Music thread

@DerpyFast
Blood Incantation

Blood Incantation is my album of 2024 for the worst Motley Crue Cancelled EP

I didn’t know Steve Harris created Iron Maiden on Christmas.

@𝐒𝐞𝐚𝐫
Yup! In 1975.

@𝐒𝐞𝐚𝐫
@♬𝕸𝖊𝖑𝖑𝖔𝖜 𝕽𝖍𝖞𝖙𝖍𝖒♪
Nearly 50 years. Bugger me.

@Galestorm
Yeah, incredible! Just five years or so after Judas Priest formed!

My 10 Favorite Hit Songs of 2024:

Now that I talked about the worst songs to have become hits this year in my opinion, now we move on to the best hits. This was a hard list to make because like I said, I thought this was a really good year for music and trying to determine which one is better than the other was very difficult, and I had to make some VERY painful cuts from the list. My opinion tended to flip flop on which song was better than the other but hopefully with this list that can be finalized. That is something that couldn’t be said for last year where the best hits were easy to pick out because of how bad the year was for popular music. Simple rules: I’m including the songs that made the Billboard Year End list for this year, Christmas songs and songs that were in last year’s Year End list are disqualified. Importantly, this is a subjective list meaning it’s my opinion and that it isn’t based on fact, same will apply for my best list. With all this said, let’s get to the ten songs that I thought were really great.

10- Redrum by 21 Savage (Hot 100 Peak: #5): Last year, rap music took a backseat in the mainstream where despite the genre still getting Billboard hits and the albums selling well, it seemed like the genre was faltering as others such as pop, Latin and especially country overtook it in popularity. This year thanks to the Drake and Kendrick Lamar feud, the genre revved back into gear and produced some good stuff such as this one. 21 Savage is arguably one of the biggest rappers right now and was lucky to break off the mumble rap mold he put himself in by making a dark and haunting drill song about being a gangsta who won’t hesitate to shoot anyone who crosses his way. The rapping is tight with a good flow, the writing and wordplay perfectly fits the haunting and eerie vibe, and the beat is phenomenal with the French sample used beautifully with the drill beat to really intensify the whole track. Ostensibly a tribute to The Shining because of the title and sample, it captures the haunting atmosphere of that film and molds it into a dark posse cut. A really great song and one that I’m glad that his previous work with Drake didn’t hurt his reputation, it just goes so hard.

9- Texas Hold ’Em by Beyonce (Hot 100 Peak: #1): 25 years into making music, and 20 years into going solo, Beyonce’s still got it and continues to impress and wow the music world world. This year she decided to tackle country in order to make a statement on how ostracized African Americans historically felt on this genre, and I say she executed it well if this number one hit is any indication. A honky tonk song about persuading a partner to dance with them, the country, stomp clap production is fun and upbeat and balances it with the electronic elements well, her delivery sells it where she sounds like she’s having fun and being persuasive at the same time and the writing ties it all together with paying respect to the genre while adding a unique Beyonce flair that only she can create. It really brings to mind the 90’s honky tonk country that’s still well loved to this day but adding a modern flavor to it, fusing both past and present. Sadly, the hype around this album was short lived and next up she’s going to tackle rock but let me say that this song is easily one of the best hits she’s ever made and really made a statement that I’m glad is sticking if a song later on the list can attest to. I may not be black nor grew up in the American Southeast, but I can definitely get behind this.

8- The Painter by Cody Johnson (Hot 100 Peak: #25): Continuing on with country, we have a modern artist that I’m glad is popular and one that doesn’t seem to disappoint, and this song is no exception. Despite the simplicity of the lyrics about being love with the perfect woman and the painter imagery may be a bit cheesy, the heartfelt and soulful delivery really sells it like he really means it and the production sounds phenomenal with the drums, guitars and fiddle all complimenting each other well and makes the song sound all the more beautiful. The writing is full of life and imagery where we know a lot about the love of his life and why he fell in love with her, it’s all very descriptive and detailed and makes the song fell more alive. Not much else to add besides that it’s a really great song by a really great artist that I’m happy is big.

7- Too Sweet by Hozier (Hot 100 Peak: #1): Now here is an artist nobody thought would make a comeback, let alone nab a number one hit, we have Hozier. Previously, he scored a smash hit in 2014 with Take Me To Church that took the world by storm. Despite that, his subsequent songs failed to get traction and was slapped with the one hit wonder label and one of the defining examples from the 2010’s. That was until this decade where thanks to the folk/Americana trend becoming popular thanks to Zach Bryan, it seemed like Hozier got a second chance and got himself another hit, and wow what a second hit it is! About a girl who he feels is not good enough for her and wanting to break up with her, his delivery is great with a good singing voice where he sells the emotion he’s going for of pain and anguish, the roots rock production is great with the bass guitar especially getting a shoutout with that groovy and tight bassline and the writing adding to the conflicting emotions and eventual resignation of how he feels about her. I’m glad this became big and whether Hozier can follow up with another hit, we don’t know for sure.

