The 100 Best Songs of 2015

2015 marked the second half of the 2010s, and indeed, it shaped up to be one of the most exciting and imaginative years for music of the new decade so far. Boundaries were smashed left and right, whether it be in the field of pop, hip hop, or any other crazy genre of music. Comebacks were made, stalwarts marched on, but one thing that permeated across it all, was a true appreciation for the power of music, and how it could be utilised as a unifying force to bring the world together. So without further ado, here is Audiosprawl’s 100 Best Songs of 2015. Enjoy.

Dr. Dre – Compton

To what may be the surprise of many, Compton was only recorded in a few short, even rushed months. But despite the reputation that Dr. Dre has for being an obsessive and a perfectionist when it comes to creating music, his projects have all been created in surprisingly normal, and even short amounts of time. The Chronic only took a few months in 1992. 2001 was whipped up quickly just to prove he still had street cred. This reputation, or indeed, this myth, can be contributed almost solely to Detox, the legendary album supposedly over a decade in the making. The more time passed, the more its cult grew, almost akin to that of The Beach Boys’ Smile…until the simple announcement that it had been scrapped stopped everything dead in its tracks. That Detox will never be released is perhaps for the best, its legend was far better than what anybody could imagine. It’s just like that quote from 500 Days Of Summer, “Robin is better than the girl of my dreams. She’s real”. Just replace ‘Robin’ with ‘Compton‘ and ‘girl’ with ‘album’ and ‘She’s’ with ‘It’s’, and you get the situation.

Snoop Dogg – Bush

Hip hop, more so than any other genre of music, is one that is threatened by the intrinsic nature of life itself. Meaning to say, that sustained longevity is a very true challenge for the genre. Hip hop artists do not age gracefully. Primarily, this is because the genre itself is so fundamentally aggressive and youthful, that it is essentially impossible to keep that fire burning throughout a multiple decade long career without cries of “this is tragic!” appearing. Few artists do make the transition well; Jay Z got richer to survive the taunts, Kanye West got stranger, and Grandmaster Flash? Well, he’s in car advertisements now. But what about good old Snoop Dogg? He is 44 this year, and is still as languorous, dirty, and indolent as he ever was (which could be seen by some as being just a creepy old dude [see: his guest spots on Jason Derulo’s Wiggle and Psy’s Hangover – two of the worst songs ever conceived]). And while we all pine for another Doggystyle-like collaboration with Dr. Dre, Snoop has found a solid ally in Pharrell Williams, who serves as the primary producer for the entirety of Bush, Snoop’s 13^th album, and on the whole, it’s not really a bad decision.

Yanni Markovina’s Favourite Fifteen Albums of the 1990s

The 1990s perhaps brought about the greatest shift in music since punk rock. The alternative suddenly became the mainstream, gangsta rap swaggered atop the pop charts, and in turn, some of the greatest music was made. As a disclaimer, note that these choices of albums are my personal favourite. Not what I think are the best or the most influential. And with that said, enjoy the countdown!