It sure was good a time to be Drake in 2015. And if he wasn't already omnipresent enough, his collaborative mixtape with Future, What a Time to Be Alive, also debuted at No. But the Toronto transcended all of that, as his single 'Hotline Bling' conquered top 40 radio (just shy of his first No. He also had the year's biggest beef thanks to Meek Mill. His 'mixtape' If You're Reading This It's Too Late turned out to be the biggest-selling rap album of the year.

Photo of Drake at Austin City Limits Festival 2015, by Cambria Harkey Whatever your perception of what pop is or should be, Ms. And then she kept us waiting for most of 2015 before delivering Art Angels, one of the most important and jarring pop albums of the year. Photo of Grimes performing at Made in America 2015, courtesy Live NationĬlaire Boucher had everyone thinking 2014 would be her year. While he's certainly made a mark on this year, he's just getting started. It's the fact that in 2015, he's making some of the most honest and authentic music sans fluff or gimmicks. The beauty of Bridges' music goes beyond the nostalgia factor, as his first full-length Coming Home proved. He's also closing out the year with a Grammy nomination for Best R&B Album after having made his debut last week on Saturday Night Live alongside host Ryan Gosling.

In just a few short months, the retro-soul singer has gone from buzz artist to becoming Oscar-eligible with his contribution to the soundtrack for Will Smith's new film Concussion. The Fort Worth, Texas, singer captured our hearts earlier this year at SXSW and we never looked back.

Photo of Leon Bridges performing on 'SNL,' by Dana Edelson While it's likely some may find even greater success in 2016, they undeniably had a big 2015 and we couldn't help but take note. As our 2015 year-end coverage continues this week, we've revealed our Artists of the Year, 15 acts who either broke out this year or made a significant impact on music over the past 12 months.

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