Each year, the Summit FM airwaves tell their own story. From songs that slowly found their footing to tracks that became instant staples, these are the records that resonated most through sheer repetition and connection. In 2025, our musically adventurous playlist once again spanned genres, generations, and scenes, spotlighting both new discoveries and trusted favorites.
The Top 91 Summit Songs of 2025 are ranked by spin count — the songs we played the most over the course of the year. Taken together, they offer a snapshot of what defined 2025 on Summit FM: adventurous sounds, compelling songwriting, and music that stayed with us long after the first listen. Count them down and revisit the songs that shaped our year on the radio.
91.) D.K. Harrell — “Grown Now”
90.) Flipturn — “Rodeo Clown”
89.) Joseph Arthur — “Rise”
88.) Travis — “Raze the Bar”
87.) Bon Iver — “From”
86.) The Cure — “A Fragile Thing”
85.) Laufey — “Silver Lining”
84.) Father John Misty — “She Cleans Up”
83.) Personal Trainer — “Round”
82.) Mt. Joy — “She Wants to Go Dancing”
81.) Hamilton Leithauser — “Knockin’ Heart”
80.) Lucy Dacus — “Ankles”
79.) Mike Farris — “Ease On”
78.) Jon Muq — “Shake Shake”
77.) Wolf Alice — “White Horses”
76.) Nick Phoenix — “Saturn”
75.) Twenty One Pilots — “The Line”
74.) Nathaniel Rateliff & the Night Sweats — “Call Me (Whenever You Want)”
73.) Larkin Poe — “Easy Love, Pt. 1”
72.) DJO — “Basic Being Basic”
71.) Matt Berninger — “Bonnet of Pins”
70.) Maggie Rogers — “In the Living Room”
69.) The Lumineers — “Same Old Song”
68.) Alabama Shakes — “Another Life”
67.) Kathleen Edwards — “Save Your Soul”
66.) Stereophonics — “There’s Always Gonna Be Something”
65.) Matt Maeson — “Downstairs”
64.) Goo Goo Dolls — “Nothing Lasts Forever”
63.) Fontaines D.C. — “It’s Amazing to Be Young”
62.) Samantha Fish — “Sweet Southern Sounds”
61.) My Morning Jacket — “Everyday Magic”
60.) Julien Baker & Torres — “Sugar in the Tank”
59.) Counting Crows — “With Love, From A–Z”
58.) Neko Case — “Wreck”
57.) Will Hoge — “Sweet Misery”
56.) Paul Thorn — “Tough Times Don’t Last”
55.) Red Clay Strays — “I’m Still Fine”
54.) Kashus Culpepper — “Believe”
53.) Southern Avenue — “Upside”
52.) Everything Is Recorded (feat. Florence Welch) — “Never Felt Better”
51.) Tyler Childers — “Nose on the Grindstone”
50.) Billy Strings — “Gild the Lily”
49.) Max McNown — “A Lot More Free”
48.) Lord Huron — “Watch Me Go”
47.) The Head and the Heart — “Arrow”
46.) Teddy Swims — “Bad Dreams”
45.) Elton John & Brandi Carlile — “Who Believes in Angels?”
44.) Gigi Perez — “Sailor Song”
43.) Bebe Stockwell — “Minor Inconveniences”
42.) Wet Leg — “Mangetout”
41.) MJ Lenderman — “She’s Leaving You”
40.) Tano Jones Revelry — “What About Me”
39.) The Head and the Heart — “After the Setting Sun”
38.) Clover County — “Ultraviolet”
37.) D.K. Harrell — “A Little Taste”
36.) Florence + the Machine — “Everybody Scream”
35.) Goose — “Madalena”
34.) Caamp — “Mistakes”
33.) Role Model — “Sally, When the Wine Runs Out”
32.) Lorde — “What Was That”
31.) Lord Huron — “Nothing I Need”
30.) Hermanos Gutiérrez feat. Leon Bridges — “Elegantly Wasted”
29.) Richard Ashcroft — “Lover”
28.) Kashus Culpepper — “After Me?”
