Somehow it was more difficult to come up with a Top 177 than usual.
What could be the reason?
Am I losing touch?
I don't think so, although I had to dig deep in the 2015 archives.
In the end, I am happy with the final list.
With the exception of some surprisingly good albums by Foals (number 9, 53), Father John Misty (number 7, 25, 89), Tame Impala (number 2, 56) and of course Adele (number 35, 42) and Sufjan Stevens (number 3, 26, 125), 2015 just wasn't a highly spectacular year.
Thank God EDM and dubstep are slowly running it's course.
More good news; we've noticed some amazing development in the Dutch scene.
Bands like Bewilder (number 71, 110, 163), Klangstof (number 55) and Pauw (number 37, 99) are my new musical heroes and I can't wait to buy a copy of the new Eefje De Visser (number 22) album in January.
Like every year, the indie scene brought us some pretty cool new artists. One of my favorites of 2015 is LA Priest (number 16, 111). His sound is as fresh as snow on a beautiful winter morning.
House and electronic music has been re-inventing itself in 2015 as well. Just listen to "Real Joy", a huge track by Fono (number 21). It sounds like nothing you ever heard. Or check out the highly addictive club-sounds of Lost Frequencies (number 4, 31).
By the way, did you notice the high amount of bands and artists that were already succesful in the 1980s? New Order (number 100, 148), Duran Duran (number 174), David Bowie (172), Madonna (number 79, 91), Nena (number 166).
Well, perhaps you saw some familiar 1990s names as well. Natalie Imbruglia (number 12, 112), Roisin Murphy (number 23, 128), Chemical Brothers (number 93, 130, 167). Mr Oizo (number 129), Noel Gallagher (number 47, 141).
Let's put it this way; each and every song in the Top 177 has our approval and they all deserve to be heard on the last day of the year.
To quote our number 1 hit of 2015 by Fink; "From small beginnings come big endings".
Broadcast will be on December 31st from midnight till noon (0.01 - 12.06) and we'll start over at 12.07 till New Year!
Tune in all day at www.raarfm.com
1) Fink - Pilgrim
2) Tame Impala - Let It Happen
3) Sufjan Stevens - Should Have Known Better
4) Lost Frequencies feat Janieck Devy - Reality
5) Christine And The Queens - Christine
6) Alabama Shakes - I Don't Wanna Fight
7) Father John Misty - Holy Shit
8) Years & Years - King
9) Foals - Mountain At My Gates
10) John Grant feat Tracey Thorn - Disappointing
11) Guy Garvey - Broken Bottles And Chandeliers
12) Natalie Imbruglia - Instant Crush
13) Stromae - Quand C'est
14) Oscar & The Wolf - Undress
15) Editors - Life Is A Fear
16) LA Priest - Oino
17) Ryan Adams - Bad Blood
18) Lil Kleine and Ronnie Flex - Drank En Drugs
19) Bears Den - Agape
20) Hanni El Khatib - Two Brothers
21) Fono - Real Joy
22) Eefje de Visser - Scheef
23) Roisin Murphy - Exploitation
24) Pharell Williams - Freedom
25) Father John Misty - I Love You, Honeybear
26) Sufjan Stevens - No Shade in the Shadow of the Cross
27) Walk The Moon - Shut up & dance
28) Robin Schulz feat Francesco Yates - Sugar
29) Broken Bells - It's That Talk Again
30) Justin Bieber - What Do You Mean
31) Lost Frequencies - Are You With Me
32) Paolo Nutini - Iron sky
33) Eagles Of Death Metal - Save A Prayer
34) Passenger - Fear of Fear
35) Adele - Hello
36) Peaches - Light In Places
37) Pauw - Visions
38) Florence & The Machine - Queen Of Peace (Hot Chip remix)
39) Royksopp - I Had This Thing (Joris Voorn remix)
40) Coldplay - Adventure of a Lifetime
41) Felix Jaehn feat Jasmin Thompson - Aint Nobody
42) The Avener feat Rodriguez - Hate Street Dialogue
43) Raving George feat Oscar and the Wolf - You're Mine
44) Sia - Alive
45) Madcon feat Ray Dalton - Don't worry
46) Calvin Harris feat Disciples - How Deep Is Your Love
47) Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds - Ballad of the Mighty I
48) Omi - Cheerleader (Felix Jaehn remix)
49) Bloc Party - The Good News
50) Major Lazer feat MØ & DJ Snake - Lean On
51) Years & Years - Desire
52) José González - Leaf Off The Cave
53) Foals - A Knife In The Ocean
54) The Weeknd - Can't Feel My Face
55) Klangstof - Hostage
56) Tame Impala - The Less I Know The Better
