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 2023 - The Best ROCK Of The Year

 

 

- As I faced the reality in 2023 that my struggles with Long COVID might truly be, well, a longterm thing ... I began to face the music that I was going to have to test myself a bit and see to what extent I was still able to do the things I love most. Early in the year, I'd purchased a few sets of concert tickets for the winter, hoping that I'd be recovered by then (and that these would therefore be celebratory affairs) - but knowing that that may not necessarily be the case. As it turns out, I was still very much dealing with Long COVID by the time these concerts approached. But I decided to go, to give it a shot. If needed, I could always leave and call it a failed experiment. Somehow, through a combination of improved coping techniques, medications, and luck, I made it through both relatively okay and, ultimately, had a great time. I saw KISS at the Hollywood Bowl in one of their last concerts ever. I saw Queen + Adam Lambert at the Bank of America Stadium in what turned out to be a show for the ages. My first concerts in a year and a half. And it was great to be back out there getting caught up in the fun and the power of great live music - seeing two legendary, all-time-favorite bands who I was happy to catch one more time while they were still touring.

Music once again helped me persevere and get through another tough year. 

That said, I'll admit that I had to do some digging when it came to compiling this list. As December rolled around, I realized I didn't have a lot of songs mentally filed away as new, definitive favorites from the year that was. That's where the fun part comes in though - digging through 2023's new rock releases and seeing what I'd missed, what really hit me upon a fresh listen, and what new artists were worth including on the list.

So here we go ...

DANNY'S TOP ROCK SONGS OF 2023:


1.) The Rolling Stones - "Angry"

- I know, I know. Even I can barely believe it. A song by The Rolling Stones as my #1 of 2023? What year is this, people? But every time I revisited this absolute banger of a rock song, I realized that it absolutely deserves the spot. It is, improbably, a new classic by one of the great rock bands - a song that sits nicely right alongside their all-time classics. Timeless yet modern. It completely rocks. It even has a great music video too (featuring Sydney Sweeney). The Stones made a statement in this year.

2.) Green Day - "Look Ma, No Brains!" / "The American Dream Is Killing Me"

- Is the Green Day I know and love finally back? It's looking that way. The punk band's latest singles - ahead of next year's new album release - are a welcome flashback to the American Idiot era: scathing, sneering indictments of the dumb, depressing state of the world. I'm including two of their songs here, because both are excellent, both rock, and both make me happy that this Green Day has returned when, my god, we need 'em most.

3.) Foo Fighters - "Rescued"

- Foo Fighters, at their best, have a way of creating songs that feel like long-treasured classics upon first listen. "Rescued," released in the wake of Taylor Hawkins' untimely death, is one of those songs. Hard-driving, catchy, and ultimately mournful ... it's a Foo Fighters song for the ages.

 

4.) Olivia Rodrigo - "get him back!" / "all-american bitch"
 

- Lest you think this list is all aging rockers, let me say: I am thankful for Olivia Rodrigo and her embrace of 2000's-era pop-punk aesthetics. Channeling vintage Avril Lavigne, Rodrigo's more rocking songs perfectly encapsulate timeless teenage rage. "get him back" is a catchy-af anthem, while "all-american bitch" is a cheeky pop-punk ballad that feels like something old meets something new.

5.) Bleachers - "Modern Girl"

- While I can't say I've always been a fan of his, I really dig when Jack Antonoff - as he is with his band Bleachers - is in Bruce Springsteen tribute mode. "Modern Girl" is a rollicking, E-Street Band esque jam that can't help but lift your spirits and make you want to get up and sing along.

6.) blink-182 - "Anthem Pt. 3" / "When We Were Young" / "Fell In Love"

- For us aging Elder Millennials, Blink 182's 2023 reunion was a big deal and a total nostalgia trip. But as it turns out, the band's comeback album was surprisingly ... freaking awesome. To the point where pretty much every song on the album rocks, and I couldn't decide which one to include here. "Anthem Pt. 3" is 100 mph vintage Blink. "When We Were Young" is goofy nostalgia that you can't help but find endearing. "Fell In Love" has a similar wistful tone, and is just a really great song.

