My 2024 Year in Music
My 2024 Wrapped
What a year for music! In 2024, I scrobbled 8,997 tracks across 362 different artists and 612 albums. Thatβs roughly 525 hours of music - or about 21.9 days of non-stop listening. On average, the albums I listened to are 32 years old.
Pink Floyd earned the top spot with 207 plays (2.3% of your year).
Lets dive into the numbers and see what made 2024 special.
By the Numbers
Thats 21.9 days of music, or roughly 25 tracks per day. My peak listening month was August with 1,168 scrobbles.
Artist of the Year
Pink Floyd
With 207 plays (2.3% of my total listening), Pink Floyd dominated my 2024. They were my top artist in January.
- View Pink Floyd on russ.fm
Album of the Year
βPremier Hitsβ by Gary Numan
This album earned the top spot with 20 plays (0.2% of my listening). It was my most-played album in May, June.
Top 25 Artists
- π₯ Pink Floyd β 207 plays
- π₯ Genesis β 175 plays
- π₯ Peter Gabriel β 159 plays
- 4. U2 β 148 plays
- 5. The Smashing Pumpkins β 137 plays
- 6. Tears for Fears β 133 plays
- 7. Crowded House β 133 plays
- 8. New Order β 119 plays
- 9. David Bowie β 119 plays
- 10. Jesus Jones β 116 plays
View artists 11-25
- 11. Pixies β 114 plays
- 12. Pure Reason Revolution β 109 plays
- 13. Nine Inch Nails β 108 plays
- 14. Radiohead β 105 plays
- 15. Steven Wilson β 103 plays
- 16. Split Enz β 93 plays
- 17. Amplifier β 92 plays
- 18. Faith No More β 91 plays
- 19. INXS β 91 plays
- 20. Oceansize β 86 plays
- 21. Bruce Springsteen β 85 plays
- 22. Kate Bush β 85 plays
- 23. Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers β 85 plays
- 24. Manic Street Preachers β 79 plays
- 25. Stars β 76 plays
Top 50 Albums
- π₯ Premier Hits by Gary Numan β 20 plays
- π₯ Hounds of Love by Kate Bush β 11 plays
- π₯ Songs from the Big Chair by Tears for Fears β 10 plays
- 4. So by Peter Gabriel β 8 plays
- 5. Once Upon a Time by Simple Minds β 7 plays
- 6. The Dark Side of the Moon by Pink Floyd β 6 plays
- 7. Kid A by Radiohead β 6 plays
- 8. The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars by David Bowie β 6 plays
- 9. Substance by New Order β 5 plays
- 10. Greatest Hits by Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers β 5 plays
View albums 11-50
- 11. Hand. Cannot. Erase. by Steven Wilson β 5 plays
- 12. Attack Of The Grey Lantern by Mansun β 5 plays
- 13. Aja by Steely Dan β 5 plays
- 14. The Pleasure Principle by Gary Numan β 5 plays
- 15. The Joshua Tree by U2 β 5 plays
- 16. The Unforgettable Fire by U2 β 5 plays
- 17. Nothingβs Shocking by Janeβs Addiction β 5 plays
- 18. Invisible Touch by Genesis β 4 plays
- 19. The Dark Third by Pure Reason Revolution β 4 plays
- 20. The Division Bell by Pink Floyd β 4 plays
- 21. The Wall by Pink Floyd β 4 plays
- 22. Graceland by Paul Simon β 4 plays
- 23. Doubt by Jesus Jones β 4 plays
- 24. Fashion Nugget by Cake β 4 plays
- 25. Ten by Pearl Jam β 4 plays
- 26. Dirt by Alice in Chains β 4 plays
- 27. Definitely Maybe by Oasis β 4 plays
- 28. Greatest Hits by The Police β 4 plays
- 29. Born in the U.S.A. by Bruce Springsteen β 4 plays
- 30. The Very Very Best of Crowded House by Crowded House β 4 plays
- 31. Best Of Pixies by Pixies β 4 plays
- 32. Set Yourself on Fire by Stars β 4 plays
- 33. Siamese Dream by The Smashing Pumpkins β 4 plays
