We seem to have an embarrassment of riches at the moment, with so many great songs to choose from that it’s almost torture to have to rank them at all. And rather curiously, we have a number of songs by “animal” bands, including a mouse, goose, jaguar, dog and elephant.
Temper City remain on top for a second week with “Self Aware”. I’m also thrilled to place several songs by independent acts I love near the top of my chart; Los Angeles-based Ships Have Sailed move into second place with their beautiful “Exit Wound”, Scottish band Gloom Is Okay move up three spots to #3 with “Repeat Offender”, and Malaysian artist Lyia Meta also advances three spots to #4 with her powerful “Raging Halls”.
Entering the top 10 at #7 are “Rein Me In” by Sam Fender and Olivia Dean, and “Private” by The Neighbourhood, coming in at #8. “Rein Me In” is Fender’s first song to reach #1 in the UK, where it has spent 19 non-consecutive weeks and counting on top, becoming the longest running #1 single in UK music history (besting Bryan Adams’ “Everything I Do (I Do It For You)”, which spend 16 weeks at #1 in 1991).
The lone debut this week is “Lost Boys” by singer-songwriter Phoebe Bridgers. The song is the lead single from her forthcoming third album Lost Weekend, scheduled for release on August 14th.
Photo of Temper City taken from “Self Aware” video
Late July is generally the hottest time of year for many locations in the Northern Hemisphere, and that’s definitely true for my part of the world in the Southwestern U.S. desert, where we’re experiencing our hottest temperatures so far in 2026 – 115-118 degrees Fahrenheit (46-48 C). (Which begs the question, why the fuck do I live here?!?) Needless to say, that means spending much of our time indoors, where listening to music helps to pass the time and cool tempers.
Speaking of tempers, after sombr’s three-week run at #1with “Homewrecker”, Israeli-American alternative rock band Temper City take over the top spot with their monster debut single “Self Aware”. Released in February, the earworm quickly went viral on TikTok and has now amassed over 324 million streams on Spotify, and nearly 20 million views on YouTube. I liked it at first listen, as that chorus is so damned catchy!
The song has become a worldwide hit, reaching #1 on the Billboard Alternative Airplay chart and the top 10 in Austria, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Israel, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Slovakia, Switzerland, Turkey and the UK. The track’s style and sound have been compared to acts like Steve Lacy, Hozier, Cage the Elephant and The Neighbourhood. Temper City was founded in Los Angeles in 2021 by singer-songwriter Eytan Peled together with the producer duo Sync, consisting of Aviv Barenholtz and Chen Kordova, who’ve known each other since they were 12 years old. The three friends had previously worked together writing songs for pop and EDM artists, including Zeds Dead, Dimitri Vegas and Barns Courtney, and now have their very own hit single.
In other chart developments of note, two songs enter the top 10: “Doors” by Vermont-based singer-songwriter Noah Kahan and “Picking Dragons’ Pockets” by the always zany and edgy Portland, Oregon band Modest Mouse, at #s 8 & 10, respectively.
There’s only one new debut again the week: “Beaches In Tennessee” by the aforementioned Cage the Elephant. Formed in 2006 in Bowling Green, Kentucky and based in Nashville since 2009 (after two years spent in London, England) the band is comprised of frontman Matt Shultz (vocals), his older brother Brad Shultz (rhythm guitar), Nick Bockrath (lead guitar), Matthan Minster (guitar, keyboards), Daniel Tichenor (bass), and Jared Champion (drums). “Beaches In Tennessee” has debuted quite high on the various alternative charts, and while I’ve loved many Cage the Elephant songs, I’m still lukewarm about it.
My current favorite song is still “Homewrecker” by sombr, thus it remains at #1 for a third week, while Dexter and The Moonrocks‘ “Freakin’ Out” and Temper City‘s “Self Aware” hold at #2 and 3 for a second week. My friend Lyia Meta enters the top 10 with her powerful rock gem “Raging Halls”.
The sole new entry this week is “Hold Me In The Dark” by British singer-songwriter and guitarist Myles Smith, an immensely popular folk-pop artist with over 22 million monthly listeners on Spotify and 1.7 million followers on Instagram. His music is generally upbeat with infectious melodies, and his 2024 smash hit “Stargazing” has been streamed over 1.1 billion times on Spotify. Released in May, “Hold Me In The Dark” is included on his debut album My Mess, My Heart, My Life, which dropped June 16th. The talented 28-year-old also earned a degree in sociology from the University of Nottingham in 2019.
Not a lot of movement from last week for the majority of my latest chart, although there are five new entries. “Homewrecker” by sombr remains at #1 for a second week, while Dexter and The Moonrocks‘ “Freakin’ Out” inches up a spot to #2. “Repeat Offender” by Scottish band Gloom Is Okay enters the top 10 at #9.
There were at least eight songs I wanted to add to this week’s chart, but I had to cull my list down to only five as there were no other songs I was ready to drop. The first new entry is “Here” by English folk rock band Mumford & Sons, featuring American folk/alt-country singer-songwriter Sierra Ferrell. The song was originally recorded with Chris Stapleton and is included on the Mumford & Sons latest album Prizefighter, released this past February. This new version was recorded with Ferrell for an Apple Music Session on May 28th, and as much as I like Chris Stapleton, I like this version with Ferrell better. The song is currently #1 on the Billboard Adult Alternative chart.
