There’s no denying 2015 was a tumultuous year, with increasing international tensions, Donald Trump leading the polls and the release of the Minions movie. Thankfully, this year has been so good to the music industry, we might just be able to look past it. Between the dramatic returns of Missy Elliott, Justin Bieber and Adele, and whatever Miley Cyrus has been doing, there’s been no shortage of surprises.

Arguably the most important player in hip-hop music this year was Drake, who played major festivals, dropped not one, but two albums, made a fool of Meek Mill and could be heard blasting at every single party. He dropped his wildly successful mixtape, “If You’re Reading This It’s Too Late,” with almost no publicity and unfailingly spawned a whole host of Internet memes.

Following closely in the same category were Kendrick Lamar’s “To Pimp A Butterfly” and The Weeknd’s “Beauty Behind the Madness.” Both of these albums offer party tracks with darker, more serious undertones. Of course, it would be impossible to overlook Fetty Wap, who emerged with a debut album this year and rapping chops that landed him a coveted spot in The BUKU Music + Art Project’s 2016 lineup.

Many huge names in the indie scene, including Mumford & Sons and Imagine Dragons, released new albums this year, which sets the stage for an exciting festival season. Florence + The Machine shone live in New Orleans at Voodoo Music + Arts Experience and didn’t disappoint with the group’s latest album, “How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful.” In her usual melancholic manner, Lana Del Rey invoked feelings of old-world glamour, forbidden lovers and binge-drinking champagne, with “Honeymoon.” Halsey burst onto the alt-pop scene with the raw emotional exposure that was her debut album, “Badlands.” Between the dark ringing tones and impressive cover of Johnny Cash’s “I Walk The Line” she told the world she’s here to stay.

In the world of electronic dance music, it can be hard at times to set oneself apart from the competition. Skrillex and Diplo, however, each with their own unique sound, combined to form Jack Ü. The duo brought together the talents of both artists to create ten of the best dance tracks of the year.

Closing off the year with the greatest hit to the world’s collective emotional stability since “Someone Like You,” Adele provided yet another album full of painfully relatable heartbreak ballads, “25.” Adele’s vocals are mind-boggling, but her ability to dredge up feelings of love and loss through her flawlessly articulated lyrics is a skill that will never truly be understood. A perfect way to wrap up the year musically, “25” filled the Adele-sized void existing in everyone’s hearts since 2012.