The top 10 proper. In accordance with tradition, they are sequenced to be experienced as a 10-song mixtape.

Father John Misty, "I Love You, Honeybear"
Sufjan Stevens, "Fourth of July"

Two all-encompassing precursors to the overwhelming doominess of the year.

Natalie Prass, "My Baby Don't Understand Me"
Jose Gonzalez, "Leaf Off/The Cave"

Two sad but soothing tunes that helped me through the dark winter.

Low, "No Comprende"
Beach House, "One Thing"

Two tremendous bands who might have released their strongest records to date.

Laura Marling, "False Hope"
Courtney Barnett, "Pedestrian at Best"

Two deceptively simple songs that were among my very favorite to play on the radio – repeatedly.

The Go! Team, "Blowtorch"
Tame Impala, "Let It Happen"

And so we come to the question of why we listen to music at all. As Sufjan said, "we're all gonna die," so what's the point? Why do we sift through hundreds of albums and thousands of songs every year, crank out our lists, and move on to the next segment of history once Jan. 1 rolls around? It's simple: for the possibility that the next song you hear will have one of your favorite moments ever, or perhaps even become one of your favorite songs ever. In the case of the Go! Team, it's a 10-second bit of the bridge of "Blowtorch" — self-described by bandleader Ian Parton as "Snoopy piano" — that's wonder and melancholia and sheer giddiness, all in a mere handful of notes. In the case of Tame Impala, it isn't just a great song: it's a manifesto, one I craved and treasured fanatically in 2015. While it's true that everything is doomed, and nothing will be spared, maybe ... I was ready all along.

Vote for your Top 89 of 2015!