My favorite playlist to make each year is the Top 100 Songs of 2015. Each song provides a sense of nostalgia as I rank the impact and importance of these tracks on me.

No genre made more of an impact this year than rap. From the lyrical to social to combative, the year’s best was in rap’s hands.

Let’s begin with the best rap song of the year: the lyrically ambidextrous “Mural,” a nine minute opus with 1,600 words, no chorus, no hook, just verse after verse of intricate yarns, puns, and flows that no other rapper but Lupe Fiasco could have made. None. (Check out my writeup earlier this year: here).

Then there’s Kendrick Lamar’s best song, “Alright,” a song written amongst the turmoil of violence upon the black community which became a rallying song for protests and a harbinger of hope. “Do you hear me? Do you feel me? We gon’ be alright.”

Finally, Drake destroyed Meek Mill’s year (and career, potentially) in under three minutes on the lean and mean “Back to Back.” This is the “Ether” of the aughts, the best diss track in years. (Check out my writeup earlier this year: here)

Speaking of Drake, he’s on FOUR tracks this year and for good reason. His album this year was one of the best, and he could not stop releasing amazing music as “Hotline Bling” would attest to as well as his collab with Future in It’s an Amazing Time To Be Alive. Listen to “Big Rings.” Not to mention, "Know Yourself," which has the best drop of the year. (Check my writeup of "Know Yourself here)

In a complete 180 degree turn of sounds, there’s Natalie Prass, my favorite musical Virginian, my favorite female singer/songwriter this year (a a very close second goes to Grimes. My favorite male singer/songwriters would be Father John Misty and then Sufjan!) who released beautifully sincere and delicate tracks amongst the swirls of an orchestra. Her feathery vocals remind me of a songbird and “Bird of Prey” is perfect to me. (Check my writeup on a musical journey with Natalie Prass here).

Speaking of sincere songs, Sujfan Stevens' "Fourth of July" is heartbreaking as is the whole album. (Check my writeup of this track here)

But I digress: I haven’t even spoken about my favorite song this year! “Let It Happen” by Tame Impala was the most stunning and original track of 2015. There was a ton of pressure on Kevin Parker to make a great album considering the monstrous success of his first two albums.

“Let It Happen” was the first release to the album (and the first track), and it’s melding of psychedelic reverb and electronic drum patterns over Parker’s dreamy vocals was a sound to lost in. It’s Tame Impala’s best song, and I’m continually amazed by this song. (Check out my other writeup on "Let It Happen" here.)

Tame Impala has two other songs (#13 and #17) gracing this playlist which are each in their own right amazing tracks. “The Less I Know The Better” weaves and winds like “Let It Happen” while “Yes I’m Changing” is a sexy departure for Tame Impala, a poppy panty dropper with Parker’s falsetto owning the climax.

The remainder of the playlist is littered with amazing bands and tracks that continually transported me to new places. A number of quick hits:

Mac Miller can no longer be scoffed at after these tracks. His new album was REALLY good. Seriously.
Will Joseph Cook and Hippo Campus are newcomers with some serious pop sensibilities that remind me of Vampire Weekend.
Alabama Shakes released an album (reviewed here) with memorable guitar licks, funk and soul, and vocals that would blow out windows. “Gimme All Your Love” combines them all.
Grimes is the weirdest singer/songwriter there is. Here songs are her own with nobody else getting in the way. She’s a jewel. Julia Holter and Empress Of also fit in this unique mold.
“Gunshowers” by Ghostface wins for best lyrical intro, hands down.
Cousin Stizz is one of the realest rappers out there. A sound with no ulterior motives. Vince Staples comes in second.
Mild High Cub wins for the most 60s acid-tripped jam
Martin Courtney (lead singer and guitarist for Real Estate) can do no wrong. His solo album was fantastic and “Airport Bar” is such a jam. But this album on play and let the time slide by.
Tobias Jesso Jr. wrote a simple ballad that always stuck in my head. It’s the chorus.
G-Eazy, one of Oakland’s finest, rapped his way onto the list. He’s a bit of a mix between Drake and Macklemore.
Some other writeups I did over the year of artists on this list: Leon Bridges, Drug Cabin, Lapsley, SOAK, Pond,

