Albums make music permanent. Albums are the story to the chapters, the theme of so many thoughts. Albums are what make songs something more.

This year has provided so many albums - to the tune of 1,457 artists, 6,426 songs, and 100 thousand minutes of music that I’ve listened. And I listened to and loved nothing more than Tame Impala’s Currents.

As I wrote in my album review, Currents is a wonderfully freeing musical expression and acknowledgement of adaptation for the sake of Parker and no others. One of the coolest things I noted was that Currents is so different than its two top notch predecessors, yet it eclipses both.

"Yes, I'm changing," Kevin Parker sweetly serenades the critics, haters, and trolls, "Yes, I'm gone / Yes, I'm older / Yes, I'm moving on / And if you don't think it's a crime / you can come along with me / Life is moving / can't you see?"

My love for Natalie Prass is evident if you read this blog. It all started because of her debut album. I did not write a review, I just enjoyed the many, many instruments and Prass' vocals delicately absorbing the wind and strings to harmonize above it all.

It’s been the best year in rap in many many years. Six rappers made it onto my list, and three of them - Drake, Lupe Fiasco, Kendrick Lamar - in the top six! Each album was completely different.

Kendrick Lamar released the most critically acclaimed album this year by all measures. The best tracks - Alright, King Kunta, The Blacker the Berry, Wesley’s Theory, How Much A Dollar Cost - were as a whole better than both Lupe Fiasco and Drake’s best tracks from their respective albums. My one critique of the album was that it went off the walls at times and lost me. Every track was not great on this album, so I don't think it's a "classic" rap album but a very deep and layered album for an unbelievable discography to date.

Lupe Fiasco had the craziest concept album this year. The album was about the birth, death, and resurrection of Christ and was supposed to be played backwards from track 16 to 1. Read this, it's wild!

And what more can anyone say about Drake? He's taken Kanye's throne as the King of Rap. I LOVED the stark and somber IYRTITL - the beats and pace of the whole album took me multiple listens to adjust to and appreciate, but once I was through that, the sound stuck with me all year.

Two other things for the rap fans out there: 1) listen to Cousin Stizz (Album was #20 here). He is the real deal with a sound all his own. Nothing sounds contrived, over-produced, or fake. He just sounds like him which is what made that album so unique. Look out for this guy. 2) Listen to the Mac Miller album. Stop hating on him because he made rap that got super popular when he was younger. This album shows how good he is and why Schoolboy Q, Juicy J, Ab-Soul, Chief Keef, and Miguel were on this album!

Father John Misty released an album of finally finding love and dealing with all of the good and bad involved. I wrote up an album review here.

In summary of the rest of the albums, there will always be catchy Electro-Pop (Borns, Purity Ring, Miami Horror) to make me dance, somber singer/songwriters (Sufjan Stevens, C. Duncan, The Staves) to hibernate with, rockers and indie darlings (Deerhunter, The Arcs, Foals, My Morning Jacket, The Sidekicks, Pond, Widowspeak) to jam out to, and rappers (Drake, A$AP Rocky, Cousin Stizz) to love blasting in your car.

Instead of regurgitating what I’ve already written about many of these albums, I direct you to my reviews!

#13 - The Arcs - Yours, Dreamily

#16 - A$AP Rocky - AT.LONG.LA$T.A$AP

#21 - My Morning Jacket - The Waterfall

Not Ranked - Alabama Shakes - Sound & Color

And finally, thank you for reading. If you supported me, thank you. This blog has been a labor of love, something I've put my heart and soul into. I'm really happy I've been doing this, and I'm really happy a few people are tuning in. Till next year!

Top 25 Albums of 2015

1. Tame Impala - Currents
2. Natalie Prass - Natalie Prass
3. Kendrick Lamar - To Pimp A Butterfly
4. Drake - If You’re Reading This It’s Too Late
5. Father John Misty - I Love You, Honeybear
6. Lupe Fiasco - Tetsuo & Youth
7. Grimes - Artangels
8. Sufjan Stevens - Carrie & Lowell
9. The Weeknd - Beauty Behind the Madness
10. Foals - What Went Down
11. Borns - Dopamine
12. Mac Miller - GO:OD AM
13. The Arcs - Yours, Dreamily
14. The Staves - If I Was
15. Deerhunter - Fading Frontier
16. A$AP Rocky - AT.LONG.LA$T.A$AP
17. Martin Courtney - Many Moons
18. C. Duncan - Architect
19. The Sidekicks - Runners In The Nerved World
20. Cousin Stizz - Suffolk County
21. My Morning Jacket - The Waterfall
22. Purity Ring - another eternity
23. Miami Horror - All Possible Futures
24. Pond - Man It Feels Like Space Again
25. Widowspeak - All Yours