The Freshman 15: 2015's Best Debut Albums

by Jason Dietz, Metacritic Features Editor – December 9, 2015

Our full list of 2015's best overall albums is still a week away, but our year-end coverage continues now with a look at the year's top newcomers.

Below is our list of the 15 best-reviewed debut albums of 2015, ranked by Metascore. Note that albums must have at least 7 reviews—and be a full LP, rather than an EP—to be eligible for inclusion. Albums are ranked by Metascore prior to rounding.

1 of 16

88 Sometimes I Sit And Think, And Sometimes I Just Sit by Courtney Barnett

The witty Australia native first came to fame worldwide with a pair of well-received EPs (which were packaged together and rereleased last year as The Double EP: A Sea of Split Peas). Her proper full-length debut is one of the best albums released this year, according to critics, who have been slotting Sometimes high on their year-end top 10 lists.

Where To Buy

Buy Now

Buy on