We thought we’d rank the top 10 local concerts of 2011, but as many of you have been pointing out, there were just a ton of damn good shows this year. So, with help from local music fans, we upped the count to 25. That still only scratches the surface of the region’s great live music scene, but it’s been fun to remember what a good time we had seeing some of our favorite bands and getting surprised by newcomers. So, simply in chronological order, here’s a musical trip down memory lane.

The Mallett Brothers Band & Brothers McCann, The Stone Church, Jan. 13
It was a family affair when Mallett Brothers (Portland) and Brothers McCann (Boston) joined forces in Newmarket for a memorable show featuring two of the region’s hottest new bands.

Scene@Five, Music Hall Founders Lobby, Jan. 20

Game Boys, a Furbee and an arsenal of electronic gadgetry made noise in The Music Hall’s lobby in Portsmouth during a winter installment of Scene@Five, featuring AJ Dudick, The Attic Bits and Towers of Silence.

Justin Townes Earle, Music Hall, Feb. 4
A stint in rehab forced Justin Townes Earle to postpone his original date in Portsmouth, but he made up for it with a fantastic show in support of “Harlem River Blues.”

Marco Benevento, The Red Door, Feb. 18
Brooklyn-based pianist Marco Benevento had such a good time performing in this cozy Portsmouth venue that he returned for a three-week residency in the fall. The crowd enjoyed it as much as Benevento.

RPM Listening Party, The Music Hall, March 26
We may be biased on this one, but how often do you see dozens of local musicians parade onto the biggest stage in Portsmouth, pick up an instrument, and join a live, impromptu jam? It was an inspiring night reminding us of how very lucky we are to live among so many talented and generous musicians every day.

Ted Leo, Dover Brick House, April 28
Following sets from local artists Geoff Useless and Tim McCoy, punk legend Ted Leo offered one of the year’s most earnest and riveting performances with a solo set of his outstanding folk-punk songs.

Sleepy Wonder, Red Hook Brewery, May 21
The crowd let loose and stormed the dance floor during a hip-hop party in Portsmouth featuring Jamaican dub reggae rapper Sleepy Wonder, along with Boston’s SuperSka and local legends The Press Project.

Tan Vampires, The Press Room, June 10 (and The Barley Pub, Sept. 21)
With their long-awaited debut album in hand, local favorites Tan Vampires played their irresistible pop-rock songs in Portsmouth in June, then offered an official CD release show in Dover in September.

Boozefox, Buoy Gallery, June 10
Playing from within the hideous jaws of a large-scale installation they created in Kittery, members of the artist collective Boozefox served up a fantastical, Gwar-ish performance on the year’s best temporary stage.

Sully Erna, Hampton Beach Casino Ballroom, June 18
Local keyboardist Chris DeCato and guitarist Tim Theriault toured with the Godsmack front man in support of his solo album, “Avalon,” and fulfilled their teenage dreams of playing on the Ballroom stage.

Tom Rush, Prescott Park, June 23
Granite State treasure Tom Rush never fails to entertain with his warm folk songs and humorous anecdotes, especially when he’s playing on an outdoor stage in Portsmouth, the city where he was born.

Deer Tick, The Page, July 2
Front man John McCauley suffered a bloody laceration after striking a cymbal with his bare hand, but this Providence-based band still rocked the “Sneakers and Speakers Charity Concert” in Portsmouth.

Taj Mahal, Prescott Park, July 27
The crowd at Taj Mahal’s concert in Portsmouth was estimated at 10,000 people, setting a new attendance record for the Prescott Park Arts Festival. Guests along the lawns and waterfront were rewarded with an evening of top-notch blues.

Stone Temple Pilots, Hampton Beach Casino Ballroom, Aug. 2&3
STP’s first date in Hampton sold out so quickly that they added a second night. Both shows swept the audience back to the glorious grunge of the early ’90s, stoking the rock nostalgia.

David Wax Museum, Prescott Park, Aug. 10
With their popularity swelling in 2011, David Wax Museum delivered their most memorable local show to date, dancing with children and marching through the crowd with their jarana jarocho and donkey jawbone.

OysterFest After-Party, The Stone Church, Aug. 13
Following Newmarket’s OysterFest, The Stone Church hosted an exultant after-party with music from regional acts Outlet, The Cyborg Trio and Blue Boy Productions, resulting in one of the year’s most energetic shows.

Buddy Guy, The Music Hall, Aug. 23
Even at 75, Buddy Guy can rip an electric guitar solo like few other bluesmen alive. He proved it in Portsmouth, while also introducing the crowd to gifted young guitarist Quinn Sullivan, age 12.

Arlo Guthrie, Prescott Park, Aug. 26
Some 44 years after releasing “Alice’s Restaurant,” Arlo Guthrie is still playing heartfelt folk songs on his acoustic guitar. He concluded the Prescott Park Arts Festival’s 2011 folk concert series with an exclamation point.

3S Fest, The Press Room, Aug. 27
Although pushed indoors by uncooperative weather, guests at 3S Fest will not soon forget witnessing Fountains of Wayne, Mike Doughty and Jake Mehrmann rock out under the rafters upstairs at The Press Room. They were great sports to stick around and play for a delighted crowd, and everyone had a great time.

Todd Rundgren, Blue Ocean Music Hall, Sept. 14
Few living icons epitomize rock ’n’ roll as thoroughly as Todd Rundgren, and he still lives up to that billing. Rundgren’s show on Salisbury Beach harkened back to the glory days of the early ’70s.

30th Anniversary of Sunday Jazz, The Press Room, Sept. 25
The all-star cast at the 30th anniversary bash for Sunday Jazz included the trio of Ryan Parker, Marty Ballou and Les Harris Jr., along with other noted veterans of the Seacoast’s rich jazz scene.

Halloween Rock Show, The Coat of Arms, Oct. 3
This annual fundraiser for the Portsmouth Halloween Parade was another horrifying success, with riotously energetic pure-rock sets from Cal Powers, The Connection, The Donkey Show and Kurt Baker Music.

Pixies, Hampton Beach Casino Ballroom, Oct. 30
Some attendees of this Devil’s Night concert have solemnly attested that it was the best show not only of 2011, but of all time. After 25 years, the Pixies awesomeness has ripened to a fine vintage.

Gillian Welch, The Music Hall, Nov. 26
Joined by her long-time partner Dave Rawlings on guitar, Gillian Welch had the audience applauding through two sets and two encores with her bittersweet country-bluegrass songs of beauty and despondence.

Nat Baldwin, Buoy Gallery, Dec. 11
Local composer Nat Baldwin has built a national reputation as a keenly inventive upright bass virtuoso, and he demonstrated why during a recent show with Sam Buck Rosen, a poignant reminder of the Seacoast’s homegrown talent.