THE BEST OF 2020 - The Best ROCK Of The Year

 

- Continuing what will be a recurring theme of this year's Best of 2020 posts ... 2020, it must be said, was a strange year. Because of COVID-19, it was a year (mostly) without concerts and live music. It was a year where we were all stuck at home. It was a year where almost nothing went according to plan.

The last live concert I saw was in February. My amazing girlfriend Rebecca and I went to the Microsoft Theater in downtown LA to see the annual 80's Weekend show (it's an annual show, but this was my first!) - featuring dozens of bands who made their name in the most radical of decades. It was a ton of fun - I saw some of my favorites of the era live for the first time. From bands I am genuinely a big fan of like Missing Persons, to one-hit wonders (okay, in some cases three-hit wonders) like Wang Chung, Josie Cotton, Flock of Seagulls, Dramarama, Big Country, Violent Femmes, and The Romantics. The closer was none other than MC Hammer himself - a bit of an outlier in the lineup (especially given that I think of him as more of an early 90's star) - but man, I was an MC Hammer *fanatic* as a young kid, so it was cool to once again get "2 Legit 2 Quit." And by the way, MC Hammer was actually the first big concert I ever attended as a kid - so it was definitely a full-circle moment. I guess if things never get better, pandemic-wise, it would be a weird irony if somehow my first and last concerts both featured Hammer.

And then, things just ... stopped. When things got bad in March, I had tickets to see a bunch of live shows later in the year - Alice Cooper, a live performance of Hamilton at the Pantages theater ... and sadly, one by one, they were all cancelled (along with other planned 2020 events like The Paley Fest, WonderCon, and Comic-Con ...).

Even so, music was a big part of my quarantine survival strategy. Music helped me to concentrate while working, writing, and exercising. It helped me to relax, whether I was chilling out at home or driving to nowhere in particular. It helped to funnel my anger at the insane politics of this year, and motivated me to do what I could to "fight the power," scream to the rafters that #BlackLivesMatter, and push for change to whatever extent that I could. In fact, for me (and I suspect many), one of the best musical moments of the year came on a Saturday night in November - watching Joe Biden's big victory speech on TV. After the speech, a medley of songs played as fireworks boomed in the night sky. Tom Petty's "I Won’t Back Down" began to play, and man, was that a great moment. It was then that the battle of the last four years finally felt over - at least for a bit. We could pause, reflect, breathe, and take a moment to remember those we'd lost along the way.

So with that said, here are my top rock songs of 2020. A mix of long-established stalwarts and newer acts, this was a year where hearing new music from old favorites was certainly welcome. To that end, this year saw great new music from the likes of AC/DC, Springsteen, and McCartney. It also saw the reunion of one of my favorite recent rock acts, Foxy Shazam. And it saw a flood of pandemic-inspired songs meant to inspire and rally us - some worked, some didn't.

Here's to a better 2021 filled with concerts, live shows, and lots of rock.

DANNY'S TOP ROCK SONGS OF 2020:

1.) Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band - "Ghosts"

- The Boss has always been a chronicler of hard times, and there were no harder times than 2020. In a year when so many were in denial, when so many seemed so removed from the plight that this country was in, from the hurt people were feeling - here was Springsteen to guide us towards the light. I'm no diehard Bruce fan - casual at best - but every so often one of his songs just really soars and speaks to the moment, and this year that song was Ghosts. We are here, we are alive, and we will get back to where we were and where we can be. 

2.) AC/DC - "Witch's Spell"

- AC/DC has been a constant in the world of rock for decades upon decades - but it seemed that their long trek across the highway to hell might finally be coming to an end. The death of Malcolm Young and the health issues of Brian Johnson forced the band to cancel their tour several years ago and stay off the road (I was lucky enough to be at their last-ever show in LA). But against all odds, AC/DC returned in 2020, and they were as thunderstruck as ever - with a new album that was exactly what any fan would want. "Witch's Spell" was, to me, the standout - a hard-driving rocker with a hint of supernatural menace. Inject it into my veins, baby.

