My Top 40 Songs of 2024: #40-11

It's been a great year for soaring heartbreak

Clockwise from top left: Ariana Grande, Benson Boone, Muni Long, Judah & The Lion

Hello, dear readers! Thank you for another great year at The Lost Songs Project. Once again, I’m closing out the calendar by celebrating my favorite songs of the last 12 months. (Here are the countdowns from 2022 and 2023.)

Part 1 of our countdown takes us all the way to #11. Part 2 is coming soon!

I’d love to know your thoughts about these songs, as well as your own personal favorites of the year, so comment away!

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#40. “Bad Dreams” by Neon Trees

Ever since they released the single “Animal” in 2010, Neon Trees has been a reliable source of feel-good dance-rock. This one’s another keeper, about the allure of someone you know is bad for you.

#39. “Shouldn’t I Be Older” by Joy and The Wildfire

As of this writing, Joy and The Wildfire has only released two songs, but MY GOODNESS those songs are great. Imagine Sara Bareilles rocking harder, and you’ll get a sense of their anthemic excellence.

#38. “Squabble Up” by Kendrick Lamar

This one was released just a few week ago, but it instantly grabbed my ear. I know Lamar’s artistic identity is all wrapped up in his vitriol for other rappers, but for me, this head-bobber succeeds as a pure pleasure source.

#37. “Birds of a Feather” by Billie Eilish

Wait a minute… is that a touch of exuberance I hear in Billie Eilish’s singing? Despite the dark imagery in the lyrics, this song captures the bliss of being in love, and I dig it.

#36. “That’s So True” by Gracie Abrams

After getting a Grammy nomination for Best New Artist last year, Abrams finally made good on that promise when this song became her first top 10 hit. And it’s a corker, channeling the literate fury that has guided singer-songwriters for decades.

#35. “Landmines” by Sum 41

I never expected I’d love a new song from a band that I only sorta liked during their early-00s heyday. But this year I was ready for a pop-punk throwback with a great chorus.

#34. “Great Decisions” by Judah & The Lion

You’d better get those lighters (or iPhones) UP IN THE AIR. This is a single from the band’s album The Process, which navigates the emotional aftermath of lead singer Judah Akers’ divorce. On a song like “Great Decisions,” that pain translates into a cathartic singalong that can make anybody feel better about anything.

#33. “Georgia is Yours” by Sugarland

After a long hiatus, Sugarland returned with an EP called There Goes the Neighborhood that, to my ear, is the best music they’ve made since 2008. This heartbreak ballad features the excellent lyrics and spectacular singing that have made me a fan of Jennifer Nettles since she was in an alt-folk duo playing tiny Atlanta clubs near my college.

#32. “Crier” by American Aquarium

Anybody could write about how important it is to express your emotions, but only a band as clever as American Aquarium could make that sentiment so witty. Their intelligence, along with their ear for alt-country hooks, makes their music a pleasure. (Bonus points for encouraging us to cry by saying, “Hell, it’s right there in the shortest verse in the Bible.”)

#31. “People Watching” by Sam Fender

As he did on “Seventeen Going Under” and “Spit of You,” Sam Fender uses “People Watching” to tell a vivid tale of struggling to survive life in a cruel city. And once again, he channels Bruce Springsteen’s ability to make that soul sickness sound beautiful.

#30. “The River” by Travis

It’s another blast from the past! Travis’ early 00s albums are some of my favorites of that decade, and with “The River,” they soar back to those heights. I’m a sucker for thundering drums, acoustic guitars, and lyrics that promise peace to the weary.

#29. “4 x 4 x U” by Lainey Wilson

Damn, this song is sexy. Lainey wants her man to know that even though she’s in charge of her own life, she’s happy to slow down with him for a while. It’s an ode to the person who makes you want to relax… and maybe take off your shirt.

#28. “Guinevere” by Kris Allen

Yes, this is Kris Allen, former American Idol champion, and yes, this song highlights his remarkable vocal chops. It also proves he’s got a knack for a low-fi “bedroom” pop that sounds great in your headphones.

#27. “Nobody’s Soldier” by Hozier

It’s been a great year for Hozier, whose comeback single “Too Sweet” went all the way to #1. The follow-up was “Nobody’s Soldier,” a hard-charging rocker with a chorus that gets me pumped every time I hear it.

#26. “Do It Faster” by Militarie Gun

“Do It Faster” might be the most energetic song I heard this year. It gets my heart rate up in less than two minutes, AND it encourages me to grunt “ooh-ooh!” like a punk-rock baboon.

