I think Georgia-based singer-songwriter Teddy Swims (born Jaten Collin Dimsdale) is one of the finest vocalists around today. Influenced by the soul music of artists like Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder, and Al Green his father had introduced him to as a child, he creates powerful, highly relatable songs blending a range of genres, including soul, country, pop and alternative rock. His beautiful song “Bad Dreams”, from his second album I’ve Tried Everything but Therapy (Part 2) released in January, takes over the top spot on my latest Top 30 chart.
He wrote the song after experiencing sleepless nights with recurring nightmares, but wanted it to be upbeat rather than maudlin. Inspired by his current wife, he wrote about how her love helps comfort and heal him: “Slippin into bad dreams, where there’s no you and I. No sound when I cry. I love you and I need you to set me free from all of these bad dreams.” In addition to Swims’ raw, soulful vocals, I love the sublime melody and charming ukelele played throughout. The song reached #2 on the Billboard Adult Alternative Airplay chart, #7 on the Adult Top 40 chart, and #42 on the Hot 100. It’s Swims’ second song to reach #1 on my chart, after “Lose Control” in February of last year. His single “The Door” spent two weeks at #4 in November.
In other chart news of note, “Imposter Syndrome” by English alternative rock band Fake Empire advances two spots to #3. Even though the song runs 7:45 minutes in length, those The Cure and Depeche Mode-like musical elements sound so good I don’t want it to end. Also climbing three spots are “People Watching” by English singer-songwriter Sam Fender, “Take This Heart” by Texas singer-songwriter Brian Lambert, and “Rushmere” by English folk rock band Mumford & Sons, to #s 4, 5 & 6, respectively. The beautiful “Time Waited” by American indie rock band My Morning Jacket is the biggest upward mover this week, jumping 11 spots to #14.
And for the third week in a row there are two debut songs, the first of which is “Ankles” by Virginia-born and now L.A.-based singer-songwriter Lucy Dacus. The sweet, endearing song is from her wonderful fourth album Forever Is A Feeling, which dropped this past Friday, March 28th. Dacus is also a member of supergroup boygenius, which she formed in 2018 with Phoebe Bridgers and her current life partner Julien Baker.
The second debut, entering at #30, is the boisterous garage-blues rocker “Archbishop Harold Holmes” by Nashville-based singer-songwriter Jack White. From his sixth studio album No Name, released last July (2024), the song is a critique of religious fundamentalism, particularly those who see themselves as vessels of God entrusted with saving people for their own selfish gain. According to the music website GENIUS, “The song is written in the form of a junk letter one might get in the mail from some religious organization (expressed by the opening lyrics “Dear friend. If you want to feel better, don’t let the devil make you toss this letter“). The lyrics invoke that of preaching, but are also in the style of as-seen-on-tv advertising as well as references to internet chain mail and pyramid schemes.”
BAD DREAMS – Teddy Swims (2)
SO COLD – Balu Brigada (1)
IMPOSTER SYNDROME – Fake Empire (5)
PEOPLE WATCHING – Sam Fender (7)
TAKE THIS HEART – Brian Lambert (8)
RUSHMERE – Mumford & Sons (9)
YOU’RE MY DRUG – Talk in Waves (3)
METAVERSE – Cage the Elephant (10)
THE LINE – Twenty One Pilots (4)
SAILOR SONG – Gigi Perez (6)
SAME OLD SONG – The Lumineers (13)
WHO’S A FRAUD? – Still Traffico (12)
WITHOUT A DOUBT – Charm School (14)
TIME WAITED – My Morning Jacket (25)
STRAIGHT TO THE GROUND – Unquiet Nights (17)
WALLS – Frank Joshua (18)
LUTHER – Kendrick Lamar & SZA (19)
THE NIGHT BEFORE – The Black Keys (20)
BAD LARRY – Cloakroom (21)
MORTAL WOUND – The Veils (22)
THE FAITHFUL HEART – Wons Phreely + The Horses (15)
THE TURNAROUND – DelCobras (24)
AFTER ALL – Darksoft (23)
SHE WANTS TO GO DANCING – Mt. Joy (11)
IT’S AMAZING TO BE YOUNG – Fontaines D.C. (29)
AUTUMN LEAVES – Secret Postal Society (16) 19th week on chart
“So Cold” by Balu Brigada, the music project of multi-instrumentalist and writer/producer brothers Henry and Pierre Beasley, is still my favorite song and thus remains at #1 on my Top 30 chart for a third week. Moving into second place is the captivating “Bad Dreams” by Teddy Swims (aka American singer-songwriter Jaten Collin Dimsdale), while the darkly beautiful “Imposter Syndrome” by English alternative rock band Fake Empire moves up three spots to #5. Nashville band extraordinaire Cage the Elephant enter the top 10 with “Metaverse”, a great track from their latest album Neon Pill.
