THE BEST OF 2024 - The Best ROCK Of The Year

 

- I feel like I'm at an age of nostalgia. So many conversations I have with my peers devolve into games of "remember that?" And while music can be a powerful reminder of old memories and past adventures, there's also something to be said for discovering something that's new-to-you. Going down a band rabbit hole, exploring their discography, finding new favorite songs. I know, I know - ironic coming from someone whose annual Best Of The Years lists tend to be filled with a lot of new stuff from old favorites. But I also love taking some time at the end of each year to comb through others' lists and find something new and different. And sometimes, those discoveries happen in other, more random ways.

A favorite annual tradition of mine is driving down to the OC Fair each summer. I didn't go for a few years due to COVID / Long COVID, but the tradition has since resumed. Historically, I would check out what concerts would be playing at the adjacent Pacific Amphitheater, and see if there was anything that struck my fancy. This year, I was really hoping that something would jump out at me. It's been a lot harder for me to attend concerts since coming down with Long COVID in 2022, and by this past summer I hadn't been to any live shows so far in 2024. The Pacific Amphitheater is an outdoor venue, which is easier for me to make work. And tickets tend not to be too pricey, and include OC Fair admission as well - bonus. But looking at this list of concerts, I didn't see anything that felt like a must-go. I kept looking at the schedule though, and I kept coming back to a band that I knew almost nothing about ... The Aquabats. I'd heard the name, but wasn't familiar at all with their music. But wait - they had a superhero gimmick? And they did comedy songs? Interesting ...

And so I went down an Aquabats rabbit hole. Over the course of one night, I listened to dozens of their songs. I quickly had some new favorites. They had a song about pizza! Amazing. Their music was like Weird Al meets Reel Big Fish meets the old Superfriends cartoon. I was hooked! Still, I worried that it would be weird seeing them live being so new to the band. But as it turned out, the show freaking rocked! It was one of the coolest rock concerts I've ever been to, with an amazing energy and an unpredictable quality as the band veered between styles and genres and tones. There were people in the crowd in full Aquabats regalia. And there was an eclectic, diverse group of fans - older, younger, kids, families, and everything in between. It made me wonder how I was only just now getting into this band. Suffice it to say, I had a blast - and an unexpected new band that I loved. You'll see some 2024 Aquabats songs on my list below.

I saw one other really cool concert in 2024, as just after Halloween, in early November, I got to see the legendary Danny Elfman in concert at the Hollywood Bowl. It was a super fun show that was not quite like any concert I'd seen before - as we got Elfman singing songs from his 80's cult-fave band Oingo Boingo, songs from his newer band that had a harder goth-metal bent, tunes from The Nightmare Before Christmas (in which Elfman, of course, voices Jack Skellington), and then also orchestral renditions of his many iconic movie and TV scores (everything from Batman to Beetlejuice to The Simpsons). What a show.

I had some great new, unique music experiences in 2024. And I also got some kickass new music from those old comfort-food favorites. Green Day roared back with their best album in a decade. Linkin Park reformed with new singer Emily Armstrong. Jack White put out his best solo album yet. Billy Joel gave us an unexpected new classic. And Pearl Jam got back to their hard-driving grunge rock roots. 

Speaking of which, let's get to the list.

DANNY'S TOP ROCK SONGS OF 2024:

 

1.) Green Day - "One Eyed Bastard"

- Consider this pick at least, in part, a mega endorsement of Green Day's latest album - Saviors. In late 2023 we got a sneak peak at some of the tracks off the new album, and they were on last year's Top 10 list. But once the full album released in 2024, it was clear that this was Green Day's best release since the days of American Idiot and 21st Century Breakdown. Top to bottom, great rock song after great rock song. And one of the best was "One Eyed Bastard" - a rollicking, anthemic ode to sweet, sweet revenge. During a year that produced many villains, this one felt like a rallying cry to stand up, fight, and remind the world's jerks and bullies that, hey, "vendetta is a friend of mine."

 

2.) Linkin Park - "The Emptiness Machine"

- Like many, I was shocked to learn this year that Dead Sara singer Emily Armstrong was set to become part of storied nu-metal band Linkin Park (following the 2017 death of Chester Bennington). I'm a huge Dead Sara fan (you've seen them at or near the top of this very list many a time), so I was incredibly intrigued by what she'd bring to the band. And wow, did she bring it. "The Emptiness Machine" served as Armstrong's grand entrance - and when her trademark gritty, emotion-packed vocals finally kick in, it's a chill-inducing moment. Linkin Park is back, in an exciting and kickass new form.

