Criteria: Any single (be it radio, streaming, or video singles) released during the calendar year, or those released during 2022 that reached either their chart peak or greatest obvious visibility in 2023. The number of singles entries is limited to one proper single per artist. However, an artist can appear multiple times if they were on a feature or collaboration with a different lead artist.
50) Jonas Brothers- “Waffle House” (Republic)
“Waffle House” provides all of the most irresistible elements of the Jonas Brothers’ undeniably infectious pop brand distilled into a brisk two-and-a-half minutes. The splashy pop hooks and bopping funk undertones keep the listener coming back for more, while at the song’s heart you discover a substantive portrait of a sturdy relationship that has learned how to weather the inevitable stress and storms of romance.
49) Carly Rae Jepsen- “Shy Boy” (Interscope)
In the decade-plus since the “Call Me Maybe” craze, Carly Rae Jepsen has been quietly building a stacked resume of the catchiest and most durable pop bops you’ve yet to hear. The swirling and confidently flirty “Shy Boy” may be the best of the crop thus far; it’s certainly one of the year’s best and most criminally kept secrets. Not only does she deserve to ride the charts alongside Taylor, Miley, and Olivia, but she’s also arguably this generation’s closest descendent to Kylie Minogue. With that legend enjoying a current renaissance, it’s a perfect time for her followers to get on the CRJ train as well.
48) Pony Bradshaw- “Go Down, Appalachia” (Black Mountain)
The lead single from this scrappy roots musician’s third album is a surefire dose of euphoric joy to the ears of Americana lovers everywhere. The organic, acoustic trappings are so clean and uncluttered. They serve as a vibrant backdrop for Bradshaw’s warm vocals, sharp observations, and rich imagery of a mountain man’s home, both natural and social.
47) Maren Morris- “The Tree” (Columbia)
“I’m done filling a cup with a hole at the bottom”. Thus launched one of the most intelligent and soul-cleansing anthems to be written in some time about the release we feel when we free ourselves from a toxic relationship. Whether that relationship is your marriage, a friendship, a job, a community or an entire industry, “The Tree” is both powerful and intimate enough to soundtrack the experience. The liberation Maren Morris exudes here provides her with one of her most clear-eyed and resonant vocal performances. It’s a shame, but no shock, that the press cycle surrounding its release totally overshadowed the music itself.
46) NSYNC- “Better Place” (RCA)
After months of quite literally trolling their audience, the boy band icons finally returned and proved that they can still make us bop out like it’s the year 2000 all over again. “Better Place” is chock full of signature harmonies, infectious modern dance beats, and melodies that will still be stuck in your brain when we count down the best of 2024. Whether this truly is a one-off or the precursor to something more remains to be seen, but it sure feels as if Timberlake would benefit from it just as much as the rest of the band…
45) Hailey Whitters- “Everything She Ain’t” (Big Loud)
Hailey Whitters’ long-overdue breakthrough into the Music City consciousness is one of the most rewarding and charming success stories of the year. I mean she got a freaking Hank & Audrey reference into the country top twenty in 2023, y’all. Like the entirety of her young catalog, “Everything” joyfully tips its sonic hat to the 90s gold of acts like Trisha Yearwood and The Chicks, while keeping the spitfire spirit of predecessors like Miranda Lambert and early Kacey Musgraves prominent in the current moment. This young lady has a long runway ahead of her.
44) Fall Out Boy- “Hold Me Like A Grudge” (Fueled By Ramen)
This roaring tour-de-force feels as in touch with the intensity and commanding appeal of Fall Out Boy’s early records as anything they’ve released in the past decade. The verses are nervy nuggets of anticipation and anxiety, while the chorus absolutely explodes with electricity, and one of the most eruptive vocals of Patrick Stump’s career. And that Pete Wentz bass-line smacks as hard as anything to come out of a studio this year. A thrilling return to form.
43) Garth Brooks featuring Ronnie Dunn- “Rodeo Man” (Pearl)
Two pillars of contemporary country’s golden age throw down the sawdust and deliver a foot-stomping, honky tonk duet that brings out the up-tempo best in both of them. Their chemistry is spot-on, and the fun they clearly had in creating this record permeates through the speaker to the listener. Easily Garth’s best single this century.
