Hard to believe we’re already into March, as time seems to fly by at an ever-faster speed. YUNGBLUD remains on top for a second week with “Zombie”, while Royel Otis moves into second place with “who’s your boyfriend”. Three songs enter the top 10, beginning with “The Great Divide” by Noah Kahan, leaping seven spots to #4, “To Space” by Kings of Leon, climbing three spots to #9, and “Lost Your Ghost” by Two Feet, moving up four spots to #10.
Entering my chart this week are “Bedroom Posters” by American pop-punk band Yellowcard, along with American rock band Good Charlotte. The song is a new version of the original that’s featured on Yellowcard’s latest album Better Days, released last October. The album’s title track went to #1 last year on the Billboard Alternative Airplay chart and peaked at #6 on my chart. The second new entry, coming in at #30, is “I Remember When”, the hard-charging and boisterous new single by Texas-based duo MISSIO, who’ve been one of my favorite acts since 2017. I’ve written about them numerous times on this blog, and several of their songs have topped my charts.
ZOMBIE – YUNGBLUD (1)
WHO’S YOUR BOYFRIEND – Royel Otis (3)
12 TO 12 – sombr (2)
THE GREAT DIVIDE – Noah Kahan (11)
HUMAN – Brandi Carlile (5)
INFINITE SOURCE – Deftones (4)
I’VE GOT A BROKEN HEART – The Lemon Twigs (9)
HULA GIRL – The Neighbourhood (10)
TO SPACE – Kings of Leon (12)
LOST YOUR GHOST – Two Feet (14)
THE FEAR – Future Theory (6)
GET THE MESSAGE – The Paradox (7)
WHITE HORSES – Wolf Alice (8)
ALL MY FRIENDS ARE SO DEPRESSED – Joyce Manor (15)
DOUBLETAKE – Edgehill (16)
DRACULA – Tame Impala (13)
RUBBER BAND MAN – Mumford & Sons w/Hozier (17)
LOST – almost monday (19)
THE WRECKAGE – Silversun Pickups (20)
HOLY ROLLER – The Format (18)
WAITING FOR ME – Talk in Waves (22)
COBRA – Geese (24)
SWEET LOVE – Stephen Sanchez (25)
SLUMBER PARTY – Brigitte Calls Me Baby (26)
HEATHER – Secret Postal Society (27)
THE OLD LAW – Father John Misty (28)
WORLD APART – Bike Routes (23)
PARACHUTE – Hayley Williams (30)
BEDROOM POSTERS – Yellowcard feat. Good Charlotte (N)
Photo of YUNGBLUD taken from a 2025 article in Rock Sound
The beautiful anthem “Zombie” by English singer-songwriter, musician and actor YUNGBLUD takes over the top spot on my chart this week after sombr’s five-week run with “12 to 12”. He calls the song a “love letter to nurses”, and it covers me with goosebumps every time I hear it. From his fourth studio album Idols, released in June 2025, “Zombie” is the first of his singles to reach #1 on my chart, as well as the Billboard Alternative Airplay chart. Both song and album were nominated for Grammys. His 2022 single “Funeral” reached #3 on my chart and ranks #40 on my 100 Best Songs of 2022 list.
Born Dominic Richard Harrison, the charismatic YUNGBLUD’s music has been described as alternative rock, featuring elements of pop-punk, pop rock and hip-hop. He’s cited a wide range of musical influences, including such artists as Arctic Monkeys, The Beatles, The Cure, Nirvana, Avril Lavigne, the Clash, Soundgarden, My Chemical Romance, Marilyn Manson, Freddie Mercury, Mick Jagger, Elton John, Chrissie Hynde, Siouxsie Sioux of Siouxsie and the Banshees, Lady Gaga, Lorde, Post Malone, Kanye West, Eminem, and Katy Perry. He also had a close friendship with Ozzy Osbourne, who he considered a mentor. (Wikipedia)
Earlier this month, YUNGBLUD won the Grammy for Best Rock Performance for his cover of the Black Sabbath song “Changes”, featuring Frank Bello on bass, Nuno Bettencourt on guitar, Sleep Token II on drums, and Adam Wakeman on keyboards. Recorded at the Back to the Beginning benefit concert by Black Sabbath, along with a number of supporting artists, on July 5, 2025, the song was released as a charity single later that month.
