Indulge, A Real Fine Top 75

[bboat11]

Jan 10, 2016 1:52:04 GMT -5 @jakelmmrs44 said:

Jan 10, 2016 1:47:53 GMT -5 .indulgecountry said:

What kinda shade to Queen Sara Evans tho? :(

I just haven't heard that Sara Evans song ever, that's all.

I would highly recommend checking it out :) By far one of her best songs this decade! It is one of the worst examples of radio snubs I can think of. Just a warning though, the chorus might get stuck in your head... And once that happens, it's too late for you...

[trebor]

Some very good songs already counted down! Pretty impressed that Adele managed to get that high! 
Shame that Cam's chart run spreads over two years (2015 into 2016) and she only finishes at #40. 
Great at a glance review of 2015!  :)

[Kanenrá:ke]

Jan 10, 2016 1:52:04 GMT -5 @jakelmmrs44 said:

Jan 10, 2016 1:47:53 GMT -5 .indulgecountry said:

What kinda shade to Queen Sara Evans tho? :(

I just haven't heard that Sara Evans song ever, that's all.

It's not too late to fix that problem!

[Zeebz]

Jan 10, 2016 1:47:53 GMT -5 .indulgecountry said:

Jan 10, 2016 1:30:45 GMT -5 @jakelmmrs44 said:

37, 36, 35, 33.

What kinda shade to Queen Sara Evans tho? :(

and Queen Ashley :'(

[Juan Carlos]

Good to see that "Dime Store Cowgirl", "Bailando", "Burning House", "Where Are Ü Now" and "Style" are on your EOY chart so far.

Jan 9, 2016 21:02:55 GMT -5 .indulgecountry said:

43) "Where Are Ü Now" - Justin Bieber

Is it me or are you shading Skrillex and Diplo? #justiceforjackü

[Deleted]

Jan 10, 2016 1:55:06 GMT -5 bboat11 said:

Jan 10, 2016 1:52:04 GMT -5 @jakelmmrs44 said:

I just haven't heard that Sara Evans song ever, that's all.

I would highly recommend checking it out :) By far one of her best songs this decade! It is one of the worst examples of radio snubs I can think of. Just a warning though, the chorus might get stuck in your head... And once that happens, it's too late for you...

Took a listen to it, actually pretty good. Too late to maybe chart it?

[bboat11]

Jan 11, 2016 21:14:13 GMT -5 @jakelmmrs44 said:

Jan 10, 2016 1:55:06 GMT -5 bboat11 said:

I would highly recommend checking it out :) By far one of her best songs this decade! It is one of the worst examples of radio snubs I can think of. Just a warning though, the chorus might get stuck in your head... And once that happens, it's too late for you...

Took a listen to it, actually pretty good. Too late to maybe chart it?

That all depends on what your rules are for your chart :) I certainly wouldn't criticize you for it!! Lol

[Zeebz]

Definitely chart it! Sara is flawless and deserves so much more love. :'(

[.indulgecountry]

Yayyyy @jakelmmrs44 I'm so glad you liked PMHD and decided to even chart it! :'( The power of my Queen of Country thooo.

[.indulgecountry]

32) "For a Boy" - RaeLynn
Peak: #2



"For a Boy" is the third and final song on the countdown that peaked in the runner-up position in 2015. It ran into some tough competition that included Jana Kramer's "I Got the Boy" that helped keep it from the top spot, but the follow-up to RaeLynn's debut hit was every bit as wonderful as her first single. Much like its predecessor, it has a very youthful exuberance to it that fits like a glove with RaeLynn's image and voice. It really hits on all fronts, musically, lyrically, and vocally, with one helluva strong chorus. It's a tragedy that it was totally given the cold shoulder by country radio following her successful debut single and her album went unreleased. I'm still waiting for it. :'(

31) "Wildest Dreams" - Taylor Swift
Peak: #2 (*still charting*)



"Wildest Dreams" will be Number One-bound in the new year soon enough, but it wrapped up the end of 2015 by getting as high as #2. It managed to make pretty quick movement up the chart and just as quickly became my favorite single from the 1989 era. The music video was also a big selling point as I absolutely love everything about it, and the fact that it even trumps the high bar set by the video for "Blank Space" was totally unexpected. Everything about the plot and the setting in Africa to the finale of the video (when she runs out of the theatre dressed like a Marilyn Monroe-era star is the best part!! ) were all perfect. That aside, the song itself is a true masterpiece and one of the best consolations from her deciding to leave behind my favorite genre to make pop music full-time. If she was going to make the move, I'm glad she did it while still delivering amazing music.

