My top 30 songs of 2025

 Hello everyone, this is my top 30 songs of 2025. Once again, this will follow the same criteria as my previous best lists. Let's get into it.

30. Alex Warren/ Jelly Roll- Bloodline

So we're starting off with the first of two Alex Warren songs on here, and this one is rather fun. He compared this to an Avicii song when it came out, and I can definitely see that, and both of them sound pretty good over this production. I feel like this could have used an Avicii style drop, but it's fine, everything about this works.

29. Morgan Wallen/ Lil Wayne/ Rick Ross- Miami

Ok, I doubt I should like this. The original to this was on Morgan Wallen's album I'm The Problem, and it's about a trip to Miami he took where he hooked up with some girl down there, but then he makes it known in the hook that he doesn't like Miami as much as he does Nashville. Fast forward to two months later, we get this version with Lil Wayne and Rick Ross. As I've made it known with Broadway Girls, Stand By Me, and Whiskey Whiskey, I like it when Morgan Wallen collaborates with rappers, and this is no exception. It has the same hook as the original, and that's essentially a good thing, and both Lil Wayne and Rick Ross deliver solid verses here with very interesting references that make the song stand out, and Charlie Handsome and Joey Moi did a great job producing. So yeah, good song, even though it probably wasn't supposed to be.

28. Tanner Grigoli- Love You Right

I first heard this on Daniel's HOTF show, and at the time, this was Tanner Grigoli's only song, so he might have put out some more songs since then, but I should point out that Daniel actually interviewed him during an HOTF episode. Anyways, on to the song itself, this is a pretty good song. This sounds a lot like There's Nothing Holding Me Back by Shawn Mendes, and that's a good thing. Tanner Grigoli also has a solid singing voice, and that makes everything here work. So yeah, I will definitely be on the lookout for whatever Tanner Grigoli has next.

And on the topic of artists I first heard of on Daniel's HOTF show...

27. Grace Davies- Super Love Me

And this is actually the first of two Grace Davies songs that will be on here. Anyways, this is quite a banger. The beat here goes kind of hard and Grace Davies sounds pretty good, and this seems to be about either a really brutal breakup or being cheated on, or both. So I'll also have to check out whatever Grace Davies has next.

26. Franz Ferdinand- Hooked

Now here is a band I definitely didn't think I would be talking about in 2025. I previously only knew one song from these guys, that was Take Me Out from 2004, and that was a good song. Now 21 years later, someone shared this in the Discord, and I was, you guessed it, hooked. This has a fun beat that almost sounds EDM and Alex Kapranos sounds quite good, plus, it's in G Minor and seems to have similar lyrical content to Love Again by Dua Lipa or H.O.L.Y. by Florida Georgia Line. So yeah, I'm definitely happy that Franz Ferdinand is still around to make songs like this.

25. Doechii- Anxiety

I'm sure a bunch of people thought this would make this list. We first had the entire Sorry 4 The Wait mixtape from Lil Wayne in 2011, and I talked about Blind by Alex Sampson on last year's best list. So now Doechii dropped this that she originally put on her Youtube channel in 2019, then Sleepy Hallow sampled it three years later for a song of the same title, and the original then went viral following her grammy nominations at the beginning of the year, so she put it on streaming platforms. So yeah, this is definitely quite good, mainly because it uses the exact instrumental of Somebody That I Used To Know by Gotye and Kimbra, which is an iconic song from 2012. Then Doechii's vocals over the STIUTK beat work quite well. So overall, something that worked out quite well.

24. Bailey Zimmerman- Chevy Silverado

This was on Bailey Zimmerman's album from earlier this year and is definitely my favorite song from it. And from what I can deduce, it's about him buying a chevy silverado from his grandfather then consistently took it around with his girlfriend, but then she dumped him making all of those memories bittersweet. And this concept is executed flawlessly on here. The beat here fits the vibe quite well and you can hear the emotion in Bailey Zimmerman's voice a little bit on here, most notably in the hook. Just an amazing country song, I wish it could have crossed over, at least for a little bit

23. Disco Lines/ Tinashe- No Broke Boys

Basically, this is a remix from Disco Lines of Tinashe's song with that title, and a quite well produced remix. Tinashe has already proven that she can do EDM songs quite well with collaborations with Cheat Codes and Gryffin, and she also sounds pretty good over Disco Lines's production on this song, which also works quite well, I might add. Glad we had an EDM song like this have success on the charts this year.

