Best Albums of 2010

It's that special time of the year when all the music critics, publications and bloggers (like me) unleash their lists of the best of 2010. As usual, I'll be doing albums, movies and TV and, if I get around to it, books. I reviewed about 60 albums this year, a new record, and enough to make a top 40 list of the best (links below will take you to my original reviews). Despite that, there were albums I wanted to review but never got around to do it, like the latest from the New Pornographers and Spoon, electronic albums like Caribou, Gold Panda and How to Dress Well and the solo debut from Glee's Mark Salling. So many albums, so little time it seems. Without further adieu, I present you...

The 40 Best Albums of 2010

1. The National - High Violet No album stirred me as much with its beauty and breadth as this fifth album from the Brooklyn-based indie band, The National. A new discovery for me, it led me into their catalog, which is riddled with other worthy albums. I'm always on the hunt for the perfect rock album, and this comes quite close, melding the best of what I've liked in albums from band like The Editors and Interpol Best: Sorrow.

2. Take That - Progress Take That took an impressive step forward on their sixth album, the first to reunite Robbie Williams with the other four in 15 years. Much credit goes to producer Stuart Price, who had a hand in no less than five of my favorite albums this year, including three in the top 10. This bold, upbeat, brooding set was his best output yet. Best: The Flood.

3. Scissor Sisters - Night Work Also a Stuart Price production, Night Work sent one of the most eccentric pop groups back to the dance floor, with a no-ballads disco and '80s romp that pulled no punches when it came to being dirty, sexy, and cool. After a slight step down with their second album, Ta-Dah, in 2006, this was as good if not better than their landmark 2004 debut. Best: Any Which Way.

4. Arcade Fire - The Suburbs The Canadian collective produced their best work yet, a lengthy, sprawling concept album that provided a sort of perfect musical excess to mirror its suburban theme. I was a reluctant convert to Arcade Fire's charm, but by the time The Suburbs came out, there was no question of my loyalty. Best: Ready to Start.

5. Kanye West - My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy After the dark electronica of 808s and Heartbreak, Kanye West's fifth album returned to more familiar hip-hop territory, but did so with confidence, style and guest stars as varied from Nicki Minaj to Bon Iver. The results were his most ambitious and accomplished album yet. Best: Lost in the World.

6. Broken Bells DJ/producer Danger Mouse has previously teamed up successfully with Cee Lo Green (Gnarls Barkley) and Damon Albarn (producing for Gorillaz and The Good, the Bad and the Queen), but his best collaboration yet was this team-up with The Shins' lead singer James Mercer. Together, they made this surprising and atmospheric record that balances their respective strengths while also being something new. Best: The Ghost Inside.

7. Janelle Monáe - The ArchAndroid Janelle Monáe was the year's most surprising newcomer, giving us the most bizarre concept album I've ever heard of--a sprawling science fiction opus of Afro-futurism about a woman from the future who gets sent back in time as an android to liberate a civilization (something like that, anyway). The music itself is just as ambitious, combining nearly every genre of sound from the last 40 years from pop to hip-hop to prog rock. Best: Tightrope.

8. Linkin Park - A Thousand Suns This is the most surprising album in my top 10. I've never been a Linkin Park fan, although I've enjoyed many of their songs. But I found their fourth album to be a rather enjoyable rock epic of sonic grandeur and political underpinnings. Best: When They Come for Me.


9. Robyn - Body Talk After revitalizing her career in 2007 with the single "With Every Heartbeat," Swedish pop singer Robyn took a few years before returning with this remarkable set of dance pop, revealing as many hooks as it does vulnerabilities. In a smart marketing twist, Robyn unfurled the album over the course of the year, releasing first an EP in the spring and a second EP in the summer before the album came out in the fall. Best: Indestructible. See also Body Talk Part 1 and Body Talk Part 2.

10. Kylie Minogue - Aphrodite Australian pop singer Kylie Minogue's fifth album for Parlophone was a step up from her slightly disappointing last couple of releases. It's still no Fever or Light Years, but its glittery electro/dance pop sound delivers quite a few great moments. Best: All the Lovers.


