My Favourite Songs of 2015

Chris Lane - "Fix"

"Fix" is my favourite song of 2015, like Lane's "Broken Windshield View" was my favourite of 2014. I guess it was a blessing that injuries prevented Lane from pursuing his baseball career, which meant he could focus on music. The first song from an as-yet-unnanounced album is country-pop music at it's best, and Lane smashes the vocals out of the park. I met Lane in St Louis earlier this year, and he seems like a great guy.
 
Keith Urban - "John Cougar, John Deere, John 3:16"

The first single from Urban's latest album, Rip Cord, is an ode to life growing up in the country, and once more pushes the boundaries of what country music is and can be, which is something that Urban has been doing for years. The catchy beat will get in your head and stay there. Interestingly, Urban plays bass on live performances, and crushes it.

Halestorm - "I Like It Heavy"

Lzzy Hale is my rock and roll crush: big vocals, great guitar chops and a tendency to wear leather pants. She fronts Halestorm, a great hard rock band from Pennsylvania, and "I Like It Heavy" is an ode to the best rock bands the world has ever seen. If you're not already on the Halestorm bandwagon, get on! Their 2015 release Into the Wild Life is sensational.

Luke Bryan - "Kick The Dust Up"

Listen to the lead single from Bryan's Kill the Lights and try to not be immediately hooked by the southern party anthem. Once it's in your head, it'll stick there. Another #1 hit for Bryan. Critics say his music is without depth, and maybe that's the case, but, man, he owns these bro-country anthems.

Rob Thomas - "I Think We'd Feel Good Together"

The first single from Rob Thomas' third solo album, a pop music extravaganza. His voice is as good as ever, and we must never forget that Thomas is as good a songwriter as there's been in the last twenty years.

Brantley Gilbert - "Same Old Song"

Georgian country-rocker Gilbert allegedly penned this tribute to all the things that bro-country critics hate in response to said critics. He makes no excuses for the life he leads, and, aside from anything else, it's a good song. I saw BG in Kansas City in August, and he's one heck of a live performer.

Ryan Adams - "Bad Blood"

The complete re-imagining of Taylor Swift's entire 1989 album was one the more interesting releases in 2015. Adams turns the tracks on their head, his style reminiscent of a Bruce Springsteen during his Nebraska album era. Taylor loved it, and so did I.

Wiz Khalifa (Feat. Charlie Puth) - "See You Again"

The musical tribute to the late Paul Walker that pops up at the end of the Furious 7 and most definitely tugs at the heartstrings. Brilliant!

Lee Kernaghan - "Spirit of the ANZACs"

The title track for Kernaghan's album of the same name is a stirring anthem paying tribute to the all-walks-of-life men and women who have answered their country's call over the years. Like the rest of the album, the lyrics are inspired by memoirs, letters and diary entries stored in the Australian War Memorial in Canberra. Kernaghan was given access to the vault last year, and his ARIA #1 album is the result. Wonderful album.

Kid Rock - "First Kiss"

I love Kid Rock, and I'm not going to change. Say what you will about the man, but one thing that can't be disputed is his ability to move with the times. On "First Kiss", a song that reminds me of both his big hit "All Summer Long" and the Bryan Adams epic "Summer of '69" taps into the nostalgia of first loves and first kisses in a small town, and Rock does it well. This one gets a heap of plays on my iPod.

Jana Kramer - "Bullet"

The former One Tree Hill released her second album - "Thirty-One" - in the last quarter of 2015, and this upbeat song, allegedly written about her failed engagement to Brantley Gilbert, and how she dodged a bullet, features Aerosmith front man Steven Tyler. It's catchy as hell.

Jake Owen - "Real Life"

I thought it was Sugar Ray at first. It sounds like Sugar Ray, but it's just Jake Owen going down the Keith Urban road of expanding country music. Great lyrics (about the realities of growing up in a small town) + a catchy chorus = another big hit for Jake. Can't wait for his new album to drop!

Motley Crue - "All Bad Things"

As the saying goes, all bad things must come to an end. And so they do, with Motley on their farewell tour (their last show was December 31 in Los Angeles) and releasing this end-of-an-era song about the end of their hedonistic careers. Their tour stop in Sydney was sensational!

Kip Moore - "Wild Ones"

Another country guy who sounds more like a heartland rocker, Moore's new album was one of my favourites in 2015. The lead single reminds me of Eric Church's "The Outsiders", and has plenty of Moore's heavy, gravelly vocals, and awesome guitars.