Top Pop Music of 2015
Contents
A countdown of the top pop songs of 2015, as determined by Billboard magazine.
Introduction
The year 2015 saw some great pop music being released. From Justin Bieber’s “Sorry” to Adele’s “Hello,” there were plenty of catchy tunes to choose from. But what were the best pop songs of the year?
Here are our picks for the top 10 pop songs of 2015:
1. “Hello” by Adele
2. “Sorry” by Justin Bieber
3. “Uptown Funk” by Mark Ronson feat. Bruno Mars
4. “Thinking Out Loud” by Ed Sheeran
5. “Can’t Feel My Face” by The Weeknd
6. “Cheerleader (Felix Jaehn Remix)” by OMI
7. “Adventure of a Lifetime” by Coldplay
8. “Want to Want Me” by Jason Derulo
9. “Hotline Bling” by Drake
10. ” trap Queen” by Fetty Wap
What is Pop Music?
Pop music is a genre of popular music that originated in its modern form in the United States and United Kingdom during the mid-1950s. The terms “popular music” and “pop music” are often used interchangeably, although the former describes all music that is popular (and can include any style).
Pop music is eclectic, and often borrows elements from other styles such as urban, dance, rock, Latin, and country. Identifying factors include generally short to medium-length songs written in a basic format (often the verse-chorus structure), as well as common use of repeated choruses, melodic tunes, and hooks.
The Origins of Pop Music
Pop music is a genre of popular music that originated in its modern form in the United States and United Kingdom during the mid-1950s. The terms “popular music” and “pop music” are often used interchangeably, although the former describes all music that is popular (and can include any style).
Pop music is eclectic, and often borrows elements from other styles such as urban, dance, rock, Latin, and country. Identifying factors include generally short to medium-length songs written in a basic format (often the verse-chorus structure), as well as the common use of repeated choruses, melodic tunes, and hooks.
Tom Ewing has described pop music as “something light and fluffery”. In the 1960s, many songs were structured around specific themes such as love, lost love, betrayal, etc., which continues to be a common practice in pop music today. In terms of lyrical themes, pop has occasionally been overt about its messages of self-love and empowerment
The Evolution of Pop Music
It’s hard to believe that another year has come and gone, and with it, another 365 days’ worth of amazing pop music. From huge comeback albums to breakout debuts, 2015 was a pretty great year for the ever-changing genre. But what was the best of the best? We’ve rounded up our favorite pop albums and tracks of the year, so take a look back at the sounds that made us dance, cry and everything in between.
Pop music has come a long way since its inception in the early 20th century. What started out as a blend of various genres including blues, jazz and folk soon turned into a sensation that swept the nation. With artists like Elvis Presley, The Beatles and Michael Jackson leading the charge, pop music soon became one of the most popular genres in the world.
In recent years, pop music has continued to evolve, incorporating elements from other genres like hip-hop, EDM and even country. This has led to some pretty great (and sometimes strange) results – just take a look at Miley Cyrus’ “We Can’t Stop” or Taylor Swift’s “Shake It Off” for proof.
Looking back at 2015, it’s clear that this trend is showing no signs of slowing down anytime soon. So without further ado, here are our picks for the top pop albums and tracks of 2015:
Top Pop Albums of 2015:
1) Taylor Swift – 1989
2) Kendrick Lamar – To Pimp A Butterfly
3) Carly Rae Jepsen – E*MO*TION
4) Justin Bieber – Purpose
5) One Direction – Made In The A.M.
The Top Pop Songs of 2015
It’s hard to believe that 2015 is almost over. It seems like just yesterday we were jamming out to 2014’s top hits. But alas, a new year means new music. So, what were the top pop songs of 2015? Here’s a list of the top 10, as well as a few honorable mentions.
