Top 30 Songs for March 3-9, 2024

The Black Keys remain on top for a second week with their exuberant foot-stomper “Beautiful People (Stay High), while Cage the Elephant slide into second place with “Neon Pill”. The Lemon Twigs‘ delightful jangle pop gem “My Golden Years” climbs another five spots this week to #5, and Jack Harlow‘s “Lovin On Me” moves up a notch to enter the top 10. British singer-songwriter Bakar, who’s song “Alive!” sits at #8 this week, will be touring with Cage the Elephant and Young the Giant this summer. The biggest upward mover is “Dilemma” by Green Day, leaping 10 spots to #19.

Debuting this week are three songs that have been out for a while. The first, entering at #28, is the enchanting “Water Underground” by Brooklyn, New York-based indie rock band Real Estate, an act who’s been around since 2008 but I only recently learned about. The song is from their wonderful sixth studio album Daniel, released on February 23rd. Entering at #29 is “Landmines” by Canadian rock veterans Sum 41, a band I’ve not followed very closely. The lead single from their forthcoming eighth and final studio album Heaven :x: Hell, set for release on March 29, “Landmines” is the new #1 song on the Billboard Alternative Airplay chart, finally toppling Blink-182’s “ONE MORE TIME” after its 20-week run. The third new entry, at #30, is “Ice Cream (Pay Phone)”, the infectious latest single by Austin, Texas psychedelic soul band Black Pumas. The duo scored a #1 hit on my chart in December with “More Than a Love Song”. Both songs are from their second studio album Chronicles of a Diamond.

  1. BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE (STAY HIGH) – The Black Keys (1)
  2. NEON PILL – Cage the Elephant (4)
  3. NORTHERN ATTITUDE – Noah Kahan feat. Hozier (2)
  4. WINTER COWBOY – Frank Joshua (6)
  5. MY GOLDEN YEARS – The Lemon Twigs (10)
  6. THE TOWER – Future Islands (7)
  7. MOTHER NATURE – MGMT (8)
  8. ALIVE! – Bakar (9)
  9. BLAME BRETT – The Beaches (5)
  10. LOVIN ON ME – Jack Harlow (11)
  11. LOSE CONTROL – Teddy Swims (4)
  12. NICE TO KNOW YOU – lovelytheband (14)
  13. YOUR WORLD NOW – Marc Schuster (15)
  14. NORMAL PEOPLE THINGS – Lovejoy (16)
  15. BLUSH – Vazum (18)
  16. LUNAR ECLIPSE – The Vaccines (19)
  17. DIAMOND AND THE MISSING SON – Unquiet Nights (20)
  18. MEANT TO BE – Wilco (17)
  19. DILEMMA – Green Day (29)
  20. BICYCLE AWAY – Sam Rappaport (24)
  21. KOOL AID BLUE – The Sylvia Platters (25)
  22. I’M IN LOVE – Jelani Aryeh (26)
  23. FIND MY WAY – Ships Have Sailed (27)
  24. EVERYTHING WE NEED – Mojave Grey (28)
  25. ALL I DIE FOR – SWiiMS (12)
  26. NOTHING MATTERS – The Last Dinner Party (13)
  27. GOOD PEOPLE – Mumford & Sons, Pharrell Williams (30)
  28. WATER UNDERGROUND – Real Estate (N)
  29. LANDMINES – Sum 41 (N)
  30. ICE CREAM (PAY PHONE) – Black Pumas (N)

Top 30 Songs for February 25-March 2, 2024

It was only a matter of time before The Black Keys reached the top spot on my weekly chart with their infectiously upbeat single “Beautiful People (Stay High)”. I’m a long-time fan of the duo, comprised of guitarist-vocalist Dan Auerbach and drummer Patrick Carney, and the song clicked with me the first time I heard it. I love its exuberant melody, bluesy, foot-stomping groove and celebratory chorus. The lead single from their forthcoming twelfth studio album Ohio Players, due for release April 5th, the song was co-written with their longtime collaborators Beck and producer Dan the Automator (aka Daniel M. Nakamura). In a press statement about the recording of the album, Auerbach noted “We’d never worked harder to make a record. It’s never taken us this long to make an album. We took our time and did it right.” Carney added “What we wanted to accomplish with this record was make something that was fun. And something that most bands 20 years into their career don’t make, which is an approachable, fun record that is also cool.” (Pitchfork)

The wonderful video, directed by Chris Saunders, produced by Elizabeth Silver and choreographed by Natalie Fisher, is reminiscent of the ones created for Pharrell Williams’ massive 2014 hit “Happy”, featuring a wide cross-section of people of all ages and ethnicities joyously dancing to the song in various settings.

