Against Me!'s Transgender Dysphoria Blues won 2014. Let's see who wins 2015. Billboard chart-topping albums of 2015: Taylor Swift - 1989 (cont. from 2014) Meghan Trainor - Title Fall Out Boy - American Beauty/American Psycho Drake - If You're Reading This, It's Too Late Imagine Dragons - Smoke + Mirrors Big Sean - Dark Sky Paradise Kelly Clarkson - Piece By Piece Various Artists - Empire Soundtrack Kendrick Lamar - To Pimp a Butterfly Wale - The Album About Nothing Various Artists - Fast 7 Shawn Mendes - Handwritten Alabama Shakes - Sound & Color Zac Brown Band - Jekyll + Hyde Mumford and Sons - Wilder Mind Various Artists - Pitch Perfect 2 Twenty One Pilots - Blurryface ASAP Rocky - At Long Last ASAP Florence and the Machines - How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful Muse - Drones James Taylor - Before This World Breaking Benjamin - Dark Before Dawn Meek Mill - Dreams Worth More Than Money Tyrese - Black Rose Future - DS2 Jill Scott - Woman Cast - Descendants Luke Byran - Kill the Lights Disturbed - Immortalized The Weeknd - Beauty Behind the Madness Drake and Future - What a Time to Be Alive Fetty Wap - Fetty Wap Janet Jackson - Unbreakable Selena Gomez - Revival Pentatonix - Pentatonix 5 Seconds of Summer - Sounds Good Feels Good Chris Stapleton - Traveller Justin Bieber - Purpose Adelle - 25 Billboard chart-topping singles of 2015: Taylor Swift - Blank Space (cont. from 2014) Mark Ronson and Bruno Mars - Uptown Funk Wiz Khalifa - See You Again Taylor Swift - Bad Blood (cont. from 2014) Omi - Cheerleader The Weeknd - Can't Feel My Face Justin Bieber - What Do You Mean The Weeknd - The Hills Adelle - Hello What are your top three albums for 2015? We will keep a running tally and eventually have some sort of bracket. For me it would be: 1. Father John Misty - I Love You, Honeybear 2. Tame Impala - Currents 3. Kendrick Lamar - To Pimp a Butterfly What are some of the forgotten gems from the year? What is overrated? What did you discover at a young age and what did you discover later? YEARS IN MUSIC • forum.chorus.fm
1. mewithoutYou - pale horses 2. the money pit - s/t 3. vince staples - summertime '06 4. tame impala - currents 5. david bazan - monthly volume 2 6. desaparecidos - payola 7. beach house - thank your lucky stars 8. max richter - sleep 9. birds in row - personal war 10. the world is a beautiful place - harmlessness 11. hop along - painted shut 12. kendrick lamar - to pimp a butterfly 13. purity ring - another eternity 14. viet cong - s/t 15. julien baker - sprained ankle 16. tommy boys - s/t 17. justin bieber - purpose
remainder of the top 12: 4. All Dogs - Kicking Every Day 5. Deafheaven - New Bermuda 6. Jason Isbell - Something More Than Free 7. Mount Eerie - Sauna 8. Wilco - Star Wars 9. Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds - Chasing Yesterday 10. Baroness - Purple 11. Kowloon Walled City - Grievances 12. Cloakroom - Further Out honorable mentions: Alabama Shakes - Sound and Color Beach House - Depression Cherry Beirut - No No No Built to Spill - Untethered Moon Carly Rae Jepsen - Emotion Caspian - Dust and Disquiet Chris Stapleton - Traveller Chvrches - Every Eye Open Courtney Barnett - Sometimes I Sit and Think, and Sometimes I Just Sit The Cribs - For All My Sisters Cult Leader - Lightless Walk Dawes - All Your Favorite Bands The Dead Weather - Dodge and Burn Desaparecidos - Payola Earl Sweatshirt - I Don’t Like Shit, I Don’t Go Outside Failure - The Heart is a Monster Future - 56 Nights Future - DS2 High on Fire - Luminiferous Hop Along - Painted Shut Kacey Musgraves - Pageant Material Khruangbin - The Universe Smiles Upon You Kurt Vile - B’lieve I’m Goin Down… Low - Ones and Sixes Mew - +- Mewithoutyou - Pale Horses Modest Mouse - Strangers to Ourselves Mutoid Man - Bleeder My Morning Jacket - The Waterfall Natalie Prass - Natalie Prass Oneohtrix Point Never - Garden of Delete Protomartyr - The Agent Intellect Purity Ring - Another Eternity Ryley Walker - Primrose Green The Sidekicks - Runners in the Nerved World Sufjan Stevens - Carrie & Lowell Swervedriver - I Wasn’t Born to Lose You The Tallest Man on Earth - Dark Bird is Home Titus Andronicus - The Most Lamentable Tragedy Torche - Restarter Turnstile - Nonstop feeling