(This seems like a good place to put my favorite signatures of the year, for posterity)

 

We are so back!! I may be late in opening the thread but I'm actually ahead of schedule compared to recent years, with my first section almost ready to post. I have 61 songs to count down this year, and Sabrina Carpenter, Charli xcx, Chappell Roan and Gracie Abrams combined make up almost 20% of the countdown. Will one of them be #1, or will it be

? Have I even decided my #1 yet? I think so, but it's not too late for me to change my mind. Stay tuned, we will start to find out soon!

 

Edit: It's been a while since I've done honorable mentions. I do have a list, so might as well post it!

 

Ayokay "Leave With My Love"

Benson Boone "Slow It Down"

Charli xcx feat. Ariana Grande "Sympathy Is A Knife"

Charli xcx & Lorde "Girl, So Confusing"

Eminem "Houdini"

Glass Animals "A Tear In Space (Airlock)"

Hanumankind feat. Kalmi "Big Dawgs"

Koe Wetzel & Jessie Murph "High Road"

Lay Bankz "Tell Ur Girlfriend"

Leon Bridges "Peaceful Place"

Olivia Rodrigo "Obsessed"

Rudimental x Skepsis feat. Charlotte Plank & Riko Dan "Green & Gold"

Songer "Toxic"

Teddy Swims "Lose Control"

61. Sabrina Carpenter "Please Please Please"

This is the first of FOUR Sabrina Carpenter entries, a remarkable return after six years of being absent from my EOY! 'Please Please Please' ranks the lowest of the four, mainly because it took the longest to grow on me. I don't think this 70s-era production style has aged well at all, and sounds pretty out of place…but at the same time, that made me even more impressed by its success, and it certainly stood out on the radio! The lyrics and Sabrina's wonderful vocals were enough to win me over in the end.

Previous EOY history: "Thumbs" (#24, 2017), "Why" (#25, 2017)

 

60. Tommy Richman "Million Dollar Baby"

I had never heard of Tommy Richman before, and suddenly 'Million Dollar Baby' was #2 on the Hot 100 and #1 in several countries. As a non-TikToker, this naturally caught me by surprise. :lol: Despite feeling like I was late to the party, I really did enjoy the song, that beat is a massive earworm. It sounds like absolutely nothing else (to my knowledge) which made its success equally refreshing. I hope this isn't the last we hear of him, but also not sure if he's a one-trick pony or if his other music is worth a listen.

 

59. Post Malone feat. Luke Combs "Guy For That"

At first I wondered if 'Guy For That' was a song that Luke wrote for himself and just gave to Post Malone as a leftover. By the time I learned they wrote it together, it had grown on me a whole lot! It's no surprise that Posty wanted Luke on his country album or for their collab to be one of the singles. My criticism, as with many short songs, is that it ends after the second chorus, which feels much too soon, especially with Posty and Luke getting just one verse and chorus each. I've never seen porta-potties feature so prominently in a music video, definitely a "only Post Malone would do this" kind of moment. :lol:

Previous EOY history for Post Malone: "Rockstar" (#59, 2017), "Psycho" (#7, 2018), "Better Now" (#23, 2018), "Jackie Chan" (#24, 2018), "Circles" (#17, 2019), "Goodbyes" (#18, 2019), "One Right Now" (#13, 2022)

Previous EOY history for Luke: "Even Though I'm Leaving" (#8, 2020), "The Kind Of Love We Make" (#2, 2022), "Fast Car" (#2, 2023), "Going, Going, Gone" (#42, 2023)

 

58. The Blessed Madonna feat. Clementine Douglas "Happier"

I was excited to hear Clementine Douglas on another song after how much I loved her vocals on 'Asking' the year before. She sounds great on 'Happier' too, so she's 2 for 2 in my affections! I just love how she exudes 90s R&B even with a completely current song. Maybe one day I'll actually go out of my way to listen to other songs of hers—including revisiting her BJSC entries as I don't seem to recall them. :ph34r: As for The Blessed Madonna, this is my instant fave of hers; she and Clementine complement each other well here!

Previous EOY history for Clementine: "Asking" (#47, 2023)

 

57. Awolnation "Panoramic View"

Here's a name I bet you weren't expecting to see! This is Awolnation's debut apperance in my EOY and it only took 14 years after their breakthrough. Alternative radio still plays their new material, and that's where I first heard 'Panoramic View', initially not knowing who it was by. As someone who actually was indifferent to 'Sail', this one is not shouty at all; in fact it's almost a ballad, and a beautiful one at that!

 

56. Billie Eilish "Lunch"

Speaking of alternative radio, 'Lunch' was tailor-made for it, and I loved that Billie went with this style of song to kick off her massive third era. It got things off to a good start with an even better song waiting in the wings (pun intended? :thinking: ). For me 'Birds Of A Feather' was the instant fave while 'Lunch' was the more gradual slow-burner, opposite to how they both performed on the charts. Nothing wrong with that, though!