In other chart developments, the delightful jangle pop gem “My Golden Years” by The Lemon Twigs, climbs another six spots this week to enter the top 10 at #10. Making their debut are “Dilemma” by Green Day, from their latest album Saviors, at #29 (giving them two songs on this chart), and the gospel-like “Good People”, an interesting collaboration between British folk-rock band Mumford & Sons and the aforementioned American singer-songwriter and producer Pharrell Williams. at #30.

  1. BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE (STAY HIGH) – The Black Keys (2)
  2. NORTHERN ATTITUDE – Noah Kahan feat. Hozier (1)
  3. NEON PILL – Cage the Elephant (4)
  4. LOSE CONTROL – Teddy Swims (3)
  5. BLAME BRETT – The Beaches (7)
  6. WINTER COWBOY – Frank Joshua (8)
  7. THE TOWER – Future Islands (9)
  8. MOTHER NATURE – MGMT (10)
  9. ALIVE! – Bakar (11)
  10. MY GOLDEN YEARS – The Lemon Twigs (16)
  11. LOVIN ON ME – Jack Harlow (13)
  12. ALL I DIE FOR – SWiiMS (5)
  13. NOTHING MATTERS – The Last Dinner Party (6)
  14. NICE TO KNOW YOU – lovelytheband (17)
  15. YOUR WORLD NOW – Marc Schuster (18)
  16. NORMAL PEOPLE THINGS – Lovejoy (19)
  17. MEANT TO BE – Wilco (20)
  18. BLUSH – Vazum (21)
  19. LUNAR ECLIPSE – The Vaccines (22)
  20. DIAMOND AND THE MISSING SON – Unquiet Nights (23)
  21. MODERN GIRL – Bleachers (12)
  22. THE AMERICAN DREAM IS KILLING ME – Green Day (14)
  23. WHAT NOW – Brittany Howard (15)
  24. BICYCLE AWAY – Sam Rappaport (26)
  25. KOOL AID BLUE – The Sylvia Platters (27)
  26. I’M IN LOVE – Jelani Aryeh (28)
  27. FIND MY WAY – Ships Have Sailed (29)
  28. EVERYTHING WE NEED – Mojave Grey (30)
  29. DILEMMA – Green Day (N)
  30. GOOD PEOPLE – Mumford & Sons, Pharrell Williams (N)

Top 30 Songs for February 18-24, 2024

There’s so much great music out now that it pains me to have to limit this week’s chart to only 30 songs. The gorgeous duet “Northern Attitude” by Noah Kahan and Hozier holds onto the top spot for a second week, while The Black Keys‘ “Beautiful People (Stay High)” moves up two spots to #2. The biggest upward mover again this week is “Neon Pill” by Cage the Elephant, leaping 10 spots to #4, and entering the top 10 are “The Tower” by Future Islands and “Mother Nature” by MGMT. Another big upward mover this week is the delightful “My Golden Years” by The Lemon Twigs, jumping six spots to #16.

Three stupendous songs make their debut this week. The first, entering at #28, is “I’m in Love” by Jelani Aryeh, a remarkably talented young Filipino/African-American singer and songwriter from San Diego I recently learned about from fellow blogger K.F. Hartless (who has a wonderful blog Yard Sale of Thoughts, in which she pairs her outstanding poetry with specially selected songs). Aryeh’s music is a glorious blend of indie rock, R&B, hip-hop, pop and experimental sounds, and I fell in love with his infectious song the moment I heard it. The second debut, coming in at #29, is the heartwarming “Find My Way” by L.A.-based duo Ships Have Sailed (which I reviewed last month). It’s their sixth song to appear in my Top 30. Finally, we have “Everything We Need” by Southern California duo Mojave Grey, entering at #30. Based in Joshua Tree and consisting of Zander Bleck and Michael Pozzi, they play a captivating and sophisticated style of electronic music they call Desert Minimal Rock, drawing inspiration from such electronic dance acts as RÜFÜS DU SOL and Bob Moses.

