Henry’s Music Blog

I don’t care for most pop music. However, even if most of it ranges from bland to intolerable, there’s always songs that manage to not only be good, but unique enough to stand out from the sea of mediocrity. And these are the songs that I feel manage might actually stay good even a year after they came out. So, here we have…

Top 10 Best Hit Songs of 2011

10. Stereo Hearts - Gym Class Heroes

Gym Class Heroes have had two major hits before this year, “Cupids Chokehold”, which was silly, but enjoyable, and “Clothes Off!!”, which I found absolutely intolerable. There’s also Travis McCoy’s hit “Billionaire”, which, while not Sublime, sounded a hell of a lot like Sublime. But then “Stereo Hearts” came out, and I fell in love with it. Finally, they sounded like they actually cared, and they were more mature then before. Out were the samples from Supertramp and Jermaine Stewart, in was piano and guitar. Out was Patrick Stump of Fall Out Boy, in was Adam Levine at his best. And although he had another hit with Maroon 5’s “Moves Like Jagger”, it’s here where he’s better, because for once, it’s not a limp Funk sex jam. Evin if he still looks and sounds like a peacock.

9. Blow - Ke$ha

I am very sorry. But I just love this song. For a while, I thought that Ke$ha had just left before her next album. But it turns out, this song came out in February, and I didn’t even know about it. So I listened to it recently, and I think Ke$ha was at her best since “Tik Tok”. While not having the straight up party vibe of “Tik Tok”, for once, Ke$ha sounds like she’s actually making music, instead the repulsive garbage of “Blah Blah Blah”, or the requisite feel better song in “We R Who We R.” Ke$ha is best when she’s about the party, and that’s exactly what this is; a fun, and apparently explosive, time.

8. Party Rock Anthem - LMFAO

I know I put “Sexy and I Know It” as the worst song of the year. And it very well is. But these songs are completely separate from each other, and “Party Rock Anthem” is brilliant in its stupidity. That’s the best way to describe it. It’s the “California Gurls” of 2011. Even if it was massively overplayed, it’s nearly impossible not to have a good time listening to it. Sure, the two behind LMFAO are at least pretending to be idiots, but it’s a big stupid song that fits at any party. Oh, wait! Another song to compare it to: “I Gotta Feeling”.

7. Pumped Up Kicks - Foster the People

And here we have the requisite Indie hit of the year. Foster the People were nobodies before this song came out. Now, they’re most likely going to be nobodies in a few years time. But this song was not only great, but different from everything else that was on the charts at the time. With a catchy bassline and sparse keyboards, the song was absolutely fascinating in its charting, let alone one of the biggest hits of the year. And with its story of a kid shooting up his school, it manages to actually have some thought behind it, unlike most hits. And now, Foster the People join the Neon Trees and Kings of Leon for the indie hit of the year.

6. All of the Lights - Kanye West

This was the only song off of My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy that actually managed to be a hit. That makes me sad. But anyway, the song is still as campy and marvelous as everything else Kanye did besides 808s, and it is glorious. With guest appearances by pretty much everyone, and a truly bombastic production, Mr. West knows exactly what he does best; cheese. The song is so hilarious in its bombast it could have been a #1 hit back in the eighties, and Kanye lays down some of his silliest verses yet. In short, it’s a hell of a lot of fun.

5. Just The Way You Are - Bruno Mars

I don’t care if this song came out last year. It was on the charts, it was near the top, and I absolutely adore this song. Really, “The Lazy Song” and “Lighters” were massive mistakes in his career, and Doo Wops and Hooligans was honestly overall a pretty good album. While not as big a hit as “Grenade”, this is the best song on the album, a beautiful ballad, and the most honest love song since “Nothing on You”, which Bruno Mars was also on. While neither of his songs after “The Lazy Song” were as big hits, I don’t care, as long as I just get this.

4. The Edge of Glory - Lady Gaga

I did not especially care for “Judas” or “Born This Way”. To me, both mostly sounded like generic party songs, about feeling better about yourself and killing Jesus or something. But then “Edge of Glory” came out, and it was marvelous. Being her most down-to-earth single since “Just Dance”, which I think is easily her best song. With a song that isn’t trying to be different, Lady Gaga actually wrote a song that works beyond a one time shock, a true pop masterpiece that would have been right at home in the eighties. There’s also “You and I”, but it wasn’t quite as good.

3. The Show Goes On - Lupe Fiasco

Lupe Fiasco is one of the best rappers working today. But it seems like things just won’t work his way. With the story of Lasers too long to actually write, the album was released this year, with the hit single “The Show Goes On”. And man, was it a comeback. With a fantastic Modest Mouse sample and some of Lupe’s best verses yet, the song is refreshing for today’s rap music, especially the dominant force in rap these days are electro-pop about clubs with two verses at most. Too bad he’s already announced exactly when he’ll retire. We’ll need more than that.

2. Rolling in the Deep - Adele

And here we have the biggest hit of the year. As I said in my Top 10 Albums of the Year list, the album was the most critically acclaimed of the year, and will win the Grammy. I’ll bet most people will say the album was overplayed. But you can’t deny this song was one of the best of the year. With tons of power from her voice, she’s one of the most talented singers in music still working today. And with the instruments behind it working with Adele instead of barging into the forefront, the song manages to actually work as a show for the singer, unlike “Rehab”, where the music just got distracted from Amy Winehouse’s excellent singing. Hopefully, and likely, we’ll see more from Adele.

1. Forget You - Cee-Lo

IT COUNTS. I know this song came out in 2010, but it only became a hit this year. So this is my best song of the year twice in a row. That’s is not logically possible. But this song did it. And it’s still as great as ever. As the best example of modern Soul, Cee-Lo was at his best since Crazy back in ‘06, with its wonderful arrangement and the line that took over the world for a time. Too bad it took Glee to get it to number 1. I hate America.