The #1 song of 2015: “Dreams” by Beck.
This one-off single found Beck rediscovering his dancing self following the folk flavor of Morning Phases, his 2015 Grammy winner for Album of the Year. “Dreams” stayed at #1 for three weeks and remained on the Phoenix 50 for 20 weeks.
Until “Dreams” came along, the year’s top tune belonged to Mumford & Sons with “Believe” (#2). The first single from Wilder Mind introduced a more muscular sound from the group, and we can hear that transition midway through the song. The album’s second single, “The Wolf” (#21) also went to #1.
Alabama Shakes (#6, #49, #60) and Hozier (#24, #40, #86) were the year’s hottest acts, each placing three songs in the top 100 for 2015. Fourteen artists scored two songs each.
As usual, the year-end list showcases a wide range of musicians — with veterans such as U2 (#5, #18), Foo Fighters (#10, #50), Keith Richards (#35), Richard Thompson (#58), Indigo Girls (#77), Tom Petty (#82), Mark Knopfler (#83) and Los Lobos (#93) scoring hits alongside newcomers like X Ambassadors (#3), the Arcs (#9), El Vy (#15), Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats (#20), Leon Bridges (#53, #70), Courtney Barnett (#54), and Elle King (#76).
Acts with Arizona connections also had hits this year, including Kongos (#23), Calexico (#25), former Jimmy Eat World leader Jim Adkins (+50), and Fun singer Nate Ruess (+50). Houndmouth had a hit called “Sedona” (#55) but it had nothing to do with the Arizona community.
Scott Weiland, the former Stone Temple Pilots singer who died a few weeks ago, landed at #67 with “Way She Moves.”
You may believe today’s music could never match the “good old days,” but there’s still lots of great rock ‘n’ roll being produced for grownups. The Phoenix 50 is the weekly potential playlist of current hits for a mass-appeal, rock-leaning Triple A (Adult Album Alternative) radio station — if Phoenix had one. The Top 100 of 2015 is compiled from those weekly charts.
Note: Sometimes the songs you like best may not be the biggest hits. That’s why we’ve added an extra 50 tunes that didn’t make the top 100 cut. If you’re unfamiliar with today’s adult rock music, here’s an opportunity to discover new favorites.
To listen to the Top 100 (+50), simply click on the View Chart link below to open a .pdf file viewable with Adobe Acrobat Reader. Then just click on each title to play that song. Enjoy the music!
VIEW CHART (.pdf)