Oh, my God. Hi, everyone, Clubthony Classtano here, the Internet's busiest music nerd. It's time for another installment of our 2024 List Week coverage. I'm going over my top 50 songs or singles of 2024, because these are not just songs that were randomly released throughout the year, they're single releases, top 50 of those.

Fifty is a lot of tracks, but a lot of music came out this year, and that is the number that I usually limit myself to. But because that is so many songs, I'm going to go through the first half of this list pretty quickly and dig a bit more into the tracks toward the top half of the list, if you don't mind, if that's okay.

50) Hiatus Kaiyote - "Cinnamon Temple"

Let's just get straight into the madness, starting at number 50, Hiatus Coyote sounding absolutely insane on this rockin' "Cinnamon Temple" single. Great jam and baselines on that one.

49) bbno$ - "it boy"

At 49, it is going to be Baby No Money with "it boy". He is the Gen Z Eminem. That one is quite silly.

48) Sampha & Little Simz - "Satellite Business 2.0"

At 48, it is Sampha teaming up with Little Simz for a new version of the song "Satellite Business" that is quite cool.

47) Ari Lennox - "Smoke"

At 47, singing over a classic soul-style instrumental, it is Ari Lennox who wants all the smoke. Totally confrontational on "Smoke".

46) FKA Twigs - "Perfect Stranger"

At 46, we have FKA Twigs on the spacy, melodic, and highly danceable "Perfect Stranger".

45) Jane Remover - "Magic I Want U"

Jane Remover gives us a sharp piece of internet pop on "Magic I Want You".

44) Shygirl - "encore" ft. Danny L Harle

Then at 44, it is Shygirl and Danny L Harle giving us the absolutely filthy Banger "encore".

43) Ginger Root - "No Problems"

43, it is Ginger Root with the very slick, sharp, and poppy "No Problems".

42) Chappell Roan - "Good Luck, Babe!"

At 42, Chappell with "Good Luck Babe!" – that is a piece of soaring synthpop magic if I've ever heard it.

41) Amyl and the Sniffers - "U Should Not Be Doing That"

Then at 41, the raw and grimey Amyl and the Sniffers give us the lead single to their latest album cycle, "U Should Not Be Doing That".

40) Charley Crockett - "$10 Cowboy"

At number 40, country singer and songwriter Charley Crockett gives us some infectious lyrics and a deep resonant voice on the title to his $10 Cowboy record.

39) Denzel Curry - "HOT ONE" ft. TiaCorine & FERG

At number 39, Denzel Curry teams up with TiaCorine as well as ASAP FERG on "HOT ONE".

38) Alice Longyu Gao - "♡ Korean Girls" ft. Mega Mongoliad

38 is Alice Longyu Gao with "Korean Girls" off of their latest EP, which ranked quite high on my EPs list.

37) Tierra Whack - "27 CLUB"

Then at 37, it is Tierra Wack really bearing her soul on the incredible "27 CLUB".

36) test plan - "Walking in a Vacuum"

At number 36, it is test plan with "Walking in a Vacuum", a really chaotic, dark, tortured rock track with a super intense performance.

35) FLO - "Caught Up"

If you are looking for some classic R&B with some great vocal harmonies, go no further than "Caught Up", the stellar single from FLO.

34) Ibibio Sound Machine - "Pull the Rope"

At 34, endless grooves coming off of Ibibio Sound Machine's "Pull the Rope".

33) Tinashe - "Nasty"

Then at 33, how could we forget this one? It is permanently locked into our vernacular, at least for now. That would be Tinashe with "Nasty".

"Is somebody going to match my freak."

32) Fontaines D.C. - "Starburster"

At 32, we have Fontaines D.C. with some heavy riffs and desperate gasps on "Starburst".

31) Armand Hammer - "Doves" ft. Benjamin Booker

Then at 31, Armand Hammer takes us on a psychedelic abstract and totally surreal rap journey on "Doves".

