The 2022 Jester One Music Top 20 Countdown - #1

 #1. Forever Unknown - sad people, blue eyes

Track: sad people, blue eyes
Artist: Forever Unknown
Album: Say It Back

 

Another repeat artist and another local to put the 2022 Countdown to rest. Unlike last year, where I had never listened to Teenage Wrist before their new album dropped, Forever Unknown burst onto the scene in 2020 with their debut EP Study Hall and the song "Bury Me", which made it all the way up to #4 that year. I knew this group had incredible potential the first time I saw them live. I've watched them mature from high school teens trying to find a sound, to college rockstars who are just looking for the right break to make it big. Their live shows are fun and energetic, and singer/songwriter/do-it-all wizard Micah SD just seems to be getting better and better.

It is Micah's songwriting that really hooked me on their music. It is rare that I find lyricists who write about specific things that I have felt/am feeling, and it feels like almost every single one of their songs has a line or two that really pummels me internally.  When I was writing the review for Say It Back, the song that immediately jumped out of my speakers was "sad people, blue eyes". I must have gone back and listened to the song at least 10 times just that day alone because I was overwhelmed with the power and emotion of it all. Guitarist Blake Bennett has a screaming solo that I know I probably just listened to on repeat 100 times this year as well. 

Within a month of this album being released, I knew deep down this would be my #1 track, and "sad people, blue eyes" is far and away the most listened to song for 2022 for me. Say It Back also has a big lead on most played (and probably favorite) album of the year. The production is off the scale, and every song got significant play at one time or another this year. This is also the 3rd local song in the last 6 years to take the #1 spot, following Morning Theft (2017) and Lilieae (2020).

Previous five #1s:

2021: Teenage Wrist - Taste of Gasoline
2020: Lilieae - Level
2019: VNV Nation - Only Satellites
2018: Florence + The Machine - Sky Full Of Song
2017: Morning Theft - Skeleton Twins

The 2022 Jester One Music Top 20 Countdown - #2

 #2. Rammstein - Lügen

Title: Lügen
Artist: Rammstein
Album: Zeit

Three times Rammstein has released an album since the inception of J1, and all 3 have landed on the Top 20. "Frühling in Paris" hit #18 in 2010, while "Radio" climbed all the way to #6 back in '19. As much as I'd like to believe that my favorite artists will always be represented in a Countdown that I solely curate, that has not always been the case. For instance, Anberlin (one of my all time favorite artists) had released 3 albums and an EP since 2009 and none of them have landed here. It is what it is, and it was with much trepidation that I journeyed into a 2nd new Rammstein album in 3 years after going almost a decade without. The group has been doing it for almost 30 years... did they have another masterpiece in them?

Oh, you better believe it. From the opening track ("Armee der Tristen") to the sentimental closer "Adieu", this album is 10 bops and one track that is just OK. The first time I listened to the record, I was texting back and forth with my friend Frankie, lead singer of our local R+ tribute band and German native. We were comparing things we liked and disliked on the album, and I remember having to go back and listen to "Lügen" multiple times because I was so caught off guard by what I heard. I immediately knew this was my favorite track from the record. There's something haunting about the opening piano, and the drop in of guitars at the 45s mark. The song is about a person who lives their live by telling lies, and eventually gets to the point where they lie so much that they don't even know what is true anymore. There's even some heavy autotune thrown in on the last verse just to prove the point of things being fake. Total brilliance. Way to go, Rammstein. What more can be said?

Previous five #2s:

2021: The Struts - Another Hit of Showmanship (ft Albert Hammond Jr)
2020: Purity Ring - stardew
2019: The Broken Relics - Where The Creatures Roam
2018: The War On Drugs - Pain
2017: Future Islands - Ran

The 2022 Jester One Music Top 20 Countdown - #3

#3. Ronnie Martin - From the Womb of the Morning, The Dew of Your Youth Will Be Yours

Title: From the Womb of the Morning, The Dew of Your Youth Will Be Yours
Artist: Ronnie Martin
Album: From the Womb of the Morning, The Dew of Your Youth Will Be Yours

 

When I was a kid, I distinctly remember the first time I heard Joy Electric. There was nothing else like their blend of bubbly synth-pop on Christian radio, and the label they were on (Tooth and Nail) was almost exclusively punk, emo and hard rock. You never what bandleader Ronnie Martin was going to write about, but you knew it was going to be wholly different from anything else you'd ever heard. But Martin had essentially been out of music since 2014, and I honestly hadn't listened much to their newer stuff since high school. I saw that Martin had released a new record and came in with zero expectations but wanted to give it a spin just the same.

Blown. Away. It's honestly a shame that From the Womb...is only 7 tracks, because it is humongous and brilliantly produced, and Martin's vocals sound as good as they ever have. The opening synth line is legitimately hypnotizing and moves me in an emotional way that was totally unexpected. Even though I've listened to the song 40 or 50 times this year, the synth line still knocks me over every single time. Majestic song, possibly my favorite album of the year, featuring songs like "Sing Among The Branches" and "Snow Like Wool". 

Also, this easily smashes the record of the longest song (and album) title from Jr. Jr., whose 2013 hit "If You Didn't See Me (Then You Weren't On The Dancefloor)" hit #7.

Favorite line: "Lost in parties, hollow shapes, in brooding fashion pose. Pages turn, dispassion churns, you learn what's grave and dour - will fair colors bleed into yours?"

 

 

 

 

 

 

Previous five #3s:

2021: Acceptance - At the Edge of the Earth
2020: White Reaper - Real Long Time
2019: Smith & Thell - Forgive Me Friend
2018: Vesperteen - Medicine
2017: The Naked and Famous - Higher
 

The 2022 Jester One Music Top 20 Countdown - #4

 #4. Truslow - Abbey Dear

Title: Abbey Dear
Artist: Truslow
Album: Natural Killer

Truslow is one of my all-time favorite bands, and all 3 of his records have been absolutely fantastic. I feel blessed getting to hear the bands namesake sing every Sunday at church, but the talent in the band is absolutely abundant. I had already heard half of the songs on the record by the time that it dropped, but "Abbey Dear" was immediately the one I gravitated towards on first spin. It's interesting though - the first time I listened to it, I was unsure of what to think. What do you do when one of your favorite artists records a new album? You try to temper your expectations and just enjoy the music for what it is, and on first listen I did that and this was the only song that stood out. 

Since then, the album has been listened to backwards and forwards at least a dozen times this year and nothing shines brighter than James Truslow's anthemic ballad about his love for his wife. The song starts with a simple piano and just continues to build and build until the final chorus bursts through your speakers. After giving "Abbey Dear" a few spins on release day, I realized that this was the type of song that I would want to write for my wife, if I were a fantastically talented songwriter like James is.  I can't be the only one who feels this way. Of another note of interest, this is the 5th year in the last 7 where a local artist landed at #4.  (2016, '18, '20, '21)

Favorite line: "I'm just a bottle in the sea - my words, my songs they mean nothing to me. You are the current in the deep - your breath, your touch, every moment you speak..."

 

 

Previous five #4s:

2021: A Tiger Made of Lightning - Little Birds
2020: Forever Unknown -  Bury Me
2019: VHS Collection - Sign
2018: Curse of Cassandra - Re-Bind
2017: The Birthday Massacre - All of Nothing

The 2022 Jester One Music Top 20 Countdown - #5

#5. Silversun Pickups - Alone on a Hill

Title: Alone on a Hill
Artist: Silversun Pickups
Album: Physical Thrills

Every year there's a certain point where the Countdown goes from good songs to OMG songs. As much as the last 3 or 4 got listened to in the last year, there is a significant jump here to #5. In Silversun Pickups, we have a band that first hit in the inaugural year with "It's Nice To Know You Work Alone" (#15) and again in 2012 with "Bloody Mary (Nerve Endings)" (#19). Those two albums were so big for me that I genuinely thought the band was going to become an absolute all-timer for me, but things just kind of tailed off. Physical Thrills is the first SSPU album that didn't reach the top 5 independent charts, finishing its rise at #35, while failing to chart on the Billboard 200 at all.

All that being said, it also isn't one of my top favorite albums of the year, but I knew I was in love the moment I heard bassist Nikki Monninger's voice. She doesn't usually sing lead, and the song has a very simple piano and bass/snare opening that sounds nothing like the band's original sound. But the emotion in Monninger's voice is absolutely captivating as she sings about loneliness and emptiness. I listened to this song at least 10 times on the day it was released, and things never really slowed down from there.

Favorite line: "Isn't at all complicated? This isn't all about this wave that's crashing in."

