Well, 2025 is pretty much a wrap. It’s the day after Christmas as I write this and I’m confident we won’t get any great new records in the next four days. Heck, to be honest, we didn’t get that many great new records in all of 2025. Sure, there was some great music released this past year, but for me, it’s been a little lackluster. I usually have a handful of candidates for number one, and I list my top ten. I’ve done that annually here on Pencil Storm for a while now. This year, I’m struggling, so I’m going to do this a bit differently. (But JCE, what about the countdown? What about the suspense and the build up leading to the grand finale? Sorry, not this year.)
In 2025, my favorite records were all over the place. A real mash-up of different styles of rock n roll. So, this year I’m just going to tell you what I liked by picking a few records that I thought were good in each of several musical styles. I’m taking a lot of liberties here and doing it my way, so there. I will tell you that if you MUST have my pick for best of the year, you should definitely be looking at the category I simply call “ROCK.” So read to the end!
BEST NEW DISCOVERY OF AN OLDER RECORD IN 2025
Daisy Grenade – Cult Classic This band released this fantastic record in 2023. There have been a number of great singles since that time, including three in 2025. They have yet to release a song I don’t like.
NEW RECORDS TO LOOK FORWARD TO IN 2026
3. The Damned
2. The Pretty Reckless
1. Social Distortion
BEST NEW XMAS SONG
The Pretty Reckless – “Where Are You Christmas” Taylor Momsen played the part of Cindy Lou Hoo in the 2000 Grinch movie starring Jim Carrey when she was seven years old. She now fronts my favorite hard-rock band. The song starts with her childhood voice singing from that movie, and using modern technology, it morphs into her now adult voice before turning into a rock n roll song. It’s great.
SINGLES
2. The Pretty Reckless – “For I Am Death” I can’t wait to hear the new record coming in 2026.
1. The Pollocks – “Summer Of Love” This Virginia band is a treasure and you will love this song. The new full-length from this band is coming soon and there will be a review from me, so stay tuned.
EP’S
2. The Needmores – Side X Side E.P. I learned about this effort from Pencil Storm colleague Jeremy Porter. This is a great Detroit band and this EP is four songs totaling nine minutes of hard pop bliss. Wow.
1. Tuk Smith & The Restkess Hearts – Troubled Paradise Here are four more great songs from this band. I have no idea why these guys aren’t huge. That’s a lie, I do know why. People don’t have great taste in music anymore: that’s why.
FEMALE-FRONTED INDIE POP
4. The Belair Lip Bombs - Again This Australian band, brilliantly named after a 1970’s skateboard wheel, is getting better with each release. They have a unique sound. Check out “Hey You.”
2. (tie) Blondshell – If You Asked For A Picture Sabrina Teitelbaum is awesome and you should listen to all of her music. The song “T&A” from this record is particularly good.
2. (tie) Wet Leg – Moisturizer This offbeat pair of women caught everyone’s attention with the song “Chaise Lounge” from their 2022 debut. This follow-up - with “CPR” and “Catch These Fists” being my favorite tracks - is excellent all the way through.
1. The Beths – Straight Line Was A Lie This band fronted by Elizabeth Stokes has done very little that I don’t like. I find this record to be really strong. It’s hard to pick out a favorite tune, but the title track is fantastic.
METAL
3. L.A. Guns – Leopard Skin This isn’t the best record by this band by a long shot, but it’s solid and better than the last few efforts. If you like the band and you like their harder edge, this should be in your music library. I will note that I saw this tour and the live performance was poor.
1. (tie) Buckcherry – Roar Like Thunder This band has never delivered a bad record, and this one is pretty damn good. Zero complaints from me. I also saw this tour and the band was outstanding.
1. (tie) Thundermother – Dirty & Divine I am a big fan of Halestorm. They delivered a new record this year and I did not like it. At all. Thundermother is pounding out melodic, hooky, excellent hard rock with a female vocal on a consistent basis now. This 2025 effort is great. They are my preferred substitute for Halestorm this year.
