The Top 10 Hip Hop Songs of 2015

Looking for the best hip hop songs of 2015? Here’s our top 10 list, featuring tracks from Drake, Kendrick Lamar, Big Sean, and more.

“Trap Queen” by Fetty Wap

“Trap Queen” is a song by American rapper Fetty Wap from his self-titled debut album (2015). The song peaked at number two on the US Billboard Hot 100 in May 2015. This was Wap’s first entry on the Hot 100. The song was nominated for Best Rap Song at the 58th Grammy Awards.

“All Day” by Kanye West

“All Day” is a song by American rapper Kanye West from his seventh studio album, The Life of Pablo (2016). The song features British singer Theophilus London, American rappers Allan Kingdom and Paul McCartney. It was produced by West, menace, Mike Dean, Noah Goldstein, Rick Rubin and Serge Gainsbourg. Originally a collaboration between West and Paul McCartney, the song was left unfinished until late 2014 when it was completed with contributions from Allan Kingdom and Theophilus London.

Musically, “All Day” is a hip hop song with heavy synth production. The song samples French electronic music duo Daft Punk’s 2013 single “Get Lucky”, and features lyrics about working hard all day long. Upon its release, the song peaked at number one on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart for one week, becoming West’s 40thChart topper of his career as well as his ninth consecutive number-one single in the United States. It also reached number one on the Rhythmic Songs chart and top five on both the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs and Hot Rap Songs charts.

“Hotline Bling” by Drake

“Hotline Bling” is a song recorded by Canadian rapper Drake, which serves as the lead single from his fourth studio album Views (2016). The song was released on October 19, 2015, through Cash Money Records and Republic Records. The song was produced by Nineteen85 and co-produced by Paul Jefferies. Along with the production, “Hotline Bling” features heavy synthesizers, ambient pads, 808 drums and a reverberating bassline. Being one of Drake’s signature songs, “Hotline Bling” peaked at number two on the Billboard Hot 100 in the United States and topped the charts in several other countries including Canada, Denmark and the United Kingdom. The accompanying music video was directed by Director X and filmed in Toronto. It features Drake dancing at various locations that include an empty warehouse, topless women’s basketball players fromYork University’s team and a local church’s seniors’ social.

“Watch Me” by Silentó

“Watch Me” is a song by American rapper Silentó, released on May 21, 2015. The song peaked at number three on the Billboard Hot 100 and number one on the Rhythmic chart. “Watch Me” is Silentó’s most successful single to date.

The song was produced by D4L member Falcons and written by Silentó, Falcons, D4L member Shawty Lo and producers Nitti Beatz and Bobby Kritical. It interpolates Dr. Alban’s “It’s My Life”, and its title refers to the Napoleon Dynamite character’s dance Moves.

The accompanying music video was directed by Marc Clément & co-directed by Silentó. It features cameos from people such as actor John Travolta, wrestler Hulk Hogan and model Tyson Beckford.

“Back to Back” by Drake

“Back to Back” is a song recorded by Canadian rapper Drake, released on July 29, 2015, through Cash Money Records and Republic Records. The track was serviced to contemporary radio stations in the United Kingdom on August 14. “Back to Back” peaked at number seven on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming Drake’s eleventh top 10 hit in the United States. In Canada, the song reached number two on the Canadian Hot 100. The accompanying music video for “Back to Back” was released on October 23, 2015.

“Earned It” by The Weeknd

The Weeknd’s “Earned It” just might be the sexiest thing to ever happen to hip hop. The track, which appears on the soundtrack for Fifty Shades of Grey, is a sultry, slow-burning R&B tune that features some of the most suggestive lyrics of The Weeknd’s career. While the song is ostensibly about a relationship between two consenting adults, it’s hard not to read some BDSM undertones into lines like “Girl you’re the one I want to want me/ And if you want me, girl you got me.” Whether you’re turned on or creeped out by the lyrics, there’s no denying that “Earned It” is one of the most fascinating hip hop songs of 2015.

“The Hills” by The Weeknd

“The Hills” is a song by Canadian singer The Weeknd. It was released on May 27, 2015 as the lead single from his second studio album, Beauty Behind the Madness (2015). The song peaked at number one on the US Billboard Hot 100, becoming The Weeknd’s first number-one single. It also reached the top five in several other countries, including Canada, Ireland, New Zealand and Sweden. A remix of the song featuring rapper Eminem was released on November 6, 2015.

The Weeknd began working on the song in late 2014 and it was inspired by his fears of going to jail and dying young. He originally wrote it as a diss track to Drake but later decided to make it a love song after listening to Beyoncé’s ” Drunk in Love”. The Hills was produced by Kanye West who also wrote a verse for the remix version of the song; additional production was handled by Jason Quenneville. The song is built around a sample of “Long Red” by Mountain, heavily modified through pitch correction software Auto-Tune to sound like electric guitars. It is melodramatic in nature and uses acoustic guitar sounds in addition to synth sounds.

“The Hills” received positive reviews from critics; many praised The Weeknd’s vocal performance as well as the production values. The single was a commercial success; it became The Weeknd’s first number one single on the Billboard Hot 100 and has sold over 4 million units in the United States. In Canada “The Hills” also reached number one; it is The Weeknd’s second consecutive chart-topping single in that country following “Earned It”. Internationally, “The Hills” peaked within the top ten of multiple countries including Australia, Belgium (Flanders), Denmark, Germany, Ireland and Sweden while peaking at number two in both France and United Kingdom.”

“What Do You Mean?” by Justin Bieber

“What Do You Mean?” is a song recorded by Canadian singer Justin Bieber for his fourth studio album Purpose (2015). The song was released on August 28, 2015, as the album’s lead single by Def Jam Recordings. Written by Bieber, Jason “Poo Bear” Boyd and Mason Levy, and produced by MdL and Bieber, the song features tropical house elements in its production and is lyrically about trying to understand romance. It received mixed reviews from music critics, who praised its production but were critical of its lyrical content. Commercially, the song peaked at number one on the US Billboard Hot 100, giving Bieber his third consecutive number-one single in the country and his first since “Boyfriend” in 2012. Internationally, it topped the charts in several countries including Australia Canada Denmark Finland Israel Lebanon Netherlands New Zealand Norway Poland Sweden Switzerland and United Kingdom.

The accompanying music video was directed by Brad Furman and religion analyst Furman provided an extensive Biblical interpretation of the video’s plot. The video features models Jessica Goñi Eberhardtsen Jesús Luzardo Nadine Leopold and Xenia Deli; it was shot on an island off the coast of Miami, Florida during the summer of 2015.

“Where Are Ü Now” by Skrillex and Diplo with Justin Bieber

Released in February 2015, “Where Are Ü Now” is a song by electronic music duo Skrillex and Diplo with vocals from Justin Bieber. It was released as the lead single from their EP, Jack Ü. The song peaked at number eight on the Billboard Hot 100 and was certified double platinum in the US.

“Can’t Feel My Face” by The Weeknd

The Weeknd’s “Can’t Feel My Face” is a song off of his album Beauty Behind the Madness. The song was released as a single on June 8, 2015. The song peaked at number one on the US Billboard Hot 100 and has been certified quadruple platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). “Can’t Feel My Face” is a mid-tempo synth-pop and R&B song. The song’s lyrics are about being addicted to drugs and not being able to feel your face.