If the television show Friends was released in 2017, “One Of Us” could very well have been its theme song.
“Before the day is through, I promise you
That we will laugh about it all
And we’ll celebrate the things we’ve done for years to come
‘Cause that’s what friends, that’s what friends are for.”
The Danish rock trio, New Politics continue to impress year after year, and “One of Us” is a perfect example of how their upbeat and positive tracks are some of the most feel-good songs in music today.
39. “Drunk Drivers/Killer Whales” – Car Seat Headrest
“Drunk Drivers/Killer Whales” could easily be two songs pieced together. The first half is a chill, laid back jam that you could listen to while sipping a cold beverage by the pool in the summer. The second half is as electrifying as any other song in 2017, and begs for you to scream along.
The contrast between the two extremes is what makes “Drunk Drivers/Killer Whales” one of the most interesting songs on the radio today.
38. “Castle on the Hill” – Ed Sheeran
Who doesn’t love “Castle on the Hill? Well, besides Ed’s “friends” that “raised him.”
Such as…
His friend that is ALREADY on his second wife.
His friends that has two kids, BUT LIVES ALONE.
And his friend that is BARELY getting by.
His friend whose brother overdosed. (Imagine if that is the only thing that your really famous friend could think of to say about you.)
Regardless, “Castle on the Hill” is a beautiful homage to the place where Sheeran grew up, and is likely quite nostalgic to anyone that has moved away from their own hometown.
Hopefully, none of my best friends growing up ever become a pop superstar and write one line of a song about me. God only knows what they would choose to say.
37. “Thunder” – Imagine Dragons
The only thing that makes this song more fun to listen to, is to watch the video that goes along with it.
Could Imagine Dragon’s lead singer Dan Reynolds possibly get any cooler? If this song can’t pump you up, you better check your pulse because something isn’t pumping quite right in that cold, dead body of yours.
36. “One Foot” – WALK THE MOON
While WALK THE MOON may have a difficult task of ever topping their massive 2014 hit “Shut Up and Dance,” they sure as hell tried with this year’s “One Foot.”
It is big, and loud, full of energy, and exactly what we have come to expect from the Cincinnati band.
35. “Faded Heart” – BØRNS
If a song can possibly be classic, current, and futuristic at the same time, it is “Faded Heart,” the first song off BØRNS sophomore album, Blue Madonna (release date: January 12, 2018.)
Everything about the Grand Haven, MI native BØRNS is unique, from his style, look, voice, and even his name. “Faded Heart” is his best song to date, and if it’s any indication of what Blue Madonna is going to sound like, I will be one happy BØRNS fan on 1/12/18.
34. “Whole Wide World” – Cage the Elephant
Had this been a Cage the Elephant original, it would possibly have cracked the top 10. However, the song “Whole Wide World” was originally by a singer-songwriter that went by the name Wreckless Eric. It appeared in the 2006 Will Ferrell movie Stranger Than Fiction. (No points were deducted due to that unfortunate fact.)
Not that Cage the Elephant can do any wrong anyway, but they absolutely killed it with this modern version of the song about searching the world to find the love of your life.
33. “For What It’s Worth” – Liam Gallagher
“For What It’s Worth” is Liam Gallagher’s apology to people he has wronged along the way, and it is absolutely brilliant. While not specifically mentioning to whom he is sorry, he is a notorious bad boy, so I am sure he has plenty to be sorry for.
For what it’s worth, I don’t care who the younger Gallagher brother has wronged. And for what it’s worth, I don’t care what love-child Gallagher has never met. And for what it’s worth I don’t care if, as his brother has been noted saying, Liam is “the angriest man you will ever meet.”
Both Liam and Noel Gallagher are legends, and whether they are together in Oasis or doing their own things, I have nothing but hero worship for the both. Take that for whatever it’s worth.
32. “Basket Case” – Bastille
The best cover song of the year goes to Bastille’s version of Green Day’s 1994 mega-hit, “Basket Case.”
Not only was it the best cover of the year, but it was also the most underrated song of the year, and includes my pick for one of the best notes of the year. (2:03)
I am pretty sure for the 25-year anniversary of Green Day’s masterpiece, Dookie (which is coming up in just about 13 months. Yes, Dookie is almost TWENTY-FIVE YEARS OLD (!)) Bastille should just grab themselves a symphony and re-create the entire damn album.
To any music fan, the best part about the end of the year is not holidays, vacations, or time spent with family and loved ones: it is the end of the year countdowns. This year, to commemorate the 6th year of Ryans Countdowns “Best Songs of the Year” there will be a Top 100 Songs of 2015 Countdown.
