After writing the worst list, I don't feel like 2015 was really that bad for music overall. The worst music of that year was pretty harmless for the most part, while the best music of 2015 is some of my favorites of the entire decade of the 2010s. I'm just going to make this really quick, because I don't want to waste your time with a long-winded introduction. 

As said in the worst list, the rules are as follows: A song must've: a) peaked within the top 50 of the Billboard Hot 100, and b) have had spent 15 weeks or less on the charts by the time the year started. If it fit those qualifications, I put it in a spreadsheet. I then proceeded to listen to every single song on that spreadsheet to determine my thoughts and gave them a score out of ten. I listened to 125 songs, and decided on my top 20 before ranking those to decide a top ten. We're going to be looking through the music that I loved the most from 2015, and I'm very excited to share it with you.

I'm proud to present...

THE TOP TEN BEST HIT SONGS OF 2015

#10.

"Uptown Funk" will not be appearing in the Top Ten Best Hit Songs of 2015.

It's the obvious choice for a list like this. Everyone loves it. It's one of the most-loved songs in the history of popular music, and I am not saying it is a bad song by any means. It's a wonderful song that is really catchy, but it's a song that I have more respect for than desire to listen to it often. I'll never skip it when it comes on, but I'm never going out of my way to listen to it, you know?

My #10 falls in a similar category, but the reason it gets the edge over "Uptown Funk" goes down to the song's story.

10. "Shut Up and Dance" by Walk the Moon

Like "Uptown Funk", "Shut Up and Dance" has earned a reputation as one of the best songs of 2015, and one of the best songs of the 2010s overall. While it's not to the same extent, music critics have loved this one for a long time. The reason is pretty self-explanatory. It's one of the catchiest songs to have ever been written. Everything about it just screams "one of the most well-received songs ever", and I can't really say it doesn't deserve it. So, why is it only at #10 on this list?

Well, to be honest, this list is just very good. "Shut Up and Dance" and "Uptown Funk" would've been relatively high on my 2016 list, but 2015's pop music was just so special that putting them higher than this felt incorrect. I almost tied them here, but I didn't do any ties on my worst list and I like to keep the same format for both of them. With this song, there are so many things I love about it. Listen to those guitars. They create a groove that you can feel, and the drums complement them perfectly. It's one of the best-sounding songs of the year for sure, and this is the kind of song that's going to be played at weddings for a long time for a few reasons.

Singer Nicholas Petricca does a great job singing to tell a story of a man who's excited to dance but also nervous that the moment is going to slip away from him. The music video makes it even clearer that he's nervous, but that this is his last chance and he needs to take it. It's a very fun and emotional story that works well with the music, and the bridge is probably my favorite part of the whole thing. "Deep in her eyes, I think I see a future. I realize this is my last chance" sums the entire thing up. This is a beautiful moment that he doesn't want to end, and when it does, it feels bittersweet

This song becoming big was a miracle. Walk The Moon had only charted a couple songs on the US Rock charts, and had never made the Hot 100 before. "Shut Up and Dance" broke them through, but they sadly never really had any more well-known hits outside of "One Foot". They still have a good fanbase, but they went on hiatus in 2023, so time can only tell if Walk The Moon will release a song to match this. I'm certainly hoping for it.

#9.

As a reminder, making the Year-End Hot 100 is not the qualification to make this list. It certainly would help, but there are more than 100 hit songs per year, so I wanted to include some examples of songs that didn't quite make it on that least. In fact, none of the next 2 songs on this list made that list. This song here? It was a modest hit, hitting the Top 40, but it wasn't very long-term. I was actually introduced to it while making this list, and I really fell in love with this song because of it.

9. "Bright" by Echosmith

Even though their single "Cool Kids" became one of the biggest hits of 2014, I'd argue that Echosmith's follow-up single, "Bright", was the better song. This one's such a nice bubble of chill fun. This song is very quaint, but I love listening to this. The acoustic guitar specifically is why this made the list. I love songs where you can hear the strumming, and this one just hits the ears in a way that makes me happy. This isn't a song I have a lot to say about, but I felt that it deserves to be on this list for the same reason a lot of other songs. 

