It's hard to believe, but in only a few hundred days, the decade of the 2010's will be behind us. Yes, it may seem far off now, but trust me, the time will past quicker than you think. Can you believe that Adele's 21 is 8 years old now? Firework, and all of those other Katy Perry Summertime classics, all charted over 8 years ago? It's pretty unreal. To celebrate this decade in pop, I thought it'd be cool for me to run through and rank all of the years prior to 2019 on here. Why start with 2011 and not 2010, like any sane human, you ask? Guys, have you SEEN the Billboard Top 100 Year End List for 2011? It's unholy. Adele, Bruno Mars, Rihanna, Katy Perry, Lil Wayne, LMFAO, Lady Gaga, Nicki Minaj, Usher.... everybody was hitting their stride. There are not many years in Pop Music's history where I can say it was agonizing to narrow down the Top 25. Seriously. So. Many. Classics! A lot of it is purely nostalgia, admittedly. I tried to be objective, and cognizant of the fact that some classic songs from our childhoods do not always age gracefully (I'm looking at you, LMFAO.) But because we're all about positivity, and I want to give shine to how great of a year 2011 was for pop music, let's run through some honorable mentions first.
Honorable Mentions!
20. Moves Like Jagger – Maroon 5, Christina Aguilera
Man, I miss when I could enjoy Maroon 5. Adam Levine used to actually inject performances with life and charisma, it's crazy how we've ended up with the unemotive husk of a performer who churns out industry drivel like Don't Wanna Know and Girls Like You. (Sorry, Harsh, but you know it's true.) I also just adore Christina Aguilera as a performer, which is probably my main reason for wanting to include this song. It's no This Love, but it's a fun reminder of simpler times for what was once Maroon 5.
19. S&M – Rihanna
What a year for Rihanna. Between this, What's My Name, Only Girl, We Found Love, and a feature All of the Lights, she left her mark on this year with quality work. Seriously, a majority of those tracks are going to be listed later on this list, and the only thing that keeps some of the other down are factors outside of Rihanna, such as a poor Drake feature on What's My Name. Rihanna was in fire in 2011. This track is a superb vocal performance over a really pulsating rhythm, all circulating a semi-taboo topic and subject matter that keeps the listen interesting. Does Rihanna deserve anything less than the success she enjoyed from this year in Pop music? Nah nah nah nah, come on.
18. Jar of Hearts – Christina Perri
Overdramatic? Perhaps. One of the few tracks with sentiment in a year that could be more or less as described as vapid dance music? You betcha. Perri's vocal performance on this track is perfectly restrained, and the emotion that she was aiming for is completely sold because of it. This track is just kind of out of place for being so serious in this Pop climate, really only Christina and Adele were doing it like this in 2011. Also, that crescendo build to close this beauty out? Perfect.
17. Bottoms Up – Trey Songz, Nicki Minaj
I expect ZERO shame for giving props to the one and only "Mr. Steal Yo Girl." This song is nasty in the best way, it is just brimming with hooks, quotables, and catchy melodies. Every moment of this song is a change in momentum, it's a non-stop ride of indulgent, frivolous fun. Nicki's feature is great, and can we give a moment for that underappreciated instrumental? That subtle brass brings this track so much swagger. There's a sinister yet playful vibe that it gives off, it's looming but lighthearted. I didn't realize how great this song was until I went back to make this list, it actually really deserves all the success it achieved.
16. The Edge Of Glory – Lady Gaga
This might be Gaga's best song, and I can't even put it in the top 10. It's crazy! I respect just how innovative Lady Gaga was in the early 2010 era of pop music. She deserves more credit for pushing boundaries, this is such a unique composition for a dance-y club song! Electric guitars, saxophones, and an abundance of synth changes? Extremely bold, to say the least. I adore the hook, even if it's as simple as a chorus can get. Gaga's passionate delivery just sells it! The only thing holding it back is that it's a little drawn out for me. There's a lot of moments in this song, and I think that slimming this track down to its most essential components would've kept that innovative edge while maintaining the pop charm for impatient radio listeners.
