The Top 10 Best Hit Songs of 2024

 

The Top 10 Best Hit Songs of 2024

Hey, what’s up everyone? It’s Fire back on Fire’s Flaming Hot Takes and it’s that time of year again! Today, we’re looking at the top 10 BEST hit songs of 2024!!

So last year I expressed that I can’t shoebox an entire year into one sentiment of “good” or “bad” because it ends up ignoring the other side of the coin. But with 2024, I don’t think that’s the case, because as mentioned in my worst list, 2024 is a year that all around turned out to be one of the happiest years of my life so far and, for that matter, one of the best years of my lifetime for pop music. And I’m pretty aware that some of the reviews in this article are likely gonna paint this year as worse for me than it actually was. And that’s the thing, I associate music deeply with certain emotions I feel. Sometimes it’s in more of a positive way, but more often than not I associate music with negative times and how they really helped me in those moments, big or small. I’ve also had pretty complicated opinions on my mental health “journey”, for however much it is one. I sorta had the realization that I had convinced myself that I was feeling negative emotions all the time, which prevented me from truly cherishing the happy moments, creating this cycle where I was always thinking I was sad. I only really bring this up because it’s affected how I’ve felt about music that I thought had helped me in the past. As a very notable example, “1-800-273-8255” by Logic, Alessia Cara, & Khalid, a song that I called my favorite song of all time when I was 12 and had even placed top 5 on my 2017 best list, I now see as a horrendously misinformed song with more than a few moments that feel like they’re in really bad taste that I only really “resonated” with in middle school in the most “I’m 14 and this is deep” way possible (I’m not trying to insinuate that everyone who resonates with this song does it in a similar way, if it helped you out in any way more power to you and I’m glad the song exists for your sake). I now consider that song one of the worst hits of that year. I also think I developed some great habits this year that contributed to me overall feeling good in 2024 (I’ll talk a little more about this in some entries).

So anyways, the music this year...I already talked about how 2024’s pop music trends seemed to right a lot of the wrongs in 2023’s pop music - country music continued its new commercial boom period from last year, hip hop had a massive comeback this year in the midst of constant beefs where it felt like every rapper was at each other’s neck with diss tracks, and female pop had a shining year that saw the long-awaited commercial breakthroughs of either critical darlings or artists who were chipping away at success to minimal avail in the past who finally hit the jackpot. And we also had a quite frankly uncanny stomp clap nostalgia wave that I mostly found pretty good. This all led to a year that was so ridiculously stacked that I could make a top 30 of this list and still have to make a ton of cuts.

So with all that, let’s get into my criteria for this list. Any song on the 2024 year-end list is fair game, but if the song was on a previous Hot 100 YE, it had to place higher on this YE to qualify unless the repeat is in the YE top 20, where it’s eligible regardless of its position in comparison to the previous YE standing. Additionally, any and all Christmas songs get swapped out for the songs that finished just below the YE as per TOTC. In this case, since there were 5 Christmas songs, #101-105 on the YE are eligible for this list too. So Let’s get started by looking at my best list from 2023 and seeing what would change:

HMS:

Harry Styles - As It Was

RAYE f/070 Shake - Escapism.

David Guetta & Bebe Rexha - I’m Good (Blue)