3.) Jack White - "Archbishop Harold Holmes" / "What's the Rumpus?"

- Jack White's latest album, No Name, is arguably his best solo effort yet. I liked just about all the songs on it, but when I heard the absolutely awesome rocker "Archbishop Harold Holmes" I was blown away. It's a theatrically-sung, ultra-funky, lyrically-inventive groove that tells a fun story to boot. Meanwhile, "What's the Rumpus?" is a similarly awesome rock song that is Jack White at his best. So, so good.

 

4.) Billy Joel - "Turn the Lights Back On"
 

- I'm a pretty casual Billy Joel fan, someone who generally digs his more well-known ballads and rock songs. So I wasn't super excited, per se, for his first new song in - what, decades? - but I was certainly curious. But the new song, "Turn the Lights Back On," was unexpectedly kind of amazing. A moving, self-reflective, soaring ballad that feels like Billy Joel at his best. Don't call it a comeback.

 

5.) Pearl Jam - "Dark Matter"

 

- I grew up a huge fan of Pearl Jam and their archetypal grunge rock sound. But there hasn't been much new from the band in recent years that's really hit for me ... until now. Their latest album is a welcome return to a harder, more angry sort of classic Pearl Jam sound. And "Dark Matter" fiercely announced this back to basics approach. It's a rip-roaring song that announces to the world that yes, Pearl Jam rocks once more.

 

 

6.) The Aquabats - "Whatever Forever" / "Little Lady Amazing"

- As mentioned above, The Aquabats were my big musical "discovery" of 2024. I had the good fortune to see them put on an amazing live show over the summer, and I had a lot of fun going through their  back-catalog and discovering fun and hilarious and uber-catchy songs like "Pool Party" and "Pizza Day." But the band also had a really fun new album in 2024 that featured a few surprisingly heartfelt songs. My favorites were Whatever Forever, a funny-yet-sweet song about the little things that make a relationship work, and "Little Lady Amazing," an uncharacteristically earnest tribute to daughters everywhere.

7.) Chappell Roan - "Good Luck, Babe!"

- Chappel Roan was the undeniable pop-star breakout of 2024. And while I often sort of roll my eyes at whoever the next big thing in pop is supposed to be, Roan quickly won me over with her 80's new wave inspired sound and her unbridled showmanship and individuality. You could quickly tell that there was nothing cookie-cutter about her, and you could also quickly tell that her music was/is the real deal. "Good Luck, Babe!" is an infectiously bop-y 80's-style banger that brings to mind The Eurythmics. I dig it.

 

 

8.) Stevie Nicks - "The Lighthouse"

- Like many, I saw Stevie Nicks perform "The Lighthouse" on SNL this year. And, I assume, like many, I was sort of blown away by the song - a powerful and timely power-ballad that also happens to really rock. Stevie Nicks doesn't usually go this heavy, so you know she's got some stuff she's pretty upset about going on in the world. And so the legend's righteous anger was channeled into this song, as was the anger we all feel about the way things are headed in these crazy times.

 

9.) The Offspring - "Make It All Right"

- The Offspring can always be counted on to produce consistently fun and catchy punk rock (which, yes, has become increasingly pop-infused in later years). And "Make It All Right," the highlight IMO of their latest album, is an hook-y, concentrated burst of pop-punk fun ... just what the doctor ordered in these trying times. 

10.) Lady Gaga - "Disease"

- I've long been a fan of Lady Gaga's unapologetically weird brand of dance-pop bangers, so I was pleased to see that her latest, "Disease," goes all in on the weird part (seriously, check out its horror-movie esque music video, which rules). This one is a pulsating industrial dance song ... that marks another entry on this list that captures the seeming bleakness of the past year. In a country and a world that felt literally and figuratively diseased, this song speaks to this moment. Well done, Gaga.

 

Honorable Mentions:

 

- Fontaines D.C. - "Starburster"

- Green Day - "Bobby Sox"

- Mk.gee - "ROCKMAN"

- Ricky Fitness - "Go"

- Hozier - "Too Sweet"

THE BEST OF 2021 - The Best ROCK Of The Year

 

 

- The last concert I saw in 2020 was in February - an 80's-themed throwback show in downtown Los Angeles, featuring a dozen or so retro bands like Flock of Seagulls and Wang Chung and even MC Hammer. It was a fun night, but little did I realize at the time that, in about a month's time ... the whole world was about to shut down. It was a long year and a half of quarantine, anxiety, and no live performances.

