Jim's EOY top 120(?) of 2024

 

 

Welcome to my second EOY thread on Buzzjack! :hi:

 

In 2023, I ran my own personal chart as a weekly top 40 throughout the year. From this, I used the system of 40 points for a week at #1 down to 1 point for a week at #40 in producing my EOY top 100 of 2023 - the top 10 was:

 

01 | Rose Gray - Ecstasy

02 | MRD - Last Dance

03 | LOOK MUM NO COMPUTER - Time Is Not A Healer It’s A Fuel For Resentment

04 | ACRAZE & Aviella - In A Dream

05 | MRD & TDJ - Memories Of You

06 | Röyksopp feat. Susanne Sundfør - Stay Awhile

07 | Loreen - Tattoo

08 | Metric - False Dichotomy

09 | Geo22 - Magic

10 | Hannah Laing & RoRo - Good Love

 

Last year, I switched to a monthly top 40 of newly charted songs only, meaning I charted a total of 480 new songs across the 12 months (63 more than in 2023), but with each song appearing only once. To turn these into an EOY list, I've taken the top 10s from each month, and ranked the songs at each position in turn, starting with the 12 monthly #10s, and finishing with the 12 monthly #1s.

 

This brings most of my favourite moments of the year into 10 ranked lists of 12, so in a roundabout way a top 120 of 2024, which I'll be counting down!

:cheer: looking forward to finding out what has made it in for you this year.

 

Monthly #10s

 

#120 Gracie Abrams - Close To You [#10, Jun]

#119 Sara Landry, Shlømo - Play With Me [#10, Dec]

#118 Patty Gurdy - Brighter Days Come [#10, Nov]

#117 Sam Quealy - Watch Me Now [#10, Jan]

#116 Charli xcx - So I [#10, Sep]

#115 The Cure - Alone [#10, Oct]

#114 Everything Everything - The End Of The Contender [#10, Feb]

#113 Ariana Grande - we can't be friends (wait for your love) [#10, Mar]

#112 Grum - Voyager2 [#10, Apr]

#111 Lady Gaga & Bruno Mars - Die With A Smile [#10, Aug]

#110 The Beaches - What Doesn't Kill You Makes You Paranoid [#10, May]

#109 Tinlicker feat. Brian Molko - Nowhere To Go [#10, Jul]

 

These 12 songs are quite a close-knit bunch with nothing feeling out of place. This was the first I heard from Gracie Abrams and it's still very much the best for me with a huge poppy chorus. Next are a couple of my 11 pointers in BJSC - my first impression of the Sara Landry and Shlømo song is its video almost blinding me when it came on during the listenthrough, but it's a banging burst of techno energy, while the traditionally rooted Patty Gurdy song just became more uplifting with each listen and made me want to jig around the room. Sam Quealy also had a high score from me with 'Seven Swords' in BJSC 160, and although I didn't expect much more from an album, this catchy throwback to 80s pop is one I ended up liking even more. Charli xcx of course had a huge year, although it took a while for any of the BRAT singles to really catch on with me, but this one of the album's deeper cuts hit differently from first listen. The Cure delivered one of the comebacks of the year - the brooding intensity of the instrumental first half of the song is almost as powerful as when Robert Smith eventually comes in with the killer line "This is the end of every song that we sing".

 

Everything Everything were heading up my weekly charts with 'Cold Reactor' when I paused them at the end of 2023, and here they pretty much carried on where that left off, albeit more jangly and with many great lines. Ariana Grande made my first monthly chart with 'yes, and?' but very quickly improved on that with a gorgeous follow-up which lyrically connects with the theme of the Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind film (which I still haven't seen yet) and combines with her two solo UK #2s from earlier years to complete my three favourites from her. I knew 'Look To The Light' by Grum from before my BJSC debut, but this subtle shift into electronica has held up more for me than one or two of the dance instrumentals which are still to come - it's certainly one of the most memorable tunes. The duet between Lady Gaga & Bruno Mars initially seemed a slightly low-key return for the former artist, but as a classic soul throwback in the wheelhouse of the latter, it has become undeniably one of the hits of 2024 and probably way beyond - is it becoming ever so slightly overplayed already, not sure, but it has to be high in this section regardless. The first I heard from The Beaches is here, the title is belted in an awesome guitar-fuelled chorus. There's more of them to come later, incidentally from the same stacked BJSC 166 contest as the remaining song in this section: Tinlicker assisted by the vocals of Placebo's Brian Molko had to settle for my 10 points then, but it's an intense circling EDM tune and narrowly takes top billing here.

