Year-End Lists

Publishers Weekly: 10 Best Books of 2015

[see also 2023 • 2022 • 2021 • 2020 • 2019 • 2018 • 2017 • 2016 • 2014 • 2013 • 2012 • 2011]

• Between the World and Me
  Ta-Nehisi Coates
• The Invention of Nature

  Alexander von Humboldt’s New World
  Andrea Wulf
• The Story of the Lost Child
  Elena Ferrante
• Barbarian Days

  A Surfing Life
  William Finnegan
• Delicious Foods
  James Hannaham
• Imperium
  Christian Kracht
• Beauty Is a Wound
  Eka Kurniawan
• Crow Fair
  Thomas McGuane
• The Argonauts
  Maggie Nelson
• Black Earth

  The Holocaust as History and Warning
  Timothy Snyder

Rolling Stone: 50 Best Albums of 2015

[see also 2023 • 2022 • 2021 • 2020 • 2010s • 2019 • 2018 • 2017 • 2016 • 2014 • 2013 • 2012 • 2011]

1. To Pimp A Butterfly
   Kendrick Lamar
2. 25
   Adele
3. If You’re Reading This It’s Too Late
   Drake
4. Black Messiah
   D’Angelo and The Vanguard
5. Beauty Behind the Madness
   The Weeknd
6. Sometimes I Sit and Think, and Sometimes I Just Sit
   Courtney Barnett
7. Something More Than Free
   Jason Isbell
8. Hamilton (Original Broadway Cast Recording)
   Lin-Manuel Miranda and the Original Broadway Cast
9. Yours, Dreamily
   The Arcs
10. The Magic Whip
    Blur
11. No Cities To Love
    Sleater-Kinney
12. Honeymoon
    Lana Del Rey
13. Currents
    Tame Impala
14. Star Wars
    Wilco
15. I Love You, Honeybear
    Father John Misty
16. Skrillex and Diplo Present Jack Ü
    Skrillex & Diplo
17. Crosseyed Heart
    Keith Richards
18. A Fool To Care
    Boz Scaggs
19. B’lieve I’m Goin Down…
    Kurt Vile
20. Cass County
    Don Henley
21. Traveller
    Chris Stapleton
22. How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful
    Florence + The Machine
23. Tracker
    Mark Knopfler
24. Surf
    Donnie Trumpet & The Social Experiment
25. Introducing Darlene Love
    Darlene Love
26. DS2
    Future
27. Mr. Misunderstood
    Eric Church
28. Wildheart
    Miguel
29. Divers
    Joanna Newsom
30. Teens of Style
    Car Seat Headrest
31. Coming Home
    Leon Bridges
32. Reality Show
    Jazmine Sullivan
33. Depression Cherry
    Beach House
34. The Pale Emperor
    Marilyn Manson
35. Summertime ’06
    Vince Staples
36. Painted Shut
    Hop Along
37. Sound & Color
    Alabama Shakes
38. The Blade
    Ashley Monroe
39. Drones
    Muse
40. Music In Exile
    Songhoy Blues
41. The Epic
    Kamasi Washington
42. Vulnicura
    Björk
43. Revival
    Selena Gomez
44. SremmLife
    Rae Sremmurd
45. Rebel Heart
    Madonna
46. Tomorrow Is My Turn
    Rhiannon Giddens
47. Before This World
    James Taylor
48. E•MO•TION
    Carly Rae Jepsen
49. Shadows In The Night
    Bob Dylan
50. Amanecer
    Bomba Estéreo

Amy Taubin: 10 Best Films of 2015, as published by Artforum

[see also 2023 • 2022 • 2021 • 2020 • 2019 • 2018 • 2017 • 2016 • 2014 • 2013 • 2012]

1. No Home Movie
   Chantal Akerman
2. The Knick
   Steven Soderbergh
3. The Assassin
   Hou Hsiao-Hsien
4. Luminous Intimacy: The Cinema of Nathaniel Dorsky and Jerome Hiler [retrospective]
   Nathaniel Dorsky and Jerome Hiler
5. Experimenter
   Michael Almereyda
6. Amy
   Asif Kapadia
7. My Golden Days
   Arnaud Desplechin
8. Don’t Blink: Robert Frank
   Laura Israel
9. Carol
   Todd Haynes
10. Mistress America
    Noah Baumbach

Nicole Brenez: 10 Best Films of 2015, as published by Artforum

[see also 2023 • 2022 • 2021 • 2020 • 2010s • 2019 • 2018 • 2017 • 2016 • 2012]