30) "Stitches" - Shawn Mendes
Peak: #1 (1 week)



"Stitches" was one of my favorite male pop songs released in quite awhile and I fell in love with it the first time I came across it on the radio before it had taken off and was frustratingly floundering in the lower region of the Top 40 on CHR for a couple months or so. Luckily, it became the huge smash it deserved to be and likewise it performed very well on my chart! He really caught my attention with this release, and apparently did the same for a lot of others, too. This was an insanely catchy song and his vocal delivery shows great talent (reminded me of Justin Timberlake on this song).

29) "Lonely Tonight" - Blake Shelton f/ Ashley Monroe
Peak: #1 (1 week)



"Lonely Tonight" was proof that Blake Shelton still has the capability to be truly great as this was one of the best things he'd released to radio in a long time. Overall, his Bringing Back the Sunshine got my attention enough to become my first CD purchase of his, but among the single releases from a solid album, this one definitely was the best. Adding Ashley Monroe was a great idea for a multitude of reasons, and she really took the song to another level and her ad-libs in between his lines of the explosive chorus are just magical. It was reminiscent of the strategy employed by Tim McGraw and Taylor Swift on "Highway Don't Care," an equally great song. The music video was great too and lyrically the song was well-composed, though the vocal performances of both Shelton and Monroe are what make the song a total home run.

28) "Drag Me Down" - One Direction
Peak: #1 (1 week)



"Drag Me Down" was a very good lead single considering Zayn was no longer with them to their fifth album. It was definitely a bit different from many of their other singles and I was glad to see that radio took so well to it and made it one of their biggest hits. I was disappointed following Zayn's departure from the band (he was my favorite </3 ) and was riding high from "Night Changes" which had become my favorite 1D song during its release, but "Drag Me Down" definitely delivered. It was an enjoyable and catchy song filled with enjoyable moments and the melody and progression of the song was fantastic. Their latest album hasn't really clicked with me because Zayn is noticeably missing but the lead was one of the brightest spots on it.

27) "Mi Nuevo Vicio" - Paulina Rubio f/ Morat
Peak: #1 (1 week)



"Mi Nuevo Vicio" was love at first listen for me. I had recently started to become interested in checking out Paulina Rubio after her stint as a judge on The X-Factor and this came out at the perfect time to capitalize on that as she hadn't released any new music recently up until this track. The melody is so, so strong and I became infatuated with it immediately. The song is the perfect culmination of everything I enjoy and could want in a Latin pop song. The build from the verses to the pre-chorus to the chorus is wonderful, the bridge slays, and Paulina and Morat's voices work very well together (I particularly love the use of the ad-libs from him in between her lines during the bridge and the outro). It's just an incredible song and served as a welcome replacement for the lack of any new Shakira music in 2015.





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[Deleted]

Jan 12, 2016 0:35:54 GMT -5 Zeebz said:

Definitely chart it! Sara is flawless and deserves so much more love. :'(

Just did. ;)

As for you .indulgecountry, I love all of 31-28.

[Kanenrá:ke]

All your choices are brilliant! I am in total love with your countdown. :)

[Sean]

I doubt Reba will make it all the way to #1, but I'm voting for her anyways!!! Excited for this to continue!!! <3

[.indulgecountry]

26) "What Do You Mean?" - Justin Bieber
Peak: #1 (1 week *so far*)



"What Do You Mean?" was a total jam. I was already really excited about "Where Are U Now" and then this dropped and was even better than that song. I love the light, chill vibe of this song. The production is really intriguing (love the ticking!), the vocals are smooth and enjoyable, and the lyrics are full of pure catchiness. Bieber set himself up for a killer comeback commercially and artistically and I loved the end results.

