London, England-based Frank Joshua – an enigmatic but enormously talented singer-songwriter and producer who, wanting his music to speak for itself, shares no photos of himself – has become a favorite of mine on the strength of his gorgeous baritone voice and beguiling adult contemporary music style. The prolific artist has released a staggering amount of music over the past four years or so, including three albums, an EP and 43 singles! Every one of his songs is a captivating feast for the ears, and I love them all. I’ve previously written about four of them, most recently this past February when I reviewed his marvelous single “Walls”. After a long but steady climb, the song has finally reached #1 in its 14th week on my chart. It’s his first song to top my chart; his singles “Bluebell Wood” reached #6 in 2023 and “Winter Cowboy” reached #3 in 2024. Since “Walls”, Frank has released two more singles, including “These Words” which dropped this past Thursday, May 23rd. All of his singles have been released via British music label Numen Records.
Although Frank writes some of his songs, like the majority of his singles, “Walls” was written by his frequent collaborator Simon Pitheakley, and produced by Tony White. And like all his songs, this one’s a beauty, with gorgeous reverb-drenched bluesy guitars accompanied by warm piano keys, soaring orchestral synths and gently crashing cymbals layered over a sensuous pulsating beat. It all creates a glorious cinematic backdrop for Frank’s melancholy yet captivating vocals which are both passionate and heartfelt. It’s become my favorite of all his songs, and I never tire of listening to it. The poetic lyrics speak of the challenges of growing older and maintaining a long-term relationship, in which there’s often a tug of war between the comfort and security that comes from being with a devoted loved one, and the primal urge to be independent and free of responsibility or commitment – something I’ve long struggled with myself.
In other chart news of note, The Black Keys hold at #2 with “The Night Before”, and Fontaines D.C. move up a notch to #3 with “It’s Amazing To Be Young”. Maryland shoegaze/indie rock band Icarus Phoenix enters the top 10 with their beautiful song “Poor Sad Indie Everything”, and “Nothing I Need” by Lord Huron is the biggest upward mover this week, jumping eight spots to #17.
The one new debut this week is “Scars”, a heartwarming song of love and empathy by Welsh artist Secret Postal Society, the music project of singer-songwriter, composer and multi-instrumentalist Craig Mapstone. In addition to being a talented, hard-working artist, Craig’s a thoughtful, generous and kind soul, and though we’ve never met in person, I’ve grown quite fond of him on both a personal and professional level. It’s his third song to appear on my chart, the first being “Something From Nothing/Points of Light” in 2022 and more recently “Autumn Leaves”, which spent 19 weeks on my chart from late November 2024-early April 2025, peaking at #3 in March.
WALLS – Frank Joshua (3)
THE NIGHT BEFORE – The Black Keys (2)
IT’S AMAZING TO BE YOUNG – Fontaines D.C. (4)
TIME WAITED – My Morning Jacket (1)
BAD LARRY – Cloakroom (5)
MORTAL WOUND – The Veils (6)
THE TURNAROUND – DelCobras (7)
LAREDO – Leon Bridges (9)
SNAKESKIN – NAVE (10)
POOR SAD INDIE EVERYTHING – Icarus Phoenix (13)
ANKLES – Lucy Dacus (14)
ARCHBISHOP HAROLD HOLMES – Jack White (15)
BARBARIAN – AWOLNATION (16)
PORCELAIN (LOSING ALL MY PATIENCE) – Somebody’s Child (17)
LET THINGS GO – Caamp (18)
METAVERSE – Cage the Elephant (8)
NOTHING I NEED – Lord Huron (25)
BASIC BEING BASIC – Djo (21)
TAKE THIS HEART – Brian Lambert (11)
RUSHMERE – Mumford & Sons (12)
THREE SIX FIVE – Shinedown (22)
EVERYTHING IS PEACEFUL LOVE – Bon Iver (23)
SO LONG – Wavves (24)
BACK TO FRIENDS – sombr (29)
CATCH THESE FISTS – Wet Leg (28)
RITALIN – Dexter and The Moonrocks (26)
SPACEMAN IN TULSA – Counting Crows (30)
STRAIGHT TO THE GROUND – Unquiet Nights (19)
IMPOSTER SYNDROME – Fake Empire (20) 19th week on chart
There are several really beautiful songs on this week’s list, starting with “Time Waited” by My Morning Jacket, which holds the top spot for a second week. Three more are “Walls” by English artist Frank Joshua, moving up to #3, “Bad Larry” by Northwest Indiana shoegaze band Cloakroom and “Mortal Wound” by English/New Zealand indie/rock band The Veils, which advance two spots to #s 5 and 6. None of those three songs have appeared on any charts as far as I can tell, which is a travesty. “The Night Before” by The Black Keys moves into second place, and “It’s Amazing To Be Young” by Irish alt-rock band Fontaines D.C. jumps six spots to #4. Two more gorgeous songs, “Laredo”, by Texas singer-songwriter Leon Bridges and “Snakeskin” by English singer-songwriter NAVE, enter the top 10 at #s 9 & 10.
