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Roger's Best of 2011
Member Since: 4/26/2007
Posts: 15,585
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Born this way & Torches
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ATRL Senior Member
Member Since: 7/23/2007
Posts: 35,994
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8/10
Rope + Adolescents + My Body + Howlin' For You + Changing + The Sound Of Winter <3
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ATRL Senior Member
Member Since: 6/9/2002
Posts: 6,789
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Once again, I must praise your write-ups. I love how the album write-ups tie into each other. Nice writing.
As for the albums and songs themselves, I liked parts of the Gaga album (mainly the songs you mentioned), and I haven't heard the other ones. I mentioned this on Ryan's, but I really need to listen to the Florence album.
As for the songs, love Arcade Fire, Drake, Black Keys, and the Foos (I agree with you on Rope being one of the lesser songs on the record, but mainly because of how good the rest of the album is).
Great stuff.
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ATRL Contributor
Member Since: 12/7/2008
Posts: 87,284
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Ceremonials, Born This Way, and Torches
Marvin's Room
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Member Since: 4/16/2007
Posts: 30,963
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born this way
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Member Since: 11/10/2005
Posts: 13,968
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Florence slaying so far
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ATRL Senior Member
Member Since: 3/19/2008
Posts: 37,076
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4/5 All at Once, Torches & Born This Way
10/10 Lots of great songs on the singles list AGAIN. Rope, Adolescents, Cough Syrup, Changing, and The Sound of Winter
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Member Since: 1/26/2006
Posts: 17,384
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Torches and Ceremonials are both great albums.
From the singles, I love "Changing", "The Suburbs", which was in my last year c/d, "Cough Syrup" and "Howlin’ For You"
oh, and also "Beautiful People", why not?
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ATRL Senior Member
Member Since: 12/29/2003
Posts: 6,311
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Ooh, can't wait to see what the top Katy single is on your list.
I don't know if I'd say Criminal is weak or Hold it Against Me but sad her album won't be on your list!
Oh heyyy, I remember Lotus Flower ^_^
lmao @ your description of Foster the People... I think I might have to agree but I'd say someone similar to MM
Kelly Clarkson ^_^
I completely agree with you on BTW, btw (I just wanted to do that... but I do agree! It's why the album didn't/doesn't make my list). Actually, I agree with you on Florence too. Boy, you're quite spot-on...
I really wish you did some radio type thing because your set-up has me imagining the songs in the background (if I know it) as I read the overall summary of the post (which is usually well-written).
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ATRL Senior Member
Member Since: 10/1/2002
Posts: 14,726
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Thanks for all the messages. You guys are great. The top 40 is here. By end of Friday, we’ll have #30-21 and albums #15-11.
Top 75 Tracks: Part 4
31. Young The Giant – My Body
32. Lupe Fiasco – The Show Goes On
33. Lady GaGa – You & I
34. Nicki Minaj – Superbass
35. Katy Perry – Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.)
36. Afrojack f. Eva Simmons – Take Over Control
37. Lady GaGa – The Edge of Glory
38. Rihanna f. Britney Spears – S&M
39. Death Cab For Cutie – Stay Young, Go Dancing
40. Florence + The Machine – What The Water Gave Me
If there was any common theme to define the music that ruled the charts in 2011, it couldn’t be highlighted any clearer than in this set. Simply put, women got it done, and North American audiences (outside of larger cities) finally embraced dance music.
Give it up for the ladies. Although not all those who were successful made the chart (Beyonce for example), the biggies are all here: Gaga, RiRi, Katy, and Nicki. Lady GaGa shows up with #2 and 3 of her three singles to make the chart this year with two saving grace singles from her divided “Born This Way” album. ‘You & I’ is a vocal masterpiece and a master class track. It’s heavy hair rock influences take the song to stunning heights as GaGa swelter’s out the line “but you can’t buy a house in heaven”. Next for her was ‘Edge of Glory’, her pop masterpiece from the album that had the Clemmens solo, the insane hooks found in the verses and the chorus, and it just felt great to hear this type of song from her after the try-hards that were ‘Judas’ and ‘Born this Way’. Next up is Nicki Minaj, who I never cared for much as a solo artist, but typically like her features (refer to last year’s ‘Monster’). So big up to her for scoring her biggest hit ever in the sticky sweet “Superbass”, with the quick-lipped and witty verses that lead into the bubble of all bubbly choruses. Not to mention, this song gave rise to the dynamic duo that is Sophia Grace and Rosie. Katy Perry shows up next with her second of three this year, and it just happened to be a record-breaking 5th #1 single off “Teenage Dream”, one of the penultimate pop music albums of the past ten years. ‘Last Friday Night’ is a testament to Katy Perry’s relevance, highlighting social media, binge drinking, and all things college related, and it also has a crazy saxophone solo too. And the last of the ladies comes in the form of Rihanna, who has her second of three as well, and this time is accompanied by Ms. Spears for every ATRL’ers dream duet. ‘S&M’ is a filthy, grimey, sweat log of a track that only RiRi could do justice and convincingly. Add in Britney’s trademark nasally vocals and an awkwardly smokin’ hot Billboard music award performance later, and you’ve got yourselves a keeper.