Two songs enter my chart this week, the first of which is the magical “It’s Amazing To Be Young” by Irish band Fontaines D.C., who’ve become one of my favorite acts. Their song “Starburster” was my #1 song of 2024, with “Favourite” ranking #8, both from their most recent album Romance, which was also my favorite album of 2024. As a now old man, I can attest to the fact that being young is most definitely amazing! The second debut is “Poor Sad Indie Everything” by Maryland-based shoegaze/indie rock band Icarus Phoenix. I featured the gorgeous song on a recent Fresh New Tracks post, and I absolutely love band frontman Drew Danburry’s enchanting vocals.
SO COLD – Balu Brigada (1)
BAD DREAMS – Teddy Swims (4)
YOU’RE MY DRUG – Talk in Waves (2)
THE LINE – Twenty One Pilots (3)
IMPOSTER SYNDROME – Fake Empire (8)
SAILOR SONG – Gigi Perez (5)
PEOPLE WATCHING – Sam Fender (7)
TAKE THIS HEART – Brian Lambert (9)
RUSHMERE – Mumford & Sons (10)
METAVERSE – Cage the Elephant (12)
SHE WANTS TO GO DANCING – Mt. Joy (6)
WHO’S A FRAUD? – Still Traffico (14)
SAME OLD SONG – The Lumineers (15)
WITHOUT A DOUBT – Charm School (18)
THE FAITHFUL HEART – Wons Phreely + The Horses (16)
Charismatic duo Balu Brigada‘s wonderful “So Cold” remains at #1 for a second week, while “You’re My Drug” by one of my favorite indie artists, Northern Virginia-based Talk in Waves, moves up a notch into second place. Two songs enter the top 10 this week – the sensuous, bluesy rocker “Take This Heart” by another favorite indie artist of mine, Texas-based singer-songwriter and guitarist Brian Lambert, at #9, and the exuberant foot-stomper “Rushmere” by English folk rock band Mumford & Sons, at #10.
Debuting this week are the introspective and lovely “Time Waited” by American indie rock band My Morning Jacket, at #29. Formed in Louisville, Kentucky in 1998, the band currently consists of founding members Jim James (lead vocals, rhythm guitar) and Tom Blankenship (bass), as well as Patrick Hallahan (drums & percussion), Bo Koster (keyboards, percussion & backing vocals), and Carl Broemel (lead guitar, pedal steel, saxophone & backing vocals). Their gorgeous single “Feel You” went to #1 on my Top 30 and ranks #6 on my list of 100 Best Songs of 2020. Entering at #30 is the hauntingly beautiful “Snakeskin” by English artist NAVE, the music project of the hyper-talented and thoughtful singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, composer and producer Nathan Evans, who I’ve featured several times on this blog, most recently last month when I reviewed his album X. “Snakeskin” is his second song to appear on my Top 30, the first being “Broken Record”, which went to #1 and ranks #14 on my 100 Best Songs of 2022 list.
SO COLD – Balu Brigada (1)
YOU’RE MY DRUG – Talk in Waves (3)
THE LINE – Twenty One Pilots (2)
BAD DREAMS – Teddy Swims (5)
SAILOR SONG – Gigi Perez (4)
SHE WANTS TO GO DANCING – Mt. Joy (8)
PEOPLE WATCHING – Sam Fender (9)
IMPOSTER SYNDROME – Fake Empire (10)
TAKE THIS HEART – Brian Lambert (13)
RUSHMERE – Mumford & Sons (14)
AUTUMN LEAVES – Secret Postal Society (6)
METAVERSE – Cage the Elephant (16)
DETROIT – Badflower (7)
WHO’S A FRAUD? – Still Traffico (15)
SAME OLD SONG – The Lumineers (17)
THE FAITHFUL HEART – Wons Phreely + The Horses (11)
I have a great Top 30 chart to share this week, as in addition to a marvelous new #1 song and four new entries, several of my favorite indie artists are represented here, which always makes me happy.
