ARIA Singles top 50 Chart Review: 29th December

So final week of 2025 and well...we got something of an interesting week at hand here even if most of the top ten did not move AT ALL so lets dive into all of that because "Man I Need" by Olivia Dean remains at nnumber one, yeah it managed to hold on to it's streaming lead over its rivals despite getting slowly usurped by Christmas music. 

Holding position from two to eight in order are "Fate of Ophelia" by Taylor Swift, "Golden" from K-Pop Demon Hunters, "Ordinary" by Alex Warren, "So Easy (To Fall in Love)" by Olivia Dean, "Where is My Husband" by Raye, "No Broke Boys" by Disco Lines and Tinashe and "12 to 12" by Sombr.

Olivia Dean's "Nice to Each Other" rebounded one spot to number nine, it pushed past "I Run" by HVN and Kaitlin Aragon down one to number ten.

Losers

So I am going to align the top 50 blogs wuth retrospective blogs and do the songs thatl lost big first. Boy, it was a rough week for Tate McRae with "Just Keep Watching" down seven to forty nine and "Sports Car" down nine to forty eight. 

The small mercy of "Dracula" by Tame Impala down six to forty one is a relief. this song is a contender for my worst list...I'll be glad when it's gone, the same goes for "The Days (Notion remix)" by Chrystal down six to thirty three.

"Die With A Smile" by Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars slumped eight to twenty seven.

Gains

Three major gains with all three songs hitting new peaks beginning with "Chanel" by Tyla which jumped seven places to fifteen. "Phantom" by EsDeeKid and Rico Ace up ten to twenty one but most pleasingly "Rein Me In" by Sam Fender and Olivia Dean actually jumped eight spots to thirty six! PLEASE PLEASE LET "REIN ME IN" become a hit in 2026.

Drop Outs

We have four major drop outs this week. "Abracadabra" by Lady Gaga, "Luther" by Kendrick Lamar and SZA, "Eternity" by Alex Warren and "How it's Done" from K-Pop Demon Hunters. 

New Entries

Four new entries this week, two of them from EsDeeKid. but we start with...

50. "I've Seen It" by Olivia Dean.

So we're stepping away from the neo soul into some a gentle guitar where Olivia Dean muses on the ups and downs of love, it's a rather reflective song that I am not sure fits with the best songs on "The Art of Loving" but its certainly simple enough that even though it's only five verses and no hook that I can see why it charted. Good song but should be so much better.

45. "Century" by EsDeeKid

This is EsDeeKid's first single from his much anticipated debut album Rebel and while he and the production on this song sound menacing enough (it sounds like a slightly less nihilistic Futture song) but just with more bragging that he got the latest season fashion drop, real diamonds instead of the fake ones everyone else apparently has and he rides around in a Mercedes Benz except again the production doesn't really sell the luxury of any of this, it's too dark, Esdeekid has some talent but he needs to work on finding the right sound to fit his songs because yeah I'm skipping this.

29. "It Feels Like Christmas" by Fall Out Boy

There is a part of me that feels sad that Fall Out Boy couldn't notch a hit via "Love from the Other Side" in 2023 and that a Christmas song from this band is the only slither of rock on the ARIA singles chart right now but alas, what did we get from Patrick Stump and co? Well turns out this  is a cover of the song from The Muppets Christmas Carol movie and was recorded for Spotify  I am going to be kind to this as it is not going to stick around, it's cute, Patrick Stump sounds on form even if I think the vocals can get buried a bit in the mix. It's cute. Check it out if you are curious.

28. "4 Raws" by EsDeeKid

Second go around with Esdeekid this week and again a menacing atomsphere in the production and this time he is rapping about his past, substance abuse and his hidden personality (I've yet to see any actual personality from this guy, what do you mean he has more than one) and really this song is just so short and when none of the bars really come through with much of a bunch other than your standard bragging about riding around in German cars, it leaves me with no reason to care, 

And that wraps the final week of 2025, I am giving worst of the week to "Century" by EsDeeKid...I just  feel like the song is missing something, Best is going to Fall Out Boy for "It Feels Like Christmas"...its cute and a bit cheesy but hey, it's nice to end the year on something a bit camp. 