3.) Miley Cyrus (with Billy Idol) - "Night Crawling"

- Miley is no ordinary pop princess - she knows how to turn out genuine rock bangers, and her latest album has a few of them. But to me, the one that hit the hardest was her retrowave, synth-filled, fist-pumping song "Night Crawling" - a collaboration with 80's icon Billy Idol. The song could stand proudly next to other 80's Idol classics, prompting listeners to let out a rebel yell due to its sheer retro awesomeness.

4.) Tom Petty - "California"

- I was devastated by the death of one my my true rock n' roll heroes, Tom Petty, back in 2017. I was at his final concert - an incredible show held at the Hollywood Bowl only days before his passing. It was a death that hit me hard - Petty's music had particular meaning to me, and I always looked forward to buying new Tom Petty albums. In 2020 though, we got one last collection of new Petty songs - as part of the Wildflowers & All The Rest album reissue, which included a whole batch of unreleased songs from the archives. "California" was the one that spoke to me - as a California transplant, the lyrics hit home - "California's been good to me." It was good to Tom, and it's been pretty good to me too.

5.) Paul McCartney - "Find My Way"

- A late-in-the-year treat, Paul McCartney's latest solo album featured a song, "Find My Way," that felt like the perfect song with which to end 2020 and head towards (hopefully) a new and better year ahead. Yes, in this upbeat rocker, Sir Paul promises to guide us towards that light at the end of the tunnel. With blaring horns and crunchy Queen-like guitars, this song acknowledges the anxieties of the pandemic era while also offering to lift us up towards good times to come.

6.) Foxy Shazam - "Dreamer"

- After a seeming breakup and long hiatus, Foxy Shazam returned in 2020, and thank the lord for that. At one point, I was convinced that Foxy was destined to be the next big thing in rock - a band that seemed to channel both the majesty of Queen and also the unhinged energy of Iggy Pop. "Dreamer" is a great song from their comeback album - a slowly-escalating power-ballad that, eventually, erupts into a glorious explosion of rock. Welcome back.

7.) Alice Cooper - "Don't Give Up"

- Perhaps Alice Cooper was an unlikely candidate to provide an inspirational, motivational pandemic anthem - and yet, as a devoted fan of the legendary shock-rocker, I know well that he's an incredibly versatile musician who can do just about anything. "Don't Give Up" has a 90's grunge sort of sound - complete with spoken-word interludes in between its hard-driving chorus. Cheesy? Maybe. Awesome? Hell yeah. Released back in May, hearing Alice Cooper's distinct voice telling us "don't give up" was just the rallying cry I needed.

8.) The Pretty Reckless - "Death By Rock And Roll"

- The Pretty Reckless at their best create music that rocks like some femme fatale version of Guns n' Roses. One of their new 2020 songs, "Death By Rock And Roll," channels that classic brand of GnR sleaze-rock to great effect, augmented by Taylor Momsen's powerful pipes. Come for the kick-ass rock, stay for the cheeky Gossip Girl reference in the song's opening line.

9.) Dead Sara - "Hands Up"

- Dead Sara is one of the best rock bands of the last twenty years, and they delivered some new rock n' roll goodness this year - with another album that went hard against bigots, fascists, and Trump himself. This was the kind of rage-against-the-machine rock we needed desperately in 2020. And few frontwomen can growl out lyrics like singer Emily Armstrong.

10.) Weezer - "Beginning of the End"

- 2020 saw a new Bill & Ted movie, and thus it also needed a new catchy rock song to go along with this new most-excellent adventure (after all, let us not forget that Bogus Journey gave us the KISS classic "God Gave Rock & Roll to Us"). This new Weezer jam from the Bill & Ted soundtrack is a catchy bit of retro guitar rock - fitting with the classic-rock tone that seems to characterize the band's upcoming and long-delayed album Van Weezer. 

