Top 10 Songs of 2011

This has been a ridiculously difficult Top 10 to compile. I thought I would easily be able to piggyback off my Top 20 Albums of 2011 list. However, every one of those records has multiple cuts I loved. Narrowing them down felt like trying to pick a favorite child...

Then came the saga of my original "Top 25 Songs of 2011" post, which Blogger somehow ended up deleting right after I managed to find a YouTube video for each, create Amazon download links & write a short blurb for every entry.

After almost giving up, I went with a shortened list. There are many great songs you won't find here, and they all deserved a spot. Ultimately, I had to let my own personal preferences cast the deciding vote.

So here you have it: The GeoffFM Top 10 Songs of 2011.

10. Scarlet Tanager - "Tumbleweed"

This charming song from St. Louis group Scarlet Tanager's debut American Songbird gets stuck in your head and stays there. The self-produced video is also one of the best of the year.


9. The Head and the Heart - "Lost In My Mind"

This group's self-title debut album is full of simple folk pop that really hit home with my moodier moments. "Lost In My Mind" seems to be just that - losing one's self in thoughts and memories about roads traveled.

8. Middle Brother - "Blood and Guts"

"Blood and Guts" is by far the most emotionally-charged cut on Middle Brother, with Taylor Goldsmith's trademark tension-building songwriting. With contributions from Dawes' Goldsmith, Deer Tick's John McCauley and Delta Spirit's Matthew Vasquez, it's no wonder this record has almost universally been praised as one if 2011's best.

7. Jay-Z & Kanye West - "No Church In the Wild"

Watch the Throne is a great collaboration between two of rap's most prolific (if sometimes infamous) moguls of our generation. Cuts like "Otis" and "Niggas In Paris" have been getting a lot of buzz. However, I find "No Church in the Wild" ultimately more inciting for its dark mood and cynical commentary on living the high life.

6. Danger Mouse & Daniele Luppi ft. Norah Jones - "Black"

The Rome concept album centered its moody vibes on the classic, often dark, soundtracks of Sergio Leone's mid-60's "spaghetti western" films. Contributions from Jack White and Norah Jones spiced up several of the cuts, including Jones taking a turn for the sultry in "Black."

5. Black Keys - "Little Black Submarines"

The Black Keys again slid onto the popular radar at the 11th hour of 2011, leaning heavily on the rock side with El Camino. "Little Black Submarines" begins in catchy acoustic before abruptly transitioning to White Stripes-style guitar grooves and loud drums for the second act.

4. Mutemath - "Walking Paranoia"

Mutemath fired a groove-laden shot across our collective bow with this year's Odd Soul. While keeping to their trademark jam-heavy sound, the band was not afraid to experiment with classic rock and Bitches Brew-style jazz leanings on cuts like "Walking Paranoia." Lyrically, the group seems to be searching for spiritual truth in a world of political and religious fear-mongering, something anyone in the "Quarter-Life Shipwreck" can probably identify with.

3. Foster the People - "Pumped Up Kicks"

Love it or hate it, Foster the People scored the unofficial song of the summer. So much has been said about the contrast between the dark lyrics and the upbeat tempo. I simply found it incredibly catchy.

2. Civil Wars - "Barton Hollow"

Part country, part folk, and completely enticing. Joy Williams and John Paul White, collectively the Civil Wars, were this year's indie Cinderella Story. Barton Hollow, their debut album, was completely self-produced and released without the input of a major label, topping charts and earning multiple Grammy nominations.

1. Dawes - "Little Bit of Everything"

"Little Bit of Everything" is a showcase of Taylor Goldsmith's storytelling through song. Each verse presents a distinct scene, while the ending leaves you wanting more. This track shines among among a collection of gems on 2011's Nothing Is Wrong.