Ever since 2010 I’ve kept track of the music I listen to each month. It’s fascinating to see how some bands stay with me over the years whilst others have their moment on my stereo before vanishing from my mind… well, until years later when I check out to see what I was listening to way back when in any case!

Anyway, I ran a Top 50 (which turned in to a Top 100) bands of the month chart on various social media platforms recording my listening habits for posterity and to share my earworms of the month. I listen to a lot of music when working, and also when relaxing. My tastes are fairly broad and I love discovering new bands, as well as new sounds and genres.

May saw 9 new entries hit my Top 100 for the first time. Leading that pack are Hamburg based indie dream-pop band Roller Derby at 13. The other new enteries this month were Sade (18), PREYRS (67), A Thousand Mad Things (69), After… (86), Jesus Jones (89), Molll (92), Crippled Black Phoenix (95), and Fleet Foxes (96).

There were also 27 re-entries this month, with the highest being Soen who have reappeared after a few years at 12. Some of the other re-enteries included Pink Floyd (25), All India Radio (29), Fleetwood Mac (30), Project Pitchfork (47), How To Destory Angels (58), Dead When I Found Her (61), and Sneaker Pimps (99).

Several of Mays bands have appeared courtesy of the 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die book group I’m in, where one random album is selected from the book each day for us to listen to and review. Some have been great – either new finds or beloved classics – others less so. But it has meant that a few of those artists have started appearing in the monthly Top 100s.

Anyway, here’s my Top 100 for May 2026…

Kiss Facility – Cheap Poetry

Top 100 Bands – May 2026

Position	Last Month	Band
1	12	Kiss Facility
2	4	Dame Area
3	1	Nine Inch Nails
4	5	HEALTH
5	64	Teen Jesus and the Jean Teasers
6	3	Puscifer
7	9	The Sisters of Mercy
8	6	Holly Humberstone
9	20	Chalk
10	8	Ms*Gloom

Teen Jesus and the Jean Teasers – Girl Sports

11	11	Conjure One
12	RE	Soen
13	NE	Roller Derby
14	16	The Joy Thieves
15	17	13th Floor Elevators
16	18	Michael Kiwanuka
17	2	New Model Army
18	NE	Sade
19	35	The Clockwoks
20	55	Red Mecca

Roller Derby – Lights Out

21	75	U2
22	34	Grail Guard
23	23	Pop Will Eat Itself
24	43	Oklou
25	RE	Pink Floyd
26	22	The Raveonettes
27	77	Art School Girlfriend
28	27	The Last Shadow Puppets
29	RE	All India Radio
30	RE	Fleetwood Mac

Fleetwood Mac – The Chain

31	RE	Hunter as a Horse
32	28	Somewhere off Jazz Street
33	36	The Pretty Reckless
34	82	David Bowie
35	31	Diary of Dreams
36	RE	Kerli
37	RE	The Cure
38	13	The Mission
39	96	Ecca Vandal
40	10	Fields of the Nephilim

David Bowie feat. The Pet Shop Boys – Hello Spaceboy

41	40	Love Spirals Downwards
42	14	Snakes of Russia
43	42	Sofia Isaella
44	37	The Wonder Stuff
45	39	Fat Dog
46	41	Pendulum
47	RE	Project Pitchfork
48	RE	Carrellee
49	15	Metric
50	RE	The Jesus and Mary Chain

The Jesus and Mary Chain – April Skies

51	54	Levellers
52	48	The Birthday Massacre
53	49	Carter The Unstoppable Sex Machine
54	RE	Osi And The Jupiter
55	63	Paris Paloma
56	53	Yeah Yeah Yeahs
57	RE	Yes
58	RE	How To Destroy Angels
59	60	Iron Maiden
60	62	The Godfathers
61	RE	Dead When I Found Her
62	85	Bob Vylan
63	19	Castle Rat
64	86	Def Leppard
65	RE	The Devil & The Universe
66	72	Paul Revere & The Raiders
67	NE	PREYRS
68	67	The Mysterines
69	NE	A Thousand Mad Things
70	73	Ali Farka Toure
71	RE	All About Eve
72	59	Heartworms
73	RE	The Marionettes
74	76	Ari Mason
75	79	Empathy Test

All About Eve – Wild Hearted Woman

76	RE	The Beatles
77	80	Lana Del Rey
78	RE	Achillea
79	38	Clannad
80	69	Collapse Under the Empire
81	90	Palmistry
82	94	The Who
83	92	Enter Shikari
84	97	Gang of Four
85	93	HIM
86	NE	After…
87	RE	Apollo 440
88	RE	Ghostface Killah
89	NE	Jesus Jones
90	51	Ladytron
91	RE	Manet
92	NE	Molll
93	RE	Peter Gabrial
94	RE	Carbon Based Lifeforms
95	NE	Crippled Black Phoenix
96	NE	Fleet Foxes
97	66	God Is an Astronaut
98	RE	Neneh Cherry
99	RE	Sneaker Pimps
100	RE	The House of Love

Jesus Jones – Never Enough