Stereogum's 50 Best Albums of 2015

We heard it again and again in 2015: This year in music is so good that any attempt to make sense of it is going to be a fool’s errand. And it’s true. We always agonize over our year-end lists, but we agonized harder over this one than we usually do. There are albums that […]

Published: December 01, 2015 13:58 Source

# 1

Art Angels by Grimes

Album • Nov 06 / 2015 Electropop Synthpop

# 2

To Pimp A Butterfly by Kendrick Lamar

Album • Mar 16 / 2015 Conscious Hip Hop West Coast Hip Hop Jazz Rap

# 3

E•MO•TION by Carly Rae Jepsen

Album • Aug 21 / 2015 Dance-Pop Synthpop

# 4

Summertime '06 by Vince Staples

Album • Jun 30 / 2015 West Coast Hip Hop Hardcore Hip Hop

# 5

Carrie & Lowell by Sufjan Stevens

Album • Mar 31 / 2015 Indie Folk Singer-Songwriter

# 6

Sometimes I Sit and Think, And Sometimes I Just Sit by Courtney Barnett

Album • Mar 23 / 2015 Indie Rock Singer-Songwriter Lo-Fi / Slacker Rock

# 7

Painted Shut by Hop Along

Album • May 04 / 2015 Indie Rock

# 8

I Want to Grow Up by Colleen Green

Album • Feb 24 / 2015 Power Pop Indie Pop

# 9

Simple Songs by Jim O'Rourke

Album • May 19 / 2015 Chamber Pop Singer-Songwriter

# 10

New Bermuda by Deafheaven

Album • Oct 02 / 2015 Atmospheric Black Metal Blackgaze

# 11

In Colour by Jamie xx

Album • May 29 / 2015 UK Bass

# 12

I Love You, Honeybear by Father John Misty

Album • Feb 10 / 2015 Indie Folk Singer-Songwriter

# 13

Harmlessness by The World Is A Beautiful Place & I Am No Longer Afraid To Die

Album • Sep 25 / 2015 Midwest Emo

# 14

Apocalypse, girl by Jenny Hval

Album • Jun 09 / 2015 Art Pop Experimental

# 15

Currents by Tame Impala

Album • Jul 17 / 2015 Synthpop Psychedelic Pop Neo-Psychedelia

# 16

Surf by Nico Segal

Album • May 29 / 2015

# 17

The Most Lamentable Tragedy by Titus Andronicus

Album • Jul 28 / 2015 Punk Rock Indie Rock Rock Opera

# 18

DS2 (Deluxe) by Future

Album • Jul 17 / 2015 Trap Southern Hip Hop

# 19

Ivy Tripp by Waxahatchee

Album • Apr 07 / 2015 Indie Rock

# 20

Rose Mountain by Screaming Females

Album • Feb 24 / 2015 Indie Rock

# 21

Ratchet by Shamir

Album • May 19 / 2015 Electro-Disco Synthpop Electropop

# 22

Divers by Joanna Newsom

Album • Oct 23 / 2015 Chamber Folk Singer-Songwriter

# 23

The Magic Whip by Blur

Album • Apr 24 / 2015 Alternative Rock Art Rock

# 24

The Children of the Night by Tribulation

Album • Apr 21 / 2015 Gothic Metal Heavy Metal

# 25

If You're Reading This It's Too Late by Drake

Album • Feb 12 / 2015 Trap Pop Rap

# 26

Natalie Prass by Natalie Prass

Album • Jan 27 / 2015 Chamber Pop Pop Soul Baroque Pop

# 27

No Cities to Love by Sleater-Kinney

Album • Jan 20 / 2015 Indie Rock

# 28

O.K. by Gabby's World

Album • May 12 / 2015 Indie Pop Singer-Songwriter

# 29

Sun Coming Down by Ought

Album • Sep 18 / 2015 Post-Punk Art Punk

# 30

If I Was by The Staves

Album • Mar 31 / 2015 Contemporary Folk Indie Folk

# 31

Something More Than Free by Jason Isbell

Album • Jul 17 / 2015 Singer-Songwriter Americana

# 32

The Offer by Yowler

Album • Mar 10 / 2015 Slowcore Indie Folk

# 33

Every Open Eye by CHVRCHES

Album • Sep 25 / 2015 Synthpop Electropop

# 34

Anareta by Horrendous

Album • Oct 30 / 2015 Death Metal

# 35

The Epic by Kamasi Washington

Album • May 11 / 2015 Spiritual Jazz

# 36

SremmLife by Rae Sremmurd

Album • Jan 06 / 2015 Trap Pop Rap Southern Hip Hop

# 37

All Are Saved by Fred Thomas

Album • Apr 07 / 2015 Indie Rock

# 38

Vulnicura by Björk

Album • Jan 20 / 2015 Art Pop

# 39

Teens of Style by Car Seat Headrest

Album • Oct 30 / 2015 Lo-Fi / Slacker Rock

# 40

Sprained Ankle by Julien Baker

Album • Oct 23 / 2015 Singer-Songwriter Slowcore Indie Folk

# 41

Before The World Was Big by Girlpool

Album • Jun 02 / 2015 Lo-Fi / Slacker Rock Indie Pop Bedroom Pop

# 42

Fading Frontier by Deerhunter

Album • Oct 16 / 2015 Indie Rock Neo-Psychedelia

# 43

Traveller by Chris Stapleton

Album • May 04 / 2015 Americana Contemporary Country

# 44

Foil Deer by Speedy Ortiz

Album • Apr 21 / 2015 Indie Rock

# 45

Viet Cong by Viet Cong

Album • Jan 20 / 2015 Post-Punk

# 46

Joy, Departed by Sorority Noise

Album • Jun 16 / 2015 Indie Rock Emo

# 47

Depression Cherry by Beach House

Album • Aug 28 / 2015 Dream Pop

# 48

b'lieve i'm goin down... by Kurt Vile

Album • Sep 25 / 2015 Folk Rock Singer-Songwriter Contemporary Folk

# 49

Garden Of Delete by Oneohtrix Point Never

Album • Nov 13 / 2015 Post-Industrial Progressive Electronic

# 50

Have You In My Wilderness by Julia Holter

Album • Sep 25 / 2015 Art Pop Chamber Pop