Of course, with the worst list comes the best list. Honestly, I am enthusiastic about writing this. The pop music of 2024 was arguably some of the most enjoyable we've experienced in years. I'd argue that 2024 was the best year for pop music as a whole since 2019, which is high praise considering some of the songs that year had to offer. After 2023, we needed a refresh, and I'd argue we got that. While there has been some awesome music throughout the 2020s, 2024 was the best of the best. You'll see that in the list overall, but for now I want to go over some ground rules.

My rule for songs eligible to be in the actual top ten is that they have to have charted within the Top 50 of the Billboard Hot 100 within the year I am discussing. I've come close at times to breaking that rule, however. For example, the song "Chevrolet" by Dustin Lynch made my worst list this year, having charted at #50. I try not to break it, though, as it feels wrong to bash on songs that people just didn't connect with whatsoever. That being said, making a best list is much different. Heaping praise onto smaller songs is completely fine. I'm not doing that here, but I definitely wouldn't feel guilty about doing it.

This list is meant to be an in-depth, thorough review of my favorite songs of the year. Many of the songs on this list are going to be ones that I appreciate for the rest of my life. Some of them may connect with me on a personal level. Some of them may just be absolute bangers that don't require you to think too hard about them. Whatever the case may be, they were my picks for the best songs of the year. With all that being said, I now present to you... 

THE TOP TEN BEST HIT SONGS OF 2024

#10

Country music has undeniably become my favorite genre as of recent years. It has allowed me to gain a personal connection with my hometown and gain an appreciation for a different side of the landscape of popular music. I guess I picked a perfect time to get into it (last year), because country music has gotten gigantic in the United States. With the increased streaming access in rural communities, artists like Morgan Wallen, Luke Combs, and Jelly Roll have exploded into popularity with numerous subgenres like country-trap, country-rock, and country-folk coming into the limelight. Country-folk has to be one of my favorite ones, and the pioneer of the modern version of the subgenre released another classic in 2024 that I doubt anyone will be forgetting soon.

10. Pink Skies - Zach Bryan

"Pink Skies" is, without question, the saddest song on this list. The song is about the grief you experience with the loss of a family member, apparently one of his girlfriend at the time. It's a very heartfelt song that really conveys the emotions a person feels after the trauma loss causes. You can tell this song clearly meant a lot to Zach, who dealt with the loss of his mother in 2016 when she passed away at just 49 years old. It's inspired a lot of Zach's music, including his 2nd album DeAnn, which is named after her.

This song has some of the best instrumental work of Zach's career, with a great-sounding acoustic guitar that captures the emotion quite well and some great harmonica usage. The sound really adds to the bittersweet sentiment of the song quite well. It helps accentuate his emotions through build-up and is one of the best-sounding country hits of the year by far. Zach Bryan has always had that folky acoustic sound I love, and hearing it here in this context just makes you feel things.

I have to talk about this song's lyrics, though, as these are some of the most touching sentiments of the year. Zach talks about how "the kids" are returning to their hometown for the funeral, and reminisces about all the great memories that they had together with this person, such as nights under pink skies and measuring themselves on the doorframe. Adding these little details really makes everything come together, and it all comes to a climax in the chorus, where Zach tells this person that they'd be proud of the people the "kids" have become. He talks about the funeral being great and that he "bets God heard [them] coming". I can just feel how deep the pain runs for Zach as he yells that last line into the harmonica solo, really letting the pain and grief just sit there and melt through the noise.

It's funny to me that my favorite Zach Bryan songs are both about the color of the sky ("Something In The Orange" and "Pink Skies"), but I guess that's always resonated with me. A good sunset can really be beautiful but bittersweet, the same way a relationship or a life may be great but end too soon. Zach Bryan's album this year was one of the best I listened to, and this was a standout song that really showed what Zach brings to the table from an emotional standpoint. Well done.

#9

If you read my 2020 worst list, I talked about the song "If The World Was Ending" by JP Saxe and Julia Michaels. The reason that song made the list was mostly due to the boring sound and tedious cliches of the writing, but I did think that the sentiment of the song could work if picked up by somebody who actually knew how to use it. Lo and behold, we got a song that used that idea this year in a way that made it impressively good. Of course, it took two of the biggest pop stars of the 2010s to do it, but I'll take what I can get. 

