Simon RushworthThe sweet sound of AOR-infused, pop-metal styled, Sunset Strip-soaked, radio friendly rock is never far away from editor Simon Rushworth’s turntable. Here’s his pick of this year’s top performers as we reveal The Best Melodic Rock Albums of 2025.
10. Giant — Stand And Deliver (Frontiers)
When shiny new single Hold The Night held our attention in the spring we immediately predicted big things from Giant’s second Kent Hilli-fronted album.
Stand And Deliver stood tall alongside this year’s most infectious melodic rock records and gave masterpiece Last Of The Runaways a run for its money.
Hilli’s swiftly grown into his role as the voice of Giant and on Time To Call It Love and Pleasure Dome the assured vocalist poured his AOR heart out.
We said: “Hilli and Westerlund walk tall in the land of Giant. Here’s hoping they’re going nowhere soon.” Stand And Deliver was a stunning album.
Read the full review here.
9. FM — Brotherhood (Frontiers)
It’s 30 years since FM closed the book on the first chapter of a ‘so near yet so far’ story of melodic rock potential unfulfilled.
Immeasurable talent — and Steve Overland’s honey-tongued vocals — might not have been enough to match the commercial heft of Leppard, Bon Jovi or Europe back in the day.
But FM’s songcraft was always on a par with their mega-selling peers.
And Brotherhood was further evidence that Overland and co.’s comeback years have been an exercise in soulful, swaggering consistency.
Living On The Run soundtracked our summer as an earworm Red Hot Track Of The Week and the rest of this record was predictably flawless.
8. Cassidy Paris — Bittersweet (Frontiers)
Cassidy Paris has always been the keenest of students when it comes to Rushonrock’s favourite late 80s/early 90s era.
The Aussie firebrand’s been channelling her inner Lita Ford, Pat Benatar and Lorraine Lewis for a decade or more.
And we’ll never forget when feisty teen Paris burst out of the blocks to bag a 2019 Record Of The Week with self-released EP Broken Hearted.
Bittersweet benefited from a meatier production, a harder edge and serious lyrical heft — it was the furious sound of a switched-on rock chick growing up fast.
Paris pulled no punches on Nothing Left To Lose, Finish What We Started and Wannabe as an angsty album gathered pace.
The Joan Jett-fuelled Give Me Your Love was one of the grooviest rockers we heard all year. Lzzy Hale’s sister from another mister? Maybe.
7. The Switch — No Way Out (Frontiers)
Any time we see the Martin name mentioned in dispatches it’s cause for serious celebration.
Brothers Tom and James are true masters of their melodic rock craft and latest project The Switch was an instant turn on.
Back in September we said: “No Way Out might sound remarkably similar to just about every cassette you owned between 1984 and 1988 but this isn’t lazy repetition on the Martins’ part. They’re far too good for that.
“What this record represents is a joyous and authentic take on a genre that flatly refuses to die.”
The Switch represented everything that’s uplifting, joyous and life-affirming about perfectly polished AOR.
Hangin’ On To Seventeen, One Night With You and Strangers Eyes had us reaching for the Winger VHS and 1987 Metal Hammer back issues.
No Way Out? Seriously, who’d want to escape this?
Read the full review here.
6. Honeymoon Suite — Wake Me Up When The Sun Goes Down (Frontiers)
The Suite sound of comeback success? Too right.
Forget, for a minute, 2024’s Alive — a perfectly perfunctory return after a 16-year hiatus was a pleasant enough listen.
But if you were looking for something more akin to 1988’s Racing After Midnight then Wake Me Up When The Sun Goes Down sounded more like the classic Honeymoon period.
Once upon a time steered by über producers Bruce Fairbairn and Ted Templeman, the classy Canadians know what’s required of a melodic rock tour de force.
And pre-release singles New Girl Now and Stay In The Light paved the way for what was a powerhouse set of pin sharp AOR-fuelled anthems.
Wake Me Up When The Sun Goes Down was like a double shot of keys-fuelled caffeine… with added Suite-ner.
Read the full review here.
