Monday, December 26, 2011

The 50 Best Music Videos of 2011


The links will lead you to YouTube and if you are interested in buying the video or song, click the corresponding iTunes badge.

1. In Your Arms - Kina Grannis In Your Arms - Kina Grannis



2. Howlin’ for You - The Black Keys Howlin' for You - The Black Keys



3. Make Some Noise - Beastie Boys Make Some Noise - Beastie Boys



4. Muppet Show Theme Song - The Muppets and OK Go Muppet Show Theme Song - The Muppets & OK Go



5. Walk - Foo Fighters Walk - Foo Fighters



6. Hello - Martin Solveig & Dragonette Hello - Martin Solveig & Dragonette

7. Lonely Boy - The Black Keys Lonely Boy - The Black Keys

8. Don't Play No Game That I Can't Win - Beastie Boys and Santigold Don't Play No Game That I Can't Win (feat. Santigold) - Beastie Boys & Santigold

9. All Is Not Lost - OK Go All Is Not Lost - OK Go

10. The Shrine / An Argument - Fleet Foxes The Shrine / An Argument - Fleet Foxes

11. Red Solo Cup - Toby Keith Red Solo Cup (Edited Version) - Toby Keith

12. Good Man - Raphael Saadiq Good Man - Raphael Saadiq

13. ‘Til the End of Time - Timothy Bloom featuring V 'Til the End of Time (feat. V) - Timothy Bloom

14. Gonna Get Over You - Sara Bareilles Gonna Get Over You - Sara Bareilles

15. Cry Baby - Cee-Lo Green Cry Baby - The Lady Killer (Deluxe Version)

16. All Of The Lights - Kanye West All of the Lights (Revised Version) - Kanye West

17. Camera - Matt and Kim Cameras - Matt & Kim

18. Uncharted - Sara Bareilles Uncharted (Director's Cut) [Ben Folds Intro] - Sara Bareilles

19. Sadness Is a Blessing - Lykke Li Sadness Is a Blessing - Wounded Rhymes (Deluxe Version)

20. Don't Stop (Color on the Walls) - Foster the People Don't Stop (Color On the Walls) - Foster the People

21. We All Go Back to Where We Belong (John Version) - R.E.M. We All Go Back to Where We Belong (John Version) - R.E.M.

22. Rill Rill - Sleigh Bells Rill Rill - Sleigh Bells

23. Paradise - Coldplay Paradise - Coldplay

24. Day Dreams - Raphael Saadiq Day Dreams - Raphael Saadiq

25. Monster - Kanye West featuring Rick Ross, Jay-Z and Nicki Minaj Monster - My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy

26. Go Outside - Cults Go Outside - Cults

27. Free My Mind - Katie Herzig Free My Mind - Katie Herzig

28. Call Your Girlfriend - Robyn Call Your Girlfriend - Robyn

29. Michael Jackson - Das Racist Michael Jackson (feat. Travis Rosenberg) - Relax

30. Someone Like You - Adele Someone Like You - ADELE

31. Bizness - tUnE-yArDs Bizness - Tune-Yards

32. From The Clouds - Jack Johnson From the Clouds - Jack Johnson

33. The Lazy Song - Bruno Mars The Lazy Song - Bruno Mars

34. The Walk - Mayer Hawthorne The Walk (Edited Version) - Mayer Hawthorne

35. Invisible - Skylar Grey Invisible - Skylar Grey

36. Block After Block - Matt and Kim Block After Block - Matt & Kim

37. Settle Down - Kimbra Settle Down (US Version) - Kimbra

38. Otis - Kanye West & Jay-Z Otis - JAY Z & Kanye West

39. Called Out of the Dark - Snow Patrol Called Out In the Dark - Snow Patrol

40. Long Time - Cake Long Time - Cake

41. Even if I Don’t - Rachael Yamagata Even If I Don't - Chesapeake

42. Single Girls – Laura Jansen Single Girls - Laura Jansen

43. Sing Your Own Song - John Wesley Harding Sing Your Own Song - The Sound of His Own Voice

44. Say You Like Me - We The Kings Say You Like Me - We The Kings

45. The Last Huzzah - Mr. (Expletive Deleted) eXquire featuring Despot, Das Racist, Danny Brown, and El-P

46. ÜBerlin - R.E.M. ÜBerlin - R.E.M.

47. Girl Panic - Duran Duran Girl Panic ! - All You Need Is Now

48. Holy Holy - Wye Oak Holy Holy - Wye Oak

49. Young Blood - The Naked and Famous Young Blood - The Naked and Famous

50. Rolling in the Deep - Adele Rolling In the Deep - ADELE

Friday, December 23, 2011

The 20 Best Albums of 2011


If you interested in buying any of the albums below, click on the album title to go to Amazon and the artist name to download it in iTunes. Also check out my original album reviews in the link under the album where for those I reviewed.