Edited January 6Jan 6 by jimwatts

'So I' is a beautiful moment from BRAT. It's a really lovely tribute to SOPHIE and I'm glad it I got to see it as it got it's moment on her recent tour.

 

'we can't be friends (wait for your love)' is of course my favourite song so far though. :wub: Definitely a stand-out moment from the album.

 

I'd definitely recommend watching the 'Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind', it's an outstanding film!

:cheer: looking forward to finding out what has made it in for you this year.

Thanks for the hype :cheer: I guarantee there'll have been a few you like already and more to come!

 

'So I' is a beautiful moment from BRAT. It's a really lovely tribute to SOPHIE and I'm glad it I got to see it as it got it's moment on her recent tour.

 

'we can't be friends (wait for your love)' is of course my favourite song so far though. :wub: Definitely a stand-out moment from the album.

 

I'd definitely recommend watching the 'Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind', it's an outstanding film!

It's great to hear some perspective on 'So I' as it's a counterpoint musically to most of 'BRAT' why is perhaps why it's largely gone under the radar, but it is very moving - and now I realise 'It's Okay To Cry' was a SOPHIE song title. Thanks for the ESOTSM film recommendation - I'll be sure to watch it at some point!

 

Thanks both ^_^

 

Monthly #9s

 

#108 Moonchild Sanelly - Do My Dance [#9, Nov]

#107 MINTTT - Bom Dia, Mentira [#9, Jun]

#106 The Vaccines - Hometown Of Jupiter [#9, Apr]

#105 Khruangbin - May Ninth [#9, Mar]

#104 Fat Dog - Running [#9, May]

#103 Wings Of Desire - Some Old Place I Used To Know [#9, Aug]

#102 Mura Masa, Cherish - FLY [#9, Sep]

#101 The Marías - No One Noticed [#9, Dec]

#100 Dua Lipa - Training Season [#9, Feb]

#99 Jockstrap - Concrete Over Water [#9, Jan]

#98 Annie - The Sky Is Blue [#9, Oct]

#97 Mindspeak - The Chase [#9, Jul]

 

Her music described as "electro-pop-ghetto-funk", Moonchild Sanelly had a couple of minor hits on my chart earlier in the year, but this sounded like a breakthrough moment, energetic, naughty and infectiously catchy. The two BJSC entries in this section appear next - the enigmatic mixture of high bpm nocturnal soundscapes and vocals drifting from bliss to other extremes from MINTTT got my bronze in BJSC 165, while the celestially-themed ballad I hadn't previously heard from The Vaccines went one better in BJSC 163. Remaining in a chilled state, the gorgeous electric guitar of Khruangbin accompanied by a hushed unison of vocals is as relaxing as one could wish for. It's therefore quite some whiplash to move next to Fat Dog - but as with Nabihah Iqbal the previous year, their BJSC winner ('King Of The Slugs') seemed to build momentum perfectly for them around these parts, and this saxophone punctuated stream of paranoia that followed is my favourite from them to date. The male/female indie duo Wings Of Desire are a lesser recognised name, with a ballad that builds around an insistent guitar line reminiscent of The Jesus And Mary Chain.