- 34. Singles by New Order β 4 plays
- 35. Angel Dust by Faith No More β 4 plays
- 36. Sparkle in the Rain by Simple Minds β 3 plays
- 37. A Momentary Lapse of Reason by Pink Floyd β 3 plays
- 38. Misplaced Childhood by Marillion β 3 plays
- 39. All Over The World - The Very Best Of by Electric Light Orchestra β 3 plays
- 40. Tango in the Night by Fleetwood Mac β 3 plays
- 41. Echo Street by Amplifier β 3 plays
- 42. Bill Withers Live At Carnegie Hall by Bill Withers β 3 plays
- 43. Distant Satellites by Anathema β 3 plays
- 44. Duke by Genesis β 3 plays
- 45. The Complete Singles by Inspiral Carpets β 3 plays
- 46. Abacab by Genesis β 3 plays
- 47. Purple Rain by Prince & The Revolution β 3 plays
- 48. Insider by Amplifier β 3 plays
- 49. Temple of the Dog by Temple of the Dog β 3 plays
- 50. Hatful of Hollow by The Smiths β 3 plays
Monthly Breakdown
Heres how my listening habits shifted throughout the year:
Most active month: August (1,168 plays)
Quietest month: June (494 plays)
Best quarter: Q4 (Oct-Dec) (2,526 plays)
View monthly data as table
| Month | Plays | Above Average |
|---|---|---|
| January | 870 | β |
| February | 641 | |
| March | 706 | |
| April | 530 | |
| May | 803 | β |
| June | 494 | |
| July | 585 | |
| August | 1,168 | β |
| September | 674 | |
| October | 768 | β |
| November | 889 | β |
| December | 869 | β |
Genre Breakdown
My top genres based on album metadata from my collection:
View as text list
- 1. Rock β 663 plays (7.4%)
- 2. Alternative β 354 plays (3.9%)
- 3. Pop β 335 plays (3.7%)
- 4. Adult Alternative β 280 plays (3.1%)
- 5. Alternative Rock β 224 plays (2.5%)
- 6. Electronic β 206 plays (2.3%)
- 7. Pop/Rock β 172 plays (1.9%)
- 8. Pop Rock β 152 plays (1.7%)
- 9. Indie Rock β 152 plays (1.7%)
- 10. Arena Rock β 121 plays (1.3%)
Hidden Gems
These albums might not have topped the charts, but they earned a special place in my rotation:
- βHatful of Hollowβ by The Smiths
- βTemple of the Dogβ by Temple of the Dog
- βInsiderβ by Amplifier
- βPurple Rainβ by Prince & The Revolution
- βAngel Dustβ by Faith No More
- βAbacabβ by Genesis
New Discoveries (Released in 2024)
These albums were released in 2024 and made their way into my rotation:
- βA Beginnerβs Guideβ by Orbital
- βLuck and Strangeβ by David Gilmour
- βSongs for a nervous Planetβ by Tears for Fears
Featured Albums
Premier Hits by Gary Numan ποΈβ¨
20 plays in this year
Recording, release story, and how this compilation came together π
Premier Hits isnβt a new studio statement so much as a carefully assembled time capsule. Released on March 18, 1996 (remastered November 1995), it gathers Numanβs singles and defining tracks from 1977β1983 β the golden stretch that produced The Pleasure Principle and Telekon-era material. The compilation was packaged with a 12βpage booklet (including an essay by Steve Malins) and later reissued in 1997 by Beggars Banquet (title shortened to Premier Hits). A 2ΓLP vinyl debut followed in 2015 with extra tracks and a slightly altered running order. The albumβs chart life was modest β peaking at No. 21 in the UK β but it helped reintroduce those early singles to a new generation, aided by the βCars (Premier Mix)β tieβin with a Carling lager TV ad that pushed the remix back into the singles chart (No. 17).
