The Top 10 Best Hit Songs of 2015

The Top 10 Best Hit Songs of 2015

In the following few paragraphs, I take a look at one of the better years of the 2010s for the Hot 100 and look at the songs that made it quite amazing.

(this list was originally created on July 16, 2021)

Hey guys, welcome back to Fire's Flaming Hot Takes, where I'm back with another top 10 list. Time to look at the top 10 best hit songs of 2015!

So 2015 is a year that has garnered a reputation of being one of the best years of the 2010s for the Hot 100, and this full relisten has proved it to be true. There were more bad songs here than there were in 2011 and 2017, which is why it wasn’t the best, but it’s still an amazing year for pop music. If anything, while making my worst list, I found out that a lot of the worst songs were 2014 repeats, because as soon as I eliminated those, there was only one cut I had to make from the list and most of my dishonorable mentions were mediocre rather than flat out bad. Country was starting to fall out of its bro country era as it had diminishing returns, trap’s earliest seeds were being planted in the mainstream, and pop really got its chance to shine this year.

The pop this year definitely tended to lean more towards tropical sounds, which I said in both of my 2016 lists I have very high tolerance for those sounds. And there was a lot of quality that notched really damn great success. And that said, looking at the year-end list for 2015, my main emotion is happiness and I immediately think of the summertime. Seriously, the summer hits this year were hot, and the tropical sounds fit in with that time period really well. It also feels like a happier year for the Hot 100, although I am aware that’s just nostalgia talking.

There was a lot of quality on this list to the point where there were many, many, many painful cuts from my honorable mentions. But I put something together, and I can’t wait to get a nice nostalgia dose as I talk about the best songs of this year. Overall, there were 67 songs on this year-end - including 2014 repeats - that fell into my “decent tier” or higher, which is an amazing showing if you ask me. So as a rule, the songs must have debuted on the year-end list for 2015 in order to qualify - so sorry “Chandelier”, you will not make this list again - so it’s time to unravel the best hits of an amazing year, starting with our honorable mentions!

HM #1: Mark Ronson f/Bruno Mars - Uptown Funk! (YE: #1, PEAK: #1)

I’ll admit, the overplay definitely elbowed this from the list proper. But that said, “Uptown Funk” is still a great song - and a very worthy one to be called the biggest song of 2015 and of the entire decade. The bassline is groovy, the beat is catchy, the guitar lick is really damn great, and the horns add that liveliness and complete fun to the song. And the song is about being the coolest guy in the room, and holy shit Bruno Mars kills it with his performance, delivering all his swagger and charisma into this song. Iconic, and for a reason.

HM #2: Rachel Platten - Fight Song (YE: #20, PEAK: #6)

I’m absolutely stunned by the amount of hate this song often receives, because I think it’s pretty damn terrific. I made comparisons to this when I talked about “Fuckin’ Perfect” by Pink in my worst of 2011 list, but “Fight Song” is just so much better than that. Rachel Platten is a great fit for this mold of empowerment anthems unlike Pink, who sounded so forced on “Fuckin’ Perfect”. Plus, the lyrics are raw, very personal to Rachel Platten, which gives it that extra significance. Plus the production builds up really damn solidly, opening up with a nice piano key melody, allowing for the percussion to kick in and add the intensity to the song without it becoming overproduced. “Fight Song” is that song that tugs right on your heartstrings, and it might not be better than “Stand By You” or “Broken Glass”, but still, this is great.

HM #3: Taylor Swift - Blank Space (YE: #7, PEAK: #1)

This isn’t even my favorite song on 1989, but it’s still great. The percussioned guitar strums that only build up as Taylor’s anger also starts to build up in the second verse, and the backing vocals are well-layered. It also helps that the melody of the song sounds really amazing as well. It’s well written and well executed. But we’re not done with Taylor yet, stick around!

HM #4: Mr. Probz - Waves (Robin Schulz Remix) (YE: #95, PEAK: #14)

When I said the summer hits were hot, they were really hot. “Waves” is an absolute vibe, I love the house influences here and there and the piano keys subtly added here and there are a great touch. This is up here because of how chill the song is overall. What a vibe!

