I don't know how to put 2015 music into a single word. Overrated? Dominated by straights? That's every year. Fortunately, a decent amount of the songs I've picked don't contribute to this hot mess (I Spy with my little eye... females!). That doesn't mean there isn't overlap, but I can assure you there is more than 1 female in my top 10 :) Some songs are from the end of 2014 also so please forgive me (they were either more popular in 2015 or too late to judge as a 2014 song).
Public Service Announcement: if you are one of those kinds of people who worships Bieber or The Weeknd, follows Common White Girl on Twitter or Snapchats me your Starbucks cups every week, I wouldn't go past this mark. But regardless, I think you should give some of these songs a chance (a Bieber song shows up on my Honorable Mentions [which I will hyperlink to when I finish]).
Some songs will be guilty pleasures that I would feel guilty enough to not include (#50), some will be genuinely good songs you see on the Billboard list, some are very questionable (#50), some you have heard, some you haven't heard (#50), just go with it. You might not like one song but you could love the next.
HERE WE GO.
(here's the Spotify playlist by the way, going from 50-1 and then into the Honorable Mentions)
MY TOP 50 POP SONGS OF 2015
only putting this image here so it will be icon when I share this on facebook
#50: Scream - Keri Hilson
Keri Hilson hasn't really done much in a while. But this "accidentally" leaked track this year was actually pretty solid. It's basically her own "Body Party." You won't find this on the Spotify playlist I made because Keri refuses to officially release anything but enjoy it anyways.
#49: War Paint - FLETCHER
Fletcher is new to the pop scene this year but this song made her stand out for all the right reasons. That sounds kind of weird and cheesy, but just listen to the song.
Kind of a weird pick that doesn't really fit in with the rest of the crowd here. But it's unique and strange and I liked that. Plus it has a beat drop, and as a vine watcher, you can't go wrong with those.
Remember Dev? I promise this isn't 2012. The Dev version isn't on the Spotify playlist as it's not on Spotify, but I put the Hailee Steinfeld (apparently she is singing now?) version instead.
#46: Magic (feat. Brandy and Nile Rodgers) - Mystery Skulls
Bet you never thought you'd see Brandy on this list :)
#45: Unpredictable - Celeste Buckingham
Probably one of the more generic pop songs on this list and not nearly as good as Run Run Run but still a solid song from an unrecognized artist.
#44: What You Don't Do - Lianne La Havas
More R&B slanted than Pop but I liked it enough to put it on here.
#43: Roads - Lawson
More generic than others which is why it's so early on the list but I like how this song starts and ends completely. It definitely doesn't linger on and you know when it's done. Basically, from start to finish it's fun and interesting and that's what I appreciate about it.
#42: Devil (feat. Busta Rhymes, B.o.B and Neon Nitch) - Cash Cash
I can't tell if Busta Rhymes is having fun or not, but I'll go with it.
ADMIT IT, THIS SONG MADE YOU FEEL SOMETHING IN 2015.
Another Fletcher entry (her last), and a lot of people like War Paint more than this, but I appreciate how simple and sweet this song is. I listened to it way more times than War Paint and I think it's better, so here it is.
Originally intended for Sam Smith (go away), I'm so glad it was given to her instead.
#38: Keep It Movin' (feat. Serayah and Yazz) - Empire Cast
You can hear Timbaland's blood, sweat and tears into this song and it's great. I don't just love Timbaland because he's Keri Hilson's mentor, but he's a great artist/producer, and Empire made a good decision making him their supervising music producer.
Probably has one of the best hooks on a song this year.
#36: Runnin' (Lose It All) [feat. Beyoncé and Arrow Benjamin] - Naughty Boy
I think Naughty Boy was the one in on the twitter beef with One Direction? Who cares honestly.
Very 2014 but they weren't very popular at all then, and since their album came out in October 2014 I'm just counting it as this year. But don't let my bias cloud the song!
Sometimes David Guetta gets it right.
#33: Biscuit - Ivy Levan
Ivy Levan was certainly one of the weirder artists to grow popularity in 2015, but look at her music video's aesthetic and tell me you won't remember it for a while.
#32: Expensive (feat. Daye Jack) - Tori Kelly
It was hard to go on Billboard.com this year without seeing Tori Kelly's name in headlines (the most obvious sponsorship pairing since CBS and white supremacy), but this was one of the songs of which I felt she earned her newfound popularity.
#31: Your Type - Carly Rae Jepsen
The extra 40 seconds at the beginning of the video are worth it for having one of the best music videos and albums of 2015. Carly Rae Jepsen truly owned 2015 and this is not the last time you will see her on this list.
You tell me a more empowering song to walk down the streets of Boston to.
#29: XO - Kelsea Ballerini
A perfect blend of Country and Pop. This is what Taylor Swift was trying to be in 2012.
#28: Painkiller (feat. Meghan Trainor) - Jason Derulo
THEY SING EACH OTHER'S NAMES AT THE BEGINNING. How can any pop fan not love that???
Would be higher if not overplayed and energized with Bruno Mars' personality.
