Singles Eligibility: I deemed eligible any single (be it radio, streaming, or video singles) released during the calendar year, or those released during 2024 that reached either their chart peak or greatest obvious visibility in 2025. Additionally, for the sake of variety, the number of singles entries is limited to one proper single per artist. However, an artist can appear multiple times if they were on a feature or collaboration with a different lead artist.
25) Lorde- “Man of the Year” (Republic)
A captivating return from an artist who has quietly but assuredly remained one of the most compelling pop narrators of her generation, with guttural and revealing performances like this illustrating that halcyon moments like “Royals” was really just the beginning, rather than the pinnacle moment of her artistic arc. The song immediately feels nakedly revealing in any context, but reaches new, powerful levels once the listener realizes that the “man” Lorde’s singing about here is her own masculinity living inside of herself, opening up an artistic conversation about gender expression that has never been more relevant or potent.
24) Dolly Parton- “If You Hadn’t Been There” (Butterfly)
The country icon has been breaking our hearts for nearly six decades now, but there will never be another performance in her titanic catalog that will ever ring as intimately personal than this powerful moment, sung from the perspective of an 80-year-old Parton in the aftermath of husband, Carl Dean’s passing. All of the emotional gravitas that have defined Dolly’s greatest recorded moments spill over here, with both the natural impact of time and the powerful gratitude in the song’s message colliding in beautiful, bittersweet fashion. Parton and Dean’s marriage was never one that stepped into the limelight, but this glorious and sad moment shines well-earned light on it as one of country music’s greatest and most enduring romances.
23) Benson Boone- “Sorry I’m Here For Someone Else” (Warner)
Surely, the “Mystical Magical” army is going to be coming for me on this selection, and while I like that fizzy summer smash just fine, “Sorry” was the Benson bop that kept pulling me in throughout 2025. The frenetic, urgent energy of everything in this track all just accelerates in such a contagious, paralleled fashion that I just find absolutely irresistible. The rapid-fire, anxious vocals of Boone’s delivery and the swirling synth of the production are so perfectly and humorously emblematic of those awkward social interactions that we all absolutely strive to avoid like the plague.
22) Alison Krauss & Union Station- “Looks Like the End of the Road” (Down the Road)
The elegant, hypnotic magic of the music this legendary outfit creates remains one of the purest and most treasured gifts in all of popular music. There is still not a single, singular voice like Alison Krauss’ to be found anywhere else on Planet Earth, and to hear it once again reunited within the superlative musical confines of Union Station was one of the year’s greatest gifts for music lovers. They still sound as peerlessly wondrous as they did nearly four decades ago, and here’s hoping the end of the road isn’t actually anywhere in sight.
21) Lola Kirke- “Raised By Wolves” (One Riot)
What a fabulous new discovery Lola Kirke’s music has been for me this past year. It was gloriously spearheaded by this fiercely intoxicating slice of country-rock, a spitting track that serves as a tremendous embrace of one’s own, uniquely nuanced character and how it can unlock the key to connection with those of similar stripes (yes, they’re out there!). The rippling guitar jangles immediately had me recalling my favorite Rosanne Cash records, and Kirke quickly establishes that she likewise possesses an enthralling voice and incisive pen that equally conjures up, and predicts, similar greatness.
20) Trisha Yearwood- “The Mirror” (MCA)
Trisha Yearwood’s landmark career has offered plenty of soulful and anthemic moments of self-empowerment. So, from that standpoint, the title track and spiritual heartbeat of her sixteenth studio set was revisiting well-traveled topical territory in her catalog. But the fact that “The Mirror” is among the first batch of songs that feature Yearwood herself in the writing credits allows it to pack a new and special kind of punch, perfectly representing the triumphant nature of this latest creative arc in her legendary career.
19) Miley Cyrus- “Easy Lover” (Columbia)
A pulsating, delectable dance-rocker that Cyrus sells with the perfect blend of entrancing wonder and fierce ferocity, all while Brittany Howard provides sizzling, unmistakable support on the searing electric solos. It’s utterly ridiculous how steadfast the pop mainstream seems to be in only rewarding her the occasional smash every few years, as her catalog is already impressively evident in its status as an all-out arsenal of modern pop moments, and that will only grow more obvious retrospectively in the years ahead.
18) Twenty One Pilots- “The Contract” (Fueled By Ramen)
Another classically creative 21P amalgamation, both sonically and emotionally. Per usual, the duo continues to find new fascinating ways to curate an ever-dynamic alternative soundscape, incorporating dizzying combinations of nu-metal, industrial pop, Hip Hop, and vintage alt-rock. Narratively, the song mirrors this delicious frenzy, framed by feelings of intense anxiety and paranoia that hardly seem that irrational in any setting in 2025.
17) Cam- “Alchemy” (RCA)
A magical gem of a single, with Cam using her mystical, golden pipes to guide us through a captivating portrait of the various stages that define our relationships, our experiences, and our lives overall. It’s difficult to think of another current singer-songwriter whose voice and artistic aesthetic could so sublimely achieve what Cam does here.