But luckily, vaccines helped to pave the way for the return of live shows this past summer. For a moment at least, things seemed to be getting better. Since the summer, I've seen some amazing live shows. Green Day/Weezer/Fall Out Boy at Dodger Stadium and Alanis Morissette/Garbage at the Hollywood Bowl were both incredible concerts, and hugely cathartic after a year of being mostly trapped indoors. It's funny (and a bit sad) how so many of Green Day's Bush-era American Idiot anthems took on new resonance in the here and now. And, the show was this long-time Weezer fan's first *ever* time seeing the band live. In any case, hearing the stadium-shaking rock songs from those bands as well as Fall Out Boy quite simply hit different given that we were all freshly-emerged from months of the stay-at-home blues. As for Alanis, she's been one of my favorites forever, but I'd never seen her in concert until now. She absolutely killed it and put on a show for the ages. If anything, the show reinforced just how incredible of an album Jagged Little Pill was (and is, 26 years in) - just one iconic song after another.

I also returned to the theater to see some musicals, thanks to strict proof-of-vax and masking requirements in the City of LA. I *finally* saw Hamilton live for the first time ever (it was great!), at the Pantages theater, after having had tickets for April 2020 and that show obviously getting canceled as the pandemic raged. I also saw a great musical called The Band's Visit, which was really interesting - an Israel-set musical with some great songs and fun characters.

Will we still be able to go to concerts and live shows in 2022? Here's hoping. It's one of my favorite things to do, and in normal times there's so many great venues and shows to check out here in LA - it's one of the best parts of living in this city. 

Now, as for new music in 2021 - there were some killer new releases, and some of my favorite new albums in a while. Many long-delayed projects finally released, and some of my favorite bands finally came out with new stuff, a lot of it excellent. So without further ado ... here are my picks for the best of the year.


DANNY'S TOP ROCK SONGS OF 2021:


1.) Dead Sara - "Heroes"

- Dead Sara has been one of my favorite modern rock bands for a long time now, and their latest album Ain't It Tragic is both a kickass return to form and an interesting evolution of their sound. "Heroes" is my favorite track from the new release - a soulful rocker that takes full advantage of singer Emily Armstrong's husky yet powerful vocals. The song's lyrics seem to lament the state of the world in a way that I found poignant and powerful. But ultimately, this is just an awesome rock song - one of the band's best ever.


2.) Iron Maiden - "Writing on the Wall"

- Iron Maiden returned this year with an absolutely incredible double album, Senjutsu - an epic rock adventure that runs of the gamut from fast-paced head-bangers to slow-build metal ballads. For me, the album's lead single "Writing on the Wall" was my favorite - a straightforward rocker tinged with Western and medieval sounds, a killer chorus, and even an awesome animated music video that's like Heavy Metal meets Mad Max: Fury Road. Iron Maiden in peak form, baby.


3.) The Offspring - "Let the Bad Times Roll"

- Punk rockers The Offspring returned with a new album this year after a lengthy hiatus, and it was worth the wait if only for some legit great new songs like "Let the Bad Times Roll" - a vintage Offspring pop-punk rocker with lyrics that speak to the modern era of darkest-timeline insanity. So good.


4.) Weezer - "I Need Some of That"

- Weezer's album of 80's-style rock songs, Van Weezer, was delayed so many times that I kind of wondered if it would ever release (the band even did a whole other album in between Van Weezer's announcement and eventual 2021 release, and the first single off the album, "The End of the Game," made my Best of 2019 list!). But ultimately, this was worth the wait, as in my opinion this was Weezer's best overall album in many years - especially, if, like me, you're more a fan of their vintage pop-punk sound vs. their forays into mellower emo fare. "I Need Some of That" is about as pop-punk as you can get, an upbeat rocker that still contains bursts of Weezer quirk. And it references Aerosmith to boot, so you *know* I'm going to dig it.

5.) The Dropkick Murphys - "Lee Boy"

- The Murphys released a new album this year, and it was a comfort-food pleasure to get another dose of the band's trademark Irish-flavored punk rock. Boston's favorite sons almost always deliver solid albums, and this one was no exception. One standout track is Lee Boy - a fist-pumper of the vintage DKM variety, a feel-good ode to a friend of the band who seems to be, well, just a pretty solid dude. And in this day and age, that's something well worth celebrating.