 

Last year I learnt that Cherish had more than one song ripe for sampling, and Mura Masa took free rein in chopping and looping the vocals around distorted bleeps and bass that suitably takes flight. At the nominal unlucky #101 position comes the burgeoning current official Top 100 hit from The Marías - a gorgeous yet mournful ballad. A song that was very much a hit in 2024 takes #100 for Dua Lipa with her momentum from 'Houdini' very much intact here, staying in the same lyrical premise with a tense production, elongated chorus and bridges that keep everything on a knife-edge yet danceably carefree. I had already heard a few songs by Jockstrap before 2024, but the shimmering electronics and vocal splendour of this one easily established it as my favourite, with the sped up summary of the song at the end a satisfying bonus. The nearest this section comes to trance is courtesy of Annie and her delightful multichart hit. However my top place in this selection goes to Mindspeak with a six-minute melodic rock song which may well have taken me into an actual trance, and made me believe that such a song could do well in BJSC 168, but more on that much later.

Two great BJSC entries in your first section with Nowhere To Go and Brighter Days Come - enjoyed both of those very much!

Hello again Jim, these are my favourites to appear so far:

 

#117 Sam Quealy - Watch Me Now [#10, Jan]

#116 Charli xcx - So I [#10, Sep]

#115 The Cure - Alone [#10, Oct]

#114 Everything Everything - The End Of The Contender [#10, Feb]

#113 Ariana Grande - we can't be friends (wait for your love) [#10, Mar]

#107 MINTTT - Bom Dia, Mentira [#9, Jun]

#104 Fat Dog - Running [#9, May]

#101 The Marías - No One Noticed [#9, Dec]

#100 Dua Lipa - Training Season [#9, Feb]

#99 Jockstrap - Concrete Over Water [#9, Jan]

 

So, plenty of crossover already *.* I spy a few weekly #1s for me in 'we can't be friends (wait for your love)', 'The End Of The Contender' and 'Training Season' - glad you were a fan of these too <3 I am another who highly recommends Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind! It had been on my 'to watch' list for years and was definitely worth the wait.

Hi Jim

 

My faves so far:

 

#115 The Cure - Alone [#10, Oct]

#114 Everything Everything - The End Of The Contender [#10, Feb]

#113 Ariana Grande - we can't be friends (wait for your love) [#10, Mar]

#111 Lady Gaga & Bruno Mars - Die With A Smile [#10, Aug]

#104 Fat Dog - Running [#9, May]

#103 Wings Of Desire - Some Old Place I Used To Know [#9, Aug]

#101 The Marías - No One Noticed [#9, Dec]

#100 Dua Lipa - Training Season [#9, Feb]

#99 Jockstrap - Concrete Over Water [#9, Jan]

#98 Annie - The Sky Is Blue [#9, Oct]

 

 

Two great BJSC entries in your first section with Nowhere To Go and Brighter Days Come - enjoyed both of those very much!

Glad to hear, contrasting types of song but great entries both!

 

Hello again Jim, these are my favourites to appear so far:

 

#117 Sam Quealy - Watch Me Now [#10, Jan]

#116 Charli xcx - So I [#10, Sep]

#115 The Cure - Alone [#10, Oct]

#114 Everything Everything - The End Of The Contender [#10, Feb]

#113 Ariana Grande - we can't be friends (wait for your love) [#10, Mar]

#107 MINTTT - Bom Dia, Mentira [#9, Jun]

#104 Fat Dog - Running [#9, May]

#101 The Marías - No One Noticed [#9, Dec]

#100 Dua Lipa - Training Season [#9, Feb]

#99 Jockstrap - Concrete Over Water [#9, Jan]

 

So, plenty of crossover already *.* I spy a few weekly #1s for me in 'we can't be friends (wait for your love)', 'The End Of The Contender' and 'Training Season' - glad you were a fan of these too <3 I am another who highly recommends Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind! It had been on my 'to watch' list for years and was definitely worth the wait.

Nice to see a long list, and I'm pleased you've taken to 'No One Noticed' in the week or so since my December chart, hopefully it can become a proper UK hit!

 

Hi Jim

 

My faves so far:

 

#115 The Cure - Alone [#10, Oct]

#114 Everything Everything - The End Of The Contender [#10, Feb]

#113 Ariana Grande - we can't be friends (wait for your love) [#10, Mar]

#111 Lady Gaga & Bruno Mars - Die With A Smile [#10, Aug]

#104 Fat Dog - Running [#9, May]

#103 Wings Of Desire - Some Old Place I Used To Know [#9, Aug]

#101 The Marías - No One Noticed [#9, Dec]

#100 Dua Lipa - Training Season [#9, Feb]

#99 Jockstrap - Concrete Over Water [#9, Jan]

#98 Annie - The Sky Is Blue [#9, Oct]

Hi Mack, glad you like a lot of these too, I'm particularly happy to see Wings Of Desire as one of your faves!

