Top 200 - Current - July 2025

HERE'S THE MOST CURRENT VERSION OF MY TOP 200: 

Lady Gaga - Vanish Into You

Mumford & Sons - Rushmere

Revenge Wife - Waste of Tears (Cry All Summer)

Little Dume - Human

Anne-Marie - Don't Panic

Denison Witmer,Sufjan Stevens - Shade I'll Never See

SYML - Carry No Thing

Old Sea Brigade - Distant Skies

Joshua Leventhal - Nosferatu

Nathan Evans,SAINT PHNX - Home

Blessing Offor - Lift Me Up

OK Go - Take Me with You

WildTribe,KPR,Beacon Light - I'm The Only One

PVRIS,Courtney LaPlante - My House - feat. Courtney LaPlante

Anyma,Ellie Goulding - Hypnotized (feat. Ellie Goulding)

Calvin Harris,Ellie Goulding - Free (with Ellie Goulding)

Killian Scott - Eurydice - Killian's Version

Kakkmaddafakka - Head In My Hands

Vian Izak - My Dear Friend

Tiësto,Dyzen - All Right

Chappell Roan - California

Wilder Woods - Hide Anymore

The Black Keys - The Night Before

Anna Yvette,Laura Brehm - The Looking Glass

VOILÀ - Something Blue

Katanak - Holding out for Gold

Benjamin Carter - Sticks n' Stones

Jon Foreman - Where The Sidewalk Ends

Cold War Kids - Meditations

Scrawny - Carnival Crew

Kevin Olusola - Dark Winter

Sutej Singh - Oceans Apart

Kalush Orchestra - Сліди

To Kill A King,Bastille - Spiralling (Feat. Bastille)

The Rasmus - Creatures of Chaos

Vieux Farka Touré,Khruangbin - Diarabi

Blick Bassy - Mama

Mical Teja - D N A

Mounim Slimani - Riwayti

The Gray Havens - Ordinary Miracle

Retrofile - Feeling Blue

Rise Against - Prizefighter

Lights - WHITE PAPER PALM TREES

Liz Fulmer - I Prayed

Harsh Language - Radio.Silence

Declan J Donovan - Hungry Heart

Ed Sheeran - Azizam

Miley Cyrus - End of the World

Stromae,Pomme,Coldplay,Elyanna,Arcane,League of Legends - Ma Meilleure Ennemie ft. Coldplay

Calum Scott - God Knows

Bruce Springsteen - Rain in the River

Rudimental,Khalid - All I Know (with Khalid)

Alesso,Becky Hill - Surrender

Dax - God's Eyes

Michael W. Smith - Arms Around The Sun

VLADA K,KALUSH - ДИВАКИ

Jelly Roll - Dreams Don’t Die

Marlon Williams,Lorde - Kāhore He Manu E

Volbeat - By a Monster’s Hand

Daði Freyr - I Don't Wanna Talk

Shaboozey,Myles Smith - Blink Twice

Kevin Olusola - Smile

The Warning - Hell You Call A Dream

The Royal Foundry - I Don’t Wanna Talk

KUILL - Every Version of You

Moon Taxi - Hall Of Fame

Kasabian - Italian Horror

OneRepublic - Invincible - from Kaiju No. 8

Coldplay,TWICE,Burna Boy,Elyanna,TINI,Little Simz - WE PRAY - TWICE Version

Peanut Butter Mosquito (PBM) - Do It Again

Lukas Graham - You You You

Fozzy - Fall In Line

Monotronic - Everything Moves

Tara Lily - South Bombay

KAJ - Bara Bada Bastu

BIA - Northern Lights

Erland,Yuerd - Utopia

TEN TIMES,Erlandsson,Leo Dante - The Other Side

Chris Harms - I Love You

FLAME - Read Em All

Alex Warren - Ordinary

Thunderstorm Artis - Stronger

AMH - Please Be Okay

Jon Bellion,Luke Combs - WHY (feat. Luke Combs)

Shawn Hook - Lie

Bryan Adams - Never Ever Let You Go

Drew Sycamore - Another Lovesong

Sons Of The East - Rescue Me

Lord Huron - Looking Back

Julia Michaels - Try Your Luck

Sam Ryder - OH OK

In Paradise - The Fighters (Synth Version)

Panda Strike - 4th of July

David Archuleta,Haylee Wood - Crème Brulée - Haylee Wood Remix

Hunter Brothers,Shantaia - Better Days

Tyson James - Twisted

Monocule,LEØN,Aeni,Nicky Romero - Now I See You

Gorgon City,Caroline Byrne - Run It Back (feat. Caroline Byrne) - Drum & Bass Edit