27.) Cage the Elephant — “Metaverse”
26.) The Black Keys — “The Night Before”
25.) Mt. Joy — “Lucy”
24.) Amyl & the Sniffers — “U Should Not Be Doing That”
23.) David Byrne — “Everybody Laughs”
22.) Billie Eilish — “Birds of a Feather”
21.) Wolf Alice — “Bloom Baby Bloom”
20.) Molly Tuttle — “That’s Gonna Leave a Mark”
19.) Maggie Rose & Grace Potter — “Poison in My Well”
18.) Peach Pit — “Magpie”
17.) The Black Keys — “No Rain, No Flowers”
16.) Myles Smith — “Nice to Meet You”
15.) Mumford & Sons — “Rushmere”
14.) Caamp — “Let Things Go”
13.) Bon Iver — “Everything Is Peaceful Love”
12.) Wet Leg — “Catch These Fists”
11.) The Last Dinner Party — “This Is the Killer Speaking”
10.) St. Paul & the Broken Bones — “Sushi and Coca-Cola”
9.) Goose — “Give It Time”
8.) Royel Otis — “Moody”
7.) Counting Crows — “Spaceman in Tulsa”
6.) Turnstile — “Never Enough”
5.) Mumford & Sons — “Caroline”
4.) Lola Young — “Messy”
3.) Jesse Welles — “Horses”
2.) Jack White — “Archbishop Harold Holmes”
1.) My Morning Jacket — “Time Waited”
At The Summit FM, we spend a lot of time listening — digging through new releases, falling in love with unexpected songs, and chasing that feeling you only get when a record hits just right. As 2025 comes to a close, we asked our staff to share the music and moments that stood out to them most over the past year.
From the songs that stayed on repeat to the albums that soundtracked our days — and the live shows we’re still thinking about — these lists offer a behind-the-scenes look at what inspired us in 2025. Think of it as a mixtape from the people who help shape The Summit FM.
Andrew James
Operations Director / On-Air Host
Top Five Songs of 2025
- The Head and the Heart – “Arrow”
- Leif Vollebekk – “Peace of Mind”
- Mumford & Sons – “Caroline”
- My Morning Jacket – “Time Waited”
- Tano Jones Revelry – “What About Me”
Top Five Albums of 2025
- Dream Theater – Parasomnia
- Florence + the Machine – Everybody Scream
- Mumford & Sons – Rushmere
- Southern Avenue – Family
- Will Hoge – Sweet Misery
Favorite Concert: Mumford & Sons – Blossom Music Center – Cuyahoga Falls, OH
Favorite Summit Discoveries of 2025: Imogen Clark, The Happy Fits, Barr Brothers
Brad Savage
Program Director / On-Air Host
Top Five Albums of 2025
- Brandi Carlile – Returning to Myself
- Southern Avenue – Family
- The Shootouts – Switchback
- twenty one pilots – Breach
- Turnstile – Never Enough
Top Five Songs of 2025
- Everything Is Recorded feat. Sampha & Florence Welch – “Never Felt Better”
- Lola Young – “Messy”
- Maribou State – “All I Need”
- My Morning Jacket – “Time Waited”
- Steve Forbert – “Ebenezer’s Back in Town”
Favorite Concert: Sleep Token – Rocket Arena – Cleveland, OH
Favorite Summit Discovery of 2025: D.K. Harrell
Chad Miller
Music Director / On-Air Host
Top Five Songs of 2025
- Deep Sea Diver – “Shovel”
- Hamilton Leithauser – “Knockin’ Heart”
- Jack White – “Archbishop Harold Holmes”
- Jeff Tweedy – “Enough”
- Matt Berninger – “Bonnet of Pins”
Top Five Albums of 2025
- Bon Iver – SABLE, fABLE
- Deep Sea Diver – Billboard Heart
- Lord Huron – The Cosmic Selector, Vol. 1
- My Morning Jacket – Is
- Wet Leg – Moisturizer
Favorite Concert: Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds – May 2 – Palace Theatre, Columbus, OH
Favorite Summit Discovery of 2025: Girl Tones
Dave Swanson
Revolt Into Style Host
Top Five Songs of 2025
- The Darkness – “The Longest Kiss”
- The Len Price 3 – “Gypsy Magick”
- Panic Shack – “Tit School”
- Pulp – “Got to Have Love”
- Sharp Pins – “Popafangout”
Top Five Albums of 2025
- The Darkness – Dreams on Toast
- The Divine Comedy – Rainy Sunday Afternoon
- The Len Price 3 – Medway Magick
- Pulp – More
- Sharp Pins – Balloon Balloon Balloon
Favorite Concert: Sparks – September 15 – Agora Theatre – Cleveland, OH
Laura Smiley
Development Director
Top Five Songs of 2025
- Doechii – “Anxiety”
- Lola Young – “Messy”
- Momma – “I Want You”
- Turnstile – “Never Enough”
- Wet Leg – “Catch These Fists”
Top Albums of 2025 (no particular order)
- Lola Young – I’m Only F**king Myself
- Mavis Staples – Sad and Beautiful World
- Momma – Welcome to My Blue Sky
- Tyler Childers – Snipe Hunter
Favorite Show: Daniel Donato
Favorite Summit Discovery of 2025: D.K. Harrell
Lori Dailey
On-Air Host
Top Five Songs of 2025
- The Black Keys – “Man on a Mission”
- Maggie Rose & Grace Potter – “Poison in My Well”
- Mumford & Sons – “Truth”
- St. Paul & the Broken Bones – “Sushi & Coca-Cola”
- Will Hoge – “Keeping My Windows”
Top Albums of 2025
- Ben Gage – Roads I Missed
- The Black Keys – No Rain, No Flowers
- Mumford & Sons – Rushmere
- The Trews – The Bloody Light
- Will Hoge – Sweet Misery
Bonus Album:
- Taylor Swift – The Life of a Showgirl
Favorite Concert: Mumford & Sons – Blossom Music Center - Cuyahoga Falls, OH (in the storm!)
