What were your favorite songs in 2024?

[Eluvianii he/him]

Hi. So, each year I like to compile a list of all the music I liked that year, and then try to condense it into smaller lists to find the absolute best of everything I listened to.

There's no particular reason for this other than the fact that it's fun. I like making lists for some reason, and at some point I decided to share that tradition with the Shard, and invite everyone who wishes to to do the same.

So here's the invitation this year. What did you listen to? You have a favorite song? A favorite album? Did you discover any new artists? A particular soundtrack from a movie that stayed with you? It can be anything you want, and as short or as long as you want. Only thing that matters is that you liked it.

With all that said, here's my list this year, and I look forward to see yours.

 

Songs I discovered in 2024.

This is a list of songs that did not come out in 2024, but I found them this year.

1. Aura - GHOST
2. Geki! Teikoku-Kagekidan - Chisa Yokoyama
3. Raindrop - Indigo Jam Unit
4. Watercolor - Indigo Jam Unit
5. Nemurasareta Lineage - Junna
6. Quiet Choir - Akira Yamamoto
7. Nai Nai - ReoNa
8. Good Night - Hikaru Utada
9. Wine and Wheat - Madds Buckley
10. Remember Me - Leslie Parrish

Honorable mention to Koi Geba by Atarashii Gakko because you made me look, @Use the Falchion. Now I'll have to look for more.

 

Songs that came out in 2024.

Self explanatory, my favorite songs among the ones that did come out this year.

1. Che Sia Vita o Morte - Keygen Church Also my overall favorite song of the year. It's so, so good
2. Kimi to ×××× Shitai dake - Phantom Siita
3. Zezezezettai Seiiki - ano, Lilas Ikuta
4. Blouse - Gohobi
5. Burning - Hitsujibungaku
6. Life We Sow - Mili
7. RAM - Master Boot Record
8. Protect You - Band-Maid
9. Queen - LiSA
10. Sekai-Rinne - Unlucky Morpheus

 

Soundtracks.

So, the format for this portion I change all the time according to needs. And the needs this year demand that I divide it into individual soundtracks because I played so many games with good music this year. I feel like I'm in my golden age as a gamer, finding all the gems all at once. With good music to match.

Persona 5 Royal. Played most of this game last year, but finished the last stretch this year.

Spoiler

• I Believe
• Throw Away Your Mask
• With the Stars and Us

Dragon's Dogma. A surprise this one. Wanted a simple action rpg to mess around mindlessly. Got a bit more than that.

Spoiler

• Into Free
• Dragon Battle
• Eternal Return

Umineko no Naku Koro ni. Culmination of 2 years of reading. One of the best stories I've ever encountered, if not the best, with one of the best soundtracks I've ever heard to match. Picked a few highlights from the last two episodes because that's what I played this year, but all 208 pieces should be on this list by right. Simply amazing.

Spoiler

• Birth of a New Witch
• Rain
• Song Without a Name
• Golden Nocturne
• Bore-Ral
• Far (Flat)
• The End Of The World
• Bizarre Divertimento
• Revelations
• Lastendconductor
• White Dream Cocoon ～Ricordando il passato～

Persona 3 Reload. Just started. Great remake so far.

Spoiler

• Full Moon Full Life I struggle to imagine a more perfect way to represent this game and its message. This song is a condensation of the game itself. Became my favorite Persona opening immediately.
• Color Your Night

Final Fantasy XV. Another surprise. I don't know why I was under the impression that this game wasn't liked much. That was apparently incorrect and good thing too because it has been stellar so far. I'm close to the end and the game is great. And the music, well, Yoko Shimomura is quickly becoming one of my favorite composers.

Spoiler

• Omnis Lacrima
• Apocalypsis Aquarius
• Hammerhead
• Sunset Waltz

The House in Fata Morgana. I'm not very far in, but I can tell this is something special. And its music is so... unique. At all times it can pull me into whatever year the author wants me to be in.