Vince Staples - Summertime ’06 Waxahatchee - Ivy Tripp The Weeknd - Beauty Behind the Madness stuff to check out: Belle and Sebastian - Girls in Peacetime Want to Dance Bjork - Vulnicura Brandi Carlile - The Firewatcher’s Daughter Chelsea Wolfe - Abyss City and Colour - If I Should Go Before You Deerhunter - Fading Frontier Eric Church - Mr. Misunderstood Kamasi Washington - The Epic Mac Demarco - Another One Mark Ronson - Uptown Special Meek Mill - Dreams Worth More Than Money The Mountain Goats - Beat the Champ Mumford and Sons - Wilder Mind Panda Bear - Meets the Grim Reaper Rae Sremmurd - SremmLife Sleater-Kinney - No Cities to Love Steven Wilson - Hand Cannot Erase Unknown Mortal Orchestra - Multi-Love Wolf Alice - My Love is Cool
One of my favorite music years! 1. Butch Walker – Afraid of Ghosts 2. Jason Isbell – Something More Than Free 3. Dawes – All Your Favorite Bands Tough cuts: Noah Gundersen – Carry the Ghost Chris Stapleton – Traveller Logan Brill – Shuteye John Moreland – High on Tulsa Heat Mandolin Orange – Such Jubilee Kacey Musgraves – Pageant Material Also love: Ashley Monroe – The Blade Brandon Flowers – The Desired Effect Turnpike Troubadours – The Turnpike Troubadours A Thousand Horses – Southernality Matt Nathanson – Show Me Your Fangs Maddie & Tae – Start Here Kelsea Ballerini – The First Time Josh Ritter – Sermon on the Rocks Will Hoge – Small Town Dreams Carly Rae Jepsen – Emotion Honorables: Eric Church – Mr. Misunderstood Sufjan Stevens – Carrie & Lowell Frank Turner – Positive Songs for Negative People Josh Abbott Band – Front Row Seat The Damnwells – The Damnwells David Ramirez – Fables William Clark Green – Ringling Road Cam - Untamed Death Cab for Cutie – Kintsugi Striking Matches – Nothing But The Silence Coldplay - A Head Full of Dreams Old Dominion – Meat and Candy The Maine – American Candy Glen Hansard - Didn't He Ramble Kip Moore - Wild Ones Mat Kearney - Just Kids Adele - 25 Ryan Culwell - Flatlands The Tallest Man on Earth - Dark Bird Is Home Third Eye Blind - Dopamine CHVRCHES - Every Open Eye Motion City Soundtrack - Panic Stations American Aquarium - Wolves Brett Eldredge - Illinois
Weird year for me, apparently. I really thought I listened to more music than this, especially because this is the year I finally dove into streaming. Even the albums I did listen to are rarely the bands' best work. 1. The Money Pit - The Money Pit I honestly like this album more than any Gatsby's album other than Volcano. One of my favorite voices in pop punk finally leans all the way into writing catchy choruses, then mixes them with self-aware old man angsty lyrics? I'm in! 2. Marianas Trench - Astoria 80s worship/pastiche that I don't love quite as strongly now as I did when it came out. But the songs are overall extremely strong here and I got to see the band live on this tour. I'd also like to use this space to say that my library had Ever After on the wrong year, or I would've added that in 2011 and it absolutely would've made top 3. 3. Kendrick Lamar - To Pimp a Butterfly My first Kendrick album! I remember cooking in my kitchen when I put this on for the first time and just being absolutely engrossed by it. I really wish each song didn't expand upon the poem/spoken word bit because it gets pretty annoying by the end, but this album rules and will likely always remain my favorite Kendrick album. Honorable Mentions Fall Out Boy - American Beauty/American Psycho I know this is where some people think FOB loses the plot, but I love this album. It's got a very spontaneous late summery feel to it and they successfully try a few new things. Twenty One Pilots - Blurryface Who didn't listen to this album in 2015?? I only gave it a few spins because everyone else was and it turns out to have some pretty good pop music mixed in with some very cringy moments ("gangsters don't cry, therefore I am misty eyed") Chris Stapleton - Traveller This album is WAY too long but has some absolute classics on it. Carly Rae Jepsen - Emotion This album is not as huge for me as it is to indie music Twitter, but it's cool to have a great pop album. The Maine - American Candy This is where I first started paying attention to the band. Half great, half ok, this definitely