And the new year can’t begin soon enough
This week, I’m passing along my (social media averse) husband, Bill Magavern’s end-of-year songlist. Trust me, it will help.
My longtime friend and colleague, Dan Hirsch, died in July. Dan had an annual tradition of sending, on behalf of The Committee to Bridge the Gap, the public-interest group he headed for over 50 years, a “Letter to Help the Year End” (they’re archived here, https://www.committeetobridgethegap.org/publications/annual-newsletters/dans-end-of-year-letters/).
No year in my lifetime has needed to end more than this one, so, in memory of my friend, I’m sending this playlist of songs that have helped me get through 2025, along with my wishes for better times to come in 2026.
Link to spotify playlist here:
These songs were all released in 2025. Most are brand new, while others are reboots, live versions, previously unreleased versions, or covers. If you don’t have a Spotify account, I’ve included the list of songs and artists below so you can listen on your favored medium, should you be so inclined.
Happy New Year!
Bill
- Old Tape (feat. Adam Granduciel) (Lucius) – Album: Lucius
- Have You Ever Seen The Rain (John’s Version) (John Fogerty) – Album: Up Around The Bend (John’s Version)
- Bruised Lung (Superchunk, Rosali) – Album: Bruised Lung
- Courage My Love (Paul Thorn) – Album: Life Is Just A Vapor
- Your Side (Bob Mould) – Album: Here We Go Crazy
- Love Like Whiskey (The War And Treaty) – Album: Plus One
- Time Waited (My Morning Jacket) – Album: Time Waited
- Love Makes You Do Crazy Things (SASAMI) – Album: Blood On the Silver Screen
- Best Guess (Lucy Dacus) – Album: Forever Is A Feeling
- Sugar in the Tank (Julien Baker, TORRES) – Album: Sylvia
- Love You Like That (The Altons) – Album: Love You Like That
- Down To Joy (Van Morrison) – Album: Down To Joy
- Spaceman In Tulsa (Counting Crows) – Album: Under The Aurora
- People Watching (Sam Fender) – Album: People Watching
- Dreams (Jade Bird) – Album: Dreams
- Sway (feat. Lucinda Williams) (Chrissie Hynde, Lucinda Williams) – Album: Duets Special
- Hard Times (Mavis Staples) – Album: Sad And Beautiful World
- Janey Don’t You Lose Heart (Bruce Springsteen) – Album: Tracks II: The Lost Albums
- Hallelujah! I’m A Bum – Cover (Michael Penn, Sweet Relief, Aimee Mann) – Album: I Can Help
- No Kings (feat. Joan Baez) (Jesse Welles, Joan Baez) – Album: No Kings (feat. Joan Baez)
- Save Your Soul (Kathleen Edwards) – Album: Save Your Soul / Say Goodbye, Tell No One
- End of the World – Edit (Miley Cyrus) – Album: Something Beautiful (Edits)
- Barstool Blues (The Feelies) – Album: Dancing Barefoot
- Sister Rosetta – Live At Earth Hackney, UK / 2019 (Frank Turner) – Album: The Next Ten Years
- Sweetheart of the Radio (The Nude Party, Pearl Charles, Lady Apple Tree) – Album: Sweetheart of the Radio
- Solid Country Gold (Parker McCollum) – Album: Parker McCollum
- Ridin’ In My Car – (Harford, Connecticut 5/24/88) (NRBQ) – Album: Ridin’ In My Car (Harford, Connecticut 5/24/88)
- Thing About You (Emmylou Harris) – Album: Thing About You
- Namcy (Courting) – Album: Lust for Life, Or: ‘How To Thread The Needle And Come Out The Other Side To Tell The Story’
- Sally, When The Wine Runs Out (ROLE MODEL) – Album: Kansas Anymore (The Longest Goodbye)
- Guess I’m Fallin In Love (Spoon) – Album: Chateau Blues
- Knockin’ Heart (Hamilton Leithauser) – Album: Knockin’ Heart
- Best For Us (Lady Wray) – Album: Be A Witness
- When You’re Not Around (Massy Ferguson) – Album: You Can’t Tell Me I’m Not What I Used to Be
- Make It On Your Own (Stereophonics) – Album: Make ‘em Laugh, Make ‘em Cry, Make ‘em Wait
- The Night Before (The Black Keys) – Album: The Night Before
- Sober (Bartees Strange) – Album: Horror
- 23’s A Baby (Blondshell) – Album: 23’s A Baby
- If You Want Me To Stay (Billy Allen + The Pollies) – Album: Black Noise
- Bonnet Of Pins (Matt Berninger) – Album: Inland Ocean
- Elderberry Wine (Wednesday) – Album: Bleeds
- Dancing in the Club – MJ Lenderman Version (This Is Lorelei, MJ Lenderman) – Album: Dancing in the Club (MJ Lenderman Version)
- Flowers – Party Version (Liv Greene) – Album: Flowers (Party Version)
- Heartthrob (Indigo De Souza) – Album: Heartthrob
- Bad Girls (Steve Earle, Reckless Kelly) – Album: Bad Girls
- Cry Baby – feat. Valerie June (Sunny War, Valerie June) – Album: Armageddon In A Summer Dress
- All I Need (Maribou State, Andreya Triana) – Album: Hallucinating Love
- Enough (Jeff Tweedy) – Album: Enough / One Tiny Flower / Out In The Dark / Stray Cats in Spain
- Straight Line Was A Lie (The Beths) – Album: Straight Line Was A Lie
- Corduroy Couch (Brown Horse) – Album: Corduroy Couch
- Wild Ways (Josh Ritter) – Album: I Believe in You, My Honeydew
- From (Bon Iver) – Album: SABLE, fABLE
- Secret O’ Life (with James Taylor) (Barbra Streisand, James Taylor) – Album: The Secret Of Life: Partners, Volume 2
- Time On My Hands (Nick Waterhouse Version) (Wilder Woods, Nick Waterhouse) – Album: Time On My Hands (Nick Waterhouse Version)
- Time Spent in Los Angeles (for Altadena) (Dawes, Andrew Bird, Alan Hampton) – Album: Time Spent in Los Angeles (for Altadena)
- Buffalo (Palmyra) – Album: Restless
- Final Five (James Mayo) – Album: Lullabies for Future Campers