In other chart news of note, “who’s your boyfriend” by Australian duo Royel Otis advances three spots to #3, while Deftones‘ “infinite source” moves up a spot to #4 and Brandi Carlile‘s inspirational “Human” moves up three spots to #5. L.A.-based alternative pop-rock band The Neighbourhood enter the top 10 with their lovely “Hula Girl”. Vermont folk rock artist Noah Kahan has the biggest upward mover this week with “The Great Divide”, which leaps 15 spots to #11, while “Lost Your Ghost” by Brooklyn, New York artist Two Feet jumps seven spots to #14.
The lone new entry this week is “Parachute” by singer-songwriter Haley Williams, who’s also a member of and lead vocalist for Nashville-based rock band Paramore. The song is from her third solo album Ego Death at a Bachelorette Party, released last August.
ZOMBIE – YUNGBLUD (2)
12 TO 12 – sombr (1)
WHO’S YOUR BOYFRIEND – Royel Otis (6)
INFINITE SOURCE – Deftones (5)
HUMAN – Brandi Carlile (8)
THE FEAR – Future Theory (3)
GET THE MESSAGE – The Paradox (4)
WHITE HORSES – Wolf Alice (7)
I’VE GOT A BROKEN HEART – The Lemon Twigs (10)
HULA GIRL – The Neighbourhood (11)
THE GREAT DIVIDE – Noah Kahan (26)
TO SPACE – Kings of Leon (12)
DRACULA – Tame Impala (9)
LOST YOUR GHOST – Two Feet (21)
ALL MY FRIENDS ARE SO DEPRESSED – Joyce Manor (16)
Given America’s ongoing descent into an authoritarian dictatorship led by a cruel and corrupt narcissistic lunatic and pedophile who operates like a literal mob boss, I haven’t been in the frame of mind to write about music since the start of the year. I’m still feeling pretty disheartened and anxious about what new horrors Combover Caligula and his odious administration will unleash upon us in the coming weeks and months, but wanted to write a post of my current favorite songs mainly because a few of my favorite indie music acts have songs on this week’s chart, and this is my way of letting them know.
First off, the amazing singer-songwriter sombr holds the top spot for a fifth week with his exuberant pop gem “12 to 12”. The talented 20-year-old was nominated for a Best New Artist Grammy, and his song “back to friends” was my favorite song last year. Moving into second place is “Zombie” by English singer-songwriter, musician and actor YUNGBLUD (born Dominic Richard Harrison). The biggest upward mover is “Lost Your Ghost” by New York City-based singer-songwriter and musician Two Feet (aka Bill Dess), jumping nine spots to #21.
The aforementioned favorite indie acts with songs on this chart are English psychedelic rock band Future Theory, who’s fantastic track “The Fear” spends its fifth week in the top 3 (peaking at #2 last week), Virginia singer-songwriter and musician Talk in Waves (aka Jake Mimikos), who’s “Waiting for Me” sits at #24, and Welsh singer-songwriter and musician Secret Postal Society (aka Craig Mapstone), who’s song “Heather” debuts at #29.
Other new debuts include “The Great Divide” by singer-songwriter Noah Kahan, at #26, “SWEET LOVE” by young Nashville-based singer-songwriter Stephen Sanchez, at #27, “Slumber Party” by Chicago-based alternative rock band Brigitte Calls Me Baby, at #28, and “The Old Law” by American singer-songwriter, musician and producer Father John Misty (aka Joshua Michael Tillman), at #30. (It seems nearly every artist has a musical alter-ego.)
12 TO 12 – sombr (1)5th week at #1
ZOMBIE – YUNGBLUD (5)
THE FEAR – Future Theory (2)
GET THE MESSAGE – The Paradox (3)
INFINITE SOURCE – Deftones (6)
WHO’S YOUR BOYFRIEND – Royel Otis (9)
WHITE HORSES – Wolf Alice (7)
HUMAN – Brandi Carlile (8)
DRACULA – Tame Impala (4) Spent 3 weeks at #1
I’VE GOT A BROKEN HEART – The Lemon Twigs (10)
HULA GIRL – The Neighbourhood (13)
TO SPACE – Kings of Leon (15)
TANANA – Portugal. The Man (11)
RUBBER BAND MAN – Mumford & Sons w/Hozier (12)
ASKING FOR A FRIEND – Foo Fighters (14)
ALL MY FRIENDS ARE SO DEPRESSED – Joyce Manor (17)
For more than 40 years, English alternative goth rock band The Cure have masterfully captured both the joyous highs and painful depths of love, loss and existential angst in their music, and their latest single “A Fragile Thing” is a shining example of that, as well as a strong testament to their enduring creativity and relevance. Released on October 9, the song was the second single (after the epic “Alone”) from their 14th studio album Songs of a Lost World, their first new material in 16 years since the release of 4:13 Dream in 2008. Entirely written, composed, and arranged by The Cure front man Robert Smith, the album was originally recorded and intended for release in 2019, and is the band’s first album to feature Reeves Gabrels, who joined as a full-time member in 2012, on guitar. According to the review aggregator Metacritic, Songs of a Lost World has received universal acclaim, based on a weighted average score of 93 out of 100 from 23 critic scores.
