Song of the Day #2,735: ‘When We Were Young’ – Adele

adele-25Best Songs of 2015 – #9
‘When We Were Young’ – Adele

Nobody thought NSYNC’s record of 2.4 million albums sold in a week would ever fall. Not so much because NSYNC is some pinnacle of creative success but because the music industry has changed so much that a million-copy sales week is now unheard of. Two million? More? That’s fantasy land.

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Song of the Day #2,734: ‘Run Away With Me’ – Carly Rae Jepsen

carly_rae_jepsen_emotionBest Songs of 2015 – #10
‘Run Away With Me’ – Carly Rae Jepsen

One of my big surprises in reading a ton of year-end wrap ups was how often I saw Carly Rae Jepsen’s latest album, E•MO•TION, listed among the best records of 2015.

It’s not that I don’t consider Jepsen capable of greatness — ‘Call Me Maybe’ alone proves she has considerable hit-making chops — but I figured if she had released a monster pop album, it would have done monster business.

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Song of the Day #2,733: ‘Hotline Bling’ – Jimmy Fallon (as Bob Dylan)

fallon_dylan_blingI didn’t think it was right to have a Random Sunday without a Random Saturday, so here’s a little treasure that popped into my Facebook feed this morning.

Jimmy Fallon is an exceptional impressionist, especially (and maybe exclusively?) when it comes to musicians. His Bruce Springsteen, Neil Young, Jim Morrison and David Bowie are all priceless.

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Song of the Day #2,731: ‘Kill Em With Kindness’ – Selena Gomez

selena-gomez-revival-preview-250x250Best Songs of 2015 – #11
‘Kill Em With Kindness’ – Selena Gomez

2015 was another strong year for women. Six of my top ten albums are by female artists, including records in the pop and punk genres that I normally avoid.

One of those solid albums is Revival, Selena Gomez’s “comeback” record (to the extent that a 23-year-old can be in need of a comeback). This is her second solo album (she released three others leading a band called The Scene, though those records rested on her shoulders as well).

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