If you're a fan of rock and watch the pop charts, it had to be frustrating once again. In 2010, only one rock song made the top 10--Train's "Hey Soul Sister"--and at this point it time, it's hard to think of that outfit as cutting edge. Well, 2011 fared little better, with only "Pumped Up Kicks" by Foster the People the only thing resembling rock making it into the upper echelon. But then again, if you are a real fan of alternative rock, you know better....much better.
Yeah, bands playing their own instruments and writing their own songs took a back seat again, and for much of 2011, the number one songs on Billboard was more of the same banal stuff...I mean "Party Rock Anthem" is an insult not only to "rock" but probably to "party"....and for that matter, "anthem" as well. But one artist was able to make it thru the muck to have the biggest song...and album...of the year.
That, of course would be Adele. Having been a fan since her Saturday Night Live appearance in 2008, it was great to see her break through to the mainstream, but even I never thought she'd be the phenomenon she would become. Perhaps this is a cry for help for something that is very real, music the way it is supposed to be heard. And, with "Rolling in the Deep" being both Billboard's #1 song of 2011 as well as on my "Scenes'n'Soundwaves 100" chart, something happened that I never thought would ever happen again: The public agreed with me. Yes, back in 1979 and 1980 when we both shared "My Sharona" by The Knack, and "Call Me" by Blondie, my tastes were in line, but increasingly so over the next three decades they were wide apart. They, of course still are, but at least one song was held in common by both me and the masses.
But apart from the national scene, which still favor hip-hop and divas (one of which, Katy Perry, did make a strong showing...with two songs, anyway), indie-rock made some strides this year on my chart. Mostly gone from last year, (with the exception of Perry, and "Moves Like Jagger") are a lot of the pop artists. Mike Posner, 3 OH 3, Eminem, Rihanna, Pink, and Lady Gaga were all missing from the list Even country, with the exception of Zac Brown, and the great local talent Rachel Allyn, was pretty absent, leaving things open for alternative, indie-rock, folk and pop. There were artists I was introduced to this year, such as The Airborne Toxic Event, Bad Books, Two Door Cinema Club, The Big Troubles, The Vaccines, Best Coast, and Lykke Li, even though some of them had been around awhile. I got into band who I KNEW had been around, like Wilco and The Decemberists. And, of course, revisted old favorites like Foo Fighters and Red Hot Chili Peppers. Relatively new favorites like The Black Keys, The Raveonettes and Death Cab for Cutie were heard a lot on my iPod as well. And what more can you say about Florence + the Machine? Definitely one of my faves for this year.
Two trends, however, that I am proud to have listened to, are, the abundance of local artists, as well as a revival of classic soul. Leading the former category, as she did last year, is Rachel Allyn, who had three songs in the top 25, two of them in the top ten. She released four singles this year, performed at a wide range of events, and, because of her being named "artist of the week" in July at the fledging Internet country station Renegade Radio, had her songs intertwined with the likes of Keith Urban, John Aldean and Taylor Swift. Not too bad company. She also won a New Jersey radio station contest when she and her band became the "house band", opening up for Thompson Square at Six Flags. Not too shabby.
Beyond Rachel, there were the Hegazy twins, Leila and Omnia, each scoring #1's on my list and showing up close together in the year end lists. Both girls, with different musical styles, are poised for bigger and better things in 2011. Tom Corea, a friend from my high school days, is now a producer and musician for the band The Hounds of Winter, and who also owns and runs his own studio. Two songs, "Not Broken" by Thom Sebastian, and "Hometown" by Sarah Teti, made the list.
Classic 1960's soul is among the best music ever recorded, and although the newer crop of musicians can't touch that, they do succeed in capturing the magic of that era. Adele of course, leads the pack, but Plan B, Mayer Hawthorne, and especially Fitz & the Tantrums. These artists combined for eight of my number one songs in 2011.
Brooklyn NY continued to be a source of new, up and coming music, but has been challenged recently by Portland, Oregon. Then again, that isn't too far from Seattle, and you know what happened there about twenty years ago!
On a more somber note, we lost some great musicians in 2011, most notably Amy Winehouse, Clarence Clemmons and Rob Grill...there's one helluva band in heaven right there!
