Top 50 Singles of 2011: 35-31

35. The Sounds - Something To Die For



A late-career highlight. Sometimes all it takes is a well written pop song, and this definitely fits the bill.

34. Katy Perry - Last Friday Night (TGIF)



Katy Perry's chart run continued unabated this year, and this track reignited interest in her brand of young, glossy pop.

33. Donkeyboy - City Boy



Foregoing their usual, more wistful sound for something more electronic, this is something of a revelation for the band.

32. Cher Lloyd - With Ur Love (ft. Mike Posner)



The X-Factor finalist's best single, and a perfect representation of what a Cher Lloyd album should sound like.

31. Salem Al Fakir - Split My Personality (Bassflow Remix)



Pair one of the best producers with one of Sweden's quirkiest pop artists and you have a cross-genre masterpiece like this.

Pop Blitz 10/13/11

Hedley - Invincible
Canada's best modern rock band releases one of their most forgettable singles. They've released tracks like this before but they've all had better hooks. Too bad, as I've always loved them. C+

Marina & The Diamonds - Radioactive
This single has grown on me, but I'm missing the quirkiness of her debut. This seems so much more mainstream. Her instantly recognizable vocals are what end up setting this apart. B+

Nicole Scherzinger - Wet
I'm surprised at how many singles this album has actually produced. This is one of the better ones. Sure, it's nothing that's going to stand the test of time. Just fun, clubby pop. She's capable of more, but this will do. B

The Fray - Heartbeat
I've never been a fan of this band, but this isn't bad. I don't think it will be the kind of hit they used to have. Still, I like the amped up guitars. B-

LMFAO - Sexy And I Know It
It's a less-catchy version of Party Rock Anthem--higher on novelty, lower on melody. the outrageous video will get it the exposure it needs, and it's certainly fun in a trashy sort of way. B

Cher Lloyd - With Ur Love (ft. Mike Posner)
After the disappointment of her first single, this makes everything right. This is exactly the type of song she should be recording. Melodic, full of attitude, and catchy without being too in-your-face. A-

Hot Chelle Rae - I Like It Like That
This pretty much sounds like their last single. Slightly less annoying, but I'm just not sold on this band. I'm not sure what it is... it just seems so tailor made for US radio. C

Your Choice: What's your favorite Pop Blitz song this week?

Pop Blitz 10/13/11 Your Choice!

Hedley - InvincibleMarina & The Diamonds - RadioactiveNicole Scherzinger - WetThe Fray - HeartbeatLMFAO - Sexy And I Know ItCher Lloyd - With Ur Love (ft. Mike Posner)Hot Chelle Rae - I Like It Like That

Free polls from Pollhost.com

Top 50 Singles of 2010: 50-46

50. Lady Gaga & Beyonce - Telephone



Two of the biggest popstars on the planet and an epic, long form video. It was a deliriously entertaining way to start the new year.

49. Elin Lanto - Funeral



An anthem if there ever was one. She set the chorus to “soaring” and never let up after that.

48. Mike Posner - Cooler Than Me



A deserved hit for its sleek electro shuffle and endearingly catchy hook. One of 2010’s best one hit wonders.

47. Yolanda Be Cool - We No Speak Americano



The year’s best novelty dance tune, it’s as stupid as it is catchy. Infuriatingly catchy, as a matter of fact…

46. Alphabeat - DJ (I Should Be Dancing/Le Kid - We Should Go Home Together




I can’t separate the two because the bands are so similar. Both deserved wider success than they got this year. Two of the happiest songs of 2010.

Track-by-Track: Mike Posner - 31 Minutes to Takeoff

Mike Posner's debut album is pretty interchangeable with every other current album of this genre. He fits in with the Taio Cruz's and Jason Derulo's well, so in lieu of any artistic groundbreaking, 31 Minutes becomes a case of which songs are worth hearing and which are not.

1. 31 Minutes to Takeoff - This short intro is the kind of track that I wish would have exploded into a full-blown song. The synths are beautiful. It's a shame that it doesn't segue very well into the first song.

2. Please Don't Go - A very pleasant uptempo radio number with a catchy bridge and hyper-repetitive chorus. It's set to be the second single and is a very good choice in that regard. 9/10

3. Bow Chicka Wow Wow - This actually isn't as bad as the title would suggest. The melody's a lot better than the lyrics and I like the cheesy guitar after the first chorus. Other than that, it's a skipper. 5/10

4. Cooler Than Me - One of this summer's most addictive hits. It's far and away what this album will be remembered for. The lyrics and electro pulse exhibited here was what I was hoping to find more of on the album as a whole. 10/10

5. Deja Vu - This is pretty straightforward pop/r&b, but it works better than a lot of the other tracks thanks to an infectious, uptempo melody and an old school sensibility (love the background vocals). 7/10

6. Do You Wanna? - Continues with the old-school feeling thanks to some live brass and a big hook (the best part of the song by far). Not as successful as the last track, though. 6/10