15. If I Die Young – The Band Perry
Oh, you're not still not convinced that 2011 was an inconceivably amazing year for pop music? What if I told you that even the Country music was slapping? I'm VERY selective when it comes to country music, it really is Chris Stapleton or bust nowadays, but If I Die Young is such a stellar country song, I had to give it props. It's so authentic! It's not oversold, it's so in touch with the roots of what makes Country music enjoyable. The instrumentation is so plain and cozy in the best way possible, I'm really glad that The Band Perry played this song simple. This track is just really charming and well executed on all fronts overall, it deserves to be highlighted as one of the standouts from a standout year.
14. Only Girl (In The World) – Rihanna
What more do I even say? Rihanna is a pop goddess. I don't know how she handles these hammering, rigidly rhythmic dance anthems with such a high level of charisma and grace. Her delivery is just so consistently on point, its begging you to shout along with every lyric on that chorus with reckless abandon. And man, the way she slips in and out of different pockets of energy between the different segments of this song is just so impressive, especially when you watch a live performance. This is the quintessential early 2010's dance anthem, no doubt about it.
13. I Wanna Go – Britney Spears
I'd be lying if I said this wasn't the definition of a guilty pleasure song. I hate the fact that I love this song so much, it's just so enjoyable for no reason! You could totally argue that it is not on a similar quality as a majority of these honorable mentions, and I wouldn't take that much of an offense. It's so trashy, but in the best, most decadent way. Hedonistic? Yes. Do I care? Not really. This song is the reverse of what Party Rock is from this year, in my mind. Where as a kid, I loved Party Rock, and definitely wouldn’t’ve been too fond of this, I've found that going back through this year that Party Rock isn't as divine as I remember, whereas this is. Both tracks are recklessly loud and tasteless, but somehow one aged well and one didn't for me, not really sure how. (I still like Party Rock, just nowhere near as much as I did as a child.) Maybe it's the sheer number of hooks in this song, it's just a wall to wall banger of ear candy that won't get out of my head.
12. Look At Me Now – Chris Brown, Lil Wayne, Busta Rhymes
While we're on the top of gaudy tracks from this era, may I present to you Look At Me Now? I won't even lie; the beat is kind of garbage for half of this song. When it's just that sole bloopy synth carrying the instrumental, you could argue this track has no legs. But then, that long droning comes in, and Wayne drops just some absolute fire, and those claps lead into Busta Rhymes legendary verse, and you realize that Chris Brown can be charismatic when he's not being problematic, and, and... it's just undeniable. There is just some sort of intangible, magical chemistry woven into the fiber of Look At Me Now. It's a onetime occurrence, a musical outlier. A track like this could never be pulled off in this fashion for eons. These verses are just TOO legendary, that stupid hook just TOO memorable, every other line just TOO quotable... Is this song anywhere near in quality to any of the others listed so far, and is nostalgia just playing a huge factor in my ranking? Perhaps it'd appear that way to someone outside of the club.
11. Animal - Neon Trees
I know zero about Neon Trees, besides the fact they inexplicably made two of the greatest pop hits of this decade. (Yeah, you can expect Everybody Talks to be up there on that 2012 list when we get to it.) In fact, this is my first time ever seeing what the band looks like, on the thumbnail of the music video I embedded into this post. Somehow, this enigma of a band put out this thriller of a pop rock song, in a period of time where rock in any form had zero footing on the Billboard charts. That lead guitar is just so FIRE! That hook is so sticky, it will haunt your brain for days on end. The random bells and whistle they throw into the production make this track feel so lively. The outro is really compelling, even with all of that layering going on. The track is really safe, but still has a feeling of slight edge or angst to it. It's a paradox, just like #13 and #12 are. These songs may be guilty pleasures, and not deserving of a spot in the top 10, but Britney, Breezy, Weezy, Busta, and the concept of Neon Trees all have a top 10 spot in my heart for their contributions to 2011's pop music.
Now onto...
The Top 10 Best Pop Songs of 2011!