Alternative pop-rock act Balu Brigada is the music project of multi-instrumentalist and writer/producer brothers Henry and Pierre Beasley. Originally from Auckland, New Zealand but based in New York City since 2022, the band formed in 2016 as a four-piece but now consists of the charismatic Beasley brothers, along with Jackson Boswell on drums. Though they’ve been putting out music since 2016 – they released their first singles “Ricochet” and “Weekend” that year, followed by more singles and a 10-track EP Almost Feel Good Mixtape in 2019, a 7-track EP I Should Be Home in 2022, and a 6-track EP Find A Way in 2023 – it wasn’t until late 2024 that I learned about them when their song “So Cold” appeared on the Billboard Alternative charts. The song was released way back in June 2024, and later included on their compilation EP BALU, which came out two months later.
Balu Brigada had the good fortune to open for Twenty One Pilots on their Clancy World Tour, which exposed them to a much wider audience. The tour ran in North America from mid-August to mid-October 2024, Australia and New Zealand in November 2024 and Latin America in January and February of this year. They will also be joining Twenty One Pilots on their Europe & UK run of the tour from April-May 2025. On March 5th, the guys made their debut appearance on American television, giving an electrifying performance of “So Cold” on the Jimmy Kimmel Live show. The exuberant earworm is my new current favorite song, dethroning Twenty One Pilots from the top spot!
Entering the top 10 are “People Watching” by English alternative pop-rock singer-songwriter Sam Fender and the captivating “Imposter Syndrome” by English alternative rock band Fake Empire, at #s 9 and 10, respectively.
Four newish songs make their debut on this week’s chart, beginning with the beautiful “Bad Larry” by northwest Indiana stoner emo band Cloakroom, which I learned about from fellow blogger Christian when he featured the act on his blog Christian’s Music Musings. I love those twangy guitars, and their sound reminds me a bit of Lord Huron. The song is from their latest album Last Leg of the Human Table. Next up is another song I learned about through Christian, the gorgeous “Mortal Wound” by British indie rock band The Veils, entering at #28. The song is from their seventh and latest album Asphodels, released on January 24th.
Coming in at #29 is the enchanting “After All” by Maine-based dream rock act Darksoft, which I featured last month in a Fresh New Tracks post. His music is always sumptuous and pleasing and his vocals ethereal and soothing, and I’ve loved every single one of his songs. His single “You Gotta Do What You Gotta Do”, from his beautiful fourth album Beigeification, ranks #71 on my 100 Best Songs of 2023 list. “After All” is from his seventh album Rationalism, which dropped February 21st. Last, but certainly not least, is the uplifting and boisterous “The Turnaround” by Philadelphia power pop trio DelCobras, a new band comprised of Jim Lorino (lead vocals, guitar & synths), Marc Schuster (bass & vocals) and Nick Cervini (drums). I featured the rousing anthem of self redemption in another Fresh New Tracks post.
SO COLD – Balu Brigada (2)
THE LINE – Twenty One Pilots (1)
YOU’RE MY DRUG – Talk in Waves (4)
SAILOR SONG – Gigi Perez (6)
BAD DREAMS – Teddy Swims (7)
AUTUMN LEAVES – Secret Postal Society (3)
DETROIT – Badflower (5)
SHE WANTS TO GO DANCING – Mt. Joy (9)
PEOPLE WATCHING – Sam Fender (12)
IMPOSTER SYNDROME – Fake Empire (13)
THE FAITHFUL HEART – Wons Phreely + The Horses (8)
Not a lot of changes on this week’s Top 30, with Twenty One Pilots holding the top spot for a second week with their beautiful and cinematic “The Line”, while Balu Brigada remain at #2 with “So Cold”. Two songs by powerhouse acts make their debut this week, the first of which is “luther” by rapper Kendrick Lamar and alternative R&B/hip hop singer-songwriter SZA (born Solána Imani Rowe). The two previously collaborated on “All The Stars” in 2018, one of my favorite songs of the 2010s. “luther”, which is currently #1 on the Billboard Hot 100, features a sample of “If This World Were Mine”, a 1982 song by the late, great Luther Vandross and Cheryl Lynn, and I Iove the beautiful strings. The second debut is “The Night Before” by always wonderful blues rock band The Black Keys. The song is the lead single from their forthcoming 13th album No Rain, No Flowers, to be released later in the year.
