NPR's Best Songs of 2024 List Highlights Berklee Alumni Arooj Aftab, Adrianne Lenker, Tiny Habits, and more made the cut on NPR's roundup of this year's top tracks.
By
Tara Bellucci
December 6, 2024
Adrianne Lenker performing on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.
Image by Scott Kowalchyk/CBS
Tis the season for year-end lists, and NPR just dropped one. The public radio institution picked 124 songs to include on their Best Songs of 2024 list, and several choices feature Berklee alumni.
NPR broke the songs into categories based on genres like pop, jazz, and beyond ; favorites from partner public radio stations; and what they are calling the best of the best, a curated top 25 songs of the year.
Here are some of the songs by or featuring Berklee alumni that made the list:
Arooj Aftab
Image courtesy of the artist
Arooj Aftab, Raat Ki Rani The song is a pure crowd-pleaser, as the Pakistani-American singer sets her atmospheric, decidedly Sade-esque yearning against sumptuous harps and a portentous piano line, says Stephen Thompson of Aftab BM '10.
Sabrina Carpenter, Espresso Amy Allen '15 has written some of the most iconic pop songs of the last decade, and Sabrina Carpenter's summer smash Espresso is one of them. NPR named it a Best of the Best, with Stephen Thompson saying, Espresso' was the shot [and] Please Please Please' was the chaser.
Deerlady, Masterpieces Lars Gotrich says that Magdalena Abrego's [BM '15] guitar solo at the climax of this beautiful and brooding indie rock song gurgles with molten life over crackling shoegaze riffs.
Madi Diaz, God Person Robin Hilton says that this was the rare song that absolutely wrecked me this year. The song by Diaz '07 is partly about finding joy and purpose in life's smallest moments-time with friends, gazing at the sky or the ocean. But it's also about realizing that maybe those moments are precisely where god' and the ultimate meaning of life exist.
Adrianne Lenker, Sadness as a Gift Ann Powers calls Lenker BM '12 to many, the most gifted of her own cohort of singer-songwriters, and says the song offers a breakup ballad ideal for a generation redefining the way ties bind: You could write me someday, and I think you will.'
Nourished by Time, Hell of a Ride Marcus Brown PD '16 made a soaring, blissful ode to dissolution, a better to have loved and lost' anthem stripped of all clich that also reads as a valedictory for late-stage capitalism, its consumerist focus and lack of third spaces, says Sheldon Pearce. Somewhere at the center of R&B and art-pop and post-punk lies Brown's rousing voice, which is so compelling it can make even parting feel like a balmy, loving embrace.
Tiny Habits (left to right: Judah Mayowa, Maya Rae, Cinya Khan)
Image courtesy of the artist
Tiny Habits, Wishes The intimacy of close harmony singing has rarely served a song the way this young trio's blend does in this heartfelt expression of the human tendency to feel unmoored within one's own skin, Ann Powers writes about Tiny Habits' Judah Mayowa '21, Cinya Khan BM '23, and Maya Rae BM '24. NPR named the song a Best of the Best pick, with Powers adding, Each member takes a verse, confessing sorrows with painful honesty; then, in the choruses, their voices gently connect, like fingers intertwining. This is what empathy sounds like.
Chappell Roan, Good Luck, Babe! Justin Tranter '01, the hitmaker behind numerous chart-toppers, cowrote this larger-than-life pop anthem, recognized as a Best of the Best track. Has anyone who's nonchalantly muttered, It's fine, it's cool,' ever actually felt fine or cool? asks NPR's Elle Mannion. Chappell Roan, this year's biggest breakout pop star, is anything but low key.
Did we miss anyone? Let us know.
Related Categories
News
Most Popular
Rihanna sings during the Concert for Valor in Washington, DC, November 11, 2014.
Image by EJ Hersom / CC-BY-2.0
This Rihanna Song Has Secret' '80s Easter Eggs The SOS songwriter revealed a nostalgic twist to the lyrics, and it's going viral on TikTok.
Latest
MAMO is one of seven Berklee acts performing at the Snowport holiday market.
Image courtesy of the artists
Berklee Artists Perform at Boston Snowport Holiday Market The performances are a result of a partnership between the Snowport, Mohegan Sun, and the Berklee Popular Music Institute.
Michael McDonald, one of yacht rocks icons.
Image by Soul Train/Getty/Courtesy HBO
Yacht Rock: Smooth Sailing on Rocky Waters Read about how the soft-rock genre has weathered the test of time, and listen to a playlist of some of the best yacht rock songs, from Christopher Cross and Toto to Steely Dan and Thundercat.
Applications Open for the Berklee Fenway Neighborhood Improvement Grant The deadline for the grant application is December 6, 2024.
Read All
Subscribe The latest sounds, stories, and ideas, sent to your inbox weekly.
Most recent headlines
03/01/2026
A still from OBEX by Albert Birney, an official selection of the 2025 Sundance...
02/01/2026
Freezing Florida: NHL's EVP, Entertainment Bob Chesterman on Taking the Wint...