THE BEST OF 2018 - The Best ROCK Of The Year

- I listened to a lot of great music in 2018 - new music from long-time favorite bands, new music from recent-favorite bands, and new music from new (or at least new to me) bands that could become future faves. It definitely felt like rock music was on the upswing in terms of pop-culture presence this year. One of my favorite bands from 2017, Greta Van Fleet, became a full-blown sensation in 2018. A band I've been a big fan of for a few year s now, The Interrupters, blew up in 2018 ('bout time!) with their kick-ass song "She's Kerosene." And classic rock was everywhere, be it a well-received new album from Sir Paul McCartney or the smash-hit movie Bohemian Rhapsody that celebrated the life of Freddie Mercury and the music of Queen. A couple of new albums from staples like Weezer disappointed - but at the same time, there were some real surprises ... like Smashing Pumpkins' coming out with a pretty rocking new album that evoked their 90's heyday. Music is weird now - you mostly have to proactively seek out the good stuff, and good curation can be hard to find. But I still find taking time to follow favorite bands and to seek out new ones to be rewarding. Discovering a great new song is always an awesome experience.

- I was also lucky to see some fantastic live music in 2018. I didn't go to quite as many big concerts as I did in 2017, but I did see some real gems. Maybe the best one was seeing the man, the myth, the legend - Weird Al Yankovic - as part of his The Ridiculously Self-Indulgent, Ill-Advised Vanity Tour (yes, it really was called that). I'd seen Weird Al in concert a few times already, but man, seeing him at a smaller venue - the Ace Hotel in downtown LA - playing only (mostly) his original songs and more obscure tunes ... it was awesome, and a truly once-in-a-lifetime experience. I mean, I got to hear songs like "Albuquerque" and "Biggest Ball of Twine in Minnesota" live. Amazing. I also saw an all-time favorite rock band - The Scorpions - live once again, but this time at an outdoor venue (The Five-Points Ampitheater in Irvine). I took friends who'd never seen them live, and man, it was a great show. The Scorpions always rock like a hurricane, and I will never not nerd out when they do their classic "Coast to Coast" performance, with all members of the band wailing in sync on the most epic of epic guitar solos. I also saw another all-time fave - Alice Cooper - once again, this time at the famed Greek Theater in LA. I've seen some amazing Alice shows before, but this one was up there with the best I've seen. Alice was in rare form, and guitarist Nita Strauss was absolutely phenomenal - there were clearly a lot of fans there to see her as much as to see Alice, and with good reason: she freaking rocks. It was also really cool to see former KISS member Ace Frehley open the show - seeing him perform "New York Groove" live was a rock n' roll dream come true. Finally, I finally did the LA bucket-list thing that any LA resident worth his or her salt has to do ... I saw Jeff Goldblum's live jazz show! This is a must-see treat for anyone living in or visiting LA ... you get the full Goldblum experience, with tons of patently oddball audience interaction and a guaranteed photo with the man himself. Plus some cool jazz music to boot, courtesy of Goldblum and The Mildred Snitzer Orchestra. Like I said, you must, uh ... find a way ... to see - nay, *experience* - this, if you can.

So without further ado ... here are my top rock picks of the year. And for those about to rock in 2019, I salute you.


DANNY'S TOP ROCK SONGS OF 2018:


1.) The Interrupters - "She's Kerosene" / "Room With a View"

-  I first became aware of The Interrupters a few years back, when I saw them open for The Offspring. They killed it at that show, and I was an instant fan (even more so when I realized that their lead singer was actually Aimee Allen, who I'd been a fan of since college when she did the kick-ass theme for the quickly-cancelled Birds of Prey TV show). The Interrupters just deliver simple, classic, catchy punk rock anthems like nobody's business - and that feels even more special in a world where this sort of music just isn't made that much, and definitely doesn't enter the mainstream consciousness. But you know what? When the music is this good, this undeniable ... it will rise to the top of the charts. And "She's Kerosene" is quite simply an instant-classic rock song. You can't help but love it from the first second you hear it. I actually really loved the band's latest album as a whole, and so I'll also give a shout-out to "Room With a View" - the rare punk rock song that's genuinely both rocking and emotional - a feat rarely accomplished since the days of The Ramones. Anyways, I can't say enough about this band, so if you're not already onboard the bandwagon - jump on it.