Musical style and production β cold synths, stark landscapes βοΈ
What holds these tracks together is a distinct sonic fingerprint: lean, icy synth lines, simple but insistent bass sequences, and deadpan vocal delivery that pushed alienation into pop form. Rather than lush pads and sweeping orchestrations, Numan favored sparse arrangements where analog monos and polys (the classic lateβ70s/earlyβ80s synth palette) cut through with mechanical clarity. Drum machines, tight gating and restrained guitar accents give many tracks a clinical, futuristic sheen. Lyrically and sonically the songs dwell in dystopian, technological themes β βCarsβ, βAre βFriendsβ Electric?β and βI Die: You Dieβ are pop songs that sound like the soundtrack to a retroβfuturist film.
Reception, legacy, and influence π§
At release the compilation performed respectably and became Numanβs bestβselling hits package; it was certified Silver by the BPI in 2015. More important than chart numbers is influence: Numanβs cold electronic aesthetic helped seed later industrial and alternative electronic scenes. Artists from Trent Reznor to members of the emerging synthwave and industrial scenes have cited his early work as formative; βCarsβ in particular became a touchstone cover/remix target. The 1996 package reinforced his status as a pioneer, and the 2015 vinyl reissue helped cement his crossβgenerational appeal.
MTV, visuals, and walking the pop/underground line π₯
Numan arrived at a moment when image and video were becoming central. His robotic stage persona and stark visuals were made for the camera and the promo era, giving him chartβfriendly hooks while retaining underground credibility. The Premier Hits sequence highlights that duality: radioβfriendly singles that also sounded defiantly different from mainstream pop. In short, the compilation is the easiest way to hear how a punkβborn outsider used synth technology and tight production to create a new kind of pop that still sounds influential today.
Hounds of Love by Kate Bush π§
11 plays in this year
Recording & creation: a barn, a Fairlight, and total control π οΈ
After the bruising, experimental marathon of The Dreaming (1982), Kate Bush withdrew and built a sanctuary: a 24βtrack studio in a Kent barn on her parentsβ farm. Beginning as demos in 1983 and finished in midβ1985, the album was an 18βmonth labour of love. Bush produced it herself, insisting on creative autonomy after EMI doubted another selfβproduced record. Sessions spilled into Windmill Lane (Dublin) and incorporated traditional instruments and field sounds; she layered vocals obsessively, treating the studio as an instrument rather than a factory. The recordβs twoβpart architectureβside one pop songs, side two the sevenβpart suite βThe Ninth Waveββwas conceived with vinylβs sides in mind, giving it a conceptβalbum feel that still hits like pop.
Sound, synths and production aesthetics ποΈ
Hounds of Love sits where synthβpop precision meets widescreen artβpop. The Fairlight CMI is centralβsampling, pad design and orchestral textures come from that machineβwhile the LinnDrum supplies the punchy 80s beats. But itβs not cold: acoustic piano, strings, traditional Irish touches and foundβsound samples warm the electronics. Bushβs hallmark stacked, contrapuntal vocals turn choruses into choirs and create an uncanny, human synth. Production choicesβdramatic fades, cinematic reverb, hypnotic repetitionβshape emotional climaxes (listen to the build on βRunning Up That Hillβ or the shifting dreamscapes of βThe Ninth Waveβ).
Reception & legacy: immediate success and decades of influence π
Released 16 September 1985, the album topped the UK chart and produced enduring singles: βRunning Up That Hill,β βCloudbustingβ (with Donald Sutherland in its iconic video), βHounds of Loveβ and βThe Big Sky.β Critics hailed it as Bushβs masterpiece; commercially it was her biggest success to date. Its influence is vast: you can hear its emotional artβpop DNA in BjΓΆrk, Tori Amos, St. Vincent and countless indie and electronic artists. The 2022 resurgence of βRunning Up That Hillβ via Stranger Things reintroduced the album to a new generation, proving its timelessness.