The second new entry is “Heart Stop”, an emotionally powerful tune by alternative roots rock band The Revivalists. Based in New Orleans, the eight-piece collective is comprised of Ed Williams (pedal steel guitar, guitar), David Shaw (lead vocals), Zack Feinberg (guitar), Rob Ingraham (saxophone), George Gekas (bass guitar), Andrew Campanelli (drums and percussion), Michael Girardot (keyboards and trumpet), and Paulet “PJ” Howard (drums and percussion). Their 2023 single “Kid” topped my chart and ranks #9 on my Top 100 for that year. “Heart Stop” is the first in a series of singles they began releasing in April.
Coming in at #28 is “In The Stars” by legendary rockers The Rolling Stones. Formed in London in 1962, the band currently consists of original founders Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, along with Ronnie Wood since 1975 – all of whom seem to have discovered the fountain of youth! – as well as touring members keyboardist Chuck Leavell (since 1982), backing vocalist Bernard Fowler (since 1989), keyboardist Matt Clifford (off and on since 1989), bassist Darryl Jones (since 1994), saxophonists Tim Ries (since 1999) and Karl Denson (since 2014), drummer Steve Jordan (since 2021) and female vocalist Chanel Haynes (since 2022).(Wikipedia) The song is from their 25th and latest studio album Foreign Tongues, which dropped this past Friday, July 10th. The song is surprisingly good, with a guitar riff reminiscent of the one played by Bill Bottrell on Michael Jackson’s hit single “Black or White”.
Debuting at #29 is “no more regrets” by San Diego, California-based indie pop band almost monday, made up of Dawson Daugherty, Luke Fabry and Cole Clisby. I’m a big fan of their breezy dance pop, so “no more regrets” immediately grabbed my attention. Their single “Jupiter” reached #1 on my chart last fall.
The fifth new entry is “Freaking Out” (not to be confused with my #2 song by Dexter and The Moonrocks) by alternative pop-rock band Michigander. Founded in 2014 by singer-songwriter and musician Jason Singer in Michigan and now based in Nashville, the band includes Jake LeMond on guitar, Aaron Senor on drums, and Connor Robertson on bass. (I’ve previously reviewed music by Michigander as well as solo music by LeMond and Senor.)
I’m pretty confident that the majority of my fellow bloggers and readers – at least those few who even bother to read my posts – probably shake their heads at my music tastes and that’s okay, as each of us likes what we like at the end of the day. That said, my new #1 song this week is “Homewrecker” by sombr (born Shane Michael Boose), who turns 21 today. Over the past year he’s become one of my favorite artists, and “Homewrecker” is his fourth song to top my chart, following “back to friends” (which was #1 on my chart a year ago today and is my top song for 2025), “undressed” and “12 to 12” (which spent five weeks at #1).
In other charts developments of note, the lovely “Exit Wound” by Ships Have Sailed, a longtime favorite act of mine from Los Angeles, enters the top 10.
And I’m thrilled to add the captivating “The Endless Border”, by Belgian four-piece Velvet Jesus, to my chart this week. I can’t remember how or where I learned about it, but I love the song’s enchanting Middle Eastern sound and beautiful intricate guitar work. Based in Leuven, the band is comprised of Anton Fannes (lead vocals, guitar, synths, samples), Bart Catoor (bass, samples, backing vocals), Christophe Vandewoude (guitar) and Peter De Clercq (drums). They released their debut single “Qatar” in 2023, which they followed a year later with their album of the same name. The band states that their latest single “is about the strange world of today, and in particular how one population imposes a border on another, while a national border is nothing more than a line on a map.”
HOMEWRECKER – sombr (2)
GOING SHOPPING – The Strokes (1)
FREAKIN’ OUT – Dexter and The Moonrocks (4)
HEADLIGHTS – In Color (5)
SELF AWARE – Temper City (6)
RIPTIDES – Death Cab for Cutie (3)
DROP DEAD – Olivia Rodrigo (7)
GOOD2B – Goose (8)
UNTIL THE SUN EXPLODES – Sublime (9)
EXIT WOUND – Ships Have Sailed (11)
REPEAT OFFENDER – Gloom Is Okay (12)
IN MY ROOM – Julia Wolf (10)
RAGING HALLS – Lyia Meta (18)
RIDE LONESOME – Beck (16)
PICKING DRAGONS’ POCKETS – Modest Mouse (17)
BACK IN LOVE – Suki Waterhouse (21)
MARATHONS – Sorry Ghost (22)
ONLINE – Western Jaguar (23)
DOORS – Noah Kahan (25)
DRAG PATH – Twenty One Pilots (15)
PRIVATE – The Neighbourhood (27)
REIN ME IN – Sam Fender & Olivia Dean (28)
SLUMBER PARTY – Brigitte Calls Me Baby (13) 21st week on chart
BEDROOM POSTERS – Yellowcard feat. Good Charlotte (14)
The Strokes remain on top for a second week with “Going Shopping”, while sombr moves into second place with “Homewrecker”. Three songs enter the top 10: “Good2B” by Goose, “Until The Sun Explodes” by Sublime and “In My Room” by Julia Wolf, at #s 8, 9 and 10, respectively. Scottish band Gloom Is Okay are this week’s biggest upward movers as their darkly beautiful “Repeat Offender” leaps 10 spots to #12.
