No Country’s Best National Albums of 2015

For the past few years, the No Country team has nominated all of our favorite records of the past year from a “National” and Nashville perspective, then put them to a vote to come up with top ten lists for each. Our team is diverse with individual tastes all across the spectrum, and, accordingly, we usually end up with a huge number of overall albums receiving votes. This year it was 63 from the 13 of us who participated, and, as is probably a good indicator of what truly rose to the top in 2015, our top ten list tends to reflect where all of our tastes overlap.

So, without further ado, head below to see our top 10 (actually 12 because of ties) overall National albums of 2015, and, if you see one you like, you can click on the link to stream the record in Spotify. Stay tuned for our other end of the year posts, including our Top 10 Nashville records of 2015 and our individual picks for the top shows we saw this year.

10 (tie).  The Weeknd – Beauty Behind The Madness [8.28.15, Republic]

10 (tie).  Grimes – Art Angels [11.6.15, 4AD]

10 (tie). Fuzz – II [10.23.15, In The Red Records]

8 (tie). Carly Rae Jepsen – E⋅MO⋅TION [8.21.15, School Boy/Giant Little Man/Interscope Records]

8 (tie). Jason Isbell – Something More Than Free [7.17.15, Southeastern Records]

7. Kacey Musgraves – Pageant Material [6.23.15, Mercury Nashville]

6. Kurt Vile – b’lieve i’m goin down… [10.9.15, Matador Records]

5. Sufjan Stevens – Carrie & Lowell [3.31.15, Asthmatic Kitty]

4. Florence + The Machine – How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful [5.29.15, Island Records] 

3. Courtney Barnett – Sometimes I Sit And Think, And Sometimes I Just Sit [3.23.15, Mom + Pop] 

2. Kendrick Lamar – To Pimp A Butterfly [3.15.15, Top Dawg / Interscope]

1. Father John Misty – I Love You, Honeybear [2.10.15, Sub Pop]