10. Grenade – Bruno Mars
Between this and Dynamite by Taio Cruz, you knew one of the explosive based classics had to make the list. And I love Dynamite! It's so tough to leave it, along with Super Bass, Black and Yellow, Party Rock, Rocketeer, Who Says, Teenage Dream, and so much more good music off of this list. I will beat this into your skull by the end of this post, just so you leave with something; 2011 is in a class of its own for pop classics. Grenade felt like an obligation for top 10 almost. It's just so theatric, teetering deliciously on the edge from drama to melodrama. It goes without saying, but Bruno's vocals are perfection, and do so much to sell this track. Outside of the hook, there's still a million quotable moments from this track. The swell, the peaks and valleys of the instrumentation, they're pop formula perfection. I just love how BIG the smash hits of this year are. Between Bruno, Adele and the rising crop of strong voiced individuals, 2011 was a year with presence! The singers were seismic and commanding with their releases. Grenade epitomizes this facet of the 2011 charts perfectly; It is all I could ever ask of a smash hit with prestige of this level.
9. Rolling in the Deep – Adele
I have never seen a year's #1 song deserve it so much more than any other track. Everybody loved this track! Who doesn't love this track!? I have never seen fans, critics, casual listeners, radio, the record industry, EVERYONE, agree so unanimously in public opinion when it comes to a song. Adele just appeared one day, shrouded as light, with a declaration from above designating her as our new musical overlord, and everyone just graciously accepted this. I don't even know why I'm describing what these legendary tracks sound like in this post, you're all well aware how, dare I say, epic, Rolling in the Deep sounds. This song was just a powerful, potent, benevolent tidal wave that crashed across 2011, and we're all better off from it. I'm surprised I wasn't magically struck down for the heresy of not ranking this song at #1, but I guess I'm a cool hipster type like that. Rolling in the Deep is phenomenal, but I'd raise you that Adele outclassed her peak in a monumental year with another spectacular song later on this list.
8. 6 Foot 7 Foot - Lil Wayne
This is going to look really bad for me, but I have a confession I have to make... a LOT of the top songs from this list are rap songs. I swear I'm not a meathead rap fanatic who just ranked all the fire verses over quality pop music, hear me out! You could argue that Drake, Lil Wayne, and Kanye, 3 of the greatest rappers of our generation, all peaked in 2011. Yes, on top of all of the amazing regular pop goodness happening in 2011, 3 of the front runner candidates for the title of "GOAT" all decided to chart some of, if not, their best work to date. It doesn't even end there. You're going to see that two other less pivotal figures in rap also dropped just incomprehensiblely amazing tracks on top of this list as well. IT DOESN'T EVEN END THERE WHEN YOU FIND OUT THIS ISN'T THE HIGHEST RANKED LIL WAYNE SONG ON THE LIST. Not every list will be littered with rap songs. I hope. Until 2018. We're not playing favorites, but in my defense; the song at hand here. WHAT!? How does a beat like THAT chart like THAT? This is the diamond in the rough album cut, not the lead off single. Wayne is spazzing here, and radio listeners were privileged to be treated to it. Man, that instrumental is up there for all time rankings. It's unfathomable that there is a pocket underneath all of that for Wayne to manhandle, but here we are. This track is a jawdropper. Every line is an instagram caption, I swear. Wayne really was the punchline king for a minute there. Every ounce of this track is firing full cylinder, and it's barely even top 5 for this year in its genre. I love 2011.
7. Forget You – CeeLo Green
How is Cee Lo Green so endearing? Everything about this song just clicks for me. Those soulful background harmonies, that distant guitar loop, that animated percussion, those deep keys, every single flourish in this song just adds heaps to the finished project. Cee Lo's performance vocally is awesome, plainly put. He's so lively, and his delivery is on point. I want to note how just the subtle change of diction between the clean and explicit versions of this song completely alter the entire tone of the song. Sung the same way, the clean version is really wholesome, and playfully mature to an extent; The explicit version is an impetuous, childish, spiteful tantrum, and quite possibly the happiest song I've heard with such a biting message. And frankly, I love both. It's so funny to me that the only difference in the song is a few lyric tweaks, and one performance is respectfully reserved whereas the other is recklessly malicious. It's just such a uniquely composed pop song! Humor doesn't really have a place on the pop charts for the most part, so it's really cool to see Cee Lo put something that can take a joke up on the board. Above all else, the songs just extremely catchy. I say this a ton about songs I really like, especially pop music, but if every few seconds of a song produces a moment, something sticky, catchy, quotable, memorable or otherwise, then that is the making of a platinum song in my mind. Forget You is exactly that to me, it's one of those songs that is unbreakable in any form, it's built on such a sturdy foundation of great songwriting. Cover? Live Performance? Parody? Building off of this titan submission from this year's chart, it's guaranteed to have some legs.