 

 

Previous five #5s:

2021: Meryl Creep - Spiraling
2020: Empathy Test - Monsters
2019: Within Temptation - In Vain
2018: Andrew WK - Music Is Worth Living For
2017: Chris Cornell - The Promise

The 2022 Jester One Music Top 20 Countdown - #6

 #6. YUNGBLUD - The Funeral

Title: The Funeral
Artist: YUNGBLUD
Album: YUNGBLUD

The ride of YUNGBLUD has been a fascinating one to watch. The way he has blown up in the last 4 years has been nothing short of incredible. The British media treats him like royalty while people in the United States seem to have no idea what to think about him. Fortunately for him, Spotify is an English entity and funnels traffic towards artists who are popular in the UK, so his face seems to be everywhere you go in the rock world. I honestly hadn't taken the time to really listen to him before because he felt like another media hype product, similar to MGK and other pop-rockers, but as I've dug into him I've found myself relating to him more and more. The aesthetic immediately caught me, but it's the relevance of his lyrics that really nailed me. I remember I was driving to work one morning when I first heard "The Funeral" and I really haven't looked back since. The song bounces around and has a great feel and upbeat lyrics about how it's okay to feel what you're feeling in any given moment. Also, I really dig the quirkiness and rasp of his voice.

Favorite line: "Do you tell yourself that it's alright that you dream about the day you die?"

 

 

Last five #6s:

2021: Gang of Youths - the angel of 8th ave.
2020: TRVSS - All The Bugs
2019:  Rammstein - Radio
2018: Turnspit - Walk Away
2017: Assemblage 23 - Bravery

The 2022 Jester One Music Top 20 Countdown - #7

 #7. Best Foot Back - Give It A Go

 

Title: Give It A Go
Artist: Best Foot Back
Album: Give It A Go single

One of the last real interviews I did with Music in Motion last year was with Michael from Best Foot Back, who was just about to release their newest single. The band had plans to record new music in 2022 but it never materialized, making "Give It A Go" their most recent contribution to the sonic world. Although the song was released at the end of the autumn season, it definitely feels like a song that you'd be blaring while cruising in the summer. I had a hard time not cranking it up every time it came on one of my playlists. Every now and then I come across a song that just feels binge-worthy, and this was one of them - all the way up to the #7 spot this year.

Hint... this won't be the last local song on the Countdown, either...

Favorite line: "Hit the lights for my solo - better be in the front row. Stepping out of your shadow - breaking out on my own. Now I know I'm okay by myself so, I'm givin' it a go."

 

 

 

Last five #7s:

2021: '68 - Bad Bite
2020: King Princess - Ohio
2019: Cold - Shine
2018: Jukebox the Ghost - Everybody's Lonely
2017: Cold War Kids - Can We Hang On?

The 2022 Jester One Music Top 20 Countdown - #8

 #8. Spiritbox - Sew Me Up

Title: Sew Me Up
Artist: Spiritbox
Album: Rotoscope EP

Speaking of bands who have had meteoric rises, Spiritbox was nominated for a boatload of awards last year after they released their debut record Eternal Blue. The band was an honorable mention on last year's Countdown (for "We Live In A Strange World) and apparently wrote enough material for a 3 song EP less than a year after the album was released. All 3 songs rip hard and "Sew Me Up" has a tremendous 3 chord loop on the verses that is damn near impossible to not headbang to, while vocalist Courtney LaPlante again puts on a clinic for how heavy music should be sang when done clean. All 3 songs on the Rotoscope EP landed in the top 10 of US Hard Rock Digital charts.

Favorite line: "Hold on to hate, too hollow for anyone to just remain in shadow, pulling backwards to sew me up"

 

 

 

Previous five #8s:

2021: Manchester Orchestra - Bed Head
2020: Ships In The Night - Lost Times
2019: Billie Eilish - You Should See Me In A Crown
2018: Miller and the Hunks - Gravity
2017: Circle of Dust - Machines of our Disgrace

The 2022 Jester One Music Top 20 Countdown - #9

 #9. Ghost - Spillways

Title: Spillways
Artist: Ghost
Album: Impera

Ghost returns to the Countdown after landing at #20 in 2018 with "Dance Macabre", which coincidentally has become one of my favorite songs in the last 5 years in spite of not having a higher showing. The band continues to be both one of the most popular and divisive bands in the rock/metal landscape, with some writers going as far as to call them the "ABBA of metal". Regardless of their criticisms, Impera reached #1 in 7 different countries and top 3 in 7 others, including #1 on both the Billboard Top Rock, Hard Rock, Independent, and #2 on the Billboard 200. The band continues to play their enigma game, with singer Tobias Forge being the only named member in the band. "Spillways" has a catchy piano opening, rumbling bass and guitars, and a soaring chorus that make for an easy sing-a-long. The ability to blend their poppy sound with heaviness can be annoying sometimes but I feel like they nail it on at least 1 song off every album.

Favorite line: "Your desolation led you into this - Vile incarnation of consummated bliss. I know you need it now to make you feel ali-ive."

 

 

Previous five #9s:

2021: Assemblage 23 - Factory
2020: Apollo LTD - You
2019: Sleeping With Sirens - Leave It All Behind
2018: mind.in.a.box - Attack
2017: Bebe Rexha - The Way I Are (Dance With Somebody)

The 2022 Jester One Music Top 20 Countdown - #10

 #10. Andy Mineo - Been About It (ft Lecrae)

Title: Been About It
Artist: Andy Mineo ft Lecrae
Album: Never Land II

I've really tried to rediscover my love for rap/hip hop the last few years. The old school hip-hop that I grew up listening to every Saturday night on Planet HipHop and the music that is released in 2022 are two completely different products - so different that it's almost incorrect to label them as similar. Even with that in mind, there are still a LOT of good rappers making solid music that are still singing about relevant topics, and both Andy Mineo and Lecrae are two that I really respect in the genre. Granted, this song is 90% Andy with 'Crae just echoing a word here and there, but the beat on this song is phenomenal and there aren't a ton of distracting frills in between. The song clocks under 2.5 minutes and gives you a different treat with each bar. 116 Clique has so many great artists on their roster and I love finding more and more from them.

Favorite line: "They doin' nothin', got a lot to say. How you never had COVID, you still got no taste?" and "I went vegan for the weekend now I'm back to beef and broccoli"

 

Previous five #10s:

2021: Echo Image - Walk My Mind
2020: Loathe - Two-Way Mirror
2019: Fit For A King - When Everything Means Nothing
2018: The Night Game - The Outfield
2017: The National - Carin at the Liquor Store

The 2022 Jester One Music Top 20 Countdown - #11

 #11. The Weeknd - Gasoline

Title: Gasoline
Artist: The Weeknd
Album: Dawn FM

Every once and a while, a really big popstar ends up on the J1 Countdown. Even though I'm not a fan of the direction that pop music has taken, there are still really good artists making top notch music, and so The Weeknd breaks in at #11 this year. I enjoyed his performance at the Super Bowl a few years ago and I think he generally puts out decent music at the end of the day. Although I didn't enjoy the album that much, I liked the concept for the Dawn FM record, and every time "Gasoline" came on the radio and on my playlists, I couldn't help but sing along when it came to the chorus. The record itself landed at #1 in 12 different countries, and although "Gasoline" wasn't officially released as a single, it still worked its way up to #29 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Favorite line: "And if I finally die in peace, just wrap my body in these sheets, and pour out the gasoline... it don't mean much to me"

 

 

 

 

 

Previous five #11s:

2021: The Birthday Massacre - The NeverEnding Story
2020: Nightwish - Harvest
2019: Demon Hunter - The Negative
2018: Power Quest - No More Heroes
2017: Haim - Want You Back

 

The 2022 Jester One Music Top 20 Countdown - #12

#12. Coheed and Cambria - The Liars Club

Title: The Liars Club
Artist: Coheed and Cambria
Album: Vaxis – Act II: A Window of the Waking Mind

Show of hands... how many of you knew Coheed was still doing their thing? I remember how caught up the world was in the era of "The Favor House Atlantic" and Good Apollo IV, and how they slowly faded away. Well, that's not entirely fair, because each of their last 7 albums have reached (at least) #3 on the US Hard Rock charts and the Top 25 of the Billboard 200 charts. They just don't have songs that chart, which makes their reign of popularity even more unlikely. The fact of the matter is that Claudio Sanchez is an absolutely brilliant human being who writes incredible graphic novels and translates them into song. I don't even know how he exists - he's obviously some sort of alien.

Okay, I've written too much. I'm just glad that they're still chugging along because they are an admirable outfit. Anyways, "The Liars Club" and "Shoulders", the first single from Vaxis II are the highest charting Coheed songs since 2006's "Welcome Home", and deservedly so. The former opens with a startling synth line and a blasting chorus that makes it perfect for rolling the windows down and screaming along. Go, listen!

Favorite line: Oh, do you want me to lie? 'Cause I could do it, baby, I could do it - lie to you? I'm begging you. 'Cause life feels so much better when we just avoid the truth. Baby, are you okay to lie with me?"