9. Die With A Smile - Lady Gaga & Bruno Mars

I was not expecting a song like this to exist this year. Of course, I wasn't expecting either of these artists to have a hit at all in 2024, but that's on me for not really considering the possibility at all. Bruno Mars and Lady Gaga were two of the defining artists of the 2010s, with their music connecting with people not just in the United States, but around the entire world. From "Uptown Funk" to "Poker Face" to "24K Magic" to "Bad Romance", their music has been both commercially successful and critically acclaimed, and honestly, I don't blame anybody for that. They're both extremely talented musicians that have shown their chops at different points throughout their careers, and "Die With A Smile" is just the latest example.

This song gets everything right that the 2020 song got absolutely wrong. Instead of being about an ex that the narrator is uncertain would want to meet in disaster, this song is a triumphant expression of declaration that both artists would want to be with their significant others in the event of the world ending. It's complemented by a great-sounding instrumental that's an uplifting soft-rock ballad, and it sounds amazing. I feel like Bruno's really pushing for that soulful sound, and it works so well here. Recruiting Gaga only makes it better, as both of their voices fit this very, very well.

"Die With A Smile" makes me feel like I'm watching a sunset at the end of a miserable day. The song just has this radiant bounce to it that shows the bittersweet despair in the lyrical tone, yet still comes across as a happy, buoyant piece of music that really stands for itself. It's a very cinematic song that, similar to "Pink Skies" for Zach Bryan, really illuminates the emotions both artists are invoking. You can also tell both artists genuinely enjoy working with each other, and it comes across beautifully in the way they sing together in the 2nd verse and bridge. It all resonates truly in the final instrumental, with a guitar solo surrounded by other surreal-sounding music that provides the finishing touch. 

Music about the end can be something truly special. I remember both  "DJ Got Us Fallin' In Love" (Usher) and "Time Of Our Lives" (Pitbull) having a similar sentiment to them. Both of those songs are classics in the same way this one will be. It's everything I could've wanted from a collaboration between two of the biggest pop stars of our generation. The only reason it's not any higher on the list is because, well, it's almost too perfect. This year was so good for music that a song like this could end up at #9 on this list. Still an amazing song that will definitely be remembered for a long time.

#8

One song that I saw a lot of people talking about on their worst lists in 2023 was "Daylight" by David Kushner. Honestly, I don't find that song to be great, mostly because it's overproduced and is trying too hard to rip off artists like The National and Hozier. I am grateful for that song, though, because it did prepare us for the next year, where we got an actual hit from one of these artists. The wait was absolutely worth it.

8. Too Sweet - Hozier

I have to say that I was never a particularly big Hozier fan before this song came out. I always thought "Take Me To Church" sounded a bit over-the-top. Not bad, but too much for my taste. "Too Sweet", though, is a much different type of song. It's a catchy pop-rock song with quite possibly the best bassline of the year. I'm a sucker for a good bass guitar, which is most of the reason this song made the list. He just uses it so well and it's a great vibe. 

"Too Sweet" is about how Hozier doesn't think a relationship would work out because they are so different in a lot of ways. He describes himself as a night owl, drinking black coffee and neat whiskey, essentially saying that he's a dark, moody guy that doesn't fit well with this girl's bright, up-and-at-them attitude. It's a very interesting dynamic that I can't recall being done in a song this well before. Hozier isn't the adventurous soul that this girl is, and he understands that, despite her wanting him, they won't work out. He's not willing to fix his bad habits to make it work, instead opting to dismiss the relationship altogether due to the fundamental mismatch in their personalities.

This song's sound is what put it on this list, though, as I said before. It's one of the catchiest songs of the year, and was clearly designed to be a radio single. That's what it works as. It's the type of song you can just jam along with without thinking too much about it. The contrast between the bass guitar and the church bells in the chorus really creates a wonderful dynamic that I am a huge fan of. It's a song that can help improve your mood if you hear it, and it's incredibly easy to like. No wonder it got big on TikTok, as this is one of his best songs yet.

Out of all the musical events of this year, Hozier's ascent to the top of the charts was arguably the strangest. I definitely did not expect him to come back 10 years after "Take Me To Church" took over the world, but I am absolutely glad that he did. "Too Sweet" is not only a much better song than that one, but it's my pick for one of the best hit songs of the year in general. At this rate, we can expect another Hozier hit in 2034. See you then!