#25. “21 Days” by Sara Evans

People love reminiscing about the country-pop hits of the late 90s and early 00s, and if she wanted to, Sara Evans could spend the rest of her life cashing in on her contributions to that era. Instead, she’s dropping new music that hits the same sweet spot. If your pleasure centers are activated by Faith Hill’s “This Kiss” or Evans’ own “Born to Fly,” then you’ve got to hear “21 Days.”

#24. “The Emptiness Machine” by Linkin Park

The arrival of singer Emily Armstrong has revitalized this band, as evidenced by this furious denunciation of the empty creeds that swear they’ll give life meaning if we just adhere to them without question.

#23. “Beautiful Things” by Benson Boone

This inescapable monster hit is a vocal tour de force. It’s also a moving meditation on being afraid to love the things you’ve got, because you don’t know if you can handle losing them. That’s pretty deep for a song that is destined to be played in airports until the end of time.

#22. “Dammit Randy” by Miranda Lambert

Miranda Lambert is just so good at sounding weary, like she does on this mid-tempo ditty about an ex that oughta be sorry for what he did. It jumps at least four spots on this list for the line, “Now that I’ve made it to the other side, I hope you’re countin’ singles in your double wide.”

#21. “Sad In Carolina” by Dexter and the Moonrocks

As I write this, “Sad In Carolina” is #1 on the alternative radio chart, and I hope that means we hear a lot more from this band. They’re a little bit Gin Blossoms, a little bit Maneskin, and a whole lot of encouragement to bounce around my room.

#20. “Murdergram Deux” by LL Cool J and Eminem

The first “Murdergram” was on LL Cool J’s album Mama Said Knock You Out, but frankly the sequel k.o.’s the original. I’m astonished by the hyper-speed flow, the ingenious rhymes, and the sheer energy that both LL and Eminem bring to the track. It’s exhilarating to hear them revel in their talent like this.

#19. “Permanently Lonely” by Orville Peck

I slept on Orville Peck’s music. Somehow, I didn’t comprehend his excellence until this year, when he’s been making gorgeous, aching country tunes for almost a decade. But better late than never! I’ve become obsessed with his 2019 album Bronco, and I’ve been savoring the great songs he released in 2024. That includes this swooning ballad about a guy who knows he can only love you for a little while. He makes his loneliness sound so luxurious that you’ll be happy to take what you can get.

#18. “Taste” by Sabrina Carpenter

Sabrina Carpenter had three massive hits this year, and I like them all. “Taste” is my favorite, thanks to its California-pop production. It’s a spectacular pop song.

#17. “Made for Me” by Muni Long

Muni Long’s “Hrs and Hrs” is one of my favorite, old-school-sounding R&B songs of the last few years, and now it has to make room for “Made For Me,” her gorgeous ode to a lover who breaks down her defenses. Her vocal makes me believe every passionate line.

#16. “Where the Wild Things Are” by Luke Combs

At first this song sounds like a typical country-music ode to the singer’s wild past, when he and his brother had all kinds of fun. Then comes the twist in the final verse, and “Where The Wild Things Are” becomes the year’s best example of a country song with a surprising storyline.

#15. “Sure Enough” by Two Door Cinema Club

What’s that? You want to dance like a total freakazoid to a song that sounds like it was transported here from the coolest New Wave club in 1985? You’re in luck, because Two Door Cinema Club is out here granting wishes.

#14. “The Door” by Teddy Swims

“Lose Control” is a great song, but its success has overshadowed the depth of Teddy Swims’ album I’ve Tried Everything But Therapy. Treat yourself to his less-recognized follow-up single, which proves Swims is one of the great R&B singers of our moment.

#13. "Run” by Miranda Lambert

Lambert wrote this song by herself, and it returns to one of her favorite themes — that she’s a woman incapable of standing still. This time, as she’s heading out the door, she feels terrible for the heartbreak she’s leaving behind. But still, she’s gotta go. It’s devastating in the way that only great country songs can be.

#12. “We Can’t Be Friends (Wait For Your Love) by Ariana Grande

Before she got Oscar buzz for her performance in Wicked, Ariana Grande kicked off the year by releasing her best single since “Thank U, Next.” Teaming up again with Max Martin and Ilya, she brings all the nuance of her remarkable voice to a song about the bittersweet realization that people aren’t always what they seem. She might be singing about her own fans, or she might be singing about a particular person. Either way, she’s packing the song with feeling, and the electro production matches her. I especially love how frequently the music drops out, leaving a silence that complements the lyric’s contemplative sadness.

#11. “Heartbreak Syndrome” by Judah & the Lion

While “Bad Decisions” has a bratty, “I am ironically delighted by my failures” kind of energy, “Heartbreak Syndrome” has the ache of someone who can’t fake a smile anymore. It’s really moving!

Thanks for coming this far with the countdown. Im eager to hear your thoughts!