6.) The Pretty Reckless - "Only Love Can Save Me Now"

- The Pretty Reckless returned this year with more of their soulful, goth-tinged hard rock - and it's tracks like this one that remind why they're such a welcome throwback to the rock n' roll glory days when guitar gods reigned supreme. This one's got some badass riffs and, of course, singer Taylor Momsen's deep-voiced growl. "The sound, the sound, the world is spinnin' out ...". Yeah, that tracks.


7.) Iron Maiden - "Death of the Celts"

- I had to throw in one more track from Iron Maiden's latest album. Whereas "The Writing on the Wall" is the standout straight-up rocker, "Death of the Celts" is an epic ballad that take some time before it can really sink its hooks into you. It's an Iron Maiden oddity for sure, but the almost medieval-like balladry combined with Bruce Dickinson's ever-operatic voice make for a new Maiden classic.


8.) The Darkness - "Motorheart"

- The Darkness' new album Motorheart gives us more of the UK band's vintage glam-rock stylings, with their usual mix of earnest rocking and tongue-in-cheek absurdity. The title track is the perfect emblem of the band's style - it legit rocks, but it also tells a crazy, over-the-top tale of finding love in all the wrong, robotic places.


9.) The Linda Lindas - "Racist, Sexist Boy"

- This out-of-nowhere viral punk rock hit warmed the heart - a couple of teenage girls raging against the machine ... or, in this case, a racist sexist boy who was, seemingly, racist and sexist and absolutely deserving of the verbal smackdown laid upon him in this anthem for the ages. The punk rock of it all is only heightened by the fact that the original viral video featured the band performing ad hoc in, of all places, their school library. Now that's badass.


10.) Dead Sara - "Hypnotic"

- Okay, fine, one more from Dead Sara. They had such an awesome new album this year that they deserve it. And "Hypnotic" is one of those risky departures from the band's usual sound that totally pays off - it's a banger ... a bouncy techno-rock song that makes you want to throw your hands up and get down. Do I want this to be the new direction of the band? Not really. But hey, it's always cool when an old favorite can surprise you.

THE BEST OF 2015 - The Best ROCK Of The Year

THE BEST OF 2015 - THE YEAR IN ROCK

- In 2015, I saw some of the best and most memorable concerts that I've ever seen. I saw AC/DC play at Dodger Stadium on my birthday, in what may well prove to the final tour for the legendary rock band. It was an incredible show - I'd seen the band play once before, but this one took the prize for sheer enormity and earth-shaking epicness. Angus Young strutted around the stage like a man possessed. Brian Johnson's voice rang out through the stadium leaving fans thunderstruck. For one night only, we were all passengers on the proverbial highway to hell, and lo, it was good. Seeing AC/DC perform to a sold-out stadium filled with people of all ages - young people, old people, parents with kids - it made me realize that rock n' roll was alive and well, even if the radio won't play it, the media largely ignores it, and the awards shows will barely acknowledge it. People love to rock, and they always will.

And yet, so many of the legendary bands are nearing the ends of their runs - and too many have had their reigns prematurely cut short. You have to wonder - who will be left to carry the torch?

I also saw Rush - one of my all-time favorites - perform live this year, as part of their R40 tour. It now looks like that will also have been their final major tour, following iconic drummer Neil Pert announcing his retirement. Rush has been around for forty years, and in all that time they've continued to innovate. Their incredible, career-spanning live set on the R40 tour took audience-members on a journey from the band's classic-rock roots to its high-concept experimental stuff to its synth-filled prog-rock era to its more modern hits. When will we ever see another band like this again?

One of my favorite new rock songs of 2015 came from The Darkness' new album. Its title track, "Last of Our Kind," felt appropriate in terms of how I felt about rock music this year. Bands like The Darkness sometimes felt like the last survivors of some great rockpocalypse, keepers of an ancient but dying tradition. I think people will come around though. These are crazy times we live in, and crazy times call for rage against the machine. And one of the most cathartic ways to do that is via some good, old-fashioned, rock n' roll. It's why The Interruptor's punk-rock protest song "Take Back the Power" felt like the kind of thing we needed a lot more of in 2015 and will need in the years to come. A straight-up fight-the-power fist-pumper. Not something we're going to get from the Coldplays of the world.

