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Driving Notes

The Official Blog of WNZR's Afternoon Drive

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New Music Friday

All of WNZR’s Brand New Christmas Music of 2025!

This year on WNZR, we have added 18 new Christmas songs, with some new originals and some remakes of the original classic Christmas songs!

Today on The Afternoon Drive, we listened to as many of them as we could! Be listening for these new songs on the Holly Jolly 25, where we listen to Christmas music all day long from December 1st all the way through Christmas!

You can view the full list of new Christmas music added to WNZR in 2025 on our website. Click here!

Here are some highlights from the show:

Tasha Layton – Christmas All Year Long

Tasha Layton’s new original Christmas song on WNZR has an incredible stop-motion music video. It’s a nod to the old stop-motion movies like Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer and Jack Frost. If you like that style of movies, you’ll love this music video!

Jason Gray & Point Of Grace – Comfort and Joy

Ethan’s favorite new Christmas song from this year is Jason Gray and Point Of Grace’s song, Comfort and Joy! Their four voices blend so well in this song that takes some inspiration from God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen. Ethan absolutely loves the feel and the message of this song. You can listen to their song here:

Downhere – How Many Kings

While we took a look at the new songs on WNZR, we also went back in time to 2007 to visit a song from Downhere. Their song How Many Kings highlights Jesus’ humbleness as He came down to earth from Heaven, and was born as a baby into a manger– The King of the world did that for you and me, even when we didn’t deserve it. You can listen to this song and worship along here:

Next Friday on The Afternoon Drive, Joe and Ethan will check out all the incredible Christmas duets we hear on WNZR during the Holly Jolly 25! We can’t wait for you to join us for it!

Thank you for listening!
– Joe and Ethan

NZ Top 10 for 11/21/2025

What a week! We have a few new placements on the Top 10! Here is this week’s countdown:

10. Leanna Crawford – Honest

09. Elevation Worship & Brandon Lake – I Know A Name

08. Lauren Daigle – Let It Be A Hallelujah

07. Seph Schlueter – Won’t Start Now

06. Hope Darst – Mighty Name Of Jesus

05. Phil Wickham – What An Awesome God

04. Crowder – STILL

03. Jeremy Camp – No Survivors

02. Jamie MacDonald – Left It In The River

01. Josiah Queen & Brandon Lake – Can’t Steal My Joy (4th week at #1)

New Music This Week:

Danny Gokey – The Moment The Whole World Changed

Sanctus Real & Sarah Kroger – Hope Begins

Jason Gray & Point of Grace – Comfort and Joy

Jason and Point of Grace are coming to Ohio with this song as the headline for their tour! They will be at the Sinclair Community College, on Centerville Campus, in Dayton, Ohio on Sunday, December 14th!

Ticket information for their Comfort & Joy Tour can be found here!

This is the last regular NZ Top 10 of the year! The Holly ’25 starts December 1st when WNZR goes to full Christmas music until the December 25th!

Thank you for listening!
– Joe and Ethan

New Christmas Songs so Far for 2025 on WNZR

Here’s some new Christmas music debuting this week on WNZR!

Katy Nichole & Matt Maher – Our King Has Come

Evan Craft – Christ Is Born (Happy Birthday)

Matthew West – Dysfunctional Family Christmas

We’d love to know what you think of this song! Comment on this post and let us know if you love it or dislike it! Be completely honest! We’d love to hear your feedback on this song.

Give us an email: wnzr@mvnu.edu

We’ll have your NZ Top 10 next week! Thank you for listening!
– Ethan Hershberger

NZ Top 10 for 11/7/25

Here is your top 10 countdown for the first full week of November!

10. Lauren Daigle – Let It Be A Hallelujah

09. Elevation Worship & Brandon Lake – I Know A Name

08. Seph Schlueter – Won’t Start Now

07. Emerson Day – Get Behind Me

06. Jamie MacDonald – Left It In The River

05. Hope Darst – Mighty Name Of Jesus

04. Crowder – STILL

03. Jeremy Camp – No Survivors

02. Phil Wickham – What An Awesome God

01. Josiah Queen & Brandon Lake – Can’t Steal My Joy (2nd week @ #1)

New Music This Week:

Hope Darst – Be Born In Me

Natalie Grant – God’s Gift To Us

We are adding FIVE Thanksgiving/November themed songs to our rotation which will remain until the 28th.