22. Alex Warren/ Rosé- On My Mind

So history is made as for the first time ever, a Blackpink member has found her way on to a best list of mine. All jokes aside, this song is so good. It may be somewhat on the slow side, but the song is in Bb major and Alex Warren and Rosé sound really good here, probably among the best vocal performances by either artist, and then there's the lyrics, which seem to be directed towards a significant other to tell them that they are on your mind all the time, and when Alex Warren and Rosé sing the hook together, they sound really good together and it gets the message of this song across quite well. Purely amazing.

21. Beauty School Dropout- Heart Away

I'm glad Hits 1 decided to add this to Hitbound for a few weeks, as I never would have heard it otherwise. This is a banger and a half. The beat is insane and lead vocalist Colie Hutzler sounds pretty good. Plus, this seems to be about preventing any heartbreak from a girl, which makes the lyrics pretty relatable. I might look out for more songs from these guys in the future.

20. Tame Impala- Dracula

Although Tame Impala has been around for almost two decades, this song is his first ever entry on the Hot 100, and it has since been getting pop radio traction. And yeah, this is quite fun. He has a solid singing voice that goes quite well with his production, and the references to Dracula are rather interesting. Glad this has sort of been becoming a hit.

19. The Weeknd- Cry For Me

This was on The Weeknd's album Hurry Up Tomorrow from the beginning of the year, and it is honestly my favorite song from that album. The song is in Bb major and has amazing melodies, and The Weeknd sounds good like he always does. Plus, the song has similar lyrical content to songs like Hardest To Love or Out Of Time, and he can sell that type of song really well. Glad this did as well as it did.

18. Audrey Hobert- Sue Me

Initially, Audrey Hobert worked behind the scenes, writing songs for Gracie Abrams, and that includes some of her biggest hits, such as That's So True. So this is the first song she wrote for herself... And yeah, this is good. You can tell that she has written for Gracie Abrams before since this definitely gives off the vibes of a Gracie Abrams song. Plus, Audrey Hobert has a solid singing voice here. Also, it's rather interesting how she has made a best list of mine but Gracie Abrams still hasn't.

On the topic of artists who had different careers before putting out their first single...

17. LiAngelo Ball/ Glorilla- Can You Please

More on LiAngelo Ball's backstory when I talk about his major hit from the beginning of the year later on in the list, but this is the follow up to that song, and it's quite good. Sure, it seems more like it was made for the strip club, but the beat is fucking iconic and LiAngelo Ball has an amazing flow, and him referencing Homer and Maggie from The Simpsons is interesting. Glorilla also delivers a solid verse. So yeah, fire banger, with still another LiAngelo Ball song later on.

16. Chappell Roan- The Giver

So after Good Luck Babe was released, Chappell Roan didn't drop any new music for about a year, instead, we had Hot To Go, Red Wine Supernova, and Pink Pony Club becoming hits, so then she was the musical guest on SNL in November 2024, where she performed this but didn't release it until 2025... so I'd say it's worth the wait for the release of this. It's a country song, which is an interesting choice for Chappell Roan, but it goes really well. The beat here is solid, and add the fiddles to this to really make it interesting, and Chappell Roan sounds quite good here per usual. I feel as though it did flop a little bit though...

So the last three years, I had a song from an animated kids movie at the #15 spot. However, there wasn't any songs in that category that deserved that spot, the best Kpop Demon Hunters song is an honorable mention and that song Shakira did for Zootopia 2 sort of faded on me. However, there was still a soundtrack song that deserved the #15 spot...

15. Don Toliver/ Doja Cat- Lose My Mind

I feel like the F1 soundtrack lost all its hype after Kpop Demon Hunters came out, which is a shame, as the F1 soundtrack had a couple good songs, including this, which was the lead single. And this was definitely a convincing lead single. The beat here is quite good and both Don Toliver and Doja Cat sound quite good here and have solid chemistry when they sing the second hook together. I wish Hits 1 had picked up on this though like they did with the other singles from it.