In addition to the aforementioned, life-changing, mind-altering AC/DC and Rush live shows, I saw a bunch of other great live music this year from some of my favorite bands. After decades of being a fan, I finally saw The Offspring live this year at the OC Fair in Costa Mesa - an absolutely kick-ass show that also featured a fantastic opening set from The Interruptors. The hometown hero Offspring brought the house down, and it was amazing to see some of the defining rock songs of my pre-teen and teen years performed live. I also saw another live show from The Scorpions, who released a great new album this year celebrating 50 (!!!) years of rock. The Scorpions don't show their age at all when you see them live. This was my third time, and they destroy every time they go on stage. Opener Queensryche was also pretty excellent. And to cap it off, I saw another legend live - the one and only "Weird" Al Yankovic - at the storied Greek Theater. Getting to the Greek to see Al for the third time was yet another reminder that no one, and I mean no one, puts on a show like the Weird One. Dare to be stupid? Yes, please.

In any case, here are my top rock songs of the year. Here's hoping that as torches continue to be passed, there are bands waiting in the wings ready to keep the fire burning.


DANNY'S TOP ROCK SONGS OF 2015:


1.) Dead Sara - "Something Good"

-  Dead Sara put out my pick for 2012's song of the year with "Weatherman," In 2015, they came roaring back with an all-new album, the highlight of which was the timeless, sing-along rocker "Something Good." Dead Sara's latest album has a decidedly 90's alt-rock feel, but "Something Good" blends fuzzed-out 90's sound with the kind of classic rock power-ballad feel that evokes the likes of Heart and other such bands. One thing's for certain, vocalist Emily Armstrong has one killer set of pipes, and she can belt 'em out with the best of 'em. Dead Sara is one of the best things to happen to rock in quite some time,

2.) The Interrupters - "Take Back the Power"

- I discovered The Interrupters by accident. They opened for The Offspring when I saw the band live, and I was sort of blown away by what I saw. When I realized that the lead singer was actually Aimee Allen - who had been a favorite of mine since she did the kick-ass theme song to the Birds of Prey TV show - I was sold. Allen brings amazing vocal chops to the group, and a lot of personality to boot. But what's more, the band is exactly what's been missing of late from the mainstream rock scene - a peppy punk-band who can both sing both tongue-in-cheek party songs and fight-the-power ragers. "Take Back the Power" is going to be a personal rock anthem of mine for a long time to come.

3.) Scorpions - "We Built This House"

- I don't know how they do it, but The Scorpions keep coming out with great rock albums that sound like they'd fit in seamlessly with their catalog in their 80's heyday. "We Built This House" is just a classic Scorpions rocker that showcases their trademark melodic guitar-playing and arena-friendly anthems.

4.) The Darkness - "Open Fire" / "Last Of Our Kind"

- After a lengthy hiatus, The Darkness thankfully re-united a few years ago, and have been on a tear ever since. Their latest album - a concept album with a running barbarian-age theme - continues the band's resurgence. "Open Fire" is just a great throwback rock song, with strong shades of The Cult. "Last of Our Kind" is a soaring rock-ballad with a belt-it-out chorus. These two - and the entire Last of Our Kind album - come highly recommended.

5.) Twenty One Pilots - "Stressed Out"

- Last year I hailed Twenty One Pilots as the next big thing in rock - a totally unique fusion of rock, pop, rap, and EDM. Looks like others felt the same way, as the band has blown up and become huge - their hybrid style winning them fans across multiple music genres. I'll be honest though, I thought their new 2015 album, Blurryface, was a bit of a step down from their breakthrough Vessel. Whereas Vessel raged, Blurryface plays it safer - with a much more pop-y feel. Still, "Stressed Out" is a clear standout - a catchy, super-likable song that showcases the band's trademark rapid-fire rap lyrics with a throw-your-hands-up chorus.

6.) Fallout Boy - "Uma Thurman"

- How can you not like this song? It samples the theme song to The Munsters and is all about Uma Thurman's character from Pulp Fiction. Plus, it's just a really fun dance-rock song that puts you in a good mood. Fallout Boy continues their late-period comeback - and I can't complain that they've seemed to embrace the ways of rock n' roll since they jumped back on the scene. If songs like this one help nudge the mainstream music scene a little bit back towards rock, hey, I won't complain.

7.) The Dead Weather - "Cop and Go"

- Jack White's super-group side-project has been a reliable source of solid, Zeppelin-esque rock for a while now. And so their new 2015 album was a welcome package of straight-up rock grooves, with Alison Mosshart's searing vocals ripping through song after song. My favorite of the bunch is "Cop and Go," a heavy, atmospheric rocker filled with sick riffs and satisfyingly snarling delivery from Mosshart.

