RECAP:
100. Nelly feat. Kelly Rowland- Gone
99. Rock Mafia- The Big Bang
98. Bush- The Sound of Winter
97. O.A.R.- Heaven
96. Rihanna- Cheers (Drink to That)
95. Avril Lavigne- Smile
94. Colbie Caillat- Brighter Than the Sun
93. Nicki Minaj feat. Drake- Moment 4 Life
92. Maroon 5- Give a Little More
91. The Downtown Fiction- I Just Wanna Run
90. Sara Bareilles- Uncharted
89. Christina Perri- Arms
88. Seether- Country Song
87. Martin Solveig & Dragonette- Hello
86. The Black Keys- Tighten Up
85. Chris Brown- Yeah 3X
84. The Fray- Heartbeat
83. Drake- Headlines
82. Rihanna- California King Bed
81. Nickelback- When We Stand Together
80. Paramore- Monster
While definitely not a masterpiece on the level of their biggest hit "The Only Exception", "Monster" returned Paramore to their rock roots, reminiscent of another one of their hits, "Misery Business". Given that it was their first single without the founding members the Farro Brothers, and being a change of pace from their previous album
Brand New Eyes, it was bound to get mixed reception, but personally I loved it.
This is the only song by Paramore on the chart.
79. Michael Jackson & Akon- Hold My Hand
"Hold My Hand", the first single from Michael Jackson's posthumous album
Michael, was definitely a disappointment for fans who expected a lot of Michael Jackson vocals, as Akon mainly dominated the song. However, it had a strong message, and excellent (if sparse) vocals from the late great himself. All in all, it served its purpose very well as a final tribute to the King of Pop.
This is the only song by Michael Jackson on the chart.
78. Beyoncé- Best Thing I Never Had
Like it or not, Beyoncé was probably the biggest chart disappointment of the year; even with a chart-topping, critically acclaimed album, she was unable to put out a successful single. However, I felt like she deserved to be represented in the Top 100 list, and this was the obvious choice. Of all of the singles, "Best Thing I Never Had" was by far the most radio-friendly, it had the strongest vocals from Queen Bey, and it allowed her to regain some relevancy after her first single "Run the World (Girls)" was largely regarded as a flop.
This is the only song by Beyoncé on the chart.
77. Alexandra Stan- Mr. Saxobeat
The Romanian superstar finally broke into the US market in 2011 with the outrageously catchy "Mr. Saxobeat". The fast-paced, almost disco-sounding beat was perfect for a late summer breakthrough hit, and the simple yet clever lyrics allowed her to appeal to a large audience. With a new single "1 Million" feat. Calprit to be released in 2012, and "Mr. Saxobeat" still refusing to die on Pop and the Hot 100, it doesn't look like Alexandra Stan will be going anywhere anytime soon.
This is the only song by Alexandra Stan on the chart.
76. Kelly Rowland feat. Lil Wayne- Motivation
Kelly Rowland, who was historically overshadowed by her former bandmate Beyoncé, finally broke out and had a hit of her own in 2011. "Motivation" was definitely one of the sexiest, most seductive slow jams I'd ever heard. Kelly's label was also very smart to release it to Urban first and Pop almost a full three months later; the song was introduced to a whole new audience and thus had amazing longevity on the Hot 100. In my opinion, this success was long overdue and well deserved.
This is the only song by Kelly Rowland on the chart.