Apple releases Best of 2015 charts on iTunes

iTunes Best of 2015 teaser 001

Apple on Wednesday posted its annual Best of 2015 charts on iTunes. “We debated. We argued. Everyone had favorites, but to make this list of 2015’s finest, there could be no doubts,” wrote the company. “What you see here made the cut—they’re the most visionary, inventive and irresistible apps and games of the year.”

Apple named Twitter-owned Periscope the App of the Year and Square Enix’s excellent Lara Croft GO its Game of the Year.

Workflow, the popular iOS automation app, is listed as the Most Innovative App of 2015 and Dark Echo the Most Innovative Game of 2015. Facebook-owned Instagram is the Best App on iPhone 6s while Pixel Toys’ Warhammer: 40,000 Freeblade took home the Best Game on iPhone 6s award, thanks to immersive 3D Touch controls.

Here’s the full list of titles the topped Apple’s charts in 2015.

In the Mac App Store, Affinity Photo by Serif Labs has been selected as the App of the Year. Obsidian’s Pillars of Eternity is the Mac App Store’s Game of the Year.

In terms of media, Adele’s “25” was the best-selling album. Despite being released just three weeks ago, “25” sold 900,000 downloads via iTunes on its first day of availability alone, with total sales heading towards five million.

Uptown Funk (feat Bruno Mars)” by Mark Ronson was the best-selling song this year on the iTunes Store. “Kinsman: The Secret Service” and “Game of Thrones” emerged as iTunes’ best-selling movie and TV Show, respectively.

Moving on to the iBooks Store, “Grey” by EL James is the best-selling fiction title of 2015 while “American Sniper” by Scott McEwen, Jim DeFelice and Chris Kyle was the best-selling non-fiction book on the iBooks Store in 2015.

Top 10 Apps of the Year

  1. Periscope
  2. Enlight
  3. Robinhood – Free Stock Trading
  4. Workflow
  5. Instagram
  6. HBO NOW
  7. Hopper
  8. Darkroom
  9. Lark
  10. The Everything Machine

Top 10 Games of the Year

  1. Lara Croft GO
  2. Fallout Shelter
  3. Mr Jump
  4. Dark Echo
  5. Warhammer 40,000: Freeblade
  6. Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft
  7. Vainglory
  8. Dungeon Boss
  9. Puzzle Craft 2
  10. Pac-Man 256

Top 10 best-selling paid iPhone apps of 2015

  1. Heads Up!
  2. Fantasy Premier League 2015/16
  3. Minecraft: Pocket Edition
  4. Football Manager Handheld 2015
  5. Facetune
  6. Storage Hunters UK: The Game
  7. The Official DVSA Theory Test Kit for Car Drivers
  8. 7 Minute Workout Challenge
  9. Afterlight

Top 10 most-downloaded free iPhone apps of 2015

  1. WhatsApp Messenger
  2. Dubsmash
  3. Facebook Messenger
  4. Facebook
  5. Instagram
  6. Crossy Road
  7. YouTube
  8. Snapchat
  9. Candy Crush Soda Saga
  10. Spotify Music

Top 10 top-grossing iPhone apps of 2015

  1. Clash of Clans
  2. Candy Crush Saga
  3. Spotify Music
  4. Candy Crush Soda Saga
  5. Game of War – Fire Age
  6. Boom Beach
  7. Farm Heroes Saga
  8. Kim Kardashian: Hollywood
  9. Match.com
  10. Marvel Contest of Champions

Apple’s Best of 2015 charts are available as rotating carousels in the App Store (apps and games for iOS), Mac App Store (apps and games for OS X), iTunes Store (music, movies and televisions shows) and iBooks Store (electronic books) on your iOS devices or Mac and Windows PCs with iTunes.

Eddy Cue, Apple’s chief on Internet Software and Service, shared his thoughts on the power of Apple’s ecosystem in an interview with The Telegraph.

“You kind of have to pinch yourself, the developer community is a huge part of what we’re doing and they continuously impress the heck out of me and our customers with the apps they’re able to create,” he said.

“Just when you think there can’t be anything new, they come and innovate and come up with things we didn’t think were possible.”

And what are your own top picks for best apps and games of 2015?