 

Thanks all ^_^

 

Monthly #8s

 

#96 Allie X - Weird World [#8, Mar]

#95 JJ Wilde - Arizona [#8, Apr]

#94 Alok, Ely Oaks - Tsunami [#8, Feb]

#93 Lankum - Newcastle [#8, Jan]

#92 Swiss Portrait - Paralyzed [#8, Nov]

#91 Shygirl, Danny L Harle, Club Shy - encore [#8, Jun]

#90 Marlon Hoffstadt, DJ Daddy Trance - Move Your Feet [#8, Oct]

#89 Pictureplane - Velvet Lies (Metallic Garden) [#8, Aug]

#88 Dua Lipa - Falling Forever [#8, May]

#87 Fazerdaze - Cherry Pie [#8, Sep]

#86 Tove Lo - No One Dies From Love [#8, Dec]

#85 The Beaches - Blame Brett [#8, Jul]

 

Allie X made #98 in my more robustly compiled 2023 EOY with 'Black Eye', and goes a nominal two places better here - I'm not convinced it's a better song, but it isn't out of place here either and showcases more of her synth pop sensibilities and feelings of alienation. JJ Wilde is actually from Canada, but in this widescreen rock ballad she sings so passionately of her sense of freedom in the Grand Canyon State that she could have fooled me - she has another song to come. The Alok and Ely Oaks collab is an EDM guilty pleasure as it's not the most elegant, but the sped up vocals and everything else combine to unleash some hidden energy. I was introduced to Lankum with a couple of song contest entries in 2023 from which I particularly liked the storytelling of 'The New York Trader', but this has supplanted it as my favourite with the folk harmonies contemplating a love interest. The next song is one of the very few in this countdown I discovered before 2024 - the dreamy guitar and vocals (which I originally thought were female) of Scotland's Swiss Portrait came up in a playlist before the 2023 Nuggets song contest, but since I was on holiday when that took place, I saved it to make my debut in the 2024 edition, where it finished 23rd - still, that was a place higher than my Unknown Pleasures debut and three higher than mine in BJSC and PFSC. Shygirl and her Club Shy project had been much anticipated and the initial EP produced a few hits around Buzzjack, but this collab with Danny L Harle that followed it went largely under the radar, despite the banging production and formidable lyrical presence in my favourite of hers since 'Firefly'.

 

OK, moving into the second quarter of the countdown, OK, with Marlon Hoffstadt and DJ Daddy Trance in collaboration as usual, OK, with an infectious techno bop that isn't the Junior Senior classic, OK, though the sound has a hint of throwback to that early millennium era, OK, punctuated by a vocal sample of "OK". I discovered Pictureplane through an Electronic Track Of The Week in 2023, but I enjoyed this darkwave / post punk-ish swerve from them even more. Radical Optimism arrived for Dua Lipa in May, and as my top takeaway from the newly released tracks, the euphoric chorus of "How looOOooOOoong" evidently wasn't everyone's, but honestly I think a few more tunes as memorable as this would have done wonders for the album. Fazerdaze were a new find for me in 2024 and revisiting this dreamy slice of synthwave in late November had me wish I'd done so a little earlier in time for BJSC 170, as I sensed (correctly as it turned out) that my chosen entry was about to DNQ. Tove Lo appears with another song I knew prior to 2024, but I gave this anthem of heartbreak a belated chart spot for completeness' sake after it missed my 100 most played in 2022 yet has held up as well as anything of hers I've charted since. As with both the lower monthly positions, top spot of the #8s goes to July and in this case The Beaches as the all-female band have a second song in this countdown, this one coming to my attention in BJSC - classic punk pop with an unforgettable chorus.

yay for Tinlicker being deemed the best of the #10s! :cheer:

 

Fat Dog will end up very high in my list too ~

 

Marlon Hoffstadt *is* DJ Daddy Trance :kink:

yay for Tinlicker being deemed the best of the #10s! :cheer:

 

Fat Dog will end up very high in my list too ~

 

Marlon Hoffstadt *is* DJ Daddy Trance :kink:

Well that explains it :lol: you never see them in the same room together :kink: Thanks Dan ^_^

Had to give 'Move Your Feet' a quick listen with your 'OK' commentary on it - I can see what you mean! A fairly decent dance track.