Four songs make their debut this week, beginning with “Private” by Los Angeles alt-rock band The Neighbourhood, which enters at #27. The song is from their fifth studio album (((((ultraSOUND))))), which also features “Hula Girl” that spent two weeks at #1 on my chart in April. I can’t think of a single song of theirs I haven’t loved, and “Private” is no exception.
Next up is “Rein Me In”, a beautiful song by English singer-songwriter Sam Fender, with added vocals by English singer-songwriter Olivia Dean, who won the Best New Artist Grammy earlier this year (which should have gone to sombr, but I digress). The song is a remix of the original from Fender’s third studio album People Watching. “Rein Me In” was released in June 2025 as the sixth single from the album and eventually became Fender’s first song to reach #1 on the UK Singles Chart in February 2026, as well as winning the Brit Award for Song of the Year. It also topped the charts in Australia and Ireland, reached #2 in New Zealand, and became Fender’s first song to appear on the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at number 64.
Entering at #29 is “Who Will You Follow” by American alternative metal rock band Evanescence. Formed in Little Rock in 1994, the band has undergone some lineup changes over the years and now consists of founding member Amy Lee (lead vocals, piano, keyboards, harp), Troy McLawhorn (guitar), Tim McCord (guitar, bass), Emma Anzai (bass, backing vocals) and Will Hunt (drums). They released their debut album Fallen in 2003 and followed with five more albums at the rate of one every three to six years. “Who Will You Follow” is the second single from their sixth and latest album Sanctuary, which dropped June 5th.
Coming in at #30 is “Go Fuck Urself” by English techno punk band Fat Dog. Formed in 2020 during the COVID-19 lockdowns, the band consists of Joe Love, Chris Hughes, Morgan Wallace, and Ellis D, and is known for their boisterous live performances. The provocative and deliciously catchy song was released as their eighth single on May 11th and I love it!
GOING SHOPPING – The Strokes (1)
HOMEWRECKER – sombr (4)
RIPTIDES – Death Cab for Cutie (2)
FREAKIN’ OUT – Dexter and The Moonrocks (5)
HEADLIGHTS – In Color (3)
SELF AWARE – Temper City (7)
DROP DEAD – Olivia Rodrigo (6)
GOOD2B – Goose (11)
UNTIL THE SUN EXPLODES – Sublime (12)
IN MY ROOM – Julia Wolf (16)
EXIT WOUND – Ships Have Sailed (17)
REPEAT OFFENDER – Gloom Is Okay (22)
SLUMBER PARTY – Brigitte Calls Me Baby (8) 20th week on chart
BEDROOM POSTERS – Yellowcard feat. Good Charlotte (9)
“Going Shopping” by American rock band The Strokes ascends to #1 on my latest Top 30 chart. Formed in New York City in 1998, The Strokes consist of singer Julian Casablancas, guitarists Nick Valensi and Albert Hammond Jr., bassist Nikolai Fraiture and drummer Fabrizio Moretti. Backed by a lighthearted, bouncy groove, Casablancas muses about materialism, growing older, societal alienation and the never-ending push and pull of city vs. country living. The song is from their forthcoming seventh studio album Reality Awaits, due for release on June 26th.
In other chart developments of note, “Self Aware”, the debut single by Israeli band Temper City, climbs four spots to enter the top 10 at #7. Since its release four months ago, the song has been streamed nearly 217 million times on Spotify alone. I’ve come to love “Good2B” by American rock band Goose, consequently, it’s this week’s biggest upward mover, leaping ten spots to #11. And the lone debut, entering at #29, is “Doors” by Noah Kahan. The song replaces his single “The Great Divide”, which leaves my chart after 18 weeks, three of them at #1.
GOING SHOPPING – The Strokes (2)
RIPTIDES – Death Cab for Cutie (1)
HEADLIGHTS – In Color (5)
HOMEWRECKER – Sombr (6)
FREAKIN’ OUT – Dexter and The Moonrocks (7)
DROP DEAD – Olivia Rodrigo (10)
SELF AWARE – Temper City (11)
SLUMBER PARTY – Brigitte Calls Me Baby (3)
BEDROOM POSTERS – Yellowcard feat. Good Charlotte (4)
DRAG PATH – Twenty One Pilots (8)
GOOD2B – Goose (21)
UNTIL THE SUN EXPLODES – Sublime (15)
TO LOVE SOMEBODY – Holly Humberstone (14)
DIFFERENT KIND OF LOVE – Young the Giant (9)
DYING TO LOVE – Bad Omens (13)
IN MY ROOM – Julia Wolf (18)
EXIT WOUND – Ships Have Sailed (19)
RIDE LONESOME – Beck (20)
PICKING DRAGONS’ POCKETS – Modest Mouse (24)
RAGING HALLS – Lyia Meta (25)
HEAVY FOOT – Mon Rovîa (12)
REPEAT OFFENDER – Gloom Is Okay (29)
BACK IN LOVE – Suki Waterhouse (27)
MARATHONS – Sorry Ghost (28)
STARLIGHT – Cannons (23)
ONLINE – Western Jaguar (30)
BE WITH YOU – Muse (16)
WAITING FOR ME – Talk in Waves (17) 20th week on chart
Death Cab for Cutie remain at #1 for a second week with “Riptides”, while The Strokes slide into second place with “Going Shopping”. Olivia Rodrigo finally enters my top 10 with “Drop Dead“.
