Aspell thus became the first jockey since Brian Fletcher on Red Rum to win back-to-back Nationals, holding off a strong challenge from Paddy Brennan's Saint Are in the closing stages.
Monbeg Dude was third for 2009 winner Liam Treadwell and Alvarado finished fourth for the second year in a row with Paul Moloney.
Tony McCoy, racing for the last time in the big one at Aintree before his retirement, finished fifth on the appropriately-named 6/1 favourite Shutthefrontdoor.
But it was Dubliner Aspell who stole the headlines for the second year in a row.
Of course, for some of the runners and riders, the 2015 Grand National was a very short spin indeed.
Ely Brown and Gas Line Boy both fell at the first while Al Co unseated his jockey. At the third fence, Rubi Light also lost his rider while Corrin Wood hit the hurdle hard and was pulled up before the fourth.
At the fifth, Noel Fehily's French mount Unioniste fell and, at Becher's Brook, River Choice followed suit.
There was then a nasty incident at the eighth fence, the Canal Turn, as last year's runner-up Balthazar King fell and brought down Ruby Walsh's grey Ballycasey.
From then on, though, the race was thankfully run pretty cleanly with Rebel Rebellion leading the pack for most of the first circuit and into the start of the second.
It did not last. At the 18th, Rebel Rebellion struggled over and The Rainbow Hunter hit the front with Many Clouds and Shutthefrontthedoor not far behind.
Then, at Valentine's, The Druid's Nephew took the lead. As soon as he had it, though, it was taken from him as his legs buckled from him and he fell.
Former leader The Rainbow Hunter also failed at the 26th jump before pacesetter Rebel Rebellion was pulled up.
Instead, for the first time, the lead went to Many Clouds with the Shutthefrontdoor in second and Saint Are in third, and only a few left to jump.
From the last fence onwards, though, Shutthefrontdoor did not feature and the bookie-bashing hopes of 20-time champion jockey McCoy, and his many backers, sadly faded.
By contrast, Many Clouds was still going strong and Aspell opened up a lead of about four lengths as he rode around the Elbow. He would need almost all of them.
Ultimately, however, Saint Are had left it too late - and amazingly Aspell, despite changing horses, had landed the big prize again.
It was indeed a statistically significant win - and not just for the 38-year-old jockey.
Aged eight, Many Clouds is the youngest winner of the National since Bindaree in 2002. Meanwhile, at 11st 9lb, he is the heaviest winner since Red Rum.
There was good news, too, for the British Horseracing Authority which was able to report for a third year in a row that there had been no fatalities in its big event.
Undoubtedly, a nervous chill must have passed through its members when the field was prevented from jumping the Canal Turn for a second time.
But the stricken Balthazar King has made it to Leahurst Equine Hospital for treatment following his nasty fall.
Of course, the BHA and officials at racecourse have made big strides in improving the safety of the fences around Aintree.
Nevertheless, the fact that the incident at the Canal Turn occurred due to a collision between two horses does beg the question: is the Grand National field of 40 runners simply too big?
After all, fewer than half of the entrants tend to complete the course - and so it could easily be argued that reducing the competitors to 30, or even 25 would hardly affect the spectacle.
Moreover, at the end of the race, there can only be one winner - and, while McCoy was denied a fairytale ending, he does at least still have the memory of his 2010 win on Don't Push It.
Incredibly, though, in the last 12 months, Aspell has won more Grand Nationals than McCoy won in his whole career.
Yes, for Aspell and Many Clouds, the sun shone especially bright at Aintree today.
GRAND NATIONAL 2015 RESULT
Aintree, 4.15pm (Channel 4). Going: Good. 39 ran.
| 1st | MANY CLOUDS | Leighton Aspell | 25/1 (by 1¾ lengths) |
| 2nd | Saint Are | Paddy Brennan | 14/1 |
| 3rd | Monbeg Dude | Liam Tredwell | 40/1 |
| 4th | Alvarado | Paul Moloney | 20/1 |
| 5th | Shutthefrontdoor | AP McCoy | 6/1F |
Other finishers
6th Royale Knight (25/1), 7th Tranquil Sea (33/1), 8th Cause of Causes (14/1), 9th Soll (9/1), 10th Chance Du Roy (40/1), 11th Mon Parrain (33/1), 12th Pineau de Re (25/1), 13th Owega Star (50/1), 14th Spring Heeled (25/1), 15th Oscar Time (20/1), 16th First Lieutenant (14/1), 17th Rocky Creek (8/1), 18th Night in Milan (20/1), 19th Dolatulo (66/1)
Failed to finish
1st Ely Brown (fell), Gas Line Boy (fell), Al Co (unseated rider)
3rd Rubi Light (unseated)
4th Corrin Wood (pulled up)
5th Unioniste (fell)
6th (Becher's) River Choice (fell)
8th (Canal Turn) Balthazar King (fell), Ballycasey (unseated)
19th Court By Surprise (pulled up)
25th (Valentine's) Across The Bay, Super Duty, Lord Windermere (all pulled up)
26th The Rainbow Hunter (fell), The Druids Nephew (fell)
27th Rebel Rebellion (pulled up)
28th Portrait King (fell)
29th Godsmejudge, Wyck Hill, Bob Ford (pulled up)
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