Top 15 Songs of 2015

Hey, y'all! This is the sixth post in a 10-post series listing some of my favorite things. The first seven posts are lists of my current all-time favorites, while the last 3 posts include only favorites of 2015.

If you want to check out the other lists/posts in this series, you can check them out here:

A Few of My Favorite Things [2015]

This list is my list of my top 15 favorite songs of 2015. These are all, obviously, songs released in 2015. I didn't pay any attention to album song vs. single, and I definitely didn't limit it to one song per artist. There are some songs that, on technicality, should've made this list, but because the album they appear on wasn't released until 2016 (*cough*The Death of a Bachelor*cough*), I decided to save them for the 2016 list.

#15) Lean On by Pentatonix

This one is actually replacing a song (by George Ezra) that iTunes said came out in 2015, but was actually released in 2014. Oops. This would be really high up on the list, because it's one of my favorite songs on the Pentatonix album, but I didn't want to include any covers. So I just added this one once the last two songs on this list had to get nixed, because it's a really awesome cover.

#14) Crave by Parachute

I'm so glad that Parachute is back. I've grown to love this new sound that they have, and hope that their new CD is as great as this single!

#13) This Means War by Marianas Trench

There were a couple standout songs on the new Marianas Trench album, Astoria, and this was one of them. I just really enjoy this song and it's fun to blast and jam to.

#12) Shut Up and Kiss Me by Marianas Trench

This is my favorite song on Astoria. It's got this really cool throwback vibe to the Jackson 5's song ABC. It's just a really fun one, and I love to blast it. Apparently, Josh wrote this as if he were writing for a Motown group, and I love it. 

#11) Old Scars/Future Hearts by All Time Low

This one actually really grew on me. Upon first listening to the CD, I thought it was alright. By the time that I talked about it on The CDs on My Shelf, I'd grown to really love it. This one has a grittier sound than ATL usually does, but it still sounds very ATL. For some reason, it makes me think of Billie Joe Armstrong from Green Day, and I love that about it. 

#10) Dancing With A Wolf by All Time Low

This is easily my favorite song on Future Hearts. The first time I listened to it, it grabbed my attention and I fell in love with it. It's just such a fun song to jam to, and I love that about it.

#9) Na Na Na by Pentatonix

This is Mitch's solo on the Pentatonix album, and I (obvs) really love it. I prefer his solo on Lean On, but that's lower down because of the fact that it's a cover. Anyway, this is definitely one of my favorite songs on Pentatonix's album, and it's just really fun and Mitch sounds amazing on it.

#8) Good To Be Alive (Hallelujah) by Andy Grammer

I love Andy Grammer, and when I realized that he had a new single, I got really excited and went to listen to it... and completely fell in love with it. It was an instantaneous love and it's been on a pretty constant repeat ever since. 

#7) Ref by Pentatonix

This Pentatonix song is just really interesting. The vibe to it is really cool, and really fits with where they've taken their sound with this CD. This is another one that I just like to blast. Scott's voice on the chorus is awesome too. 

#6) Can't Sleep Love by Pentatonix

I'll admit, this one took some warming up to. I hated the "uh huh"s and "yeah"s (and I still hate them. Like a lot.) and that really tainted my view of the song. But it's got such a cool vibe and they perform it amazingly live and it's just really grown on me, and I love it. Mitch's high notes/chorus are amazing.

#5) Shut Up and Dance by Walk the Moon

This was my summer jam. Not even kidding, it has 150 plays on my iTunes. Like... what? But I almost forgot that I enjoyed it as much as I did, because I haven't been listening to it quite as much since the summer. But it was definitely an awesome one, so I had to include it. 

#4) Lane Boy by Twenty One Pilots

I fell in love with Twenty One Pilots this year, and this song was one of the ones that I really attached to. I just think that it's really interesting and unique and I love it.

#3) Cracked by Pentatonix

I was impressed when I first heard this one, but it took me a while to really fall in love with it. Scott's vocals on this one are so impressive and he takes me to church with this. So great. 