Four songs enter my chart this week, and each is accompanied by a terrific video. Therefore, instead of embedding the video of my #1 song, I’m sharing the videos for each of my four new entries, the first of which is the wonderfully sultry “Back in Love” by the very beguiling English singer-songwriter, model and actress Suki Waterhouse. The song will be included on her forthcoming third studio album Loveland, scheduled for release on July 10th. It’s her second song to appear on my chart, following “Supersad”, which peaked at #11 in late 2024.
Coming in at #28 is “marathons” by the irrepressibly charming indie pop/rock band Sorry Ghost. Originally formed as a pop punk band in Baton Rouge, Louisiana but now based in Los Angeles since 2021, the band consists of Matt Polito (guitar, vocals) Dan Anton (bass, lead vocals), Tate Silver (drums) and Sean Duong (guitar, vocals). It’s their second song to appear on my chart, following last year’s delightful “polyester (yes sir)”, which ranks #55 on my 100 Best Songs of 2025 list. The guys have a wicked sense of humor, frequently delighting their fans with hilarious and endearing video reels of themselves on Instagram and TikTok. Their music videos are also highly entertaining and creative, as is definitely the case with the one for “marathons”:
Next up is “Repeat Offender” by Scottish alternative metal band Gloom is Okay. It isn’t often I’m blown away the first time I hear a song, but I have to say I was immediately stunned by the dramatic beauty and majestic impact of “Repeat Offender”. Based in Glasgow, Gloom is Okay is comprised of frontman Martin Walker (vocals, guitars, synths, programming) Iain MacLeod (bass) and Mark Norris (drums). It’s their first new music in three years, since their excellent 2023 self-titled EP Gloom is Okay, which I reviewed on this blog. “Repeat Offender” is the lead single from their forthcoming debut album Nothing Human. Walker says the song is essentially about handling narcissistic people.
Coming in at #30 is “Online” by Canadian artist Western Jaguar, the music project of singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Jeffrey Trainor. Based in the beautiful Fraser River Valley east of Vancouver, British Columbia, the earnest, amiable musician makes what he calls joyfully sad music and has been a favorite of mine since learning about him in late 2018. I’ve featured him numerous times on this blog and several of his songs have appeared on my chart, two of which – “Disappear” (2019) and “Darling” (2023) – went all the way to #1. Jeff never fails to write thought-provoking lyrics set to infectious melodies, and “Online” hooked me at first listen. The song was inspired by his fear of the impact of the internet on our lives: “I wanted to capture that shady, seedy feeling the web can have. Who knows who’s real or what’s real nowadays. Hell, can I even prove to you I’m real? But there is this almost superiority complex or confidence that can come from the modern digital age that just seems off.”
RIPTIDES – Death Cab for Cutie (1)
GOING SHOPPING – The Strokes (4)
SLUMBER PARTY – Brigitte Calls Me Baby (2)
BEDROOM POSTERS – Yellowcard feat. Good Charlotte (3)
After a two-week hiatus due to being on vacation in Georgia and western North Carolina, I’m back with my latest top 30 chart. American indie pop-rock band Death Cab for Cutie jumps four spots to take over the #1 spot with their pensive single “Riptides”, displacing last week’s top song “Slumber Party” by Brigitte Calls Me Baby. Formed in 1997, Death Cab for Cutie currently consists of Ben Gibbard (vocals, guitar, piano), Nick Harmer (bass), Dave Depper (guitar, keyboards, backing vocals), Zac Rae (keyboards, guitar), and Jason McGerr (drums). “Riptides” is the lead single from their 11th studio album I Built You a Tower, which dropped this past Friday, June 5th. The album’s rather melancholic yet upbeat tone was inspired by band frontman and songwriter Ben Gibbard’s experiences dealing with the end of his marriage while also constantly being on tour. I’ve been a longtime fan of Death Cab for Cutie and have always loved Gibbard’s comforting tenor vocals. They previously topped my chart with “Gold Rush” in 2018, though “Here to Forever” reached #2 in 2022.
There are two new debuts this week, however, a total of five songs have entered my charts since my last post so I’ll mention them all. First off is the lovely “Exit Wound” by another longtime favorite act Ships Have Sailed. Based in Los Angeles, the duo is made up of singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Will Carpenter and drummer Art Andranikyan, though more recently they’ve collaborated with a number of other songwriters and musicians. I’ve written about them for this blog more times than I can remember, and several of their songs have appeared on my charts. “Exit Wound” was co-written by Carpenter and Bill O’Hanlon.
Next up is “Ride Lonesome” by singer-songwriter, producer and multi-instrumentalist Beck. Released in April, the song is his first new music in two years and has a laid-back Americana sound. I like how he continually changes up his sound, keeping it fresh by his willingness to venture into new styles and genres.
The third song among the three previous debuts is the very cool-sounding “Good2B” by American rock band Goose (not to be confused with the band Geese), which currently consists of Rick Mitarotonda (guitar, vocals), Trevor Weeks (bass, vocals, poetry), Peter Anspach (keyboards, guitar, vocals) and Cotter Ellis (drums, vocals). Their eclectic jam band sound has been compared to the funk and progressive rock influences of Phish and Umphrey’s McGee and the folk, jazz, and blues influences of the Grateful Dead. The song will be included on their sixth studio album Big Modern, set for release on June 12th.