HM #5: Meghan Trainor f/John Legend - Like I’m Gonna Lose You (YE: #76, PEAK: #8)

If there’s one thing I can confidently say about Meghan Trainor, it’s that “Like I’m Gonna Lose You” is her best hit ever. Meghan isn’t trying to make a statement or empowerment anthem or anything like that, which is always her weakest department. She’s simply making a love ballad and it works really damn well! The production is pretty minimal - just a guitar melody and a light percussion - which works in the song’s favor because it puts the spotlight on both Meghan Trainor and John Legend, who have excellent chemistry and sound great here. Meghan, please make more of this, and less of “All About That Bass”, I think we’d all be better off if it were that way.

HM #6: One Direction - Drag Me Down (YE: #65, PEAK: #3)

“Drag Me Down” is a much more mature song coming from One Direction. I love the guitars, and the song actually builds up really well. Each member gets their chance to shine on this song, and it perfectly captures the feeling of feeling powerful when in love with someone. Love this, and yet we’re not done talking about One Direction, so stick around!!

HM #7: Fall Out Boy - Centuries (YE: #43, PEAK: #10)

I think I’ve said before in one of my lists, if you start to scream to add intensity, it does not work at all and only becomes annoying. But “Centuries” takes that screaming and actually manages to add intensity. Pete Wentz starts belting as the production starts building up - with its piano keys picking up more weight and the production becoming more and more heavy - it’s the ultimate battle cry of a song. This song coasts off its epic production - it’s a fantastic song!! I might not love Fall Out Boy’s latest work, but this is a shining moment, I love this so much.

Alright, now for the list proper!

10...Alright, I wasn’t a big fan of X by Ed Sheeran. The singles that spawned from that album never really grabbed me in any way, and even if I liked “Thinking Out Loud”, it was still a far cry from something like “The A Team” or what he would later release as “Castle On The Hill”. However, there was one standout from that album, one that I loved back then and still love to this day...

10. Ed Sheeran - Photograph (YE: #34, PEAK: #10)

Sometimes simplicity is all you need, and “Photograph”’s simplicity is what really makes the song. It’s just a simple acoustic guitar that sounds amazing, plus a bit of piano and backing vocals. It gradually builds up as the drums and the strings come in as Ed Sheeran sings with very restrained vocals. He has enough raw charisma and emotion in his vocals which are able to keep the listener engaged with the song. I do wish his vocals weren’t constantly in falsetto, but that’s a very minor complaint. The lyrics entail a long-distance relationship, and the little details present throughout are a really great touch, like telling the girl to keep a photograph of Ed inside the pocket of her ripped jeans and to wait for him to come to her. And I also like how he calls his girl his home. The little details are fantastic touches. Very underrated song from Ed’s discography, and if you’re still curious, check it out, because this is an amazing little song.

9...So the next few picks on this list are common picks for “best of 2015” lists, and I cannot blame the people who do put these songs on their lists, because they are all quite amazing. And this song is quite easily one of the best songs in Ariana Grande’s entire discography...

9. Ariana Grande & The Weeknd - Love Me Harder (YE: #56, PEAK: #7)

Ariana Grande’s vocals work so effectively on this song, which is immensely sexy and one of her best songs ever. Her vocals are very subtle and The Weeknd actually counterbalances this remarkably well. They both have great chemistry between each other, and create an incredibly sexy song that isn’t too overly explicit - it finds that healthy medium. However, as amazing as this song is, I’m starting to feel that this might be getting slightly overrated - I’ll admit it. The synths in the electro-heavy chorus plus the guitar, they don’t hit as hard as I wish they did. I feel that if the production in the chorus was replaced with production from, say, “Into You”, it would’ve propelled this song into the stratosphere for me. But the chemistry between our two artists does more than enough for me to let it slide, this is amazing.

8...Again, not even the best song on 1989, but it’s still amazing regardless, and here’s its well deserved recognition

8. Taylor Swift - Wildest Dreams (YE: #57, PEAK: #5)

This song is a very dreamy song showcasing some of Taylor Swift’s really great vocals. The song is quite heavily driven on its strings and keyboard tones, which are done subtly enough for Taylor Swift’s vocals to be a natural fit. And the entire song has a very dramatic atmosphere, which I think actually works really well for this song. Taylor is begging for an ex to remember her despite their relationship ending. And Taylor’s seemingly increasing desparateness that builds up in her vocals match that really well! And the song is very airy, it’s dreamy, it’s relaxing, it’s beautiful, and somehow it’s not Taylor’s best song this year.

