This is my second-to-last Best-Of 2015 list, I promise! I'm hard at work on the albums list too!
I figured since I've done this for the Hot 100 chart and the Hot Country Songs chart that I would make a more general list of songs from 2015 that I enjoyed. This will include singles as well as deep cuts; the only rule is that it had to be released in 2015, and a song that was released on an album in 2014 but released as a single in 2015 does count! I'm also limiting myself to only two songs per artist, although most of the artists included will really only have one song included.
Well, let's do it to it!
I figured since I've done this for the Hot 100 chart and the Hot Country Songs chart that I would make a more general list of songs from 2015 that I enjoyed. This will include singles as well as deep cuts; the only rule is that it had to be released in 2015, and a song that was released on an album in 2014 but released as a single in 2015 does count! I'm also limiting myself to only two songs per artist, although most of the artists included will really only have one song included.
Well, let's do it to it!
30. Chelsea Wolfe - "Maw"
Starting off this list is a deeper cut from singer-songwriter Chelsea Wolfe's latest album, Abyss. While I like the single "Carrion Flowers", "Maw", which was not released as a single, is my favorite song on the album. It's dark and hazy, and Chelsea Wolfe's vocals linger over the eerie instrumentals like purple smoke over a lake.
29. Drake - "Back To Back"
In 2015, Drake was on top of the world. He was so on top of the rap game, that he will actually appear a second time in this list, and I'm not really even that big of a Drake fan. This song "Back To Back", which is the second of two diss tracks towards fellow rapper Meek Mill after Meek accused Drake of using ghostwriters, is not only a brutal diss track, but also a pretty great song on its own. This is a diss track in every form, right down to the cover artwork, which, for those not in the know yet, is Joe Carter hitting a walk-off home run to give Toronto a back-to-back World Series championship, beating Meek Mill's hometown of Philadelphia.
Not to mention even fast food chain Whataburger weighed in on the beef.
Not to mention even fast food chain Whataburger weighed in on the beef.
28. Nathaniel Rateliff & the Night Sweats - "S.O.B."
Nathaniel Rateliff's newfound fame came from the song "S.O.B.", which I hear all the time on AltNation. With the help of his backing back The Night Sweats, Rateliff makes a song you'd be likely to hear in a soundtrack at the end of a movie, or in a pub while everyone's having a jolly good time getting sloshed out of their minds. It's also the perfect drinking song. *hint, hint*
27. Calvin Harris feat. Disciples - "How Deep Is Your Love"
Calvin Harris' "How Deep Is your Love" shows the Scottish superstar DJ shying away from his typical big-room electropop in favor of deep house. Indeed, this dance floor burner is probably his most different song as of late, featuring the unknown singer Disciples, who I've never heard of, but does a great job here.
26. Madonna feat. Nicki Minaj - "Bitch I'm Madonna"
Madge returns this year with a brand new album called Rebel Heart. Leading off the singles from the album is a disgustingly catchy song called "Bitch I'm Madonna". It's stupid, yes. But did I mention it's catchy? Thanks to production from Diplo and SOPHIE and a killer guest verse from Nicki Minaj, this infectious earworm proves that age is definitely not a factor in a popstar being able to make awesome songs.
25. Justin Bieber - "What Do You Mean?"
At this point, I'm a grown man who pays the bills on time. I should be able to put a Justin Bieber song in my "Favorites" list without judgment. Well, whether or not you judge me for this, I won't know. Either way, this song is phenomenal. It's the first Justin Bieber song I've heard that I will readily admit to liking. Being Bieber's first-ever Hot 100 #1 hit, it helped to spur a new subgenre of EDM called tropical house, which uses the sounds of flutes, steel drums, and other "tropical" instruments along with traditional electronic sounds. Bieber sounds better than he ever has, and I'm glad he's decided to turn a new leaf and be more creative artistically.
24. Ty Dolla $ign feat. Charli XCX and Tinashe - "Drop That Kitty"
This is one of the dumbest songs released last year. And yet, I couldn't stop listening to it. Producer Cashmere Cat lends his production skills to this late-spring club banger by perfectly imitating a DJ Mustard beat. Charli XCX and Tinashe have no reason to be on this song other that to provide the hook and the chorus, and yet somehow their appearances on the song fit perfectly. Ty Dolla $ign is the least interesting part of the song, but I couldn't imagine anyone else rapping on it. Overall, the song's catchiness earned it a spot on this list.
23. Kaskade feat. Tess Comrie - "Never Sleep Alone"
Kaskade is definitely one of my favorite producers at the moment, and his return in 2015 was kicked off with this electro-house banger featuring Tess Comrie. The main chorus is so dense and layered, that if I heard this at a festival, it would make it impossible not to jump up and down and pump my fists in the air.
22. Alex Adair - "Heaven"
While Alex Adair is a small fish in the big pond that is EDM, last year he produced this unbelievably catchy summer jam called "Heaven". It's one of the perfect sunset dance party songs, and, like "What Do You Mean?", has also helped to usher in the new subgenre of dance music known as tropical house.
