2015 was a great year in music. It was a year of epic pop, elegantly restrained indie rock, powerful hip hop, soulful R&B and the much-awaited return of some of my favorite artists (hi Missy).

It was loud and it was quiet, it was dance-y and it was stoic, it defied genre and squarely sat itself inside convention and all the while kept us thoroughly entertained.

And so, as we reach the year’s end, I'm here to offer you my picks for the best albums of 2015. This list is not a ranking per se, but rather a collection of the music I feel had the most impact this year in terms of popularity, innovation and production value.

If You're Reading This It's Too Late, Drake

There are no radio singles on If You’re Reading This It’s Too Late, there are few earworm hooks and even fewer dancey moments. It’s a collection of songs (“mixtape” seems like the closest, but not quite right, descriptor) meant to conjure a specific feeling and sound.

If you’re a fan of Drake, you’ll love that sound (groovy, sexy, slow-driving beats). If you’re new to him, you might get lost; regardless, the mixtape is artfully mastered and a feast for the ears.

Standout Tracks: “You & The 6,” “Know Yourself,” and “Now & Forever”

To Pimp a Butterfly, Kendrick Lamar

The third studio album from rapper Kendrick Lamar, To Pimp a Butterfly came roaring onto the airwaves in late March. The gorgeously produced album is a sucker punch of socially-conscious spoken word, funk and jazz elements that both dizzy and exhilarate the listener.

To Pimp a Butterfly is an album that seems to both define and be defined by the year 2015, as Lamar’s aggressive lyrics address issues of fame, police brutality and the art and importance of hip-hop.

Standout Tracks: “Alright,” “i,” and “The Blacker the Berry”

Vulnicura, Björk

Poetic, thoughtful and sweeping are a few words that come to mind when reflecting upon singer-songwriter Björk's 9th studio album, Vulnicura.

The album, which express the feelings before and after her breakup from artist Matthew Barney, is beautiful, coupling emotive strings with electronic beats to comment on the sadness, anger and emptiness that come in love’s wake.

Standout Tracks: “Stonemilker,” “Black Lake,” and “History of Touches”

Beauty Behind the Madness, The Weekend

The Weekend’s Beauty Behind the Madness is a raw, groovy and sensual work of art. The production is atmospheric and The Weekend’s voice is smooth and seems to slowly drip from track to track. Its sound is contemporary and poises The Weekend as one of the new, and great, R&B artists of our time.

Standout Tracks: “Often,” “The Hills,” and “Can’t Feel My Face”

Reality Show, Jazmine Sullivan

Released after a five year hiatus from the music industry, Jazmine Sullivan’s third studio album Reality Show is a soulful showstopper. Her vocals are gravely and beautiful as they trace the contours of love, loss and femininity.

Her writing is simple and honest, which permit for a deep connection and empathy to be made between listener and singer. More than anything, Reality Show solidifies Sullivan’s reputation as one of the defining voices of contemporary R&B.

Standout Tracks: “Forever Don’t Last Too Long,” “Mascara,” and “Stupid Girl”

Every Open Eye, Chvrches

The second studio album from Scottish synthpop band Chvrches, Every Open Eye, is a thumping, rhythmic, deliciously layered treat.

The arrangements are crisp and lead vocalist Lauren Mayberry’s voice is bright, clear and complimented by well-placed echoes and electric synth.

It’s the kind of album that lifts the soul, that makes its listener feel as though they could take on the world.

Standout Tracks: “Never Ending Circles,” “Clearest Blue,” and “Keep You On My Side”

Carrie & Lowell, Sufjan Stevens

Carrie & Lowell falls on the listener’s ears like a long sigh. Its poetry ebbs and flows amidst sparse strings; here, the loudest loud still somehow manages to feel like a whisper.

It is Stevens at his best: soft, delicate, reflective. But even for this quietness, there is an intense power in these songs that seems to grow and change with each new listen.

