Ah, end of year lists. One of the most challenging tasks in the calendar of any music journalist, they’re a time to showcase the best of the best. This year we’ve decided to avoid going down the definitive ranking route, instead asking our contributors to simply list their personal favourite tracks. The fabulous Howl & Echoes writing and photography team have incredibly diverse (and just straight up incredible) taste, so we’re excited to share our personal picks from 2015.
Note: these lists are in alphabetical order, not ranked order.
Enjoy! And check out our favourite albums of the year here.
Lauren Ziegler
- A$AP Rocky, L$D
- Action Bronson, Baby Blue (ft. Chance the Rapper, prod. Mark Ronson)
- Alabama Shakes, Don’t Wanna Fight
- Editors, No Harm
- Justin Bieber, Sorry
- Kamasi Washington, Clair De Lune
- Miguel, The Valley
- MNDR, Lock & Load (ft. Killer Mike)
- Sleater-Kinney, Fade
- Tame Impala, Cause I’m A Man
Emma Jones
- A$AP Rocky, M’$
- Florence & The Machine, What Kind of Man (Nicolas Jaar Remix)
- Foals, What Went Down
- Justin Bieber, Sorry
- Nicki Minaj, Feeling Myself (ft. Beyonce)
- Ratatat, Cream on Chrome
- Tame Impala, ‘Cause I’m A Man
- Tame Impala, Let It Happen
- Tyler, The Creator, The Brown Stains of Darkeese Latifah Part 6-12 (REMIX)
- Vic Mensa, U Mad (ft. Kanye West)
James Tait
- Bad//Dreems, Cuffed and Collared
- Eves The Behavior, Electrical
- Foals, A Knife In The Ocean
- Gang Of Youths, Poison Drum
- Leon Bridges, Coming Home
- The Paper Kites, Electric Indigo
- Polish Club, Beeping
- Skepta, Shutdown
- Statik Selektah, Beautiful Life (ft. Action Bronson and Joey Bada$$)
- Violent Soho, Like Soda
Samantha Armatys
- A$AP Rocky, Everyday (ft. Rod Stewart, Miguel and Mark Ronson)
- CHVRCHES, Clearest Blue
- Disclosure, Magnets (ft. Lorde)
- Flume, Some Minds (ft. Andrew Wyatt)
- Glass Animals, Lose Control (ft. Joey Bada$$)
- Kendrick Lamar, Alright
- Miley Cyrus and Her Dead Petz, Karen Don’t Be Sad
- Missy Elliott, WTF (ft. Pharrell Williams)
- Purity Ring, Begin Again
- The Weeknd, The Hills
Ruby-Rose Pivet-Marsh
- Alabama Shakes, Don’t Wanna Fight
- Angel Haze, Moonrise Kingdom
- FKA twigs, In Time
- Gang of Youths, Magnolia
- Grimes, Kill V. Maim
- Justin Bieber, Sorry
- Kurt Vile, Pretty Pimpin
- Tame Impala, The Less I Know The Better
- Tkay Maidza, M.O.B
The Weeknd, The Hills
Georgia Bell
- Adele, Hello
- Chrome Sparks, Ride The White Lightning
- Grimes, Flesh Without Blood
- Jamie xx, Loud Places (ft. Romy)
- Mansionair, Pick Me Up
- Marcus Marr & Chet Faker, The Trouble With Us
- Mark Ronson, Daffodils (ft. Kevin Parker)
- Neon Indian, Slumlord
- Rufus, Like an Animal
- Tame Impala, The Less I Know The Better
- Wafia, Fading Through (ft. Vancouver Sleep Clinic)
Jessica Testa
- Adele, When We Were Young
- Courtney Barnett, Pedestrian At Best
- Disclosure, Magnets (ft. Lorde)
- Eves The Behavior, Electrical
- Florence And The Machine, What Kind Of Man
- Jarryd James, Do You Remember?
- Jarryd James, Give Me Something
- Oh Wonder, White Blood
- Sia, Bird Set Free
- Years & Years, Shine
Sam Bytheway
- Action Bronson, Baby Blue(ft. Chance the Rapper, prod. Mark Ronson)
- A$AP Rocky, Everyday (ft. Rod Stewart and Miguel, prod. Mark Ronson)
- Childish Gambino, Retro (Rough)
- Future & Drake, Jumpman
- Joey Bada$$, Paper Trail$
- Kendrick Lamar Blacker the Berry
- Kendrick Lamar, King Kunta
- Travi$ Scott, I Can Tell
- Vince Staples, Lift Me Up (prod. No I.D.)
- Young Thug, Best Friend (prod. Ricky Racks)
Alex Osborne
- Atmosphere, This Lonely Rose (ft. Blueprint & Aesop Rock)
- D.R.A.M., Caretaker (Extended) (ft. SZA)
- Fetty Wap, Trap Queen
- Joey Bada$$, Christ Conscious
- Kendrick Lamar, King Kunta
- Onra, Over & Over (ft. Do Or Die & Johnny P)
- Raised by Eagles, Doorstep
- Roots Manuva, Fighting for?
