Intro | 100-91 | 90-81 | 80-71 | 70-61 | 60-51 | 50-41 | 40-31 | 30-21 | 20-11 | 10-1
30. Shake It Off - Taylor Swift
Peak: 1 (four weeks in 2014); Weeks on chart: 50; December 26 position: NR
Taylor Swift's triumphant entry into the pop world is now one of only 15 videos to have over one billion YouTube views. Probably one of the most gimmicky songs on 1989, "Shake It Off" nonetheless preaches a valuable lesson in having fun no matter how many haters may hate, hate, hate, hate, hate, hate, hate. The song peaked at its debut last fall but spent almost a half-year in the Hot 100 in 2015.
29. Locked Away - R. City feat. Adam Levine
This isn't the first time the musical tour-de-force that is Adam Levine has brought mass attention to a previously-unknown group. After guesting on the Gym Class Heroes song "Stereo Hearts" in 2011, that song rose all the way to number four on the Hot 100. The 2015 version of Levine-finds-talent did not quite reach the Heroes' chart number. It was, however, still one of the hottest songs in October.
28. Hey Mama - David Guetta feat. Nicki Minaj, Bebe Rexha and Afrojack
Basically the only Nicki Minaj music I like are her collaborations with David Guetta, specifically the songs that have a distinct "summer hit" vibe to them. "Hey Mama" is one such song and, true to form, spent most of the summer in the top 10. Several summer afternoons this year involved driving with the windows down and this track blaring. I hope Minaj continues to put out such tracks.
27. Style - Taylor Swift
Peak: 6 (March 21); Weeks on chart: 32; December 26 position: NR
The third non-promotional single released from 1989 is also the only one to date not to taste the Hot 100 top five. The song did spend almost two months longer on the chart than the third 1989 chart-topper; 31 weeks is also good for the most Hot 100 weeks by any Taylor Swift song exclusively in the year 2015. "Style" - not-so-subtly an ode to former Swift beau Harry Styles - might be one of the top three tracks, lyrically, on the entire 1989 album.
26. Post To Be - Omarion feat. Chris Brown and Jhene Aiko
Peak: 13 (May 9-16); Weeks on chart: 37; December 26 position: NR
"Post To Be" is the highest-ranking song on this list to not have spent anytime in Billboard's top ten. In fact, it is the second-lowest-peaking song in the top 50 of the #Top100of2015. However, it had the tenth-longest Hot 100 tenure of any song in 2015. I enjoyed this song for a week or two, but I certainly would not categorize it among my favorite tunes from this year.
25. Honey, I'm Good. - Andy Grammer
Peak: 9 (June 20, July 4); Weeks on chart: 31; December 26 position: NR
I won't deny this song is catchy, but I've always struggled with the contents of the lyrics. The general idea I have taken from the lyrics are that this married guy is having a few drinks at the bar by himself. A lady comes up that he finds mildly attractive, and he basically spends the song anti-flirting with her. In other words, he is initiating contact, whether she is interested in him or not, just to brag about the fact that he's actually a good guy. To me, it reeks mildly of both misogyny and narcissism. Of course, maybe I'm just reading too much into it.
24. Stitches - Shawn Mendes
I absolutely cannot stand this song. Every time it comes on the radio, I am listening to a different station within five seconds. Mendes's voice is not at all appealing or even musically sound. He is not giving Vine stars a great reputation in the world of music yet. My ears bleed so much whenever I hear a snippet of the song, I think I'm the one who needs stitches.
23. Hotline Bling - Drake
Peak: 2 (October 24-November 7, November 21-28); Weeks on chart: 19; December 26 position: 3
Undoubtedly the hottest hip-hop track of the fall, "Hotline Bling" has inspired hundreds of memes and lyric spoofs. A few of my favorite lyrical modifications: "You used to call me on my shell phone," "You used to call me on my snail phone," and "I know when that hot sign bling, it's time for some Krispy Kremes." Of course, that was Drake's purpose all along when he released this song. It certainly reached his desired effect; Drake's ability to make fun of himself makes "Hotline" one of the best tracks of the year.
22. What Do You Mean? - Justin Bieber
Justin Bieber's massive 2015 PR campaign began with "a bunch of has-beens calling [him] a lesbian for two hours" during his highly-entertaining Comedy Central roast. It later continued with everybody who's everybody promoting the first single from his comeback album during a month-long series of Instagram posts. The latter campaign was ultimately successful; "What Do You Mean?" debuting atop the Hot 100 and spending the majority of the rest of the year in the top five. Bieber's new sound is infectious and hard not to enjoy, and his fandom is stronger than ever.
21. Fight Song - Rachel Platten
Peak: 6 (August 29); Weeks on chart: 31; December 26 position: NR
This is perhaps the most empowering songs of the year, coming from one of its most intriguing new artists. I think, as many do, that Rachel Platten will be a force to be reckoned with in the music world for years to come. I also think, as many do, that "Fight Song" did not quite get as much as recognition as it should have. Looking ahead at the rest of the songs on this list, I do think 21 is not a bad spot at all for this wonderful song.
I'll be back on schedule in ten hours, when I'll reveal the two biggest Taylor Swift songs of the year and my pick for "Song of the Summer."
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