All 4 1994: 25th December. Take A Hot Hot Bow, Devil!

So this is it for 1994, huh, a meaty chunk of new arrivals and plenty of movement across the board that makes this week a fair bit more interesting especially going into 1995 and well, it's not interesting right at the very top of the charts because The Cranberries have number one on lock right now thanks to "Zombie", it's sitting pretty thanks to having such a strong sales margin, it's going into 1995 looking pretty.

"All I Want for Christmas is You" by Mariah Carey which jumped five places to number two presumably because it's Christmas and all a lot of people wnant to do is listen to Christmas music, I don't forsee it making a run at number one however it did move past "Tomorrow" by Silverchair at number three, "All I Wanna Do" by Sheryl Crow at number four, "Always" by Bon Jovi at number five. "Short Dick Man" by 20 Fingers feat. Gillette at number six and "If I Only Knew" by Tom Jones at number seven. 

"Turn the Beat Around" by Gloria Estefan continues to get raw on the dancefloor up one spot to number eight although that could be because "Chains" by Tina Arena is effectively done at this point down one to number nine. 

Rising three places into the top ten is "On Bended Knee" by Boyz II Men at number ten because Australia just loves it's slop. 

Losers

So the losers begin with former number two hit "Endless Love" by Luther Vandross and Mariah Carey slumping from thirty three to forty eight looks like the public's love for this song is not endless after all!

"Spin the Black Circle" by Pearl Jam continues to spin the wrong down this week down eleven to thirty five. 

"Sooner or Later" by GF4 plummeted ten spots to thirty one after the song stalled out at number twelve (which I am okay with...I still don't like that song).

More from Madonna in the new entries but "Secret" slipped from sxiteen to twenty four. 

Gains

The problem going into 1995 might be the utter inane crap that is rising, let's start with goddamn "Baby, Come Back" by Pato Banton feat. Ali and Robin Campbell which somehow continues gain, this week it's up eight to eighteen.

The Stone Roses at least got a decent twelve place gain to thirty six with "Love Spreads" while "Sure" by Take That bounces around like a zoomy cat up twelve spots to thirty seven. 

New Entries

Five songs new to the chart this week so let's start this exploration with...

49. “Hot Hot Hot” by Arrow

Stick with me for this one because we're kicking off the week with a remastered version of a 1982 song from a Montserrat musician known as Arrow which apparently peaked at fifty nine in the UK in 1984 and it's fair to say I get the appeal here as the percussion kick up quite the stomping rhythm before the horns kick in and it actually really sounds like a summer party on tape which is perfect for Australia at this time of year, I won't say it's for me but I can see plenty of fun being had with this...check it out if you are curious.

45. “Seether” by Veruca Salt

This song comes from Veruca Salt's album "American Thighs" and is a more pop leaning than the rest of the album and you are can tell, there definitely some more pop concessions in the sound of this sound from the hook to even the vocal delivery. Lead vocalist Nina Gordon told an interview that the song could well be about the feminine urge to sometimes rage and how rage is occasionally something that someone cannot fight and they have to go with it and let their emotions out. Solid song but I just can't get behind the vocals especially with the subject matter of the song. 

43. “Sight for Sore Eyes” by M People

So somehow this is the tenth single from M People's album "Bizarre Fruit" and this one has more of a gospel tinge that combines decently with the groove supplied by the percussion and the piano, it's supposoed to be this song where this other person is so beautiful and handsome to the point where they are a sight for sore eyes...its fine enough but it's not anything I'll remember in a month's time. 

21. “Take a Bow” by Madonna

Latest single from Madonna's album "Bedtime Stories" and I have to say this sounds really nice on the ear, it's a gentle ballad that Madonna just sounds incredible over especially with those strings which should not have surprised me as much as it did considering she collaborated with Babyface for this song. The somber tone of the song makes sense given the subject material all about unrequited love and saying goodbye to a relationship. I really like this a lot, definitely one of Madonna's better efforts so far in the nineties. 