11. Rumer - Seasons of My Soul. Mining the late '60s pop sound has become somewhat of a sport in British pop music, but Paksitani-British newcomer Rumer gets credit for doing it with such effortless style, drawing quick comparisons to Karen Carpenter and Dusty Springfield with her evocative, hushed vocals. Best: Slow.

12. John Grant - Queen of Denmark John Grant's first solo outing holds back little when it comes to baring his soul through his music, touching on his troubled childhood, addiction, suicide and unrequited love. Yet he also finds time to sing about outer space and Sigourney Weaver, making it one of few albums that can deliver both laughter and tears. Best: Marz.

13. Vampire Weekend - Contra The quintessential hipster band edged a bit closer to the mainstream with their successful second album, continuing to mine their worldly rock sound for upbeat tunes. Best: Run.



14. The Gaslight Anthem - American Slang Although a punk band at heart, The Gaslight Anthem took a full-blown Bruce Springsteen approach to this album, giving us a confident blast of everyman Americana. Best: The Queen of Lower Chelsea.


15. Nicki Minaj - Pink Friday One of the year's most anticipated debuts was that of hip-hop artist Nicki Minaj, whose first album is a winning combination of hip-hop, R&B and pop, drawing on '80s samples, sleek production and Minaj's creative spirit, often in the form of engaging alter egos. Best: Roman's Revenge.


16. Corinne Bailey Rae - The Sea Corinne Bailey Rae's 2006 debut gave us the big hit "Put Your Records On," but was largely dismissed as MOR easy listening. This second album, although similar, is more robust musically, owing in part to the singer's recent heartbreak over the death of her husband. Best: I'd Do It All Again.

17. Plan B - The Defamation of Strickland Banks British hip-hop artist Plan B turned soul singer on this retro-sounding concept album that tells the tale of a manly wrongly convicted of a crime. Best: She Said.



18. Bruno Mars - Doo Wops & Hooligans Bruno Mars was one of the year's biggest breakouts. As a producer and performer he's got plenty of talent on both sides of the recording studio's glass. I have a feeling this solid pop debut will continue generating hit singles well into 2011. Best: Just the Way You Are.


19. Taylor Swift - Speak Now Twenty-year-old Taylor Swift has had an amazing run the last two years, becoming the biggest thing in country music with her second album, Fearless, which early this year won the Album of the Year Grammy Award. Her hit streak continues with her third album, exploring more mature themes and leaving audiences guessing as she tackles the emotions behind the tabloid stories of her love life. Best: Back to December.

20. Black Keys - Brothers With The White Stripes on an apparent hiatus, the spot for alternative blues-rock band of choice was winningly filled by Black Keys this year with their sixth album, Brothers, which takes a more conventional yet not less engaging approach to the genre. Best: Tighten Up.


21. Sade - Soldier of Love It seems that Sade has decided to take 9-year breaks between albums, which is rather long, but probably worth it, if they continue to produce soulful, sensuous music of such caliber. Best: Babyfather.



22. Carole King & James Taylor - Live at the Troubadour I listened to this album because I expected it would be nominated by the Grammy folks for Album of the Year, but instead, the album received no nominations in any category. It's their loss though, for I found this nostalgic throwback of King and Taylor singing many of their best-loved songs live to be a nostalgic time warp of an album, even better if you were a fan of them in their heyday. Best: You've Got a Friend.

23. Duffy - Endlessly So far, this album is failing to take root, which is a shame. Yes, it's no Rockferry, but that doesn't mean it isn't quite good, with quite a few strong pop tracks like blustery "Well, Well, Well," which features a brassy backing from The Roots and the "Papa Don't Preach" ode, "Keeping MyBaby." Best: Keeping My Baby.

24. Kings of Leon - Come Around Sundown Their 2008 album, Only By the Night, vaulted the American alternative rock group from being a little-known band with a modest British following to one of the world's best-selling musical acts. Big shoes to fill then for this follow-up album, which mostly adheres to the sound established by that previous landmark album. Best: Pyro.

25. Two Door Cinema Club - Tourist History By 2010, the music industry had become saturated by bands plunging themselves whole-heartedly into the mid-'80s new wave sound, many with antique synthesizers in tow. Despite the glut, I had hopes that Two Door Cinema Club would manage to break out big with this debut, a tight set of melodic pop songs. Best: I Can Talk.

