Music Best Songs of 2015 - The Playlist

Saccopoo · 09-09-2016, 01:06 AM

Disclaimer: There is no Kendrick Lamar on this list. While the timely social importance of “To Pimp A Butterfly” can be argued ad nauseam (and it already has), it’s not an enjoyable listen. There is also no Kayne, Pharrell Williams, or Rhianna who have tossed their lot onto the pile of “collaborators extraordinaire” along with artists such as Tony Bennett and Bono, who’ve happily whored themselves out for any side project possible. Musical versions of Jason Statham, if you will.

This list was compiled as a playlist rather than bunch of songs thrown together from the myriad of hipster “best of” lists. It was intended to be a hour long cohesive entity that was devoid of criticizing or lauding specific genres. The songs that are on here are here because they are the best songs I heard in 2015 and they appear in specific order because they work that way within the context of a singular playlist. The first song isn’t the best and the last isn’t the worst. They are all fantastic in their own right.

So, without further ramblings, I give you the Best Songs of 2015 – The Playlist.

1. Fantastic Negrito – “Lost In A Crowd”

Once you hear Fantastic Negrito, particularly the stellar “Lost In A Crowd,” you start asking who the hell this is and why haven’t I heard of him before? It’s one of the most fascinating stories in music of 2015. https://www.wired.com/2015/09/7-stor...astic-negrito/

There is an honesty to the music. A lack of bullshit from years of bullshit. Call it maturity, call it wisdom. This is where we all hope to be when it finally hits and we want to leave a mark.

Xavier Dphrepaulezz’s sledgehammer vocals just pound it out right from the start. Within seconds you are shaking your head back and forth, knowing exactly nothing but feeling the deep base emotions that start to well up inside you. Then, at the 1:50 minute mark some form of mysterious pop appears to calm your sudden fascination with sex, or throwing shit across the room or invading Britan, only to be hurled back into the maelstrom seconds later by those driving drums and vocals. Brilliant. Right after I heard this song, I started looking for concert dates.

2. Chris Cornell – “Nearly Forgot My Broken Heart”

Honestly, I’ve been relatively apathetic about post Soundgarden Cornell. For no reason really - Temple of the Dog, Audioslave,a solid solo career, periodic appearances of fronting Rage Against the Machine, and a James Bond movie theme song thrown in for good measure. Pretty freaking great, no? Yep. And it’s always just been “meh” for me. But it wasn’t until this song that I truly appreciated his talents. So many elements pulled together, the least of which is Cornell’s trademarked power screech that is unequalled in rock. And then you throw in that mandolin, and the power rhythm section, the strings, the big hook and, finally, that sick ass warbling Telecaster. Damn. This is everything I wanted and expected from Cornell 20+ years ago.

3. The Answer - “Strange Kind of Nothing”
As a friend recently described – “Very pretty. I miss my mom.” Another said after I linked it to her, “what is it that you want from me?” It’s emotionally powerful and layered and probably way too cool for the American market. Shame, because this is truly a great song from a great band.

4. Beck – “Dreams”
IMO, Beck has proven himself to be the best musician in the world over the past 30 years. Nothing he touches is less that fantastic whether he’s singing it, playing all the instruments, producing it, mastering it, whatever. Beck is a genius. Dreams is a functional 180 from what was hands down the best album of 2014 - “Morning Phase.” However, “Dreams” came out of nowhere in 2015 as a singular, stand alone work of complexity. There aren’t many musicians who could have put out a complete album like Morning Phase and then wake up and say “Let’s do something completely different but equally brilliant. Beck can, and has.

5. The Amazing – “Picture You”
A two part rock operatic – the first beingethereal male vocals (don’t hear that much, do you?) over a swirling pop haze. The second comes on in an immediate change to a singular guitar followed by a driving bass line and shimmering high single note and chord guitar work which eventually leads into a Mogwai-esque finale that collapses into minimalistic nothing.

6. Highly Suspect – “Lydia”
Just when you thought you shelved that air guitar, mic, bass and drum this magnificence of rock throws it all back at you out of the closet. Wickedly smart lyrics, a hammering bass and drums along with power chord guitars. Voted as the best rock song of 2015 by Loudwire and also received two Grammy nominations (where they were basically ignored). A phenomenal accompanying video is a real bonus, which was, amazingly, shot in one take (which blows your mind after watching it).

7. Lana Del Rey – “Feak”
A deep growling bass brings this whispering ballad into the dirty. Sexy and wrong in all the right ways. Del Rey is for real whether she wants you to be a part of it or not.

