Top 30 Songs Of 2011- Part 2

When I started this blog back in June, I didn't know if people would find my opinions on music to be valid or not, and six months later, as we close out 2011...well, I still have no idea.  But 2012 is lookin' good for this blog, so I hope to keep you all entertained throughout.  But to move towards the future, we must first look back at the past, or some bull like that.  Without further ado, here are the top 15 songs of 2011.  Here's hoping for a similarly awesome year of music in 2012!

15. Foster The People- "Pumped Up Kicks (Gigamesh Remix)":

VERY important distinction here.  The remix is earning the #15 spot, not the original.  The original would be around this same spot on a potential "Most Annoying Songs of 2011" list.  But this remix- perfection.  If only they could have made some agreement to play this version instead of the mind-numbingly boring and grating regular version, maybe I wouldn't have had to change the radio station every ten seconds this summer.  

14. Alexandra Stan- "Mr. Saxobeat":

This saxy, horny beat makes me...well, let me just stop right there and allow you to enjoy the song without any further commentary.

13. The Script- "For The First Time":

Change of pace here- what most people would call a bland pop/rock song.  Well, every list needs one.  I can't have just jams on here, you know?  Gotta have some more emotional music in here too.  When the going gets tough, you just gotta find (or re-discover) the special someone so you can make it through together.  At least, that's what The Script would have you believe.  Me?  I'll go with Money Over Everything...

12. Avicii- "Levels":

Aaaand back to our previously uninterrupted stream of nonstop Jams.  This was probably the single biggest dance/house anthem of 2011, and it'll continue to be popular throughout 2012 as well.  Get to know it!

11. Lupe Fiasco- "Coming Up":

Unquestionably the biggest rap Jam of the year.  As I said on the Hip-Hop Countdown (where it was #1), I couldn't believe it wasn't released as a single.  There's still time, Lupe...push for it!  Whatever.  At least this way, I get to keep it relatively to myself.

10. Eli Young Band- "Crazy Girl":

Here's my favorite country song of 2011.  I know it's soft, but hopefully you can appreciate it nonetheless.  Not everything can be a Jam, you know...

9. Lights- "Toes":

 Haven't mentioned this song at all on the blog to this point, so it may be a surprise for all you legions of regular readers to see it in the top ten.  Well geez, guys, I gotta have some tricks up my sleeve!  I can't just lay it all out there in the open!  Gotta be some surprises on the year-end list!  Anyway, this is your underdog pick for 2011, and one of the few songs that I played on repeat on multiple occasions this year.  Not to mention Lights is A. rather attractive and B. affiliated with my favorite electropop act, Owl City...

8. Ellie Goulding- "Lights (Bassnectar Remix)":

 Dubstep remix/pop Jam of the year, no doubt.  Look up "Ellie Goulding Dubstep" on YouTube and you'll find a ton of other good stuff, too.  For some reason, she's like the go-to artist to make really good dubstep remixes to.  Must be the voice...

7. Kelly Rowland feat. Lil Wayne- "Motivation":

 Far, far, FAR and away the best R&B song this year.  Miles ahead of the competition.  Where does that get you on the ultimate list?  #7.  Not bad.  Check out the awesome star-studded remix, too.

6. Maroon 5 feat. Christina Aguilera- "Moves Like Jagger":

Definitely the #1 uptempo pop jam of the year, and the Song Of The Summer.  Watch this video closely, too...no, not for Mick Jagger...although he's cool too...

5. M83- "Midnight City":

I guess this is the best "electronic" song of the year, whatever that means.  This is one of those songs you can chill out to, or groove to, or rage to.  Very versatile.  5-tool song.  Got a good chance to go high in the draft next year...

4. Lady Gaga- "You & I":

This Gaga classic with the bizarre video emerged as the winner of my Top 20 Songs Of 2011- Billboard Edition.  But once we opened it up to any and every song released in 2011, it slipped to fourth.  So that means three somewhat out-of-the-mainstream songs make up the top three.  What could they be?  Let's see.

3. Adele- "Set Fire To The Rain":

This song has finally picked up in popularity, which has deserved to happen since it was released with Adele's sophomore album 21, in February, and immediately established itself as the standout track (in my eyes anyway).  But it wasn't enough popularity to get it onto the Billboard year-end chart, so I get to claim it as "obscure" and "out of the mainstream" for purposes of this list.  Either way, it comes in at #3, because it evokes so much emotion, more so than almost any other song this year...