Previous EOY history: "Bad Guy" (#36, 2019), "Everything I Wanted" (#32, 2020 and #57, 2019), "My Future" (#46, 2020), "Happier Than Ever" (#8, 2021), "What Was I Made For?" (#54, 2023)

 

55. Sabrina Carpenter "Taste"

I'm pretty sure all of the best, most quotable lyrics of the year all came from on the same album, and that album is none other than Short 'n Sweet. 'Taste' is certainly no exception! Sonically I feel it has such 90s energy, somewhere in the realm of Alanis Morissette, Sheryl Crow, Natalie Imbruglia and The Divinyls. You know I'm a stickler for song length but I never would've guessed this is only 2:37; it feels much more complete than other songs that short (and sweet)!

Previous EOY history: "Thumbs" (#24, 2017), "Why" (#25, 2017)

 

54. Ella Henderson feat. Rudimental "Alibi"

While I can appreciate the cultural impact of 'Gangsta's Paradise', I've never liked the song enough to have any attachment to it, so this sample didn't bother me the way it bothered others. In fact I would much rather listen to 'Alibi', which might be an unpopular opinion! I probably said something similar about 'Children' a year ago in my write-up for 'React', oops. :ph34r: Ella has done well to be one of the last few X Factor alumni scoring chart hits.

Previous EOY history for Ella: "React" (#39, 2023)

Previous EOY history for Rudimental: "Come Over" (#65, 2020)

 

53. Tate McRae "It's Ok I'm Ok"

Tate McRae keeps putting out music to strike while the iron's hot, wasting little to no time between eras. Good for her and good for us too. 'It's Ok I'm Ok' hit me right away sounding like it came straight from an early Britney Spears album. It really did sound big on first listen although it hasn't been quite the smash I thought it would be. Still a promising direction for her though and I'm looking forward to more.

Previous EOY history: "You Broke Me First" (#42, 2020), "She's All I Wanna Be" (#24, 2022), "Greedy" (#40, 2023)

 

52. Charli xcx feat. Billie Eilish "Guess"

Any 2024 EOY would be incomplete without her! I don't need to explain why Brat is an utter masterpiece because everyone already knows. That said, some tracks were made even better in their remix form, and 'Guess' is one of those. The production takes me right back to Fedde le Grand's couple of hits, both of which I love, and yet it sounds perfectly fresh too. It's been loooong overdue for Charli to finally have a UK #1 as lead artist; finally the timing was right and made this an amazing chart moment!

Previous EOY history for Charli: "Boom Clap" (#3, 2014), "Fancy" (#4, 2014), "1999" (#53, 2018), "Good Ones" (#46, 2021), "Beg For You" (#34, 2022), "Speed Drive" (#20, 2023)

Previous EOY history for Billie: "Bad Guy" (#36, 2019), "Everything I Wanted" (#32, 2020 and #57, 2019), "My Future" (#46, 2020), "Happier Than Ever" (#8, 2021), "What Was I Made For?" (#54, 2023)

 

51. Sadie Jean "Locksmith"

Next is a song I sent to BJSC, or Buzzjack Song Contest if anyone's not familiar. In a year that I sent a handful of songs I've known for several years, 'Locksmith' was my favorite of the recent songs that I sent. I just wish I could remember where I discovered it! Based on my Shazam history, I Shazamed it on a Wednesday night in December 2023, and I would've been either shopping or at a restaurant at that time. Either way, I forgot about the song until I re-listened to consider it for BJSC, and instantly fell in love. It didn't perform remarkably by any means but I think will be a fave of mine for years to come. :wub:

Slow It Down in your honourable mentions! :heart:

 

I feel similarly about Gangsta's Paradise and Alibi - the former isn't really a favourite of mine and I have no attachment to it, so I was here for Alibi and I think it was a great rework, one of Ella's best dance songs.

 

Love the Sabrina songs too, as well as Guess and It's ok I'm ok :wub:

'Please Please Please' that featured the lowest out of the five songs, two which made my End of Year Top 40.

 

'MILLION DOLLAR BABY' that does make an appearance in my countdown.

 

'Guy For That' wasn't that much of a fan from Post Malone, I'm afraid.

 

Enjoyed 'Happier', 'Lunch' and 'Taste'

 

'Alibi' at the time I wasn't an fan of the 'Gangsta's Paradise' sample but now it is all right.

 

Giving Panoramic View a listen after reading your description - I'm not sure I'd have recognised it as AWOLNATION either! It is a nice song, clearly showing a lot of affection to whoever the song's about.

50. Kygo & Ava Max "Whatever"

Is this controversial? 'Whenever, Wherever' is very much a fave and that still didn't hinder my enjoyment of 'Whatever'; if anything, it helped me enjoy it more. Everything about it is familiar, from Kygo's production to Ava's vocals to Shakira's melody, so that's an easy formula that works for people with basic taste like me. I miss when Ava was getting more attention for her own songs than for her features, but hey, she's stretched her chart career along for six years now so that's pretty good going.

Previous EOY history for Kygo: "Higher Love" (#3, 2019)

Previous EOY history for Ava: "Sweet But Psycho" (#11, 2019), "Kings & Queens" (#35, 2020), "My Head & My Heart" (#2, 2021), "The Motto" (#12, 2022)

 

49. Chappell Roan "Good Luck, Babe!"

You know I hate to say but… 'Good Luck, Babe!' is probably my least favorite Chappell song, which can only be a testament to how great her discography is overall. I liked it more for Chappell Roan's sake and the context of being her big breakthrough, than for the song itself. It also did its job of making all of her songs bigger and more well-known than they would have been otherwise. A rising tide lifts all ships. I love the Kate Bush-inspired vocals, and eventually I got over the "good luck babe" lyric being completely incoherent. :kink: Even if I would've picked a different song as her biggest hit, it's still so deserved!

