The Top Ten Songs Of 2018

I am an album person. When I sit down to listen to music, my mood usually wants to hear one artist and one style for a solid chunk of time. One song here and there doesn't give me the same satisfaction, but songs are what everything comes down to. You can't have great artists and great albums without great songs. So while I spend most of my time here talking about records in full, I do like to take time at the end of the year to highlight the individual songs that have spoken to me the most. Here they are.

10. Myja - Just One Kiss

Myja's album mixed grunge and power pop, and nowhere was it more effective than on this track, which is like a piece of bubblegum that leaves your lips stained in goth black. Borrowing a piece of the melody from a massive Shania Twain hit, there is something deeply satisfying about hearing the familiar given a slightly unexpected twist.

9. Nordic Union - Breathtaking

This record had multiple songs that I could have picked, but I settled on this one for a simple reason; it is what the title promises. Melodic rock is often toothless and too smooth for its own good. Nordic Union has grit and melancholy, and that makes the sugar rush of the hook all the sweeter.

8. Richie Kotzen - Riot

The Winery Dogs weren't active this year, but this song fills that gap. Sounding exactly like a track from their awesome debut album, Richie on this solo track hits on everything he does so well. There is some flashy guitar playing, a solid groove, and a bouncy hook that kills. This is one of Richie's best, definitely.

7. All That Remains - Everything's Wrong

Why do I hate modern bro-rock? In large part, because if those people were a bit more mature, we would wind up with more songs like this one. It's still dark and suitably heavy, but there's a level of introspection and melody that can only come from an adult attitude. This track is the standout of a surprisingly good record, a singer/songwriter track delivered through the attitude and sound of heavy metal. It works.

6. Ghost - Witch Image

Ghost's "Prequelle" was their poppiest record yet, and no song was poppier than this one, which explains why I love it so much. Pop music with loud guitars is one of my favorite types of music, and Ghost absolutely nail it. Did you ever think a song about rotting flesh could be an infectious pop anthem? Well, it is here. Every time I listen to this song, it winds up caught in my head for days. In Ghost's 'greatest hits', this goes right near the top.

5. Light The Torch - Die Alone

The first time I heard this song, it blew me away. I've come to expect my favorite albums to be one-offs, so when the spirit of my favorite Killswitch Engage album came pounding through the speakers, I was pumped. Howard Jones just has one of those voices that sells his material, so hearing him back to his melodic best is a treat. Couple that hooky melody with some crushing guitars, and you have a recipe for great things.

4. The Spider Accomplice - End My Life

As has seemingly become ritual, The Spider Accomplice are gracing my lists yet again. They continue to spin new patterns with their musical silk, enchanting us until we get so close we wind up stuck in their web. This time, they expand their scope, becoming symphonic, with VK more than matching the power of the backdrop. Every time you encounter this spider, there is something new to hear. But running through it all is a thread of honesty, and it makes everything they put out burn even hotter.

3. W.E.T. - The Burning Pain Of Love

So there's a song that is pure melodic rock bliss, and has backing vocals straight out of the classic Meat Loaf sound? You can't sigh me up faster, and W.E.T. more than deliver on this track, the absolute standout from their latest album. This is the kind of stuff 'true' fans call too cheesy, or wimpy, or whatever other adjective they want to use to deflect from their own insecurity. What this song is, simply, is awesome.

2. Dilana - Behind Closed Doors

There was very little chance my favorite voice could release a new song and it wouldn't end up here. Dilana is one of those rare singers who makes you feel what she is singing, or me at least, and with a powerful message in the lyrics about one of the horrors of humanity, the result is wrenching. A truly beautiful way to shine light upon the darkness.

1. Halestorm - Vicious

Am I vicious? No, not even close. But listening to this song, I can almost feel it. Look, I can't explain everything that goes on in my mind, and why this song captured my attention more than any other this year is one of them that slips through my grasp. Yes, I love the slinky groove, the power of the hook, and Lzzy's goddess vocals, but I could say that about "Killing Myself To Live", too. In fact, I almost did. So why "Vicious"? I suppose in a year where it felt everyone was being beaten down by bad news each and every day, we all need to be a little vicious to survive.