26. Goldfrapp - Head First Speaking of the '80s, Goldfrapp have always drawn on that decade's electronic sounds for their music, but on Head First, they made their first true '80s record. Its uptempo sound made up for the slight misstep of their folksy fourth album. Best: Believer.


27. Rihanna - Loud Rihanna's last album, Rated R, was a surprisingly artistic album, full of darkness and rage, as well as pop hooks. Loud is more familiar--mostly just uptempo dance pop, although it does see the singer return to her Caribbean roots moreso than her last few records. Best: Only Girl (in the World).


28. Deerhunter - Halcyon Digest On Halcyon Digest, the Altanta-based indie rockers known as Deerhunter make dreamy, layered music that's like sifting through distant memories. An engaging listen that connected well music critics, putting them on many of the year's "best of" lists. Best: Desire Lines.


29. Hurts - Happiness. Hurts, which placed fourth on the BBC Sounds of 2010 poll, is another welcome synth pop duo, although not as clearly '80s-sounding as many of their peers. Their debut, excelled at delivering dreamy, moody pop with richly layered melodies of strings, drums, percussion, and of course, synthesizers. Best: Sunday.

30. Foals - Total Life Forever This Oxford-based group's debut was mostly pretty mellow rock, although at times quirky and playful. It's centerpiece was the brilliant "Spanish Sahara," a moody, 7-minute epic that built to a frenetic musical climax. Best: Spanish Sahara.


31. Laura Marling - I Speak Because I Can British folk music isn't normally my thing, but I rather liked this second album from Laura Marling, which alternates effectively between mellower, reflective songs and more muscular, uptempo ones. She garnered quite a few accolades along the way. Best: Devil's Spoke.

32. Chromeo - Business Casual Chromeo is another group that exists solely because of the '80s bandwagon. Business Casual doesn't sound like it's sampling '80s sounds, it just is '80s sounds. A pretty decent imitation at that. Best: Don't Turn the Lights On.



33. The Roots - How I Got Over Whether they are backing up Jimmy Fallon, playing to the National Mall in front of John Stewart, collaborating with John Legend or just making music by themselves, hip-hop act The Roots demonstrated this year that when it comes to grounded, soulful, political hip-hop, they are the kings. Best: Walk Alone.

34. The Wanted Boybands are hot again in Britain as Take That (although really a "man" band now) is as hot as ever, while a new generation, led by JLS, continues to send up top 10 hits. This band emerged in the summer with #1 single "All Time Low." Their album followed, and like that single, was surprisingly good. Best: Let's Get Ugly

35. Keane - Night Train There was a time I was really in love with this band, but sadly their star has faded the last few years. I'm hopeful they will make another great album though, as this EP showed they are still willing to experiment with new sounds while continuing to craft great pop music. Best: Stop for a Minute.

36. Robert Plant - Band of Joy. Led Zeppelin's frontman follows up his amazing 2007 collaboration with Alison Krauss with this collaboration with a group fo musicians named after Plant's pre-Zep band, Band of Joy. The results are surprisingly folksy, but quite rocking. Best: House of Cards


37. Sleigh Bells - Treats This spring debut generated quite a bit of buzz for the New York-based duo. Listening to the album's rapid-fire beats and heavily distorted guitars was like being assaulted sonically, although masochistically so, since the music it fronted was pretty great. Best: Tell 'Em.


38. I Am Kloot - Sky at Night The British folk scene was dominated this year by Laura Marling (above) and her friends Mumford & Sons, but other bands were there too, like than Mancunian group whose sound straddles folk and rock with this warm, acoustic set. Best: Proof.


39. Brandon Flowers - Flamingo Brandon Flowers' solo outing isn't quite as good as his work with his band The Killers, but when it works, it is glorious pop music, and I admire his efforts to produce a Vegas-themed concept album. Best: Only the Young.


