – Unobliterated
LET THINGS GO – Caamp
RITALIN – Dexter and The Moonrocks
SO FAR SO FAKE – Pierce the Veil
THE FEAR – Future Theory
THE SUBWAY – Chappell Roan
SPIKE ISLAND – Pulp
WRECK – Neko Case
MOTHER – Lyia Meta & Mark Allen Lanoue
BLOOM BABY BLOOM – Wolf Alice
DAY & NIGHT – Oli Barton
LUCY – Mt. Joy
WHO’S A FRAUD? – Still Traffico
HORNETS – Western Jaguar
ANKLES – Lucy Dacus
HESITATE – Meltt
GIVING UP – Michigander
THREE SIX FIVE – Shinedown
RELATIONSHIPS – HAIM
AFTERLIFE – Alex G
GET THE MESSAGE – The Paradox
DANG – Rainbow Kitten Surprise
SUGAR ON MY TONGUE – Tyler, The Creator
WHAT WAS THAT – Lorde
AFTERLIFE – Sharon Van Etten
Honorable Mention (these songs would rank #s 101-115):
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.
CITY WALLS – Twenty One Pilots (1)
DRACULA – Tame Impala (3)
12 TO 12 – sombr (4)
THE WEATHER – All Time Low (2)
DOWNSTAIRS – Matt Maeson (5)
THE FATE OF OPHELIA – Taylor Swift (6)
ORDINARY CREATURE – Of Monsters and Men (7)
SPECTER – Bad Omens (8)
SO FAR SO FAKE – Pierce The Veil (12)
THE FEAR – Future Theory (10)
LUCY – Mt. Joy (11)
GET THE MESSAGE – The Paradox (13)
WATCH ME GO – Lord Huron (14)
ZOMBIE – YUNGBLUD (17)
REMEMBER US? – Two Feet (20)
ANOTHER LIFE – Alabama Shakes (9)
TANANA – Portugal. The Man (18)
BY YOUR SIDE – Meltt (19)
RUBBER BAND MAN – Mumford & Sons w/Hozier (21)
MADALENA – Goose (22)
INFINITE SOURCE – Deftones (23)
WHITE HORSES – Wolf Alice (24)
HUMAN – Brandi Carlile (25)
STAY IN YOUR LANE – Courtney Barnett (26)
ELEGANTLY WASTED – Hermanos Gutiérrez feat. Leon Bridges (15)
At the end of each year, I publish a list of my Top 100 Songs, representing my picks for what I think are the best songs – my favorites actually – for the entire year. Last year, at the suggestion of a member of Missouri folk rock band Voodoo Planet, I also compiled a list of my 100 favorite indie songs of 2024. That blog post nearly went viral, and over the past year has amassed over 7,000 views to become my 10th most popular post ever. (In sharp contrast, my 100 Best Songs of 2024 post has garnered only around 1,100 views.)
Because I follow, and am followed by, many indie musicians and bands on social media, I enjoy showcasing some of the exceptional music being made by them that’s every bit as good as, or even better than, that from mainstream acts, so compiling a separate list of what I think are the best indie songs makes perfect sense.
These are not necessarily “indie” songs in terms of genre (though there are many that fall into that overall category), rather songs by independent or DIY music acts. While some are in fact signed to music labels, they’re usually small or independently owned. There are 82 acts represented in this list, the majority of which are from the U.S., Canada and the U.K., but also from Australia, New Zealand, Malaysia, Spain, Portugal, Italy, France, Ireland, Norway, Sweden, Belgium, Germany and Ukraine. A number of acts have two songs, while English psychedelic alt-rock band Future Theory have three.
Of course, I must make note of the fact that this list contains only songs I’m aware of, and that there are likely hundreds of other great songs that deserve to be here, except that I’ve never heard them. The songs on this list – all of which are outstanding if I do say so myself – were generally released between November 2024 and October 2025.
