Hello! Given that one of the central themes of this blog has been music and it's well know that I'm a music-stat spod, I thought it only right and proper to bring you my own personal Top 10 tunes of 2011.
Now before I get into this, I should point out that whilst I have a broad knowledge and appreciation of music, I am not an expert. Yes, I was handy on the recorder as child, yes, I have been known to play my teeth (where's That's Life when you need it?) and yes, I'm still the best person in a music quiz I know, but Gareth Malone, I am not. I'm putting this caveat in now, because in compiling this list I (and I agonised for minutes over this), I quickly realised that my songs of the year were going to be a world away from those produced by various musos in the industry press - and in many cases my selections would be regarded as utter tripe.
With this in mind, there was a temptation to lob in some more 'acceptable' selections, but then I thought 'sod it - my gaff my rules'. In addition, many of you will have heard me ramble on ad nauseum about my mission to rid the world of bullshit. If you haven't, the theory behind this is as follows:
- Everyone is bumbling through life, making it up as they go along
- Everyone pretends they're not making it up and actually have all aspects of their life under control as part of a long-term grand plan
- Everyone looks at everyone else and thinks 'oh 'eck, everyone around me has everything sorted. It's just me that doesn't, therefore I'm slightly inadequate'
- Everyone feels slightly inadequate
- If everyone was a bit more honest about the first point, we'd all be happier and the world would be a nicer place
Here we go:
10. James Blake - Limit to your love
Probably the most obscure track on my list, but a perfect Sunday morning track. James Blake has an amazing voice. Be warned - it contains some big, empty pauses, so you'll think it's finished before it has. Just a shame the rest of the album wasn't as good,
9. Beyonce - Best thing I never had
Ooh, Beyonce, how you've teased me this year! Everything she's released has disappointed me on first hearing, but like ragwort has slowly embedded itself in my brain. I felt sooooo letdown by the album '4' and thought it was rubbish, but having gone back to it recently, now love every single song. My current fave is Love on Top, which nearly made it into the list, but as 'Best Thing I Never Had' is my third most played song of the year, I plumped for this instead. 'I bet it sucks to be you right now'! That said, much as I now love the album, there's nothing in the same league as her classics (Crazy in Love would be in my all time Top 10).
8. Saturdays - Notorious
Apparently The Saturdays have had 12 hits thus far yet I bet most people would struggle to name three. I have to admit that when I heard this song, I had no idea it was The Saturdays, being so different from the typical three-minute bubble-gum pop they'd released previously. However, it is definitely them and it is definitely a choon (particularly when having a wiggle)
7. Ed Sheeran - Lego House
Aah, little Ed. Like a little hobbit he burst upon the scene this year. This is what I love about the download era - someone like Ed Sheeran would not have made it in previous times, being neither cool enough or pretty enough to have been signed. Yet his debut album has sold over a million copies in the UK and he's watched by gazillions on Youtube. That said, I find him a little annoying, but will forgive him for this beautiful song (I wonder if Lego get royalties?)
6. Saturdays - All Fired Up
I admit to being slightly embarrassed. Having one song by The Saturdays in this list is bad enough, but two!? Lordy! Yet it's a thumper of a song and probably one of the most innovative dance tunes of the year - much better than any of the formulaic or recycled stuff most producers are churning out (yes, Monsieur Guetta, I do mean you.)
5. Nicki Minaj - Super Bass
Forget Lady Gaga, you want proper bonkers? Then Nicki Minaj is your girl. She looks and raps like someone who's given her carer the slip whilst out at bingo. This song is, however, a belter particularly when she does that weird thing with her voice. As mad as a box of frogs, but I love her for it
4. Adele - Rolling in the Deep
A quick glance at my ITunes account shows that of my 25 Most Played songs of the year, 13 of them are by Adele - this probably mirrors 85% of the UK population this year. Every single song on 21 is a belter (although He Won't Go sits a bit oddly for me in the middle of the album). This is an absolute stonker of a song that demands to be bellowed at the top of your voice. The hours I've sat in the bath with my good friend, Sauvignon, hollering 'we could have had it alllllllllllllll'.
3. Tiesto ft Busta Rhymes - C'mon (catch 'em by surprise)
I've always wanted to be Busta Rhymes. In a world of over-hyped rappers who can barely speak, let alone rap (50 Cent, P-Diddy), Busta Rhymes has always struck me as being both technically brilliant and slightly eccentric. This song, in which he combines with German Techno DJ extraordinaire, Tiesto, is a little work of genius. It's also THE best song to workout to you will hear in a very long while.
2. Maroon 5 ft Christina Aguilera - Moves like Jagger
This was the year's 'grower not a shower'. When it first landed in the charts in August, I'd never heard it and couldn't find anyone else who had. 18 weeks later and it's still knocking around the Top 20 having spent six weeks at number 2. It's 3:21 of sheer joy combining a melody that makes you want to sing along and beat you simply have to wiggle to. Compare and contrast to that witch, Cher Lloyd's, 'Swagger Jagger' which wins my vote as worst song of the year.
1. Adele - Someone Like You
Apparently I've played this song 183 times this year - that's once every other day. Granted, a number of them were packed together in March / April during what I've termed 'my Bridget Jones moments' and usually came as a pair with 'Rolling in the Deep' (sometimes I'd go angry -sad, others I'd go sad - angry, depending on the mood). I first heard Adele perform this song at the end of last year on the Jools Holland show and instantly put it down as an all-time classic. I was also fortunate enough to hear her sing it live at her album launch in a Notting Hill pub in January, where she described how she's come to write the song 'I was basically on my knees', and reduced many members of the audience to tears. It was, however, her unforgettable performance at the Brits that catapulted it to Number One and has gone on to make it the biggest selling single of the year by some margin. The sense of loss coupled with the sense of decency and dignity make it the saddest song I've ever heard, but Adele's amazing delivery and the simplicity of the live version (are you listening, Leona?) make it a thing of absolute beauty. In a year of some corking songs, 'Someone Like You' stood head and shoulders above everything else.
...honourable mentions should go to Emeli Sande - Heaven, Christine Perri - Jar of Hearts and Pitbull - Give me Everything.
Think my selections are abysmal? Have I missed out on your favourite? Then let me know!
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