7.) Sum 41 - "Landmines"

- Speaking of 2000's-era pop-punk comebacks - Sum-by-god-41 had an absolutely killer new song in 2023. "Landmines" rules. It's a thrashing pop-punk anthem that maintains the band's youthful aggression, even as a grizzled edge creeps into the vocals and lyrics as well. This is great stuff though. Who would have thought?

 

8.) Gunship - "Monster in Paradise"

- I became a big fan of synthwave rock band Gunship a few years ago, and have been catching up on their catalog since. They came out with a new album this year, and its packed with cool cameos from Gavin Rossdale to John Carpenter himself. "Monster in Paradise" even has a killer sax solo by 80's legend Tim Capello (of Lost Boys the movie fame). Anyways, this song makes you feel like you're cruising through Blade Runner's cyberpunk LA, watching the neon-soaked streets from your flying car. What more do you need?

9.) lovelytheband - "Sail Away"

- "Sail Away" was one of those songs that I felt like I heard constantly this year. It was everywhere. And yet ... I couldn't be too annoyed by it, because it's a really great earworm of a song. A chilled-out rocker with an extremely catchy chorus and lyrics. I'll be curious if the interestingly-named lovelytheband sticks around. They've got something here.


10.) Guns N' Roses - "Perhaps"

- We've had some random new GnR songs come our way over the last several years, but "Perhaps" is the first one that feels like it would be right at home on Use Your Illusion. Axl Rose's vocals are in fine form, Slash sounds like Slash, and there's an epic quality that personifies what makes GnR one of the greatest rock bands of all time. More like this please.

Honorable Mentions:

- U2 - "Atomic City"

- Almost Monday - "Sun Keeps on Shining"

- Dirty Honey - "Won't Take Me Alive"

- Dolly Parton - "World On Fire"

- Alice Cooper - "White Line Frankenstein"

THE BEST OF 2016 - The Best ROCK Of The Year

THE BEST OF 2016 - THE YEAR IN ROCK

- For years, if you asked me my list of all-time dream concerts, I'd list defunct bands like Queen, The Ramones, and Led Zeppelin. But always in the mix would be Guns n' Roses. Original line-up. In 2016, the impossible happened - GnR reunited - Axl and Slash together again. Welcome to the jungle, baby - the band was back together. Seeing GnR at the height of their powers at Dodger Stadium this past August was an all-time music moment for me and the thousands of other fans in attendance. A thing we thought we'd never see. And remarkably, Axl was in fine form - his voice in top form (in far better form, in fact, than when I'd seen him previously as part of his "Axl and friends" makeshift GnR line-ups). Slash of course is a given - the dude is an immortal rock god. But Axl was the real surprise - following recovery from a broken leg suffered earlier on the tour, he was back in fine form in LA - juking and jiving and Axl-dancing like it was 1989. It was a potent reminder that for a moment, GnR was the biggest band in the world - a dangerous force of nature the likes of which we've not seen since. Seeing the band - the real band - live in 2016 is a moment I'll never forget.

Bonus for the GnR concert: another favorite band, The Cult, was the opener. Given that the crowd was there for GnR, not The Cult, it wasn't exactly the ideal circumstances in which to get the full Cult experience. But still, I got to hear "She Sells Sanctuary" live, so I'll take it. I saw a number of other excellent concerts this past year - most notably, Alice Cooper live, the night before Halloween, at the Pantages theater in Hollywood. I've seen Cooper live before, but my appreciation for his music has only grown over the years. And of course, seeing him in a theater like the Pantages, just before Halloween ... I mean, does it get any better? 

