To put it shortly, 2024 was a good year for music. The year saw highlights including a massive rap beef, the rise of Chappell Roan and of course “Brat summer.” There was something for everyone. The only question left to be asked is simple: what was the best music released in 2024? Here, I will be ranking and reviewing what I believe to be the best songs and albums from the past year.
My Top Songs of 2024
First let’s start with the top songs of the year. We have a lot to cover in this story so I won’t be going in depth on every song in my top 10, but rather listing them in order and talking more about my top five. Additionally, I tried to limit myself to one song per artist to provide variety and avoid one or two artists taking up a majority of the list.
10.“abyss angel” by glass beach, “plastic death”
9. “Year of the Cup” by Porter Robinson, “SMILE! XD”
8. “Windwatcher” by thatcherblackwood
7. “BIRDS OF A FEATHER” by Billie Eilish, “HIT ME HARD AND SOFT”
6. “Midwest Indigo” by Twenty One Pilots, “Clancy”
- “Good Luck, Babe!” by Chappell Roan
If you don’t know who Chappell Roan is by now, it’s time to crawl out from the rock you’re under. “Good Luck, Babe!” was one of the biggest songs in 2024, and for good reason. The song has an ‘80s feel that is reminiscent of artists like Kate Bush and Cyndi Lauper. Between “Good Luck, Babe!” and her 2023 album “The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess,” I can’t wait to see what Chappell Roan has in store for her audience in 2025.
- “Sympathy is a knife” by Charli XCX, “Brat”
“Sympathy is a knife” is easily my favorite song off of “Brat,” but also one that I think is incredibly underrated. I love the chorus to this song, it’s one of my favorite moments from the entire album. The track does everything right, the vocal effects are perfect and so are the instrumentals. When I heard this track on my first listen of “Brat” I knew I was going to be in for a great album.
- “Dustcutter” by Quadeca, “Scrapyard”
“Dustcutter” is the first track off of Quadeca’s “Scrapyard” and it does a fantastic job of setting the tone for the rest of the album. When I sat down for the first time with the intention of listening through the entire album, it took me about a week before I finally listened to the full album because I just kept “Dustcutter” on repeat. The instrumentation of this song is fantastic, and is quickly met with a vocal performance that I’ve spent all of 2024 being in love with.
- “Girl, so confusing (feat. Lorde)” by Charli XCX, Lorde, “Brat and it’s Completely Different But Also Still Brat”
I won’t say too much about this track since I already wrote about it in my ranking of the “Brat” remix album, but I will say that it is easily one of the best and most effective songs of the year. Listen to it if you haven’t already, trust me.
- “So American” by Olivia Rodrigo, “GUTS (spilled)”
I included this song on a technicality that while “GUTS” was released in 2023, Olivia Rodrigo didn’t release the deluxe edition until 2024, which contained the bonus track “So American.” I love every single thing about this song. Rodrigo’s lyrics and delivery are amazing, and the instrunmentals are so lively and exciting. I especially love the drums on this track, I find them to be super effective during the chorus. “So American” has the best chorus of the year, and I have continued to come back to it since it was released. It’s easily my top song of the 2024.
My Top Albums of 2024
Now we’ll move on to albums. Once again, I will only be going in depth with my top five, though I’ll still acknowledge six through ten in an honorable mention.
10. “Clancy” by Twenty One Pilots (7/10)
9. “People Who Aren’t There Anymore” by Future Islands (7/10)
8. “HIT ME HARD AND SOFT” by Billie Eilish (7+/10)
7. “Plastic death” by glass beach (-8/10)
6. “East My Love” by Current Joys (8/10)
- “Britpop” by A. G. Cook
8/10
Favorite Tracks: Lucifer, Serenade
Least Favorite Track: Luddite Factory Operator
G. Cook’s “Britpop” is such a fun time. The electronic pop album contains 24 tracks and an hour and forty minutes of music. While the length of the album is definitely noticeable, so is the quality of the music. These tracks sound amazing and are well produced, and the track layout feels very thought out. The album seems to be divided into three parts, with the middle eight tracks containing vocals while the surrounding tracks remain mainly instrumentals.
For me, this project works well for both passive and active listening, making for great music to have on in the background while also offering plenty to the listener who chooses to dissect the tracks. Its length might keep me away from doing a frequent front to back listening, but “Britpop” is definitely worth the listen.
- “Older” by Lizzie McAlpine
8+/10
Favorite Track: Movie Star
Least Favorite Track: You Forced Me To
“Older” was the surprise album of the year for me, having gone into it with zero expectations. Lizzy McAlpine put together a very sweet and emotional collection of songs that kept me captivated for the entire listen. The writing on this project is very compelling and something that I really loved from “Older.” I don’t have much more to say about it, this album just really stood out and is worth checking out if you haven’t yet.
- “TANGK” – IDLES
8+/10
Favorite Track: Jungle
Least Favorite Track: Gratitude
IDLES hit a homerun with their fifth studio album “TANGK.” The album has a lot of really fun moments, such as in “Gift Horse” and “Dancer,” which features LCD Soundsystem. These songs, along with a handful more, kept the energy of the album lively and upbeat. Tracks like “IDEA 01” and “A Gospel” give listeners a softer and more emotional experience. The combination of all these tracks make “TANGK” a really complete experience for me. This is one of those albums that would make me want to see the band play live.
- “Scrapyard” – Quadeca
9+/10
Favorite Tracks: Dustcutter, Guide Dog
Least Favorite Track: I Make It Look Effortless
Quadeca’s mixtape “Scrapyard” came out early in 2024, yet managed to grab ahold of my attention to the point where it became my most visited album of the year. For me, this is one of those projects where after I listen to it, I want to sit down and make music. This album sounds incredible, taking a maximalist approach with its use of sounds in many of its tracks. The experimental nature of this project comes off as very refreshing.
What I feel like needs to be talked about more is Quadeca’s vocal performance. His delivery comes across with so much emotion that adds a tremendous amount to the already impactful lyrics. The writing on this album is something that sticks with me as well. The lyrics on “Guide Dog” specifically stand out as particularly sweet and perfectly accompany the already raw and emotional performance.
There are only two reasons that “Scrapyard” misses out on the number one spot. The first reason is I feel there is a slight dip in the middle of the album. This isn’t to say that these songs are bad, they just don’t quite live up to the incredible start and end to the project. The second reason that “Scrapyard” isn’t number one is because “Brat” came out this year.
- “Brat” – Charli XCX
10/10
Favorite Track: Sympathy is a Knife
Least Favorite Track: Rewind
If “Brat” at number one surprises you, then you haven’t listened to it yet. Upon my first listen I knew this album was going to be hard to beat. Every song on “Brat” is undeniably impactful in what it is trying to accomplish, whether that be catchy and fun or emotional and reflective. What surprised me most about this project, however, was the pacing. I was fully expecting this album to be upbeat dance-pop club music one right after another, but instead I was treated to what felt like a super thoughtful track listing that made the album very easy to revisit and digest.
This goes without saying but each song simply sounds fantastic. The sound palette of “Brat” is incredible, and Charli’s vocal performances are exactly where they need to be for each track. I have already named “Sympathy is a Knife” as my favorite track, but it would be wrong to not shout out other standouts like “So I” and “Apple.” I could listen to the music from this album front to back on repeat for an entire day and I don’t think I would skip any songs. If you haven’t listened to “Brat” and have rolled your eyes at the “Brat summer” phenomenon, I recommend swallowing your pride and checking out the album. Easy 10.