Favorite Summit Discovery of 2025: The Trews
Matt Anthony
Digital Media Producer / On-Air Host
Top Five Albums of 2025
- Molly Tuttle – So Long Little Miss Sunshine
- Momma – Welcome to My Blue Sky
- Rocket – R Is for Rocket
- Sleep Token – Even in Arcadia
- Turnstile – Never Enough
Top Five Songs of 2025
- Amanda Shires – “Piece of Mind”
- Coast Arcade – “Acetone”
- Ecca Vandal – “Cruising to Self-Soothe”
- Girl Tones – “Blame”
- Rocket – “Take Your Aim”
Favorite Concert: Turnpike Troubadours – Wolstein Center – Cleveland, OH
Favorite Summit Discovery of 2025: Presley Haile
Rebecca Baird
On-Air Host
Top Five Albums of 2025
- The Accidentals & Kaboom Studio Orchestra – Sonus Borealis
- The Beths – Straight Line Was a Line
- Brandi Carlile – Returning to Myself
- Mt. Joy – Hope We Have Fun
- Wolf Alice – The Clearing
Top Five Songs of 2025
- Counting Crows – “Under the Aurora”
- Jack White – “Archbishop Harold Holmes”
- The Red Clay Strays – “People Hatin’”
- The Shootouts – “The Other Side of My Life”
- The Vindys – “Black Magic”
Favorite Concerts of 2025: Jack White – April 16 – Agora Theatre, Cleveland, OH
Bonus Favorite Concerts: Sonus Borealis World Tour
Favorite Summit Discovery of 2025: The Happy Fits
Ryan Humbert
Marketing, Design & Events
Host of The Americana Roundup
Top Five Albums of 2025
- Brandi Carlile – Returning to Myself
- Brandi Carlile & Elton John – Who Believes in Angels?
- Rodney Crowell – Airline Highway
- Vince Gill – 50 Years from Home (EPs 1 & 2)
- Waylon Jennings – Songbird
Top Five Songs of 2025
- Brandi Carlile – “A War with Time”
- Maggie Rose & Grace Potter – “Poison in My Well”
- Marfa – “Daisy”
- Nitty Gritty Dirt Band feat. Matraca Berg – “Nashville Skyline”
- Rodney Crowell – “Twenty-One Song Salute”
Favorite Concert: Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds – May 2 – Palace Theatre, Columbus, OH
Favorite Summit Discovery of 2025: Young Gun Silver Fox
Ryan Humbert
Marketing, Design & Events
Host of The Americana Roundup
Top Five Albums of 2025
- Brandi Carlile – Returning to Myself
- Brandi Carlile & Elton John – Who Believes in Angels?
