Here Are The Biggest Pop Culture Moments That Defined 2015

As we wrap up another year, we look back on the pop culture moments that helped define 2015.

From television and movies to music, video games and social media 2015 was generous when it comes to pop culture. We got Star Wars, Fetty Wap, The Dress, The Donald, movements, scandal and keys to success from none other than DJ Khaled.

2015 also gave us a lot of pop culture references that should stay in 2015 (we're looking at you, Netflix and Chill).

Before we look forward to 2016, we take one last look back at the biggest pop culture moments over the last 365 days.

All Hover Everything

We didn't get the hoverboard that Back To The Future predicted would be here in the year 2015, but we did get these smart balance wheel hover board things. People are riding them everywhere, from sidewalks to churches. It seemed like every kid got one for Christmas, so prepare to see them everywhere in 2016—but probably not on airplanes.

Star Wars

Star Wars latest installment, 'The Force Awakens' surpassed box office expectations and shattered records as fans (and non-fans) of the franchise flocked to theaters to take in the story from "a long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away."

Netflix and Chill

Formerly known as "coming up for a drink," "making it a Blockbuster night," or the timeless "booty call;" "Netflix and Chill" entered the pop culture lexicon in 2015 as the go-to terminology used to describe the no-strings-attached hookup.

The fact that 'Netflix and Chill' was one of the hottest Halloween costumes of 2015 is only a testament to its rapid rise to household status.

Adele Said Hello

Adele literally showed up in the 4th quarter with two minutes left in the game and won the Super Bowl. Though we didn't see her until the latter part of 2015, Adele and her golden voice made a comeback in a major way—first with her smash hit, 'Hello' and then with the subsequent release of '25' shattering just about every musical record known to man.

Lives Mattered

From Ferguson to NYC, movements demanding accountability for police violence made headlines as people of all races reacted to incidents involving police brutality. 2015 was definitely the year that the first-hand stories and videos being shared on social media seemingly forced the mainstream media to pay attention, starting a national conversation that shined a light on real issues that we were facing as a country.

As more attention was brought to these diverse stories, more conversations were started—sometimes filled with unease and tension given the history of our country. In the end, the message was clear—lives matter, regardless of race, religion, social status or occupation.

Whipping, Nae Nae'ing, Dabbing and Hitting The Quan

2015 saw its fair share of dancing, and although we "dabbed," "shmoney danced," and "hit the quan;" Silento owned the dance floor and the internet with his hit single, "Watch Me (Whip/Nae Nae). Not only was it crowned the most viral video of 2015—from the club to the suburbs—you literally saw everyone doing this dance.

Kanye For President?

In one of his greatest rants of all time, Kanye West announced he was running for President in 2020 during an MTV Video Music Awards acceptance speech. Social media ran with the hypothetical situations of KANYE vs. TRUMP in 2020 and Kim K. as the First Lady. Seriously folks, this kind of stuff just writes itself.

Khaled's Keys To Success

DJ Khaled is the free life coach that you didn't know you needed. His offerings of advice come 10 seconds at a time, and even if you don't plan on following in his footsteps, the entertainment factor alone is worth the follow. DJKhaled305 on Snapchat. You're welcome.

Caitlyn Jenner

Caitlyn Jenner coming out on the cover of Vanity Fair was one of the biggest stories of 2015. Some older folks knew Jenner as a world class gold-medal-winning Olympian, while younger generations knew her as "Bruce," the patriarch of the Kardashian clan. In coming out, Jenner received mixed reactions, but ultimately brought the conversation about transgender people into an entirely new (and large) spotlight.

The Dress

"The Dress" was only around for one day (February 26, 2015 to be exact) but somehow managed to make an impact that will live forever. Some people saw white-and-gold, while others saw black-and-blue. "The Dress" had the Twitterverse in a frenzy and even managed to bring forward scientific explanations, conspiracy theories and debate that invaded our timelines—but only for a day.

Rousey Is Human After All

Ronda Rousey was pretty much the baddest woman on the planet. Hell—she was one of the baddest athletes on the planet, period. One by one, Rousey would violently end her opponents out in a matter of seconds, and at one point it seemed as if she was unbeatable—that was until she faced Holly Holm.