Previous five #12s

2021: Romy - Lifetime
2020: Alright Years - Something I Can Dance To
2019: Bloody Hammers - From Beyond The Grave
2018: Fashion Week - Tell Me Something
2017: Incubus - No Fun

The 2022 Jester One Music Top 20 Countdown - #13

#13. Judah & the Lion - scream!

Title: scream!
Artist: Judah & the Lion
Album: Revival

I can say without a doubt that I never, ever expected Judah & the Lion on the Top 20. I've never liked any of their music, I don't care for their style or their attitudes, and even though my best friend Tessa has tried to get me into them over the years, it has never really stuck. But, if you give me a new song and tell me I should listen, I absolutely will. That's where this one comes in. It's a very simple arrangement with an extremely relevant lyrical message about holding on in the midst of the chaos of the world. It doesn't hurt that Judah keeps screaming "Lonely!" on every chorus. I feel you dude. I still couldn't make it all the way through the album, but this is a genuine jam. It got me through some rough times at the end of the year and is definitely worth a #13 showing.

Favorite line: "Lonely - this planet tends to get so woe-is-me, and 'round and 'round we go, so hold me..."

 

 

Previous five #13s

2021: The Dirty Nil - Blunt Force Concussion
2020: Slimfit - Pineapple Pizza
2019: Vesperteen - Operate
2018: Marshmello & Bastille - Happier
2017: Greeley Estates - Calling All The Hopeless

The 2022 Jester One Music Top 20 Countdown - #14

#14. The Regrettes - Anxieties (Out of Time)

 

Title: Anxieties (Out of Time)
Artist: The Regrettes
Album: Further Joy

It's been a female-heavy Top 20 this year, and Lydia Night is another one of those great singers with a unique and powerful voice. The Regrettes are another artist who I think is going to really explode soon, and Further Joy showed more clever lyrics that resonated a little deeper than their two previous albums. "Anxieties" definitely feels like a song born of the COVID-19 pandemic, about getting through hard times and winning the battles over the voices in your head. Also, this could totally be my favorite video of the year. It paints a picture of the madness within our minds in a clever and quirky manner that is most enjoyable.

Favorite line: "Are we just forever running out of time? Missing how it feels to really be alive? Knock me down, I won't back down."

 

 

Previous five #14s:

2021: beabadoobee - Last Day On Earth
2020: The Anix - Renegade
2019: Rome - Uropia O Morte
2018: Solar Fake - The Pain That Kills You Too
2017: DREAMCAR - Kill for Candy

The 2022 Jester One Music Top 20 Countdown - #15

 #15. TRUSS - Drown

Title: Drown
Artist: TRUSS
Album: Reset My Head

TRUSS returns to the Countdown after landing at #6 back in 2020 with "All The Bugs". The band took all of their original material from their live EP, added two fantastic new ones and packaged it all together with a ton of polish for their debut studio EP Reset My Head. The album is gritty and punching, just like a real life TRUSS show, and ends with the emotional "Drown", a song that resonates heavily with the suicidal voices that have plagued my entire life. At one point, singer Hannah Crandall continuously utters "I need to clear my head!" as the guitars build to a crescendo. This is a band that I feel has an incredibly bright future.

Favorite line: "You might think it's enthralling, but it's nothing special - clearing out what I had been through my shedding skin"

 

 

 

Previous five #15s:

2021: AFI - Begging for Trouble
2020: The Unlikely Candidates - High Low
2019: Syrian - We Are Stars
2018: Plushgun - Lukewarm
2017: Ex-Nihilo - Enemy
 

The 2022 Jester One Music Top 20 Countdown - #16

 16. Silent Planet - Panopticon

Title: Panopticon
Artist: Silent Planet
Album: Iridescent

I always get excited when a metal artist releases a great song or album. The early countdown years had a lot of metalcore, djent and deathcore artists, and somewhere along the line I just felt like the quality of releases diminished. In an interesting bit of irony, Silent Planet was never a band that I enjoyed much until I heard this record. It's hard not to get pumped up by the 40 second electronic drum intro before singer Garrett Russell screams "PANOPTICON!" The song is relentless and the album follows suit accordingly. I am always a fan of dystopian futuristic writing, especially when it related to the idea of living in a simulation.

Favorite line: "We sleep with pixels in a dream machine - but we lose ourselves and retreat to screens, retreat to screens."

*Note: strobe lights are featured heavily in the video*

 

 

 

 

Previous five #16s:

 

2021: PEABOD - Love Everybody (ft Tedashii)

2020: Sir Sly - Material Boy

2019: Blindside - Gravedigger

2018: Good Charlotte - Shadowboxer

2017: Demon Hunter - Raining Down

 

The 2022 Jester One Music Top 20 Countdown - #17

 17. Grumpy Plum - I Don't Care

Title: I Don't Care
Artist: Grumpy Plum
Album: I Don't Care single

The first Ohio entry to this year's Countdown comes from Cleveland's Grumpy Plum. The slop-pop trio released an EP in the summer of '21 and followed it up with two standalone singles featuring their new lineup, including the acerbic and abrasive "I Don't Care". At 1:23 it is the 2nd shortest song to ever land on the Countdown, but not a single second is wasted on this anthem to a terrible relationship. It's actually good that the song is so short, because you're gonna want to rewind back several times to catch each of singer Tallulah Swasey's brilliant barbs. Zing, zing, zingers.

Favorite line: "You can block me and forget me, I upgraded to a cat"

Previous five #17s: 

2021: Porter Robinson - Look at the Sky
2020: Corduroy Brown - To My Younger Self
2019: SYML - Clean Eyes
2018: Superorganism - Everybody Wants To Be Famous
2017: Tinashe - Flame

The 2022 Jester One Music Top 20 Countdown - #18

#18. The Foxies - Overrated

 

Title: Overrated
Artist: The Foxies
Album: Who Are You Now, Who Were You Then?

The first time I heard The Foxies, I knew I loved Julia Lauren Bullock's voice and delivery. I just get so tired of the mumbly, whispery female singers that have over-saturated the radio, so when I hear signers like that (or Aimee Interruptor) I get excited. Their album just dropped in September and has a few bonafide bops that might make their way into the 2023 Countdown, but the lead single "Overrated" was what caught my ear in '22. Fun, upbeat, and talking about someone who immediately wants too much out out of a relationship. I can only hope their live show is as energetic as the video for this song.

Favorite Line: "One day you will wake up and the things that made you happy make you numb - is that really living now?"

 

 

Last five #18s:

2021: Daymare - Control
2020: Little Hurt - Alaska
2019: James Truslow - Overwhelmed
2018: The Raquels - Just a Txt
2017: Andrew McMahon In The Wilderness - Fire Escape

The 2022 Jester One Music Top 20 Countdown - #19

#19. Bad Omens - Like A Villain

 

Title: Like A Villain

Artist: Bad Omens

Album: The Death of Peace of Mind

It's always interesting seeing the twists and turns that a Top 20 Countdown will take. Sometimes it's songs from bands I love, and sometimes it's an artist I don't care for from an album I didn't even like. It only takes one, right? I honestly haven't listened to a lot of Bad Omens in my life because I usually can't get too far into their songs, but the moment the chorus of this song hit, I knew I was in love. The lyrics hook me in and the passion in singer Noah Sebastian's voice resonates deep within me. The album landed at #2 on the US Heatseekers chart and #11 on the US Hard Rock chart as well.

Favorite Line: "I don't wanna know all your secrets cuz I'll tell - it's hard enough being alone with myself. I don't know how long I'll be holding on."

 

Last five #19s:

2021: Royal Blood - Typhoons
2020: The Broken Relics - Goodbye Tennessee
2019: Sigrid - Sucker Punch
2018: Rick Springfield - In The Land of the Blind
2017: The Head and The Heard - Rhythm & Blues

The 2022 Jester One Music Top 20 Countdown - #20

 #20. Halestorm - The Steeple

Title: The Steeple

Artist: Halestorm

Album: Back From the Dead

 

I wasn't a huge fan of Halestorm when they first came out - in fact, I felt like they were just going to be a flash in the pan. But they have steadily grown on me since their 2nd album dropped and Back From the Dead might be their best offering yet, with hits like "Strange Girl", "Back From the Dead" and "I Come First". The album landed at 36 in the US and #2 in the Hard Rock charts while hitting #9 in the UK. Lzzy Hale is a true rock queen, a warrior for women's rights and a mental health champion, and I admire the hell out of her. I wish more bands had a sound more like theirs these days, but at the end of the day this song just flat out rocks. 

Favorite Line: "A choir's singing in my heart today, like a thousand angels breaking the silent parade. To the ones I call my own, I'm back where I belong."