  1. NORTHERN ATTITUDE – Noah Kahan feat. Hozier (1)
  2. BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE (STAY HIGH) – The Black Keys (4)
  3. LOSE CONTROL – Teddy Swims (2)
  4. NEON PILL – Cage the Elephant (14)
  5. ALL I DIE FOR – SWiiMS (3)
  6. NOTHING MATTERS – The Last Dinner Party (6)
  7. BLAME BRETT – The Beaches (9)
  8. WINTER COWBOY – Frank Joshua (10)
  9. THE TOWER – Future Islands (11)
  10. MOTHER NATURE – MGMT (12)
  11. ALIVE! – Bakar (13)
  12. MODERN GIRL – Bleachers (7)
  13. LOVIN ON ME – Jack Harlow (15)
  14. THE AMERICAN DREAM IS KILLING ME – Green Day (5)
  15. WHAT NOW – Brittany Howard (8)
  16. MY GOLDEN YEARS – The Lemon Twigs (22)
  17. NICE TO KNOW YOU – lovelytheband (18)
  18. YOUR WORLD NOW – Marc Schuster (19)
  19. NORMAL PEOPLE THINGS – Lovejoy (20)
  20. MEANT TO BE – Wilco (21)
  21. BLUSH – Vazum (25)
  22. LUNAR ECLIPSE – The Vaccines (26)
  23. DIAMOND AND THE MISSING SON – Unquiet Nights (27)
  24. COOL ABOUT IT – boygenius (16)
  25. MY LOVE MINE ALL MINE – Mitski (17)
  26. BICYCLE AWAY – Sam Rappaport (29)
  27. KOOL AID BLUE – The Sylvia Platters (30)
  28. I’M IN LOVE – Jelani Aryeh (N)
  29. FIND MY WAY – Ships Have Sailed (N)
  30. EVERYTHING WE NEED – Mojave Grey (N)

Top 30 Songs for February 11-17, 2024

Over the past year, Vermont-based singer-songwriter Noah Kahan exploded onto the music scene after seven years in the business on the strength of his third album Stick Season. Thus far, the album has generated three hits, including the title track, “Dial Drunk” and “Northern Attitude”. Written during the COVID-19 pandemic, Kahan describes the album as a “love letter to New England.” “Northern Attitude”, which he co-wrote with producer Gabe Simon, addresses what he calls his “northern attitude”, the stereotypical perception that folks from Northern New England can be reserved or even a bit cold, thanks to the “harsh winters that toughen up the locals, with the added challenge of enduring long dark New England nights”.

Kahan teamed up with Irish singer-songwriter Hozier to release a new version of “Northern Attitude” on November 10, 2023, and it’s a match made in heaven! According to Songfacts, the two got to know each other when they both performed at the Iron Blossom Festival at Monroe Park in Richmond, Virginia, in late August 2023, and first performed this song together during a show in Nashville in October. Kahan was thrilled with the harmony Hozier brought to the chorus. “That song was recorded so quickly that we didn’t really have a ton of time or the ability, really, to go back and change a lot of it,” he explained to American Songwriter. “So having the harmony there kind of filled it out a lot. In some ways I feel like his voice lends itself to a specific feeling that maybe mine didn’t. Like, it’s more tender and forgiving in some parts but also more powerful and angry.

It’s an exuberant Americana song in the style of early Mumford and Sons, and I just love that vibrant banjo and the guys’ gorgeous soaring harmonies. The song has spent several weeks at #1 on the Billboard Adult Alternative Airplay chart and is now #1 on mine.

In other chart developments, “Beautiful People (Stay High)” by The Black Keys climbs four spots to #4, the defiantly boisterous “Blame Brett” by Toronto-based indie rock band The Beaches (which is based on the breakup of lead singer Jordan Miller and Brett Emmons from The Glorious Sons) and the hauntingly beautiful “Winter Cowboy” by English singer-songwriter Frank Joshua enter the top 10. The biggest upward mover this week is “Neon Pill” by Cage the Elephant, leaping 15 spots to #14. Making their debut are two songs I recently reviewed: “Bicycle Away” by Brooklyn, New York-based singer-songwriter Sam Rappaport, his third song to appear on my Weekly Top 30, and “Kool Aid Blue” by wonderfully-named Vancouver, Canada-based jangle pop band The Sylvia Platters.

  1. NORTHERN ATTITUDE – Noah Kahan feat. Hozier (4)
  2. LOSE CONTROL – Teddy Swims (1)
  3. ALL I DIE FOR – SWiiMS (2)
  4. BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE (STAY HIGH) – The Black Keys (8)
  5. THE AMERICAN DREAM IS KILLING ME – Green Day (3)
  6. NOTHING MATTERS – The Last Dinner Party (7)
  7. MODERN GIRL – Bleachers (6)
  8. WHAT NOW – Brittany Howard (5)
  9. BLAME BRETT – The Beaches (11)
  10. WINTER COWBOY – Frank Joshua (12)
  11. THE TOWER – Future Islands (13)
  12. MOTHER NATURE – MGMT (15)
  13. ALIVE! – Bakar (14)
  14. NEON PILL – Cage the Elephant (29)
  15. LOVIN ON ME – Jack Harlow (16)
  16. COOL ABOUT IT – boygenius (9)
  17. MY LOVE MINE ALL MINE – Mitski (10)
  18. NICE TO KNOW YOU – lovelytheband (22)
  19. YOUR WORLD NOW – Marc Schuster (23)
  20. NORMAL PEOPLE THINGS – Lovejoy (24)
  21. MEANT TO BE – Wilco (25)
  22. MY GOLDEN YEARS – The Lemon Twigs (26)
  23. HOW DID YOU GET HERE? – Antony Szmierek (17)
  24. PRETTY VICIOUS – The Struts (18)
  25. BLUSH – Vazum (27)
  26. LUNAR ECLIPSE – The Vaccines (28)
  27. DIAMOND AND THE MISSING SON – Unquiet Nights (30)
  28. ATTRACTION – Wild Horse (19)
  29. BICYCLE AWAY – Sam Rappaport (N)
  30. KOOL AID BLUE – The Sylvia Platters (N)

