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.

Countdown to the Countdowns: An Alienhits Christmas!

Next week kicks off my annual year-end countdowns. Top 20 Albums and Top 50 Singles, here we come! But first, I've got a week-long countdown to my countdown, starting with this requested feature on Christmas music!

While Christmas is definitely one of my most favorite times of the year, when it comes to music I'm more of a Halloween songs kind of guy. Still, there are quite a few of lesser known tracks that I love to listen to around the holidays. Here, in no particular order, are a few of them:

Darren Hayes - Last Christmas
My favorite version of this track, captured during his Savage Garden days. It ups the tempo and pretty much perfects an already perfect pop song.

Melody Club - I Don’t Believe In Angels
The kind of Christmas track I could (and do) listen to all year long. It's got everything: bells, cheesy lyrics, a singalong chorus and that indelible Melody Club charm.

Girls Aloud - I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday (or anything off their EP)
Leave it to Girls Aloud to camp up Christmas. This is them at the height of their powers.

The Who - Christmas
From the best rock opera ever, Tommy, it's not the happiest of tracks, but it's freaking brilliant. I've gotta say, though, I prefer the movie version to the Who's version.

Aqua - Spin me a Christmas
Christmas the euro-pop way! Aqua 2.0 basically can do no wrong, and this follows suit.

Lady Gaga - Christmas Tree
She may have a new, more traditional Christmas EP out now, but I prefer this smutty oldie recorded back when she was still hungry for fame.

Sparks - Thank God It’s Not Christmas
An epic song anyway you shake it, this is just ridiculous bombast. Not the cheeriest of lyrics, but they're amazing anyway.

Hurts - All I Want for Christmas is New Year’s Day
It's about as downbeat as you'd expect from these guys, but that doesn't make it any less enjoyable. The bells make it.

Billy Elliot Soundtrack - Merry Christmas Maggie Thatcher
From the absolute best modern stage musical, this is the show's catchiest track. I listen to it all year, but it's especially festive (in a vitriolic, down-with-Thatcher way) this time of year.

Pikko - The Ghost of Christmas Future
An icy electro track by one of my favorite indie Swedish artists. It's not high on melody, but has a sound that compliments the chilly season.

The Darkness - Christmas Time (Don't Let The Bells End)
Pretty much what you'd expect from a Christmas song by the Darkness. It's got everything stuffed into it. And it's highly melodic to boot.

And some songs that sample Christmas. Can you tell which classics these tracks use?

Prozzak - It's Not Me It's You
The Mo - Rats on the Radio
JLS - Do You Feel What I Feel

Darren Hayes - Bloodstained Heart

"You hit me like a subway train"

Two singles in and this album campaign is finally starting to make sense to me. Talk Talk Talk was fine, if underwhelming, and I don't really care for Black Out The Sun. But this song? This is the Darren Hayes I love. This is an example of his gift for melody, his ambition in songwriting, and his unmistakable voice. It really should have been the lead single, and should be released worldwide instead of being relegated to Australia only. Bloodstained Heart is a delicate, emotional ballad with a melody that hits you on the first listen. It builds to an explosive crescendo the likes of which I'm not sure we've heard from him before. I truly believe this has the potential to be his first worldwide hit since Savage Garden. Wouldn't that be something?



(Music posted for evaluation purposes only. If you like what you hear, support the artists. Preorder the album here. Follow me on twitter and facebook.

Pop Blitz 9/19/11

Leona Lewis - Collide
Lewis's career needed a real kick in the butt, and I think this is it. I love hearing her staggering voice over anthemic dance production. This could do for her what When Love Takes Over did for Kelly Rowland. A

The Saturdays - All Fired Up
Similar dance sound, but I just don't really get the appeal of this group. I think I keep comparing them to Girls Aloud and they're suffering from that. It's just a little anonymous and forgettable to me. They've done better. B-

Dappy - No Regrets
The chorus is pretty strong, but the verses let it down. It plods along like a typical Chris Brown song, but I don't think there's a lot of staying power. C+

Coldplay - Paradise
It's a new sound from the band, playing around with an epic, electronic soundscape. Beyond that, though, it's more of the same. I'm not sure it's one of their stronger songs melodically, but it's not bad. B-

Florence + The Machine - Shake It Out
I'm liking this more each time I hear it, but I still think the hook is ten times stronger than the verses (which take awhile to get going). It's no Dog Days, but it'll do for now. B+

Darren Hayes - Black Out The Sun
I'm a huge Darren Hayes fan. Have been since the 90's. Sadly, though, I'm finding this new single kind of... boring? I don't know what it is. It just feels like it's all epic and grand with something missing. Maybe it just sounds too much like all of his other stuff to me. B-

Will Young - Jealousy
This is stunning. It easily leapfrogs over every other Will Young song as my favorite single of his career. I'd like about twenty more of these in his future. This is the kind of thing that'll make him the next George Michael. A

Darren Hayes - Talk Talk Talk

"Just breathe in and out"

I've said it before on this blog, but Savage Garden's debut was the very first album I owned. I was a little bit of a late bloomer when it came to music (and we see how THAT worked out). It's still one of my absolute favorite pop albums, alongside the follow-up of course. Darren Hayes' solo music has been a little bit more hit and miss with me. I like it all (especially the last album), but it's never been quite as magical as the Savage Garden work. Hayes is back again with another melodic pop track to launch his new album. I'd put it in the middle of his other work, quality wise. It's not really sticking out with his best (yet), but it's quite pleasant all the same. The chorus is doing more for me than the verses. I'm hoping, though, that this won't be the best selection from the album, especially since he's promised a return to pop with a capital "P." Whatever the case, it's always a pleasure to hear his voice again.

Darren Hayes - Talk Talk Talk by musicman319

(Music posted for evaluation purposes only. If you like what you hear, support the artists. Buy the single here. Follow me on twitter and facebook.