42) The National featuring Taylor Swift- “The Alcott” (4AD)
A gorgeous haunted encounter between two lovers who cannot help but fall into the same viscous cycle of heartbreak that they continuously burden each other with. The beautiful hypnotism of this track’s sound perfectly symbolizes the entrancing nature of their romantic politics. Pop megastar Taylor is still her best incarnation, but I’ll never argue with more of pandemic-era Taylor either, and Aaron Dessner once again provides the perfect backdrop for that realm of her artistry.
41) Elle King- “Jersey Giant” (RCA)
The least-promoted single of Elle King’s proper country debut was also the best; an often-covered Tyler Childers gem that Childers himself as yet to record officially. King’s version is the best of the lot thus far, with its twangy and mountainous sound bringing out the very best charms of her raunchy but utterly sweet voice.
40) Kelly Clarkson- “Mine” (Atlantic)
Kelly Clarkson’s highly anticipated divorce ballad actually took a while to fully strike a cord with me. It’s the definition of a slow-burn, and that’s precisely where its true beauty lies. “Mine” painfully and soulfully walks one through the emotional stages of a romantic dissolution, from numbness and confusion to bitterness and loneliness. And when all of that spills over in the song’s dramatic climax, it’s Kelly Clarkson doing what Kelly Clarkson does best.
39) Carly Pearce featuring Chris Stapleton- “We Don’t Fight Anymore” (Big Machine)
A classic country tearjerker in the same vein as Patty Loveless’ classic “You Don’t Even Know Who I Am” as well as Chris Stapleton’s own “Either Way”, delivered by two of the genre’s premier modern vocalists. It all adds up to one of the year’s most unabashedly pure country songs. I still wish more of Stapleton’s features would include full-blown verses, but that minor quibble is more than compensated for how splendid they sound together regardless. I also love seeing Pearce double-down on the dobro-drenched sounds of her last and best record.
38) Blink-182- “One More Time” (Columbia)
A stirring reunion song from one of this generation’s most popular rock acts that pulls no punches in taking a raw account of what splintered them, and then ultimately brought them back together. While the earlier Maren Morris single was a perfect reminder of the need to exorcise toxic relationships from our lives, “One More Time” conversely pleads with us not to let the petty matters of everyday life interfere with the truly important relationships that bring us so much meaning. It’s an equally important life lesson to take to heart, and one I wouldn’t have previously expected from these pop-punk icons.
37) Shakey Graves featuring Sierra Ferrell- “Ready Or Not” (Dualtone)
A three-act duet that both hilariously and hauntingly depicts all of the critical time we waste in life waiting for the next milestone, both of the trivial and momentous nature. The entire Shakey catalog is loaded with performances that find vocalist Alejandro Rose-Garcia interweaving sarcasm, morbidity, and philosophical themes. “Ready Or Not” is the pinnacle of such fare, with Sierra Ferrell’s lovely harmonies adding a subtly wondrous layer to it all.
36) Mitski- “My Love Mine All Mine” (Dead Oceans)
A runaway viral success that gave Mitski a long-overdue breakthrough to wider public awareness, and what a breakthrough moment it truly is. “My Love” finds the musical enigma filtering her established indie sound through a steel-soaked combination of Southern Gothic and jazzy lounge crooning. The ethereal spirit of her beautiful voice has never been so splendidly on display.
35) Lori McKenna- “Happy Children” (Creative Nation)
American music’s leading domestic poet continues to expand her library of homespun classics that connect with the everyday human experience like so few of her contemporaries can. “Happy Children” is a moving portrait of the unconditional love and shifted life focus that parenthood brings to one’s life. You don’t have to be a parent to feel the impact of McKenna’s lyrics either, with her masterful song-craft likewise evoking appreciation for the sacrifices our own parents made for us as children.
