So many faves in the last few posts but loving anything Sugababes/Kylie/Eurovision/etc! From the songs yet to come I'm hoping for both Troye songs to smash, as well as Padam Padam and Satellite.

'Until I Found You' is my favourite since I last commented - I prefer the original, although the Em Beihold version still has the fabulous harmonies on the chorus!

Nice to see Tattoo crop up here! Definitely my favourite of the winner contenders this Eurovision. Some other interesting songs here - Daylight and Waterfall both have interesting lyrics to ponder over.

So many faves in the last few posts but loving anything Sugababes/Kylie/Eurovision/etc! From the songs yet to come I'm hoping for both Troye songs to smash, as well as Padam Padam and Satellite.

Thanks all for the comments! :wub:

Songs: Top 300

 

 

40 Troye Sivan - Rush | 3-5-6-13-16-23-27-30-34-x

 

Troye Sivan has one of the biggest chart histories in my personal chart. Coming into 2023, he had 24 top 10 hits, including five #1 hits, so to say I was excited for his third album would be an understatement. If you'd have asked me where I thought Troye's comeback single would chart for me, I'd have said #1 in a heartbeat. The lead singles from Blue Neighbourhood (WILD), Bloom (My My My!) and In a Dream (Take Yourself Home) all hit #1 in their first (full) week, so why wouldn't this? You're probably inspecting the chart run now and wondering why Rush flopped...! When it first came out, I loved it a lot, its high energy and infectious chorus was addictive (I quickly got over my 'wtf' reaction to the football chant-esque nature of the hook), and that remains true. I played Rush more times in week 1 than a #1 hit would get, but it ran into two bigger hits - Michael Aldag's cheating took the top spot, and Marcus & Martinus claimed second with 247365. Both are still to come in this countdown so it's hard to say it wasn't deserved, but Rush still fared well and is one of a select few non-#1 hits in my top 40. Troye still has one more song to come as well!

 

End of Year History

 

2015 | 008 | WILD

2015 | 029 | TALK ME DOWN

2015 | 038 | FOOLS

2015 | 067 | BITE

2015 | 068 | Papercut (Zedd feat. Troye Sivan)

2015 | 171 | YOUTH

2015 | 211 | Touch

2015 | 236 | DKLA (feat. Tkay Maidza)

2016 | 023 | YOUTH

2016 | 040 | HEAVEN (feat. Betty Who)

2017 | 012 | There For You (Martin Garrix & Troye Sivan)

2018 | 008 | My My My!

2018 | 031 | Lucky Strike

2018 | 032 | 1999 (Charli XCX & Troye Sivan)

2018 | 048 | Bloom

2018 | 065 | Dance to This (feat. Ariana Grande)

2018 | 140 | Strawberries & Cigarettes

2018 | 237 | The Good Side

2018 | 272 | Revelation (Troye Sivan & Jónsi)

2019 | 118 | i'm so tired... (Lauv & Troye Sivan)

2020 | 050 | Take Yourself Home

2020 | 072 | Rager teenager!

2020 | 085 | Easy

2021 | 040 | You (Regard, Troye Sivan & Tate McRae)

2021 | 049 | could cry just thinkin about you

2021 | 119 | Angel Baby

2022 | 154 | You Know What I Need (PNAU & Troye Sivan)

2022 | 221 | Trouble (Troye Sivan & Jay Som)

2022 | 291 | Wait (Troye Sivan & Gordi)

2023 | 000 | One of Your Girls

2023 | 040 | Rush

2023 | 132 | Got Me Started

 

 

 

39 Sarcastic Sounds - Jaycee | 1-3-5-9-15-26-29-34-39-x

 

The profile of Canadian singer, producer and songwriter Jeremy Fedryk, better known as Sarcastic Sounds, has grown pretty prominently each year in my chart. Starting off as a featured producer on a variety of Powfu songs, it's now his own music that takes the forefront, and he didn't release a single feature all year while he focused on his debut album era. The second single was the cute Jaycee, a song about letting someone go when a relationship just isn't working. It's a refreshingly mature track, and there's no malice in this relationship ending. Sometimes, things aren't going anywhere and the kinder thing to do is to finish things. I particularly like the lyric "don't love you, but you're lovely" which sums things up pretty well. It excels in its simplicity, and became Jeremy's second #1 hit of the year in my chart in the middle of the year.

 

2020 | 034 | ill come back to you (Powfu, Sarcastic Sounds & Rxseboy)

2020 | 156 | Some Nights (Jomie feat. Powfu, Rxseboy & Sarcastic Sounds)

2021 | 012 | say goodbye

2021 | 034 | Song You'll Never Hear (feat. Maisie Peters)

2021 | 082 | hold somebody (guccihighwaters feat. Powfu & Sarcastic Sounds)

2021 | 135 | Closure (Sarcastic Sounds, Birdy & Mishaal)

2021 | 147 | the long way home (Powfu, Sara Kays & Sarcastic Sounds)

2021 | 210 | snowflake (Powfu feat. Jaden & Sarcastic Sounds)

2021 | 223 | the way that you see me (Powfu, Rxseboy & Sarcastic Sounds feat. Ayleen Valentine)

2022 | 007 | ohfuckimnotok

2022 | 023 | might be this

2022 | 025 | Disappointment (feat. Rxseboy)

2022 | 056 | existential crisis in c major

2022 | 155 | 4 walls (Arden Jones & Sarcastic Sounds)

2022 | 196 | change ur mind (Sarcastic Sounds, Claire Rosinkranz & Clinton Kane)

2022 | 248 | only in the night (Kina feat. Sarcastic Sounds)

2023 | 000 | Better Half

2023 | 000 | Hero

2023 | 000 | Someday Soon

2023 | 000 | Stumbling

2023 | 039 | Jaycee

2023 | 085 | Haunt You Forever

 

Songs yet to be revealed are listed in alphabetical order.

