My Top 30 Songs for October 19-25, 2025

This is one of those weeks in which nearly every music chart has a different song at #1: Taylor Swift‘s “The Fate of Ophelia” is #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 (in fact, she holds all top 12 spots with every track from her latest album The Life of a Showgirl), sombr‘s “Back to Friends” tops the Hot Rock Songs chart (though I don’t consider it a rock song, it topped my own chart in July), Bad Omens‘ “Specter” tops the Mainstream Rock chart, Sleep Token‘s “Caramel” tops the Hard Rock chart, Sublime‘s “Ensenada” tops the Alternative Airplay chart, St. Paul & The Broken Bones‘ “Sushi and Coca-Cola” tops the Adult Alternative Airplay chart, and Justin Bieber‘s “Daisy” tops the Pop Airplay chart.

Though several of these songs are included on my latest chart, my top song this week is “Five More Seconds”, a wonderful collaboration by English folk-rock duo Seafret and Scottish singer-songwriter KT Tunstall. I love its exuberant melody, stomping beat and their glorious harmonies, plus the video’s brilliant. The song has not appeared on any charts in the US, UK or anywhere else as far as I can tell, which is a travesty.

Seafret, based in Yorkshire and comprised of singer Jack Sedman and guitarist Harry Draper, released three albums and a number of singles from 2015-2023 and saw their debut 2015 single “Atlantis” go viral on TikTok over the past three years, eventually racking up over 1.2 billion streams on Spotify alone. KT Tunstall burst onto the British music scene in 2004 with her debut album Eye to the Telescope, which spawned the hit singles “Black Horse and the Cherry Tree” and “Suddenly I See”, which won the Ivor Novello Award for Best Song in 2006.

Speaking about their collaboration for the webzine Litehouse Media, Seafret commented “When we set out making this record we knew we wanted to bring in some incredible people and collaborate. When we found out KT Tunstall was in town and up for it, we were so happy! We had no idea how it would go or what we’d write but this idea started circling in the room and suddenly it was there in front of us like it was meant to be. We have always loved KT’s voice and her songwriting so bringing this song to life with her has been a real privilege.” KT Tunstall added, “I met Jack and Harry quite a few years back and loved their vibe and songwriting. Real players and songcraft with an old school, troubadour attitude to touring where they put the hours in and got really great at what they do. Authentic and righteous dudes!

And speaking of “Sushi and Coca-Cola”, the song is the biggest upward mover on my chart again this week, jumping eight spots to #8. Also entering the top 10 are “Hornets” by Canadian singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Western Jaguar, and “Mistakes” by Ohio folk band Caamp, at #s 9 and 10, respectively. Three songs make their debut, starting with Taylor Swift’s aforementioned “The Fate of Ophelia”, entering at #23. While I’m not overly excited with the entirety of The Life of a Showgirl, I do like this song.

Coming in at #27 is “Enough” by Jeff Tweedy, who’s released music both as a solo artist and as lead vocalist and guitarist of Chicago-based alternative country-rock band Wilco. Featuring an opening guitar riff that reminds me of the one from The Kinks’ “Waterloo Sunset”, “Enough” is featured on Tweedy’s ambitious new triple album Twilight Override, which dropped September 26th.

And entering at #30 is the sultry “Lingerie” by Two Feet (aka Brooklyn, New York-based singer-songwriter and guitarist extraordinaire Zachary William “Bill” Dess). One of my favorite artists since 2018, I’ve seen Two Feet in concert three times. Ten of his songs reached #1 on my chart between 2018 and 2022, beginning with “I Feel Like I’m Drowning”, which also reached #1 on the Billboard Alternative Airplay chart and remains his biggest hit to date.