#7

Rap music had a very off year commercially in 2023, with country music taking its place as the dominant genre in the United States. I was somewhat expecting a rebound in 2024, and we absolutely got that, with multiple new number one hits coming from the genre. The biggest musical event of the year was a rap beef, and I feel like we definitely got some good music out of it. For example, I present to you the first song in the long line of diss tracks in the Kendrick Lamar-Drake feud.

7. Like That - Metro Boomin & Future (feat. Kendrick Lamar)

When "Like That" by Metro Boomin and Future featuring Kendrick Lamar dropped, all bets were off the table. Lamar had just launched the nuclear missile that would eventually lead to the fall of Drake's commercial career. Obviously, we don't actually know the full impacts of this on Drake, but it seems like it won't ever be the same again. Aside from the diss aspects, however, "Like That" is a genuinely great song that shows some of my favorite production work from Metro Boomin and an all-time performance from Future. 

Let's start with Metro Boomin himself. I love how this song sounds. Throughout the song, there are these deep piano chords that really add a dark flair that I absolutely cannot get enough of. The trap beat goes very well with both Kendrick and Future, and it really comes across in the best way. Every aspect of Metro's production is just insanely great, and I think this is the type of song that really accentuates what I love about him. He's a very versatile guy who can make it work with just about anybody. 

Future is also great on this. The chorus with his deep voice just works so well, as the piano meshes with him very well. It's one of my favorite Future songs just due to how well he fits on it. The song was good even before we get to the Kendrick verse, and oh my goodness. The way he just completely swaps the speed of the song is glorious. Kendrick shows himself to be offended that J. Cole considered the big 3 to be them plus Drake, and goes out of his way to roast both of them throughout the verse. It's weird to me that Kendrick was this mad about something that was clearly a compliment, but I'll take the fact that we got one of the greatest musical experiences out of it any day of the week.

Overall, "Like That" is both an excellent song and a centerpiece as to why the Drake-Kendrick feud was so memorable. Every aspect of this song is controlled and intricate and allows both featured rappers to shine in very interesting yet different ways. This is what rap music needed if it wanted to get back on track commercially, and I'd say it 100% managed to do so.

#6

So, do you remember how my #6 in my worst list was a tie between two songs I found to be very similar? Well, we're doing that again. This time it's once again two country songs that were of the same type, and it's one of my favorite breakout genres of the past few years. Head-smashing, banging country rock. I mean, if you want to get to me, you've just got to get me hyped. These two managed to do that.

6A. Ain't No Love In Oklahoma - Luke Combs

6B. World On Fire - Nate Smith

With how much country music has added in hip-hop influences, I'm surprised it took us this long to get some genuine country rock smashes on the charts. These were probably the two biggest country rock hits of the year, and they're both great in very similar yet unique ways. 

I suppose we can start with Luke Combs here. To be frank, "Ain't No Love In Oklahoma" is just an absolute banger. It's a very fitting theme for the Twisters movie, as it's a thrilling song with some of the best-sounding electric guitar work I've heard in some time. This is the type of song Luke Combs should be making, as his gritty, rough voice works so well on this. He sounds absolutely enthused to be doing this, and it's just a fun experience overall.

The song is about the thrill of the chase and how dangerous life can be as a storm-chaser. The title phrase refers to the fact that, when you're chasing storms, the road isn't going to be easy. Let's be real, though, this song is on the list not for its lyrics, but for the fact that Luke is screaming them with such intensity that you can basically feel the thrill in your veins as you listen to it. It's probably my favorite song from his discography and one of the best country rock songs I've seen hit the charts.

Meanwhile, Nate Smith is an artist I have grown to absolutely love in 2024. His album, California Gold, is one of my favorite albums from this year, and he has just been a huge presence in my musical taste this year. However, the song on this list is not from that album, but from the album before. "World On Fire" is also a country rock belter where Nate screams about how his ex ruined everything by leaving and how he's going to have to completely restart. It's like Morgan Wallen's "Everything I Love" but done much better.