6- On My Mama by Victoria Monet (Hot 100 Peak: #33): R&B is officially back in full force. After about a decade of mostly neglect and/or intermingling with hip hop, the genre has returned to form, and this song solidifies that fact. Intended as a tribute to the late 2000’s urban music scene, especially with the ringtone rap sample, I think it captures that essence well with the beat sounding fun with the beats and horns mixed throughout and the lyrics about being proud of what you look like and flaunting it around for the world to see are great, like a modern day Mary J. Blige song. Victoria Monet herself commands on the track with her raw delivery and goes along with the sampled Chalie Boy vocals in the chorus. Another song where I don’t have much else to say besides it being a really great song and one that deserves to get big, welcome back R&B, I’m happy it’s popular again and now it’s rock’s turn to make a comeback

5- Where The Wild Things Are by Luke Combs (Hot 100 Peak: #26): Luke Combs never seems to miss, doesn’t he? After last year when he captured the hearts of the world with his cover of Fast Car by Tracy Chapman, people wondered where he was gonna next, and he responded with a really phenomenal story song. The lyrics tell the story of his brother who became a motorcyclist and traveled out to Hollywood and tragically died out on the open road, and it is gut wrenchingly both beautifully and sad with the way how he narrates the story with such emotion and imagery, the writing is really that great. The singing is haunting and beautiful and the production is fantastic with the sparse pianos being my favorite part and adds a sense of both sadness and nostalgia to it all. Country story songs rarely get big anymore, but I’m very grateful that the public hasn’t given up on this type of writing that used to dominate the genre decades ago and Luke is there to show that he’s still got it and that his star only seems to rise more and more with each subsequent song.

4- Good Luck, Babe! By Chappell Roan (Hot 100 Peak: #4): One of the two breakthrough stars of this year alongside Sabrina Carpenter, we have Chappell Roan. A singer who came out as lesbian and made her debut about her trials and tribulations of coming out, it went largely unnoticed until this standalone song took off and it led to her discovery. She deserves all the flowers she’s receiving because this song is phenomenal in every way. A post breakup song about telling off her ex-partner and reveling in her misery, it comes off as cathartic rather than unlikeable thanks to the clever writing and imagery, her beautiful singing with her great vocal range and 80’s inspired synthpop that’s very reminiscent of Europop artists such as Kate Bush and Sandra. Not only is it a big step up in the LGBT community for the world of music, in general it’s a really fantastic song in its own right and one that always makes me happy to listen to despite the bitterness of the lyrics. Here’s to Miss Roan continuing her success in the next year with hopefully a new album.

3- A Bar Song (Tipsy) by Shaboozey (Hot 100 Peak: #1): As I stated before, Beyonce’s country album helped open the door for black country artists to break through into the mainstream, and the biggest one of them all was this guy with the unusual name Shaboozey. This song of his was the one that gave him a number one hit and it was very well deserved because goddamn is this a great and fun song. As the title says, it’s a song about drinking at the bar and nothing else, and with such an overdone concept, it really elevates the mundane lyrics by being so unapologetically upbeat and happy. Just like with Beyonce’s song, the modern sound of the honky tonk, stomp/clap production blends very well and fits perfectly with the atmosphere of being in the bar and drinking your problems away. The delivery with the chorus in the background sounds great and also further fits the atmosphere where you can feel his sorrow turns to happiness as the song goes along. This was number one for 19 weeks, challenging Old Town Road by Lil Nas X for longest song at number one and while I got tired of it being at the top, I was grateful to see it become the humongous hit that it did. Don’t know if Shaboozey himself will become a one hit wonder, but I hope not because he has potential to become a long-lasting star.

2- White Horse by Chris Stapleton (Hot 100 Peak: #12): I REALLY wanted to make this my number one song because I love it so damn much, but I didn’t want to give this guy more praise than he already has and believe me he definitely deserves it all. So, Chris Stapleton, you know him, you know love him, arguably the best mainstream country singer for almost a decade, here’s another unsurprising masterpiece from him. The writing about assuring his lover that they’re on their way to a perfect relationship is expertly written, the singing is raw and phenomenal, and the country rock production is beyond amazing and really gives it a sort of outlaw country feel to it with those guitar licks and heavy drums that kick into high gear near the end. Such a perfect song that no further commentary or critique can give it justice, the results just speak for itself, and I just wish it became a little bit bigger, like have it at least make the Top 10 but it’s nitpicking by this point. Again, I was heavily considering this as my number one, but I had to bump it down for the sake of giving another song an opportunity but regardless, this song rocks!