25) "Blank Space" - Taylor Swift
Peak: #1 (1 week)



"Blank Space" is a close second to "Wildest Dreams" for my favorite Taylor Swift single from the 1989 era. The opening music, the lyrics, the melody... basically everything about this song is just really, really good and I don't know how else to put it. The music video takes it to a whole other level, too. While I think the WD video has it beat by a hair, the video for this was literally everything. Taylor looked fabulous throughout and the setting was equally gorgeous, and her manic actions were very enjoyable and fit the song's lyrics quite well. It was definitely a big boost for an already great song!

24) "Pretty Girls" - Britney Spears f/ Iggy Azalea
Peak: #1 (1 week)



"Pretty Girls" was a quick rise and then equally quick departure. It has the honor of being the first (and to date only) song to debut in the Top 40 of my chart, due to the huge pull that Britney Spears has for me based on her name alone. I did love this song when it first came out, but it didn't hold up all that well and as a result it wasn't among the higher-ranking #1 hits of the year. Still, I enjoyed it a lot when it was released and I think the music video is very cute and has a nice 80s theme to it. Parts of it are a little cheesy and the dancing scenes weren't as epic as I'd hoped, but it was a fun video nonetheless to an equally fun, fluffy song.

23) "Smokin' and Drinkin'" - Miranda Lambert f/ Little Big Town
Peak: #1 (1 week)



"Smokin' and Drinkin'" is one of my favorites from Platinum and while I originally wanted it to be a single earlier on in the era, it definitely wound up being a misfire once it finally hit radio and became one of Miranda's weakest-charting efforts in several years. However, I loved the song and thought that it was a unique sounding song that worked well. The vocal effects and Little Big Town's harmonies brought out the song's melancholy laid-back vibe in the lyrics and melody. It's a beautiful song all around.

22) "I Bet" - Ciara
Peak: #1 (1 week)



"I Bet" grabbed my attention right away and capitalized on my growing interest in Ciara that really started with "Sorry," so it was no surprise that I took so quickly to this song as it is sonically a bit reminiscent of that tune (both are RnB slow jams about relationships gone awry). Everything about the vocal performance and the production on "I Bet" are just beautiful to me and it became my favorite Ciara song almost immediately. It is an emotionally telling song that manages to balance a nice line between being a ballad but also having enough tempo in the production to keep it from dragging, and the chorus is perfection. It was made even better with a beautiful music video, too. The choreography was very well-done (as to be expected of Ciara) and she looked absolutely stunning throughout (also to be expected).

21) "My Bed" - Sunny Sweeney f/ Will Hoge
Peak: #1 (1 week)



"My Bed" was one of the highlights on an incredible country record from Sunny Sweeney, who has one of my favorite voices. She sounded amazing on this and the inclusion of Will Hoge was brilliant, both because it gave her a lot of buzz in Texas where she took the song to the top of the charts (making history in the process for females on the Texas Country Charts) and because their voices couldn't have been more perfect together on this track. It was a powerful lyric and performance about a familiar topic of love having died in the relationship, which, like many of the songs on Provoked, was inspired by Sunny's own personal struggles with going through a divorce and subsequent remarriage during the process of writing/recording the record. She touches on the ups and downs of this experience on several songs on the album, but none hit quite as hard as this one. Sunny is the real deal when it comes to country music, and this song proves it.





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[fearlessarrow]

Love your year-end chart so far!!! So many country songs :)

Nice to see "Dime Store Cowgirl", "Raise 'Em Up", "Bailando", "I'm Comin' Over", "Like A Cowboy", "Burning House", "Where Are Ü Now", "Shotgun Rider", "Style", "Little Red Wagon", "On To Something Good", "Diamond Rings And Old Barstools", "Hello", "Girl In a Country Song", "Dibs", "Wildest Dreams", "Stitches", "Lonely Tonight", "Drag Me Down", "What Do You Mean?", "Blank Space", "Smokin' and Drinkin'", "My Bed".

I like "For a Boy" and "I Bet", but I never got around to charting it on my chart...