Last five #20s:

2021: Grabbitz - Pigs in the Sky
2020: Seether - Dangerous
2019: Vampire Weekend - Harmony Hall
2018: Ghost - Dance Macabre
2017: Liam Gallagher - Wall of Glass

The 2022 Jester One Music Top 20 Countdown - Intro and Songs That Didn't Make It

 I almost started this post with something along the lines of "y'all, I screwed up last year", but let's be realistic: I did not screw up and I refuse to let a weird year define the legacy that is the Jester One Music Top 20 Countdown. I've been doing this for almost half of my life and I'm not stopping today, tomorrow or next week. Ready or not, here we go!

2022 marks the FOURTEENTH YEAR that I've been doing this. I've learned a lot along the way and I am excited as ever to do this again. We always start with the list from the year before, so let's take a look at that bad boy:

20. Grabbitz - Pigs in the Sky
19. Royal Blood - Typhoons
18. Daymare - Control
17. Porter Robinson - Look at the Sky
16. PEABOD - Love Everybody (ft Tedashii)
15. AFI - Begging for Trouble
14. beabadoobee - Last Day On Earth
13. The Dirty Nil - Blunt Force Concussion
12. Romy - Lifetime
11. The Birthday Massacre - The NeverEnding Story
10. Echo Image - Walk My Mind
9. Assemblage 23 - Factory
8. Manchester Orchestra - Bed Head
7. '68 - Bad Bite
6. Gang of Youngs - the angel of 8th ave.
5. Meryl Creep - Spiraling
4. A Tiger Made of Lightning - Little Birds
3. Acceptance - At the Edge of the Earth
2. The Struts - Another Hit of Showmanship (ft Albert Hammond Jr)
1. Teenage Wrist - Taste of Gasoline

 

You know what? For as rough as 2020 was, 2021 was a really good rebound year. More than half of these songs are still in my daily Rockman rotation, and I'm pretty sure at least 2 of them will be in my "Most Played" year end list as well. Contrast that to 2020 where most of the Top 20 was burned out of rotation by the end of the year. Plus we had multiple local bands in the top 5 and a plethora of genres to enjoy. I make no promises for 2022, except that locals will still be sprinkled in and (hopefully) there will be more songs that stay in the daily rotation for a good long while.

As usual, we start with the songs that almost made it. The songs here are simply in alphabetical order by artist. 

Arcade Fire - The Lightning I, II
Album: WE

Every year, there's a few songs that surprise the heck out of me, and this time around it's Arcade Fire with their magnificent new album WE. The album features four different songs broken up into Parts 1 and 2, and I felt it was worthwhile to put both parts of "The Lightning" here. If I had to break them up, Part 2 is the stronger of the two, but they go together so well.

 

Florence + The Machine - Free
Album: Dance Fever

 The only reason Florence didn't make the Countdown on her 4th consecutive album was because there were too many other great songs ahead of this one. "Free", "King", "Choreomania"... you name it. This album is flat-out incredible.

 

Justyfi - Betrayal
Album: Betrayal single

I had never even heard of Columbus rapper Justyfi before he became the youth pastor at my church. As it turns out, he's pretty dang good, and he's released an EP and a full length album this year if you want to check out more of his flow. "Betrayal" just happened to be my favorite of his music from this year.

 

Ripe - Settling
Album: Settling single

The first time I heard this song, I said to myself "oh great, another alt-rock band that sounds like every other one trying to make it on the radio these days". The second time I heard it, I said "wow, I can't get this song out of my head". Funny how things like that work out.

ZoneZero - Halo
Album: Halo single

Another local addition to the Countdown, ZoneZero are currently recording their second EP and have gained a decent following around Ohio with their energetic live show and their sound that hearkens back to the nu-metal revolution of the early '00s.

 

Honorable Mention: Bad Wolves - Lifeline; Battle Beast - Russian Roulette; Bayside - Strangest Faces; beabadoobee - Talk; Maggie Rogers - Want Want; Mitski - The Only Heartbreaker; Power Quest - Bound for Glory; Rusty Shipp - Bottom of the Barrel; The Manatee Room - Expensive Taste; Zoo Trippin' - Any Way I Can Get It

The 2022 Jester One Music Top 20 Countdown - New Format Introduction

Usually the last day of November is the first day of the Jester One Music Top 20 Countdown. I share stories about the previous years, look back on the Countdown from the year prior and share 5 songs that almost made it. The first 20 days of December would get a song per day, along with a blurb about the song, artist, album, and anything else I felt necessary writing about. I am changing things up slightly this year, and I will go into further details below...

 

For what it's worth, the first J1 Countdown was done in 2009. It was as loosely done as you can imagine, and honestly ended with me just throwing songs out and that being that. In 2010 I decided to keep a record of new songs released, what I was listening to throughout the year and put together the first actual countdown on Xanga. The first two or three years (I honestly don't remember or have the records), I just shared 5 songs a week until the end of the year and not much else other than their order. For the last decade, the Countdown looked pretty much the same, with the song and album, a YouTube link, a blurb about each song, and a listing of prior years. 2013 was the first year I moved things over to Blogspot - you can see the first #1 here.

Realistically, things ran fairly smoothly in the early years. I'd have the list done by mid-November, write most (if not all) of the blurbs by the end of the month, and share from there. As work and life obligations piled up, it became apparent that the original model wasn't sustainable, and it got to the point in 2017 and '18 that I was only a few days ahead as I wrote each blurb. It got to the point where I was asking myself: is this even worth it any more?

But by then, I was using Last.FM and Spotify fairly religiously. It was easier than ever to keep track of what I listened to and find new releases from all around the world. The Countdown in 2009 was just songs I heard on the radio, from artists I already knew/followed on MySpace/Facebook, and songs I'd hear on the muzak at work. In 2021 I had entire playlists devoted to new music and new releases from across the sonic landscape, and it seemed like it would be too easy to just keep going until I could write no more.

And suddenly, I couldn't write anymore. December 1st of last year, I sat down to get ahead and write a few blurbs, and I felt zero motivation. And on the 2nd, 3rd, and beyond. It wasn't until two weeks into December that I realized I had to make a choice - either figure out a solution, or scrap the entire event and just give it in a list format. Things ended up looking a little... different... last year, and by the end I truly considered ending the Countdown at 13 lucky years.

Well, here we are. Year 14. I've decided to streamline things just a little - I'll still do a song per day (for my sanity) but it'll only be a paragraph about each, and I'll continue to add my favorite lyric(s) from each as well. Why? Because deep down, I honestly love writing about music, even if I've lost a lot of the passion I had the last decade and a half. Also, I've stared at a list of over 50 songs from 2022 for the last month trying to figure out just what order they could possibly fall in. It's been a GREAT year for new releases, and I can't wait to share my favorites with you for the next month!

See you tomorrow!

October 2022 Recap

We've reached the final recap of the year, which means the next post will be the first of the 2022 Jester One Music Top 20 Countdown! Excitement!

Another slight drop in scrobbles for the month of October, with starting a new job and less time to listen every day. 2473 scrobbles from 946 artists, which Last.FM tells me is 5% less scrobbles from 19% more artists... I think it was all the kooky Halloween tracks that jumped that artist number up. Top genres were Rock, Alternative Rock and Alternative (how cliche, lol) while the top 3 hours were 10p-11p, 12p-1p, and 10a-11a. 

Top 10 Songs for October

10. Silverstar - Gremlin

9. Demon Hunter - The Negative

8.  De/Vision - Your Hands On My Skin - Sonnet Shuttle Mix

7.  Beartooth - Skin

6. AFI - Begging for Trouble

5. Tom Petty - I Won't Back Down

4. Teenage Wrist - Taste of Gasoline

3. Forever Unknown - sad people, blue eyes

2. Bobby "Boris" Pickett - Monster Mash

1. Ronnie Martin - From The Womb Of The Morning, The Dew Of Your Youth Will Be Yours

That has to be the most eclectic mix of 10 songs for far this year,with the Halloween anthem mixed in. You've got older songs, newer songs, and of course a few that will surely be in this year's Top 20.

 

Top 10 Artists for October

 

10. Bobby "Boris" Pickett

9. Vanessa Carlton

8. Training for Utopia

7. Trans-Siberian Orchestra

6. Starflyer 59

5. Assemblage 23

4. Rome

3. Rackets & Drapes

2. Pillar

1. Anberlin

 

I remember there was one specific day where I really wanted to listen to Anberlin, and of course they got their usual hits throughout the rest of the month. Halloween hitters at the top and bottom, and a bunch of older artists that I felt like rediscovering. An incredibly curious month, indeed. 

As is custom, the next Monthly Recap post will be in February (for January). Up next is the Top 20 Countdown, the 30 Most Played and Top 25 Artists. See you soon!

 

September 2022 Recap

We are down to the last two recaps of the year. I am still trying to decide how to proceed with the Top 20 Countdown. I have enough songs and material to make it work, I just don't know if I have it in me to write blurbs anymore. It's been an undertaking this year to pump out any sort of written material.