2. Kaskade feat. Mindy Gledhill- "Eyes":

As I mentioned yesterday in my Top Dance Songs of 2011, "Eyes" evokes some serious emotion.  If you're not feeling it, take a deep breath, turn the sound way up, and let the whole song wash over you.  It starts slow, but trust me, it's worth it.  This song slowly snuck up my list during the final part of the year, and came thisclose to unseating the presumptive champion, but it couldn't quite do it.  Instead, Number 1 goes to (drumroll please)...

1. Chris Brown & Benny Benassi- "Beautiful People":

Just like on the dance chart, Breezy and Benassi take the overall victory over Kaskade, and thus "Beautiful People" earns the title of Best Song Of 2011.  Did I know this would win the first time I heard it?  No, but I started to have a good idea as I played it more and more over the year, to the point where its play count was running laps around every other song released this year.  It just wouldn't have been fair to give the title to anyone else.  So tap your foot so hard you piss off your downstairs neighbor (which really happened to me this year while listening to this song!), and keep on tappin' it right into 2012.  See you on the flip side!

¡Los Links!

BEFORE we get to the Top 15 Songs of 2011 (coming very soon, btw!) I have to share with you two links.  First, I would be remiss to not post the best pop music video mashup every year, none other than DJ Earworm's United State Of Pop 2011 (World Go Boom).  It's not as good as the classic from 2009, but it's still pretty good, so here ya go:

Second, I'll shamelessly cross-promote my work for cherryontop.com.  This week, I wrote a review of Rihanna's new music video "You Da One."  Hint: the video's not very good.  But go read it anyway!

http://www.cherryontop.com/2011/12/rihanna%E2%80%99s-you-da-one-video-more-project-runway-than-music-video/

Thanks!  And check back very soon for the Top 15 of 2011!

Top 30 Songs Of 2011- Part One

Here are Consider Me Named's top 30 for the year 2011  If you've been reading the other lists from the past few days, you'll probably recognize most of them.  This playlist was mostly organized by how many times I played each song (the most played being the highest on the list, obviously), but I also took personal preference into account.  Since a 30-song playlist would take forever to read/load, this will be split up into two parts; 30-16 now, 15-1 later today.  Enjoy!

30. Jessie J- "Domino":

One of the best pure pop songs of the year, this one barged its way onto the list despite only coming out late in the year, and it will certainly barge its way to the top of the charts in 2012.

29. Rihanna feat. Calvin Harris- "We Found Love":

This song hit #1 and stayed there for eight weeks, making it one of the biggest hits of the year along with "Rolling In The Deep" and "Party Rock Anthem," (neither of which you'll find on this list).  But because of Billboard's ridiculous timeframes, much of its chart success in 2011 will actually count towards 2012, and it's denied its rightful place in the top 5.  Well, Rihanna will always have a home here, although this only comes in at #29.  Sorry, RiRi- there were better songs out there this year!

28. Radio Killer- "Don't Let The Music End":

This might be the most recent release to make the year-end list.  It may not stand the test of time, but for right now, I still think it's an unquestionably epic jam, so it gets to sit pretty at #28.  Maybe it's just the awesome and colorful video.

27. Hot Chelle Rae- "I Like It Like That":

Like "Domino," this is just an impossibly catchy pop song, one of those songs you can't stop playing because it gets stuck in your head, one that you really do need to play with the radio up and windows down.  Unfortunately, it's gonna be hard to do that in most places right now...but hey, how bout this mild winter we're having?  Maybe you can blast this with the windows down!  Until we get blasted by the inevitable blizzard that we all know is coming at some point.

26. Swedish House Mafia- "Save The World":

Epic arena dance anthem.  Video with dogs.  What else could you ask for?

25. Britney Spears feat. Ninki Minaj & Ke$ha- "Till The World Ends (Remix)":

I had the regular version on my Top 20 of 2011- Billboard Edition, but since I get to put whatever I want on this list, I'll put the remix on here because I like it better.  Apparently this song was actually written by Ke$ha, so it only makes sense that she gets her turn to perform it on the remix.  Unfortunately, it's pretty much the same song after after the first 90 seconds, but that's not such a bad thing.

24. Kaskade- "Turn It Down (Le Castle Vania Remix)":

Just featured this one on my Top 10 Dance Jams Of 2011 list yesterday, and it was so good it made it onto this list as well.  The original is good, but this remix is better, trust me.

23. Avicii- "Silhouettes":

Yep, this one was on yesterday's dance list too!  Not the last time you'll see a repeat from that list, trust me.  Anyway, this is a jam, and Avicii will be tearing up the charts in 2012 if he keeps making songs like these.

22. Sultan & Ned Shepard feat. Nadia Ali- "Call My Name (Spencer & Hill Remix)":

This was a big-time jam for me over the summer.  It somehow slipped out of my Top 10 in dance, but here it is at #22 for the year.  Definitely a headbanger.