The first of this week’s two new entries is “Picking Dragons’ Pockets” by the always zany and unorthodox Portland, Oregon-based alt-rock band Modest Mouse. Formed in 1993, the band has undergone numerous personnel changes over the years and presently consists of frontman and founding member Isaac Brock (lead vocals, guitars, banjo), Russell Higbee (bass, guitar, keyboards, backing vocals), Ben Massarella (drums, percussion), Simon O’Connor (guitar, backing vocals), Damon Cox (drums, percussion) and Keith Karman (keyboards, guitar, bass, backing vocals). The song is from their eighth studio album An Eraser and a Maze, which also dropped this past Friday, June 5th.
An interesting tidbit of info I found on their Wikipedia page referenced a 2016 study conducted by Italian music data company Musixmatch which surveyed 43,414 songs spanning multiple genres. It found that Modest Mouse was one of the most profane bands among the subjects categorized as “indie rock,” second only to The Neighborhood (whose song “Hula Girl” recently topped my chart). It was estimated that Modest Mouse used profanity every 310 words, and that the top three swear words uttered by the band were “shit,” “fuck” and “ass,” respectively.
The second new entry this week, and the final of five overall, is the hard-hitting “Raging Halls” by insanely talented Malaysian artist Lyia Meta. A highly accomplished, award-winning and Grammy-nominated Renaissance woman, Lyia is a singer, songwriter, musician and vocal coach, as well as a writer, teacher and visual artist whose work spans multiple media formats. Possessing a rich contralto singing voice, she’s recorded songs across a wide range of genres including blues, jazz, pop, country, rock and metal. She ranks among my favorite female vocalists, and I’ve featured her numerous times on this blog. We’ve been following each other on social media since 2018, and I finally had the pleasure of meeting Lyia and her husband Zack in person in January when they were in Los Angeles.
“Raging Halls” was co-written by Lyia and E.G. Holmes, who co-produced the track with her longtime Nashville-based collaborator Bob McGilpin, who also played lead and rhythm guitar, bass, drums and synths. Additional contributions on the track include rhythm guitar by Christian Wentz, guitar and synths by John Foster, orchestration and keyboards by Gene Rabbai and backing harmonies by Lisa Brokop. Lyia says the song “explores the tension between desire, risk, and the moment where hesitation transforms into action.”
RIPTIDES – Death Cab for Cutie (5)
SLUMBER PARTY – Brigitte Calls Me Baby (1)
BEDROOM POSTERS – Yellowcard feat. Good Charlotte (3)
Unbelievably, 2024 ended up being an even crazier year than 2023 was! Though things didn’t turn out as I’d hoped from a political standpoint, it was nevertheless a decent year for me personally, plus there was lots of incredible music to enjoy. As I do at the end of each year, I’ve compiled a list of my 100 favorite songs for 2024. This past Monday, I posted my list of the 100 Best Indie Songs of 2024 (which you can read here), and now this new list represents my compilation of favorite songs that I feel are the overall best of 2024. (Eighteen songs from the Best Indie Songs list also appear on this list.)
Music tastes are very subjective, and while I don’t understand how others cannot share my love for a particular song or artist, I fully realize that not one person will agree with all my song choices or rankings. Furthermore, as a music blogger, I’m exposed to a tremendous amount of new music over the course of a year, both from the literally thousands of artists and bands I follow, as well as all the music I learn about from my fellow bloggers. Despite this, I’ve heard only a tiny fraction of all the music released in 2024. Consequently, my list includes only songs I know, and I’m certain there are likely many great ones that should be included, except that I’ve never heard them. Among the thousands of songs I did hear in 2024, there were many outstanding ones, and it frustrates me to have to cull my list down to only 100, omitting quite a few that I really like. It’s also a challenge ranking them, because a song at #40 isn’t necessarily any better than a song at #70. Perhaps it’s a pointless exercise to even rank them at all, except for the fact that I love making lists!
I avoid ranking albums, as there are simply far too many I’ve either not heard, nor had the time to fully listen to, therefore any list I might compile would be woefully inadequate. That said, there are some particularly beautiful records released in 2024 that impressed me, including Romance by Fontaines D.C. (my overall favorite album of 2024), Songs of a Lost World by The Cure, Leon by Leon Bridges, nothing by Louis Cole, Dreamstate by Kelly Lee Owens, Clancy by twenty one pilots, I AM CINCO by MISSIO, Melt by Beach Weather, HIT ME HARD AND SOFT by Billie Eilish, A Dream Is All We Know by The Lemon Twigs, and As It Ever Was, So It Will Be Again by The Decemberists.
Most of the songs on this list were released in 2024, however, several were released in 2023 but didn’t ‘peak’ until 2024. Likewise, several songs released after November 1st are still moving up my weekly charts and won’t peak until early 2025, thus will appear on my 100 Best Songs of 2025 list. The few songs in this Top 100 that also appeared on my Top 100 Songs of 2023 list, such as Green Day’s “The American Dream Is Killing Me”, which spent a week at #1 at the end of 2023 and another three at #1 in early 2024, are indicated with an asterisk *.
I’ve written brief narratives and included videos for the top 10 songs. As always, I’ve created a Spotify playlist for this Top 100, which is included at the end of the post. Hopefully you’ll find some of your own personal favorites on it. Let me know what songs were your favorites of 2024.