My favorite hit song of 2025 was "Nice To Each Other" by Olivia Dean. The reason for that, as I said, was because that song felt comfy and cozy, like a warm blanket you just got out of the dryer in the middle of winter. It wasn't a super complicated masterpiece, it was a comfortable song that you could listen to without feeling like you had to comprehend for a moment. That's how I feel about this song here. While I don't think it's nearly as good as that song, I think the comparison makes sense for a few reasons. Something about lead singer Sidney Quiseng's voice just hits the ears right, and the song's lyrics are just as special. 

The song is about being in love, and how it makes you feel like you can appreciate the beauty of the universe because you're "shining bright" like it. It's a really nice metaphor that's expressed very well, with lyrics like "were you dazzled by the same constellation" and "you sprinkle stardust on my pillowcase" being great examples. They really paint a picture of what the song is trying to be, and that is a personal ballad that's supposed to be emotionally close. I think the lyrics here are pretty great, and the way they're sung makes it feel earnest and genuine.

Overall, Echosmith's story is one that echoes (ha) the Walk the Moon story somewhat. Both blew up with a gigantic hit that made them well known, but faded into the background while only having one more modest Hot 100 hit. The difference is, my favorite Walk the Moon song is the big hit, while my favorite Echosmith song is the one that didn't make as big a mark on the charts, but still earned a spot on its list in its own right. Obviously, the comparison between the two doesn't work if you look deeper into it, but since I talked about both of them, I figured I'd make it here. This song was a pretty bright spot in 2015 pop music, if you ask me.

#8.

One of the weirdest stories of 2015 was the release of "Run Away With Me" by Carly Rae Jepsen, one of the most critically acclaimed songs I've ever seen in my life. Why is that weird? Well, despite how well known it is for being great, and how many people I know that personally love it, it did not hit the Hot 100 in any capacity. That being said, it wasn't the first single from that album. Emotion released with a completely different song as its lead single, and that one was eligible for this list. So, here you go.

8. "I Really Like You" by Carly Rae Jepsen

While "Run Away With Me" somehow avoided the Hot 100 altogether, "I Really Like You" peaked at #39, becoming her 3rd Top 40 hit in the United States after "Call Me Maybe" and "Good Time". This was also her last song to hit that chart, which is a shame considering how great her discography is altogether. The music video, starring Tom Hanks, may have helped that, but the song itself is pretty great. There's a lot to like with this one, but as I usually do, I want to go into more specifics by talking about the music itself.

"I Really Like You" features something that Emotion does heavily, which is that synth-pop bass that really hits for me. I can make the comparison to a lot of the more upbeat pop from artists like Dagny, whose song "Somebody" I'd consider to be one of my favorite songs of all time. This song specifically is on this list because it just sounds amazing. The backing music has that great production I'd expect from that type of disco synth-pop, and it's emotionally compelling a way I really love. The bouncing bass is something I really love in any song, so it works in a special way here.

The lyrics of "I Really Like You" are pretty compelling as well. This is a love song, and it's about how Carly really likes this person even though they're just starting their relationship. It's a really wonderful sentiment that I feel like perfectly encapsulates the feeling of starting to fall in love with someone. She says "it isn't love, but" she needs to say all of this. The amount of the word "really" in the chorus tells me that she is starting to fall in love with this person. I just find this song very enjoyable and compelling based on these sentiments, and it's the kind of song that makes you want to feel this way for someone.

Carly Rae Jepsen's career is one of the more interesting stories in pop music. Despite not having the longevity of artists like Katy Perry or Taylor Swift, I can argue that Carly's highs reach higher than either of theirs, even though both of those other artists have made some absolutely great songs. "I Really Like You" is an absolutely amazing song that probably deserved to be a much bigger hit, but definitely is one of the best songs of 2015 altogether. I guess you could say I really like this song.