KALEO - Bloodline

Avicii,Elle King - Let's Ride Away

Dax,Maverick City Music,Nick Day - Lonely Dirt Road

Louane - maman - English Version

In Color - Headlights

Rachael Lampa - Superpowers

Crash Adams - New Heart

Alan Walker - Me, Myself and The Night

Ben Rector,Mat Kearney - Praying For Me

Michigander,Andrew McMahon in the Wilderness - Spitting Image (with Andrew McMahon in the Wilderness)

The Offspring - Ok, But This Is The Last Time

Fastball - I'll Be On My Way

Yellowcard - Better Days

Styx - Build And Destroy

Ron Killings - When It All Adds Up

Anson Seabra - Peter Pan Was Right

Livingston - Nightlight

Olly Alexander (Years & Years) - When We Kiss

JJ - Wasted Love

Yuval Raphael,כאן - תאגיד השידור הישראלי - New Day Will Rise

Tommy Cash - Espresso Macchiato

Shkodra Elektronike - Zjerm

Zoë Më - Voyage

Claude - C'est La Vie

Tautumeitas - Bur man laimi

Abor & Tynna - Baller

Laura Thorn - La poupée monte le son

Sissal - Hallucination

Melody - Esa Diva

EMMY - Laika Party

Connor Price,Nic D - Too Easy

South Arcade - Supermodels

Sean Rodriguez,Disciple - It Is Finished - Radio Edit

Tophouse - The Mountain Song

Benjamin Dakota Rogers - Maggie

Dog Mountain - Frame

bRADFORd - Golden Pearls

Kati Holland - Deep Blue

Marshmello,Ellie Goulding,AVAION - Save My Love (with Ellie Goulding & AVAION)

Andy Grammer - Magic

Cheat Codes,Julia Church - Modern Tragedy

David Kushner - Love Worth Saving

Connor Price,Hoodie Allen - PULL UP

BANNERS - Fall on Me

Benson Boone - Sorry I'm Here For Someone Else

Mat Kearney - Is It Just Me

King Stingray - Milkumana

The Civil Wars - Dust to Dust

Smushie - Irv Ziegler (Gets a Hole in One)

Mac Saturn - Mr. Cadillac

yung kai - blue

The Black Moods - Daylight

Black - Wonderful Life

Michael Minelli - Memories We'll Never Make

sapientdream,Slushii - Past Lives

Johnnyswim - Alchemy

NF,Julia Michaels - GONE

Brand New Trash,Stefanie Clark Harris - Help Sometimes

Tommee Profitt,Stanaj,Staarz - Fix You

FIFA Sound,Pitbull,RedOne - We Will Rock You (2025 FIFA Club World Cup Theme Song) feat. Pitbull x RedOne

Shouse,Vance Joy - Wherever You Are

Jacob lodice,Benjamin Carter - Faith

Kevin Olusola - Hallelujah at Howard University

Natural State - Collide

JJ,CYRIL - Wasted Love - CYRIL Remix

Jasmine Thompson - Did I Miss It

DYSTINCT,Faouzia - BAYNA

Cesare Cremonini,Elisa - Nonostante Tutto (feat. Elisa)

Nathan Timothy - Back to Zero

Twenty One Pilots - The Contract

Mt. Joy - She Wants To Go Dancing

Actve Captve - Roses or Blood

Adam Chance,The Hound + The Fox - Hunting the Wren

John Oates,Lawrence - Enough Is Enough

Milky Chance - Passion

Matt Berninger - Bonnet Of Pins

Playing For Change,Christone  Kingfish  Ingram,Keb' Mo',Sierra Hull - Crossroads

The Darkness - Walking Through Fire

Matt the Electrician - The Ocean Knocked Me Down

Dustbowl Revival,Ivan Neville - Oh! Darling

Nathan Graham - Somebody Else

Buffalo Rose - Solid Ground

The Milk Carton Kids - Michigan

Willi Carlisle - Work is Work

American Aquarium - Before The Dogwood Blooms

Peach Fuzz - Push It Away

AWOLNATION - Found Atlas

Swedish House Mafia - Wait So Long

Daya - Demise

LO CLOUD - Medicate

Kalush Orchestra - Ностальгія

Noah Cyrus,Ella Langley - Way Of The World (feat. Ella Langley)

Declan J Donovan - Life Or Death

Steven Malcolm,for KING & COUNTRY,KB - Yes

Dean Lewis - Hurt So Bad

Scrawny - breathe.

