Amidst our daily grind of trying to look busy, we at Riot Fest HQ actually jam to tunes that go beyond our punk rock bread and butter. Yep, Olivia Rodrigo and Taylor Swift’s latest have us singing along to something other than three-chord anthems—they’re staff favorites, no less.
So skip the usual year-end-low-effort-best-of noise, and check out the comprehensive list below that might crash your browser.
Stay tuned for our year-end Spotify recap compilation, which will spill the beans on our actual office listening habits, some of which MIGHT SHOCK YOU. (Some of us might be too ashamed to show our faces around here… )
**UPDATED 11/30 Staff Spotify Year-End Wrappeds are added, and they are SHOCKING.
Get 30% off site-wide on all Riot Merch for a limited time!
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LISTEN TO THE FULL PLAYLIST ON
Mo
Sleep TokenTake Me Back To Eden
Song to listen to: Granite
Sundowning is still by far my favorite album from them, but the newest album from this year comes pretty damn close.
UnityTXFerality
Song to listen to: ROC SH!T
Their album Madboy got a ton of spins from me so when they dropped this new one I anticipated something just as good and they absolutely delivered.
Noah KahanStick Season (We’ll All Be Here Forever)
Song to listen to: Call Your Mom
Though Stick Season‘s original came out in 2022, all the new songs in this edition rip me apart and sew me back together again. No Complaints? Call Your Mom? You’re Gonna Go Far? God, I need to go lay down just thinking about it.
CHIKASAMSON: THE ALBUM
Song to listen to: NIGHT 4
At a full 20 songs, CHIKA does a masterful job of showing you her craft and why she’s good at it. I’ve loved her since INDUSTRY GAMES and this album is beautiful and perfect.
Honorable Mention
LITTLE SIMZ NO THANK YOU
Song to listen to: No Merci
This album was released in December of last year, but it’s a total banger. The flow is flawless. Every single track. Perfect 10/10 no notes.
Dan
Marvelous 3 IV
Song to listen to: Growing My Hair Out, Jackie and Tina
This is a surprise reunion/comeback/farewell album from one of my favorite bands of all time, The Marvelous 3, who broke up 23 years ago. It’s the most fun 35 minutes of power pop I’ve heard not just this year, but in a long time. Thank you, Butch, Jayce, and Slug!
Metallica 72 Seasons
Song to listen to: Too Far Gone?, Inamorata
Metallica does not need to make any more albums. They have nothing left to prove. They are, and will always be, the greatest heavy band of all time. And yet, over 40 years into their career, they make 72 Seasons. Are you kidding me? This is my favorite Metallica album since 2003.
Foo Fighters But Here We Are
Song to listen to: The Teacher, Show Me How
Dealing with grief and loss is incredibly hard, and I can’t imagine making a rock and roll album about it, let alone one that immediately jumps to the top of an eleven-album catalog. This is a top 3 Foos record for me, and I have been a fan since ’95.
Paramore This is Why
Song to listen to: The News, Running Out of Time
Paramore did exactly what I hoped they would do and they made an album that sounds like the natural evolution of Hayley Williams’ solo music. This is Why has made a Paramore fan out of me.
Olivia Rodrigo GUTS
Song to listen to: get him back!, bad idea right?
I remember being young and messy. This is it, cranked up to 11. Love it.
Teenage Wrist Still Love
Song to listen to: Digital Self, Still Love
Does Billy Corgan know about this band? I hope so.
Fall Out Boy So Much (For) Stardust
Song to listen to: Fake Out, So Much (For) Stardust
A little less MANIA slump, a little more Comeback of the Year. Real Fall Out Boy for my real friends.
Jeff Rosenstock HELLMODE
Song to listen to: DOUBT, HEALMODE
Spotify kept algorithmically serving me “I Liked U Better” until I finally caved. I’m glad I did because this album rocks.
Bully Lucky for You
Song to listen to: Days Move Slow, Change Your Mind
The vocals on this Bully record might be my favorite I have heard on any album this year.
Queens of the Stone Age In Times New Roman
Song to listen to: Paper Machete, Time and Place
It sounds like Queens of the Stone Age jamming in a room together with all their wacky amps and pedals, having a blast. That works for me.
- Sincere Engineer Cheap Grills
- Origami Angel The Brightest Days
- The Dirty Nil Free Reign to Passions
- DRAIN LIVING PROOF
- The Gaslight Anthem History Books
- The Menzingers Some Of It Was True
- ††† (Crosses) Good Night, God Bless, I Love U, Delete.