There are two debuts this week, the first of which is “back to friends” by sombr, the music project of astonishingly talented 19-year-old singer-songwriter Shane Boose. Born and raised in New York City, he’s now based in Los Angeles. The song was actually released last December but as so often happens these days, it recently went viral on TikTok and began appearing on American charts. I’ve grown to love the song, and also love his follow-up single “Undressed”. The second debut, bringing up the rear at #30, is “Spaceman in Tulsa” by legendary alt-rock band Counting Crows. The song is from their eighth album Butter Miracle, The Complete Sweets!, which dropped May 9th. Still fronted by Adam Duritz who’s now 60, they sound as good as ever.
TIME WAITED – My Morning Jacket (1)
THE NIGHT BEFORE – The Black Keys (3)
WALLS – Frank Joshua (4)
IT’S AMAZING TO BE YOUNG – Fontaines D.C. (10)
BAD LARRY – Cloakroom (7)
MORTAL WOUND – The Veils (8)
THE TURNAROUND – DelCobras (9)
METAVERSE – Cage the Elephant (2)
LAREDO – Leon Bridges (12)
SNAKESKIN – NAVE (14)
TAKE THIS HEART – Brian Lambert (5)
RUSHMERE – Mumford & Sons (6)
POOR SAD INDIE EVERYTHING – Icarus Phoenix (15)
ANKLES – Lucy Dacus (16)
ARCHBISHOP HAROLD HOLMES – Jack White (18)
BARBARIAN – AWOLNATION (19)
PORCELAIN (LOSING ALL MY PATIENCE) – Somebody’s Child (20)
With their expansive and eclectic sound, alternative indie rock band My Morning Jacket have been making innovative music for more than a quarter century. 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). The introspective and lovely “Time Waited” takes over the #1 spot on my latest Top 30 chart. The song is from their latest and 10th album is, released on March 25th. It’s their second song to reach #1 on my chart, their previous being the gorgeous “Feel You”, which also ranks #6 on my list of 100 Best Songs of 2020.
About the song, James told Stereogum: “I made a loop of that piano intro and listened as I went for a walk, and all these melodies started coming to me. For a long time, I didn’t have lyrics, but then I had a dream where I was in a café and a song was playing, and the lyrics to that song became the lyrics to ‘Time Waited’ — the melodies just fit perfectly. And the lyrics are about how flexible time is, how we can bend and warp time, especially if we are following our hearts, the universe and time itself can flow to work with us.” In addition to that beautiful piano, I also love the marvelous guitar work.
In other chart news of note, The Black Keys advance two spots to #3 with “The Night Before”, and English singer-songwriter Frank Joshua climbs three spots to #4 with “Walls”. Two songs enter the top 10: “The Turnaround” by Philadelphia power pop trio DelCobras, and “It’s Amazing To Be Young” by Irish alt-rock band Fontaines D.C., whose song “Starburster” was my favorite song of 2024.
Two songs make their debut, the first of which is “Ritalin” by Texas rock band Dexter and The Moonrocks, who’s previous single “Sad in Carolina” went to # in late December-early January. The second new entry is “catch these fists” by English indie rock duo Wet Leg, comprised of Rhian Teasdale and Hester Chambers. With a winning combination of infectious melodies, ascerbic lyrics, and their quirky deadpan vocal style, they burst onto the music scene in 2021 with their critically acclaimed eponymous album Wet Leg, which spawned two hits, “Chaise Longue” and “Wet Dream”. “catch these fists” is the lead single from their forthcoming second album Moisturizer, to be released in July.