5. Gotthard — Stereo Crush (Reigning Phoenix Music)
We described the buccaneering Swiss band’s 14th studio album as ‘a glorious amalgamation of Gotthard’s numerous strengths’.
And Stereo Crush comfortably put the squeeze on many of 2025’s album of the year contenders.
Often overlooked by audiences beyond mainland Europe, Leo Leoni’s mob consistently sculpt melodic rock from the gods.
And tracks like Life, Devil In The Moonlight and Burning Bridges reinforced a bullet proof reputation.
Fifteen years in and frontman Nic Maeder knows how to get the very best out of Gotthard: Stereo Crush was a career high for the classy vocalist.
Read the full review here.
4. W.E.T. — Apex (Frontiers)
As far as Italy’s powerhouse label Frontiers is concerned, supergroups come and supergroups go.
But it was wonderful to witness the return of W.E.T. in 2025 — a band boasting more AOR acumen than most thanks to the involvement of peerless frontman Jeff Scott Soto and Eclipse six stringer Eric Mårtensson.
After four years away the melodic rock masters made one of the records of the year with opener Believer, Where Are The Heroes Now and Stay Alive representative of the genre at it affecting best.
W.E.T.’s self-titled debut and fabulous follow-up Rise set the bar impossibly high for this band of transatlantic brothers.
But Apex was another dizzying high point for a collective driven by AOR perfection.
3. Shiraz Lane — In Vertigo (Frontiers)
Somewhat late to the 2025 party, Finland’s rising stars hit their stride with the October album drop that reshaped Rushonrock’s view on the melodic rock year.
In Vertigo was cocksure, cavalier and, at times, chaotic. Just how we like our sleaze-soaked Scandi melodic rock.
In fact, the Rushonrock Record Of The Week review read: “…this ambitious album is about as polished as they come within a genre that demands sparkle, gloss and hair metal sheen.”
We’d been tracking Shiraz Lane since catching the band’s standout Call Of The Wild set.
And In Vertigo didn’t disappoint as an album paced by scorching six stringers Jani Laine and Miki Kalske kept fans guessing.
The Ray Of Light shone brightest but Sayonara Love and set closer Brand New Day grabbed our attention.
Shiraz Lane smashed it on a street-smart banger.
Read the full review here.
2. First Light — Pride And Joy (Elemental Records)
Pride And Joy could have topped the lot in any other year as this mouthwatering feast of AOR goodness proved nothing beats experience.
Our interest piqued by Red Hot Track Of The Week Mesmerising, we couldn’t wait to find out what co-founders Carl Sharples and Dave Hardman had up their sleeves on Gravity’s follow-up.
And the duo didn’t disappoint as Pride And Joy emerged as a manifesto for finely crafted melodic rock in the mould of Asia, FM and Giant.
Forever Young and Caught Up In You captured the creative flair of a proven songwriting team — Didge Digital’s trademark keys adding a classy touch to First Light’s finest work.
Produced by AOR royalty Pete Newdeck and mastered by Harem Sacrem’s Harry Hess, nothing was left to chance on a remarkably assured record.
First Light shone brightly in 2025 as torch bearers for classic melodic rock.
Read the full review here.
1. Crazy Lixx — Thrill Of The Bite (Frontiers)
Crazy Lixx are crazy good.
We didn’t need Thrill Of The Bite to prove the point but a raucous record was a welcome addition to the Swedish band’s party-starting back catalogue.
Frontman Danny Rexon had a blast from start to finish as bold flashes of Def Leppard, Mötley Crüe and Ratt underpinned a supercharged set.
Almost giddy in our appreciation of a game-changing record we gushed: “Get your teeth into Thrill Of The Bite and you’ll find yourself feasting on some of the finest soft rock this century.”
And after gorging on a buffet of Rexon’s dishiest work to date we went back for more… and more.
Midnight Rebels, Little Miss Dangerous and Hunt For Danger rocked hard.
And Crazy Lixx delivered the late 80s hair metal throwback that every Headbangers Ball devotee dreamed of.
Read the full review here.