Jervis Campbell - move on

AJR - Betty

Two Friends,Corbyn Besson - No One Else (Feat. Corbyn Besson)

In Paradise - Just Got Better

Darth Marley,Rev Theory - Not Today

Hardwell,Atmozfears,Jaimes - Hideaway

Miranda Lambert,Chris Stapleton - A Song To Sing

Robert Grace,Ryan Mack - Next To You

Scary Kids Scaring Kids,Emery,Toby Morrell - Aftermath

The Hives - Legalize Living

Muse - Unravelling

Bruce Springsteen - Secret Garden

The Fray - My Heart's A Crowded Room

Bleeker - Let's Go

Joint Operation - No Good

SONG #68: Vance Joy - Riptide

This song is another somewhat surprising entry on my list, specifically how quickly it made it into the hall of fame. After its release date.I'll be honest sometimes if I don't have some strong candidates in my mind for a hall of fame song.  , when it comes time to induct at the beginning of the month. I'll scan through my liyes. Add sometimes come to a gut decision. so the century may have a little recency by us to it. , but I still think it is a worthy entry into my hall of fame.  It was released in 2013. And I don't have the exact records of when I started listening to it. But.

I can't imagine it was much later from its release date.. Vance joy is a delight.  I really love his unique style of song. Writing the instrumentation on his songs which essentially.

Is a is Jay and Lynn. I don't know what that is to be accomplay. The artist. anyway. This is also an example of a song that I have no freaking clue what it's about.  . I really haven't taken the time to analyze or at the very least. Look up on Google the suggested meaning of this song PERIOD Maybe something about a girl who is captivating. Add is on the brink of fame like Michelle Pfeiffer whose name he drops. it really boggles my mind, and I'm not sure how reliable the lyrics actually are to the average listener. this is clearly an example of a very personal.  Song with the lot of inside meaning to him.But that's the mystery of music, that's such a personal song could be embraced by the average listener. we can still connect and relate to the emotion of a song and the.  Timber of a song at the general feel of the lyrics. and so that is really what's catchy to me. especially the refrain. He is just so incredibly passionate and.  That makes it such a listen to bowl song for me. I have no major memories of the song, except listening to it at a time when my family was almost complete with Ethan being 3 to 4 years old and Jonah just being born.  Perhaps down the road. I'll have additional things to say about this song as I listen to it even More but For Now, I just put it in the Hall Of Fame as a Beautiful song that struck my Heart made an impression on me for that. . of time after it was released.  .There are other Vance joy songs that I've listened to. And he is an artist that I hope has a very long career. And I'll be able to put another one of his songs in the hall of fame.

SONG #59: Daft Punk - Get Lucky

Inducted on December 31, 2016
The Daddy Era

Wow, this would have to (currently) be a top 10 overall song as well. This song came out in the early part of my parenthood era. This album from Daft Punk is by far my favorites and solidified them as legends. And they're celebrating the anniversary of the album as I write this. The catchy beats and the bass riff starts the song off with a bang. They just push the song forward and make it such a catchy tune. Then you have Ferrell Williams singing, and he is really good on this track.  I mean, really, really good. The song is a little transgressive, and I'm here for it, I think it could be a testament to marital love, If you take a faith-based approach to it, but obviously not really the original intent of the song. It's funny. I had it on my ringtone on my phone. And one of my students was almost even offended that I had it set as a ringtone. I remember telling him that this is a song about my relationship my wife. I don't think he really but at all, To be honest, there is a bit sadness now, in that that there just isn't that type of romantic energy we really had in our relationship (and certainly not now). But it is what it is, and that's for a different blog. I think the other obvious elements of the song is Nile Roger's base playing. I was unaware of who Nile Rogers was until this song and this album from Daft Punk. And now he is someone I follow on Spotify and listen to any song he plays in a guest.  What a musical genius with a unique sound. He just has a way of laying down funky beats. Now that I've listened to him for a while, I'm often able to pick out songs he plays in without even knowing ahead of time, due to the distinctive sound/rhythms he uses. It's just hard to ignore for sure.

Again, this track is without a doubt one of my favorite songs all time. Daft Punk is so catchy.

And they know how to craft a good song. The electronic voices that they use rhythmically make me happy.  Add it's something I could listen to on repeat for a long, long time. I don't necessarily have any other memories with the song outside of it was the one incident with that student who thought it was inappropriate for me to have it as a ringtone. But honestly this song is a source of both whimsy and maybe even a little pain.. Because the naughty fun implied in this song has just not been a dynamic my wife and I have ever had.. especially in the last 10 years of our relationship. the physical side of our relationship has just really been a challenge and it was not much chemistry tperiod so.  I know that's pretty honest and blunt. And it's a feeling I experience when I listen to this song. But again, it also represents hopefulness as well. So this song obviously carries a lot of nuance to it for me. In reality it's nuance that makes life so interesting. 