 

48. Addison Rae "Diet Pepsi"

I'm sure I'm not the only one who immediately noticed 'Diet Pepsi' having similarities to Lana Del Rey. The coincidence, of course, is one of Lana's earliest songs being 'Diet Mountain Dew'. I'm more of a Coke Zero guy, but I really liked it and never really felt it was a ripoff. But why can't people just listen to Lana instead of other people trying to sound like her? Anyway, brilliant song, and it felt like an underdog story for it to make the UK top 10.

 

47. Sabrina Carpenter "Feather"

I first heard about 'Feather' from the controversy over the music video being filmed at that church - an unexpected way to get exposure. That said, it really transcended that controversy to become a slow-burning, genuinely popular hit. Radio rarely gets to champion hits anymore, as streaming and TikTok have taken over that role, but I think U.S. radio has an argument to take some credit for this one. It kept growing on me and I never truly tired of hearing it, despite hearing it a lot! I'm also sure it helped set up 'Espresso', and every song of hers since, to be even bigger than they would have been otherwise.

Previous EOY history: "Thumbs" (#24, 2017), "Why" (#25, 2017)

 

46. The Weeknd "Dancing In The Flames"

I feel The Weeknd has been musically stuck between a rock and a hard place for some time now. Clearly nothing is going to reach the highs of his After Hours era, as he keeps falling victim to diminishing returns. I suppose 'Dancing In The Flames' might sound too much like 'Blinding Lights' and company, but it still deserved more attention and longevity than it got, in my opinion. I don't know what he should do, because I feel like the quality is still there and he is not being rewarded for it.

Previous EOY history: "I Feel It Coming" (#2, 2017 and #29, 2016), "Pray For Me" (#14, 2018), "Power Is Power" (#40, 2019), "Heartless" (#1, 2020), "Blinding Lights" (#4, 2020), "In Your Eyes" (#50, 2020), "You Right" (#47, 2021), "Take My Breath" (#48, 2021), "Save Your Tears" (#63, 2021), "One Right Now" (#13, 2022), "Creepin’" (#41, 2023), "Double Fantasy" (#61, 2023)

 

45. Jade "Angel Of My Dreams"

We waited the longest for Jade to release a solo track, and it turned out to be well worth the wait. I'm still undecided if 'Angel Of My Dreams' is my fave, because Leigh-Anne's 'Don't Say Love' is right up there in my affections. But 'Angel Of My Dreams' sounds incredibly inspired, incredibly unique, and has also had good replay value. I'm glad it wasn't quite as front-loaded as the other Little Mix solo releases have been. I'm amazed at the artistic vision in her music so far, so if any of the girls can finally put out an album, I hope it's her!

 

44. Jimin "Who"

While I don't condone whatever bot shenanigans are going on, I most definitely condone these 2000s-inspired solo tracks from the BTS members! I guess it's no surprise that Jimin would be inspired by fellow boy-band-member-gone solo Justin Timberlake, because as soon as you hear the beginning of 'Who', the similarities to 'Like I Love You' cannot be ignored. Of course Jungkook took similar inspiration the year before for '3D', but I'm giving Jimin extra credit for recording it on his own with no features. At this point though, instead of getting artificial longevity from these bots, why not just release a new song?

 

43. Artemas "I Like The Way You Kiss Me"

I wasn't seeking out any dark, mysterious pop last year, but Artemas broke through and 'I Like The Way You Kiss Me' made a big impression. With that title you'd expect more of a heartfelt ballad, but this is very much the opposite, fast-paced with a bit of an edge. It did pretty amazing on the Hot 100 with a #12 peak, even with minimal radio support. I haven't latched onto any other tracks of his yet, but am open to hearing more!

 

42. Usher "Kissing Strangers"

Despite being very successful with uptempo pop bangers back in the day, Usher has mostly gone back to his R&B origins, so I was surprised to hear a new pop single from him this year! 'Kissing Strangers' wasn't particularly groundbreaking but had a delightful familiarity to it and was instantly my favorite Usher song in several years. He not only released an album but of course performed the Super Bowl halftime show, which also lived up to my expectations!

Previous EOY history: "Crash" (#54, 2016)

 

41. Gracie Abrams "Close To You"

'Close To You' was not only instant for me, it was also her highest-charting hit as soon as it was released. Makes sense because it's a pretty straightforward, accessible pop track. It actually sounds like a big top-ten hit, but she didn't quite have the star power to achieve that just yet. But it's had amazing longevity to make up for it! While the low peak is a bit of missed potential, it'll hopefully be remembered as a career highlight and a great prequel to her tracks that did make it big. I haven't tired of listening to it either!

Hi there Riser!

 

Nice to see "Whatever", "Good Luck, Babe!", "Diet Pepsi", "Dancing In The Flames", "Angel Of My Dreams", "I Like The Way You Kiss Me" and "Kissing Strangers".

 

Great chart!

