The Top 100 Songs of 2015 (according to me)
This is now my eighth year putting together a list. I thought maybe my interest would fade but instead I get a little more obsessed each year. I’ll be at a vaguely hipster clothing store, a song will come on and, while others innocently continue their browsing, I’ll hit Shazam and think “This could land somewhere in the 40's”. It’s stressful putting together the list and yet I enjoy it greatly.
I also enjoy trying to estimate what distinguishes this year from previous years without any scientific analysis whatsoever. In 2015 I feel like my list has more hip hop than ever, more female vocalists, more stuff from DJs (I know, I’m surprised too), but also more hard rock. The 90’s seem to be back in full force — a lot here sounds like the college rock, alternative, R&B and grunge of 20 years ago. Both country and music with heavy backing vocals seemed to chart high this year. And there is one person here (I resist even calling them an artist) who I swore would never make the list (yet there they are at #22). I don’t know if those are trends more in line with music overall or just my taste but there you are.
Lists are only truly fun if there are some ground rules attached. Here are mine:
1. The list is in reverse order for a reason. Scroll slowly and let the tension build. Or, better yet, listen to it in a playlist that counts down in reverse order! You can find the full playlist on Spotify here or on Rhapsody here. There are a few tracks missing from each (Cmon people, even The Beatles have joined the program…). Come back and hear those deserving tracks by clicking right on the underlined song title in this post.
2. Only one song per artist to spread the love. No one wants a list stuffed with six tracks from one band.
3. Either the album or the single has to have been released in 2015. I use whichever is to my advantage to include a song I want in there. With so many acts now releasing a song or two of the music blogs one year and then putting out their album the next, this has become more important. I also have started letting things slide if it was released the final weeks of the previous year. Sometimes I’m slow and this lets me catch up.
4. Covers are eligible as are remixes as long as they came out this year.
It’s that simple. Get your headphones ready. And begin.