Okay, I'll try to stop with the puns.

#7.

I could've put this song at any of this, #6, or #9, but I think you all know where the joke here is going so I'll just talk about the song now.

7. "679" by Fetty Wap feat. Remy Boyz

I had this song on a version of this list I made a long time ago, way before I started this website. I put this song on there somewhere, and I had someone tell me "it's criminal to have 679 on this list without Trap Queen", and to that I say... okay, and? I guess I probably should explain myself as to why I think "679" deserves to be on this list while "Trap Queen" doesn't even make it anywhere on this list. It's pretty simple, honestly. "679" is a lot more bouncy and fun than "Trap Queen", hence me liking it a lot more.

Listening to "679" is just a very fun experience. I hear this song and I feel like I want to dance. That bass synth is one of the best you'll hear in a rap song, and everyone on here just sounds like they're having the time of their lives. That's just infectious. It helps that this song is about as catchy as a rap song is allowed to be. The bounciness of it all really creates a vibe that is truly special, and all of the flows complement that really well. 

What is this song about? It seems to mostly be about these guys talking about how hot this girl is and bragging about their lifestyle and money. There are some funny lyrics in here like "when she walk past, I press rewind" and "you don't want sauce, no A1", but the catchiest lyric has to be "AND I GOT THE SODA" (I don't care if it's actually "sewed up", it's "soda"). The distinctness of Fetty's flow and the catchiness of the song just make it great. Even the guest rappers, the members of Remy Boyz, do a great job with their lyrics and flows. 

"679" is the best of Fetty Wap all rolled into one song. It's a shame that he was the star of 2015 and only 2015, because this dude really should have had the long-term success. He never could capture the magic that his output in that year, although "Again" did hit the Hot 100 in 2025. Maybe that song he did with Russell Dickerson shortly after his release will help him get back in the limelight? I have no idea. I'd love to see Fetty Wap come back with some hits in the future. Let's see if he can reach this level again.

#6.

It seems that 2026 is going to be the year rock returns to the charts. One of the biggest songs in the country right now is "Freakin' Out" by alternative rock band Dexter and the Moonrocks, and a Southern rock song from 2011 is about to hit the charts in "Broken Window Serenade" by Whiskey Myers. Why am I bringing this up? Well, this next song has a bit of a pop rock edge to it, and I think there's a conversation to be had that rock has the potential to blend with almost every genre in a wonderful way.

6. "Cool For The Summer" by Demi Lovato

Demi Lovato's "Cool For The Summer" is the blend of pop and rock that 2015 brought as sort of a surprise. This was kind of out of nowhere for Demi, as her previous singles hadn't used this sort of dark rock edge that she utilizes here. It's easily my favorite song by Demi, who uses this song to prove what she is capable of when she's overdoing it on songs like "Sorry Not Sorry" or "Commander in Chief". "Cool For The Summer" is basically an "I'm back" single by an artist who wasn't really gone in the first place. Then again, her singles after "Heart Attack" underperformed, including a cover of "Let It Go" from Frozen. Maybe she needed this.

First, let's go through my favorite part of the song, the instrumentation. The pop influences on the synths in the verses are really cool, and the build-up from those to the chorus is one of the best moments in pop music in 2015. When I say this song sounds like it'd be great in a racing game, I mean that. This is a song made for moments that are dark and gritty but aren't too out-there. That's the exact vibe I get from this song, and I mean that in as good of a way as possible. The build-ups are amazing, the guitar feels right, and everything about it just hits in the best way.

Listening to the lyrics, it seems like this song is about some relationship experimenting that Demi did over the summer with a friend. That's an interesting premise, and I feel like the rock vibe goes well with the idea of not knowing how this will go but wanting to do it. I also think Demi's voice really complements it, with the booming power in a lot of her lines being really cool and interesting. This is a song that demands that loudness and bombast the chorus provides.