But, we do still have September and October to punch out. So let's rock. Being out of town on two different trips meant significantly less scrobbles in September. 17% less, in fact. 2589 scrobbles from 797 unique artists, equaling 6 days and 20 hours worth of music. Top hours were 12-1p, 11a-12p, and 10-11p, while the top genres were Rock, Futurepop, Synthpop, Alternative Rock, and Electronic.

Top Songs for September

 

10. Blindside - Nerve

9.  Five Iron Frenzy - Dandelions

8. Rammstein - Lügen

7. Coheed and Cambria - The Liars Club

6. Truslow - Abbey Dear

5. Silversun Pickups - Alone on a Hill

4. Assemblage 23 - Dissonance

3. Ghost - Spillways

2. Ronnie Martin - From The Womb Of The Morning, The Dew Of Your Youth Will Be Yours

1. Forever Unknown - sad people, blue eyes

By September, it's full-on recap season, with the best of the best being re-examined for the final countdown. 7 of the 10 here will be on the recap, and they will probably populate the top 10 of the final 20 as well.

Top Artists for September

 

10. Ghost

9. Truslow

8. Voltaire

7. VNV Nation

6. Forever Unknown

5. Assemblage 23

4. Demon Hunter

3. Rammstein

2. Five Iron Frenzy

1. Blindside

A battle between the band I saw at the beginning of the month (R+) and the 3 that I saw at the end (DH, FIF and Blindside). It felt nice to wade through the waters of the music I grew up with this month while also playing a lot of 2022's favorites.

 

Props to Last.FM for always having my statistical back. One more month ahead!

August 2022 Recap

 And NOW we are officially caught back up with the Monthly Recap feature. It's a lot easier to do without digging into each individual thing and focusing purely on the numbers. Hooray math?

August is probably going to be the strangest looking month of them all... actually, who am I kidding? They've all been unique this year - hooray MUSIC! 3101 scrobbles, or an average of exactly 100 per day (plus 1 extra), equally out to 8 days and 16 hours worth of music played end to end. Top genres were Rock, Alternative Rock, Industrial Metal, Alternative and Pop. Top hours were 10-11p, 12-1p and 1-2p. 

Top Tracks for August

10. Rammstein - Kuss Mich (Fellfrosch)

9. Rammstein - Reise, Reise

8. Rammstein - Alter Mann

7. forever unknown - sad people, blue eyes

6. Five for Fighting - Superman (It's Not Easy)

5. Dexter Freebish - Leaving Town

4. Brave the Sea - The Devil Brought Tequila

3. Rammstein - Mein Teil

2. Spiritbox - Sew Me Up

1. Silversun Pickups - Alone on a Hill

 

Well, there's one band that stands out on that list - followers of this page know that I had the chance to see Rammstein live at the beginning of this month, and so of course they ruled the chart.

 

Top Artists for August

10. Brave Saint Saturn

9. Silversun Pickups

8. Florence + The Machine

7. Cold

6. Demon Hunter

5. Circle of Dust

4. Anberlin

3. VNV Nation

2. Assemblage 23

1. Rammstein

 

To say that it wasn't close would be an understatement. R+ had almost 3 times as many scrobbles as #2 and 5x from #3. Looking at the most scrobbled artists for the entire year, they currently sit at #1, and just the month of August would place them in 7th for the entire year. Yowza.

What a show.

Shoutout to Last.FM for always giving me the deets.

July 2022 Recap

 July was a month that received a big bump in scrobbles due to another new album splurge and a heavier workload. 3428 total scrobbles, a 31% jump from June and making for exactly 9 days of listening. Top genres were Rock, Classic Rock, Alternative Rock, Soul, and Oldies, and the top 3 scrobble hours were 12-1p, 1-2p and 5-6p. 

Top Tracks for July

10. Rammstein - Lugen

9. Truss - Mayhem

8. Truss - Broken Glass

7. Purity Ring - Heartsigh

6. Truss - All the Bugs

5. Plushgun - Sarah's Locker

4. Brave the Sea - The Devil Brought Tequila

3. Matchbox Twenty - Last Beautiful Girl

2. Colony 5 - Synchronized Hearts

1. forever unknown - sad people, blue eyes

 

We've reached a point in the year where the Top 20 Countdown songs start really gaining steam. Summer and autumn bring reflection with the upcoming Countdown, and there are a few songs listed here that will definitely be there.

 

Top Artists for July

10. Colony 5

9. Assemblage 23

8. Steam Powered Giraffe

7. Apoptygma Berzerk

6. VNV Nation

5. Circle of Dust

4. Cold

3. Matchbox Twenty

2. Truss

1. Anberlin

 

Truss' new album got them a hefty chunk of streams, but they only have 1 record whereas the likes of Matchbox Twenty and Anberlin have several. It is the local curse that I often speak of - bands with only a dozen or so songs tend to fall behind artists with a richer discography. It is what it is at the end of the day.

Thanks to Last.FM as always!

Rammstein Ranker - Liebe ist für alle da

Liebe ist für alle da signaled a return for the German titans, after a 5 years hiatus where the band almost self-destructed. Fortunately (for all of us fans) they found a way to get along and operate as a six-headed monster, and found their back to recording a new record.

On this offering, the band kicked their absurdity to a new level, premiering the first single on a porn site and offering a deluxe bonus edition of the record with fuzzy handcuffs and dildos molded after each member and their genitalia. The album's booklet also features a lot of graphic and gruesome scenes, with a heavy lean towards nudity. The album was released in 2009 and was the band's last disc before an extended period of inactivity.

 

 

 

 

Rammstein -  Liebe ist für alle da

 

11. Wiener Blut

Okay, I lied on the last ranking. Wiener Blut (Viennese Blood) is absolutely the worst Rammstein song. There are absolutely zero redeeming musical qualities, and the fact that the story it is based around is true makes it even more horrifying.

10. Pussy

What do you do after disappearing from the map for 4+ years? You write a lead single that alternates between German and English lyrics, specially about sex. A lot of what R+ do is specifically for shock value, and making a video that had to be released on a porn site... because it's straight up porn. I dunno, even if the lyrics were totally in German, I don't think they could've ironed the cheese out on this one. Musically, it rollicks along as if it is not supposed to be taken seriously, which makes it even more amusing as a single.

9. Roter Sand

Roter Sand (Red Sand) is a lovely song that opens with singer Till Lindemann whistling before he sings about two lovers who have an old-fashioned pistol duel for a woman. The unnamed woman loves the protagonist more, but he is not quick enough and perishes. It's fairly bland other than the great lyrical work, otherwise. Sometimes their softer songs hit the mark, and sometimes they fall a little short.

8. Haifisch

Haifisch (Shark) is an interesting song, because it seems to be about the members of Rammstein and their love for each other as well as the fans, It's kind of a follow up to Ein Lied in that regard, and was released as the last single on the record. It has an upbeat mix of Flake Lorenz' keys and Christoph Schneider's pounding snare and tom work and is well strung together, if not standing out against the rest of the record.  The video is a hat-tip to all of their previous work as well, with Till's mysterious death being shown committed by different members in scenes from old music videos.

7. B********

What would a Rammstein record be without confusing lyrics that can be translated or twisted into several different meanings? B********, or Bückstabü is never explicitly spelled out in any translation, and any time they are asked the band members say it can mean whatever you want it to mean. The lyrics are wholly ambiguous too - could be about sex, could be about anything you want it to be. The guitars are blistering and the song punches hard, so I guess take it for whatever you want?

6. Liebe ist für alle da

Christoph's drums immediately announce that you're about to go through a thrill ride on Liebe ist für alle da (Love is there for all), and with the strings joining in, you're pushed into a tidal wave of aggression and might. Curiously, it's the only album title that is more than 2 words (in fact, Reise, Reise is the only other album title that is more than 1), but this album is a little short on single word titles. Like many songs, this one is about longing for a sexual encounter with a woman, in which the protagonist dreams up a rape fantasy. I'm not sure how the band keeps making this lyrical plot device stick, but if they keep writing songs that hit this hard, I'm sure they can keep doing whatever they want!

 

5. Ich tu der weh

Easily the most controversial of the songs on this record, Ich tu der weh (I hurt you) is about S+M, plain and simple. Even the opening guitar riff feels like a whip cracking against willing skin. The line "Du liebst mich denn ich lieb dich nicht" obviously points to a master and servant relationship, and the lyrical content led to the song being banned in Germany. The group had to release a version of the album with this song omitted to make up for the fact that they were placed on the naughty list. The song itself is outstanding from a sonic standpoint, with Flake's keys shining brightest and the guitar work mirroring several songs from the Herzeleid/Sehnsucht era.