Toosii - Favorite Song Eslabón Armado & Peso Pluma - Ella Baila Sola

Dua Lipa - Dance The Night

Olivia Rodrigo - Vampire

Beyonce - CUFF IT

Taylor Swift - Lavender Haze Fifty Fifty - Cupid

Lil Uzi Vert - Just Wanna Rock

Bad Bunny - Where She Goes

10. Fifty Fifty - Cupid Post Malone - Chemical

9. David Guetta & Bebe Rexha - I’m Good (Blue) Taylor Swift - Anti-Hero

8. Post Malone - Chemical Kane Brown & Katelyn Brown - Thank God

7. Harry Styles - As It Was Zach Bryan f/Kacey Musgraves - I Remember Everything

6. Taylor Swift - Anti-Hero JVKE - golden hour

5. Kane Brown & Katelyn Brown - Thank God Olivia Rodrigo - bad idea right?

4. JVKE - golden hour Noah Kahan f/Post Malone - Dial Drunk

3. Olivia Rodrigo - bad idea right? Billie Eilish - What Was I Made For?

2. Taylor Swift - Cruel Summer

1. Luke Combs - Fast Car

 There are a few things I’ll address here. First off, I’ll admit, I was way too kind to “Favorite Song” last year. I still think it’s good, but it’s definitely not best list material. Now if you’ve seen my Kacey Musgraves discog ranking, you already know that “I Remember Everything” grew on me from being “mid to lower tier Kacey to just mid tier Kacey. I still wouldn’t say it’s among her top tier, but yeah, I grew to love it. And yes, we will get back to it later on this list. Now “Ella Baila Sola” clicked for me randomly so hard, to the point where now I think I’d consider it the best of the regional Mexican songs I’ve heard thus far. And “What Was I Made For?” look, this reflection on my 2023 list already spoils that it’s gonna be somewhere on this list so I’ll get to that when we get there. And “Dial Drunk”...it may be the most fun I’ve had in recent memory singing a song (I’m sure my bed is secretly applauding me for putting on a mini makeshift concert in my room while singing that song lol). And “As It Was” tumbling off the list proper to just my honorable mentions...that is less from a drop in my opinion of the song and more just feeling like it didn’t really “define” 2023 in any way, shape, or form. And finally…”Escapism.” I really overlooked this song last year, it just clicked for me so much earlier this year as the cinematic glimpse into a hazy club night that that song is.

Alright now that that’s finally out of the way, let’s finally get this party started with our honorable mentions!!

HM #1: Beyonce - Texas Hold ‘Em (YE: #32, PEAK: #1)

This isn’t my favorite on COWBOY CARTER - “II MOST WANTED” with Miley Cyrus really deserved better - but “Texas Hold ‘Em” is a great song, even if I get the feeling that in the greater context of Beyonce’s career, it’s probably gonna wind up getting forgotten. It’s a straight up hoedown built off of stomp clap percussion and Beyonce’s effortless talent as she proves herself a great fit for this sound. But honestly, Beyonce’s presence feels a bit more anonymous than I feel it should be. She’s already proven to have a very commanding presence on songs like “Break My Soul” and here, even though her vocals sound really nice, she doesn’t have the same commanding energy that she can have. Honestly, if this were given to someone like Kesha, it probably would’ve pushed this song over the top for me. Ultimately this issue I take up with this song elbows what could’ve been decently high on the list proper to just an honorable mention. Still, this is a great song.

HM #2: Victoria Monet - On My Mama (YE: #91, PEAK: #33)

“On My Mama” by Victoria Monet is only an honorable mention here. An honorable mention. It missed the top 10 proper. I think that should say everything as to how good this year was for pop music. And really, this is an absolutely great song. Victoria Monet’s delivery radiates coolness and confidence. And the horns may be understated but they also are potent enough to back up Monet’s personality. It makes for a song where you can play it as your walking music out loud and people instantly know they are dealing with the coolest and hottest person in the vicinity. Great little track, and if you think this song shouldn’t be on this list, your opinion is irrelevant.

HM #3: Taylor Swift - Is It Over Now? (Taylor’s Version) (From The Vault) (YE: #33, PEAK: #1)

I’ll be honest, I’m a bit shocked by how much I love this song. I usually find Taylor’s vault tracks to be unfinished tracks that are often good enough but rarely great (and even the ones I do find great I’ve rarely had the incentive to revisit them). The only other exception to this I can think of is the 10-minute version of “All Too Well”, and that one was off the back of “All Too Well” already being one of Taylor’s best songs. That said, “Is It Over Now?” works really well for me. It’s very similar sonically to “Out Of The Woods”, a song I also consider one of Swift’s best, with the vibrant guitars and the wiry synthpop groove turning into that explosive chorus. I wouldn’t call this Swift’s best, even this year - in the end it does still weirdly feel like a first draft - but still, “Is It Over Now?” is incredible.

HM #4: Chappell Roan - HOT TO GO! (YE: #53, PEAK: #15)

“Camp is an aesthetic style and sensibility that regards something as appealing or amusing because of its heightened level of artifice, affectation and exaggeration,[1][2][3] especially when there is also a playful or ironic element.[4][5] Camp is historically associated with LGBTQ+ culture and especially gay men.[2][6][7][8] Camp aesthetics disrupt modernist understandings of high art by inverting traditional aesthetic judgements of beauty, value, and taste, and inviting a different kind of aesthetic engagement.”

Okay but seriously, “HOT TO GO!” is absolutely incredible and has only grown on me over the course of the year. Chappell Roan had a huge breakthrough year in 2024, scoring several hits from her 2023 album, The Rise And Fall Of A Midwest Princess (which is a great album, I didn’t choose to review it when I listened to it because I felt I didn’t have much to say about it lol). “Good Luck, Babe!” is a great song and was one of the very last cuts from this list, but I’ve always loved “HOT TO GO!” more. The synths sound like a leftover from the 80s and Chappell Roan is absolutely selling this with so much energy and helps the song dive headfirst into camp in the chorus. Such a fun song that was a straight up banger for me all year. But speaking of Chappell Roan...