34) Deer Tick- “Forgiving Ties” (ATO)
The year’s biggest adrenaline rush record for me, by a mile. “Forgiving Ties” is one of those bangers that gets me off my ass every damn time it plays. It’s a bewildering melting pot of underground rock, 90s frat-pop, gonzo country, and mariachi music that blends in seamlessly delicious fashion. The guitar work is blazing, the horns spiritually revitalizing, and I haven’t enjoyed cow-bell flourishes this much since the heyday of “That Don’t Impress Me Much”. Goal for 2024: get more Deer Tick in your life.
33) Lainey Wilson- “Watermelon Moonshine” (BBR)
“Watermelon Moonshine” is one of those special singles that will enjoy a legacy as both a record, and a moment. The record itself is an instant country classic on the strength of both its timeless young love storytelling and its shimmering showcase of all of Lainey Wilson’s magical gifts as a vocalist. The hype is also true: it’s an inarguably worthy predecessor to “Strawberry Wine”. Then as a moment, it’s the song that officially solidified Wilson as Music City’s newest female superstar, a throne that she should occupy for the long-run if she can continue to release jewels like “Watermelon Moonshine”.
32) Jelly Roll- “Need a Favor” (BBR)
Like “Watermelon Moonshine”, “Need a Favor” is also another moment in the 2023 musical story; a record that has seemingly set its artist on a sudden trajectory toward superstardom. After two decades of hick-hop and bro-country posers fumbling to naturally weave the elements of country, rap, and rock into one solid sound, Jelly Roll arrives with this fierce battle cry and shows them how it’s properly done in one fell swoop. Amen.
31) Caleb Lee Hutchinson- “Silverado” (Country Reborn)
Folks, I had this list completely mapped out before I ever got to hear Caleb Lee Hutchinson’s first single and album and it completely captivated me, so much so that it caused a well-deserved shuffle in my 2023 rankings. “Silverado” and its supporting album is a sonic marvel in every way, delivering a booming Cosmic country-80s synch combo that has learned all the right lessons from Sturgill Simpson’s Metamodern Sounds in Country Music.
30) Tanya Tucker- “Kindness” (Fantasy)
A rugged but luminous performance from the new Country Music Hall of Famer that triumphantly maintains her status as one of music’s most uniquely powerful vocal stylists. Tanya is a prime example of how to gracefully lean into the changes a singer’s voice undergoes with time and age, making her the perfect vessel for this soulful reflection of life lived, and its humble request for grace and humanity.
29) Nate Fredrick and The Wholesome Boys- “Paint the Town” (Wanda)
Muscular, modern Outlaw country of the highest order. Nate Fredrick’s bold, twangy boom and sly confidence carries on the spirit of 70s Waylon as well as anyone in the two decades since the legendary maverick’s death. Meanwhile, his supporting ensemble, The Wholesome Boys play with the vigor and dexterity of a modern-day Hot Band.
28) Dierks Bentley- “Gold” (Capitol)
In typical Nashville fashion, this single took such a painfully long time to peak, that it feels too old to be here. But “Gold” was definitely one of the top hits inside of this year, with it boasting the gritty but mainstream blend that has always defined Dierks Bentley’s best songs. Thematically in tune with Bentley’s two-decade chart-run, it’s an anthem of perseverance, bolstered by a dobro breakdown that’s as easy to sing along to as its chorus. I suspect his best commercial days are now behind him, but I’m enthusiastically curious about what the legacy arc of his career will look like.
27) Lukas Nelson + Promise of the Real featuring Lainey Wilson- “More Than Friends” (Fantasy)
An unmitigated Southern joy at every turn, from the cascading bass intro to the unapologetically swinging twang to the flirty and sparking chemistry between Lukas and Lainey that just beams from the speakers. I can picture Willie and Emmylou bringing this romp to jaunty life during their primes in the late 70s, and it’s a thrilling joy to see that same musical spirit alive a half-century later.
26) Macklemore featuring Windser- “Maniac” (Bendo)
This perfectly crafted pop-Hip Hop fusion has emphatically earned its way onto my collection of all-time great ear-worms. Winder’s choruses are so dynamically endearing and the verses find Macklemore on the same cunning, comedic A-game that he displayed on “Thrift Shop” over a decade ago. If you’re not smiling enough for your liking after blaring this through your ear-buds, check out the blissful music video and its Outkast nod for more charming fun.
Continue to: Part II
The 706 