 

Monthly #7s

 

#84 Armin van Buuren, Agents Of Time, ORKID - Love Is Eternity [#7, Sep]

#83 Von Bikräv, TDJ - Saut De L'Ange [#7, Jan]

#82 Baby Jane - Cemetery Date [#7, Nov]

#81 No Mana - Solarpunk [#7, Oct]

#80 Block & Crown - Raise The Roof [#7, Feb]

#79 James Blake - Thrown Around [#7, Jun]

#78 Sharon Van Etten - Afterlife [#7, Dec]

#77 NTO & Vitalic - Cœur Noir [#7, Mar]

#76 Machinedrum - Stairzzzzzz [#7, Jul]

#75 NERO - Draw Energy [#7, May]

#74 beabadoobee - Beaches [#7, Aug]

#73 Fontaines D.C. - Starburster [#7, Apr]

 

Armin van Buuren made my charts a few times in 2024, the highest being this collaboration with Agents Of Time and ORKID whose vocals and the trancey instrumental head for the heights. Staying with EDM, the TDJ album SPF INFINI 3 provided me a few hits in late 2023, and on listening to the whole album, the Von Bikräv collab provided another as the pounding bass was hard to resist. The next two songs got my 13 points in their respective BJSCs, spooky tinged dance pop from Baby Jane in 169 and sparkly, bassy electronica from No Mana in 168. There's more EDM from Block & Crown with an uplifting house song. I've known of James Blake since his Mercury Prize win in 2013 without having had much that's stuck with me, but the circling staccato piano on this one found me straight away and his vocals really soar in the middle eight.

 

Despite a similarly long history, Sharon Van Etten was a new name for me last year, but this mid-tempo indie pop made a fine first impression. The NTO and Vitalic collab produced one of the most memorable EDM instrumentals of last year with an almost classical spindly riff. Machinedrum provide an even more memorable one next, albeit the oldest track in the countdown as it's from 2021, where the riff ascends as if climbing an endless staircase, while the production turns darker and more intrusive as breakbeats start throwing everything around, before relenting in the final minute as the staircase heads skyward. NERO delivered their third album in 2024 - my favourite of the singles is built around a sensual vocal sample and heavy bassline which raises the pressure before it gets chopped up with a hint of early Skrillex as well as their own commercial peak era. beabadoobee is another artist for whom I've liked several earlier songs without a huge favourite, but that changed with the breezy guitar and gorgeous chorus in the song embedded above. However the top placing in this section has to go to Fontaines D.C. and their first singles chart hit leading into what has swiftly become their biggest era - Grian Chatten delivers many great lines ratcheting up the obsession ("I wanna keep all of your charm in a canister" one of too many to mention) and a chorus with those sharp intakes of breath - the softer middle eight before the last one tops it all off.

Loving 'Beaches' from your recent section. :wub:

 

I've really become a huge fan of beabadoobee this year after being a casual fan of the odd song from her previously.

The Sky Is Blue is my favourite song to appear so far :wub: Annie is so quietly consistent, she deserves so much more love and acclaim.

Had to give 'Move Your Feet' a quick listen with your 'OK' commentary on it - I can see what you mean! A fairly decent dance track.

haha, I suppose that commentary looked odd to anyone who doesn't know the song, which is most people! Glad you checked it out anyway.

 

Loving 'Beaches' from your recent section. :wub:

 

I've really become a huge fan of beabadoobee this year after being a casual fan of the odd song from her previously.

