Here are the next 25 selections. Click on the links to listen. Enjoy...
50. Headlights - Morning Parade
49. Sun on Sunday - James Blunt
48. Tonight - Seether
47. Ojai - Lissie
46. Is There Anyone Out There - Toad the Wet Sprocket
Ending a 16-year absence of new material from the Toad crew, 2013's New Constellation spawned this album track, among a number of other standouts that could have been hits in another era.
45. Bicycle Kings - Angie Aparo
Another comeback of sorts...Aparo never really had any hits to begin with, but did take a hiatus from music-making due to a life-threatening stroke. This leadoff single from Life is a Flower, Life is a Gun, marked a strong return to form, and featured a unique incorporation of Apple's Siri technology.
44. Give Me Something - Scars on 45
43. Aftermath - Adam Lambert
42. Hang On - Weezer
41. No More - Disturbed
40. Familiar Taste of Poison - Halestorm
39. Never Gonna Leave This Bed - Maroon 5
38. Everybody Talks - Neon Trees
37. Grace - Ed Kowalczyk
After an acrimonious split with the boys from Live, Kowalczyk went on to release two solo albums and an EP before eventually getting the band back together. This track, for me, was the best of his solo work.
35. (tie) Two - Dan Wilson
35. (tie) Two - Heart
Yes, this is our first tie on the countdown. Yes, the song titles are the same. No, they are not versions of the same song. One is an outstanding ballad by a gifted singer-songwriter. The other is a surprising choice of a cover song by two rock legends. The former Semisonic frontman waxes poetic about a relationship on his "Two," while the Wilson sisters (another absolute coincidence involving this placement on my list) nicked a song originally penned and recorded by R&B star, Ne-Yo - making a statement about not caring what other people think or say about who you choose to be with. Both artists churn out fantastic results.
34. One More Light - Linkin Park
Although LP's Mike Shinoda wrote this song as a tribute to a friend who had passed away from cancer, 'Light" took on a whole new meaning when lead singer, Chester Bennington, took his own life on July 20, 2017. This became the next single from the album of the same name, and fittingly, was the last released by the band to feature Bennington on vocals. The clip included here hits on a different level, as Bennington performed the song on Jimmy Kimmel Live as a tribute to his close friend, Chris Cornell...who had just taken his own life.
33. Both Sides Now - Sara Bareilles
One of the most memorable performances I've ever seen on an awards show, Bareilles stunned with a cover of the Joni Mitchell classic, during the "In Memoriam" segment at the 2017 Oscar ceremony.
32. Let Me Hear You Scream - Ozzy Osbourne
31. Nowhere to Run - Fozzy
I knew that WWE star, Chris Jericho, had a rock band, but I had never really taken the time to check out their work. Then, this leadoff single from their yet-to-be-released eighth studio album came blaring through my car speakers. It's my #3 song of 2019 and a certified rock anthem. The band name, incidentally, is a riff on the first name of the artist right above them on this list.
30. Walking on Broadway - Mark Kano
It's unfortunate that Kano's band, Athenaeum, didn't achieve the chart success they deserved. Their three studio albums - Radiance, Athenaeum, and Family Tree, offered up some of the most radio-friendly pop rock tunes of the late 90's/early 00's. This title track from Kano's debut solo album is technically from 2009, but my list, my rules, so I've included it here in its rightful spot in the Top 30 of the decade. Not the last appearance for this artist.
29. Still Pretending - First Signal
28. Break Out - Scott Stapp
27. Shine - Michael Sweet
80's rock stalwarts, Stryper, continue to churn out quality music and sound amazing live, even as they enter their fifth decade of existence. The same can be said of lead singer Michael Sweet's work away from the band. Nowhere more evident than on my #2 song of 2019.
26. Go Easy - Catrien Maxwell
Sunday, January 19, 2020
Saturday, January 11, 2020
Top 125 of 2010s (75-51)
The fun continues with 3/5 of my decade-end list now in the books.
Here are the next 25 selections. Click on the links to listen. Enjoy...
75. Counting Stars - One Republic
Although they haven't had a major hit in a while, this is easily one of the most publicly recognizable artists on my list. For a while, One Republic was all over the radio, and singer, Ryan Tedder, quickly became one of the most prolific songwriters and producers in the industry. This single alone moved 10 million units, making it far and away the most commercially successful song on this countdown.
74. Academic - New Order
73. Shameless - Lissie
This is the gritty, rock-laden single that introduced me to the singer-songwriter known as Lissie. Although the Stevie Nicks sound-alike went in a somewhat softer direction with her subsequent material, she's still been one of my faves in recent years, with four entries on my list.
72. No More Darkness, No More Light - Amos Lee
71. Never Enough - Brittany J. Smith
70. Fuckin' Perfect - P!nk
69. Stand - Ed Kowalczyk
68. Are You Ready - Disturbed
67. Such a Simple Thing - Ray LaMontagne
66. Always Remember Us This Way - Brittany J. Smith
Having built a solid social media following, with more than 76,000 subscribers on Youtube alone, and having made it through to the group rounds on the New American Idol, I'd say it's been a good decade for Brittany. With her towering vocals, keen sense of image and personal style, and high fan engagement, it's not hard to imagine the 2020s being even better. This blistering rendition of "Always Remember Us This Way" from A Star is Born, is one of her best performances to date. A couple other appearances on this list for this future superstar, including one above, and another that's among the best covers I've ever heard.