Overall, the prevalence of country rock in modern country music is something I am absolutely grateful for. As someone who grew up listening to a lot of rock music, it's a good thing to have in the scene. Luke Combs and Nate Smith seem to be the two best at making this type of country belter, and they have the potential to continue to be absolutely massive if things go right. Keep it up, y'all. 

#5

It's always cool when a pop music fan sees two of their favorite artists come together. I'd presume that's how so many people felt about "Die With A Smile", and that's how I felt about this entry. The two artists on this song have quickly become staples of my playlists, with both of them having made some of the best music I've listened to in recent memory. A collaboration between them didn't make sense yet felt inevitable. Their styles were so different, so I knew one of them would have to adapt. I'd say they did that wonderfully. 

5. I Had Some Help - Post Malone (feat. Morgan Wallen)

Post Malone transitioned into country music much more seamlessly than I had envisioned, with his unique voice becoming a perfect fit in the genre. F-1 Trillion as an album was legitimately great, with multiple songs I could envision listening to for a long time. "I Had Some Help" was the lead single and quickly became one of my most listened to songs of the summer. It's a pop-country song that I'm honestly surprised doesn't utilize any of the hip-hop elements that both artists love to use. I won't look a gift horse in the mouth, though, as I absolutely love this.

"I Had Some Help" is about how the narrator didn't stoop to alcoholism and addiction on their own by themself, rather claiming that their partner was also mutually responsible with them. While that's not a great sentiment, the song makes up for it with how it handles it. It doesn't take itself too seriously, rather being a fast, fun track where it's more played off as a joke than anything. I don't really feel like the tone of the song fits the lyrics, but that doesn't matter to me because the song just comes across as so infectious that I can't help but sing along whenever I hear it. 

The reason I feel like Post Malone works so well as a country singer is that I can just feel the genuine enjoyment he finds in it. You can tell both he and Morgan are just absolutely enthusiastic about this song, and they work so well as a duo that I can't help but love it. Considering these are the two artists who have had the biggest impact on me over the past couple of years, it makes sense that a collaboration between them would be a very, very good song.

While it's not a perfect song, "I Had Some Help" is something that's still very special to me. It's a catchy country-pop tune that manages to convey both a bitterness and excitement that really resonates with me. It's not my favorite song by either of these guys, but it's definitely something special. Hopefully these two work again in the future. It'd definitely result in some more great music.

#4

Sometimes I like to hype up these entries by being mysterious and not revealing who the artist is or anything about the song right until the end. Not going to do that this time, because honestly, Tommy Richman was probably the strangest thing about 2024's pop music. I don't think that's a bad thing, though.

4. Million Dollar Baby - Tommy Richman

What can I even say about this? The appeal of Tommy Richman's "Million Dollar Baby" is simple: it's an absolute banger. With one of the funkiest, catchiest sounds I've heard in pop music in recent years, it’s an absolute blast to listen to. This R&B-electro-funk blend has the potential to be something special, and Tommy Richman is the one who broke it into the mainstream when the song hit #2 on the Hot 100, just behind Taylor Swift's "Fortnight." The success was a huge surprise, especially considering Tommy had never charted before. In fact, he narrowly missed out on breaking the record set by Oliver Anthony Music last year for an artist with no prior chart history debuting at #1. How did this happen?

Richman is signed to Brent Faiyaz's label, ISO Supremacy, and has been featured on some of Faiyaz's previous work. His breakthrough song owes a lot to TikTok, and I have to say, this is one of the app's best discoveries. TikTok certainly has its hits (think Sunday Best or Old Town Road), but it also has its misses (Supalonely, Track Star). This track, however, is firmly in the "hit" category. There's something uniquely retro about it that feels both nostalgic and fresh at the same time. The pulsing bass and synths manage to be both modern and throwback. I have no clue how he managed to pull that off.

I have a hot take with this one, too. I absolutely love how Richman sounds on this. Sure, his voice when high sounds a bit like a deflating balloon, but it works so well because it perfectly accentuates the vibes this song goes for. Lyrically, "Million Dollar Baby" isn't attempting to say anything profound, but Tommy is talking about how he knows his worth and that he's willing to do whatever it takes to make it in the industry, with is a decent sentiment. This song didn't go viral for its lyrics, though, it went viral for just how catchy it is. Easily one of the catchiest hits to blow up in a long time.

