This is one of the hardest countdowns I have had to do to date, not only because I like every Rise Against song, but also because the band has a huge catalogue of songs spanning over 15 years. I also had the chance to see them live in South Africa in 2013, which was a memorable experience. This rock band always has a strong message on humanity as well as focusing heavily on social, environmental and political affairs in their songs. Consisting of Tim McIlrath (guitar and vocals), Joe Principe (bass), Zach Blair (lead guitar) and Brandon Barnes (drums) the four-piece continues to break barriers in their music. Here are my top 5 songs by Rise Against:
5. Satellite
This song starts off with a clean guitar rhythm complemented by Tim McIlrath’s lyrics which start with “You can’t feel the heat until you hold your hand over the flame. You have to cross the line just to remember where it lays.” These lyrics paint a picture for the rest of the song that focuses on broken homes and divorce in families as well as the consequences of these on children. It is also all about standing up for your rights as a person and taking your own course in life.

4. Saviour
This is another fantastic song that is sure to get any crowd going. The song starts off with muted guitars and McIlrath’s singing before exploding into a superfast guitar part that establishes Rise Against’s punk rock roots. The song has numerous sections of slower and fast parts, such as the memorable chorus as well as the bridge of the song that changes the pace quite brilliantly. It is pure magic when McIlrath belts out “I don’t hate you” followed by “So tell me now, if this ain’t love then how do we get out?” A fantastic song overall and would have been the number one hit in many other bands’ catalogues.

3. Give it All
This is the song that introduced me to Rise Against and it is still one of my favourite songs to date. The song has strong hardcore punk roots with the verses blasting into your eardrums at breakneck speed. The chorus is where the song reaches its high points with the anthem “We give it all!” being sung at full volume. The song has a great positive message while the music video shot in a subway train evokes the tempo and frenetic nature of the song.

2. Ready to Fall
Rise Against has the knack of producing real meaningful songs and the number two song on my list is no exception. The song primarily deals with environmental issues and the destruction and devastation that we, as humanity, have caused to Mother Nature and her animals. “If there’s a time these walls could guard you then let that time be right now,” summarises the desperate nature of the song. To Rise Against fans, this is a classic song that brought Rise Against into the spotlight.

1.Prayer of the Refugee
The Sufferer and the Witness album is definitely one of Rise Against’s best albums and their number one song, in my opinion, is also found on there. “Prayer of the Refugee” is a fantastic song with another memorable buildup before the song explodes into a frenetic pace with the line “Don’t hold me up now, I can stand my own ground, I don’t need your help now,
You will let me down, down, down!” This song has some memorable lyrics that illustrate the condition of refugees from war-torn countries and their struggles. There is a genuine defiance and urge to escape the current situation. These meaningful songs with powerful messages encapsulate the importance of Rise Against in the music world