So, this is my 10,000 Pageview Special!  For this one, I’m going to list my Top 30 favorite songs of 2015.  2015 was widely regard as the best year for music, at least for this decade.  There were plenty of break-out artists, and we had some of our favorites releasing better music in general.  With that in mind, here is a list of My Top 30 favorite songs of 2015:

30. Macklemore & Ryan Lewis – Downtown
Most rap songs nowadays generally have some of the worst lyrics I’ve ever heard.  It’s basically all nonsense (from money to drugs, etc.).  The lyrics to this song aren’t that good either, but least Macklemore can make up for it with his excellent rapping skills.  I do love the chorus in this one, though.  Although not his best, I still enjoy this.

29. Taylor Swift – Wildest Dreams
When it comes to writing love songs, Taylor Swift does it best.  She does a good job with the chorus overall, especially near the end.  I do like how she was portrayed as a actress in the music video.  Much like her other singles off of 1989, she basically has the same kind of energy and charisma in this song, albeit a little less.  Still, that doesn’t mean it’s bad per say; it’s quite enjoyable for the most part.

28. Ella Henderson – Ghost
Don’t you love it when an unknown artist comes into the fold and makes a great first impression?  That’s what Ella Henderson did with Ghost.  The nice guitar riffs, the excellent lyrics, and her amazing vocals blend together really well in this song.  Not much else to say about this, but overall it’s a win for Ella Henderson.

27. Elle King – Ex’s & Oh’s
Much like Ella Henderson impressed me with Ghost, Elle King managed to wow me just the same when she released Ex’s & Oh’s.  She has more charisma in this than some of the other artists trying to make a first impression.  I love the folk vibe in this song.  The lyrics about her ex-boyfriends as ghosts wanting to come back to her, were well written.  I’m glad we got some rock music like this being successful worldwide.

26. Alessia Cara – Here
Oh, look.  Another artist who succeeds at making a first impression.  The Alessia Cara in this one was quite different than what we hear today.  Both the intro and the outro were really cool.  We hear a man talking in the background before the song starts.  I can’t help but pull myself in.  Unlike most party songs in which people dance to the music, this is actually an anti-party anthem.  It helps that Alessia’s voice sounds good here.  Overall, it’s a great start for Alessia Cara.

25. Taylor Swift featuring Kendrick Lamar – Bad Blood
I would just review her solo version, but I actually like the one with Kendrick Lamar better. This is basically Dark Horse, except a tad better.  Unlike some critics who weren’t too kind to this mainly because it doesn’t fit Taylor very well, I’m not one of them.  Right off the bat, I love how Taylor mixed pop and hip-hop together.  Although I’m disappointed Hits 1 edited out Kendrick’s verses (most likely because they don’t seem to like hip-hop in general), at least it got to hit #1 twice.  Personally, I think if it weren’t for Shut Up And Dance, this probably would’ve been the biggest hit of the summer.  Still, I have no complaints about this at all.  I’m thrilled about the way it turned out for both Taylor & Kendrick.  It was a new sound Taylor Swift opted for and she did well.

24. One Direction – Night Changes
I love how a band can go from being upbeat to making a slow song.  Though it is boring, it’s one of the band’s best songs thus far.  You can make people love slow songs when done right, and that’s exactly what they did here.

23. DJ Snake featuring AlunaGeorge – You Know You Like It
The drop here is cryptic, yet it so good.  I definitely love the vocals in this one.  It’s so catchy that some called this the best song of 2015.  Although I don’t quite like it on their level, it’s still one of a kind.

22. The Weeknd – Can’t Feel My Face
I think this was a breakout hit for The Weeknd himself.  Right off the bat, this song has me dancing every time I play it.  Unlike Earned It which was slow and not as appealing, this is more upbeat and in general, more likable from a critical standpoint.  My favorite parts about this is both the chorus and the build-up leading to it.  This follow-up to Earned It (along with its successor) is what got me into liking The Weeknd as an artist.

21. Little Mix – Black Magic
I find Little Mix to be better than Fifth Harmony in general, in part because they make better music, and this one is no different.  I absolutely love the line, “Take a sip from a secret potion, I’ll make you fall in love”.  I can’t help but pull myself in.  It helps that they have better vocals than Fifth Harmony.  It’s definitely Little Mix’s best single to date.

20. Ellie Goulding – On My Mind
I absolutely love Ellie Goulding!  She is very gorgeous, and almost never disappoints me with her music.  This song is no different.  I like how she attempts to make a love song and executes it perfectly.  Although it didn’t quite get as big as her predecessor, I still love it for what it is.

19. Tori Kelly – Should’ve Been Us
Well, look what we have here: another artist making a great first impression.  This is easily Tori Kelly’s best single to date, with Hollow coming in a close second.  The chorus in this one, plus the catchy trap-like beat has me hooked.  Although the lyrics aren’t quite as good, at least they do make sense.  It basically reflects a lost relationship.  It definitely deserved to do better on the charts, because she sounds awesome in this track.  Here’s to hoping she becomes a big superstar in the music industry.