Each list of 10 songs will be released every 3 days throughout the month of December, until the reveal of the #1 Song of 2015, which will be revealed on New Years Eve.
While the Top 100 Songs of the Year are all Rock based, there is a wide array of genres represented in this years countdown. Of course the list is littered with Alt-Rock songs, including Indie Rock and Folk Rock. There is, however, also a significant showing from Pop-Rock songs, Country-Rock songs, Hard-Rock songs, and even a dusting of Electric-Rock songs.
Certainly the lines of what is considered “Rock” may be blurred, but each of these listener friendly songs, were either released in 2015, or near the very end of 2014, making them ineligible to make last years lists.
This is NOT a list of the best selling or most popular songs of 2015 (sorry Adele and Taylor Swift.) This IS a list of the best “rock” songs of the year, some of which were massive hits, but many of which were shamefully overlooked by pop culture. Either way, there is guaranteed to be at least one song you have never heard, and will instantly fall in love with.
And when the ball drops on New Years Eve, you can be confident that you did not let 2015 pass without appreciating some of the best music of the year.
TOP 100 Rock Songs of 2015…
100. Electric Love, BØRNS
When “Electric Love” first came on the airwaves back in the Spring, conversations about the new “Florence and the Machine” song began sprouting up around the alt-rock community.
However, despite the fact that “Florence” did indeed release new music in 2015, this was not one of her songs, nor was it even a female. Not believing my ears, I looked up the video to see for myself that this voice was coming out of a man (and I still could not tell until the final 5 seconds.) After intensive research, I can confirm that BØRNS is certainly a man. The bad news: music does not have the next “Florence and the Machine.” The good news: the next Hozier could bless us with more buzz-worthy tracks in 2016.
WARNING: Video may cause seizures. Or at least the sensation of being higher than Willie Nelson at Woodstock in 1969.
99. Song for Someone, U2
An accompanying 7-minute short film featuring Woody Harrelson as a prisoner being released from a high security prison is just about the only thing that could make “Song for Someone” any better. Luckily for U2, their wish was Woody’s command.
“Song for Someone” is possibly U2’s best song since 2000’s “Beautiful Day.” In fact, the only person that has any right to dislike it is Bono’s wife, Alison, who the song is actually about. Poor Ali has to share the spotlight with any woman whose husband is not as cool as Bono (A.K.A. every guy in the world). I suppose the alliteration has a much better ring to it than “Song for Ali” so you are forgiven this time Bono.
98. Way Too Much, Wavves
“Way Too Much” is the debut single off Wavves’ fifth studio album, appropriately titled, V. Apparently Wavves lead singer Nathan Williams got into a heated argument with their label as to the logistics behind releasing “Way Too Much”, which teeters on the verge of punk-rock, and is about the long search to finding a purpose in life. “Here I am, I’m just stumbling and I’m looking for a purpose.”
Hopefully the long battle between the band and their label will give the guys in Wavves more material and determination to get back in the studio and give us more great music in 2016.
Regardless, “Way Too Much” has given me my most quoted line from a song this year, as I have ended numerous painful conversations by abruptly singing “this conversations getting boooooringggg,” thus ending said conversation and allowing me to get back to listening to Wavves.
97. Sugar, Maroon 5
On December 4th, 2014 Adam Levine and the boys of Maroon 5 spent the day going around LA , surprising newly married couples during their wedding receptions and preforming “Sugar” for them. Unfortunately the cameras stopped rolling before we could see the brides leave their own receptions and run after Levine’s car, but I’m sure it happened at least once. As a groom, the last person you want appearing at your wedding reception is a recipient of People Magazine’s Sexiest Man Alive award, but I digress.
“Sugar” has nearly 900,000,000 views on youtube. For those of you that can’t read that number, that says 900 MILLION. Nearly a billion views.
Levine’s voice is one of the most distinct voices in the history of rock and roll, and “Sugar” puts his flawless falsetto under a microscope. While the song is catchy enough on its own, and would have been a hit regardless, Maroon 5 hit it out of the park with their unique video that took the internet by storm.
96. Time Machine, Ingrid Michaelson
It has been 10 years since Ingrid Michaelson released her debut album, Slow the Rain and since then she has steadily released album after impressive album. Her newest effort, Lights Out, released in April of 2014, spawned one of her biggest hits to date, “Girls Chase Boys“, which received massive radio airplay and saw her highest chart success since 2007’s “The Way I Am.”