ALT-COUNTRY
1. Morgan Wade – The Party Is Over (recovered) Morgan Wade is fantastic and this record is really strong. She had no competition in 2025 within my very limited country tastes.
NEW ROMANTIC JANGLE POP
(What the HELL kind of category is this, JCE? I don’t know. I had to come up with something and the band I ranked first made it up in their bio, I think.)
2. The Manic Street Preachers – Critical Thinking This really interesting band delivered a surprisingly excellent record in 2025. It’s a really nice listen start to finish.
1. The Melody Chamber – The Melody Chamber This band from Richmond, VA came from nowhere and made a record that is absolutely beautiful. It is also absolutely a throw-back to the 1980’s. You will hear The Church, Wire Train, The Psychedelic Furs and other influences dripping all over it. I won’t say anything more because a full album review will be coming from me soon.
ROCK
7. Enuff Z’Nuff – Xtra Cherries I love this band, but this record is odd. I like the song “Heavy Metal” the best. Then there’s a very old previously released track, and some collaborations. It’s kind of a mess, but it’s Enuff Z’ Nuff, so it’s still decent.
6. The Jellybricks – Dreaming In Stereo I think this is the eighth record by this powerpop band. Although I have never followed them too closely, they really are good. You can always find them featured on Little Steven’s Underground Garage. Check them out, especially the track “Monday’s Never.”
5. Wyldlife – sorted. Wyldlife is a fantastic rock n roll band, right directly in my wheelhouse. Maybe this record should be higher on my list. If every song was as good as “Dizzy” then this would be number one by far. But the songs are not all as good as that one. It’s a bit hit and miss but still awesome.
4. Ricky Warwick – Blood Ties This guy is extremely consistent and this is as good as anything he’s done. I’ve written about him in the past. If you are unfamiliar, change that.
3. Dave Hause - …And The Mermaid Funny thing about Dave Hause, he makes a great record, followed by some slow and slightly boring one-off singles here and there, and then when he does another full length LP, it’s fantastic. And those funky singles are never on the full length. It’s like he just gets them out of his system, and that way all of his records are stellar. Anyway, my point is, this record rocks, which I did not necessarily expect. I love it. In particular, check out “Look Alive” and “Enough Hope.” This was a candidate for my best record of 2025. It should probably be ahead of The Wildhearts, below, but it gets penalized for sounding a bit too much like some past records.
2. The Wildhearts – Satanic Rites Of The Wildhearts Oh, this was so close to being great. But five great songs out of ten just isn’t good enough. Last year, my favorite record was by Massive Wagons. This record has a similar sound, and I am a huge fan of Ginger Wildheart, but there are a few tunes here that just don’t have enough tunefulness, shall we say. Not enough hooks, to scream-y for me. If every song was like “Scared of Glass” or “Troubadour Moon” then we would have had a different number one.
1. Cheap Trick – All Washed Up Boom! There you have it. Easily the best title for any record in 2025. And easily, for me, the biggest surprise in 2025. This is a fantastic record by a band that simply shouldn’t be this good anymore. Holy cow, I love this thing. I’m not going to point you to a favorite track because they are pretty much all good. Seven out of eleven of them are true winners. If I have to pick one record from all my categories, I guess this is it.
Now that I have written this, I feel a bit better about 2025. There’s some really good stuff listed above. I can’t wait to dive into other people’s best of 2025 lists. I hope everyone had a good year. Please keep reading Pencil Storm in 2026!
SOME ILLUSTRATIVE VIDEO TREATS
JCE, or John to his friends, lives in rural central Virginia with his wife. According to Apple Music, together they listened to over 70,000 minutes of music in 2025. He has been a rock n roll fanatic since childhood, loves to attend shows in smaller clubs and while now 62 and retired, shows no signs of slowing down anytime soon.