  1. FIVE MORE SECONDS – Seafret & KT Tunstall (2)
  2. UNDRESSED – sombr (1)
  3. ENSENADA – Sublime (3)
  4. BACKSEAT – Balu Brigada (6)
  5. AS ALIVE AS YOU NEED ME TO BE – Nine Inch Nails (9)
  6. BETTER DAYS – Yellowcard (7)
  7. LIGHT YEARS APART – Unobliterated (8)
  8. SUSHI AND COCA-COLA – St. Paul & The Broken Bones (16)
  9. HORNETS – Western Jaguar (11)
  10. MISTAKES – Caamp (12)
  11. THE WEATHER – All Time Low (13)
  12. JUPITER – almost monday feat. Jordana (4)
  13. SALLY, WHEN THE WINE RUNS OUT – ROLE MODEL (5)
  14. WRECK – Neko Case (15)
  15. ELEGANTLY WASTED – Hermanos Gutiérrez feat. Leon Bridges (20)
  16. ANOTHER LIFE – Alabama Shakes (21)
  17. DOWNSTAIRS – Matt Maeson (18)
  18. EVERYBODY SCREAM – Florence + The Machine (19)
  19. POLYESTER (YES SIR) – Sorry Ghost (10)
  20. ASSHOLE – The Lumineers (14)
  21. ORDINARY CREATURE – Of Monsters and Men (26)
  22. CITY WALLS – Twenty One Pilots (29)
  23. THE FATE OF OPHELIA – Taylor Swift (N)
  24. SPECTER – Bad Omens (30)
  25. MY MIND IS A MOUNTAIN – Deftones (17)
  26. MOODY – Royel Otis (22) 20th Week on Chart
  27. ENOUGH – Jeff Tweedy (N)
  28. METAL – The Beths (23)
  29. EVERYDAY MAGIC – My Morning Jacket (24)
  30. LINGERIE – Two Feet (N)

My Favorite Song for Every Year, Part 3: 2000-2023

Here’s Part 3 of my favorite songs for each year from 2000 through 2023. In 2003, Coldplay became my favorite band, along with Green Day, Incubus and Weezer, and that lasted for about 10 years until they were replaced by Foster the People for a brief period. In 2015, twenty øne piløts became my favorite act, and in the years since, MISSIO, Foals, Lord Huron, Two Feet and, most recently, Beach Weather have been my favorites. I’ve written in varying detail about all of these songs in previous posts over my eight-plus years of blogging, so won’t write narratives about any of them here. Just the year, the song and the artist, and the best video I could find for each one.

2000 BENT – matchbox twenty

2001 FAMILY AFFAIR – Mary J. Blige

2002 LOSE YOURSELF – Eminem

2003 CLOCKS – Coldplay (my #1 song of the 2000s)

2004 THE REASON – Hoobastank

2005 BOULEVARD OF BROKEN DREAMS – Green Day

2006 SEXYBACK – Justin Timberlake featuring Timbaland

2007 THE PRETENDER – Foo Fighters

2008 VIVA LA VIDA – Coldplay

2009 LOVE HURTS – Incubus

2010 NEED YOU NOW – Lady Antebellum

2011 ROLLING IN THE DEEP – Adele (my #1 song of the 2010s)

2012 SOMEBODY THAT I USED TO KNOW –Gotye featuring Kimbra

2013 SWEATER WEATHER – The Neighbourhood

2014 LOVE ME AGAIN – John Newman

2015 TEAR IN MY HEART – twenty øne piløts

2016 STRESSED OUT – twenty øne piløts

2017 FEEL IT STILL – Portugal. The Man

2018 BROKEN – lovelytheband

2019 I SEE YOU – MISSIO

2020 BLINDING LIGHTS – The Weeknd

2021 FIRE – Two Feet

2022 AS IT WAS – Harry Styles

2023 TROUBLE WITH THIS BED – Beach Weather

Top 30 Songs for May 7-13, 2023

“New Gold”, the wonderful collaboration between virtual band Gorillaz, Australian alternative psychedelic music project Tame Impala, and American rapper Bootie Brown, maintains it’s grip on the #1 spot for a third week, while “Ghosts Again” by Depeche Mode moves into the #2 spot. Jumping five spots each are “Kid” by The Revivalists, to #3, and “Eat Your Young” by Hozier, to #5. The raucous “Paid Off”, by British alt-rock band Oli Barton & the Movement, enters the top 10 at #10. They just released their biting new single “Left Alive in America?” on May 5th, and will be releasing their album Pipe Dreams on the 19th.