4. Mehr

I was honestly surprised when I pulled up Spotify and saw that Mehr (More) was one of Rammstein's least streamed songs. The song speaks of the singer's desire for excess in every aspect of his life, with a chorus that calls back to the bands earlier days of belting out the same word over and over again. The chorus guitars are crunchy and punchy, and Flake's keys help carry the song to completion. It's really just a solid song top to bottom, with a lot of different riffs and timing patterns thrown together to make another banger.

3. Rammlied

I don't think I've ever seen a band that likes to make up words as much as Rammstein does. Rammlied literally translates into "Ramm-song", and the band again uses it to incorporate their name into their lyrics. That's what, the 5th or 6th song to do so? They're giving KMFDM a run for their money in that regard. Anyways, Rammlied is about how the band is back - didja miss em?! That's pretty much it. "Wenn die Freude traurig macht, Keine Sterne in der Nacht, Bist du einsam und allein, Wir sind hier schalte ein" is one of my favorite verses in any R+ song. The guitars blend into the synths and the song feels like it wouldn't be out of place on any Rammstein record or live show. A truly titanic anthem about, well, themselves!

2. Waidmanns Heil

Waidmanns Heil (Hunter's Greeting, or Good Hunting) is one of those songs where you're immediately transported to a better place the moment the music starts. That faux bugle horn at the beginning immediately gets me jacked, and Till screaming "Die Kreatur muss sterben!" only serves to ramp the adrenaline level to 10. It's another one of those classic R+ tracks that just sounds and feels big. Lyrically, it could be thought of as a song about hunting for wild animals, or for a potential mate. I was honestly kind of surprised that this one never made it as a single, because it hits as hard as anything they've ever released.

1. Frühling in Paris

Well, I suppose it shouldn't be a surprise that my favorite song off of this disc is another beautiful one. Seemann, Mein Herz brennt, Wo bist du, and almost Engel. Somehow the band is equally skilled in throwing massive hammers and blasting out tremendous ballads. Like Wo bist du, Frühling in Paris (Springtime in Paris) has a screaming keyboard solo from Flake that helps to cement the song together. Driving acoustic guitar, hard-hitting snare and a sneaky bass-line that you might not notice on the first listen. It's just a fantastic song and was immediately my favorite when the album first dropped. Till speaks of a fling in Paris on this one - fairly straightforward without any of the usual R+ frills. Just another beautiful one with a soaring chorus and fantastic wordplay.

 

 

Well, that's about it. I wanted to do the first six albums because I've had over a decade with each of them, whereas the newest records were released in the last 3 years. I honestly haven't listened to the untitled record in the last year - I spun it so much after it came out that I needed a break. If I had to rank the albums, it would probably go like this:

6. Liebe ist für alle da

5. Herzeleid

4. Sehnsucht

3. Rosenrot

2. Mutter

1. Reise, Reise
 

The bottom half of LIFAD is just too weak to balance out the stronger songs, whereas Herzeleid is just more timeless at its peak. Sehnsucht has a load of good songs, but the big ones on Rosenrot just feel better. Mutter... well, what can be said? The fact that they followed it with Reise, Reise is incredible - how do you pack that much good music into such a short amount of time?

Anyways, thanks for following along if you took the time to read these. Below a link to each album's power ranking breakdown. If you don't already... have a good one!

Herzeleid

Sehnsucht

Mutter 

Reise, Reise

Rosenrot 

Rammstein Ranker - Rosenrot

 Rosenrot has always been an album of intrigue for me. It is much maligned among the fanbase as being the band's weakest offering, in spite of its album sales and chart positioning. The album has an uptick on softer songs, and was initially titled Reise, Reise Pt2 due to half of the songs coming from the prior recording session. A lot of fans consider it to be mostly leftovers, and the band themselves consider the album to have been rushed, but for me it was the first album that was "new" when I started listening to them, and was therefor heavily relevant to what I was going through in my life at the time.

Regardless of how you perceive it, Rosenrot was released in 2005, and the band went on hiatus after releasing it rather than touring to promote. 

Rammstein - Rosenrot

11. Feuer und Wasser

If Adios isn't the worst Rammstein song, then it has to be Feuer und Wasser (Fire and Water). I don't even know what they were trying to accomplish musically. An all-time clunker, for sure.

10. Spring

Spring (Jump) isn't much far behind Feuer on the crap scale, though. I've always wondered if this was just a demo that got thrown together quickly due to the recording sessions being rushed. The keys do very little to boost the song, and while the guitars are heavily down-tuned, it is only the story that saves Spring. A man climbs to the top of a bridge to view the water, and a crowd, thinking him to be suicidal, urges him to jump and eventually pushes him off. Yeah, these dudes are fucked up. Lol

9. Ein Lied

The album ends with Ein Lied (A Song), easily the least heavy offering in the entire catalogue. There is a singular acoustic guitar, percussive tapping, and wailing keys peppered in. The song seems to be an homage to the fans of the band, with the line "Immer wenn ihr traurig seid, Spielen wir für euch" feeling extremely melancholy and uplifting at the same time.  I don't really think it's a bad song, but if you're looking for some R+ grit, it's just not there.

 

8. Benzin

Benzin (Petrol/Gasoline) is the lead single and kicks off the record with a bang. Till Lindemann sings about how he doesn't need all the other vices of the world, just give him some fuel to burn with. What could be more Rammstein than that?! It's a big time workout jam that'll get your heart racing double time.

 

7. Stirb nicht vor mir (Don't die before I do) 

On the flip side, you have Stirb nicht vor mir (Don't die before I do). I think this song caught everyone (myself included) off guard, with Sharleen Spiteri (from the universally successful Scottish band Texas) singing English lyrics to counter Till's German serenade. I've heard that the other band members were disappointed that they didn't bring back German singer Bobo for the song, electing to appease the American fans of the band. As it stands, it's my default mellow Rammstein tune, and got me through a very difficult breakup a few years after high school. For as great of a growl and scream singer as he is, Till can absolutely blast out some ballads.

6. Te quiero puta!

Of all the controversial and bizarre offerings R+ has put forth, Te quiero puta! (I love you, whore!) is exactly what you'd expect from a lyrical standpoint, with amusing innuendos and aggresive sexual phrasing. It's just that the song is sung entirely in Spanish and features a mariachi-esque trumpet throughout. But at its heart it is 100% Rammstein, and I think any bickering otherwise is simply posturing. The lead riff is explosive and the horns kick the entire song up a notch. This album doesn't have much in between the ballads and the blasters.

 

5. Mann gegen Mann

From the moment Ollie Riedel's bass comes in, you know you're about to be treated with a massive rocker. Mann gegen Mann (Man against Man) is a song about male homosexuality, with a greasy, dirty video to go with it. It's about as controversial as Rammstein gets, and the band deftly dances around the topic without making it political or taking a stance. The line "Gleich und gleich gesellt sich gern" makes me laugh so hard every time I hear it. But in reality, every single band member gives their all on this one, and it was a worthy single to feed the masses.

 

4. Zerstören

Another brutal assault, Zerstören (Destroy) is simply about, well, destroying things. Obliterating everything in your path. Well, maybe not everything... the chorus line "Doch es darf nicht mir gehören" translates to "but only if it does not belong to me". You get the point, and Till drives it home spending the last minute of heaviness listing different ways to destroy things. Ollie's bass perfectly complements the crunchy guitars from Paul Landers and Richard Z Kruspe on this one, punctuated by a screaming solo before the bridge. A soft poem is read at the end to bring the listener back to Earth.

3. Rosenrot

The title track from the record, Rosenrot (Rose Red) is adapted from German poetry and Brothers Grimm stories, creating a beautiful and tragic song about two young lovers, one of whom perishes trying to fetch a rose for his love. When this album was first released, I listened to this song over and over again. It's sad, it's exciting, and it's wonderfully poetic. It was initially slated to be the first single on Reise, Reise before the band scrapped it and threw it on an entirely different record all together. That's ballsy but I think it paid off as the cornerstone for this record.

 

2. Hilf mir

The album opens with pyromania and finds it's way back to the flames in Hilf mir (Help me), a story about a child who is obsessed with fire to the point that they eventually immolate themselves. The tune alternates from soft to heavy, as Till tells the story from a first-person point of view. Every time I hear the opening wail of the guitars, I am ready to roll. The chorus of "Das Feuer liebt mich, Das Feuer liebt mich nicht" is a perfect example of the regret the child feels as they perish and scream for help, despite knowing that they are all alone. What a ripper. It's a different type of heaviness from Mann gegen Mann and Zerstoren, but it works all the same.

 

1. Wo bist du

Is Wo bist du (Where are you?) the best of all Rammstein tracks? There's a definite argument that it may be one of the most emotional, but it certainly isn't the heaviest or the most clever. Is is beautifully done and features a tear-jerking keyboard solo from Flake after the bridge. From a personal standpoint, it easily cuts the deepest of any R+ song, due to the discovery of infidelity between my parents shortly after the album was released. I played this one over and over and over again, and it has carried me through several different difficult seasons. The keys in this song are simply majestic as Till sings about being horribly alone and unable to find solace. The song definitely wouldn't be as big as it is without the keyboard solo - huge props to Flake there.