40. Glee Cast - Glee: The Music. Rather than list just one album, I consider Glee to be a body of work that continues to send up creative twists on Broadway and popular songs. Best: Teenage Dream (feat. Darren Criss). See also Vol. 3-Showstoppers, Journey to Regionals, The Power of Madonna, A Very Glee Christmas (not reviewed, Vol. 4).

Also Reviewed, but Not Recommended

Alphabeat - The Beat Is...
Danger Mouse & Sparkle Horse - Dark Night of the Soul
Delphic - Acolyte
Eminem - Recovery
Gorillaz - Plastic Beach
Ellie Goulding - Lights
Cee Lo Green - The Lady Killer
Michael Jackson - Michael (will be done within the next week)
Lady Antebellum - Need You Now
LCD Soundsystem - This Is Happening
Joe McElderry - Wide Awake
Midlake - The Courage of Others
MGMT - Congratulations
Ne-Yo - Libra Scale
Scouting for Girls - Everybody Wants to Be on TV
Villagers - Becoming a Jackal
Yeasayer - Odd Blood

Worst of the Year

1. Christina Aguilera - Bionic. I listened to this album on MySpace and decided it wasn't worth my effort to review and write up, let alone purchase. It represents what I like least about some pop albums. At 18 tracks, it's wayyy too long and proves my point that more isn't better, as I'm hard pressed to find any songs here that are really great. With too many producers, Aguilera just gets lost in the mix. After the decent Stripped and the intriguingly experimental Back to Basics, this was a serious disappointment.

2. Katy Perry - Teenage Dream. I was shocked, shocked, shocked to learn this was nominated for the Grammy Award for Album of the Year. It's probably the least deserving album to nab the honor that I can think of. Yes, "California Gurls" and "Teenage Dream" are awesome pop songs, but two great songs do not an album make. Much of the rest is banal, trite and dull.

3. Interpol. This bleak fourth album from Interpol lacks the interesting melodies from their first album that wooed me last year.

Album Review: John Grant - Queen of Denmark (4.5/5)

I was going to include this album in the article I wrote this week about releases from earlier this year, but since it's so good, I decided it deserved its own review. I'd never heard of John Grant until a couple weeks ago when his solo debut, Queen of Denmark, topped Mojo's list of the best albums of the year and also made Q Magazine's top 10.

In interviews, Grant has talked about how personal this album is, delving into the dark corners of his youth and early adulthood to weave songs of gorgeous sadness touching on topics like the difficulty of growing up gay in a homophobic environment and falling in love and having it not work out. In this vein, the album delivers its riches songs. "TC and Honeybear" is a folksy sweet love story, but punches with forceful longing near the end when it appears the title characters will be separated. There's no such will on "Where Dreams Go to Die," where unrequited love leads to resignation or, in the case of the gently tuneful "It's Easier," self delusion as a form of emotional armor. "Caramel" is the only love song that seems to end happily; the respite is brief, for it's followed by "Leopard and Lamb," another lovely downer.

The album isn't purely about heartbreak though, and Grant shows he has a sense of humor too. He titles a song about being an outsider after one of my favorite actresses, "Sigourney Weaver," drawing on her famed turn as Ellen Ripley, always on the run from the aliens. He also name-checks Winona Ryder and "that other guy" from her vampire film, presumably Keanu Reeves, as an opportunity to make fun of their accents in Bram Stoker's Dracula.

Quirky "Chicken Bones" has prickly lyrics, but its anger is tempered by its jaunty tune and off-kilter metaphors ("I'm about to explode just like a Wonder Bread bomb"). The persnickety track would be at home on a Scissor Sisters album if its tempo was a little faster. It's followed by another lively piano-backed track, "Silver Platter Club," where he takes a swipe at privileged class who get everything handed to them. His sharpest daggers come out on "Jesus Hates F****ts," during which he rails against all sorts of things that piss him off.

Musically, the arrangements evoke early '70s pop with lots of piano, guitar and string coming together to form strong, nostalgic melodies. Credit for that goes to Midlake, the Texan folk-rock group that is the backing band for this album. They provide an emotional heart to all the songs, even when Grant is singing about seemingly ridiculous things, like extra-terrestrials on "Outer Space," which features era-appropriate synthesizers. Their sense of melody is put to best use on "Marz," my favorite track. The song uses a tune of cinematic scope to pine for the lost innocence of childhood through the metaphor of a candy store Grant frequented as a little boy.