It was the upset of the century, and no one saw it coming; including Ronda Rousey, as she took a devastating kick to the head in the second round of UFC 193 that ultimately spelled out victory for Holly Holm.

The Left Shark

Forget every Katy Perry song you've ever heard—the best thing the pop star will ever give us is "Left Shark." After making a seemingly out of sync appearance during Katy's halftime performance at Super Bowl XLIX "Left Shark" immediately became a spirit animal for anyone who has ever been in a situation where they were flat out unprepared or didn't know what the f*** was going on.

Drake's Dance Moves Go Viral

Drake had a big year musically, but when and if his songs from 2015 ever fade away his dance moves will live on forever. In the video for 'Hotline Bling' Drake decided to freestyle with a little two-step action, and the rest is internet history.

Good Guys Gone Bad

2015 had its fair share of scandal, including a lot of celebrities who were generally known as "good guys."

Glee star Mark Salling is facing child pornography allegations. Former Subway spokesman Jared Fogle was sentenced to 15 years in prison for sex acts with minors. Josh Duggar brought down his family's empire over a molestation scandal and Bill Cosby was officially arrested and charged for sexual assault after approximately 30 women came forward with allegations.

Meek Lost

We still have no idea what Meek Mill was thinking, but it all started with the Philly rapper tweeting out accusations that Drake used a ghostwriter for his raps. The only problem is, the "ghostwriter" Meek claimed was responsible for Drakes raps was actually a credited writer on his album. Meek continued to push the issue until Drake fired off a warning shot with the diss track, "Charged Up."

While the world waited for Meek's response, Drake did not. The Toronto rapper dropped 'Back To Back' and in the end, he didn't have to kill Meek's rap career, because the internet handled his light weight.

Same-Sex Marriage

In 2015 the Supreme Court upheld the constitutionality of same-sex marriage with a vote of 5-4. This gave gay Americans the right to wed each other and have that marriage recognized in the eyes of the law.

Deflategate

Deflategate was the latest ridiculous NFL "scandal" under Roger Goodell's watch. A locker room attendant may or may not have released air from game balls during the AFC Championship game between the New England Patriots and the Indianapolis Colts to make them easier for Tom Brady to throw, and it was "likely" that Brady knew about it.

The Patriots were fined a million dollars and lost two draft picks while Brady was suspended for four games, which was later overturned by a judge.

Donald Trump

Billionaire businessman turned Republican Presidential Candidate Donald Trump has said some pretty wild things on the campaign trail, but continues to hold decent numbers in the polls. He also hasn't had to spend much money being that the media has cameras in his face 24/7 waiting for the next controversial quote.

It almost sounds genius.

Tidal Crashes

On paper you would assume that having 16 multimillionaire artists on board as promoters and owners of a new music streaming service would be a good thing, but when the wave crashed before the boat left the dock no one was really surprised.

To quote Death Cab For Cutie frontman Ben Gibbard, "I think they totally blew it by bringing out a bunch of millionaires and billionaires and propping them up onstage and then having them all complain about not being paid."

Taylor Swift Was Everywhere, As Usual

In 2015 Taylor Swift dominated with music, toured like a mad-woman, and also redefined the term #SquadGoals. I had the chance to meet her while she was on tour, and the haters can hate, hate, hate, hate—but she's the real deal.

Steve Harvey's Miss Universe Disaster

Steve Harvey was responsible for one of the biggest fails in pageant history when he crowned Miss Columbia as Miss Universe only to come back out on stage and say that he read the card wrong and that Miss Phillipines was actually the real winner. They actually took the crown off of Miss Columbia and handed it over to Miss Phillipines in one of the most awkward moments of all time.

He immediately took responsibility, but the damage was already done. Eventually he was able to laugh about it just as much as the rest of us did.

What pop culture moment will you remember about 2015? Did we miss any? If so, comment below and let us know! Here's to more highlights, lowlights, controversy and pop culture moments in 2016!