THE LINE – Twenty One Pilots (1)
SO COLD – Balu Brigada (2)
AUTUMN LEAVES – Secret Postal Society (5)
YOU’RE MY DRUG – Talk in Waves (6)
DETROIT – Badflower (7)
SAILOR SONG – Gigi Perez (8)
BAD DREAMS – Teddy Swims (10)
THE FAITHFUL HEART – Wons Phreely + The Horses (4)
SHE WANTS TO GO DANCING – Mt. Joy (9)
ARROW – The Head and The Heart (3)
DAY & NIGHT – Oli Barton (11)
PEOPLE WATCHING – Sam Fender (13)
IMPOSTER SYNDROME – Fake Empire (15)
AFTERLIFE – Sharon Van Etten (12)
TAKE THIS HEART – Brian Lambert (18)
RUSHMERE – Mumford & Sons (19)
HERE WE GO AGAIN – Set the Tone (17)
WHO’S A FRAUD? – Still Traffico (23)
METAVERSE – Cage the Elephant (24)
SAME OLD SONG – The Lumineers (25)
IN THE LIVING ROOM – Maggie Rogers (14)
SAD IN CAROLINA – Dexter and The Moonrocks (16)
WITHOUT A DOUBT – Charm School (27)
STRAIGHT TO THE GROUND – Unquiet Nights (29)
WALLS – Frank Joshua (30)
GILD THE LILY – Billy Strings (21)
BOBBY SOX – Green Day (20)
NEVERENDER – Justice & Tame Impala (22) 20th week on chart
I’ve been a huge fan of American alternative rock/electropop/hip hop duo Twenty One Pilots since learning about them in early 2015, and they’ve remained my favorite musical act for the past 10 years. Still based in their hometown of Columbus, Ohio, the band is comprised of singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Tyler Joseph and drummer/percussionist Josh Dun. I think they have one of the most unique sounds of any act in existence today, and with a few minor exceptions, virtually all of their musical output has been brilliant. Their 2015 masterpiece Blurryface is one of my all-time favorite albums, and spent 276 consecutive weeks – more than five years! – on the Billboard 200 Album chart. It ultimately racked up over 300 weeks on that chart.
Their beautiful and cinematic song “The Line”, from the Season 2 Soundtrack of the Netflix animated action-adventure series Arcane: League of Legends, ascends to the top of my chart this week. The song is about Viktor, one of the main protagonists of the Arcane series, and plays in the 8th episode of season 2. The song is thought to be about crossing “the line” by disappointing loved ones and turning them into enemies, represented by Viktor’s decision to give up his humanity to save humanity, while others think it’s essentially about crossing from life to death. Whatever it’s about, I love it, and it’s their 12th song to reach #1 on my chart, following “The Craving”, which spent three weeks on top this past August and September. “The Line” is also their second song from a film soundtrack, their previous being “Heathens”, which was included on the motion picture soundtrack to the DC Comics 2016 film Suicide Squad.
In other noteworthy chart news, the marvelous “So Cold” by Balu Brigada moves into second place, while “She Wants To Go Dancing” by Mt. Joy and “Bad Dreams” by Teddy Swims enter the top 10. There are two debuts again this week, the first of which is the powerful “Straight to the Ground” by Northern Ireland-based rock band Unquiet Nights (which I reviewed on January 31st), entering at #29, and “Walls”, a captivating track by English singer-songwriter Frank Joshua (which I featured in a Fresh New Tracks post on February 1st), coming in at #30.
