twostepcubchart's Best of 2015: Part Two - #90 to #81...

Part two of my recap of the biggest hits on my weekly music chart is up, tallying the scores of the songs that made my list in 2015. You can check out part one by clicking here...

#90 - "Dear Future Husband" - Meghan Trainor
          from the album Title (2015)
          Highest rank: #10 (three weeks)
          Weeks on the chart: 14
          Billboard Hot 100 peak: #14
          Songwriters: Meghan Trainor, Kevin Kadish

Last year the young singer/songwriter from Nantucket (fill in your poem here) conquered the hearts of young America with "All About That Bass", which ended up at #19 on my year end chart of 2014. Proving her worth for her upcoming Best New Artist nomination at the Grammys, four more of her singles made the grade this year. "Dear Future Husband", the third single from her Title album, continued the girl-group-style pop that made "All About The Bass" so charming, with the video featuring a litany of prospective dates that ends with what would be future #1 artist (and Trainor duet partner) Charlie Puth...

Killer lyric: So don't be thinking I'll be home and baking apple pies
                    I never learned to cook
                   But I can write a hook
                   Sing along with me...

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#89 - "Heroes (We Could Be)" - Alesso featuring Tove Lo
          from the album Forever (2015)
          Highest rank: #4 (two weeks)
          Weeks in the chart (in 2015): 13 (was on for 10 in 2014)
          Billboard Hot 100 peak: #31
          Songwriters: Alessandro Lindbad (Alesso), Tove Lo, David Bowie, Brian Eno

Swedish DJ and producer Alesso released his debut album in 2015, and six of its track have appeared on my chart, including this interpolation of a David Bowie classic that sounds nothing like the original, thanks to the vocals of fellow countrywoman Tove Lo, who brings her disaffected millenial attitude to the rave on this #1 club hit.

Killer lyric: Got a secret side in plain sight
                    Where the streets are empty, that's where we run

#88 - "The Hills" - The Weeknd
         from the album Beauty Behind The Madness (2015)
         Highest rank: #9 (three weeks)
         Weeks on the chart (so far in 2015): 16 (still charting)
         Billboard Hot 100 peak: #1
         Songwriters:  Abel Tesfaye (The Weeknd), Ahmad Balshe (Belly), Carlo      Montagnese (Illangelo), Emmanuel Nickerson

While Canadian alternative hip-hop artist The Weeknd released "The Hills" just about two weeks before the third single from his then-upcoming Beauty Behind The Madness album "Can't Feel My Face", it was the latter than immediately captured the attention of radio and the public, shooting to #1 straight away, but eventually it would be this sleeper that would end up being his triumph, replacing himself at the top of the American pop chart and staying there for six weeks. Surprising since the skittish drama of this non-traditionally structured song (in the pop world) seemed at first more of a preview of the mood of the work to prepare for the radio hit. With a steady flow of pained emotion in Abel's voice (heightened by the pyrotechnics in the video), the story of a man from the wrong side of town that the "booty call" of a socialite in the aforementioned Hills unfolds in a drug-induced haze that wraps around you sonically like a fog.

Killer lyric: Your man on the road, he doin' promo
                    You said, "Keep our business on the low-low"
                     I'm just tryna get you out the friend zone
                    Cause you look even better than the photos..

#87 - "Outside" - Calvin Harris featuring Ellie Goulding
          from the album Motion (2014)
          Highest rank: #4 (two weeks)
          Weeks on the chart: 16
          Billboard Hot 100 peak: #29
          Songwriters: Calvin Harris, Ellie Goulding

This is the second big collaboration between Scottish DJ/producer Harris with English songstress Goulding; in 2013 they ended up at #17 on my year-end chart with "I Need Your Love". The fourth single from his Motion album featured staccato-style synths feigning strings in this churning rave told by an ex-lover that's still in the throes of heartbreak when you can't find your own bearings. Harris' previous self-sung "Summer" made my year-end list in 2014...

#86 - "Smoke" - A Thousand Horses
          from the album Southernality (2015)
          Highest rank: #16 (two weeks)
          Weeks on the chart: 18
          Billboard Hot 100 peak: #47
          Songwriters:  Michael Hobby, Ross Copperman, Jon Nite

The second country allusion to tobacco on my year-end list (after Carrie Underwood's "Smoke Break"), the debut hit single from the band that more resembles the Black Crowes than Alabama. And while Carrie used the cigs as a metaphor to get away from the troubles in life, lead singer/co-writer Hobby and the group tag a woman with the comparison to something that'll kill ya.