Despite its lack of commercial “success” however, “Time Machine” may be Michaelson’s best track yet, as she offers advice to her past self and wishes she had a time machine to encourage herself to run away and never get involved with someone that would alter the ending to their would-be love story.
“You slammed that door and left me standing all alone
We wrote the story
We turned the pages
You changed the end like everybody said you would”
Michaelson, a self-proclaimed “feminist since birth” breaks the hearts of the star studded cast of comedic actors in one of the best videos of 2015. It is clear that after 10 years in the music industry, Michaelson has made her mark, and become one of the leading ladies in the singer-songwriter scene. Perhaps more importantly, she has made her mark as my favorite “feminist since birth” of all time.
95. Suicide Saturday, Hippo Campus
Rolling Stone named Hippo Campus the best newcomers at Lollapalooza 2015 and after seeing the video for “Suicide Saturday” it is easy to see why. The boys of Hippo Campus are only 20-21 years old, but clearly their age is not a factor when performing. “Suicide Saturday” sounds like is it from a band with years of experience, not four college aged hipsters. After a few listens, try to not sing along with the “Ooooh Oooooh” part, and you will surely fail.
Bottom line: Hippo Campus is One Direction for grown men that actually like One Direction, but are too embarrassed to admit it. Expect big things from these hipsters in 2016.
94. Don’t Wait Up, Robert DeLong
Robert DeLong is capable of playing more instruments than I can name off the top of my head. In addition to vocals, DeLong, the 29 year old “electronic musician” from Bothell, Washington plays the keyboards, drums, sampler, and about a zillion other nob-like “instruments” in the impressive video for “Don’t Wait Up.”
“Don’t Wait Up” is a party song for the biggest of party animals, despite the fact that DeLong isn’t “leaving with the light” because he was partying, but rather because he was working; on his music. In an interview with iHeartRadio Delong says of the songs meaning….
“We (fellow musicians Youngblood Hawke) were talking a lot about the fact that we’re the kind of people that like to lock ourselves in our studios, and we’ll lose track of time, and it’ll be nine in the morning, and we’ve been working all night, and our girlfriends will come walking in, and be like, ‘Hey, it’s time to get breakfast, what are you doing?’
DeLong goes on to explain the process as “creative insomnia.” That is great for musicians and all, but I am still going to go ahead and relate the song to a night of partying, and instead of the line “I stumble out of my home,” insist on singing “I stumble INTO my home.”
It is a much more fitting line for all the party animals that will use “Don’t Wait Up” as their anthem.
Declan McKenna, the new kid on the block (literally kid, as he is only 16 years old) will likely be on many critics “Rookie of the Year” lists. “Brazil” is McKenna’s debut single about the 2014 World Cup and the corruption within FIFA. Not only is McKenna’s voice mature for his age, but his music has the depth that typically only a seasoned musician could achieve.
Most kids McKenna’s age can not even write a proper sentence, let alone a meaningful song about a controversial current event.
Regardless of what he is singing about, his voice is velvety smooth when it needs to be and effortlessly screechy when it needs to be. Even if McKenna decides to write a song about petty high school woes in 2016, expect it to be delivered flawlessly. If he can maintain his momentum in 2016, this Brit could have an even better year ahead, and the beginnings of a potentially life-long music career.
92. Failure, Breaking Benjamin
In precisely the same way that marijuana is supposedly a “gateway drug” to more addictive and dangerous drugs, so is Breaking Benjamin a gateway band to hard rock music. They have proved their staying power and shown that are in it for the long hall. Breaking Benjamin can be so intense and persuasive, that “Failure” is sure to leave you feeling one of two ways:
a) You feel superb, and above all else. You’re not the failure, those loser friends of yours are.
b) You consider yourself a failure and always have. This song makes you want to jump off a bridge.
That alone, is the true tale sign of an amazing song.
91. Hallelujah, Panic! At the Disco
For all you sinful boys and girls out there, fear not, Panic! at the Disco has released a song for you in place of having to go to confession: “Hallelujah!”
Panic! has been around for years, but not since 2006’s “I Write Sins, Not Tragedies” has a Panic! song been so successful.
“Hallelujah!” will make you sing, dance, and throw your hands in the air faster than the front row of an Ellen Degeneres audience during her Christmas week giveaway extravaganza.
Bottom line: Panic! at the Disco can do no wrong, and “Hallelujah” proves that after 11 years, they are better than ever.
Comment below with your favorite of the ten songs. Or if you are an alien and hate them all, tell me that too.