8.) Hollywood Vampires - "My Dead Drunk Friends"

- A super-group featuring Alice Cooper, Joe Perry, and Johnny Depp?! Okay, I'm interested. The Hollywood Vampires released a one-shot album this year of mostly covers, but the original track "My Dead Drunk Friends" was a nice bonus. It's a whiskey-tinged barroom elegy to friends that have come and gone -a tribute to the guys Cooper used to party with on the Sunset Strip, where he and other legendary rockers were knows as the Hollywood Vampires. I'm always excited for new Cooper material, so this one was an interesting oddity that also happens to be a nice, down n' dirty rock song.

9.) Weezer - "Thank God For Girls"

- Weezer released a couple of late-in-the-year singles that made for a nice end-cap to 2015's year in rock. "Thank God For Girls" is a fun, tongue-in-cheek song about, well, girls - but it's nice to see Weezer having fun and rocking hard following a few rough patches over the previous decade.

10.) The Offspring - "Coming For You"

- No new Offspring album in 2015, but they did release this one-off single that is vintage Offspring - an aggressive punk-rocker that could easily live alongside the band's old-school material. Seeing The Offspring live this summer, it's amazing what a deep catalog of great songs they have - and also amazing that they continue to put out new material that has been largely excellent. Write them off if you will, but The Offspring can still bring it.

THE BEST OF 2012 - The Best ROCK Of The Year

THE BEST OF 2012 - THE YEAR IN ROCK

- All in all, rumors to the contrary, rock n' roll was quite alive - and even kicking - in 2012. This may sound cheesy, but I felt like rock got a kick in the pants thanks to a single song that sent shockwaves through the system. That song is "Weatherman" by the band DEAD SARA. Maybe you've heard it, maybe you haven't. It wasn't a mainstream hit (few real rock songs are these days), but it marked the first time in a long time that I heard a new, totally out-of-nowhere song on the radio and said "what is that? I need to hear that again right now!" The song, with its driving guitars and flaming-hot vocals from lead singer Emily Armstrong, was a revelation. In a year when rock radio was taken over by folk revival bands, Weatherman was a stark reminder that real rock n' roll was still out there, and it could still hit you like a thunderbolt when the right new song or band came along.

Another similar revelation about the state of rock came about early in the year, when I went to see THE DARKNESS in concert. The Darkness coming back after a hiatus of several years was big in and of itself. A playful throwback to glam-rock excess, The Darkness were my favorite new band during my college years, and it was fantastic to finally have them back - touring and putting out a great new album to boot. I was psyched to finally see The Darkness live, but the real eureka moment at the concert came before the band even took the stage. A band I'd never previously heard of, called FOXY SHAZAM, was the opener. They got on stage, and within about 20 seconds my jaw was on the floor, shocked at what I'd seen. Channeling the likes of Queen and Iggy Pop, the band owned the stage like few other rock acts I've seen, and churned out a set of instantly-memorable, bombastic rock songs that, quite frankly, blew my mind. This was another sign to me that rock n' roll was very much alive. 

In fact, this year I sought out, listened to, and enjoyed more great new music than I have in a long while.

Old favorites - Aerosmith, Kiss, Green Day - turned out albums that, even if not top-to-bottom successful, at the least contained some killer tunes. The Offspring rallied from a disappointing couple of albums with a kick-ass return to form. Rush had an epic new concept album that only got better the more I listened. The Darkness finally came out with their long-awaited third album, and it was pretty damn good. Jack White went solo, and had an exciting debut. Bruce Springsteen had a timely new album that produced the rallying cry of the year and Barack Obama's political anthem. This was a great year for rock n' roll.

Personally, I saw some incredible concerts this year. I started the year with a bang, with the aforementioned Darkness / Foxy Shazam show at the House of Blues in Hollywood. Soon after that, I got to see another awesome show from one of my classic-rock favorites, The Scorpions. A year earlier, my brother and I thought we'd seen seen them on their last-ever tour. But now, they were back for one "final sting," and seemed as good as ever ... perhaps talk of their retirement was premature. 

Speaking of classic rockers, this past summer I saw the legendary Meatloaf in concert at the Wiltern in LA. Meat has made more headlines lately for his political stunts than anything else - but, putting that aside, it was a thrill to see a musician I've long been a fan of live and in concert. Meatloaf still had some real power in his voice, and despite a lukewarm crowd it was a really great show. I'm glad I saw him in concert while I had the chance. 