Like all songs on the album, “A Fragile Thing” reflects the darker sentiments Smith was feeling after the loss of his mother, father and brother in quick succession. Nevertheless, he tried to keep the album “universal” in its themes, stating “So even though most of the songs are very personal, they’re not things that only happen to me.” In an October YouTube interview, he stated that he had struggled to write “A Fragile Thing”, saying it was originally a very different song titled “Kill The Sun”, but that it “mutated into this song, which is very specific to me, I suppose. “But I’m hoping that it resonates with other people because love is a universal thing.” He further explained that “A Fragile Thing” is “the ‘love song’ of the album, but not really a love song in the way that [1989’s] ‘Lovesong’ is a love song. It’s about how love is the most enduring of emotions. It’s the most powerful emotion, and it’s incredibly resilient. And yet at the same time, incredibly fragile.” The hauntingly beautiful song becomes the latest to top my Weekly Top 30 chart.
In other chart developments of note, “Sad in Carolina” by Dexter and The Moonrocks advances two spots to #2. Entering the top 10 are “The Faithful Heart” by Wons Phreely + The Horses, which climbs four spots to #8, and “Neverender” by French electronic music duo Justice and Australian band Tame Impala, moving up two spots to #9.
Two songs make their debut, the first of which, entering at #29, is “Darkerside” by American singer-songwriter David Kushner. Born in Chicago and now based in Los Angeles, the baritone-voiced artist began releasing singles in 2021, and the following year, his song “Mr. Miserable” went viral on TikTok. Though it didn’t chart in the U.S., it reached the top 40 in several European countries, Australia and New Zealand. His 2023 single “Daylight” also went viral on TikTok, becoming an even bigger hit, reaching #1 in the Netherlands, Switzerland and New Zealand and peaking at #33 on the Billboard Hot 100, and has been streamed over 1.3 billion times on Spotify alone. The anthemic “Darkerside”, along with “Daylight”, Mr. Miserable”, and his previous singles, are featured on his debut album The Dichotomy, which was released August 30th. The song has already spent 10 weeks on the Alternative Airplay chart, the past three at #23.
Entering at #30 is “You’re My Drug”, the latest single by Northern Virginia-based Talk in Waves, the music project of the very talented and affable singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Jake Mimikos. He’s been a long-time favorite of mine, and “You’re My Drug” is his eighth song to appear on my Top 30 chart. Five of them have gone all the way to #1, most recently his previous single “Like You Do” this past September. “You’re My Drug” is a sexy rocker, featuring an edgier, harder-driving sound for him, and I like it!
A FRAGILE THING – The Cure (2)
SAD IN CAROLINA – Dexter and The Moonrocks (4)
FAVOURITE – Fontaines D.C. (1)
HARDCORE ROMANCE – Beach Weather (5)
DIE WITH A SMILE – Lady Gaga & Bruno Mars (3)
NOBODY’S SOLDIER – Hozier (7)
CAN’T SLOW DOWN – almost monday (6)
THE FAITHFUL HEART – Wons Phreely + The Horses (12)
NEVERENDER – Justice & Tame Impala (11)
BOTHERING ME – Sarah Blasko (9)
SUPERSAD – Suki Waterhouse (13)
BOBBY SOX – Green Day (14)
A TEAR IN SPACE (AIRLOCK) – Glass Animals (16)
KINKY – bby (15)
PEACEFUL PLACE – Leon Bridges (8)
MIND GAME (3:33) – Collette McLafferty & John Serrano (18)
DOPAMINE – Sum 41 (19)
IN THE LIVING ROOM – Maggie Rogers (20)
ARROW – The Head and the Heart (21)
GIVING UP – Michigander (22)
THAT’S HOW I’M FEELING – Jack White (10)
AUTUMN LEAVES – Secret Postal Society (24)
ROUTINES IN THE NIGHT – twenty one pilots (26)
GILD THE LILY – Billy Strings (29)
BIRDS OF A FEATHER – Billie Eilish (17)
PEACE SONG – Fat Dog (30)
UP ALL NIGHT – James Bay, The Lumineers & Noah Kahan (25)
Fontaines D.C. remain on top for a third week with their heartwarming “Favourite”, while The Cure switches places with Lady Gaga & Bruno Mars as “A Fragile Thing” moves up a notch to #2 and “Die With A Smile” drops to #3. Dexter and The Moonrocks jump five spots to #4 with their bombastic earworm “Sad in Carolina”, while Beach Weather move up two spots with their sultry “Hardcore Romance” to round out the top five. The wonderful “The Faithful Heart” by Los Angeles-based Wons Phreely + The Horses is this week’s biggest upward mover, leaping 16 spots to #12.