#2) Sing by Pentatonix

This one is probably my favorite one on Pentatonix's album. That might change in like 10 minutes, but I think this one is my fave. It's just so fun to jam to, and I like that they all trade off and get to feature, and it's just... fun. 

#1) Stressed Out by Twenty One Pilots

And here we are, my favorite song of the year. Originally, I preferred Lane Boy, but this one has grown on me. I love the message of the song, and I love how quirky Twenty One Pilots is. This one is just great. 

So, those are my top 15 favorite songs of 2015. Let me know down in the comments what you think of the songs on this list, and what some of your favorite songs of 2015 are!

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Top 5 Albums of 2015

Hey, y'all! This is the eighth post in a 10-post series listing some of my favorite things. The first seven posts are lists of my current all-time favorites, while the last 3 posts include only favorites of 2015.

If you want to check out the other lists/posts in this series, you can check them out here:

A Few of My Favorite Things [2015]

If this list looks familiar, it's probably because it is. Somehow, my list of my favorite albums didn't change over the past year, so I essentially copied and pasted my list from last year. I wish I had something to change here, but I really don't.

#5: Magazines or Novels [Deluxe] by Andy Grammer

Now, you might consider this cheating because the original of this CD came out in 2014. However, it totally wasn't on my radar at its release and didn't make it on to the list last year because of that. I'm really not sure how I missed its release, because I checked multiple times to see if there was new Andy Grammer music, but somehow I didn't realize that this CD existed until hearing "Honey, I'm Good" on the radio in the spring. Regardless, I immediately downloaded the CD and I've listened to it regularly ever since. And the deluxe edition just has even more songs to love, including Good To Be Alive (Hallelujah), which has definitely become one of my favorite songs on the album. That aside, the songs on this CD fall into either the "endless repeat" category or the "rarely listen" category, which is why this is at the bottom of the list.

Best songs: Honey I'm Good, Back Home, Forever, Holding Out, and Good To Be Alive (Hallelujah)

#4: Astoria by Marianas Trench

Marianas Trench is one of my favorite bands, so getting this CD was a no-brainer. There are a lot of really great songs on this one, but much like Andy Grammer's CD, all the songs on this CD fall under either "endless repeat" or "rarely listen." The reason this one got higher is because A) I prefer Marianas Trench to Andy Grammer and B) Even though I prefer a handful of the songs over the others, I still really enjoy the others that I don't listen to as much. Overall, this definitely isn't my favorite Marianas Trench album, but I'm pretty sure that it will begin to grow on me very soon just like all their other albums have.

Best songs: Shut Up and Kiss Me, This Means War, Yesterday, and Burning Up.

#3: Future Hearts by All Time Low

An All Time Low album only made it to #3 for the year?!?! Yep, unfortunately, that's exactly where this one belongs. If I were to rank this one among all of the other All Time Low albums, this one would be above only Dirty Work, which is most ATL fans' least favorite ATL album- for MANY reasons. This one has some really great ones, a couple not-so-great ones, and then a lot of average ones. And while in general, I do really enjoy this CD, it's not up to the standard that a lot of other ATL albums set. Despite that, it's still a really good CD.

Best songs: Old Scars/Future Hearts, Dancing With a Wolf, and Don't You Go

#2: Blurryface by Twenty One Pilots

2015 was the first year where I really started listening to Twenty One Pilots. I'd heard their music before, but I didn't really have strong feelings one way or another. Then, I gave them another chance this year (I don't totally remember what prompted that) and really just fell in love, especially with this album. The album overall is just really solid, but on top of that there are also several standout songs on top of the rest of the really solid CD.

Best songs: Stressed Out, Lane Boy, Tear In My Heart, and Ride.

#1: Pentatonix by Pentatonix

This. Album. I have no idea how many times I blasted this album on repeat, and I'm not really sure that I want to know. I'm still listening to this on repeat more than 3 months later. It's just so good. I pre-ordered this one, and I remember getting an iTunes alert at about 11 PM the day before its release that said the album was available for download. My roommate and I freaked out and immediately downloaded it and began blasting it and were so, so impressed. This is definitely their best original music to date (except, maybe, On My Way Home, which was my favorite song released last year) and overall, it's just a really awesome album and it was definitely my favorite of 2015.