2.) Andrew WK - "Music Is Worth Living For" / "Ever Again"

- It was a long time coming, but with his latest album You're Not Alone, Andrew WK has finally produced a worthy follow-up to 2001's breakout I Get Wet. I Get Wet is a top-to-bottom modern classic, but You're Not Alone has a number of vintage WK rockers (it also has some odd spoken-word motivational mini-sermons, but I'll reserve commentary on those). Notably, "Music Is Worth Living For" is the kind of epic, earnest, joyful rock ballad that only Andrew WK could create. It's awesome. Similarly, "Ever Again" is another concentrated dose of motivational rock that that personifies the album's message of using the power of positivity to life oneself up from the lowest of lows. Corny? Maybe. Party-worthy rock that demands to be played as loud as possible? Most definitely.

3.) Greta Van Fleet - "Brave New World" / "When the Curtain Falls"

- I'll cut to the chase - as a whole, Greta Van Fleet's first full album of original music - Anthem of the Peaceful Army - feels like a bit of a step down from their holy-$%&$-this-is-good debut EP, From the Fires. That said, there are still some real gems to be found on it - namely, in my opinion, the hard-driving rocker "Brave New World." It's a slower and more methodical song than we're used to from the band, but man, it's got some power behind it. "When the Curtain Falls" is more the speed that GVF fans are used to - and it's a catchy barn-burner in their classic, Led Zep-tribute style. And hey, to those who've been hating on the band of late - please. Maybe this album isn't quite the sonic force of nature as From the Fires was, but these guys are still doing more to re-popularize rock n' roll than anyone. And they can play. I am still very much a fan, and can't wait to see what they do next.

4.) Ghost - "Dance Macabre"

- Ghost is a crazy goth metal band that I was turned onto this year. And while I don't know that I would have become an uber-fan based on their past output, their most recent album - full of 80's-tinged rockers with more of a pop-feel, hit a lot of my rock music sweet spots. I'm guessing some of their longtime fans may not love "Dance Macabre" - as it's a dose of pure, synth-accompanied 80's hair-metal cheese. But man, do I dig this song. It's the throw-your-hands-up-and-dance goth-rock anthem I didn't know I needed, but glad we got.

5.) Meg Myers - "Numb"

- I discovered this one late in the year - but man, what a great song. Meg Meyers has a unique, powerful voice and style to burn. And this song captures an 90's alt-rock style that you don't hear much of anymore ... this song would have been HUGE back in the day, but I'm glad I discovered it here in 2018. I hope to hear more from Meg Myers, and I hope that this isn't just a blip ... give us more great alt-rockers and I will be there for them.

6.) Dead Sara - "Unamerican "

- Dead Sara has been one of the best rock bands out there for several years now, and they're a band whose new music I always look forward to. And "Unamerican" is a return to the loud, angry, pull-no-punches vibe that first put them on the map with "Weatherman" a while back. Not only that, but it's one of the first big rock songs to directly and angrily go after Trump. It felt like this song - or a song like it - has been a *long* time coming. So if you're feeling some rage about the current state of America (and who isn't?), this is the song you've been waiting for.

7.) Paul McCartney - "Come On To Me"

- It's sort of amazing that Paul McCartney, after all this time, is still making really, really good rock music. In fact, I'd argue that his last couple of albums have been genuinely excellent in a way that his music, prior, had not been in quite some time. I mean, give a listen to "Come On To Me" - this is a great pop-rock song, the kind of song that in a different era would probably be (and probably should be) a huge crossover mainstream hit. I think there's also something to be said for Sir Paul's unwavering positivity - now is an era when I think many of us long for the utopian dreams of the Beatles' 1960's - and with songs like this one, Sir Paul is keeping those dreams alive.