THE LINE – Twenty One Pilots (4)
SO COLD – Balu Brigada (3)
ARROW – The Head and The Heart (1)
THE FAITHFUL HEART – Wons Phreely + The Horses (2)
The beautiful, uplifting song “Arrow”, by Seattle folk rock band The Head and The Heart, takes over the top spot on my latest Top 30 chart after a five-week-long run by Wons Phreely + The Horses’ “The Faithful Heart”. Formed in 2009 by Josiah Johnson and Jonathan Russell, The Head and The Heart currently consists of Russell (vocals, guitar, percussion), Charity Rose Thielen (violin, guitar, vocals), Chris Zasche (bass), Kenny Hensley (piano), Tyler Williams (drums), and Matt Gervais (guitar, vocals). Since 2011, they’ve released five albums and numerous singles, several of which have appeared on my chart. “Arrow” is their second song to reach #1 on my chart, their first being “All We Ever Knew” in 2016, and has spent the past nine weeks at #1 on the Billboard AAA (Adult Alternative Airplay) chart. The lyrics speak to feelings of restlessness, yet finding reassurance and peace of mind in oneself: “There’s times I need direction, there’s times I need to roam. I move station to station, I showed up here alone. I am my own arrow. I am my own home.”
In other notable chart developments, “So Cold” by Balu Brigada moves up two spots to #3, and “The Line” by twenty one pilots, from the Season 2 Soundtrack of the Netflix animated action-adventure series Arcane: League of Legends, jumps eight spots to #4, making it the biggest upward mover for a third week.
Two songs debut this week, the first of which is “Same Old Song” by Denver-based alternative folk band The Lumineers, which took a while to grow on me. The lead single from their fifth studio album Automatic, which dropped this past Friday, February 14th, “Same Old Song” is already in the top five on the various Alternative charts. The lyrics speak to the downsides of being a musician, struggling to pay rent, feeling insecure, getting your instruments stolen, and questioning the meaning of life while still holding onto dreams of making it big. The second debut, entering at #30, is “Without A Doubt” by Louisville, Kentucky-based post punk band Charm School, which I learned about from fellow blogger Christian in a recent post on his blog Christian’s Music Musings. The wonderful song is from their debut album Debt Forever, which dropped January 24th. I love those dramatic jangly guitars!
ARROW – The Head and The Heart (2)
THE FAITHFUL HEART – Wons Phreely + The Horses (1)
“The Faithful Heart” by Wons Phreely + The Horses continues to enthrall me with its gorgeous chiming guitars, soaring harmonies and heartwarming vocals, thus remains my favorite song for a fifth consecutive week. The last time a song spent this many weeks at #1 on my top 30 was in September 2017, when “The Man” by The Killers also topped my chart for five weeks. The charming video is also one of the best I’ve seen in years, and deserves millions of streams.
The beautiful, uplifting song “Arrow” by Seattle folk rock band The Head and The Heart, which has spent the past eight weeks at #1 on the Billboard AAA (Adult Alternative Airplay) chart, moves into second place on my chart. Three songs enter the top 10 this week: “You’re My Drug” by northern Virginia indie pop-rock artist Talk in Waves, “Detroit” by L.A.-based rock band Badflower, and “Sailor Song” by American singer-songwriter Gigi Perez, at #s 8, 9 & 10, respectively. The biggest upward mover again this week is “The Line” by twenty one pilots, leaping 11 spots to #12. Making their debut are songs by two of music’s biggest acts who’ve had numerous songs appear on my chart – “Rushmere” by English folk rock band Mumford & Sons, at #29, and “Metaverse”, the latest single by Nashville-based alt-rock band Cage the Elephant from their album Neon Pill, at #30.