1. STARBURSTER – Fontaines D.C.
Irish alt-rock band Fontaines D.C. are one of the most exciting and interesting acts making music today, and while they’d been gaining acclaim and popularity since the release of their debut album Dogrel in 2019, it was their spectacular fourth studio album Romance, released last summer, that really put them over the top. Elton John recently called them “the best band out there at the moment“. I love their always arresting sound, thanks in part to charismatic lead vocalist Grian Chatten’s distinctive baritone Irish brogue, and they’ve become one of my favorite bands. “Starburster”, the bombastic lead single from Romance, is musically complex and brilliant, and one of the most sonically thrilling songs I’ve heard in a while.
The song was inspired by a panic attack that Chatten suffered in a London tube station, and the jarring gasps heard at the end of each line suggest the gasps or quick breaths of someone experiencing a panic attack. To drive home their message, Fontaines D.C. start with a foreboding Mellotron string loop quickly followed by an elegant piano riff before the music explodes into a bombastic soundscape of stomping trip hop beats, sharp percussion and reverb-soaked twangy guitars. Chatten does a fine job with his commanding rapid-fire rapping of the lyrics, which he’d previously done on the collaborative single “Better Way To Live” with Irish hip-hop trio Kneecap. The song transitions to a calm interlude in the bridge with a majestic string arrangement and Chatten’s vocals now a warm and soothing croon, then finishes with a return of the stomping beats and jarring music. I love it, and couldn’t stop listening to it for months on end, making it my favorite song of 2024.
The song’s rather unsettling video, directed by Aube Pierre, features Chatten performing a variety of daily activities in differing personas ranging from angelic to demonic, sometimes wounded and other times wearing a mask or wig. It’s as ambiguous and scattered as the song’s lyrics.
2. HIGH IN LOW PLACES – Beach Weather
Another favorite act of mine is alternative pop-rock trio Beach Weather, whose “Trouble With This Bed” was my #1 song of 2023, and “Sex, Drugs, Etc.” my #3 song of 2022. Their gorgeous “High In Low Places“, released at the end of May 2024 and featured on their subsequently released second album Melt, takes its place as my second-favorite song of 2024. I love the song’s brooding cinematic vibe in the vein of Ennio Morricone, particularly the twangy guitars and lead vocalist Nick Santino’s sensuous vocals. He had this to say about the song: “We like to call ‘High in Low Places’ our apocalyptic love song. There was beauty in the idea of finding peace in one another while the world was slowly melting. We wanted to create something that felt cinematic, the closing credits of a modern end-of-times western. There are hints of those influences in the guitars and strings running through the chorus where we want to pull everyone into a world but stay hopeful that we can all rise above that insanity transpiring around us.” The lyrics speak to remaining positive and optimistic in the face of life’s problems and obstacles.
3. THE CRAVING – twenty one pilots
Ever since learning about them 10 years ago, twenty one pilots have ranked among my all-time favorite music acts, and their 2015 masterpiece Blurryface is one of my favorite albums of all time. Still based in their hometown of Columbus, Ohio, the dynamic duo consists of singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Tyler Joseph and drummer Josh Dun. Joseph is a brilliant and imaginative songwriter, as well as a damn fine rapper, and Dun is one of the best drummers around today. In May 2024, they released their seventh album Clancy, the final installment of their nearly decade-long series of conceptual albums, concluding the storyline of the character Clancy, who resides in the fictional dystopian city of Dema in the metaphysical world of Trench we were introduced to on their 2018 album Trench. One of the album’s tracks, “The Craving”, was released in two different versions, one being the album cut featuring a stripped-down acoustic arrangement subtitled “Jenna’s Version”, and the other the single version featuring a fuller arrangement. Joseph wrote the song as a dedication to his wife Jenna. The beautiful single version was twenty one pilots’ 11th song to reach #1 on my chart, and finishes the year at #3.
4. MURDER ON THE DANCE FLOOR – Royel Otis
Without question, one of my absolute favorite songs of 2024 was “Murder on the Dance Floor”, by Australian guitar-pop duo Royel Otis (comprised of Royel Maddell and Otis Pavlovi). It’s a marvelous cover of the 2001 hit “Murder on the Dancefloor” by British singer-songwriter Sophie Ellis-Bextor, which Royel Otis performed on the Australian radio station Triple J for their Like a Version program. Interestingly, the song does not appear on their excellent debut album PRATTS & PAIN that was released in February 2024. The song was co-written by Ellis-Bextor and Gregg Alexander, former frontman of the band The New Radicals (who had a hit in the late 90s with “You Get What You Give”). Ellis-Bextor’s original version gained renewed popularity earlier this year after appearing in the 2023 black comedy thriller film Saltburn, causing it to re-enter the UK Dance Singles Chart, where it reached #1. It also peaked at #3 on the US Billboard Hot Dance/Electronic Songs chart and #51 on the Hot 100, her first song to ever appear on that chart. Royel Otis’ version peaked at #2 on the Alternative Airplay chart, but spent three weeks at #1 on my chart. I love the video of the exuberant studio performance, in which all the musicians involved are positively first-rate.