02/01/2026
NHL Winter Classic 2026: TNT Sports Prepares for First NHL Outdoor Game in Sunsh...
02/01/2026
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
02/01/2026
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
02/01/2026
Any Given Day: Cork University Hospital premieres Wednesday 7 January on RT One and RT Player at 9:35pm
RT will debut a powerful new six-part documentary se...
02/01/2026
Friday 2 January 2026
All episodes of Heated Rivalry will be landing on Sky and...
02/01/2026
Sequins, chat shows, live sporting action, ground-breaking docuseries and brand-new Irish drama to kick off 2026
New Year, New Content Coming Soon across RT
...
01/01/2026
Latin Grammy Cultural Foundation Announces 2026 Noel Schajris Scholarship The scholarship will cover tuition and housing for one Berklee College of Music stud...
01/01/2026
New year, new games, all with RTX 5080-powered cloud energy. GeForce NOW is kicking off 2026 by looking back at an unforgettable year of wins and wildly high fr...
31/12/2025
Back to All News
NFL Christmas Gameday on Netflix Scores Again With the Lions-V...
30/12/2025
As the College Football Playoff Enters the Quarterfinals, ESPN Blows Out Its Meg...
30/12/2025
SVG's Best of 2025: Original ArticlesTake a look back at all our coverage of big-time productions, game-changing technologies, and state-of-the-art new faci...
30/12/2025
MELBOURNE, Fla., Dec. 30, 2025 - L3Harris Technologies (NYSE: LHX) will release its fourth quarter 2025 financial results before the market opens on Thursday, J...
30/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
30/12/2025
Your live countdown to 2026 with Inhaler, David Gray, Lyra, Garron Noone, Sharon...
30/12/2025
It marked the first civilian operational authorization for a HAPS flight in Europe, led by Space42's subsidiary, Mira Aerospace
The flight demonstrated HAP...
29/12/2025
San Francisco 49ers Strike Gold With Halftime Laser SpectacularStunning display caps $200 million renovation of Levi's Stadium techBy Dan Daley, Audio Edito...
29/12/2025
The Cup's Around the Corner: An Inside Look at Broadcast Preparations for th...
29/12/2025
SVG's Best of 2025: Longform VideoWatch the standout keynote conversations, deep dives, and panel discussions from the year for free on SVG PLAY!By Brandon ...
29/12/2025
From crisper Lossless audio and immersive music videos in beta to new Audiobooks+ plans, custom transitions between tracks, and in-app Messages, we keep levelin...
29/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
27/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
26/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
26/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
25/12/2025
Holiday lights are twinkling, hot cocoa's on the stove and gamers are settling in for a well-earned break.
Whether staying in or heading on a winter getawa...
24/12/2025
What is AI good for? Posted by MTI Film on December 24, 2025
What is AI good for?
What is AI good for?
It's been three years since ChatGPT first cap...
24/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
24/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
24/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
24/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
24/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
24/12/2025
RT has unveiled an exclusive first look at the new Dancing with the Stars promo...
24/12/2025
Back to All News
The Boyfriend' Season 2 Unveils Heartwarming Trailer, Key...
24/12/2025
Back to All News
Love, Fights, and Everything in Between: Badly in Love' Returns for Season 2
Entertainment
24 December 2025
GlobalJapan
Link copied t...
24/12/2025
Scripps Research study links sleep variability with sleep apnea and hypertension How consumers' digital activity trackers could enable personalized health s...
23/12/2025
How guilas Cibae as Dominican Winter League Games Are Locally Produced for Glob...
23/12/2025
BitFire's Jim Akimchuk on Supplying Scalability and Customization in the Clo...
23/12/2025
CAMB.AI Enables European Athletics to Offer Multi-Language SupportPlan is to eventually offer translation into all languages spoken in EuropeBy Ken Kerschbaumer...
23/12/2025
Analysis: As sports media values trend negative, scarcity and quality are king By Callum McCarthy, Editor-at-Large
Monday, December 22, 2025 - 14:08
Print ...
23/12/2025
ESPN, Disney, and NBA Return to the Animated Altcast Fray With Second Edition of...
23/12/2025
End the Year on a High Note and Donate to the Sports Broadcasting Fund Today!By Ken Kerschbaumer, Editorial Director
Tuesday, December 23, 2025 - 12:25 pm
P...
23/12/2025
The year is winding down, the weather outside is frightful, and it's the perfect time to escape into a story that warms the heart. For listeners looking for...
23/12/2025
A Zeus motor is hot fire tested at L3Harris' Camden, Arkansas, solid rocket ...
23/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
23/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
23/12/2025
Lightware will exhibit several major product innovations at ISE 2026, including the new USB-C BOOSTER-V1, Google Meet. integration for various Taurus UCX models...
23/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
23/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
NPR's Best Songs of 2024 List Highlights Berklee Alumni Arooj Aftab, Adrianne Lenker, Tiny Habits, and more made the cut on NPR's roundup of this year's top tracks.