Making their debut this week are “Rescued” by the Foo Fighters, their first new release since the untimely death of drummer Taylor Hawkins, at #29, and “Hello”, by the always delightful L.A. band GROUPLOVE, at #30.

  1. NEW GOLD – Gorillaz, Tame Impala & Bootie Brown (1)
  2. GHOSTS AGAIN – Depeche Mode (3)
  3. KID – The Revivalists (8)
  4. FLOWERS – Miley Cyrus (4)
  5. EAT YOUR YOUNG – Hozier (10)
  6. BLUEBELL WOOD – Frank Joshua (6)
  7. TROPIC MORNING NEWS – The National (2)
  8. SOFTEN – Alex Southey (5)
  9. THE WALK HOME – Young the Giant (9)
  10. PAID OFF – Oli Barton & the Movement (13)
  11. NOT STRONG ENOUGH – boygenius (17)
  12. WOLF – Yeah Yeah Yeahs (14)
  13. TRANSMITTER – Sea Power (7)
  14. THE PERFECT PAIR – beabadoobee (16)
  15. PEPPER – Death Cab for Cutie (11)
  16. LOVE FROM THE OTHER SIDE – Fall Out Boy (12)
  17. GO DOWN RIVER – The Heavy Heavy (18)
  18. DUMMY – Portugal. The Man (19)
  19. ESSENCE – Refeci & Shimmer Johnson (20)
  20. I WANT YOU DEAD – Two Feet & Allie Cabal (15)
  21. ANGELICA – Wet Leg (22)
  22. 1982 – Morgendust (23)
  23. RESCUE ME – Dirty Heads (24)
  24. LEAVING – Au Gres (25)
  25. THE WAY – Manchester Orchestra (27)
  26. IN MY HEAD – Mike Shinoda & Kailee Morgue (28)
  27. THOSE EYES – New West (29)
  28. WHY – Future Theory (30)
  29. RESCUED – Foo Fighters (N)
  30. HELLO – GROUPLOVE (N)

Top 30 Songs for April 30-May 6, 2023

“New Gold”, the marvelous collaboration between virtual band Gorillaz, Australian alternative psychedelic music project Tame Impala, and American rapper Bootie Brown, remains at #1 for a second week. Holding at #2 for a second week is the beautiful “Tropic Morning News” by The National, which previously spent two weeks at #1. Depeche Mode‘s “Ghosts Again” holds at #3 for a second week, and “Flowers” by Miley Cyrus moves up a notch to #4. Moving up three spots each are “Soften” by Canadian singer-songwriter Alex Southey, to #5, and “Bluebell Wood” by British singer-songwriter Frank Joshua to #6. Entering the top 10 are “Kid” by The Revivalists, climbing three spots to #8, and “Eat Your Young” by Hozier, which jumps six spots to #10.

Two songs make their debut this week: the gorgeous “Those Eyes” by Toronto band New West, entering at #29. The song, which reminds me a bit of Coldplay’s beloved earlier songs like “Yellow” and “Fix You”, was actually released in May 2019 as their very first single, and later included on their debut EP Call Me When You Hear This Song. Like Beach Weather’s “Sex, Drugs, Etc.”, the song apparently went viral on Tik Tok, and has recently been climbing the Alternative charts. Entering at #30 is “Why”, a stunning song by British psychedelic indie rock band Future Theory, an immensely-talented act I’ve written about many times on this blog. This is their third song to appear on my Top 30, with their 2021 single “One and the Same” reaching #3.