HM #5: Chappell Roan - Pink Pony Club (YE: #105, PEAK: #26)

This was my favorite Chappell Roan song this year. I think what really captivated me here was the writing, which entails the narrator leaving Tennessee to go to West Hollywood to dance at the “pink pony club”, a gay bar, even though she knows it’ll upset her family. And yet the bridge still shows that the narrator still remembers her family and that they’re always on her mind. It’s a nice bit of maturity that I really like. And I have to give huge props to the production here, especially that killer guitar solo. Even if I feel that it takes a bit to get to that guitar solo, the wait is well worth it. I especially love when the drum machines start kicking in as the heavy synthesizers and piano chords start playing. But I’ll freely admit that one of the highlights of the year for me was when I went to the Deeper Well tour and Kacey Musgraves covered this song before performing “High Horse”, best ~3.5 minutes of the year for anything for me. Amazing track!

HM #6: Cody Johnson - The Painter (YE: #98, PEAK: #25)

“The Painter” isn’t really anything all that special or unique but it’s a song that takes its basic premise and works so well on that foundation to be a genuinely incredible song. I will admit though that this song was at one point in the top 10 proper, but...yeah, finding out that Cody Johnson defended Jason Aldean after “Try That In A Small Town” admittedly left a bit of a sour taste in my mouth. Then again, if I couldn’t like songs just because the singer has a political affiliation that I disagree with, I wouldn’t be able to listen to most country music. But honestly, trying to tie “The Painter” to that reprehensible man and song is unfair to both Cody Johnson and the song itself. Cody is one of, if not the, most talented male country singers right now. I absolutely love his rich baritone and the production sounds really gorgeous, from the fiddle to that pedal steel and Cody sells this pretty straightforward love song really well. The girl adds color to all the things in Cody’s life and you can tell that Cody is singing this with so much gratitude. Excellent song, it’s not better than “‘Til You Can’t”, but I still think this is a genuinely sweet song.

HM #7: Billie Eilish - BIRDS OF A FEATHER (YE: #15, PEAK: #2)

“BIRDS OF A FEATHER”, like “The Painter”, is a pretty straightforward love song that works so well on its foundation to become incredible in the end. Lyrically, this is just Billie expressing her love for a partner that she’ll love till the day she dies and that they should stick together. Oddly enough though, I think the element I appreciate the most about this is the percussion (I think it’s a maraca I’m hearing?), it’s very jittery and gives this an intimate vibe that really allows for the mix to expand for Billie to belt, especially near the end. I also love the flute here, those two elements really make this a standout for me. Excellent little track.

HM #8: Shaboozey - A Bar Song (Tipsy) (YE: #2, PEAK: #1)

This song is what I meant when I said that the sampling of older hits felt inspired and/or unique! This flips J-Kwon’s “Tipsy” from 2004, pairs the interpolation with a stomp clap palette, and then it becomes a bar staple for the ages. I know, it probably got really overplayed to an excruciating degree, but something gives me the feeling that in 10-20 years, this will be considered a stomp clap staple on a level akin to Usher’s “Yeah!” for crunk.

HM #9: Sabrina Carpenter - Taste (YE: #86, PEAK: #2)

A part of me is still processing the fact that Sabrina Carpenter made some of the best pop music of the entire year. It’ll probably take me some time to fully come to terms with that fact, given I first knew of her in 2018, when she made decent at best pop radio fodder that didn’t really impress me very much. But “Taste” is an amazing song that could’ve easily fallen off the rails. The lyrics are about Sabrina talking to her ex’s new girlfriend, who is one of his ex’s and that if those two are back together, the girl is gonna have to taste Sabrina when she kisses her boyfriend. Now this had the danger of turning into a song like “Skin”, but what makes this work while “Skin” fails is that “Taste” actually has a great groove and tight guitar work and Sabrina is convincingly selling the “mean girl” attitude as opposed to “Skin”, where Carpenter, to be blunt, really sounds wimpy and pathetic. It’s like a more dismissive “deja vu” by Olivia Rodrigo. But yeah, “Taste” is amazing. I’d like to taste Sabrina Carpenter-oh shit did I say that out loud? Anyways speaking of Sabrina Carpenter...

HM #10: Sabrina Carpenter - Espresso (YE: #7, PEAK: #3)

“Espresso” was a constant bop for me all year. It’s blatantly recycling Doja Cat’s “Say So” and merging it with Katy Perry’s “Chained To The Rhythm”, but what works best for me here is that earworm of a melody and Sabrina’s presence. She nails the “hot girl” vibe really well. Especially with those dismissive “yes”’s. The song is basically about how Sabrina is always on your mind and she keeps you up like she’s espresso, and she nails that attitude almost perfectly. Plus the whole song just radiates summer vibes. But okay, one of the catchiest earworm hook melodies of the entire year, summery, and fun all the way down...why isn’t this higher here? Well, I’ll admit that this nu disco dance pop sound feels really overexposed right now and that can make this a bit tiresome after repeated listens. Still, it’s an incredible little song.