Queen of Denmark is a promising solo turn from an artist taking a new direction after the breakup of his band, The Czars. Importantly, Grant has a great voice--deep and expressive, it just draws you in. He's also willing to be deeply personal in his lyrics. Judging from what he's revealed here, he's got quite a few more stories to share. Whether they continue to have this dark edge or be a little happier, I'm hopeful they will be just as beautiful.

Best: Marz, Sigourney Weaver, TC and Honeybear, Outer Space, Where Dreams Go to Die, It's Easier

Further Listening

Midlake - The Courage of Others (3/5)

Midlake, the backing band for John Grant's Queen of Denmark, is a band in their own right, having released several albums in the last few years. The Courage of Others is their third such outing, an album of lovely melancholy, although not as interesting lyrically as Grant's album. Their acoustic sound and harmonized vocals come together best on "Rulers, Ruling All Things," a definite highlight of the quieter material, growing a bit more robust for its choruses. I also like "Bring Down," which features female vocalist Stephanie Dosen, and while its hardly a love duet (it's rather funereal in its gloom), it's another particularly lovely song. "Small Mountain" gets a bit punchier with its prominent bass line, "Children of the Grounds" has a little more tempo and "The Horn" includes electric guitar, one of the few plugged in instruments. But essentially, the album is folk music for the granola-loving set on a cloudy, rainy day. "Core of Nature" discusses walking through the woods and all sorts of natural metaphors, as if it wasn't clear that was what they were going for here. Best: Rulers Ruling All Things, Bring Down

Personal Chart, December 18, 2010

Billboard Hot 100, December 25, 2010

1. Firework - Katy Perry

Katy Perry's "Firework" stays at #1 for the final week of calendar year 2010, making "Firework" the US "Christmas" #1 (although that's not a big deal here like it is in the UK). "Firework" is the first single to spend consecutive weeks at #1 since "Like a G6" was #1 Oct. 30 and Nov. 6. When adding the 6 weeks at #1 for "California Gurls" and the 2 weeks for "Teenage Dream," Katy Perry spent the second-most weeks at #1 this year, tied with Ke$ha:

1. 14 weeks - Rihanna (7 Love the Way You Lie, 5 Rude Boy, 1 What's My Name, 1 Only Girl
2. 10 wks - Katy Perry (6 California Gurls, 2 Teenage Dream, 2 Firework)
T. 10 wks - Ke$ha (9 Tik Tok, 1 We R Who We R)
4. 8 wks - Eminem (7 Love the Way You Lie, 1 Not Afraid)
5. 6 wks - Bruno Mars (4 Just the Way You Are, 2 Nothin' on You)
T. 6 wks - Snoop Dogg (6 California Gurls)

2. What's My Name - Rihanna (feat. Drake)
3. Grenade - Bruno Mars

It's going to be tight competition to see who scores the first #1 hit of 2011 with the top 3 songs bulleted this week. Rihanna climbs at notch to #2 and wins the Airplay Gainer with her former #1 hit. Bruno Mars is up 2 spots to #3 with "Grenade."

18. That's All She Wrote - T.I. (feat. Eminem)

The potent combination of T.I. and Eminem gives them both a top 20 hit this week. This is from T.I.'s most recent album, No Mercy, out last week. Although this is not an official single from the album (as yet), it got cherry picked from the album cuts to become the highest-charting track from the album. Considering that T.I. is currently in jail, the album will lack standard promotion.

19. We No Speak Americano - Yolanda be Cool feat. Dcup

The Romanians have a top 20 hit!

Album Reviews: Releases from Earlier This Year

Year-end critics' lists are coming out, which presents a good opportunity to assess whether there were any interesting albums released earlier this year that I missed. Here's my rundown of a few I've discovered and enjoyed in recent weeks. All of these get a 4/5 rating.