- Ruby Boots, Wrap me in a fever
- Skepta, Shutdown
Mitchell Turner
- A$AP Rocky, Excuse Me
- Drake, Know Yourself
- Joey Bada$$, Hazeus View
- Kendrick Lamar, Complexion (A Zulu Love) (ft. Rapsody)
- Meek Mill, B Boy (ft. Big Sean, A$AP Ferg)
- Pusha T, Untouchable
- Snakehips, All My Friends (ft. Tinashe, Chance the Rapper)
- Vince Staples, Senorita
- The Weeknd, Tell Your Friends
- The Wonder Years, A Song for Patsy Cline
Annie Cooper
- Drake, Hotline Bling
- Foals, Mountain At My Gates
- Grimes, Flesh Without Blood
- Julio Bashmore, Holding On (ft. Sam Dew)
- Justin Bieber, Sorry
- Kanye West, All Day (ft. Theophilus London, Allan Kingdom & Paul McCartney)
- Kelela, Rewind
- Kendrick Lamar, King Kunta
- Rihanna, Bitch Better Have My Money
- The Weeknd, Can’t Feel My Face
Susie Garrard
- Ali Barter, It’s Not Real
- Benjamin Clementine, London
- Blood Orange, Sandra’s Smile
- Carly Rae Jepsen, LA Hallucinations
- Florence + The Machine, Queen Of Peace
- Grimes, Flesh Without Blood
- Kurt Vile, I’m an Outlaw
- Loyle Carner, Florence (ft. Kwes)
- Tyrone Beasley, Taxi
- Waax, I for an Eye
Alasdair Belling
- Ainslie Wills, Drive
- Django Django, Reflections
- Flume, Some Minds (ft. Andrew Wyatt)
- Foals, What Went Down
- Gang of Youths, Radioface
- Hiatus Kaiyote,By Fire
- I Know Leopard, Close My Eyes
- The Internet, Girl (ft. Kaytranada)
- Kendrick Lamar, These Walls (ft. Bilal, Anna Wise, Thundercat)
- Koi Child, Black Panda
Riley Fitzgerald
- Bad//Dreems, Cuffed & Collared
- Deerhunter, Breaker
- Dick Diver, Year In Pictures
- Dumb Punts, Goon Sack
- Flume, Some Minds (ft. Andrew Wyatt)
- Grimes, REALiTi (demo)
- Natalie Prass, Bird of Prey
- Purity Ring, begin again
- Tame Impala, Let It Happen
- Totally Mild, Christa
Amy Heycock
- Alabama Shakes, Don’t Wanna Fight
- Daniel Johns, Preach
- Drake, Know Yourself
- Florence + The Machine, Delilah
- Jarryd James, Do You Remember?
- Justin Bieber, What Do You Mean
Kendrick Lamar, King Kunta - Little May, Seven Hours
- Major Lazer & DJ Snake, Lean On (ft. MØ)
- Meg Mac, Never Be
Sam Weston
- Deerhunter, Breaker
- Donnie Trumpet & The Social Experiment, Sunday Candy
- Drake, No Tellin
- Floating Points, Peroration Six
- Girl Band, Paul
- Grimes, Kill V. Maim
- Kendrick Lamar, Alright
- Natalie Prass, My Baby Don’t Understand Me
- Protomartyr, Dope Cloud
- Sun Kil Moon, With a Sort of Grace I Walked to the Bathroom to Cry
Andrew Adrian
- Alpine, Foolish
- Big Scary, Organism
- Boy & Bear, Walk the Wire
- EL VY, Return to the Moon (Political Song for Didi Bloome to Sing, with Crescendo)
- Everything Everything, To the Blade
- Foals, Night Swimmers
- Foals, What Went Down
- Miami Horror, Cellophane (So Cruel)
- Tame Impala, The Less I Know the Better
- Tame Impala, Let It Happen
Matt Hall
- Courtney Barnett, Pedestrian at Best
- Frank Turner, Get Better
- Kaleo, All the Pretty Girls
- Kendrick Lamar, Alright
- Kurt Vile, Pretty Pimpin’
- Natalie Prass, My Baby Don’t Understand Me
- Torres, Sprinter
- Torres, Strange Hellos
- Villagers, Hot Scary Summer
- Your Old Droog, Blood (prod. El RTNC)
Kath Warren
- Alpine, Foolish
- BAD//DREEMS, Hiding to Nothing
- BADBADNOTGOOD & Ghostface Killah, Ray Gun (ft. DOOM)
- Courtney Barnett, Depreston
- Father John Misty, I Love You, Honeybear
- Gang of Youths, Overpass
- Jamie XX, Loud Places (ft. Romy)
- Kendrick Lamar, King Kunta
- Ngaiire, The Less I Know the Better
- Sui Zhen, Take It All Back
Cameron Nicholls
- Donnie Trumpet & The Social Experiment, Sunday Candy
- Grimes, California
- Justin Bieber, Sorry
- Kendrick Lamar, King Kunta
- Major Lazer, Lean On (ft. MO & DJ Snake)
- Skepta, Shutdown
- Snakehips, All My Friends (ft. Tinashe & Chance the Rapper)
- Sticky Fingers, Ghost Town
- Tame Impala, The Moment
- The Avener, Castle In The Snow (ft. Kadebostany)
Dani Hansen
- Cage the Elephant, Trouble
- Cosmo’s Midnight, Walk With Me (ft. KUČKA)
- DIIV, Dopamine
- Green Buzzard, Slow It Down Now
- Hayden James, Something About You
- Kurt Vile, Pretty Pimpin’
- ODESZA, Light (ft. Little Dragon)
- Mini Mansions, Vertigo (ft. Alex Turner)
- Ratatat, Cream On Chrome
- Unknown Mortal Orchestra, Ur Life One Night
Jack Colquhoun
- Bicep, JUST
- Collarbones, Never Giving Up
- Drake, Hotline Bling
- FKA Twigs, In Time
- Jamie xx, I Know There’s Gonna Be (Good Times)
- Lapalux, Midnight Peelers
- Tame Impala, ‘Cause I’m A Man
- Polographia, AM
- Porsches, Horses
- Porter Robinson, Divinity (feat. Amy Millan) (ODESZA Remix)