Now how about the ineligible honorable mentions? And there are a LOT here, so let’s start off with...

IHM #1: Kacey Musgraves - Oh, What A World (YE: N/A, PEAK: N/A)

I mentioned in my Kacey Musgraves discog ranking that this song completely changed my outlook on life this year and made me a much happier person. And yeah, this song taught me to connect myself with my surroundings and see the beauty in everything. And I don’t know if it was coincidental or what, but after I started doing that I started seeing some of the most stunning sights I’ve ever seen. So in tribute to 2024, a fantastic year where I saw so many breathtaking sights, here’s a mini montage of my favorite moments this year:

But speaking of Kacey Musgraves songs that really helped me out in 2024...

IHM #2: Kacey Musgraves - The Architect (YE: N/A, PEAK: N/A)

When I said in the intro that some of the reviews on this list would paint this year as worse for me than it actually was, yeah, this is probably one of the biggest ones. But it feels necessary for me to highlight why I adore this song so much. Despite what I said about my 2024 being great, it didn’t really start that way. I listened to Deeper Well the moment it dropped back in March, when I was in the most hopeless mental space I’d been in in recent memory (I don’t wanna get into all the details because quite honestly I haven’t even told my loved ones about it) but then, towards the mid to back half of the album, “The Architect” starts playing and it may be the most surreal feeling I’ve ever felt - it felt like it was directly speaking to my anxieties, fears, and concerns and it immediately felt like my world lit up with hope. It was the first song I ever heard that felt like it was specifically made for me. The song starts off with a premise like that of “Oh, What A World”, with Kacey just being in utter awe at the simple things in the world around her - like the Grand Canyon or an apple - and she asks if she can speak to the architect who designed them. The song then evolves to question if there is a grand higher “architect” - that being God - orchestrating our every action and what happens to us. I could probably write a 5 paragraph essay about how every lyric in this song resonates with me in some way, but there are two I wanna highlight in particular. The first being:

“Sometimes I look in the mirror

And wish I could make a request

Could I pray it away? Am I shapeable clay

Or is this as good as it gets?”

This lyric really made me feel that I wasn’t alone in looking at my situation and wondering if there was really any hope for it to get better.

The second one is this:

“I thought that I was too broken

And maybe too hard to love

I was in a weird place, then I saw the right face

And the stars and the planets lined up”

This lyric changed its meaning over the course of the year for me. At first, the “weird place” was my bad mental space and constant sense of hopelessness and the “right face” was this song. As soon as I heard this song for the first time it immediately made me feel better about my situation and made me feel that it was possible for the stars and planets to line up in my favor one day. Over the course of the year, I returned to this song time and time again, and the “stars and the planets lined up” lyric slowly became a point that I was striving to hold on every day to reach. And then towards the end of the year, I made two huge steps in my situation getting better and I literally started singing that line; it took on a bit of a celebratory tone. It wasn’t the point where I reached the light at the end of the tunnel, but it was the point where I felt I was almost at that light, or at least one step closer to it. In a time where I was really questioning whether there was any hope for my situation to get better, this gave me the reason to keep pushing forward. I know that there’s still likely a long road to go before I reach that light at the end of the tunnel, but this song set me on the right path and I really can’t wait to see what’s around the corner. Honestly, this can, on some days, rival “Rainbow” as my favorite song of all time. Spoilers, but it’s my song of the year. But continuing with Kacey Musgraves...

IHM #3: Kacey Musgraves - High Horse (YE: N/A, PEAK: N/A)

The guitars shining out of the speakers at the Deeper Well tour as Kacey seamlessly transitioned from her cover of “Pink Pony Club” to this song was my favorite moment of the entire year, truly a magical moment and a super fun time.

IHM #4: Porter Robinson - Is There Really No Happiness? (YE: N/A, PEAK: N/A)

This was an instant click for me the moment I heard SMILE! :D. It’s a song that explores the relationship between happiness and nostalgia, and the titular lyric “is there really no happiness without this feeling?”, when paired with the line “well maybe it’s my fault, ‘cause I’m so nostalgic” makes you realize that Porter is referring to nostalgia being a key component in his happiness (can Porter help direct the next Inside Out movie?). It forced me to think and realize that some of the happiest years of my life were ironically the years where I felt super nostalgic - 2021 and this year were definitely like that for me - and this song helped me realize that I can use nostalgia as a strength, maybe to strive to relive those happy moments, having fun along the way. Paired with the single most euphoric chorus I’ve heard all year, and you get a song that stayed in constant rotation for me through the summer and fall. And in a year where I definitely had more than a few moments where I was too nostalgic for my own good, this song snapped me back to the present. But speaking of nostalgia...