18. Kelly Clarkson – Heartbeat Song
Honestly, I feel very alone with this opinion, but I don’t care because I actually like this song.  And no, it’s not just because I have always loved Kelly Clarkson as an artist.  I love the lyrical content about making a comeback, and Kelly’s vocals are amazing as always.  Although this song doesn’t quite live up to her best singles, it’s still enjoyable for what it is.

17. TWENTY ØNE PILØTS – Tear In My Heart
Before this song and its successor came along, I’ve never really heard of TWENTY ØNE PILØTS.  Their vocals aren’t necessarily all that good.  But when it comes to certain songs, I don’t really care that much for the vocals; it’s about writing good lyrical content.  And they did a nice job with that.  I loved how they mixed rock with some EDM put into it.  Overall, it was a great first impression for them.

16. Fall Out Boy – Uma Thurman
Adrian’s most hated song of 2015, but I beg to differ.  It’s the perfect theme for an action movie.  There were a lot of rock elements put together.  I love the part after the chorus where the guitar comes in, and the drumroll in the end as well.  Overall, it’s one of Fall Out Boy’s best singles to date.

15. The Weeknd – The Hills
Arguably one of, if not the best single from The Weeknd by many YouTube critics (TheDoubleAgent ranked this as his #3 song of 2015) and fans alike, and for a good reason.  Although it was underrated on Hits 1, it was still a bigger hit elsewhere, reaching #1 on many charts.  The darker atmosphere definitely fits The Weeknd very well.  Based on the lyrics, we explore a different side of himself and find out what’s going on in his mind.  He created this masterpiece and it pretty much became a fan favorite (along with his successor I Feel It Coming and his other singles off Starboy).

14. Major Lazer featuring DJ Snake and MØ – Lean On
This was both Major Lazer & MØ’s successful song of their career thus far.  DJ Snake previously had some success when collaborating with Lil’ John in Turn Down For What.  I personally think this song opened the gateways to making tropical house a current trend in the music industry.  The tropical elements used in this sounds great and MØ’s vocals blend in pretty well.  Combine that with a catchy beat and you can see why most people (including myself) like this.

13. Jess Glynne – Hold My Hand
Not many people in the blogging community were very fond of this.  I’m sure many still like her collaboration with Clean Bandit in their single Rather Be.  I myself, think the opposite when it comes to Hold My Hand.  Jess Glynne has more energy in this than she did in Rather Be, especially in the chorus.  I do love the piano work done throughout.  Overall, it’s definitely one of Jess Glynne’s best and didn’t really deserved to be underrated like this.

12. Tove Lo – Talking Body
This song is very unique when compared to some of the other pop songs in general.  The part that I love about this song is the chorus.  The sexy lyrical content and some of the other cool stuff impresses me.  Tove Lo does a nice job with her sultry vocals overall.  It’s definitely one of the best sexy songs and I’m very thrilled to see her score a big hit worldwide.

11. Taylor Swift – Style
Again, Taylor Swift almost never disappoints.  There is a little more rock in this one than in her other singles in 1989.  This song actually takes place during a relationship and even though things might not turn out well, at least she’s willing to take that risk.  Taylor’s vocals are divine in this one.  Actually, pretty much everything about this song is divine, hence why some people consider this the best single off of 1989.

10. Walk The Moon – Shut Up And Dance
There are some people who still think this is overrated, mainly because it hogged the #1 spot for 12 weeks on Hits 1 and refused to give it up.  Here’s a question: which would you rather have at #1?  A rap song whose lyrics are nonsense, or an overrated dance song?  Anyway, this reminds me of an 80’s rock song, except they added some EDM to it.  It took a while for this to gain steam elsewhere.  But by then, pretty much everyone in the blogging community soured on it to the point where they just got annoyed with it in general.  I myself, on the other hand, say otherwise.  It stuck with me for a long while, and I pretty much enjoyed this 80’s rock & EDM mixed together in this one song.

9. Wiz Khalifa featuring Charlie Puth – See You Again
This song was a tribute to the late Paul Walker.  To put it easy, it was put together beautifully.  This was actually the first time we hear from Charlie Puth.  He impressed me with his vocals and his piano work.  Wiz Khalifa actually contributes to the song.  Although his vocals aren’t necessarily the best, at least he shows heart in this.  I’m glad it became a success that I wanted to be.  While I know some people who were sick of this song when it became overplayed, I wasn’t one of them. I’m glad this one stuck with me.

8. Demi Lovato – Cool For The Summer
Easily my favorite song from Demi Lovato, and her biggest hit to date.  While it was a departure from her days as a Disney star, Demi still delivered with her new mature sound.  From her energetic chorus to the electric guitar, this song definitely has me hooked every time I listen to this.  If this isn’t Demi’s best single, I don’t know what is.

