My Top Ten Albums of 2015

At this point, I'm sure everyone has been inundated with top whatever lists for any and everything. Mine is about...music. Imagine that. My list is different than any other list you've read. That doesn't make it better (or worse), right or wrong, just different.

Music is subjective and personal. To me there are only two types of music: music I like and music I don't. And just because I don't like it, doesn't mean it's not good, just not to my taste. Conversely, just because I like it doesn't necessarily mean it's good. I'll be the first to admit that I like a lot of crap.

If you've read this blog before, thank you, and you know that I'm not genre-specific. That would make things so much easier. You also know that I am mainstream-phobic, so there are not going to be any mega hits on my list.

This is by no means a "Best of" list. It is not a comprehensive list. I'm sure there are several albums that were released in 2015 that would make my list had I heard them. These are the albums that I have listened to numerous times. Albums I would and have listened to again and again. Music that has resonated with me. Music that I will be listening to in 2016 and beyond.

I listen to albums, not songs. I'm not immune to making playlists of songs, but I'm happier when I can put on an album and listen from start to finish without having to skip songs. That's what my list is about.

Here is my top ten with my favorite song from the album (where available, where not, just a song from the album). Links in artist's names are to my posts explaining my picks. Other links are obvious.

10) Brandy Zdan - Brandy Zdan

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9) Delta Rae - After It All

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8) Chaser Eight - Chaser Eight

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7) William Clark Green - Ringling Road

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6) Houndmouth - Little Neon Limelight

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5) Halestorm - Into The Wildlife

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4) Elle King - Love Stuff

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3) Chris Stapleton - Traveller

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2) Blackberry Smoke - Holding All The Roses

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1) Black Star Riders - The Killer Instinct

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Hope something there resonates with you. If not, oh well, it's my list. Here's to a fantastic 2016.

Number Four Album of the Year

I will post a full top 10 list at the end. In the meantime, I am going to explore each record in my top 10 and why I selected them. Again, this is not a "Best of". It is the albums that I've heard and resonated with me personally. There is some really good stuff out there that doesn't make my list because, well, it's my list. There's a lot of stuff I haven't even heard. Maybe you'll like some of it.

This is a late entry on my radar and it speaks to how good it is that it made the top ten, much less coming in at number four. Elle King's Love Stuff was released back in February and although I was aware of the song "Ex's and Oh's" the full album didn't invade my consciousness until last month.

Songs are what make an album great. And Love Stuff is full of good songs. If it weren't, it wouldn't be on my list. But what elevates this record is King's voice. Unique. Sultry. Smokey. Sassy. And just plain good.

With equal dexterity and equal passion, she can go from full on rocker to traditional country without missing a beat. Or a note.

Elle King's Love Stuff is another album that cannot be pigeonholed into one specific category. You want a little blues in your rock, soul in you country, swamp in your Americana, she's your artist. You want electronic, metal or rap, not so much.

A popular thing is to say an artist sounds like another artist. I do that sometimes, just for context. Elle King defies that. She sounds exactly like Elle King. And that's a good thing.