Zebra's Year End Charts - 2015 (Finished)

[Zeebz]

062. "Lay Low" - Josh Turner

Listen!

Peak: 07

Weeks: 21

Album: Lay Low - Single

Josh Turner is one of my absolute favorite male country stars, if not my favorite. His voice is so rich, and I always look forward to new songs from him. I love the simplicity of this one, and the theme of it. Josh just wants himself and his lover to have a quiet weekend alone, or to just "lay low". It's a wonderful song with absolutely no burn rate. It peaked at number 7 and had a fairly long run. Haven't listened to it much since, but it remains a favorite. 

[Zeebz]

061. "Afterlife" - Ingrid Michaelson

Listen!

Peak: 10

Weeks: 15

Album: Lights Out

I debated on whether or not to include this since it peaked so early in the year and had such a split run, but I just couldn't leave it off. It's such a feel good song about being yourself and not backing down from who you are. It has such a fun sing-a-long chorus and I adore it. The video really helped this to rocket to the top ten. It's about people overcoming their fears and is so cute. Love love love this, love everything about it. It should have peaked so much higher. 

[Deleted]

#65, #63.

[Libra]

Dec 31, 2015 0:38:11 GMT -5 Zeebz said:

Years & Years have been one of the most successful acts of the year on my chart, but this was perhaps my least favorite of their three singles. I loved it, but I just wasn't as enthralled with it as the rest of Pulse/the world seemed to be.

I could say that about "Shine", actually. It's not bad, it just...it seems kind of bland compared to their other singles, which led to it only reaching #37 on my chart, versus Top 10 success for all the others.

[Zeebz]

Dec 31, 2015 16:12:34 GMT -5 Libra said:

Dec 31, 2015 0:38:11 GMT -5 Zeebz said:

Years & Years have been one of the most successful acts of the year on my chart, but this was perhaps my least favorite of their three singles. I loved it, but I just wasn't as enthralled with it as the rest of Pulse/the world seemed to be.

I could say that about "Shine", actually. It's not bad, it just...it seems kind of bland compared to their other singles, which led to it only reaching #37 on my chart, versus Top 10 success for all the others.

Fair enough. "Shine" took a long time to grow on me and just clicked one day. It benefited from regret over giving "King" and "Desire" lower peaks so it sailed straight to the top. It'll be their highest ranked, but I think I prefer "Desire" and maybe even "King" to it nowadays.

[ry4n]

Same, I didn't start getting really into "Shine" until long after it left my chart.

[Zeebz]

Dec 31, 2015 22:22:26 GMT -5 ry4n said:

Same, I didn't start getting really into "Shine" until long after it left my chart.

Let it re-enter!

[ry4n]

Dec 31, 2015 22:23:16 GMT -5 Zeebz said:

Dec 31, 2015 22:22:26 GMT -5 ry4n said:

Same, I didn't start getting really into "Shine" until long after it left my chart.

Let it re-enter!

Hmmm. Maybe I can give "Drunk In Love" its proper chart run while I'm at it too!

[Zeebz]

Dec 31, 2015 22:24:13 GMT -5 ry4n said:

Dec 31, 2015 22:23:16 GMT -5 Zeebz said:

Let it re-enter!

Hmmm. Maybe I can give "Drunk In Love" its proper chart run while I'm at it too!

YAS STAN FOR THE QUEEN

[Zeebz]

060. "Overload" - Life Of Dillon

Listen!

Peak: 05

Weeks: 17

Album: Prologue

One of several dance songs that hit hard over the summer. I really love the vocals on this one. They're almost folk-like, and they really complement the production. It looked like a number one contender for a few weeks but missed out due to heavy competition. Shame that this didn't catch on everywhere else. 

[Zeebz]

059. "Nobody Love" - Tori Kelly

Listen!

Peak: 01

Weeks: 17

Album: Unbreakable Smile

Speaking of songs that should've smashed, "Nobody Love" is pure fun. Tori's vocals are wonderful, and I'm a sucker for catchy love songs. I love the production on the chorus. It just makes me want to dance. This hit number one amidst lackluster competition. It ranks so low simply because I kept forgetting about it and it held little replay value once it fell off. 

[Zeebz]

058. "Don't Wanna Fight" - Alabama Shakes

Listen!

Peak: 15

Weeks: 18

Album: Sound & Color

I loved "Hold On", but for some reason I didn't really look into more from Alabama Shakes until early last year. I really enjoyed their album and was super excited to hear more from them. "Don't Wanna Fight" didn't disappoint. I love the soulful vocals, and the chorus is super catchy. the production is also superb. Brilliant song from a brilliant group. It pains me to rank this this low, but not making the top ten really held it back. I should've given this a better peak. 