Honorable Mentions:

Die With A Smile by Lady Gaga & Bruno Mars (Hot 100 Peak: #1): A really great song from two great artists that the world is glad that they’re back. It had hit song written all over it by the minute it was announced and it didn’t disappoint at all. It’s only poised to get bigger next year and I’m alright with that.

Birds Of A Feather by Billie Eilish (Hot 100 Peak: #2): Another artist that made a comeback this year and one that I was never the biggest fan of. That all changed with this new album and with this song that I really like, this midtempo synth sound really suits her and I want her to continue this route for the future.

Houdini by Dua Lipa (Hot 100 Peak: #11): Even though Dua Lipa had a weak year with her new album underperforming a bit, this song still shows that she’s still got it even if I don’t think its among her top tier best material. At least it’s better than the subsequent singles afterwards.

Pink Skies by Zach Bryan (Hot 100 Peak: #6): Zach Bryan continues his upward trajectory with a new album and some more good songs such as this top ten hit. Already he’s cemented himself as one of the best artists of the 2020’s and a title that I feel is well deserved.

Not Like Us by Kendrick Lamar (Hot 100 Peak: #1): The highlight of the Drake/Kendrick beef and the song that declared Kendrick the undisputed winner of the beef. It’s another song where the results speak for itself on why it’s so beloved and this will go down as one of the best diss tracks in rap history.

Praise Jah In The Moonlight by YG Marley (Hot 100 Peak: #34): The best song to hit the Top 40 but not make the YE. A reggae song getting big is EXTREMELY rare and this year had one of those rarities. I seriously wish this was a bigger hit because I love this with every beat of my heart and if it did make the YE, it would’ve been easy shoo-in for my best list. A really great reggae song that makes me so happy every time I listen to it, I’m at least happy that it made the YE.

11- Water by Tyla (Hot 100 Peak: #7): A really great afrobeats song that in general is fun to listen to. If the other songs above it weren’t that strong, then this one would’ve snuck in to the top ten, but just know that I really love this and like I said, another show that R&B is back.

1- Stargazing by Myles Smith (Hot 100 Peak: #20): If there is one 2010’s genre that I dearly miss, it’s the indie boom of that decade where a lot of underground artists got the break of a lifetime when they had charting hits. A lot of these songs I still treasure and like everything else, it went away as audience’s tastes shifted towards other sounds. This year would solidify the fact that the sounds of the 2020’s has begun, but then out of nowhere this very mid 2010’s sounding song broke through, and I am so friggin happy that it did because this song is utter perfection! Despite it being a simple love song and about how happy he is to be with his partner, everything about it is spectacular, from the electro folk production that expertly blends an acoustic guitar with a piano to the vocal delivery with his deep baritone voice that sounds both vulnerable and yet incredibly sincere to the simplistic writing that shows that less is more. Despite it being released this year, I would consider the 2010’s last ever hit because of its sound, and what a great way to end off that decade as the sounds of this one arrive at full force. What else can I say, I love this song with every fiber of my being, and I am still jumping with joy that this became a hit, IT DESERVES IT! With that, I rank Stargazing by Myles Smith as my favorite Year End hit of 2024.

And that was my list for the best hits of this year, God how the hits of this year were good, probably the best of the entire 2020’s decade unless another later year overtakes it. But for now, that’s all and let’s see what 2025 will have in store for hit music!

@Mr.Myoozik
Very good list, once again. I still love the hell out of Dua Lipa’s “Houdini”! I think it’s safe to call it a defining hit of the 2020s as a whole.

Some of these songs were already on my Spotify likes playlist before the list. So yeah, I’d say this is a pretty great list here. But only 2 I haven’t heard yet, but I’ll get to it.

White Horse is my personal number 1 though. The song always gets me going every single time

@♬𝕸𝖊𝖑𝖑𝖔𝖜 𝕽𝖍𝖞𝖙𝖍𝖒♪
Thanks

@LeoNero
I really was gonna pick White Horse to be my number one for the year

´´++´´+0

My favourite songs of 2024

Blood Incantation The Stargate Tablet 1 2 and 3
Dream Theater Night Terror
Judas Priest The Serpent and The King
Opeth $3
Flotsam and Jetsam Burned My Bridges
Tombstoner Fu**in Nasty
Undeath Brandish The Blade
Atrophy Punishment For All
Gojira Mea Culpa
Arch Enemy Dream Stealer
Unto Others Momma Likes The Door Closed

The Death of Slim Shady (Coup de Grâce) is my favorite album of the year.

Ten of my 2024 favourites:

Worst songs of 2024
Motley Crue Cancelled
Falling in Reverse All My Life ft Jelly Row
Linkin Park Over Each Other
Trapt Home
Swallow The Sun MelancHoly
Hardy Quit
Massacre Death May Die
Katy Perry Woman’s World
KSI Thick of it
Dust Bolt Leave Nothing Behind
Shrapnel Amber Screams