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
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
Photo of Fontaines D.C. taken from their Facebook account
Last week’s top seven songs remain in the top seven this week, with the irrepressible Fontaines D.C. holding on to the top spot for a second week with their darkly beautiful and bombastic tour de force “Starburster”. twenty one pilots and Beach Weather switch places, with the former’s “The Craving” moving into the #2 spot. Entering the top 10 are “Like You Do” by a long-time favorite of mine, Virginia-based singer-songwriter The Frontier, and “Lost In Space” by another long-time favorite band Foster the People. Fun fact: I’ve seen twenty one pilots, Beach Weather and Foster the People in concert.
“Oh No!” by The Decemberists jumps eight spots to #11, making it the biggest upward mover for a second week. Two songs make their debut, the first of which is “Messy”, a defiant song of self affirmation by English singer-songwriter and musician Lola Young. I heard the song on a recent post by fellow blogger Katie Hartless on her wonderful blog Yard Sale of Thoughts, and loved it at first listen. Though Lola Young has been recording and releasing music for the past five years, I wasn’t familiar with her or her music. Her provocative songwriting and smoky vocal style have earned her comparisons with the late Amy Winehouse. “Messy” is from her third album This Wasn’t Meant For You Anyway, which dropped June 21st. The second debut, entering at #30, is “downing street” by innovative London-based alt-rock band Brain Ape, who I’ve featured many times on this blog. I reviewed the song when it came out last month.
STARBURSTER – Fontaines D.C. (1)
THE CRAVING – twenty one pilots (3)
HIGH IN LOW PLACES – Beach Weather (2)
WRECKAGE – Pearl Jam (4)
PANORAMIC VIEW – AWOLNATION (5)
END OF BEGINNING – Djo (6)
A FORETOLD ECSTASY – Mayflower Madame (7)
LUNCH – Billie Eilish (9)
LIKE YOU DO – The Frontier (11)
LOST IN SPACE – Foster the People (12)
OH NO! – The Decemberists (19)
I HAD SOME HELP – Post Malone feat. Morgan Wallen (14)
CREATURES IN HEAVEN – Glass Animals (8)
TOO SWEET – Hozier (10)
VICES – 5ilas & Shimmer Johnson (15)
RUN YOUR MOUTH – The Marías (16)
WHAT IF I FEEL LIKE THIS MY WHOLE LIFE? – HULLAH (17)
PAYBACK – Aaron Frazer (18)
ESPRESSO – Sabrina Carpenter (20)
RAINBOW – Cage the Elephant (21)
WAKING LIFE – Nicholas a. Milillo feat. Dee Wolf, Bobby Jasso, Gabrielle Marella and the voice of Tony Milillo (24)
Beach Weather remain at #1 for a third week with their gorgeous and cinematic Spaghetti Western-esque “High in Low Places”, which I love more with every listen. Nine days ago, they released their latest and appropriately-titled single “Hottest Summer on Record”, which is guaranteed to appear on my chart in the coming weeks. Pearl Jam‘s “Wreckage” holds at #2 for a second week, while “Starburster”, by the always remarkable Fontaines D.C. moves up two spots to #3. I love this song, and can’t get enough of its contrasting bombastic and melodic brooding vibe. twenty one pilots‘ poignant “The Craving” also advances two spots, to #4, while “Lost In Space” by Foster the People is this week’s biggest upward mover, jumping six spots to #15.
Three songs make their debut this week, the first of which is the wonderful Latin-flavored “Oh No!” by The Decemberists, entering at #28. Along with “Burial Ground”, which spent two weeks at #1 and now sits at #21, the esteemed band currently has two songs on this chart. Both are from their excellent latest album As It Ever Was, So It Will Be Again. Next up is “You Just Played My Mind” by English singer-songwriter Oli Barton, which I reviewed upon its release on June 21. This is his sixth song to appear on my chart over the past seven years. Entering at #30 is “War” by English alt-rock band Healer, which also came out on June 21st, and which I also reviewed. This is their second song to appear on my chart, their first being last year’s “Bones”.