I am so far behind in this blog that I can give you a sneak preview: This isn't the only song from the album that makes it into the Hall of Fame. Which again is a testament to the power of the album (Random Access Memories). Growing up, you had to think in terms of "albums" because you had no choice but to drop $10-$20 on an album if you wanted to hear the one song you really likes (yes, singles existed but not always practical for a kid). But even growing up in 80's/90's, I've been an "Ipod era" guy at heart. I love variety and seek the dopamine hit from specific types of songs. It was rare that an album would have more than 1, let alone 3 or 4 of those types of songs I was searching for. But this album did. Which puts it in elite company. Maybe I'll identify those other "rare" albums as we move forward. 

There are a lot of other Daft Punk songs that will most likely never make the Hall of Fame that still shape the soundtrack of my life ("Around the World", "Harder, Better Faster, Stronger", "One More Time" and "Da Funk", Thanks to this duo for crafting songs that evoke emotion. 

    

SONG #58: Coldplay - The Scientist

Inducted on Dec. 31, 2016

Adrian Era

I don't think it's unfair to put this in the top 15 favorite songs of mine. I believe when I bought this album, I had already heard clocks and absolutely loved that song. Undoubtedly, in another universe, 'Clocks' would already be in my hall of fame. But once I bought "A rush of blood to the head", and gave the full album a listen, this absolutely was my favorite song on the record. 

I absolutely love that piano intro, and it is potentially one of my favorite song openers of all time. Again. I don't really know music theory - and if I ever learned, I'd go back and analyze each of these songs, But there's something about the specific chords being used in the song that generates great emotion and gives shape to the song. Lyrically, I am also pretty bad at extricating meanings from songs as the artist's originally intended it.. aka - what the songwriter (Chris Martin in this case) is trying to say, but I certainly feel sadness.  And a bittersweet feeling. The video's "reverse concept" also made an impact in my appreciation for the song and to the power of the song, The song was also in my Adrian era. Random memory - I remember listening to it for the first time on my trip to Toledo as I was going down to buy a suit.  I was sat down by my pastor and friend Joel, and he told me that I need to do a better job of dressing. now that is an embarrassing problem and certainly absolutely not one I loved hearing, but I do ultimately appreciate that he was brave enough to tell me that I needed to dress up a little better. That's something my dad never talk. and frankly, I'm not doing a great job of teaching my kids that either. Unfortunately, people DO judge you based on how you dress. Another result of the fall in the garden of Eden, I guess. I'm not sure if I have ever truly utilized the power of "dress" in the way it could be utilized, but again I tend to value authenticity over (what I believe is) the manipulation of people. 
 

Anyway, back to the song. That line "you don't know how lovely you are" is a winner. I can imagine girls (or anyone) just swooning at that part as they put themselves as the subject of the song. I love the little "Aww Ooooooohhhh" that Martin sings at the end of the song, its another element that makes this song special/unique. 

This song undoubtedly. really skyrocketed my deep appreciation for Coldplay. They were definitely my favorite band for a long period of time (and still may be on top, not quite sure right now).  They took the throne from Collective Soul. I could probably have 6 to 10 of their songs in the hall of fame before I die. They have a gift at evoking emotion from you, and I'm sure some people feel it too. As I think I've said before, I've heard that their concerts have similar vibes as a worship service. As a Christian that certainly raises flags in that we shouldn't worship music that isn't lifting up God's name, but as a human, I am in deep touch with how music evokes feeling, and as I said, Coldplay has a gift at doing that. Even if he doesnt have the same beliefs as I do, I really do appreciate Chris Martin's song writing abilities, and the fact that they do try to reinvent themselves with each album without departing way too far from their core sound. I'll be honest though I enjoyed their song 'yellow' from the first album, it was not my super super favorite. And so it wasn't until this album - A Rush of Blood to the Head - where I really started to. Truly appreciate them as much as I do now. Fantastic Song from a Fantastic Album from a Fantastic Band!