THE FAITHFUL HEART – Wons Phreely + The Horses (1) 5th week at #1
ARROW – The Head and The Heart (3)
BOBBY SOX – Green Day (2)
IN THE LIVING ROOM – Maggie Rogers (5)
SO COLD – Balu Brigada (6)
SAD IN CAROLINA – Dexter and The Moonrocks (4)
AUTUMN LEAVES – Secret Postal Society (8)
YOU’RE MY DRUG – Talk in Waves (12)
DETROIT – Badflower (13)
SAILOR SONG – Gigi Perez (14)
GILD THE LILY – Billy Strings (7)
THE LINE – twenty one pilots (23)
ROUTINES IN THE NIGHT – twenty one pilots (10)
SHE WANTS TO GO DANCING – Mt. Joy (17)
A TEAR IN SPACE (AIRLOCK) – Glass Animals (7)
NEVERENDER – Justice & Tame Impala (11)
DAY & NIGHT – Oli Barton (18)
AFTERLIFE – Sharon Van Etten (20)
BAD DREAMS – Teddy Swims (21)
PEOPLE WATCHING – Sam Fender (22)
A FRAGILE THING – The Cure (15)
DARKERSIDE – David Kushner (16)
IMPOSTER SYNDROME – Fake Empire (26)
HERE WE GO AGAIN – Set the Tone (25)
ROCKMAN – Mk.gee (24)
TAKE THIS HEART – Brian Lambert (27)
DIE WITH A SMILE – Lady Gaga & Bruno Mars (19) 20th week on chart
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
Leon Bridges holds onto the top spot for a second week with his bucolic and soulful “Peaceful Place”, while “That’s How I’m Feeling” by Jack White and “BIRDS OF A FEATHER” by Billie Eilish remain at #’s 2 and 3 for a second week. Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars enter the top 10 with their duet “Die With A Smile”.
Perhaps the biggest music event of this past week was the release of Songs of a Lost World, the long-awaited fourteenth album by The Cure. The legendary English alternative goth rock band has undeniably had a massive influence on too many artists and bands to name over the past 40 years, so for them to release an album of all new material – their first new album in 16 years – is a momentous occasion. And more importantly, Songs of a Lost World does not disappoint, as Robert Smith (who’s now 65) and The Cure sound every bit as great and relevant as they ever have. The band teased the new album with the release of “Alone” in late September, a sprawling cinematic masterpiece running nearly seven minutes. They followed two weeks later with “A Fragile Thing”, an equally gorgeous song that enters my chart at #26.
The second, long-overdue debut this week is “Mind Game”, a lovely collaboration by Chicago-based singer-songwriter and author Collette Mclafferty and Spanish singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and producer John Serrano, a hyper-talented artist whose music I’ve previously featured a couple times on this blog. Mclafferty wrote the lyrics and sang lead vocals, while Serrano composed the music, played all instrumentation, sang backing harmonies and produced the track.
PEACEFUL PLACE – Leon Bridges (1)
THAT’S HOW I’M FEELING – Jack White (2)
BIRDS OF A FEATHER – Billie Eilish (3)
THE DOOR – Teddy Swims (6)
STARGAZING – Myles Smith (4)
DEATH VALLEY HIGH – Orville Peck & Beck (8)
FAVOURITE – Fontaines D.C. (9)
GOOD LUCK, BABE! – Chappell Roan (5)
UP ALL NIGHT – James Bay, The Lumineers & Noah Kahan (10)
DIE WITH A SMILE – Lady Gaga & Bruno Mars (11)
THE LIGHTHOUSE – Stevie Nicks (14)
MESSY – Lola Young (7)
GARMONBOZIA – Flying Lotus (16)
CAN’T SLOW DOWN – almost monday (17)
HARDCORE ROMANCE – Beach Weather (19)
NOBODY’S SOLDIER – Hozier (23)
BOTHERING ME – Sarah Blasko (20)
RAINBOW – Cage the Elephant (12)
INTO GOLD – London Grammar (13)
THE EMPTINESS MACHINE – Linkin Park (22)
NEVERENDER – Justice & Tame Impala (24)
SAD IN CAROLINA – Dexter and the Moonrocks (27)
ESPRESSO – Sabrina Carpenter (15)
SUPERSAD – Suki Waterhouse (28)
BOBBY SOX – Green Day (29)
A FRAGILE THING – The Cure (N)
BIG CAT TATTOOS – Hamish Hawk (18)
KINKY – bby (30)
YOU JUST PLAYED MY MIND – Oli Barton (21)
MIND GAME – Collette Mclafferty & John Serrano (N)
ECLECTIC MUSIC LOVER 