1. No Home Movie
   Chantal Akerman
2. Message of Greetings: Prix Suisse / My Thanks / Dead or Alive
   Jean-Luc Godard
3. Commander Khawani
   Florent Marcie
3. Tomorrow Tripoli – The Revolution of the Rats
   Florent Marcie
4. Get All That, Ant?
   Anthony Stern
5. Wake (Subic)
   John Gianvito
6. Vertières I, II, III
   Louise Botkay
7. Notfilm
   Ross Lipman
8. The Great Wall
   Tadhg O’Sullivan
9. Los (De)pendientes
   Sebastian Wiedemann
10. Terrorism Considered as One of the Fine Arts [screenplay]
    Peter Whitehead
10. Cross Words: All Out War Considered as One of the Fine Arts [printed material]
    Peter Whitehead

James Quandt: 10 Best Films of 2015, as published by Artforum

[see also 2022 • 2021 • 2020 • 2019 • 2018 • 2017 • 2016 • 2014 • 2013 • 2012]

1. Labour in a Single Shot [exhibition of shorts]
   Antje Ehmann, Harun Farocki, various filmmakers
2. Visit, or Memories and Confessions
   Manoel de Oliveira
3. Bleak Street
   Arturo Ripstein
4. Singularity
   Albert Serra
5. Neon Bull
   Gabriel Mascaro
6. Ashes
   Steve McQueen
7. the films and videos of Michaël Borremans [retrospective]
   Michaël Borremans
8. Lost and Beautiful
   Pietro Marcello
9. Actua I [1968]
   Philippe Garrel
10. The Owners of Dixie
    Miguel Gomes

Spin: 50 Best Albums of 2015

[see also 2021 • 2020 • 2010s • 2019 • 2018 • 2017 • 2016 • 2012 • 2011]

1. To Pimp A Butterfly
   Kendrick Lamar
2. Sometimes I Sit and Think, and Sometimes I Just Sit
   Courtney Barnett
3. In Colour
   Jamie xx
4. Currents
   Tame Impala
5. Summertime ’06
   Vince Staples
6. Ivy Tripp
   Waxahatchee
7. Fading Frontier
   Deerhunter
8. Pageant Material
   Kacey Musgraves
9. Ratchet
   Shamir
10. Beach Music
    (Sandy) Alex G
11. No Cities To Love
    Sleater-Kinney
12. New Bermuda
    Deafheaven
13. I Love You, Honeybear
    Father John Misty
14. Wildheart
    Miguel
15. High
    Royal Headache
16. Depression Cherry
    Beach House
17. DS2
    Future
18. Honeymoon
    Lana Del Rey
19. Product
    Sophie
20. The Agent Intellect
    Protomartyr
21. Carrie & Lowell
    Sufjan Stevens
22. E•MO•TION
    Carly Rae Jepsen
23. If You’re Reading This It’s Too Late
    Drake
24. Poison Season
    Destroyer
25. Hallucinogen
    Kelela
26. Art Angels
    Grimes
27. I Don’t Like Shit, I Don’t Go Outside: An Album
    Earl Sweatshirt
28. Vulnicura
    Björk
29. B’lieve I’m Goin Down…
    Kurt Vile
30. Garden of Delete
    Oneohtrix Point Never
31. I Want to Grow Up
    Colleen Green
32. The Most Lamentable Tragedy
    Titus Andronicus
33. Everything Is 4
    Jason Derulo
34. Time to Go Home
    Chastity Belt
35. Communion
    Years & Years
36. Surf
    Donnie Trumpet & The Social Experiment
37. The Magic Whip
    Blur
38. M3LL155X
    FKA twigs
39. Feels Like
    Bully
40. From Kinshasa
    Mbongwana Star
41. Fetty Wap
    Fetty Wap
42. California Nights
    Best Coast
43. Every Open Eye
    Chvrches
44. Ygg Huur
    Krallice
45. Pretend
    Seinabo Sey
46. Sauna
    Mount Eerie
47. Fingers, Bank Pads & Shoe Prints
    RP Boo
48. Are You Alone?
    Majical Cloudz
49. Before the World Was Big
    girlpool
50. Unbreakable
    Janet Jackson

Paste Magazine: 50 Best Albums of 2015

[see also 2023 • 2022 • 2021 • 2020 • 2010s • 2019 • 2018 • 2017 • 2016 • 2014 • 2013 • 2012 • 2011]