"Cool for the Summer" is a very good reflection of what pop rock was in the 2010s. Specifically, I think Demi Lovato proved how much potential she truly had with this one. Do I think she's lived up to it? Well, frankly, my opinion on that doesn't matter. She's made a lot of songs that a lot of people really love. She's had hits after this and her albums have mostly hit the top ten in the United States. "Cool For The Summer" is her biggest hit, and it's definitely her best. Hopefully this stands the test of time.

#5.

I could've kept part of the thumbnail for the worst list. Remember that random UAB QB I put front and center on that one? Well, weirdly enough, that guy managed to have both my #8 worst hit song of the year and my #5 best hit song of the year. What did the guy with a negative TD/INT ratio manage to do that I liked? Well...

5. "House Party" by Sam Hunt

I will never understand people who say a song is bad just because it's "pop country". That's not an argument for why the music isn't good, that's just stating its genre. "House Party" by Sam Hunt is pretty obviously pop country, but it's a very good song so that doesn't matter to me. Honestly, Sam Hunt is a very polarizing artist, and his 2015 output is the perfect encapsulation of that. "Take Your Time" was an awful song which shows Sam Hunt being absolutely stupid about approaching a girl at a bar, while "House Party" shows him actually knowing what he's doing, both musically and personally. 

The idea behind "House Party" is "if you don't want to go out, we can just party together", which is actually a pretty nice sentiment in my eyes. This girl wants Sam to be with her, and he comes up with a nice idea that both of them would like. "If you're gonna be a homebody, we're gonna have a house party", which I take to mean that they're going to hang out and have fun by themselves. They "don't need nobody", and they'll just do this together and have a pretty darn good time.

It helps that this song is just super catchy. The melody is just fun and enjoyable to listen to. The production here is just absolutely fantastic. Those drums and guitars make a really personal but upbeat feel that I think really complements the story of the song. Everything about this song's sound hits hard at a party, which is exactly the vibe it's going for. This song wants to be used for situations like the one it described, but it also wants to be used for regular parties as well. That's honestly one of the things that makes this song great in my eyes. I was at a party last month, and this song played, and it went crazy. 

Sam Hunt is a polarizing artist because he'll have genius moments like this or "23", and then he'll make the dumbest songs you can even imagine like "Body Like A Back Road" and "Country House" (which I almost completely forgot existed). I'm glad this exists, though. This is one of the reasons Sam Hunt got his chance, and while he didn't do with it what I hoped he would, I'm still grateful for the songs he's made that I do enjoy. I guess if Sam's gonna make songs with the word "house" in the title, he needs to stick it at the front instead of at the back.

#4.

You may have noticed I put another football player who wasn't Sam Hunt on the thumbnail for this list. Well, that would be former Ohio State running back Ezekiel Elliott, who helped lead the Buckeyes to the first-ever College Football Playoff national championship in.... you guessed it, 2015. What does that have to do with the best hit songs of 2015 exactly? Well, if you were old enough to remember watching that run, you'll know exactly why.

4. "Centuries" by Fall Out Boy

I don't want to spend this entire section talking about football, but this song was the anthem for the first College Football Playoff and the nostalgia from hearing this while experiencing my first championship as an Ohio State fan is part of the reason this song made the list. I'm pretty vulnerable to nostalgia, but can you blame me? I'm also a fan of rock music, and "Centuries" is the best hit rock song 2015 had to offer, even if it's, again, pop rock. So, let me give you the breakdown of the other reasons that I felt it necessary to put this song on this list.

If any song is the one people are shocked is on this list, it's this one. The main reason is likely due to the difference between this and Fall Out Boy's earlier albums. Well, this was my first experience of Fall Out Boy, and I do not have the experience with those albums that people had at the time. I will say that I do really like the sound of this. The sample of "Tom's Diner" works well to turn into a rock song, which is a hot take, but I really respect it. It's bold, and it does exactly what it's meant to do. The song's production is also pretty cool, with some nice pianos during the chorus and nice drum work throughout. It's overall an excellent sounding song with some very cool moments that make it unique.