Standout Tracks: “The Only Thing,” “Carrie & Lowell,” and “John My Beloved”

No Cities to Love, Sleater-Kinney

After a decade-long hiatus, Sleater-Kinney came back swinging with their ninth studio album, No Cities to Love.

Everyone has been loving on the rock band this year, and for good reason: this album rages, it roars, it slaps you in the face. It’s the kind of music that empowers not only the singer, but the listener too, which is no easy feat.

Standout Tracks: “No Cities to Love,” “Gimme Love,” and “No Anthems”

Divers, Joanna Newsom

With Divers, Joanna Newsom once again proves her prowess as a top-notch lyricist and storyteller. There is a complexity here to her poetry, which focus primarily on themes of love and the passage of time.

Her folksy lilt adds a captivating warmth to her music, as does the intimate strings she employs throughout the album.

Standout Tracks: “Sapokanikan,” “The Things I Say,” and “Divers”

Art Angels, Grimes

Art Angels is an expertly produced album. It’s all the best of Grimes (her experimental style, her oddball references, her cheekiness, her electronic beats) with the added bonus of being extremely slick, danceable and digestible.

Standout Tracks: “Easily,” “Artangels,” and “California”

Purpose, Justin Bieber

Say what you will about Justin Bieber, but Purpose is a sick album. Featuring collaborations with Skrillex, Diplo, Halsey and Big Sean, the album’s sound is very ~now~ and forward-thinking, as it combines Bieber’s signature smooth vocalizations with experimental electronics and beats.

The effect is something dance-y, but also something quiet and thoughtful that has a delicate momentum as it swerves through reflections on love, loss and fame.

Standout Tracks: “I’ll Show You,” “What Do You Mean?,” and “Sorry”

Painted Shut, Hop Along

The third studio album from Philly based Indie Rock band Hop Along, Painted Shut is an electric howl of an album. Lead singer Frances Quinlan’s voice alternates between earthy whispers and raspy belts as it weaves between the energetic guitars and drums of her bandmates.

The sound is unpolished, but wonderfully so; the frantic energy of the music makes the whole thing feel splendidly grand as it surges forth.

Standout Tracks: “Horseshoe Crabs,” “The Knock,” and “Texas Funeral”

Wildheart, Miguel

Miguel might just be the sexiest singer on the scene at the moment. There is an aching to his smooth timbre that sets him apart from his peers, and it’s on full display in his latest effort, Wildheart.

The album is powerful and not only deals with themes of lust and sex, but also with relevant social issues and coming to terms with one’s roots. The album’s not perfect (especially when Miguel goes for a full on rock sound), but there is a real beauty in the quiet moments, which find themselves rooted in a sensual subtlety.

Standout Tracks: “coffee,” “waves,” and “the valley”

Rebel Heart, Madonna

Rebel Heart is definitely not the best album of 2015, but it brings us some of the best music that Madge has made in years, which seems reason enough to include it on this list.

She borrows from several influences and styles on this album (including trap and reggae, '90s house, and M’s classic fave, gospel choir), which make for songs that are diverse, fun and very of the moment. Plus, “Bitch I’m Madonna” has been stuck in my head for months.

Standout Tracks: “Devil Pray,” “Iconic,” and “Bitch I’m Madonna”

Sometimes I Sit and Think, and Sometimes I Just Sit, Courtney Barnett

Critics and listeners alike have been flipping out over Courtney Barnett’s debut album Sometimes I Sit and Think, and Sometimes I Just Sit since it’s release this past March. And for good reason—it’s wonderfully, incredibly, listenable.

Accompanied by simple acoustics and percussion, Barnett’s clear, yet somehow also rough in a just-woke-up kind of way, makes for songs that are sweetly melodic. But there’s power here too, with compelling lyrics. Certainly an artist to watch.

Standout Tracks: “Pedestrian at Best,” “Depression,” and “Small Poppies”