Top 50 Singles of 2011: 20-16

20. Nero - Crush On You



It took me awhile to get into the dubstep bits, but once I did, this song quickly became one of my favorite dance tracks of the year. The sample (cover?) is just brilliant.

19. Caotico & Tove Styrke - Brains Out



This just drips cool. From the very first listen, everything about this struck me. It's like 80's Prince reincarnated.

18. Darren Hayes - Bloodstained Heart



Even though I wasn't a fan of the album, this is one of the best, if not the best, solo single by Darren Hayes. Stunning track.

17. Adele vs. Robin S - Show Me In The Deep



The original was a huge hit this year, but I much prefer this remixed mash-up. My most-played remix of the year, and one of my favorite remixes of all time.

16. Foster The People - Helena Beat



Pumped Up Kicks was their breakthrough, but this second single is what really made me fall in love with the group. Such a cool indie rock track.

Top 20 Albums of 2011: 12-11

12. Rhydian - Waves



An opera-singing X-Factor runner-up covering obscure 80's tracks? Yes, please. I'm a big proponent of drama in pop music, and Rhydian definitely enhanced the tracks on this album with vocals of epic proportion. The fact that I was only familiar with a couple of the songs in their original format actually helped things.

11. Adele - 21



Yes, this will be appearing on plenty of people's best-of lists. She really took over the world this year. To be honest, it's not exactly my preferred genre of music, but even I can't deny the quality of songs on this album. Looking at the hits alone is enough to convince anyone of its merit.

Top 50 Singles of 2011: 30-26

30. Short Stack - Heartbreak Made Me A Killer



An album highlight and one of their best singles. It's like all of their best sounds thrown together into one song.

29. Olly Murs - Heart Skips A Beat (ft. Rizzle Kicks)



Represents his shift from X-Factor runner-up to proper popstar. This was inescapable this Summer, and rightfully so.

28. The Sound Of Arrows - Nova



After an extended break, The Sound Of Arrows returned with this taster from their debut album. It got me 1000% more excited.

27. Adele - Someone Like You



The year's most moving ballad. Even after being played to death in every country, it still carries its bite.

26. Lady Gaga - Born This Way




Her anthem, and undeniably a massive part of 2011. This is what happens when a pop song becomes more than a pop song and enters the public consciousness.

Your Favorite Songs... Sped Up

Sometimes something that should be horrible turns out to be quite entrancing. There's a trend on youtube (I'm sure it's been going on for years) of speeding pop songs up. With a bit of a pitch change, you can make any song sound like Scooter. Remember Scooter? Sheesh. I was never a fan, but some of these tracks--particularly ballads and midtempos--sound quite striking when sped up to Scooter-esque levels. Here are two that I've become very... captivated by over the past week. The Take That song in particular sounds amazing as a sped up rave. It's actually kind of beautiful in a Japanese Anime sort of way.

Take That - The Flood


Isn't that amazing? This next one's a little more chipmunk-like, but still addictive.

Adele - Rolling In The Deep


And just for fun, because it's hilarious:

One Direction - What Makes You Beautiful


And yes, I'm fully aware that this is one of the most random posts I've ever put on this blog :)

My Top Songs of Summer 2011

Summer is over this weekend (though from the weather around here, you'd think that it was finally just beginning). I was seriously underwhelmed in the album category this year, but there were a ton of great singles to choose from. Here's an album's worth (in no particular order) of what I've been listening to over and over again. What about you?

Example - Changed The Way You Kissed Me - Such a leap from his earlier work, which I also loved. It's just a gargantuan song waiting to crossover to the US.

One Direction - What Makes You Beautiful - I was a huge supporter of theirs during X-Factor, and now that I've heard this I like them even better. 100% on the mark.

Martin Rolinski - Blame It On A Decent Matter - BWO frontman goes solo with a track that nearly out-BWOs BWO! Big, plastic Swedish synths (MUCH better than Swedish meatballs).

LMFAO - Party Rock Anthem - This was, for better or worse, played so often this summer. A triumph in infectious stupidity.

Pnau - The Truth - It really caught on with me over the past few months. That chorus hits you like a freight train.

