A banner year for pop music
The full-length album is often devalued in the age of single song downloads. That’s a shame, since artists are still putting out full platters that matter in 2015. For proof, here are the year’s top 10 albums:
1 “Pageant Material,” Kacey Musgraves: The talented Texan followed up 2013’s amazing major-label debut “Same Trailer Different Park” with another remarkable set, which further cements her place as the best singer-songwriter in country music today. The lyrics sparkle with vibrant personality and wit, propped up by melodies that stick in your head for days. The songs feel immediately familiar, like they’re destined to become old friends. Indeed, we fully expect that to be the case.
2 “25,” Adele: If there’s a flaw in this sophisticated set of soulful pop, I haven’t found it yet. Maybe it will show up about the time the powerhouse vocalist and her best album to date are sweeping every possible category at the Grammy Awards — in 2017.
3 “To Pimp a Butterfly,” Kendrick Lamar: It’s not quite as sensational as Lamar’s last effort, “good kid, m.A.A.d city,” which easily ranks among the top hip-hop outings of the 21st century. It is, however, bolder and more adventurous in many ways, confirming that Lamar now stands as the new leader of the pack in hip-hop.
4 “Honeymoon,” Lana Del Rey: The dream-pop diva is utterly mesmerizing on her latest set, which is a substantial improvement over last year’s “Ultraviolence” and nearly as great as 2012’s “Born to Die.” The music is sweeping and cinematic, the perfect setting for Del Rey’s achingly beautiful vocals.
5 “Vulnicura,” Björk: The Icelandic star’s ninth studio album is filled with gorgeous string arrangements, equal amounts of classic and modern flare, soul-stirring vocals and emotionally resonant lyrics. It’s a daring and frequently confounding ride, underscoring that, even after all these years, there’s still nothing quite like a Björk record.
6 “California Nights,” Best Coast: This bright, sun-shiny Southern California duo just keeps getting better and better, which is really saying something, given that its first album, 2010's "Crazy for You,” was already pretty great. The songs are catchier than the common cold, benefiting equally from Bethany Cosentino's bewitching vocals and BOb Bruno increasingly heroic guitar leads. 7 “Summertime ’06,” Vince Sta-ples It’s a bold move to debut with a double-disc album, yet it difinitely pays off for this Long Beach rapper. Staples shows that he has more than enough ideas, rhymes, wit and confidence What you have here is the best debut of 2015. 8 “Sometimes I Sit and Think, and Sometimes I Just Sit,” Courtney Barnett: The Aussie singer-songwriter-guitarist somehow manages to live up to all the hype on her powerful debut, which boasts a kind of swagger that is all too rare in the indie-rock realm. Barnett delivers the full package — solid vocals and musicianship, great songwriting and attitude for days.
9 “Emotion,” Carly Rae Jepsen: The underrated singer obviously didn’t read the script that called for her to fade from sight after the public grew tired of “Call Me Maybe.” Instead, she bounced back with a shockingly strong album, her third overall, which may well be the best dancepop outing of the year.
10 “Rodeo,” Travis Scott: The Houston rapper makes a strong impression on his studio debut, which features the hot singles “3500” and “Antidote,” as well as a dozen other reasons to believe Scott could be a dominant force in the business for years to come.