I listened to "Put My Heart Down" for the first time and I liked it! I don't know why country radio didn't latch onto this... Speaking of Sara, I had my iPod on shuffle a few days ago and "A Little Bit Stronger" came on and reminded me of how much I love the song :)

Does your chart work kind of like the country charts work? I feel like songs here move slower than most people's charts so I was just wondering...

[Deleted]

26, 25.

[.indulgecountry]

Jan 14, 2016 7:57:39 GMT -5 fearlessarrow said:

Love your year-end chart so far!!! So many country songs :)

Nice to see "Dime Store Cowgirl", "Raise 'Em Up", "Bailando", "I'm Comin' Over", "Like A Cowboy", "Burning House", "Where Are Ü Now", "Shotgun Rider", "Style", "Little Red Wagon", "On To Something Good", "Diamond Rings And Old Barstools", "Hello", "Girl In a Country Song", "Dibs", "Wildest Dreams", "Stitches", "Lonely Tonight", "Drag Me Down", "What Do You Mean?", "Blank Space", "Smokin' and Drinkin'", "My Bed".

I like "For a Boy" and "I Bet", but I never got around to charting it on my chart...

I listened to "Put My Heart Down" for the first time and I liked it! I don't know why country radio didn't latch onto this... Speaking of Sara, I had my iPod on shuffle a few days ago and "A Little Bit Stronger" came on and reminded me of how much I love the song :)

Does your chart work kind of like the country charts work? I feel like songs here move slower than most people's charts so I was just wondering...

First off I wanna say thanks for appreciating my countdown/chart and so many of the songs on it! Yay!

Secondly, yes, my chart probably mirrors the country chart more than anything else. It has 60 positions which was inspired by that and my love of country music makes me more familiar with that chart as well. Also, since I chart mostly country music, I have to have slower chart climbs to mirror their impact in real life, otherwise I'd have a lot of songs I love peak way too early and before they reach their height of popularity on country radio. :) It's also why sometimes the non-country songs on my chart have faster climbs since they usually have shorter shelf lives (and I still get behind on some of them even still, haha). Just what I'm most comfortable with/what feels natural for me. ;)

[fearlessarrow]

Jan 14, 2016 11:31:05 GMT -5 .indulgecountry said:

Jan 14, 2016 7:57:39 GMT -5 fearlessarrow said:

Love your year-end chart so far!!! So many country songs :)

Nice to see "Dime Store Cowgirl", "Raise 'Em Up", "Bailando", "I'm Comin' Over", "Like A Cowboy", "Burning House", "Where Are Ü Now", "Shotgun Rider", "Style", "Little Red Wagon", "On To Something Good", "Diamond Rings And Old Barstools", "Hello", "Girl In a Country Song", "Dibs", "Wildest Dreams", "Stitches", "Lonely Tonight", "Drag Me Down", "What Do You Mean?", "Blank Space", "Smokin' and Drinkin'", "My Bed".

I like "For a Boy" and "I Bet", but I never got around to charting it on my chart...

I listened to "Put My Heart Down" for the first time and I liked it! I don't know why country radio didn't latch onto this... Speaking of Sara, I had my iPod on shuffle a few days ago and "A Little Bit Stronger" came on and reminded me of how much I love the song :)

Does your chart work kind of like the country charts work? I feel like songs here move slower than most people's charts so I was just wondering...

First off I wanna say thanks for appreciating my countdown/chart and so many of the songs on it! Yay!

Secondly, yes, my chart probably mirrors the country chart more than anything else. It has 60 positions which was inspired by that and my love of country music makes me more familiar with that chart as well. Also, since I chart mostly country music, I have to have slower chart climbs to mirror their impact in real life, otherwise I'd have a lot of songs I love peak way too early and before they reach their height of popularity on country radio. :) It's also why sometimes the non-country songs on my chart have faster climbs since they usually have shorter shelf lives (and I still get behind on some of them even still, haha). Just what I'm most comfortable with/what feels natural for me. ;)

I'm definitely going to be looking forward to your weekly chart as well :)

It's kind of hard to chart country songs that have lengthy runs on the country chart while everything else on other formats moves much quicker... I'm with you on the not wanting to let songs peak too early thing but I don't want country songs having really long runs (35+ weekers) when other types of music tend to drop out of my chart in less than 30. 