Then there are the lyrics, which are about how despite some legends fading away, you will remember Fall Out Boy for centuries. Is that a good premise? I don't know. I don't necessarily care. I think it works well with the tone the song has set. That historic confidence of being remembered hits well with that triumphant feel the band goes for. It feels like a battle cry, and that's what it works as. It's a song that fits the fight or the grind. Songs like this are what I listen to when I go to the gym. I want to feel powerful, and "Centuries" emits that feeling better than most songs.

It's funny that Fall Out Boy had to apologize for this song's overexposure during that playoffs. It did feel like this song defined that, and the nostalgia from that is what help me see it in this positive of a light. The rules of this list aren't for me to pick the songs I think are objectively the best. "Centuries" isn't that, but it's a song that defined part of my music taste for a long time. It's a song that helps remind me of when times were easy and I had no worries. Having graduated from Ohio State now, the memories really mean a lot.

#3.

When I put Nicki Minaj's "Only" on my worst list for this same year, I implied that I was going to be discussing another song in a future article. I want to preface this first, though. This is basically 2015's equivalent to "Father Stretch My Hands, Pt. 1" by Kanye West. A song where the artist who made it turned out to become an awful person, but the song is so good that I have to talk about it regardless of how uncomfortable doing it makes me feel.

Well, to be honest, talking about this one doesn't make me feel uncomfortable in any way. 

3. "The Night Is Still Young" by Nicki Minaj

This song was a late riser on this list. I knew this song, but I had never gone out of my way to listen to it before making this. How I didn't know what lied beyond hitting play was beyond me. I can honestly say that other than "Ceilings" by Lizzy McAlpine, no song has made this good of a first impression on me when writing a list. "The Night Is Still Young" was released as the last single off of The Pinkprint, and it's easily the best song from that album. How this, "Only", and "Anaconda" were all on the same album is a testament to the true versatility Nicki has, because she's able to make every type of song, from good to bad. 

What makes "The Night Is Still Young" one of the best songs I've ever heard is pretty obvious. I love songs that take a reflective look back at life while enjoying a night out. That's exactly what this song is. Lyrically, the verses talk about what Nicki is going to do while she's at the club, while also going through some life advice like "make sure the stars is what you aim for, make mistakes though" and "my only motto in life is 'don't lose'". The pre-chorus builds up to the chorus really well, and then that chorus hits. 

The chorus of "The Night Is Still Young" is perfect. Those synths perfectly encapsulate that feeling of triumph and curiosity as to what's next, while also wanting to savor the moment. "The night is still young and so are we". This life has a lot left to go, and we still have a night left to enjoy. Everything about the way this song's chorus and bridge sound are genuinely flawless. When I graduated, this song really hit the first time I listened to it afterward for the exact reason that I said. The personal measure that this song hit me on can't really be understood.

That's how this song made the top 3 of this list. I planned to put it at #9, but then it hit me like a brick. This song is meant for those moments when you've accomplished everything you've ever dreamed of, but the night is still young, and so are we. That's why it baffles me so much that critics thought this was bad. I read the Wikipedia section about the song's critical reception and it's just... did they listen to the song? One quote said that "Minaj doesn't always understood what she's good at". I'm not going to tell you who said that because I don't feel like giving bad takes credit, but no. She does understand what she's good at. This. This is exactly what she is good at.

"The Night Is Still Young" by Nicki Minaj is the perfect example of a song that's too good for the artist who made it. Nicki has gone on to prove she doesn't have it anymore, with her 2024 output being some of the worst I've heard from her. This is her best song by a large margin, and I feel like that should be a more common take. Listen to it after a great night. You'll feel that emotion get to you. I know it did for me.

#2.