IHM #5: Taylor Swift - Never Grow Up (Taylor’s Version) (YE: N/A, PEAK: #58)

Yeah, in the summer I found myself feeling far too nostalgic and this song really hit me hard. And yes, I’m specifically mentioning the rerecording here, because Taylor’s more mature vocals fit the more retrospective vibe and sentiment of wishing she’d never grown up much better. The song utilizes its spare arrangement to create a very lonely atmosphere, which matches the lyrics, about Taylor reflecting on her childhood and wishing she’d not taken it for granted. This really got to me this summer, and I’d probably put this in my top 3 favorite Taylor songs now.

IHM #6: Kenya Grace - Strangers (YE: N/A, PEAK: #42)

Yeah...the fact that I thought this was a lock for the Hot 100 YE in 2024 and that I made the conscious decision to not talk about it in my non-US hits article while I talked about fucking “Cowgirls” by Morgan Wallen is gonna haunt me forever. Anyways, let me do a quick analysis of “Strangers” here. It’s definitely biting PinkPantharess’s formula heavily, but it works really well on that formula. I love the fidgety drum and bass percussion and the earworm of a hook melody. Not to mention, that chilly synth melody is so calming and it became a staple of my night time drives to my college quickly. Incredible little song, this was so robbed of being a hit in the US :(

IHM #7: Megan Thee Stallion - HISS (YE: N/A, PEAK: #2)

Ah yes, arguably the song that kicked off all the bad blood in rap this year. And for the record that’s a great thing because “HISS” is an insane track and still probably my favorite Megan song. Megan sounds really menacing here and it’s clear that none of you Z-list hoes should mess with her and bring her up for a passing jab in an interview. I also love Megan’s flow here, her rapid flows seem to intensify her menace. Plus, we have one of the best two seconds in pop music of 2024 with the lyric “these hoes don't be mad at Megan/These hoes mad at Megan's Law”, if only because it singlehandedly made Nicki Minaj have a meltdown haha. I will admit though that despite that I still think this song is incredible, it isn’t one I’ve really returned to in favor of so many even better diss tracks that dropped this year. Still, while this wasn’t the best diss track of 2024, it’s an amazing warning shot to open up the floodgates for the beef we saw this year. Wanna know what the best diss track this year was, though?

IHM #8: Kendrick Lamar - Meet The Grahams (YE: N/A PEAK: #12)

From the instant I heard this, my jaw dropped to the center of the Earth and that reaction hasn’t changed since. And yeah, “Meet The Grahams” is easily the most horrifying and brutal diss track I’ve ever heard and likely the one that solidified the fact that Kendrick thoroughly won the beef against Drake. There are 4 verses, the first of which addressed to Drake’s son Adonis where right from the jump Kendrick shows he isn’t holding back as he says he’s sorry for Adonis that Drake is his father and even goes as far as to say he wishes Drake’s father wore a condom. But Kendrick is only just getting started here, the second verse is addressed to Drake’s parents where Kendrick just bluntly says “your son’s a sick man with sick thoughts, I think [graveys] like him should die”. Then the third verse is addressed to a daughter that Drake is allegedly hiding, calling him a deadbeat father that should never say “more life”. And then the final verse is addressed to Drake himself, where Kendrick says that it didn’t have to get this personal, the beef could’ve stayed on the level of harmless roasting. And that verse in particular, you can practically hear the anger and contempt dripping from Kendrick’s mouth, especially when he says that Drake’s biggest enemy is himself. This song is thoroughly stripping away all of Drake’s accomplishments and revealing him to be the man he truly is. All while the piano keys are very haunting and intensify the contempt in the song, it actively makes the hairs on your body stand up, as if you’re a little kid walking into the scariest haunted house you’ve ever been in alone on Halloween - nothing jumpscares you, it’s just constant eeriness that activates your fight or flight response. It’s brutal in the best way possible. It’s not a song I’ve revisited a lot this year because honestly, this works better as a diss track than a song you play over and over again. That said, when it’s this immaculate in its brutality, I have to recognize it. If you can’t tell, this would’ve topped this list if eligible, or at least would’ve come VERY close.

IHM #9: Madison Beer - Make You Mine (YE: N/A, PEAK: #109)

As it turns out, from Sabrina Carpenter to even Madison Beer, 2024 seemed to be a surprisingly great year for interchangeable C-list pop girls from 2018. Everything I heard from Madison Beer prior to this I’ve forgotten the instant after the song finished, but “Make You Mine” is an absolute vibe. It’s a very slinky slice of dark house that doesn’t require Beer to command the song, she’s able to fit within the production rather than being forced to carry it. Yeah, this is a vibe and it definitely deserved to at least chart on the Hot 100.