21. Kanye West feat. Theophilus London, Allan Kingdom, and Paul McCartney - "All Day"
After releasing the beautiful ode to his mother and daughter on December 31, 2014, Yeezy took a complete 180 to pen this banger of a track. Sampling an old, unreleased Paul McCartney song from the 90s, Ye teams up with about 20 other producers and songwriters to create "All Day", and while Ye is no stranger to making bangers--remember "Monster"?--it's still quite unlike anything he has done before. Then again, no two Kanye West songs really sound alike, so I guess making something out of the ordinary is a regular thing.
20. Houndmouth - "Sedona"
Musically, this is one of the most well-written and composed songs that I heard last year. Indiana's Houndmouth make Tom Petty-esque Americana that is relaxing and musically satisfying. The lyrics are also very well-written ("You got cash but your credit's no good").
19. Sam Hunt - "House Party"
Country music's most recent superstar penned this fun little ditty about house parties and soirees in 2014, but it was released as a single last year. While it does follow bro country's usual trope of having parties, it doesn't really pander like that of Hunt's contemporaries. It just talks about having fun. No drinking or getting belligerent. No parties in cornfields. Just having fun with some friends at a house party.
18. Tame Impala - "Let It Happen"
The lead single from Aussie psych-rockers Tame Impala's third--and best--studio album Currents is a super trippy, electronic dance number. The best part? There are seven minutes of this!
17. Tyler the Creator - "Smuckers"
While Tyler the Creator's 2015 release Cherry Bomb was full of ultra-distorted and poorly-mixed hip-hop and neo-soul, this track makes it worth the listen. Tyler's production includes horns and light hip-hop beats, and includes one of the best uncredited verses I've ever heard from Kanye West, as well as a hilarious Lil Wayne verse. It's my favorite Tyler the Creator single to date, even beating out "Yonkers".
16. Lianne La Havas - "What You Don't Do"
It's criminal that Lianne La Havas didn't receive more attention during 2015, for her sweetly-produced album of pop-R&B called Blood. This song in particular is probably my favorite from the album. It's an upbeat pop number that first premiered on Annie Mac's Hottest Record in the World radio show in June, and though I first heard it through Spotify, I fell in love with the track almost immediately.
15. Florence + the Machine - "Ship to Wreck"
"Ship to Wreck" is the second single from Florence + the Machine's third studio album, How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful. It's one of the band's faster songs, with driving guitars and percussion and Florence Welch belting out lyrics about self-destruction. It's not only one of the best songs on the album, but I think it's so far one of the best songs the band has ever done in their career.
14. Taylor Swift feat. Kendrick Lamar - "Bad Blood"
The original cut of "Bad Blood" from Taylor Swift's massively popular 2014 album 1989 was pretty boring. Enter: Kendrick Lamar, who replaces Swift's verses with some of his own, and it becomes an awesome summer song with killer beats. Swift had expressed interest in working with Kendrick Lamar previously, a sentiment which he reciprocated, and this was the remix we got. I have to say, I'm definitely pleased with the result.
13. Alabama Shakes - "Don't Wanna Fight"
If there was ever an example of a band taking everything that was awesome about their debut and improving it, Alabama Shakes' single "Don't Wanna Fight" would be it. The Shakes first debuted in 2012 with "Hold On", the lead single off of their debut Boys & Girls. It's a good enough track, but it's not a great track. However, Brittany Howard and co. came out swinging this year, with the track "Don't Wanna Fight". The song features soulful guitar playing, with Brittany Howard belting and howling over the top of the music. This song alone proves her stature as one of my generation's greatest singers.
12. Drake - "Hotline Bling"
Drizzy doesn't appear to be dropping Views From the 6 any time soon, so instead, he's given us this. Honestly, I'm not a huge Drake fan by any stretch, but this is my favorite of his songs by far. The beat is super chill and even Drake's singing is pretty on-point. Some have decried the song for being sexist, and to an extent, I can see what they're getting at. I don't know Drake's intentions in writing this. All I know is that it's a killer track.
11. Kygo feat. Parson James - "Stole the Show"
Tropical house really took over this year, and the evidence, aside from Justin Bieber's "What Do You Mean?" gaining popularity, is that Norwegian producer Kygo became the fastest artist to hit one billion streams on Spotify. While the young producer really hit it big in 2014 with "Firestone", last year's "Stole the Show" was also noteworthy. It's a sunny summer jam with infectious grooves and steel drums to keep you dancing through until sunset.
10. Kendrick Lamar - "King Kunta"
The third track off of Kendrick Lamar's To Pimp A Butterfly is a super funky track with a banger bassline and some sick bars to boot. My favorite line from the song is probably "Most of y'all sharin' bars like you got the bottom bunk in a two-man cell." Possibly some foreshadowing to a certain beef? Anyway, This is a definite highlight from the album, and the song's music video is pretty cool too.
