the best rock songs of 2013 (Sad Angel!)

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The Best Rock Songs of 2013
By: William Clark - December 16, 2013 - Posted In: Lists
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These past twelve months have been made even more memorable thanks to the impressive collection of exceptional music. We have seen music surface from everyone ranging from Paul McCartney and Fleetwood Mac to Boston and Deep Purple, with more than a handful of enjoyable albums in between. So without further ado, here is our list of The Best Rock Songs of 2013.

10) “Different”

Joan Jett and the Blackhearts
One of the remaining punk rock purveyors made her return to the music world earlier this year; Joan Jett issued her first new studio album in seven years, ‘Unvarnished,’ which showcases a fresh collection of swagger driven anthems, and “Different” is certainly no exception.

9) “Go Baby Go”

Krokus
With the second track off of their critically acclaimed album ‘Dirty Dynamite,’ Krokus return to their AC/DC inspired roots and pull out a traditional hard rock favorite. “Go Baby Go” is an adrenaline fueled riff racer, which features crunching guitars and some familiar falsetto.

8) “Queenie Eye”

Paul McCartney
This year showed Paul McCartney delivering his finest solo effort in decades with ‘New.’ By bringing his familiar, signature musical style up to date with modern pop hooks and a commendable producer, Paul McCartney proved that he can still remain relevant in today’s music world. “Queenie Eye” is one of this album’s strongest moments: a piano-powered rocker with nostalgia to spare, not to mention the staggering list of special guests which appear within the song’s music video.

7) “Sad Angel”

Fleetwood Mac
In what was one of this year’s most unexpected releases, Fleetwood Mac returned with their first new collection of studio material in ten years. Although it wasn’t the full studio album fans have been anticipating, the appropriately titled ‘Extended Play‘ boasted four songs filled with classic Fleetwood Mac influences. “Sad Angel” serves as a bold opening track, and features some enjoyable clashes of acoustic guitar and broad vocal melodies from Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks.

6) “Runaway Love”

Reckless Love
Reckless Love returned with their third studio album ‘Spirit‘ earlier this year, which continued to show the band’s natural progression into the hair metal music genre. “Runaway Love” is a riveting power ballad boasting a head haunting chorus, soaring guitar work and a dynamic lead vocal performance from Olli Herman.

5) “Horizons”

Michael Schenker
Michael Schenker recruited an impressive lineup for this year’s new outing, ‘Bridge the Gap.’ Former Rainbow lead vocalist Doogie White and Schenker’s Scorpions band mates Francis Buchholz and Herman Rarebell serve as a formidable backbone for Michael’s eccentric guitar playing throughout the entire album, and this is especially true on the racing “Horizons.”

4) “The Garden”

Rush
Even though this song originally made an appearance on Rush‘s 2012 studio album ‘Clockwork Angels,’ earlier this year the band released an official video of the song being performed live alongside a full symphony orchestra. Rush give an admirably emotional performance throughout the entire track, and appropriately earned this live rendition a nomination within our list of The Best Rock Songs of 2013.

3) “Cold Day in Hell”

Tom Keifer
Ten years in the making, Cinderella’s Tom Keifer made his highly anticipated debut as a solo artist with ‘The Way Life Goes.’ Punchy blues guitar riffs and passionate vocal performances are in surplus throughout this new effort, with “Cold Day in Hell” serving as a proud throwback to his band’s ‘Long Cold Winter’ years.

2) “Love Got Away”

Boston
As each year passed, it seemed more and more unlikely that we would ever hear new material from Boston. Fans were able to breathe a sigh of relief this year upon announcement that the band would be issuing their long awaited sixth studio album, ‘Life, Love & Hope.’ One of the album’s brightest moments is “Love Got Away,” which shows Tom Scholz making his debut as a lead vocalist, accompanied by Tommy DeCarlo on backup vocals.

1) “Out of Hand”

Deep Purple
One of the forerunners of heavy metal released a proud offering of new material earlier this year with their nineteenth(!) studio album, ‘Now What?!.’ The title while humorous is also appropriate, because after more than forty years what more is there for Deep Purple to accomplish? What makes ‘Now What?!’ so standout is the fact that Deep Purple don’t attempt to top their previous efforts, but instead only continue to progress and create music which sounds like an evolution which Deep Purple would naturally take in 2013. “Out of Hand” is a prime example, which incorporates impressive synthesizers, intricate guitar playing and an explosive chorus, earning this track the title of The Best Rock Song of 2013.