Visuals, MTV and pop vs. underground π₯
Though reclusive, Bush embraced the visual era with cinematic videos (Julian Doyle directed βCloudbustingβ and βRunning Up That Hillβ), which helped bridge artβpop to MTV audiences. The album is a masterclass in navigating mainstream and undergroundβaccessible singles coexist with a progβlike suite, and avantβstudio techniques sit under radioβfriendly hooks. Hounds of Love remains a rare feat: wildly inventive production that never sacrifices heart or melody.
Songs from the Big Chair by Tears for Fears π§
10 plays in this year
Recording & creation ποΈ
Released in 1985, Songs from the Big Chair was Tears for Fearsβ deliberate leap from the claustrophobic synthβpop of The Hurting to a widescreen, arenaβready sound. The title comes from the 1976 TV film Sybil β the βbig chairβ as a therapy trope β which reflects the bandβs ongoing fascination with psychology and primalβscream ideas. Production was led by Chris Hughes with heavy creative input from Roland Orzabal and Ian Stanley; sessions stretched over months as songs were built, deconstructed and rebuilt. Fun fact: βEverybody Wants to Rule the Worldβ was the last song written for the album and came together in about a week, while other tracks ran over six minutes and forced the band to pare the vinyl to just eight expansive pieces.
Sound & style β what makes it distinctive πΉ
What sets the album apart is its hybrid identity: synthβpop/newβwave sensibilities married to popβrock dynamics. It keeps layered synth pads, arpeggios and sequenced patterns at its core, but overlays them with jangly guitars, live bass and drumming β producing warmth and a human pulse that pure synth records often lacked. The arrangements favor big choruses and dramatic builds (listen to the slow escalation of βShoutβ), yet the lyrics keep an introspective and political edge: power and corruption in βEverybody Wants to Rule the World,β catharsis in βShout,β and tenderness in βI Believe.β The albumβs bookending of βBrokenβ and βHead Over Heelsβ shows their artful use of motifs and sequencing, almost like personalities occupying the same βbig chair.β
Production aesthetics & synth palette βοΈ
Midββ80s studio polish is all over the record: gated reverb drums, roomy digital reverbs, tightly programmed sequences and multiβlayered synth textures. Rather than replacing traditional instruments, synths provide atmosphere, hooks and rhythmic scaffolding β pads for emotional swells, arpeggiated lines for momentum, and melodic synth leads that sit beside guitar lines. The production balances electronic precision with live energy, giving the album both sheen and soul.
Reception, MTV & legacy πΊ
Commercially it was a breakthrough: multiβplatinum sales worldwide, US No.1 and prolonged chart life in the UK. Singles β especially βShoutβ and βEverybody Wants to Rule the Worldβ β became MTV staples; their videos translated the bandβs psychological seriousness into cinematic, accessible images and widened their audience. Over time the album has become a landmark of 1980s pop: a template for marrying thoughtful, darker themes to radioβfriendly production and a touchstone for later artists who mined the emotional, synthβforward β80s sound.
So by Peter Gabriel ποΈ
8 plays in this year
Recording & creation story π οΈ
Peter Gabriel recorded So mostly between 1985β86 at his Somerset home studio (Ashcombe House β nicknamed Shabby Road) with producer Daniel Lanois and guitarist David Rhodes. The core trio jokingly called themselves the Three Stooges as they built tracks slowly and deliberately: Gabriel sketched parts on a Yamaha and Prophet synth, laid down demos with drum-machine patterns, then iteratively re-recorded (A machine vs B machine layering). Overdubs, horns and final touches were added at Power Station in New York. A famous bit of lore: Lanois reportedly locked Gabriel in a barn to force him to finish lyrics β a vivid image of the albumβs obsessive, handsβon finishing process.
Sound, synthesis & production tricks π
So is where cuttingβedge 1980s production meets worldβinfluenced art pop. Gabriel leaned on Fairlight sampling, Eβmu/Emulator sounds, Prophet synth textures and Linnβstyle drum programming, but combined them with live horns, Africanβtinged percussion and soulful arrangements. βSledgehammerβ opens with a sampled shakuhachi flute (Emulator II) and blasts a greasy horn break; βRed Rainβ and βMercy Streetβ balance atmosphere with melody; βIn Your Eyesβ layers world percussion under a love song that feels spiritual. Daniel Lanoisβ ambient sheen and meticulous mic/space choices gave the album warmth and punch β modern yet organic.
