On the back of publishing our
Best Pop Albums of 2011, it's now time to deliver our annual
Top 50 Singles of 2011. We have to admit that it has taken weeks, if not months of deliberation.
In a year when loads of brilliant pop acts came to the party, it was harder than ever to define the best of the best. Some artists surprised us with their inconsistency, others with their determination and brilliance. Pop music, more than ever, became a challenge for many artists new and old.
The professionalism, artistic involvement and length of video clips increased ten-fold this year. 2011 saw more artists make strategic moves to secure chart success, viral hype and record sales in a bid to compete with some of the true talent that emerged. None the less, 2011 was a great year for pop music.
Without further anticipation, here is our
Top 50 Singles of 2011.
50. Calvin Harris "Bounce" feat. Kelis
49. Emeli Sandé "Heaven"
48. Avicii "Levels"
47. Wynter Gordon "Buy My Love"
46. Darren Hayes "Bloodstained Heart"
45. Beyoncé "Countdown"
44. Vanbot "Make Me, Break Me"
43. Coldplay "Paradise"
42. Clare Maguire "The Last Dance"
41. Jessica Mauboy "Inescapable"
40. Jessie J "Price Tag" feat. B.o.B.
39. Coldplay "Every Teardrop Is A Waterfall"
38. Sky Ferreira "Sex Rules"
37. Melanie C "Think About It"
36. Pnau "Solid Ground"
35. Nicola Roberts "Lucky Day"
34. Medina "Addiction"
33. Leona Lewis / Avicii "Collide"
32. The Saturdays "Notorious"
31. Foster The People "Pumped Up Kicks"
30. Kelly Clarkson "Mr Know It All"
29. Selena Gomez & The Scene "Love You Like A Love Song"
28. Above & Beyond "You Got To Go" feat. Zoë Johnston
27. Maroon 5 "Moves Like Jagger" feat. Christina Aguilera
26. Tim Berg "Seek Bromance"
25. Gotye "Somebody That I Used To Know" feat. Kimbra
24. Lady Gaga "Yoü And I"
23. Kylie Minogue "Put Your Hands Up (If You Feel Love)"
22. Robyn "Call Your Girlfriend"
21. Wynter Gordon "Til Death"
20. Adele "Set Fire To The Rain"
19. Britney Spears "Hold It Against Me"
18. Rihanna "S&M"
17. Katy B "Broken Record"
16. Katy Perry "E.T."
15. Darren Hayes "Talk Talk Talk"
14. Florence + The Machine "Shake It Out"
13. Alexis Jordan "Good Girl"
12. Rihanna "We Found Love" feat. Calvin Harris
11. CocknBullKid "Asthma Attack"
10. Adele "Someone Like You"
The second single from the British singer/songwriter stole the hearts of almost everyone, worldwide. With lyrics like "I hate to turn up out of the blue, uninvited; but I couldn't stay away, I couldn't fight it; I had hoped that you'd see my face and that you'd be reminded; that for me, it isn't over" you can't help but be captivated.
Someone Like You hit the #1 spot in a number of countries worldwide, including the US, Australia and the UK; giving Adele a fantastic follow up to the 21's lead single, Rolling In The Deep. If you haven't done so, take a look at the video which features the star walk solemnly along the streets of Paris at 5am. A beautifully classic video, to match a beautifully classic song.
9. Britney Spears "Til The World Ends"
Britney Spears certainly delivered with the second single to be lifted from her seventh album, Femme Fatale. The Ke$ha penned track and it's accompanying apocalypse-themed video gave the recently engaged lass yet another top-ten smash in Australia and the US, peaking at #8 and #3 respectively.
Beating the album's lead single Hold It Against Me (which appeared on our chart at an impressive #19); Til The World Ends is Britney at her absolute finest. Brilliant pop music, great choreography in the video, and Miss Spears reminding us all that the broad has still got it.
8. Jennifer Lopez "On The Floor" feat. Pitbull
Speaking of still having it, Jennifer Lopez certainly didn't waste any time in the American Idol spotlight to remind us that she does indeed, certainly still have it. The Lambada sampling On The Floor, featuring Pitbull as guest rapper, saw the Latino babe return to the summit in over 20 countries worldwide.
On The Floor, produced by recycling-beats-and-bass man RedOne, was a brilliant lead single from J Lo's Love? album. Whilst the release has spawned a further two singles, they failed to be as globally successful as the great piece of Euro-trash that we have here.