5. MY GOLDEN YEARS – The Lemon Twigs
Another one of the more interesting music acts around today is American indie rock duo The Lemon Twigs, consisting of the hyper-talented and charismatic brothers Brian and Michael D’Addario. Raised in a musical household on Long Island, New York (their father Ronnie D’Addario is a musician and songwriter in his own right), the two learned to play instruments and sing at an early age. Both Brian and Michael also had extensive stage, while Michael’s also appeared in a variety of television shows and films. The brothers formed The Lemon Twigs while they were both in high school, with each performing lead vocals, lead guitar, drums and other instruments. They cite as their major music influences bands ranging from The Beatles and Beach Boys to Procol Harum and Queen. They recorded their first album Do Hollywood in 2015, when the two were only 15 and 17 years old. The album, which was released in 2016, was well-received by critics and earned them appearances on TV programs like The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, CBS This Morning “Saturday Sessions” and Conan, as well as a coveted spot at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in Indio, California in April 2017.
Their delightful power pop gem “My Golden Years” was the lead single from their fifth studio album A Dream Is All We Know, co-produced by the band and Sean Ono Lennon and released in May 2024. The song seems to pay homage to some of the great songs from the 60s by acts like The Byrds and Beach Boys, as well as early 70s The Raspberries. I absolutely love those gorgeous jangly Rickenbacker guitars and Beach Boys-esque harmonies. Shockingly, I don’t believe the song appeared on any chart in the U.S. or elsewhere, though YouTuber Anthony Fantano of theneedledrop ranked it #13 for the year, and New York Times TV critic James Poniewozik called the song “the soundtrack of my year“.
6. PEACEFUL PLACE – Leon Bridges
Leon Bridges is an enormously talented singer-songwriter based in Fort Worth, Texas. I love his pleasing style of R&B-influenced neo soul, particularly his smooth and warm vocals that remind me at times of the late, great Marvin Gaye and Sam Cooke. His gorgeous song “Peaceful Place”, from his fourth studio album Leon released this past October, spent two weeks at #1 on the Billboard Adult Alternative Airplay chart and four weeks at #1 on my chart, and finishes the year at #6. In addition to his marvelous, soulful vocals, I also love that slide guitar and cool bass line on the track. His 2018 song “Bad Bad News” was one of my favorite songs of that year, and ranks #29 on my Top 100 Songs of the 2010s list. The wonderful video was shot in Mexico City and Los Angeles.
7. TOO SWEET – Hozier
I just love Irish singer-songwriter Hozier, who’s had quite a resurgence over the past year or so with his critically acclaimed third studio album Unreal Unearth, which featured his two hit singles “Eat Your Young” and “Francesca”, his duet “Northern Attitude” with American singer-songwriter Noah Kahan (which appears later in this Top 100 chart), as well as his singles “Too Sweet” and “Nobody’s Soldier”, (which also appears later in this chart). Released in late March a week after he dropped his fifth EP Unheard, “Too Sweet” has turned out to be his highest charting single both in the UK and the U.S. It quickly went to #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in April, then went on to spend an astonishing 11 weeks at #1 on the Alternative Airplay chart and 8 weeks on the AAA chart. It spent two weeks at #1 on my chart, and ranks #7 for the year. It was Hozier’s fifth song to top my chart (the previous being “Take Me to Church” in 2014, “Nina Cried Power”, featuring Mavis Staples, in 2018, “Eat Your Young” in 2023 and “Northern Attitude” earlier this year). The song’s lyrics are directed at a romantic partner with totally different lifestyle preferences – the singer enjoys staying up late and drinking alcohol and black coffee, in contrast with his partner who goes to bed early, eats healthy, etc. – in other words, she’s too sweet for him.
8. FAVOURITE – Fontaines D.C.
Fontaines D.C. are back with “Favourite“, the second single from their brilliant album Romance, and the second song to not only appear on this chart, but also in the top 10. The uplifting, gorgeous and heartwarming anthem has become their highest-charting song in the U.S., reaching #3 on the Billboard AAA chart. It spent three weeks at the top of my chart, and comes in at #8 for the year. The delightful video features childhood scenes of the band members, juxtaposed with images of them today.
9. TIME – MISSIO
I’m sounding like a broken record, but Austin, Texas-based duo MISSIO (comprised of multi-instrumentalist and vocalist Matthew Brue and multi-instrumentalist and producer David Butler) are yet another of my favorite acts. I love their uniquely eclectic sound that’s an arresting blend of alternative rock, electronic and hip hop, and have written about them several times on this blog. Four of their songs – “I See You”, “Underground”, “Can You Feel the Sun” and “Time” – have reached #1 on my Top 30. “I See You” was my #1 song of 2019, and ended up at #10 on my Top 100 of the 2010s, while “Can You Feel the Sun” was my #4 song of 2021. The darkly captivating “Time”, from their fifth album I AM CINCO, an epic work released last May which I reviewed, finishes at #9 for 2024. I love Matthew Brue’s distinctive tenor voice, which sounds especially vulnerable and heartfelt on this song, accompanied by a gorgeous instrumental arrangement. The simple but profound lyrics touch on anxieties over some of the issues facing our current world and society, with MISSIO reminding us that “time goes wherever you are, now, in each moment” and to “live like it’s your last because you’re not guaranteed a tomorrow.”