Best songs: Sing, Na Na Na, Ref, Cracked, and Lean On

So, those are my top 5 album releases of 2015. Let me know down in the comments what you think of the CDs on this list, and what some of your favorite releases of 2015 were!

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Top 15 Favorite Bands/Musicians

Hey, y'all! This is the third post in a 10-post series listing some of my favorite things. The first seven posts are lists of my current all-time favorites, while the last 3 posts include only favorites of 2015.

If you want to check out the other lists/posts in this series, you can check them out here:

A Few of My Favorite Things [2015]

Last year, my list of favorite bands was only 10 slots instead of 15, so a handful of the musicians on the list have been "top 15" favorites for a while but didn't make the list last year due to it being only 10 bands. In that case, I'll note it for that band, because there are a couple total newcomers to the list

#15: Hey Monday

[Not on the list last year]

Hey Monday has been a long-standing favorite of mine, and last time I made a top 15 list, they were actually somewhere around #11. They have fallen a little bit due to the fact that they only had one full CD and a couple EPs and have been on hiatus for 4 years (honestly, they've essentially broken up at this point), but I still really enjoy the music that they did make before they broke up.

Favorite songs: Josey, Set Off, and Obvious

#14: Cage The Elephant

[Not on the list last year]

I have an interesting relationship with Cage The Elephant. Sometimes, I'm really in the mood for their music, and sometimes I'm really not. Their song, In One Ear, is one of my absolute favorite songs ever. I'm a bit behind, though- I haven't even gotten their newest CD yet for some reason.

Favorite songs: In One Ear, Free Love, Ain't No Rest for the Wicked

#13: Green Day

[Not on the list last year]

Given that I'm a pop punk fan, it would be inconceivable for me to leave them off of this list. I'm pretty sure that I have almost all of their CDs, and I just really enjoy their music. American Idiot is definitely my favorite Green Day CD, but I also really love a lot of their other CDs.

Favorite songs: Minority, Jesus of Suburbia, and FOD

#12: Busted

[#10 last year]

I first discovered Busted because of their song, Year 3000, that the Jonas Brothers covered. I didn't fall in love with them immediately, but their music is just so much fun, so cheeky, and really clever. I've loved them even more since the creation of McBusted, but overall, Busted is just a really fun band and I'm excited that they're back and recording new music.

Favorite Songs: She Wants To Be Me, Meet You There, and Nerdy

#11: Sleeping With Sirens

[#9 last year]

I discovered Sleeping With Sirens in my freshman year of college, and I've been hooked ever since. Kellin Quinn's voice is just super unique, and it gives their music a really interesting sound. 

Favorite Songs: Do It Now Remember It Later, Congratulations, and Kick Me

#10: Twenty One Pilots

[Not on the list last year]

I started listening to Twenty One Pilots back in August and absolutely fell in love. Their music is so interesting, and such a cool mix of genres, and weird in a beautiful way. I just think that their music is super cool and incredibly creative and I love the theatrical aspects that they add in with their music videos.

Favorite Songs: Lane Boy, Stressed Out, Car Radio, and Guns For Hands

#9: Andy Grammer

[Not on the list last year]

This list was changed from just my favorite bands to my favorite bands/musicians specifically because I wanted to include Andy Grammer on this list. I. LOVE. Andy Grammer. I'm pretty sure that I have all of his music, and I listen to a lot of it on a regular basis. His first album (self-titled) is still my fave, but his 2014 release, Magazines or Novels is also really great and gets a lot of play on my phone. And I recently got an alert that my most-played Pandora station of the year was my Andy Grammer station. I just really love him and his music. 

Favorite Songs: Fine By Me, Good To Be Alive (Hallelujah), Honey I'm Good, and Crazy Beautiful

#8: Parachute
[#8 Last Year]

These guys used to be higher up on my list... like #3. Unfortunately, their 3rd album happened, and they wound up here. Their first CD is one of my all-time favorites (as you'll see later on this post), and their second CD was really great too. And then their third album went a bit too pop and I didn't like it much. I'm holding out hope that they'll have a better fourth CD, but until then, they get to chill at #8 and think about what they've done. I've grown to appreciate their 3rd album more over this past year (its vibe is kinda similar to Andy Grammer's music, which I've grown to appreciate), but it's still definitely my least favorite of their albums.