HIGH IN LOW PLACES – Beach Weather (1)
WRECKAGE – Pearl Jam (2)
STARBURSTER – Fontaines D.C. (5)
THE CRAVING – twenty one pilots (6)
PANORAMIC VIEW – AWOLNATION (4)
CREATURES IN HEAVEN – Glass Animals (3)
END OF BEGINNING – Djo (7)
TOO SWEET – Hozier (8)
A FORETOLD ECSTASY – Mayflower Madame (10)
ON THE GAME – The Black Keys (9)
LUNCH – Billie Eilish (13)
THE BREAK – Blame My Youth (14)
TOO MUCH – girl in red (15)
LIKE YOU DO – The Frontier (18)
LOST IN SPACE – Foster the People (21)
I HAD SOME HELP – Post Malone feat. Morgan Wallen (17)
VICES – 5ilas & Shimmer Johnson (20)
RUN YOUR MOUTH – The Marías (22)
WHAT IF I FEEL LIKE THIS MY WHOLE LIFE? – HULLAH (23)
PAYBACK – Aaron Frazer (24)
BURIAL GROUND – The Decemberists & James Mercer (11)
MURDER ON THE DANCEFLOOR – Royel Otis (12)
ESPRESSO – Sabrina Carpenter (25)
FOR US ALL – Asgard Raven (16)
RAINBOW – Cage the Elephant (27)
JUST WANNA SLEEP – Halfloves (28)
WAKING LIFE – Nicholas a. Milillo feat. Dee Wolf, Bobby Jasso, Gabrielle Marella and the voice of Tony Milillo (30)
Some of you who read my blog or this post may wonder what my weekly Top 30 lists represent or how they’re compiled. They’re essentially lists of my favorite songs for a given week, my own personal Top 30 that I would focus on were I the program manager of my own radio station.
There’s so much great music out now that I could have included 40 songs on this week’s Top 30. And all the songs in this week’s top six could easily be #1 (two of them already have). The sultry “High in Low Places” by Beach Weather remains on top for a second week, while Pearl Jam‘s gorgeous song “Wreckage” moves up a notch to #2. I love Glass Animals‘ “Creatures in Heaven”, AWOLNATION‘s “Panoramic View” and Fontaines D.C.’s “Starburster” so much, as well as “The Craving”, which reinforces yet again why twenty one pilots continue to be one of my favorite music acts of all time.
Entering the top 10 this week are “On the Game” by The Black Keys and “A Foretold Ecstasy” by Norwegian psych-noir band Mayflower Madame. The one debut is “Waking Life” by Nicholas a. Milillo featuring Dee Wolf, Bobby Jasso, Gabrielle Marella and the voice of Tony Milillo. I reviewed the dramatic song when it came out four weeks ago.
HIGH IN LOW PLACES – Beach Weather (1)
WRECKAGE – Pearl Jam (3)
CREATURES IN HEAVEN – Glass Animals (2)
PANORAMIC VIEW – AWOLNATION (5)
STARBURSTER – Fontaines D.C. (6)
THE CRAVING – twenty one pilots (10)
END OF BEGINNING – Djo (7)
TOO SWEET – Hozier (4)
ON THE GAME – The Black Keys (12)
A FORETOLD ECSTASY – Mayflower Madame (14)
BURIAL GROUND – The Decemberists & James Mercer (8)
MURDER ON THE DANCEFLOOR – Royel Otis (9)
LUNCH – Billie Eilish (17)
THE BREAK – Blame My Youth (15)
TOO MUCH – girl in red (16)
FOR US ALL – Asgard Raven (11)
I HAD SOME HELP – Post Malone feat. Morgan Wallen (19)
LIKE YOU DO – The Frontier (20)
GOLD – Caitlin Lavagna (13)
VICES – 5ilas & Shimmer Johnson (22)
LOST IN SPACE – Foster the People (23)
RUN YOUR MOUTH – The Marías (24)
WHAT IF I FEEL LIKE THIS MY WHOLE LIFE? – HULLAH (25)
PAYBACK – Aaron Frazer (26)
ESPRESSO – Sabrina Carpenter (27)
SCARED TO START – Michael Marcagi (18)
RAINBOW – Cage the Elephant (29)
JUST WANNA SLEEP – Halfloves (30)
I’VE GOT LOVING FOR YOU – Bottlecap Mountain (21)
WAKING LIFE – Nicholas a. Milillo feat. Dee Wolf, Bobby Jasso, Gabrielle Marella and the voice of Tony Milillo (N)
On the strength of their infectious melodies, ace musicianship, strong charisma, and lead singer Nick Santino’s beautiful vocals, pop-rock trio Beach Weather have become one of my top favorite bands. In fact, a photo I took of them at a concert last year graces the header of my X (formerly Twitter) page. In addition to Santino, the band includes Reeve Powers on bass and Sean Silverman on guitar. I’ve loved every one of their songs, and their latest single “High In Low Places” becomes their fourth to top my weekly Top 30 chart (the previous three are “Sex, Drugs, Etc.”, “Trouble With This Bed” and “Pineapple Sunrise”.
