The top five Linux distributions ranked by DistroWatch page hits are CachyOS, Linux Mint, MX Linux, Pop!_OS, and Debian, according to recent updates highlighted by TecMint. [1, 2]
The Top Five Distributions
CachyOS: A performance-focused distribution based on Arch Linux. It uses optimized package repositories for fast speeds.
Linux Mint: A very popular and stable operating system. It provides a traditional desktop layout that feels easy for beginners.
MX Linux: A lightweight and stable system designed to run well on older or slower computers. It uses the XFCE desktop environment by default.
Pop!_OS: A fast operating system built by System76. It works well for developers, modern laptops, and gaming.
Debian: A rock-solid and influential operating system. Many other popular Linux distros use Debian as their core foundation. [1, 2, 3]
I use MX Linux. Used Ubuntu before. My MX is however the one that has more modern desktop. I forget the type. I think it is KDE. @Doublezero you might want to check that out next time you decide to distro hop or fire up a VM. I was looking at POP OS and the auto tiling might be better? I might even try it. Being gnome it might be lighter than KDE I believe you mentioned you didn't like the weight KDE had on the system.
(This is currently from my Windows machine. I still need a lot of Windows programs and not quite ready to move over. Windows is trying their best to push me, I tell you. )
https://distrowatch.com/dwres.php?resource=popularity
^ the link to the distro watch listing. As I understand they update that list regularly. As far as I know it is the golden standard of ranking for Linux distros. Has been around for a long time.