30) Elias Rønnenfelt - "No One Else"

At number 30, singer-songwriter Elias Rønnenfelt of Iceage fame hits us with a painfully sad ballad on "No One Else".

29) Kim Gordon - "BYE BYE"

Then at 29, Kim Gordon gives us an incredible solo effort on her new LP, The Collective, but specifically the single "BYE BYE", which features an insane list of travel items. It's exciting to hear that Kim is still doing great stuff this late into her career, post-Sonic Youth.

28) Justice - "Generator"

At 28, Justice is back, really on their classic sound, their classic grooves, their classic shit on "Generator".

27) clipping. - "Run It"

Then at 27, clipping. is trying out a little less noise and a little more dance groups on their new single "Run It", which I loved quite a bit.

26) Nia Archives - "Crowded Roomz"

At 26, we are getting to the halfway point with Nia Archives, giving us the crowded room single, solid vocal, sharp choruses, and fantastic breakbeat production.

Okay, halfway point of the list now.

25) Xiu Xiu - "Veneficium"

Let's dig a bit further talking about number 25, Xiu Xiu, with "Veneficium", a single off of their latest full-length LP, which features a very generous title. Absolutely loving the massive drums, the searing lead melodies, and of course, Jamie's trademark vibrato all over the track, too. This track is strange, this track is rocking, this track is harrowing. And yet, despite all that, it's one of the catchiest singles Xiu Xiu has released in quite a while, as the band does slide side to side across their discography on a very strange accessibility spectrum. But if you are curious about Xiu Xiu, this song and the album it comes off of certainly is not a bad start.

24) Knocked Loose - "Suffocate" ft. Poppy

At number 24, that is going to be Knocked Loose with "Suffocate" featuring Poppy, which, goddamn, everything about this track is immense, is crushing. I mean, what a great, amazing piece of hardcore and metal core. The guitars are so saturated. The riffs are insane. Poppy's voice in the mix there just adds so much more character to the track, too. This song also adds quite a it to the new Knocked Loose albums, overall narrative and concept based around faith and struggling with religious belief, lack thereof. But yeah, again, so heavy thrilling progression, just really the exact definition of blood pumping, and I will leave it at that.

23) Aliyah’s Interlude - "Fashion Icon"

Following that, over at number 23, that's going to be Aaliyah's Interlude with "Fashion Icon". I'm a fashion icon. Yeah, it's a hokey fun little dance pop single all about, addressing your best and being stand out and flamboyant and one of a kind and expressing yourself through the way you present yourself to the world. It's got an angle. It has a lyrical focus to it. But on top of that, it's just a really cool throwback electro style beat with some very girly, very in your face, very cheeky, very fun lead vocals. It's very youthful, it's very bouncy, it's very over the top, it's very expressive, lots of personality. Fun as hell, too. I need more where this came from.

22) Chelsea Wolfe - "Everything Turns Blue"

After that, at 22, it is going to be Chelsea Wolfe with a teaser off of her latest album, She Reaches Out To She Reaches Out To She, "Everything Turns Blue". This is a very cohesive record loaded with slow, foreboding thick, dense, impenetrable industrial tracks that really lean into the electronics and the syrupy synthesizers. Though, in my opinion, does feature one of the more heart-wrenching vocal performances on the entire record, though. Chelsea's beckoning vocals really slice through the haze on this track, and yeah, it's just an immense listen.

21) Beth Gibbons - "Floating on a Moment"

At number 21, we have the similarly slow and dramatic "Floating on a Moment" from none other than Beth Gibbons, of course, of Portishead fame, who had an incredible solo release this year. And yes, this track just features a lush, arranged instrumentation, a very patient linear build, a stellar vocal performance from Beth that showcases a lot of weariness and pain emotionally, while, of course, the song adds so much to this record's overall themes dealing in the passage of time as well as impermanence.