Though they’re ranked from #1 to 100, it doesn’t necessarily mean that a song at #30 is better than one at #60. That said, the ones closer to the top are my very favorites. And though I’d love to write a narrative about each song and artist, given my limited time and energy, not to mention people’s short attention spans, I’ve decided against that again this year. I will, however, include the marvelous video for my #1 pick, “The Faithful Heart” by immensely talented and creative L.A.-based artist Wons Phreely, as it’s so delightful that everyone should watch it! I’ve also created playlists on both YouTube and Spotify, which are included after the list itself. Enjoy!
THE FAITHFUL HEART – Wons Phreely + The Horses
IMPOSTER SYNDROME – Fake Empire
WALLS – Frank Joshua
FEELS RIGHT – Talk in Waves
TAKE THIS HEART – Brian Lambert
CONTROLLER – Moody Moody
BAD LARRY – Cloakroom
LOVE IS A FIRE – Art Block
YOU’RE MY DRUG – Talk in Waves
THE TURNAROUND – DelCobras
LONDON TOWN – HEALER
POLYESTER (YES SIR) – Sorry Ghost
STRAIGHT TO THE GROUND – Unquiet Nights
SNAKESKIN – NAVE
BETTER OFF EVENTUALLY – Bealby Point
LIGHT YEARS APART – Unobliterated
THE FEAR – Future Theory
POOR SAD INDIE EVERYTHING – Icarus Phoenix
WITHOUT A DOUBT – Charm School
MOTHER – Lyia Meta & Mark Allen Lanoue
DAY & NIGHT – Oli Barton
WHO’S A FRAUD? – Still Traffico
HORNETS – Western Jaguar
SCARS – Secret Postal Society
REALITY BUZZ – Future Theory
AFTER ALL – Darksoft
TAKE IT OR LEAVE IT – overpass
FEEL – NAVE
HERE WE GO AGAIN – Set the Tone
BAD PATTERNS – HEALER
ALWAYS WITH YOU – Ewan Patrick
THE HAZE – Future Theory
ECHOES – Antipole, Ja’kob & Pedro Code
TREPHINE – Big Orange
WHAT IT TAKES – The Radio Field
SLOW DEATH – Western Jaguar
SUPERSPREADER YEAR – Roadkeeper
BLEAK COMPANION – The Brigadier
MARK & KYLE – Icarus Phoenix
LLUMINE – Josephine Pascoe
DAYS LIKE THESE – Frank Joshua
ESPIONAGE – Rusty Shipp
CONSPIRACY OF SNAKES – Blake Rascals
CALIFORNIA – Art Block
NATIONAL TREASURE – Faint Halos
ANTICIPATE THE FALL – Pilod
FALLING DOWN – Holy Coves
CALLING OUT – Black Bear Kiss
BEERS WITH THE BEEKEEPER – The Zangwills
IT’S GETTING LATE – Sorry Ghost
IT’S ALRIGHT – The Radio Field & The Baumhoff Explosives
OH NO – John Serrano
MEDICATED – Shape of the Sun
MY DOG BRUCE – Jack Droppers & the Best Intentions
INSIDE – Skar de Line
DARLING, HE DOESN’T CARE – Olivia Miceli
ALL FOR NOTHING – Set the Tone
NOTHING REALLY MATTERS – Snap Infraction
ALONE – The Sylvia Platters
LOOK WHAT YOU DID – Jeen
WHERE IS SHE NOW – Mecuzine
SHUT UP – Esse. feat. Shimmer Johnson
PACK IT UP – Diet Lite
LOVE LIES – Caleb Nichols
WHITEBOARD (YOU CALL HOME) – FRVR
LIFESPAN – Cormac O Caoimh
I, PHONE – INNERSPEAR
EVERYTHING SEDUCTIVE – Unquiet Nights
DOUBLE DISCO – Bealby Point
ALRIGHT – naive nature
BUNK BEDS – Lost in the City
SEVENTH ROCK FROM THE SUN – Only on Weekends
SOMEDAY SOON – DelCobras
DON’T GO TO BED WITH A BAD MIND – The Brigadier
BROKEN ANIMAL – Matt Jaffe
ALL I NEED TO KNOW – PluX feat. Shimmer Johnson
I WANNA FIGHT MY CLONE – Bear Ghost & Playboy Manbaby
ECLECTIC MUSIC LOVER 