16) Lucius- “Gold Rush” (Fantasy)
Executed with the pristine precision and golden musical touch that one has come to expect with each and every Lucius performance, “Gold Rush” is a new, modern standard in terms of its ability to express the indescribable electricity and zig-zagging emotions of a new romance. And what modern-day harmonic blend is better equipped to conjure it all up sonically? Each graceful vocal flourish perfectly represents each hypnotic feeling, with the returning Peter Lalish’s bold guitar work providing a tantalizing counter-balance.
15) Margo Price- “Don’t Let the Bastards Get Down” (Loma Vista)
Margo Price’s highly-rewarding journey through expanded sounds and styles during the front half of the 2020s has been a ride well worth joining her for. With that said, we all undoubtedly knew in the back of our minds that Price would inevitably return to the traditional country sound that launched her, and we all knew that it would be a certifiable event when she finally did so. That premonition came to glorious fruition with this single, a fun and exhilarating feast for lovers of Price’s first two records, as well as Outlaw country in general. On a deeper and more prominent level however, “Bastards” is also as much an artistic statement, as it is a moment, with Price giving vital voice to those minorities becoming increasingly marginalized in today’s society, with the American woman being chief among them.
14) Tami Neilson featuring JD McPherson- “You’re Gonna Fall” (Outside)
Easily one of the most chilling moments in the entire history of recorded music. Tami Neilson’s powerful voice has already carried a well-established reputation as an ethereal force of nature, but it reaches new heights on “You’re Gonna Fall”, while JD McPherson sees her and raises her with his dangerously seductive vocals and imposing guitar riffs. Their performance expertly resurrects all of love’s most dangerous and dastardly tendencies, but without ever subverting its unquestionable beauty. This duet is an absolute wonder to behold.
13) Elton John and Brandi Carlile- “Who Believes In Angels?” (Interscope)
The soaring centerpiece to one of the year’s most special albums. You could be the most skeptical of all spiritual doubters, and the odds will still be stacked against you upon hearing the celebratory combination of these two era-defining voices. Your name will be among the many answers to the song’s titular question, if even for just a moment. It’s a performance capable of joyful rejuvenation upon each and every listen.
12) Taylor Swift- “The Fate of Ophelia” (Republic)
It’s outright blasphemy to call anything Taylor Swift releases at this point in a time a “comeback” per se; she was arguably the biggest pop star of the 2010s, and the history-making of her touring the last several years have only solidified her as the pop star of the 2020s, not to mention an entire generation. With all that said, “The Fate of Ophelia” marked a pivotal moment in the pure chronology of her discography. While each and every album arc of her career thus far has offered its own generous share of iconic moments and milestones, her union with producers Max Martin and Shellback here delivers the kind of synthy, pure-pop euphoria that Swift hasn’t delivered so emphatically since the 1989 era.
11) Chappell Roan- “Pink Pony Club” (Island)
Besides being one of 2025’s most inescapable smashes, as well as the track that emphatically escalated Chappell Roan’s debut album-era to new heights and solidified her snaring of the Best New Artist Grammy Award, “Pink Pony Club” emerged as one of the truly great underdog stories in pop song history. Originally released in 2020, both record label politics and onset of the COVID-19 pandemic denied it of its ultimate status as a club classic that finally came to fruition this past year. Perhaps most pivotally, its narrative as a queer and drag anthem both gave the LGBTQ+ community a dominant moment in the mainstream, while proving the universality of their scene’s spirit across all segments of popularity.
10) Amanda Shires- “Piece of Mind” (ATO)
It’s safe to say that I did not have Amanda Shires, Americana songbird and fiddle virtuoso, on my 2025 bingo card for providing us with the most stinging rock anthem of the year. But God damn, if she didn’t deliver just that on this fiery divorce battle-cry. To hear her angelic voice and piercing country-folk trappings engulfed in this unforgiving guitar-rock ferocity is both mesmerizing, as well as devastatingly revelatory of the emotions she must reconcile in the aftermath of her disintegrated marriage.
9) Brandi Carlile- “Returning to Myself” (Interscope)
Two decades into her sterling career, and like all great musical mavericks of her artistic caliber, Brandi Carlile continues to find new and captivating ways to unveil unheard depths of not only her wondrous voice, but also her rich, narrative gravitas. “Returning to Myself” finds an artist and a human at a staggering crossroads in their emotional evolution. Regardless of how much stock we rightfully place in the love and inspiration we receive from others, there are a crucial moments in our inner-most histories where the only answer forward is to turn inward, and navigate our latest path independently. Carlile captures that journey, and the ultimate rewards it serves in those aforementioned relationships, in expectedly gorgeous fashion.