21) Remi Wolf - "Toro"

At 20, we are getting nonstop grooves and total narrative chaos and some really sharp vocal harmonies, too, from none other than Remi Wolf on "Toro". Reving up that motorcycle, too. Definitely one of the best pop summer singles I've heard this year.

19) Kamasi Washington - "Prologue"

Number 19, one of the most thrilling jams I have heard this year. That is "Prologue" which comes off of the new Kamasi Washington record. If you are looking for some tight jazz fusion with some amazing, fiery, very intense chemistry and just a great technical ability and just performances all around. You are not going to want to miss this one.

18) Magdalena Bay - "Death & Romance"

Then at 18, let's give it to a lot of the underground pop fans out there. That is going to be "Death & Romance" from none other than Magdalena Bay. From the explosive chorus to the rich piano cords, there's so much about this one to love.

17) A$AP Rocky - "HIGHJACK" ft. Jessica Pratt

At number 17, it is going to be the hazy, catchy, and multifaceted hijack from A$AP Rocky, which of also features none other than singer-songwriter Jessica Pratt, maybe one of the most unlikely features and crossovers of this year. And yet somehow it works on a track that also sees the return of an older A$AP Rocky in terms of flow, in terms of swagger, in terms of charisma. Really happy to hear this Rocky back, not only just on those fronts, but in terms of the production choices he's making on this track, too.

16) Vampire Weekend - "Classical"

At number 16, that is going to be Vampire Weekend with their trademark brand of multi-genre, somewhat mixed-fi-pop classical.

15) Moses Sumney - "Vintage"

At 15, we have none other than Moses Sumney getting nostalgic and sensual on the track "Vintage", which to my ears is not only one of the best R&B cuts I've heard this year, but again, to take it back to the meaning of the song, I love the lyrical focus on the track. I love that there's a lot of follow-through in terms of what Moses is singing about. Instrumentally, mentally, and vocally, there is also a lot of power in the subtlety of this song, too. And yet, despite it being as low-key as it is, it really has been on repeat for me quite a bit, and its chorus has just continued to haunt me for months at this Take it back to 1993.

14) Porter Robinson - "Cheerleader"

Okay, moving on from there, we have Porter Robinson with "Cheerleader". Really cool pop rock track, in my opinion, bringing in elements of internet era bedroom pop stuff stuff, maybe a little emo from the 2000s as well, like some really sugary, somewhat synthetic MySpace brand pop, but updated and attached to a story of somebody getting quite obsessed with the protagonist of the song. Very much a 'if I can't have you, no one can' thing. But yeah, great song structure all around standout single, and it really does add quite a bit to the records concepts around fame and analyzing one's place in the world.

13) The Lemon Twigs - "My Golden Years"

At number 13, I am going to give it to the Lemon-freakin-Twigs on "My Golden Years". One of the band's best written songs to date. Not only are the vocals killer and the instrumental is fantastic, but they really do have the art of reminiscing down to a science at this point.

12) Joey Valence & Brae - "THE BADDEST"

At number 12, I am going to put "The Baddest" from Joey Valence & Brae, which is just a total banger. Just the definition of a banger, the bangeriest banger to ever banger in 2024. I don't really know if there's anything else that you can say about it other than that.

11) Dog Race - "It’s the Squeeze"

At 11, it is going to be a track from an up and coming band that has really been sticking in my mind and like some other songs on here, "Haunting My Dreams", too. But that is going to be "It's the Squeeze" from Dog Race. One of the creepiest and yet also most fun and most broadly-sung pieces of goth rock I have heard this year. There are a few bands I am more excited for to see roll out some new stuff in the next few years than Dog Race.

And now we are transitioning into the top 10 of the list. Let's go.

10) Jamie xx - "Baddy on the Floor" ft. Honey Dijon

Starting with Jamie xx, "Baddy on the Floor" at number 10, which is one of the most killer dance cuts I have heard this year. The grooves are stellar. Those classic house keys are great. And damn those horn sections. This song is so goddamn addictive. It makes me want to be a baddy on the floor. That's all I'm going to say.