 

my faves since #150

 

149 Dua Lipa - Houdini -> Flopdini :( really enjoying this right now, it's a strong contender for her top 5 best for me

135 Zach Bryan feat. Kacey Musgraves - I Remember Everything -> a very strong grower that I also expect will be in my list next year

125 Olivia Rodrigo - Can’t Catch Me Now -> this is my favourite of hers so far

112 Stephen Sanchez & Em Beihold - Until I Found You

111 P!nk - TRUSTFALL -> her best in years as I said in my thread!

109 Freya Ridings - Weekends

104 Taylor Swift - Cruel Summer -> was nice to see this belatedly get the single treatment as it deserved it over the other hits from "Lover" although I'm more than ready to see it back out of the top 10 already

95 PinkPantheress & Ice Spice - Boy's a liar Pt. 2 -> yay for a first EOY top 100 snap (even if I primarily played the non-Ice Spice version)

94 FLO feat. Missy Elliott - Fly Girl

81 Joel Corry, MK & Rita Ora - Drinkin -> about time MK made the Joseph chart *_* (even if this flopped quite a bit for me in favour of 'Asking')

80 Charli XCX - Speed Drive

67 Tom Odell - Black Friday

51 Cub Sport - Hold

48 Kylie Minogue - Tension

47 Loreen - Tattoo -> also loved this a fair bit, a very worthy successor to Euphoria!

43 Rita Ora - You Only Love Me

40 Troye Sivan - Rush -> this was bigger for me than I'd expected from a Troye comeback yay, is much of the album like this?

my faves since #150

 

149 Dua Lipa - Houdini -> Flopdini :( really enjoying this right now, it's a strong contender for her top 5 best for me

135 Zach Bryan feat. Kacey Musgraves - I Remember Everything -> a very strong grower that I also expect will be in my list next year

125 Olivia Rodrigo - Can’t Catch Me Now -> this is my favourite of hers so far

112 Stephen Sanchez & Em Beihold - Until I Found You

111 P!nk - TRUSTFALL -> her best in years as I said in my thread!

109 Freya Ridings - Weekends

104 Taylor Swift - Cruel Summer -> was nice to see this belatedly get the single treatment as it deserved it over the other hits from "Lover" although I'm more than ready to see it back out of the top 10 already

95 PinkPantheress & Ice Spice - Boy's a liar Pt. 2 -> yay for a first EOY top 100 snap (even if I primarily played the non-Ice Spice version)

94 FLO feat. Missy Elliott - Fly Girl

81 Joel Corry, MK & Rita Ora - Drinkin -> about time MK made the Joseph chart *_* (even if this flopped quite a bit for me in favour of 'Asking')

80 Charli XCX - Speed Drive

67 Tom Odell - Black Friday

51 Cub Sport - Hold

48 Kylie Minogue - Tension

47 Loreen - Tattoo -> also loved this a fair bit, a very worthy successor to Euphoria!

43 Rita Ora - You Only Love Me

40 Troye Sivan - Rush -> this was bigger for me than I'd expected from a Troye comeback yay, is much of the album like this?

Thanks so much Dan! There's a couple of boppy songs on the album but it's actually not much like Rush. I'd recommend checking out Honey and What's the Time Where You Are? for the boppier tracks!

Giving Jaycee a listen now - sounds like pretty much the opposite side of the coin to Gracie (expecting an in-between song called Stacey now :kink:) it's a sad song but very honest about himself and the partner which makes it refreshing to listen to.

Giving Jaycee a listen now - sounds like pretty much the opposite side of the coin to Gracie (expecting an in-between song called Stacey now :kink:) it's a sad song but very honest about himself and the partner which makes it refreshing to listen to.

Glad you think so Pete, I totally agree, it's a really refreshing stance when break-up tracks are usually so full of vitriol :lol:

Songs: Top 300

 

 

38 glaive - all i do is try my best | 12-1-3-6-16-28-34-30-36-40-x

 

Among the many deep-dives into glaive's intense emotions across his debut studio album was all i do is try my best, released as the album's third single. It's possibly the most "pop" song he's ever released and follows perfectly on the album from its title track, i care so much that i dont care at all, an interlude which sees glaive moving towards a better headspace. all i do is try my best continues that to some degree, and though the verses discuss the struggles of becoming an adult, the chorus sees him insisting that, as per the title, all he does is try his best. It's a little less intense than many songs on the album, but that makes it more relatable, and I think we're all just getting through life by doing our best each day. It became glaive's fifth #1 single overall and second of 2023, with the album's lead single still in the running.

 

End of Year History

 

2022 | 013 | minnesota is a place that exists

2022 | 017 | three wheels and it still drives!

2022 | 037 | poison

2022 | 099 | all dogs go to heaven (outro)

2022 | 134 | i wanna slam my head against the wall

2023 | 000 | as if

2023 | 038 | all i do is try my best

2023 | 088 | oh are you bipolar one or two?

2023 | 187 | the car

2023 | 193 | im nothing thats all i am

2023 | 212 | 17250

 

 

 

37 Fred Roberts - Disguise | 1-2-5-…

 

The winner of my breakthrough award earlier in the thread finally makes his first appearance. Fred Roberts released his first three songs in 2023, and all three find themselves in my top 40. The most recent release was Disguise, a chart-topper in December and one of the newest songs in the whole countdown. Each of Fred's tracks discusses less-than-favourable experiences in the world of love, but Disguise is more open than the two more uptempo tracks. Disguise talks about Fred's relationship with somebody who was still in the closet, a topic that I've not really heard mentioned in music before. That makes it a refreshing song, and its lyrics back it up. The middle 8 sums it up perfectly: "You're nothing that I do regret, just everything I don't want again." It's touching and relatable, and shows Fred's versatility and authenticity as one of the most promising new artists around.

 

2023 | 000 | Runaway

2023 | 000 | Say

2023 | 037 | Disguise

 

Songs yet to be revealed are listed in alphabetical order.