[Zeebz]

058. "Molecules" - Atlas Genius

Listen!

Peak: 06

Weeks: 20

Album: Inanimate Objects

Atlas Genius is another group that I've unfairly neglected. I was determined to not make that mistake this time, though, and here we are! "Molecules" took a while to grow on me but once it clicked it had a swift run to the top ten and it stuck around for a while. The "I wanna confess..." line is probably my favorite part. :)

[Zeebz]

056. "R.I.P. 2 My Youth" - The Neighbourhood

Listen!

Peak: 07

Weeks: 17

Album: Wiped Out!

The Neighbourhood was one of my favorite new discoveries of last year, so needless to say I was really excited for new material from them. This certainly didn't disappoint. I really enjoy the lyrics, and this one is really fun to sing along to. This peaked at number seven in the fall. 

[Zeebz]

055. "Sparks" - Hilary Duff

Listen!

Peak: 10

Weeks: 16

Album: Breathe In. Breathe Out.

This section is full of songs that should've smashed on pop, apparently. Hilary really impressed me last year with "All About You" and I was really anticipating what she would do next. When this came out, I was taken by surprise. It sounded completely different from everything she released last year. I was obsessed. I couldn't get this one out of my head. The whistles really stuck. This kind of got lost in the pack during the summer and I didn't really begin to appreciate it again until just recently. "Sparks" is pure bliss. I need to check out her album. Oh, and I love her look in the video. 

[Zeebz]

054. "All That" - Carly Rae Jepsen

Listen!

Peak: 07

Weeks: 16

Album: Emotion

The queen makes her second (out of five) appearances with "All That". It initially didn't grab my attention at all due to being a little slower than I was used to from her. However, I gave it another chance after "Run Away With Me" began to take off and I fell in love. Carly's vocals are wonderful like usual, but I really enjoy them here because they exude sensuality and are full of passion. I also love how this sounds like it could be from the 80s (here for an 80s revival!). This has really started to regain my attention lately, and I'm obsessed all over again. Perfection.

[Zeebz]

053. "Gone" - JR JR

Listen!

Peak: 07

Weeks: 22

Album: JR JR

Spotify introduced this one to me, and ever since it has had a slow burn up the chart. It took forever to grow on me, but I really enjoy the vocals (especially on the chorus) and the breezy production that gives this a relaxed vibe. This is indie-pop at its best.

[Zeebz]

052. "Desire" - Years & Years

Listen!

Peak: 10

Weeks: 22

Album: Communion

"King" fell not too long ago, and sadly this one follows suit. It was, however, their most instant single for me and I loved it immediately (whereas the others took a long time to grow on me). I really love the desperation in Olly's vocals on the chorus. They really make him seem like he has desire, haha. I'm not really sure as to what drew me to this one and not the others though, haha. Recently I've been getting back into this one and it kept moving up my rankings. 

[Zeebz]

051. "Gunshot" - Lykke Li

Listen!

Peak: 04

Weeks: 19

Album: I Never Learn

Ok so technically this should've been on last year's list, but I'm going to cheat a little bit (sort of. I did chart this this year). Lykke has been one of my favorites ever since "I Follow Rivers", and I only fell more in love with her last year. "Gunshot" was the second single from the album, and I actually think I prefer it to "No Rest For The Wicked". I love the desperation and heartache in her lyrics. Her ability to emote is astounding.

[Deleted]

Love half of your selections.

[Juan Carlos]

Good to see "I Can Change", "King", "Molecules", "R.I.P. 2 My Youth", "Sparks", "All That" and "Desire" in the last two batches.

Also, I've checked "Gunshot" and I really enjoyed it. The music video is good too. :)

[Zeebz]

050. "Peaches" - In The Valley Below

Listen!

Peak: 05

Weeks: 24

Album: The Belt

I know that this is actually super old, but I think it was released somewhere this year, and I definitely love it enough to list it here. I really love the harmonies on the chorus. The male and female partners sound really good together there. The production helps to give the song a darker vibe, which I really loved. The lyric "we won't live to long, so let's love for one song" definitely stands out as my favorite. This took FOREVER to grow on me but once it did it rocketed to the top ten. It managed to peak at number five in the midst of the busiest season, and for that it has more than earned its place in the top fifty. Fantastic.

[Zeebz]

049. "Lonely Town" - Brandon Flowers

Listen!