Reception & mainstream breakthrough π
Critically and commercially So was Gabrielβs breakthrough. It hit No. 1 in the UK, peaked at No. 2 in the US, and stayed on the Billboard chart for around 93 weeks. βSledgehammerβ became his only US No. 1 single. Reviewers praised the accessible songwriting without accusing him of selling out β Gabriel managed to widen his audience while keeping artistic depth. The Kate Bush duet on βDonβt Give Upβ and the cinematic βIn Your Eyesβ added emotional range.
Visual era, MTV & legacy π₯
So arrived squarely in the MTV era. The stopβmotion, Aardman/Brothers Quay βSledgehammerβ video was ubiquitous and awardβwinning β it turned a catchy single into a cultural moment and proved Gabriel could be as visually adventurous as he was musically. The album helped normalize blending worldβmusic elements into pop (preceding Paul Simonβs Graceland by months) and influenced producers and artists who wanted artful mainstream success. Its hooks β simple refrains, big horn hits, vocal duets and pristine production β made deep, artful songs radioβfriendly. Decades later, So remains a blueprint for how to bridge underground sensibilities and commercial pop without losing credibility.
Once Upon a Time by Simple Minds π§
7 plays in this year
Recording history & creation process π οΈ
Once Upon a Time (Oct 1985) was Simple Mindsβ big-studio leap: recorded at Londonβs Townhouse and finished with mixes in New York, produced by Jimmy Iovine and mixed by Bob Clearmountain, mastered by Bob Ludwig. That team pushed the band toward a louder, more polished arena sound β Iovine in particular encouraged Jim Kerr to sing bigger and more directly. The sessions brought in seasoned players and backing vocalists (session bass by John Giblin; guests including Michael Been and Carlos Alomar), tightening arrangements for radio. An interesting aside: their US breakthrough single, βDonβt You (Forget About Me),β wasnβt on the album β it had been a standalone soundtrack hit that propelled the band into this more commercial phase.
Musical style & distinctive traits πΉβ‘
Musically the record sits at the crossroads of new-wave, synth-pop and stadium rock. Michael MacNeilβs keyboards provide the shimmering synth beds, Charlie Burchillβs guitar alternates between chiming textures and soaring leads, and Mel Gaynorβs drums get that big-80s punch courtesy of Clearmountainβs mixes. What makes it distinctive is the blend: art-school ambience and postβpunk drama wrapped in radio-size hooks β think expansive, cinematic arrangements (βAlive and Kicking,β βOh Junglelandβ) that still keep a taut rhythmic drive.
Reception, legacy & influence π
Once Upon a Time hit No. 1 in the UK and cracked the US top 10, selling around two million copies and cementing Simple Minds as international stadium players. Singles like βAlive and Kickingβ and βSanctify Yourselfβ became MTV staples. Critics were split β some praised the ambition and sheen, others missed the darker edge of earlier records β but the albumβs commercial success broadened the bandβs influence: it became a template for 80s bands aiming to translate postβpunk credibility into mainstream arena appeal. Multiple deluxe reissues (notably 2015) show lasting appetite for the eraβs sessions and mixes.
Synths, production, MTV & the underground β mainstream balance ποΈπΊ
Synthesizers and 80s production techniques (gated reverb, glossy mixes, layered keys) are integral β they convert the bandβs earlier atmospheric experiments into anthemic pop. Clearmountainβs drum sound and Iovineβs push for vocal immediacy are audible throughout. MTVβs visual era amplified the effect: high-rotation videos turned songs into anthems and helped translate the bandβs art-school theatricality into mass-market spectacle. Yet the record still carries postβpunk energy β dramatic dynamics, poetic lyrics and angular guitar work β allowing Simple Minds to walk the line between underground authenticity and mainstream blockbuster.