Making their debut are songs by two acts who are totally new to me. The first, entering at #29, is “Gild the Lily” by Michigan-based singer-songwriter and bluegrass musician Billy Strings. Born William Lee Apostol, he was given his stage name Billy Strings from his aunt, who recognized his impressive skills playing multiple traditional bluegrass instruments. He’s been releasing music as a solo artist since 2017, and has won numerous music awards, including a Grammy in 2021 for Best Bluegrass Album for his second album Home. The pleasing “Gild the Lily” is from his fourth album Highway Prayers, a 20-track colossus released this past September.
Entering at #30 is the boisterous “Peace Song” by English techno punk band Fat Dog. Formed in South London in 2020, the band consists of Joe Love, Chris Hughes, Morgan Wallace, Jacqui Wheeler and Johnny ‘Doghead’ Hutch. They released their debut seven-minute long single “King of the Slugs” in 2023, followed by a number of singles which culminated in the release of their debut album WOOF. this past September. Their latest single “Peace Song” dropped November 21st, and it was love at first listen for me.
FAVOURITE – Fontaines D.C. (1)
A FRAGILE THING – The Cure (3)
DIE WITH A SMILE – Lady Gaga & Bruno Mars (2)
SAD IN CAROLINA – Dexter and The Moonrocks (9)
HARDCORE ROMANCE – Beach Weather (7)
CAN’T SLOW DOWN – almost monday (6)
NOBODY’S SOLDIER – Hozier (8)
PEACEFUL PLACE – Leon Bridges (4)
BOTHERING ME – Sarah Blasko (10)
THAT’S HOW I’M FEELING – Jack White (5)
NEVERENDER – Justice & Tame Impala (12)
THE FAITHFUL HEART – Wons Phreely + The Horses (28)
SUPERSAD – Suki Waterhouse (15)
BOBBY SOX – Green Day (16)
KINKY – bby (17)
A TEAR IN SPACE (AIRLOCK) – Glass Animals (18)
BIRDS OF A FEATHER – Billie Eilish (11)
MIND GAME (3:33) – Collette McLafferty & John Serrano (21)
DOPAMINE – Sum 41 (22)
IN THE LIVING ROOM – Maggie Rogers (23)
ARROW – The Head and the Heart (24)
GIVING UP – Michigander (25)
GARMONBOZIA – Flying Lotus (13)
AUTUMN LEAVES – Secret Postal Society (26)
UP ALL NIGHT – James Bay, The Lumineers & Noah Kahan (14)
As its title would suggest, my favorite song again this week is “Favourite” by Irish band Fontaines D.C., who’ve also become one of my favorite bands. And from posts I’ve read, on the strength of their latest album Romance, they’ve become the favorite of many others as well. In an interview with Fontaines D.C. front man Grian Chatten in September on his Rocket Hour radio show on Apple Music, Elton John told Chatten “For me, you’re the best band out there at the moment. You seem to have found your feet with this album in such a big way… it’s a brilliant record. I think this album takes you – and I’ve been around for a long time – to a different level, and it’s going to stay around for a long, long time. But what’s more important about it: the music is really, really, really special. Congratulations on everything, Grian. It’s bloody wonderful.” I couldn’t agree more. “Favourite” is the second song from Romance – and Fontaines D.C. – to top my Weekly Top 30, following “Starburster”, which spent three weeks at #1 this past August.