Take care.

Hi Riser,

 

Great to see 'Good Luck, Babe!, 'Diet P sorry Diet Pepsi', and 'Kissing Strangers' from your 41 to 50.

Lots to love so far :wub:

 

I'm not usually a big fan of Billie EIlish but I really liked 'LUNCH'. It feels like it's been forgotten about with the rest of the singles becoming so huge so it's nice to see it here.

 

I'm so happy that JADE had such a strong song as 'Angel Of My Dreams' as her first single. She's always been my favourite member of Little Mix and I was really rooting for her to smash it.

 

I remember being so happy when 'Feather' was slowly starting to breakthrough. Now look where she's at. Feather's success looks miniscule now :lol:

40. Michael Marcagi "Scared To Start"

Shortly after 'Stick Season' became a smash, we had quite the trend of male singer-songwriters breaking through with similarly folky tunes. While they varied a bit in quality, 'Scared To Start' was my firm fave of the non-Noah bunch. First and foremost, Michael Marcagi is from my state! But even if he wasn't, I think this one has the most authenticity compared to the likes of Mark Ambor or Myles Smith. Here in the States we had to settle for a #54 peak, so hearing it at #9 on the UK chart show was amazing!

 

39. Gracie Abrams "That's So True"

'That's So True' was still growing on me as the year ended, so it was slightly disadvantaged and could have been higher with another month or so. If I could pick any of her songs to be a long-running #1, I would not pick this one. But, I'm glad Gracie has had a mix of uptempos and ballads doing well so far, a promising display of versatility. I agree that it's easy to compare her music to Taylor, Olivia, etc. but I think she's well on her way to establishing a style that is distinctively hers.

 

38. The Last Dinner Party "Nothing Matters"

Like many others here, I've known 'Nothing Matters' since 2023 when it was submitted to BJSC. I do a separate EOY for songs I discover in that forum, and this song was #41 on my countdown that year. That alone is a seal of approval from me, but I was still iffy about the swearing and slightly skeptical about the hype The Last Dinner Party were getting, and whether they'd really live up to it. Well, they had a remarkable 2024, and the song finally made my personal chart, so I thought it deserved a place here too! Here's to even more popular guitar music in 2025!

 

37. Tyla "Water"

According to my Shazam, I first heard 'Water' on the Zambian radio station I listen to, on August 14, 2023. I had no idea when I saved it that the song would chart in either the UK or US, let alone both! But it clearly sounded like a song with a lot of potential. In fact, I think it could have made just as many waves (see what I did there) even if Afrobeats as a whole hadn't become so popular. For me, it clicked even more in 2024, so I'm glad I saved it for this EOY instead of the year before! Also glad she's got another hit as we speak, plus I just heard promo single 'Tears' and am impressed with that one too!

 

36. Shaboozey "A Bar Song (Tipsy)"

I'll give Shaboozey credit for how great of an idea 'A Bar Song' was, taking J-Kwon's nearly forgotten 'Tipsy' and reintroducing it to a new genre and new generation at the same time. It truly blew my mind at the time and I'm sure it went off at the summer festivals! 19 weeks at #1 later, I can't discount that I'm beyond sick of hearing it now, and the song could use a very long rest if it ever gets one at all. I will say I do prefer it to 'Old Town Road', the song it shares its Hot 100 record with. Its success is a symbol of progress in country music diversity and representation, while there is still a ways to go as well. As for songs needing a long rest, I'll probably be making a similar comment for the next two songs. :kink:

 

35. Benson Boone "Beautiful Things"

I wish we could go back to a year ago, when 'Beautiful Things' was new, and how fresh and amazing it sounded at the time. I remember the song stopping me in my tracks, a huge powerful ballad with fairly profound lyrics, more so than I expected from Benson Boone at least. The chorus was stunning, and I could overlook the so-called screechiness although it wasn't as bad as some made it out to be. Definitely an award-worthy career highlight from someone I didn't know was capable of that. But hearing it as many times as I did throughout the year was overkill, so like I said, I'm going to need a break from this one too! I hope once enough time has passed, it'll have the same effect on me as it did before!

 

34. Hozier "Too Sweet"

Even with Hozier's return to prominence in 2023, I never would've predicted 2024 to be his biggest year yet! 'Too Sweet' blew me away on first listen, and that was before paying attention to the lyrics, which made me like it even more. Amazing that he now has a #1 hit to his name in almost all the countries where 'Take Me To Church' peaked at #2 nearly a decade before. This one has been overplayed too, but I'm not quite as tired of it as I am the last two songs.

 

33. Dasha "Austin"

What a weird, but historic year for country music! It was all about artists breaking through in unconventional ways, and one of those was Dasha. She did not go the traditional Nashville route, instead striking gold when 'Austin' suddenly went viral on TikTok. This allowed the song to get popular around the world, instead of just the United States. It wasn't that long ago that the industry might have turned its nose at an outsider like Dasha, but ultimately her song became too big to ignore. It continues to be way too hard for women in country music to get the attention that male artists do, so I applaud her for finding a way to bypass those norms that otherwise would've held her back. (Cynically, I don't think it hurt that she's Taylor Swift's lookalike. :kink: ) Sadly I haven't liked her follow-up singles as much, but I'm still rooting for her and looking forward to more!