Well, that was a lot, so now for the top 10 proper!

10...You know, an artist who really surprised me this year was Sabrina Carpenter. Every time I thought she released her best song ever, she immediately topped it. At first it was “Espresso”, then came this, and while she also topped this song, I can still appreciate this a lot...

10. Sabrina Carpenter - Please Please Please (YE: #16, PEAK: #1)

Sabrina Carpenter had a very good year in terms of quality and that luckily coincided with her seeing the biggest success of her career. “Feather” was super close to this list (one of the very last cuts), but this was my favorite hit of hers this year. And again, this isn’t even my favorite Sabrina Carpenter song, but you know what, if “Juno” isn’t gonna be a hit this year - and by the way that song screams potential hit single, push it in 2025!! - I’ll surely settle for “Please Please Please”. And it’s a song that kinda works in an opposite way to how “Espresso” worked. While “Espresso” paired its catchy earworm melody with a summery nu disco production that was constantly in your face, “Please Please Please” pairs its earworm hook melody with a more understated pop production and I think it works even better than “Espresso”! Yes, maybe it’s simply because “Espresso”’s sound is pretty overexposed right now, but “Please Please Please”’s more understated tone feels like a breath of fresh air to me. And Carpenter proves to have great control over the production, her softer delivery suits this production super well. I can’t say this is the best song on Short N Sweet because admittedly the way she says “motherfucker” on the chorus feels a bit like a forced first draft, really it’s just sloppy to me. Still, this is an incredible song and if the blonde girl from “drivers license” is gonna continue making amazing music like this, I’d be thrilled.

9...Sometimes songs don’t need an introduction. This next song is fucking “White Horse” by Chris Stapleton. I don’t think I need to say more...

9. Chris Stapleton - White Horse (YE: #77, PEAK: #12)

I don’t think I can properly analyze this song because only in a year like 2024 can this song only be #9 on the best list. But really, “White Horse” goes so hard, it’s a really tight slice of Southern rock with its guitar buildups really swelling as Chris Stapleton just starts hollering on that chorus and then it all culminates in that ridiculously killer guitar solo to end the song. Stapleton’s gruffer vocal timbre has a lot of texture which is really paid off by the song. But yeah, damn near immaculately produced and Stapleton’s most impressive vocal performance I’ve heard, so why is this so low here? Well, I’ll admit that in terms of Chris Stapleton hits I’m stuck comparing this to his 2021 hit “Starting Over” and I just feel that Stapleton’s vocal timbre and texture suits a comforting song like that better. There’s a certain warmness to his delivery on “Starting Over” that I don’t think is realized here. Yes, this is a completely different song compared to “Starting Over”, but it still is something that prevents me from fully clicking with this like I really want to. That said, this is an absolutely incredible song, but you all knew that already. Now listen to it a few more times and then come back to this list.

8...Last year this song missed my list because I felt it was mid to lower tier for one of the artists on it. In hindsight, even if it didn’t grow on me the way it did this year, the mere fact that Kacey Musgraves finally has a #1 hit despite getting the equivalent of blackballed by Nashville radio should’ve been enough reason for it to make my list...

8. Zach Bryan f/Kacey Musgraves - I Remember Everything (YE: #9, PEAK: #1)

“I Remember Everything” is a song where I feel the context surrounding its success kinda overshadows the song itself. And for the record, the fact that “I Remember Everything” debuted at #1 is pretty incredible. Zach Bryan’s near unprecedented success the past few years enabling an act like Kacey Musgraves, who was screwed over by country radio time and time again, to debut at #1 after her previous peak was only at #60 in 2013 with “Follow Your Arrow” is insane. It shows that country artists do, in fact, have the ability to break past the industry to deeply connect with audiences, and seeing as it’s stayed so high on streaming with so little radio support, I think it still holds true. And honestly, as I’ve come to realize, “I Remember Everything” is an incredible track on its own merits. I still wouldn’t put it among Kacey’s top tier, but I do still love the song. What’s immediately striking to me about this song is how Zach isn’t really painting himself as likable or sympathetic here. It’s clear that Kacey is who you’re supposed to side with in this story in the aftermath of a breakup after an alcohol-filled argument. But I have to admit that the reason why I wouldn’t call it one of Kacey’s best is really Zach Bryan himself. His vocal delivery sounds really checked out and unengaged and Kacey’s angelic vocals kinda outshine him here. Yes, it was probably the intention to make Bryan out to be the less likable figure in the story, but it’s an issue I take nonetheless. Still, an amazing little track and I hope this means Kacey finally gets hits of her own in the future.

7...I have a feeling that I’m literally gonna be the only person who puts this next song on their best list this year. Not that I think it’s hated or anything, but it feels like a song that a lot of people seem to like, but not necessarily love. But let me make my case...