21. Rihanna feat. Jay-Z- "Talk That Talk":

Correction: THIS is the most recent entry into the Top 30.  This was released in late November, but it's such a great song, it jumped into the countdown anyway.  And unlike the last song I said was a late addition, this one will almost definitely stand the test of time.

20. Nadia Ali- "Rapture (Avicii Remix)":

Another Nadia Ali song, this one was on the Dance Jams list as well.  The original version of this song came out back in 2001, when Nadia Ali was the vocalist for a group called iiO.  Now, ten years later, it was decided that the song was so iconic that it needed commemorative remixes, and Avicii's was so good, it started getting played in all the clubs in 2011.  And it comes in at #20 here.  Beast.

19. Chris Brown feat. Busta Rhymes & Lil Wayne- "Look At Me Now":

Yep, once again, this song shows up on a year-end list.  And once again, I remind you that the real video you should be watching is this Literal MSPaint version, which has to be one of the funniest videos of 2011.  Or maybe, this "nerdy white kid" impressively rapping his own version, or these people doing a remarkably good (and clean) cover.  And one day, maybe I'll record myself doing the Lil Wayne verse to prove to everyone I really know it.  But for now, at least just enjoy the regular version of this jam one more time.

18. Nadia Ali, Starkillers, & Alex Kenji- "Pressure (Alesso Radio Edit)":

Wow, I guess 2011 was the year of Nadia Ali!  Four songs already on the year-end Top 30!  That's an incredible pace!  Spoiler alert: she doesn't keep it up.  This is it for Nadia Ali in 2011, but maybe (hopefully) we'll see more of her in 2012, since her presence seems to signify a quality song.  And boy, was this one quality.

17. Lupe Fiasco- "Beautiful Lasers":

This was one of the best hip-hop tracks of the year, as you can tell from its placement on my Top Rap Songs of 2011 list.  It's just intense; there's no other word to accurately describe it.  But not intense in a bludgeon-you-over-the-head way, more in a let-this-wash-over-me way.  If you know what I mean.  You know what, just listen to the song.

16. Nicole Scherzinger feat. 50 Cent- "Right There":

A lot of you might hate on this selection, but hey, my list.  Nicole's obviously trying to ape Rihanna here, but there's no problem with that in my book.  If more singers tried to do that, there's be a lot more good music on the radio.  I will admit the "me like"s are a little cringeworthy.  But aside from that, this is a great mid-tempo island-flavored pop song.  Nothing to hate on there.

Check back later today for songs #15-1!

Top 10 Dance Jams Of 2011

Well.  2011 was a HUGE year for dance music all over the world.  Interestingly, this happened to coincide with me, for the first time, taking a major step toward an out-of-the-mainstream genre, that genre being, of course, dance music.  No sooner had I finally established my "niche" than that niche suddenly became the hottest thing going.  DJ's selling out arenas, even stadiums, all over the place, every hit song needing a dance beat to sell, massive dance tours and festivals seemingly drawing pretty much everyone between the ages of 18-24.  It feels like a revolution.

Of course, maybe that's just me.  But watching the YouTube live feed of the Swedish House Mafia show at Madison Sqaure Garden a couple weeks ago, I couldn't help but feel like it was an event, like the movement was reaching a tipping point.  I'm going out on a limb here and saying dance music is going to explode in America in 2012 like it never has before- yes, even rivaling the disco era.  And if it does, I will be at the front of the line.  Having said that, let's take a look at some of the best tracks from 2011 that made it such a year to remember.  It was hard to pare it down to just ten, but here they are (play these songs LOUD):


10. Nadia Ali- "Rapture (Avicii New Generation Radio Edit)":

The original version of this song came out ten years ago, but apparently it was such a memorable jam that, upon its ten-year anniversary, a bunch of special remixes were commissioned.  Naturally, 2011's hottest DJ, Avicii, did the best job with it, and his is the version you see here.  More from him later...

9. Kaskade- "Turn It Down (Le Castle Vania Remix)":

Another of 2011's biggest acts was Kaskade, who literally caused a riot in LA when he Tweeted about an impromptu street concert, and released a new album with some serious bangers.  The original version of this song is good, but this remix is so much better, it's the version I had to put. 

8. Avicii- "Silhouettes":

Here's some more Avicii for your ears.  It's quite possible no DJ had a more meteoric rise to stardom this year than he did, at least here in the States.  Some people might not like the vocals, but I think they add a nice element to the song.  And regardless of that, the beat is incredible, so just sit back and enjoy.