 

32. Gracie Abrams "I Know It Won't Work"

Another 2023 discovery! 'I Know It Won't Work' is the song that made me a big Gracie fan, first appearing at #10 in that same BJSC EOY I mentioned earlier, then growing on me even further into 2024, when it became her first hit on my personal chart. This has become such a special song for me personally, in a way I can't quite put into words. I can't thank Bal enough for finding and introducing it here! The chorus at the very least is my favorite of Gracie's and will be for a long time, although another of her songs does appear higher than this – stay tuned!

 

31. Linkin Park "The Emptiness Machine"

As a lifelong Linkin Park fan, the news of them recording music with a new singer definitely came with some trepidation. I was not familiar with Emily Armstrong or her other band, but she turned out to be an incredible choice, allowing the band to really make music that's similar to what they made with Chester, but not *too* similar, if that makes sense. I know that's not a unanimous opinion among the fanbase, but I feel it's been a great move for the legacy of the band. That very first listen of 'The Emptiness Machine' was all I needed to know they were going to be just fine. You couldn't ask for a better reintroduction, really. It's surreal that it became their highest-charting and first top-5 hit in the UK, and with the longevity to show it was fully deserved!

Previous EOY history: "Lost" (#9, 2023)

Nice to see "Scarted To Start", "That's So True", "Nothing Matters" ,"Water", "A Bar Song (Tipsy)", "Beautiful Things", "Too Sweet", "Austin" and "The Emptiness Machine" on your list in the top 40.

Hi Riser

 

Great to see 'Water', 'Too Sweet' and 'The Emptiness Machine' from your 31-40. 'A Bar Song (Tipsy)' wasn't a fan of that but it rediscovered J-Kwon's 'Tipsy' for me.

Buzzfave Whatever in your top 50, everyone on the site loves to see it of course :cheeseblock:

 

Lots to love in the last couple of sections, notably Beautiful Things, Who, i like the way you kiss me and Austin :wub:

30. Post Malone feat. Morgan Wallen "I Had Some Help"

Post Malone's pivot to country was a bit of a master stroke in career revivals. 'I Had Some Help' was an apt title for the lead single of an album full of collabs. As the saying goes, he and Morgan could've released a fart together and it still would've been a massive hit, so I appreciate that they actually put forth the effort to make a song worthy of the hype it was bound to get.

Previous EOY history for Post Malone: "Rockstar" (#59, 2017), "Psycho" (#7, 2018), "Better Now" (#23, 2018), "Jackie Chan" (#24, 2018), "Circles" (#17, 2019), "Goodbyes" (#18, 2019), "One Right Now" (#13, 2022)

Previous EOY history for Morgan: "Chasin' You" (#31, 2020), "Wasted On You" (#11, 2022), "Broadway Girls" (#21, 2022), "One Thing At A Time" (#15, 2023), "Thought You Should Know" (#57, 2023)

 

29. Gracie Abrams "I Love You, I'm Sorry"

In a year that Lorde didn't release, Olivia only released a few tracks, and Taylor released an album that I couldn't even make it all the way through, that left quite a big musical void that Gracie managed to fill almost single-handedly. I admire her songwriting; yes it is similar to her peers, but I find myself paying attention to her lyrics much more than I do for virtually anyone else. 'I Love You, I'm Sorry' is testament to that and is her highest song in my EOY!

 

28. Lady Gaga & Bruno Mars "Die With A Smile"

When this was first announced, it was actually surprising that Bruno and Gaga had never recorded a song together! 'Die With A Smile' seems to be a cross of Gaga's A Star Is Born soundtrack and Bruno's Silk Sonic project, so it's no wonder it worked so well for both of them. I personally loved the guitar interlude – does it give anyone else Kings Of Leon vibes, or just me? I'm glad both of these legends are back in the limelight; they each have another appearance still to come!

Previous EOY history for Lady Gaga: "The Cure" (#34, 2017), "Shallow" (#51, 2018), "Stupid Love" (#6, 2020), "Rain On Me" (#20, 2020)

Previous EOY history for Bruno: "Young Girls" (#44, 2014), "That's What I Like" (#6, 2017), "Finesse" (#44, 2018), "Please Me" (#33, 2019)

 

27. Morgan Wallen feat. Ernest "Cowgirls"

'Cowgirls' was the 8th (!!) single from Morgan's album One Thing At A Time, which is slightly less crazy when you remember the album has 36 (!!) total tracks. It's so catchy that I couldn't believe he sat on it for over a year! Ernest was one of the songwriters and ended up getting to record vocals on it too. I've yet to tire of hearing this song, and just wish I'd charted it higher than #8. (Brace yourselves because Morgan will have a third song in this section.)

Previous EOY history for Morgan: "Chasin' You" (#31, 2020), "Wasted On You" (#11, 2022), "Broadway Girls" (#21, 2022), "One Thing At A Time" (#15, 2023), "Thought You Should Know" (#57, 2023)

 

26. Tate McRae "Exes"

I saved 'Exes' for the 2024 EOY since it was still pretty new at the end of 2023. I ended up liking it even more than 'Greedy', just has a little bit more of an edge to it I guess. It also didn't have quite as much longevity, and as a result never really got stale.

