Top 10 songs of 2015





The only criteria is that the songs are still enjoyable after 10+ listens. If the links below don't work in your area, you can locate most of the tracks on spotify.



1) Let it Happen by Tame Impala
(Despite its 7 min running time, manages to draw you in)


2) I Can Change by Brandon Flowers
(Makes the listener feel something. Sampled Smalltown Boy from 1984. Both songs are great. In this case, I prefer Flowers' vocal)


3) Love Me Like You Do by Ellie Goulding
(Better than the movie)


4) Strange by Laura Marling
(Could have been written 50 years ago. A folk song for the ages)


5) King Kunta by Kendrick Lamar
(Very catchy)


6)  Play for Today by Belle and Sebastian
(An overlooked contemporary classic)


7) When The Lights Turn Out by Twin Shadow
(The stand-out from his patchy new album)


8) Here by Alessia Cara
(An anthem for introverts)


9) Queen's Speech (Ep.4) by Lady Leshurr
(Queen's Speech is a series, not a song. Four volumes of freestyles - 1 2 3 4. With more yet to come. Admittedly a bit preachy, lyrics quite fun and 2015ish. Enough energy to entertain on multiple listens)


10)  That’s Life, Tho (Almost Hate To Say) by Kurt Vile
(Soothing guitar. The lyrics feel timeless and relatable. About accepting your circumstances and getting on with life)


Just missed:
REALiTi by Grimes
Beyond Love by Beach House
Stonemilker by Björk
Running Out Of Time by Toto
Rich (feat. Anndreyah Vargas) by Cosmo Sheldrake
Don't Wanna Fight by Alabama Shakes



As usual, the most interesting year-end list was provided by Said The Gramophone, who I thank for introducing me to several new artists, including Lady Leshurr and Alessia Cara.



How many of these do you know? Which are your favorites of 2015? In the next week or two, I'll post my top 10 albums of the year.

23 comments:

  1. "King Kunta" is such a great track. I can play that one over and over. I hadn't heard "Let It Happen" before. Really digging it.

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    1. @Alex Withrow: Yep, King Kunta is a highlight of 2015. So happy you found “Let It Happen” !

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    2. Right there with you Alex - it's catchy and brilliantly written.

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  2. With the exception of Bjork and Ellie Goulding, I haven't heard any of these songs. Then again, I kinda tuned out for what was happening in 2015 as I hadn't really heard a lot of music and nothing really got me excited.

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    1. @thevoid99: Björk’s album is good. I liked about a third of the tracks on Elle Goulding’s album.
      I usually do a top 100 now to celebrate the music of the year, but I decided not to, because of the decline in comments/interaction on my blog.

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  3. So happy to see Here by Alessia Cara make the list. I absolutely love that song. It's funny because I like it far more than my teenage daughters. Whenever I play it, which is often, they just kinda roll their eyes at me.

    King Kunta also seems to be a popular song. It's catchy, I get it, but not even close to my favorite on Kendrick Lamar's album. For me, I'd find a spot for The Blacker the Berry. It's the most poignant song I've heard all year in any genre.

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    1. @Wendell: I like The Blacker the Berry, which I just listened to again, a powerful song. Lamar’s album I think will still be played 10-20 years from now. A song about racial injustice, yet also noting the complexity of life, the blacks are committing violence towards blacks as well.

      As someone who is not fond of being in a big crowd of people, I could relate to Cara’s words. She is young but managed to tap into a universal feeling that so many of us have. Funny story you like it more than your teenage daughters :)

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  4. The first time i listened to Let it Happen, I kept flicking back to the player to see if it was still the same song - it's a great tune. And definitely with you on King Kunta - the lyrics in that song are mind blowing.

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    1. @Jaina: Glad we agree on those! I love how Let it Happen takes the listener on a journey, a trip worth taking many times.

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  5. LOVE this! Great diverse list. I have a hard time deciding which of Lamar's tracks on TPAB are the best, honestly. King Kunta is superb, though!

    LOVE Here so much. Cara is one to watch, for sure!

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    1. @Fisti: Thanks, you’re right Lamar’s album has many strong tracks, right now the album is in my top 5 of the year. Haven’t listened to Cara’s album, if she continues making songs like "Here" I'll keep following her for sure.

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  6. That Lady Leshurr track is fun. I heard that song once on a commercial before. That Cara song is a good one too. Nice list of songs

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    1. @The Vern: Glad you liked Lady Leshurr, agree it's a fun song, especially episode 4. Thanks for checking out the list.

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  7. Tame Impala and Kendrick Lamar - YES!

    I need to listen to all of Kurt Vile's new album. "Pretty Pimpin" has really grown on me.

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    1. Eric @The Warning Sign: Pretty Pimpin is a catchy single. Kurt Vile's album is in my top 10 of the year. The guy knows how to play a guitar!

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  8. Love it! I could have picked so many Tame Impala songs for my top 10. Glad to see Let It Happen up top.

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    1. @Derek: Thanks! I’m enjoying Tame Impala’s latest, amazing Kevin Parker pretty much made the album single-handedly.

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  9. Kendrick Lamar delivered one hell of an album this year, and King Kunta's gotta be the highlight. I'm pleasantly surprised to see Alessia Cara in the list, and I'd invite you to dwell deeper into the rest of her tracks. Personally, I prefer "4 white walls" a bit more than "Here".
    Both I Can Change and Let It Happen are great songs that I'm also glad to see.
    The one bit of music I disagree with is Love me Like you Do...but that's just me. As for the rest of the top 10, I really haven't heard it yet, but definitely will.
    Good to see you've kept busy blogging Chris!

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    1. @niels85: I haven’t listened to Alessia Cara’s album, thanks for recommending that other track by her which I will go listen to. Glad you also saw something special in King Kunta, Let it Happen, and I Can Change.
      Yep, I continue to blog come rain or shine, and I can see you are still at it as well!

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  10. Queen's Speech is definitely one of the choices I had to my list as well but it didn't make the cut in the end. Still super good though!

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    1. @Getter: I agree Queen's Speech (Ep.4) is a really good song. Will be interesting to follow Lady Leshurr’s career.

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  11. "King Kunta" is brilliant, and "Love Me Like You Do" is one of Goulding's best singles. Glad to see "Stonemilker", "Let It Happen", "REALiTi", and "Here" get mentions as well. :)

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    1. @Josh: Glad we have some overlaps. Knew you’d like the Goulding and Lamar inclusions :)

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