“Uptown Funk” by Mark Ronson featuring Bruno Mars
“Uptown Funk” is a song recorded by British record producer Mark Ronson and American singer and songwriter Bruno Mars for Ronson’s fourth studio album, Uptown Special (2015). The song was written by Ronson, Mars, Jeff Bhasker, and Philip Lawrence. The track was produced by Ronson and Bhasker. The duo heavily collaborated with members of their live band, The Hooligans, who provided instrumentation for the track.Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uptown_Funk
“Thinking Out Loud” by Ed Sheeran
“Thinking Out Loud” is a song by English singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran, recorded for his second studio album, × (2014). It was written by Sheeran and produced by frequent collaborator Jake Gosling. “Thinking Out Loud” is a romantic ballad with soul influences. Upon release, the single peaked at number two on the UK Singles Chart, giving Sheeran his second consecutive number-two single after “Sing”. In June 2015, “Thinking Out Loud” became the first single to spend a full year in the UK top 40. In September 2015, it became the seventh single to have achieved triple platinum in the UK during the 21st century. In October 2015, “Thinking Out Loud” reached number one on Billboard’s US Adult Contemporary Chart – becoming both Sheeran’s first US number one and his longest-running number one on any Billboard chart – and peaked at number eight on the Billboard Hot 100. Internationally, “Thinking Out Loud” topped charts in 20 countries including Australia, Canada, Germany, Ireland and New Zealand. According to Spotify statistics as of January 2016, it is the most streamed song of all time.
“Take Me to Church” by Hozier
“Take Me to Church” is a song by Irish singer-songwriter Hozier, released as his debut single in 2013. The song has been certified five times platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) and peaked at number two on the Billboard Hot 100 in January 2014. It topped the charts in several other countries, including Canada, Denmark, and Sweden.
In an interview with Rolling Stone, Hozier said that the song is about “sexuality, particularly in the Catholic Church.” He further explained:
“It’s about sexuality, and about organizations which would interject their own beliefs on what is natural conduct between two people or groups of people… It also touches pretty darkly on those who would look to inflict suffering because they believe one way or another that it corrects something.Within the song there’s a bit of frustration with those whoHot 100 for 2015. would separate love and sex and see them as two very different entities.”
The song was ranked at number one on Pitchfork Media’s list of the “100 Best Songs of 2014”, as well as topping Spin magazine’s “50 Best Songs of 2014” list. In October 2014, “Take Me to Church” was nominated for a Grammy Award for Song of the Year.
“Shake It Off” by Taylor Swift
“Shake It Off” is a song recorded by American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift for her fifth studio album, 1989 (2014). Written by Swift, Max Martin and Shellback, it is an uptempo dance-pop track considered to be a departure from the country pop music style of her previous releases. The song’s main instrumentation features drums and bouncy synthesizers. Lyrically, “Shake It Off” is dedicated to Swift’s haters and criticizers; in the chorus, she vows to never let their negative words bring her down.
The song received mostly positive reviews from contemporary music critics, who praised its production and catchiness but criticized its lyrical content. “Shake It Off” peaked at number one on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart, becoming Swift’s second number one single in the country and topping Billboard’s Mainstream Top 40 radio airplay chart. Several music publications included it among their year-end best songs lists. “Shake It Off” also won Record of the Year and Best Pop Solo Performance at the 57th Grammy Awards. A remix by Dutch DJ R3hab was nominated for Best Dance Recording at the same ceremony.
“All About That Bass” by Meghan Trainor
All About That Bass is a song recorded by American singer-songwriter Meghan Trainor for her 2014 debut studio album, Title. Co-written by Trainor and Kevin Kadish, it was released by Epic Records on June 30, 2014 as the lead single from the album. The song was written in response to body-shaming and peer pressure within the music industry during the production of Trainor’s album. Lyrically, the song is about self-acceptance and confidence, with Trainor highlighting her own curvaceous figure.
Commercially, “All About That Bass” reached number one in 58 countries, including the United States, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. In doing so, it became Trainor’s first number one single on the charts of North America and Oceania—and only her second overall following “Lips Are Movin'”. It spent eight weeks atop the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the United States—the longest running number one of 2014—and was later certified eight times platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). The accompanying music video premiered on YouTube on November 19, 2014; it drew particular attention for its use of an extended sexual metaphor involving two anthropomorphic basses dancing suggestively. The song’s success propelled Title to number one on the iTunes Store prior to its release. Globally, “All About That Bass” sold more than 11 million digital copies in 2015 and was ranked as the year’s seventh best-selling single overall. At the 57th Grammy Awards held in February 2015,”All About That Bass” won Record of the Year and Best Pop Solo Performance; at the MTV Video Music Awards held later that year it received nominations for three awards including Video of the Year.”All About That Bass” has been credited with helping to break body image barriers within pop culture.”
Conclusion
To sum it all up, these were the most popular songs of 2015. They’re a mix of different genres and styles, but they all had one thing in common: they got stuck in our heads and we couldn’t get them out! We hope you enjoyed this list and that it brought back some good memories of this past year.
