I haven't updated in a while, and I'm in a generous mood, so I've decided to reveal numbers 10-2. These are all absolutely amazing songs and it was an incredibly hard decision to order them. I will tell you though, the #1 is in a different league. Enjoy.
10. Mumford & Sons- The Cave
I first discovered this amazing British folk quartet through VH1's You Oughta Know program in 2010, and ever since I have been in love with their music. I love how "The Cave" managed to make the sound of 50s folk sound very mainstream. I also loved how the lyrics were very open-ended and could be interpreted in many different ways; I have heard some people say it is about a tough relationship and others say it is about living off the land. After "Little Lion Man" got their name out there, I'm very glad their follow-up hit could turn Mumford & Sons into legitimate stars.
This is the only song by Mumford & Sons on the chart.
9. OneRepublic- Good Life
Everyone who knows me at all knows how much I love this band. "Apologize" was such an anthem for me, and "All the Right Moves" is really one of my favorite songs of all time. And "Good Life", the third single from their 2009 album
Waking Up did not disappoint. The message of the song was a really great one, to just let go of all the bad things and realize how good life really is. The vocals of the song are really great, however, I noticed how bad Ryan Tedder is when he sings it live. I give him credit though, they're really hard notes to hit and I could never do it that well. I also love the creative idea in the music video of putting all of the images on picture frames.
This is the only song by OneRepublic on the chart.
8. Bad Meets Evil feat. Bruno Mars- Lighters
And here is King Eminem with his second appearance on the chart. When I first heard that Bad Meets Evil and Bruno Mars would be doing a collab on their EP, I expected that the song would be all about Bruno Mars and Eminem. However, Royce da 5'9 really surprised me; he tackled the rapping very well and his lyrics spoke a lot about his life and what he had been through to get to where he is. As always, Eminem delivered with his meaningful lyrics and the best rapping skill in the business. I am beginning to hate how it is getting "mainstream" to have Bruno Mars on all the urban tracks to get a hit ("Young, Wild & Free", "Mirror"), but I cannot deny how on most of the songs, including this one, he really makes the song work and it wouldn't be the same without him. Overall, my second-favorite rap song of the year.
This is the only song by Bad Meets Evil on the chart.
7. Linkin Park- Waiting for the End
Yes, I do realize this is a song from 2010, but since it had much of its crossover pop success in 2011, I decided to include it in my 2011 list. Many people said they didn't like the song because it was too different from Linkin Park's earlier material, and I don't agree with that; of course bands are going to change, and "Waiting for the End" reminds me of "In the End", which is one of my favorite songs of the 2000s. The song was revolutionary in a way for Linkin Park; it attempted to combine rap, ballad, and rock opus into one song, and it did so brilliantly. After the poor performance of "The Catalyst", LP needed a great single like this to bring them back to the mainstream, and they delivered effortlessly.
This is the only song by Linkin Park on the chart.
6. The Band Perry- If I Die Young
I am so glad that this song crossed over to Pop and HAC, because if it hadn't, I likely wouldn't have discovered it, and that would be a shame because it was my favorite country song of 2011. The lyrics and the title were very morbid, but for some reason when I listened to this song I would always feel happy. Maybe it was the uplifting background music. Or maybe it was the video which, while showing lead singer Kimberly Perry leaving home on a boat and almost dying, ended happily with her returning home and having a newfound appreciation of her life. Whatever it was, the song connected with me on a level that most songs could never hope to do, and several times it almost brought me to tears. The best, most effortless blend of pop and country since Lonestar's "Amazed".
This is the only song by The Band Perry on the chart.
5. Adele- Rolling In the Deep
How could anyone forget the song that topped the Hot 100 for seven weeks, was #1 on Billboard's year-end chart, was nominated for multiple song and video awards, crossed over to over five formats including R&B and Latin, and turned British songstress Adele into a worldwide superstar? Only Adele could make a video of her sitting in a chair with glasses of water on the floor and be widely regarded as one of the best music videos of the decade so far. I will say, it could have easily been my #1 for the year, but it did get overplayed, and with everyone giving it so much praise and ranking it #1 on dozens of year-end countdowns due to its multi-format appeal, I didn't want to be quite so predictable. However, I simply can't remember the last time someone completely dominated the charts with such universal appeal, and so I give Adele enormous props for that.
This is the last of three songs by Adele on the chart.
4. Pink- Perfect
[IMG]http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/2/2b/****in%27_Perfect.jpg[/IMG]
In an era of so many self-empowerment anthems, where so many of them seemed to sound the same (Firework, We R Who We R, Who Says), Pink stood out from the bunch with this epic ode to loving who you are and not letting anyone bring you down. So many people said that for them the video made them love the song, but for me I loved the song long before the video; the lyrics seemed sincere and from the heart, like she really meant them and wasn't writing the song just because she had to. The use of profanity in the chorus showed her emotion so much more, and I could identify very well with the lyrics, because they highlight a struggle that I and most everyone my age has: wanting to fit in and trying to change yourself to do that. And then the video came along and made me love it that much more; there aren't many songs or videos that make me cry, but I will admit watching the video I had tears in my eyes, thinking of how horrible that would be to happen to anyone, and how that is a reality for way too many people.
This is the only song by Pink on the chart.
3. The Script- For the First Time
So many people were, and still are, writing off The Script as a one-hit wonder, but if you are you are completely delusional, because I have to wonder where you were in early 2011 when this song was dominating at radio and iTunes. Not a single person I know didn't like this song, and there's absolutely nothing to dislike about it. The lyrics highlight the struggle of making it in the current state of the economy, something we can all relate to, but gives hope by saying how nice it can be just "drinking old cheap bottles of wine" on an apartment floor, meaning you can be happy without all the material things. Plus, it didn't hurt that the catchy "ooh"s at the end of the chorus implanted the song in my brain for weeks. If The Script keep making amazing music like this, I will surely continue to stan for them.
This is the last of two songs by The Script on the chart.
2. Christina Perri- Jar of Hearts
Another song that became popular in 2010, but I didn't really begin to love until 2011. I am such a sucker for singer-songwriters such as this, but Christina is just in another league. I loved how in the song, she used the creative metaphor to tell off her ex-lover, because all he did was run around "collecting his jar of hearts". Her voice on the song was one of the most angelic and pure voices I have heard in a long time. Plus, the video was absolutely brilliant in illustrating the gloomy mood of the song, as well as showing the story, with her ex going around to other women and collecting their hearts, only to have them stolen back by Christina in the end. Nothing was wrong with this song that I placed it at #2 rather than #1. There's just one song that's
so much better.
This is the last of two songs by Christina Perri on the chart.
Many of you may wonder why I included "Walk" over "Rope", or why I didn't include both. The reason for this is simple; I thought "Rope" was god awful, and a terrible choice for first single. However, with "Walk", the Foos more than redeemed themselves by showing that real rock is here to stay. I loved the whole song structure: how they started out the song soft and without a lot of instruments; it allowed Dave Grohl's voice to shine, and when it built up it really emphasized the message of the song. I loved the bridge where it became more hard rock, and then how it softened down again for the end of the song. It almost made you feel tired listening to it. However, I must say my favorite part is the hilarious video, which shows Dave lashing out at many people and things that make him mad. This is the only song by Foo Fighters on the chart.
. The huge amount of guest artists on the song could have been disastrous, but Kanye, being the genius he is, made all the parts work perfectly, the Fergie and La Roux parts were widely unnoticed but some of my favorites. A top contender for my favorite rap song of the year. This is the only song by Kanye West on the chart.