7...I told you we weren’t done talking about One Direction!

7. One Direction - Night Changes (YE: #98, PEAK: #31)

This is in similar territory as “Story Of My Life” for me - both of these songs are points where One Direction show great maturity. The harmonies are fantastic, the percussion is muted which works in its favor, the gleaming guitars sound amazing. It’s a beautifully well done song about seizing the moment and living and cherishing the moment even despite how fast the night changes. The song perfectly captures the feeling of being in love and living the moment the best way it can possibly be. It reminds me of a turning point between innocence and maturity. The feeling of innocence that you want to last forever, but also the realization that it will not last forever and you might as well cherish it while the night swiftly changes. I don’t think it’s better than “Story Of My Life” - I’m not the biggest fan of the key change - but it’s still amazing. Fantastic work One Direction.

6...We’ve already talked about Taylor Swift twice on this list, and yet there was still one song on this year-end list that stood out as not only the best hit song on 1989, but quite possibly the best hit of her career...

6. Taylor Swift - Style (YE: #29, PEAK: #6)

This still wasn’t my favorite song on the album - “Out Of The Woods” would’ve definitely made this list had it become a hit. But “Style” is a fantastic song regardless, the guitar rollick is great, the bass is just perfect, and there are a few tiny details like the piano notes in the prechorus as the song dies down slightly before letting loose for the chorus. Like “Wildest Dreams”, “Style” is very dreamy, but this time it’s in an upbeat mold of pop music that might well fit into synthpop territory. Taylor brings the elegance that this song needs - which is probably why this song has such a dreamy vibe to it. It’s vibrant pop perfection, and while not her best song ever - “All Too Well” is very difficult to top - this is still a career highlight.

5...So in my worst list, I mentioned Fifty Shades of Gray, the film that had two songs from its soundtrack become big enough to land in the top 20 on the year-end list for 2015. And while I highlighted the terrible song of the two, I also mentioned that the other song from this soundtrack was fantastic - so here it is...

5. Ellie Goulding - Love Me Like You Do (YE: #13, PEAK: #3)

I think I should make it clear that I actually mostly like Ellie Goulding. I think it might’ve been “Burn” that won me over originally, but honestly as time passed on, I’ve grown to really like a lot of her singles. And “Love Me Like You Do” is a highlight in Ellie’s career. The percussion is muted enough so there’s more focus on Ellie and the rest of the production, yet they also are loud enough to bring in the crushing power into the song. The rest of the production is filled with massive synthesizers, a few hints of strings I can hear throughout the track, and some piano keys that are most noticeable on the bridge, all leading to the outro where the strings start to fade away beautifully. And Ellie’s vocals are quite a perfect fit for this song. Her voice is very soft and understated, so she doesn’t need to belt out to bring in the power, if she has the production to do so, she can sing with her soft vocals and the power is still there. It’s a contrast that works so damn well. The song is pure euphoria and pure power, it’s absolutely beautiful.

4...I realized long before I started making these lists that I like the modern Maroon 5 a lot more than pretty much everybody. Yes, they can make some real duds - as shown on my worst list for this year - but otherwise I find them alright. I will say, though, I like Adam Levine’s collaborations more than the stuff Maroon 5 usually puts out. And while this is no “Stereo Hearts”, I still love it a lot, and thus...

4. R City f/Adam Levine - Locked Away (YE: #40, PEAK: #6)

I’m being serious, this is one of Adam Levine’s best vocal performances this decade. There’s no effects on his vocals, he sounds fantastic here to the point I’m wondering why he doesn’t sing without his vocal effects more often! Then we get to R City, okay their style of rapping definitely takes some time to get used to, but I’d argue that some of this clumsy rapping adds to the charm to it. Also helps that the duo have great chemistry and they have genuine curiosity and wonder in their voices. And I love the lyrical content, them asking their lovers if anything were to happen, or if they were to show their flaws, would their lovers still love them? All coupled with a beautiful piano line, immensely catchy dancehall beat, and the synthesizers that come in during the chorus, and we got a damn terrific song.