I was told that Christian Rock isn't really my thing but ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Poot escaped just to hear this song.
#24: Walk - Kwabs
How is he not more famous yet?
#23: Bitch I'm Madonna (feat. Nicki Minaj) - Madonna
The best beat drop of 2015. Unfortunately, every time I play this at parties people yell at me to turn it off before I can get to it.
#22: Blind Heart (feat. Terri B) - CAZZETTE
A more generic pop/electronic song from this year but it should've been more popular.
A great song from two people I don't think are that great.
Straights: I feel like you would like this?
I decided to reward something Chris Brown did in 2015, so it's a pretty good track.
An underrated slow bop, and I think this song proves why Ivy has one of the strongest voices in pop right now.
Unfortunately, it's good. Probably her best. sigh
#16: Pity Party - Melanie Martinez
It somehow samples a song from THE 60s (from Queen Lesley Gore) and manages to be very original.
#15: I'll Be Fine - Molly Pettersson
It's from a Swedish Euro competition but just go with it. This also isn't on the Spotify playlist I made but one of her similar sounding songs to this is there as well.
#14: Conqueror - Estelle
This is the original but will still always be better than the shitty Empire version with the shitty Jussie Smollett voice whining over it.
Ella Henderson is one of my favorite new artists of the year but she seems to have disappeared. Oh well. This isn't on the Spotify playlist as it wasn't included on the US release of the album, which to me makes no sense because it's the best on there! Oh well.
#12: Jealous [Remix] (feat. Tinashé) - Nick Jonas
THE SWEARING + TINASHE MAKE THIS SONG GREAT.
A rare ballad for a countdown categorized by catchy hooks.
#10: Crazy Ass Bitch - Rozzi Crane
A gender-bending song that gets everything right.
I'm going to sound like a broken record here again, but this song resolves itself quite nicely and gives the end a great build-up.
How could something that comes out of someone related to Rob Schneider sound so... good?
#7: I Really Like You - Carly Rae Jepsen
One of the best music videos of 2015 and a perfect song to usher us into her new sound.
I'll probably regret not putting this higher in the future, but all of the Top 5 songs have something more special to them to me. But this song is a BOP.
#5: Yoga - Janelle Monáe & Jidenna
The only thing not putting this song higher is her chanting "AREOLA" in the song. Otherwise, <3
#4: Walkashame - Meghan Trainor
What a special, original, catchy song where we don't see that kind of honesty from a woman much. People can say what they want about my problematic fave, but in the music industry, guys say way more worse things about women, but we don't hear enough about that. So leave Meghan alone until you complain about almost every other male in the business please :)
Little Mix is probably my favorite girl group of the decade so far and with good reason. The rest of the songs on their album aren't eligible for this year because they came out too late, but I think for sure if I post this again next year, you can expect to see them again ;)
#2: Making the Most of the Night - Carly Rae Jepsen
The Queen of 2015 gets her highest earned spot with the without-a-doubt best song on her album. This song is exceptionally produced, gripping, and a career highlight. What song could possibly trump this?
You probably haven't heard of #1, but know this is a complete first for me.
Look at my favorite songs from the past 10 years:
2005 - 1, 2 Step (feat. Missy Elliott) - Ciara
2006 - Promiscuous (feat. TImbaland) - Nelly Furtado
2007 - Fergalicious (feat. Will.i.am) - Fergie
2008 - 4 Minutes (feat. Justin Timberlake & Timbaland) - Madonna
2009 - Knock You Down (feat. Kanye West & Ne-Yo) - Keri Hilson
2010 - Telephone - Lady Gaga & Beyoncé
2011 - Pretty Girl Rock - Keri Hilson
2012 - Everybody Talks - Neon Trees
2013 - Do What U Want (feat. R Kelly) - Lady Gaga
2014 - Problem (feat. Iggy Azalea) - Ariana Grande
All mainstream-ish chart toppers.
This year I did something different.
#1: California Winter - Bonnie McKee
This year, my favorite song of the year, is a Christmas song that came out in December 2014. But my god, this song earned its spot. I have been listening to it non-stop since last year. I listened to it during the summer. To me, you won't find a catchier, dynamic song this year than this, and this is way more than just a Holiday piece. It has different stages of it that all come together to make a perfectly catchy pop song, and I think this is well earned, because if any of you know Bonnie McKee, she is behind some major hits in the industry (as a writer--unfortunately a lot are for Katy Perry, but whatever, she knows how to make a hit). Charlie Puth (singer/writer of See You Again and Marvin Gaye from this year) also co-wrote this and made the good decision not to sing on it too (I can't stand his voice). Basically, everything about this song is perfect and I couldn't be happier/prouder to honor it as my favorite song of the year. To anyone who feels like they wasted their time with this countdown: fuck you, this is amazing.
Thanks to anyone who read/listened to this all the way through, or even just a part of it. I've made a Spotify playlist for all of the songs (including Honorable Mentions) if you want to take it with you. If you want to hate my pop music taste forever, that's cool too (fuck yourself). It's my opinion. Send me your list!
Bye