sets up the band for the greatness that would follow. You, Me, & Everyone We Know - Dogged EP Good songs! Catchy choruses! Marina & The Diamonds - Froot Probably the most fully realized Marina & The Diamonds album. I like the throwback/futuristic sound. Nate Ruess - Grand Romantic Even though I love a few individual tracks on this album, it hasn't really ever been anything but disappointing, mostly because of the potential left on the table. Frank Turner - Positive Songs For Negative People The last fully good Frank Turner album. IMO the cracks are beginning to show a bit here, but the energy more than makes up for it. Lord Huron - Strange Trails My favorite Lord Huron album is too long and a little meandering, but the hits hit. Others Cage the Elephant - Tell Me I'm Pretty This is where the band fully loses the plot. The album preceding this one is my favorite and then they work with Dan Auerbach for this album and shave off just about everything that made them interesting. Muse - Drones Some massive riffs here mixed in with the usual Muse schlock. Motion City Soundtrack - Panic Stations I have come around on this album a bit, but wow I was disappointed when it was released. The production kinda sucks and most of the songs are painfully straightforward compared to what this band was capable of. FIDLAR - Too Some anthems mixed in with some strange angry boi energy. "Punks" still rocks though. Mark Ronson - Uptown Special This is the nature of albums such as this, but some songs are incredible and some aren't. MUTEMATH - Vitals Another switch in sound, another good album.
1. Kendrick Lamar - To Pimp a Butterfly 2. Hop Along - Painted Shut 3. Jessica Pratt - On Your Own Love Again HM: Jeremih - Late Nights: The Album Suf - Carrie and Lowell Both Beach House records (TYLS is mad underrated) The Weeknd - Beauty Behind the Madness seems a bit over the top to say sneaky great for a year with TPAB and the late career Sufjan masterpiece, but sneaky phenomenal year WATTBA
1. Carly Rae Jepsen - Emotion 2. The World Is A Beautiful Place - Harmlessness 3. Earl Sweatshirt - I don't Like Shit, I don't go outside 4. Future - DS2 5. Turnover - Peripheral Vision 6. The Wonder Years - No Closer to Heaven 7. Grimes - Art Angels 8. Marietta - As It Were 9. Jeff Rosenstock - We Cool? 10. Vince Staples - Summertime 06 HM - Spraynard - Marble, Lil Peep - Part 1
2015. What a fun year for music. 1.The Front Bottoms - Back on Top 2. Turnover - Peripheral Vision 3. Foxing - Dealer Other good'ns: Chvrches - Every Open Eye All Get Out - Movement EP The Early November - Imbue Kendrick - To Pimp a Butterfly Hit the Lights - Summer Bones mewithoutYou - Pale Horses Pentimento - I, No Longer Rainbow Kitten Surprise - RKS Twenty One Pilots - Blurryface
Great year, honestly had a hard time picking a top 3: Turnover - Peripheral Vision This record was one of the few things in 2015 that really brought me joy. I was struggling hard with my mental health and college life was kicking my ass in a multitude of ways. Its a depressing record but these songs made me feel like I wasn't alone in the struggles I was facing at the time. Title Fight - Hyperview Like most, I didn't really 'get' Hyperview at first, but over time I really grew to appreciate this record especially looking back at it now with all the nostalgia around Title Fight. I honestly think Hyperview and Peripheral Vision were the two records that influenced me to dig into the realm of shoegaze, even if neither of the bands/records are explicitly shoegaze. Turnstile - Nonstop Feeling I wasn't as big on Turnstile back in 2015 as I am now but I'd say they were my gateway to a lot of hardcore/hardcore adjacent music. I got into TUI, Angel Du$t, Backtrack, and a bunch of other bands thanks to hearing this record. Its also fun to look back at this era of the band given how much they've blown up with Glow On. The Underachievers - Evermore: The Art of Duality Tame Impala - Currents Superheaven - Ours Is Chrome Foxing - Dealer Caravela - Caravela Forever Cloakroom - Further Out Citizen - Everybody is Going To Heaven
1. Carly Rae Jepsen - Emotion 2. Kendrick Lamar - To Pimp a Butterfly 3. The Wonder Years - No Closer To Heaven 3 5/5s for moi and pretty interchangeable.