TIME WAITED – My Morning Jacket (2)
METAVERSE – Cage the Elephant (1)
THE NIGHT BEFORE – The Black Keys (5)
WALLS – Frank Joshua (7)
TAKE THIS HEART – Brian Lambert (3)
RUSHMERE – Mumford & Sons (4)
BAD LARRY – Cloakroom (9)
MORTAL WOUND – The Veils (10)
THE TURNAROUND – DelCobras (11)
IT’S AMAZING TO BE YOUNG – Fontaines D.C. (12)
STRAIGHT TO THE GROUND – Unquiet Nights (8)
LAREDO – Leon Bridges (14)
IMPOSTER SYNDROME – Fake Empire (6)
SNAKESKIN – NAVE (15)
POOR SAD INDIE EVERYTHING – Icarus Phoenix (16)
ANKLES – Lucy Dacus (17)
LUTHER – Kendrick Lamar & SZA (13)
ARCHBISHOP HAROLD HOLMES – Jack White (20)
BARBARIAN – AWOLNATION (21)
PORCELAIN (LOSING ALL MY PATIENCE) – Somebody’s Child (23)
LET THINGS GO – Caamp (24)
BASIC BEING BASIC – Djo (22)
THREE SIX FIVE – Shinedown (26)
EVERYTHING IS PEACEFUL LOVE – Bon Iver (27)
SO LONG – Wavves (28)
NOTHING I NEED – Lord Huron (30)
PEOPLE WATCHING – Sam Fender (18) 19th week on chart
Alt rock band Cage the Elephant have been one of my favorite acts for well over 10 years, and I’ve loved most of their music. Founded in Bowling Green, Kentucky in 2006, the band relocated to London, England in early 2008, then moved to Nashville in 2009, where they remain today. Their current lineup consists of founding members Matt Shultz (lead vocals & rhythm guitar), his brother Brad Shultz (rhythm guitar, keyboards), Daniel Tichenor ( bass, backing vocals) and Jared Champion (drums, percussion), as well as Nick Bockrath (lead guitar, keyboards, backing vocals) and Matthan Minster (keyboards, rhythm guitar, backing vocals), both of whom joined the band in 2017. Since 2008 they’ve released six critically acclaimed albums, two of which – Tell Me I’m Pretty in 2017 and Social Cues in 2020 – won Grammy Awards for Best Rock Album.
“Metaverse”, the third single from their latest album Neon Pill, ascends to #1 on this week’s chart. It’s their second single from that album to reach #1, after last year’s title track “Neon Pill”, and their eighth song to reach #1 on my chart. The song seems to be about the struggles of being in a band and striving for perfection but sometimes failing to achieve it: “It’s a natural progression. No need for affection. Just a perfect deflection when you got no perspective. Every day spent far from my family. Double check, checked out, I’m half asleep. What the hell? Oh, well, that’s life. What the hell? I keep running and running.“
There are lots of really lovely songs out now, and one of the best is the poignant “Time Waited” by My Morning Jacket, which moves up two spots to #2. The song is from their latest album is, released on March 25th. Two songs enter the top 10, the first of which is “Bad Larry”, by northwest Indiana stoner emo band Cloakroom. From their latest album Last Leg of the Human Table, the song has a bit of a Lord Huron sound, courtesy of achingly beautiful twangy guitars and the velvety-smooth vocals of lead singer Doyle Martin. The second is the gorgeous “Mortal Wound” by British indie rock band The Veils, from their seventh and latest album Asphodels. And speaking of Lord Huron, the L.A.-based indie folk rock band’s latest single “Nothing I Need” is the lone debut song this week. Fronted by singer-songwriter Ben Schneider, they’ve become one of my favorite bands since the release of their magnificent 2021 album Long Lost.