8.) The Raconteurs - "Now That You're Gone"

- Late in the year came a nice surprise: Jack White's garage-rock band The Raconteurs were back, with new songs and an upcoming all-new album. I quickly gave a listen to - and really dug - the song "Now That You're Gone." It's exactly the kind of bluesy rock song that made me a fan of Jack White and his various musical projects to begin with. As a bonus - the music video for this one is super cool - a stylish film-noir odyssey that is a great compliment to the song.

9.) The Smashing Pumpkins - "Solara"

- People are often quick to write off Billy Corgan - and I get it, the guy is not exactly the easiest person to like or to root for. And the various dramas around his band make it easy to be skeptical about their music. But I dare any fan of classic Smashing Pumpkins to listen to their new song "Solara" and tell me that it's not exactly the kind of grunge-y, goth-y rocker that made you a fan of the band in the first place. It totally is. This song rocks.

10.) Twenty One Pilots - "Jumpsuit"

- I was an uber-fan of Twenty One Pilots' debut album - but I definitely think there have been diminishing returns since then. For whatever reason, the band seems intent on drastically changing up their musical style with each new album - even as I'd love to see them return to the unique, up-tempo, ear-worm blend of rock, rap, and techno that characterized their early songs. That said, I give credit to the song "Jumpsuit" from the band's third album - if their goal is to pioneer a new sound with each new album, then this one definitely has an undeniable sound-of-the-future vibe. There's an apocalyptic theme to the new album, and this song fits in with that to a T - it's a dystopian banger that starts methodically but ends in full-on screamo panic. It's the kind of song that we're going to see in a lot of movie trailers next year.

THE BEST OF 2013 - The Best ROCK Of The Year

THE BEST OF 2013 - THE YEAR IN ROCK

- Last year at this time I declared that rock n' roll was alive and kicking. I felt musically energized by great new music from old favorites and up-and-comers. This year, I'm not so sure. It's a sad state of affairs when LA's world-famous KROQ's entire playlist consists of Mumford and Sons, The Lumineers, and Lorde. And it's even sadder when literally the only place to hear actual rock n' roll on the radio is on your local classic rock station. It's a strange musical landscape when you throw the odd mainstream metal act like Avenged Sevenfold into the mix. Rock radio is now so toned-down for the hipster crowd that I can only imagine what they must think when something with an actual pulse plays over the airwaves. But the heavy stuff is now grappling for air-time against the elevator music of tomorrow. Maybe it was just an off year for new rock music. Maybe so many big rock albums came out last year that there was nothing left for this year. Maybe part of this is just me being decidedly underwhelmed by the new rock music we did get, from acts like Pearl Jam - whose new album made me long for their 90's-era prime, or Arcade Fire - whose latest, in my mind, failed to live up to the promise of their last couple of albums. Maybe the good stuff is out there, and I just haven't found it. Last year, I made a few great musical discoveries, like Foxy Shazam and Dead Sara. This year, not so much. Oddly enough, pop music is where a lot of the best rock-in-disguise can now be found, from the guitar-lick heavy samples on Eminem's Beastie Boys-style "Berzerk" to the Joan Jett-esque, arena style pop-punk of Avril Lavigne's "Rock n' Roll." Meanwhile, folk-pop continues to dominate the rock-radio scene, with no end in sight. It's not that I hate it, but there's too much of it, and it's not what I want rock music to be. I want something that is rebellious, dangerous, and yes, fun. Not music for depressed hobos. There's a distance and a coldness and a lack of authenticity to a lot of the folk stuff that I don't relate to. Where's the fire? I want to give Mumford and Sons a shot of adrenaline.

