Top 125 of 2010s (50-26)

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