- Bethany Cosentino Natural Disaster
- Miley Cyrus Endless Summer Vacation
- boygenius the record
- FIDLAR That’s Life
- Softcult See You in the Dark
- The Rolling Stones Hackney Diamonds
- The Beatles Now and Then
- Smashing Pumpkins ATUM
- Lucero Should’ve Learned by Now
- Wilco Cousin
- Post Malone AUSTIN
- Taking Back Sunday 152
- Sevendust Truth Killer
- Polyphia Remember That You Will Die
- The Mars Volta Self Titled
- Nikki Lane Denim and Diamonds
Hannah
blink-182 One More Time
Song to listen to: One More Time, Turpentine
The Menzingers Some Of It Was True
Song to listen to: Some Of It Was True, Try
The Beaches Blame My Ex
Song to listen to: Blame Brett
100 gecs 10,000 gecs
Song to listen to: Frog On The Floor
Paramore This Is Why
Song to listen to: Thick Skull
Fall Out Boy So Much (For) Stardust
Song to listen to: Hold Me Like A Grudge
Bad BooksII: Revisited
Song to listen to: Friendly Advice
Marc
BlurThe Ballad of Darren
Songs to listen to: The Narcissist, Barbaric
I would put this album up against almost any Blur Album. My Summer soundtrack of 2023.
Twin TempleGod Is Dead
Songs to listen to: Let’s Have a Satanic Orgy, Burn Your Bible
Satanic Doo-Wop. That’s all I should need to say
Samiam Stowaway
Songs to listen to: Lights out Little Hustler, Monterey Canyon
Beautiful, emotional. And every time this band puts out an album, it means there is a solid chance we get to see them live.
Brigitte Calls Me Baby This House is Made of Corners
Songs to listen to: Eddie My Love, The Future is Our Way Out
The first EP from this Chicago band. Keep yours easy and ears out on these folks. Roy Orbison/Gene/Morrissey. I hear you in there.
James Be Opened By The Wonderful
Songs to listen to: She’s A Star, Hey Ma
Orchestral recordings of classic James songs. Captured perfectly.
Hotline TNT Cartwheel
Songs to listen to: I Thought You’d Change, Stump
World-class shoegaze. Check out everything they have.
Taylor Swift 1989 (Taylor’s Version)
Songs to listen to: Shake It Off, Out of The Woods
Slaughter Beach, Dog Crying, Waving, Laughing, Smiling
Songs to listen to: Strange Weather, Summer Windows
More from the incredible Slaughter Beach, Dog. If they would put out a new album every month I wouldn’t mind.
Public Image Limited End Of World
Songs to listen to: Hawaii, Car Chase
Heartbreaking tribute to his love. Unmistakably John Lydon.
The Front Bottoms You Are Who You Hang Out With
Songs to listen to: Not Joking, Punching Bag
They have yet to put out anything I have not fallen in love with.
Tim
Bully Lucky for You
Song to listen to: All I Do, Days Move Slow
You can get through this entire record in a half hour, and it has two of my favorite songs from this year on it.
The Gaslight Anthem History Books
Song to listen to: Positive Charge
If there’s one band that I’ve loved the longest and mostest, it would be The Gaslight Anthem, and this new album only made me cry during one song, which is nice to feel feelings every once in awhile.
The Menzingers Some Of It Was True
There’s not a bad song on this album. Rock and roll.
Joey Valence & BraePUNK TACTICS
Songs to listen to: Street Pizza, Club Sandwich, Punk Tactics
This is probably the album of the year for me. If you don’t get pumped up and ready to fight somebody when you hear “Street Pizza,” you must be dead inside.
Sincere EngineerCheap Grills
Songs to listen to: Landline, California King
If you haven’t been following Deanna Belos and her band, then you’re almost certainly missing out. (Do you even read our feed?) Chicago’s punkiest local punk has outdone herself with her latest. There’s really not a bad track on it.