6. All Of The Lights - Kanye West
I cannot believe I am putting one of Kanye's greatest songs outside of the top 5. I cannot believe, spoiler, I have put Kanye, arguably the greatest rapper of our generation, a spot behind what is bound to be labelled as vapid pop music. 2011 a different breed. Before rap heads crucify me, MBDTF is a masterpiece, and this is one of the best songs off of it. My justification for keeping this track just barely outside of the top 5 is that the bridge kind of drags as it heads into that 3rd verse with Rihanna and Fergie. It's a slight lull, that's it. I've got to nitpick at this point, because these last few tracks are certified classics in my opinion. (Side note, do y'all know that was Elton John on the outro? I just found that out.) Where to begin, where to begin. I'll try to keep it brief. That might be the best horn sample in a rap song, ever, straight up. That grandiose, orchestral presence this song has is unrivaled. Everything about this song just screams importance, it wields such monumental implications. Kanye's verses are raw and gripping, and I love the pre-chorus of listing lights in a Pound Cake-eqsue fashion. Maybe it's the dozen or so artists on this track, but I adore how fresh this song is from moment to moment. It's an absolute rocket of a ride through a hectic crossfire of a journey. This song is a living legacy, a diamond in the gold standard catalog that Kanye has assembled over the years. Please don't kill me for who I have ranked above this, stans. I swear, I have a valid reason. Who is it? Well....
5. Firework - Katy Perry
It's the pinnacle of an era! It's the zenith of pop domination! It's Firework by Katy Perry! Hear me out. I cannot not envision a more dominant album in radio history than Katy Perry's Teenage dream. Seriously. FIVE. 5 songs from this album charted at the #1 spot on the Billboard Hot 100 at some point. Another peaked at 3, and an additional two songs charted at #1 and #2 after a reissue of the album. That is EIGHT SONGS IN THE TOP 3 FROM JUNE 2010 TO AUGUST 2012. And, at the summit of all that, Firework shines bright, a beacon signifying maximum cultural saturation of an era. You know what that run of 8 songs says to me? It speaks to the quality of Katy's music. No label can push an artist that hard for that long, there has to be some form of substance backing up the talk. Firework is astounding, as far as pop songs go. It's peddling the generic pop cliché message of "Hey Listener, You're special! You're unique! You're unstoppable! Be motivated! Go do it!" So, what makes Firework such a standout from the rest of the dozens upon dozens of radio hits with the same exact premise? Honestly? Firework makes it believable. The perfect storm was in 2011, not 2014, Katy. Every writer on this song deserves an accolade of some sort. The way this song builds is just incredible. To start with those legendary, now ubiquitous metaphors, to slowly creep into that pre-chorus, building anticipation like a lit fuse, only to explode into a top 10 chorus of the decade? it's poetry. The verses are a little derivative, a little formulaic, but the utilization of strings and synths on this song melts all of those doubts of quality away. Katy's vocal performance, per usual for her, is spot on. The instrumental is equally parts as danceable as it is empowering, allowing for the success of this song on both a cultural and personal level. This song can find a role in a dance club playlist just as much as it could in a pre-teens teary-eyed bedroom playlist. It's so masterfully crafted. It could easily be higher on this list, depending on the day. If I had a little bit more personal history and admiration for the artist in the same way I did for the remaining 4, it really would be. I've got to salute Ms. Perry on this one, she popped off on an unprecedented level.