Previous EOY history: "You Broke Me First" (#42, 2020), "She's All I Wanna Be" (#24, 2022), "Greedy" (#40, 2023)

 

25. Beyonce "Texas Hold 'Em"

Beyonce was the real opener of the country music floodgates, with 'Texas Hold 'Em' arriving almost exactly a year ago now. Easily one of the biggest musical moments of the year, but as time went on I feel like it kept getting overshadowed by more equally huge releases. That said, I was pulling for Cowboy Carter to win Beyonce that long-awaited Album of the Year Grammy, so I'm thrilled for it and for her!

Previous EOY history: "Drunk In Love" (#9, 2014), "Sorry" (#33, 2016), "Break My Soul" (#43, 2022)

 

24. Cody Johnson "The Painter"

Cody Johnson is a country singer whose style is a bit more old-school, sometimes even too old-school for me, but there's no denying his authenticity and great vocals. While he didn't write 'The Painter', he sings it masterfully and makes it his own. The lyrics are so poetic, and the video is a really terrific take on the theme as well. It does take me back to the country music I grew up with so I can't help but appreciate it!

Previous EOY history: "Til You Can't" (#10, 2022)

 

23. Morgan Wallen "Love Somebody"

This may be the third country song in a row, but there's only one more the rest of the countdown. Despite all his appearances here, Morgan is actually a very hit-or-miss artist for me, but those "hits" tend to connect in a big way. 'Love Somebody' is nice and mellow, not too slow or too fast, and the Latin guitar makes it sound summery and tropical even in the middle of winter. Of course I love that it shares a melody with 'Training Season' too! It's still growing on me as I type this, so maybe I'll include it again next year. :thinking:

Previous EOY history: "Chasin' You" (#31, 2020), "Wasted On You" (#11, 2022), "Broadway Girls" (#21, 2022), "One Thing At A Time" (#15, 2023), "Thought You Should Know" (#57, 2023)

 

22. Madison Beer "Make You Mine"

I still remember hearing this dark, brooding song on the radio, loving it instantly, and having no idea who the artist was. Turns out it was a name I knew well, but Madison Beer was one of the last names I would have ever guessed! I think 'Make You Mine' could have been absolutely massive in the 2010s, but at least in 2024 the song was much more of a standout. I wish she could have replicated Addison Rae's success with 'Diet Pepsi'. But this song was still a huge triumph for Madison – knowing how many years she's been releasing music, this was richly deserved!

Previous EOY history: "All Day And Night" (#45, 2019)

 

21. Chappell Roan "Pink Pony Club"

Only on very rare occasions will I include a song that's more than a few years old in my chart and my EOY. I can only remember Empire Of The Sun 'Walking On A Dream' and Seafret 'Atlantis' back when each of those went viral. I've known 'Pink Pony Club' since its respective BJSC contest in 2020, and while I *only* gave it 7 points, the song has stuck with me ever since. I still can hardly believe seeing it finally reach its potential! I'm thrilled people have gravitated to it this much. It is definitely a future classic, a song that will stand the test of time (heck it's been nearly 5 years already) and a fantastic anthem for this generation.

Lots that I also like so far, especially 'A Tear In Space (Airlock)' from your honourable mentions, 'Close To You', and 'Die With A Smile' - I hadn't thought about the guitar interlude sounding like Kings Of Leon, but can sort of hear that!

Great to see "I Had Some Help", "I Love You, I'm Sorry", "Die With A Smile", "Exes", "Texas Hold 'Em", "Make You Mine" and "Pink Pony Club" for your latest selection.

20. Rosé & Bruno Mars "APT."

The second-most-recently-released song in the top 20, 'APT.' stormed its way up the list by its sheer catchiness, and with the help of a terrific music video. I'm seeing on Wikipedia that it was recorded way back in November 2023, crazy that it took nearly a year to finally be unleashed! It has bucked the trend of K-pop songs being frontloaded, which is good because it deserves all the staying power it's had.

Previous EOY history for Bruno: "Young Girls" (#44, 2014), "That’s What I Like" (#6, 2017), "Finesse" (#44, 2018), "Please Me" (#33, 2019)

 

19. Calvin Harris & Rag'n'Bone Man "Lovers In A Past Life"

You might be surprised to see this here, or to know it topped my personal chart in April! To be fair, that surprised me too, especially since (controversial opinion alert) 'Miracle' was just okay, nowhere near my faves of Calvin's. :ph34r: What sets 'Lovers In A Past Life' apart is that production-wise it does closely resemble my favorite Calvin songs, 'Flashback' and 'Thinking About You'. :wub: 'Giant' was a fave too and I've very much enjoyed Calvin recycling collab partners.

Previous EOY history for Calvin: "Thinking About You" (#50, 2014), "Pray To God" (#39, 2015), "My Way" (#41, 2016), "One Kiss", (#45, 2018), "Giant", (#47, 2019), "Desire", (#44, 2023)

Previous EOY history for Rag'n'Bone Man: "Giant", (#47, 2019)

 

18. Coldplay feat. Little Simz, Burna Boy, Elyanna & Tini "We Pray"

I admit I was pessimistic about this collaboration when I first heard about it. Coldplay's track record these days has been back-and-forth between offensively inoffensive ('feelslikeimfallinginlove'), or more hype than substance ('My Universe'). Fortunately 'We Pray' proved me wrong and was neither of these. Sounds like its goal was to make some sort of statement while being unifying rather than divisive. I think it achieves that without making statements just for the sake of it. It's really Coldplay at their finest, with their trademark anthemic quality. Shout out to Little Simz for a particularly good verse, great to see her finally have somewhat of a hit to her name after all these years!

