Tag: Top Songs August 2024

Top 30 Songs for August 25-31, 2024

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Weekly Top 30's13 Comments

Ever since learning about them nearly 10 years ago, twenty one pilots have ranked among my all-time favorite music acts. Their 2015 masterpiece Blurryface is one of my top 10 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. Their eclectic sound is a blend of alternative rock, hip hop, synth-pop, bedroom pop, emo rap, indie and garage rock.

This past May, they released their seventh album Clancy, the final installment of their nearly decade-long series of conceptual albums. Clancy concludes 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. The album was co-produced by Joseph and his frequent collaborator Paul Meany, a singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, music director and producer who’s also front man of alt-rock act Mutemath. 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 is my new #1 song this week, making it twenty one pilots’ 11th song to reach #1 on my chart (their previous single “Overcompensate” recently peaked at #2).

In other chart news of note, Sabrina Carpenter‘s breezy dance-pop gem “Espresso” climbs six spots to enter the top 10 at #10, and Lola Young‘s powerfully defiant “Messy” moves up six spots to #21. Two songs make their debut this week: entering at #29 is the hauntingly beautiful “Into Gold” by English indie pop trio London Grammar. Formed in 2009 the band consists of Hannah Reid, Dan Rothman and Dominic “Dot” Major. They’ve released three albums thus far, with a fourth, The Greatest Love, due for release later this year. Though their albums have been quite successful in the UK, many European countries and Australia, some reaching #1 in those countries, they’ve had only limited success in the U.S. “Into Gold” was released on June 21st as the third single from The Greatest Love, and marks London Grammar’s first appearance on my chart. Entering at #30 is the topically relevant and captivating “Permanent Record” by Welsh singer-songwriter GG Fearn, which I reviewed last month. The talented artist just released her album “Scopophobia”, a soundtrack to the independent Welsh horror film of the same name, featuring “Permanent Record”, along with previously-released songs and new ones written especially for the film.

  1. THE CRAVING – twenty one pilots (2)
  2. STARBURSTER – Fontaines D.C. (1)
  3. PANORAMIC VIEW – AWOLNATION (4)
  4. HIGH IN LOW PLACES – Beach Weather (3)
  5. A FORETOLD ECSTASY – Mayflower Madame (5)
  6. LIKE YOU DO – The Frontier (7)
  7. LOST IN SPACE – Foster the People (8)
  8. OH NO! – The Decemberists (10)
  9. LUNCH – Billie Eilish (6)
  10. ESPRESSO – Sabrina Carpenter (16)
  11. WHAT IF I FEEL LIKE THIS MY WHOLE LIFE? – HULLAH (14)
  12. I HAD SOME HELP – Post Malone feat. Morgan Wallen (12)
  13. RUN YOUR MOUTH – The Marías (13)
  14. WRECKAGE – Pearl Jam (9)
  15. RAINBOW – Cage the Elephant (17)
  16. END OF BEGINNING – Djo (11)
  17. PAYBACK – Aaron Frazer (15)
  18. WAKING LIFE – Nicholas a. Milillo feat. Dee Wolf, Bobby Jasso, Gabrielle Marella and the voice of Tony Milillo (20)
  19. STARGAZING – Myles Smith (21)
  20. YOU JUST PLAYED MY MIND – Oli Barton (23)
  21. MESSY – Lola Young (27)
  22. WAR – Healer (24)
  23. HONEY – Mr Bewlay (26)
  24. BIRDS OF A FEATHER – Billie Eilish (29)
  25. GOOD LUCK, BABE! – Chappell Roan (30)
  26. BABY BLUE MOVIE – Cigarettes After Six (25)
  27. CREATURES IN HEAVEN – Glass Animals (18)
  28. TOO SWEET – Hozier (19) 20th week on chart
  29. INTO GOLD – London Grammar (N)
  30. PERMANENT RECORD – GG Fearn (N)

Top 30 Songs for August 18-24, 2024

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Weekly Top 30's18 Comments

I’m still enthralled with Fontaines D.C.‘s bombastic and unsettling masterpiece “Starburster”, consequently it remains at #1 on my Top 30 chart for a third week. twenty one pilots and Beach Weather hold the #2 and #3 spots again this week with their beautiful songs “The Craving” and “High in Low Places”, while “Panoramic View” by AWOLNATION moves back up to #4. Norwegian psych-noir duo Mayflower Madame‘s darkwave gem “A Foretold Ecstasy” moves up two spots to #5 and The Decemberists move up a notch to enter the top 10 with their delightful Latin-esque “Oh No!”