Overall, Tommy Richman seems like a very promising artist. I doubt he ever charts as high as he did with this, but I have liked a lot of the stuff I've heard from him. His album COYOTE, which released this year, was a very good album in my opinion, but none of the songs really blew up whatsoever. Here's to hoping this guy can get another big smash hit, because I would be absolutely happy with that. 

#3

I've said repeatedly that 2024 was an excellent year for popular music. The top three songs on this list are all songs I consider to be among the best songs of the 21st century so far. The fact that I'm able to call one of them #3 on this list with no regrets at all is a testament to just how high the highs were. Considering that the artist who made this has helped shape the identity of 2020s pop music as a whole, and I think this is the best song they've ever made, I would say I'm completely satisfied with how the year turned out.

3. BIRDS OF A FEATHER - Billie Eilish

Billie Eilish is a very special artist. Her musical identity is something I don't think we had ever seen on the pop charts before 2019, and it was such a breath of fresh air. She has some absolutely great songs on her resume, including "Bad Guy", "Everything I Wanted", "Bury A Friend", and "When The Party's Over", but this is her best song to date. HIT ME HARD AND SOFT was really good, and there is so much of a tangent I could go into about that, but I have to heap praise onto this because this is something truly amazing.

Finneas' production just continues to get better and better. This is easily the best-sounding song I've heard from him, and the lightweight, new-wave style just fits so well with Billie's vocals. The contrast between the upbeat, fun melody and the lyrics about not being able to live without another is so poignant and powerful for me. Billie has never been shy about using her music to say something that resonates with people, and this song is no exception. This is the kind of song that can either make you happy or sad, and the fact that it's so versatile plays to Billie's strengths as an artist.

Let me tell you about the moment this song clicked for me, though. I was driving home one night, at about 10:00 PM, and this song was on a CD I had made of the year's biggest hits. It came on, and I immediately felt chills. I have never been in a relationship, so I don't truly resonate with the song the way others do. If it hit me that hard, imagine what it could do for somebody who's actually in love with someone? Who actually has someone to sing this to? The lyrics are just so detailed about how Billie truly loves this person and how they mean the world to her, but they're not so descriptive as to make it inaccessible.

I still have no idea why this wasn't pushed as the lead single. It's easily the best song on that album and my personal pick for Billie's best song to this day. If I was doing a countdown for the Top Ten Best Hit Songs of the 2020s so far, this would probably make the cut at like #6 or #5, so the fact that it's so low on this list doesn't mean I don't think it's truly incredible. Billie Eilish will continue being one of the biggest artists alive as long as she wants to, and I don't have a problem with that whatsoever.

#2

The musical event of the year, as I said in my #7 entry, was the Kendrick Lamar-Drake feud that began after the release of "Like That". Of course, that's not the song everybody's still jamming to. It wasn't the song of the summer. It wasn't one of the biggest event songs I've ever seen. The one that was? Well, let's just say that Kendrick didn't only hit Drake with the final blow, he eviscerated him with a nuclear missile. That missile was "Not Like Us".

2. Not Like Us - Kendrick Lamar

On May 4th, 2024, Kendrick Lamar released "Not Like Us", which seems to be the final cornerstone of the feud. Drake responded to it with "The Heart Part 6", where he embarrasses himself by saying he's "too famous" to be a pedophile. Everyone has accepted that Kendrick beat him in a similar manner that Georgia Tech beat Cumberland in 1916. Kendrick has milked this song for all it's worth, performing it numerous times at a Juneteenth concert in L.A. and releasing a music video for it two months after it dropped to really hammer it in. This is arguably the most important rap release since "WAP", and is easily a contender for the best rap song of the decade so far.

This song is just.. different from Kendrick's other work. "Meet The Grahams" and "Euphoria" were all brutal takedowns that mostly focused on antagonizing Drake and really making sure everyone knew what was up with him, but "Not Like Us" was more than that. It does manage to take down Drake in a very interesting way, but it also is much catchier due to production from Mustard, who got his first ever #1 hit with this song. I've long liked Mustard's production work, and it felt just right for him to get that chart-topper with something so amazing. 