8) Jason Isbell- “Gravelweed” (Southeastern)
The bare-boned aesthetic of Jason Isbell’s first post-divorce album proved to be a masterful sonic choice for the entirety of the record, but no song seems to cut quite as deeply and powerfully in this context as “Gravelweed”. When we’re blessed with the opportunity to follow an artist’s musical and personal story in real-time, the evolving narrative of their songs strike a personal chord within us as well, especially for an artist with a catalog as reflective and bitterly honest as Isbell. To hear him mourn some of his greatest songs in lines here like “Now that I’ve lived to see my melodies betray me/I’m sorry the love songs all mean different things today”, there’s a small part of ourselves as his most devoted listeners that dies as well.
7) Hayley Williams- “Parachute” (Post-Atlantic)
With “Parachute”, Hayley Williams delivers one of the most guttural and revealing peeks inside an emotional down-spiral that’s been captured in song in quite sometime. The cutting rock outrage of the second verse, combined with its cinematic storytelling excavates the intimate details of her pain, only to further elevate the unnerving free-falling we feel right along with her on the chorus, which entrancingly portrays the crippling fever-pitch of her lowest moments.
6) Turnpike Troubadours- “On the Red River” (Bossier City)
For me personally, this is undoubtedly the performance of Evan Felker’s career. Co-written with the excellent Ketch Secor, Felker and the Troubadours turn in one of the most heartwarming tales of a father-son relationship, as well as one of the most devastating musical eulogies. Felker’s burly voice has never sounded so resolute but also so tender: “Back on the Red River, not hard to remember/When your daddy would never get old/When I saw the world from up on your shoulders/I remember the view when you live like we do/Death doesn’t leave with the best part of you.” Leaves a lump in my throat each and every time.
5) Sam Fender- “People Watching” (Polydor)
What a fantastic discovery Sam Fender has been for me this past year, and just in time to bear witness to this fantastic song’s rise in real-time. On the surface alone, “People Watching” is a gloriously surging experience, with his roaring vocal charisma and Heartland Rock energy following in the grand and spirited traditions of The E-Street Band. Under the surface, we find a lyricist also of Springsteenian caliber, who manages to simultaneously peel back the coldest layers of human existence and also push us boldly toward perseverance in the face of it all.
4) Sabrina Carpenter- “Manchild” (Island)
The indisputable song of the summer, and for a litany of good reasons. In the purest sense, “Manchild” epitomizes the most timeless aspects of pop ear-candy. It’s plucky and bright, endlessly contagious, and Carpenter performs it with inviting charm and charisma. The extra cherries on this delicious sundae are her ever-durable signatures, none of which are showing any signs at this point of becoming long in the tooth: a flirty raunch, a sly snark, and the nimble self-awareness that pop music is at its very best when it doesn’t take itself too seriously. Also, men: do better.
3) Tyler Childers- “Eatin’ Big Time” (RCA)
To call “Eatin’ Big Time” the most commanding performance of Tyler Childers’ career thus far is quite a statement, but it’s nearly impossible when listening to it to not feel like all of the remarkable intensity of his rise during the past eight years has been building to this moment, and Snipe Hunter as a whole. It’s an electrifying moment to experience for just the vocals and music alone, but to fully appreciate “Eatin’ Big Time”, you must completely absorb the unforgiving lyrics that inspire the most unflinchingly spitting record of his catalog. He’s completely eviscerating those behind the corruption and greed that have contributed to yet another economic era where the common man is sacrificed with little regard. And if you cannot either relate to the story, feel the same outrage as Childers, or both…well, you’re likely part of the problem. And he’s coming for you.
2) Lady Gaga- “Abracadabra” (Intercope)
After a painfully long absence from the pop limelight, Lady Gaga returned with a diverse hat-trick of hits that would launch her Mayhem era, with “Abracadabra” emerging as the true main event blockbuster that her most rabid fans had been waiting on. It’s a dance-pop smash boiling over with all of the vintage signatures from her most lucrative classics: unforgiving synth beats, drag-worthy visuals, nonsensical lyrical hooks, and her one-of-a-kind powerhouse vocals. After a decade of marvelous stylistic diversification in her catalog, this is the much-anticipated full-circle return to the tone of epics like “Poker Face”, “Love Game”, “Bad Romance”, and “Born This Way”, and it more than earns its place among those pillars in her canon.
1) Hailey Whitters- “Casseroles” (Big Loud)
I pretty much eluded to this in my original review of this single nearly a year ago, but it was basically a foregone conclusion that Hailey Whitters would triumph at No. 1 this year with “Casseroles”. This is no small feat given the excellent forty-nine tracks that preceded it on this list, and while it certainly earns its placement on spectacular merit alone, there are also personal and sentimental reasons that it’s my definitive choice for the year I experienced in 2025. It was released just days after my grandmother’s passing, and like so many classic country songs before it, “Casseroles” brought beautiful musical storytelling to the experiences befalling myself, my family, and specifically my grandfather in that moment, and throughout the entire year as life unfolded without Grandma Pat. On a wider scale, the song is also just a poetic lesson and potent reminder to us all as to what’s really important in life, and the need to prioritize the people we cherish most. No musical moment from the past twelve months struck as powerful of a chord, or will continue to do so in the years ahead.
Previous: Part I
The 706 