100. Chipmunks on 16 Speed. Slowing down the Alvin & The Chipmunks cover of Blondie’s “Call Me” gets, like, waaay heavy.
99. Another Time by Wiretree. Your local country Western bar band meets The Smiths.
98. Now I Can See For Miles by Jackie Green. Pop 101.
97. Giant by Django Django. The part of Alt-J this year will be played by Django Django.
96. Life Is A Fear by Editors. For when only depressing synth music will do.
95. When You Were Mine (feat. Tegan & Sara) by Night Terrors of 1927. The best named act on this year’s list.
94. Beautiful Blue Sky by Ought. Like David Byrne with Tourette’s.
93. Boy by Anne-Marie. The part of Lily Allen this year will be played by Anne-Marie.
92. Huarache Lights by Hot Chip. Hot Chip — making weird seem cool since the year 2000.
91. On The Regular by Shamir. More cowbell.
90. Wax On Wax Off by Citizen Kay. They shoulda built the Jaden Smith “Karate Kid” around this.
89. Suicide Saturday by Hippo Campus. Indie rock band decides to sound big.
88. Leaf Off/The Cave by Jose Gonzalez. The sound of autumn leaves falling.
87. Johnny Delusional by FFS. Franz Ferdinand + Sparks sounds like a deranged musical.
86. Reflexion by The Chemical Brothers. That unmistakeable sound could only be one act.
85. Heavy Metal Detox by Wavves. Close Encounters of the Surf Punk kind.
84. Bad Blood by Ryan Adams. Would seem like a joke if it wasn’t so damn pretty.
83. Flame (Roosevelt Remix) by Sundara Karma. Sometimes remixes are for the power of good.
82. A Big Comeuppance by Steve Forbert. Kids, this is what a song with real instruments sounds like.
81. Sprinter by Torres. The haunting sound of past regrets.
80. Multi-Love by Unknown Mortal Orchestra. Those drum fills.
79. Ego by Tove Styrke. I feel like I should be dancing back to back with someone to this.
78. Moaning Lisa Smile by Wolf Alice. Like a killer on the loose.
77. Good Knight (feat. Joey Bada$$, Dizzy Wright & Flatbush Zombies) by Kirk Knight. Everybody gets a guest verse!
76. After the Fall by Chelsea Wolfe. The soundtrack to David Lynch’s nightmares.
75. Way Down We Go by Kaleo. Like a slinkier Hozier.
74. Smooth Sailin’ by Leon Bridges. What’s playing on my radio at the drive-in on a Friday night
73. Dancing Right In Front Of Me by David Gilmour. If Pink Floyd did a gig at the Village Vanguard.
72. Winter Depths by Swervedriver. Sometimes saving your 1990s guitar moves pays off.
71. No Words by Erik Hassle. You can’t not clap along.
70. Bitch Better Have My Money by Rihanna. Apparently Rihanna keeps careful track of her finances.
69. Death by Viet Cong. What did you expect from a song called “Death” by a band named Viet Cong?
68. Lifter by Breakfast In Fur. What I imagine they play in Eden every morning.
67. Take My Side by Will Butler. The “fun guy” from Arcade Fire lives up to his reputation.
66. Not Like You by Bad Veins. Like The Preservation Hall Jazz Band on Nyquil.
65. Jawn Henry by JD Allen. This just in: people still write jazz!
64. The Gospel According to Saint Me by Veruca Salt. OMG, is this from “Reality Bites”?
63. Gas by Moors. To be played loud.
62. A Beginning Song by The Decemberists. If the playbook works, keep running plays from the playbook.
61. Watch Me (Whip/Nae Nae) by Silento. Oh come on, like you didn’t do the stanky leg this year…
60. Silhouettes by Colony House. Makes me want to stick my arm out the window while driving fast.
59. Lean On (feat. MØ & DJ Snake) by Major Lazer. EDM’s version of bubblegum.
58. Julus by Shye Ben-Tzur, Jonny Greenwood and the Rajasthan Express. An Israeli composer, a group of traditional Indian musicians, and Radiohead’s guitarist walk into a bar…
57. Back to Black (feat Tsar B) by Oscar and the Wolf. This year’s best cover.
56. As A Bell by Ofelia K. The art of whispering lyrics.
55. Come Down by Wavves x Cloud Nothings. 2 great noisemakers combined!
54. Pronoia by Strange Wilds. Someone listened to a LOT of Nirvana growing up.
53. Shutdown by Skepta. Anarchy is alive and well.
52. Boys In The Street by Greg Holden. Dare you not to cry.
51. Peter Butter Jelly by Galantis. Sandwiches never seemed sexier.
50. Regret by Everything Everything. The band that remains criminally underexposed.
49. Don’t Wanna Fight by Alabama Shakes. Brittany Howard could also sing my shopping list and it would make the Top 100.
48. Loca by Vince Staples. Best use of a car alarm in 2015.
47. Downtown by Majical Cloudz. Like gazing out a rainy car window.
46. Tennessee Whiskey by Chris Stapleton. Why can’t more country music be like this?
45. Feel the Lightning by Dan Deacon. So effortlessly evocative, it’s bound for a mobile phone commercial.
44. Octahate by Ryn Weaver. Can’t decide which of the two tempos I’m more addicted to.
43. Lydia by Highly Suspect. Like bad 90’s Soundgarden yet I can’t stop pumping my fist.
42. Ex’s & Oh’s by Elle King. Pop’s newest bad girl.
41. Raising the Skate by Speedy Ortiz. The newest anthem of dorky college radio DJs everywhere.
40. Roaming Empire by Maritime. So comfortably alternative.
39. Blame It On Me by Mapei. Like singing along to the ice cream truck.
38. Sedona by Houndmouth. This year’s barefoot hippie entry into the Top 100.
37. Snake Eyes by Mumford & Sons. The sound of ditching your banjo to go full “stadium band”.
36. Hello by Adele. Unhappiness has been very good to Adele.
35. WTF (Where They From) (feat. Pharrell Williams) by Missy Elliott. Don’t call it a comeback, she’s been here for years.
34. Here by Alessia Cara. R&B over a Portishead bassline.
33. Molly by Palehound. A little call-and-response with her guitar.
32. You’re Not Alone by Cathal Smyth. From the trumpet payer in Madness!
31. Connie by The Features. The part of Spoon this year will be played by The Features.
30. The World Ender by Lord Huron. If Elvis was a cowboy.
29. Compound Fracture by My Morning Jacket. MMJ continues edging from Southern Rock toward funk.
28. Miniskirt by Braids. As personal as songwriting gets.
27. Dream Lover by Destroyer. If the E Street Band had gone indie.
26. That’s Life tho (almost hate to say) by Kurt Vile. Like a slacker Hallmark card.
25. Gosh by Jamie xx. For achievement in scratching noises.
24. Ocean Drive by Duke Dumont. This is totally going to be included in the hypothetical reboot of Miami Vice (which should really be a thing).
23. How Could You Babe by Tobias Jesso Jr. Like John Lennon at closing time.
22. Where Are Ü Now (feat. Justin Bieber) by Jack U. Even Bieber can make the list when you fuck with his voice enough.
21. Make Me Wanna Die by White Reaper. If this comes on during the BBQ, your house will get trashed.
20. Let It Happen by Tame Impala. I’m inventing a new genre in their honor and calling it “underwater psychedelica”.
19. Complexity by Eagles of Death Metal. Perfect for dancing on the graves of ISIS.
18. What Went Down by Foals. A music supervisor somewhere is saving this for the intense climax of a future film.
17. Energy by Drake. Angry Drake is my favorite.
16. Bullet Belt (feat. Butch Walker) by Shovels & Rope. For achievement in most lyrics stuffed into each verse.
15. Rugged Lovers by Rayland Baxter. Like an outlaw John Denver.
14. Never Ending Circles by CHVRCHES. I suddenly have the urge to make a mixtape.
13. King Kunta by Kendrick Lamar. More impressive every time you listen to it.
12. Time Will Wait by Kristin Diable. Like a country torch song turned wildfire.
11. Restless Year by Ezra Furman. Like a garage band fever dream.
10. I Broadcast by Blur. Your move, Oasis.
9. Flesh Without Blood by Grimes. What Adele’s breakup songs would sound like if Adele was a vampire.
8. Bored In The USA by Father John Misty. Exactly how I feel after watching a GOP debate.
7. Impossible Winner by The Dead Weather. If Air Supply wore leather jackets.
6. Coffee by Miguel. If Prince could learn to chillax.
5. FourFiveSeconds by Rihanna And Kanye West And Paul McCartney. Because Rihanna.
4. Sunday Candy (feat. Jamila Woods) by Donnie Trumpet & The Social Experiment. A beautiful mess.
3. Pedestrian at Best by Courtney Barnett. Once again defending her crown as best lyricist.
2. Price Tag by Sleater-Kinney. Message to the world: we’re screwed.
- Can’t Feel My Face by The Weeknd. Like Michael Jackson on harder drugs.