- Rodney Crowell – Airline Highway
- Vince Gill – 50 Years from Home (EPs 1 & 2)
- Waylon Jennings – Songbird
Top Five Songs of 2025
- Brandi Carlile – “A War with Time”
- Maggie Rose & Grace Potter – “Poison in My Well”
- Marfa – “Daisy”
- Nitty Gritty Dirt Band feat. Matraca Berg – “Nashville Skyline”
- Rodney Crowell – “Twenty-One Song Salute”
Favorite Concert: Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds – May 2 – Palace Theatre, Columbus, OH
Favorite Summit Discovery of 2025: Young Gun Silver Fox
Sarah Swirsky
Wellness Coordinator
Top Five Songs of 2025
- Allison Russell feat. Annie Lennox – “Superlover”
- Jon Batiste – “BIG MONEY”
- Jessie Welles feat. Joan Baez – “No Kings”
- Larkin Poe – “If God Is a Woman”
- Southern Avenue – “Family”
Top Five Albums of 2025
- Jon Batiste – The New American Collection
- Jesse Welles – Devil’s Den
- Larkin Poe – Bloom
- Rhiannon Giddens & Justin Robinson – What Did the Blackbird Say to the Crow
- Sierra Ferrell – Trail of Flowers (Deluxe Edition)
Favorite Concert: Apostle Jones – Rialto Theater - Akron, OH
Favorite Summit Discovery of 2025: Anya Marina
Tommy Bruno
General Manager
Top Five Songs of 2025
- Fontaines D.C. – “It’s Amazing to Be Young”
- My Morning Jacket – “Time Waited”
- St. Paul & the Broken Bones – “Sushi & Coca-Cola”
- Turnstile – “Never Enough”
- Young Gun Silver Fox – “Stevie & Sly”
Top Five Albums of 2025
- Dijon – Baby
- Jesse Welles – Horses
- Kathleen Edwards – Billionaire
- Royel Otis – Hickey
- Tame Impala – Dracula
Favorite Concert: Thievery Corporation – House of Blues - Cleveland, OH
Favorite Summit Discovery of 2025: Lola Young
The Summit FM has been part of our community since 1955 and has been serving up commercial-free, true music diversity since 1986. We’re here to bring you fantastic, unique music that connects listeners across 21 counties.
But 2025 has brought one of our toughest challenges yet. The federal Corporation for Public Broadcasting funding we’ve relied on for more than 30 years was rescinded overnight — a major pillar of our support, gone.
Still, we’re Here to Stay — with your help.
Your support helps us:
- Donate 700+ instruments to students through the Marilyn Stroud Music Alive Program
- Fund scholarships for seniors overcoming adversity
- Host the 330 Day Concert, showcasing 100 Northeast Ohio artists to 5,000 fans over 8 years — free to attend every year
- Welcome 500+ artists into Studio C, from The Avett Brothers to The War & Treaty
- Promote Summit Wellness through 3,000+ PSAs on mental health and recovery
We remain proudly independent — no news, no sports, no politics — just great, diverse music. Now, without CPB funding, your membership matters more than ever. Something this unique, this community-driven, is worth preserving.
Please pledge your support today. Whether a one-time gift or a sustaining membership, your contribution ensures we’re truly Here to Stay.
By Dave Swanson - Summit FM Contributor
It is somewhat amusing how seriously the banter about Year Zero was taken by so many, especially in the UK. The arrival of The Damned, Sex Pistols, Clash, etc. not only signaled the push for a changing of the guard but truly a shift in pop culture—from clothing and music to attitudes and hyperbole. “No Elvis, Beatles or the Rolling Stones in 1977!”according to the Clash. All these “old” rock stars—you know, over 30—had to go. It all seems so silly now, but it was a real thing happening, and bands were distancing themselves from tradition.
However, in short order the punks got bored with themselves and started trying out different styles. Rotten Johnny (aka John Lydon) left the Sex Pistols and formed Public Image Ltd, an animal of a totally different stripe. The Clash branched out into wild experimentation with reggae, pop, funk and more, while The Damned showed off their love for psychedelia. All down the line, these bands were forging ahead, making their own noise that, while starting life in the punk explosion, had long left that behind. Enter the post-punk era, where bands were adopting all sorts of new sounds and styles.
Stiff Kittens would become Warsaw, who would become Joy Division, who would create their own universe and ultimately inspire countless bands immersed in darker sounds. From the majestic psychedelic sounds of Siouxsie & the Banshees, to the ethereal wash of Cocteau Twins, to the commanding funk of Gang of Four and Heaven 17, to goth and beyond—there was a lot going on. A band calling themselves the Southern Death Cult appeared, linking elements of post-punk, goth, shimmering guitars, and howling vocals, all steeped in a stance influenced by tribal and Native American mythology and history, as channeled through the haze of The Doors.
