The 2025 Smiles Show Countdown Contest Is On!

The 2025 Smiles Show countdown contest of my top favorite songs of the past year is on! 

As in previous years, submit one email with a guess of my top three artists, and three of my top favorite songs for the current calendar year to jimmysmiles07@gmail.com . One entry per person. The entry period is open through 11:59 PM PT on Wednesday, December 24, 2025.

There will be a coffee shop gift card for the winner of each individual contest; one for the top 3 artists and one for the top 3 songs! 

Below is some background on my chart methodology if you want the nitty gritty, minus the band. 😆

I keep a list of my 10 favorite songs each week. A song’s chart peak position on my weekly charts, as well as chart longevity (total weeks on my charts), figure into each song’s placement in my year-end countdown. Songs get points each week that they are on my countdown; a song that peaks high but quickly falls form the chart may not end up as high on the year-end countdown as one that didn't peak quite as high, but spent considerably more weeks on the chart.

Songs eligible for my charts include any songs released in 2025, or any songs that became popular during the calendar year of 2025. Keep in mind that there are songs on my 2025 countdown that were released earlier than 2025, but the majority of the songs were released in the past year.

I listen to a lot of different sources for music these days, and contemporary Top 40 is only a portion of the songs and artists I enjoy these days.

That’s probably more than you care to know, but now you know! And as GI Joe once said “Knowing is half the battle!”

Good luck and happy guessing...the countdown is ON!

Oh, and whether you wish to enter the contest or not, my favorite songs of 2025 list and accompanying blog will be posted shortly after the start of 2026. :)