The other music trend this year? DANCE, DANCE (remember Fall Out Boy?). Here we see it in Afrojack, who nearly went top 20 with ‘Take over Control’, a dirty dub-step beat that smoked on the dancefloor and capitalized on current acceptance of Euro-type hits (including Alexandra Stan, Martin Solveig, Avicci, and one more hit to come later on the chart)
Enough with the trends, and now the tried and true, staple artists. Death Cab For Cutie are no strangers to year-end success. ‘Soul Meets Body’ was a top 10 finisher, and they’ve had two top 10 albums in “Plans” and “Narrow Stairs”. Unfortunately, “Codes and Keys” didn’t make my albums list this year, but this is their first of two with the timeless ‘Stay Young, Go Dancing’. A perfect summer’s eve track with a simple arrangement and spot on Gibbord vocals, it’s DCFC at it’s finest. Next up is Florence + The Machine who had two top 20 singles last year and now arrive with the first of two in buzz single ‘What The Water Gave Me’. Dark, ominous, and a nice departure from the cathedral filling tracks that overwhelm “Ceremonials”, this track definitely built anticipation.
Finally, two new artists new to year-end glory. Young The Giant make their mark with their second of two in their huge modern rock hit, ‘My Body’. There is no song better suited to pump you up before the gym, at the gym, or on the way home from the gym. Or before a big game, or whatever it is that you need to get motivation, this song does it. What a hoot. And then the mighty Lupe Fiasco, with his stratospheric ‘The Show Goes On’, which ended up being a nice surprise crossover hit for him. Love the arrangement and the killer chorus, a song that for some reason reminded me a lot of Kanye’s ‘Flashing Lights’.
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Given that we’re approaching the top 30, I thought I’d allude to one of the big Year-End 2011 stories that I’m sure many of you knew was coming. Here is a snippet from my 2010 Year-End, and the #11 song of that year. Adele will do this year what only 2 other artists [Evanescence w/ “My Immortal” (#14 & #12), Kooks w/ “She Moves In Her Own Way” (#94 & #56)] have done in the past: have the same song chart on two consecutive year-end charts. Then, of course, she has three other singles that will make the chart and not to mention that little album of hers, “21”, which was no big deal or anything.
2010: #11 - Adele "Rolling In The Deep"
The music world can not possibly be ready for Adele’s sophomore album, ‘21’, if this track is any indication. Given the fact that I’ve had about 5-6 week exposure to it so far, this would have easily been a top 5 for the end of the year had it been released sooner. I have read people suggesting that it bears a too close for comfort similarity to Gnarls Barkley’s ubiquitous “Crazy”. Although I can appreciate the comparison, Adele is too talented to succumb to that type of labeling. This is hands down, the vocal performance of the year. And talk about coming into your own – she is no longer the introverted and non-animated musician who belted out “Chasing Pavements” hundreds of times while trying to establish her Stateside. The song itself, it’s lyrics, and her few performances thus far show a new found sense of confidence, an owning, if you will. This girl has the pipes, and now she’s got game. This is going to be amazing.
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Member Since: 3/5/2011
Posts: 9,048
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7/10
Love most of the tracks..Gaga
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Member Since: 5/2/2009
Posts: 8,661
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10/10
S&M
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ATRL Senior Member
Member Since: 7/23/2007
Posts: 35,994
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7/10
My Body + The Edge of Glory + S&M <33
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ATRL Senior Member
Member Since: 5/9/2003
Posts: 3,779
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My Body is super catchy. And SY, GD is the best.
Can't believe you called the Adele breakout. Never even noticed that it was on your list last year.
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Member Since: 12/11/2008
Posts: 9,543
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8/10
What The Water Gave Me, S&M
The Edge Of Glory, You And I, masterpieces
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ATRL Senior Member
Member Since: 12/29/2003
Posts: 6,311
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Ooh, never heard of Afrojack f. Eva Simmons – "Take Over Control" but I like it! I mostly checked it out because of the name Afrojack (really?!) buttt your description helped, haha.
I had forgotten about the S&M duet, good call.
Completely agree with you on Gaga ^_^
Lupe Fiasco, Nicki Minaj , Katy Perry ^_^
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Member Since: 4/26/2007
Posts: 15,585
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ATRL Senior Member
Member Since: 6/9/2002
Posts: 6,789
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Another great set! I like the two Gaga songs (Edge of Glory is truly as good as it gets), Nicki, Death Cab, and Florence. I like the narrative you make out of your singles list. It is very much like a radio play/weekend countdown, as Ke suggested. And wow! Talk about a prophetic write-up on Adele. You nailed it.
Looking forward to the next set!
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ATRL Administrator
Member Since: 5/2/2000
Posts: 2,844
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Let me echo what some others have been saying and say that I really enjoy what you do with these write-ups, making it all flow together. It's a cohesive view of the year, not just a bunch of disconnected figures. Love it.
Holy **** if you didn't call it on Adele. You were way ahead of the game on that one.
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Member Since: 4/25/2011
Posts: 41,661
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The Show Goes On
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