14. People R Ugly- DoULoveMe

Let's be completely real: If People R Ugly are going to continue making bangers like this, they could be a mainstay on my best list. So anyways we have this, and talk about a banger. The instrumentation is wild, it's in Bb major, and both Zak Dossi and Bill Biers* sound pretty good here. Also, this seems to be about worrying about how a first date will go. Way to go, People R Ugly, you guys did it again.

*Bill Biers apparently sang the second verse, according to GeniusLyrics

13. Cheat Codes/ Ceelo Green- Go To Hell

It's rather interesting that I'm still hearing music from Ceelo Green in 2025, I believe before this, his last song was The King And I with Eminem from the Elvis soundtrack three years ago, which was decent (the song was). So now he worked with Cheat Codes on this, which is a rather interesting collab, and quite good of a song as well. We don't get vocals from Trevor Dahl here, but that's okay. All three Cheat Codes guys did a great job producing and Ceelo Green sounds really good here. I especially like the saxophone solo in the drop. Fun collab, fun song.

12. The Paradox- Do Me Like That

Here's another pop punk band that I'm glad Mikey Piff got me into. This is quite a wild banger. It is another song surrounding a breakup, at least that's what I deduced from the lyrics, and Eric Dangerfield sounds quite good here. I'll definitely need to check out whatever these guys have next.

11. Grace Davies- Hotel Delilah

So here's the second Grace Davies song that made the list. And as good as Super Love Me was, this is a million times better. There are two rather obvious reasons. First is it is in G Minor, meaning almost always a great song. Second, this has similar lyrical content to Love Shack by the B52s, an iconic song from 1989. The beat here is also iconic, Grace Davies sounds quite good here, and that trombone solo at the end fits the song quite well. Yeah, fire banger, it will always make me think of going on vacation down south.

10. BigXThaPlug/ Bailey Zimmerman- All The Way

I'll always take someone who is best known for their work in rap making a full on country album. We saw this with Post Malone and F1Trillion last year, which I quite liked. So now BigXThaPlug put out a country rap album with this as the lead single, and yeah, my opinion here still stands. This has quite a great beat that fits BigXThaPlug's verses rather well, and Bailey Zimmerman's hook goes well with both of them. So yeah, I'll take more BigXThaPlug country songs in the future.

9. Russell Dickerson/ Steve Aoki- Happen To Me

The original of this bro country hookup jam was a minor hit on Mediabase at some point during the year. So Steve Aoki decided to put his own spin on it, and let's just say, it worked and I like this remix more than the original. Russell Dickerson sounds quite good here, and as catchy as the production from the original was, Steve Aoki obviously produced it better, giving us a super fun drop after the hook. I don't care what you guys say, this is the superior version.

8. Twenty One Pilots- The Contract

I was underwhelmed by the majority of what I heard from Twenty One Pilots in 2024, but Breach, their album from earlier this year, spawned quite a few bangers, including this as the lead single. And yeah, this is fire on all levels. Tyler Joseph once again sounds quite good here and it is in G Minor, so that is an obvious bonus. Glad they made this after their previous album

7. Martin Garrix/ Lauv- Mad

I'm glad Martin Garrix is still as relevant as he is, at least in terms of EDM radio. So he put out this collab with Lauv over the summer, and it is quite good. His production is quite fun here and Lauv sounds quite good. Fun song.

6. Felix Jaehn/ JHart- Pride

Let's put this into perspective first: The song is titled Pride, it's by Felix Jaehn, who uses they/ them pronouns and identifies as pansexual, and it was released on the first weekend of pride month of this year. So that means if it was put together correctly, it could easily be top 10 on this list. And it indeed was put together correctly. It has outstanding production from Felix Jaehn, JHart sounds quite good here, it's in Bb major, and the lyrics seem to be in response to any hate directed towards queer people. So yeah, iconic queer anthem, and it will be interesting to see if Felix Jaehn drops a collab with Chappell Roan during pride month next year. That would be iconic.

5. Gary LeVox/ Akon/ De La Ghetto- Hold The Umbrella

I always like collabs where the list of artists is so insanely random. This is exactly what this is. And for those who don't know, Gary LeVox is the lead vocalist of Rascal Flatts, who is a country band, and he's teaming up with Akon and De La Ghetto for this, which feels more like a Latin song, and the lyrics definitely make this feel like the summer song it's supposed to be. not to mention all three artists sound quite good here. I feel like this got quite underlooked.