Top 100 Songs of 2015

1 Let It Happen – Tame Impala
2 Mural – Lupe Fiasco
3 Alright – Kendrick Lamar
4 Back To Back – Drake
5 Bird of Prey – Natalie Prass
6 REALiTi (Demo) – Grimes
7 Can't Feel My Face – The Weeknd
8 Fourth of July – Sufjan Stevens
9 Hotline Bling – Drake
10 Tennessee Whiskey – Chris Stapleton
11 Upside – Allen Stone
12 Know Yourself – Drake
13 Yes I'm Changing – Tame Impala
14 Dreamlove – The Bright Light Social Hour
15 The Blacker The Berry – Kendrick Lamar
16 When You're Smiling And Astride Me – Father John Misty
17 New Person, Same Old Mistakes – Tame Impala
18 Daisy Chains – Will Joseph Cook
19 My Baby Don't Understand Me – Natalie Prass
20 Clubhouse – Mac Miller
21 Little Grace – Hippo Campus
22 Gimme All Your Love – Alabama Shakes
23 They.Resurrect.Over.New. – Lupe Fiasco, Ab-Soul
24 Compound Fracture – My Morning Jacket
25 Often – The Weeknd
26 Gunshowers – Ghostface Killah
27 Rush Hour – Mac Miller
28 Tongues – Joywave, KOPPS
29 coffee – Miguel
30 Sapphire – Drug Cabin
31 No Bells – Cousin Stizz
32 Don't Wanna Fight – Alabama Shakes
33 Should Have Known Better – Sufjan Stevens
34 Sea Creatures – SOAK
35 So Good – Tuxedo
36 Street Punks – Vince Staples
37 I Know There's Gonna Be (Good Times) – Jamie xx
38 Trust – Half Moon Run
39 Duplex Planet – Deerhunter
40 Big Rings – Drake, Future
41 Falling Short – Låpsley
42 Black Moss – Johanna Warren
43 No Other Heart – Mac Demarco
44 Standard – Empress Of
45 Velvet Ditch – The Arcs
46 Feeling Ok – Best Coast
47 Giudecca – Ghost Culture
48 The Ideal Husband – Father John Misty
49 Nostalgia (RAC Mix) – RAC, Doe Paoro
50 Wild Motion (Set It Free) – Miami Horror
51 Cold Tears – AM & Shawn Lee
52 Calling Out – Penguin Prison
53 Breaker – Deerhunter
54 Slipping Away – Tanlines
55 Say – C. Duncan
56 White Iverson – Post Malone
57 Canal St. – A$AP Rocky, Bones
58 World Princess part II – Grimes
59 Heatwave – Wild Ones
60 Feel You – Julia Holter
61 Foreign Fields – Kacy Hill
62 Elvis' Flaming Star – Pond
63 Everything In Twos – The Sidekicks
64 Bank Rolls - Remix – Tate Kobang
65 Marks To Prove It – The Maccabees
66 Riverman – Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds
67 Drag – Day Wave
68 Airport Bar – Martin Courtney
69 The Emotion – BØRNS
70 Fool for Love – Lord Huron
71 Window Pane – Mild High Club
72 Atlantic Postcard – Holydrug Couple
73 Without You – Tobias Jesso Jr.
74 Let Me Down – The Staves
75 Countdown – Consequence, Lupe Fiasco
76 Perfect Couples – Belle & Sebastian
77 Random – G-Eazy
78 Ricochet – Strange Names
79 Mistakes Like This – Prelow
80 Surreal Exposure – Ducktails
81 10 Times – Freddie Gibbs, Gucci Mane, E-40
82 Molasses – Hiatus Kaiyote
83 The Dualist – The Underachievers
84 Slumlord – Neon Indian
85 Dancing On Glass – St. Lucia
86 Dreams – Beck
87 Anna – Will Butler
88 Rain Or Shine – Young Fathers
89 dust hymn – Purity Ring
90 Huarache Lights – Hot Chip
91 Genghis Khan – Miike Snow
92 Roll Up Your Sleeves – Meg Mac
93 Check – Young Thug
94 Seeds – Moses Sumney
95 Bollywood – Patrick Watson
96 Giant Peach – Wolf Alice
97 Coming Home – Leon Bridges
98 Surface Envy – Sleater-Kinney
99 Skeletons – Trails and Ways
100 All Yours – Widowspeak