Nancy
LabrinthEnds & Begins
Song to listen to: Never Felt So Alone
Bad Bunnynadie sabe lo que va a pasar mañana
Song to listen to: Monaco
Sam SmithGloria
Song to listen to: Unholy
RomyMidair
Song to listen to: Loveher
TiestoDrive
Song to listen to: 10:35
Jake
100 gecs10,000 gecs
gec gec gec gec gec gec gec gec gec gec gec gec gec gec gec gec gec gec gec gec gec gec gec gec gec gec gec gec gec gec gec gec gec gec gec gec gec gec gec gec gec gec gec gec gec gec gec gec gec gec gec gec gec gec gec gec gec gec gec gec gec gec gec gec gec gec gec gec gec gec gec gec gec gec gec gec gec gec gec gec gec gec gec gec gec gec gec gec gec gec gec gec gec gec gec gec gec gec gec gec gec gec gec gec gec gec gec gec gec gec gec gec gec gec gec gec gec gec gec gec gec gec gec gec gec gec gec gec gec gec gec gec gec gec gec gec gec gec gec gec gec gec gec gec gec gec gec gec gec gec gec gec gec gec gec gec gec gec gec gec gec gec gec gec gec gec gec gec gec gec gec gec gec gec gec gec gec gec gec gec gec gec gec gec gec gec gec gec gec gec gec gec gec gec gec gec gec gec gec gec gec gec gec gec gec gec gec gec gec gec
Single MothersRoy
Songs to listen to: Sad Dumb Game
Way way underrated band whose sound and style might change a bit from album to album, but quality is always consistent. Listen to the single off this album, “Sad Dumb Game”, and tell me I’m wrong!
blink-182One More Time
They’re baaaaaack!
Jeff RosenstockHELLMODE
Where Single Mothers tends to vary their sound and approach from album to album, I’d say Jeff has fully honed in on his sound and further perfects it album to album. Jeff never gets stale and HELLMODE is a great addition to his prolific catalog.
UnderscoresWallsocket
Hyperpop meets pop-punk (and lots more). They rip, check ’em out for yourself! Go back and check out Fishmonger too!
GELOnly Constant
If they weren’t on your radar before 2023, GEL definitely made their presence known on Only Constant. Get on board!
Jen
Taylor SwiftMidnights (The Til Dawn Edition)
Still a little embarrassed that I didn’t realize it was a breakup album until they made their breakup public.
Olivia RodrigoGuts
Songs to listen to love is embarrassing, making the bed
This album came at the exact right time for me (Sept 8). Just in time for Mo and me to continue our tradition of blasting girl pop anthem albums late at night in the office leading up to Riot Fest. It’s the only thing I’ve listened to as much as Taylor this year.
ClaudSupermodels
Came here for Paul Rudd; stayed for Claud. Such an adorable human with a precious indie sound.
Tommy LefroyRivals EP
Songs to listen to The Mess, Worst Case Kid
Recommended to me by Mo – I really can’t wait to hear more from this female soft rock duo.
Chapelle RoanThe Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess
Songs to listen to Red Wine Supernova, After Midnight
This album is so super fun and has been on heavy rotation since I stumbled upon it.
Taylor Swift1989 (Taylor’s Version)
Songs to listen to Now That We Don’t Talk, New Romantics
By far the best vault tracks yet. Still an album for anyone out there in a situationship.
Caroline
DessaBury The Lede
Everyone needs some pop in their life. Which, speaking of, check out drinkriotpop.com. This is not a sponsored ad.
Riot Fest Twitter Person
Dolly PartonRockstar
Songs to listen to: Wrecking Ball
John StamosIf You Would Have Told Me…
…the whole book is really good. I just like listening the beautiful voice of John Stamos as I drift off to sleep
Luba
Taking Back Sunday152
Songs to listen to: Quit Trying, Juice 2 Me
blink-182One More Time
Songs to listen to: Anthem Part 3, Dance With Me, Terrified
Fall Out Boy So Much (For) Stardust
Song to listen to: So Much (For) Stardust, The Kintsugi Kid (Ten Years)
Riot Mike
In no particular order…
Ratboys The Window
100 gecs 10,000 gecs
Bully Lucky for You
Rancid Tomorrow Never Comes
Denzel Curry Live At Electric Lady
PJ Harvey I Inside the Old Year Dying
The Menzingers Some Of It Was True
Post Malone AUSTIN
Death Lens Limousine
Jeff Rosenstock HELLMODE
Sincere EngineerCheap Grills
LISTEN TO THE FULL PLAYLIST ON
Riot Fest Staff Spotify Year-End
In other words, this is what we actually listen to….
The Related Rabbit Hole