Adele vs Robin S. - Show Me In The Deep - I tired of the Adele original very quickly, but never wore out this excellent remix. She should do dance more often. The remix of the year, without question.

Nero - Promises Dipping my toe into dubstep (and this is really watered down dubstep), this was the La Roux track of the summer (without actually being La Roux).

The Sound Of Arrows - Magic - They get better and better with every release. This never failed to cheer me up.

Foster The People - Helena Beat The world's still reeling from their debut, but I was onto the next single months ago. This one's better, anyways.

Mika - Elle Me Dit - Who would have thought Mika would've wormed his way back into my good graces with a french dance track?

Maroon 5 - Moves Like Jagger - Even stranger, this was a band I couldn't stand two months ago. Cue this track, which turned it around with that incessant whistle. Xtina couldn't even ruin it.

Le Kid - America - A soaring pop confection from Sweden, in a year where Sweden isn't quite living up to the hype I always give it.

Katy Perry - Last Friday Night - With each single, I like her more and more. The video to this song clinched it.

The Wanted - Glad You Came - I have a feeling that this will be known as the year of the boybands in the UK. But when they're this good...

Adele vs. Robin S - Show Me In The Deep (Djs From Mars FM Remix)

"We could've had it all"

It's probably pointless posting anything non Lady Gaga related, but I'd going to try anyways. I haven't yet listened to Gaga's new album (will tonight, and can't wait!!). Plus, I don't like making snap judgments. This track, though, is something I've been sitting on awhile. I'm really in a remix phase right now. They're the perfect tempo for working out. And I especially love when a non-dance track gets a full-on dance mix. Adele's Rolling In The Deep has become a gargantuan hit in the US, UK and elsewhere. I'm a little sick of it, only because it's been played to death. It's a great song and deserves its success, and I think this remix (mashing it with Robin S's dance classic Show Me Love) really breathes some fresh life into it. It's a shining example of what a good remix can do... reinvent a beloved track without straying too far from the melody. I was flabbergasted the first time I heard this. What a perfect mesh of sounds! And, unlike most remixes, it doesn't overstay its welcome. Now I just want Adele to make a club record.

Adele vs Robin S. - Show Me In The Deep (Djs from Mars FM Remix) by alienhits

(Music posted for evaluation purposes only. If you like what you hear, support the artists. It's a bootleg, so there's no place to buy it. But search around, you'll find it! Follow me on twitter and facebook.

Pop Blitz 2/1/11

Britney Spears - Hold It Against Me
As this single's quick chart ascension proves, it's an instantly catchy dance track. What it doesn't seem to have, though, is a lot of staying power. Right now I'm rating it as "just fine." Certainly not bad, but nothing all that special, either. B

Jessie J - Price Tag
While I can see a glimmer of the "next-big-thing" hype she's getting, neither her last song nor this one has got me all that excited. It's kind of boring, honestly. C+

Chris Brown - Yeah 3X
After everything that happened, I'm honestly surprised that this comeback is happening. Especially with such a derivative, sounds-like-everything-else track. Taio Cruz does this much better, but I do have to admit that the chorus is pretty strong. B-

Pink - F**kin' Perfect
Sorry, Pink. I'm a fan, but this is such a lazy song. Boring melody, sappy sentiment and dull production. I don't see why it's such a huge hit. It's the same problem I've had with a lot of her more recent stuff. She's coasting. There's none of that spark of her first three albums. C

Adele - Rolling In The Deep
Amazing. This is an example of an artist improving on her debut with a single that pushes forward, rather than setting the auto-pilot and reaping the rewards of an already established career. A-

Train - Marry Me
Is there anyone alive that still likes Hey, Soul Sister? It may have been the most overplayed song of all time. Let's HOPE this doesn't follow the same path. This is a neutered band, producing Hallmark card songs at the whim of conservative radio playlisters. Blech. F

Wretch 32 - Tractor
I'm probably not the target audience for this, but as far as UK rap singles go, I find this relatively forgettable. I like the production, but the hook's not strong enough to make much of an impact. C-