The song has a brooding cinematic vibe in the vein of Ennio Morricone that would make it a great addition to the soundtrack of a Spaghetti Western film, and I love the twangy guitars and 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: “You and I got some troubles we’re facing, I know we can make it staying high in low places. Never mind all the tears that we wasted, I know we can make it staying high in low places.”
The video, which was shot in the Arizona desert outside Phoenix, involved the guys getting stuck by cholla cactus and other hazards that come from being in a beautiful but hostile environment – one I’m intimately familiar with living in the Coachella Valley.
In other chart happenings of note, “The Craving” by twenty one pilots moves up five to enter the top 10 at #10, and “Foretold Ecstasy” by the wonderfully-named Norwegian psych-noir band Mayflower Madame advances four spots to #14. Two songs make their debut this week. Entering at #29 is “Rainbow”, by another favorite band of mine, Nashville-based Cage the Elephant, whose previous single “Neon Pill” was a huge #1 hit on all the Alternative charts, as well as my personal Top 30. And coming in at #30 is the rousing garage rock gem “Just Wanna Sleep” by Iowa indie rock band Halfloves, which I reviewed last month.
HIGH IN LOW PLACES – Beach Weather (2)
CREATURES IN HEAVEN – Glass Animals (1)
WRECKAGE – Pearl Jam (3)
TOO SWEET – Hozier (4)
PANORAMIC VIEW – AWOLNATION (6)
STARBURSTER – Fontaines D.C. (9)
END OF BEGINNING – Djo (10)
BURIAL GROUND – The Decemberists & James Mercer (5)
MURDER ON THE DANCEFLOOR – Royel Otis (7)
THE CRAVING – twenty one pilots (15)
FOR US ALL – Asgard Raven (8)
ON THE GAME – The Black Keys (13)
GOLD – Caitlin Lavagna (12)
A FORETOLD ECSTASY – Mayflower Madame (18)
THE BREAK – Blame My Youth (16)
TOO MUCH – girl in red (17)
LUNCH – Billie Eilish (19)
SCARED TO START – Michael Marcagi (11)
I HAD SOME HELP – Post Malone feat. Morgan Wallen (21)
LIKE YOU DO – The Frontier (22)
I’VE GOT LOVING FOR YOU – Bottlecap Mountain (14)
VICES – 5ilas & Shimmer Johnson (25)
LOST IN SPACE – Foster the People (26)
RUN YOUR MOUTH – The Marías (27)
WHAT IF I FEEL LIKE THIS MY WHOLE LIFE? – HULLAH (28)
It’s another great week for music, and Glass Animals remain on top for a second week with their beautiful song “Creatures in Heaven”. Beach Weather slide into the second spot with their smoldering summer hit “High In Low Places”, while Pearl Jam‘s “Wreckage” moves up a spot to #3. I really love this song, which has become my favorite Pearl Jam song ever. Hozier‘s “Too Sweet”, which has become the biggest hit of his career, is currently #1 on the Billboard Rock/Alternative Airplay, Alternative Airplay and AAA (Adult Alternative Airplay) charts, having spent nine consecutive weeks and counting on the latter. The song spent two weeks at #1 and four weeks at #2 on my chart, and now sits at #4. “End of Beginning” by Djo enters the top 10, and “The Craving” by twenty one pilots jumps 10 spots to #15, making it the biggest upward mover this week.
Debuting this week are two marvelous songs by artists who make their first appearance on my chart. The first is “Payback” by L.A.-based singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Aaron Frazer. It’s funny, not funny how often we come across artists or bands in passing, but sadly not pay close enough attention at the time for things to fully register. Though he’s been making music for more than a decade, first as a member of contemporary R&B and soul revival group Durand Jones & The Indications, and also more recently as a solo artist, I didn’t become fully cognizant of the immensely talented falsetto-voiced Mr. Frazer until seeing “Payback” moving up the Billboard AAA chart, as well as reading about him in a post by fellow blogger Christian’s Music Musings. In doing a bit of searching about Durand Jones & The Indications, I saw they were the ones who sang the wonderful song “Witchoo”, which reached #22 on the AAA chart in 2021. I’ve always loved male singers with tenor and falsetto voices, so Frazer’s vocal style is right up my alley. “Payback”, from his terrific second album Into The Blue, has an irresistible retro 60s soul vibe that calls to mind some of the great soul acts like Marvin Gaye, the Temptations and The Capitols (who had a hit with “Cool Jerk”), but with a modern edge.