4. The Show Goes On - Lupe Fiasco
On the list of all time best rap songs, I think this track is in contention for top 10 status. Due to personal biases, this isn't my highest ranked rap song from the year, only second (third?) highest. But, if I were to compile that list of greatest rap songs ever, I'd put this song over what I have listed at #3 on this list. The reason? The Show Goes On is mythical, in terms of rap songs, in my book. This song singlehandedly immortalizes Lupe's career for me. Heaven forbid I use the word, but this is as epic as rap music can get. The presentation is so outstanding, so glamourous, so extravagent, so perfected.... I sound like a broken record, but every factor, every instrument, every sample, every vocal, every audio file on this track work in cohesion to flawless effect. This song legitimizes rap as a genre for me, I could show it to my grandparents and they wouldn't scoff at it like they would 99.99% of hip-hop. Where to begin. That Float On interpolation is huge bonus points for me off that back. Takes me back to my Rock Band 2 days. The use of the sample is beautiful, it really drives home the stress-free, optimistic outlook that this track brings. You want to talk about mood music? Name a track that creates a more uplifting atmosphere. Not much comes to mind. The usage of seemingly eastern instrumentation across the track conjures up such a unique listen, especially in the club era that this song was birthed from. When you learn the story about this song, and how it was birthed through excessive label tampering, it's inconceivable this song came out as good as it did. Lupe is quoted as saying that "I didn't have nothing to do with that record. That was the label's record... [they even gave me] stuff they wanted me to rap about" and that he was told that he shouldn't "rap too deep." But you know what? This the first time the labels ever got it right. Similar in energy to firework, the lyrics are generic and applicable to all, but the elements surrounding this factor completely nullify any possible negative impact. It may not of been his vision, but The Show Goes On it benefits immensely by the forcing of the hand to a carefree demeanor. That brass echoes inside the wall of my head, that hook sticks with me, those verses still have some weight to them. For the sake of every listener out there, huge shoutout to Atlantic Records for dragging Lupe, kicking and screaming, to the pantheon of hip-hop's greats with this one.
3. Headlines - Drake
Call this a personal pick. Obviously, I adore all these songs, and they all stand on their own merit of paramount quality. But, from left to right on the scale from personal reasons to my respect to the song's significance, this leans a little to the left, #2 leans a little to the right, and #1 transcends time and space from the middle of the scale. As of today, I have exactly 100 Drake songs saved on my phone, ignoring features. Of those 100, this is top 3, if not the number 1 best song Drake's ever put to wax. 5 AM Toronto is similar levels of boost, but 7 out of 10 days, Headlines is the preferred song; Only Passionfruit compares. This is the GOAT (rap) song from the arguable GOAT of this current generation of rap. For that alone, that's reason for contention for the top hip-hop track on this list. Outside of that? Oh man. There are very few tracks that get me more hype than Headlines. Gambino has a proven few, like Freaks and Geeks. Crew and Liquor Locker are some notable one off inclusions, Brockhampton and Kanye probably have some logged in those vast discographies, but outside of that? Headlines is king in jettison my hyper meter through the stratosphere. I know, it's strange. Drake's barely even emoting on the track. But man, when I hear the start of those droning "dun dun dun dun's".... it's over. Boi-1da deserves 10 Grammys and a peace prize for that instrumental, change my mind. The way that percussion takes control of my movements is unparalleled. That calm, calculated flow plays off of that stunning production so effortlessly. Those kicks knock the wind out of me. The chorus is so simple, yet etched into the depths of my soul. The way Dizzy kicks off verse two speaks to my heart directly. Headlines. Every line of this song, every bar is a quote. There are at least two dozen Instagram captions in here. Simple song? Yeah, undeniable. Effective? Beyond your wildest dreams, pal.
