[crazywildpop]

Okay, so welcome to my 2015 Best Of, I guess? Here I'll be doing two lists:
- My 20 best albums of 2015
- My 40 best songs of 2015

I've done an ATRL Best Of only once before, in 2013. You can see it here.
I didn't actually post a list in 2014, but I did make one.

2013 top 10 albums

10. Charli XCX - True Romance
9. Blood Orange - Cupid Deluxe
8. Kelela - CUT 4 ME
7. CHVRCHES - The Bones Of What You Believe
6. Eve - Lip Lock
5. Arctic Monkeys - AM
4. Beyoncé - BEYONCÉ
3. Lady Gaga - ARTPOP
2. M.I.A. - Matangi
1. Janelle Monáe - The Electric Lady

2013 top 10 songs

10. Azealia Banks - BBD
9. Lady Gaga - Donatella
8. Sia - Elastic Heart (feat. The Weeknd & Diplo)
7. Lorde - Team
6. Janelle Monáe - Givin' Em What They Love (feat. Prince)
5. Lady Gaga - Applause
4. Lady Gaga - Do What U Want (feat. R. Kelly)
3. Lady Gaga - Venus
2. Azealia Banks - Yung Rapunxel
1. Janelle Monáe - Q.U.E.E.N. (feat. Erykah Badu)

______

2014 top 10 albums

10. JUNGLEP*SSY - Satisfaction Guaranteed
9. MØ - No Mythologies To Follow
8. Kelis - Food
7. La Roux - Trouble In Paradise
6. St. Vincent - St. Vincent
5. Lana Del Rey - Ultraviolence
4. SZA - Z
3. Run The Jewels - Run The Jewels 2
2. FKA twigs - LP1
1. Azealia Banks - Broke With Expensive Taste

2014 top 10 songs

10. Leikeli47 - Heard Em Say
9. FKA twigs - Kicks
8. Run The Jewels - Love Again (Akinyele Back) (feat. Gangsta Boo)
7. Lana Del Rey - West Coast
6. La Roux - Uptight Downtown
5. FKA twigs - Two Weeks
4. Azealia Banks - Ice Princess
3. SZA - Warm Winds (feat. Isaiah Rashad)
2. Azealia Banks - Desperado
1. FKA twigs - Video Girl

Song of 2013: Janelle Monáe & Erykah Badu - Q.U.E.E.N. / Album of 2013: Janelle Monáe - The Electric Lady
Song of 2014: FKA twigs - Video Girl / Album of 2014: Azealia Banks - Broke With Expensive Taste

_________

Eligibility and further details

- For songs, the song is eligible if:
1. It featured on an album released in 2015
2. It was released in 2015 period (so this includes singles, free downloads, one-off tracks, etc.)
- A song can only make the list once. IE: If a song was released as a single last year and I put it on my list last year, it's not eligible for this year's. However, if that song was on an album released this year, and I DIDN'T put that song on my list last year, it's eligible.
- For the album list, studio albums, mixtapes, EPs, soundtracks, etc. are all eligible.

Enjoy!

[crazywildpop]

The lists so far:

TOP 20 ALBUMS

20. Shamir - Ratchet
19. Róisín Murphy - Hairless Toys
18. The Chemical Brothers - Born In The Echoes
17. Fleur East - Love, Sax and Flashbacks
16. Jamie xx - In Colour
15. Drake - If You're Reading This It's Too Late
14. Mark Ronson - Uptown Special
13. Ibeyi - Ibeyi
12. CHVRCHES - Every Open Eye
11. Lana Del Rey - Honeymoon
10. Kelela - Hallucinogen
9. Seinabo Sey - Pretend
8. Melanie Martinez - Cry Baby
7. The Weeknd - Beauty Behind The Madness
6. Björk - Vulnicura
5. Lianne La Havas - Blood
4. Adele - 25
3. FKA twigs - M3LL155X
2. Grimes - Art Angels
1. Blur - The Magic Whip

TOP 40 SONGS

40. Andreya Triana - Gold
39. Tame Impala - The Less I Know The Better
38. GENER8ION - The New International Sound, Pt. II (feat. M.I.A.)
37. Seinabo Sey - Ruin
36. Ibeyi - Mama Says
35. Adele - Water Under The Bridge
34. Lady Leshurr - Queen's Speech, Ep. 3
33. The Weeknd - Can't Feel My Face
32. Halsey - Drive
31. Run The Jewels - Bust No Moves (feat. Cuz)
30. Stormzy - Know Me From
29. The Weeknd - Acquainted
28. R. City - I'm That... (Remix) (feat. Beenie Man & Azealia Banks)
27. Fleur East - Sax
26. Disclosure - Magnets (feat. Lorde)
25. Skepta - Shutdown
24. Mark Ronson - Uptown Funk (feat. Bruno Mars)
23. Lana Del Rey - Art Deco
22. Grimes - World Princess, Pt. II
21. Blossoms - Charlemagne
20. Kanye West - All Day (feat. Paul McCartney, Theophilus London & Allan Kingdom)
19. Fetty Wap - 679 (feat. Remy Boyz)
18. Adele - Send My Love (To Your New Lover)
17. Lianne La Havas - Green & Gold
16. The Chemical Brothers - Go
15. Kelela - Rewind
14. CHVRCHES - Keep You On My Side
13. FKA twigs - In Time
12. A$AP Rocky - Everyday (feat. Rod Stewart, Miguel & Mark Ronson)
11. Grimes - Kill V. Maim
10. Lady Leshurr - Queen's Speech, Ep. 4
9. Snakehips - All My Friends (feat. Tinashe & Chance The Rapper)
8. FKA twigs - Glass & Patron
7. Blur - Ice Cream Man
6. Björk - Black Lake
5. Fetty Wap - Trap Queen (feat. Azealia Banks, Quavo & Gucci Mane)
4. Adele - Hello
3. Blur - Pyongyang
2. M.I.A. - Borders
1. Grimes - Flesh Without Blood

[prézli]

1. Azealia Banks - Broke With Expensive Taste

YAAAAAS!