Top 30 Songs for February 4-10, 2024

American genre-bending singer-songwriter Teddy Swims, whose sound has been described by Aaron Williams of UPROXX as “Post Malone singing Lenny Williams or Jelly Roll doing Teddy Pendergrass”, takes over the top spot this week with his blistering torch song “Lose Control”. With his impassioned vocals, the soaring orchestrals and that wailing guitar solo, I get chills every time I hear it. Born Jaten Collin Dimsdale in Conyers, Georgia, the gruff-voiced artist mixes R&B, soul, country, and pop to create his own unique sound that’s earned him over 26 million monthly listeners on Spotify alone. Released last June (of 2023), “Lose Control” has been a bit of a sleeper hit; now in its 24th week on the Billboard Hot 100, the song is currently at its peak position of #4, and also ranks #2 on the Adult Alternative Airplay chart. Thus far, it’s been streamed more than 221 million times on Spotify. The song is from his debut album I’ve Tried Everything but Therapy (Part 1), which dropped last September.

Mr. Swims isn’t the only “swim” act on this chart, as the enchanting dream pop gem “All I Die For”, by Canadian indie rock band SWiiMS, moves into the #2 spot. “Northern Attitude”, by Vermont singer-songwriter Noah Kahan and Irish singer-songwriter Hozier, jumps five spots to #4, and “Beautiful People (Stay High)” by The Black Keys leaps 14 spots to enter the top 10 at #8.

Two songs make their debut this week. Entering at #29 is “Neon Pill” by Nashville-based Cage the Elephant, their first new music in nearly three years. They’re one of my long-time favorite bands, so I’m thrilled to hear new music from them. Coming in at #30 is “Diamond and the Missing Son” by Northern Ireland alt-rock band Unquiet Nights, which I reviewed last month. The song is from their third album Seasons in Exile, which dropped January 19th.

  1. LOSE CONTROL – Teddy Swims (2)
  2. ALL I DIE FOR – SWiiMS (5)
  3. THE AMERICAN DREAM IS KILLING ME – Green Day (1)
  4. NORTHERN ATTITUDE – Noah Kahan feat. Hozier (9)
  5. WHAT NOW – Brittany Howard (3)
  6. MODERN GIRL – Bleachers (6)
  7. NOTHING MATTERS – The Last Dinner Party (8)
  8. BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE (STAY HIGH) – The Black Keys (22)
  9. COOL ABOUT IT – boygenius (4)
  10. MY LOVE MINE ALL MINE – Mitski (7)
  11. BLAME BRETT – The Beaches (12)
  12. WINTER COWBOY – Frank Joshua (13)
  13. THE TOWER – Future Islands (15)
  14. ALIVE! - Bakar (16)
  15. MOTHER NATURE – MGMT (17)
  16. LOVIN ON ME – Jack Harlow (19)
  17. HOW DID YOU GET HERE? – Antony Szmierek (11)
  18. PRETTY VICIOUS – The Struts (14)
  19. ATTRACTION – Wild Horse (10)
  20. RUN AWAY WITH ME – Cold War Kids (18)
  21. HOUDINI – Dua Lipa (20)
  22. NICE TO KNOW YOU – lovelytheband (23)
  23. YOUR WORLD NOW – Marc Schuster (24)
  24. NORMAL PEOPLE THINGS – Lovejoy (25)
  25. MEANT TO BE – Wilco (27)
  26. MY GOLDEN YEARS – The Lemon Twigs (28)
  27. BLUSH – Vazum (29)
  28. LUNAR ECLIPSE – The Vaccines (30)
  29. NEON PILL – Cage the Elephant (N)
  30. DIAMOND AND THE MISSING SON – Unquiet Nights (N)

