So, here they are, my Top Twenty Songs of 2025 – not an easy choice with so many great albums/songs around. I’m sure to have missed a number of releases this year with my being ‘out of the loop’ here in Cyprus. Do let me know of any albums/artists I need to listen to.

There may be new names on this list for some of you and some exciting songs waiting to be discovered.  There is also the return of artists I’ve featured in previous years. Whilst some of these songs were released this year, some were released a few years ago – I’ve only stumbled upon them!

As always, my choices are an eclectic mix – it’s always difficult to place them in order as some are fairly recent releases and won’t have the same number of plays the older songs have.

So, make yourself a brew, open a can or fill a glass and sit back and enjoy some fabulous musical talent for the next hour or so!

You can enjoy these songs on my Spotify Playlist …

1. LOVING YOU AGAIN Chris Rea

Not a new song for 2025 but it hits the top spot to commemorate the fact that Chris Rea died aged 74 years of age on 22 December 2025 when the British music scene lost one of its greatest sons. Chris Rea was a world-class musician who was proud of his North East roots. Born a ‘smoggie’ (Middlesbrough – for those who don’t know) his voice, guitar, and song writing carried the sound and soul of the region across the world. The music world mourns a great singer / songwriter and we mourn a true son of the North. I’ve been a fan for years have most of his albums but this song, from the album Dancing With Strangers is probably my favourite. Thanks for the music and the memories, Chris. RIP.

2. BEHOLD THE NIGHT Dan Raza

British singer / songwriter Dan Raza’s latest album Wayfarer was released on 14 Feb 2025 – though it was recorded between 2021-2023 – and I knew back then, this would be my album of the year – a masterpiece from a modern troubadour!  As my mate Mark Ede suggested: “If there’s a better ‘roots’ songwriter around I ain’t heard ’em.” And, if it wasn’t for the demise of Chris Rea, Behold The Night (a folk song for winter nights, looking forward to a bright new spring) would have been my song of the year, too! I’ve seen Dan a few times and the video of this song was recorded by my friends at The Little Rabbit Barn when I saw him there back in March 2022.

3. CADDO COUNTY The Red Clay Strays

The Red Clay Strays are a band I’ve stumbled upon in the last twelve months. Hailing from Mobile, Alabama, their music is something new, with a unique blend of Southern Rock, Blues, Soul, Country Music – even Rockabilly. The Band’s name reflects their roots, symbolizing the connection to their home state and the themes of salvation and redemption in their music – be sure to check out their albums Moment Of Truth and Made By These Moments. The 2025 CMA Awards saw them win their first ever award for Vocal Group of the Year, ending Old Dominion’s seven year reign – no mean feat! This track, taken from the absolute dynamite soundtrack that accompanies the flick Twisters 2 is, in my humble opinion, one of the strongest tracks on the album. And that’s saying something when you see the other amazing artists showcasing their talents

4. BAD AS I USED TO BE Chris Stapleton

Chris Stapleton is no stranger to these pages and it’s no secret that he is one my all time fave artists. No album from the man in 2025 due, in no part, to his international All American Road Show tour. However, he released Bad As I Used To Be as part of the F1® The Movie soundtrack. The song is a powerful anthem that features Stapleton in a gritty, blues-infused performance. It has been praised for it’s raw, introspective lyrics and Stapleton’s trademark emotive delivery. I love this gutsy version from the November 2025 CMA Awards in Nashville.

5. HARD FOUGHT HALLELUJAH Brandon Lake (with Jelly Roll) 

Brandon Lake, is an American Christian worship singer-songwriter and guitarist. Hard Fought Hallelujah is an anthem for anyone who’s ever staggered through life’s rough patches and still managed to raise a weary hand in praise. The song is a gritty, heartfelt nod to the fact that faith is not always a smooth ride on angelic wings. Rather, it’s more often a bumpy trudge through doubt, frustration, and sheer exhaustion. As Lake puts it: True praise isn’t born from sunshine and cheer; it’s forged in the fires of real struggle. “This song is about the battles we face, the grit throughout the fight for faith and the praise that comes after,” Lake shared. “I hope it resonates deeply with everyone.” The song was first released in November 2024 entering Billboard’s Hot 100 when it debuted at #51.  However, Lake released a collaborative remix with country and hip-hop artist Jelly Roll on February 7, 2025 and it went viral after their appearance on American Idol.

6. GROWING ROOTS Elles Bailey

Elles Bailey is no stranger to these pages and, like a good wine, seems to get better with age! Growing Roots was released in November 2025 – a single from her new album Can’t Take My Story Away, coming out in January 2026. “The track is a love song about finding your person—the one who makes you want to set aside your gypsy heart and finally settle down,” Bailey says. “It’s about choosing to put down roots and to grow together but it is also about what that person teaches you, who you are when you’re with them, and the beauty of truly living in the moment.” Growing Roots is a powerful, melodic Americana standout (love the Hammond organ) that should encourage you to go out and buy the album. NB. The album is great and doesn’t disappoint.