  1. NEW GOLD – Gorillaz, Tame Impala & Bootie Brown (1)
  2. TROPIC MORNING NEWS – The National (2)
  3. GHOSTS AGAIN – Depeche Mode (3)
  4. FLOWERS – Miley Cyrus (5)
  5. SOFTEN – Alex Southey (8)
  6. BLUEBELL WOOD – Frank Joshua (9)
  7. TRANSMITTER – Sea Power (4)
  8. KID – The Revivalists (11)
  9. THE WALK HOME – Young the Giant (10)
  10. EAT YOUR YOUNG – Hozier (16)
  11. PEPPER – Death Cab for Cutie (6)
  12. LOVE FROM THE OTHER SIDE – Fall Out Boy (7)
  13. PAID OFF – Oli Barton & the Movement (14)
  14. WOLF – Yeah Yeah Yeahs (15)
  15. I WANT YOU DEAD – Two Feet & Allie Cabal (12)
  16. THE PERFECT PAIR – beabadoobee (17)
  17. NOT STRONG ENOUGH – boygenius (18)
  18. GO DOWN RIVER – The Heavy Heavy (20)
  19. DUMMY – Portugal. The Man (21)
  20. ESSENCE – Refeci & Shimmer Johnson (22)
  21. BACKPATTERS AND SHOOTERS – The Zangwills (13) 20th week on chart
  22. ANGELICA – Wet Leg (24)
  23. 1982 – Morgendust (25)
  24. RESCUE ME – Dirty Heads (26)
  25. LEAVING – Au Gres (27)
  26. TROUBLE WITH THIS BED – Beach Weather (19) 22nd week on chart
  27. THE WAY – Manchester Orchestra (29)
  28. IN MY HEAD – Mike Shinoda & Kailee Morgue (30)
  29. THOSE EYES – New West (N)
  30. WHY – Future Theory (N)

Top 30 Songs for April 23-29, 2023

I love when artists from different genres and backgrounds come together to create music, especially when the pooling of their collective talents and imagination results in glorious sonic alchemy. One of the finest examples of this in recent memory is “New Gold”, a brilliant collaboration between virtual band Gorillaz (fronted by British singer-songwriter and producer Damon Albarn), Australian alternative psychedelic music project Tame Impala, and American rapper Bootie Brown (aka Romye Robinson). The deep, pulsating beat and lush, intricate synths by Albarn, producer extraordinaire Greg Kurstin, and Tame Impala’s Kevin Parker create a magical backdrop for Albarn’s and Parker’s dreamy vocals and Brown’s flawlessly rapped verses, all of which not only complement each other beautifully, but also create a palpable sense of excitement and energy. The song is a gorgeous feast for the senses, and ascends to the #1 spot on my latest Weekly Top 30.

Co-written by them all, the song’s lyrics speak to the ephemeral and often unfulfilling things too many people indulge in, expressed in the chorus “New gold, foolish gold, everything will disappear.” They rely on self-delusions or any number of palliatives, rather than face their problems in a realistic way, whether it be the ultimately self destructive overuse of cosmetic surgery that often ages poorly, abuse of party drugs that destroy the user’s mind, or endless social media drama, wasting time on online content lacking any real value or engaging in online arguments that only serve to make us feel more isolated than ever.

In other chart developments, Young the Giant‘s poignant and lovely “The Walk Home” enters the top 10, and two songs make their debut: “The Way” by American alt-rock band Manchester Orchestra, at #29, and “In My Head” by Mike Shinoda (of Linkin Park) and Arizona-based singer-songwriter Kailee Morgue, at #30.

  1. NEW GOLD – Gorillaz, Tame Impala & Bootie Brown (3)
  2. TROPIC MORNING NEWS – The National (1)
  3. GHOSTS AGAIN – Depeche Mode (4)
  4. TRANSMITTER – Sea Power (2)
  5. FLOWERS – Miley Cyrus (6)
  6. PEPPER – Death Cab for Cutie (5)
  7. LOVE FROM THE OTHER SIDE – Fall Out Boy (7)
  8. SOFTEN – Alex Southey (9)
  9. BLUEBELL WOOD – Frank Joshua (10)
  10. THE WALK HOME – Young the Giant (12)
  11. KID – The Revivalists (14)
  12. I WANT YOU DEAD – Two Feet & Allie Cabal (13)
  13. BACKPATTERS AND SHOOTERS – The Zangwills (8)
  14. PAID OFF – Oli Barton & the Movement (15)
  15. WOLF – Yeah Yeah Yeahs (16)
  16. EAT YOUR YOUNG – Hozier (23)
  17. THE PERFECT PAIR – beabadoobee (19)
  18. NOT STRONG ENOUGH – boygenius (20)
  19. TROUBLE WITH THIS BED – Beach Weather (11) 21st week on chart
  20. GO DOWN RIVER – The Heavy Heavy (21)
  21. DUMMY – Portugal. The Man (22)
  22. ESSENCE – Refeci & Shimmer Johnson (24)
  23. PAGES – White Reaper (17)
  24. ANGELICA – Wet Leg (27)
  25. 1982 – Morgendust (28)
  26. RESCUE ME – Dirty Heads (29)
  27. LEAVING – Au Gres (30)
  28. YOU GOTTA DO WHAT YOU GOTTA DO – Darksoft (18)
  29. THE WAY – Manchester Orchestra (N)
  30. IN MY HEAD – Mike Shinoda & Kailee Morgue (N)