METAVERSE – Cage the Elephant (2)
TIME WAITED – My Morning Jacket (4)
TAKE THIS HEART – Brian Lambert (1)
RUSHMERE – Mumford & Sons (3)
THE NIGHT BEFORE – The Black Keys (6)
IMPOSTER SYNDROME – Fake Empire (5)
WALLS – Frank Joshua (8)
STRAIGHT TO THE GROUND – Unquiet Nights (7)
BAD LARRY – Cloakroom (12)
MORTAL WOUND – The Veils (13)
THE TURNAROUND – DelCobras (14)
IT’S AMAZING TO BE YOUNG – Fontaines D.C. (15)
LUTHER – Kendrick Lamar & SZA (11)
LAREDO – Leon Bridges (20)
SNAKESKIN – NAVE (17)
POOR SAD INDIE EVERYTHING – Icarus Phoenix (18)
ANKLES – Lucy Dacus (19)
PEOPLE WATCHING – Sam Fender (9)
SAME OLD SONG – The Lumineers (10)
ARCHBISHOP HAROLD HOLMES – Jack White (22)
BARBARIAN – AWOLNATION (23)
BASIC BEING BASIC – Djo (25)
PORCELAIN (LOSING ALL MY PATIENCE) – Somebody’s Child (26)
The rousing garage rocker “Take This Heart” by Denton, Texas-based singer-songwriter Brian Lambert remains at #1 for a second week, while “Metaverse” by Nashville alt-rock band Cage the Elephant moves up two spots to #2 and “Rushmere” by English folk rock band Mumford & Sons holds at #3.
Four songs make their debut on my chart this week, starting with the upbeat and gentle “Let Things Go” by Columbus, Ohio-based folk band Caamp, comprised of Evan Westfall, Taylor Meier, Matt Vinson and Joseph Kavalec. Their songs have always performed well on the Billboard AAA (Adult Alternative Airplay) chart, with three reaching #1; “Let Things Go” currently sits at #5 on that chart.
The second debut, entering at #28, is “Three Six Five” by long-time Florida rock band Shinedown. Formed in 2001, the band presently consists of founding member and front man Brent Smith, as well as Barry Kerch, Zach Myers and Eric Bass. They’ve garnered the most #1 singles on the Billboard Mainstream Rock charts with 20 and counting, and every one of their singles have reached the top five on that chart.
The third debut is “Everything Is Peaceful Love” by American indie folk band Bon Iver. Originally founded in 2006 as a solo project by singer-songwriter Justin Vernon, Bon Iver eventually became a band consisting of Vernon, Sean Carey, Michael Lewis, Matthew McCaughan, Andrew Fitzpatrick and Jenn Wasner. The sweet, uplifting song is from their fifth studio album SABLE, fABLE, released on April 11th.
Entering at #30 is the fourth and final debut, “So Long” by San Diego-based indie rock band Wavves. Like Bon Iver, Wavves was originally formed as a solo project in 2008 by singer-songwriter Nathan Williams, but ultimately grew to become a full band, and after several lineup changes now also includes Alex Gates, Stephen Pope and Ross Traver. Their first new music since their 2021 album Hideaway, “So Long” was released on February 28th, and will be included on their forthcoming ninth album Spun, set for release in June. I love the song’s exuberant pop-punk sound that’s reminiscent of songs by Green Day, Blink-182 and The Orwells, and it marks their first appearance on my chart.
TAKE THIS HEART – Brian Lambert (1)
METAVERSE – Cage the Elephant (4)
RUSHMERE – Mumford & Sons (3)
TIME WAITED – My Morning Jacket (5)
IMPOSTER SYNDROME – Fake Empire (2)
THE NIGHT BEFORE – The Black Keys (8)
STRAIGHT TO THE GROUND – Unquiet Nights (9)
WALLS – Frank Joshua (10)
PEOPLE WATCHING – Sam Fender (6)
SAME OLD SONG – The Lumineers (7)
LUTHER – Kendrick Lamar & SZA (13)
BAD LARRY – Cloakroom (14)
MORTAL WOUND – The Veils (15)
THE TURNAROUND – DelCobras (16)
IT’S AMAZING TO BE YOUNG – Fontaines D.C. (17)
WITHOUT A DOUBT – Charm School (11)
SNAKESKIN – NAVE (19)
POOR SAD INDIE EVERYTHING – Icarus Phoenix (20)
ANKLES – Lucy Dacus (21)
LAREDO – Leon Bridges (22)
SO COLD – Balu Brigada (12)
ARCHBISHOP HAROLD HOLMES – Jack White (24)
BARBARIAN – AWOLNATION (25)
BAD DREAMS – Teddy Swims (18)
BASIC BEING BASIC – Djo (29)
PORCELAIN (LOSING ALL MY PATIENCE) – Somebody’s Child (30)
Brian Lambert is an affable, thoughtful and talented singer-songwriter from Denton, Texas who refers to himself as a “Friendly Neighborhood Rock and Roller”, and is also one of the most prolific musicians I know of. When Covid put a halt to playing live, he challenged himself to writing, recording and producing a new song every week for a year, an ambitious feat he went on to accomplish in 2021. Since then, he’s continued his prodigious output, writing and recording numerous songs both as a solo artist and in collaboration with a host of other musicians, including his frequent musical partner Marc Schuster (with whom he also has a side band called The Star Crumbles).
