To say 2015, or any other year, was a “great” one for pop culture is unnecessary and redundant, given the quantity of content available for consumption. The real question is what’s worth seeking out. If you’re looking to catch up on some of the year’s best, you could do worse than starting here:

The Expansion of Netflix’s Glorious Empire

It is no coincidence that 2015 was the year of “Netflix and Chill.” The internet-based streaming site has over 69.17 million subscribers worldwide and has become such a staple of popular culture that people are ditching cable like landline phones.

But this year really has shown that Netflix is wielding some serious clout in the world of television. Not only did the company release its first full-length movie, “Beasts of No Nation,” but it also released almost double the quantity of original programming it had produced before this year. Funding its own documentaries, stand-up specials and family programming, Netflix is quickly building a library of stellar shows.

Without the need to rely on sponsors or large fan bases, Netflix is able to put the time and money into well-written, expertly produced, cinematically filmed and continuously tied series released in bulk. Their marketing plan is working, with more A-list actors and franchises devoting their time to Netflix.

In 2015, we were given Aziz Ansari’s cultural comedy, “Master of None,” Tina Fey’s follow-up to “30 Rock,” “The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt” and the semi-revival of a cult classic in “Wet Hot American Summer: First Day of Camp.” And with all that, we were still graced with new seasons of critically acclaimed, Emmy-nominated shows like “House of Cards,” “Orange is the New Black” and “BoJack Horseman.” In terms of drama, “Sense8,” “Bloodline” and “Narcos” were fast-paced series starters that already have new seasons filming.

And in my absolute favorite crossover effort, Marvel gave some minor superheroes to Netflix to bring to life on the small screen. That small trial run turned into the critically acclaimed gritty (super)human dramas “Daredevil” and “Jessica Jones,” with a “Luke Cage” series (the first time a black superhero will have been brought to the screen in a leading role) coming up next year. Without box office pressure, the superhero characters were given the emotional depth and human characteristics that aren’t usually explored in a big-screen hit. Yet paradoxically, “Daredevil” was received so well that the character will be included in Marvel’s most anticipated film of 2016: “Captain America: Civil War.”

So next time you are binge watching, remember that you are technically participating in the next biggest phenomenon in media—the rise of Netflix, and with it, quality television. —Kendall Carroll

Stephen Colbert’s “Late Show” takeover

For me, last year’s announcement that Stephen Colbert would succeed David Letterman as host of CBS’s “The Late Show” was bittersweet. On the one hand, I was incredibly happy to see one of my all-time favorite comedians earn such a prestigious gig. On the other hand, I had been watching “The Colbert Report” religiously since the eighth grade and was dismayed at the thought of Colbert’s conservative blowhard character leaving my screen forever.

As his September takeover approached, there was lots of discussion in the media about how Colbert could possibly perform without the mask of his wacky character, but I knew that those critics weren’t giving Colbert enough credit. All the hilarious digital content he had put out over the summer (including his surreal takeover of a Michigan public-access show) were proof enough that Colbert’s authentic comedic chops were worthy of a mainstream audience. And sure enough, since his “Late Show” debut, Colbert has exceeded my expectations. He’s by far the best interviewer in network late night right now, and he certainly hasn’t lost his offbeat sense of humor or goofy persona. And while “The Late Show” can’t possibly be as politically edgy as the “Report,” Colbert still uses the show to address politics in a smart, funny way.

I still miss watching the character Stephen Colbert four days a week, but hey, now I get to see the real Stephen Colbert on all five. ­—Katharine Jaruzelski

Jose Bautista’s bat flip

It’s game five (out of five possible games) of the American League Divison Series. Texas Rangers vs. Toronto Blue Jays. The game is tied, 3-3, in the bottom of the seventh inning. Two outs, two runners on base. Blue Jays All-Star Jose Bautista comes to the plate and blasts a 442-foot home run to center field. Bautista immediately realizes the ball is gone and looks toward the pitcher’s mound. He turns his head toward first base and hurls his bat toward the Rangers’ dugout with a ferocity that nearly splits the field in half.

The problem is that baseball fans—like most sports fans in this country—are often very puritanical about on-field conduct. Though they are being paid to play what is, by definition, a game, baseball players are supposed to be polite and reserved on the field because that’s the “right way” to play. Celebrations that can be perceived as hostile are forbidden; criminal activity is merely frowned up (unless it involves performance-enhancing drugs or gambling on games, at which point it becomes a cardinal sin).

