As usual, it was a very busy year in Colorado music. I took in, listened to, catalogued and tracked several hundred new releases. I tracked instate airplay on fourteen community powered radio station. I drove hundreds of miles visiting communities around the state (especially the Western Slope), listening to hours of Colorado music on the road. And, hundreds of fans and listeners voted for their favorites in the 16th Annual Fan & Listener Poll.
THE RESULTS
THE HEADLINES
The BIG NEWs of 2025 was the loss of federal funding for our community powered / member-supported radio stations, and public broadcasting overall.
The Lumineers headlined Empower Field at Mile High Stadium with Nathaniel Rateliff & the Night Sweats.
Nathaniel Rateliff and the Night Sweats headlined a sold out Madison Square Garden show in March and was inducted into the Colorado Music Hall of Fame in December.
Big Head Todd and the Monsters celebrated their 40th year with two nights at Red Rocks, a multi night residency over the summer at the Dillon Amphitheater and a co-headlining show with Cheap Trick in Grand Junction.
Boulder Roots Music Fest launched its inaugural event in Boulder in October. Headliners included North Mississippi Allstars, Yonder Mountain String Band, and Andy Frasco & the U.N. Over 400 musicians took part in the first year of the festival.
THE SHOW
HOUR 1
ALPHABETICAL LIST NOT IN ORDER OF THE SHOW
- A.J. Fullerton – Wild Peace
#8 TOP 50 2025 - Analog Son – Take Me
- Andy Frasco & The U.N. – Try Not to Die
#10 TOP 50 2025
FAN & LISTENER FAVORITE POP ALBUM OF THE YEAR “Growing Pains”
FAN & LISTENER FAVORITE POP SONG OF THE YEAR – Try Not to Die - Aubrey Dale – If Church Was a Bar
FAN & LISTENER FAVORITE DEBUT BY AN EMERGING ARTIST
FAN & LISTENER FAVORITE AMERICANA SONG OF THE YEAR - Christine Alice – Wood Burning Stove
#25 TOP 50 2025
FAN & LISTENER FAVORITE DEBUT ALBUM BY AN EMERGING ARTIST “Wood, Strings & Simple Things” - The Crooked Rugs – Melancholy Mind
#7 TOP 50 2025 - The Delta Sonics – Concrete Hotel
#14 TOP 50 2025 - The Dirty Turkeys – Red Dog
#13 TOP 50 2025 - Grant Sabin – Didn’t Sell My Ring
#9 TOP 50 2025
TIE – FAN & LISTENER FAVORITE ALBUM OF THE YEAR “Work”
FAN & LISTENER FAVORTE VOCAL PERFORMANCE HE/HIS/MALE Didn’t Sell My Ring - Jeff Campbell + Erica Brown + Merrian Johnson +DJ Musa – Fire on the Mountain
- Marfa – Daisy
- The Motet – Love Time
FAN & LISTNER FAVORITE FUNK, HIPHOP, SOUL OR JAZZ ALBUM OF THE YEAR “Love Time”
FAN & LISTENER FAVORITE FUNK, HIPHOP, SOUL OR JAZZ SONG OF THE YEAR Love Time - Nathaniel Rateliff & Gregory Alan Isakov – Flowers
FAN & LISTENER FAVORITE SINGLE RELEASE OF THE YEAR
HOUR 2
ALPHABETICAL LIST NOT IN ORDER OF THE SHOW
- Big Gigantic – Move Around
Tie #38 TOP 50 2025
FAN & LISTENER FAVORITE EDM ALBUM OF THE YEAR “Fluorescence”
FAN & LISTENER FAVORITE SONG EDM – Move Around - Dragondeer – Jolee
TIE – #40 TOP 50 2025
FAN & LISTENER FAVORITE ROCK SONG OF THE YEAR - Drunken Hearts – The Other Side
FAN & LISTENER FAVORITE VOCAL PERFORMANCE BY A DUO OR GROUP - Eric Lilley Trio – Maisie’s Daisies
- Gasoline Lollipops – Tennessee Nights
#2 TOP 50 2025
TIE – FAN & LISTENER FAVORITE ALBUM OF THE YEAR “Kill the Architect”
FAN & LISTENER FAVORITE AMERICANA ALBUM OF THE YEAR “Kill the Architect”
FAN & LISTENER FAVORITE SONG OF THE YEAR – Tennessee Nights - Heavy Diamond Ring – Don’t Go It Alone
#11 TOP 50 2025
TIE – FAN & LISTENER FAVORITE VOCAL PERFORMANCE SHE/HER/FEMALE - Leftover Salmon – Let’s Party About It
#6 TOP 50 2025 - The Lumineers – Same Old Song
#1 TOP 50 2025 - Nathaniel Rateliff & the Night Sweats – Heartless
#3 TOP 50 2025 - Sour Magic – Silver Sands
#12 TOP 50 2025 - Tennis – 12 Blown Tires
#29 TOP 50 2025
FAN & LISTENER FAVORITE INDIE/ALTERNATIVE ALBUM OF THE YEAR “Facedown in the Garden”
FAN & LISTENER FAVORITE INDIE/ALTERNATIVE SONG OF THE YEAR – 12 Blown Tires - The Velveteers – On and On
#5 TOP 50 2025
FAN & LISTENER FAVORITE ROCK ALBUM OF THE YEAR “A Million Knives”
TIE – FAN & LISTENER FAVORTE VOCAL PERFORMANCE SHE/HER/FEMALE - Yonder Mountain String Band – Nowhere Next
#4 TOP 50 2025
Chris K's Colorado Playlist 