I also had the unique pleasure of seeing the legendary John Carpenter in concert. Carpenter has been one of my cinematic heroes for years, and a big part of that has always been the moody synth scores he's composed for his movies - iconic pieces that were and are hugely influential on movies, rock music, videogames, etc. In the last few years, Carpenter has released a pair of albums of all-new music - Lost Themes in 2015, and Lost Themes II in 2016. These albums are positively bad-ass (and the rocking track "Dark Blues" makes my Songs of the Year list below). So, seeing Carpenter live at the historic Orpheum theater, performing a mix of movie scores (Escape From NY! Halloween! They Live!) and tracks from Lost Themes was a once-in-a-lifetime experience that I won't soon forget. Surreal to be sitting in a theater watching a legend like Carpenter perform. 

What else? I saw Boston - an all-time favorite - with their re-booted line-up at the OC Fair in Costa Mesa, which was pretty cool. And speaking of legends ... I saw John Williams at the Hollywood Bowl, conducting iconic scores from Star Wars, E.T., Harry Potter, etc. Pretty incredible. Being at the Bowl in a sea of lightsabers was definitely something. It was my first time seeing Williams live, and it was undoubtedly a memorable concert.

Of course, 2016 was (in many ways) a tragic year. Some of the all-time legends passed away, and their deaths hit hard. For me, David Bowie's passing was a gut-punch. Bowie was such an icon - a seemingly-immortal creature who was a being of pure rock n' roll. He was rock personified - a man who embraced the role of outcast and misfit, the godfather of glam rock, the man who fell to earth. It seemed unreal that Ziggy Stardust could succumb to death. Because even though Bowie had kept a low profile for a long time, his presence loomed large. There was a strange comfort in knowing he was out there, that we lived in a time when Bowie lived. To add to the mystique of Bowie's life and death, Bowie's passing was immediately preceded by a final album - one that seemed to materialize out of nowhere, and that - it quickly became apparent - was a farewell. Even now, Blackstar is almost too painful to listen to. But it's brilliant work - art commenting on life commenting on art - a final chapter in a life that was lived as art to the end. I went on a huge Bowie kick after his death - I'm on that kick still. We'll never see another like him.

The same can be said for Prince. A musical prodigy whose message of love and individuality struck a chord in 2016, making his death seem like some sort of cosmic casualty of this cursed calendar year. Prince's death was shocking, but the one silver lining was the way in which it prompted many of us to do a deep dive into the man's vast catalog of music - a treasure trove of funk and rock and immortal pop that will live forever. 

So many other great artists died this year - George Michael, Merle Haggerd ... but the one other I'll talk about is Leonard Cohen. I had a roundabout way of becoming a Cohen fan. I knew of him and knew some of his songs by the time I was in college, but I really became a super-fan when I saw, of all things, the movie The King of Kong. A scene in that movie used Cohen's "Everybody Knows" to such great effect that it quickly became a favorite song of mine on heavy-rotation, and that prompted me to dive deeper into Cohen's catalog and learn more about him. What a unique artist. His deep, world-weary voice was one of a kind. His poetic lyrics were unmatched. And his longevity was pretty remarkable. The world lost an icon when Leonard Cohen died. 

As for this year in music ... it was another year where you really had to search for and seek out the good stuff. Rock once again seemed largely absent from the pop-cultural conversation - except when, unfortunately, talking about fallen icons and heroes. But there was good stuff, and the more I looked back and recalled music I enjoyed in 2016, the more I realized there was a pretty excellent list of new stuff from this year. And there are some great bands out there - from Volbeat to the Dropkick Murphys - that continue to churn out quality rock music. So though many great ones left us in 2016, take comfort: rock yet lives.


DANNY'S TOP ROCK SONGS OF 2016:


1.) David Bowie - "Lazarus"

-  Haunting ... to put it mildly. David Bowie's last will and testament is a mythical, magical, otherworldly song that speaks to the inevitability of death and the struggle for immortality. The song quickly took on new meaning in the wake of Bowie's passing, but rarely has an artist seemed to go out in quite this way - on his own terms, with his music providing a final goodbye. Life and death and art impossibly entangled. 