 

Songs: Top 300

 

 

36 Raffi Maxwell - We were | 31-12-10-10-10-9-7-12-20-22-27-32-35-x

 

I truly don't remember how I found Raffi Maxwell. I thought it may have been through a Spotify playlist or something, but I hadn't scrobbled any of his songs before this track, but I've followed him on Instagram for a while. Then came the plot twist, my cousin asks how I know Raffi, because it turns out they're at university together...! Knowing this, I paid particular attention to We were, his 2023 single release, but I think I'd have spent a lot of time with this song with or without the aforementioned connection. We were is a diet bop, with Raffi's silky vocals matching the instrumental perfectly. It's got a subtle hook that worms its way into your head, and made for a consistent hit in my chart, with five weeks in the top 10! It's the highest song in this year's countdown not to peak in my top 5 (or specifically, top 3...!).

 

End of Year History

 

2023 | 036 | We were

 

 

 

35 Sarcastic Sounds - Stumbling | 1-3-7-11-22-25-27-25-30-34-35-x

 

In April 2023, I bought a resale gig ticket on a whim. Slightly risky buying off a Twitter user just hours before the event, but it was worth it. The gig was for New Hope Club, who I've seen many a time, though I'm less fussed on their recent material. What was getting me down about not going to that gig was the fact Sarcastic Sounds had been announced as the support act. He'd never played in the UK before (and hasn't since), and I hated to think I'd be missing a golden opportunity. It was the perfect decision, because I heard him play some of my favourite tracks of recent years, and some new tracks. I was defo the only person in the crowd who knew him, yelling "Jeremy!" as he came off stage (through the audience at the tiny venue) before he kindly said hi and agreed to a selfie :lol: I tell this story here because this was just days before the release of Stumbling, the lead single from his debut album, so I got to hear it live before it came out. A song about messing up and having a lack of self-worth, Stumbling is one of the catchiest songs on the album, and sounded so good live too. It became an instant #1 hit, beating Benson Boone and ruining his streak of #1 debuts in the process (Benson climbed a week later but still x)...! It marked the first of four #1s across the year, and ends up his fourth highest track of the year.

 

2020 | 034 | ill come back to you (Powfu, Sarcastic Sounds & Rxseboy)

2020 | 156 | Some Nights (Jomie feat. Powfu, Rxseboy & Sarcastic Sounds)

2021 | 012 | say goodbye

2021 | 034 | Song You'll Never Hear (feat. Maisie Peters)

2021 | 082 | hold somebody (guccihighwaters feat. Powfu & Sarcastic Sounds)

2021 | 135 | Closure (Sarcastic Sounds, Birdy & Mishaal)

2021 | 147 | the long way home (Powfu, Sara Kays & Sarcastic Sounds)

2021 | 210 | snowflake (Powfu feat. Jaden & Sarcastic Sounds)

2021 | 223 | the way that you see me (Powfu, Rxseboy & Sarcastic Sounds feat. Ayleen Valentine)

2022 | 007 | ohfuckimnotok

2022 | 023 | might be this

2022 | 025 | Disappointment (feat. Rxseboy)

2022 | 056 | existential crisis in c major

2022 | 155 | 4 walls (Arden Jones & Sarcastic Sounds)

2022 | 196 | change ur mind (Sarcastic Sounds, Claire Rosinkranz & Clinton Kane)

2022 | 248 | only in the night (Kina feat. Sarcastic Sounds)

2023 | 000 | Better Half

2023 | 000 | Hero

2023 | 000 | Someday Soon

2023 | 035 | Stumbling

2023 | 039 | Jaycee

2023 | 085 | Haunt You Forever

 

Songs yet to be revealed are listed in alphabetical order.

 

Songs: Top 300

 

 

34 Troye Sivan - One of Your Girls | 15-3-8-11-23-20-24-28-35-37-…

 

The last couple of months of the year were a pretty turbulent time for my personal chart. From an S Club tour boost which saw their entire setlist, and then some, in my top 40, to The Kid LAROI's album drop landing every song on the tracklist in my top 40, it left little chance for anything else to get a look in. Debuting at #15 on S Club week (equating to #2 overall) was Troye Sivan's One of Your Girls. Initially a pretty good album track, over the course of the week it grew and grew on me, its seductive vibes matching the song's message perfectly. The video was genius, and one of the best of the year too. In week 2, it got its deserved top 5 peak, matching the #3 peak of Rush, and it lands Troye his highest EOY position since 2018. I loved seeing One of Your Girls getting so high up the UK chart too - autoplay or otherwise - and I wish it could've made the top 10 (alongside Laroi, not instead of, before anyone starts x).

 

End of Year History

 

2015 | 008 | WILD

2015 | 029 | TALK ME DOWN

2015 | 038 | FOOLS

2015 | 067 | BITE

2015 | 068 | Papercut (Zedd feat. Troye Sivan)

2015 | 171 | YOUTH

2015 | 211 | Touch

2015 | 236 | DKLA (feat. Tkay Maidza)

2016 | 023 | YOUTH

2016 | 040 | HEAVEN (feat. Betty Who)

2017 | 012 | There For You (Martin Garrix & Troye Sivan)

2018 | 008 | My My My!

2018 | 031 | Lucky Strike

2018 | 032 | 1999 (Charli XCX & Troye Sivan)

2018 | 048 | Bloom

2018 | 065 | Dance to This (feat. Ariana Grande)

2018 | 140 | Strawberries & Cigarettes

2018 | 237 | The Good Side

2018 | 272 | Revelation (Troye Sivan & Jónsi)

2019 | 118 | i'm so tired... (Lauv & Troye Sivan)

2020 | 050 | Take Yourself Home

2020 | 072 | Rager teenager!