Two songs, both of which have been out for a while, finally enter my chart this week. At #29 is the enchanting “BIRDS OF A FEATHER” by Billie Eilish, giving her two songs on this chart, the other being “LUNCH”, which currently sits at #6. Both songs are from her latest album HIT ME HARD AND SOFT.

Coming in at #30 is “Good Luck, Babe!” by Missouri-born and now L.A.-based singer-songwriter sensation Chappell Roan. With her campy music aesthetic and performing style heavily influenced by drag queens, she’s recently gone viral, and I’ve happily climbed aboard the Chappell Roan bandwagon! Her debut album The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess, released in September 2023, was not an immediate commercial success despite being included on several best albums of 2023 lists. But following her run as an opening act for Olivia Rodrigo’s Guts World Tour, which ran from February-April 2024, and performances at music festivals like Coachella, Governors Ball and Lollapalooza, where she allegedly broke the record for the most crowded set at that festival’s history, Roan and her album eventually garnered a cult following. By mid-2024, The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess had climbed numerous worldwide charts, reaching #1 in Ireland, New Zealand and the UK, and the top five in Australia and on the US Billboard 200 Album chart. Subsequently, several of the album’s singles entered various charts for the first time since their release, along with her follow-up single “Good Luck, Babe!”, which reached the top 10 in many countries, making it her most successful single to date.

  1. STARBURSTER – Fontaines D.C. (1)
  2. THE CRAVING – twenty one pilots (2)
  3. HIGH IN LOW PLACES – Beach Weather (3)
  4. PANORAMIC VIEW – AWOLNATION (5)
  5. A FORETOLD ECSTASY – Mayflower Madame (7)
  6. LUNCH – Billie Eilish (8)
  7. LIKE YOU DO – The Frontier (9)
  8. LOST IN SPACE – Foster the People (10)
  9. WRECKAGE – Pearl Jam (4)
  10. OH NO! – The Decemberists (11)
  11. END OF BEGINNING – Djo (6)
  12. I HAD SOME HELP – Post Malone feat. Morgan Wallen (12)
  13. RUN YOUR MOUTH – The Marías (16)
  14. WHAT IF I FEEL LIKE THIS MY WHOLE LIFE? – HULLAH (17)
  15. PAYBACK – Aaron Frazer (18)
  16. ESPRESSO – Sabrina Carpenter (19)
  17. RAINBOW – Cage the Elephant (20)
  18. CREATURES IN HEAVEN – Glass Animals (13)
  19. TOO SWEET – Hozier (14) 19th week on chart
  20. WAKING LIFE – Nicholas a. Milillo feat. Dee Wolf, Bobby Jasso, Gabrielle Marella and the voice of Tony Milillo (21)
  21. STARGAZING – Myles Smith (22)
  22. VICES – 5ilas & Shimmer Johnson (15)
  23. YOU JUST PLAYED MY MIND – Oli Barton (25)
  24. WAR – Healer (26)
  25. BABY BLUE MOVIE – Cigarettes After Sex (27)
  26. HONEY – Mr Bewlay (28)
  27. MESSY – Lola Young (29)
  28. DOWNING STREET – Brain Ape (30)
  29. BIRDS OF A FEATHER – Billie Eilish (N)
  30. GOOD LUCK, BABE! – Chappell Roan (N)

Top 30 Songs for August 11-17, 2024

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Weekly Top 30's5 Comments
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.

  1. STARBURSTER – Fontaines D.C. (1)
  2. THE CRAVING – twenty one pilots (3)
  3. HIGH IN LOW PLACES – Beach Weather (2)
  4. WRECKAGE – Pearl Jam (4)
  5. PANORAMIC VIEW – AWOLNATION (5)
  6. END OF BEGINNING – Djo (6)
  7. A FORETOLD ECSTASY – Mayflower Madame (7)
  8. LUNCH – Billie Eilish (9)
  9. LIKE YOU DO – The Frontier (11)
  10. LOST IN SPACE – Foster the People (12)
  11. OH NO! – The Decemberists (19)
  12. I HAD SOME HELP – Post Malone feat. Morgan Wallen (14)
  13. CREATURES IN HEAVEN – Glass Animals (8)
  14. TOO SWEET – Hozier (10)
  15. VICES – 5ilas & Shimmer Johnson (15)
  16. RUN YOUR MOUTH – The Marías (16)
  17. WHAT IF I FEEL LIKE THIS MY WHOLE LIFE? – HULLAH (17)
  18. PAYBACK – Aaron Frazer (18)
  19. ESPRESSO – Sabrina Carpenter (20)
  20. RAINBOW – Cage the Elephant (21)
  21. WAKING LIFE – Nicholas a. Milillo feat. Dee Wolf, Bobby Jasso, Gabrielle Marella and the voice of Tony Milillo (24)
  22. STARGAZING – Myles Smith (28)
  23. ON THE GAME – The Black Keys (13)
  24. JUST WANNA SLEEP – Halfloves (25)
  25. YOU JUST PLAYED MY MIND – Oli Barton (26)
  26. WAR – Healer (27)
  27. BABY BLUE MOVIE – Cigarettes After Sex (29)
  28. HONEY – Mr Bewlay (30)
  29. MESSY – Lola Young (N)
  30. DOWNING STREET – Brain Ape (N)

