As my best albums list is the “Best Albums I Listened To” as opposed to just the “Best Albums,” it is more pointedly subjective than my other best of lists. I usually do not listen to enough albums each year to really be able to definitively say which are the absolute greatest. Thus, instead of focusing on objective critical analysis, I am concentrating more on my own personal experiences with each of these entries.
1. Tame Impala, Currents – The Australian psychedelic rockers’ latest gets my top spot because it is one of those vaunted albums in which I wanted to listen to every track over and over, both as a whole and individually. Tame Impala’s previous release, Lonerism, is one of my favorite albums of all-time; I am counting my blessings that its follow-up is now in the same category.
All songs on this list were released as singles in 2015, or late 2014, or earlier in 2014, but didn’t make an impact until 2015.
1. Tame Impala – “Let It Happen” – Tame Impala are just about singlehandedly keeping psychedelic rock alive, with their good vibe-filled soundscapes keeping minds as open as possible. This 7 minute-plus magnum opus is a crunchy, lovely, hooky, addictive ode to allowing the best possible future to come into existence. Settle in, let it wash over you, and watch the fear slip away.
2. Miguel – “Waves” – Hands down, Miguel is currently making the sexiest music on the planet. This cowbell backbeat-driven paean to lovemaking is the cream of his crop.
3. Wolf Alice – “Moaning Lisa Smile” – Alternative rock can actually call for an end to gloominess, as in this story of a Lisa Simpson-type.
4. Major Lazer ft. MØ & DJ Snake – “Lean On” – An American DJ, a French DJ, and a Danish singer break out the moombahton for Major Lazer’s hottest beat yet.
5. The Weeknd – “Can’t Feel My Face” – This is what pop music needs to thrive: someone who can write killer hooks and isn’t afraid to grunt alongside his silky falsetto.
6. Beck – “Dreams” – My dream for 2016 is that Beck’s new album will be released as soon as possible. In the meantime, this funky little psychedelic number from Mr. Hansen’s dancy side played on repeat will tide me over.
7. Taylor Swift – “Style” – Tight, tingly composition and hauntingly resonant lyrics about the path of love in an endless night’s journey.
8. The Weeknd – “The Hills” – An intro of pure distortion and an outro sung in Amharic (the language of Ethiopia) makes for the most unusual Number One hit in ages.
9. Carly Rae Jepsen – “Run Away with Me” – That sax intro – and everything else featured in this beautiful pop number – makes it clear that you will be swimming in bliss for four minutes.
10. Kendrick Lamar – “King Kunta” – Kendrick follows the examples of Edwin Starr and Public Enemy in demonstrating that the best protest music is also a lot of fun.
11. Selena Gomez – “Same Old Love” – With an assist from Charli XCX on the snappy lyrics and a deliciously wonky piano, Selena shot for the cranial stars with this earworm.
12. Disclosure ft. Lorde – “Magnets” – The Lawrence brothers provide the wooshy tropical beat as Lorde gets in too deep with her lover.
13. Florence + the Machine – “What Kind of Man” – Florence Welch has a knack for making 3 ½-minute ditties feel like 8-minute epics.
14. Calvin Harris ft. Ellie Goulding – “Outside” – If Calvin Harris is not singing on his own tracks, then it ought to be Ellie Goulding, as on this nugget of emotionally tense dance music.
15. Tove Lo – “Talking Body” – Tove Lo realizes that part of being healthy is fully and lusciously embracing our physical desires.
16. The Pretty Reckless – “Follow Me Down” – The Sing-Along With Attitude Anthem of 2015.
17. Cold War Kids – “First” – The Cold War Kids have found their niche of tight riffs guiding the way through everyday existential crises.
18. MisterWives – “Reflections” – Mandy Lee’s infectious vocals set the irresistible tone for this burst of indie pop effervescence.
19. Elle King – “Ex’s & Oh’s” – Groovy, bluesy guitars + feisty, funky attitude + snappy, playful wordplay = a no-brainer addition to your rock playlist.
20. Modest Mouse – “Lampshades on Fire” – It sounds like something that was written over the course of the raging party recounted in the lyrics.
21. Adele – “Hello” – Spare, unfussy production just gets out of the way of one of the most powerful instruments on the planet.
22. U2 – “Every Breaking Wave” – The beautiful, heartbreaking lyrics are as bottomless as the ocean from Bono and company.
23. Halsey – “New Americana” – Halsey gets away with brazen bluntness in this anthem for a new generation by making the straightforwardness part of the message.