2020 | 085 | Easy

2021 | 040 | You (Regard, Troye Sivan & Tate McRae)

2021 | 049 | could cry just thinkin about you

2021 | 119 | Angel Baby

2022 | 154 | You Know What I Need (PNAU & Troye Sivan)

2022 | 221 | Trouble (Troye Sivan & Jay Som)

2022 | 291 | Wait (Troye Sivan & Gordi)

2023 | 034 | One of Your Girls

2023 | 040 | Rush

2023 | 132 | Got Me Started

 

 

 

33 Ruel - I DON'T WANNA BE LIKE YOU | 5-2-5-5-11-15-20-26-29-38-x

 

As far as my personal chart, Ruel couldn't have entered 2023 on a better note. With an end-of-year #1 hit under his belt, and YOU AGAINST YOURSELF returning to my chart's top 10 in the first week of the year, my hype for his debut album was very high. The final pre-album single was I DON'T WANNA BE LIKE YOU, the most uptempo track of the six that we heard in advance. It's a side to Ruel we hadn't really heard before, cutting and brutally honest from the first lyric: "your smile's like a dark cloud." It's one of the highlights on the album, and a huge moment live too, particularly the lyric "go f**k yourself and all of your friends", designed perfectly to be yelled at the top of your voice. It peaked at #2 in my chart in the week the 4TH WALL album came out, behind Benson Boone's Sugar Sweet which is already out of the running here. It marked Ruel's fourth top 2 hit in a row and his third unlucky #2 on the trot...! Another of those near-misses is still in the running.

 

End of Year History

 

2018 | 019 | Younger

2018 | 039 | Dazed & Confused

2019 | 010 | Painkiller

2019 | 049 | Free Time

2019 | 101 | Real Thing

2019 | 137 | Face to Face

2019 | 282 | Flames (SG Lewis feat. Ruel)

2020 | 030 | as long as you care

2020 | 058 | say it over (feat. Cautious Clay)

2020 | 174 | Empty Love (GRACEY & Ruel)

2020 | 192 | Down for You (Cosmo's Midnight & Ruel)

2021 | 021 | GROWING UP IS _____

2021 | 060 | too many feelings

2021 | 125 | distance

2022 | 001 | YOU AGAINST YOURSELF

2022 | 035 | SOMEONE ELSE'S PROBLEM

2022 | 077 | LET THE GRASS GROW

2022 | 118 | golden hour (JVKE & Ruel)

2023 | 000 | MUST BE NICE

2023 | 033 | I DON'T WANNA BE LIKE YOU

2023 | 243 | SET YOURSELF ON FIRE

2023 | 260 | LIE

 

Songs: Top 300

 

 

32 Michael Aldag - sabotage | 2-7-10-19-18-16-21-26-31-…

 

I had the privilege of seeing Michael Aldag live twice over 2023. I heard a new track at each gig, both of which transpired to be Michael's forthcoming single release. The second gig was just days before the release of sabotage, Michael's fifth single of the year, and a live setting was the perfect place to hear it for the first time. More midtempo than his earlier 2023 releases, sabotage is probably the most lyrically relatable of his recent tracks. The lyrics talk about the feeling of messing everything up, a feeling I'm sure we've all felt at some point or another, and the emotion in Michael's voice is strengthened by a powerful backing track. sabotage lost out on the #1 spot to The Kid LAROI's comeback with TOO MUCH, but it's actually proved to be a more enduring hit, finishing higher in my EOY and becoming Michael's second highest song of 2023.

 

End of Year History

 

2022 | 009 | Teenage Drama

2022 | 060 | POLAROID

2022 | 115 | Ghosted

2022 | 129 | APATHY

2022 | 137 | BLEAK

2022 | 210 | OKAY

2022 | 227 | Tonsillitis

2023 | 000 | cheating

2023 | 032 | sabotage

2023 | 042 | smoothie

2023 | 045 | girlfriends

2023 | 052 | iaw

2023 | 102 | december

 

 

 

31 Sarcastic Sounds - Better Half | 1-1-16-8-14-15-28-25-33-36-x

 

The chart run for Better Half perfectly exemplifies the chaos of most recent months in my chart. For the first time, Sarcastic Sounds spent more than a single week at the top with one of his singles, before it breaks the record for biggest drop from #1 (ignoring Marah Carey post-Christmas). In a world where I didn't see S Club live, it would've only fallen 1-3, behind one of his own tracks, so it's worth highlighting that the chart run isn't a reflection on Better Half itself. The final pre-release track from the Haunt You Forever album, Better Half is one of the more downbeat songs on the album. With an acoustic guitar for its backing track, Better Half talks of a break-up where the narrator is portrayed as being at fault by their "so-called better half", but that's not the full picture. Its melody at times is reminiscent of Ed Sheeran's The A Team, and I think it's one of Sarcastic Sounds' best vocal takes of the album. He still has two more songs to appear in this year's countdown!

 

End of Year History

 

2020 | 034 | ill come back to you (Powfu, Sarcastic Sounds & Rxseboy)

2020 | 156 | Some Nights (Jomie feat. Powfu, Rxseboy & Sarcastic Sounds)

2021 | 012 | say goodbye

2021 | 034 | Song You'll Never Hear (feat. Maisie Peters)

2021 | 082 | hold somebody (guccihighwaters feat. Powfu & Sarcastic Sounds)

2021 | 135 | Closure (Sarcastic Sounds, Birdy & Mishaal)

2021 | 147 | the long way home (Powfu, Sara Kays & Sarcastic Sounds)

2021 | 210 | snowflake (Powfu feat. Jaden & Sarcastic Sounds)

2021 | 223 | the way that you see me (Powfu, Rxseboy & Sarcastic Sounds feat. Ayleen Valentine)

2022 | 007 | ohfuckimnotok

2022 | 023 | might be this

2022 | 025 | Disappointment (feat. Rxseboy)

2022 | 056 | existential crisis in c major

2022 | 155 | 4 walls (Arden Jones & Sarcastic Sounds)

2022 | 196 | change ur mind (Sarcastic Sounds, Claire Rosinkranz & Clinton Kane)

2022 | 248 | only in the night (Kina feat. Sarcastic Sounds)

2023 | 000 | Hero

2023 | 000 | Someday Soon

2023 | 031 | Better Half

2023 | 035 | Stumbling

2023 | 039 | Jaycee

2023 | 085 | Haunt You Forever

 

Songs yet to be revealed are listed in alphabetical order.

