Ambiorix Top 40 – 2025-12

As usual, not much truly new, headline-grabbing music is released in the first half of December. Still, this year we found enough material to put together a full Top 40 chart. Quite a few of the contenders actually have their origins in a more distant or less distant past. Take number one, for instance: “Satisfaction Skank” by Fatboy Slim ft. The Rolling Stones. For more than 25 years now, this celebrated mash-up of “The Rockafella Skank” and “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction” has been ecstatically thriving—bootleg-style—on every self-respecting dance floor in the early hours of the morning. Only in 2025 did Mick Jagger and company finally give their blessing for an official remix and the accompanying hype-filled release.

James once again scoops prizes with “Hallelujah Anyhow” (#2), the second and final new track to be found on the double compilation Nothing But Love, which saw the light of day only recently. It’s great to see the top 10 of the closing chart of 2025 peppered with bands from the glory days of punk: the Buzzcocks clock in at #4 with “Queen of the Scene”, the harbinger of their comeback album Attitude Adjustment, heading our way in January. At #6 we find “Gasoline”, a fresh adrenaline shot from the Australian Saints, taken from their late-November release Long March Through the Jazz Age. Another first-wave punk band, The Damned, breathe new life into vintage Pink Floyd with “See Emily Play”, landing at #7. Buzzcocks, Saints, and The Damned—three acts that already thrilled us with their youthful punky exuberance fifty years ago (late ’76). The circle is almost complete!

December wouldn’t be December if we didn’t lend an eye and an ear to freshly recorded Christmas fare. A bountiful harvest of seven seasonal songs, of which only two are actually originals: Bernie Leadon of The Eagles with “Holidaze Part 1” (#26) and “The Christmas Song” by Angus & Julia Stone at #39. The remaining five are covers or remakes. In ascending order, we’ll soon no doubt hear the ding-donging of Sharon Van Etten, who took on “2000 Miles” (#36) by The Pretenders. Weyes Blood shows up at #33 with “Snowqueen of Texas”, originally dating back to 1971 by The Mamas & the Papas. After Bernie Leadon at #26, it’s britpop band Ash’s turn: it was written in the stars that “Santa Claus Is Coming to Town” (#21) was destined for an energetic end-of-year makeover. At #15 we find “Stop the Cavalry” by The Futureheads. That British quartet released a full Christmas album at the end of last month, bearing the highly unpredictable title Christmas—Jona Lewie in a contemporary outfit!

Jeff Tweedy recently released a triple album, on which he tackled an old Christmas song by The Band. “Christmas Must Be Tonight” (#12) had long since faded into obscurity—until good old Jeff stepped in. The Christmas crown of 2025, however, goes to Australian pop star Sia. A remake of her “Snowman” from 2017 was recently recorded, featuring someone—at least to me—previously unknown: Bélinda. On closer inspection, she turns out to be a long-established Spanish act, more readily recognized within the teen-dance Latin pop segment. Something for everyone. Fun Rudolph fun! 🎄
(Jan VH)

Playlist

1. Fatboy Slim ft. Rolling Stones – Satisfaction Skank
2. James – Hallelujah Anyhow
3. Men Without Hats – Run Away
4. Buzzcocks – Queen of the Scene
5. Chameleons – Lady Strange
6. The Saints – Gasoline
7. Sia ft. Belinda – Snowman
8. The Damned – See Emily Play
9. Viagra Boys – Pyramid of Health
10. Christy Moore – Yellow Triangle
11. Fred Angst ft. Marcel Vanthilt – Fosforwit
12. Jeff Tweedy – Christmas Must Be Tonight
13. Palaye Royale – Sad Generation
14. Miles Kane – My Love
15. The Futureheads – Stop the Cavalry
16. Boy & Bear – Lost Control
17. Aerosmith ft. Yungblud – A Thousand Days
18. Rudolf Hecke + God=God – A Stronger Man
19. John Steve Forbert – You’d See the Things That I See (The Day…)
20. Sparks – They
21. Ash – Santa Claus Is Coming to Town
22. J. Mascis – Say It On
23. Isolde Lasoen – My Kind of Drama
24. Bear’s Den ft. Ciaran Lavery – Sheer Rage & Love
25. The Church – Sacred Echoes (Part Two)
26. Bernie Leadon – Holidaze Pt. 1
27. The Waterboys – Western Roll Call
28. Wedding Present – Two for the Road
29. Dry Cleaning – Let Me Grow and You’ll See the Fruit
30. Pulp – The Man Comes Around
31. Serj Tankian – When Death Arrives
32. Khruangbin – People Everywhere (ii)
33. Weyes Blood – Snowqueen of Texas
34. Triggerfinger – Stars
35. Tame Impala – Dracula
36. Sharon Van Etten – 2000 Miles
37. Waxx ft. Gaël Faye – San Francisco
38. Conor Oberst ft. Blondshell – Event of a Fire
39. Angus & Julia Stone – The Christmas Song
40. Idles – Police and Thieves

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