Alright, well that's 5 of the first six, with one 2009's Liebe ist fur alle da left. If you have any thoughts, feel free to comment or discuss!

Rammstein Ranker - Reise, Reise

 Well, we've reached the impossible. Reise, Reise is easily one of my all-time favorite records, with absolute bangers from top to bottom. When examining the tracklist before writing this, I found myself at odds within on how to properly rank these songs. It's not that each of these songs are my favorite, but as a whole the album is just titanic. 

Reise, Reise was released in 2004, and just like the three albums prior, it exploded onto charts all over Europe and in the United States. The band actually had produced so many songs for this record that they were able to pick and choose what fit the "theme" of the record (specifically, the plane crash whose flight recorder is featured on the album cover) and push the rest to their next album, Rosenrot. To me, it gave the band the unique opportunity to be even more particular in what they wanted, and make the best possible record they could have.

 Mission accomplished.

Rammstein - Reise, Reise

 

 

11. Moskau

Moskau is a decent song musically, but it kind of plods on and lyrically does nothing for me. I do enjoy the dual vocals and the Russian singing, and among the 11th ranked songs this is easily the best one.  But, something had to be ranked at each position, 1 to 11.

 

10. Keine Lust

Keine Lust (No Desire/Don't feel like it) is one of the heaviest songs in the history of the band, especially up to this point. The music video is one of the most popular ones that the band has ever released, and Flake Lorenz' keyboard solo is perfectly placed and one of my favorites from him. The song has just never ever latched onto my eardrums as something to enjoy. I dunno. I hate to beat a dead horse, but something had to come at 10. It's not a bad song by any means.

 

9. Amerika

Younger me really thought Amerika was the jam. Coca-Cola, Wonderbra! English lyrics! Ripping bridge! Hilarious video! Anti-American capitalism sentiment! I dunno, musically is still resonates with the me who first found the band, but in hindsight it feels exceptionally gimmicky. I still bang my head pretty hard when singer Till Lindemann says "This is not a love song, I don't sing my mothers tongue", followed by another sparkling keyboard solo. It just doesn't hold up to the rest of the record.

 

8. Los

If there's one song that inevitably gets stuck in my head every time I listen to it, Los (-less) is that song. Great guitars, brilliant lyrics, catchy drums. It's one of those songs where each preceding line hits harder than the one before. Just brilliance from a song that, from the outside, is just an acoustic guitar and a basic drum. Surprise!

 

7. Ohne dich

Here comes Rammstein with their beautiful, string-driven songs again. It worked for Mein Herz brennt on Mutter, so the band decided to expand upon that with the ballad-esque Ohne dich (Without you). The chorus line of "Ohne dich kann ich nicht sein" hammers my heart into a thousand pieces any time I hear it. We've all been through loss and heartache, and this song brilliantly captures the pain and longing of lost love.

 

 6. Amour

The comparison of Amour (Love) being a wild animal that cannot be tamed hearkens back to several R+ songs from their band, but is most beautifully captured on this record. For a song that starts slow and solemn, the 2nd chorus build-up absolutely blasts this one into space. Haunting keys, a crushing outro, and Till's signature bellow bringing everything together on what is still just the 6th best song on this record. What? Madness.

 

5. Reise, Reise

The title track, which translates specifically in this song to Arise, Arise, is a call upon seaman to wake. More specifically on this track, it is time to rise and overthrow the captain! Ahoi! I love that so many German musical artists and bands use sea metaphors and topics to make their music. This song has pulsing keys that perfectly complement Richard Kruspe and Paul Landers' guitars throughout. On any other record this could easily be the best or second best song.

 

4. Stein um Stein

Even though most of the songs on this record are about some form of death and dying, none of them seem to be quite as dark as Stein um Stein (Stone by Stone). The early buildup, the anguished "STEIN" scream, and the vocal delivery throughout this one is some of Till's finest. My friend Frankie, who sings for local R+ tribute act FleischgewehR, once told me that this was one of his absolute favorites to sing, and I can see why. Pure brutality - singing about capturing and keeping a love interest trapped with you, even burying her alive so she cannot escape. Pure Rammstein, absolute brilliance.

 

3. Morgenstern

When I first listened to this record, it was Morgenstern (Morning star) that immediately jumped out to me as a favorite. Perhaps it was my own struggles with self confidence, perhaps it was Christoph Schneider's snare, who knows. This is another that just burrows into my brain and stays for days after I hear it. It's another one that is hard to describe, but I certainly love it dearly. It always leaves me wanting more, from the opening choral parts to the last words delivered.

 

2. Dalai Lama

I'm not even going to tell you how many times I've quoted the chorus line of "Weiter, weiter ins Verderben - Wir müssen leben bis wir sterben". I just remember being at work and having the guitar riff stuck in my head for days at a time, singing the chorus over and over again. It may not be one of their most popular tracks, but on any given day Dalai Lama might be my favorite song on the record. It is dark, dramatic, and also cinematic; you can almost see the story in your mind as they sing. While the song is specifically about the plane accident that the album is based on, the title reflects the current Tibetan Buddhist leader and his fear of flying.

 

1. Mein Teil 

Hey, look, you had to know this was gonna be the top song, right? Arguably the most messed up of all Rammstein stories, if you haven't read up on Armin Meiwes (and you have a strong stomach), by all means hit up the googles on that one. Like Mein Herz brennt before it, this song perfectly weaves synthesizers and keyboards with a rumbling bassline and crunching guitars. Till often dresses up in a bloody butchers uniform and "cooks" Flake during live performances of Mein Teil (My Part). It's gruesome and grotesque, and the type of song that only Rammstein could pull off. So of course it's my favorite on this record and perhaps of their entire catalogue, given the day and mood. I don't think I scream louder than on this song when FleischgewehR performs it here live.

 

 

I genuinely cannot believe I was able to break this one down. It took several days of listening and debating the merits of each song before I could give a concrete ranking for it. I do believe Rosenrot will be much easier. At least I hope so... haha. Hope you enjoyed it. Weiter, weiter!

 

Rammstein Ranker - Mutter

 I knew that once we got to Mutter and Reise, Reise, it would be a struggle. The band truly defined their sound on this record, with a much more modern feel and an emphasis on emotional lyrics. Most of these songs would fit in anywhere on future recordings, and I found it difficult to place such excellent songs so far down the power ranking. 

 Mutter was released in 2001, and while it did not sell as well as its predecessor, it expanded the global reach of the group and immediately shot up many of the European charts.

 

 

 

Rammstein - Mutter

 

11. Adios

 Is Adios (Goodbye) the worst Rammstein song? There are only a few others that I would put at the bottom of the pyramid below it, if any. I don't know what it is, but I dislike everything about this song. That's a rarity for R+ songs, but I suppose everyone drops a clunker then and again.

 

10. Rein raus

Sex, sex, sex. I wonder if the guys from Rammstein love to screw as much as they sing about it, of if it is simply a point of being grotesque to fit the image. It's kind of a dumb song outside of that, although I feel like Ollie Riedel's bass is clear and resonant throughout. Also, imagine any American band releasing a song, where the chorus is simply them chanting "In" and "Out" over and over again. Why does it work for Rammstein? I think because of the way Till rolls his R's... heh.

 

9. Nebel

Nebel (Fog) is another song that is beautifully done from a lyrical standpoint, and would probably be super emotional if they played it live. It's 100% a heart-breaker, which it seems like R+ love to do at the end of their albums. Other than it being as slow as it is, I really don't have any knocks on the song. Someone had to be #9 I guess.

 

8. Mutter

I guess we're getting the beautiful, sorrowful songs out of the way early on Mutter (Mother). The title track is one of the stranger offerings on the record, seemingly about a test-tube baby who never knew his mother. The protagonist simultaneously years for her love while wanting to kill her. The giant chorus and agonizing screams of "MUTTER!" are enough to help the listener both feel the pain and the anger. Again, great track, there are just better here.

 

7. Links 2 3 4

In my head, I always think of Links 2 3 4 (Left 2, 3, 4; a military marching cadence) as a better song than it is, just because it's fun to chant out and stomp along to. I guess drummer Christoph Schneider really hammers the point home on this one, which is absolutely necessary. I probably listen to it more than others on this record simply because of that, but I never really think of it as a fantastic song after listening to it. It's still a bop, just the 7th best bop out of 11. Lol.

 

6. Ich will

Talk about a great guitar riff and key combo. Musically, Ich will (I want) is a masterpiece, and the lyrics take it to another level. The band chose 5 massive singles on this album, and they nailed every single one of them. Gosh, I dunno, it's just a really great song. Words fail me other than that the song just keeps pounding on and driving the band's point home.