24. Carly Rae Jepsen – “I Really Like You” – Incessant repetition should be avoided most of the time, except when you really, really, really, really, really, really cannot say it any other way.
25. Joywave – “Somebody New” – It’s a whole new genre: Sleepy Alternative Power Nap Rock.
Each week, I check out VH1′s The 20 (formerly Top 20 countdown), and then I rearrange the songs based on my estimation of their quality.
Original Version
1. Drake – “Hotline Bling”
2. Shawn Mendes – “Stitches”
3. Ellie Goulding – “On My Mind”
4. Elle King – “Ex’s & Oh’s”
5. Alessia Cara – “Here”
6. X Ambassadors – “Renegades”
7. Taylor Swift – “Wildest Dreams”
8. Selena Gomez – “Same Old Love”
9. Adele – “Hello”
10. Meghan Trainor ft. John Legend – “Like I’m Gonna Lose You”
11. Demi Lovato – “Confident”
12. The Weeknd – “The Hills”
13. Pentatonix – “Can’t Sleep Love”
14. DNCE – “Cake by the Ocean”
15. Rudimental ft. Ed Sheeran – “Lay It All on Me”
16. Conrad Sewell – “Hold Me Up”
17. Justin Bieber – “What Do You Mean”
18. One Direction – “Perfect”
19. Gwen Stefani – “Used to Love You”
20. Rachel Platten – “Stand by You”
Jmunney’s Revision
1. The Hills
2. Hello
3. Same Old Love
4. Ex’s & Oh’s
5. Renegades
6. Hold Me Up
7. Confident
8. Here
9. On My Mind
10. What Do You Mean?
11. Lay It All on Me
12. Hotline Bling
13. Used to Love You
14. Stand by You
15. Cake by the Ocean
16. Wildest Dreams
17. Perfect
18. Can’t Sleep Love
19. Stitches
20. Like I’m Gonna Lose You
Each week, I check out VH1′s The 20 (formerly Top 20 countdown), and then I rearrange the songs based on my estimation of their quality.
Original Version
1. Shawn Mendes – “Stitches”
2. Drake – “Hotline Bling”
3. Taylor Swift – “Wildest Dreams”
4. Ellie Goulding – “On My Mind”
5. Elle King – “Ex’s & Oh’s”
6. The Weeknd – “The Hills”
7. X Ambassadors – “Renegades”
8. Alessia Cara – “Here”
9. Selena Gomez – “Same Old Love”
10. One Direction – “Drag Me Down”
11. Justin Bieber – “What Do You Mean?”
12. Meghan Trainor ft. John Legend – “Like I’m Gonna Lose You”
13. Demi Lovato – “Confident”
14. Adele – “Hello”
15. Pentatonix – “Can’t Sleep Love”
16. Calvin Harris & Disciples – “How Deep Is Your Love”
17. Conrad Sewell – “Hold Me Up”
18. DNCE – “Cake by the Ocean”
19. Macklemore & Ryan Lewis ft. Eric Nally, Melle Mel, Kool Moe Dee, and Grandmaster Caz – “Downtown”
20. Gwen Stefani – “Used to Love You”
Jmunney’s Revision
1. The Hills
2. Hello
3. Same Old Love
4. Downtown
5. Ex’s & Oh’s
6. Renegades
7. Hold Me Up
8. Confident
9. Here
10. On My Mind
11. What Do You Mean?
12. Hotline Bling
13. Used to Love You
14. Drag Me Down
15. Cake by the Ocean
16. Wildest Dreams
17. How Deep is Your Love
18. Can’t Sleep Love
19. Stitches
20. Like I’m Gonna Lose You
Each week, I check out VH1′s The 20 (formerly Top 20 countdown), and then I rearrange the songs based on my estimation of their quality.
