Top 2024 084

I Need to Post More About Music

Music is such a large part of my daily life that I feel I need to share more about it. Sure, there are times when I enjoy silence—like while driving—but that’s rare. Most days, I’m listening to music nearly all the time.

There’s something magical about music. The beat, the melody, the lyrics, the pauses, the solo instrumentals, the beat breaks—all of it together gives a song its character. It’s hard to explain, but music is definitely one of the constants in my life.

Magic.

Let’s take a quick look at 2024. I’m including some song links for your convenience, but support your favorite music artists when you can.

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Some Facts

According to Last.fm, I’ve played 219,752 tracks since 2005. That’s a lot of music. https://www.last.fm/user/luxuryluke

In 2024 alone, 36% of what I listened to was new music released that year. That surprised me — I might be more of an explorer than I think!

Apparently, I’m in the top 0.03% of listeners of DJ Shadow.

I’m also ranked 9th among top listeners of Boozoo Bajou, a mellow band from the ’90s that still resonates with me.

Last.fm calls me a “NOSTALGIC VERSATILE EXPLORER.” I suppose that’s fitting!

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Most Played and Favorite Music of 2024

Artists

• Duran Duran – “Future Past” still has a grip on me
• DJ Shadow – Somehow continues to crank out inventive material
• Boozoo Bajou – Swampy beats resonate for some reason
• Moderat – Their last album is upbeat with great breaks
• Underworld – Atmospheric electronic beats of the ages
• Queens of the Stone Age – Their drums and Homme’s voice hit differently
• New Order – Their older tunes have reemerged for me in recent years

What a strange mixture.

Albums

• “Action Adventure” – DJ Shadow https://album.link/us/i/1702336934
• “Future Past” (Deluxe) – Duran Duran https://album.link/us/i/1607812674
• “Finistère” (the extended mixes) – Boozoo Bajou https://album.link/i/1711189624
• “MORE D4TA” – Leftfield https://album.link/us/i/1680000397
• “Strawberry Hotel” – Underworld https://album.link/us/i/1761865594
• “Songs of a Lost World” – The Cure https://album.link/us/i/1782345790

Tracks

• “Invocation” – Duran Duran: Go ahead, try to sing along — it’s impossible.
• “…Like Clockwork” – Queens of the Stone Age https://song.link/us/i/1586476465
• Oh, you also better listen to “…Like Clockwork (UNKLE Remix)” – Queens of the Stone Age https://song.link/us/i/1047776584
• “Light Blue Movers” – Zero 7 https://song.link/us/i/1469406985
• “MORE LOVE” — Moderat https://song.link/us/i/1680001481

Choosing a “top tracks” list is almost impossible for me. So much of my music discovery comes from letting the kids play their favorites in the car. That’s how I ended up listening to bands like Mac Demarco, TV Girl, Mitski, and Good Kid.

Then, out of nowhere, Snow puts on “How Soon Is Now?” by The Smiths, and my eyes go wide. Sad to have lost the Smiths’ bassist Andy Rourke in 2023.
https://song.link/us/i/803460027

Watch Andy play on Top of the Pops in 1985:

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Thoughts on Music Discovery

Friends and colleagues post their polished reviews of the year in music. I admire their effort — it takes dedication and finesse. I haven’t done much with the music on this site in a while.

Jon: https://hicks.design/journal/hicks-design-s-music-of-2024
Simon: https://colly.com/journal/twenty-twentyfour-in-music
Naz: https://nazhamid.com/journal/music-in-2024/
Scott: https://scottboms.com/documenting/12-good-ones

And Greg lists a few more in the recent Dice post https://www.brilliantcrank.com/the-dice-031/

But music discovery can be deeply personal. Encouraging someone to listen is the the best tactic. Sometimes being told to listen to something makes it feel like a task, not a pleasure, and that awareness of my own stubbornness helps me stay open to new sounds.

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Looking Ahead

If this isn’t enough to chew on to help you familiarize yourself with my musical tastes, maybe browse my Last.fm profile @ https://www.last.fm/user/luxuryluke will help, I’d love to see what music you like, too, if only to connect but also to explore and discover. So even if one track or album becomes a favorite for you, this post will have been a roaring success.

For 2025, I aim to post more about the music I love. Discovering the artists and designers behind the album artwork for music I love is also a satisfying deep dive.
For now, I’m off to revisit “From Here On In” by South — a perfect way to kick off the year.
https://album.link/us/i/1450119075

Enjoy your musical journey in 2025!

Shared:
https://typo.social/@Luke/113762132435083318