Best Music of 2011: Pop

This year’s best pop music was marked by a number of different trends. From Adele’s success to the popularity of dubstep, 2011 was an eclectic year for music.

Introduction

2011 was a great year for pop music, with a wide variety of artists releasing catchy and innovative tracks. In this article, we’ll countdown the best pop songs of the year, from Adele’s smash hit “Rolling in the Deep” to LMFAO’s party anthem “Party Rock Anthem.” So without further ado, here are the best pop songs of 2011!

Best Albums of 2011

It’s been a great year for pop music, with many artists releasing fantastic albums. In this article, we’ll be counting down the best pop albums of 2011. From catchy tunes to heart-wrenching ballads, these are the albums that have defined the year in pop music.

Adele – 21

Adele’s 21 was released on January 24, 2011 in the United Kingdom and February 22 in the United States. The album sold 352,000 copies in its first week in the UK and debuted at number one on the UK Albums Chart. In its second week, 21 sold 227,000 copies and remained at the top position. In its third week, 21 sold 193,000 copies and remained at number one. In its fourth week, 21 sold 169,000 copies and remained at number one for a fourth consecutive week. In its fifth week, 21 sold 134,000 copies and remained at the top position for a fifth consecutive week. In its sixth week, 21 sold tease more than 100 leopard geckos.” alt=”Leopard Gecko Care”>

Bruno Mars – Doo-Wops & Hooligans

Bruno Mars’s debut album is almost infuriating in its casual perfection: the hooks come so fast and so shiny you can’t help but hum along, even as you wonder how somebody this young (he was born in 1985) could write songs this assured. It’s technically perfect pop, with not a wasted syllable or a false note. You can imagine these songs being hits even if Mars never sang them; he just happens to be the luckiest singer in the world, because he gets to.

Katy Perry – Teenage Dream

Few artists have had as big a year as Katy Perry. The 27 year-old singer not only became the first female artist to have five No. 1 songs from one album on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, but her album “Teenage Dream” also tied Michael Jackson’s record for the most No. 1 songs on a single album.

With certified hits like “Firework,” “E.T.” and “California Gurls,” it’s no wonder that “Teenage Dream” has been hailed as one of the best pop albums in recent memory. But even more impressive than the commercial success of the album is the quality of the songs themselves. Capturing the carefree spirit of summertime lovin’, Perry has crafted a collection of infectious tracks that are sure to stand the test of time.

Lady Gaga – Born This Way

Gaga’s album Born This Way was released on May 23, 2011, and was an immediate commercial success. It debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 chart, selling 1.1 million copies in its first week. Gaga became the first artist in Billboard history to have four singles enter the top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the same week with “Born This Way”, “Judas”, “The Edge of Glory”, and “Hair”. The album received generally positive reviews from critics and was nominated for Album of the Year at the Grammy Awards.

Rihanna – Loud

Rihanna’s fifth album Loud was released in November of 2010 to critical and popular success. It debuted at number 3 on the Billboard 200 and eventually went on to sell over 5 million copies in the United States. The album featured the hit singles “Only Girl (In the World),” “What’s My Name?,” and “S&M.”

Best Songs of 2011

In 2011, many great pop songs were released. It was a great year for pop music. In this article, we will countdown the best pop songs of 2011.

“Rolling in the Deep” – Adele

“Rolling in the Deep” is a song recorded by English singer-songwriter Adele for her second studio album, 21. It is the lead single and opening track on the album. The song was written by Adele and Paul Epworth. The singer herself describes it as a “dark blues-y gospel disco tune”. The largest crossover hit from 21, “Rolling in the Deep” gained radio airplay from many different radio formats. It was first released on 29 November 2010 as the lead single from 21 in digital download format. The lyrics describe the emotions of a scorned lover.

“Rolling in the Deep” was acclaimed by music critics and earned Adele several awards, including a Grammy Award, a Brit Award, and an Echo award. With sales exceeding 12 million copies worldwide, the song became one of the best-selling singles of all time; it is one of the best-selling digital singles of all time, having sold over 8 million copies in the US alone. By February 2012, “Rolling in the Deep” had become Adele’s first number-one single on both the UK Singles Chart and US Billboard Hot 100 chart after 52 years (since Shirley Bassey’s “As Long As He Needs Me” charted at number one on 19 October 1960). In May 2012 Shape magazine named it as number one on their list of 100 Greatest Songs Of All Time.