Top 30 Songs for April 16-22, 2023

The beautiful “Tropic Morning News” by The National holds at #1 for a second week, with Sea Power‘s majestic “Transmitter” also remaining at #2. “New Gold” by the dream collaboration of Gorillaz, Tame Impala and Bootie Brown slides into 3rd place (Gorillaz & Brown performed the song at the Coachella Music Festival this past Friday night), while Depeche Mode‘s “Ghosts Again” assumes the #4 spot. British singer-songwriter Frank Joshua enters the top 10 with his sublime love song “Bluebell Wood”.

Three songs make their debut this week: Entering at #23 is the amazing “Eat Your Young” by Irish singer-songwriter Hozier. He states the song was inspired by Gluttony, one the 9 Circles of Hell contained in the first part of Dante Alighieri’s epic poem Divine Comedy, and describes a feast being prepared and served together with the chaos that comes with it. “Rescue Me” by Southern California reggae-ska rock band Dirty Heads enters at #29, and “leaving” by Michigan singer-songwriter Au Gres enters at #30.

  1. TROPIC MORNING NEWS – The National (1)
  2. TRANSMITTER – Sea Power (2)
  3. NEW GOLD – Gorillaz, Tame Impala & Bootie Brown (6)
  4. GHOSTS AGAIN – Depeche Mode (7)
  5. PEPPER – Death Cab for Cutie (4)
  6. FLOWERS – Miley Cyrus (8)
  7. LOVE FROM THE OTHER SIDE – Fall Out Boy (5)
  8. BACKPATTERS AND SHOOTERS – The Zangwills (3)
  9. SOFTEN – Alex Southey (10)
  10. BLUEBELL WOOD – Frank Joshua (12)
  11. TROUBLE WITH THIS BED – Beach Weather (9)
  12. THE WALK HOME – Young the Giant (14)
  13. I WANT YOU DEAD – Two Feet & Allie Cabal (15)
  14. KID – The Revivalists (16)
  15. PAID OFF – Oli Barton & the Movement (17)
  16. WOLF – Yeah Yeah Yeahs (18)
  17. PAGES – White Reaper (11)
  18. YOU GOTTA DO WHAT YOU GOTTA DO – Darksoft (13)
  19. THE PERFECT PAIR – beabadoobee (22)
  20. NOT STRONG ENOUGH – boygenius (25)
  21. GO DOWN RIVER – The Heavy Heavy (26)
  22. DUMMY – Portugal. The Man (28)
  23. EAT YOUR YOUNG – Hozier (N)
  24. ESSENCE – Refeci & Shimmer Johnson (27)
  25. EYEZ – The Arcs (19)
  26. WEIGHTLESS – Arlo Parks (20)
  27. ANGELICA – Wet Leg (29)
  28. 1982 – Morgendust (30)
  29. RESCUE ME – Dirty Heads (N)
  30. LEAVING – Au Gres (N)

Top 30 Songs for April 9-15, 2023

Photo by Josh Goleman

My gosh, what a stellar week for music! Great songs by The National, Sea Power, The Zangwills, Death Cab for Cutie, Fall Out Boy, Gorillaz, Tame Impala & Bootie Brown, and Depeche Mode, and that’s just the top 7! The National’s captivating “Tropic Morning News” ascends to the top of my chart this week. The song is the lead single from their ninth studio album First Two Pages Of Frankenstein, due for release on April 28. For those unaware, The National consists of Matt Berninger (vocals), twin brothers Aaron Dessner (guitar, piano, keyboards) and Bryce Dessner (guitar, piano, keyboards), and brothers Scott Devendorf (bass) and Bryan Devendorf (drums). I love their sophisticated songwriting and rich, complex sound, especially Matt Berninger’s beautiful baritone vocals.