7. Nadia Ali, Starkillers, & Alex Kenji "Pressure (Alesso Radio Edit)":

And here's more of dance's vocal queen Nadia Ali.  Dunno who Starkillers or Alex Kenji are, but Alesso is the other big name here.  He's involved with the Mafia (the Swedish House Mafia, obviously) and he's quite good.  This is his best work, though, from what I can tell anyway.  The pauses in the chorus get me every time.

6. Alexandra Stan- "Mr. Saxobeat":

Yeah, this was all over the pop charts too.  Possibly the biggest hit to cross over from dance to pop this year.  But hey, it started in Romania (where all good music comes from these days, apparently), so it's legit.  It's not some American mass-produced BS; no, these are some real Euro saxobeats.  And i love dude who just keeps going "Oh, oh, oh, M'yeah, m'yeah" over and over.  This is an automatic Jam.

5. Avicii- "Levels":

This song was first recommended to me back in May, and I remember going "Man, who is Avicii? Probably some hipster douchebag."  But then the song started picking up, and I was shocked.  It was a real-life Jam, no exaggeration.  Now it's become the Bro Anthem of Fall 2011, and a mainstay at clubs, bars, raves, and every nightspot in the world.  And with good reason, too.  Let's not forget the timeline of the vocal sample, either: it went Etta James->Pretty Lights->Avicii (best version)->Flo Rida.  While this may not be my absolute favorite dance song of 2011, it will probably wind up being the one I think of first when I think of this year.

4. Ellie Goulding- "Lights (Bassnectar Remix)":

Dubstep obviously played a huge role in the rise of dance music this year, but you won't find any of it on this list, except for this remix of a British singer whose regular music sounds more like Adele but for some reason has been a frequent target of dubstep remixes.  Actually, it's not hard to see why.  Hear how good this sounds?  Figures that her other music would work nicely for dubstep remixes.  Anyway, you'll probably see more dubstep on next year's dance list, but for 2011, this is all I can give you.

3. M83- "Midnight City":

Everyone loved this song this year, but I heard it all by myself, without anyone else telling me about it (and quite possibly before a lot of other people had heard it yet either...look at me, such a hipster).  I came back to my room after a night out back in September, and as I was trolling through iTunes, I stumbled across this song, and I couldn't believe my ears it was so good.  When I woke up in the morning, I checked to see if it was as good as I remembered, and it was...or, 95% anyway. Fast forward 3.5 months, and here it is as the #3 dance Jam of 2011.

2. Kaskade feat. Mindy Gledhill- "Eyes":

The first few times I heard this song, I thought it was boring, a bit slow even.  Apparently, I hadn't listened to it all the way through, on good speakers.  Once I did, I couldn't help myself.  I listened to it over and over and over again, each time finding it more beautiful than the last.  I'm not exaggerating when I say I've almost choked up on a few occasions listening to this song.  Not quite, mind you.  But almost.  If I ever heard it live I would probably cross the threshold.  Also worth mentioning- Kaskade would have a third song on this list if "Raining" hadn't come out a couple months too early.  But, as it is, our #1 Dance Jam of 2011 is...

1. Chris Brown feat. Benny Benassi- "Beautiful People":

This song is not as artfully crafted as the last one, or some of the others on the list.  But dammit, it's just SO freakin' catchy.  I couldn't help myself from playing it on repeat this year- whether I was working out, hanging out, getting ready to go out, hearing it when I was out, listening to it again when I got back, etc. etc.  So congrats, Chris Brown and Benny Benassi, by virtue of being absolutely inescapable yet worth the listen every time, you win Best Dance Jam of 2011.  Let's hope that (somehow, if possible) 2012 is even better.

Top 5 Damn Country Songs Of 2011

2011 was a banner year for country music, as tours sold out all over the nation, and America-centric music got a big boost from the death of bin Laden and the 10th anniversary of 9/11.  People wanted to hear the good ol' boys sing about their lives, farms, and, of course, drinkin'.  Girls swooned over pretty country love songs.  Basically, as more and more people moved into cities and urban areas, more and more people wanted to pretend they lived in the country, and the best way to do it was to listen to country music.  So, what were the highlights from this big-time year for country?  Let's take a look.

5. Brad Paisley feat. Alabama- "Old Alabama":

This is basically the 2011 country version of "Sweet Home Alabama."  Less politically charged, though.  The video is great- who knew Jeff Gordon was a Brad Paisley fan!  Actually, in the NASCAR part of the country, everyone probably knows that.  But I sure didn't.

4. The Band Perry- "All Your Life":

This is a pretty girly song, I guess.  But the key word there is pretty, not girly.  For that reason, it makes the list at number 4.  The lead singer (Wikipedia tells me it's Kimberly Perry) has a truly fantastic voice; she does things vocally that are rather difficult to do and still sound good.  So, maybe I'm giving them this spot out of respect for their technical chops.  Not cause I like pretty, girly songs.  No way.