[Deleted]

Nice to see Sunny Sweeney wt #21. Miranda's I could give or take just way too many voices and felt more pop-rock than anything ok scratch that it just didn't sound very country. But I do see the appeal in Smoking and Drinking.

[.indulgecountry]

20) "Me and Johnny Cash" - Rainey Qualley
Peak: #1 (1 week)



"Me and Johnny Cash" was one of the most surprising finds to come out of 2015 for me in country music. Rainey's voice really struck a chord with me and that vocal performance makes the song. Even still, the production is as undeniably country as it is fun and the lyrics are just as rousing. The Johnny Cash references are well-executed and Rainey's low warble and peculiar phrasing is just captivating. The twang and emphasis she puts onto certain words throughout the song are just lovely (like the "goodbye lights" and "gettin' rid of you" in the chorus, and "Jackson" in the 2nd verse, i.e.).

19) "Send It on Down" - Lee Ann Womack
Peak: #1 (1 week)



"Send It on Down" is a hauntingly beautiful song and is my favorite on the absolutely stellar The Way I'm Livin' album. I was ecstatic when it was chosen as the project's second single, even though country radio basically didn't touch it (sadly, yet unsurprisingly). For me though it was one of the brighter moments in 2015 for country music. The opening lyrics are some of my favorites in recent memory and really sets the tone for a chillingly honest, simple song with a stunning vocal from one of country's finest singers ever. Lee Ann Womack does songs like "Send It on Down" like nobody else and her delivery over a plethora of steel guitar is just gorgeous.

18) "Worth It" - Fifth Harmony f/ Kid Ink
Peak: #1 (1 week)



"Worth It" was one of my favorite pop anthems of 2015 and luckily became the huge smash that I had been waiting for from Fifth Harmony. It sounds similar to Jason Derulo's "Talk Dirty," except way better and more fun. The song is littered with hooks and general catchiness from the lyrical moments as well as the signature beat, and their individual vocals and harmonies are both fantastic. I liked it a lot more than "Sledgehammer," which I liked more than "Bo$$," so the progression with the singles for their full-length debut era was nice, and seeing the return of a girl group to the forefront of music in America was nice to see at last (even if it's so far with just one hit -- but I'm hoping for more to come from these talented ladies!).

17) "Little Toy Guns" - Carrie Underwood
Peak: #1 (1 week)



"Little Toy Guns" marks the first of three entries to come from Carrie Underwood for 2015, making her one of two to score that many on the year-end list (Taylor Swift also had three, which have all been previously revealed). The anthemic production on this song is really what drives my love for "Little Toy Guns." Right from the intro it kicks off with some killer percussion and guitar chords that set this epic, 'dark' mood, and the build to the chorus is a wonderful thing. The verse lyrics (especially the "drop of the faucet" line) are brilliant and the chorus is a beautiful vocal display from Carrie Underwood slaying all the lessers like only she can.

16) "Love 'Em All" - K. Michelle
Peak: #1 (2 weeks)



"Love 'Em All" was totally instant for me, and yet, it was also a grower because I just loved it even more as I listened to it further and it is right up there with "Can't Raise a Man" as her best song for me... and it's really hard to put one ahead of the other because both of them slay me. K. Michelle's voice is the biggest selling point for this as she sings the fire out of it. The melody and production are particularly strong as well, and serve to make the song feel more lively, and the music video is one of my favorites: I absolutely love everything about it, from all of her looks (which are so on-point) to the set designs to the choreography to the way she works the hell out of that camera like the diva she is. My favorite moment in the song is the ad-lib when she's transitioning from the bridge back into the final chorus around 3:14-3:16. I live for that part every time.





Tags: Zeebz Fancy H. McCreerian sabre14 bboat11 hitseeker. jhomes87 LBTrocks surfy Kanenrá:ke wavey. zack97 Sean trebor Flip nick64 Juan Carlos popstop J'back trustypepper raylatch98 @jakelmmrs44  defying gravity Daniel Collins bigfan101 josh :)

[Deleted]

20, 18, 17.