According to an article by Leah Degrazia for the website Genius, the album came together while Berninger was emerging from a period of crippling writer’s block (something I can strongly relate to). “Even though we’d always been anxious whenever we were working on a record, this was the first time it ever felt like maybe things really had come to an end,” Berninger said. The song’s lyrics, written by Berninger and his wife, Carin Besser, speak of how constantly inundating yourself with negative news can pull you into a dark hole of isolation and sadness, making it hard to reach out and form deep human connection.

In other chart developments, the gorgeous “Soften” by exceptionally-talented Canadian singer-songwriter Alex Southey enters the top 10. Entering this week’s chart are “Angelica” by the delightful English duo Wet Leg, at #29, and “1982” by Dutch alternative rock band Morgendust, whose wonderful self-titled album I recently reviewed, at #30.

  1. TROPIC MORNING NEWS – The National (2)
  2. TRANSMITTER – Sea Power (3)
  3. BACKPATTERS AND SHOOTERS – The Zangwills (1)
  4. PEPPER – Death Cab for Cutie (6)
  5. LOVE FROM THE OTHER SIDE – Fall Out Boy (4)
  6. NEW GOLD – Gorillaz featuring Tame Impala and Bootie Brown (7)
  7. GHOSTS AGAIN – Depeche Mode (8)
  8. FLOWERS – Miley Cyrus (10)
  9. TROUBLE WITH THIS BED – Beach Weather (5)
  10. SOFTEN – Alex Southey (11)
  11. PAGES – White Reaper (9)
  12. BLUEBELL WOOD – Frank Joshua (15)
  13. YOU GOTTA DO WHAT YOU GOTTA DO – Darksoft (12)
  14. THE WALK HOME – Young the Giant (16)
  15. I WANT YOU DEAD – Two Feet & Allie Cabal (17)
  16. KID – The Revivalists (21)
  17. PAID OFF – Oli Barton & the Movement (22)
  18. WOLF – Yeah Yeah Yeahs (23)
  19. EYEZ – The Arcs (18)
  20. WEIGHTLESS – Arlo Parks (19)
  21. MODERNISE – The Slow Readers Club (20)
  22. THE PERFECT PAIR – beabadoobee (26)
  23. JUST BEFORE THE MORNING – Local Natives (13)
  24. SUREFIRE – Wilderado (14)
  25. NOT STRONG ENOUGH – boygenius (27)
  26. GO DOWN RIVER – The Heavy Heavy (28)
  27. ESSENCE – Refeci & Shimmer Johnson (29)
  28. DUMMY – Portugal. The Man (30)
  29. ANGELICA – Wet Leg (N)
  30. 1982 – Morgendust (N)

Top 30 Songs for April 2-8, 2023

British indie pop-rock band The Zangwills remain at #1 for a second week with their achingly beautiful song “Backpatters and Shooters”. “Tropic Morning News” by American alternative art rock band The National slides into the #2 spot, and “Transmitter” by British alt-rock band Sea Power holds at #3. Miley Cyrus’ “Flowers” enters the top 10.

Four songs make their debut this week: “Not Strong Enough”, from the new album the record by American indie rock supergroup boygenius, comprised of Julien Baker, Phoebe Bridgers, and Lucy Dacus, entering at #27; “Go Down River” by Brighton, UK duo The Heavy Heavy, consisting of Will Turner and Georgie Fuller, at #28; “Essence” by Danish DJ and electronic house music producer Refeci and Canadian singer-songwriter and musician Shimmer Johnson, at #29, and “Dummy”, the latest single by Portland, Oregon-based alt-rock band Portugal. The Man, bringing up the rear at #30.