 

Songs: Top 300

 

 

30 Benson Boone - Little Runaway | 1-4-9-13-16-17-21-23-26-33-35-x

 

The quality of Benson Boone's singles has been remarkably consistent since his debut. One of the few artists to enter at #1 with his debut single in my chart's history, every Benson single has peaked at #1 in my chart, and Little Runaway was the eighth of which to hit the top spot. It was the third single from his second EP, PULSE, and debuted at #1 simultaneously with its parent EP. It had a little head start in my affections after I heard it live at his London show prior to its release, and it was a magical moment live. Little Runaway is dedicated to Benson's sister, and is touching and supportive in its lyrics - "you're gold, but you don't even know it yet" is one of my favourite lines from the track. Benson's voice, which is one of his best selling points as an artist, is at its best in this track, particularly towards the end of the song as it builds. It's a gorgeous track and one I think I'll be coming back to a lot over time when I need a little encouragement.

 

End of Year History

 

2021 | 005 | GHOST TOWN

2022 | 005 | In the Stars

2022 | 008 | Before You

2022 | 010 | ROOM FOR 2

2022 | 024 | Better Alone

2022 | 128 | Work of Art

2022 | 157 | Empty Heart Shaped Box

2022 | 215 | NIGHTS LIKE THESE

2022 | 266 | Let Me Go

2023 | 000 | To Love Someone

2023 | 000 | What Was

2023 | 030 | Little Runaway

2023 | 046 | Sugar Sweet

2023 | 234 | Coffee Cake

 

Songs yet to be revealed are listed in alphabetical order.

 

 

 

29 Mae Muller - I Wrote a Song | 2-3-6-14-23-39-x-35-1-4-11-18-23-32-36-x

 

It was heartening to see the UK embracing Eurovision this year. Not only relishing the chance to host, but by getting behind our own entry after the immense success of Sam Ryder in 2022. Mae Muller debuted in the UK top 40, a remarkable start for a Eurovision track, and peaked in the top 10 post contest even with an underwhelming result. As for me, I always loved the track. It debuted at #2 in my chart, behind Sweden's potential entry from Marcus & Martinus (who came 2nd in Melodifestivalen), before peaking at #1 after Eurovision, beating Sweden's actual entry and winner Loreen by one spot. It's the first ever UK entry to peak at #1 in my chart, and only the fifth Eurovision song to hit the top spot. It's a remarkable success, and I'll defend it always as being a great entry for the UK that, despite its result, hasn't embarrassed us as much as many songs pre-Sam Ryder managed to. I really hope Olly Alexander keeps the quality high this year! As for Mae, she achieved a further top 3 single and a top 5 album in my chart, but this is by far her biggest hit to date.

 

End of Year History

 

2021 | 231 | Better Days (NEIKED, Mae Muller & Polo G)

2023 | 029 | I Wrote a Song

2023 | 150 | Me, Myself & I

 

Hi there Joseph, here are my favourites from your latest selection:

 

29 Mae Muller - I Wrote a Song

34 Troye Sivan - One of Your Girls

40 Troye Sivan - Rush

43 Rita Ora - You Only Love Me

44 The Kid LAROI, Jung Kook & Central Cee - TOO MUCH

47 Loreen - Tattoo

48 Kylie Minogue - Tension

49 Anne-Marie feat. Shania Twain - UNHEALTHY

57 Latto feat. LU KALA - Lottery

67 Tom Odell - Black Friday

69 David Kushner - Daylight

78 FIFTY FIFTY - Cupid

79 Michael Schulte & R3HAB - Waterfall

80 Charli XCX - Speed Drive

81 Joel Corry, MK & Rita Ora - Drinkin'

82 Frank Walker feat. Ella Henderson - I Go Dancing

93 Tate McRae - greedy

94 FLO feat. Missy Elliott - Fly Girl

95 PinkPantheress & Ice Spice - Boy's a liar Pt. 2

97 Morgan Wallen - Last Night

99 Griff - Vertigo

104 Taylor Swift - Cruel Summer

109 Freya Ridings - Weekends

111 P!nk - TRUSTFALL

112 Stephen Sanchez & Em Beihold - Until I Found You

114 Paloma Faith - Bad Woman

125 Olivia Rodrigo - Can’t Catch Me Now

129 Selena Gomez - Single Soon

135 Zach Bryan feat. Kacey Musgraves - I Remember Everything

145 Metro Boomin, The Weeknd & 21 Savage - Creepin'

148 Billie Eilish - What Was I Made For?

149 Dua Lipa - Houdini

155 Noa Kirel - Unicorn

158 Tate McRae - exes

162 Olivia Rodrigo - vampire

164 Taylor Swift - All of the Girls You Loved Before

171 Michael Schulte & R3HAB - Better Me

180 Nicki Minaj - Pink Friday Girls

182 Peggy Gou - (It Goes Like) Nanana

203 Dua Lipa - Dance the Night

213 Leigh-Anne feat. Ayra Starr - My Love

221 Ava Max - One of Us

225 Bizarrap & Shakira - Shakira: Bzrp Music Sessions, Vol. 53

226 Alessandra - Queen of Kings

230 Declan McKenna - Sympathy

231 David Guetta, Anne-Marie & Coi Leray - Baby Don't Hurt Me

233 Michaël Brun, Anne-Marie & Becky G - Coming Your Way

236 Lady Gaga - Bloody Mary

237 Ava Max - Ghost

238 Kenya Grace - Strangers

 

Great list!

Can't wait for the rest!

Thanks so much Sergej! :D

 

Sorry for the silence the last couple of days, been busier than I thought. Let's get this going again *.*

Songs: Top 300

 

 

28 Rita Ora - Don't Think Twice | 1-3-5-7-9-15-20-27-33-37-38-x

 

There's been a few times where it felt like Rita Ora's mainstream career was "over", notably in the period between her first and second albums, with continued delays and a lot of stop-starting. Each time, she defied expectations, but her luck seemed to run out in 2023 with radio and streaming support drying up. It's their loss, though, because Rita was cranking out some top notch pop once again throughout her You & I era, and I think she picked the singles expertly. Don't Think Twice was the third single, and I think if it came out during the Phoenix era, it would've been a huge hit. The strings feel reminiscent of Clean Bandit at their best, and Rita sounds as amazing as always. The album version with the full intro is my favourite mix of the song! It hit #1 in my chart, Rita's only #1 of the year, but it was enough to tie her with Why Don't We for the most #1s in my chart (though The Kid LAROI has since overtaken). Rita has one more song to come this year!

