Most Read Posts of 2025
- jaybroderick
- 5 days ago
- 6 min read
By: Jay Broderick - In February 2023, I took my general interest photography website and created LoudTO. We had some small growth in 2024 as far as number of monthly readers, but in 2025, our number of readers doubled. ASTONISHING for this little thing we got going on here, and we are so grateful to you, our readers! With that, I thought it would be great to revisit LoudTO's Most Read Posts of 2025. Hit the Post Title to transport back in time and have another look.
TEN:
Unforgettable Night at Casino Rama: Celebrating 1980s Rock with Nazareth, Helix, and Killer Dwarfs by Michael Drukarsh
If you were around in the 1980s, you'll know how kick ass it was (despite what my brother think!). Sure, the fluorescent colours, and style mainly associated with pop music is cringeworthy, but rock and roll reigned supreme! As a night of nostalgia, there is no wonder the Nazareth, Helix, Killer Dwarfs show at Casino Rama on October 10, 2025 was out 10th most popular post of the year.
NINE:
Back in October of 2024, I covered an event at TD Music Hall in Toronto called "Canada's Teen Jam". It was a showcase of Canada's young music talent, and WOW! Since that time, founder Mark Higgins has travelled across the country in search of Canada's future stars, which has since included 2 additional Toronto dates. I have had the distinct honour of covering all 3 shows here, with the most recent being held on September 18, 2025. The coverage of this 3rd Toronto date was our 9th most read post of 2025.
EIGHT:
Displaying Ageless Power, Lee Aaron Rocks Casino Rama by Michael Drukarsh
Yes, another 1980s legend, but Lee Aaron has continued to release new music and bring it to her fans in a live setting over the decades. Wait.... DECADES??? YES! But Lee Aaron sounds (and looks) like it's still 1984... something Michael Drukarsh is all too familiar with. On July 25th, Drukarsh took the hour long drive north to Casino Rama to cover Lee Aaron specifically, despite this being a supporting set for Night Ranger (. The coverage was 2025's 8th most read post here at LoudTO.
SEVEN:
Mark Higgins - The Man Behind Canada's Teen Jam by Jay Broderick
At number 9 above, I mentioned Canada's Teen Jam founder Mark Higgins. To me, he has created one of the most needed displays in music... to give a platform to our young musicians, and to nurture their musical development... not only for Canada, but the world! And perhaps even more so now with AI seemingly taking over our lives. We simply cannot lose our humanity, of which music plays an integral part. Early in February 2025, I had a chat with Mark Higgins about his vision, and the resulting post was our 7th most read of the year.
SIX:
A Celebration of Ozzy: A Night of Tribute with Crazy Babies and Sons of Sabbath in Toronto by Michael Drukarsh
What a heart wrenching year... we lost some huge legends in the music world. On July 22, one of the biggest stars of all time left us when Ozzy Osbourne passed away. Ozzy was not only a massive star in the music world... he was also known the world over for his antics, and his reality TV. There was arguably none bigger. Love him or (dare I say) hate him, everybody knew him. His passing was devastating. But the music world celebrated him. Every show I saw after that fateful July 22 date paid some tribute to Ozzy, but the Crazy Babies and Sons of Sabbath show at The Phoenix Concert Theatre on August 9th was one that was specifically dedicated to the Prince of Darkness. The coverage was our 6th most read post of 2025.
FIVE:
Yeppers! 3 posts specific to Canada's Teen Jam in our Top 10 Most Read Posts of 2025. It clearly highlights the importance of this movement. On February 27th, I was completely honoured to take in my second presentation of Canada's Teen Jam, and with all due respect to all the performances throughout the 3 events I have personally covered, this one was my favourite. All these artists perform as though they are seasoned veterans with a stage presence that appears to come completely naturally. I have kept my eyes on most of these musicians and I am excited to see where it takes them.
FOUR:
Without a doubt, one of the most anticipated, and subsequently talked about shows of 2025... Canadian metal behemoths, and Toronto's own... Sacrifice! The band hadn't played a hometown show in 9 years. NINE YEARS!!! But damn, it was worth every painstaking second of wait. After the band announced the show, I was transported back to my 8 year old self, anxiously counting down the days to Christmas. The buzz around the city was distinct. And when October 11th finally rolled around, it was like waking up Christmas morning and opening that one desperately asked for gift. What a night! On a personal level, this was my second favourite show that I covered in 2025. For our readers, it was the 4th most read post of the year.
THREE:
Blackrose Entertainment Bring Gowan Back to Oshawa After 49 Years by Jay Broderick
If you have never seen Gowan live, then you need to immediately add him to your bucket list, and make it a point to grab yourself a ticket for an event close to your hometown. This guy is an absolute gem, and one of the greatest performers I have ever seen live. I have been fortunate to cover a couple Gowan shows in recent years, and have even seen the singer perform live with Styx on a couple recent occasions. He has never failed to blow my mind. His musical abilities have not waned one bit, and his stories and interactions with the crowd are unmatched. If you don't want to take it from me, take it from the hundreds of people who made Gowan's May 15th performance at the Regent Theatre in Oshawa our third most read post of 2025.
TWO:
Homecoming Harmony as Killer Dwarfs Embrace Their Roots in a Heartfelt Oshawa Concert by Michael Drukarsh
One month prior, Michael Drukarsh headed north to see Nazareth perform at Casino Rama, with support from Helix and Killer Dwarfs. It was our 10th most popular post of 2025. On November 8th however, Drukarsh headed east to Oshawa to cover the Dwarfs in their own headlining set at The Biltmore Theatre. Similar to the Sacrifice show at number 4, this was a homecoming for the Oshawa rockers that left no wonder why they are so loved. With support from My Own Addiction (a band that completely knocked Drukarsh's socks off), and the Darren James Smith band, this was not only a favourite of the photojournalist, it was the second most popular post (and the most popular concert review) in 2025 for us here at LoudTO.
ONE:
Heavy Metal Was Born on This Day, 55 Years Ago by Jay Broderick
On February 13th, 1970, in the Sleepy Village of Birmingham, England heavy metal was born! On that day, Black Sabbath released their debut album Black Sabbath and the music world would never be the same! And what a glorious day it was!! On February 13th, 2025, I revisited the album to commemorate its 55th birthday (CRAZY!!). The post exploded. By the end of 2025, it had garnering more than 3 times the views than our second most read post of the year. It's a direct reflection on the influence this band has had over their storied career, but more importantly, what this album has meant to the music world, let alone the heavy metal world. It also magnifies the massive loss on July 22nd. Rest Easy Ozzy!
"YOU CAN'T KILL ROCK AND ROLL!"
A personal thanks to all our readers and the bands who have made 2025 our biggest year yet. But we will not stop there! Our goals for the new year are to continue to expand our reach, and to bring Toronto and beyond even more music coverage.
Comments