SONG #57: The Postal Service - Such Great Heights

Inducted on Dec. 31, 2016
The Adrian Era

Okay - Such Great Heights. Obviously, like every other song on this list, I really like it. This was another song in my Adrian era. I believe I was introduced to the song by a student Andrew M. when we were doing the Bible study on songs and analyzed them for content, specifically spiritual content. I don't think Andrew believes anymore but that obviously doesn't impact my appreciation of this song. I really appreciated Andrew's taste in music, and enjoyed being introduced to this song. The is the sixth intro or whatever sounds they use. At the very beginning we have a catchy electronic hook. that plays with both sides of your stereo. And then slowly the drum line comes in.  The drums rise in volume you until it takes over the song. And the singer starts into his song. The sense of the drums with the scratch incorporated into it is so catchy in and of itself. But honestly the lyrics are is credibly powerful and filled with imagery - this clearly seems to be a song about love.  And certainly gives me a warm feeling when I listen to It. I also like the guitar breakdown near the end of the song. And with how light and airy the song feels, it's kind of like you're flying which fits the whole point of the song (being at such great heights). Once again, I don't have huge memories tied into the song. I just remember listening to it when I was in Adrian and enjoyed the beats and just the feeling young and full of life and hope. I was dating Sarah, so this certainly brings me back to those initial feelings of love. Of course, I love my wife now. It's just a different feeling now then it was back then. So this is a good reminder of me for me of those early years in my relationship - of how I felt back then. that's the power of music. How it can bring you back.. ALMOST literally but not quite. Of course, I had always hoped the postal service would have released another album. But that was not meant to be up to this point.

SONG #56: Dogs Of Peace - Necessary Pain

Inducted on Dec. 31, 2016

The Teen Era

Okay, so this song, no one in the world will probably know. It is very obscure, created by an incredibly obscure group called Dogs of Peace. Gordon Kennedy is one of the members of Dogs of Piece, and he is a songwriter and musician who has played with Eric Clapton, and helped to write the popular song "change the world". He was also deeply involved in the infamous Chris Gaines project (look it up). I'm pretty sure I got the Dogs of Peace album through the BMG music club. I was really just blown away by its unique sounds, although apparently according to critics, it is very much in line with 60s/70s rock - I'm just not familiar enough with that era of music to make comparisons. So this song, Necessary Pain, was another song that really played into my feelings as a loner in my middle school and high school years, though I don't remember exactly what year this song came out. I just really, really struggled with feeling out of place and feeling like I didn't have any talents or abilities.  And I was just a loner to be honest. but I've talked about that before. This was, however, undoubtedly one of the top songs that just helped me feel like I wasn't alone. It was a reminder of the reality of pain, necessary pain. Does it mean that these painful experiences are something God wants us to experience? No. But in a sinful world... a world broken by sin... everyone goes through pain. You can't avoid it, no matter how hard you try. Personally this song was very relatable and actually gave me hope. That opening guitar riff is my favorite elements of the song. The beats and the chord structure, well.. just plain ROCK! It's just an incredibly catchy piece of music for me. I really leaned in hard with Christian music in those days. Currently I find most modern Christian music to be emotionally shallow and Musically boring. But I definitely appreciated the Christian music that I listened to growing up.. and this is an example of that.

I would never have listened to Dogs of Peace if it wasn't for the BMG music club. The entire album is a good one for me. I really like several of the tracks. But this is by far the peak and most important song from Dogs of Peace. Period. I think that's all I have for this one

SONG #55: Modest Mouse - Float On

Inducted on Dec. 31, 2016

So this song is another one of my favorite coming from my Adrian-Era. I remember getting 1 of the songs that I burned on 1 of my CD's that I really loved, it was my favorite mixed C. E. So, I am always driven by the music first. That's usually what gets me and hooks me into a song, Certainly an appreciation or a connection with the lyrics is probably the next most important aspect of a song. So I was driven by that drum beats at First. It right away starts with a unique beat. That is first and foremost the driver of this song. Lyrically, it is a thematic blood brother to the song,  Don't worry, Be happy by Bobby McFerrin - which should eventually make my Hall of Fame.  It's all about looking at the positive of a situation that might be incredibly negative (i.e. a fake jamaican stole every last dime with a scam. It was worth it just to learn from slight of hand). What an amazing line - I really love the creativity there. Otherwise, I think the song speaks for itself. I really like how it brings me back to those 4 years of being by myself out of college. Those were special years of wonder for me, so it is a gift when a song brings me back to those times. That is one of my favorite feelings that I experience through music. Again, it's theme is a good reminder to think the post of things. Certainly, I don't want to be blind to the negative things that happen. And I always want to be open to expressing pain and disappointment. However, it's certainly is an okay thing to dwell on the positive and try to find the positive aspect of even the worst scenarios. Another element I like liked is in the last refrain when they extend the refrain a little bit with some new lyrics. I think that's catchy.  . how it fades out with it. "It's all OK..". So I guess that's all I have for this song. Great song.