7. GIN HOUSE BLUES Andy Fairweather Low

AFL first gained fame in 1967 as the frontman for the Welsh pop-soul band Amen Corner with a string of hits. Over the years, AFL’s talents as a guitarist and singer made him an in-demand collaborator, most notably, as a mainstay in Eric Clapton’s band, contributing both on stage and in the studio. Despite his impressive resume, Andy’s own solo work often went under the radar. However, with The Invisible Bluesman, AFL’s first full-fledged blues album, released early 2025, celebrates his expertise as a blues guitarist and his unique vocal style. The album also features a poignant return to Gin House Blues, the track that launched his career nearly six decades ago. This updated version brings full circle the beginning of Andy’s journey and solidifies his rightful place within the blues pantheon.

8. HEARTLANDS Marcus King

Another returning favourite! It may be a little hard to believe that Marcus King is only 29 years old, because he’s accomplished so much musically during his professional career. He released Darling Blue in September 2025. Darling Blue is one of those albums that’s enjoyable from start to finish, and it was difficult to decide which of the fourteen songs to choose but decided on Heartlands. King’s musical genre continues to be more and more difficult to define, so I won’t attempt to do so at the risk of mislabelling it. But I do love this jolly upbeat country folk song!

9. LOSERS Post Malone (with Jelly Roll)

Another single from F-1 Trillion – my album of the year for 2024! As I said at the time, It would be easy to treat this album as a novelty, but it’s just not. F-1 Trillion is a bold and successful foray into country music for Malone, blending traditional sounds with his own unique twist, and solidifying his place as a genre-bending artist with broad appeal. This collaboration with Jelly Roll was an obvious single given that Roll supported Malone on tour on the autumn of 2025. In fact, I purchased tickets for the White Hart Land gig in September and it was cancelled because of Tube strikes whist I was in the air travelling from Cyprus. I was more than annoyed. I couldn’t make the rescheduled date and it was a costly cancellation for Paula and I. Rant over!

10. EMPTY TRAINLOAD OF SKY Gillian Welch and David Rawlings

Empty Trainload Of Sky is taken from Woodland, the new album by Gillian Welch and David Rawlings, the latest in a long collaboration between two musicians who have built separate successful careers — and an influential legacy — and have come together on this ninth album they’ve recorded together. Woodland is named for the storied East Nashville studio they have owned for 23 years and where, early in March 2020, a tornado tore off the roof and threatened to destroy the whole of their life’s work. The inspiration for the song came one early summer evening when Welch, out for a stroll near her Nashville home, watched as a freight train clattered by, framed by the blue horizon. And then it hit her: An empty trainload of sky. “For a moment, I couldn’t tell if the train or the sky was moving,” she later recounted. Welch sat down on a park bench and didn’t get up until the first verse was down. Back home, she shared the phrase with Rawlings. The two finished the song that very afternoon, and it became the cornerstone of the album.

11. HOUSE ON FIRE Toby Lee 

Toby Lee is only 19 years old and has already won Young Blues Artist of the Year at the UK Blues Awards three times – but the virtuoso guitarist is just getting started. Toby is praised as a remarkable talent by Jools Holland and Joe Bonamassa, among others. As you’d expect from someone hailed by The Times as ‘One of Britain’s finest guitarists’, Lee moves  effortlessly between classic blues, punchy hard rock, intimate acoustic moments, and a modernist approach to classic soul and Stax-style R&B. It’s all played with a winning combination of youthful abandon and undeniable performance. I’ve chosen the title track from the album – but several of them could easily have been chosen. Well worth looking out for.

12. MARRY ME Train

Train is an American pop rock band from San Francisco that formed in 1993 – and are still going strong today. I’ve gotta say I’d never heard of them until this year – when a couple I married here in Cyprus chose this song at their wedding – and I was instantly smitten by it/them! Marry Me was included in their fifth studio album Save Me, San Francisco (2009). The single was released in October 2010 and peaked in the top 40 on the Billboard Hot 100.

13. LOVE WILL KEEP US ALIVE Paul Carrack

Paul Carrack has been a long time favourite of mine and has a CV that will stand alongside any of the greats of the British music scene. Never afraid to experiment, Carrack alternates between pop, rock, blues, big band and, in 2025, he released a country album The Country Side Of Paul Carrack. It has been well-received, with critics praising his ability to blend his soulful voice with country music and features a nostalgic collection of classic country numbers. Though the production is first class Nashville, I’m not sure the album works for me.  But I’ll keep listening. However, I did enjoy the reworking of his classic Love Will Keep Us Alive which he wrote with Peter Vale and Jim Capaldi and was a hit for the Eagles. This version, produced by Steven Wood, adds something fresh to the song.