7. Audien featuring Lady Antebellum – Something Better
EDM and Country generally don’t mix well.  But after listening to this I’ve got to say: I was very impressed with how it turned out!  It starts out with the piano.  Then the pre-chorus comes in and we get this awesome beat put together.  I absolutely love Hillary Scott’s vocals in this one.  Her voice has always been good ever since Need You Now became one of the biggest hits of this decade.  Audien put together a superb EDM production from start to finish.  It’s too bad this didn’t become a bigger hit I wanted to be, but at least this song charted and got some recognition.  As the title itself says, this was definitely something better.

6. Taylor Swift – Blank Space
Possibly her best single of all time, and for a very good reason.  From Taylor’s vocals to the amazingly catchy beat, I pretty much love everything about this song.  Personally, I think this song is even more divine than Style.  The lyrical content about her love life is excellent.  I easily fell in love with the music video, which shows her relationship with another man.  The fact that this hit #1 for six weeks on Hits 1 made me love this song even more.  I’m sure many people will still remember this as her most iconic single to date.

5. Ellie Goulding – Love Me Like You Do
Taken from the Fifty Shades Of Grey soundtrack, this became Ellie Goulding’s biggest hit of her career, and for a very good reason.  She has been a rising pop star since Lights became a hit back in 2011.   Ellie Goulding just looks absolutely beautiful, but that’s not why she’s had some success with her music.  As I mentioned with On My Mind, she almost never disappoints, releasing every single that grabs the attention of myself and many in the blogging community.  Falling in love with Ellie Goulding was easy enough for me, but this is just icing on the cake.  This song actually manages to impress me from start to finish.  Ellie’s vocals fit very well with this love song.  My favorite part about this is the line “What are you waiting for”, especially where the final chorus kicks in.  No, scratch that: the chorus is actually my favorite part of the song.  It showcases just how well Ellie Goulding can sing overall.  Looking back at this, I think this her best and I’m very pleased that it got the success it deserved.

4. Rachel Platten – Fight Song
Honestly, I actually like this way more than I should.  When it comes to songs such as Love Me Like You Do and a few others, there are people who can at least agree with me on why they like or dislike it.  Fight Song, however, is a different story.  Many YouTube critics weren’t very fond of this song, mainly because it’s seen as a generic self-empowerment anthem with no melody whatsoever. Much like with Heartbeat Song, this is another song in which I feel very alone with this opinion, but I don’t care because I absolutely love this song.  Rachel Platten definitely made a very good first impression with her single (not to mention she is absolutely beautiful!).  Her vocals, the chorus, the build-up leading to it, and its lyrics are all divine.  But the one thing that carries it to #4 for me, is that it’s one of the most deeper self-empowerment anthems I’ve ever had the pleasure of hearing in my life.  It’s basically an inspiration to many people because it teaches them to never give up and motivate them to strive for the better.  Whether you’re struggling to get through a situation or whatever else that maybe holding you back, this song is for you.  Overall, it’s easily a win for Rachel Platten and I hope she continues to make more singles like this.

3. Adele – Hello
Ah, yes.  We have the triumphant return of Adele after three years.  Right off the bat, I fell in love with this song.  It starts off kinda slow, but then we get to the chorus and Adele delivered it perfectly.  The piano work and the lyrical content are very well done.  This is, in my opinion, the best lead single ever for any artist and I’m glad it became a massive success worldwide, reaching #1 in many different countries.

2. X Ambassadors – Renegades
If you’ve watched many car commercials, then you’ve probably have heard this song before.  It took a while for this to get mainstream, but I’m glad it caught on with the general public.  The vocals in this one are great, and I love the guitar solo at the end, which was very cool.  But the one other thing that makes this my #2 song is the deeper lyrics.  It’s basically about wanting to succeed in spite of one’s shortcomings.  What I didn’t realize back then was that one of the band members, Casey Harris, is actually blind.  Still, that didn’t stop him from contributing to creating this epic song for a car commercial.

And finally, my #1 favorite song of 2015 is….

1. Mark Ronson featuring Bruno Mars – Uptown Funk
You guessed it!  The #1 song on Billboard’s Year-End List for 2015 and one of Billboard’s biggest hits of all time.  The new funky sound mixed with Bruno’s vocals makes it sound like a Michael Jackson song.  Growing up, I’ve always listened to Michael Jackson and some other artists who broke color barriers and most of their songs sound very similar to Uptown Funk.  Bruno Mars actually started this new sound with Treasure back in 2013.  Many YouTube critics and fans alike praised this song, but the blogging community actually felt the exact opposite, especially when this song was massively overplayed.  And ever since then, they’ve basically stopped liking Bruno Mars in general.  They preferred his older singles better (Just The Way You Are, Grenade, Locked Out Of Heaven, and even When I Was Your Man).  As for me, I like both the old & new Bruno Mars.  True, his older work, despite being hits, wasn’t seen as great from a critical standpoint, but I say otherwise.  Bruno Mars has shown he has a incredible voice, and this is no different.  He is basically the Michael Jackson of our generation. Mark Ronson himself did an excellent job at putting together this epic dance song for the ages. Overall, this is stupendous win for both of them.