1. I Love You, Honeybear
   Father John Misty
2. To Pimp A Butterfly
   Kendrick Lamar
3. Sometimes I Sit and Think, and Sometimes I Just Sit
   Courtney Barnett
4. No Cities To Love
   Sleater-Kinney
5. Painted Shut
   Hop Along
6. Carrie & Lowell
   Sufjan Stevens
7. Natalie Prass
   Natalie Prass
8. Currents
   Tame Impala
9. Coming Home
   Leon Bridges
10. Fading Frontier
    Deerhunter
11. Beat the Champ
    The Mountain Goats
12. The Agent Intellect
    Protomartyr
13. B’lieve I’m Goin Down…
    Kurt Vile
14. Teens of Style
    Car Seat Headrest
15. Sprinter
    TORRES
16. Every Open Eye
    Chvrches
17. The Epic
    Kamasi Washington
18. Something More Than Free
    Jason Isbell
19. Depression Cherry
    Beach House
20. In Colour
    Jamie xx
21. Platform
    Holly Herndon
22. Goon
    Tobias Jesso Jr.
23. On Your Own Love Again
    Jessica Pratt
24. Art Angels
    Grimes
25. Then Came the Morning
    The Lone Bellow
26. Summertime ’06
    Vince Staples
27. Pageant Material
    Kacey Musgraves
28. Darling… It’s Too Late
    Guantanamo Baywatch
29. How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful
    Florence + The Machine
30. Nathaniel Rateliff & the Night Sweats
    Nathaniel Rateliff & the Night Sweats
31. Star Wars
    Wilco
32. High
    Royal Headache
33. Range Anxiety
    Twerps
34. Let the Good Times Roll
    J.D. McPherson
35. Dry Food
    Palehound
36. La Di Da Di
    Battles
37. The Blade
    Ashley Monroe
38. Sound & Color
    Alabama Shakes
39. What a Terrible World, What a Beautiful World
    The Decemberists
40. 1989
    Ryan Adams
41. The Things We Do To Find People Who Feel Like Us
    Beach Slang
42. The Waterfall
    My Morning Jacket
43. Are You Alone?
    Majical Cloudz
44. Another Eternity
    Purity Ring
45. Payola
    Desaparecidos
46. No No No
    Beirut
47. Don’t Lose This
    Pops Staples
48. Sore
    Dilly Dally
49. Sprained Ankle
    Julien Baker
50. Edge of the Sun
    Calexico

Stereogum: 50 Best Albums of 2015

[see also 2023 • 2022 • 2021 • 2020 • 2010s • 2019 • 2018 • 2017 • 2016 • 2014 • 2013 • 2012 • 2011]

1. Art Angels
   Grimes
2. To Pimp A Butterfly
   Kendrick Lamar
3. E•MO•TION
   Carly Rae Jepsen
4. Summertime ’06
   Vince Staples
5. Carrie & Lowell
   Sufjan Stevens
6. Sometimes I Sit and Think, and Sometimes I Just Sit
   Courtney Barnett
7. Painted Shut
   Hop Along
8. I Want to Grow Up
   Colleen Green
9. Simple Songs
   Jim O’Rourke
10. New Bermuda
    Deafheaven
11. In Colour
    Jamie xx
12. I Love You, Honeybear
    Father John Misty
13. Harmlessness
    The World Is A Beautiful Place & I Am No Longer Afraid To Die
14. Apocalypse, Girl
    Jenny Hval
15. Currents
    Tame Impala
16. Surf
    Donnie Trumpet & The Social Experiment
17. The Most Lamentable Tragedy
    Titus Andronicus
18. DS2
    Future
19. Ivy Tripp
    Waxahatchee
20. Rose Mountain
    Screaming Females
21. Ratchet
    Shamir
22. Divers
    Joanna Newsom
23. The Magic Whip
    Blur
24. The Children of the Night
    Tribulation
25. If You’re Reading This It’s Too Late
    Drake
26. Natalie Prass
    Natalie Prass
27. No Cities To Love
    Sleater-Kinney
28. O.K.
    Eskimeaux
29. Sun Coming Down
    Ought
30. If I Was
    The Staves
31. Something More Than Free
    Jason Isbell
32. The Offer
    Yowler
33. Every Open Eye
    Chvrches
34. Anareta
    Horrendous
35. The Epic
    Kamasi Washington
36. SremmLife
    Rae Sremmurd
37. All Are Saved
    Fred Thomas
38. Vulnicura
    Björk
39. Teens of Style
    Car Seat Headrest
40. Sprained Ankle
    Julien Baker
41. Before the World Was Big
    girlpool
42. Fading Frontier
    Deerhunter
43. Traveller
    Chris Stapleton
44. Foil Deer
    Speedy Ortiz
45. Viet Cong
    Viet Cong
46. Joy, Departed
    Sorority Noise
47. Depression Cherry
    Beach House
48. B’lieve I’m Goin Down…
    Kurt Vile
49. Garden of Delete
    Oneohtrix Point Never
50. Have You In My Wilderness
    Julia Holter