Enough negativity though. The group that ruled 2013 in my view were longtime favorites of mine, Daft Punk. "Get Lucky" felt like the perfect pop-song, a throwback to the days when kings-of-pop like Michael Jackson regularly came out with new music that was both innovative and universally-appealing. It's funny, because before Random Access Memories came out, I'd been listening to a lot of Daft Punk's older stuff. So I felt disappointed when I realized just how much of a departure this new album was for the group. But the more I listened, and the more I heard the songs in the context of the album, the more I loved it. Daft Punk are true storytellers, and Random Access Memories tells a quintessentially Daft Punk-ian sci-fi love story. For the purposes of this post, I'm going to call it rock n' roll. To me, Daft Punk is rock through and through. Not just because of the future-sound guitar licks that pop up on many of their songs, but because they embrace the showmanship, the larger-than-lifeness, the spirit of rock in my eyes. They remain thoroughly iconoclastic even with mainstream success.

2013 also saw some great new music from rock legends. Few thought we'd ever see a new Ozzy Osbourne-fronted Black Sabbath album, but we got one this year - and it rocks. The tunes are vintage Sabbath - sludgy, dark, dreary, driving rock. Meanwhile, Joan Jett released a great new album that I thought was very underappreciated. Top to bottom, the songs on it are excellent - lots of up-tempo, cleverly-written rockers that are a nice reminder of why Jett is true rock n' roll royalty. And hey, I haven't made a habit of paying attention to new Paul McCartney music for as long as I've been alive, but Sir Paul made me sit up and take notice with "New." This seems like McCartney's freshest, most lively, most rocking album in many years, and I was surprised at how much I enjoyed a number of its songs. Oh, and David Bowie came out with his first new album in years. Not my cup of tea, by and large, but there was something undeniably awesome about having Ziggy Stardust back in the pop-cultural conversation.

I'll also give a shout-out to the Dropkick Murphys. The boys from Boston came out with a great, rocking new album this year that features some of their catchiest, most memorable songs yet. The Murphys were one of the few shining lights this year in terms of modern-rock bands who brought their A-game with great new material.

It was a relatively quiet year for me in terms of concert-going. The one big rock show I saw was in celebration of my brother's birthday. We saw the legendary Pat Benatar (with Cheap Trick) at the equally legendary Greek Theater, and it was an awesome show. I also have fond memories of seeing classic rock cover band The Wayward Sons this September as part of my birthday celebration. Those guys kicked ass, and really brought the house down. It was a nice rock n' roll reminder to stay young at heart even as I get older. My hope for 2014 is to see more shows on par with some of the epic concerts I caught in 2012. But, I did meet one of my musical idols in 2013, as I snagged a photo with none other than the iconic "Weird" Al Yankovic. It was a pleasure to meet the music and comedy legend at Stan Lee's Comikaze expo. I told him that, along with The Simpsons, he was one of my biggest comedy influences growing up. Al was humble and appreciative - truly a man deserving of "American Hero" status.

So yeah, rock n' roll did not have a great year in 2013, but there was great rock and rockin' pop music to be heard, if you could find it. Who knows what will happen in the year to come, but here's hoping that we get less fiddles and more electric guitars in popular music, less music that puts you to sleep, and more music that kicks ass. To paraphrase the great Lou Reed, who sadly passed away this year, here's to rock once again taking a walk on the wild side in 2014.


DANNY'S TOP ROCK SONGS OF 2013:


1.) Daft Punk featuring Pharell Williams - "Get Lucky" / "Lose Yourself to Dance"

-  Get Lucky got most of the accolades, but to me it and Lose Yourself to Dance were the one-two punch of cyber-pop, robot-rock bliss on Random Access Memories. As good as both songs are individually, they're even better when listened to in the larger context of the album - where they serve as infectiously upbeat counterpoints to some of the album's more melancholy tunes. If even robots can learn to lose themselves to dance and stay up all night to get lucky, then so, I suppose, can we.

2.) Joan Jett - "Any Weather" / "Fragile"

- Any Weather is just a great rock anthem, and it's one of several great new songs from Joan Jett's latest album release. Fragile is the other one that really stuck out to me from the album - it's rock n' roll personified: taking painful subject matter and turning it around into a foot-stomping barn-burner that channels sadness into rebellious anger. On the to-do list for 2014: finally see Joan Jett live in concert.