7. David Guetta "Titanium" feat. Sia
Enlisting Australian singer/songwriter Sia as the guest vocalist on his empowerment anthem Titanium, was the best thing David Guetta could have ever done. Originally showcasing the vocal talents of Mary J Blige, Guetta felt she lacked the connection he'd heard when he listened to the demo of the track (originally recorded by Sia), and so he decided to lock her in for the final cut. What a great move!
"I'm bulletproof, nothing to lose; fire away, fire away; ricochet, you take your aim; fire away, fire away; you shoot me down, but I won't fall; I am titanium!" Those lyrics, followed by the unstoppable Guetta with his signature beats, is a true masterpiece. Definitely one of his best tracks to date.
6. Yasmin "Finish Line"
Yasmin, the then 22 year-old signed to Ministry of Sound records, had delivered her debut single On My Own to a pleased crowd, peaking just inside the UK top 40 at #39, however it wasn't until the release of her second single that she really set us on fire.
Finish Line, which features a superb remix by the boys from the Freemasons, samples Stevie Wonder's 1977 single, As. The track, written by the gorgeous girl and co-produced by Labrinth, gave Yasmin her first ever top twenty hit in her homeland.
5. Will Young "Jealousy"
No surprise that after featuring at #2 on the Best Pop Albums of 2011 that you find Jealousy, the lead single from Will Young's Echoes, in our top ten singles of the year. The up-tempo track, written by Young and Kish Mauve, produced by Richard X, gave the UK super star yet another top ten hit.
Young's tale of unrequited love is beautiful and heart-breaking as he delivers an outstanding vocal performance alongside Mr X's talented production work. A perfect lead single which paved the way for a great album.
4. Lady Gaga "The Edge Of Glory"
The Edge Of Glory is the single that saved Lady Gaga from her Born This Way era. Whilst we love a number of the album tracks, and whilst The Edge wasn't the biggest in terms of sales statistics, the Fernando Garibay produced hit was clearly the best track on the album.
The biggest disappointment - the video. With the least artistic input overall, it seemed to flounder in comparison by not only Gaga's standards, but by the fact that peers around her were now delivering exceptional video clips for most of their videos. A standard that was indeed, set by Gaga herself.
3. Sneaky Sound System "Big"
This is the moment that Sneaky Sound System have been waiting for! Big, the second single to be lifted from their acclaimed From Here to Anywhere album, is the duo at their absolute best. Great vocals, pop melody, hot beats... pure pleasure.
Whilst it hasn't commercially set the world on fire (peaking at a measly #68 in Australia), fans have been taken by the lyrics and
Miss Connie's exceptional vocal performance in
Big. To quote the fabulous
Adem With An E "...this is a soaring, majestic pop song with enough thumping electronic hooves to go along with some of the bands best, most sincere lyrics."
2. Nicole Scherzinger "Don't Hold Your Breath"
Don't Hold Your Breath as a demo originally surfaced late 2010 by Timbaland and Keri Hilson. After getting a pop-revamp by Carl Falk and co, the Toby Gad co-penned track managed to secure Nicole Scherzinger her first ever #1 in the UK.
Leaving the Pussycat Dolls and delivering Don't Hold Your Breath was the best move this girl could have made. Proving to those that she is more than just a piece of hot tail, Scherzy truly delivered to fans new and old with this brilliant pop jam.
After a series of failed attempts to lock in a debut album, it seemed the success of the first single Poison and Don't Hold Your Breath helped cement Scherzy's Killer Love release, which later went on to peak at #8 on the UK albums chart.
1. Adele "Rolling In The Deep"
The song that started the current, epic journey of Adele's sophomore album 21. Rolling In The Deep, written by the talented star and Paul Epworth, was the commercial break that propelled the porcelain-skinned beauty into a stratosphere dreamed of by many, accomplished by some.
The track, which recently came in at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 year-end charts, has sold in excess of five million copies in the US alone, achieving an impressive five times platinum sales status. In Canada and Australia we share similar sales achievements hitting six and five times platinum respectively.
Having won countless awards, including three MTV Video Music Awards back in July, Rolling In The Deep is one of this years, if not this decades, biggest hits. Whilst this tale of a scorned lover has been around for close to a year now, it has still yet to tire.
The longevity of Adele's 21, including Rolling In The Deep, is impressive. A truly, epic masterpiece that will cement Adele as a household name for years to come.
