Aaron Hall recaps the best new songs of 2025
As 2025 comes to a close, the music told its own story. During a special New Year’s Eve countdown with Aaron Hall, these tracks emerged as the songs listeners connected with most — songs that reflected the year’s uncertainty, resilience, joy, and reinvention. From breakthrough artists to familiar voices with fresh perspective, here’s the countdown of the Top 20 New Songs of 2025.
20. The Last Dinner Party – This Is The Killer Speaking
A theatrical and commanding debut that blended tension, glamour, and sharp-edged rock. The song’s dramatic flair and fearless delivery helped cement the band as one of the year’s most talked-about new acts.
19. B.Wina – Rising Up
A new local artist broke into the local music scene this year. Rising up is a song built on steady rhythms and a message of resolve, striking an emotional nerve. Its sense of purpose and quiet defiance made it a song listeners returned to again and again.
18. Pulp – Tina
Jarvis Cocker’s unmistakable voice returned with wit, restraint, and maturity. Tina felt both familiar and refreshed, proving the band still has relevance decades on.
17. Ken Yates – Perennials
A reflective, gently unfolding song rooted in storytelling and subtle emotion. Its strength lay in its simplicity, capturing the feeling of endurance and quiet growth.
16. Black Pistol Fire – Low Twang
A gritty, blues-infused rocker that leaned into raw energy and swagger. Low Twang delivered the kind of stripped-down intensity that thrives on stage and at high volume.
15. Counting Crows – With Love From A–Z
A warm, introspective return that played to the band’s strengths in lyricism and melody. It felt like a letter written to longtime fans, full of reflection and familiarity.
14. Stephen Wilson Jr. – Dig A Hole
Dark and unflinching, this song explored emotional depth without softening the edges. Its intensity set it apart as one of the year’s most powerful listens.
13. The Waterboys – Hopper’s On Top (Genius)
A layered and ambitious track filled with poetic references and sweeping sound. The song rewarded patience, revealing new details with every listen.
12. Douglas Eldon McLean – Wildfire
Local artist Doug McLean brings the atmospheric and evocative, Wildfire – slowly building its emotional weight. Its imagery and pacing made it feel cinematic, lingering long after it ended.
11. Bruce Springsteen – Blind Spot
Pulled from the archives of un-released material, Blind Spot is a thoughtful, late-career highlight focused on reflection and self-examination. Springsteen’s storytelling remains sharp, proving time has only deepened his perspective.
10. Jesse Welles – Pilgrim
A restless, searching song that felt shaped by roads, distance, and self-discovery. Its understated delivery gave it an authenticity that resonated widely.
9. George Axon – Who’s Got the Gold?
A pointed, socially aware track driven by urgency and edge from another local artist. The song stood out for asking hard questions while staying musically engaging.
8. Sheryl Crow – New Normal
Smooth and grounded, New Normal reflected on change with quiet resilience. Crow balanced realism with optimism, making it one of her most relatable recent releases.
7. Pearl Jam – Present Tense (Redux)
A reimagined version that added clarity and emotional weight to a classic. The update introduced the song to new listeners while deepening its impact for longtime fans.
6. The Lumineers – Same Old Song
Stripped back and intimate, this track leaned into familiarity by design. Its emotional honesty and minimalism made it quietly powerful.
5. Galactic Redemption – Lumba
One of the year’s most pleasant surprises, local artist Jeremy Waterhouse and his new band blend rhythm and atmosphere seamlessly. Lumba carved out its own space, defying easy categorization. The rest of the album is great too!
4. Headstones (ft. City and Colour) – Navigate
A compelling collaboration that fused grit with vulnerability.
The contrast between voices added depth and tension to the song’s emotional core.
3. The Dead South – Joey
Darkly playful and unmistakable in tone, Joey delivered sharp storytelling. The band’s signature style made it instantly recognizable and endlessly re-playable.
2. Danny Michel – Northern Star
Warm, reflective, and reassuring in uncertain times, Northern Star felt like a guiding light. Its sense of calm and hope made it one of the year’s most comforting songs.
1. Gina Horswood – Dying To Be Heard
At number one, a song defined by vulnerability and emotional truth. Penned by Jamie Oppenheimer, and sung by local chanteuse Gina Horswood, Dying To Be Heard captured the spirit of 2025 — honest, searching, and deeply human.
As a new year begins, these songs remain a snapshot of where music — and listeners — were in 2025. Together, they form a soundtrack of reflection, resilience, and renewal.
Sources:
The Countdown – Top 20 New Songs of 2025
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