Top 30 Songs for January 28-February 3, 2024

Well, Green Day return to the top spot this week with “The American Dream Is Killing Me”, making it their fourth non-consecutive week at #1. It was the lead single to their critically-acclaimed 14th studio album Saviors, which dropped January 19th. Georgia genre-bending singer-songwriter Teddy Swims, whose sound has been described by Aaron Williams of webzine UPROXX as “Post Malone singing Lenny Williams or Jelly Roll doing Teddy Pendergrass”, moves into second place with his blistering torch song “Lose Control”. The song is from his debut album I’ve Tried Everything but Therapy (Part 1). The captivating “All I Die For” by Canadian indie rock band SWiiMS, which I love more each time I hear it, moves up two spots to #5, while Bleachers‘ “Modern Girl” and The Last Dinner Party‘s “Nothing Matters” also advance two spots to #6 and #8, respectively. Noah Kahan and Hozier enter the top 10 with their rousing “Northern Attitude”, which is now in its third non-consecutive week at #1 on the Billboard AAA chart.

Five excellent new songs make their debut this week. The first and highest debuting is “Beautiful People (Stay High)” by one of my long-time favorite bands The Black Keys, entering at #22. The song is the lead single from their forthcoming 12th studio album Ohio Players. Entering at #27 is “Meant To Be” by Chicago alt-rock band Wilco, the lovely second single from their 13th album Cousin. Coming in at #28 is the delightful “My Golden Years” by indie rock duo The Lemon Twigs. Based in Long Island, the band is comprised of the hyper-talented and charismatic brothers Brian and Michael D’Addario, who began making music in their teens. I love those jangly guitars and beautiful vocal harmonies.

Next up is “Blush” by Detroit-based deathgaze act Vazum, the music project of Zach Pliska and Emily Sturm, entering at #29. The marvelous song is reminiscent of great 80s darkwave and goth rock songs by such bands as Siouxsie and the Banshees and The Cure. Last but certainly not least is “Lunar Eclipse” by English indie rock band The Vaccines. Though they’ve been around since 2010, I only recently learned about them from fellow blogger Christian’s Music Musings when he featured one of their songs in a post. “Lunar Eclipse” is one of many great songs from their outstanding sixth studio album Pick-Up Full of Pink Carnations, which dropped January 12th.

  1. THE AMERICAN DREAM IS KILLING ME – Green Day (2)
  2. LOSE CONTROL – Teddy Swims (3)
  3. WHAT NOW – Brittany Howard (1)
  4. COOL ABOUT IT – boygenius (4)
  5. ALL I DIE FOR – SWiiMS (7)
  6. MODERN GIRL – Bleachers (8)
  7. MY LOVE MINE ALL MINE – Mitski (5)
  8. NOTHING MATTERS – The Last Dinner Party (10)
  9. NORTHERN ATTITUDE – Noah Kahan feat. Hozier (14)
  10. ATTRACTION – Wild Horse (6)
  11. HOW DID YOU GET HERE? – Antony Szmierek (12)
  12. BLAME BRETT – The Beaches (13)
  13. WINTER COWBOY – Frank Joshua (16)
  14. PRETTY VICIOUS – The Struts (15)
  15. THE TOWER – Future Islands (17)
  16. ALIVE! - Bakar (18)
  17. MOTHER NATURE – MGMT (20)
  18. RUN AWAY WITH ME – Cold War Kids (9)
  19. LOVIN ON ME – Jack Harlow (21)
  20. HOUDINI – Dua Lipa (19)
  21. DARLING – Western Jaguar (11) 20th week on chart
  22. BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE (STAY HIGH) – The Black Keys (N)
  23. NICE TO KNOW YOU – lovelytheband (28)
  24. YOUR WORLD NOW – Marc Schuster (29)
  25. NORMAL PEOPLE THINGS – Lovejoy (30)
  26. NOW AND THEN – The Beatles (22)
  27. MEANT TO BE – Wilco (N)
  28. MY GOLDEN YEARS – The Lemon Twigs (N)
  29. BLUSH – Vazum (N)
  30. LUNAR ECLIPSE – The Vaccines (N)

Top 30 Songs for January 21-27, 2024

Photo by Ryan Fleisher/imageSPACE

Brittany Howard remains at #1 for a second week with “What Now”, while Green Day‘s “The American Dream Is Killing Me” and Teddy Swims‘ “Lose Control” hold at #2 and #3 for a second week as well. boygenius move up two spots to #4 with “Cool About It”, and Mitski holds at #5 again with “My Love Mine All Mine”. Otherwise, there’s quite a bit of movement on the rest of the chart as several long-running hit songs move downward, making way for several that have been stuck in the lower reaches for weeks.