Soon they dropped the Southern part, followed by the removal of Death, to simply be The Cult. After a few singles, the band recorded their debut album, the majestic Dreamtime, which took all those previous influences and condensed them into a more focused pop/rock sound. Their look was changing as well—from the ragged, almost futuristic hippie vibe to a more rock and roll look. Singer Ian Astbury even adopted a glorious Cher–circa 1965 hairstyle, bangs to the fore. With each change, they had moved further away from Year Zero.
By 1985, as the band recorded their next LP, all bets were off as they delivered the masterpiece called Love. From the shimmering opening track, Nirvana, the band’s sound and intent were louder and clearer than ever. The driving rhythm section allowed guitarist Billy Duffy to float on top, providing a much more traditional style while Astbury was channeling his inner Jim Morrison to create a 1985 take on classic rock. Though the guitars owed as much to the style of The Edge and Banshees/Magazine guitarist John McGeoch, there was a sense of tradition being pushed forward. Song after song, the album builds: Big Neon Glitter with its stomping glam vibe; the hard-rocking title track; and the sweeping, hypnotic Brother Wolf, Sister Moon, which could have ridden tandem with something like Rhiannon.Rounding out side one, Rain shows off how a driving riff can truly power a song, making it one of the band’s genuine classics.
Flip the LP over and suddenly The Cult are borrowing a Stooges riff before getting all hippie vibes on Revolution. Then comes She Sells Sanctuary, another monster riff that sets sail into a song that remains the band’s star moment after all these years.
As I mentioned at the start of this long-winded tale, the whole Year Zero thing inspired countless kids to pick up a guitar. It influenced the Southern Death Cult, the Death Cult, and The Cult, but ultimately The Cult would show their true colors with their next album, as they tossed out any traces of punk or post-punk and basked in the classic rock glow of Led Zeppelin and AC/DC–style riffs on the Electric album—another wonderful record with another style in place. It just goes to show, one never knows what will inspire and lead a band down one path or another. From being lumped in with Bauhaus and cohorts at the start, to churning out Status Quo–style riffs, it’s all part of The Cult’s history—and Love is still the pinnacle of that journey.
By Dave Swanson - Summit FM Contributor
The Cranberries emerged from an unheralded Irish music scene to deliver many beloved records over the years. Beginning in 1989, the band did the usual maneuvers to gain ground in fairly short order. After initially being courted by indie stalwarts Rough Trade, a wider bidding war began, and they ultimately signed with Island Records, who issued their debut album, Everybody Else Is Doing It, So Why Can’t We? in the spring of 1993. It was a perfect time to be a new band in search of an audience, as the doors were still flung wide open in the post-Nevermind alt-rock world of the moment.
“Island were actually the last label to show an interest," noted guitarist Noel Hogan in a 2001 interview, "but their A&R guy, Denny Cordell, was just completely different from the others. He was an English guy based in New York. He’d produced [Procol Harum’s] ‘A Whiter Shade of Pale,’ he knew [Island boss] Chris Blackwell and the whole business inside out, but he was realistic too. Unlike the other labels, he didn’t promise us the world. We just had a feeling about him and, thankfully, we were right."
The band even acknowledged their first steps as tentative. “This was around the time of The Joshua Tree, and U2 were just massive,” continued Hogan. “If you thought Irish rock music, you thought U2, but that was way out of our reach. Coming from a small town in the south of Ireland, we thought no further than forming a band and playing a local club in front of a few friends if we ever got good enough. Really, we would have been content with that.”
The Cranberries’ sound drew from all sorts of inspirations without any easy label applied. This, it seemed, helped the band establish their own identity. With all songs co-written by singer Dolores O'Riordan and guitarist Noel Hogan, the two quickly developed a perfect writing partnership. The first single from the album, “Dreams,” made a respectable but less than stellar showing, missing the Top 40. The follow-up, however, told a different story.
Released in February 1993, “Linger” caught on at MTV as well as alternative radio, reaching No. 8 as a single and pushing the album into the Top 20, peaking at No. 18. The somewhat ethereal, dreamy delivery set it apart from much of the alt-rock output of the era, and despite frequent comparisons to both the Sundays and Sinéad O'Connor, it found an audience all its own.
The band carried on for several years before taking a hiatus in 2003, then reforming in 2009. Sadly, vocalist Dolores O'Riordan, who had faced a variety of struggles and demons, was found dead on January 15, 2018, from alcohol intoxication. She was only 46.