Spoiler

• Fecha Me
• The Maid (piano)
• Reencarnação
• Hex

The Great Ace Attorney Adventures. This is well on the way to become my favorite Ace Attorney, both game and OST.

Spoiler

• Ryunosuke Naruhodo - Objection!
• Pursuit - Time for a Great Turnabout
• Barok van Zieks: Grim Reaper of the Great Court

Metaphor ReFantazio. Don't think a lot needs to be said about how this came to be on the list.

Spoiler

• Warriors in Arms
• Melancholy Star
• Virga Island
• Rival Candidates

The Legend of Heroes: Trails Through Daybreak. This series will keep getting a spot on these lists until it's over. Which might be another 10 years or so.

Spoiler

• Unreasonable Beast
• Brilliant Glow
• Cloudy Cloudy

Miscellaneous.

Spoiler

• What Angel Wakes Me - Final Fantasy XIV
• Answers - Final Fantasy XIV
• Beyond the Rainbow - Shin Sakura Taisen
• Round Table Knight - Shin Sakura Taisen
• Sandy Plains - Monster Hunter Rise
• Nay! The Honor is All Ours - Monster Hunter World: Iceborne
• Phantom R's Theme - Rhythm Thief
• Song of Saya I - Song of Saya
• Memoria -As You Wish- - Astlibra Revision
• Main Theme - Octopath Traveler 1 and 2
• Farde Mal Diavolo - Unicorn Overlord
• So We Sing - Unicorn Overlord
• Kairi I - Kingdom Hearts

 

And that about does it for songs.

Albums are worth mentioning this year because it's like most of my favorite artists decided to drop one at the same time. One of them dropped two. So here they are.

• what is DEATH? - Unholy Orpheus Which is like the third pseudonym already for Unlucky Morpheus.
• Epic Narratives - Band-Maid
• Hardwarez - Master Boot Record
• Nel Nome Del Codice - Keygen Church Another name for Master Boot Record when he uses a different style.
• Girlhood Memories - Phantom Siita

 

And since they just popped up on that list, I have to mention Phantom Siita as best discovery. They're the first idol group I'm interested in and so far their music has been really good. They have this horror theme going on that I enjoy a lot.

 

And that would be all my lists this year. If you read the thing you'll notice that I just use whatever format fits for whatever I'm doing at the moment. So go crazy, make one more organized, make one less organized. The fun is in enjoying the process of learning about yourself by thinking about what kind of music you really like. With any luck you'll get a fun time out of it.

Well, that was all. If I convinced you to make one of these I hope you had fun doing so, and that you'll share it. And I wish you another year full of music.

[Use the Falchion]

It's late, but here are my top songs and albums from 2024! All of the things below outside of the Retro category were FIRST LISTENED TO IN 2024. 

 

Artists of the Year

Jorge Rivera-Herrans

RJ Pasin (and Ptasinski)

STIM (thanks to RJ Pasin)

These artists have added so many songs to my playlists and contributing so much to what I’ve listened to this year in a way that’s hard to overstate. 

 

Album of the Year - From Zero by Linkin Park. I thought Linkin Park died in 2017 with Chester, but to see them return and to return so STRONG was something I could have never imagined. My favorite band is back with one of their best albums ever. 

Favorite Songs - 

Honestly, it'd be easier to list the songs that I DON'T jam with as much. And even those I still listen to nearly every listen through. So to keep it varied, I'll say this: 

The best song of the album is "Good Things Go," but it's also a song that you have to earn, if that makes sense. Listen to the album, and you'll understand. 

Standout song is "Overflow." I didn't understand it the first listen-to, but that's not an uncommon feeling for Linkin Park and me. After about 2-3 listens, it's now one of my favorite songs on the album. 

Just Now Growing On Me song is "Stained," It'd probably tie "Casualty" for my least favorite song on the album, but it's really, really grown on me! 

 

Second Place Albums:

NeXGEn by Bring Me the Horizon - Grunge meets anime-inspired music at times.  A follow-up to Survival Horror, but I’m not entirely sure I like it more or less than the 2020 album. Still, I've come to love the album and listen to it with a variety of books. 