Also this the summer, I went to the Hollywood Bowl to see another band that I wasn't sure if I'd ever get to see again - Aerosmith. The last time I was set to see the Bad Boys from Boston live, they cancelled the show due to a Steven Tyler injury. Soon after that, the band essentially broke up. Then Tyler joined American Idol, and the hopes for more 'Smith seemed shaky at best. But, finally, the band got their act together and went back on tour. And man, they were in fine form on that summer evening. After being intro'd onstage by none other than Stan Lee, Tyler, Joe Perry, and the rest of the band blasted through classic after classic (plus some choice cuts from their new album) looking rejuvenated, and reminding fans why they shouldn't be a pop-culture punchline, but should truly be considered one of America's great rock n' roll institutions. And also, it was great to see opener Cheap Trick again. This was my fifth time seeing Aerosmith in concert, and it was up there as one of the best live overall performances I've seen from them. 

In the Fall, I finally crossed a big item off of my rock n' roll bucket list - I saw RUSH live! The concert, at the Honda Center in Anaheim, was truly epic. Surrounded by an elaborate, steampunk-themed set, the soon-to-be Hall of Famers played a number of classics (a lot of 80's stuff, in honor of the 30th anniversary of their Signals album), plus a good portion of their new Clockwork Angels album, backed by a full string section no less. A series of video vignettes telling the story of the sci-fi themed album set the mood, and the pyrotechnics were spectacular. Plus, Rush ended with a kickass play-through of the 2112 sequence, only appropriate given the year. A ridiculously awesome, monumental show. 

Finally, I capped off 2012 by heading to the Orpheum in downtown LA to see another legend - Alice Cooper. I'd seen Alice once before, paired with Rob Zombie, but this was the first time I'd seen him as a headliner. And it was great to see Alice and his band (which included the female guitar virtuoso Orianthi) tear through so many of the hits - 70's classics like "Eighteen", "School's Out," and "Welcome to My Nightmare," 80's monster-mashers like "He's Back (The Man Behind the Mask)", "Hey Stoopid," and "House of Fire," "Feed My Frankenstein" from the 90's, and a couple of great songs off his latest album, including a previous rock song-of-the-year pick from me, "I'll Bite Your Face Off." Alice also paid tribute to fallen rock comrades by doing a "Raise the Dead" segment of the show, covering classics from Hendrix, Lennon, The Doors, and more. The theatrics - from sword-fighting to hangings to giant Frankenstein monsters - were all vintage Cooper. And the odd coincidence of the year? At both the Aerosmith and Alice Cooper shows I attended, none other than Johnny Depp made a surprise appearance towards the end of each concert, showing up onstage rather mysteriously and hammering through several songs on backup guitar. 

I saw some amazing shows this year - some - The Darkness/Foxy Shazam, Rush, and Alice Cooper - I'd count as easily among the best I've ever seen. 

But, back to the new music that came out this year ... here they are, my picks for the year's best in rock.



DANNY'S TOP ROCK SONGS OF 2012:


1.) Dead Sara – “Weatherman”

- A sonic blast of pure, straight-up rock n' roll, this was far and away the single most kickass rock song of 2012 - a reminder of what rock can be when it's in-your-face and unrelenting. A pure adrenaline rush, matched with Emily Armstrong's raspy, passionate, almost apocalyptic vocals, "Weatherman" is rock magic, the likes of which we haven't seen from a brand new band in a long, long time.



2.) Bruce Springsteen – “We Take Care of Our Own”

- A rallying cry for 2012, this latest Springsteen rocker was a great song but also a poignant one, a thesis statement for what America can and should be. The song was prescient, summing up the stakes in the 2012 presidential election, and boldly challenging the GOP platform by questioning if they stood for the masses, or only the select few. Sometimes Springsteen can be overhyped, but this was a song that was worthy of the praise, and of instant-classic status.


3.) The Darkness – “She’s Just a Girl, Eddie”

- Man, it was great to have The Darkness back, with a new album that showed the band to still be in top form. This is my favorite comeback track, a sing-along rocker that's just-about perfectly crafted in every way - mixing the band's trademark glam-rock bigness with their tongue-in-cheek lyrics. One of the best-ever "get over that girl" songs.


4.) Foxy Shazam – "Holy Touch"

- This is such a good song - catchy as hell and sort of a "we have arrived" statement of purpose from the best up-and-coming rock band around, Foxy Shazam. When you hear singer Eric Nally's soaring vocals, you can't help but think of Freddie Mercury. And indeed, Foxy performs with the same operatic bombast as Queen, kicking down the door of the rock world, singlehandedly working to save rock with the holy touch of the guitar gods.