His lively, eclectic sound runs the gamut from rock’n’roll, indie folk and garage rock to grunge, punk and synthpop. In addition to a dizzying array of singles, he also released a terrific album Wild in September 2023 and EP Everything’s a Business in June 2024. I’ve featured him many times on this blog, most recently this past January when I reviewed his single “Take This Heart“. Inspired by the 90’s music of some of his favorite bands like Soul Asylum, the Goo Goo Dolls and Better Than Ezra, “Take This Heart” is a smoldering, foot-stomping garage rock banger of a love song. Brian wrote the music and lyrics, played all instruments and self-produced the track. I love it, and am pleased to finally place it at the top of my latest chart.
Entering the top 10 are “The Night Before” by The Black Keys, “Straight to the Ground” by Northern-Ireland rock act Unquiet Nights, and “Walls” by English singer-songwriter Frank Joshua, at #s 8, 9 & 10, respectively.
There are two new additions this week, the first of which is “Basic Being Basic” by Djo, the music project of American actor Joseph David Keery, known for his roles as Steve Harrington in the Netflix series Stranger Things and Gator Tillman in the fifth season of the crime drama series Fargo. The song is from his third album The Crux, which was released April 4th. His sleeper hit song “End of Beginning”, which went viral on TikTok and has been streamed over 1.4 billion times on Spotify, spent 15 weeks in my Top 30 last year, and ranks #43 on my 100 Best Songs of 2024 list. Djo is about to embark on a 36-date tour of the U.S. and Europe that will start in Salt Lake City on April 21st.
The second new entry, debuting at #30, is “Porcelain (Losing All My Patience)” by Irish alternative indie rock band Somebody’s Child, fronted by the charismatic singer-songwriter Cian Godfrey. The beautiful song is from their wonderful second album When Youth Fades Away, released on March 28th, and accompanied by an endearing video showing Godfrey singing and dancing to the song in London’s Waterloo Station. I don’t normally include videos for other songs on my charts other than the one at #1, but this one’s so charming I want to share it.
TAKE THIS HEART – Brian Lambert (3)
IMPOSTER SYNDROME – Fake Empire (1)
RUSHMERE – Mumford & Sons (4)
METAVERSE – Cage the Elephant (5)
TIME WAITED – My Morning Jacket (7)
PEOPLE WATCHING – Sam Fender (2)
SAME OLD SONG – The Lumineers (6)
THE NIGHT BEFORE – The Black Keys (13)
STRAIGHT TO THE GROUND – Unquiet Nights (11)
WALLS – Frank Joshua (12)
WITHOUT A DOUBT – Charm School (10)
SO COLD – Balu Brigada (9)
LUTHER – Kendrick Lamar & SZA (14)
BAD LARRY – Cloakroom (16)
MORTAL WOUND – The Veils (17)
THE TURNAROUND – DelCobras (18)
IT’S AMAZING TO BE YOUNG – Fontaines D.C. (19)
BAD DREAMS – Teddy Swims (8)
SNAKESKIN – NAVE (22)
POOR SAD INDIE EVERYTHING – Icarus Phoenix (23)
ANKLES – Lucy Dacus (24)
LAREDO – Leon Bridges (27)
WHO’S A FRAUD? – Still Traffico (15)
ARCHBISHOP HAROLD HOLMES – Jack White (26)
BARBARIAN – AWOLNATION (28)
YOU’RE MY DRUG – Talk in Waves (20) 19th week on chart
THE LINE – Twenty One Pilots (21)
THE FAITHFUL HEART – Wons Phreely (25) 21st week on chart
BASIC BEING BASIC – Djo (N)
PORCELAIN (LOSING ALL MY PATIENCE) – Somebody’s Child (N)
Not many changes to my latest Top 30, as Fake Empire‘s “Imposter Syndrome” holds onto the #1 spot for a second week, and there are no new debuts this week. Sam Fender moves into second place with hs touching “People Watching”, while Texas-based singer-songwriter Brian Lambert moves up two spots with his sultry rocker “Take This Heart”. “Without A Doubt” by Kentucky-based “No Wave Post Punk” rock band Charm School enters the top 10.