2. Someone Like You - Adele
Ah, Adele's best song. Cool. There's a hot take for you. In my opinion? Not even close. Set Fire To The Rain is dazzling, Rolling in the Deep is right there too, but Someone Like You is Adele's best work BY. A. MILE. If you have ever heard my opinion on pretty much any R&B album ever, you know that 9 times out of 10, I'm dogging the end of album Piano ballad. I'm vicious, I always point to that cliché as the snooze-inducing, least gripping, nonessential track of the album. Do you want to know why? This song's existence. Seriously. This track elevates, in my mind, what is the bar for voice and piano working in tandem. This song is the apex of one of the most common forms of musical expression for me, and it's not even number one on my list. #2011. Someone Like You leaves me speechless. Adele plays off of those keys so well. There is so much energy, so much raw emotion woven throughout the beautiful storytelling of this track. In a song of a barebone composition such as the piano ballad, your tools are limited. You have the instrument, your voice, your lyrics, and that's pretty much it. The solidarity between Adele and her instrumentation here is faultlessness. Their tone, their emotion, their mood, even their delivery are one in the same. Adele's vocal performance is so masterfully controlled. Her intuition on when to be reserved and when to cut loose on any given word is sixth sense. Delivery, power, annunciation, note length, pitch, grit control, emphasis... It's all immaculate. This song could make my eyes water on the right day. The emotion is so tangible. I can emphasize with the story of having loved and loss in this way 1000 times over. The way the song ebbs and flows is identical to the pumping and stalling of blood through your heart, listening to this song is analogous to living the life portrayed. Hyperbole, obviously, but not far from the truth. I don't think Adele can ever top this track, and I believe she's one of the most talented musicians working to this day. What could possibly be a better song than something as powerful, as astounding, as breathtaking as this?
1. How To Love - Lil Wayne
How To Love? More like How To explain this as my #1 pick for what may very well be the #1 year of pop music of this millennium. To me, How To Love is everything Someone Like You is, plus a nostalgic edge, plus the fact that it's by a rapper, plus the fact that it's probably the #1 candidate of topping the "Song's to relate to & cry to" list for me. Sobby, but true. How To Love is liquid emotion poured into a spray bottle, that is then continually misted across your face for 4 minutes to hide the fact that you're crying. How To Love is grabbing your spot to onlook from the wall of the gymnasium at the middle school dance when your 6th grade crush ruler rules across from one of your homies. How To Love is burying your face into a pillow on a rainy spring night, after skipping dinner over being distraught from being cut from the modified lacrosse team. How To Love might just be the most touching song I've ever heard. There's no real explanation why. Super nostalgic, for sure. Not sure when I first heard it, but probably during a real down period of my life. Not sure how the song is so universally applicable to any sad situation or shattered love story, yet also strangely uplifting and inspiring. I'm not sure how a beat produced by Noel "Detail" Fisher can pull the same heartstrings as a piano composition handled by the likes of Adele. How To Love defies anything I know about reason, reality, and music. How did Lil Wayne, the rapper who lost his speech to lean for a few years, piece together the childhood sad boy anthem for a generation? Don't ask questions. This isn't even a rap song. I swear, How To Love is genre-less. Its genre is timeless. How To Love is a singularity, a paradoxical rip in space time that exists in direct opposition to the laws of nature and scientific fact. And I love it. This isn’t even a song that I played very heavily as a kid, but probably no other song brings me back to those childhood days and emotions harder. How To Love sits me down at a bench at summer camp every time I listen to it. I don't even want to talk about the actual composition of the song itself, it's no use. I know how personally and deeply connected How To Love is with my individualized experience as a person, there's no characterizing that in any communicable sense. Outside of that, however, being objective as possible, I still know this is a damn good song. Straight up, the best story telling I've heard from Lil Wayne, right next to Mona Lisa. Some of the penmanship on this song passes as poetry without context.
"When you was just a youngin, your looks were so precious But now your grown up, so fly it's like a blessing But you can't have a man look at you for 5 seconds Without you being insecure You never credit yourself so when you got older It's seems like you came back 10 times over Now you're sitting here in this damn corner Looking through all your thoughts and looking over your shoulder"
That's just legitimately chilling writing. Change. My. Mind. Weezy still manages to slip in a line about poppin' bottles without tarnishing the narrative in any form, keeping things true to Wayne. The vocal performance? For a rapper, Wayne's really out here emoting like a veteran singer. How To Love, is without a doubt, the most believable performance by a rapper on a song of this decade. Flat out. I so fervently 100% believe that Wayne infused his heart and soul to every individual word, pause, and breath on this track. How To Love is an encapsulation of the same Heartbreak brought to life by Adele, with a scoop of hope, a heap of nostalgic reverence, and a dash of familiarity. It's an impossible song that matches an equally impossible year of quality music for me. How To Love is far from the usual, but to me, its legacy will last forever.
(Thanks for reading through my top Pop songs from 2011, be sure to DM me any other years, lists, or topics you'd like to see covered at my Instagram, @Sneaky.Steez.Culture)
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