Most-Read In 2015: The Two-Way Stories That Found The Largest Audiences

By Bill Chappell

Published December 17, 2015 at 11:46 AM EST

It ranges from the serious — even the wonky — to the (arguably) absurd. The list of the Two-Way's most popular stories for 2015 covers that ground, and also includes our coverage of the shocking and tragic attacks in Paris.

The Web traffic to these stories ranges from 624,000 page views to more than 2.2 million. And we can't mention those numbers without thanking our readers who have followed the news with us this year.

In a separate post, you can see the stories that had the highest "share" rates — the ones the largest percentage of readers wanted their friends and followers to see.

Here are the top 10 stories, courtesy of NPR's audience insights team. And because this list is really about our readers, we're including the top-rated comment from each story:

Boy Says He Didn't Go To Heaven; Publisher Says It Will Pull Book - Jan. 15
Reader Beatrix Pierre wrote:
"Malarkey. How apropo... =p" [The story is about the Malarkey family.]

Supreme Court Declares Same-Sex Marriage Legal In All 50 States - June 26
Reader kev R wrote:
"Yeaaahhhhh. Love wins!!!!"

Vatican Details Pope's Meeting With Kentucky Clerk Kim Davis - Oct. 2
Reader chris schweder wrote:

" 'The Pope did not enter into the details of the situation of Mrs. Davis and his meeting with her should not be considered a form of support of her position in all of its particular and complex aspects.'
-Vatican spokesman
" 'Just knowing the pope is on track with what we're doing, and agreeing, you know, kind of validates everything.'
-Kim Davis spokesman

"Somebody is lying. Is it Pope Frank or some lawyer?"

Paris Attacks: What We Know On Saturday - Nov. 14
Reader reason1984 wrote:

"Condolences to the families and friends of those innocents killed in Paris."

6 Clips Of Audio You Should Hear From The Planned Parenthood Hearing - Sept. 29
Reader Touchstone Farm wrote:

"Rep. Jim Jordan (R) was absolutely disrespectful and argumentative. He was not listening to her at all or giving her a chance to answer at all. He didn't want to hear anything she said at all. She answered. He argued."

NASCAR's Kurt Busch Testifies That Ex-Girlfriend Is An Assassin - Jan. 13
Reader M.B. Gerry wrote:

"Now there's a headline you don't see every day."

Rare And 'Horrific': Frilled Shark Startles Fishermen In Australia - Jan. 21
Reader Eagle ITarian wrote:

" 'The catch was announced by the South East Trawl Fishing Industry Association, which said it couldn't find anyone who had ever caught one before...' "

"Looks like the incredibly destructive trawl fishing industry can soon add yet another species to their long and growing industry-caused extinction list. Way to go."

Trevor Noah, Jon Stewart's Replacement, Goes From Hero To Villain In 24 Hours - March 31
Reader Red Beard wrote:

"John Stewart would never mock Jews or women, except for the thousands of times he's done it."

FCC Approves Net Neutrality Rules For 'Open Internet' - Feb. 26
Reader Bob Potter wrote:

"NPR is still spelling Ajit Pai's name wrong." [We appreciated the help.]

Kirby Delauter, Who Didn't Want His Name In A News Story, Is Now A Story - Jan. 6
Reader bs jeffrey wrote:

"they should put 'kirby delauter could not be reached for comment' or something like that in every article in the paper for an extended time period."