The second debut, entering at #30, is the Latin-tinged “Espresso” by American singer and actress Sabrina Carpenter. After appearing in various TV and films, she gained recognition for her role in the Disney Channel series Girl Meets World that aired from 2014–2017. She’s released five albums since 2014, the last of which, her 2022 release Emails I Can’t Send, was successful, reaching #23 on the Billboard Hot 200 Album chart. “Espresso” was the lead single from her forthcoming sixth album Short n’ Sweet, due for release August 23rd. Her follow up single “Please Please Please” reached #1 on the Hot 100 last week, but I like “Espresso” more.
CREATURES IN HEAVEN – Glass Animals (1)
HIGH IN LOW PLACES – Beach Weather (5)
WRECKAGE – Pearl Jam (4)
TOO SWEET – Hozier (3)
BURIAL GROUND – The Decemberists & James Mercer (2)
PANORAMIC VIEW – AWOLNATION (8)
MURDER ON THE DANCEFLOOR – Royel Otis (6)
FOR US ALL – Asgard Raven (7)
STARBURSTER – Fontaines D.C. (10)
END OF BEGINNING – Djo (12)
SCARED TO START – Michael Marcagi (13)
GOLD – Caitlin Lavagna (14)
ON THE GAME – The Black Keys (15)
I’VE GOT LOVING FOR YOU – Bottlecap Mountain (9)
THE CRAVING – twenty one pilots (25)
THE BREAK – Blame My Youth (18)
TOO MUCH – girl in red (19)
A FORETOLD ECSTASY – Mayflower Madame (20)
LUNCH – Billie Eilish (22)
FORTNIGHT – Taylor Swift feat. Post Malone (11)
I HAD SOME HELP – Post Malone feat. Morgan Wallen (23)
LIKE YOU DO – The Frontier (24)
ADRIFT – Voodoo Planet feat. Mikey J (17)
LONELINESS – Pet Shop Boys (16)
VICES – 5ilas & Shimmer Johnson (27)
LOST IN SPACE – Foster the People (28)
RUN YOUR MOUTH – The Marías (29)
WHAT IF I FEEL LIKE THIS MY WHOLE LIFE? – HULLAH (30)
It makes my blood boil when I hear my contemporaries – or anyone for that matter – opine that there’s no good music being made any longer, because nothing could be further from the truth! While I concede that some of the best non-classical music was created during the years 1965-1973, there are many talented artists and bands putting out great music today, several of whom are represented on my latest Weekly Top 30.
Case in point is English psychedelic art pop band Glass Animals, whose beautiful song “Creatures in Heaven” ascends to the #1 spot. Formed in 2010 when they were all attending college in Oxford, the band consists of Dave Bayley (vocals, guitar, keyboards, drums, songwriting), Drew MacFarlane (guitar, keyboards, backing vocals), Edmund Irwin-Singer (bass, keyboards, backing vocals), and Joe Seaward (drums). Since 2014, they’ve released three albums, with their fourth, I Love You So F***ing Much, slated for release on July 19. “Creatures in Heaven” was the lead single from that album.
I first learned about Glass Animals in 2016, when they released their second album How to Be a Human Being. One of the songs from that album is “Life Itself”, which I loved so much it went to #1 on my Top 30 chart and ended up ranking #60 on my decade-end 100 Best Songs of the 2010s list. I love Dave Bayley’s singing voice, which is so distinctive that it makes their songs immediately identifiable as only theirs. “Creatures in Heaven” becomes their second song to top my chart (“Heat Waves” peaked at #2, but spent four weeks at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming their biggest hit so far).
About “Creatures in Heaven”, Bayley told Atwood Magazine: “It’s about a moment in time, be it a split second or a year or whatever, having the capacity to be enormously formative and life-changing, even if it is over. Or if it doesn’t go as planned. Or if it dies too soon. It is still fucking beautiful. The love and care and the feeling in that moment lives forever. It never really dies. If that’s how you choose to see it.”
The two biggest upward movers this week are by two more bands I love – “Starburster” by Irish alt-rock band Fontaines D.C., leaping eight spots to enter the top 10 at #10, and “High In Low Places” by American pop-rock band Beach Weather, which jumps seven spots to enter the top 10 at #5. And this week there are four new debuts, starting with “The Craving” by twenty one pilots, entering at #25. The second single from their latest album Clancy, “The Craving” replaces their previous single “Overcompensate”, which just spent 15 weeks on my chart, 13 of them in the top 10.