 

End of Year History

 

2012 | 028 | How We Do (Party)

2012 | 065 | R.I.P. (feat. Tinie Tempah)

2014 | 013 | Black Widow (Iggy Azalea feat. Rita Ora)

2014 | 030 | I Will Never Let You Down

2015 | 013 | Doing It (Charli XCX feat. Rita Ora)

2015 | 143 | Poison

2015 | 161 | Coming Home (Sigma & Rita Ora)

2015 | 164 | Body On Me (feat. Chris Brown)

2015 | 170 | New York Raining (Charles Hamilton feat. Rita Ora)

2017 | 003 | Anywhere

2017 | 007 | Lonely Together (Avicii feat. Rita Ora)

2017 | 060 | Your Song

2018 | 011 | Girls (feat. Cardi B, Bebe Rexha & Charli XCX)

2018 | 014 | Let You Love Me

2018 | 022 | For You (Liam Payne & Rita Ora)

2018 | 051 | Only Want You

2018 | 282 | First Time High

2019 | 013 | R.I.P. (Sofía Reyes feat. Rita Ora & Anitta)

2019 | 045 | Only Want You (feat. 6LACK)

2019 | 054 | Ritual (Tiësto, Jonas Blue & Rita Ora)

2019 | 114 | Carry On (Kygo & Rita Ora)

2020 | 115 | How to Be Lonely

2021 | 019 | Bang Bang (Rita Ora & Imanbek)

2021 | 020 | You for Me (Sigala & Rita Ora)

2021 | 075 | Big (Rita Ora, David Guetta & Imanbek feat. Gunna)

2021 | 198 | Follow Me (Sam Feldt & Rita Ora)

2023 | 000 | Praising You (feat. Fatboy Slim)

2023 | 028 | Don't Think Twice

2023 | 043 | You Only Love Me

2023 | 081 | Drinkin' (Joel Corry, MK & Rita Ora)

 

 

 

27 Sarcastic Sounds - Hero | 1-3-6-5-9-31-27-31-36-x

 

Across 12 years of my chart, only five cover versions had topped my chart. Grace's You Don't Own Me (albeit with a new contribution from G-Eazy), Louisa Johnson's Forever Young, Teo Bok's Shallow and Fin Argus & Sabrina Carpenter's Clouds (for a film about the late original singer, Zach Sobiech) were the four that made the top spot before 2023. That's not including any reworkings or interpolations, just actual covers. The fifth is this track, Hero by Sarcastic Sounds. It's a cover of a song by Family of the Year, released in 2012 and becoming a hit in many countries, but not really in the UK where it peaked at #178. Somehow, I felt like I recognised it, but I'm not sure where from! Either way, I really like Sarcastic Sounds' version of it. It feels really anthemic and his vocals match the song perfectly. It beat Michael Aldag's smoothie to #1 in my chart, his fourth of five from 2023, and ends up as his second highest song of the year.

 

End of Year History

 

2020 | 034 | ill come back to you (Powfu, Sarcastic Sounds & Rxseboy)

2020 | 156 | Some Nights (Jomie feat. Powfu, Rxseboy & Sarcastic Sounds)

2021 | 012 | say goodbye

2021 | 034 | Song You'll Never Hear (feat. Maisie Peters)

2021 | 082 | hold somebody (guccihighwaters feat. Powfu & Sarcastic Sounds)

2021 | 135 | Closure (Sarcastic Sounds, Birdy & Mishaal)

2021 | 147 | the long way home (Powfu, Sara Kays & Sarcastic Sounds)

2021 | 210 | snowflake (Powfu feat. Jaden & Sarcastic Sounds)

2021 | 223 | the way that you see me (Powfu, Rxseboy & Sarcastic Sounds feat. Ayleen Valentine)

2022 | 007 | ohfuckimnotok

2022 | 023 | might be this

2022 | 025 | Disappointment (feat. Rxseboy)

2022 | 056 | existential crisis in c major

2022 | 155 | 4 walls (Arden Jones & Sarcastic Sounds)

2022 | 196 | change ur mind (Sarcastic Sounds, Claire Rosinkranz & Clinton Kane)

2022 | 248 | only in the night (Kina feat. Sarcastic Sounds)

2023 | 000 | Someday Soon

2023 | 027 | Hero

2023 | 031 | Better Half

2023 | 035 | Stumbling

2023 | 039 | Jaycee

2023 | 085 | Haunt You Forever

 

Songs: Top 300

 

 

26 Metteson - Waves | 8-5-1-2-3-6-…

 

I first became aware of Metteson (real name Sverre Breivik), a Norwegian popstar, back in 2022 when I was scrolling down Scandipop. The first and only song I heard from him at the time was the ballad Never Let Me Go, a one-week top 20 hit in my chart. He fell off my radar again afterwards until I saw a couple of places posting about how good his new track Waves is. It's the second single from Look to a Star, his debut studio album, and it's absolute magic. The production is majestic, mixing the strings with the dance beats exquisitely, and the vocals match the dramatics perfectly. It was love at first listen, and the track became a #1 hit in late November/early December, in its third week on my chart. His follow-up single is due out this month so I'm really looking forward to seeing whether he can keep the quality up, and whether the album will be any good, but if Waves is anything to go by, 2024 could be a big year for Metteson.