I gave a lot of credit to Nicki Minaj in that last entry. It's an amazing song with a great premise, and I think it shows what Minaj is capable of when she's at her best. That being said, that song is only #3 on this list. #2 on this list was decided by the smallest of margins, and it all came down to the person performing it and the song's lyrics. "The Night Is Still Young" was about living it up and making the most of it, but there were no stakes in that song. You didn't feel like everything would crash down after it. What would've happened if... they did? That's what this song decided to answer.

2. "Time Of Our Lives" by Pitbull feat. Ne-Yo

I miss Pitbull. I know a lot of people didn't like him at the time, but he had a personality. He had something to him that a lot of artists lack nowadays. This was a guy who wasn't afraid to make fun music with whatever lyrics he thought was fun. I always had a lot of respect for Pitbull, because he seems like a genuine guy who makes music because he enjoys doing it. The end of his hit-making days came with "Time Of Our Lives", which is the perfect farewell song. He had one Top 40 hit after this, but this was the song that pretty much served as the moment everyone realized Pitbull was ready to move on. He's still making music, but it hasn't charted high in a long while.

What makes "Time Of Our Lives" so special is what I talked about with "The Night Is Still Young", the taking in of this night and making the most of it. It's kind of funny that producer Cirkut helped work on both of these songs, since they have very similar ideas executed at pretty much the exact same level. The premise of "Time Of Our Lives" is that Ne-Yo and Pitbull don't have enough money to pay their bills or rent, so they're going to party before everything comes crashing down on them. I really love that because it gives the song some gravity. It gives me what I think is the perfect way to make this kind of "the world is ending so let's party" song that seemed to be pretty common throughout the 2010s. 

This song also just sounds amazing. The backing instruments and chord progression create a sort of bittersweet sound that fits perfectly here. I can't imagine this song having any other instrumental... well, other than this. Go listen if you haven't. Everything about this song screams its premise, though. It's so thought out in a way you don't see in a lot of pop rap songs. The more spare synth production on Ne-Yo's chorus and the bombast on Pitbull's verses is exactly how this should work. 

"Time Of Our Lives" is the quintessential #2 on my best list. I like building up to my #1 with something personal or something anthemic. Think of "Not Like Us" on my 2024 best list. That song is the most defining song of 2024 in basically every way, and I used it to segue into #2 by adding the intrigue of "what song could have possibly beaten that?". I'm doing the same thing here. This a personal preference, but it is also a defining anthem of 2015 that really marked the end of an era. Pitbull's conquest over popular music was fulfilled, and he moved on, and we all moved on with him.

That begs the question, though. What is my favorite hit song of 2015? Well, we'll find out after a few honorable mentions.

HONORABLE MENTIONS

HM1. "Blame" by Calvin Harris feat. John Newman

Calvin Harris was always a pretty good producer and I miss having him around. Remember when this was a thing? John Newman had a solid run there for a little bit, and Calvin was already a big hit-maker, so it made sense that they had a hit together. Here's a fun little tidbit for you. I used to make compilation albums back in high school, and I'd always find a way to include a Calvin Harris song on each one. I don't know why I specifically picked him, but that was something that, looking back on, I miss. 

HM2. "Style" by Taylor Swift

A lot of people have claimed this as the best song from 1989. I will say it is the best song on the standard list. Taylor and Max Martin used to be a great duo. I miss when her love songs were nice, bouncy songs like this and not "your love was the key that opened my thighs". Man, even typing that will take me a while to forget.

HM3. "Budapest" by George Ezra

You ever see a person's name and know exactly what they're going to sound like? That's what happened to me with George Ezra. I like this song, which was his breakout hit in the United States. It's about how many great things he has, but that he'd leave them all for this person ("you" within the song). The instrumentation has that nice classic feel that I feel really fits with a lot of the lyricism. It's a very formal nugget of music that I think deserves its spot here.