In other noteworthy chart developments, the wonderful duet “Die With A Smile” by Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars climbs two spots to #2, while “A Fragile Thing” by legendary alternative goth-rock band The Cure jumps three spots to #3. Entering the top 10 are “Sad In Carolina” by Texas rock band Dexter and The Moonrocks and “Bothering Me” by Australian singer-songwriter Sarah Blasko.
Two songs make their debut, the first of which is the heartwarming “The Faithful Heart” by Australian-born and Los Angeles-based singer-songwriter Wons Phreely and his band The Horses, entering at #28. I wrote about the song and its delightful video a few days ago, which you can read here. The second, entering at #30, is “Routines In The Night” by twenty one pilots. It’s the third song from their latest album Clancy to appear on my chart, following “Overcompensate”, which reached #2, and “The Craving”, which spent three weeks at #1.
FAVOURITE – Fontaines D.C. (1)
DIE WITH A SMILE – Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars (4)
A FRAGILE THING – The Cure (6)
PEACEFUL PLACE – Leon Bridges (2)
THAT’S HOW I’M FEELING – Jack White (3)
CAN’T SLOW DOWN – almost monday (7)
HARDCORE ROMANCE – Beach Weather (8)
NOBODY’S SOLDIER – Hozier (9)
SAD IN CAROLINA – Dexter and The Moonrocks (12)
BOTHERING ME – Sarah Blasko (11)
BIRDS OF A FEATHER – Billie Eilish (5)
NEVERENDER – Justice & Tame Impala (14)
GARMONBOZIA – Flying Lotus (10)
UP ALL NIGHT – James Bay, The Lumineers & Noah Kahan (13)
SUPERSAD – Suki Waterhouse (17)
BOBBY SOX – Green Day (18)
KINKY – bby (19)
A TEAR IN SPACE (AIRLOCK) – Glass Animals (20)
THE DOOR – Teddy Swims (14)
THE EMPTINESS MACHINE – Linkin Park (18)
MIND GAME (3:33) – Collette McLafferty & John Serrano (23)
DOPAMINE – Sum 41 (24)
IN THE LIVING ROOM – Maggie Rogers (26)
ARROW – The Head and the Heart (28)
GIVING UP – Michigander (29)
AUTUMN LEAVES – Secret Postal Society (30)
DEATH VALLEY HIGH – Orville Peck & Beck (21)
THE FAITHFUL HEART – Wons Phreely + The Horses (N)
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)
Lots of changes on my latest Weekly Top 30, with a new #1 song and four new entries. Fort Worth, Texas-based singer-songwriter Leon Bridges takes over the top spot with his lovely song “Peaceful Place”. His smooth, incredibly pleasing vocals remind me at times of the late, great Marvin Gaye and Sam Cooke, and I love that slide guitar and cool bass line on the track. The song is from his fourth studio album Leon, which dropped October 4th. It’s his second song to top my list, the previous being “Bad Bad News” in 2018. The wonderful video was shot in Mexico City and Los Angeles.
Entering the top 10 are “Favourite” by Irish band Fontaines D.C., at #9, and “Up All Night”, a lively foot-stomping collaboration between James Bay, The Lumineers and Noah Kahan, at #10. Of the four new entries this week, three are by acts who are totally new to me, two of which are singing about some kind of sadness. The first, coming in at #27, is the rousing “Sad in Carolina” by Dexter and the Moonrocks, a four-piece rock band from Abilene, Texas (not too far west of Leon Bridges’ home of Fort Worth) who describe their sound as “sad cowboy music”. Comprised of James Tuffs on lead vocals and rhythm guitar, Ryan Anderson on lead guitar and backing vocals, Ty Anderson on bass, and Fox on drums and backing vocals, they’ve been putting out music since 2021. Released on May 1st, “Sad in Carolina” is featured on their latest EP Western Space Grunge, which dropped in July. Judging from their prodigious Instagram posts, the guys appear to have a wicked sense of humor.
The second debut is “Supersad” by English singer-songwriter, actress and model Suki Waterhouse. The London-based artist, who began modeling at the age of 16, started recording and releasing music in 2016. Her second single, “Good Looking”, released in 2017, later became a viral hit in 2022, garnering nearly half a billion streams on Spotify alone. She and her partner, actor Robert Pattinson, welcomed their first child in March, and she opened for Taylor Swift’s The Eras Tour on August 17th at Wembley Stadium. “Supersad” is from her second studio album Memoir of a Sparklemuffin, released on September 13th.
