Dec 9, 2025 - Culture
Richmond-area leaders reveal their top songs and artists of 2025
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Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios
Just in: We got the top songs and artists of 2025 from the people who run Richmond, Chesterfield, Hanover and Henrico.
The big picture: Local leaders listen to everything from Phil Collins and Imagine Dragons to Shaboozey and Sam Cooke.
- One of them had a most-listened-to song named after a raccoon.
Zoom in: Here's what else we learned, including which official uses Spotify, Apple Music or Pandora.
🌆 Richmond Mayor Avula (Spotify)
- Top song: "Leave a Light On" by Tom Walker.
- Top artist: X Ambassadors (he listened to them for 212 minutes this year, he tells Axios).
- Fun fact: He also likes Justin Bieber's song "As Long As You Love Me," Shaboozey's "Bar Song (Tipsy)" and Sam Cooke's "A Change is Gonna Come."
🦝 Hanover County Administrator John A. Budesky (Apple Music)
- Top song: "Trash Panda" by Ray Wyatt.
- Top artist: Mumford & Sons. Budesky especially listened to their "Rushmere" album, per a screenshot his spokesperson shared with Axios.
- Fun fact: The viral drunk raccoon we've all come to know and love coincidentally ransacked an ABC store in Budesky's county.
💍 Chesterfield County Administrator Joe Casey (Spotify)
- Top song: "Child of Mine" by Carole King.
- Top artist: The Rolling Stones.
- Fun fact: His top songs, which include "On Top of the World" by Imagine Dragons, are shaped by his son's wedding and Casey "trying to choose the song for the mother-son dance," a spokesperson tells Axios.
🤠 Henrico County Manager John Vithoulkas (Pandora)
- Top song: "Life With You (Acoustic Mix)" by Kelsey Hart.
- Top artist: Kelsey Hart, a country singer from Kentucky.
- Fun fact: Vithoulkas tells Axios he has a "pretty vast playlist" that includes Greek music, but he's "a big Kelsey Hart fan."