14. BLACKBERRY WINE Tanner Usrey 

Originally from Prosper, Texas, Tanner Usrey has been a musician for 10 years and has been flying under the radar for a number of years. Growing up on 90s country giants like Garth and Alan Jackson, Usrey admits a current taste for British rock and roll à la Exile on Main St. and Faces. I’d never heard of Usrey until I heard this track on the Twisters 2 soundtrack and liked it immediately and is one of the strongest tracks on the album. Someone whose back catalogue I need to explore.

15. PEOPLE HATIN’ The Red Clay Strays

The Red Clay Strays pop up again on list for 2025 with the single People Hatin’ released in October 2025. It addresses themes of division and the need for unity in today’s society and was written in the aftermath of the assignation of Charlie Kirk.

I’m sick of people turning on their neighbour
I’m sick of people dying in the street
Everybody giving into anger
That’s not the way things ought to be
Maybe we should try to mind our business
Maybe we should turn the other cheek
The only way for us to ever end this
Is loving unconditionally

16. STRONG Anne Wilson

Anne Wilson is one of Nashville’s most inspiring young trailblazers. She is a platinum -certified, Grammy-nominated artist and songwriter who brings a strong country vibe to the Christian music scene. Wilson says that each song off Rebel was written asking the question: “What does it mean to be a rebel in the world we live in today?” Strong recognises a universal truth: life throws punches, and sometimes, we feel like we’re barely standing. But faith keeps us strong through the darkest days.

17. I NEVER LIE Zach Top 

Zachary Top was born in Washington State, is a Country and Bluegrass singers and won the New Artist of the Year Award at the 59th Annual CMA Awards in Nashville in November 2025. Top earned a total of five nods  –  including album of the year for Cold Beer & Country Music –  tying him for second-most nominations in 2025. Top is a throwback to a more gtraditional style of country which, in the current climate seems quite refreshing. I Never Lie is a song about his life after a breakup. He sings that he’s doing well, met someone new, and wishes he could say he missed his ex, but he “never lies …”

18. HELPLESS The Wandering Hearts

British Americana band The Wandering Hearts are a band I’ve championed since Wild Silence in 2019. They released a reimagining of the 1970 Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young classic Déjà Vu (We Have All Been Here Before). On many levels it shouldn’t work – but it does!  I’ve chosen my favourite song from the original album. Sorry – not much imagination on my part!

19. WISH I DIDN’T KNOW NOW Ella Langley 

Ella Langley made a significant impact at the 2025 CMA Awards, winning three awards and was recognized for her outstanding contributions to country music. She won three prestigious awards for her hit song You Look Like You Love Me including: Song of the Year, Single of the Year and Music Video of the Year. But YLLYLM doesn’t work for me but this cover of the Toby Keith classic released as a single in January 2025 does!

20. THE INSIDER Robert Vincent 

Since his debut album Life in Easy Steps in 2013, Robert Vincent from Liverpool has been one of the most acclaimed new voices in Americana, Country and Folk. Vincent played in Billericay on a number of occasions and I spotted him long before he received the inaugural Emerging Artist Award from ‘Whispering’ Bob Harris in 2016 – who described Vincent as “absolutely magnetic”, Vincent was then invited onto BBC4’s ‘Old Grey Whistle Test: For One Night Only’. That performance marked a real breakthrough for Vincent, establishing him as one of the UK’s leading lights in Americana and propelling him to #1 in the iTunes Country chart. He has now established himself both here in the UK and over in Nashville as a real force to be reckoned with. Vincent was awarded the prestigious Americana Music Awards UK Album of the year for 2021 and AMA UK Artist of the year for 2021. Barriers is Vincent’s first release since his 2020 album In this Town You’re Owned  and is as politically charged as ever. I’ve chosen The Insider as one of my songs of the year which features actor David Morrissey.

So, there you have them – my Top 20 Songs of 2025. And for those of you who like to know these things there are: 12 male artists, 3 female artists (unusually low this year – though it could be five if you take into account bands and duo’s)and 5 groups. Incidentally, eight of these artists are British!

Were any of your choices included? Have I made any significant omissions?

If something does take your fancy, don’t just add it to your Spotify Playlist – download the track or, better still, buy the CD/Vinyl and/or go and see the artist and #KeepMusicLive

Have a great 2026 checking out some of the above artists, seeking out new ones and supporting live music wherever you live. Who knows – we might meet up at a gig someday!

Be blessed!

BONUS. HOW DID I GET HERE Rob Halligan

Rob Halligan, a good friend of mine, has been a professional musician for over 15 years. Coventry based Rob is an award winning singer/songwriter and has toured across the world, gaining a reputation as a passionate and engaging performer. Rob’s songs draw from his own experiences of life on the streets, of losing his father in the terrorist attacks of 9/11 and of the people he’s met on his journey. His songs challenge politics, complacency and faith and are delivered with brutal honesty, rough spirituality and tested to be true.  The BBC once described Rob as: Bruce Springsteen having English tea with Billy Bragg! It’s a good comparison, however, I think Rob has more than a few shades of Jack Savoretti meets Ricky Ross!  How Did I Get Here is Rob’s latest single released in December 2025.