Entering at #28 is “Lost In Space” by Foster the People, which now consists of founding member and frontman Mark Foster and multi-instrumentalist Isom Innis, who started as a touring member of the band way back in 2010. The exuberant song is the lead single from their upcoming fourth studio album Paradise State of Mind, to be released on August 16. Both twenty one pilots and Foster the People were my top two favorite bands for several years in the mid-to-late 2010s, and I’ve had the pleasure of seeing them both in concert.
Next up is the sensuous “Run Your Mouth” by L.A.-based indie pop band The Marías. Formed in 2016, the band is comprised of lead vocalist María Zardoya and drummer/producer Josh Conway, guitarist Jesse Perlman, and keyboardist Edward James. Known for performing songs in both English and Spanish, they’ve released two albums, Cinema in 2021 and Submarine, which dropped May 31st. Their 2021 single “Hush” reached #1 on the Billboard AAA chart.
The fourth new entry, coming in at #30, is the hauntingly beautiful and moving “What if i feel like this my whole life?” by talented and silky-voiced English singer-songwriter HULLAH (which I recently reviewed). This is his third song to appear on my chart, the previous two being “Chasing Trains”, which reached #1, and “Wild as the Wind”, which reached #7.
CREATURES IN HEAVEN – Glass Animals (3)
BURIAL GROUND – The Decemberists & James Mercer (1)
TOO SWEET – Hozier (2)
WRECKAGE – Pearl Jam (6)
HIGH IN LOW PLACES – Beach Weather (12)
MURDER ON THE DANCEFLOOR – Royel Otis (4)
FOR US ALL – Asgard Raven (9)
PANORAMIC VIEW – AWOLNATION (10)
I’VE GOT LOVING FOR YOU – Bottlecap Mountain (5)
STARBURSTER – Fontaines D.C. (18)
FORTNIGHT – Taylor Swift feat. Post Malone (7)
END OF BEGINNING – Djo (14)
SCARED TO START – Michael Marcagi (13)
GOLD – Caitlin Lavagna (15)
ON THE GAME – The Black Keys (16)
LONELINESS – Pet Shop Boys (8)
ADRIFT – Voodoo Planet feat. Mikey J (17)
THE BREAK – Blame My Youth (19)
TOO MUCH – girl in red (20)
A FORETOLD ECSTASY – Mayflower Madame (22)
DILEMMA – Green Day (11)
LUNCH – Billie Eilish (25)
I HAD SOME HELP – Post Malone feat. Morgan Wallen (29)
LIKE YOU DO – The Frontier (27)
THE CRAVING – twenty one pilots (N)
BROKEN MAN – St. Vincent (21)
VICES – 5ilas & Shimmer Johnson (30)
LOST IN SPACE – Foster the People (N)
RUN YOUR MOUTH – The Marías (N)
WHAT IF I FEEL LIKE THIS MY WHOLE LIFE? – HULLAH (N)
The delightful “Burial Ground” by Portland, Oregon five-piece The Decemberists, featuring James Mercer, remains at #1 for a second week, and in fact, the top six songs on last week’s chart, including Hozier‘s “Too Sweet”, Glass Animals‘ “Creatures in Heaven”, Royel Otis‘ “Murder on the Dancefloor”, Bottlecap Mountain‘s “I’ve Got Loving For You” and Pearl Jam‘s “Wreckage” – all remain in place again this week. The beautiful “Panoramic View” by AWOLNATION moves up a spot to enter the top 10. The biggest upward mover this week is “High In Low Places” by Beach Weather, leaping nine spots to #12.
Two songs make their debut this week. The first is “I Had Some Help” by Post Malone featuring Morgan Wallen. At first I dismissed this song, as I’m not a big fan of Country nor Morgan Wallen, but the song is just too damned catchy to resist. It debuted at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100, and has remained there five weeks and counting. This makes two songs by Post Malone on this chart, the other being “Fortnight”, his collaboration with Taylor Swift. The second new entry is “Vices”, a beautiful and uplifting track by California musician/producer 5ilas (aka Shane Roberts) and Canadian singer-songwriter Shimmer Johnson, who’ve collaborated together on several songs. I reviewed the song when it came out last month. It’s Johnson’s third song to appear on my chart; her previous two – “Starts With You” and “Essence”, a collaboration with Danish producer/composer Refeci, both reached #1.
