Top 10 Best Songs 2015

10. The Hills, The Weeknd

The music video for the year’s darkest No. 1 single finds 25-year-old Abel Tesfaye a.k.a. the Weeknd pulling himself out of a smoking car wreck. It’s a fitting visual, as listening to his twisted brand of R&B can feel like rubbernecking when he brags about dysfunctional relationships and being on so many drugs that getting high feels like decaf. Yet the song’s throbbing bass and Tesfaye’s horror-movie vocal delivery make the song, like some accidents, hard to turn away from. 

9. Hotline Bling Drake

If drunk-texting your ex after stalking his or her Instagram had an official theme song, this would be it. The Toronto rapper’s fizzy hit arrived too late to be the year’s song of the summer, but thanks to covers by everyone from Justin Bieber to Sufjan Stevens, it may come to define 2015 nonetheless—and perhaps this election cycle too. The song’s meme-ready video was spoofed by Donald Trump on Saturday Night Live and inspired a fake Bernie Sanders parody from Ellen Degeneres. If that’s not a sign of pop’s ability to unite the masses, what is?—Nolan Feeney

8. I Really Like You - Carly Rae Jepsen

I like this song because it's cheesy and catchy. Yes I like Carly Rae Jepsen because her songs are cheesy and catchy. 

I really want to stop but I just love this song

7. Adele, “When We Were Young”

Pop’s old soul goes full Bette Midler, with a welcome dash of “Piano Man’s” dive-bar pathos thrown in for good measure. Suffice to say, the next round’s on her.

6. The Weeknd, “Can’t Feel My Face”

An infectious bassline that trembles like a rubber pencil propels an ex-underground R&B lothario’s triumphant transformation from neo-Prince to neo-MJ.

5. Carly Rae Jepsen, “Run Away With Me”

Reader, he called her. Definitely. And then she went and made this soaring, sophisticated, saxophone-kissed ode to the post-crush feeling.

4. Fetty Wap, “Trap Queen”


Cooking crack never sounded so romantic before Fetty Wap hey-what’s-up-hello’ed out of nowhere and gifted the world with this undeniable anthem.

3. Mark Ronson featuring Bruno Mars, “Uptown Funk”

“Uptown Funk” will be played at every wedding reception you attend for the rest of your life, and its opening notes will fill you with neither embarrassment nor dread. By the most reliable rubric, then, “Uptown Funk” is a great pop song.

2.Madonna, "Ghosttown"

Even in a great year for pop music, Madonna is still the queen. The power ballad off her March album Rebel Heart was a more classic pop turn for the singer after the house hit "Living for Love" and trap digression of "Bitch I'm Madonna." On the massive, romantic track, the singer tackles both world issues and a reflection of self. Even though the single didn't crack the Billboard Hot 100, it still topped the dance charts and showcased one of the singer's vocal performances.



1. Adele, "Hello"

Adele's comeback to music following a break from the spotlight for a couple of years was one of 2015's most triumphant returns. The singer was met with open and loving arms by the public as she first teased single "Hello" during a TV ad and later dropped the soaring, emotional ballad just weeks later. Her third LP, 25, continues to break records, having sold over 3 million copies in its first week alone.