5.) Rush – "Wish Them Well"

- My favorite track off of Clockwork Angels, this song works as the a kickass climax to an epic concept album that could only have come from the minds of Geddy Lee and his band. Who else would make a steampunk sci-fi concept album like this? What other classic rock band could make such a top-to-bottom great album - one that is harder and heavier than almost anything they've done before - at this stage of their careers? Rush is one of a kind.



6.) Aerosmith – “Out Go the Lights”

- Yes, Aerosmith's new album "Music From Another Dimension" is a bit of a mixed bag. It's got enough lame ballads (including a duet with Carrie Underwood) to make a hardcore member of Aeroforce One cringe. But ... and this is a big but ... a good 50 to 60% of the new album actually owns it, and "Out Go The Lights" is case in point. A big, brash, bluesy, soulful rocker that is vintage 'Smith, this song makes me smile and sing along every time. 


7.) The Offspring – "Slim Pickens Does The Right Thing and Rides the Bomb to Hell"

- I think I unfairly dismissed the new Offspring album when I heard the first single, "Days Go By," and assumed that the whole album would be that same sort of semi-bland pop-rock. Luckily, I was wrong, as the album is a total comeback for the band, and features a great mix of pop-punk, novelty songs, and more hardcore, vintage Offspring-style songs like this one. "Slim Pickens" is just a jolt of energy, a burn-it-all-down bit of nihilism that begs you to crank up the volume.


8.) Rush – "The Wreckers"

- The most epic song off an an insanely epic concept album, "The Wreckers" is a five-minute sonic journey that is emblematic of Rush's ability to tell a story and create a whole fictional universe via song. Another reason why Clockwork Angels is among the finest albums of the year.


9.) Green Day – "Wow! That’s Loud"

- Green Day released two of my all-time favorite rock albums in American Idiot and 21st Century Breakdown. It was going to be tough to follow those up, but the band, ever-ambitious, chose to release a trio of back-to-back-to-back companion albums late this year. Did we really need a triple-album? No - in my view there's a lot of filler on these three discs. But there are some gems, particularly on Dos, which I thought was by-far the best overall album of the three. Among the standouts is "Wow! That's Loud," an instantly-catchy anthem that feels like classic Green Day.


10.) Foxy Shazam – "Freedom"

- Foxy Shazam infuses their lyrics with a mix of personal confession, jokey satire, and bombastic balladry. While "Holy Touch" is a bouncy, jokey, darkly-funny song, "Freedom" hints at the band's ability to craft a modern-day power-ballad for the ages. Freedom is Springsteen-esque swagger and Americana mixed with Queen-style go-for-broke bigness. It's over-the-top, but man, it's over-the-top in the way where you've simply got to turn it up and belt it out.


THE REST OF THE BEST:

11.) Green Day – "Nightlife"
12.) Foxy Shazam – "Last Chance at Love"
13.) Green Day - "Let Yourself Go"
14.) Aerosmith – "Legendary Child"
15.) Kiss – "Take Me Down Below"
16.) Aerosmith – "Beautiful"
17.) Slash with Myles Kennedy – "Anastasia"
18.) The Offspring – "Cruisin’ California (Bumpin’ in my Trunk)"
19.) Jack White - "Sixteen Saltines"
20.) The Darkness – "Keeps Me Hangin’ On"
21.) Linkin Park – "Burn It Down"
22.) Kiss – "Outta This World"
23.) Jack White – "Freedom at 21"
24.) Foxy Shazam – "The Temple"
25.) The Darkness – "Living Each Day Blind"

ALBUMS OF THE YEAR:

1.) Foxy Shazam - The Church of Rock n' Roll
2.) Rush - Clockwork Angels
3.) Tie: The Darkness - Hot Cakes, The Offspring - Days Go By

POP SONGS OF THE YEAR:

- Yes, as much as I love rock, I like all kinds of music - pop, hip-hop, rap, whatever. I appreciate a great pop-song, and here are my picks for the best tunes of the year that, hey, even a guy like me can't help groovin' to on occasion.

1.) Rihanna - "Diamonds"
2.) Gotye featuring Kimbra - "Somebody That I Used to Know"
3.) Carly Rae Jepson - "Call Me Maybe"
4.) Ke$ha - "Die Young"
5.) Fun featuring Janelle Monae - "We Are Young"


And that's the year in ROCK for 2012. Thoughts? Personal picks? Feel free to comment. But hey, here's to 2013 being a rockin' year for us all.