 

5. Spieluhr

Yes, I'll take "fucked up songs about children" for 200 please, Alex.  As someone who lived through a somewhat fucked up childhood, songs like Spieluhr (Music box) always resonate with me. Probably one of my favorite actual choruses on any R+ song - definitely from this album. The creepy vocoder voice singing "Hoppe hoppe Reiter, Mein Herz schlägt nicht mehr weiter" is enough to stir up the goosebumps all over my body, and the way the keys are synchronized with the guitars on the first two verses just make the song sound so much bigger than it actually is. The surreal ending where the child is saved also sparks chills throughout. Whew, what an exhaustingly amazing song.

 

4. Feuer frei!

I never though that a song as big, loud and explosive as Feuer frei! (Fire at will!) could be the 4th best song on a record. It'd probably be 2 or 3 on just about any other disc. The song is a live staple at FleischgewehR (our local Rammstein tribute act) shows, and their guitarist Steve once told me that while they like to mix things up from show to show, Feuer frei! is one that will be played at every show. The crowd always goes bananas, for good reason!

 

3. Zwitter

No song on the first 3 records gets me more amped up than Zwitter (Hermaphrodite). I used to walk around work just humming "Zwitter, zwitter" to myself, and the post chorus of "Eins für mich, eins für dich, Gibt es nicht für mich, Eins für mich, eins für dich, Eins und eins das bin ich" makes me laugh harder than anything else they've ever written. It's just a song on steroids, ripping through your veins and banging your head in every direction. It's messed up and majestic all at the same time. Someone once told me that if this was one of my favorite R+ songs, I was obviously not a fan... I'll wear that hat, thanks.

 

2. Sonne

 Big. This song is BIG. Big as the friggen Sun its title mentions. Sonne is just an explosion - a perfect meld of the dancier side of the band found on the first two records, and the polished, riff-banging side from the next two. Two thoughts on this one... firstly, who doesn't love counting in a foreign language? And secondly, lyrics about celestial beings and the battle between light and darkness are some of my favorites. A poll was taken from R+ fans on their Facebook page a few years ago (After LIFAD but before the untitled record) and Sonne was ranked number one.

 

1. Mein Herz brennt


Gun to my head, this might be the best of all Rammstein songs. Any time the sextet delves into old German culture (poetry, news headlines, and in this instance an old television show), they end up leaving tons of ambiguity for the listener to absorb. Mein Herz brennt (My Heart burns) features a string arrangement that has been played live by legendary cellists Apocalyptica, and they give the topic of nightmares an extra jolt. There is absolutely nothing in this song that I do not love. Lyrics, heaviness, keys, bass, guitars, you name it. It's one of those choruses you have to SCREAM along with to fully appreciate. Ah, so good.





 Whew, that was a tough one. Reise, Reise is my favorite R+ album, so tomorrow's assignment will surely suck the life out of me. Hope you enjoyed!

Rammstein Ranker - Sehnsucht

When I first got into Rammstein, I was told that Sehnsucht and Mutter were the two records I needed to listen to to understand Rammstein. At the time, I was quite surprised to find that I did not care for the album at all, and almost (almost, almost) abandoned checking out the rest of their discography due to it. I knew Du hast (who doesn't?), but other than a couple songs, I couldn't understand the hype.

Silly me. Perhaps I just wasn't ready at the time, but it clouded my vision for the record going forward. After listening to Mutter (and subsequently Herzeleid) I found that I loved the band, but always had it in the back of my head that Sehnsucht was not a great record. The more I've listened to it over the years, the more I have found myself to have initially been wrong.

1997's Sehnsucht was released with 6 different album covers - Spotify features drummer Christoph Schneider (bottom right on the composite collage seen below) and the one I've seen the most (including on Wikipedia) features singer Till Lindemann (top middle). When I first downloaded the album (shhh....), the cover featured was of keyboardist Flake Lorenz (bottom left).

 

 

 

 

 

 

Rammstein - Sehnsucht

11. Spiel mit mir

For a song whose title literally translates to "Play with me", Spiel mit mir is easily one of the most boring tracks in Rammstein's entire catalogue.  And, of course, it's about incest. Because why not? In any full Rammstein ranking, this song would be bottom 10 for me.

 

10. Bück dich

 One of the more infamous songs in R+'s arsenal, the band was arrested in Massachusetts for simulating a sexual act during this song, which led to them not playing in the United States for many years. Bück dich (Bend down) is another sexually charged song whose lyrics far outweight the music. I wouldn't say its a bad song, but it has never really stood out to be much more than that.

 

9. Sehnsucht

For all of the title tracks in Rammstein's history, Sehnsucht (Longing) is the only one for me that hits a sour note. It's definitely an interesting song, and like just about everything else they write, is rooted in sexual metaphors and colorful imagery. If Rammstein does do one thing great, it is chanting one or two word choruses over and over again to make them catchy.

8. Klavier

Klavier (Piano) is another one of those beautiful melodic songs that has a huge, explosive chorus and a great guitar/key solo that perfectly compliments it. There just isn't enough to fill in the rest of it other than the lyrical beauty. The dramatic ending is perfectly Rammstein, too, with the piano playing protagonist found dead at her post. This is another one of those songs that just sounds like 1997, which is still not the bands fault, but it just peels back the timelessness of their other songs.

 

7. Du hast

Go ahead and get all of your moaning out of the way now. Du hast has the most dull lyrics of anything Rammstein has ever written. The keyboards are immediately recognizable and make it for the perfect pulsing keyboard hit, and my buddy Frankie (singer for Rammstein tribute act FleischgewehR) says that is ranks as one of the greatest choruses ever. And, everyone knows Du hast. It was so popular that they released an English-lyric version, making the band even more accessible on the North American continent. I've just never thought of it as one of their best songs.

 

6. Tier

When I first listened to this album, I thought Tier (Animal) was absolutely the best song. Aaaand then I read the lyrics. Hahaha. Bestiality, incest, rape... hey, take your pick. These dudes are dark, but this song rips. One of the best riffs in their entire catalogue, in my opinion. You just have to not think about what its about, and move on to the next dark, dirty song. Haha.

5. Alter Mann

Conversely, when I first listened to Sehnsucht, I thought Alter Mann (Older Man) was a dull clunker. Half a lifetime later, I've come to respect the brilliance of Flake's keys, the driving guitars and Till's abrasive delivery. The lyrics are ambiguous enough that it can be interpreted into many different moods, which I think is a plus for any song. Rammstein's lyrical quality has such a wonderful duality between ambiguity and straight-forwardness.

 

 4. Bestrafe mich

 Bestrafe mich (Punish me) is such a tremendously heavy song, it's almost hard to believe it's on the same album as a song like Klavier. It's another one of those jams where everything is perfectly blended together, in the way that only the sado-masochistic NDH titans can. If the band had to have chosen another single for this record (they only chose Du hast and Engel), I think it definitely would've been Bestrafe.

 

3. Eifersucht

There aren't many songs with better keyboard openings than Eifersucht (Jealousy). As a whole, it's a fairly simple song with tanz-metal guitars and great keys... and of course, another singular word chorus chanted over and over again. Who doesn't love yelling Ei-Ei-Ei-Eifersucht!!  While most R+ records go out on a somber note, Sehnsucht punches to the very last with Alter Mann, Eifersucht, and Küss mich.

 

2. Engel 

Just about any R+ fan I know has Engel (Angel) in or at the top of their list for the entire band catalogue. It's a beautiful, fantastic and BIG song with guest vocals from German singer Bobo. Till is known to wear massive pyrotechnic angel wings when performing this one live. It's one of those songs where you hear it, even without knowing the lyrics, and you say "this is it. This is a great song". It's honestly hard to describe.

1. Küss mich (Fellfrosch)

Surprised?! Of course you are! I looked on Spotify, and the only songs in Rammstein's discography with less streams than Küss mich (Kiss me) are Das Alte Leid, Roter Sand, Ein Leid, and Mehr. Take that for what it is, as on every album other than Herzeleid, the closing track is the least (or second least) streamed. But for my money, this one is the best. The guitars are an absolute assault, Ollie Riedel's bass pulses and bounces throughout, and for reasons that nobody seems to know, Flake has old Looney Tunes sound effects sprinkled in.  Musically it rips top to bottom - the perfect workout song. Lyrically (amusingly) it is a song about a girl who just wants some head but can't get it... maybe because she has bad hygeine habits. Fellfrosch is German slang for female genitalia - not to be said in polite company.

 

 

Honestly, this is one of those records that seems to get better every time I listen to it, which is a strange thing to say about a record I've spun a dozen times. The Rammstein we know today owes itself to the success of Engel and Du hast, and for that I am grateful.

Mutter is next! Feel free to comment your thoughts.