I've been the same, but 'Beaches' has really stuck with me, her vocals blend so well with that guitar sound :wub:

 

The Sky Is Blue is my favourite song to appear so far :wub: Annie is so quietly consistent, she deserves so much more love and acclaim.

I was a little late to it as I'd been on holiday when it came out, but when I saw it had made the multichart, it seemed she had more of a following than I realised. I'll be sure to check out more from her!

 

Thanks all ^_^

 

Monthly #6s

 

#72 Butschi - Don't You Feel My Heart [#6, Jun]

#71 Suite Simone - Hazed Blue [#6, Mar]

#70 Felix Jaehn, Leony - Waking Up [#6, Jan]

#69 MRD, Flawless Issues - i fall apart [#6, Nov]

#68 Ben Hemsley, Rose Gray - Tidal [#6, Oct]

#67 Celestial Skies - Forget Me Not [#6, Jul]

#66 Father John Misty - Q4 [#6, Dec]

#65 Blondshell feat. Bully - Docket [#6, Apr]

#64 Camera Obscura - The Light Nights [#6, May]

#63 april june - carry you on my broken wings [#6, Aug]

#62 TR/ST, Cecile Believe - Run [#6, Feb]

#61 Safe Mind, Boy Harsher, LUCY - 6' Pole [#6, Sep]

 

A few electronic tracks to start this section - the Butschi and Suite Simone were discoveries from Electronic Track Of The Week, the former more pacey and the latter with verses and some progression in the production, and while the former loops the title, the latter has one of those nagging vocal loops that I can't quite make out, something like "don't worry about the bee in here" :lol: The collab between Felix Jaehn and Leony sounded nothing like I'd expect from either artist with a less commercial production and the latter's vocals a little way down in the mix - the chorus reminds me a little of 'Call Me' or another Blondie song perhaps. The two artists who delivered my EOY top 2 of 2023 make their entrance in the next two songs - first is the only appearance for MRD in this countdown as I charted his first two 2024 singles, but this collaboration with Flawless Issues was a return to the post punk guitar and "New Order-esque" sound of those songs I enjoyed so much the year before, even his vocals were back. Rose Gray had my EOY #1 of 2023 and has another song to come, but one of her best turns was guesting for producer Ben Hemsley on this number whose trancey progression was more to my taste than his hits in BJSC. On that subject, only two this year's DNQs have made my countdown - regular participants can probably guess one of them, but the other by Celestial Skies is from the unfortunate streak of Herbilore entries which haven't progressed - I was in the opposite semi final in BJSC 166, otherwise I'd certainly have given it at least 10 if not 12 points, as it's a fabulous tale of an unrequited love, accompanied by breezy synths.

 

Father John Misty rose to a thrilling BJSC win in the contest before last with 'Screamland' and reminded me that although I'd been won over by the singles of his previous era in 2022, I'd moved on too quickly to lift the best of those songs in my top 100 most played of that year, so here is the last song in this countdown that I knew prior to 2024, the tragic tale of a theatre performer with uplifting strings in the chorus as a counterpoint. Blondshell and Bully are both female artists who were new to me last year and came together on a rocky ode to unfaithful urges, with lots of loud guitar and an irresistible chorus. Of simpler romantic nature, the second song I charted from indie outfit Camera Obscura beautifully pairs the lead guitar melody with the Glaswegian-accented vocals of Tracyanne Campbell. Staying with indie, the vocals of female soloist april june are bathed in a wall of synths in another of this countdown's most soothing moments. I was introduced to the music of BJSC winner TR/ST this year and it didn't take me long to see how that came about, as this collab with Cecile Believe pairs their contrasting vocals in a danceable yet minimal production which leaves the occasional hint of darkness beneath. Topping this section just before halfway are Safe Mind which is the collaborative project of Augustus Muller and Cooper B. Handy, originally credited under Boy Harsher and LUCY respectively, with the former's many great lines ("wanna achieve it like a sick sick goal" follows the title) underpinned by choppy guitar and a brilliant squelchy disco production.

Beaches was a decent song from earlier in the year! I had no idea Camera Obscura were still releasing music so just listening to The Light Nights now, it's a nice folky song!