15. Sympathy for the Devil” by Guns ‘n’ Roses

I cannot be the only one giggling that the final song to be covered for 1994 is a song all about having sympathy for the devil and it debuting on the Australian chart on Christmas Day...now come on...it's almost too perfect however was anyone really asking for this cover of the Rolling Stones song that strips away Axl Rose of his personality and Guns 'N' Roses made to sound like "Freedom" by George Michael? This song just really sounds like Guns N' Roses have been neutered and I cannot imagine listening to this at any point. 

Yeah, it's very obviously worst of the week but the best is going to Madonna for "Take a Bow".

That's wraps up it up for the top 50 chart in 1994, stay tuned for the top ten best and worst hit songs lists. On Sunday January 3rd, we begin to look at the top 50 charts of 1999,

ARIA Singles Top 50 Chart Review: 22nd December

 So it's really quiet week this week so let's just dive straight into the top ten where for yet another week, it's "Man I Need" by Olivia Dean tremaining at number one thanks mostly to streaming, it held up over "The Fate of Ophelia" by Taylor Swift at nimber two, "Golden" from K-Pop Demon Hunters at number three and "Ordinairy" by Alex Warren at number four. 

Rising one spot to number five this week is "So Easy (To Fall in Love)" by Olivia Dean while RAYE's "Where is My Husband" also climbed one spot to number six, although that could be because "No Broke Boys" by Disco Lines and Tinashe slipped two places to number seven (frankly. I am hoping this song is on the way out).

"12 to 12" by Sombr rebounded one spot to number eight...its streaming has been bouncing around a bit lately.

Returning back to it's debut slot of number nine is 'I Run" by HVN feat. Kaitlin Aragon while down two to number ten is "Nice to Each Other" by Olivia Dean. 

Gains

Up eight sllots to forty is "Sailor Song" by Gigi Perez as it continues to hang around the lower end of the chart.

More annoyingly "Phantom" by EsDeeKid and Rico Ace is up twelve slots to thirty one however at least "Chanel" by Tyla is up nine to twenty two this week...I'm happy it got a gain despite the Christmas/New Year slow down. 

Re-Entries

So we did see "Eternity" by Alex Warren make its unfortunate return at fifty but I am delighted that "Rein Me In" by Sam Fender and Olivia Dean is back at number forty four. 

Losers

Not too many big losers but we did see "How It's Done" from K-Pop Demon Hunters slde nine spots to forty eight.

Drop Outs

Two massive songs dropped out this week with those being chart mainstay "Not Like Us" by kendrick Lamar and Sabrina Carpenter's 'number four hit "Tears"

So with no new entries to review for the second week in a row, that wraps the week up. Final week of the chart year and indeed the final week of the 1994 retrospective, I may have the final week of "All 4 1994" up on Christmas Eve and that is looking rather meaty with Guns 'n' Roses and Madonna among the "new entries", we'll have to see. 

All 4 1994: 18th December You Want A Blame Day Coma

The year is slowly winding down but the drama on the top 50 singles chart has not slowed because we got yet another new number one this week, this time, it's The Cranberries notching their first chart topper with "Zombie" rising one spot to the top., it got there thanks to some absolutely enormous streaming.

As a result, "Tomorrow" by Silverchair returned to number two because the previous week's number one "All I Wanna Do" by Sheryl Crow slumped back to number three...purely due to "Zombie" having an incredible week on sales. 

Remaining at number four is "Always" by Bon Jovi while much to my shock and absolute disgust "Short Dick Man" by 20 Fingers feat. Gillette rose three slots to number five...ugh, it pushed past "If I Only Knew" by Tom Jones down one to number six. 

Christmas is in the air so "All I Want for Christmas is You" by Mariah Carey climbs five spots to number seven as Tina Arena's "Chains" appears to be heading out of the top ten down one to number eight while "Turn the Beat Around"  by Gloria Estefan and "Come Out and Play" by The Offspring hold steady at nine and ten respectively. 