4. Steve Aoki/ Tyler Hubbard- Forget Tonight

That's right, we have not one, but two Steve Aoki bro country hookup jams in the top 10, and I'm okay with that. So this one is a collaboration with Tyler Hubbard from Florida Georgia Line, and let me remind you that he has done EDM songs before, as Florida Georgia Line did Let Me Go with Hailee Steinfeld and Alesso back in 2017. Anyways, on to this, quite a banger. Steve Aoki's production sets the vibe of this quite well, for what this is supposed to be about is what starts off as an ordinary night at the bar changes when a really hot girl walks in. Tyler Hubbard also sounds quite good here. Yeah, fire banger from both of them.

3. Avicii/ Sandro Cavazza- Forever Yours (Tim's 2016 Ibiza Version)

I should probably explain the backstory behind this: Avicii originally played this at the Ushuaia Ibiza resort during the summer of 2016, then a couple years after his death, Kygo got his hands on it and reworked it, crediting both Avicii and Sandro Cavazza as co-lead artists. Fast forward to the beginning of 2025, two documentaries about Avicii were released, and the original was prominently featured in both of them, and then fans begged for the original to be released to streaming platforms, and that is what we have here. And this sounds nothing like an unfinished demo in the slightest, more like a fire EDM banger that sounds like a proper Avicii song, and Sandro Cavazza sounds quite good here. Glad this found its way out of the archives.

2. IAmChino/ Pitbull/ Victor Cardenas- Soy Asi

The reasons why I like this are obvious. It's Pitbull working with the same two guys that produced Farruko's songs Pepas, El Incomprendido, and Nazareno, which are all bangers, and we also get vocals from IAmChino here. It's also in Bb major, and the lyrics are about going out and having a good time, which is entirely appropriate given the hook is sung to the tune of Young Wild & Free by Snoop Dogg, Wiz Khalifa, and Bruno Mars, which has similar lyrical content. Then the production from IAmChino and Victor Cardenas is as fire as ever and Pitbull delivers an iconic verse. So yeah, this was pieced together the right way, and I don't care what you guys have to say about this, it completely slaps.

Before I reveal my #1 song of 2025, I'm going to go over some honorable mentions

Matisse Jones- Turn On The Night

Easily his best song thus far.

Blackpink/ Diplo- Jump

Rosé was the only Blackpink member to make the main list, but at least the rest of them made the honorable mentions with this banger.

The Summer Set- Adidas

Fun banger directed towards any crush someone may have.

R3hab/ Michael Patrick Kelly/ Shaggy- Rebellion

Shaggy can sing surprisingly well over a house beat.

LiAngelo Ball- Law N Order

Another fire banger from him.

BigXThaPlug/ Post Malone- Cold

This definitely would have made the main list if it were released sooner.

Blackbear- Britney In 07

See my blurb above.

And so my #1 song of 2025 is...

1. LiAngelo Ball- Tweaker

Yeah, I definitely don't think anyone was surprised by this. Anyways, I talked about his music twice before on this list but wanted to wait until I talked about this song to explain his backstory. So he's part of a basketball family, his older brother Lonzo plays for the Cavs* and his younger brother LaMelo plays for the Hornets. LiAngelo, however, mostly played in the G League as well as a couple international teams, but never had a lot of success on any of them, then he put this out at the beginning of 2025, and I initially thought this was another novelty rap song, like Jiggle Jiggle by Duke & Jones and Louis Theroux, and you guys may remember how much I liked that song, but LiAngelo Ball has actually retired from basketball to focus more on his music career, and I'd say that is a wise choice since every song I've heard from him is a banger thus far. And this was a rather iconic introduction to his musical career for me. The beat is super fun and LiAngelo Ball has insane flow, the song is in G Minor, and then there's that ever iconic first line of the hook "I might swerve, bend that corner, woah, woah," that makes for an insanely iconic song. Of every new artist I've discovered in 2025, LiAngelo Ball is whose music I will be on the lookout for new music from the most if he will continue putting out bangers like this.

*Lonzo Ball played for the Bulls at the time of the song's release, but was traded to the Cavs during the offseason

And that concludes my best list of 2025, see you guys later this week for my next countdown post.