10 Best Songs of 2011

2011 was a great year in music which made selecting the 10 best songs all the more difficult.  Over the past year I have collected a wide variety of songs and reviewed all of them to come up with the top 10 picks of the year.  Some of the guidelines for this list include:

- No artist repeats throughout the list.
- Song does not have to be released in 2011, it could be the year before.
- Omission of super popular songs.

Here are my picks for the top 10 songs of 2011:

1. Outasight - Tonight is the Night

Outasight is a singer/rapper who broke into mainstream this year with his hit Tonight is the Night which was featured in a Pepsi commercial.  This song has all the makings of a "song of the year" including good production, catchiness, and overall likeability.  Outasight's music is a fresh mix of funk, pop, and hip hop.  If you like these styles, be sure to look him up as he has a bunch of other great songs.

2. Demi Lavato - Skyscraper

Demi Lavato comes in at number 2 with this emotional well written song called Skyscraper.  In this song she has been broken down by a relationship, but is rising back like a skyscraper as the lyrics suggest.  This is one of those songs you can really feel.  It's the kind of song that can give you chills.

3. Meghan Tonjes - This Year

Independent singer songwriter Meghan Tonjes has had a huge year.  Gaining popularity from doing cover songs on Youtube, she has made a name for herself and has even released orginal songs such as this one called This Year.  It's an inspirational song that predict how this year is going to be a good one.  The message in this song certainly came true for her.

4. The Grates - Carve Your Name

The Grates are one of my new favorite bands of the year.  They are currently a 2 piece (former 3 piece) band from Australia who make fun, catchy indie rock songs.  This song, Carve Your Name, is not from their newest album, but it is my favorite song from them.  Their lead single from this year, Turn Me On, is also worth checking out.

5. Matisyahu - Miracle

I don't know what is it about Matisyahu, but the guy really knows how to make a hit song.  This one called Miracle debuted late last year.  It is powerful, uplifting, and has a great beat.  Matisyahu is on a hot streak having had his song One Day featured on last year's 10 Best list.

6. Bad Lip Reading - Rockin' All Night Long

Bad Lip Reading is a mysterious Youtube artist who takes other music video and creates completely original music and vocals to go with them by over dubbing the lyrics.  This idea is innovative as is, but when you realize that these songs are professional quality and actually better than the original songs, that's when you know you have something special.  Here's is my favorite of the year from them called Rockin' All Night Long where they used a Taylor Swift video and really made it a bangin' song.   

7. Alicia Keys - Try Sleeping With A Broken Heart

I found this one early in the year and while it is not from 2011, it was so good that I had to feature it in my top 10 songs of the year.  I'm not a huge Alicia Keys fan, but this song really struck a chord with me.  I love the instrumental and the vocals go perfectly with it. 

8. Nicki Minaj ft. Swizz Beatz - Catch Me

Like the previous song, I am not a fan of Nicki Minaj, but the collaboration here with producer Swizz Beatz really made this song a stand out.  The structure and beat are very different from most songs you hear these days.  It has several different elements from rap, to singing, to spacy vocals.  Catch Me is an emotional song with a beat that stays interesting even after multiple listens. 

9. Kylie Minogue - Get Outta My Way

I found this song through a Youtube video where a guy named Phil had it playing in his headphones while he danced around the subway among unsuspecting passengers.  Get Outta My Way is a catchy dance pop song with loops and layers that will get stuck in your head if you are not careful. 

10. Small Black - Moon Killer

It was tough to round out this list, but after much deliberation, I selected this song by a New York electronic band called Small Black.  The song Moon Killer has a sweeping instrumental and wondrous vocals that fill out the track and make it dreamlike.  Enjoy!

If you liked the songs on this list, be sure to leave a comment below!

Check out last years list: Top 11 Songs of 2010.

Also check out the Ten Best Songs of 2012.