Song Of The Day: Drake feat. Lil Wayne- "The Motto"

I didn't think much of this song, since it's fairly forgettable, and sounds just like every other Drake or Lil Wayne song we've heard the last few years.  But the video redeems it all for me.  It's a tribute to fallen Bay Area rap legend Mac Dre, and it features multiple shots with my favorite rapper E-40.  Seeing these guys in a big-time trendy rap video makes me so happy.  E-40 is 44 now, and Mac Dre was never a well-known commodity, so hopefully this gets people interested in Bay Area rap again ahead of E-40's upcoming triple release in March.  Even if this song is almost laughably uninspired.

Friday Throwback Jam Of The Day: This Link

Want a Friday Throwback Jam?  How 'bout six?  Check 'em out here, in my newest column for cherryontop.com.  This may seem like a cop-out, but trust me, six jams are better than one!

Song Of The Day: Flo Rida feat. Sia- "Wild Ones"

Pretty much just a typical Flo Rida song, but the chorus sung by Sia will get stuck in your head for days upon days.  Trust me, I know from experience.  You may not like this song, but you will wind up listening to it more than a lot of songs you genuinely enjoy.  Sorry.

Song Of The Day: Jason Mraz- "I Won't Give Up"

Happy 2012!  The last time we heard from Jason Mraz, he was breaking us out of our winter doldrums with a healthy dose of ukelele in "I'm Yours."  Now, in the dead of winter, he's decided to break out the old acoustic guitar and give us a similar type of tune.  "I Won't Give Up" starts about as simply as a song can start (just a voice and a couple guitar plucks), then begins to pick up as Mraz adds more and more emotion to his vocals.  The result is a more powerful, but less positive and less catchy song than his previous midwinter smash "I'm Yours."  However, if the early sales are any indication, this will be hitting the same spots on the chart as that did, so clearly the man knows what he's doing.

By the way, how 'bout this "lyric video," huh?  Dunno if I've ever seen a supposed lyric video as detailed and plot-laden as this one.  It's hard to read the lyrics when you're trying to follow the story!  I wonder if they'll even bother making as music video after putting so much effort into the lyric video.

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!