1. Kendrick Lamar - To Pimp a Butterfly 2. Tame Impala - Currents 3. Sufjan Stevens - Carrie & Lowell ALSO The Wonder Years - No Closer To Heaven Jamie XX - In Colour Young Thug - Barter 6 Future - DS2 Jeff Rosenstock - We Cool? Drake - if you're reading this, it's too late Turnover - Peripheral Vision Deafheaven - New Bermuda Travis Scott - Rodeo Courtney Barnett - Sometimes I Sit and Think, Sometimes I Just Sit King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard - Paper Mache Dream Balloon Julien Baker - Sprained Ankle Between the Buried & Me - Coma Ecliptic Third Eye Blind - Dopamine Four Year Strong - Four Year Strong Foxing - Dealer The Maine - American Candy The Dear Hunter - Act IV: Rebirth in Reprise Motion City Soundtrack - Panic Stations Turnstile - Nonstop Feeling Death Cab For Cutie - Kintsurgi Leon Bridges - Coming Home State Champs - Around the World and Back The Weeknd - Beauty Behind the Madness All Time Low - Future Hearts The Early November - Imbue
1. Kacey Musgraves - Pageant Material 2. Spraynard - Mable 3. August Alsina - This Thing Called Life 4. Fetty Wap - Fetty Wap 5. J. Cole - Forest Hills Drive HM: Dr. Dre - Compton
1 Chvrches - Every Open Eye 2 Florence + The Machine - How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful 3 Carly Rae Jepsen - E•MO•TION 4 Kendrick Lamar - To Pimp A Butterfly 5 The Front Bottoms - Back On Top 6 Kacey Musgraves - Pageant Material 7 Desaparecidos - Payola 8 Tame Impala - Currents 9 The Money Pit - The Money Pit 10 Purity Ring - Another Eternity 11 Miguel - wildheart 12 Mutemath - Vitals 13 BØRNS - Dopamine 14 Grimes - Art Angels 15 Ryn Weaver - The Fool 16 Jeff Rosenstock - We Cool? 17 The Early November - Imbue 18 Alabama Shakes - Sound & Color 19 Good Old War - Broken Into Better Shape 20 Misterwives - Our Own House
It was really fucking good. I don’t think he has put out anything noteworthy since, but for a short while there he was on a wild run.
1. Carly Rae Jepsen - Emotion 2. MewithoutYou - Pale Horses 3. Murder by Death - Big Dark Love Ellie Goulding - Delirium Purity Ring - Another Eternity Baroness - Purple Madeon - Adventure Little Boots - Working Girl MS MR - How Does it Feel Chelsea Wolfe - Abyss Foals - What Went Down Chvrches - Every Open Eye Clutch - Psychic Warfare Grimes - Art Angels Turnover - Peripheral Vision Doomtree - All Hands Fox Capture Plan - Butterfly MisterWives - Our Own House Foxing - Dealer
1. Kendrick Lamar - To Pimp a Butterfly 2. Julien Baker - Sprained Ankle 3. The Early November - Imbue 4. Tame Impala - Currents 5. The Maine - American Candy 6. Carly Rae Jepsen - Emotion 7. Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds - Chasing Yesterday 8. Chvrches - Every Open Eye 9. Death Cab for Cutie - Kintsugi 10. Grimes - Art Angels 11. Drake - If You're Reading This, You're Too Late 12. Sara Bareilles - What's Inside: Songs from Waitress 13. Halsey - Badlands 14. Wolf Alice - My Love is Cool 15. Blur - The Magic Whip 16. Knuckle Pick - Copasetic 17. Justin Bieber - Purpose 18. Florence & The Machine - How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful 19. Passion Pit - Kindred 20. Hop Along - Painted Shut
This year is Carly Rae vs Kendrick. Who would have thought a pop and hip-hop album would be 1 & 2 fifteen years ago on AP? lol
1. Julien Baker - Sprained Ankle 2. Lord Huron - Strange Trails 3. Carly Rae Jepsen - Emotion Tough cuts to Brandon Flowers and Butch Walker. Sprained Ankle is my favorite album of the past ten years.