Top 30 Songs for August 4-10, 2024

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Weekly Top 30's9 Comments

Irish alt-rock band Fontaines D.C. are one of the most exciting and interesting acts making music today, and I love their always arresting sound, thanks in part to charismatic lead vocalist Grian Chatten’s distinctive baritone Irish brogue. Formed in Dublin in 2017 and now based in London, in addition to Chatten, the band is comprised of Carlos O’Connell (guitar), Conor Curley (guitar), Conor Deegan III (bass), and Tom Coll (drums). They’ve released three critically acclaimed albums since 2018 (none of which have charted on the Billboard 200 Album chart, which is a travesty), with a fourth, Romance, due for release on August 23.

“Starburster”, the bombastic lead single from Romance, rises to the pinnacle of my Top 30 chart this week. It’s one of the most sonically thrilling and complex songs I’ve heard in a while, and I could listen to it on an endless loop. It’s become their highest-charting single in the U.S. thus far and, shockingly, their first to ever make the UK and Canadian singles charts.

The song was inspired by a panic attack that Chatten suffered in London’s St Pancras 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!

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.

In other notable chart developments, Billie Eilish‘s “LUNCH” enters the top 10 at #9, and The Decemberists‘ “Oh No!” leaps nine spots to #19, making it the biggest upward mover this week. Three newish songs make their debut this week, starting with “Stargazing” by English singer-songwriter Myles Smith, entering at #28. He wrote the song along with Jesse Fink and Peter Fenn after being inspired while watching a sunset together in Malibu. The song has become his biggest hit yet, and first to chart in the U.S. Next up is “Baby Blue Movie” by Texas dream pop band Cigarettes After Sex. Released on June 4th, the captivating ethereal song was the third single from their recently-released third studio album X’s. The third new entry is the sensuous “Honey” by Welsh art pop artist Mr Bewlay, which I reviewed in late June. This is the first appearance on my chart for all three acts.

  1. STARBURSTER – Fontaines D.C. (3)
  2. HIGH IN LOW PLACES – Beach Weather (1)
  3. THE CRAVING – twenty one pilots (4)
  4. WRECKAGE – Pearl Jam (2)
  5. PANORAMIC VIEW – AWOLNATION (5)
  6. END OF BEGINNING – Djo (7)
  7. A FORETOLD ECSTASY – Mayflower Madame (9)
  8. CREATURES IN HEAVEN – Glass Animals (6)
  9. LUNCH – Billie Eilish (11)
  10. TOO SWEET – Hozier (8)
  11. LIKE YOU DO – The Frontier (14)
  12. LOST IN SPACE – Foster the People (15)
  13. ON THE GAME – The Black Keys (10)
  14. I HAD SOME HELP – Post Malone feat. Morgan Wallen (16)
  15. VICES – 5ilas & Shimmer Johnson (17)
  16. RUN YOUR MOUTH – The Marías (18)
  17. WHAT IF I FEEL LIKE THIS MY WHOLE LIFE? – HULLAH (19)
  18. PAYBACK – Aaron Frazer (20)
  19. OH NO! – The Decemberists (28)
  20. ESPRESSO – Sabrina Carpenter (23)
  21. RAINBOW – Cage the Elephant (25)
  22. THE BREAK – Blame My Youth (12)
  23. TOO MUCH – girl in red (13)
  24. WAKING LIFE – Nicholas a. Milillo feat. Dee Wolf, Bobby Jasso, Gabrielle Marella and the voice of Tony Milillo (27)
  25. JUST WANNA SLEEP – Halfloves (26)
  26. YOU JUST PLAYED MY MIND – Oli Barton (29)
  27. WAR – Healer (30)
  28. STARGAZING – Myles Smith (N)
  29. BABY BLUE MOVIE – Cigarettes After Sex (N)
  30. HONEY – Mr Bewlay (N)