3. Toby Keith- "Made In America":

This should join the pantheon of "America" songs, like "Proud To Be An American," "Courtesy Of The Red, White, and Blue," or "American Soldier."  Wait, those last two were also Toby Keith.  Guess he's kinda got the market cornered already.  And get this- apparently Toby Keith is actually a Democrat (albeit one who occasionally donates to people like Rick Perry)?  Well, if this is true, then consider him the type of Democrat I aspire to be- one who isn't afraid to wave a flag, and fire hatred at enemies who wholeheartedly deserve it.  Anyway, this video is pure Americana, so enjoy it!

2. Blake Shelton- "Honey Bee":

Girls love Blake Shelton.  Too bad he's taken.  But hey, if you'll be his soft and sweet, maybe, just maybe, he'll ditch Miranda and be your strong and steady.  Or better yet, if you'll be his Little Loretta, he'll be your Conway Twitty.

1. Eli Young Band- "Crazy Girl":

If you read my Best of 2011- Billboard Edition, this should come as no surprise.  But yes, "Crazy Girl" was the best country song of 2011.  Again, let's just chalk it up to, uh, impressive vocals from a clearly talented lead singer.  Cool?  Cool!

Top 5 R&B Songs Of 2011

I was just reading that mainstream R&B has stagnated and fallen well behind alternative R&B in terms of quality.  This made me realize that maybe I've been "doing it" wrong when it comes to finding good R&B tracks, because 2011 was indeed a barren year for quality mainstream R&B.  Hopefully 2012 will be better, but in the meantime, here are the Top 5 standouts from this past year.


5. Jason DeRulo- "Don't Wanna Go Home":

Yes, the world's least-inventive, most-sampling Auto-Tune specialist was back with a new album in 2011, and it contained all the stuff you thought it might contain.  This song, however, at least managed to entertain me somewhat.  And it sampled "Day-O (The Banana Boat Song)," so it sneaks in at number 5 for the year.

4. Trey Songz- "Can't Be Friends":

At the dining hall at my school, the cafeteria ladies (for lack of a better word) always listen to the Sirius XM station "Heart And Soul," and there are certain songs the station (and the lunch ladies) seem to particularly enjoy.  We call these "Diner Jams."  Let's just say "Can't Be Friends" was a HUGE diner jam this year.  It's also, however, a pretty good song, so it gets number 4.

3. Chris Brown feat. Ludacris- "Wet The Bed":

There was perhaps no song more insinuating than "Wet The Bed" in 2011.  Chris Brown's gotten pretty good at these by now.  And who better to put on a track called "Wet The Bed" than Ludacris?  Maybe Plies, but that combo wouldn't be as awesome.  Nope, Chris Brown and Luda definitely made some beds wet in 2011.


2. Lloyd feat. Andre 3000- "Dedication To My Ex":

If "Wet The Bed" was the most insinuating song in 2011, this was the most outright dirty, yet with a smooth gloss, that I've maybe ever heard.  The video, also, was absolutely fantastic.  Don't think this one ever really got the heavy rotation, but it was genius nonetheless.

1. Kelly Rowland feat. Lil Wayne- "Motivation":

Well, if "Wet The Bed" was the most insinuating song, and "Dedication To My Ex" was the dirtiest song, "Motivation" was the sexiest song, and the best R&B song, of 2011.  And it really was a blowout.  Not even close.  Not even close to close, actually.  And there really isn't much more for me to say about it.  But where will it go on the overall 2011 list?  You'll have to check back tomorrow.

Top 10 Hip-Hop Songs of 2011

2011 wasn't a great year for hip-hop, but to my surprise, I was able to pretty easily come up with a list of ten mainstream hip-hop songs from the year that I genuinely enjoyed.  In fact, there were more than this, but I pared it down to ten for this list.  Most surprising, yet personally enjoyable, discovery about this list: NO Jay-Z or Kanye.  I've had enough of those two.  Lots of Lil Wayne and Lupe though.  Always interesting the way these things work out...

10. Maino feat. Roscoe Dash- "Let It Fly":

This is easily the least defendable choice on this list.  For that reason, I felt compelled to include it, if only to show myself that I DO still enjoy the occasional crappy never-gonna-make-it rap song with a dope beat.  So there you have it.  Maino and Roscoe Dash.  Hell yeah.

9. The Game feat. Lil Wayne and Tyler, The Creator- "Martians vs. Goblins":

Tyler is definitely the strong point here, but Game brings it hard too.  More memorable lines in this one than almost any other rap song this year.  The chorus is seriously lacking, though, so I can't put it any higher than ninth.

