▶ Listen on Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube
5. Devo: “Gate of Steel”
“I had never heard this song before this year, but it stuck with me for two reasons. First, it's absolutely blistering, and Devo's version of 'Whip It.' It shows that they are a super tight rock'n'roll band that goes above and beyond. The second is how the song's opaque meaning captures how I feel about so many events that have happened in 2024. Are the lyrics part of Devo's theory of de-evolution and are we all doomed to a hopeless regression? Or are the lyrics “Twist the Steel Gates” about hope, and is there really hope within us to overcome the worst aspects of ourselves? I don't know yet. ” — Chris Orcutt, Wayland, MA
▶ Listen on Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube
6. PJ Harvey: “Rid of Me”
“This song is older than me, but when I listened to it recently, it somehow stuck with me and filled the gap that new music is trying to approach. With everything going on in the world Now is the perfect time for angry grunge music to make a comeback. It feels like the right time, but many recent attempts feel too restrained or too afraid to stray from the common pop formula. There's no restraint. The song boils over and explodes. It's very satisfying.” — Shereen Shafi, Baltimore
▶ Listen on Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube
7. Joni Mitchell: “Cold Blue Steel and Sweet Fire”
“This song has always resonated with me because it excruciatingly depicts the suffering of people with addiction. It's also one of the best songs from one of the best albums of all time. I was able to see Joni in Hollywood this year, so it resonated with me even more.” — Gabrielle Lawson, Dayton, Ohio.
▶ Listen on Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube
8. Sonny Rollins: “As Gently as the Morning Sunrise (Afternoon Take, Live at the Village Vanguard 1957)”
“For decades, this iconic performance could only be heard from substandard tape sources, until now. Rudy Van Gelder's second great tape machine The amazing sounds of the night have been recorded in breathtaking detail. In May, Blue Note released these recordings, giving them a well-deserved reissue, with every note as vivid as the moment it was played. As you listen, you'll hear the passionate and quiet complexity of Elvin Jones' drums and Rollins' tenor saxophone, as if they were playing just for you. ” — Walter Gross, Brooklyn.
▶ Listen on Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube
9. Whammy: “Big Mountain”
“After 21 years of a demanding and rewarding career, this year I set a course for change: a life immersed in nature and small communities, becoming an adventurer rather than an achiever. Listening to the song makes me yearn for the horizon with all my being. It's grounding normality in a world where normalcy is crumbling.” — Kyle Campbell, Berlin.
▶ Listen on Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube
10. Jackson Browne: “For the Dancers”
“I heard it while watching 'A Man on the Inside.' The song, the words, the melody really touched my heart. It's about life and death and the dance in between. I'm living with a lot of pain, so these words saved me.The violin solo sounds very soulful.It's a beautiful song.I wish I had heard it before.I've been a fan of Jackson Browne for a long time. ” —Laurie Leroux, Hermiston, Oregon.