9) Doechii - "Alter Ego" ft. JT

At number nine, also a great dance cut. Frankly, a single that I think has been a little underappreciated this year because it has been slightly overshadowed by the release of a mixtape that has definitely been a favorite among hip hop fans in 2024. Of course, I am talking about Doechii, who teams up with JT on the song, "Alter Ego".

Doechii's versatility this year has just been mind-blowing. It's amazing that she does this total hip house jammer just as well as she does a lot of great stuff off of her latest tape, Alligator Bites Never Heal. While, yes, I do want to see her continue to evolve and do new stuff. I hope that an anthem as fantastic as this is not the only hip house style cut she has tucked away in her pocket, because not only does her bold voice and fierce delivery just work so well in the context of this style. But with a track like this, she clearly has the presence to pull off a massive chorus as well. I would love to hear more from her along these lines.

There's my number nine.

8) Fat Dog - "Wither"

At number eight, we are moving into to another piece of music that exists in very dark, groovy territory. That is going to be Fat Dog with "Wither". Few bands this year have really mixed together elements of electronic music and dance music and goth music in quite the way that Fat Dog has. While their debut album may have been a little bit scant, highlights like "Wither" are explosive, are thrilling, and just have me sitting here excited for more, which I'm hoping the band can deliver soon.

7) Adrianne Lenker - "Sadness as a Gift"

Moving on from there at number seven, it is going to be the stunning ballad from Adrianne Lenker, one of the singles off of her latest LP, Bright Future, that is "Sadness as a Gift", which pretty much has every key piece of criteria that typically makes Adrianne Lenker's music amazing. Those tender, intimate vocals, the fantastic guitar work, as well as the amazing soul-bearing criticism and storytelling as she sings poetically, essentially about seeing the silver lining in a cloud that is hanging over a fraught relationship. But yes, this track is one of many tearjerker moments on her latest full-length LP and just a powerful ballad all around.

6) Chat Pile - "I Am Dog Now"

At number 6, we are going to throw down "I Am Dogg Now" from Chat Pile, crushing riffs, dystopian lyrics and vocals. Chat Pile just continues to dig down into just the subterráne depths of emotional and mental darkness in a way that just few bands do. And this song, this single from their latest record, Cool World, is just a prime example of exactly that. But then bringing us up to the light, to the silly, to the fun, to the absurd, to the over the top.

5) horsegiirL - "eat, sleep, slay, 🔁"

Bringing us to the light, to the silly, to the fun, to the absurd, to the over-the-top it is horsegiirL with "eat, sleep, slay, 🔁" with one of the most jumping and tongue-in-cheek dance anthems that I've heard this year. If me liking this song as much as I do that I would place it at number five as proof that my brain is broken, I don't want it to be fixed.

4) Laura Marling - "No One’s Gonna Love You Like I Can"

At number four, This one made me cry a bit when I first heard it because it's just such a tender, loving, honest, moving little tune that is "No One’s Gonna Love You Like I Can" from Laura Marling. This track just packs such an emotional punch in such a short amount of time. It's incredible. What Laura can pull together vocally and musically and lyrically in a few minutes is just amazing at this point. I feel like she continues to refine her talents in a way to where she just does so much with so little. Finding power in that simplicity, of course, her singing is just amazing, still at this point in her career. Again, few tracks moved me as deeply and as quickly as this one did.

3) Geordie Greep - "Holy, Holy"

Then after this, at number three, we are going to go with "Holy Holy" from Geordie Greep, a total frenzy of a song, really a roller coaster of emotion and going in the opposite direction lengthwise as well as this is quite an immense track, too. Geordie Greep really takes us on an odyssey of sorts into the mind of just a very strange man with elements of synth funk and jazz rock and everything in between. Also on top of that, just one of the most outlandish dialog portions I have ever heard written into any song in all of popular music history. But yeah, this is one I most definitely keep coming back to, even though it is hard to do so with it being as huge as it is.