BURIAL GROUND – The Decemberists& James Mercer (1)
TOO SWEET – Hozier (2)
CREATURES IN HEAVEN – Glass Animals (3)
MURDER ON THE DANCEFLOOR – Royel Otis (4)
I’VE GOT LOVING FOR YOU – Bottlecap Mountain (5)
WRECKAGE – Pearl Jam (6)
FORTNIGHT – Taylor Swift feat. Post Malone (8)
LONELINESS – Pet Shop Boys (9)
FOR US ALL – Asgard Raven (10)
PANORAMIC VIEW – AWOLNATION (11)
DILEMMA – Green Day (7)
HIGH IN LOW PLACES – Beach Weather (21)
SCARED TO START – Michael Marcagi (15)
END OF BEGINNING – Djo (20)
GOLD – Caitlin Lavagna (17)
ON THE GAME – The Black Keys (18)
ADRIFT – Voodoo Planet feat. Mikey J (19)
STARBURSTER – Fontaines D.C. (24)
THE BREAK – Blame My Youth (22)
TOO MUCH – girl in red (23)
BROKEN MAN – St. Vincent (16)
A FORETOLD ECSTASY – Mayflower Madame (25)
OVERCOMPENSATE – twenty one pilots (12)
DON’T FORGET ME – Maggie Rogers (13)
LUNCH – Billie Eilish (28)
MUSTANG – Kings of Leon (14)
LIKE YOU DO – The Frontier (29)
HIGHWAY QUEEN – Mt. Joy (27)
I HAD SOME HELP – Post Malone feat. Morgan Wallen (N)
The Decemberists are an American indie folk-rock band based in Portland, Oregon. Formed in 2000, they consist of founding members Colin Meloy (lead vocals, guitar), Chris Funk (guitar, multi-instrumentalist), Jenny Conlee (piano, keyboards, accordion, backing vocals) and Nate Query (bass), along with drummer John Moen, who joined the lineup in 2005. Their sound is a pleasing mix of alternative rock, folk, baroque pop, and orchestral pop, characterized by lush instrumentation and lovely arrangements and highlighted by Meloy’s beautiful warm vocals. Their interesting name was inspired by the Decembrist revolt, an 1825 insurrection in Imperial Russia, and band frontman Meloy has said that their name is also meant to invoke the “drama and melancholy” of the month of December.
They’ve released a substantial amount of music over the years, especially during their most active period from 2002-2011, including nine studio albums, two live albums, ten EPs and 26 singles. Their songs often touch on historical incidents and folklore, with the band sometimes staging whimsical reenactments of sea battles and other centuries-old events, typically of regional interest, or acting out songs with members of the crowd.(Wikipedia) After their very successful R.E.M.-influenced 6th album The King Is Dead, which reached #1 on the Billboard 200 Album chart and generated a Grammy-nominated song “Down by the Water”, The Decemberists went on a brief hiatus in 2012.
Since regrouping in 2014, they’ve released three albums, one of which, their 2018 album I’ll Be Your Girl, featured the fantastic song “Severed”, a bold electronic track highlighted by spacey synths and twangy Western-style guitars. The single went to #1 on the Billboard AAA chart, and also landed on my chart, ending up at #55 on my 100 Best Songs of 2018 list. Thanks to Covid, the band was essentially forced into another brief hiatus, as their tour had to be postponed, then cancelled. Thankfully, in 2023 they began recording what would become their ninth and latest album, the wonderful As It Ever Was, So It Will Be Again, which dropped this past Friday, June 14th. The lead single from the album, “Burial Ground”, an upbeat, optimistic track about leaving your troubles behind, featuring added vocals by James Mercer, who’s also a member of the bands The Shins and Broken Bells, ascends to the top spot on my latest Top 30 chart. I love those twangy guitars and cool horns, not to mention the gorgeous harmonies.
After five consecutive weeks with three or more debuts, there are no new entries this week. I think 16 new songs in five weeks gives my chart a lot of youth and vigor! Three songs finally enter the top 10 after a long upward climb: “Fortnight” by Taylor Swift featuring Post Malone, “Loneliness” by the Pet Shop Boys, and “For Us All” by English singer-songwriter Asgard Raven. Green Day‘s “Dilemma” spends its 15th week in my top 10; the song has been at #1 for seven weeks on the Billboard Alternative Airplay chart.
ECLECTIC MUSIC LOVER 