7. Cheated - A more Taio Cruz-esque uptempo, electro number, though the melody (and mean-spirited lyrics) make this a definite skipper. 5/10

8. Gone In September - A gentle, shuffling acoustic ballad. It's all a little Jason Mraz, but Posner's delivery saves it (as does the pleasant, Summery chorus - though it's go a bit of a bite). 7/10

9. Save Your Goodbye - This atmospheric ballad may just have the most staying power of anything on the album. The "hello's" are reminiscent of Lionel Richie (whether that's conscious or not), but it's the massive hook that sets this apart. 10/10

10. Synthesizer - An odd, slow-burning r&b track. The title's better than the actual song, to be honest. The chorus is pleasant, but too sleepy. 6/10

11. Delta 1406 - This keeps sounding like it's going to explode into some massive electro number, but it remains a disappointing, murky dirge of a song. It's the most experimental by far, but the experiment results in something more akin to mood music than an actual song. 4/10

12. Falling - Another ballad to close off the album, though it morphs into a midtempo electro stomp halfway through. The vocals are nice (especially the background), but it's not particularly memorable. 6/10

Album Grade: 6.8/10

(Delete a bunch of filler tracks and add You Don't Have To Leave and Evil Woman from his previous recordings and you've got a great EP)

Mike Posner - Save Your Goodbye

"You're everywhere I go"

I should not like Mike Posner's music. It's so chart-ready, so of-the-moment-soul-pop and so unoriginal. BUT... I fell for Cooler Than Me on first listen back at the beginning of Summer and the love affair continues each time I hear it on the radio. Even more worryingly, the follow up single Please Don't Go has struck me just as hard. That being said, most of the other blue-eyed-soul/electro tracks on the debut album don't scale the heights of the singles. But Posner's got a couple of things going for him. First, his voice reminds me of similar artists making hits in Sweden (a good thing if you're me!). Second, he knows how to write a hook. I usually select uptempo tracks to post, but my favorite non-single track on the album's actually an atmospheric ballad that I'd pick as an easy third single. This is a HIT. (and can anyone else imagine Darren Hayes singing this? Or is it just me?)

Mike Posner - Save Your Goodbye by alienhits

(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.

Mike Posner - You Don't Have To Leave

"I'll be in the sky, somewhere far away"

I reviewed Mike Posner's fantastic single yesterday in Pop Blitz, and it's one of my tips for the Summer. The song's gonna be huge, and rightfully so. In addition to the single, Posner's released two free albums of demos, remixes and teasers. The quality ranges from forgettable to kind of brilliant, with this track being the latter. Posner seems torn between a dance sound and a more predictable hip-hop sound. Either way, it's his vocals that really stand out. They remind me of some of my favorite Scandinavian singers (Erik Hassle, Thomas Troelsen, etc), which is a rare thing to find in the States. You Don't Have To Leave was produced by Australia's Miami Horror. It's a perfect, and somewhat surprising, combination. I would love it if he worked with dance producers like this for the album. We don't have a male pop singer like that in America, who straddles genres and doesn't automatically succumb to trends. But if this is just a one-off, it's at least a great one-off.

Mike Posner - You Don't Have to Leave by alienhits

(Music posted for evaluation purposes only. If you like what you hear, support the artists. Download the free albums on his myspace. Follow me on twitter and facebook.

Pop Blitz 6/2/10

Robyn - Dancing On My Own
A worthy successor to With Every Heartbeat, this is yet more proof that Robyn has mastered the aural equivalent of heartbreak on the dancefloor. A

Eminem - Not Afraid
Should have been called "Not Again." It's all very 2002. The pissed off rapping, the off-key singing. It doesn't work anymore, and the hook is too weak. C-

Pendulum - Watercolour
I appreciate the epic melding of dance and rock that these guys specialize in. That being said, this is not, melodically, one of their stronger singles. It sounds a little bit like BT's (superior) work. B-

B.O.B. - Airplanes (ft. Hayley Williams)
I have a feeling this song is more popular because of who's involved than the actual merits of the production. Compared to similar emo-rap tracks, this is middling to average. At least the hook's better than the Eminem one. C+

Lena - Satellite
This year's Eurovision winner. It's certainly catchy, if a bit meh overall. Lily Allen's pretty much got this type of thing covered. Last year's winning song was 100% more exciting. This is simply nice. B

Love Generation - Love Generation
Producer RedOne's new girl-group, and no the song isn't a cover of Bob Sinclar's epic dance tune of the same name (unfortunately). This goes for the "club anthem on the summer" title and falls slightly short of achieving it, settling instead for "mid-rate Melodifestivalen contender." Not entirely a bad thing. B

Mike Posner - Cooler Than Me
Newcomer Mike Posner goes for an electro thump (à la Sam Sparro) with this single. The vocals work well and the melody's subtly addictive. A pleasant surprise. A-