It's that time of year again. 2011 is coming to a close and I have to tell you what albums you should have liked this year so you can determine if you have good taste or not. I'll keep my fingers crossed for you!!! Okay, let's get to it. Here are my top 10 personal fave albums of 2011. Suck on this!! THE THIRD ANNUAL AMAZY MUSIC AWARDS!!!
10.
James Blake by James Blake - the debut album by the British newcomer is quite possibly the most depressing thing I have ever enjoyed. Quiet and eerie, the album is a look into the psyche of a brilliant young artist. Very ethereal and wonderfully different, it will be interesting to see what comes next from Blake.
9.
Sing It Loud by k.d. lang - aside from the fact that it's always good to hear new music from k.d. lang, Sing It Loud especially delivers the goods. It's all there; the dreamy voice, the astounding harmonies, the perfect lyrics and that pop/country twang only lang can do. I was lucky enough to see k.d. in concert this year and she is at the top of her game. Sing It Loud is a must-have.
8.
Cinderella's Eyes by Nicola Roberts - the British import and member of uber-girl group Girls Aloud, Nicola came out of nowhere with one of the catchiest albums of the year, stealing the thunder of those other, more famous Girls. Every song is sunny and catchy and Nicola's voice is made for Brit pop. Beat of My Drum is an undeniable jam and it's only the tip of the iceberg. Well done, Nicola. Let's have some more.
7.
All You Need Is Now by Duran Duran - how do you relaunch your career? Take it back to the beginning and update that shit. And few have had better beginnings than Duran Duran, the seminal 80s British band.
AYNIN, Duran Duran's 13th studio album, is the perfect update of their mega-successful 80s brand; sexy, brash, lush and, did I mention, SEXY! Simon and the boys nailed it on this one and took me back to the days of
Rio and
The Reflexwith the title track and especially
Girl Panic. Stellar.
6.
Talk That Talk by Rihanna - released barely in time to make this year's list, it certainly makes an immediate impact. Talk That Talk comes out just over a year after RiRi's last effort, Loud, but, IMHO, leaves it in the dust. The #1 song
We Found Love and follow up
You Da One are just two of multiple single-worthy tracks that I'm sure will be playing on the radio all year. If you are gonna rush out new music, this is the way to do it.
5.
Femme Fatale by Britney Spears - catchy songs, improved videos, smiling; Britney may be back on track after all. Femme Fatale, Spears' 7th studio album, finds our Brit-Brit cooing and crooning to a lot of dancefloor friendly songs, like the fantastic
Til the World Ends, and even giving us some real pop melodies on songs like
Criminal. It's also the first album in Britney's career to produce three top 10 singles!! The ol' gal still has it. Keep it up, Britney...as long as you want to, that is.
4.
Beth Ditto EP by Beth Ditto - sporting a mere four songs, the robust lead singer of Gossip, Beth Ditto, released an EP so powerful it overcomes its competitors in the album category. Each song is crafted perfectly to fill the sad-but-dancing gap left by Robyn's Body Talk series from last year.
Good Night, Good Morning alone is enough to make you fall in love with this set. Beth's voice is a revelation and her appearance is unique, to say the least, but also wonderfully rebellious. Here is hoping that her next solo effort will have even more music. Beth is on her way up.
3.
Gaslight by fDeluxe - the Prince proteges have not recorded together since the release of The Family in 1986, which is the name they went by then. Together again after 26 years and sounding better than ever on their own terms (and without the Prince-given name), the band kicks out one of the best albums of this or any year with Gaslight. The Minneapolis sound is in effect with an updated funk and sincerity that comes with age and wisdom. A powerful show of musicianship and perseverance, fDeluxe deserve recognition for this album. Hope they get more of it.
2.
21 by Adele - no denying, it's been the year of Adele. The British blue-eyed soul singer came out of nowhere to steal the heart and $$ of music listeners this year. Her album combines soul and pop in a way that reached the masses, over 4 million of the masses to be exact, making 21 the biggest selling album of the year. Her heart and soul are all over this record. Two #1 songs spent multiple weeks at the summit of the Hot 100 and her album keeps coming back time after time. Adele is on fire!
1.
BORN THIS WAY BY LADY GAGA - Lady Gaga had a lot to live up to, not just sales-wise, but for her fans. She promised this album would be for her little monsters, and boy is it! Songs about acceptance, empowerment, rebellion, joy, love, Jesus, fashion and sex abound on
Born This Way. Even a little country. Epic in its scope,
BTWdelivers hook after hook, "Gaga" after "Gaga" until we are completely spent. From the #1 title track to the moving
The Edge of Glory, this album has hidden treasures that have yet to see the light of day, like hopeful singles
Heavy Metal Lover,
Bloody Mary and
Black Jesus + Amen Fashion, and they are SCREAMING for videos. Gaga sold 1.11 million album with Born This Way in it's first week, the largest first week sales in over five years, and the album is just revving up. Here is to ANOTHER year of Gaga. She's here to stay, peeps!!!!
So there you have it, the top 10 albums of 2011. Stay tuned in the upcoming days for a special, three-day installment of the top 15 songs of 2011. It'll be totally worth it. Don't believe me? Then you, my friend, are stupid. Just kidding. No, I'm not.
One of my boyhood crushes, Billy Idol, is turning 56 today!! Billy was a punk-pop rocker with a sneer and a bad attitude that had a butt-load of hits, including one #1 song with Mony Mony, in the 80s and early 90s. Sexy and brash, Billy was one of the first stars of MTV thanks to his stylish videos, like Dancing with Myself, Flesh for Fantasy and Rebel Yell, and good looks. Along with Rick Springfield, Simon LeBon and George Michael, Idol was one of the few male singers to grace the walls of my room as a kid. Rock on, Billy, you sexy bitch!!!! Here's Cradle of Love (sexy) and Eyes Without a Face (pretty).