IMPOSTER SYNDROME – Fake Empire (1)
PEOPLE WATCHING – Sam Fender (3)
TAKE THIS HEART – Brian Lambert (5)
RUSHMERE – Mumford & Sons (6)
METAVERSE – Cage the Elephant (7)
SAME OLD SONG – The Lumineers (8)
TIME WAITED – My Morning Jacket (9)
BAD DREAMS – Teddy Swims (2)
SO COLD – Balu Brigada (4)
WITHOUT A DOUBT – Charm School (11)
STRAIGHT TO THE GROUND – Unquiet Nights (13)
WALLS – Frank Joshua (14)
THE NIGHT BEFORE – The Black Keys (16)
LUTHER – Kendrick Lamar & SZA (15)
WHO’S A FRAUD? – Still Traffico (10)
BAD LARRY – Cloakroom (18)
MORTAL WOUND – The Veils (19)
THE TURNAROUND – DelCobras (21)
IT’S AMAZING TO BE YOUNG – Fontaines D.C. (22)
YOU’RE MY DRUG – Talk in Waves (12)
THE LINE – Twenty One Pilots (17)
SNAKESKIN – NAVE (25)
POOR SAD INDIE EVERYTHING – Icarus Phoenix (26)
ANKLES – Lucy Dacus (27)
THE FAITHFUL HEART – Wons Phreely (23) 20th week on chart
What a horrific week it’s been in America – and around the world, quite frankly – as our delusional, ignorant psychopath of a president precipitated a global financial meltdown with his pointless and insane tariffs, not to mention all his other illegal and incompetent actions. Be that as it may, at least we have lots of great music to drown our sorrows in, and my latest Top 30 is so good that every song belongs in the top five.
The darkly beautiful “Imposter Syndrome” by English alt-rock band Fake Empire dethrones Teddy Swims as it takes over the top spot this week. I loved it at first listen, and it continues to strongly resonate with me every time I hear it. I love the lush, haunting synths and The Cure-esque jangly guitars set to an enthralling beat and accompanied by arresting vocals. It’s the perfect song for sitting back with headphones and letting yourself be enveloped by its gorgeous soundscapes. To my mind, the lyrics seem to be about living lives that are inauthentic and controlled by other sociopolitical and cultural forces, leaving us acting like sheep, unable to be our true selves or even know who we really are: “Imposter syndrome. You’re sinking like a stone. How can you live when your life is not your own? Our lives are not our own.” Based in the south of England, Fake Empire consists of Simon Brookes, Les Black and Becky Bellinger, who together have been putting out music since 2017, all in the form of singles which now number 20 in total.
The beautiful anthem “People Watching” by English singer-songwriter Sam Fender moves up a notch to #3 this week. Included on his third studio album People Watching, which dropped February 21st, Fender wrote the song as a tribute to his friend and mentor Annie Orwin, who passed away last November. Describing her as being like a surrogate mother to him, he drew inspiration from his walks to and from the care home where she was a patient. He remained by her side at the end, sleeping on a chair next to her bed. He explained on his social media: “It’s kind of ironic because she was the one that gave me the confidence to go on stage, and always used to be like ‘why haven’t you mentioned my name in your acceptance speech’. But now an entire song (and album) connects to her. I hope that wherever she is now she’s looking down saying ‘about time kid’“. Fender co-produced the song and album in Los Angeles with Markus Dravs and Adam Granduciel of the American rock band the War on Drugs.
“Same Old Song” by Denver-based alterntive folk band The Lumineers finally enters the top 10 at #8, as well as “Time Waited” by American rock band My Morning Jacket at #9 and “Who’s a Fraud?” by English band Still Traffico, at #10. Debuting this week are songs by two long-time favorite acts of mine, the first of which is the beautiful “Laredo” by Texas-based singer-songwriter Leon Bridges. It’s the second single from his latest album Leon, which was released last October, and follows “Peaceful Place” which spent four weeks at #1 on my chart last fall. The second debut is “Barbarian” by L.A.-based alt-rock band AWOLNATION, from their sixth album The Phantom Five, which dropped last October. The song follows their previous single “Panoramic View” which spent 21 weeks on my chart last summer & fall, 12 of them in the top 10, and peaked at #3.