9. Courtney Barnett - "Pedestrian At Best"
Melbourne, Australia's Courtney Barnett is indie rock's big breakout star this year. Equal parts Lou Reed and Kurt Cobain, Barnett penned "Pedestrian At Best", which became the first single off her album Sometimes I Sit and Think, Sometimes I Just Sit. I was a fan of some of Barnett's early singles, such as "Avant Gardener" and "History Eraser", but on "Pedestrian At Best", she takes everything to another level entirely.
8. Jamie xx feat. Popcaan and Young Thug - "I Know There's Gonna Be (Good Times)"
In a song that was definitely the Song of the Summer, The xx's beatmaster Jamie xx recruits hip-hop's biggest wildcard in Young Thug. It's an unexpectedly awesome collaboration, where Thugger is as unpredictable as ever. I don't think many expected this to work as well as it did, but it certainly made me appreciate Young Thug a lot more. Jamaican singer Popcaan also brings a nice touch to the chorus.
7. Florence + the Machine - "Queen Of Peace"
"Queen Of Peace" is one of the more underrated cuts on Florence + the Machine's fantastic third album How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful. The beautiful string sections in the beginning coupled with the powerful horns throughout the chorus make for one epic song. Of course, Florence's impassioned vocal performance is the cherry on top.
6. Thomas Rhett - "Crash & Burn"
Sure, Thomas Rhett may be considered "bro country" by many, but I think he's much different in sound and style than most of them. His songs don't quite pander to Bud Light-guzzling hicks quite as much as others do. He's taken influences from disco for some songs ("Make Me Wanna") and for this one, writers Chris Stapleton and Jesse Frasure take influence from 60s and 70s R&B to create this infectious earworm of a song that's sure to have you whistling all day long.
5. Tove Lo - "Talking Body"
"Talking Body" is the second single from Tove Lo's 2014 debut album Queen Of the Clouds. As I've said before, I think that this is the stronger single off of the album, and I'm sad it didn't get more popular than it did. That being said, Tove Lo has already established herself as a force to be reckoned with in popular music.
4. Cam - "Burning House"
While Maddie & Tae may have made the biggest splash with their debut, I think that Cam (born Camaron Marvel Ochs) is country music's best breakout female artist. I first heard of her at Sam Hunt's October 2015 free concert in downtown Nashville, when he brought her out to sing her hit song "Burning House" during the encore. I'd never heard the song, but I became interested in it. After going home and listening to it again, I was sold. It's a beautifully sad song, where Cam learns that one of her exes is going to be at a party she's going to, and she has a dream about seeing him in a burning house that night. It's well-written and well-produced, and shows a kind of vulnerability that I think country music has been lacking lately.
3. Jamie xx feat. Romy - "Loud Places"
It was when I heard this song that I knew that Jamie xx's solo album would be awesome. It sounds exactly like a song by The xx, even going as far as to feature Romy Madley-Croft on vocals. It's quiet and even a little depressing, with beats that pulse like a heartbeat rather than fall around the music with a thud. The song also features a brilliant sample of Idris Muhammad's 1977 song "Could Heaven Ever Be Like This" for the chorus. All in all, it's a beautifully-made song.
2. Carly Rae Jepsen - "Run Away With Me"
Now that the days of "Call Me Maybe" are behind Carly Rae Jepsen, she has taken more artistic liberties with her most recent album, E-Mo-Tion. It's a fun, 80s-inspired blast of pop music that is thrilling from beginning to end. The highlight, in my opinion, is the opener, "Run Away With Me". It opens with a brilliant saxophone hook and a verse by Carly Rae, before going into the stupidly infectious chorus. It's danceable and nostalgic, and is an example of 80s revivalism done right.
Repeat after me: I am not too cool for pop music.
Repeat after me: I am not too cool for pop music.
1. Kendrick Lamar - "Alright"
This has been a big year for Kendrick Lamar. His critically-acclaimed album To Pimp A Butterfly dropped a week before it was supposed to and got him nominated for a staggering eleven Grammy awards.
This song in particular is a highlight. In the context of the album, it comes just after "u", a song in which Kendrick finds himself drunk and screaming at himself in a hotel room, and he's just tearing himself apart. When he gets to "Alright", he says "if God got us then we gon' be alright". It's like a sign of self-encouragement, and I think it's truly an inspirational message.
Most significantly, however, is the fact that this song has now become symbolic for being chanted at various protests against police brutality across the nation. It's made me realize just how important of an album it is in our times. These things are happening in real life. If To Pimp A Butterfly isn't considered a classic after something like that, I don't know what is.
This song in particular is a highlight. In the context of the album, it comes just after "u", a song in which Kendrick finds himself drunk and screaming at himself in a hotel room, and he's just tearing himself apart. When he gets to "Alright", he says "if God got us then we gon' be alright". It's like a sign of self-encouragement, and I think it's truly an inspirational message.
Most significantly, however, is the fact that this song has now become symbolic for being chanted at various protests against police brutality across the nation. It's made me realize just how important of an album it is in our times. These things are happening in real life. If To Pimp A Butterfly isn't considered a classic after something like that, I don't know what is.