There are so many excellent lyrics in this song that are just too much to count. In the first verse, Kendrick accuses Drake of being a pedophile, telling girls to hide their little sisters from Drake, and asking why one of the security guards Drake employs (who was charged with forcing a woman into prostitution) is still around. The 2nd verse accuses Drake of disrespecting Tupac Shakur (which he 100% did when he made "Taylor Made Freestyle") and calls him out for lying about the "Like That" cease and desist. Those verses are absolutely great, but nothing compares with what comes in the third verse.

The third verse of "Not Like Us" equates Drake's tendency to collaborate with Atlanta-based rappers with the entire history of systemic racism and slavery. While that may be going a bit too far, the way Kendrick shapes it just works out perfectly. You completely get where Kendrick is coming from by the end of the verse. You start to think about all of these artists that Drake has worked with over the years, and his usage of Atlanta hip-hop culture to advance his own career, while it doesn't seem like much, really begins to add up once you consider what Kendrick says.

Overall, though, "Not Like Us" is one of those cultural events that you remember where you were when you first heard it. It's something that has become monumental. It's not only an excellent diss track, but it marks the point where everyone knew Kendrick had won. I would not be surprised if this wins Lamar multiple Grammy Awards, which would be hilarious considering the line "Kendrick just opened his mouth, someone go hand him a Grammy right now" from "Family Matters". Just prophetic.

And now, before I reveal what the single best hit song of one of the best years for pop music in recent memory was, some honorable mentions. 

HONORABLE MENTIONS

HM1. The Door - Teddy Swims

"Lose Control" is probably going to be the #1 song on the Billboard Year-End Hot 100, but I honestly preferred this follow-up. It's got a much better rhythm that really just clicks for me. The R&B-rock-soul fusion Teddy Swims offers is something I'm truly happy we have around, and I sincerely hope he has another hit, because both of his hits so far have been very good. 

HM2. Good Luck, Babe! - Chappell Roan

There was no breakout artist this year bigger than Chappell Roan, who I'm very polarized on. I put "HOT TO GO!" as a dishonorable mention on my worst list, mostly because that song just annoys me, but this was actually very good. It's an anthemic synth-pop tune that I could 100% see going down as a classic. Expand this list by 1 or 2 spots and this makes it.

HM3. End of Beginning - Djo

Joe Keery has a pop hit, huh? I'll take it, because this sounds amazing. The electric guitar on this song builds up tension in a way that I think is incredible, and it's an overall catchy tune with a nostalgic feel. This isn't the kind of thing I'd usually expect to get popular, but if this is what TikTok wants, I'm here for it. Keep it up, Keery!

HM4. Devil Is A Lie - Tommy Richman

The follow-up to "Million Dollar Baby", I thought this was a good song in its own right. The production on Tommy Richman's music is usually pretty great, and this is no exception. I love the synths and violins on this, as they give a pretty good flair. I don't think it's as good as the first single, but it's a good choice as a follow-up. If you get a chance, go listen to COYOTE. You will not regret it. 

HM5. Guy For That - Post Malone (feat. Luke Combs)

The other Post Malone song I really connected with this year, the sentiment of "I have somebody for  basically anything, but I don't got anyone who can fix my broken heart" is such a clever take on the original phrase. It helps to have a presence like Luke Combs, who always sounds like he's having the time of his life when he's singing. Great job, boys.

HM6. Bulletproof - Nate Smith

Nate Smith has become one of my favorite artists throughout the end of 2024. While I put "World On Fire" on the list, he had so many other songs that could've made it. I considered this for a while, and I also considered his recent single "Fix What You Didn't Break". Perhaps that song could make next year's list if it ends up charting high enough? "Bulletproof" is a catchy rock banger in its own right. It's basically just Morgan Wallen's "You Proof" if it didn't suck. 

HM7. FE!N - Travis Scott (feat. Playboi Carti)

"FE!N" is more than a song. It's a lifestyle. It's an identity. It's everything I could've wanted out of a Travis Scott song and more. If you hear this at a sporting event or a dance or any other event, you will live in this song for the entire running time. What better way to let off stress than yelling "FEIN, FEIN, FEIN, FEIN FEIN FEIN" over and over at the top of your lungs? I love hearing this at football games, it always gets so hyped and insane. 