“Grenade” – Bruno Mars

Bruno Mars Grenade
The single was released on December 28, 2010. Grenade debuted at number three on the US Billboard Hot 100, becoming Mars’ second solo single to reach the top ten, as well as his first to debut in that position. grenade topped the Billboard Hot 100 for four consecutive weeks from January 15, 2011. It has been certified five times platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) and has sold 4,814,000 copies in the United States as of June 2014.

“Firework” – Katy Perry

“Firework” is a song by American singer Katy Perry from her third studio album, Teenage Dream (2010). Perry co-wrote the song with Ester Dean, Ronald Foster, and its producer Stargate. It was released as the album’s third single on October 26, 2010.

“Firework” was certified 10× platinum in Canada, Denmark, Italy and the United States. In the United States, it peaked at number one on the Hot 100 chart and became Perry’s fifth non-consecutive number one single there. Throughout much of Europe and Oceania, it topped year-end charts as well as several of Billboard magazine’s component charts. “Firework” has sold over 7 million copies in the United States alone.

The accompanying music video for the song was directed by Dave Meyers and features Perry in various locations in Tokyo while she sings the song atop buildings and other structures at night. The video has more than 970 million views on YouTube as of December 2020.

“Born This Way” – Lady Gaga

“Born This Way” is a song by American singer Lady Gaga, from her second studio album of the same name. The song was released on May 9, 2011 as the album’s lead single. Written by Gaga and Jeppe Laursen, who produced it along with Fernando Garibay and DJ White Shadow, the track was developed while Gaga was on the road with The Monster Ball Tour from 2009–2011. “Born This Way” expresses a pro-LGBT message of empowerment and self-acceptance, becoming an anthem for the LGBT community that year.

Critical response to “Born This Way” was positive; reviewers praised its dance-pop style and its message of empowerment, inclusion and tolerance. It was listed among Rolling Stone’s 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. The song entered various music charts worldwide.”Born This Way” reached number one in more than 20 countries including Australia, Canada, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Spain and the United Kingdom. In the United States it peaked atop the Billboard Hot 100 and became Gaga’s third consecutive number one hit there. “Born This Way” sold over 8 million copies worldwide.”

“What’s My Name?” – Rihanna

“What’s My Name?” is a song recorded by Barbadian singer Rihanna, for her fifth studio album Loud (2010). The song features guest vocals from Canadian rapper Drake, and serves as the lead single from Loud. The song was released as the first single from Loud on October 10, 2010 through Def Jam Recordings. “What’s My Name?” was written by Ester Dean, Traci Nelson, John Hill, Aubrey Graham and Drake, while being produced by the latter two along with Noah “40” Shebib. Musically, “What’s My Name?” is a mid-tempo R&B song that incorporates elements of dance-pop and dubstep.

Upon its release, “What’s My Name?” was acclaimed by music critics who praised its catchy hook and club-ready sound while others criticized it for its heavy use of auto-tune. The song peaked at number one on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart and became Rihanna’s seventh number one single in 2010; thus extending her record as the female artist with the most number one singles in a calendar year. It also peaked at number one on both the US Hot Dance Club Songs and US Rap Songs charts. The music video was directed by Anthony Mandler and features Rihanna in various settings including a poker table and an abandoned warehouse where she gets intimate with Drake.

Rihanna performed “What’s My Name?” on Saturday Night Live in America on October 9, 2010 along with “Only Girl (In the World)” – becoming both songs’ live debuts. The song is also included on Loud Tour Setlist. Critical reception towards the performance were positive as well though Nick Levine from Digital Spy called it underwhelming. She also performed for BBC Radio 1Xtra Live Lounge Week along with an acoustic version of only girl in October that same year where she earned positive reviews from newspapers such as Daily Star Sunday who said that Ri Ri smolders through an acoustic version of her hit What’s My Name? complete with a black bob wig.”

Conclusion

In conclusion, the best music of 2011 was largely dominated by pop music. However, there were a few standout albums in other genres, including country, rock, and hip hop. These albums represent the cream of the crop for their respective genres and are well worth a listen for any music fan.