If there are two things that are true of this year it's that there has been an absolute slew of great new music released and absolutely no one is going to be able to agree which was best! Our music editor, John Balfe, has compiled his list of his favourite 25 songs of the year and here's the first fifteen of those. Stay tuned for the Top Ten tomorrow!

 

#25 - 'Step' by Vampire Weekend, from Modern Vampires of the City

Vampire Weekend's third album is their finest and most tuneful yet and 'Step' is the song that caught my ear the most. Lovely tune. 

 

#24 - 'Picasso Baby' by Jay Z, from Magna Carta Holy Grail

Jay Z's Magna Carta Holy Grail was well and truly overshadowed this year by Kanye's Yeezus and largely flattered to deceive. That's not to say it's entirely charmless, though, and this is among the best grooves on the record. 

 

#23 - 'You Can't Be Told' by Valerie June, from Pushin' Against A Stone.

Spiritually and sonically similar to Alabama Shakes, Valerie June has the most soulful of voices and the chunky, hook-laden guitar chops to go along with it.

 

#22 - 'Trying To Be Cool' by Phoenix, from Bankrupt!

It was always going to be a tough ask for Phoenix to hit the heights of their superb 1999 release Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix and, while they didn't quite manage it, it was still a very admirable effort - and it's left us with this little groover.

 

#21 - 'Take Me To Church' by Hozier, from Take Me To Church EP

With just shy of 1.2 million YouTube views, has there been a more watched Irish music video this year? We're not sure. A heartbreaking song, preaching tolerance in intolerant times. Beautiful. 

 

#20 - 'Obsession' by Gesaffelstein, from Aleph

If you mixed Nine Inch Nails and Orbital, added a little French production mastery, you'd get Gesaffelstein. This music will haunt your thoughts. 

 

#19 - 'R U Mine?' by Arctic Monkeys, from AM

2013 was the year, for me at least, where Arctic Monkeys became one of the world's biggest bands - and rightfully so. AM is packed with wonderful songs and 'R U Mine?' is one of the finest. 

 

#18 - 'Open Eye Signal' by Jon Hopkins, from Immunity

Immunity garnered UK producer Jon Hopkins a Mercury Prize nomination this year and some bookies had him the odds-on favourite to win. Listening to 'Open Eye Signal', it's not hard to wonder why. 

 

#17 - 'Like A Mouse' by And So I Watch You From Afar, from All Hail Bright Futures

One of the highlights from the Belfast fourpiece's outstanding opus All Hail Bright Futures.  

 

#16 - 'You Already Know' by Arcade Fire, from Reflektor

The only song on our list which features and intro from Jonathan Ross. This is probably an unconventional choice for the best song from Reflektor but it's the one which has stuck with me the most. 

 

#15 - 'The Red Wing' by Fuck Buttons, from Slow Focus

Fractious, dissonant noise done wonderfully. 

 

#14 - 'New Slaves' by Kanye West, from Yeezus

One of the highlights from Kanye's magnum opus, which puts the hugely talented and flawed rapper squarely under the microscope. As fascinating as it is good. 

 

#13 - 'Fireside' by Arctic Monkeys, from AM

Another highlight from AM, one of the best albums of the year. Oh, and that bassline... 

 

#12 - 'No Train To Cavan' by Lisa O'Neill, from Same Cloth Or Not

Lisa O'Neill's second album Same Cloth Or Not is among the best releases of the year. A shoo-in for a Choice Prize nomination, too. 

 

#11 - 'Black Belt' by John Grant

It's difficult to draw comparisons between John Grant's Pale Green Ghosts and its predecessor Queen of Denmark, such is the difference between the two. For the record, I wholeheartedly endorse Grant's foray into synth pop, especially if it comes out like this.