a Year in Music

I'm never sure about this post. 

I see the memes about people's Spotify Wrap list and what it says of them. Allegedly. Me? I'm always suspect of WASPs who have a lot of rap. It just seems........wrong. 

Me? I like what I like, but I also have some solid OCD tendencies so I'm apt to play and replay things a lot. Even back in July (?) I predicted the Tragically Hip would be my most played artist and I wasn't wrong. They topped it for five months in a row!

All of that said, while I have / had a few running playlists, many songs and artists cross over. So here is my Apple Play Lists of 2025.  I don't do Spotify. 

That's 357.5 hours of music. 

Nailed it. 

For 357 hours of music this doesn't seem like a lot of songs. But again: repeat 

Top song. It wasn't even from this year, but 1989!

Like how there are 42 albums in rotation but they show repeating. C'mon Apple, you're a tech co.

My most played album though was from last year - which says a lot about 2025 releases. 

....or again......repetition. 

Not a huge shock. 

I gotta say, Fleetwood Mac always stumps me. They show every year, but I swear they don't come across my ears all that much. 

But now let's get dow to the yearly "favourites". 

I have my likes, of course, but usually - especially with albums - I'm a bit dejected by how few stand out now-a-days. I get the intertube has made it all very song-oriented, but I'm a '70s-'80s guy who liked albums, the start to finish. The A and B side. The liner notes. The collective that the artists envisioned. 

I found it hard to review 12 disks this last year (I didn't!), let alone find anything that STANDS OUT. I have two this year, both good, but not destined to be classics or my go-to disks. 

Albums

Both selections - I have no more than that - are Americana or Bluegrass based. 

Jason Isbell hits with a truly solo record. An acoustic guitar, a microphone and a voice. That's it. Well crafted songs - well executed too. As it is so minimal, it is listenable more than play and sing along with type of music.  He and his band are coming to the 216 next month. I'd like to see them, but not sure I can convince 710. 

Kraus and Union Station never disappoint really. I was just expecting more after a 14 year wait for any record from the band. Technically it is flawless, but artistically it's not quite hitting the mark for me, unlike their other albums. Still, it is great craftsmanship. 

Song

Months back I said that Role Model's song "Sally...." was the 'song of the summer'. It turns out it might be the song of the year. At least for me. I haven't tired of it yet, even a little. 

A semi-close runner up would be sombr's "undressed". As I stated months ago it is the 30 second section of the break of the verse / chorus thing that is just a stand out vocal and arrangement. 

For a while this year, I had predicted - to myself - that this would be my top pick of the year. "Spaceman in Tulsa" is still a great song, it just fell a few notches for me. Still outstanding performance by the Counting Crows. 

I am not a Swiftie by a long shot. I have two of her songs on a playlist and that is it. But it was impossible to avoid "the Fate of Ophelia".   The 2,093,001,763 TikTok, Instagram and Facebook videos of any - and every - one doing their 45 seconds of dance to the chorus wouldn't allow it. 

That said, it is well written and executed......and catchy. No offense to Swift herself, but she co-wrote it with Max Martin who has written the second most #1 singles on Billboard's Hot 100 (ever!) - including songs from Backstreet Boys, 'Nsync, Brittney Spears, Katy Perry, the Weeknd and more. So I don't know what part(s) came from her or him.  But it's gotta hook you can't deny. 

The video is a lot. Too much, actually. 

I figured folks should hear my most played song, the Tragically Hip's "Blow at High Dough".  It goes back to their first full length album back in 1989 (!).  It is a great running song.  It's a great song, period.  For no specific reason, I like how Gord Downie sings the word "dough" in a minor key when nothing else is. 

Not sure what 2026 has planned. Allegedly new music from Lucinda Williams, Rosanne Cash, Squeeze (!!!!), Stevie Nicks, Annie Lennox, Michael Stipe and some others. I won't hold my breath on the last two, as those have been talked about for years at this point. 

Anyone else have their 2025 best of they'd like to share?