“Nothing Matters” by English all-female band The Last Dinner Party leaps 10 spots to enter the top 10 at #10. It took me a while to warm up to this song for some reason I can’t explain, but now I love it! “How Did You Get Here?” by English singer-songwriter Antony Szmierek moves up five spots to #12, “Blame Brett” by The Beaches, another all-female indie rock band, jumps six spots to #13, “Northern Attitude” by Vermont singer-songwriter Noah Kahan and Irish singer-songwriter Hozier leaps nine spots to #14, “Pretty Vicious” by English rock band The Struts moves up six spots to #15, and “Winter Cowboy” by English crooner Frank Joseph also moves up six notches to #16. Jumping eight spots each are Future Islands‘ “The Tower”, to #17, English singer-songwriter Bakar‘s “Alive!”, to #18, and American rapper Jack Harlow‘s “Lovin On Me”, to #21. “Mother Nature” by American psychedelic pop-rock duo MGMT, moves up seven spots to #20. The sole debut this week is “Normal People Things” by yet another English act, indie rock band Lovejoy, entering at #30. It’s their second song to appear on my chart, the first being “Call Me What You Like” last year.

  1. WHAT NOW – Brittany Howard (1)
  2. THE AMERICAN DREAM IS KILLING ME – Green Day (2)
  3. LOSE CONTROL – Teddy Swims (3)
  4. COOL ABOUT IT – boygenius (6)
  5. MY LOVE MINE ALL MINE – Mitski (5)
  6. ATTRACTION – Wild Horse (4)
  7. ALL I DIE FOR – SWiiMS (9)
  8. MODERN GIRL – Bleachers (10)
  9. RUN AWAY WITH ME – Cold War Kids (7)
  10. NOTHING MATTERS – The Last Dinner Party (20)
  11. DARLING – Western Jaguar (8)
  12. HOW DID YOU GET HERE? – Antony Szmierek (17)
  13. BLAME BRETT – The Beaches (19)
  14. NORTHERN ATTITUDE – Noah Kahan feat. Hozier (23)
  15. PRETTY VICIOUS – The Struts (21)
  16. WINTER COWBOY – Frank Joshua (22)
  17. THE TOWER – Future Islands (25)
  18. ALIVE! - Bakar (26)
  19. HOUDINI – Dua Lipa (18)
  20. MOTHER NATURE – MGMT (27)
  21. LOVIN ON ME – Jack Harlow (29)
  22. NOW AND THEN – The Beatles (11)
  23. MORE THAN A LOVE SONG – Black Pumas (12)
  24. ONE MORE TIME – blink-182 (14)
  25. HONEY (ARE U COMING?) – Måneskin (13)
  26. ATOMIC CITY – U2 (15)
  27. LOVING YOU – Cannons (16) 23rd week on chart
  28. NICE TO KNOW YOU – lovelytheband (28)
  29. YOUR WORLD NOW – Marc Schuster (30)
  30. NORMAL PEOPLE THINGS – Lovejoy (N)

Top 30 Songs for January 14-20, 2024

Photo by Ryan Fleisher/imageSPACE

Alabama-born and now Nashville-based singer-songwriter Brittany Howard takes over the top spot this week with her soulful and funky kiss-off single “What Now”, displacing Green Day‘s “The American Dream Is Killing Me” after it’s three week run at #1. The astonishingly talented artist with a powerhouse voice was front woman of rock band Alabama Shakes, but went solo in 2018 when the band went on hiatus. She released her debut album Jaime in 2019 to widespread acclaim, and was nominated for numerous music awards, winning a Grammy in 2021 for Best Rock Song for her single “Stay High”. “What Now” is the lead and title single from her forthcoming second album of the same name, scheduled for release on February 2. About the single, Howard explains “It was written during the pandemic when the question “What now” was on all of our minds.  I think it is a feeling that has continued to the present moment in the world we live in. It is also the title of the new album and I think when you hear it you will understand why I landed on that title…but more on that later.” The dark video was directed by Danilo Parra, produced by Adam Braun and filmed by Benjamin Whatley. In addition to Howard, the video features Mohnsta Simmons, Anaelle Rabotoson, Laquane Barnes and Andre Lambert.

In other notable chart developments, Georgia singer-songwriter Teddy Swims is the biggest upward mover for the third consecutive week, as his bluesy and blistering “Lose Control” leaps nine spots to #3. Moving into fourth place is “Attraction”, the sweet song of budding love by talented young British trio Wild Horse, followed by “My Love Mine All Mine” by Mitski at #5. Entering the top 10 after a long slow climb are the ethereal “All I Die For” by Canadian indie rock band SWiiMS and “Modern Girl” by pop-rock band Bleachers.

