As we come towards the close of another year we love to reflect and make lists here at EF Towers, who doesn’t? As we move towards our end-of-year reveals of categories like ‘Songs of the Year’ and ‘Albums of the Year’ we thought it would be fun to play around with conventions a little and reveal our catchiest, most infectious songs of the year.
The criteria around this listing is simple. Which songs had the most infectious, singalong choruses that lodged in your head like ear worms. Simple. This songs might not make out ‘Best of the Year’ category but they sure are catchy and damn fun to sing along to!
10. All I Need is You – Chris Janson
Chugging guitars and big, singalong chorus make Chris’ first big song for Big Machine a worthy inclusion on this list. As we write this the song is currently sitting at 10 on the mediabase charts so we’re not the only people who think this song is catchy!
9. Dark Places – Lauren Watkins
One of Big Loud’s most promising emerging artists released two EPs this year in her ‘Introducing…’ series. This banger is our favourite song she’s released so far. We love the darker feel and the sing-song cadence of this track combined with the steel guitars. Play. Listen. Repeat.
8. Hood of That Car – Corey Kent
We feel that this song has somewhat gone underneath the radar a little this year. Corey’s ‘Blacktop’ album was largely dominated by ‘Wild as Her’ and ‘Man of the House’ but one listen to this Bryan Adams-esque uptempo epic about basically having sex on the hood of a car is a real ear worm for anyone into pure, classic 80s Americana with a Rock edge.
7. Something Real – Dierks Bentley
Hello?? Dierks released one of the strongest albums of 2023 with a whole bunch of terrific songs on. ‘Something Real’ is a true Bentley classic in the same way that ‘I Hold On’ and ‘Riser’ are. Big, anthemic notes and a chorus to delight. The gritty, authentic plea for realism also adds to the songs heft but for inclusion on this list it’s the song infectiousness that wins the day.
6. I Should Have Married You – Old Dominion
This song is just pure gold dust! It’s as if all the best songwriters sat down and said, ‘Let’s write the catchiest song we can think of as a asocial experiment!’ It reminds us of something similar to what the rock band Train were doing back in their ‘Hey Soul Sister’, / ‘Drive By’ days and we love it!
5. I Got a Problem – Drake Milligan
We saw Drake sing this on America’s Got Talent in September and it was a sheer joy watching the crowd and the judges go wild to this infectious banger. The chorus to this song should be used by the CIA to break down terrorists because after a few listens to it they would singing and dancing along and ready to spill any secret they might be sitting on!
4. Heaven + Back – Dan + Shay
Is this another song, similar to Corey Kent’s, that is going under the radar right now? ‘Save Me Trouble’ is heading for the top of the charts but we think this one is the poster child for the duo’s new album. There needs to be a mask order in place for anyone who comes into contact with this song it’s so infectious!
3. Texas Hold ‘Em – Nicole Galyon
This little gem is sitting on Nicole’s most latest EP ‘second wife’ which is her tribute to her life with her husband and fellow writer, Rodney Clawson. Being one of Nashville’s most skilful and successful writers, Galyon certainly knows her way around a chorus and she ‘leaves it all out on the pitch’ on this Texan banger!
2. Glory Days – Chapel Hart
This delightful song builds to one of the most infectious choruses of the year that seems to last forever. It was great to catch up with this talented trio at the Long Road festival earlier in the year and the ladies exude the very same infectiousness and enthusiasm in real life that this song does – we can’t wait to see them again at C2C in London in March!
1.Made for This – Ashley McBryde
The opening track from Ashley’s most recent ‘The Devil I Know’ album is a tribute to the grind and graft that comes with trying to get a career in the music industry off the ground. From the opening drum beat to the explosion of the guitars through to a chorus that just don’t stop, this song is the run away winner of our ‘most infectious song of the year’ award. We can’t wait to hear this live in January when McBryde returns to these shores for a tour. You’ll definitely need some adderall to stay awake after the 3000 repeated listen to this song because once it grabs you, it won’t let go!