[crazywildpop]

Debating when to start

[Tom Vercetti]

Ready whenever you are.

[crazywildpop]

Okay, so I guess I'll make a start on this.

ALBUMS

20. Shamir - Ratchet

I only heard about Shamir in the last few weeks. I decided to check out his album and I really liked it, and weirdly ''On The Regular'' reminds me a bit of Azealia's ''212'' but less brash.

Best tracks:
Demon
Vegas
On The Regular
In For The Kill

19. Róisín Murphy - Hairless Toys

This is a great album albeit very different from Overpowered, which is brilliant, by the way. A lot of the tracks remind me of Björk. While there's no one standout track, the album as a whole is good and cohesive. I find you have to be in a certain mood to listen to it though. Bonus: she's Irish.

Best tracks:
Evil Eyes
Unputdownable
Hairless Toys (Gotta Hurt)
Gone Fishing

18. The Chemical Brothers - Born In The Echoes

This album came as a surprise to me. I'd never listened to any of their other stuff before, but I listened to a few songs of this and was pleasantly surprised. The middle of this album is a bit on the boring side, but this is made up for by the first few + last few songs.

Best tracks:
Go
Under Neon Lights
Wide Open
Sometimes I Feel So Deserted
Born In The Echoes

[AshleeSimpsonFan]

Can't wait for the first update

[madonnas]

I like all 3! Raisin was kind of a pretentious bitch this year but I mean she did slay me with her songs.

[crazywildpop]

SONGS

40. Andreya Triana - Gold

Just a great song, saw this on TV, I think it was on Jools Holland (?) and have loved it since.

39. Tame Impala - The Less I Know The Better

A late discovery, but this song is just perfect. I love Kevin Parker's voice too.

38. GENER8ION - The New International Sound Pt. II (feat. M.I.A.)

Catchy song and M.I.A. is on it, soo... This song reminds me of her /\/\ /\ Y /\ stuff.

37. Seinabo Sey - Ruin


36. Ibeyi - Mama Says

So haunting, I'm so glad I found out about them this year

[crazywildpop]

Originally posted by madonnas

I like all 3! Raisin was kind of a pretentious bitch this year but I mean she did slay me with her songs.

Really? Didn't really pay any attention to her as a person tbh

[minho]

Great Tame Impala pick! Lots of cool stuff on that album.

I need to make sure to check out The Chemical Brothers sometime Also that song with M.I.A.! Didn't even know that that existed

[crazywildpop]

Originally posted by lovesong

Great Tame Impala pick! Lots of cool stuff on that album.

I need to make sure to check out The Chemical Brothers sometime Also that song with M.I.A.! Didn't even know that that existed

Yeah, there wasn't much hype around it but it's a good song (+ video, for that matter)!

[Tom Vercetti]

Currents is my favorite from the set. Glad you liked it

[crazywildpop]

Originally posted by Tom Vercetti

Currents is my favorite from the set. Glad you liked it

It was just the song, but yeah I liked the album too

[crazywildpop]

ALBUMS

17. Fleur East - Love, Sax and Flashbacks

Just a fun pop album with some great songs. Definitely one of the best things that The X Factor has produced the last few years.

Best tracks:
Paris
Sax
Baby Don't Dance
Kitchen

16. Jamie xx - In Colour

Okay, so I heard a lot about this album in 2015 and I finally decided to give it a listen. I wasn't expecting to like it, but it really grew on me. The vocal tracks really carry the album, but it's just beautiful to listen to as a whole.

Best tracks:
SeeSaw (feat. Romy)
Obvs
Stranger In A Room (feat. Oliver Sim)
I Know There's Gonna Be (Good Times) (feat. Young Thug & Popcaan)
Loud Places (feat. Romy)
Girl

15. Drake - If You're Reading This It's Too Late

More or less every song on this album is great, and I like the direction Drake is moving into.

Best tracks:
Know Yourself
6 God
Madonna
Legend
10 Bands
Preach (feat. PARTYNEXTDOOR)

[K$Ellie]

Fleur and Drake Their albums had a few great songs

[crazywildpop]

SONGS

35. Adele - Water Under The Bridge

Next single please?

34. Lady Leshurr - Queen's Speech, Ep. 3

Lady Leshurr really took the internet by surprise this year with her viral ''Queen's Speech'' series, just as grime really made its way into the mainstream. The lyrics are playful and fun, and it's good that a British female rapper is finally coming to prominence.

33. The Weeknd - Can't Feel My Face

This song was a complete departure from his earlier stuff but still a great song. Got tired of it after a while though.

32. Halsey - Drive

Okay, so this won't be a popular pick, and even though Halsey is annoying and try-hard, I'll admit this was a really good pop song, so I thought it deserved to make the list.

31. Run The Jewels - Bust No Moves (feat. Cuz)

RTJ2 came close to topping my 2014 list, and this one-off song is just another notch in Run The Jewels' belt of good songs.

[crazywildpop]

Originally posted by K$Ellie

Fleur and Drake Their albums had a few great songs

Fleur's album went pretty unnoticed, they better come through with a second single soon

[Tom Vercetti]

I especially love In Colour & IYRTITL. Great picks.

WUTB, Bust No Moves, & CFMF would be my trinity of this set.

[Eeveelution]

Hairless Toys and In Colour.

TLIKTB is fantastic too, it almost made my list.