7. Ariana Grande - we can’t be friends (wait for your love) (YE: #26, PEAK: #1)

If we can’t get a Carly Rae Jepsen hit in 2024, I guess I can settle for this. But honestly, musically this might be closer to “Somebody” by Dagny - a song I’ve loved since 2020 - with the drum machines and the fact that they’re both in the same music key. But what really sticks out is the lyrics, which remind me of what used to be my favorite Ariana Grande song, “One Last Time” (which I would actually still put in my top 2 from her). Both songs see Ariana put herself in a position where she’s clearly in the wrong and begging for forgiveness or just to pretend once. In “One Last Time”, she was begging the guy she cheated on for one last night together before they call it quits where they can pretend that there is no animosity between each other before a final goodbye. In “we can’t be friends (wait for your love)”, Ariana might as well be talking to her critics and the celebrity gossip outlets that have painted her as this homewrecker, she knows that she doesn’t deserve their sympathy and that her public image has taken a hit, but she just wants to pretend that there is no drama as she tries desperately to repair her public image. And I feel for her in this song, I mean one of the songs on the album is literally called “don’t wanna break up again”, it’s clear that she’s earnestly trying. This is an excellent moment of Ariana allowing herself to be vulnerable and admit that she isn’t likable.

6..This is a song where I get the suspicion that in the broader context of mainstream rap in 2024, this is probably gonna get overlooked. And it’s not like I don’t get it; honestly I almost forgot this song existed until I got to writing this list. But I remembered it just in time!...

6. 21 Savage - redrum (YE: #42, PEAK: #5)

Yeah, with everything else that has happened in mainstream rap in 2024, this feels a bit like a leftover from the previous year almost. But fuck it, I still love “redrum”. 21 Savage’s delivery is super blunt with a very intimidating tone in his low voice to let you know that you should not mess with 21. And the Brazilian vocal sample makes this feel eerie to complement that intimidating atmosphere. But this is where I’ll admit that the trap percussion in the beat can make this feel a bit generic. Still, 21’s bruising attitude and flow make this very effective in what it’s trying to do. Excellent stuff!

5..So remember when I said that “redrum” might get overlooked in the broader context of mainstream rap in 2024? This is one of the reasons why...

5. Kendrick Lamar - Euphoria (YE: #66, PEAK: #3)

“Euphoria” isn’t my favorite Kendrick diss, even in terms of purely the hits - stay tuned - but it’s still incredible. Even if I think the intro feels a bit too pretentious (Kendrick’s delivery for much of it is very condescending but not in a fun way when combined with the very cold atmosphere of the production) But when the horns start to kick in with the percussion, that’s when it really gets going. The most memorable lines become quotable thanks to the tone Kendrick uses while dripping with real venom. Some of my favorite lines include “I pray they my real friends, if not, I'm YNW Melly”, “Yeah, fuck all that pushin' P, let me see you push a T”, “I'd rather do that than let a Canadian [gravey] make Pac turn in his grave”, and these:

“Try cease and desist on the ‘Like That’ record?

Ho, what? You ain't like that record?

‘Back To Back,’ I like that record

I'ma get back to that, for the record”

“I hate the way that you walk, the way that you talk, I hate the way that you dress

I hate the way that you sneak diss, if I catch flight, it's gon' be direct

We hate the bitches you fuck 'cause they confuse themself with real women

And notice, I said "we," it's not just me, I'm what the culture feelin'”

Incredible song, not Kendrick’s best hit this year - we’ll get to that - but this is an effective diss track.

4..Okay, this next song...to explain how this grew on me so much, I’m gonna have to flash back to the beginning of the year: I was doing my homework and looked at my grade on a recent quiz and really questioned if I was on the right path in life and if I was, made for my dreams. So I was basically questioning “what I was made for”-okay yeah you get the idea of what the song is...

4. Billie Eilish - What Was I Made For? (YE: #46, PEAK: #14)

Yeah, even though my situation when this had fully clicked for me isn’t even close to being in the same ballpark as what Billie is singing about here, when I was questioning if I should keep going on this path I was on, this hit me really hard. The song on a sonic level sounds fantastic, the spare piano succeeds in creating a ponderous and chilling atmosphere to compliment Billie’s soft singing, but it’s no surprise that this is the case; FINNEAS is producing a Billie Eilish ballad - no duh it’ll likely work. I’ll admit though that as I became happier throughout the year I haven’t really come back to this song all that much, ultimately elbowing back a song that was at one point top 2 on this list just down to #4 here. Still though, the way this really hit me hard that night was extra comforting. This is a fantastic goosebumps-inducing little song.