Losers

"Regulate" by Warren G and Nate Dogg slipped twelve spots to fifty this week and looks like it's in need of some regulation to stay on the chart next week. 

"Sure" by Take That continued to lose ground this week down ten spots to number forty nine.

Former top ten hit "Swamp Thing" by The Grid slipped eight to forty four while "Ain't Nobody" by Jaki Grahm tumbled eleven spots to forty three. 

 "Closer" by Nine Inch Nails collapsed from twenty one to thirty six this week while "I Swear" by All 4 One felt an eight spot swear off to number thirty five. 

Also down eight is Luther Vandross and Mariah Carey's cover of "Endless Love", it's at number thirty three. The nightlife is getting a bit much for Alicia Bridges as her hit "I Love the Nightlife" is down seven to thirty one. 

"Spin the Black Circle" by Pearl Jam spun the chart circle and itself down eleven to twenty four. 

Gains

So the gains this week are mostly of songs that look like they will be huge to start 1995 with "On Bended Knee" by Boyz II Men rising nine spots to thirteen and "Here Comes the Hotstepper" by Ini Kamooze up from forty eight all the way to twenty three.

Then there's the continued gains for "Cruise Control" by Severed Heads which climbed from thirty seven to twenty two.

Re-Entries

One re-entry with "The Rhythm of the Night" by Coronoa back at number forty two. 

'New Entries

Fiur new entries this week beginning with...

47, “Bang and Blame” by R.E.M'

So R.E.M have been on a run outs with me with singles lately so I have to hope this newest single would work for me? Well yes and no as yet again the vocals again get buried on the hook and Michael Stipe doesn't even sound all that convincing on that hook...singing "bang bang bang" repeatedly for the hook. The instrumentation sounds ifne enough but no...this one doesn't work at all for me. Next!

40. “Coma” by Max Sharam

Max Sharam is an Australian-American multi discipline singer songwriter with this song coming from an EP of the same name released in 1005 and I will say it's one of the more interesting songs to have hit the top 50 in recent times! The verses remind me a lot of middle eastern music or maybe a little bit of Bjork before diving into a hook that sounds about standard for pop/rock but she sounds absolutely great and the hook does work for what it's worth, I do like th9s and hope it sticks around. Check this out!

32. “You Want This” by Janet Jackson

The seventh single from Janet's 1993 album "Janet" and this one bares a lot of hallmarks back to her output on "Rhythm Nation" with more industrial sounds and noises on the song and I have to say that they really feel unnecessary in a song where Janet is making this guy, who clearly is attracted to her, work to be the object of her affectons and as a result the noises take any kind of tension sexual or otherwise out of the song. It's not bad, it's just got one or two misplaced elements that ruin the song. 

20. “Stay Another Day” by East 17

Trigger warning: Mentions of suicide.

Third single from East 17's second album and really there's not much I can say about this one, a piano ballad that occasionally brings in some decent strings and there's a reason for that, this song is about those conversations with those loved ones before that loved one take their own life or dies and this song wishes that those loved ones could stay another day. 

It's a sentiment that...yeah...I can get behind and as a result I am going to be very gentle on this because it's not really bad but not a song I would seek out myself. 

So that wraps up the week with best of the week going to "Coma" by Max Sharam. Worst of the week is going to R.E.M for "Bang and Blame".

Top Ten Best Hit Songs of 2024

 I am going to keep this short and sweet because we are heading toward 2025 year end list time and and I do want to get 1994 best and worst lists done (1994 worst list is going to be tough...it was an awesome year for the charts) but we have to deal first with the good stuff from 2024 only there was somewhat less excellent stuff to talk about...a lot of this list is going to be songs that I merely find to be good. 

Also this will be a straight top ten no honourable mentions and will be in line with the rules I have already previously stated so let's get on with the show and bid an adieu to 2024,..finally.

Number Ten

This song would be higher this list if it wasn't STILL on the charts in late 2025 but I gotta give props to it anyway somehow.