10. WRECKAGE – Pearl Jam
While I’ve always liked the music of Pearl Jam well enough, I’ve never been a huge fan. But I really love their magnificent song “Wreckage”, released in April 2024 as the third single from their 12th studio album Dark Matter. I like how the song gradually builds from a compelling downtempo rock song into a spine-tingling anthem, fueled by explosive jangly guitars, tumultuous percussion and Eddie Vedder’s impassioned vocals. In an April 2024 interview with British newspaper The Sunday Times, Vedder said he wrote the lyrics to “Wreckage” about the “desperation” of former U.S. president Donald Trump, elaborating “There is a guy in the United States who is still saying he didn’t lose an election, and people are reverberating and amplifying that message as if it is true. Trump is desperate. I don’t think there has ever been a candidate more desperate to win, just to keep himself out of prison and to avoid bankruptcy. It is all on the line, and he’s out there playing the victim… So the song is saying, let’s not be driven apart by one person, especially not a person without any worthy causes.” The next day, he told Howard Stern that the song could also be about “a difficult relationship”. Whatever it’s about, I love it, and it’s become my favorite song by Pearl Jam. “Wreckage” was a big hit, reaching #1 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock and Adult Alternative Airplay charts. While it peaked at only #2 on my chart, where it spent two weeks, it ranks as my 10th favorite song of 2024.
BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE (STAY HIGH) – The Black Keys
NEON PILL – Cage the Elephant
THE AMERICAN DREAM IS KILLING ME – Green Day *
CREATURES IN HEAVEN – Glass Animals
DILEMMA – Green Day
PANORAMIC VIEW – AWOLNATION
MESSY – Lola Young
THAT’S HOW I’M FEELING – Jack White
BURIAL GROUND – The Decemberists
A FRAGILE THING – The Cure
WHAT NOW – Brittany Howard
NORTHERN ATTITUDE – Noah Kahan & Hozier
LOSE CONTROL – Teddy Swims
SAD IN CAROLINA – Dexter and The Moonrocks
LIKE YOU DO – Talk in Waves
LOST IN SPACE – Foster the People
OVERCOMPENSATE – twenty one pilots
BIRDS OF A FEATHER – Billie Eilish
DIE WITH A SMILE – Lady Gaga & Bruno Mars
RAINBOW – Cage the Elephant
ALL I DIE FOR – SWiiMS
HARDCORE ROMANCE – Beach Weather
ESPRESSO – Sabrina Carpenter
STARGAZING – Myles Smith
GOOD LUCK, BABE! – Chappell Roan
WINTER COWBOY – Frank Joshua
COOL ABOUT IT – boygenius
THE DOOR – Teddy Swims
THE TOWER – Future Islands
A FORETOLD ECSTASY – Mayflower Madame
OH NO! – The Decemberists
I’VE GOT LOVING FOR YOU – Bottlecap Mountain
END OF BEGINNING – Djo
DON’T FORGET ME – Maggie Rogers
KOOL AID BLUE – The Sylvia Platters
BLAME BRETT – The Beaches
MY LOVE MINE ALL MINE – Mitski *
CAN’T SLOW DOWN – almost monday
LOVIN ON ME – Jack Harlow
ATTRACTION – Wild Horse *
I’M IN LOVE – Jelani Aryeh
UP ALL NIGHT – James Bay, The Lumineers & Noah Kahan
DEATH VALLEY HIGH – Orville Peck & Beck
LUNCH – Billie Eilish
MOTHER NATURE – MGMT
LUNAR ECLIPSE – The Vaccines
NOTHING MATTERS – The Last Dinner Party
FORTNIGHT – Taylor Swift & Post Malone
NOBODY’S SOLDIER – Hozier
WHAT IF I FEEL LIKE THIS MY WHOLE LIFE? – HULLAH
FOR US ALL – Asgard Raven
MODERN GIRL – Bleachers
RUN AWAY WITH ME – Cold War Kids
ICE CREAM (PAY PHONE) – Black Pumas
DIAMOND AND THE MISSING SON – Unquiet Nights
ALIVE! – Bakar
EVERYTHING WE NEED – Mojave Grey
YOU JUST PLAYED MY MIND – Oli Barton
BLUSH – Vazum
NEVERENDER – Justice & Tame Impala
CAPRICORN – Vampire Weekend
MUSTANG – Kings of Leon
ON THE GAME – The Black Keys
GARMONBOZIA – Flying Lotus
INTO GOLD – London Grammar
BOTHERING ME – Sarah Blasko
TAKE IT OR LEAVE IT – Dead Slow Hoot
LONELINESS – Pet Shop Boys
A TEAR IN SPACE (AIRLOCK) – Glass Animals
WANTING AND WAITING – The Black Crowes
FIND MY WAY – Ships Have Sailed
SUPERSAD – Suki Waterhouse
HOW DID YOU GET HERE? – Antony Szmierek
WAR – HEALER
SCARED TO START – Michael Marcagi
THE BREAK – Blame My Youth
GOOD PEOPLE – Mumford & Sons, Pharrell Williams
GOLD – Caitlin Lavagna
I HAD SOME HELP – Post Malone & Morgan Wallen
RUN YOUR MOUTH – The Marías
TOO MUCH – girl in red
THE LIGHTHOUSE – Stevie Nicks
DARK MATTER – Pearl Jam
BROKEN MAN – St. Vincent
HONEY – Mr Bewlay
BOBBY SOX – Green Day
BIG CAT TATTOOS – Hamish Hawk
MIND GAME (3:33) – Collette McLafferty & John Serrano
ECLECTIC MUSIC LOVER 