  1. BACKPATTERS AND SHOOTERS – The Zangwills (1)
  2. TROPIC MORNING NEWS – The National (4)
  3. TRANSMITTER – Sea Power (3)
  4. LOVE FROM THE OTHER SIDE – Fall Out Boy (2)
  5. TROUBLE WITH THIS BED – Beach Weather (5)
  6. PEPPER – Death Cab for Cutie (8)
  7. NEW GOLD – Gorillaz featuring Tame Impala and Bootie Brown (9)
  8. GHOSTS AGAIN – Depeche Mode (10)
  9. PAGES – White Reaper (6)
  10. FLOWERS – Miley Cyrus (14)
  11. SOFTEN – Alex Southey (13)
  12. YOU GOTTA DO WHAT YOU GOTTA DO – Darksoft (12)
  13. JUST BEFORE THE MORNING – Local Natives (7)
  14. SUREFIRE – Wilderado (11)
  15. BLUEBELL WOOD – Frank Joshua (19)
  16. THE WALK HOME – Young the Giant (18)
  17. I WANT YOU DEAD – Two Feet & Allie Cabal (20)
  18. EYEZ – The Arcs (16)
  19. WEIGHTLESS – Arlo Parks (17)
  20. MODERNISE – Slow Readers Club (21)
  21. KID – The Revivalists (23)
  22. PAID OFF – Oli Barton & the Movement (27)
  23. WOLF – Yeah Yeah Yeahs (28)
  24. NIGHT BUS – Caitlin Lavagna (15) 20th week on chart
  25. SLEEPWALKING – All Time Low (22)
  26. THE PERFECT PAIR – beabadoobee (30)
  27. NOT STRONG ENOUGH – boygenius (N)
  28. GO DOWN RIVER – The Heavy Heavy (N)
  29. ESSENCE – Refeci & Shimmer Johnson (N)
  30. DUMMY – Portugal. The Man (N)

Top 30 Songs for March 26-April 1, 2023

British four-piece The Zangwills are an immensely-talented indie band who make exceptional melodic pop-rock with a maturity of songwriting and musicianship as fine as many top big-name bands around today. Based in Cheshire, they consist of Jake Vickers (vocals, guitar, keyboards), Ed Dowling (bass), Sam Davies (lead guitar) and Adam Spence (drums). They’ve been actively making music since 2017, when they were all still in their teens, and have released a total of 13 singles and two EPs. Listening to their back catalog, I can emphatically state that every one of their songs is outstanding.

I didn’t learn about them until summer 2021, when I was blown away by their magnificent single “Never Looked Back”. I loved it so much that it went all the way to #1 on my Weekly Top 30, and ended up at #24 on my Top 100 Songs of 2021 list. Now, after a long 15-week climb, they once again reach the top of my chart with their latest single “Backpatters and Shooters”. It’s a gorgeous track, with a haunting piano-driven melody, cinematic orchestration and achingly beautiful guitar work that make it one of their most impactful songs yet. Then there are Jake’s powerfully emotive vocals, which convey an incredible vulnerability as he croons the lyrics addressing the pursuit of love and how it far outweighs the importance of anything else: “You know that I’d be the first to plant roses in your face, and frame beauty with beauty. And though I’m dying of thirst, I’m still running in your race with the men who pat my back, and the men who would shoot me. And when I look up, if I squint I see love. But it’s never that much, and no it’s never enough.” 

In other chart developments, “Transmitter” by Sea Power and “Tropic Morning News” by The National move up to #3 and #4, respectively. Entering the top 10 are “New Gold” by Gorillaz featuring Tame Impala and Bootie Brown, at #9, and “Ghosts Again” by Depeche Mode, at #10. The biggest upward mover this week is “Flowers” by Miley Cyrus, leaping eight spots to #14. The two debut songs this week are by artists making their first appearance on my chart: “Wolf” by New York indie/art rock band Yeah Yeah Yeahs, at #28, and “the perfect pair” by sweet-voiced Filipino-British singer-songwriter beabadoobee (born Beatrice Kristi Ilejay Laus), at #30. The song’s been out a while, and finally clicked with me.