Previous EOY history for Coldplay: "A Sky Full Of Stars" (#52, 2014), "Something Just Like This" (#46, 2017), "Higher Power" (#29, 2021)

Previous EOY history for Burna Boy: "For My Hand" (#53, 2022)

 

17. David Guetta & OneRepublic "I Don't Wanna Wait"

This section's fourth collab in a row, oh my! Even David Guetta's current output takes me right back to 2011 when his style of EDM was the dominant sound. This time he and Ryan Tedder joined forces to create my latest guilty pleasure, 'I Don't Wanna Wait'. As you might know I'm a sucker for songs that are made to be as naff as possible, especially when they borrow melodies from other songs. It's pure fun, people, and I will never be allergic to fun x

Previous EOY history for David: "Flames" (#20, 2018), "Remember" (#18, 2021), "I'm Good (Blue)" (#35, 2022), "On My Love" (#12, 2023)

Previous EOY history for OneRepublic: "I Lived" (#55, 2014 and #29, 2015), "Rescue Me" (#46, 2019)

 

16. Noah Kahan "Stick Season"

'Stick Season' was in my 2023 EOY, and in that thread I said “Expect this to be higher in my 2024 EOY!” Sure enough, it reappears as I enjoyed it even more the following year. Now it's ever harder to believe that the song spent most of 2023 bubbling under the charts, uncertain if it would ever blow up. It's had enormous impact, just look at all the copycats we've seen, not unlike Mumford & Sons' impact in the early 2010s!

Previous EOY history: "Stick Season" (#59, 2023)

 

15. Lady Gaga "Disease"

I was skeptical of 'Disease' at first, because I looked at the lyrics and thought, "she already has 'The Cure' which was a perfectly good song, do we really need another one?" Then I listened to it and…yes we absolutely did. I never actually thought she would ever return back to the sound of her Born This Way/Artpop eras, nor did I realize just how awesome that would be. Well, its chart performance left a lot to be desired, and I'm already jealous that it's not having the same success as 'Abracadabra.' But I love her for committing to this theme and not pivoting back to 'Die With A Smile' soundalike ballads. My favorite line is the "I can be your antidote tonight" right before the second chorus, it hits SO hard. :cheeseblock:

Previous EOY history: "The Cure" (#34, 2017), "Shallow" (#51, 2018), "Stupid Love" (#6, 2020), "Rain On Me" (#20, 2020)

 

14. Djo "End Of Beginning"

Unfortunately, the Stranger Things connection means nothing to me, as someone who has never watched it. But Djo and 'End Of Beginning' still grabbed my attention in a big way, because it was such a unique-sounding hit. Every summer my family and I travel through Chicago for a weekend on the lake with our relatives, so this song was the obvious choice to soundtrack our vacation last year! Admittedly, I have not listened to anything else from Djo, but I hear he has an album on the way…

 

13. Ariana Grande "We Can't Be Friends (Wait For Your Love)"

I might have to praise the entire album here, since this is the only song to appear in my countdown. Eternal Sunshine had less R&B and more pop than usual for Ariana, a minor but very exciting shift. While 'Yes, And?' never fully clicked, 'We Can't Be Friends' gave me all the feels! Upon first hearing it on Saturday Night Live, the Robyn 'Dancing On My Own'-era comparisons were immediately evident and much appreciated. I'm thankful it was the biggest hit from the era. Also throwing some love to 'Supernatural' and 'True Story' while I'm here :wub:

Previous EOY history: "Break Free" (#8, 2014), "One Last Time" (#4, 2015), "Focus" (#30, 2015), "Into You" (#1, 2016), "Side To Side" (#18, 2016), "Everyday" (#22, 2017), "God Is A Woman" (#9, 2018), "Breathin" (#33, 2018), "Don't Call Me Angel" (#21, 2019), "Break Up With Your Girlfriend, I'm Bored" (#39, 2019), "Rain On Me" (#20, 2020), "Positions" (#22, 2020)

 

12. Sonny Fodera, Jazzy & D.O.D. "Somedays"

I'm not necessarily a fan of any of these artists, but I feel an urge to defend them in the chart show thread any time 'Somedays' gets played. Such an uplifting, well-sung and well-produced dance track to my ears, especially the stunning piano loop, so reading the intense hatred toward this song has me like ?????????. I get that it's overdue for ACR at this point but I'm still here wishing it could be even remotely popular in my country. :cry:

Previous EOY history for Sonny: "Asking" (#47, 2023)

Previous EOY history for Jazzy: "Giving Me" (#7, 2023)

 

11. Chappell Roan "Hot To Go!"

It's been nice to say I knew Chappell Roan before she got famous, but 'Hot To Go!' was one of the songs I did not know! To make a long story short, it's one of her best songs, the cheerleader-style hook is insanely catchy (spelling is fun!), and it topped my chart in September.