"Birds of a Feather" by Billie Eilish

Yeah, this song has been on the charts for so long that it's kind of warn it's welcome on me but it's still a damn good song with Billie singing about longing to find that emotional and spiritual connection with somebody and wanting to be with that person til her life at ends. Its such a sweet sentiment that sounds more sincere coming from Billie than that it did from James Arthur in 2017.  Good song.

Number Nine

This was originally going to be my number eight but I realized that this also suffered the problems of time and being on the charts way longer than what it should be and the fact it is absolutely Grammys bait

"Die With A Smile" by Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars

Yeah, I know...the boring pick, the song that is so good that it is absolutely boring to be analysed, it's two ultimate pros in the music industry on a song together about how if the world was ending that they'd want to be with a loved one and honestly this song sounds absoljutely epic sonically and then there's the combined vocal power of Bruno Mars and Lady Gaga who sound heavenly on this song together. Yeah it has overstayed it's welcome on the charts but I'd rather a song like this and "Birds of a Feather" stuck around than some of the other junk which did. 

Number Eight

Everyone, get ready for the hoedown!

"Texas Hold 'Em" by Beyonce

Let's get something straight about "Cowboy Carter"...it was never meant to be a per se 'country' album, people just seemed to throw around a label because apparently everything in life needs a label these days however Beyonce throwing this ball of fun onto the charts was a breath of fresh air that I needed, she's going kick her heels up at this dive bar in the middle of nowhere and maybe have a hoedown or two. Shame we didn't get "II Most Wanted" with Miley Cyrus hitting the charts big because that would have been on this list even higher but as it is...I'll take the stomp clap hoedown from Beyonce any damn day of the week!

Number Seven

Yeah...this song might be one of the best songs SZA has ever made...

"Saturn" by SZA

2024 was the year I truly understood SZA's appeal especially when she gets on production that is just dreamy, floaty and just allows her to sing like she owns the god damn room which is exactly what happens on "Saturn", she sounds gorgeous over those keys and sparse beat as the instrumentation swells around her.

As for the content of the song, SZA contemplates  trying to escape the cycle of pain and suffering on earth and wonders if a less destructive and damaging life is possible on another planet such as Saturn while also acknowledging that she needs to find meaning and worth in moments in the present on earth. It's a such a brilliantly meditative song that I was thrilled became a  hit in 2024. I suspect SZA will be making an appearance on my best hit songs list again in 2025...

Number Six

I think I am going to have to explain the appeal of this one because this song wound up on a few worst hits lists that I saw but let me explain why this works for me...

"Austin" by Dasha

Yeah...I know...but this is the sort of pop country that I'm a sucker for, it's got all the elements of stomp clap yet that country ibstrumentation is giving this song more weight than it probably deserves as Dasha deals with the heartache stemming from the last minute decision by a asshole to abandon moving from Los Angeles to Austin and she's wondering why and what his excuse is..was it that his boots stopped working or something elese? It's a pop country rager for those of us who feel lied to by our exes and you know what? It hit the mark for me every time in 2024.

Number Five

I think we can all agree that Dua Lipa had a kind of off 2024 with one exception...

"Houdini" by Dua Lipa

"Radical Optimism" wasn't a bad album, it just wasn't the one that fans were looking for after the 2020 new disco fun of "Future Nostalgia"  but the lead single "Houdini" hit hard by upping its disco flourishes into something that could almost sound like early 80s new wave and Dua Lipa is absolutely in command of the atmosphere here, she comes across as commanding and forceful as she wants this guy to tell her all the ways he needs her or she'll do a Houdini and disappear out of his life. I had way too much fun with this song and yeah...it snags a deserved a high placement on this list.       

Number Four

I wasn't expecting this to happen, I doubt even the artist on the track was expecting this so sng to be the sort of hit it was and so let's talk aboout...