1. Helplessness Blues - Fleet Foxes
In That Dream I'm as Old as the Mountains

2. Stone Rollin' - Raphael Saadiq
Let Love Bring Us Together

3. Barton Hollow - The Civil Wars

4. 21 - Adele
There's a Fire Starting in My Heart

5. El Camino - The Black Keys
I Got a Love That Keeps Me Waiting

6. Watch the Throne - Jay-Z & Kanye West
Jay Is Chillin', 'Ye Is Chillin', What More Can I Say?

7. Ashes & Fire - Ryan Adams
Nobody Has to Cry to Make it Seem Real

8. Collapse into Now - R.E.M.
I Know What I am Chasing, I Know that this Is Changing Me

9. 4 - Beyoncé
You a Bad Girl and You're Friends Bad Too

10. Cocoon - Meg & Dia
I Gave Up on Giving Up on Me

11. Hot Sauce Committee Part 2 - Beastie Boys
We're Gonna Party for the Right to Fight

12. Chesapeake - Rachael Yamagata

13. Lasers - Lupe Fiasco

14. American Goldwing - Blitzen Trapper
You Might Find it Cheap but You're Never Gonna Find it Free

15. Undun - The Roots
If There's a Heaven I Can't Find a Stairway

16. Bells - Laura Jansen
I Have the Motivation to Be a Free Girl Now

17. Camp - Childish Gambino
Why Does Every Black Actor Gotta Rap Some? I Don’t Know, All I Know Is I’m the Best One

18. Mondo Amore - Nicole Atkins
They Call Dawn the Moring and I Wish We Said Goodbye

19. Back To Love - Anthony Hamilton
I'd Be Such and Angel You'd Think Me and Jesus Was Cool Like that

20. Red - Dia Frampton
Have You Ever Felt Like Everybody's Watching

Thursday, December 22, 2011

The 25 Best Live Performances of 2011


For the best live performances of the year, you can take the song title link to view the performance(aside from the first couple embedded ones) and the iTunes links will take you there where you can buy the performances (where available).

1. Friday – Stephan Colbert, Jimmy Fallon, The Roots, Taylor Hicks, and the Knick City Dancers (Late Night with Jimmy Fallon)



2. The Cave / Head Full of Doubt / Road Full of Promise / Maggie’s Farm – Mumford and Sons, The Avett Brothers and Bob Dylan (2011 Grammy Awards)



3. Someone Like You – Adele (2011 MTV Video Music Awards)



4. Heartless – Dia Frampton (The Voice) Heartless - The Voice: Season 1 (The Highlights)



5. Deep River Woman / Stuck on You / Dancing on the Ceiling – Lionel Richie, Little Big Town, Darius Rucker, and Rascal Flatts (2011 American Country Music Awards)

6. The Song Otherwise Known as Forget You – Cee-Lo Green, Gwyneth Paltrow, and Muppets (2011 Grammy Awards)

7. Wake Up – The Sing-Off Contestants (The Sing-Off) Wake Up - The Sing-Off - Season 3: Episode 8 - New Country & Classic Rock

8. Everybody Needs Somebody To Love - Mick Jagger featuring Raphael Saadiq (2011 Grammy Awards) Everybody Needs Somebody To Love (Performed Live at the 53rd Annual Grammy Awards) - Single - Mick Jagger featuring Raphael Saadiq

9. You’re All I Need to Get By / Stand By Me – Usher / Valerie Simpson and Mike Stroller (2012 Grammy Nomination Special)

10. Love Is a Battlefield – Cee-Lo Green and Vicki Martinez (The Sing-Off) Love Is a Battlefield (The Voice Performance) - Love Is a Battlefield (The Voice Performance) - Single

11. Love the Way You Lie / I Need a Doctor – Rihanna, Eminem, and Dr. Dre featuring Adam Levine and Skylar Grey (2011 Grammy Awards)

12. Ignition (Remix) – The Dartmouth Aires (The Sing-Off) Ignition - The Sing-Off: Season 3, Episode 9 - R&B

13. Otis – The Throne (2011 MTV Video Music Awards)

14. Poison – Bell Biv DeVoe and The Roots (Late Night with Jimmy Fallon)

15. This Love – Blake Shelton, Patrick Thomas, Xenia, Jared Blake, and Dia Frampton (The Voice)

16. Grenade – Delilah (The Sing-Off) Grenade - The Sing-Off: Season 3: Episode 1 - Signature Songs

17. Colder Weather / Sweet Baby James – Zac Brown Band and James Taylor (2011 American Country Music Awards)

18. Valerie – Bruno Mars (2011 MTV Video Music Awards)

19. Aretha Franklin Tribute – Christina Aguilera, Martina McBride, Yolanda Adams, Florence Welch and Jennifer Hudson (2011 Grammy Awards)

20. The Message – Grandmaster Flash, Melle Mel, Scorpio, Common, Lupe Fiasco, and LL Cool J (2012 Grammy Nomination Special)

21. Put Your Records On – Afro Blue (The Sing-Off) Put Your Records On - The Sing-Off: Season 3: Episode 1 - Signature Songs

22. Mean – Taylor Swift (2011 American Country Music Awards)

23. My Body – Young the Giant (2011 MTV Video Music Awards)

24. Motownphilly – Boyz II Men and The Roots (VH1 Divas Live)

25. Tubthumping – The Yellowjackets (The Sing-Off)