3...This song definitely only got as big as it did due to the unfortunate passing of Paul Walker. But that said, this song is excellent and I’m so glad it was such a huge hit...

3. Wiz Khalifa f/Charlie Puth - See You Again (YE: #3, PEAK: #1)

I mean, it definitely could be considered cheesy, but not to the point where I’m gonna discount this song at all. Charlie Puth is a fantastic fit for the piano melody, his falsetto is pretty good, and his voice is incredibly melodic. And he truly showcases his talent when he starts to belt as soon as the post-chorus and the outro come in. Charlie is also a great fit because he personally connects with this song. He said himself that he personally connected with this song because it reminded him of a friend who was killed in a motorcycle accident in 2012. Then Wiz Khalifa. He actually raps on this song really damn well, the beat that kicks in helps Wiz Khalifa rap really well, whereas if it were just a piano melody doing so it wouldn’t be as good - I’m looking at you, “Memories” remix with YG and Nipsey Hussle. So yeah, “See You Again” is genuinely an excellent song, and I’m ready for more.

2...When looking at lists for the best hit songs of 2015, this song I find often gets left out of the conversation. While I’ve always loved this song, I think it’s only gotten better over time. Granted, this is definitely because whenever I personally listen to it, I really immediately think of the Manchester attacks that occurred back in May of 2017 at one of this singer’s concerts, so this song definitely feels a lot more heavy and emotional today than back in 2015...

2. Ariana Grande - One Last Time (YE: #67, PEAK: #13)

If you want one of the most underrated songs in Ariana Grande’s discography, “One Last Time” is it. The percussion finds that healthy medium of being just perfect and the three-note synth line sounds fantastic. And Ariana Grande’s vocal performance on this song is really damn great too, her lower register in the verses, to later belt with very raw vocals in the chorus. As for the lyrics, it’s about Ariana asking an ex who has moved on from her to spend one last moment with her. It’s a really simple song overall, but it’s one that uses that simplicity to its advantage, with no obvious glaring takeaways from the song overall. And given the emotional weight that this song now has, it’s really become one of my favorite songs ever. And it would’ve been my #1. No other song could resonate so much for me as this one, right?

1...I knew right as I was exploring this year-end list that this would be the song to top my best list. This song has so much personal significance for me and I adore it with all my heart to this day, it would feel so wrong if this wasn’t my #1...

1. WALK THE MOON - Shut Up And Dance (YE: #6, PEAK: #4)

This song was my favorite song of all time back when it was released, and it still remains an all-time favorite of mine to this very day. The entire song is driven by its dance groove and its new-wave-esque guitars. And the synths in the bridge and final chorus sound so fantastic! Yes, you could argue that this is basically a Killers song, but it’s so fun I could literally care less about it! It’s genuinely catchy and fun, and the production’s alternative edge combined with the overall fun of it all is what won me over. Nicholas Petricca helps give this song the personality and fun it needs, he sings in a goofy way, like he isn’t taking anything seriously, yet also with enough sincerity that works so damn well. And sometimes you just have to shut up and dance. But the way this song is personally significant for me...I’ve mentioned in the past that my dad used to show me a few songs on the radio as a little kid, but outside of those songs, I never really went out of my way to actually discover new songs on the radio. This song, one day, came on the radio, and I was immediately hooked. It then got to the point of me listening to the radio every damn second I could to hear this song, exposing me to many other songs I now love in the process. This song was a landmark for me, a defining song for my music taste. It’s so damn fun, utterly fantastic, and with all that, “Shut Up And Dance” by WALK THE MOON is the best hit song of 2015. And I heard new music is coming from them soon, and I am so pumped for it.

So I’ve gone through the fantastic highs of 2015 and some pretty bad lows. Overall, 2015 was definitely one of the better years of the 2010s for the Hot 100, and I’m so glad I covered it. Now, my plan for the rest of the 2010s. I wanna start with the years I don’t particularly care about that much and get that out of the way - 2019 and 2018. Then I’ll probably do 2013 and 2010. And then 2012, and finally rounding everything out with the year I want to cover the most - 2017. So, my lists for 2019 will be out in a bit!