"Too Sweet" by Hozier

This song is up so damn high on this list mostly because of that sticky hook that got stuck in my head since the song was released in 2024. The song is a comparison of lifestyles between two different individuals, Hozier wants to live at his own pace drinking whiskey and black coffee while the partner is encouraging him to adopt a healthier lifestyle with more structure something that Hozier pushes back on a bit all set to a rollicking guitar and yeah, this was a load of fun all year. 

Number Three

Sometimes there's a song that comes from a complete underdog that makes you want to cheer for it and hope it does well on the charts, this one sure did welll in 2024 and I couldn't be happier...

"A Bar Song (Tipsy)" by Shaboozey

A bunch of gratitude is oweed to Beyonce for featuring Shaboozey on "Cowboy Carter' and to his label for putting out this song  while the iron was hot because Shaboozey was the only featured guest on that album to get any kind of traction in the mainstream. It's this stomp clap jam that features a far too prominent sample of J-Kwon's 2000s hit "Tipsy but like the song it samples, it's just a song about putting a long hard day of work behind him by drinking at the bar and getting upsy, it's a song that really does have universal appeal. Great song. Just a shame we couldn't give Shaboozey a follow up hit with anything he has released since "A Bar Song (Tipsy)"...let's make 2026 fix that, shall we?

Number Two

For as much as the charts suffered from the stench of bad Morgan Wallen in 2024, we did get an exception and what an incredible exception it was.

"Where the Wild Things Are" by Luke Combs

This song was orginally written for Eric Church who rejected it and it wound up in the hands of Luke Combs who took it and boy, did he run with it., the story of the narrator's brother going on all these adventures on his motorbike amd bringing the narrator on some of these adventures out where the wild things are. now the narrator is not into what his brother is into but hey, he is enjoying that time spent with his brother...this is all before the cruellest twist in the song, the brother died in a motorbike accident and the narrator is left to acknowledge that at least his brother went out the way he would have wanted doing something he loved...all set to this gentle piano and guitar and Luke Combs providing that gentle story telling. More story songs, Luke, you are good at it. 

Number One

This feels obvious...really...too obvious, it was number one on a lot of Youtube music critics best hit songs list and yeah...I couldn't help myself...I agree...

"Good Luck, Babe!" by Chappell Roan

I get the feeling that Chappelloan isn't chasing fame, she just wants to release good music and have her fans enjoy it, the fact she got so big in 2023/2024 was something she definitely wasn't prepared for or she wanted to some degree so we get this song about Chappell being in love with another woman and yet this woman is actively denying her homosexuality and is kissing guys in bars in a desperate attempt to avoid making the admission that she is homosexual (be it fear of family or whatever else) much to the frustration of Chappell who just wants to love this woman for who she actually is and in her frustration with the situation she tells this woman sarcastically good luck denying how you feel. 

Throw in the instrumentation which throws in more of the sarcasm around the situation and gives this song quite the 80s feel, it's also the best hit song of 2024. 

ARIA Singles Top 50 Chart Review. 15th December .

 So this is a pretty quiet week, nothing in the way of new entries which is good because I am kind of beyond snowed under with the amount of work I have to do for this blog and trying to tie up the last few weeks of 1994 as well so I appreciate ARIA giving me a quiet week to work with here. 

Its especialy quiet at the top with "Man I Need" by Olivia Dean spending a fourth week at number one. I don't see what's knocking her offf as it won't be Mariah Carey as "All I Want for Christmas Is You" is relegated back to the on replay chart so Olivia Dean has no competition for the top spot right now.

I would say "The Fate of Ophelia" by Taylor Swift atuck at number two but that's starting to show weaknesses on streaming even if sales are remakably consistent. The same applies to "Golden" from K-Pop Demon Hunters at number three and "Ordinary" by Alex Warren at number four, 

Rebounding two places to number five is "No Broke Boys" by Disco Lines and Tinashe (god damn, the fact Tinashe got a hit out of this instead of some of her hetter music is heartbreaking). Holding steady at number six is "So Easy (To Fall in Love)" by Olivia Dean while "Where is My Husband" by RAYE slipped two pllaces back to number seven. 