Making their debut this week are two songs that couldn’t be more different from each other: Entering at #29 is “Lovin On Me” by the enormously popular rapper Jack Harlow, who’s racked up a stream of hits over the past five years, some of them collaborations with other artists. The song is already a massive hit, currently returning to the #1 spot on the Billboard Hot 100 after all the Christmas songs that dominated the chart in December dropped off. I’m not generally a fan of his type of music, but with its infectious groove, “Lovin On You” has finally grown on me. Entering at #30 is the lovely “Your World Now” by fellow blogger, musician and all-around Renaissance man Marc Schuster. About the song, he explains: “On the surface, it sounds like it could be a wistful breakup song in the style of Jens Lekman or Belle & Sebastian, but it isn’t really influenced by any personal experiences beyond the broad strokes of realizing that the world is changing and that I’m okay with handing the reins over to people who will do things differently than I would.” I think it’s one of Schuster’s best songs yet, and his vocals have never sounded better.

  1. WHAT NOW – Brittany Howard (2)
  2. THE AMERICAN DREAM IS KILLING ME – Green Day (1)
  3. LOSE CONTROL – Teddy Swims (12)
  4. ATTRACTION – Wild Horse (5)
  5. MY LOVE MINE ALL MINE – Mitski (6)
  6. COOL ABOUT IT – boygenius (8)
  7. RUN AWAY WITH ME – Cold War Kids (7)
  8. DARLING – Western Jaguar (3)
  9. ALL I DIE FOR – SWiiMS (13)
  10. MODERN GIRL – Bleachers (14)
  11. NOW AND THEN – The Beatles (4)
  12. MORE THAN A LOVE SONG – Black Pumas (9)
  13. HONEY (ARE U COMING?) – Måneskin (10)
  14. ONE MORE TIME – blink-182 (11)
  15. ATOMIC CITY – U2 (15)
  16. LOVING YOU – Cannons (17) 22nd week on chart
  17. HOW DID YOU GET HERE? – Antony Szmierek (19)
  18. HOUDINI – Dua Lipa (20)
  19. BLAME BRETT – The Beaches (21)
  20. NOTHING MATTERS – The Last Dinner Party (23)
  21. PRETTY VICIOUS – The Struts (22)
  22. WINTER COWBOY – Frank Joshua (24)
  23. NORTHERN ATTITUDE – Noah Kahan feat. Hozier (25)
  24. WILD – Brian Lambert, Harmoni Kelley & Marc Schuster (16)
  25. THE TOWER – Future Islands (27)
  26. ALIVE! – Bakar (28)
  27. MOTHER NATURE – MGMT (29)
  28. NICE TO KNOW YOU – lovelytheband (30)
  29. LOVIN ON ME – Jack Harlow (N)
  30. YOUR WORLD NOW – Marc Schuster (N)

Top 30 Songs for January 7-13, 2024

Not a lot of changes to this week’s Top 30, with the songs in the top six spots remaining in place for a second week. Green Day‘s “The American Dream Is Killing Me” is #1 for a third week, while Brittany Howard‘s “What Now” holds on the #2 spot for a second week. The lovely “Cool About It” by boygenius climbs three spots to enter the top 10 at #8. The biggest upward mover again this week is “Lose Control” by Georgia singer-songwriter Teddy Swims, jumping seven spots to #12. The sole debut this week is “nice to know you” by L.A. pop-rock trio lovelytheband, who I had the pleasure of seeing in concert last June. In fact, in addition to lovelytheband, I’ve also seen two other acts on this list – Cold War Kids and Cannons.

  1. THE AMERICAN DREAM IS KILLING ME – Green Day (1)
  2. WHAT NOW – Brittany Howard (2)
  3. DARLING – Western Jaguar (3)
  4. NOW AND THEN – The Beatles (4)
  5. ATTRACTION – Wild Horse (5)
  6. MY LOVE MINE ALL MINE – Mitski (6)
  7. RUN AWAY WITH ME – Cold War Kids (10)
  8. COOL ABOUT IT – boygenius (11)
  9. MORE THAN A LOVE SONG – Black Pumas (7)
  10. HONEY (ARE U COMING?) – Måneskin (8)
  11. ONE MORE TIME – blink-182 (9)
  12. LOSE CONTROL – Teddy Swims (19)
  13. ALL I DIE FOR – SWiiMS (14)
  14. MODERN GIRL – Bleachers (15)
  15. ATOMIC CITY – U2 (12)
  16. WILD – Brian Lambert, Harmoni Kelley & Marc Schuster (13)
  17. LOVING YOU – Cannons (16) 21st week on chart
  18. GOOD OLD DAYS – The Revivalists (18)
  19. HOW DID YOU GET HERE? – Antony Szmierek (20)
  20. HOUDINI – Dua Lipa (21)
  21. BLAME BRETT – The Beaches (22)
  22. PRETTY VICIOUS – The Struts (23)
  23. NOTHING MATTERS – The Last Dinner Party (24)
  24. WINTER COWBOY – Frank Joshua (26)
  25. NORTHERN ATTITUDE – Noah Kahan feat. Hozier (27)
  26. THE DEATH OF PEACE OF MIND – Bad Omens (17)
  27. THE TOWER – Future Islands (28)
  28. ALIVE! – Bakar (29)
  29. MOTHER NATURE – MGMT (30)
  30. NICE TO KNOW YOU – lovelytheband (N)