Coming in at #29 is “Bobby Sox” by legendary alt-rock band Green Day. The song is the fifth single from their latest album Saviors, released this past January. The fourth new entry is “Kinky”, a riotous romp by English alternative rock/hip hop band bby. Formed at the end of 2022, the young five-piece consists of Benjy Gibson on lead vocals, Jessy Jacquet-Cretides and Tommaso Medica on guitar, Deon Graham on bass, and Tom Parkin on drums. Their debut single “hotline”, released in August 2023, quickly blew up, garnering millions of streams across multiple streaming platforms. They followed with a series of singles which culminated in the release of their terrific debut album 1 this past July.
PEACEFUL PLACE – Leon Bridges (2)
THAT’S HOW I’M FEELING – Jack White (1)
BIRDS OF A FEATHER – Billie Eilish (4)
STARGAZING – Myles Smith (5)
GOOD LUCK, BABE! – Chappell Roan (6)
THE DOOR – Teddy Swims (8)
MESSY – Lola Young (3)
DEATH VALLEY HIGH – Orville Peck & Beck (10)
FAVOURITE – Fontaines D.C. (11)
UP ALL NIGHT – James Bay, The Lumineers & Noah Kahan (14)
DIE WITH A SMILE – Lady Gaga & Bruno Mars (15)
RAINBOW – Cage the Elephant (7)
INTO GOLD – London Grammar (9)
THE LIGHTHOUSE – Stevie Nicks (17)
ESPRESSO – Sabrina Carpenter (12)
GARMONBOZIA – Flying Lotus (18)
CAN’T SLOW DOWN – almost monday (19)
BIG CAT TATTOOS – Hamish Hawk (16)
HARDCORE ROMANCE – Beach Weather (24)
BOTHERING ME – Sarah Blasko (25)
YOU JUST PLAYED MY MIND – Oli Barton (13)
THE EMPTINESS MACHINE – Linkin Park (26)
NOBODY’S SOLDIER – Hozier (27)
NEVERENDER – Justice & Tame Impala (30)
HOLOGRAM – Raker (20)
LIKE YOU DO – Talk in Waves (21) 21st week on chart
Guitarist extraordinaire Jack White remains on top for a second week with his bombastic rocker “That’s How I’m Feeling”, while silky-voiced Leon Bridges moves into second place with his mellifluous single “Peaceful Place”. Entering the top 10 are “The Door” by powerhouse singer-songwriter Teddy Swims, at #8, and “Death Valley High” by the enigmatic and sexy country singer-songwriter Orville Peck and singer-songwriter-producer Beck, at #10. Two songs share the biggest upward mover title this week – “Die With A Smile” by Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars and “The Lighthouse” by Stevie Nicks, each jumping eight spots to #15 and #17, respectively.
The sole debut is “Neverender”, a wonderful collaboration by French electronic music duo Justice and Australian band Tame Impala. Consisting of Gaspard Augé and Xavier de Rosnay, Justice is completely new to me, despite the fact they’ve been making music for nearly 20 years. They’re quite popular, with over 5.7 million monthly listeners on Spotify and 1.5 million followers on Facebook. Tame Impala, fronted by insanely talented singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Kevin Parker, ranks high among my favorite music acts. As far as I’m concerned, any song involving Tame Impala is a winner, and their collaboration “New Gold” with Gorillaz and Bootie Brown is my #2 song of 2023. “Neverender” is from Justice’s fourth studio album Hyperdrama, released this past April.
THAT’S HOW I’M FEELING – Jack White (1)
PEACEFUL PLACE – Leon Bridges (4)
MESSY – Lola Young (2)
BIRDS OF A FEATHER – Billie Eilish (6)
STARGAZING – Myles Smith (5)
GOOD LUCK, BABE! – Chappell Roan (7)
RAINBOW – Cage the Elephant (3)
THE DOOR – Teddy Swims (12)
INTO GOLD – London Grammar (10)
DEATH VALLEY HIGH – Orville Peck & Beck (11)
FAVOURITE – Fontaines D.C. (15)
ESPRESSO – Sabrina Carpenter (8)
YOU JUST PLAYED MY MIND – Oli Barton (9)
UP ALL NIGHT – James Bay, The Lumineers & Noah Kahan (18)
DIE WITH A SMILE – Lady Gaga & Bruno Mars (23)
BIG CAT TATTOOS – Hamish Hawk (17)
THE LIGHTHOUSE – Stevie Nicks (25)
GARMONBOZIA – Flying Lotus (21)
CAN’T SLOW DOWN – almost monday (22)
HOLOGRAM – Raker (20)
LIKE YOU DO – Talk in Waves (13) 20th week on chart
As I curate my Top 30 chart each week – which essentially reflects my favorite songs at that moment in time – I cannot deny that my choices are influenced to some degree by what’s happening on other “official” music charts. Sometimes a song comes along that’s either so good or has such strong crossover appeal that it tops nearly every major chart. But more often than not, totally different songs top each of the various charts, with virtually no overlap. Case in point is this week, where the mediocre “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” by Shaboozey has inexplicably spent 13 weeks and counting at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100, while “The Emptiness Machine” by the reconstituted rock band Linkin Park is #1 on the Mainstream Rock and Alternative Airplay charts, and “Up All Night”, a collaboration between James Bay, The Lumineers and Noah Kahan, is #1 on the Adult Alternative Airplay chart. None of these three songs appears on the other mentioned charts.
