The Top 20 Rock Songs of 2016

Welcome to the Top 20 Rock Songs of 2016.  These songs are my favorite songs of the year and were not necessarily played on the radio or even shot up the charts.  They just moved me in some way good or bad!

If you missed the Top Rock Albums of 2016 or the Top Albums of 2016 (that were not Rock), just click on the link and go check them out.

It is time to start the list so here we go…

20. “Parasite (feat. John 5)” by Ace Frehley off the album ‘Origins, Vol. 1’:  I wouldn’t pick a covers song for this list if this one wasn’t so damn good.  John 5 on guitar is amazing and since this is an old Kiss song it is perfect for Ace.  I think it sounds better than the original.

19. “Raise Hell” by Dorothy off the album ‘RockisDead’:  This bluesy gem from Dorothy has such a great sound and Dorothy’s vocals are perfect for this style.  I expect big things from this band!

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Concerts, Concerts, Concerts – The 90’s

I am going to continue rehashing all the concerts I have been to that I still have the tickets stubs for those shows and even mention shows I remember that I can’t find a ticket stub.  I started off talking about The 80’s (click to read about it), now we will pick up in the 90’s and see what wonderful shows I attended.

The 90’s

The first show for me of this new decade was none other than…KISS!!  It was July 20, 1990 and this time it was at the Coca-Cola Lakewood Amphitheater.  This was a great show.  The opening acts were Danger Danger for sure and the other act was possibly Slaughter.  Not positive on that one. This show got me hooked on Danger Danger so that is why I remember it.  The tour was for the album Hot in the Shade and had a huge Sphinx for the state setup.  Ticket prices were now over $20 at $24 after fees.

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Friday New Releases – December 23rd

To my surprise, there were actually some albums that were released today…two days before Christmas.  I pulled up Apple Music to see if there was anything and sure enough, there was.  In case you are interested for some last minute gifts, here are the handful of releases worth mentioning.  There are a couple (highlighted in Blue) that I will give a listen.  Happy Holidays and Merry Christmas to you all!!!

170x170bb-67  Nine Inch Nails – Not the Actual Events E.P. – (The Null Corporation):  NIN is back with a 5 song E.P. just in time for Christmas.  I am not a huge fan, but there stuff is interesting enough to at least give one spin.

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The Top Albums of 2016

The year is almost over so it is time to look back at what was awesome in music during the year.  I have already looked back at the Top Rock Albums of 2016 (click to read).   This list will cover all other genres that I listened to over the year including Pop, R&B, Christian and whatever other genre you want classify these albums.  Rock is my favorite genre that is why it gets it’s own list, but that doesn’t take away from any of these choices as I think they are great on their own.

Note:  These albums were my favorites and not necessarily the most played on the radio (which I hate the radio) or even the biggest sellers.  These are just what I came across during the year and connected with me in some way.  So, we might as well get started…

The #1 Album of 2016

cover170x170-33Lady Gaga – Joanne (Interscope Records): This was an easy pick for me.  The album was such a pleasant surprise and a departure from her last album.  It had a little bit of everything from Pop to Country to Rock to Folk.  It was such a great mixture of songs that gave us one cohesive album.  The title track, “John Wayne”, “A Million Reasons” and “Perfect Illusion” were all great songs.  Even the Deluxe Edition was great with “Grigio Girls”.  All around classic album for Lady Gaga.  Check out my review here.

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Friday New Releases – December 16th

Happy Friday.  This is the last Friday New Release update of the year.  The next two weeks might have some new releases but nothing on my radar.

This week’s list is very limited as well. The only one worth writing home about is the 40th Anniversary of Rush’s classic album 2112.  Outside of that I might listen to the Bon Jovi live album (won’t buy it) and I will always listen to anything Tony Bennett.  See if there is anything you are interested in hearing.

  • cover170x170-13  Rush – 2112 (40th Anniversary) – (Mercury Records):  Hard to believe it has been 40 years since this album came out. Amazing.  And I am getting old.  It will be great to go back and listen to this amazing classic.  If you have 20 minutes to kill, check out the video.

