Something Like Alt Rock: 2025 Q4 Playlist

2025 is officially in the books, and while we dropped our year‑end playlist the other week, let’s be honest — the songs that hit earlier in the year always have a bit of an advantage. More months, more spins.



But Q4 came in swinging. Many of our favorite bands dropped absolute bangers this fall: Smash Into Pieces (pictured above) , Mayday Parade, Mammoth, Senses, Armor for Sleep, Yungblud, and plenty more. With so much great new music landing late in the year, we held off until now to share our top picks from Q4 2025.

After listening to hundreds of tracks, we cut it down to 31: a mix of uptempo punk, emotional ballads, anthemic rock, and everything in between. Whether you’re here for the slow‑burn heartbreakers or the songs that make you want to jump around your living room, this quarter delivered.

Without further ado, here are our top picks from Q4: (Click here to play on Spotify.)

  1. Smash Into Pieces - Villains
  2. Mayday Parade - Promises
  3. Mammoth - Same Old Song
  4. Anberlin - Ready Fuels
  5. Senses - You and I
  6. Loveless - The Cure
  7. As It Is - Lose Yourself and Find Your Way
  8. Youthyear w/ Letdown. - Nightmare
  9. Nevertel - Good Intentions
  10. Dayseeker - Crawl Back To My Coffin
  11. Armor for Sleep - In Another Dream
  12. The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus - Perfection
  13. Shinedown - Searchlight
  14. Lansdowne - Burn It Down
  15. Thrice - Holding On
  16. Daughtry - Razor
  17. BRKN LOVE - Crooked Tongue
  18. The Strumbellas - Hanging Out in My Head
  19. Bermuda Search Party - Better Love
  20. Aerosmith, Yungblud - Wild Woman
  21. Dorothy - Elevate
  22. Volia - No Way To Live
  23. Oh The Larceny - Blood Runs Gold
  24. New Found Glory - Treat Yourself
  25. Armor for Sleep - Sky Full of Blackholes
  26. Kensington - Call You Home
  27. Action/Adventure w/ Armor for Sleep - Background
  28. Silversun PIckups - The Wreckage
  29. AMH - Don't Believe In Love
  30. Volumes - Bad Habit
  31. Huddy - Burn the Ballroom Down


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