[bboat11]

Your songs just keep getting better and better!!! I literally cannot wait to see the rest of this countdown. Like, it is causing me excitement anxiety. Somebody get me some meds!

[bboat11]

Hey, I just realized your last chart was from the end of December... Have you been making a chart the last 3ish weeks and just not posting them until your year-end countdown is over, or are you just going to lose some weeks in 2016?

[.indulgecountry]

Jan 17, 2016 13:35:30 GMT -5 bboat11 said:

Hey, I just realized your last chart was from the end of December... Have you been making a chart the last 3ish weeks and just not posting them until your year-end countdown is over, or are you just going to lose some weeks in 2016?

Technically something in between those two things, lol. I will be posting them once the countdown is done, but no, I have not made them yet... I'll just have to play catch-up and post the first few less than a week apart.

[.indulgecountry]

15) "Riot" - Rascal Flatts
Peak: #1 (1 week)



"Riot" was always one of my favorites on Rewind when it was released but it didn't really click with me that strongly until it was put out as a single and then I just absolutely fell in love with it. It is one of my favorites from Rascal Flatts now and I think everything about the production to the melody to the lyrics to the vocal performance are all just beautiful. It is a song that really speaks to me on all levels and I feel the emotional tug of the narrator and the 'riot' or conflict he's under post-breakup. The general subtlety of this song is just so effective and really shows a different side of a band who usually opts for histrionics in their music.

14) "Smoke Break" - Carrie Underwood
Peak: #1 (1 week)



"Smoke Break" really felt like Carrie Underwood taking something from the Miranda Lambert playbook for me, which made this a track that I loved since I'm a huge fan of both. I appreciated the different feel of the song coming from Carrie and it worked wonderfully, and even though many felt it seemed a bit weak in relation to the rest of Storyteller, I still thought it was among the better half of the record (though granted I do have about 5 songs on it at least that I do prefer). The vocal inflections she used on certain parts of the song were enjoyable, the music video was one of my favorites from her (desert scenery is always a plus for me, and I liked the simple but well-executed storyline of it), and the chorus just drove home the epic working man/woman's anthem feel of the track.

13) "Country" - Mo Pitney
Peak: #1 (1 week)



"Country" was easily the best male country debut single of 2015 and certainly one that more than lived up to its name. Like a younger Joe Nichols vocally and musically, this ode to the country didn't exactly say anything new that I hadn't already heard from other songs before, but damn if it didn't do it in the exact way that it should: by sounding as stone cold country as the lyrical image it portrayed. The production on this track is just some damn good music and one of the finer neotraditional treatments of anything in the mainstream of the genre in recent memory. I can truly get lost in all that fiddle and steel guitar and twangy vocals. The fact that I heard this on the radio a lot was a beautiful thing to be able to say, especially considering it failed to make the Top 30. Still annoyed to no end that his album hasn't been released and looks to still be nowhere in site, sadly.

12) "Living for Love" - Madonna
Peak: #1 (2 weeks)



"Living for Love" wasn't met with a lot of fanfare from people on this forum it seemed, but I guess I'm weird because I loved literally everything about this and it was hands-down one of my favorite things released in 2015 outside of the country music world. Not only is it my favorite song on Rebel Heart (essentially tied with "Unapologetic Bitch" though), but it's one of my favorite things Madonna's ever put out... that's how much I love this one! The music video was beautifully-done and the vocal processing/"echo-y" feel on Madonna's vocals coupled with some nice well-placed background vocalist moments (the very end of the song in particular is just ughhh, perfect) were just lovely imo.

11) "Fly" - Maddie & Tae
Peak: #1 (1 week)



"Fly" racked up a lot of plays for me over the year by way of being released at the very start of 2015, which helped a lot in its high placement (it also spent almost the entire year on my chart, too, lol). The instrumentation on this track is one of the best parts about it, especially the fiddle-laden bridge, and Maddie & Tae's vocal harmonies on "Fly" are some of their tightest and prettiest. The way the chorus is posed is just beautiful and the ups and downs of their vocals on it are so enjoyable to me. Just a beautiful song, and I'm glad that something as down-tempo and country as this was able to keep up their momentum so strongly.