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The Top Rock Albums of 2016

2016 is about to be over so it is time to look back on the year and see what amazing albums rocked my world this year.  It was a great year indeed.  This was the year I started this blog back in April and it has been a blast. I have listened to a lot of albums this year so I had stuff to write about and it really made the year special.

This list will be my favorite “Rock” albums of the year.  All other types of music will be for a later post.  I am going to leave this one to my favorite genre.  It is a broad genre, but these are the albums that I consider to be ROCK!!

Also note, these are MY FAVORITES!!  These are not the most popular or possibly even the ones that have sold the most.  These are the albums that I connected with during the year and kept coming back to again and again.  And without further adieu, here are the Top Rock Albums of 2016:

My #1 Album of the Year:

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Hellyeah – UnDen!able (Eleven Seven Music):  This album screams Rock & Roll to me!  It is heavy and pounding with aggressive vocals and lyrics and was perfect for me when I got stuck in traffic and needed to vent a little.  With songs like “Startariot”, “X”, “Scratch A Lie” and “Be Undeniable”, I was completely satisfied with this gem.  Check out the review at this link to see what I thought in detail about the album.

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2016 In Memoriam – Playlist

2016 has seen it’s share of tragedies with Musicians.  I know each year there are a lot of musician’s that pass away, but for some reason this year seems to have taken quite a few from us.  Now that the year is almost over, I have updated the list to include musicians that have passed away in the last few months.  I started this back in April/May.  Hopefully that will be it for 2016.  Let’s hope 2017 doesn’t bring more of the same.

In memory of all the artist we have lost so far this year, here is a playlist so we can remember the gift of music that they left us that will live on forever.

David Bowie – January 10th, 2016:  David Bowie just released his album, Black Star, two days earlier on January 8th (his birthday).  He had so many great songs and it was really hard to choose.  I chose “Modern Love” as that was the year I really started obsessing about music.  The year was 1983 and his popularity was on the rise again.  It was that song that made me know who he was and made me go look at what he had done in the past.  Since that time, I have been a fan.

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Friday New Releases – December 9th

As we are getting closer to Christmas, there are not a whole lot of releases I am interested in and this week is one of those weeks where I am not running out to get or listen to any of them.  Maybe there is something for you.  It will give me a chance to start working on the Best of 2016 Lists which will be coming soon.

  • cover170x170-3  Neil Young – Peace Trail – (Reprise Records)
  • 170x170bb-11  Sister Hazel – Unplugged from Daryl’s House Club – (Croakin’ Poet Records)
  • cover170x170-47  Tech N9ne – The Storm (Deluxe) – (Strange Music, Inc.)
  • 170x170bb-16  J. Cole – 4 Your Eyez Only – (Dreamville)
  • cover170x170-2  Post Malone – Stoney – (Republic Records)
  • 170x170bb-12  Nelson – This Christmas Too – (Stone Canyon Records)

Sixx:A.M. – ‘Prayers for the Blessed, Vol. 2’ – Album Review

On the follow-up to ‘Prayers for the Damned, Vol. 1’, Sixx:A.M. is back in a little over 6 months with the ‘Prayers for the Blessed, Vol. 2’.  What I love about Sixx:A.M. is the consistency they have with the quality of songs and the album and this one is no different. There are not too many bands that are hitting on all cylinders like they currently are.

When the first song, “Barbarians (Prayers for the Blessed)”, kicks in you immediately know the band has picked up right where Vol. 1 left off.  The heavy ass drums and guitar just screams ‘CRANK ME UP!!!’

The first single off the album is “We Will Not Go Quietly” and is more of what I have come to expect and salivate over. James Michael’s vocals are outstanding and you can’t complain about the greatness of DJ Ashba’s guitar work either.

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Record Store Day – The Wild Feathers – ‘Live at the Ryman’

On Black Friday, November 25th, it was Record Store Day.  A day to celebrate independently owned Record Stores.  Bands will release special edition or unique offerings to celebrate.  I was in the middle of traveling to Atlanta from Charlotte and was not able to hit my local record store to show my appreciation.

However, on Saturday I did visit a record store in Marietta, Ga because there was one album I was eager to obtain.  It was a special 2 LP release of The Wild Feathers ‘Live at the Ryman’.  There were only 3,000 copies made and I can say I am one of the very proud owners of one copy.

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