"Nice to Each Other" by Olivia also holds at number eight while "12 to 12" by Sombr rebounded one spot to number nine (this song is growing on me so hard) and finally "I Run" by HVN and Kaitlin Aragon moved up one to return to the top ten at number ten. 

Gains

So in terms of major gains outside the top ten, the year end Billboard Hot 100 number one for 2025 "Die With A Smile" by Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars rebounded eight to number eighteen while "That's So True" by Gracie Abrams also got a big bounce back up eleven to twenty five...I'm going to blame Spotify Wrapped for both of these. 

Same goes for "APT" by Rose and Bruno Mars which climbed nine spots to thirty and "Messy" by Lola Young up nine to thirty four. 

That said I am not sure if Spotify can be blamed for the ten place gain to twenty seven for "The Days (Notion Remix)" by Chrystal...why?. 

"Chanel" by Tyla rose nine spots to thirty one...maybe Australia is going to give Tyla a second hit...I'd be down for it. 

Re-Entries

We did have four re-entries this week with Kendrick Lamar seeing "Not Like Us" back at forty nine and "Luther" feat. SZA returning at 37...I'll chalk that up to Kendrick being in Australia touring right now. 

The two other new entries can again be pinned to Spotify Wrapped with "Sailor Song" by Gigi Perez returning at number thirty seven and "Abracadabra" by Lady Gaga at twemty nine. 

Losers

EsDeeKid's "Phantom" with Rico Ace was the biggest loser of the week down thirteen places to forty three.

It was a rough week for Tate McRae with "Just Keep Watching" turned off nine places to forty one while "Gabriela'" by Katseye slipped seven to thirty eight and "Dracula" by Tame Impala might finally be done as it slipped seven to forty.

"What It Sounds Like" from K-Pop Demon Hunters fell seven to thirty five. 

Drop Outs.

Four drop outs this week with "Do It" by Stray Kids, "Nobody's Girl" by Tate McRae and "Elizabeth Taylor" by Taylor Swift exiting and unlikely to be back...I'm not complaining about any of those being gone tbh. 

The one drop out I will complain about being gone is "Rein Me In" by Sam Fender and Olivia Dean...this song was a top ten hit in the UK and it deserves better on the Australian charts than this. Just saying.

Anyway with there being no new entries this week, that wraps up our week, I expect things to be quiet until after the Christmas/New Year period especially now the chart is unlikely to be infested wth Christmas songs.

The seven songs released this year that pissed me off.

 So outside the mainstream, it's been a pretty good year for music, there's been a lot of great stuff across all kinds of genres but like most years there has been some absolute steaming junk and there was enough  rotting fleshy garbage to justify making this list although unlike my best or worst hits list, this won't be ranked...it's just a list...

Let's begin with something of an easy target now shall we?

"Cowgirl" by Parmalee.

Look, the reason I am starting with this song is that I think by hoing into these guys feels a bit like punching down especially when they are just lifers on Music Row in Nashville but I'm sorry I cannot forgive this song in any concievable way. This is just terrible song writing where it's just the usual cliches about meeting this girl at a bar who sipping a beer and singing along to "Last Night" by Morgan Wallen (Why that song and not something that's actually COUNTRY...I don't know) and then what tipped this song into outright garbage was "I follow her curves like a back road"...who do Parmalee think they are? Sam Hunt, her curves like a back road line was horrific when Hunt did it in 2017, it's uncalled for in 2025!

Throw in the stiff drum machines, Parmalee sounding like they would rather be doing anything else than singing this sledgehammer of a song and you have possibly one of the more awful cuts to come out of Music Row in the last year...well not quite because...

"Miami" by Morgan Wallen

Geezus fucking christ "Miami, My Amy" is a country classic from Keith Whitley and to hear Morgan Wallen turn this song into shlock about how he misses Tennessee while he is in Miami all because it was warmer in Florida than in Tennessee chasing this woman...bitch please. 