IMPOSTER SYNDROME – Fake Empire (3)
BAD DREAMS – Teddy Swims (1)
PEOPLE WATCHING – Sam Fender (4)
SO COLD – Balu Brigada (2)
TAKE THIS HEART – Brian Lambert (5)
RUSHMERE – Mumford & Sons (6)
METAVERSE – Cage the Elephant (8)
SAME OLD SONG – The Lumineers (11)
TIME WAITED – My Morning Jacket (14)
WHO’S A FRAUD? – Still Traffico (12)
WITHOUT A DOUBT – Charm School (13)
YOU’RE MY DRUG – Talk in Waves (7)
STRAIGHT TO THE GROUND – Unquiet Nights (15)
WALLS – Frank Joshua (16)
LUTHER – Kendrick Lamar & SZA (17)
THE NIGHT BEFORE – The Black Keys (18)
THE LINE – Twenty One Pilots (9)
BAD LARRY – Cloakroom (19)
MORTAL WOUND – The Veils (20)
SAILOR SONG – Gigi Perez (10)
THE TURNAROUND – DelCobras (22)
IT’S AMAZING TO BE YOUNG – Fontaines D.C. (25)
THE FAITHFUL HEART – Wons Phreely + The Horses (21)
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
We’ve reached the last full week of 2024, and the Cure‘s “A Fragile Thing” remains at #1 on my Top 30 for a second week. Dexter and The Moonrocks also hold at #2 for a second week with “Sad in Carolina, while Beach Weather moves into third place with “Hardcore Romance”. “The Faithful Heart” by Wons Phreely + The Horses climbs four spots to #4, while “Favourite” by Fontaines D.C. moves down two to #5. “A Tear in Space (Airlock)” by Glass Animals moves up three spots to enter the top 10 at #10.
Three songs make their debut this week, beginning with “Detroit” by Los Angeles-based alternative hard rock band Badflower. Released this past summer, the song took a while to fully grow on me, which is weird since it’s a really good, high-energy anthem. It’s their second song to appear on my chart, the first being their 2018 masterpiece “Ghost”, which peaked at #2 and ranks #21 on my 100 Best Songs of 2018 list. Formed in 2015, the band is still comprised of the four original founding members singer/guitarist Josh Katz, lead guitarist Joey Morrow, bassist Alex Espiritu and drummer Anthony Sonetti.
Entering at #29 is another song that’s been out awhile, “Sailor Song” by American singer-songwriter Gigi Perez. (Coincidentally, it was released on July 26, the same day as Badflower’s “Detroit”.) She’s been putting out music since 2021, but “Sailor Song” is her first song to chart after going viral on TikTok a few months ago. It’s reached #1 in the UK, Ireland and Latvia, and the top five in New Zealand, Norway, Sweden, and the Billboard Hot Rock and Alternative Songs chart. Thus far, it’s reached #22 on the Hot 100. The infectious and endearing song is a love ballad about falling for a woman who looks like the actress Anne Hathaway.
The third debut is “Day & Night”, by London-based singer-songwriter Oli Barton. A supremely talented artist, Barton’s made numerous appearances on my Top 30, most recently this past fall with his previous single “You Just Played My Mind”, which spent 15 weeks on my chart. I’ve loved every single one of his releases, and the ebullient “Day & Night” is no exception!
A FRAGILE THING – The Cure (1)
SAD IN CAROLINA – Dexter and The Moonrocks (2)
HARDCORE ROMANCE – Beach Weather (4)
THE FAITHFUL HEART – Wons Phreely + The Horses (8)
FAVOURITE – Fontaines D.C. (3)
DIE WITH A SMILE – Lady Gaga & Bruno Mars (5)
NOBODY’S SOLDIER – Hozier (6)
NEVERENDER – Justice & Tame Impala (9)
CAN’T SLOW DOWN – almost monday (7)
A TEAR IN SPACE (AIRLOCK) – Glass Animals (13)
SUPERSAD – Suki Waterhouse (11)
BOBBY SOX – Green Day (12)
MIND GAME (3:33) – Collette McLafferty & John Serrano (16)
ECLECTIC MUSIC LOVER 