Favorite Songs - 

A bullet w- my namE On 

[ost] (spi)ritual

R.i.p. (duskCOre Remix)

AmEN!

 

 

Memory Palace by Intervals - Anime Prog Rock. I’ve listened to this far too much to not tie for second place. 

Favorite Songs -

Neurogenesis

Galaxy Brain (feat. J3PO)

Nootropic

Circuit Bender

 

Honorable Mentions And Other Favorites:

Time Flows Constantly by MICROMECHA - Gotta love some anime jazz!

Favorite Songs - 

Sands of Time

 

 

Epic Narratives by Band-Maid - I don’t love it as much as CONQUERER, but I do love it. It’s varied and definitely in the “hard rock” side of things for the band. Technically, it feels perfect, but that’s par for the course for these girls! (The songs have grown on me though!) Some may be surprised to note that, for all my talk of Band-Maid, it’s my SECOND-FAVORITE J-Rock group. My favorite band is a group called Nothing’s Carved In Stone, and I adore them. 

Favorite Songs - 

Protect You

Forbidden Tale

Brightest Star

Toi et Moi

 

Isekai by Rj Pasin- A solid mix of Futurebass-esque pop (think Hyper Potions) and anime-guitar, and you've got quite the eclectic album! Yes, I bought the album because it had two songs named Fire Emblem. No, this was not the first song I heard of by Rj Pasin. 

Favorite Songs - 

Kawaii Desu Ne

Fire Emblem & Fire Emblem 2.0

Heroes & Heroes 2.0

Final Battle

 

VOLTAGE EP by Anly - Anly is an artist whom I like listening to, but do so in bursts and don't give enough credit to once I do listen to her. She did "Karano Kokoro" aka the final opening song for Naruto Shippuden and Naruto as a whole, and it's awesome. This EP actually comes with a remix of that, and it's probably my favorite remix since Egoist's EP Touzisya from last year. 

Top Songs - 

VOLTAGE

Karano Kokoro (Matt Cab & MATZ Remix)

 

 

Top Video Game Soundtrack - Final Fantasy 16 Soundtrack

 

 

Top Retro Buys: 

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 by Hans Zimmer 

“Cold Case” by Elle Varner

“Distance (M-flo Remix)” by Hikaru Utada

“Thistle & Weeds” by Mumford & Sons

Bob Presents: The Adventures of Bobby Ray by B.o.B

Transformers (Soundtrack form the Motion Picture) by Various Artists

 

Top Singles: 

“Soft Lite” by Afro Lofi - LoFi My favorite Afro-Lofi song so far. 

“SDP Interlude” (Extended) by Travis Scott - Rap/Vibe - Heard it in Early Jan with a SpiderVerse AMV, and it’s stuck ever since. 

“Consider” by Rj Pasin - Metal/Epic (My Batman Beyond idea theme)

“Tiny Riot” Sam Ryder - Pop - Mostly because of the live version

“New House” by Toro y Moi - Rap/Vibe - Heard it in The Brothers Sun

“End Transmission” by Fire From the Gods - Rock

“Friendly Fire” by Linkin Park - Rock Pop

“Prince of Egypt” by Mofe - Rap/Vibe

“Kerosene” by Crystal Castles - Electronic

“Lush” by Viberman - LoFi - It gives Adult Swim and Afro Lofi vibes in the best of ways.

“Father Stretch” by Sunday Service Choir

“Appetite,” “Standing,” “Adonis,” “Blood Moon,” “Peace,” “Kryptonite,” “Ghost,” “Daylight,” “Stain,” “Ceasefire,” "Martyr," and “Fury,” by STIM - Very similar to Brakence, but with RJ Pasin’s epic guitar riffs in the background instead of Otis Wyatt’s Prog Rock Emo Anime riffs. 

“The Emptiness Machine” by Linkin Park

“Stadium Scam” and “Twenty Ten” by Dylan Sitts - Instrumental trap beats that vibe. 

Edited January 6, 2025 by Use the Falchion