Killer Lyric: She'll go floating around like a downtown ballroom gypsy
                     She goes great with ice cold beer or a shot of whiskey

#85 - "Break Up With Him" - Old Dominion
          from the album Meat And Candy (2015)
          Highest peak: #10 (one week)
          Weeks on the chart (so far in 2015): 15 (still charting)
          Billboard Hot 100 peak: #44
          Songwriters: Matthew Ramsey, Trevor Rosen, Whit Sellers, Geoff Spring, Brad Tursi (Old Dominion)

The country band with much love for the state of Virginia had their first hit together this year with this crossover-style hit, which starts out almost like a remake of Macklemore's "Same Love" on the piano, then with lead singer Ramsey rolling through a few verses spoken-word until the chorus rolls on in, convincing the girl to give him a chance. Throw in a cute play on Back To The Future with a few cloned bandmembers and you've got a shiny-bright country #1. It may be a one-shot deal, but since most of the band has had success songwriting for other artists, I'm sure they won't starve.

Killer Lyric: I know, you don't wanna break his heart,
                     but that ain't no good reason to be keeping us apart look,
                     just tell him, it's you, it ain't him,
                     and maybe you can lie to him and say you'll still be friends...

#84 - "Save It For A Rainy Day" - Kenny Chesney
          from the album The Big Revival (2014)
          Highest rank: #25 (three weeks)
          Weeks on the chart (so far in 2015): 18 (still charting)
          Billboard Hot 100 peak: #54
          Songwriters: Andrew Dorff, Matthew Ramsey, Brad Tursi

Ramsey and Tursi from Old Dominion co-wrote Kenny's fourth single from his The Big Revival, and he could very well be singing as the guy the girl in the last song broke up with. Not wanting to burden his mates, the song has Kenny holing it up until the weather changes. Maybe not the best of choices psychologically, but considering he lives in the Caribbean non-stop it may make more sense to him. (The Big Revival is a true-to-word title; it's Chesney's first to produce four #1 country hits.)

Killer Lyric: Got a drink, or two,
                     It's a fool proof remedy
                     It's a beautiful world with a beautiful girl
                     Kind of making eyes at me...

#83 - "Blame It On Me" - George Ezra
          from the album Wanted On Voyage (2015)
          Highest rank: #20 (one week)
          Weeks on the chart (in 2014): 18 (was on for 3 weeks in 2014)
          Billboard Hot 100 peak: Did not chart
          Songwriter: George Ezra, Joel Pott

George is not having a good day in this video, but the British singer/songwriter with the distinctive voice did have a good 2015, finally following up his long-running breakthrough hit "Budapest" with his adult-pop gem that originally showed up on my list last year when it was a top-10 British hit.

Killer Lyric: We counted all our reasons, excuses that we made
                     We found ourselves some treasure, and threw it all away...

#82 - "Mess Is Mine" - Vance Joy
          from the album Dream Your Life Away (2014)
          Highest rank: #18 (two weeks)
          Weeks on the chart: 17
          Billboard Hot 100 peak: Did not chart
          Songwriter: Vance Joy

 Australian singer/songwriter Vance Joy (aka James Keogh), goes along the same theme as Ezra on this Mumford-style folk-rock, proclaiming the ambiguity of a relationship with the burden on himself. However Joy goes more hopeful, as the strings flow in near the end, he seems jubilant in the chaos around him. This song was the successor to his single "Riptide", which was on my year-end chart at #22 last year. Also, polar bears.

Killer Lyrics: You're the reason that I feel so strong
                      The reason that I'm hanging on
                      You know you gave me all the time
                      Oh, did I give enough of mine?

#81 - "Bright" - Echosmith
          from the album Talking Dreams (2013)
          Highest Rank: #30 (two weeks)
          Weeks on the chart: 20
          Billboard Hot 100 peak: #40
          Songwriters: Echosmith, Jeffrey David, Maureen McDonald (MoZella)

The Sierota family were on my 2014 best-of at #37 channeling the 80s with the electro-pop nugget "Cool Kids". They're back with a more acoustic selection that recalls another family act, namely the Band Perry, especially in lead singer Sydney's breathy delivery in this optimistic love song.

Killer lyric: Did you see that shooting star tonight?
                   Were you dazzled by the same constellation?
                    Did you and Jupiter conspire to get me?


I'll pick back up with the countdown on Monday with a seasonally sensual singer,  some supernatural sprites, a stateside starter, and more.