2.) Sing Street - "Riddle of the Model"

- If you haven't seen the movie Sing Street, watch it. Now, I'll wait! But seriously, Sing Street is a great, empowering, uplifting tribute to the power of rock music to escape, to fight the power, to bring people together, to turn misery into hope and struggle into freedom. But more specifically, "Riddle of the Model" is just an insanely catchy homage to 80's new wave, sounding like some lost Depeche Mode song that never was. 

3.) John Carpenter - "Dark Blues"

- As talked about above, I've always loved John Carpenter movie scores (my fave: Escape From NY), and so his Lost Themes albums of new music have been real treats. 2016's Lost Themes II added more of a rock n' roll edge to Carpenter's trademark synth, and one of the best products of that was Dark Blues - which layers crunchy guitar over moody synth for a result that is, in a word, badass.

4.) Dropkick Murphys - "Blood" 

- And here's just a straight-up fist-pumper - vintage Murphys that is meant to be played in a stadium of people looking to get their adrenaline levels up. Blood is one of the first tracks released off the Murphy's upcoming 2017 album, and it's a scorcher. Thank god there are still songs like this being made in 2016.

5.) Volbeat - "The Devil's Bleeding Crown" 

- If you're not familiar with Volbeat, they are one of the best rock bands going - purveyors of epic, metal-tinged barn-burners like "Lola Montez." This year, they had a new album that was a return to their harder-edged roots - hence a song with a title like "The Devil's Bleeding Crown." These guys are not messing around. But if you want an Iron Maiden-esque rock ballad that is guaranteed to get your motor runnin', look no further.

6.) Green Day - "Bang Bang" 

- I'll freely admit: Green Day is one of my favorite bands, and I love both their old-school stuff as well as their more recent concept albums like American Idiot and 21st Century Breakdown. I was not so hot on their triple-album experiment, and their latest, Revolution Radio, is a definite mixed-bag. But the original single from the album, Bang Bang, is the highlight - a one-off return-to-form that sees the band rage against the machine with an aggressive punk-rock stomper. 

7.) Mudcrutch - "Beautiful World"

- If there is one constant for me as a music fan, it's that when Tom Petty comes out with a new album, I will buy it. I always find something to like in Petty's releases, and that holds true for his side-project Mudcrutch - the back-to-basics band that predated The Heartbreakers, re-formed by Petty a few years back. Mudcrutch's latest album is almost *too* basic, filled with solid if unremarkable rock. But one standout is definitely Beautiful World, the kind of somber-yet-hopeful song that has always been Petty's bread and butter - a me-vs.-the-world anthem that is a must-listen for any and all Petty fans.

8.) The Interrupters - "By My Side"

- Last year I praised The Interrupters as one of the best new rock bands in a long while. Singer Aimee Allen made a career pivot from dark rock ballads to jumpy punk and ska, and she did it in a way that calls to mind the best bands of the genre. The Interrupters' second album is filled with catchy punk anthems, the most fun of which might be By My Side. "I don't wanna die! I don't wanna die! But if I do die, do die - you'd better be by my side!" is a punk rock shout-out for the ages.

9.) The Struts - "Could Have Been Me"

- A classic rock throwback band of sorts, The Struts made waves recently by touring with The Rolling Stones. Makes sense - the band has Stones-esque swagger and a knack for combining blues-y rock with 80's-style arena-filling epicness. Could Have Been Me is a catchy rock anthem, a sign that rock still has pop potential in 2016. 

10.) Metallica - "Here Comes Revenge"

- Finally, there's Metallica. The iconic band put out a new album in 2016, and it was hard. Devoid of softer ballads, this was an album for true-blue fans. That said, as someone who doesn't mind Metallica's more ballad-y stuff, I found Here Comes Revenge a stand-out. Don't get me wrong - this song is aggressive af. But it matches driving guitar with some soaring Hetfield vocals that still pack a punch. It's comforting to know that Metallica can still rock this hard.

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.