Hi Riser

 

'Die With A Smile' what an great collaboration this is from Gaga and Bruno Mars, this was in my End of Year Top 10. Sorry couldn't get into 'I Had Some Help. 'Exes' that was a good song from Tate McRae. 'Texas Hold 'Em this got 40pts in my End of Year chart, 'Pink Pony Club' an fantastic song from Chappell Roan.

 

'APT. this was the song of the last quarter for me couldn't tire of this. 'I Don't Wanna Wait' this would make my great walk-on music in sport. Wasn't a fan of 'Stick Season' sorry. 'We Can't Be Friends (Wait For Your Love) has came 13th also in my End of Year chart. 'Hot To Go' this was another good song from Chappell Roan.

 

Great stuff!

Really like all the songs from the #20-#11 selection!

10. Dua Lipa "Training Season"

Dua hogged the #1 on Riser Monthly for a quarter of the year in 2024—three of the first six months in fact, with 'Training Season' getting there in March. With that she tied the record for most #1s on my chart, with six, matching Ariana Grande. On first impression, the highlight was obviously the ABBA influences, and then I watched the video and fell in love with that too. I still maintain that this Radical Optimism era was a fabulous artistic and creative progression for Dua, even if it wasn't quite consistent through the whole album. No it didn't match the commercial success of Future Nostalgia, but that wasn't a realistic standard to start with!

Previous EOY history: "Be The One" (#3, 2017), "New Rules" (#4, 2017), "Electricity" (#30, 2018), "One Kiss" (#45, 2018), "Swan Song" (#23, 2019), "Don't Start Now" (#31, 2019), "Physical" (#7, 2020), "Levitating" (#24, 2020), "Hallucinate" (#33, 2020), "Cold Heart" (#7, 2021), "Love Again" (#10, 2020), "We're Good" (#21, 2021), "Houdini" (#5, 2023)

 

9. Billie Eilish "Birds Of A Feather"

'Birds Of A Feather' was the instant standout from Hit Me Hard And Soft, way too good to not be pushed as a single. If only every artist had a post-album single of this caliber, especially in this era when most albums are so front-loaded. This is Billie at her best, the catchy guitar riff carries it at first, with her vocals really taking over by the end. *.* Billie continues to have talent years beyond her actual age, to make this song at 22 years old is truly incredible.

Previous EOY history: "Bad Guy" (#36, 2019), "Everything I Wanted" (#32, 2020 and #57, 2019), "My Future" (#46, 2020), "Happier Than Ever" (#8, 2021), "What Was I Made For?" (#54, 2023)

 

8. Taylor Swift "I Can Do It With A Broken Heart"

I tried listening to The Tortured Poets Department, and could not get through its bloated tracklist or frustrating lack of tempo. I think I gave up before I even got to the Anthology. :( More like Tortured Listeners Department amirite But 'I Can Do It With A Broken Heart' was the saving grace, with the memorable lyrics and providing much-needed tempo. I love the chorus and can imagine it being relatable for people. It's finally her second #1 in the 11 years my chart has existed, the first being 'Delicate' back in 2018. Gosh, I might need to hand in my Swiftie stan card after this…

Previous EOY history: "Shake It Off" (#22, 2014), "Wildest Dreams" (#25, 2015), "Delicate" (#1, 2018), "…Ready For It?" (#49, 2018), "You Need To Calm Down" (#32, 2019), "Exile" (#15, 2020), "The Man" (#19, 2020), "Cardigan" (#38, 2020), "All Too Well (Taylor's Version)" (#28, 2021), "Willow" (#43, 2021), "Anti-Hero" (#25, 2022), "Cruel Summer" (#17, 2023)

 

7. Nate Smith "World On Fire"

I'm not sure if I can fully capture how utterly bizarre this is. Nate Smith is the first country artist with two #1s on my personal chart. Keep in mind there are huge country legends out there that I've loved for multiple decades, and none of them have achieved this. But Nate Smith, a relative unknown, gets two #1s with his very first two singles. That is a testament to how much I enjoyed the songs themselves, with otherwise no attachment to the artist. And it's not just me: 'World On Fire' was also a record-tying 10-week #1 on the country airplay chart, insane considering the overwhelming majority of #1s are only for one or two weeks. It is truly incredible for an emerging artist to achieve this, but clearly there is just something special about the song!

Previous EOY history: "Whiskey On You" (#39, 2022)

 

6. Charli xcx "360"

Bumpin' that. At the risk of stating the absolute obvious, the Brat era was a musical masterpiece, fully deserving of its critical and commercial success. '360' was the song I resonated with the most and had a memorable video to boot. I was hoping Charli would get a new #1 on my chart, because her first two were 10 whole years ago ('Fancy' and 'Boom Clap', natch). She came so close, but '360' ended up stuck at #2 for two consecutive months, both times behind a song that is still to come. Okay, commentary fatigue is starting to set in but I must persevere! Bumpin' that.

Previous EOY history: "Boom Clap" (#3, 2014), "Fancy" (#4, 2014), "1999" (#53, 2018), "Good Ones" (#46, 2021), "Beg For You" (#34, 2022), "Speed Drive" (#20, 2023)