TOP RECURRENT ALBUMS - 2015
(my most-played albums released prior to 2014, according to last.fm)
hello lady (I'm assuming only one) and gentlemen!!!!!!!!!!
welcome to my countdown!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!
I hope you weren't expecting me to post these one by one because um no. I don't have time for that ****. I'm just gonna dump these lists out in bunches of 10 or something
I'm highlighting 3 key (aka my fave) tracks from each album if anyone wants a quick taste of albums they don't know yet.
30. Beyoncé - BEYONCÉ
Aw hey Bey. Good job landing on this list. I've still been whoring out Partition all year. You've all listened to this, so not much to say xoxo
Key tracks: Partition, Flawless, Blow
29. Gwen Stefani - Love.Angel.Music.Baby
Gwen Stefani, I'm your biggest fan! LAMB is now over 10 years old, but it's still totally fresh - quite a feat for an electropop album. I'm still listening to What You Waiting For? and Bubble Pop Electric (
) like nobody's business.
Key tracks: What You Waiting For?, Bubble Pop Electric, Cool
28. Vampire Weekend – Modern Vampires of the City
This is, quite simply, VW's finest album. Whereas Contra seemed like a bit of a retread of their debut, Modern Vampires tidily updates their sound with a whole range of new influences, while also retaining the magic that made this band so special in the first place. If you're not familiar with VW, I highly recommend listening to this album first -- it's essential, especially if you enjoy highly eclectic yet cohesive albums with layered lyrics.
Key tracks: Hannah Hunt (!!!), Ya Hey, Hudson
27. Taylor Swift – Taylor Swift
Omg omg omg, baby Lord!!!!!!!!!! I love how emo She was. Ugh like She's 14-16 here and thinks Her life is the most dramatic & sad thing in the world. Also Our Song is still pretty much the best song ever (ever ever). <333333 Tim McGraw and Teardrops are still among Her best ballads, too. It's quite impressive that some of the songs that she wrote as a kid have held up so well.
Key tracks: Our Song, Mary's Song (Oh My My), Tim McGraw
26. Patti Smith - Horses
2015 was the year I finally listened to Patti Smith. After buying Just Kids (her memoir, pick it up if you have any interest in Mapplethorpe or art or culture in general xx), I decided to pick up Horses too. It's worth all the hype, and listening to this album immediately gives you a whole new perspective on the kick-ass women that followed her (Debbie, Gwen, Shirley, Courtney, Hayley, Madonna, and many more... I'm looking at you) along with music in general. Her lasting influence is quite obvious. I haven't gotten around to listening to any of her other albums yet, but I'm excited to.
Key tracks: Gloria, Break It Up, Land
25. No Doubt - Tragic Kingdom
The classic. Admittedly, this is lower than I expected -- ND are my favorite band, after all. But frankly I didn't listen to them as much this year for reasons unrelated to their music... just that, as a band, they've been an endless series of broken promises and missed opportunities for the last few years. Sunday Morning is still my favorite song of all time though, so I mean...
Key tracks: Sunday Morning, Just a Girl, Happy Now
24. Radiohead - Kid A
Yet another widely acclaimed album that I finally listened to this year - also worth the hype! I barely even know how to describe this album, except to say that it's amazing how such tuneless (tbh) and beautifully inventive songs get stuck in your head for days at a time. If you haven't listened to it, just do it.
Key tracks: Everything in Its Right Place, How to Disappear Completely, Idioteque
23. Joni Mitchell - Ladies of the Canyon
Ah, Joni. Your first of many appearances on this list... if you're really a fan of folk music, listen to this or her two albums before this. If you're only casually a fan of folk, maybe skip ahead to Blue. Ladies of the Canyon has a strange mix of some of her cheesiest songs, some of her most popular songs, and some of her most poignant songs. It's a great album regardless. Most notably, I think, it introduces her layered vocal harmonies that become one of the defining/amazing traits of her later work.
Key tracks: Woodstock, Willy, The Arrangement
22. Utada Hikaru - Exodus
I wish I knew Japanese, because this album is so ****ing good. The instrumentals are so quirky, funky, fresh... these songs get stuck in your head for ages. Purely great pop music. It's a shame she has seemingly given up on releasing English-language material (/English-speaking countries won't embrace her), because she does pop better than most of ATRL's faves.
Key tracks: Tippy Toe, Easy Breezy, Hotel Lobby
21. Amy Winehouse - Back to Black
What can I say that hasn't already been said about one of the best albums ever? Its ranking is unfortunately low, but reflective of the fact that I haven't listened to Amy's music nearly as much since she died. It still stings...
Key tracks: Back To Black, Wake Up Alone, Some Unholy War
and I used to hate Amy Whinehouse's music when she was popular but now, almost 6 years later, I kinda appreciate her work 
Love Back to Black the song!
