2011 was the year Beyonce counted down to 1, Frank Ocean tried to numb the pain, Bon Iver knew he wasn't magnificent and Adele tried to find a suitable replacement for an old flame. It was a year of magnificent songs, and these 20 tracks represent a gorgeous pastiche of veteran artists and talented newbies. Check out the Billboard.com staff's picks for the top 20 songs of 2011, and tell us your personal favorite tracks of the year in the comments section.
- • 11 total weeks on the Hot 100 -- six at No. 1
- • Features Calvin Harris, who opened for Rihanna on European dates this year
- • Dancefloor bliss, and music video might be the best of the year
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- • Best surprise synch of the year - a Victoria's Secret ad, since nothing sells bras like gratuitous amounts of synth and sax
- • Which brings us to... So. Much. Sax. -- and in this, the Year of the Sax
- • This song may or may not make you feel like you can fly
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- • Trio features an up-and-coming singer named. . . Miranda Lambert
- • One of four songs on the album to feature all three singers on lead vocals
- • Handclaps at 2:40 = badass, somehow
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- • Topped R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart for 11 weeks
- • Lil Wayne goes Andre The Giant (Big Wayne?)
- • Seven months later, that beat is still filthy
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- • Single from self-titled LP features Little Dragon
- • SBTRKT is pronounced like "Subtract"
- • Drake liked beat so much that he jumped on a remix
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- • Drake-Rihanna collabo number two, following "What's My Name"
- • Check out source material: "I'll Take Care Of You" by Gil Scott-Heron
- • Rihanna's most nuanced vocal performance yet
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- • Nicola = former Girls Aloud singer
- • Squelchy synths courtesy of Diplo
- • Satisfied our M.I.A. craving for 2011
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- • The best of the electronic mess that is "King of Limbs"
- • Erratic hand-clapping
- • Thom Yorke's "This be my jam"-dance moves in the video
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- • Is there anyone on the planet who says the word "boo" better than Beyonce?
- • "Still love the way he talk, still love the way I sing" -- Just a reminder that this song is about Jay-Z
- • The Bob Fosse fever dream that is the utterly fantastic "Countdown" video
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- • Four solid minutes of instrumental crescendo culminating in gnarly guitar feedback
- • Dave Grohl's pick for song of the year
- • Quintessential Joy Formidable: hard (feedback) vs. soft (pop melodies)
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- • Spent seven weeks atop the Hot 100
- • Covered by "Glee," Linkin Park and "American Idol's" Haley Reinhart
- • Yes, it was everywhere, and we were fine with that
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- • Nominated for Best Rap Song and Best Rap Performance Grammys
- • Busta Rhymes pairs with Lil Wayne eight months before his signing to YMCMB
- • Best line: "And my momma's nice, and my daddy's dead"
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- • Amidst an album comprised of synthy anthems, this one takes the cake
- • Clarence Clemons' last sax solo, ever
- • 1980s-rific dance breakdown accompanying aforementioned sax solo
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- • Nominated for Song AND Record of the Year Grammys
- • Just one of many stunning instrumental crescendos of the folk variety on "Bon Iver"
- • Choice poetic line: "And at once I knew I was not magnificent"
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- • Climbed to No. 17 on the R&B/Hip-Hop Songs Charts
- • Contains one of two Stanley Kubrick nods on "Nostalgia, Ultra" ("Lovecrimes" samples "Eyes Wide Shut")
- • "Met her at Coachella, I went to see Jigga" -- and two years later, Ocean's singing with Hov on "Watch The Throne"
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- • Helped Rowland's "Here I Am" peak at No. 3 on the Billboard 200
- • Reminds us of Aaliyah's equally seductive "Rock The Boat"
- • Weezy's goofy double-entendres: "I like to taste that sugar/That sweet and low"
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- • Produced by Hit-Boy, who also did Kanye's "Christmas in Harlem"
- • The sickest rap track to ever samples "Blades of Glory" dialogue
- • Makes us hungry for fish filet
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- • Remix features Nicki Minaj and Ke$ha
- • Brit brought Nicki on Femme Fatale tour after Enrique Iglesias backed out
- • Britney's most immediate single since "Toxic." "I Wanna Go" pops pretty well, too
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- • Sums up the biggest fear of 70% of single women who've ever had their hearts broken
- • Adele's voice has never sounded better accompanied only by piano
- • This "Saturday Night Live" sketch. 'Nuff said
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- • Undeniable, right out the gate: "This one is for the boys with the boomin' system!"
- • Blink and you'll miss the Slick Rick reference
- • Pop's perfect storm in 2011, and the song that (rightfully) made Nicki a star
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I really like this post, although I would have thought number 2 would be number 1 instead. I really love that Adele song, she has a very soothing voice.
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