Listen While You Read! My 100 Most Streamed Songs in 2024
Before taking a deep dive into what I listened to in 2024, let’s take a moment to discuss the service Spotify itself. As you may have heard, Spotify CEO what’s-his-name makes zillions of dollars each year while the hard-working musicians who provide the content to generate such riches are left with a handful of change and a slap in the mouth.
Or put another way, this is exactly how the music business has always operated. Meet the new boss, same as the old boss.
As a musician myself, I look at it this way. I am asking someone to give me their valuable time to listen to my original music. They could spend this time listening to, oh, I don’t know, The Beatles? But I would prefer they listen to the new Watershed record instead of Revolver. That’s a pretty bold ask when you think about it.
And now, imagine I do not release my music on Spotify, by far the most popular music distribution service on the planet as a protest against their unfair monetary practices. So not only am I asking you to check out my music instead of The Beatles, I am also dictating to you which streaming service I deem as acceptable. That is a REALLY bold ask.
And it seems a little elitist to me. Do the records sold at Walmart sound different from the ones sold at Lost Weekend Records? Who are we to judge? Different strokes and all that…
So here is an idea for my fellow “artists”: release your music everywhere, and then the people can decide what service they want to support. Buy a record directly from the band or Bandcamp. Hit a local record store. These are the best ways to support the bands and businesses you love. Or if you prefer to stream on Spotify that works too. I’m thankful to anyone who checks out my music in whatever format works best for them. My two cents anyway.
My 2024 Spotify Wrapped
#1 Rock The Nation - Montrose
I know, I know, hear me out. I was asked to perform at a mental health benefit in May and the idea of the show was that each act paid tribute to a musician who took his own life. We settled on the late guitarist Ronnie Montrose and the band Rock Candy was born with myself, Scott Carr, Mike Lovins and Dave Masica. Needless to say, I had to do some homework and apparently this tune took more studying than “Bad Motor Scooter.” Fun fact: I was in the .01% worldwide as a listener of this song. I’m mildly surprised FBI drones weren’t circling my house due to the mysterious activity concerning “rocking the nation” during an election year.
It is a jam though.
#2 Chainsaw Repair Shop - Terry Anderson and The Olympic Ass Kicking Team
My actual favorite song of the year and it wasn’t even close. Terry and the OAK Team played a show with Watershed early in 2024 and I was smitten by the end of the opening line.
“I moved next to the chainsaw repair shop, couldn’t believe the rent was so cheap / But those guys are working all night & day nonstop, can’t nobody get no sleep.”
Amazing. Why do I even bother to write songs?
#3 Self-Motivated #5 Blow It Up Before It Breaks - Watershed
Yes, I’m actually in the band Watershed. I’d like to think I was listening to get prepared for our tour last fall but in reality just a couple of listens would have done it. I guess there are worse things than being a stalker of your own band even if it is kind of creepy. I guess I love me some me. Ugh.
My top five bands in 2024
Watershed
Cheap Trick
Bruce Springsteen
The Rolling Stones
Tim Easton
You know how when the big Wrapped reveal happens bands just stumble all over themselves posting “thank you’s” to people that had them in the top five? It is a social media consultant’s dream but I think it’s kinda of a lame-humble brag. But I get it. People want to be famous & rich and stuff. But you know what is lamer? Me being the biggest fan of my own band. I guarantee no social media consultant would approve of me publicly posting this fact. Damn. I might not get rich or famous after all.
Interesting that not a single Stones song appears in my top 100 but somehow they make the top 5. Only one Bruce song too.
#4 Everything You’re Afraid Of - Tim Easton
I’m mildly surprised Tim cracked my top five over Colin blue-blood bands such as The Kinks, Nada Surf or The Replacements, but clearly I wore out his latest record Find Your Way in the past 12 months.
Beyond the top five
I listened to 3,062 different songs.
25,940 minutes, putting me in the top 14%.
My hippest track: “Sneaky Jesus” by Chuck E Weiss - If a smarmy record store dude was checking out my record collection and saw this he would think, “This guy… maybe he isn’t a total dumbass…”
Tracks to impress college professors came from
The Beths, Waxahachtee, Yo La Tengo.
Ricki C. approved tracks: “Defiance” and “Bed of Roses” from a recent Ian Hunter record. “Adam Raised A Cain” - Bruce Springsteen Live Darkness Edge of Town Tour.
Power Pop cred outside of all that Cheap Trick: “My Before And After” - Cotton Mather, “Stunt Queen” Redd Kross and “I Live” from Jason Faulkner.
Songs by Shoes, Scrawl and The Damned Thing were all performed live by the Marcy Mays Band in 2024. The band consists of myself, Marcy, Mark “Pooch” Borror, Dave Masica.
Many songs were from bands I saw live in the past year. I like to go on Setlist FM and study up in advance. This explains entries from Norah Jones, Crowded House, The Record Company, Gillian Welch and Quivers.
Does that crazy “music evolution for the season” make any sense?
January: Vampire Beatlesque Power Pop Season
Hmm… I don’t think so but who am I to argue with AI?
February: Film Noir Slow Dance Jazz Season
AI, you are a dumb ass. I am 100% percent confident those words do not describe my listening habits no matter what the season. Spotify needs to send this feature back to the drawing board.
Nada Surf is always well represented in my top 100.
Cheap Trick - I have a really hard time buying the fact that “Baby Loves To Rock” was as high as it was. Don’t get me wrong, solid tune but I guarantee I listened to “Romance In A Rear View Mirror” or “Back ‘n Blue” many more times. I cannot remember ever intentionally playing BLTR.
What is missing?
Geez, not one KISS song. Have I finally outgrown them? No way.
No Hives? No AC/DC?
And it feels like I play a ton of War on Drugs and Dwight Yoakam at the coffee shop but Spotify says no I do NOT.
Predictions for 2025:
Less Watershed
More ‘80’s KISS
Colin Gawel plays in his most streamed band Watershed and wrote this at Colin’s Coffee.