- I feel like I'm at an age of nostalgia. So many conversations I have with my peers devolve into games of "remember that?" And while music can be a powerful reminder of old memories and past adventures, there's also something to be said for discovering something that's new-to-you. Going down a band rabbit hole, exploring their discography, finding new favorite songs. I know, I know - ironic coming from someone whose annual Best Of The Years lists tend to be filled with a lot of new stuff from old favorites. But I also love taking some time at the end of each year to comb through others' lists and find something new and different. And sometimes, those discoveries happen in other, more random ways.
A favorite annual tradition of mine is driving down to the OC Fair each summer. I didn't go for a few years due to COVID / Long COVID, but the tradition has since resumed. Historically, I would check out what concerts would be playing at the adjacent Pacific Amphitheater, and see if there was anything that struck my fancy. This year, I was really hoping that something would jump out at me. It's been a lot harder for me to attend concerts since coming down with Long COVID in 2022, and by this past summer I hadn't been to any live shows so far in 2024. The Pacific Amphitheater is an outdoor venue, which is easier for me to make work. And tickets tend not to be too pricey, and include OC Fair admission as well - bonus. But looking at this list of concerts, I didn't see anything that felt like a must-go. I kept looking at the schedule though, and I kept coming back to a band that I knew almost nothing about ... The Aquabats. I'd heard the name, but wasn't familiar at all with their music. But wait - they had a superhero gimmick? And they did comedy songs? Interesting ...
And so I went down an Aquabats rabbit hole. Over the course of one night, I listened to dozens of their songs. I quickly had some new favorites. They had a song about pizza! Amazing. Their music was like Weird Al meets Reel Big Fish meets the old Superfriends cartoon. I was hooked! Still, I worried that it would be weird seeing them live being so new to the band. But as it turned out, the show freaking rocked! It was one of the coolest rock concerts I've ever been to, with an amazing energy and an unpredictable quality as the band veered between styles and genres and tones. There were people in the crowd in full Aquabats regalia. And there was an eclectic, diverse group of fans - older, younger, kids, families, and everything in between. It made me wonder how I was only just now getting into this band. Suffice it to say, I had a blast - and an unexpected new band that I loved. You'll see some 2024 Aquabats songs on my list below.
I saw one other really cool concert in 2024, as just after Halloween, in early November, I got to see the legendary Danny Elfman in concert at the Hollywood Bowl. It was a super fun show that was not quite like any concert I'd seen before - as we got Elfman singing songs from his 80's cult-fave band Oingo Boingo, songs from his newer band that had a harder goth-metal bent, tunes from The Nightmare Before Christmas (in which Elfman, of course, voices Jack Skellington), and then also orchestral renditions of his many iconic movie and TV scores (everything from Batman to Beetlejuice to The Simpsons). What a show.
I had some great new, unique music experiences in 2024. And I also got some kickass new music from those old comfort-food favorites. Green Day roared back with their best album in a decade. Linkin Park reformed with new singer Emily Armstrong. Jack White put out his best solo album yet. Billy Joel gave us an unexpected new classic. And Pearl Jam got back to their hard-driving grunge rock roots.
Speaking of which, let's get to the list.
- Consider this pick at least, in part, a mega endorsement of Green Day's latest album - Saviors. In late 2023 we got a sneak peak at some of the tracks off the new album, and they were on last year's Top 10 list. But once the full album released in 2024, it was clear that this was Green Day's best release since the days of American Idiot and 21st Century Breakdown. Top to bottom, great rock song after great rock song. And one of the best was "One Eyed Bastard" - a rollicking, anthemic ode to sweet, sweet revenge. During a year that produced many villains, this one felt like a rallying cry to stand up, fight, and remind the world's jerks and bullies that, hey, "vendetta is a friend of mine."
- Jack White's latest album, No Name, is arguably his best solo effort yet. I liked just about all the songs on it, but when I heard the absolutely awesome rocker "Archbishop Harold Holmes" I was blown away. It's a theatrically-sung, ultra-funky, lyrically-inventive groove that tells a fun story to boot. Meanwhile, "What's the Rumpus?" is a similarly awesome rock song that is Jack White at his best. So, so good.
- As mentioned above, The Aquabats were my big musical "discovery" of 2024. I had the good fortune to see them put on an amazing live show over the summer, and I had a lot of fun going through their back-catalog and discovering fun and hilarious and uber-catchy songs like "Pool Party" and "Pizza Day." But the band also had a really fun new album in 2024 that featured a few surprisingly heartfelt songs. My favorites were Whatever Forever, a funny-yet-sweet song about the little things that make a relationship work, and "Little Lady Amazing," an uncharacteristically earnest tribute to daughters everywhere.
7.) Chappell Roan - "Good Luck, Babe!"
- Chappel Roan was the undeniable pop-star breakout of 2024. And while I often sort of roll my eyes at whoever the next big thing in pop is supposed to be, Roan quickly won me over with her 80's new wave inspired sound and her unbridled showmanship and individuality. You could quickly tell that there was nothing cookie-cutter about her, and you could also quickly tell that her music was/is the real deal. "Good Luck, Babe!" is an infectiously bop-y 80's-style banger that brings to mind The Eurythmics. I dig it.
- The Offspring can always be counted on to produce consistently fun and catchy punk rock (which, yes, has become increasingly pop-infused in later years). And "Make It All Right," the highlight IMO of their latest album, is an hook-y, concentrated burst of pop-punk fun ... just what the doctor ordered in these trying times.
10.) Lady Gaga - "Disease"
- I've long been a fan of Lady Gaga's unapologetically weird brand of dance-pop bangers, so I was pleased to see that her latest, "Disease," goes all in on the weird part (seriously, check out its horror-movie esque music video, which rules). This one is a pulsating industrial dance song ... that marks another entry on this list that captures the seeming bleakness of the past year. In a country and a world that felt literally and figuratively diseased, this song speaks to this moment. Well done, Gaga.
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