8. A Light Within – “World Through The Window”

Expansive and powerful. This is post rock, alt metal brilliance. I think that I’ve listened to this song more than any other song over the past two years. (Checks the play count – yep – not even close.) This song just speaks to me. It lightly touches when it needs to, it slams into you like a locomotive when you need it most and then brings you back into it’s dark embrace. The vocals (yes, real vocals in a metal song!!!) are amazing as is the steallar musicianship. Production is superb. Everything is exactly where it should be moment it needs to be.

https://soundcloud.com/alwaudio/4-pa...ld-through-the

9. Allison Moorer – "Down To Believing”
Tuth be told, I’ve had a massive crush on Allison for years. I still believe that the alt-country diva’s marriage to Steve Earle was a fictional sham that happily(at least to me) resulted in divorce in 2014. (Still waiting for my phone to ring and have her ask me out on a date.) Regardless of my heartbreak and then subsequent elation, her 2015 release “Down To Believing” was one of the best albums of the year and contained one of the best songs of the year in the title track. So much emotion and feeling and it's all honest and heartfelt. It's what every songwriter/singer strives for.

10. Drenge – “Have You Forgotten My Name?”
I really don’t even get into post rock that much and, yet, here is the second of such on my best of list. (Well, it’s actually hard to define Drenge. Post rock, alt metal, grunge prog – In reality, put them all in a blender, frappe, dump it into a cocktail shaker with some ice, shake vigorously, pour it into a highball glass and you have Drenge.

11. Sufjan Stevens – “Should Have Known Better”
A Great album and an even better song from alt rock hero Stevens. Although I think he should have wrote “Cool as an Oregon Breeze” versus “Bright as an…”, but I’ll forgive him for an otherwise brilliant song. It’s gotten me laid twice recently. That’s a great song in my book.

12. Adele – “Hello”
The first piano note tells you this is going to be something special, and then the prose-ish vocals hold you until the bomb goes off. Holy hell. If a voice is a weapon, Adele has a nuclear warhead at her command. After one listen, you will never forget the refrain for as long as you live. Whatever else happens in the song, it doesn’t matter. In fact, as an example, at the 3:35 mark, the main vocals virtually disappear and are filled in with a repetitive, inconsequential backing lyricals that you just start to notice until twenty seconds later, when your face gets completely smashed in by that sledgehammer of emotion and power and desire and wanting and love that is Adele.

You had me at hello.

Silock · 09-09-2016, 02:14 AM

2015? or 2016?

This makes my list of this year.

Coochie liquor · 09-09-2016, 03:42 AM

Holy shit. Where you been man??

**Dave Lane** · 09-09-2016, 04:00 AM

Saccapoo is alive? Wait wut? Dude where the hell have you been?

Sweet Daddy Hate · 09-09-2016, 05:00 AM

The Master of Fatty Love hath returned?

Kman34 · 09-09-2016, 05:59 AM

Lazarus.....

**Buehler445** · 09-09-2016, 06:27 AM

Good to see you're still hanging in there. There was a thread wondering if you were still with us. Hopefully the treatment is going well.

**Buehler445** · 09-09-2016, 06:27 AM

Oh. And I enjoyed the list. There is some good shit on there.

threebag · 09-09-2016, 06:30 AM

Good to see you Sacc. Glad you are back.

Molitoth · 09-09-2016, 07:23 AM

Quote:

8. A Light Within – “World Through The Window”

Expansive and powerful. This is post rock, alt metal brilliance. I think that I’ve listened to this song more than any other song over the past two years. (Checks the play count – yep – not even close.) This song just speaks to me. It lightly touches when it needs to, it slams into you like a locomotive when you need it most and then brings you back into it’s dark embrace. The vocals (yes, real vocals in a metal song!!!) are amazing as is the stellar musicianship. Production is superb. Everything is exactly where it should be moment it needs to be.

Whoa, holy shit man. That is pretty awesome to read!

Hope you are doing well! A lot of concern for you here.

**TimBone** · 09-09-2016, 09:09 AM

Welcome back, muh****a.

TigeRRUppeRRcut · 09-09-2016, 11:34 AM

He lives?!

**The Franchise** · 09-09-2016, 04:58 PM

Sacc is back!

Missed yah, man.

**Iowanian** · 09-09-2016, 08:36 PM

Wait until sac learns that you all turned him into. 60 year old gay dead man.

Chief Northman · 09-09-2016, 08:38 PM

Nice to see you post Sacc. Hope all is well with you.

