We feel pretty confident proclaiming 2015 the best year for new music this decade, and we'd even go so far as to say it's been arguably our favorite year in the history of this site. So many stars seemed to serendipitously align this year — our 10th as a blog — for sounds that veered right into our own personal, sometimes insular little lane: the triumphant return of Grimes; the improbable meteoric rise of Leon Bridges from seemingly out of nowhere (i.e., right here in our own backyard); a sweet, thoroughly relatable, '90s-hip-hop-inspired record from Panda Bear (our favorite artist); two Beach House albums in the span of two months; D'Angelo with probably the best show we've seen since the last time he rolled through town 15 years ago; Grouper started a pop group; the summer of Jamie xx; and on and on. If 2015 had seen the release of Dear Tommy and new music from Shabazz Palaces or Burial (all still possible, I suppose), our blog might have imploded.

With all of that said, I still feel like we went as deep as ever this year, and as always, there were some genuinely incredible hidden gems to uncover if you spent a little time digging. Let us know how your year went as you check the full list of our 50 favorite records of the year, and lose yourself in our nearly 3-hour-long spotify playlist:







50 PALMBOMEN | PALMBOMEN II













49 DANNY L HARLE | Broken Flowers







48 RAE SREMMURD | SremmLife







47 JESSICA PRATT | On Your Own Love Again













46 STEALING SHEEP | Not Real







45 TEI SHI | Verde







44 CAROLINE NO | No Language







43 JLIN | Dark Energy







42 BICEP | Just







41 PURE BATHING CULTURE | Pray For Rain







40 VALET | Nature







39 YUMI ZOUMA | EP II







38 BEACH HOUSE | Depression Cherry







37 KNXWLEDGE | Hud Dreems







36 MOLLY NILSSON | Zenith







35 NEON INDIAN | VEGA INTL Night School







34 DILLY DALLY | Sore







33 ANTHONY NAPLES | Body Pill







32 CINDY LEE | Malenkost

CINDY LEE // Always Lovers













31 AIRBIRD & NAPOLIAN | Mr. Foolish







30 EMPRESS OF | Me







29 JOANNA NEWSOM | Divers













28 ABRA | Rose







27 SUSANNE SUNDFØR | Ten Love Songs







26 ERYKAH BADU | BUT YOU CAINT USE MY PHONE













25 EARTHEATER | RIP Chrysalis







24 LANA DEL REY | Honeymoon







23 DISASTERPEACE | It Follows OST







22 DOMENIQUE DUMONT | Comme Ça







21 TORO y MOI | Samantha

TORO y MOI // The Usual













20 THE GALLERIA | Calling Card / Mezzanine

THE GALLERIA // Mezzanine













19 AUTRE NE VEUT | Age of Transparency







18 COUSIN STIZZ | Suffolk County







17 BOP ENGLISH | Constant Bop







16 JULIA HOLTER | Have You In My Wilderness







15 YOUNG THUG | Barter 6







14 ONEOHTRIX POINT NEVER | Garden Of Delete







13 SUFJAN STEVENS | Carrie & Lowell







12 SOPHIE | PRODUCT







11 U.S. GIRLS | Half Free







10 GEORGE CLANTON | 100% Electronica







09 BEACH HOUSE | Thank Your Lucky Stars







08 LOWER DENS | Escape From Evil







07 HELEN | The Original Faces







06 VINCE STAPLES | Summertime '06







05 CINDY LEE | Act of Tenderness

CINDY LEE // Power and Possession













04 LEON BRIDGES | Coming Home







03 JAMIE XX | In Colour







02 PANDA BEAR | Panda Bear Meets the Grim Reaper







01 GRIMES | Art Angels







01 GRIMES | Art Angels

02 PANDA BEAR | Panda Bear Meets the Grim Reaper

03 JAMIE XX | In Colour

04 LEON BRIDGES | Coming Home

05 CINDY LEE | Act of Tenderness

06 VINCE STAPLES | Summertime '06

07 HELEN | The Original Faces

08 LOWER DENS | Escape From Evil

09 BEACH HOUSE | Thank Your Lucky Stars

10 GEORGE CLANTON | 100% Electronica

11 U.S. GIRLS | Half Free

12 SOPHIE | Product

13 SUFJAN STEVENS | Carrie & Lowell

14 ONEOHTRIX POINT NEVER | Garden Of Delete

15 YOUNG THUG | Barter 6

16 JULIA HOLTER | Have You In My Wilderness

17 BOP ENGLISH | Constant Bop

18 COUSIN STIZZ | Suffolk County

19 AUTRE NE VEUT | Age of Transparency

20 THE GALLERIA | Calling Card / Mezzanine

21 TORO y MOI | Samantha

22 DOMENIQUE DUMONT | Comme Ça

23 DISASTERPEACE | It Follows OST

24 LANA DEL REY | Honeymoon

25 EARTHEATER | RIP Chrysalis

26 ERYKAH BADU | BUT YOU CAINT USE MY PHONE

27 SUSANNE SUNDFØR | Ten Love Songs

28 ABRA | Rose

29 JOANNA NEWSOM | Divers

30 EMPRESS OF | Me

31 AIRBIRD & NAPOLIAN | Mr. Foolish

32 CINDY LEE | Malenkost

33 ANTHONY NAPLES | Body Pill

34 DILLY DALLY | Sore

35 NEON INDIAN - VEGA INTL Night School

36 MOLLY NILSSON - Zenith

37 KNXWLEDGE - Hud Dreems

38 BEACH HOUSE - Depression Cherry

39 YUMI ZOUMA - EP II

40 VALET - Nature

41 PURE BATHING CULTURE - Pray for Rain

42 BICEP - Just

43 JLIN - Dark Energy

44 CAROLINE NO - No Language

45 TEI SHI - Verde

46 STEALING SHEEP - Not Real

47 JESSICA PRATT - On Your Own Love Again

48 RAE SREMMURD - SremmLife

49 DANNY L HARLE - Broken Flowers

50 PALMBOMEN - PALMBOMEN II