Top 30 Songs for December 31, 2023 – January 6, 2024

Happy New Year! As we transition from 2023 to 2024, Green Day remain on top for a second week with their protest anthem “The American Dream Is Killing Me”. They’ve been a long-time favorite of mine, and I’m glad they’re still making music nearly 34 years after the release of their first album 39/Smooth. They’ll be dropping their 14th studio album Savior on January 19th. Brittany Howard‘s gloriously defiant “What Now” climbs five spots into second position, while Cold War Kids (who I saw open for Tears for Fears last August) enter the top 10 with “Run Away With Me”. British pop-rock band Wild Horse move up three spots to #5 with their breezy love song “Attraction”, followed at #6 by Mitski‘s contemplative “My Love Mine All Mine”. The biggest upward mover this week is the bluesy “Lose Control” by Georgia singer-songwriter Teddy Swims, leaping 10 spots to #19.

Four songs debut this week: Entering at #27 is “Northern Attitude”, a terrific duet by Vermont-based singer-songwriter Noah Kahan and Irish singer-songwriter Hozier. The song is a newly-recorded version of the track from Kahan’s critically-acclaimed album Stick Season, which also features his hit single “Dial Drunk”. He’s also recorded collaborative versions of a number of the album’s tracks, including “Dial Drunk” with Post Malone. Hozier also scored a successful and acclaimed album in 2023, Unreal Unearth, which features his hit songs “Eat Your Young” and “Francesca”. Next up is “The Tower” by always wonderful Baltimore-based synth pop band Future Islands. The song is from their forthcoming seventh studio album People Who Aren’t There Anymore, slated for release on January 26. Coming in at #29 is “Alive!” by British singer-songwriter Bakar, marking his third appearance on my chart. The song is the lead single from his second album Halo, which was released in September. Last but certainly not least is the lovely “Mother Nature” by American neo-psychedelic rock band MGMT. The song is the lead single from their upcoming fifth studio album Loss of Life, due for release on February 23, their first new music in six years.

  1. THE AMERICAN DREAM IS KILLING ME – Green Day (1)
  2. WHAT NOW – Brittany Howard (7)
  3. DARLING – Western Jaguar (2)
  4. NOW AND THEN – The Beatles (3)
  5. ATTRACTION – Wild Horse (8)
  6. MY LOVE MINE ALL MINE – Mitski (9)
  7. MORE THAN A LOVE SONG – Black Pumas (4)
  8. HONEY (ARE U COMING?) – Måneskin (5)
  9. ONE MORE TIME – blink-182 (6)
  10. RUN AWAY WITH ME – Cold War Kids (12)
  11. COOL ABOUT IT – boygenius (16)
  12. ATOMIC CITY – U2 (10)
  13. WILD – Brian Lambert, Harmoni Kelley & Marc Schuster (14)
  14. ALL I DIE FOR – SWiiMS (15)
  15. MODERN GIRL – Bleachers (17)
  16. LOVING YOU – Cannons (13) 20th week on chart
  17. THE DEATH OF PEACE OF MIND – Bad Omens (11)
  18. GOOD OLD DAYS – The Revivalists (18)
  19. LOSE CONTROL – Teddy Swims (29)
  20. HOW DID YOU GET HERE? – Antony Szmierek (23)
  21. HOUDINI – Dua Lipa (25)
  22. BLAME BRETT – The Beaches (26)
  23. PRETTY VICIOUS – The Struts (27)
  24. NOTHING MATTERS – The Last Dinner Party (28)
  25. WHITE HORSE – Chris Stapleton (20)
  26. WINTER COWBOY – Frank Joshua (30)
  27. NORTHERN ATTITUDE – Noah Kahan feat. Hozier (N)
  28. THE TOWER – Future Islands (N)
  29. ALIVE! – Bakar (N)
  30. MOTHER NATURE – MGMT (N)