3.) Eminem - "Berzerk"

- This great track from Eminem's new album calls to mind vintage Beastie Boys-style rock/rap grooves. Sampling 80's rock anthem "The Stroke," the song marks a hard-hitting return to form for Eminem after a couple of lesser albums.

4.) Paramore - "Still Into You"

- Look, a big part of me is sad that the latest evolution of Paramore ditched the sort of hard-driving, aggressive rock that originally put them on the map. At the same time, if Haley William's newest iteration of the band is able to channel old-school No Doubt as well as they do here, well, I guess that their new pop-punk sound isn't all bad. Still Into You is just a completely catchy, fun, bouncy song.

5.) Dropkick Murphys - "The Boys Are Back" / "End of the Night"

- The Murphys hit back hard with their latest album, and these are two of the standout songs. The Boys Are Back is just a great, simple, shout-it-out-loud, get-you-pumped-up rocker that sort of encapsulates the Dropkick Murphys in miniature. End of the Night is just a great barroom singalong song - you can picture it drunkenly sung with pitchers held high. A great duo. Glad the Dropkick Murphys are still kicking ass and going strong.

6.) Black Sabbath - "God is Dead?" / "Loner"

- Who could say if a new Ozzy Osbourne-fronted Black Sabbath album would turn out to be any good? Not only was it good, but it was decidedly heavy, showing that these geezers (and Geezer) could still produce the kind of black-mass metal that made Black Sabbath into legends. God is Dead? and Loner are the two standout tracks - both are bleak, grinding journeys into the abyss. No emo here, this is straight-up darkness, courtesy of the Prince of Darkness himself.

7.) Avenged Sevenfold - "Hail to the King"

- Speaking of heavy, here was 2013's token mainstream metal hit. But it's a good one - a fist-pumping battle-cry of a song that mixes metal and melody to great effect. This was the best counter-programming to the folk fluff dominating modern rock radio this year.

8.) Paul McCartney - "New"

- It seemed unlikely that an aged Sir Paul could provide such a great, utopian anthem at this stage of his career, but here it is: a Beatles-y song that's singable and hummable and just downright pleasant. It's a return to Beatles-era optimism at a time when a little positivity is sorely, desperately needed. As long as McCartney's around, then hey, he's still our leader should we need someone to guide us into a new age.

9.) Grouplove - "Ways to Go"

- Channeling late-90's Savage Garden, Grouplove is one of the few acts in the new wave of hipster rock that I actively enjoy. Mainly because there's a bouncy energy to their music and a cleverness to the lyrics that grabs me. This is a cool tune that made me smile whenever it came on the radio.

10.) Avril Lavigne - "Rock N Roll"

- Yes, seriously. Over the years, Avril has showed her rocker side with guitar-heavy songs like "He Wasn't," classic rock cover performances, and, on her latest album, she's even got a collaboration with Marilyn Manson. But I couldn't help but love Rock N Roll - it's a flat-out fun song that channels Joan Jett and 80's hair metal, and even has a killer, Slash-esque guitar solo. Bonus: the music video is one of the weirdest, craziest rock videos seen in many moons. Maybe Avril is a guilty pleasure, but hey, if it rocks, it rocks.

OTHER TOP ROCK OF 2013:

11. Queens of the Stone Age - "I Sat By the Ocean"
12. Fall Out Boy - "My Songs Know What You Did in the Dark"
13. David Bowie - "The Stars Are Out Tonight"
14. The Yeah Yeah Yeahs - "Area 52"
15. Orianthi (featuring Steven Tyler) - "Sex E Bizarre"

OTHER TOP POP SONGS OF 2013:

1. Eminem (featuring Rihanna) - "The Monster"
2. Lady Gaga - "Gypsy"
3. Idina Menzel / Frozen (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) - "Let It Go"
4. will.i.am (featuring Britney Spears) - "Scream & Shout"
5. Lorde - "Royals"