Favorite Songs: Kiss Me Slowly, Back Again, You & Me, and The New Year

#7: Paramore
[#7 Last Year]

Paramore was the first alternative band that I listened to, and they've been a consistent favorite. For a little while, they were my all-time favorite. They fell a bit during the 4.5 year span between their 3rd and 4th albums, but since their self-titled CD came out in 2013, they've moved right back up. They're consistently great! It's a bummer that Jeremy left the band, because he and Hayley were the last two founding members, but TBH it's kinda the Hayley show at this point, so it shouldn't make a huge difference.

Favorite Songs: Playing God, Brick By Boring Brick, Ain't It Fun, and Born For This

#6: The Academy Is...
[#6 Last Year]

For a really long time, The Academy Is... was my favorite band. I loved their podcast that they did (TAITV!), I loved all of the members, and I obviously loved their music. Their 3rd CD was slightly disappointing, but nowhere near as disappointing as when they announced their breakup in 2011. I'm still sad about that. I was really bummed that I couldn't make their Almost Here reunion stuff, but I keep holding out hope that they will reunite because I love them SO MUCH.

Favorite Songs: Black Mamba, We've Got A Big Mess On Our Hands, About a Girl, and The Phrase That Pays

#5: The Audition
[#5 Last Year]

I miss these guys. Officially they're not broken up, but they haven't done anything in a while, and even though Danny still has his Twitter handle as @auditiondanny, his Twitter bio says that he's the "Former Frontman of The Audition" so it doesn't sound good at all. There was something they posted last summer hinting at a new album, but I haven't heard anything else about that since then. The Audition is a fairly unknown band, but they're really great. Danny Stevens is a powerhouse vocalist and all of their CDs are really great. I really hope that new album happens, because I need more of The Audition in my life. 

Favorite Songs: You've Made Us Conscious, You Ruined This, My Temperature's Rising, Make It Rain, and Don't Be So Hard

#4: Marianas Trench

I've completely fallen in love with Marianas Trench over the past few years. I started listening to them casually a couple years ago, but I didn't really get into them until 2014. And I'm completely in love. Their second and third albums were concept albums, and they're super cool. Their music is really unique and actually really complex and layered. I can't wait to hear what they come up with next, because I'm sure it'll be amazing. 

Favorite Songs: Here's To The Zeros, Shake Tramp, No Place Like Home, Stutter, and Truth or Dare

#3: Pentatonix

These five are possibly the most talented musicians around right now. Each of them is so incredibly talented, from Avi's intense bass, to Kevin's beatboxing, to Mitch's 5 octave range. These five create the perfect combination of talent and vocal parts. They make amazing arrangements, and they just keep gaining momentum. They're perfection.

Favorite Songs: On My Way Home, Can't Hold Us, Aha!, Problem, and Sing

#2: All Time Low

These four... I love them. They were one of the first alternative bands that I discovered, and they've stuck around as a favorite ever since. They're just so consistently good. OK, Dirty Work wasn't amazing, but I won't hold that against them, because they released Don't Panic the next year. These four are just too great, and I'll be a fan 5EVER.

Favorite Songs: Weightless, So Long Soldier, Lost in Stereo, Poppin' Champagne, and Shameless

#1: McFly

These four are just perfect. I love my boys. Galaxy Defenders stay forever! They've made so much amazing music. I don't even know what all to say about them. I love them 5EVER and 5EVER. Perf.

Favorite Songs: Lies, Five Colours in Her Hair, Transylvania, The Last Song, and Love Is On the Radio

So, those are my top 15 favorite bands/musicians of all time. Let me know down in the comments what you think of the musicians on this list, and what some of your all-time favorite musicians are!

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Thanks for reading! If you like my posts, I'd really appreciate if you'd subscribe/follow so that I know you're enjoying what I'm posting! See y'all soon!