2) Charli XCX & Lorde - "Girl, so confusing"

Number two, I am going to go with Charli XCX with the Lorde version of the song "Girl, so confusing", as that takes an already fantastic track off of her new BRAT record just elevates it to a new level of emotional impact, turning it from a song that was once about stress and anxiety and confusion to a track that is now about assurance and connection and friendship, as well as understanding. I feel like, unfortunately, we live in very sad, isolated, and atomized times. Because it is so rare that many of us connect with one another on a face-to-face basis, it is easy to get into our own heads about what other people think about us. This remix, this new version of the song addresses this all too common problem in a real and relatable way by forcing two artists experiencing this issue to confront it in their art itself. This track is a testament to the power of human connection and music that actually bears real life results. So, yeah, that's why it's my number two.

1) Kendrick Lamar - "meet the grahams"

But at number one, we are really talking division because as everyone knows, 2024 was very much a year of beef, a year of conflict, socially, politically, musically, specifically in regards to Kendrick Lamar and Drake. Now, to anybody who follows me, even casually, it should be pretty apparent at this point. I was very much a fan of Kendrick's contributions to this back and forth between him and Drake more than I was Drake's. I think Kendrick is really the one who pulled through. I don't think that should be a super controversial take.

You may notice that between all of these diss tracks he wrote and recorded and also his new record, GNX, he's dropped a lot of tracks and we're just at our number one spot. That is because for the most part, I have limited myself to pretty much one song per artist throughout this list. That is typically what I do with singles throughout the year. But look, you can swap any number of Kendrick singles that drop dropped this year in this number one spot here. If you're going to come away from this video mad because, 'Oh, he picked this track, but not this track,' look, again, Kendrick dropped a lot of tracks, a lot of material, confrontational material. But in my opinion, it's just one single one that stood above the rest. No, it was not necessarily the catchiest one of the bunch, but I do think it was the most ambitious and conceptual from a writing standpoint. Also an amazing instrumental, too, from The Alchemist.

Of course, I'm talking about "meet the grahams", which, while it may not be the biggest commercial success of Kendrick's career this year, I do think it is a success in terms of it being the most unhinged and completely out there diss tracks of all time. Now, again, in the midst of this beef, I know there are a lot of people whose attention is obviously drawn to "Not Like Us". That's not surprising. It's a super catchy track, amazing chorus, incredible Mustard production. Of course, Kendrick is taking it all the way, throwing out the PDF file claim. But "meet the grahams" is really the track out of this whole beef that haunts me. Not only because its final moments lyrically really sound like a fucking nightmare, but you're talking about the man not just writing verses to directly attack Aubrey himself. He's writing letters, letter after letter to his mom, to his child, for what he claims is his daughter who he had out of wedlock and doesn't really have a relationship with. It's just crazy how far Kendrick is willing to go on this track to not just destroy Drake, but try to get in between him and those closest to him related by blood. This man is completely out of fucking control.

This track is the most insane mind game I think anybody's ever played in a diss song because it's just operating on a completely different level. This is not about writing the biggest banger. This is not about hurling the catchiest or snappiest or meanest insult. This is Kendrick, lyrically speaking, dousing Drake's character in gasoline and just lighting it on fire and trying to make sure that his reputation is selling not just in the eyes of his fans or the internet, but again, those who are supposed to be closest to him and rely on him and depend on him.

But yeah, that's going to be my number one song this year. Totally insane. 2024 was crazy. I am going to leave it there. Thank you for watching. Those are my top 50 singles of 2024. Yeah, that's what they are. Have you given any of these tracks a listen? If you have, let me know. Also, let me know, what are some of your favorite songs of the year? I'm sure you will.

Anthony Fantano. Top 50 Singles. Forever.