This year of music has started with a bang. We’ve seen Chappell Roan go country, Selena Gomez and Benny Blanco smothering audiences with gushy love songs and Playboi Carti’s rapturous return from the underground. Alongside these pop heavyweights, we’re witnessing rap superstar Doechii continue her chart domination and the breakthrough of Gen Z artists like 2hollis and Tate McRae. What songs are defining 2025? Well, we’ve searched through our playlists and extracted the best songs of the year so far, below. But it doesn’t stop there. Keep your eyes peeled for updates to this list throughout the year as we’re still awaiting albums from Turnstile, Lorde, Addison Rae, Miley Cyrus, Pulp, A$AP Rocky and many more.  Georgia curates Time Out’s music section. If she's not blabbering about music on the website, she's doing it in-person (much to the office’s dismay). For more about how we curate, see our editorial guidelines. RECOMMENDED: 🎧 The best albums of 2025 (so far)🎥 The best movies of 2025 (so far)📺 The best TV of 2025 (so far)

There’s a reason why motivational songs that put a firm pep in your step stand the test of time. As these timeless inspirational tracks prove, music that has the power to lift your mood, get you striding through life with your head held high, and urges you to embrace the good of today, is music that we all come back to again and again. On this list of the 37 best inspirational songs of all-time, you’ll find everything from aspirational rap classics to rock’n’roll affirmations to pop stars who inspire simply by existing. From golden anthems by Gloria Gaynor and David Bowie, right through to modern-day pick-me-ups by Billie Eilish and Jamie xx, no matter what you need to get done, these jams will help get you there. RECOMMENDED: 🎵 The best songs of 2025 so far🕺 The best albums of 2025 so far🎤 The best karaoke songs🍻 The best drinking songs🎶 The best ’80s songs🎊 The best pop songs

Party songs come in all shapes and sizes, but to be a party song, there are some rules. 

We’re only a few months through the year and our auditory canals have already been graced with some absolutely cracking new music.

From a Bill Withers staple to some Sabrina Carpenter sparkle.

Whether you’ve got the voice of an angel or you’re totally tone deaf, karaoke unites us all. 

Being in love tends to make you want to shout from the rooftops about how great it all is, so it’s no surprise it dominates the music world.

You can pay for all the therapy you want – sometimes only a good cry will do it.

The ’80s changed music forever. That’s no secret. But choosing the best songs from the era is no easy task.

From soul and pop all the way through to heavy metal, covering other artist’s songs is an art form.