The Best Music I Discovered in 2015
It’s time for my annual best of ____ post where I talk about all my favorite entertainment products I watched over the last year. There were a ton of great things to come out in 2015, so I’m going to split them into three separate posts:
- The Best TV Shows of 2015
- The Best Movies of 2015
- The Best Music I Discovered in 2015 (you’re already here)
- The Best Games of 2015
I won’t be ranking them with numbers, but I will point out a “Top Pick” for each category that can be considered #1. I’ll also do my best to describe everything in a way that I can narrow down who would likely enjoy each one. Enjoy!
Spotify & Stuff
As always, I’ll use Spotify to link tracks and albums. I’m still very happy with it and would recommend it to anyone that is sick of trying to sync their music across multiple services. Sorry if you use another service, but the titles and artists should help you find them elsewhere.
I swear I’m not paid by Spotify to push their app. I just like following my friends on there and seeing what they listen to. The more of you I can connect with the more options I have. I also love how easy it is to share tracks with people using simple URLs. Much better than YouTube links.
If you like my taste in music, you can find all of these and more in my Best of 2015 playlist on Spotify. You can also copy/subscribe to any of my playlists:
- Latest Stuff
I update this list on a weekly basis usually. I trim out songs I’m sick of hearing and filter them into the other lists if they’re keepers. I keep ones I still like, but I try to cut myself off before it starts getting played out. If you want to hear my vibe of music quickly (before I have much chance to curate it), then this is a great place to start. Otherwise, roll into the Best ofs or other playlists below. - Best of 2014
I put last year’s list together all at once in December. I added 2015’s tracks as the year progressed, to improve my selection process. The same will be the case for… - Best of 2016
This one is just beginning, obviously. I usually start throwing songs in there around February or March, but it’s a good place to look for a more filtered down version of the Latest Stuff list. - Best of the Best
This list is huge and could probably use some trimming. I’ll get on that eventually. In recent years, I’ve just been dropping my Best of [YEAR] lists into it. - Chill
This is probably my most frequently listened-to playlist other than Latest Stuff. I still sometimes do the hard rock, but anyone that’s seen my last 3+ years of music taste can probably tell I’ve mellowed out a lot. - Chill+
Just like the above list, minus lyrics/vocals. This is a great list for reading, writing, or coding without too much distraction. It’s also what I listen to when I play League of Legends ranked. It helps me stay un-tilted. - Cyberpunk
Anything over the top on the electronica end, but with some grit to it. This is a guilty pleasure playlist with all kinds of tracks that inspire a re-watching of Blade Runner. - ElectroPop
I made this list to fill it with the songs I’ve heard more of lately that don’t really fit into Pop, Electronica, or Indie music. Think M83, Madeon, NERO. Not sure if I’ll keep this one going or not, since it’s new this year. - Energy
Get hype. Great for gaming, working out, or waking up. - Epic
This is what I listen to while I play games with cruddy sound. If the music is cruddy but the voice overs and sound effects aren’t, I listen to its little sister Epic (Instrumental). - Happy
When selecting songs for this list I try to picture myself singing them out loud in the shower or car. - Moody
I can’t help it, I love emo music, even before I knew the word. Anyone who knew me in high school knows I loved me some black band t-shirts. This is a playlist I listen to when I’m quietly raging at work. - Moody (Instrumental)
Same as above, but with no songs that have clear lyrics. Good in the above mood and for when I want to read without distraction. - Party
Similar to the Happy list, this is the playlist I play at parties. Go ahead and judge me, but our parties coast on our quality of food, drink, and company. - Sexy
These are my least-used playlists (it’s rarely premeditated), but they’ve been great on those few occasions. I keep one for High Energy and another for the more Slow Stuff. - Techno
Electro? Electronica? Eh. Almost everything I listen to has electronic elements in it. This is where I put the stuff that’s almost entirely electronic or dance music.
Where do you find new music, Corry?
That’s a great question, me. I use Spotify for 95% of it. I listen to my Discover Weekly playlists, I use the Last.fm add-on sometimes, I follow my favorite artists there, and I watch my friends feed for people that I have similar tastes with. The other 5% comes from stuff my friends post on social media or from movies/shows/videos I hear them on.
Hey! Some of these songs came out before 2015!
Yea, most of them usually do. That’s why I named the article The Best Music I Discovered in 2015 instead of The Best Music of 2015. Most of them usually come out within the previous 2-3 years, but there are some standouts too. Sorry if this messes up your music organization scheme, but this is how I listen.
Best Albums of 2015
These actually did come out in or near 2015.
Kill the Flaw by Sevendust
KTF is the best album Sevendust has released since Animosity. If you know them and love their old stuff, give their latest a shot.
Adventure by Madeon
Madeon is proving to be one of the best young artists out there, and he’s capitalizing fantastically on the modern age of online music. Nonsense is the most catchy song on here, but the whole album is solid.
Delirium by Ellie Goulding
I know she’s super played out on the radio, but I don’t listen to the radio. When I can listen to Ellie Goulding whenever I want to (and not the same song every 40 minutes), she’s got some great stuff.
I’m Sorry (You’re Welcome) by Eugene Mirman
The first set of tracks are a normal, hilarious comedy album. The rest is unbridled nonsense, which I loved. You probably won’t listen to the nonsense more than once, and you might skip some parts, but I laughed stupidly loud at some of those tracks on my commute.
Best Songs I Discovered in 2015
I’m not going to list every single entry here, so you can check out my Best of 2015 playlist here for all the rest. These are the ones I felt shined the brightest. These are in no particular order, so just browse and try the ones you think you might like.
Fingers Never Bleed by Yeasayer
Tidal Wave by Sub Focus, Alpines
Forever by Mystery Skulls
Can’t Speak by Netsky, Metrik, Stealth
Walking Dead by Z-Trip, Chester Bennington
Wonder by Adventure Club (feat. Kite String Tangle)
Heartbeat (We Just Bought a Guitar Mix) by Nneka
The Thrill by NERO
Klapp Klapp by Little Dragon
Final Call by Koven
Addicted to a Memory by Zedd, Bahari
DLZ by TV on the Radio
Lullabies (Adventure Club Remix) by Yuna
The Great Divide (Seven Lions Remix) by Velvetine
A friend shared this track with me. Thanks DJ!
https://open.spotify.com/track/2A7Y6Q3EkKEz9Eq8ccMMPy
Becoming Harmonious by The Glitch Mob (feat. Metal Mother)
Bug Eyes by Dredg
Five Hours (Don’t Hold Me Back) by Deorro
IFUCKINGLOVEYOU by Big Black Delta
Rocket In The Sky by Benny Benassi
Telepathy by Crosses
Volatile Times (US Version) by IAMX
Hell of a Night by Schoolboy Q
This is one of the many great tracks I pulled from the Mr. Robot soundtrack (best TV Show of 2015). I definitely recommend checking out the show, but you can start with this and the track after it if you want.
Two Weeks by FKA Wings
Another great track from Mr. Robot, especially considering the scene it’s in.
Husbands by Savages
When this song played in the credits of Ex Machina (best Movie of 2015), I had to go find it. It’s a bit more punk than I generally swing, but it’s definitely catchy.
In My Mind by M86, Susie Q
My favorite movie from last year — John Wick — came in late, so I didn’t pick up the soundtrack until this year.
What was the best music you discovered in 2015?
Let me know on social media, and feel free to make suggestions for me to check out as well. I know my tastes aren’t exactly like anyone else’s but I still like to hear new things!