Here is the Too Much Rock Top 35 Songs of 2025. This year came together pretty quickly (two weeks?) so I'm paranoid that I missed something. And speaking of which, at the bottom you'll see three bonus 2024 tracks that I didn't pick up until after last year's list was complete.

Top 35 Songs of 2025:

35. "True Believer" by Art d'Ecco

Horn-fueled glam stomp will forever have my heart.

34. "The World Doesn't Need Another Band" by The Reds, Pinks & Purples

The woozy lo-fi charm of Glenn Donaldson cannot be denied.

33. "Korea" by Matt Pond PA

Only Matt Pond PA can make acoustic, bright, and pristine so cozy.

32. "The Thing Is" by The Tubs

The Tubs bring all the jittery strum and jangle you can handle.

31. "Danger Girl" by Shiv and the Carvers

The band's dangerous return to guitar-forward '90s alt rock hits the mark.

30. "First Sight" by The Prize

Three guitars is overkill for everyone except these power-pop perfectors.

29. "I Think I Need You Around" by Ryli

A jangly indie pop gem that sounds so effortless and true.

28. "Bury Me" by Jason Isbell

A plaintive acoustic heart-tugger that's both sincere and self-aware.

27. "Sometimes Life Hits You" by Jeffrey Lewis

Here Jeffrey Lewis is insistent, humorous, and unstoppable.

26. "Looking Back at the World" by The Gentle Spring

Lose yourself in this pastoral indie pop masterpiece.

25. "(That's Just My) Dream Girl" by The Wind-Ups

Ugly and lo-fi never sounded so sweet as it does in this garage stomper.

24. "Dogs" by Ravagers

Smell the leather as you sing the chorus to this punk 'n' roll cut.

23. "Better If You Make Me" by Ryan Davis & the Roadhouse Band

A modern masterwork of twang, production, and lyrical wit.

22. "Too Sweet (Oh Yeah!)" by The Peppermint Kicks

Another bit of bubblegum pop excellence that I can't stop playing.

21. "I'm Really Old" by Death By Unga Bunga

This undeniable garage power-pop number has hooks for miles.

20. "Cold Sweat" by Motorbike

I feel the wind in my hair and the dirt in my teeth listening to this rocker.

19. "Shamrock" by Craig Finn

A phenomenal acoustic tragedy written by a man without equal.

18. "Visiting Hours" by The Speedways

This lush power-pop number is a delight – even if it more-than recalls the genre's master.

17. "Alright" by The Roxies

This rocker is caffeine in sonic form and I say thank you.

16. "Turn My Dreams On" by Headlight Rivals

The great Midwest summed up by a ringing guitar and a snapping snare.

15. "Nonstop Radio" by The Vapors

The infectious chorus plays four times and it's still not enough.

14. "Jeanie's Up Again And Blaring Faith By The Cure" by Tullycraft

Twee is not a dirty word when precious pop bops this pure and bright.

13. "Holy Visions" by AFI

A goth rock epic that bests the bands it pays homage to.

12. "Meet Me in Midtown" by Chris Stamey

The dB's frontman puts on his Bacharach suit for an exquisitely arranged pop song.

11. "Knocking At 112" by Buster Shuffle

Headline: Two-Tone Revivalists Create Dancefloor Dynamite yt

10. "Not Broken" by Alan Sparhawk

Tears tumble out of this one beside subtle banjo. I'm still crushed.

9. "Tomorrow I'll Be Fine" by Alpaca Sports

Another brilliant indie pop confection from a band that has my number.

8. "Proper" by Autocamper

The C86 charm is on full display with this hook-filled bop.

7. "White House Dot Com (Blue Websites)" by Fullbloods

This buoyant pop song is nonstop breezy wonderfulness and sparkle.

6. "Lost in a Daze" by Ryan Allen

Put the pedal to the metal for this driving pop rocker. Simply timeless.

5. "Tricky Questions" by Allo Darlin'

A here-to-fore unimaginable balance of songcraft and lyricism.

4. "Bell Penny" by The Casket Lottery

Atmosphere gives way a revelatory chorus that lifts me beyond words.

3. "Wild Boys" by Hunx and His Punx

If you like 'em big and dumb (like I do), then this is the bubblegum punk you need.

2. "Ain't Much Time Now Left for Summer" by Daniel Gum

Achingly melancholic indie rock that delivers on every front.

1. "(You Can't Go Back To) Oxford Talawanda" by Guided by Voices

Chiming guitars explode into a bouncing chorus that has been in my head since the womb.

And here are three tracks that came out in 2024 but I didn't get in time for last year's list. There was a lot more that I missed, but these were the very best.

"Come On" by Fastbacks

Power-pop and punk rock smoosh together to deliver a slice of heaven.

"Boom Boom Boom" by The Courettes

A catchy AF '60s wall of sound paean to Charlie Watts we all wish we wrote.

"The One About the Rabbit in the Snow" by Advance Base

Owen Ashworth destroys me once again with his simple twinkling chords and devastatingly sad spoken lyrics.

How I make this countdown is admittedly weird. A song is in contention if it was released on any physical media in 2025. Covers are excluded. As are songs released on retrospectives or reissues. This year I decided only one song per artist – artists with lots of good songs get recognized on the album list anyway. Using those criteria, there were 1,715 new songs to choose from this year.

I discuss tracks 1-7 on Too Much Rock Podcast #765.

And while you're here, why not check out my Top 50 Albums of 2025 or my Favorite Local Releases of 2025.

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