8. Lupe Fiasco feat. Trey Songz- "Out Of My Head":

First of three Lupe songs on the list.  Nobody did melodic rap/R&B better than him this year.  These types of songs might have been meant for the ladies, but they snared me too.  Not in THAT way, but, you know, musically.  OK I'm just gonna be quiet and move to the next song.

7. Lil Wayne feat. Rick Ross- "John":

Literally no better drug-money song than this one this year.  The video was disgusting, though.  Way too many rats crawling around Rick Ross' legs in that warehouse parking lot.  And he's in a wheelchair.  What?  Brought it down a notch in my book.  Also, why would you be loading up the choppers on December 31?  If anyone can explain that to me, I'd be very grateful.

6. T-Pain vs. Chuckie feat. Pitbull- "It's Not You (It's Me)":

This really shouldn't count as hip-hop.  It's a dance song.  But iTunes classifies it as "Hip-Hop/Rap," because that's how it classified T-Pain's whole album.  Thus, I can include it in this list, and not in the Dance list (coming tomorrow), where it wouldn't make the Top 10.  Gotta love self-made loopholes.

5. Big K.R.I.T. feat. Ludacris and Bun B- "Country Shit (Remix)":

When I heard this song, I thought Dirty-South rap might be making a comeback.  Sadly, I was wrong.  We're still in the era of drug-money rap and Twitter rap, and it doesn't seem to be swinging back to the rap of my childhood anytime soon.  So I'll make do with the occasional outlier, and hope it's a legitimate jam like this one is.

4. DJ Khaled feat. Rick Ross, Plies, Lil Wayne and T-Pain- "Welcome To My Hood":

Following in the glorious tradition of previous DJ Khaled-featuring-the-whole-rap-industry bangers like "We Takin' Over," "Out Here Grindin,'" and the all-time jam "I'm So Hood," we were graced this year with "Welcome To My Hood."  Watching the video made me warm and fuzzy all over, especially when Plies said his boys "would've robbed Noreaga."  Ah, Plies.  You never fail to deliver the most brow-furrowing lines in the rap game.  Also, the remix for this song is, obviously, even more legit.

3. Lupe Fiasco- "Beautiful Lasers":

And, in an abrupt change of pace, we come to the darkest song on the list.  Lupe Fiasco tends to make more self-conscious music, and this one is somewhat suicidal, but regardless of its tone, if a song sounds this good, it'll get near the top of any list. 

2. Chris Brown feat. Busta Rhymes and Lil Wayne- "Look At Me Now":

I've written about this song a bunch of times already, so I'm not gonna say much more about it.  It was the best pure-rap song of 2011, though.  Funny that it came from Chris Brown, who we normally associate with crooning.  Of course, he gets shown up hardcore by both Busta and Wayne, so it's not that much of a surprise.

1. Lupe Fiasco- "Coming Up":

If you didn't see this one "coming up" at the end of the countdown (har har), you must not be very good at counting.  Why this never became a radio release is one of the biggest music mysteries of 2011, in my opinion.  It's beyond infectious.  if you weren't blasting this song back in the spring and summer, I don't really know what you WERE listening to.  Please don't tell me it was this.  If more rap sounds like this in 2012, we could be in for a return to the good old days.

Top 5 Alt/Rock Songs Of 2011

2011 wasn't exactly a banner year for rock music, as industry heavyweights like the New York Times and yours truly claimed.  However, that doesn't mean there weren't still some great new releases this year.  Honorable mention goes to Two Door Cinema Club, whose hit "What You Know" would have been #1 on this list, but, alas, it came out in 2010.  As such, here are the top 5 alt/rock songs of 2011.

5. Parachute- "What I Know":

Very pretty and evocative song.  I'd have preferred for it to pick up a little more at some point, sort of like their last hit, "Under Control" did, but nevertheless, this is a hard song not to like.

4. AWOLNATION- "Sail":

Again, a very evocative song, but in a very different way.  This is, I dare say, haunting.  The last song, I would maybe listen to in a field on a sunny day.  This one, more like as I drove through a rundown industrial district on a rainy day after I had just made a big mistake and I was starting to feel emo about it.  Unusual for me to like a song like that, but if it's done well, I'll enjoy just about anything.

3. Grouplove- "Tongue Tied":

Yes, I just featured this one, and yes, it's the song from the iPod Touch commercial.  But it already made into the top 5.  The Alt/Rock list was not a hard one to break into this year.

