December 1st 2024.
As we reflect on 2024, it's clear that it has been an incredible year for pop music. The UK charts have seen some major hits, but if you only looked at the number one singles, you would miss out on so much of the excitement. As we mentioned earlier this week, the British pop charts have been struggling for almost ten years now and are in desperate need of a revamp.
In recent years, there have been numerous songs that deserved the top spot, but were held back because other hits remained at number one for weeks on end. This year, we witnessed the comeback of one of the biggest stars of the new millennium, the most talked-about rap beef of the 21st century, and a collab between two massive stars of the early 2010s. But even with all of these noteworthy moments, the true story of 2024 can only be told by looking beyond the top of the charts.
So, here are some of the songs that should have been given the honor of being number one on the pop charts this year, but were sadly denied their chance to make music history in the UK. Let's start with Sophie Ellis-Bextor's hit, "Murder On the Dancefloor." This mega hit has the unfortunate distinction of being the ultimate number two single, having reached that position not once, but twice on the charts. It was first kept from the top spot by Daniel Bedingfield's "Gotta Get Thru This" in 2001 and 2002. And when it made a comeback in 2024, thanks to its use in the film "Saltburn," it seemed like it would finally reach number one. But alas, newcomer Noah Kahan's breakout song "Stick Season" held Sophie off the top for a total of five weeks, while spending a total of seven weeks at the top in January and February.
Now, let's give credit where credit is due – Noah has worked hard and made a name for himself, going from small venues to playing sold-out arenas in just six years. However, it's hard to deny that four or five weeks at the top would have been enough, especially if it meant "Murder On the Dancefloor" finally getting its well-deserved recognition.
Next up, we have Ariana Grande's triumphant return to the pop charts after a four-year hiatus. Her highly anticipated seventh studio album, "Eternal Sunshine," was met with much excitement. However, her lead single, "Yes, And?" was also held back from the top spot, once again by Noah Kahan's "Stick Season." Fans were hopeful that "We Can't Be Friends" would finally give Ariana her first UK number one, but it was denied even a single week at the top by Beyoncé's "Texas Hold 'Em" in its fourth week and then by Benson Boone's "Beautiful Things." It's hard not to wonder why we couldn't live in a world where Beyoncé could have had three weeks at the top and Benson could have still had two weeks, with just one week for Ariana in between. But alas, that's not how things played out.
And let's not forget that Ariana has had her fair share of hits stall at number two while another song remained at the top. "Don't Call Me Angel" was held back by Ed Sheeran's "Take Me Back to London," which had already been at number one for three weeks. And her powerful anthem, "No Tears Left to Cry," which she released after the tragic Manchester Arena bombing in 2017, didn't even get a chance to spend a week at the top as Calvin Harris and Dua Lipa's "One Kiss" dominated the charts for eight consecutive weeks. No disrespect to "One Kiss," which is a fantastic song, but it's hard not to think that if this had happened 15 years ago, both songs could have shared the top spot for a few weeks each.
Moving on to the American charts of 2024, future pop historians will see that two of rap's biggest names, Kendrick Lamar and Drake, were engaged in a fierce feud. But to call it a war would suggest that it was a fair fight, which it definitely was not. Kendrick emerged as the clear victor, forever shaping the rap genre for an entire generation. By the time "Not Like Us" was released, Kendrick's fourth diss track aimed at Drake in just seven days, the competition was already over. In fact, Kendrick only released the song to solidify his win. It quickly soared to the top of the charts in America, becoming one of the most streamed rap songs in history and dominating clubs all over the US and Europe. His scorched earth approach paid off.
But sadly, if those same pop historians were to look at the UK number ones for 2024, they would completely miss the whole incident. It's a shame that Kendrick's triumphant victory in rap didn't translate to the UK charts, where he was denied the chance to make his mark. But we can only hope that in the future, the British pop charts will undergo some much-needed reform and give deserving artists the recognition they deserve.
The past year has been a rollercoaster ride for pop music, with some of the biggest names in the industry releasing hit after hit. However, if you were to solely look at the number one singles on the UK chart, you would only be getting a small glimpse of the story. As many of us know, the British pop charts have been in desperate need of reform for almost a decade now.
In 2024, we saw the comeback of one of the biggest stars of the new millennium, the most talked about rap beef of the 21st century, and a highly anticipated collaboration between two huge stars from the early 2010s. But if you were to ask a future music historian about the year, they would have a hard time painting the full picture. The real story lies beyond the top of the charts, in the songs that were cruelly denied the recognition they deserved.
Let's start with Sophie Ellis-Bextor's megahit "Murder On the Dancefloor." This ultimate number two single has reached the peak of the charts on two separate occasions, but has never been able to claim the coveted number one spot. In 2024, it looked like the disco-infused hit was finally going to make it to the top with its use in the film "Saltburn." However, newcomer Noah Kahan's breakout song "Stick Season" held it off for five consecutive weeks, ultimately spending a total of seven weeks at number one.
Now, credit must be given to Noah for his hard work and dedication in reaching the top. However, it's hard to deny that four or even five weeks at the top would have been more than enough, especially when it meant that "Murder On the Dancefloor" could finally have its moment in the spotlight.
Next up, we have the highly anticipated return of Ariana Grande to the pop charts after four years. Her seventh studio album, "Eternal Sunshine," was met with excitement from fans, but unfortunately, her lead single "Yes, And?" was held off the top by Noah Kahan's "Stick Season" (who was in his third week at number one). Fans were hopeful that "We Can't Be Friends" would finally break the streak and claim the number one spot, but it was once again denied, first by Beyoncé's "Texas Hold 'Em" and then by Benson Boone's "Beautiful Things."
It's a shame that we don't live in a world where Beyoncé could have had three weeks at the top and Benson could have had two, with a week for Ariana in between. But unfortunately, that's not how the charts work. And Ariana has unfortunately experienced this before, with her hit "Don't Call Me Angel" being held off the top spot by Ed Sheeran's "Take Me Back to London" for three weeks.
Another artist who knows all too well about having great pop hits stall at number two is Kendrick Lamar. In 2024, he went head to head with fellow rap superstar Drake, and let's just say it was far from a fair fight. Kendrick's fourth shot at Drake, "Not Like Us," was released just to solidify his victory. The song flew to the top of the charts in America and became one of the most streamed rap songs in history, solidifying Kendrick's dominance in the genre. However, in the UK charts, the whole feud went unnoticed, with Kendrick's victory being completely overlooked.
It's clear that the UK pop charts have been in desperate need of reform for quite some time now. It's time for the full story of the music industry to be told, not just the top spot on the charts. Perhaps in the future, we can see a fairer system that allows for multiple songs to share the spotlight and truly reflect the diverse and talented artists in the industry.
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