09-09-2016, 01:06 AM
Saccopoo Kindness in words... Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Zion Casino cash: $10025483	Best Songs of 2015 - The Playlist Disclaimer: There is no Kendrick Lamar on this list. While the timely social importance of “To Pimp A Butterfly” can be argued ad nauseam (and it already has), it’s not an enjoyable listen. There is also no Kayne, Pharrell Williams, or Rhianna who have tossed their lot onto the pile of “collaborators extraordinaire” along with artists such as Tony Bennett and Bono, who’ve happily whored themselves out for any side project possible. Musical versions of Jason Statham, if you will. This list was compiled as a playlist rather than bunch of songs thrown together from the myriad of hipster “best of” lists. It was intended to be a hour long cohesive entity that was devoid of criticizing or lauding specific genres. The songs that are on here are here because they are the best songs I heard in 2015 and they appear in specific order because they work that way within the context of a singular playlist. The first song isn’t the best and the last isn’t the worst. They are all fantastic in their own right. So, without further ramblings, I give you the Best Songs of 2015 – The Playlist. 1. Fantastic Negrito – *“Lost In A Crowd”* Once you hear Fantastic Negrito, particularly the stellar “Lost In A Crowd,” you start asking who the hell this is and why haven’t I heard of him before? It’s one of the most fascinating stories in music of 2015. https://www.wired.com/2015/09/7-stor...astic-negrito/ There is an honesty to the music. A lack of bullshit from years of bullshit. Call it maturity, call it wisdom. This is where we all hope to be when it finally hits and we want to leave a mark. Xavier Dphrepaulezz’s sledgehammer vocals just pound it out right from the start. Within seconds you are shaking your head back and forth, knowing exactly nothing but feeling the deep base emotions that start to well up inside you. Then, at the 1:50 minute mark some form of mysterious pop appears to calm your sudden fascination with sex, or throwing shit across the room or invading Britan, only to be hurled back into the maelstrom seconds later by those driving drums and vocals. Brilliant. Right after I heard this song, I started looking for concert dates. 2. Chris Cornell – *“Nearly Forgot My Broken Heart”* Honestly, I’ve been relatively apathetic about post Soundgarden Cornell. For no reason really - Temple of the Dog, Audioslave,a solid solo career, periodic appearances of fronting Rage Against the Machine, and a James Bond movie theme song thrown in for good measure. Pretty freaking great, no? Yep. And it’s always just been “meh” for me. But it wasn’t until this song that I truly appreciated his talents. So many elements pulled together, the least of which is Cornell’s trademarked power screech that is unequalled in rock. And then you throw in that mandolin, and the power rhythm section, the strings, the big hook and, finally, that sick ass warbling Telecaster. Damn. This is everything I wanted and expected from Cornell 20+ years ago. 3. The Answer - *“Strange Kind of Nothing”* As a friend recently described – “Very pretty. I miss my mom.” Another said after I linked it to her, “what is it that you want from me?” It’s emotionally powerful and layered and probably way too cool for the American market. Shame, because this is truly a great song from a great band. 4. Beck – *“Dreams”* IMO, Beck has proven himself to be the best musician in the world over the past 30 years. Nothing he touches is less that fantastic whether he’s singing it, playing all the instruments, producing it, mastering it, whatever. Beck is a genius. Dreams is a functional 180 from what was hands down the best album of 2014 - “Morning Phase.” However, “Dreams” came out of nowhere in 2015 as a singular, stand alone work of complexity. There aren’t many musicians who could have put out a complete album like Morning Phase and then wake up and say “Let’s do something completely different but equally brilliant. Beck can, and has. 5. The Amazing – *“Picture You”* A two part rock operatic – the first beingethereal male vocals (don’t hear that much, do you?) over a swirling pop haze. The second comes on in an immediate change to a singular guitar followed by a driving bass line and shimmering high single note and chord guitar work which eventually leads into a Mogwai-esque finale that collapses into minimalistic nothing. 6. Highly Suspect – *“Lydia”* Just when you thought you shelved that air guitar, mic, bass and drum this magnificence of rock throws it all back at you out of the closet. Wickedly smart lyrics, a hammering bass and drums along with power chord guitars. Voted as the best rock song of 2015 by Loudwire and also received two Grammy nominations (where they were basically ignored). A phenomenal accompanying video is a real bonus, which was, amazingly, shot in one take (which blows your mind after watching it). 7. Lana Del Rey – *“Feak”* A deep growling bass brings this whispering ballad into the dirty. Sexy and wrong in all the right ways. Del Rey is for real whether she wants you to be a part of it or not. 8. A Light Within – *“World Through The Window”* Expansive and powerful. This is post rock, alt metal brilliance. I think that I’ve listened to this song more than any other song over the past two years. (Checks the play count – yep – not even close.) This song just speaks to me. It lightly touches when it needs to, it slams into you like a locomotive when you need it most and then brings you back into it’s dark embrace. The vocals (yes, real vocals in a metal song!!!) are amazing as is the steallar musicianship. Production is superb. Everything is exactly where it should be moment it needs to be. https://soundcloud.com/alwaudio/4-pa...ld-through-the 9. Allison Moorer – *"Down To Believing”* Tuth be told, I’ve had a massive crush on Allison for years. I still believe that the alt-country diva’s marriage to Steve Earle was a fictional sham that happily(at least to me) resulted in divorce in 2014. (Still waiting for my phone to ring and have her ask me out on a date.) Regardless of my heartbreak and then subsequent elation, her 2015 release “Down To Believing” was one of the best albums of the year and contained one of the best songs of the year in the title track. So much emotion and feeling and it's all honest and heartfelt. It's what every songwriter/singer strives for. 10. Drenge – *“Have You Forgotten My Name?”* I really don’t even get into post rock that much and, yet, here is the second of such on my best of list. (Well, it’s actually hard to define Drenge. Post rock, alt metal, grunge prog – In reality, put them all in a blender, frappe, dump it into a cocktail shaker with some ice, shake vigorously, pour it into a highball glass and you have Drenge. 11. Sufjan Stevens – *“Should Have Known Better”* A Great album and an even better song from alt rock hero Stevens. Although I think he should have wrote “Cool as an Oregon Breeze” versus “Bright as an…”, but I’ll forgive him for an otherwise brilliant song. It’s gotten me laid twice recently. That’s a great song in my book. 12. Adele – *“Hello”* The first piano note tells you this is going to be something special, and then the prose-ish vocals hold you until the bomb goes off. Holy hell. If a voice is a weapon, Adele has a nuclear warhead at her command. After one listen, you will never forget the refrain for as long as you live. Whatever else happens in the song, it doesn’t matter. In fact, as an example, at the 3:35 mark, the main vocals virtually disappear and are filled in with a repetitive, inconsequential backing lyricals that you just start to notice until twenty seconds later, when your face gets completely smashed in by that sledgehammer of emotion and power and desire and wanting and love that is Adele. You had me at hello.
Posts: 15,450