65. Hardwired - Hailey Knox
64. Blue on Black - Five Finger Death Punch
63. Museum of Broken Relationships - Veruca Salt
A long-anticipated (by me, at least) reunion of Nina Gordon and Louise Post, as this 90's band finally "got back together." The results were mixed as far as the totality of their comeback album, Ghost Notes, goes. But this lead single did not disappoint.
62. I'm the Proof - Ed Kowalczyk
61. I Want it That Way - Gin Blossoms
Actually just a live-acoustic performance by lead singer, Robin Wilson, I had the good fortune to catch this surprise rendition of the Backstreet Boys hit when I saw Gin Blossoms for the 11th time a couple years back. Wilson came out by himself to start the encore and went in a slightly different direction by choosing to do his best boy-band impression. Shockingly, it really worked - light year better than the original, in fact.
60. Love is a Country - The Wallflowers
59. Love Bites (So Do I) - Halestorm
Easily my artist of the decade, with eight entries on this list, including FIVE within the top 25 songs, and my favorite album of the 2010s - The Strange Case of... from 2013. This track was the lead single from that album, and, in a stunning turn of events, actually scored the band the Grammy Award for Best Hard Rock/Metal Performance. A rare win for Grammy voters in recent years.
58. Stars - Grace Potter and the Nocturnals
57. Another Life - Any Given Sin
56. Werewolves - The Damnwells
55. Save Today - Seether
54. Walk - Foo Fighters
53. Hero - Family of the Year
This was a minor radio hit and was featured in one of my favorite films of the decade - 2014's Ethan Hawke vehicle, Boyhood. They've apparently released two subsequent albums, but I've yet to sample them.
52. Because We Can - Bon Jovi
51. I Won't Give Up - Jason Mraz (video feat. Daryl Hall)
Here are the next 25 selections. Click on the links to listen. Enjoy...
75. Counting Stars - One Republic
Although they haven't had a major hit in a while, this is easily one of the most publicly recognizable artists on my list. For a while, One Republic was all over the radio, and singer, Ryan Tedder, quickly became one of the most prolific songwriters and producers in the industry. This single alone moved 10 million units, making it far and away the most commercially successful song on this countdown.
74. Academic - New Order
73. Shameless - Lissie
This is the gritty, rock-laden single that introduced me to the singer-songwriter known as Lissie. Although the Stevie Nicks sound-alike went in a somewhat softer direction with her subsequent material, she's still been one of my faves in recent years, with four entries on my list.
72. No More Darkness, No More Light - Amos Lee
71. Never Enough - Brittany J. Smith
70. Fuckin' Perfect - P!nk
69. Stand - Ed Kowalczyk
68. Are You Ready - Disturbed
67. Such a Simple Thing - Ray LaMontagne
66. Always Remember Us This Way - Brittany J. Smith
Having built a solid social media following, with more than 76,000 subscribers on Youtube alone, and having made it through to the group rounds on the New American Idol, I'd say it's been a good decade for Brittany. With her towering vocals, keen sense of image and personal style, and high fan engagement, it's not hard to imagine the 2020s being even better. This blistering rendition of "Always Remember Us This Way" from A Star is Born, is one of her best performances to date. A couple other appearances on this list for this future superstar, including one above, and another that's among the best covers I've ever heard.
65. Hardwired - Hailey Knox
64. Blue on Black - Five Finger Death Punch
63. Museum of Broken Relationships - Veruca Salt
A long-anticipated (by me, at least) reunion of Nina Gordon and Louise Post, as this 90's band finally "got back together." The results were mixed as far as the totality of their comeback album, Ghost Notes, goes. But this lead single did not disappoint.
62. I'm the Proof - Ed Kowalczyk
61. I Want it That Way - Gin Blossoms
Actually just a live-acoustic performance by lead singer, Robin Wilson, I had the good fortune to catch this surprise rendition of the Backstreet Boys hit when I saw Gin Blossoms for the 11th time a couple years back. Wilson came out by himself to start the encore and went in a slightly different direction by choosing to do his best boy-band impression. Shockingly, it really worked - light year better than the original, in fact.
60. Love is a Country - The Wallflowers
59. Love Bites (So Do I) - Halestorm
Easily my artist of the decade, with eight entries on this list, including FIVE within the top 25 songs, and my favorite album of the 2010s - The Strange Case of... from 2013. This track was the lead single from that album, and, in a stunning turn of events, actually scored the band the Grammy Award for Best Hard Rock/Metal Performance. A rare win for Grammy voters in recent years.
58. Stars - Grace Potter and the Nocturnals
57. Another Life - Any Given Sin
56. Werewolves - The Damnwells
55. Save Today - Seether
54. Walk - Foo Fighters
53. Hero - Family of the Year
This was a minor radio hit and was featured in one of my favorite films of the decade - 2014's Ethan Hawke vehicle, Boyhood. They've apparently released two subsequent albums, but I've yet to sample them.
52. Because We Can - Bon Jovi
51. I Won't Give Up - Jason Mraz (video feat. Daryl Hall)
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