So Bautista’s bat flip, which was a beautiful and terrifying work of art, was deemed by some as disrespectful. Do not listen to these people because they are boring and wrong. Jose Bautista’s bat flip should be celebrated and treated as an example of what great players should do when they make plays of monumental importance. ­—Mark Matousek

Kendrick Lamar’s “Alright”

There are many iconic moments in Lamar’s visually stunning video for “Alright”: slow motion shots of cars on fire while Lamar’s squad throws dollar bills in the air, cops stopping and frisking and shooting black men, people dancing on top of police cars, black children running carefree on a hill, Lamar himself flying through San Francisco streets.

In the end, against seemingly grim black-and-white cinematography (which could serve as a parallel for today’s America), Lamar stands triumphantly on top of a street lamp (or perhaps the world), providing a much-needed glimpse of hope to people that, as long as he’s with us, “We gon’ be alright.” —Alberto Farino

Zayn Leaving 1D

I was always a Zayn girl. But when I was awoken to over 30 text messages and missed calls informing me of the news of his departure on that fateful day in March, I did not weep. Zayn Malik was always the quiet one, and his so-called “Bradford bad boy” persona seems, in retrospect, like it may have actually been unhappiness and/or a lack of enthusiasm for the group’s work.

His departure split One Direction fans down the middle: Some felt betrayed and some just wanted Malik to be happy. There was also a third group that decided this was an okay time to show off their Islamophobia and racism (Zayn being the only Muslim and non-white member of the band) through hateful tweets and memes. Luckily, even in this time of hardship, the other two groups of fans got together to thoroughly roast this third group.

I guess One Direction as a four piece is doing alright without its best-looking and most talented singer (fight me!). The band’s newest album sold 459,000 copies in its first week, grabbing the No. 2 spot on the Billboard 200 (Bieber snatched that No. 1 before Adele tore through them both with little effort).

But that’s almost 100,000 copies less than their most successful album, 2013’s “Midnight Memories.” By the numbers, it looks like one-fifth of 1D left and took one-fifth of the band’s sales with him. Adieu, Zayn. We’ll (hopefully) see you embrace those charts again when you drop that R&B record you’ve always wanted to make. —Jessie Colston

Earl Sweatshirt – “I Don’t Like S***, I Don’t Go Outside”/ “Solace”

March was a ludicrously great month for music. Kendrick Lamar and Sufjan Stevens both released albums of immense quality, as did many others, and this all seemed to overshadow Earl Sweatshirt’s sophomore effort, “I Don’t Like S—, I Don’t Go Outside.”

Realistically, Earl doesn’t care about this. For the first time in his career he created something, even by his own admission, that is truly honest and representative of himself, and this is almost certainly more important for him artistically than any think piece or album sale could ever be. Sure, “I Don’t Like S—” isn’t as much of an event as Lamar’s “To Pimp a Butterfly” or as devastating as Stevens’ “Carrie and Lowell,” but it succeeds in its (lack of) scale.

Across 30 minutes there is not one misstep, and its relative brevity makes it one of the most easily re-playable albums this year. As if this wasn’t enough, we were gifted with the 10-minute piece “Solace” a month later, one of the most honest and beautiful things Earl has ever released. He isn’t even really trying to rap here, just sharing his newfound solace with you through stream-of-consciousness mumbles. Embrace this almost forgotten genius; there’s few out there like him. —Harry Butt

“Hamilton”

“Hamilton” is hard to explain. It’s a three-hour-long Broadway musical about founding father Alexander Hamilton, with music influenced by pop, jazz and R&B, a script performed 99 percent through rapping and a cast composed almost entirely of people of color. It’s satisfyingly historically accurate and features easily recognizable characters like George Washington alongside relatively unknown ones like John Laurens, a proto-abolitionist.

While this formula could have easily conjured up a cringeworthy, made-for-VHS snoozefest you’re forced to watch in middle school, it’s actually good. It hit No. 1 on the Billboard RAP charts. I’m not the type to really care about a bunch of dead racist white dudes who just happened to have founded our country, but “Hamilton” manages to characterize them in a way that makes them relatable while acknowledging their flaws. I never thought I’d sympathize with Aaron Burr, yet here I am.

Do you want to go see “Hamilton”? Sadly, it’s sold out every performance until September 2016. The impatient could try resale tickets…if they have around $2,500. Luckily, creator and star Lin-Manuel Miranda understands the struggle and made sure the plot and characterization were completely accessible from the cast recording alone. Believe the hype. I didn’t even really know who Alexander Hamilton was three months ago and now I can rap his entire biography. #YayHamlet! —Jessie Colston