Here again, is my Top 100 of 2011
1 | Rolling In the Deep | Adele |
2 | Pumped Up Kicks | Foster the People |
3 | Gettin' By (AMA Remix) | Rachel Allyn |
4 | Junk of the Heart (Happy) | The Kooks |
5 | Love Goes Down | Plan B |
6 | I Might | Wilco |
7 | Pickin' Up the Pieces of Love http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t7jVuyxM8KI | Fitz and the Tantrums |
8 | Say Hello To Goodbye | Rachel Allyn |
9 | Stay Young Go Dancing | Death Cab For Cutie |
10 | Someone Like You | Adele |
11 | Something in the Way | Best Coast |
12 | MoneyGrabber | Fitz and the Tantrums |
13 | Grown Ocean | Fleet Foxes |
14 | What the Water Gave Me | Florence + the Machine |
15 | Louder Than Ever | Cold War Kids |
16 | Rumour Has It | Adele |
17 | Two Against One | Danger Mouse and Daniele Luppi f. Jack White |
18 | How Come | Avi Buffalo |
19 | I Swear | Sallie Ford and the Sound Outside |
20 | You Got the Love | Florence + the Machine |
21 | Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.) | Katy Perry |
22 | The Adventures of Rain Dance Maggie | Red Hot Chili Peppers |
23 | Lovely Lily | Rachel Allyn |
24 | Coming Down | Dum Dum Girls |
25 | Blackout | Anna Calvi |
26 | Bite Yr Tongue | The Big Troubles |
27 | Post Breakup Sex | The Vaccines |
28 | Bitter Pill | Mt. Desolation |
29 | The Sound of Winter | Bush |
30 | Save Me San Francisco | Train |
31 | Howlin' For You | The Black Keys |
32 | Down By the Water | The Decemberists |
33 | Loud Music | Michelle Branch |
34 | Hush Little Baby | Leila |
35 | Dog Days Are Over | Florence + the Machine |
36 | What's Become of Us | Omnia |
37 | Tokyo (Vampires & Wolves) | The Wombats |
38 | Hometown | Sarah Jean |
39 | Set Fire to the Rain | Adele |
40 | Holdin' On To Black Metal | My Morning Jacket |
41 | The Walk | Mayer Hawthorne |
42 | Dear Mr. President | Fitz and the Tantrums |
43 | You Are A Tourist | Death Cab for Cutie |
44 | Second Chance | Peter Bjorn and John |
45 | Firework | Katy Perry |
46 | Aberdeen | Cage the Elephant |
47 | Recharge and Revolt | The Raveonettes |
48 | Stay Too Long | Plan B |
49 | Living In America | DOM |
50 | Rich Kids Blues | Lykke Li |
51 | Value Lines | Brilliant Colors |
52 | Get Some | Lykke Li |
53 | This is Why We Fight | The Decemberists |
54 | Lights | Ellie Goulding |
55 | I'll Be Waiting | Adele |
56 | Miracle Worker | SuperHeavy |
57 | Your Surrender | Neon Trees |
58 | Big Wave | Jenny and Johnny |
59 | Rope | Foo Fighters |
60 | Not Broken | Thom Sebastian and the Hounds of Winter |
61 | Around My Head | Cage the Elephant |
62 | Our Deal | Best Coast |
63 | Please Move | Bad Books |
64 | Revival | Deerhunter |
65 | Pyro | Kings of Leon |
66 | 16 Monkeys | Los Lonely Boys |
67 | Don't Gotta Work It Out | Fitz and the Tantrums |
68 | Taken For a Fool | Strokes |
69 | Drown | Carolina Liar |
70 | Buttercup | Lucinda Williams |
71 | Changing | The Airborne Toxic Event |
72 | Moves Like Jagger | Maroon 5 f. Christina Aguilera |
73 | What You Know | Two Door Cinema Club |
74 | Too Dramatic | Ra Ra Riot |
75 | Moonlight Hours | The Holidays |
76 | Lonely Boy | The Black Keys |
77 | Heart In Chains | Kate Voegele |
78 | Helplessness Blues | Fleet Foxes |
79 | People Say | Portugal. The Man |
80 | Shake It Out | Florence + the Machine |
81 | Knee Keep | Zac Brown Band f. Jimmy Buffet |
82 | Houdini | Foster the People |
83 | Helena Beat | Foster the People |
84 | Paradise | Coldplay |
85 | She Walks In So Many Ways | The Jayhawks |
86 | Forget You (F**k You) | Cee Lo Green |
87 | Walk | Foo Fighters |
88 | Swim | Surfer Blood |
89 | It's Real | Real Estate |
90 | That's My Baby | Sleeper Agent |
91 | Got It All | Portugal. The Man |
92 | Gotta Go | Oberhofer |
93 | My Home New Jersey | Paul Czekaj |
94 | Cinnamon | Stone Temple Pilots |
95 | Called Out In the Dark | Snow Patrol |
96 | Sad Song | The Cars |
97 | Everlasting Light | The Black Keys |
98 | All I Ever Wanted | The Airborne Toxic Event |
99 | I Do | Colbie Caillat |
100 | Give Me Something | Scars of 45 |
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