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[bboat11]

Fabulous start to the top 15! I love "Riot", "Smoke Break", and "Fly"! Did not hear "Country" more than maybe twice, but enjoyed it when I did. And I'm not familiar with the Madonna tune.

I smell an excellent top 10 on the way ;)

[Deleted]

Jan 18, 2016 3:44:26 GMT -5 bboat11 said:

I love "Riot", "Smoke Break", and "Fly"!

[trebor]

Have missed some updates, sorry! Have well noted your #21!  :)
Still a mystery how "Pretty Girls" got lost in your countdown!  ;)  

[.indulgecountry]

First half of the Top 10 revealed!

10) "Lay Low" - Josh Turner
Peak: #1 (2 weeks)



"Lay Low" was the most successful single from a male country artist on my chart in 2015. Josh Turner is my favorite male vocalist in the genre and I'd been waiting on new music from him after a two year absence when "Lay Low" dropped. It was very instant for me as a result and wound up being one of one of my favorite things he's released to date. Everything about it screamed radio smash to me, but it unfortunately did not become the hit that it definitely should've been on country radio. It has a beautiful melody and production that walks the line of being modern and classic Josh Turner, and his voice sounds just perfect on it, especially over the big chorus. I need him to return with something else soon and get his next album out in 2016 because I can't keep waiting!

09) "Biscuits" - Kacey Musgraves
Peak: #1 (2 weeks)



"Biscuits" was basically "Follow Your Arrow" part II for me, but I actually liked it a lot better and thought it was destined to become her next big hit since it was pretty radio-friendly but not quite as controversial lyrically. The hook is one of her most clever yet and the lyrics and whimsical production are just infectious. It's a very fun, lively country ditty that never ceases to put a smile on my face. The music video is a total hoot-and-a-half as well, with Kacey parading around on a stage decked out with all the fixings of a country music-style musical.

08) "Better Than You Left Me" - Mickey Guyton
Peak: #1 (2 weeks)



"Better Than You Left Me" was hands-down the best debut single launched in 2015. Mickey Guyton sings the living hell out of this tender country music power ballad, culminating in an absolutely massive vocal on the bridge, followed by an equally beautiful display of steel guitar. Everything about her vocal to the lyrics to the production is just country music gold and the emotion and power put into this real-life heartbreak anthem by Mickey is a wonderful thing. What wasn't wonderful was country radio giving it the cold shoulder, but I have high hopes that this talented and buzz-worthy female will break out big in due time.

07) "Something in the Water" - Carrie Underwood
Peak: #1 (2 weeks)



"Something in the Water" was a bit of a left-field track from Carrie Underwood and I thought that it worked out so, so well. I'm not particularly keen on religious music in itself, but there's something about religious-tinged country music that often really finds a way to speak to me. Case in point being that "Jesus, Take the Wheel" is my favorite Carrie song, and this one is definitely high on the list, too. The driving feel of the production and melody during the verses appeals to me a lot and the chorus is a beautiful moment vocally. The music video definitely helped send it over the top for me, too, because everything about the choreography to the staging to the wardrobe is all perfect.

06) "Night Changes" - One Direction
Peak: #1 (3 weeks)



"Night Changes" easily became my favorite One Direction song after it went to radio. For me, it kind of built on and improved what they started with "Story of My Life," which at the time of its release had become my favorite. This song makes good use of their greatest asset, Zayn, who unfortunately broke my heart by leaving the band while this was charting on my chart... which only made me cherish the song even more. :'( It's the best-ranking non-country song of the year on the countdown and the only one that made the Top 10 (Madonna was next-highest at #12). There's a melancholy feel to the vocals and vibe of the song that really draws me in and makes me experience the wistfulness of the track.





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Ohhh Biscuits at #9, Kacey made me a big fan with that song. I still play it today! It ended up at #19 on my list, but it deserved to be top 10 too.