Original Version
1. Shawn Mendes – “Stitches”
2. Taylor Swift – “Wildest Dreams”
3. The Weeknd – “The Hills”
4. Drake – “Hotline Bling”
5. One Direction – “Drag Me Down”
6. Elle King – “Ex’s & Oh’s”
7. Justin Bieber – “What Do You Mean?”
8. X Ambassadors – “Renegades”
9. Ellie Goulding – “On My Mind”
10. Alessia Cara – “Here”
11. Selena Gomez – “Same Old Love”
12. Macklemore & Ryan Lewis ft. Eric Nally, Melle Mel, Kool Moe Dee, and Grandmaster Caz – “Downtown”
13. R. City ft. Adam Levine – “Locked Away”
14. Calvin Harris & Disciples – “How Deep Is Your Love”
15. Meghan Trainor ft. John Legend – “Like I’m Gonna Lose You”
16. Demi Lovato – “Confident”
17. Adele – “Hello”
18. Hailee Steinfeld – “Love Myself”
19. Pentatonix – “Can’t Sleep Love”
20. Conrad Sewell – “Hold Me Up”
Jmunney’s Revision
1. The Hills
2. Hello
3. Same Old Love
4. Downtown
5. Ex’s & Oh’s
6. Renegades
7. Confident
8. Hold Me Up
9. Here
10. On My Mind
11. What Do You Mean?
12. Hotline Bling
13. Drag Me Down
14. Wildest Dreams
15. Love Myself
16. How Deep is Your Love
17. Can’t Sleep Love
18. Stitches
19. Like I’m Gonna Lose You
20. Locked Away
(Sorry for the late posting. I was on vacation over the weekend.)
Each week, I check out VH1′s The 20 (formerly Top 20 countdown), and then I rearrange the songs based on my estimation of their quality.
This week, “You Oughta Know” artists are featured.
Original Version
1. Sam Smith – “Writing’s on the Wall” (Class of 2014)
2. X Ambassadors – “Renegades” (Class of 2015)
3. Miguel – “Waves” (Class of 2015)
4. Elle King – “Ex’s & Oh’s” (Class of 2015)
5. Rachel Platten – “Fight Song” (Class of 2015)
6. Nate Ruess – “Great Big Storm” (Class of 2015)
7. James Bay – “Let It Go” (Class of 2015)
8. Tori Kelly – “Should’ve Been Us” (Class of 2015)
9. George Ezra – “Blame It on Me” (Class of 2015)
10. Ella Henderson – “Ghost” (Class of 2015)
11. Hozier – “Someone New” (Class of 2014)
12. Walk the Moon – “Shut Up and Dance” (Class of 2012)
13. Tove Lo – “Timebomb” (Class of 2014)
14. Disclosure ft. Lorde – “Magnets” (Class of 2013)
15. Echosmith – “Bright” (Class of 2014)
16. Adele – “Hello” (Class of 2008)
17. Ed Sheeran – “Photograph” (Class of 2012)
18. Sia – “Big Girls Cry” (Class of 2011)
19. Mark Ronson ft. Bruno Mars – “Uptown Funk” (Class of 2010)
20. Sara Bareilles – “She Used to Be Mine” (Class of 2007)
Jmunney’s Revision
1. Hello
2. Ex’s & oh’s
3. Renegades
4. Waves
5. Ghost
6. Magnets
7. Should’ve Been Us
8. Big Girls Cry
9. Blame It on Me
10. Someone New
11. Timebomb
12. Shut Up and Dance
13. Great Big Storm
14. Uptown Funk
15. Writing’s on the Wall
16. Fight Song
17. She Used to Be Mine
18. Let It Go
19. Photograph
20. Bright
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Each week, I check out VH1′s The 20 (formerly Top 20 countdown), and then I rearrange the songs based on my estimation of their quality.
This week, the songs are holiday-themed.
Original Version
1. Ray Parker, Jr. – “Ghostbusters”
2. Rocky Horror Picture Show – “Time Warp”
3. Rihanna – “Disturbia”
4. Robbie Williams – “Rock DJ”
5. The Darkness – “I Believe in a Thing Called Love”
6. Delta Rae – “Bottom of the River”
7. Jason Derulo – “Cheyenne”
8. MC Hammer – “Addams Groove”
9. Beyoncé – “Haunted”
10. Marilyn Manson – “The Beautiful People”
11. Missy Elliott – “Get Ur Freak On”
12. Backstreet Boys – “Everybody”
13. Chris Brown – “Wall to Wall”
14. The Yeah Yeah Yeahs – “Heads Will Roll”
15. Nirvana – “Heart-Shaped Box”
16. 30 Seconds to Mars – “The Kill”
17. Christina Aguilera – “Fighter”
18. Panic! at the Disco – “I Write Sins Not Tragedies”
19. Rob Zombie – “Living Dead Girl”
20. Madonna – “Ghosttown”
Jmunney’s Revision
1. Ghostbusters
2. Heart-Shaped Box
3. Get Ur Freak On
4. Time Warp
5. Living Dead Girl
6. I Write Sins Not Tragedies
7. The Kill
8. Cheyenne
9. Disturbia
10. Heads Will Roll
11. Fighter
12. Bottom of the River
13. I Believe in a Thing Called Love
14. The Beautiful People
15. Haunted
16. Addams Groove
17. Rock DJ
18. Everybody
19. Ghosttown
20. Wall to Wall
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