 

End of Year History

 

2022 | 297 | Never Let Me Go

2023 | 026 | Waves

 

 

 

25 Benson Boone - To Love Someone | 4-1-2-3-5-8-…

 

Matching Waves almost every step of the way, spending the majority of their runs just one or two positions apart, Benson Boone just about nudges ahead with his latest single. To Love Someone was teased a lot on TikTok and social media before its release, and he even played it live months before release on his tour in mid-2023. I really liked it from the start, talking about how a great relationship with the best prospects can sour, and it paints a picture of loneliness and longing for the past so well. The production builds really well as I'd expect a Benson ballad to do, and following GHOST TOWN in 2021 and Before You in 2022, winter just isn't winter anymore without a new Benson ballad. It debuted at #4 in the release week of The Kid LAROI's THE FIRST TIME, in which he took the top 3 spots, but it climbed to #1 a week later, becoming Benson's ninth straight #1 single since his debut, a total only beaten by The Vamps. The follow-up single, Beautiful Things, is out next week, hopefully followed by a debut album at long last!

 

End of Year History

 

2021 | 005 | GHOST TOWN

2022 | 005 | In the Stars

2022 | 008 | Before You

2022 | 010 | ROOM FOR 2

2022 | 024 | Better Alone

2022 | 128 | Work of Art

2022 | 157 | Empty Heart Shaped Box

2022 | 215 | NIGHTS LIKE THESE

2022 | 266 | Let Me Go

2023 | 000 | What Was

2023 | 025 | To Love Someone

2023 | 030 | Little Runaway

2023 | 046 | Sugar Sweet

2023 | 234 | Coffee Cake

 

Songs: Top 300

 

 

24 Rita Ora feat. Fatboy Slim - Praising You | 21-2-4-6-16-18-22-22-24-25-25-34-35-25-29-34-x

 

I have a confession to make. I'm not really that big on Fatboy Slim's Praise You. Sure, it's a classic track, everyone knows the words, but it just washes over me. The vocal, the production, it doesn't really work for me. Therefore, when I heard Rita Ora was teaming up with Fatboy Slim himself for a rework of the song, I wasn't really excited, even with Rita's track record for making excellent songs. I shouldn't have doubted her, though. With a midweek release, Praising You entered at #22, before vaulting up 20 places to #2, outdoing You Only Love Me's peak by one place and only being blocked from the top by Benson Boone, who I saw live that week. Regardless, Praising You had a strong chart run and became Rita's biggest hit of the year, and in my view, it was robbed of being a hit!

 

End of Year History

 

Rita Ora

2012 | 028 | How We Do (Party)

2012 | 065 | R.I.P. (feat. Tinie Tempah)

2014 | 013 | Black Widow (Iggy Azalea feat. Rita Ora)

2014 | 030 | I Will Never Let You Down

2015 | 013 | Doing It (Charli XCX feat. Rita Ora)

2015 | 143 | Poison

2015 | 161 | Coming Home (Sigma & Rita Ora)

2015 | 164 | Body On Me (feat. Chris Brown)

2015 | 170 | New York Raining (Charles Hamilton feat. Rita Ora)

2017 | 003 | Anywhere

2017 | 007 | Lonely Together (Avicii feat. Rita Ora)

2017 | 060 | Your Song

2018 | 011 | Girls (feat. Cardi B, Bebe Rexha & Charli XCX)

2018 | 014 | Let You Love Me

2018 | 022 | For You (Liam Payne & Rita Ora)

2018 | 051 | Only Want You

2018 | 282 | First Time High

2019 | 013 | R.I.P. (Sofía Reyes feat. Rita Ora & Anitta)

2019 | 045 | Only Want You (feat. 6LACK)

2019 | 054 | Ritual (Tiësto, Jonas Blue & Rita Ora)

2019 | 114 | Carry On (Kygo & Rita Ora)

2020 | 115 | How to Be Lonely

2021 | 019 | Bang Bang (Rita Ora & Imanbek)

2021 | 020 | You for Me (Sigala & Rita Ora)

2021 | 075 | Big (Rita Ora, David Guetta & Imanbek feat. Gunna)

2021 | 198 | Follow Me (Sam Feldt & Rita Ora)

2023 | 024 | Praising You (feat. Fatboy Slim)

2023 | 028 | Don't Think Twice

2023 | 043 | You Only Love Me

2023 | 081 | Drinkin' (Joel Corry, MK & Rita Ora)

 

Fatboy Slim

2023 | 024 | Praising You (Rita Ora feat. Fatboy Slim)

 

 

 

23 The Kid LAROI - BLEED | 1-2-4-8-16-21-26-…

 

The Kid LAROI describes BLEED as his favourite song he's ever made, and it's a pretty good shout. Released as a promotional track just before the album, and cruelly missing out on a UK top 40 peak by one place, BLEED channels Post Malone for one of Laroi's most vulnerable tracks to date. The song is about an ex of Laroi's who has moved on, but Laroi himself hasn't. It's an emotional track, one of the most touching songs on THE FIRST TIME, and it comes as a nice contrast among other tracks early in the album (from lively opener SORRY to rap track WHERE DO YOU SLEEP?). It debuted at #1 in my chart, dethroning Laroi's own WHAT JUST HAPPENED in the middle of a four-week stretch where Laroi gained four new #1 singles. It's held up better than the actual single from two weeks before (TOO MUCH), and ends up as Laroi's fourth highest track in this year's countdown.

