Top 50 Singles of 2011: 50-46

50. Jesse and the Toyboys - Push It



In a year without Gwen Stefani, this was the next best thing. A dirty, cheeky party track

49. Leona Lewis - Collide



Leona tackles dance music to stunning effect. Her voice has never sounded better than on this anthemic belter.

48. Penguin Prison - Fair Warning



A reliably cool and catchy 80's inspired pop song. One of Penguin Prison's best, and that's saying something.

47. Vanbot - Lost Without You



A Robyn-esque dance track, dense and layered and utterly gorgeous. One of the best indie tracks of the year.

46. Take That - Love Love




Take That continue their aggressive, electro-influenced sound with one of their best tracks. It just happens to be attached to one of the year's best movies, too.

Vanbot - By The Side Of This Road

"I wake up when the sun's still down"

Yes, I know this blog has been a little Vanbot crazy lately, but if you needed one more reason to give her just-released album a listen, here it is. By The Side Of This Road is more uptempo than the past tracks I've posted, and has one hell of a chorus. As usual, their are vocal elements of Robyn, Lene from Aqua and even 80's Madonna in this. It's an incredibly propulsive dance-pop track that, if chosen as a single, could do wonders for her. The entire album is uploaded on Vanbot's soundcloud page, and I encourage everyone to listen to it. Sure, there are a couple of tracks that are a bit too meandering for my taste, but the highlights are very, very impressive. It's rare to find a debut this strong.

By The Side Of This Road by Vanbot

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

Vanbot - Lost Without You

"You'll be my stranger"

It's so exciting when a pop act like this comes out of nowhere. Yes, I know I wrote about Vanbot very recently, but she just released a second track on her soundcloud page and it's as stunning as the first one so she deserves another mention. She's going for that full-out Robyn With Every Heartbeat/Dancing On My Own sound and that is definitely something that I can't ever get enough of. This is a lush electronic pop opus with a stunning chorus. Vanbot manages to pack so much emotion into such a short, dense space. It's really amazing stuff. And like the first track, this is freely downloadable via the soundcloud link. This is a pop star that is doing things right!

Lost Without You by Vanbot

(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.

Vanbot - Make Me, Break Me

"I have to deal somehow"

A few great blogs have already covered this exciting new artist, but it's my duty to make sure that, if you haven't read about her/(them?) yet, Vanbot doesn't slip through the cracks. If you're a fan of Robyn's music (and if you're reading this blog, chances are pretty high that you are), you're going to love this. Vanbot's music is like a mixture of Robyn, Linda Sundblad and Tove Styrke. In other words, this song is working with some pretty amazing influences. This kind of electro-pop (emphasis on the pop) is unique to Scandinavia. It's a combination of the very Swedish vocals and the characteristically cool beats that make this such a treat. There's an iciness to the sound, but it never interferes with an instant chorus and radio-friendly melody. Best yet, the album's out in less than a month and this song is free to download through the soundcloud link below!

Make Me, Break Me by Vanbot

(Music posted for evaluation purposes only. If you like what you hear, support the artists. Download the song (above) for free! Follow me on twitter and facebook.