HM4. "GDFR" by Flo Rida feat. Sage the Gemini and Lookas

Just like I said I miss Pitbull earlier, I also kinda miss Flo Rida. This is a guy you could just plug in, but he had some charisma and made some bangers. This song is iconic for it's chorus and that saxophone riff that makes up most of the song, and those are some pretty nice contributions. I will say it's concerning how many people it took to write this song. It took 13 people to write this? Why would you ever need that many songwriters?

HM5. "Want To Want Me" by Jason Derulo

Jason Derulo is one of those artists who has so many songs that people love, but the overwhelming critical reception on them is negative. I didn't like "Savage Love", but his mid-2010s songs outside of one pretty notable example are pretty darn good. "Want To Want Me" is a nice love song that has a catchy beat and melody, and Derulo's performance here sounds genuine and personal. I remember playing this on Just Dance 2016 and really loving it.

HM6. "I Want You To Know" by Zedd feat. Selena Gomez

Selena Gomez isn't an artist I've ever really liked, but her contributions on EDM songs are usually pretty good. I like this, and I like "Wolves" with Marshmello. The production here is pretty cool, and there's a riff that it builds around. Zedd is someone whose music is pretty good, but I'm not surprised he hasn't been as noteworthy since the turn of the decade. Specifically, the production during the second verse is some of my favorite of all of 2015. Good work.

HM7. "Uptown Funk" by Mark Ronson feat. Bruno Mars

This song is immaculate. Everything about it is just pristine, like a nice plate of caviar. The problem with caviar is that I'm not going to want a lifetime supply of it. I'm going to want a lifetime supply of something I enjoy eating on the regular. "Uptown Funk" is the perfect example of this. It's an obviously great song with an infectious energy and a great vibe, but I'm not going into "Uptown Funk" constantly. I wouldn't want to hear it all of the time, you know.

HM8. "The Hills" by the weeknd

This guy making one of the top ten biggest hits in the history of music both does and doesn't surprise me. He obviously had a really unique taste, making one of the weirder #1 hits I've ever heard, but it's also pretty evident that this dude knows how to craft a hook. The chorus to "The Hills" is what makes this song. That bass drop into it is an awesome sound. This being Abel's big smash hit at the time seemed weird, but makes sense in hindsight.

HM9. "What Do You Mean?" by Justin Bieber

This is the song that showed me Justin Bieber's potential. When this came out, I remember it being huge. I had heard only negative things about Bieber, but I did like this one a lot. That bouncy tropical house vibe is exactly what Bieber needed to get his hit-making status solidified. The fact that Bieber is still one of the biggest stars alive into the 2020s is crazy, but it makes sense. This guy was my first thought of a pop star, and he's what I'll always imagine a male pop star being.

HM10. "Nasty Freestyle" by T-Wayne

T-Wayne should have went into stand-up comedy after releasing this song. You probably would think I like this ironically, but no. I like this song because it's one of the funniest things I've ever heard in my life. Every choice T-Wayne makes on this song is the right one. The highlights of this are "I'm the king of this sh*t, crowned by the toilet", "I been on fire ever since they made the lighter", "My boys will pull up on you homie, I ain't talking diapers", "Toilet seat a** n***a, boy I swear you getting peed on", and, my personal favorite, "I be ballin' on these n****s, got me feelin' like sports". Comedic genius in its truest form.

And now, for the best hit song of 2015.

#1.

The number 1 on your best list is supposed to mean something. It's supposed to be your personal pick for the magnum opus of the year in popular music. It's supposed to be the hit that you believe to be the single best piece of music to be a high-charting single throughout the years.

I've made a few exceptions in lists past for songs I thought were great but charted slightly low on the Hot 100. Honestly, songs like that are hits, but they're hits in a less definitional sense. "Slow Dancing In The Dark" by Joji, my #1 song of 2018, charted at #69. My #1 in 2025, "Nice To Each Other" by Olivia Dean, charted at #65. Those are hits. They both charted in the top ten in at least 1 country that wasn't the United States, but they wouldn't have been considered if they hadn't charted on the Hot 100 at all.

