It seems as though it was just yesterday when I was ringing in 2011, preparing for what the music world had in store for me. Honestly, it has been a crazy year. Each year, as some of my favorite artists release great records, I find myself bummed that the next year will be missing them. But every year, great artists release great albums, and others just seem to forget what real music is.
Best songs of 2011
Adele’s “Someone Like You” made it to the top of the Billboard Hot 100 list.| Courtesy of telegraph.co.uk
This year was filled with big ballads and pounding dance floor anthems. The best song of 2011 was Adele’s “Someone Like You.” When “21” first came out in February, a first listen left me in a state of wonder at just how great it really is, and out of all the songs, “Someone Like You” stuck out as incredibly brilliant. It quickly rose to the top of the Billboard Hot 100 after Adele performed it on the Video Music Awards. The performance was simple, but yet was so full of emotion that it required the attention of viewers.
- Adele — “Someone Like You”
- Beyonce — “Countdown”
It should have been the first single off of “4,” as it is one of B’s best and catchiest songs of all time. - Florence + the Machine — “Shake it Out”
Not only does Welch’s voice soar more than ever, but this song is a major stand-out on a brilliant album. - Mary J. Blige — “25/8”
Blige’s album was disappointing, but this song is one of the best R&B songs of the year. If only the rest of “My Life pt. II” had been this good… - Florence + the Machine— “Spectrum”
Another stand-out on “Ceremonials.” It is big and the perfect example of Welch’s brilliance. - The Lonely Island— “Jack Sparrow”
The perfect blend of brilliant, hilarious, and melodic. Who knew Michael Bolton was talented? - Adele— “Turning Tables”
Just like “Someone Like You,” this ballad is Adele’s heart in song. And for the record, her heart sounds good! - The Civil Wars— “Poison & Wine”
One of the best new artists of 2011, this song shows that they are worth keeping an eye on. And if it isn’t stuck in your head after the first listen, then you weren’t listening. - Coldplay— “Paradise”
Coldplay’s entrance into a more electro-pop sphere, this song is both catchy and worth remembering. - Adele— “One and Only”
One of the things I love about Adele is that most everyone can relate with at least one of her songs, and this was mine. I guess the personal connection has made me enjoy it that much more…
Worst songs of 2011
Lady Gaga’s “Judas” is at the top of the list for worst songs of 2011. | Courtesy of trendrabbit.com
Just like there were great songs that I can’t take off of replay, there were some really awful songs as well that should never have made it out of the studio. The worst song of the year was Lady Gaga’s disgusting and unoriginal “Judas.” The chanting is way too similar to her big smash “Bad Romance,” and the biblical blasphemy should be repulsive to Christians. “In the most biblical sense, I am beyond repentance/ Fame hooker, prostitute, wench, vomits her mind/ But in the cultural sense/ I just speak in future tense/ Judas, kiss me if offenced/ Or wear an ear condom next time.”
- Lady Gaga — “Judas”
- Kim Kardashian — “Jam (Turn it Up)”
Kardashian sounds like she is sleep-whispering during this absolutely horrid song. She can’t act, stay married, or sing… not even a little bit! - Rebecca Black — “Friday”
I have sung the chorus to this song more times than I can count, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t awful. - Bruno Mars — “The Lazy Song”
Not only am I completely and totally tired of Bruno Mars as a whole, this song started out being bad and then got overplayed until it was terrible. - Britney Spears— “Criminal”
Really? After three pretty descent pop singles off of her “Femme Fatale,” Spears released this total dud, much to the chagrin of radio listeners everywhere. - Katy Perry— “E.T.”
I don’t like Perry to begin with, but I really hate this song. First she kissed a girl, then she glorified teenage sex…. now alien sex. Has she really gotten that low? - Will.i.am— “T.H.E. (The Hardest Ever)”
There are very few songs that Will.i.am has in his catalog that are actually good, and this one for sure isn’t one of them. - LMFAO— “Sexy and I Know It”
Though I love to scream out “Wiggle, Wiggle, Wiggle…,” this isn’t a song, but instead a poor use of electronic sounds and catch-phrases.
Best albums from 2011
Florence + the Machine’s “Ceremonials” demonstrates crisp vocals and is one of the best of the year.| Courtesy of businessinsider.com
Of course, man cannot live by songs alone, and this year brought some pretty incredible albums that really delved into the brilliance that music can hold. The best album of 2011 is Florence + the Machine’s superb “Ceremonials.” I gave the album a five star review when it came out because of its incredibly deep and beautiful nature. Florence Welch’s voice is pure and crisp, as she glides through big soaring songs. The album reigns over other releases of the year, as it is a real album that cohesively goes together and not just a collection of songs.
- Florence + the Machine — “Ceremonials”
- Adele — “21”
The best selling album of the year. The best pop album of the year. The queen of the year. Simply fantastic. - Beyonce — “4”
The best Beyonce album to date. The critics that hated on it should look at it without expecting the second coming of “Single Ladies.” Then they might realize and accept its brilliance. - Feist — “Metals”
I wasn’t a Feist fan before, but this fantastic album has made me somewhat of a fanatic. - The Black Keys— “El Camino” & The Roots- “Undun”
Both brand-new this week. Both superb. A few more listens and some time to absorb them, and they could rise. - “The Book of Mormon (Original Broadway Cast Recording)”
Some of the best composed show tunes of all time. with some of the funniest lyrics. The source of my obsession with Mormonism. With the exception of more than a few songs, this album is worth a listen even for non-Broadway fans. Just be careful, it is from the creatures of “South Park.” - Kelly Clarkson— “Stronger”
That voice! The original American Idol does not disappoint on another album of excellent girl power anthems.
Worst albums from 2011
Jennifer Lopez released “Love?” this year but the vocals are less than impressive.| Courtesy of images.mitrasites.com
For every good album there are are plenty of bad ones. Some artists clearly don’t understand the concept of what a real album is, instead thinking it is just a compilation of individual songs. The worst album of 2011 is Lady Gaga’s “Born This Way.” The album sucks the life out of its listeners with overused auto-tune and mucky electronic effects. This album is full of songs that mean nothing and sound the same. The hype for the album was insane, way too much for an album that doesn’t deliver at all. Though the material is not appropriate at all, her “The Fame” was somewhat creative and featured songs that were actually listenable. The Grammy nomination for “Born This Way” for Album of the Year shows that the Recording Academy is going for big ticket items, not quality.
- Lady Gaga — “Born This Way”
- Jennifer Lopez — “Love?”
I would be lying if I said I didn’t own and listen to this album. But just because I enjoy it doesn’t mean that I can’t recognize that it is terrible. I mean seriously, was she even trying to sing? - Committed — “Committed”
So disappointed by this album. There were probably worse albums this year, but I expected so much more from the winners of “The Sing-Off.” - Rihanna — “Talk That Talk”
Ever since this good girl turned bad, she is starting to get boring. “Rated R” was excellent, but after that, she has become stuck in this over-sexed dance floor music, if you want to call it that. This album isn’t terrible, it is just tired. Rihanna could do so much better. First single “We Found Love” is catchy, but annoyingly repetitive. - Justin Bieber — “Under the Mistletoe”
This album is really not good. His version of Mariah Carey’s classic “All I Want for Christmas,” is nothing new. He takes her song, removes her voice from certain lines, adds his, and calls it a duet. It is karaoke at its worst.
The year in music had its ups and it had its down, but that is just how it goes. The biggest winner of the year overall is Adele, as she has swept the world like a vicious storm that everyone wishes would keep ravaging. Everything else looks like child’s play when compared with her this year. So, I will end with simply saying, 2011 was the year of Adele.
