Songs 100 – 91 Songs 90-81 Songs 80-71 Songs 70-61 Songs 60-51
50. All Your Favorite Bands, Dawes
Anyone that considers themselves a music lover knows that there is not much more devastating than their favorite bands breaking up. Dawes frontman, Taylor Goldsmith said of the “All Your Favorite Bands”…
“I know that my favorite bands are a really deep part of who I am.” “They help define me, they help represent me, they trigger certain emotional memories, and they stand for the ideals and lifestyle that I will always hope to achieve. And I don’t mean rock and roll fantasies, but rather concepts like freedom and enlightenment.”
“I would love for someone wishing me well to put it in the terms of ‘may all your favorite bands stay together.’ That would be a real friend. That person would know what truly matters. To me, the statement of ‘All Your Favorite Bands’ immediately gets down to a highly personal and singular part of anybody in a way that few other concepts can.”
“All Your Favorite Bands” is a beautiful, thought provoking song that will make you question why nobody has ever wished that blessing on you before. Hopefully, for the sake of music fans everywhere, Dawes will be one of those bands that stays together forever.
*The addition of Brandon Flowers, lead singer of The Killers, in the music video makes a great song even more amazing.
49. Wasn’t Expecting That, Jamie Lawson
Break out the tissues for the most gut-wrenching, heart-breaking song of 2015. “Wasn’t Expecting That” (released in Ireland in 2011, but did not make it to the States until this year) is a love story to end all love stories. Newcomer Jamie Lawson tells the story of a couple’s journey together from their first meeting, until the woman’s untimely death, and it could not be more beautiful and traumatic at the same time.
Based on this track alone, it looks as though Lawson could be following in his buddy Ed Sheeran’s footsteps as a dominant force in the singer-songwriter world.
48. Big Decisions, My Morning Jacket
My Morning Jacket has been around for nearly 18 years, and “Big Decisions” is arguably their best song, and most successful song to date. Lead singer, Jim James says that the track is about people that are unhappy with their lives and constantly complain, but refuse to make any changes.
Just about everyone can listen to this song and think of that one friend they have and relate. How many times have you thought, “what do you want me to do, make all the big decisions for you” while giving advice and pretending to feel sympathy for your disaster of a friend? Thanks to My Morning Jacket, you can now play “Big Decisions” and let the song speak for itself.
47. Where Do Broken Hearts Go, One Direction
Before you spit your drink out all over your computer screen or phone, I think you need to listen to the song, and ignore the band name. Despite being One Direction, “Where Do Broken Hearts Go” is just as much rock as it is pop. If you are not a One Direction fan, or secretly are one, but you are too embarrassed to admit it to yourself, I am here to tell you that it is alright to like this song, no matter how old you are.
Do yourself a favor and blast this song in your car and sing along. You will not be sorry.
46. I Don’t Wanna Be Sad, Simple Plan
https://youtu.be/aOKXGfk_-6I
Canadian pop-punk-rock band Simple Plan is back and as fun as they have always been. If you or someone you know is sad, this is a must watch video. “I Don’t Wanna Be Sad” will turn your frown upside down, and make your sad feelings disappear, if only for a few minutes. The motivational track is just enough to hold fans over until they release their highly anticipated fifth studio album, Taking One For the Team in February, 2016.
45. Ship To Wreck, Florence and the Machine
We have all had those mornings where you feel the same was that Florence feels in “Ship to Wreck.” You drank too much, partied too hard, hooked up with someone you would rather not have, or simply made disastrous, awful decisions. We feel you, Flo.
Florence said the following about her writing “Ship To Wreck.”
“I was thinking about my own self destructive side, and how you can make something only to tear it down, enjoy/destroy, create/devastate etc. When you’re in that whirlwind, you often end up breaking the thing you love the most.”
At 2015’s Coachella festival Florence introduced the song the with..
“Some time off I had in London where I had some drunken parties and trashed my house and said a drunken ‘I love you’ too soon.”
“Even though all that disastrous stuff happened, I got this song out of it,” she added. “It all works out, and even if it doesn’t, write a song about it.”
The rock world is thankful for your drunken parties, your trashed house, and your drunken “I love you’s” Florence. Keep up the partying, and keep releasing songs about your self destruction.
44. Cocoon, Catfish and the Bottlemen
Welsh rock band, Catfish and the Bottlemen formed back in 2007, but it was not until late 2014 that they released their first full length studio album, The Balcony. From the first second when the guitar rips, “Cocoon” is a rock and roll juggernaut which keeps the pace through the entire track.
Simply put, the song “Cocoon”, written on a rooftop in New York City across from a million strangers, is about “being in love with the moment,” says lead singer Van McCann.
Hopefully now that Catfish and the Bottlemen have released their first album, fans will not have to wait another 7 years before they release their next one.
43. Wherever is Your Heart, Brandi Carlile
Brandi Carlile could sing the McDonalds dollar menu and it would probably be considered one of the best songs of the year. This woman can do no wrong. Each and every time she releases a song, it is better than the one before it (with the exception of “The Story“) which, in my opinion, is one of the greatest female fronted songs of all time. In fact, if she ever released a song I was more obsessed with than “The Story” I think my head would explode.
“Wherever Is Your Heart” is pretty damn close to being her best though. Nobody can do folk-rock and make it sound SO folky and SO rock at the same time, quite like Brandi Carlile. “Wherever Is Your Heart” starts out as a laid back, peaceful track that you want to listen to as you lay in a hammock on a warm summer’s day. It ends with me wanting to jump out of the hammock, rip off my shirt, and sprint around my block which singing along with Carlile.
* On a devastating note: I just found out that Brandi Carlile is married…… and a lesbian. Therefore she will definitely never be able sing “The Story” to me at our wedding. I’m crushed.
If you have never heard “The Story” you have failed at life, and you must save face and listen to it immediately. Multiple times.
42. Dumb, The Heydaze
https://youtu.be/d0fusFSSVy8
I’m beginning to think that The Heydaze have some sort of recording device in my house because the lyrics to “Dumb” are basically the words that come out of my mouth every morning in the summer. And on the weekends. And Tuesdays.
“Dumb” is one of the most playful songs on the year, and catchy as hell. Hopefully The Heydaze can continue to drop hits like “Dumb” and steer clear of one-hit wonder status. Because of their unique style, they certainly have the ability to stand out from the pack and expand their audience in 2016 and beyond.
41. Renegades, X Ambassadors
Quite possibly the most inspirational song of the year, “Renegades” is about people overcoming their challenges. The video features athletes wit
It is especially poignant since one of the members of the band, Casey Harris (keyboards) has been blind since birth.
“Renegades” is a great rock song, but more importantly, it is a great song to inspire people with any sort of disability that they are capable of achieving whatever they put their minds to: like being in a killer band, and having one of the best rock songs of the year.