I’m not quite sure what the point of that discussion is, other than to provide a bit of context, but my new favorite song this week is “That’s How I’m Feeling” by Jack White, which does currently occupy a spot in the top 10 of most alternative and rock charts. The boisterous rocker was the lead single from his sixth studio album released as a solo artist, No Name, which dropped this past July. Many music critics and fans have praised the album and song, calling it a return to his blues and garage roots and favorably comparing it to his music with the White Stripes. It’s probably my favorite song by White as a solo artist.
In other chart highlights, “Peaceful Place” by Leon Bridges climbs six spots to #4, and the ethereal and dreamy “Into Gold” by London Grammar moves up four spots to enter the top 10 at #10. The aforementioned “Up All Night” jumps seven spots to #18, making it the biggest upward mover this week. Three songs make their debut, the first of which, entering at #25, is “The Lighthouse”, a powerful song of both anger and hope by legendary singer-songwriter Stevie Nicks, who’s still going strong at 76. (I saw her in concert last December, which you can read about here.) She performed the song last night on Saturday Night Live, her first appearance on the long-running show in 41 years.
Inspired by the overturning of Roe v. Wade by the U.S. Supreme Court in 2022, Nicks co-wrote the song with Magnus Birgersson and Vincent Villuis. The track was co-produced by Nicks, Sheryl Crow (who plays electric guitar and bass and sings backing vocals), and famed producer Chris Cobb (who’s worked with Chris Stapleton, Brandi Carlile, Lady Gaga, John Prine, Sturgill Simpson, Jason Isbell, The Highwomen, Take That, Rival Sons, and many more), who also played guitar. The song begins rather tentatively, and Nicks’ vocals sound quite different in the verses; at first listen I thought they might be by another singer, but she sounds like her usual self in the anthemic choruses.
The second debut, entering at #29, is “The Emptiness Machine” by Linkin Park. I was resistant to the song at first, as I had mixed feelings about the legendary band taking on a new female co-lead singer, resulting in a major change to their style and sound. But after reading through scores of comments on the YouTube video for the song, I came to realize I was the one who was being closed-minded. The song, which quickly shot to #1 on the Rock and Alternative charts, has since grown on me. Coming in at #30 is “Nobody’s Soldier” by Irish singer-songwriter Hozier, whose previous single “Too Sweet” has become one of the biggest hits of the year. His latest single is more fast-paced and harder-driven than his usual style. I like it!
THAT’S HOW I’M FEELING – Jack White (4)
MESSY – Lola Young (1)
RAINBOW – Cage the Elephant (2)
PEACEFUL PLACE – Leon Bridges (10)
STARGAZING – Myles Smith (6)
BIRDS OF A FEATHER – Billie Eilish (7)
GOOD LUCK, BABE! – Chappell Roan (8)
ESPRESSO – Sabrina Carpenter (3)
YOU JUST PLAYED MY MIND – Oli Barton (9)
INTO GOLD – London Grammar (14)
DEATH VALLEY HIGH – Orville Peck & Beck (15)
THE DOOR – Teddy Swims (16)
LIKE YOU DO – Talk in Waves (5) 19th week on chart
WAR – Healer (12)
FAVOURITE – Fontaines D.C. (18)
HONEY – Mr Bewlay (13)
BIG CAT TATTOOS – Hamish Hawk (19)
UP ALL NIGHT – James Bay, The Lumineers & Noah Kahan (25)
ECLECTIC MUSIC LOVER 