2. Coldplay- "Paradise":

Great song, incredibly awesome video.  Easily one of the best videos of the year (if I had more time, I'd do a countdown of that as well).  If you don't like this video, there might be something wrong with you.  Like, you don't have feelings or something of that nature. Could be one of two things: you have Aspergers, or you're a Terminator.  I hope for our sake it's the first one...

1. Young The Giant- "My Body":

Yep, I recently featured this one too.  As I said, it was mighty easy to make this list this year.  Had I made it in other years, there would have been clawing and grabbing to make the top 5, let alone the top spot.  But this year, Young The Giant waltzed right in here and snagged it from a pitiful field of uninspired pretenders.  Maybe these guys can give the "scene" a boost of energy in 2012, and beef up the contenders a bit.  Here's hoping they do.

Top 20 Songs Of 2011- Billboard Hot 100 Edition

Greetings, dear readers!  After a long finals-and-holidays hiatus, Consider Me Named is back, and ready to give you our year-end countdowns.  Today, we start with the Top 20 Songs of 2011, based entirely on the Billboard Year-End Hot 100 Chart.  This means we looked at the 100-song list, and picked our favorite 20 from it, and then ranked them 20-1.  The only songs ineligible for our rankings were songs that already appeared on last year’s countdown, of which there were quite a few.  So, without further ado, here are the rankings:

20. Jessie J Featuring B.o.B - "Price Tag"

Not much to this one- just a pure pop song, with a positive, if slightly unrealistic, message.  Right, Jessie J...we’re all just gonna forget about the money, and dance.  Lovely thought, but I’m pretty content to keep sittin’ right here on my piles of internet money*, thank you very much.

*All internet money purely fictional.

19. Bruno Mars - "The Lazy Song"

Another basic pop song with a very simple message  Or, rather, a simple theme.  “I’m lazy” isn’t really a message, I guess.  As I believe I mentioned before, this is not a good song to listen to if you have work to do.  However, if you’re looking for an excuse to lay in your bed and, I don’t know, wear a monkey mask, this video should be first up on your playlist.

18. Nicki Minaj Featuring Drake - "Moment 4 Life"

What’s telling about 2011 in pop music is that, despite this song being number 18, I don’t really like it all that much.  How does a song get this high if it’s not even that good?  Last year, I genuinely enjoyed every song on the list.  Guess there were just fewer truly great songs this year.  Here’s hoping for a turnaround in 2012.

17. Lil Wayne Featuring Drake - "She Will"

One of the only true non-crossover rap songs on this list, “She Will” succeeds because of its lush beat and Lil Wayne’s typically clever lines.  Although I don’t really get the chorus: “Maybe she won’t, but then again maybe she will?”  Look, when you’re as rich and successful as these guys are, shouldn’t you never still be with girls about which you have to guess if they “will?”  Just sayin’.

16. Jennifer Lopez Featuring Pitbull - "On The Floor"

2011 was the year when J-Lo came back for real., and this worldwide club jam was the main reason why.  460 million YouTube views don’t lie; the only person bigger than her was apparently Justin Bieber.  What’s funny about that, of course, is that he’s actually smaller than her.  What can I say- the kid clearly has a Napoleon complex.

15. Blake Shelton - "Honey Bee"

Here’s the first of three country songs on this year’s list.  And wow, did I have a lot to choose from.  Yep, 2011 saw the continued rise of country into the mainstream, and if more of the songs were as quality as this one, there’d be even more on the list.  Obviously, stuff like this is easy to make fun of, but if you remove your urban cynicism, it’s infectious.

14. Chris Brown - "Yeah 3X"

This is a very solid club song from an artist slowly starting to creep his way into the all-time pantheon of jam-makers.  What intigued me most about it, though, was the title.  Why call it “Yeah 3X?”  Was “Yeah Yeah Yeah” copyrighted already?  You can’t copyright a song title, though, can you?  I mean, how many songs have been called “Hero” or “Heaven” or stuff like that?  Clearly nobody’s copyrighted those.  Maybe Breezy just liked the idea of “Yeah 3X” even though they obviously never say those exact words in the song?  This is the kind of stuff that keeps me up at night.

13. The Script - "For The First Time"

This song doesn’t try to do too much.  It knows what it is- a mid-tempo power-pop piano ballad.  It stays within its well-worn boundaries, carries a somewhat recession-centric theme, and ultimately does its job successfully.  It’s not earth-shattering stuff, but it’s very listenable, and that’s all you can ever really ask for.

12. Rihanna Featuring Calvin Harris - "We Found Love"

This may have been my most-anticipated single of the year.  Either this, or Lady Gaga’s “Born This Way.”  Due to my unrealistic expectations, I sort of wrote this song off after it failed to live up to them.  After repeated (and repeated and repeated) listening, though, it’s slowly crept back up my list as I compared it to everything else out there.  Don’t get me wrong, this is still not Rihanna’s best work.  But she’s so head-and-shoulders above most pop music right now, “We Found Love” has earned its place in the Top Songs of 2011 list.

