Every year, I put together a ‘best of’ post in December, highlighting my favorite albums from the previous year. This year, I’d like to do something a little bit different (and a little bit late, clearly). I’ve looked through both my Spotify and my last.fm accounts and have come up with the albums I listened to the most throughout 2015. Here they are.
- X — Ed Sheeran
- Ed Sheeran has dominated my playlists for the last few years. Along with The Civil Wars, he’s been my go-to soundtrack for everything life has thrown me. His sophomore album (which made my 2014 Best Of list at #2) has more texture than his first, and I found the more upbeat tracks perfect for my good days and the throbbing, sad ones perfect for working out angst or anger throughout the year, yet again.
- Wilder Mind — Mumford & Sons
- A lot of people were put off by Wilder Mind, claiming Mumford had sold out by going electric, but I’m not one to care what people think about a trend or how ‘cool’ something is, so when “Believe” came out, I was immediately hooked. The slow build that they’re famous for, and a peak that they hadn’t reached before left me aching. I loved this album and couldn’t get enough.
- Hozier — Hozier
- Hozier as a human being and an artist boggles my mind, and he’s so young, and just so incredibly talented. His album feels at times like a gospel record, an old school rock concert, a philosophy seminar, and a very secret diary being exposed. Every track is different and yet they move together seamlessly.
- Original Motion Picture Soundtrack: The Last Five Years
- This one has recently come off of my playlist, due to ~feelings, but as one of my favorite modern musicals was made into a (beautiful) movie starring two of my favorite musical-theater talents out there (Anna Kendrick, who continues to impress, and Jeremy Jordan, who is, very simply, perfect), it was a give in that the soundtrack would make me swoon. And cry. And laugh. It did all of that and more and despite ~feelings, when I’m having a bad day, I still crank up “A Summer in Ohio” and laugh/sing/shout it out. Word to the wise: if you’re coming out of a relationship, stay away from this one, but if you’ve ever loved an artist, or are one yourself, it’s a must-listen.
- 25 – Adele
- You’re not surprised that I love this album. Moving on.
- The Civil Wars – The Civil Wars
- I CAN NOT believe that I’ve been listening to The Civil Wars for 8 years now. When I first heard “Poison & Wine” on Grey’s Anatomy, I felt things. Their sophomore – and sadly, last – album made me feel things, too, and I don’t recall a musical experience in the last 8 years that hasn’t involved them.
- For Emma, Forever Ago – Bon Iver
- At this point, this album is ‘an oldie but a goodie’ – it came out in 2007, after all. But I always find myself returning to it and last year was no different. I find Bon Iver is great music to think to, to walk to, just to tune into.
Last year seems to have been a thoughtful year in music for me, and that’s fitting. 2016 started out with a lot of big decisions, a lot of big changes, and I needed a time of reflection to prepare me for everything I’m tackling now. How was 2015 for your music? Any older favorites you found yourself returning to? Any albums I should be checking out to make my 2016 all the better? Let me know.
tmstanton writes 