3...Luke Combs is a pathological liar

things he's lied about:

• him having a big brother

• the fact his big brother rode an indian scout and died

• his father dying

• him being a checkout girl

• his parents divorcing

What can I say? Even a pathological liar can make fantastic music!...

3. Luke Combs - Where The Wild Things Are (YE: #70, PEAK: #26)

Okay, all jokes aside, “Where The Wild Things Are” showcased to me that Luke Combs is a really underrated songwriter with an ability to write stories that didn’t actually happen to him and yet adding enough detail and selling the songs with enough passionate sincerity to make them feel lived in. This song tells the story of the narrator’s older brother leaving his family behind on an Indian Scout for California to chase his dreams. The narrator then visits his older brother and despite them having a fun time together, he realizes that this lifestyle isn’t right for him so he moves back home, leaving his older brother in California, where he dies in a motorcycle accident. The narrator and his family can’t even be properly angry at the brother here. He died living his dream lifestyle. You can’t really fault someone if they die living life how they want to live it, right? And Luke Combs sells this story so well, his baritone is powerful. And the production sounds fantastic too, it’s got this stomping groove to it that gives this song an “adventure ahead” vibe that I utterly adore. Fantastic little song, but what two songs are better?

2...This was #2 on my Spotify Wrapped...

2. Kendrick Lamar - Not Like Us (YE: #6, PEAK: #1)

Well, it was the biggest musical cultural event of the year for a reason. If “Meet The Grahams” was the killing blow to Drake in this beef, “Not Like Us” is Kendrick teabagging on Drake’s body. The production really goes off, DJ Mustard gives Kendrick a West Coast club banger and Kendrick proves he could’ve played the mainstream pop game with West Coast bangers for years. The quotability really pops off the page. Literally every single line could be worthy of being the best two seconds in pop music of 2024; my personal favorite has to be “tryna strike a chord and it’s probably a-minorrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr”. Once again Kendrick’s delivery is dripping with real, genuine hatred. I listened to this one so much this year and I can actually rap the whole thing line by line - no I’m not gonna put a video of me doing it here - “Meet The Grahams” might be the better diss track, but “Not Like Us” is better as a song, everything about this could’ve easily justified me calling this the best hit song of the year, but one song beat it. So what was it?

1...For a vast chunk of the year, I was really questioning whether I could put this at #1 over “Not Like Us”. In my 2021 best list redux, I mentioned elbowing back repeats on my best list a bit if I felt they didn’t really define my personal year or the year as a whole. And really, if I’m being honest, “Not Like Us” defined my year more than this. What it circled back to, though, was that for as much as I adore “Not Like Us”, it only presents a fraction of the brutality that a song like “Meet The Grahams” did. And this song, it’s grown to be my favorite song from the artist overall and quite honestly one of the best pop songs I’ve ever heard. In a way, I guess it’s kinda poetic. Because for as much as my feelings on her this year have been a bit complicated with her ridiculous overexposure, even if she just got blocked from my #1 on the best list last year, Taylor Swift always has a true banger in her...

1. Taylor Swift - Cruel Summer (YE: #12, PEAK: #1)

“Cruel Summer” is now my favorite Taylor Swift song, period. It’s a song that I honestly feel like I have to apologize for adoring as Taylor’s overexposure seems to have turned some people against this song (I literally can’t believe I have to apologize for adoring what used to be one of Taylor’s most beloved deepcuts 😭😭😭😭). I genuinely consider it one of the best pop songs of the 21st century. It’s the rare sort of perfect song where even its flaws only make it more perfect. The fact that she rhymes “oooooh oooh woooooahh woaaahh” with “cruel summer” and somehow makes it work, the girlish hyperness of the bridge, everything just comes together so well. I really love how explosive the drums are and how the keyboards and synths just turn into a hazy and euphoric mess on the chorus. Taylor sounds like she’s falling head over heels for this guy with every second they are together and that makes the bridge one of the most exhilarating things I’ve ever heard in a pop song. And again, for as much as Taylor Swift has kinda frustrated me this year with The Tortured Poets Department, I’d be lying if I said there wasn’t a part of me that goes way too hard when I blast this song through my speakers and start screaming this song to my makeshift concert haha. And in a year where I was definitely too nostalgic for my own good and was constantly wearing my rose colored glasses when thinking about previous years which might’ve made the summer feel more, well, cruel than it actually was, this song made me put the rose colored glasses on for the present moment and reminded me that this summer isn’t so cruel after all. But yeah, “Cruel Summer” by Taylor Swift, the best hit song of 2024!!

And that’s the list!! My next article will be the one where I review every album I listened to this year, so look out for that!! Until then, Spotify playlist is right here and if you guys have got your own lists of the best hit songs of 2024, please feel free to comment them down below!! I’m eager to read them!! Until my next article, remember to keep it Fire!!