  1. BACKPATTERS AND SHOOTERS – The Zangwills (2)
  2. LOVE FROM THE OTHER SIDE – Fall Out Boy (1)
  3. TRANSMITTER – Sea Power (5)
  4. TROPIC MORNING NEWS – The National (6)
  5. TROUBLE WITH THIS BED – Beach Weather (3)
  6. PAGES – White Reaper (4)
  7. JUST BEFORE THE MORNING – Local Natives (7)
  8. PEPPER – Death Cab for Cutie (10)
  9. NEW GOLD – Gorillaz featuring Tame Impala and Bootie Brown (12)
  10. GHOSTS AGAIN – Depeche Mode (13)
  11. SUREFIRE – Wilderado (11)
  12. YOU GOTTA DO WHAT YOU GOTTA DO – Darksoft (9)
  13. SOFTEN – Alex Southey (18)
  14. FLOWERS – Miley Cyrus (22)
  15. NIGHT BUS – Caitlin Lavagna (8) 19th week on chart
  16. EYEZ – The Arcs (20)
  17. WEIGHTLESS – Arlo Parks (21)
  18. THE WALK HOME – Young the Giant (24)
  19. BLUEBELL WOOD – Frank Joshua (25)
  20. I WANT YOU DEAD – Two Feet & Allie Cabal (26)
  21. MODERNISE – Slow Readers Club (23)
  22. SLEEPWALKING – All Time Low (17)
  23. KID – The Revivalists (29)
  24. WILD AS THE WIND – HULLAH (14)
  25. MAYFLY – Callum Pitt (15)
  26. THE LONELIEST – Måneskin (16)
  27. PAID OFF – Oli Barton & the Movement (30)
  28. WOLF – Yeah Yeah Yeahs (N)
  29. EVERGREEN – Mt. Joy (19)
  30. THE PERFECT PAIR – beabadoobee (N)

Top 30 Songs for March 19-25, 2023

Fall Out Boy remain at #1 for a second week with their monumental “Love From the Other Side”, while British band The Zangwills inch up to #2 with their cinematic “Backpatters and Shooters”. Entering the top 10 are “Tropic Morning News” by The National, jumping six spots to #6, “You Gotta Do What You Gotta Do” by Darksoft, moving up two spots to #9, and “Pepper” by Death Cab for Cutie, which climbs three spots to #10.

Three great songs make their debut this week: “I Want You Dead”, a duet by blog and chart favorite Two Feet, along with his fiance Allie Cabal, entering at #26, “Kid” by New Orleans alternative/roots rock band The Revivalists, at #29, and “Paid Off” by another favorite of mine, London-based alternative pop-rock band Oli Barton & the Movement, at #30.

  1. LOVE FROM THE OTHER SIDE – Fall Out Boy (1)
  2. BACKPATTERS AND SHOOTERS – The Zangwills (3)
  3. TROUBLE WITH THIS BED – Beach Weather (2)
  4. PAGES – White Reaper (5)
  5. TRANSMITTER – Sea Power (6)
  6. TROPIC MORNING NEWS – The National (12)
  7. JUST BEFORE THE MORNING – Local Natives (9)
  8. NIGHT BUS – Caitlin Lavagna (4)
  9. YOU GOTTA DO WHAT YOU GOTTA DO – Darksoft (11)
  10. PEPPER – Death Cab for Cutie (13)
  11. SUREFIRE – Wilderado (14)
  12. NEW GOLD – Gorillaz, Tame Impala & Bootie Brown (16)
  13. GHOSTS AGAIN – Depeche Mode (17)
  14. WILD AS THE WIND – HULLAH (7)
  15. MAYFLY – Callum Pitt (8)
  16. THE LONELIEST – Måneskin (10)
  17. SLEEPWALKING – All Time Low (15)
  18. SOFTEN – Alex Southey (19)
  19. EVERGREEN – Mt. Joy (18)
  20. EYEZ – The Arcs (22)
  21. WEIGHTLESS – Arlo Parks (23)
  22. FLOWERS – Miley Cyrus (27)
  23. MODERNISE – Slow Readers Club (28)
  24. THE WALK HOME – Young the Giant (29)
  25. BLUEBELL WOOD – Frank Joshua (30)
  26. I WANT YOU DEAD – Two Feet & Allie Cabal (N)
  27. SHADOWS IN THE DARK – The Star Crumbles (20) 21st week on chart
  28. THIS IS WHY – Paramore (21) 19th week on chart
  29. KID – The Revivalists (N)
  30. PAID OFF – Oli Barton & the Movement (N)