He asks on the hook "what the hell is a redneck gon' do in Miami"...maybe go back to fucking Tennessee if you are so completely miserable. Then to add to the actual offense to Keith Whitley, Wallen brings in Lil Wayne (we'll get to him...he had an AWFUL year) and Rick Ross for a remix where like Lil Wayne complains that he hate so much shrimp he got iodine poisoning and brags he is like Will Smith in Miami (that is NOT a good flex) and while Rick Ross's verse is actually pretty good, one verse doesn't make a good song. I'll leave it there because there is going to be more Morgan Wallen on my worst hit songs list to come in January.

Speaking of Lil Wayne...

"Island Holiday" by Lil Wayne

Let's get this out of the way, "Tha Carter VI" was a terrible album from front to back and this song was one of the leading reasons why with the lazy sampling of Weezer's "Island in the Sun" and Lil Wayne declares that every day is a holiday and he wants Weezer on this song...this song? You mean the song where you sound like you are just phoning it in, Wayne? I'd almost rather Rivers Cuomo discuss doing "Sober Up Part 2" with god damn . rather than this embarrassment of a song where you claim you are standing on business like Bigfoot while on holiday?

Yeah no...this is rubbish and Weezer's "Island in the Sun" deserves so much better.

So I mentioned Morgan Wallen would be on my worst hit songs list for 2025 if anything from "I'm The Problem" makes the year end, here's another artist who will absolutely make that same list....

"Touch Me Like A Gangster" by Jessie Murph.

I had a hard time picking what song from "Sex Hysteria' to choose for this list, "Sex Hysteria" is one of the worst lbums of the year and Jessie Murph is one of the worst vocallists working n mainstream music in 2025 with this song being representative of everything that is wrong with "Sex Hysteria" so let's run through the problems with this song:

1. She wants rough, dirty sex yet the production cannot lend any atomosphere or imply any kind of sexual tension. 

2. Murph herself flicks between mimicking other pop acts before belting like she is bloody Daffy Duck on steroids. "Duck season" anyone?

3. Murph cannot sell the intensity that rough sex brings with it, there's no anticipation or real edge to the song that would make me believe that she enjoys some bloke pulling her hair while fucking her. 

4. The writing makes E.L James "50 Shades of Grey" written superbly. Geezus christ.

Taylor, you might be the biggest popstar in the world right now but not even that excuses you for this...

"Cancelled" by Taylor Swift

There is nothing more deflating when a big popstar like Taylor Swift releases what at best is some of the worst music of her career and this song should have been scrapped at the writing desk not recorded and put on "The Life of a Showgirl" because my god, Taylor's writing is so far from her best here that it's not even remotely funny and made even worse by Taylor sounding childish as hell matching lyrics like "Did you girlboss too close to the sun" and on the hook "Good thing I like my friends cancelled". This song doesn't even have the sense to be a propulsive rock song which makes this song a complete waste of time.

Bring back Jack Antonoff and do it fast, Taylor because this shit doesn't work for you and take a long break before releasing another album because this comes across as you needing a break. 

"I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)" by Calum Scott and Whitney Houston

Here we have it, folks, "Dancing on My Own" part 2! Yes, Calum Scott did the exact same thing to Whitney Houston's 80s classic "I Wanna Dance With Somebody (Who Loves Me)" as he did to Robyn's "Dancing on My Own" and turned it into a bland piano ballad and even more disrespectfully included Whitney Houston who is dead on the song and I just know she'd be fucking appalled by this if she were alive. "I Wanna Dance With Somebody (Who Loves Me)" is a staple of 80s pop and for Scott to turn it into mealy mouthed mush makes me fucking sick. 

"Meet Your Padre" by PartyNextDoor and Drake feat. Chino Pacas

No, we do not need Drake to be meeting anyone's madre or paying respects to their padre if he is going to use Spanish has really bad garnish and this one just feels fucking gross. As one Twitch streamer said "Kendrick made this guy (Drake) switch languages" and he ended up embarrassing himself all over again. 

That wraps this list up. Best hit songs of 2024 coming soon along with the best and worst hit songs of 1994 plus the regular 2025 ARIA single chart.