 

End of Year History

 

2020 | 001 | NEED YOU MOST (So Sick)

2020 | 008 | WITHOUT YOU

2020 | 009 | SO DONE

2020 | 014 | SELFISH

2020 | 026 | ALWAYS DO

2020 | 028 | GO (The Kid LAROI & Juice WRLD)

2020 | 033 | WRONG (feat. Lil Mosey)

2020 | 035 | TELL ME WHY

2020 | 047 | Reminds Me of You (Juice WRLD & The Kid LAROI)

2020 | 092 | FEEL SOMETHING (feat. Marshmello)

2020 | 094 | F*CK YOU, GOODBYE (feat. Machine Gun Kelly)

2020 | 113 | I WISH

2020 | 154 | SAME THING

2020 | 190 | TRAGIC (feat. YoungBoy Never Broke Again & Internet Money)

2020 | 207 | Speak (Internet Money feat. The Kid LAROI)

2020 | 212 | MAYBE

2020 | 231 | RUNNING

2020 | 232 | PIKACHU

2020 | 264 | ERASE U

2020 | 267 | NOT FAIR (feat. Corbin)

2021 | 001 | STAY (The Kid LAROI & Justin Bieber)

2021 | 007 | STILL CHOSE YOU (feat. Mustard)

2021 | 014 | SAME ENERGY

2021 | 046 | BAD NEWS

2021 | 048 | I DON'T KNOW

2021 | 050 | OVER YOU

2021 | 052 | Unstable (Justin Bieber feat. The Kid LAROI)

2021 | 100 | NOT SOBER (feat. Polo G & Stunna Gambino)

2021 | 143 | LONELY AND F*CKED UP

2021 | 187 | BEST FOR ME

2021 | 224 | ABOUT YOU

2021 | 234 | ATTENTION

2021 | 235 | SITUATION

2021 | 259 | No Return (Polo G feat. The Kid LAROI & Lil Durk)

2021 | 299 | DON'T LEAVE ME (feat. G Herbo & Lil Durk)

2022 | 004 | Thousand Miles

2022 | 222 | Wasting Angels (Post Malone feat. The Kid LAROI)

2023 | 000 | Forever & Again

2023 | 000 | LOVE AGAIN

2023 | 000 | WHAT JUST HAPPENED

2023 | 023 | BLEED

2023 | 041 | WHAT'S THE MOVE? (The Kid LAROI, Future & BabyDrill)

2023 | 044 | TOO MUCH (The Kid LAROI, Jung Kook & Central Cee)

2023 | 066 | I GUESS IT'S LOVE?

2023 | 092 | I THOUGHT THAT I NEEDED YOU

2023 | 096 | KIDS ARE GROWING UP

2023 | 101 | I Can't Go Back to the Way It Was (Intro)

2023 | 186 | WHERE DOES YOUR SPIRIT GO?

2023 | 197 | NIGHTS LIKE THIS

2023 | 206 | WHAT WENT WRONG???

2023 | 207 | TEAR ME APART

2023 | 267 | YOU

2023 | 275 | THE LINE (The Kid LAROI & d4vd)

 

Songs yet to be revealed are listed in alphabetical order.

 

Songs: Top 300

 

 

22 Alec Benjamin - I Sent My Therapist to Therapy | 1-2-…

 

It's always really hard to rank the newest tracks in the countdown, and Alec Benjamin scored the final (new) #1 single of 2023 (of course, Mariah Carey returned to the top for the Christmas #1!). I Sent My Therapist to Therapy is a pretty contrasting track to the lead single from this Alec era, Different Kind of Beautiful. The latter is a love song, which Alec does really well, but I Sent My Therapist to Therapy sees Alec in his comfort zone: telling stories. While being a commentary on mental health, specifically his own and how he has a lot going on, it also tells the story of how a burden can be passed on continually and how we're all in the same cycle of misery, told with the usual top notch observational skills I've come to expect from Alec. It became his twelfth #1 hit, and his first since Paper Crown at the same time a year prior.

 

End of Year History

 

2016 | 224 | End of the Summer

2017 | 067 | I Built a Friend

2018 | 010 | Let Me Down Slowly

2018 | 073 | 1994

2018 | 077 | Outrunning Karma

2018 | 100 | If We Have Each Other

2018 | 117 | Steve

2018 | 194 | Annabelle's Homework

2018 | 205 | Water Fountain

2019 | 008 | Must Have Been the Wind

2019 | 018 | Mind Is a Prison

2019 | 022 | Jesus in LA

2020 | 019 | Match in the Rain

2020 | 022 | Eyes Blue Like the Atlantic, Pt. 2 (Sista Prod feat. Powfu, Alec Benjamin & Rxseboy)

2020 | 056 | Six Feet Apart

2020 | 068 | Demons

2020 | 101 | Oh My God

2020 | 171 | The Book of You & I

2020 | 188 | Just Like You

2020 | 249 | Alamo

2020 | 255 | I'm Not a Cynic

2020 | 274 | I Built a Friend

2021 | 031 | Older

2021 | 051 | The Way You Felt

2021 | 077 | Change My Clothes (Dream & Alec Benjamin)

2022 | 012 | Devil Doesn't Bargain

2022 | 022 | Paper Crown

2022 | 051 | Shadow of Mine

2022 | 054 | Speakers

2022 | 132 | One Wrong Turn

2022 | 244 | Deniro

2023 | 022 | I Sent My Therapist to Therapy

2023 | 064 | Different Kind of Beautiful

 

 

 

21 Marcus & Martinus - 247365 | 2-4-5-10-14-22-25-27-31-33-x

 

With Melodifestivalen marking a big return to form for Norwegian twins Marcus & Martinus, I was intrigued to see whether they could keep the quality high again. After a big era in 2017-18 with the Moments album, much of the music they released between then and 2023 was forgettable. To my relief, the follow-up to Air was another great dance-pop track. While Air was moodier in sound than their music usually is, 247365 is a straight up dance pop bop, with no strings attached. It's laced with hooks, the production matches the energy perfectly, and it's so addictive (even if the numbers baffled me on first glance xx). It peaked at #2 in my chart, behind Michael Aldag's cheating, which is still to come, so an unlucky week to release. Nevertheless, this is their second best EOY position ever, with their best ever still be announced...

 

End of Year History

 

2016 | 244 | Elektrisk (feat. Katastrofe)

2017 | 050 | Make You Believe in Love

2017 | 203 | Like It Like It (feat. Silentó)

2018 | 029 | Remind Me

2018 | 280 | Invited

2019 | 295 | Pocket Dial

2023 | 000 | Air

2023 | 021 | 247365

 

Great to see "Praising You" on here, surprisingly good for me!

Great to see "Praising You" on here, surprisingly good for me!

Thanks so much Sergej!! :D