57) Beck - Dreams
58) Ben Howard - Small Things
59) Adam Lambert - Ghost Town
60) Kygo ft. Conrad - Firestone
61) Haevn - Finding out More
62) Polo & Pan - Coeur D'artichaut
63) Hot Chip - Need You Now
64) Little Barrie - Better Call Saul Main Theme
65) Disclosure feat Sam Smith - Omen
66) Elbow - My Sad Captains
67) Dotan - Let The River In
68) Ellie Goulding - Love me like you do
69) Editors - Ocean Of Night
70) Ed Sheeran - Photograph (Felix Jaehn remix)
71) Bewilder - Forza (It Is)
72) Borns - Electric Love (Oliver remix)
73) Dotan - Hungry
74) The Arcs - Outta My Mind
75) Kenny B - Parijs
76) Sigala - Easy Love
77) Kenji Minogue - Gazastrook
78) Coldplay - Everglow
79) Madonna - Ghosttown
80) Mumford & Sons - Believe
81) Dave Gahan & Soulsavers - All of This and Nothing
82) FFS - Call Girl
83) James Bay - Let It Go
84) John Grant - Down Here
85) Guy Garvey - Angela's Eyes
86) Oscar & The Wolf - Strange Entity
87) Kygo ft. Parson James - Stole The Show
88) Felix Jaehn feat. Polina - Book of Love
89) Father John Misty - Chateau Lobby #4 (In C For Two Virgins)
90) Florence & The Machine - Ship To Wreck
91) Madonna - Living For Love
92) Peaches - Rub
93) The Chemical Brothers - Wide Open
94) Sia - Cheap Thrills
95) Miike Snow - Genghis Khan
96) Gregory Porter - Liquid Spirit (Claptone remix)
97) Martin Solveig & GTA - Intoxicated
98) Elbow - What Time Do You Call This
99) Pauw - Shambala
100) New Order - Plastic
101) Fink - Too Late
102) Chris Cornell - Nearly Forgot My Broken Heart
103) Oscar & The Wolf feat Tsar B - Back to Black
104) Hot Chip - Huarache Lights
105) Editors feat Rachel Goswell - The Law
106) Balthazar - Bunker
107) EL VY - Return to the Moon
108) Elbow - Lost Worker Bee
109) Hooverphonic - Badaboum
110) Bewilder - The Unknown
111) LA Priest - Lady's in trouble with the law
112) Natalie Imbruglia - Cannonball
113) Sido feat Andreas Bourani - Astronaut
114) FFS - Johnny Delusional
115) Andy Burrows - Watch Me Fall Again
116) Bloc Party - The Love Within
117) Jamie XX feat Romy - Loud Places
118) Aphex Twin - MARCHROMT30a Edit 2b 96
119) James Bay - Hold back the river
120) Peaches feat Kim Gordon - Close Up
121) Common Linnets - We don't make the wind blow
122) Beirut - Gibraltar
123) Arcade Fire - Get Right
124) The Vaccines - Give Me A Sign
125) Sufjan Stevens - Death with Dignity
126) Charli XCX ft. Rita Ora - Doing It
127) Empire of the Sun - Wandering Star
128) Roisin Murphy - Evil Eyes (Claptone remix)
129) Mr Oizo - Being Flat
130) The Chemical Brothers - Go
131) Christine and the Queens - It
132) Caravan Palace - Lone Digger
133) Breakbot - Get Lost
134) Zero 7 feat Jose Gonzalez - Last Light
135) Diggy Dex feat JW Roy - Treur niet (Ode aan het leven)
136) Lunchmoney Lewis - Bills
137) Netsky feat Digital Farm Animals - Rio
138) Foo Fighters - Outside
139) Tricky feat Ajeya - Nicotine Love (French Version)
140) Data feat Benny Sings - Don't Sing
141) Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds - Riverman
142) Adele - When We Were Young
143) Leftfield - Universal Everything
144) Etienne de Crécy feat Alex Gopher & Asher Roth - Smile
145) Izzy Bizu - White Tiger
146) Balthazar - Nightclub
147) Kiasmos - Looped
148) New Order - Trutti Frutti
149) De Jeugd Van Tegenwoordig - Manon
150) Echosmith - Come Together
151) Polo & Pan - Plage isolée (Soleil Levant)
152) Hanni El Khatib - Mexico
153) Bjork - Stone Milker
154) Oh Wonder - Drive
155) Alvaro Soler - El Mismo Sol
156) Eska - Heroes & Villains
157) Django Django - First Light
158) Sia - Elastic Heart
159) Hot Chip - Dancing in the Dark
160) Hozier - From Eden
161) Isbells - Billy
162) Chvrches - Leave A Trace
163) Bewilder - Safe
164) Billie - Give Me The Knife
165) Sam Sparro - Hands Up
166) Nena - Lieder Von Fruher
167) The Chemical Brothers - Sometimes I Feel So Deserted
168) Disclosure - Jaded
169) Kleines Anthony & Billy Hollande - Tanz Mit Mir
170) Kenji Minogue - Danny
171) Passenger - Restless Wind
172) David Bowie - Lazarus
173) Blaudzun - Powder Blue
174) Duran Duran - Pressure Off
175) Etienne de Crécy - WTF
176) Echosmith - March Into The Sun
177) Brandon Flowers - I Can Change