Twostepcub's Biggest Hits of 2024: Part Five - #60 - #51...

 

We're coming up to the halfway mark in my (late) year-end countdown of the hits that went the highest and/or stayed the longest on my weekly music chart from last year. You can catch up with the rest of the series by clicking here. On we go... 

#60 - Bulletproof - Nate Smith

         from the album California Gold (2024)

         2scchart peak: #10 (one week)

         Weeks on the chart: 16

         Points: 1151

Smith followed up his long-lasting hit "World On Fire" (which we'll come to much later) with this country-rock lead single to his sophomore album, stealing quite liberally from Tom Petty's "Mary Jane's Last Dance" in the process. Besides that, not that bad for the B-lister in the Jelly Roll/Teddy Swims/Rag N' Bone Man big-guy-singer vein. 

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#59 - Hot To Go! - Chappell Roan

         from the album The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess (2023)

         2scchart peak: #5 (one week)

         Weeks on the chart: 16 (was still charting in December)

         Points: 1170

There's no denying that the new breakout star of 2024 was Chappell Roan, who made the sale with her "Good Luck, Babe!" single (which will be much later here), then saw five of the tracks from her album that GLB isn't even on make the charts, and turned the theater-girl pop star a household word. This is one of the best, with its bubbly 80's energy just dominating my ears all summer. 

#58 - That's How I'm Feeling - Jack White

          from the album No Name (2024)

          2scchart peak: #4 (one week)

          Weeks on the chart (in 2024): 16 (still charting)

          Points: 1199

The former White Stripes/Raconteurs/Dead Weather jack of all trades surprise released his sixth "solo" album, first to patrons of Third Man Records, then after this song broke big, to everyone else. White can be counted on to bring the bare-bones back to basics rock attitude, and this was this year's welcome garage-style banger.

#57 - Rainbow - Cage The Elephant

         from the album Neon Pill (2024)

         2scchart peak: #8 (two weeks)

         Weeks on the chart: 18

         Points: 1238

Meanwhile, the Kentucky garage-rock band had completely evolved into trippy but smooth psychedelic rock with their Neon Pill album, including this dreamy track that is great just lounging with the headphones to. 

#56 - I Remember Everything - Zach Bryan featuring Kasey Musgraves

         from the album Zach Bryan (2023)

         2scchart peak (in 2024): #7 (one week) (was #1 for two weeks in 2023)

         Weeks on the chart (in 2024): 17 (was on the chart for 13 weeks in 2023)

         Points: 1308

This wistful dirge lamenting a past affair was simply one of the best pieces of music in this decade, and gave personal fave Musgraves a much-deserved #1 pop hit, sticking it to the Nash Vegas machine that exiled her. This ballad straddled the years (it would've been top ten if the points from both were combined), but it's #61 showing last year and this years proves its timelessness.

#55 - Outskirts - Sam Hunt

         from the EP Locked Up (2024)

         2scchart peak: #29 (two weeks)

         Weeks on the chart: 31

         Points: 1319

I'm not sure what's going on with Sam - he hasn't had an album release since 2020's Southside, only appearing with this single, then a four-song extended play. This forlorn heartbreak ballad is promising, though, and I give much more slack than the critics do, and radio did give legs to this success.

#54 - Slow It Down - Benson Boone

         from the album Fireworks & Rollerblades (2024)

         2scchart peak: #16 (two weeks)

         Weeks on the chart: 21

         Points: 1340

The young man who quit American Idol turned out to have made a good choice, as his too big to avoid breakthrough "Beautiful Things" (which unfortunately will be in much, much later) proved. This follow-up got overshadowed, but it shared the same dichotomy of tempos and rhythms but in a more palatable product.

#53 - A Symptom Of Being Human - Shinedown

         from the album Planet Zero (2022)

         2scchart peak (in 2024): 17 (three weeks) (went to #20 for two weeks in 2023)

         Weeks on the chart (in 2024): 22 (was on the chart for 30 weeks in 2023)

         Points: 1351

This dramatic power-ballad from the hard rock band was #48 on last years list from its success on rock radio, but then the track traversed to adult top-40 to pop to even adult contemporary (or "easy listening") stations. It's inspiring atmospheric orchestral swell reminds me quite of Queensryche's "Silent Lucidity" from decades ago. 

#52 - Get Him Back! - Olivia Rodrigo

         from the album Guts (2023)

         2scchart peak: #3 (two weeks)

         Weeks on the chart: 17

         Points: 1361

This snarky sing-along from Rodrigo gleans on her child-actor chops to deliver the spunk of a spurned lover who wants to make bad choices that I could relate to in so many levels. It's a shame the musically superior "Bad Idea Right" came too late last year to made any lists, but this had more memorable lines. 

#51 - Fortnight - Taylor Swift featuring Post Malone

         from the album The Tortured Poets Department (2024)

         2scchart peak: #6 (two weeks)

         Weeks on the chart: 18

         Points: 1377

Chappell was this years breakout, but there's no question who was the biggest entertainer of the year, as Taylor's Eras tour simply had no equal. And on top of it, Swift released a sprawling double-album opus of space-pop and ambient electro, with this weary ballad with totally unlikely partner Post Malone leading the way. (Is it me, or does he not look like Danny Masterson when they airbrushed the tattoos from his face?) This was so notable in not being as immediate as her past first-singles, but rather something to chew on on repeat listens.

So there we have it, we're done with the first half of the countdown (whew, I thought I would never get it finished). Tomorrow I'll take a break to spotlight the songs that almost made the cut, then I'll return with a soul siren reaching the heavens, a one-off giving some Emotions, and a song that this week has a totally different vibe with me, sadly.