11. Jason Aldean With Kelly Clarkson - "Don't You Wanna Stay"

2011 was the year of the country duet, and this was the best of the crop.  As such, it lands almost in the top 10, which is certainly not something I ever thought I’d say about a Kelly Clarkson song.  Not after abominations like this.  Jason Aldean is a little more understandable, but still, this is one of the most surprising inclusions of the year.  Just goes to show you should never count an artist out, cause you never know what they’ll bring to the table in the future.

10. Dev - "In The Dark"

As I mentioned when I featured this song as a Song Of The Day, the saxophone made a big comeback in 2011 (maybe thanks to this guy?) and no saxy song made a bigger impact on the charts than this one.  As with many songs on the list, this song tried to fit into a very specific category (sultry mid-tempo club jam) and did exactly that.  Let this be a lesson to producers out there- if you want a hit, go for a very specific sound, and don’t stop till you get it.

9. Mike Posner - "Please Don't Go"

It feels a bit unfair to include this, since it came out so long ago, but it wasn’t on last year’s list, so I’m free to put it on the 2011 list even though it came out in August 2010.  A song like this is difficult for me, because I instinctively know that it’s not a very good song, but at the same time, I really like it, so isn’t that all that should actually matter?  Anyway, it comes in at number 9.

8. Britney Spears - "Till The World Ends"

Pretty simple- this is a straight up Jam with a capital J.  As long as Britney keeps making songs like this, she can keep her career going for decades.  Maybe.  She’ll have to refrain from shaving her head again, and keeping the weight down would be a plus, too.  But musically, anyway, she’d be set.

7. Pitbull Featuring T-Pain - "Hey Baby (Drop It To The Floor)"

Once again, I present to you one of the biggest Jams of the year.  This one was more of a club jam, although it got considerable radio play as well.  Either way, it was almost impossible not to bob your head, tap your foot, or fist pump like a true juicehead gorilla whenever you heard this song.  Or...it was for me, anyway.

6. Eli Young Band - "Crazy Girl"

Here’s our top country song of the year.  Sure, it’s a little “soft” compared to some of the other songs on this list, but you know what?  My list.  My choices.  If you wanna hate, I’ll put a boot in your ass, cause it’s the American way.

5. Rihanna - "S&M"

This inclusion also feels a little silly, since this is more of a 2010 song, but it’s in Billboard’s 2011 Top 100, and wasn’t in my list for last year, so it’s eligible.  And if it’s eligible, you’re damn right it’s a Top 5 song.  It’s no “Only Girl,” but this is still a certifiable, undeniable Jam.

4. Kelly Rowland Featuring Lil Wayne – "Motivation"

No doubt about it- this was the Babymakin’ Jam of 2011.  If you didn’t make a baby to this song this year, well, what were you doing?  Listening to Trey Songz?  “Practicing abstinence and personal responsibility?”  Gimme a break.

3. Chris Brown Featuring Lil Wayne & Busta Rhymes - "Look At Me Now"

I don’t have much to say about this song.  Just two things: First, I learned the Lil Wayne verse.  I swear I did.  Easily my biggest accomplishment of the year.  Second, if you have even a vague idea of the lyrics to this song, you’ll want to watch this video.  Thank me later.

2. Maroon 5 Featuring Christina Aguilera - "Moves Like Jagger"

This was undoubtedly the Song Of The Summer in 2011, and and it comes oh-so-close to the top spot for the year as a whole.  But even the venerable trio of Jagger, Levine, and Aguilera (sounds like a law firm) couldn't knock the current Queen of Pop out of the pole position for 2011.

1. Lady Gaga - "You And I"

Last year, Rihanna took the top two spots on this countdown.  And when Gaga’s album came out and I listened to it the whole way through, I was unimpressed, and I thought for sure Rihanna was still the unquestioned Numero Uno.  But the last song on Born This Way changed my mind.  “You And I” saved the album, and saved Lady Gaga’s image in my mind.  This is she needs to do more of.  Were there better songs than it in 2011?  Undoubtedly.  But none of them made the Year-End Top 100, and so of that list, this is head-and-shoulders above the rest of the pack.

Can Gaga hold on to the top spot in 2012?  Will Rihanna wrest back her title?  Or will a new challenger emerge and overtake them both?  The only way to know is to keep reading Consider Me Named in 2012!  Until then, be on the lookout for our “Best Songs of 2011, Period” list, coming soon!