1. Julien Baker - Sprained Ankle 2. mewithoutYou - Pale Horses 3. The Oh Hellos - Dear Wormwood EPs All Get Out - Movement
1. Bring Me The Horizon - That's The Spirit 2. Tame Impala - Currents 3. Dustin Kensrue - Carry The Fire ------------------------------------- 4. Foals - What Went Down 5. My Morning Jacket - The Waterfall 6. Title Fight - Hyperview 7. Twenty One Pilots - Blurryface 8. Modest Mouse - Strangers to Ourselves 9. Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats - Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats 10. Clutch - Psychic Warfare 11. Eagles Of Death Metal - Zipper Down 12. Silversun Pickups - Better Nature 13. Kurt Vile - b'lieve i'm goin down... 14. Foxing - Dealer 15. Wilco - Star Wars 16. Hot Chip - Why Make Sense? 17. Turnover - Peripheral Vision 18. Atlas Genius - Inanimate Objects 19. CHVRCHES - Every Open Eye 20. Kuroma - Kuromarama Honorable Mention: Alabama Shakes - Sound & Color The Arcs - Yours, Dreamily, Baroness - Purple Belle and Sebastian - Girls In Peacetime Want To Dance Best Coast - California Nights Big Data - 2.0 Blur - The Magic Whip Cage The Elephant - Tell Me I'm Pretty Catfish and the Bottlemen - The Balcony Chris Stapleton - Traveller Coldplay - A Head Full of Dreams Courtney Barnett - Sometimes I Sit and Think, And Sometimes I Just Sit Dawes - All Your Favorite Bands Day Wave - Headcase EP Death Cab For Cutie - Kintsugi Deerhunter - Fading Frontier The Districts - A Flourish and a Spoil EL VY - Return To The Moon Eric Church - Mr. Misunderstood FIDLAR - Too Foo Fighters - Saint Cecilia EP Hippo Campus - Bashful Creatures / South Hop Along - Painted Shut Incubus - Trust Fall (Side A) EP Jason Isbell - Something More Than Free Joywave - How Do You Feel Now? Kendrick Lamar - To Pimp A Butterfly Leon Bridges - Coming Home Lonely The Brave - The Day's War Lord Huron - Strange Trails Mark Ronson - Uptown Special Motion City Soundtrack - Panic Stations The Mowgli's - Kids In Love Muse - Drones Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds - Chasing Yesterday Passion Pit - Kindred Scott Weiland & The Wildabouts - Blaster Skylar Spence - Prom King Small Black - Best Blues Smallpools - LOVETAP! Superheaven - Ours Is Chrome Third Eye Blind - Dopamine Turnstile - Nonstop Feeling Unknown Mortal Orchestra - Multi-Love Wavves / Cloud Nothings - No Life For Me The World Is A Beautiful Place... - Harmlessness Zac Brown Band - JEKYLL + HYDE Checking Out In Full for First Time (Artists' 2015 album): All Get Out All Time Low American Aquarium Ash Brandon Flowers Breaking Benjamin Butch Walker Citizen City and Colour Cloakroom Coheed and Cambria The Cribs Deafheaven The Dear Hunter The Decemberists Dinosaur Pile-Up Fall Out Boy Four Year Strong Frank Turner The Front Bottoms Gary Clark Jr. Good Old War Guster Highly Suspect Iron & Wine / Ben Bridwell Jeff Rosenstock JR JR Kruangbin King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard Knuckle Puck Local H The Maine mewithoutYou The Money Pit Mutemath Neck Deep Old Dominion Papa Roach Protomartyr Shinedown The Sidekicks Sorority Noise Spraynard Stereophonics The Story So Far Sublime With Rome The Sword Thee Oh Sees Torche Toro Y Moi The Weeknd White Reaper The Wombats The Wonder Years
Not a memorable year for me.... I had a lot going on personally, and listened to a lot less new music. Luckily 2016 was a big bounce back in my opinion.
1. Turnpike Troubadours - self titled 2. William clark Green - ringling road 3. Turnover - peripheral vision Excruciating cuts in no order: The Maine- American Candy All time low - future hearts Brian Fallon - Painkillers