2015 End-of-Year Music Polls & Critics' Lists

http://m.nashvillescene.com/nashville/results-of-the-2015-nashville-scene-country-music-critics-poll/Content?oid=6325160

For the Scene's 16th Annual Country Music Critics' Poll, we surveyed more than 80 music writers across the country to determine 2015's top country albums, singles, performers and more. See the results of our poll below.

Albums:

1. Chris Stapleton, Traveller (Mercury Nashville)

2. Jason Isbell, Something More Than Free (Southeastern/Thirty Tigers)

3. Ashley Monroe, The Blade (Warner Nashville)

4. Kacey Musgraves, Pageant Material (Mercury Nashville)

5. Eric Church, Mr. Misunderstood (EMI Nashville)

6. Willie Nelson and Merle Haggard, Django and Jimmie (Legacy)

7. Rhiannon Giddens, Tomorrow Is My Turn (Nonesuch)

8. James McMurtry, Complicated Game (Complicated Game)

9. The Mavericks, Mono (Valory)

10. Maddie & Tae, Start Here (Dot)

11. Emmylou Harris and Rodney Crowell, The Traveling Kind (Nonesuch)

12. Dwight Yoakam, Second Hand Heart (Warner Bros.)

13. Cam, Untamed (Arista Nashville)

14. Don Henley, Cass County (Capitol)

15. Turnpike Troubadours, The Turnpike Troubadours (Bossier City)

16. John Moreland, High on Tulsa Heat (Old Omens)

17. Randy Rogers and Wade Bowen, Hold My Beer Vol. 1 (Lil' Buddy Toons)

18. Corb Lund, Things That Can't Be Undone (New West)

19. Alan Jackson, Angels and Alcohol (Alan's Country/EMI Nashville)

20. Joe Ely, Panhandle Rambler (Rack 'Em)

21. Asleep at the Wheel, Still the King: Celebrating the Music of Bob Wills and His Texas Playboys (Proper)

22. Dave Rawlings Machine, Nashville Obsolete (Acony)

23. Sam Outlaw, Angeleno (Six Shooter/Thirty Tigers)

24. Andrew Combs, All These Dreams (Coin)

25. Allison Moorer, Down to Believing (eOne Nashville)

26. George Strait, Cold Beer Conversation (MCA Nashville)

27. Lindi Ortega, Faded Gloryville (Grand Tour)

28. Steve Earle, Terraplane (New West)

29. The Bottle Rockets, South Broadway Athletic Club (Bloodshot)

30. Brandi Carlile, The Firewatcher's Daughter (ATO)

Singles:

1. Little Big Town, "Girl Crush" (Capitol Nashville)

2. Jason Isbell, "24 Frames" (Southeastern/Thirty Tigers)

3. Cam, "Burning House" (Arista Nashville)

4. Ashley Monroe, "The Blade" (Warner Nashville)

5. Chris Stapleton, "Tennessee Whiskey" (Mercury Nashville)

6. Eric Church, "Mr. Misunderstood" (EMI Nashville)

7. Miranda Lambert, "Little Red Wagon" (RCA)

8. Chris Stapleton, "Traveller" (Mercury Nashville)

9. Thomas Rhett, "Crash and Burn" (Valory)

10. Eric Church, "Like a Wrecking Ball" (EMI Nashville)

11. Dierks Bentley, "Riser" (Capitol Nashville)

12. Keith Urban, "John Cougar, John Deere, John 3:16" (Capitol Nashville)

13. Kacey Musgraves, "Dime Store Cowgirl" (Mercury Nashville)

14. Carrie Underwood, "Smoke Break" (Arista Nashville)

15. Willie Nelson and Merle Haggard with Jamey Johnson, "It's All Going to Pot" (Legacy)

16. Maddie & Tae, "Shut Up and Fish" (Dot)

17. Brothers Osborne, "Stay a Little Longer" (EMI Nashville)

18. Lee Ann Womack, "Send It On Down" (Sugar Hill)

19. Lee Ann Womack, "Chances Are" (Sugar Hill)

20. Cam, "My Mistake" (Arista Nashville)

21. Chris Janson, "Buy Me a Boat" (Warner Nashville)

22. Charles Kelley, Dierks Bentley and Eric Paslay, "The Driver" (Capitol Nashville)

23. Kacey Musgraves, "Biscuits" (Mercury Nashville)

24. Ashley Monroe, "On to Something Good" (Warner Music Nashville)

25. The Mavericks, "All Night Long" (Valory)

Miranda Lambert's "Little Red Wagon" is an aural war crime

Not into it, either. Bathroom Sink would have been such a better single. (Her only solo writing credit on the album, incidentally.)

http://www.toneglow.net/features/2016/1/31/2015-in-review

For some reason I only like every other Isbell album. Better luck next time I guess.

http://beehy.pe/best-of-2015/brazil-3/

A best of Brazilian album list with rock, artsy samba and some funky stuff (tho I don't think any carioca favela funk)

In retrospect this is probably my favorite year of albums of the past decade or so.

It's up there. Mine is probably 2018, but yeah this one has a lot of stone cold classics across so many genres.

Most years I would struggle to name 15 albums that I consistently enjoy, but this year has at least 25.

Gimme an E

E!

Gimme a MO

MO!

Gimme a TION

TION!

(I realized it looked like I might be cheering for an emo album.)