The real question I have is... what would it take for a song that didn't chart on the Hot 100 in any capacity to be my favorite hit song of a year?

I thought about it for a long time. It would have to be something truly special that was still popular in some way. After thinking about it for weeks, I realized none of the songs on this list felt right in the number 1 spot because there was one glaring omission. There was one song that has been so 

I'll introduce this pick by going back to the beginning of this list. "Shut Up and Dance" and "Uptown Funk" are the two most critically acclaimed hits of 2015 by most measures. I consider both of those songs to be very good, but I didn't have them where most people who make lists like this would've had them. Most of my favorite YouTube critics like Todd in the Shadows and Sean Fay-Wolfe put those songs very highly on their best lists.

The song that I put at #1 on this list is a song that was acclaimed by critics, even more so than those two songs, that didn't hit the Hot 100 at all. This is going to be the only time I ever do this. I have never put a song that didn't hit the Hot 100 on one of my lists. I figure you probably already know what it is. If you've read this list thoroughly, you definitely know what it is. All I can say is that no song has ever deserved an exception more than this one.

1. "Run Away With Me" by Carly Rae Jepsen

"Run Away With Me" is one of few songs that I would put in my Generational Tier, joining the likes of "Viva la Vida" by Coldplay and "Take What You Want" by Post Malone as songs that I consider to be my personal favorites of all time. Specifically, how I define the tier is "music that goes beyond what I believe music has the power to be". After thinking about it a long time, I've dwindled it down to only 11 songs, but I will be talking about those in another article soon, so I won't reveal the rest of the list at this time. The point is, though, that this song in particular is the best thing to come out of music in 2015 and I don't think it's really that close. 

The thing that makes this so great is pretty self-evident. The production job on this song is immaculate to a point that I can barely even fathom how they came up with it. That saxophone opening immediately catches your attention, and it's not let go of throughout the entire song. The emotion projected through this song's instrumental is captivating in a way you just don't see in music often. It all comes together with a great synth bass and drum work that make it one of the most well-put together songs I've ever heard and that you will ever hear. Everything about it just screams greatness, and the lyrics justify that even more so.

As you could probably guess from the name, "Run Away With Me" is about that desire to leave and be with the person you love. Carly expresses this with some real authenticity behind it, and the lyrics show her passion pretty well. Lyrics like "we never sleep, we never try when you are with me" and "you're stuck in my head, stuck in my heart, stuck on my body" show how much she loves this person, and it's just wonderful. Each lyric flows perfectly with each other and paints a picture of the kind of relationship Carly and this person have. 

I referenced this song earlier in my "I Really Like You" segment, but it should be noted just how good a job Carly does at portraying attraction. The reason this song is generational is because of how powerful and convincing it is. I don't have to convince myself that Carly truly loves this person. It's just right there in front of you. Authenticity is the backbone of amazing music because that genuine emotion makes you feel like you're right there with the singer, hearing their story and what it means to them. That's what I feel when I listen to "Run Away With Me". I hear a love story coming from one of the most interesting artists the 2010s had to offer. 

"Run Away With Me" is the best hit song of 2015. Some people struggle to call it a hit, but I feel comfortable calling it that. It has more YouTube views than 2 of the songs on this list and has over 190,000,000 streams on Spotify. This song deserved that exception because it's the song that deserves to be at the top of this list. No song from 2015 is as impressive as this one. No song from 2015 radiates sheer perfection like this one. I feel comfortable making an exception for this song, and this song only. Carly Rae Jepsen broke out with "Call Me Maybe", but this is the song I'll remember her by. It was a song so good that the world wasn't ready for it.

"Run Away With Me" by Carly Rae Jepsen. The best hit song of 2015.

Thank you guys so much for reading! It always means the world to me. I hope you are having a wonderful day. This is Lando from the Landoman Experiment, signing off.