09-09-2016, 02:14 AM	#2
Silock MVP Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Overland Park Casino cash: $10020882	2015? or 2016? This makes my list of this year.
Posts: 19,908

09-09-2016, 03:42 AM	#3
Coochie liquor Bolton gonna knock you out Join Date: Mar 2014 Location: They Freed Kartel!! Casino cash: $-787606	Holy shit. Where you been man?? __________________ 2025 Adopt a Chief - Travis “Swifty Slayer” Kelce The Travis Kelce farewell tour SB MVP incoming!
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09-09-2016, 04:00 AM	#4
Dave Lane Space Cadet and Aczabel Join Date: Aug 2000 Location: Kanab, UT, USA Casino cash: $9333275 VARSITY	Saccapoo is alive? Wait wut? Dude where the hell have you been? __________________ Thanks, Trump for the civics lesson. We are learning so much about RICO, espionage, sedition, impeachment, the 25th Amendment, order of succession, nepotism, separation of powers, 1st Amendment, obstruction of justice, the emoluments clause, conflicts of interest, collusion, sanctions, oligarchs, money laundering and so much more.
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09-09-2016, 05:00 AM	#5
Sweet Daddy Hate Unsparing Join Date: Aug 2008 Casino cash: $10004900	The Master of Fatty Love hath returned?
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09-09-2016, 05:59 AM	#6
Kman34 My Mamma Says Join Date: Jan 2014 Location: Glass Cage Of Emotion Casino cash: $-1708214 VARSITY	Lazarus.....
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09-09-2016, 06:27 AM	#7
Buehler445 Supporter Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Scott City KS Casino cash: $-1365266	Good to see you're still hanging in there. There was a thread wondering if you were still with us. Hopefully the treatment is going well.
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09-09-2016, 06:30 AM	#9
threebag Snacks Are Under My Apron Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: The Edge Casino cash: $-882380	Good to see you Sacc. Glad you are back. __________________ Smells like Up Dog in here. RIP HayWire Greatest Almost Mod Ever
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09-09-2016, 09:09 AM	#11
TimBone Mostly Ignored Join Date: Jul 2013 Casino cash: $8419985	Welcome back, muh****a.
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09-09-2016, 11:34 AM	#12
TigeRRUppeRRcut Banned Join Date: Dec 2014 Location: 19th Hole Casino cash: $10004725	He lives?!
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09-09-2016, 04:58 PM	#13
The Franchise Most Valuable Villain Join Date: Dec 2006 Casino cash: $2095047	Sacc is back! Missed yah, man.
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09-09-2016, 08:36 PM	#14
Iowanian Supporter Join Date: Aug 2000 Location: Utopia Casino cash: $1818454	Wait until sac learns that you all turned him into. 60 year old gay dead man.
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09-09-2016, 08:38 PM	#15
Chief Northman MVP Join Date: Apr 2015 Location: Canada Casino cash: $6790890	Nice to see you post Sacc. Hope all is well with you.
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