HM8. Pretty Little Poison - Warren Zeiders

It was right up to the end whether this or "Pink Skies" was going to make the list. I chose "Pink Skies" because I felt like I had more to say about that song. This one is still excellent, though. The slow, creepy rock sound is something I absolutely love in country music, and this is not an exception. This is how you make a song about loving someone with bad habits work, Jessie Murph. Take some notes.

HM9. Spin You Around (1/24) - Morgan Wallen

This isn't technically a new song, but it was released this year as a re-recording of one of Morgan's older tracks. The acoustic guitar on this sounds great, and you can feel the emotional tension in every pluck of the strings. It sounds great and definitely would've made the list if it had been an actual new song, probably pretty high.

HM10. I Like It - Alesso (feat. Nate Smith)

This may not just be the hottest take of this list, but probably the hottest take I've had in my entire life. "I Like It" by Alesso and Nate Smith is not just a great song, it's a generational song. The looping electric guitar is one of the catchiest rhythms I've heard in an EDM song in years, and the drum production on this really just slaps you across the face with how loud and booming it is. Nate Smith's raspy voice compliment's Alesso's production very well, and it became one of my most played songs of the year through its sound alone. This would've been near the top of the list had it been eligible, but alas, it's stuck here. 

And now, for the ultimate reveal....

#1

Look, I know people like surprises. I know people want to think "I wonder what number 1 is going to be". I get that. However, if you know me at all, the song at the top of this list should not be a surprise whatsoever. I've raved about this man and his music all throughout the year, and for good reason. The artist on top of this list has some of the best potential I've ever seen in a breakthrough artist, and his music has spoken to me in such an interesting and mesmerizing way. I listened to the album he released this year, and there was not a single skip. Every song felt like it fit perfectly into the album, and I was taken aback by just how special and talented this dude was. It makes sense that his biggest hit is the song that takes the top spot on this list, because it is something truly impressive. 

1. A Bar Song (Tipsy) - Shaboozey

Anyone who's talked to me about popular music this year knows that this song is one of my all-time favorites. I'd not only consider this one of the best songs of the decade, but one of the best #1 hits of all time. The reason for this is pretty simple. Shaboozey manages to use country music and rap music together in a way that transcends the boundaries of what genre music is and should be. With the interpolation of "Tipsy" by J-Kwon, this formerly unknown artist managed to capture the attention of not only America, but people all around the world. Everything about this song is perfect. Every little minute detail is exactly what I want to hear at that exact moment. It's one of the best listening experiences I've ever had, and something I'm truly happy people latched on to.

The thing that first drew me to "A Bar Song (Tipsy)" was its sound. I am a sucker for songs where you can hear the strumming of an acoustic guitar, and the beginning of this song is one of my all-time favorite usages of that technique. It's a very warm and welcoming tone for a song that wants to be an anthem. This song is absolutely that. This is a stomp-clamp song, and it manages to do that in a way that turns into one of the best drinking songs I've ever heard. The percussion on this is remarkably natural yet sleek, and it feels like you're really with a group of friends singing this song every single time you hear it. 

"A Bar Song (Tipsy)" is about the struggles of living life as a working man, and going to the bar to forget about everything. It's a pretty typical storyline for a country song, but Shaboozey works it in one of the best ways I've ever heard. "I can't worry 'bout my problems, I can't take 'em when I'm gone" is an oddly profound lyric in a country song about drinking, but it helps us understand why he and everyone else at the bar are getting tipsy. It helps that Shaboozey's voice has the grit and deepness to really resonate with people, and it comes together in one of the most climatic moments of the year when the voilins kick in after the chorus.

This song didn't just capture my attention. It captured everybody's attention. At the time of writing this, "A Bar Song (Tipsy)" has been #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 for a total of 19 weeks, making it the longest-running solo song at the top of the chart. It tied the record for the longest-running song to be #1 on the Billboard Hot 100. I can't think of a song that deserves that record more than this. This is a song that people will remember. It's going to have a legacy. It has the potential to be one of the greatest drinking anthems of all time when all is said and done, and Shaboozey has shown me that he can be one of the best artists in music in general. This is the best song of the year for me by every metric. I will have this song on my playlists for a long time, and I am absolutely amazed that I live in a world where something this great can get popular. Keep it up, Shaboozey. You've earned that chance.

I'm Lando from the Landoman Experiment, and I appreciate you reading this far. I hope you have a wonderful rest of your day.