Matthew West – Gobble Gobble (2020)

Crowder – Thanks Giver (2022)

Brandon Heath – The Day After Thanksgiving (2013)

Ben Rector – The Thanksgiving Song (2020)

JJ Heller – Thanksgiving Song (2023)

Thank you for listening!

– Gabriella

NZ Top 10 for 10/31/2025

Here is your top 10 countdown for this final week of October!

10. Lauren Daigle – Let It Be A Hallelujah
9. Seph Schlueter – Won’t Start Now
8. Elevation Worship f/Brandon Lake – I Know A Name
7. Emerson Day – Get Behind Me
6. Jeremy Camp – No Survivors
5. Hope Darst – Mighty Name Of Jesus
4. Jamie MacDonald – Left It In The River
3. Crowder – STILL
2. Phil Wickham – What An Awesome God (previously #1 for 12 weeks)
1. Josiah Queen f/Brandon Lake – Can’t Steal My Joy

New Music This Week:

Phil Wickham Homesick For Heaven

Brook Abella & Citizen Way – Zion

Thank you for listening!
– Joe and Ethan

NZ Top 10 for 10/24/25

Praise the Lord It’s Friday! Here is this week’s countdown:

10. Zach Williams – Jesus Loves
9. Seph Schlueter – Won’t Start Now
8. Jamie MacDonald – Left It In The River
7. Jeremy Camp – No Survivors
6. Hope Darst – Mighty Name Of Jesus
5. Elevation Worship f/Brandon Lake – I Know A Name
4. Crowder – STILL
3. Emerson Day – Get Behind Me
2. Josiah Queen f/Brandon Lake – Can’t Steal My Joy (4th week at #2)
1. Phil Wickham – What An Awesome God (12th week at #1)

New Music This Week:

Terrian – Testimony

Thanks for listening!
– Joe

The NZ Top 10 for 10/17/2025

As Midterm break is starting today for MVNU students, we have another top 10 list for you, with some new songs on the list this week! Here is this week’s countdown:

10. Forrest Frank – Your Way’s Better
9. Jeremy Camp – No Survivors
8. Jamie MacDonald – Left It In The River
7. Zach Williams – Jesus Loves
6. Hope Darst – Mighty Name Of Jesus
5. Crowder – STILL
4. Emerson Day – Get Behind Me
3. Elevation Worship f/Brandon Lake – I Know A Name
2. Josiah Queen f/Brandon Lake – Can’t Steal My Joy (3rd week at #2)
1. Phil Wickham – What An Awesome God (11th week at #1)

New Music This Week:

Passion – The Lord Will Provide

Our Breakout Hit of the Week was Chris Tomlin’s song How Good It Is!


Today is also Joe Rinehart’s birthday! Thank you to everyone who wished Joe a happy birthday and for all of your support!

Thank you for listening!
– Joe and Ethan

NZ Top 10 for 10/10/2025

It’s looking a little more like fall every day this week! Here’s this week’s top 10 countdown:

10. Jeremy Camp – No Survivors
9. Tauren Wells – Let The Church Sing
8. Forrest Frank – Your Way’s Better
7. Hope Darst – Mighty Name Of Jesus
6. Crowder – STILL
5. Zach Williams – Jesus Loves
4. Emerson Day – Get Behind Me
3. Elevation Worship f/Brandon Lake – I Know A Name
2. Josiah Queen f/Brandon Lake – Can’t Steal My Joy
1. Phil Wickham – What An Awesome God (10th week at #1)

New Music This Week:

for King & Country – World On Fire

Ryan Stevenson – Preach (feat. Matt Hammitt)

Our Fan Choice Friday song was TobyMac’s latest song, Heaven On My Mind. Here is his new music video for his song!

Thank you for listening!
– Joe and Ethan

NZ Top 10 for 10/3/25

The first Friday in October and we’re live at Johnny Appleseed Fall Fest downtown tonight! Here’s this week’s countdown:

10. MercyMe – Oh Death
9. Crowder – STILL
8. Hope Darst – Mighty Name Of Jesus
7. Tauren Wells – Let The Church Sing
6. Forrest Frank – Your Way’s Better
5. Zach Williams – Jesus Loves
4. Emerson Day – Get Behind Me
3. Elevation Worship f/Brandon Lake – I Know A Name
2. Josiah Queen f/Brandon Lake – Can’t Steal My Joy
1. Phil Wickham – What An Awesome God (9th week at #1)

No new songs this week, but our NZ Top 10 Back-to-Back featured Matthew West! Remember when he had vocal surgery? Watch the video for ‘The Motions’

Thanks for listening!
– Joe and Gabriella

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