Peak: 05

Weeks: 16

Album: The Desired Effect

Brandon's second appearance on the list comes in the form of this. I adore the production on this. It's so much fun, and I love the intensity of Brandon's vocals when he hits the chorus. At first listen this seems to be a sweet song, but I actually think this song is about a stalker/serial killer. The lyrics are kind of creepy when taken at face value, but the breezy nature of the song is enough for me to look past it. This became Brandon's second top ten hit. 

[Zeebz]

048. "Catfish" - Tamar Braxton

Listen!

Peak: 03

Weeks: 15

Album: Calling All Lovers

I adore Tamar's singles from Love And War, and they were all rather successful on my personal chart. I was a tad disappointed with "Let Me Know" at first, but I've come to enjoy it. However, "Catfish" was an instant favorite and a definite return to form. "Catfish" is about a lover who is playing games with her and is trying to "flex". She's trying to get him to not play around with her, and the way in which she does it is what makes the song. I love how she chants "baby don't flex" and "baby I know the real you" over and over. These exclamations really help the song stick. This quickly raced to number three, and despite a lack of longevity, remains a favorite. 

[Zeebz]

047. "FourFiveSeconds" - Rihanna, Kanye West, and Paul McCartney

Listen!

Peak: 03

Weeks: 19

Album: Anti

I've seen a lot of negativity regarding this song this year, and I never really understood it. This isn't the pop banger that we're all used to from her, but it's something different and more importantly something wonderful. I love how toned down it is, and I love how that juxtaposes with the lyrics about partying and "wildin'". It makes for a very interesting listen and it shows some musical evolution on Rihanna's part. She may not be as artsy as she thinks she is, but I appreciate the diversity from her. 

[Zeebz]

046. "Stay A Little Longer" - Brothers Osborne

Listen!

Peak: 05

Weeks: 24

Album: Stay A Little Longer - Single

I'm not sure what about this made me fall for it as hard as I did, but I absolutely love this song. It took a long time actually reach its peak (it just peaked a few weeks ago despite charting far earlier this year), and it didn't until I started hearing it all of the time on the radio. I think my love for the song is a combination of my appreciation for the guitar and for the music video. I appreciate how progressive the video is for a country song, featuring interracial, same-sex, and older couples. It shows the diversity of relationships and I can always get behind that. Not to mention that this is really catchy and the vocals are wonderful. I'm so glad that this was such a big hit. 

[Zeebz]

045. "Here" - Alessia Cara

Listen!

Peak: 09

Weeks: 21

Album: Know-It-All

When I first heard this song I had no idea that it would blow up as big as it has. I remember finding it just as it was going for adds and really enjoying her vocals. I didn't pay any attention to the lyrics at first, but upon subsequent listens I fell in love with the introspective/introverted lyrics. It's a nice refresher from the typical party song in that Cara is singing about not wanting to be at the party. Its a feeling that is genuine and makes me really appreciate this. It peaked too low on my chart, but it has held up well. 

[Zeebz]

044. "Player" - Tinashe ft. Chris Brown

Listen!

Peak: 03

Weeks: 13

Album: Joyride

I love Tinashe. "2 On", "Bet", "All Hands On Deck", and "Feels Like Vegas" are just some of the many highlights from Aquarius, and I was highly anticipating new music from her. I was disappointed when I first heard this because Chris's feature just didn't contribute anything (I prefer the version without him) and because it just wasn't as instant as her other stuff was. It lacked the spark that it desperately needed. It eventually grew on me, though, and it was inescapable. It stayed stuck on loop (both in my head and in my playlist) and I always caught myself singing it. I love the chorus and her vocals on it. While this still might not be as great as her previous material, I still love it for what it is. 

[Zeebz]

043. "How Do You Do It" - Empress Of

Listen!

Peak: 08

Weeks: 16

Album: Me.

I randomly heard this on Spotify one day and I have been hooked ever since. The production is really fun and makes this a bop. It always makes me want to dance. It inspired me to check out her album, and although it isn't all in the vein of this song, it's fantastic. Empress Of has become one of my favorite new acts of the year, and I look forward to seeing what she does next. This peaked too low though!

[Zeebz]

042. "Better Than You Left Me" - Mickey Guyton

Listen!

Peak: 04

Weeks: 26

Album: Mickey Guyton

This is easily one of the best country songs that I've heard all year, and it's a damn shame that it didn't do as well as it should have. Guyton's vocals are incredible, and the subject is one that I can relate to. It's about being better off after a failed relationship and the healing process involved, and a declaration that she is better off without the man who did her wrong. It's quite an empowering song, and after going through a recent breakup I can appreciate it so much more. I'm so much better off without that negativity in my life. /sappiness, but still this is a wonderful song. It's had incredible longevity and one of the longest runs of the entire year.