Deerhunter - Halcyon Digest. On Halcyon Digest, the Altanta-based indie rockers known as Deerhunter make dreamy music, layered with sounds both clear and distorted. Listening to it is like sifting through distant memories--some easy to recall, while others have become rough around the edges. Ethereal tracks like "Earthquake" and "Sailing" contrast with rockier songs like "Revival." "Basement Scene" has so much noise on it, that it probably was recorded in someone's basement, or least engineered to sound that way. There's a significant variance in song length here, from the 2-minute, short and punchy "Don't Cry" 7 and a half minute closer, "He Would Have Laughed." Some of the songs on the album sound awfully familiar, although hard to exactly pin down. "Memory Boy" reminds me of something British, "Desire Lines" reminds me MGMT and "Helicopter" really reminds me of something too, but I can't put my finger on it--all of these are great songs though. Best: Desire Lines, Helicopter, Revival, Memory Boy, Earthquake

The Roots - How I Got Over. The Roots are known to many as being Jimmy Fallon's backup band, but they actually have had a long career in their own right, recording albums since the early '90s. This year was a big year for them. They made a political-themed album with John Legend, Wake Up!, which I was interested in, but never got around to hearing. I got a sense of it though seeing them, as well as Legend, perform live at Jon Stewart's Rally to Restore Sanity. Legend shows up here too, along with a string of other collaborators, although no one I've heard of. Much of the music has a late-night, classic R&B and jazz feel. "Walk Alone" and "Radio Daze," for example, repeat a jazz piano refrain under their rhymes. The album has a few samples, but unlike say Nicki Minaj, they aren't songs I'm familiar with. That doesn't mean they aren't interesting though. Smooth "Right On" samples folk singer Joanna Newsom while "Doin' It Again" samples John Legend, followed by "The Fire," which actually features Legend. Best: Walk Alone, Radio Daze, Right On, The Fire.

Robert Plant - Band of Joy. Anyone who thought the folksy side of Raising Sand came from Allison Krauss will be surprised by Band of Joy, which finds Robert Plant exploring some pretty down home sounds. The music is pretty rough around the edges and you'd expect it to basically sound the same live "House of Cards" sounds like a late-night jam in a country bar, while "Central-Two-O-Nine" has even thicker twang. This album isn't quite as good as Plant's 2007 Grammy-winning collaboration with Krauss, but it does have some strong moments. The name is more than just a descriptor, for Robert Plant has actually formed a band called Band of Joy for this album, named after his original band from the '60s before Led Zeppelin. Those who might miss Krauss will be pleased to know he's found another prominent female voice in Patty Griffin, who's featured prominently throughout the album on tracks like the slow-burning ballad "Silver Rider," the more upbeat "You Can't Buy My Love" and the darker-sounding "Monkey." Much, if not all of these songs are remakes (I'm not up on the style enough to know), and a couple are even credited as "traditional" in the liner notes, such as the sparse "Satan Your Kingdom Must Come Down." Best: House of Cards, Silver Rider, You Can't Buy My Love, Satan Your Kingdom Must Come Down

Matt Cardle "When We Collide"

Here's the single version of X Factor winner Matt Cardle's new single, "When We Collide." Released early this year by Biffy Clyro as "Many of Horror (When We Collide)," it's a song I like quite a bit. Cardle sounds pretty good it on. Reminds me a bit of James Blunt. The arrangement is not much different than the original version until the end, where they throw in the obligatory final chorus key jump. Always a welcome gesture in a big pop song. I guess I don't mind this, but mostly because I really like the original song. It's certainly a much better choice than giving Joe McElderry a Miley Cyrus song to sing.



Here's the original Biffy Clyro version:

Alexandra Burke - Overcome

Last week, Alexandra Burke re-released her 2009 album, Overcome, in a special edition package with a new cover, new songs and the single versions of songs released earlier this year. Is it worth getting? Thankfully, in the iTunes era, it's not necessary to buy the whole thing; just buy some or all of the tracks you don't already have. Here's a look at what you get that's different on this re-release:

1. Start without You (feat. Laza Morgan). This was released as a single at the end of August and it hit #1, although I wouldn't call it an enduring hit single, as it only spent 7 weeks in the top 40. It didn't do that well at radio either, in contrast to her many of her other singles that garnered significant airplay. I like the song enough, but it's not amazing stuff.

2. The Silence (single mix). Track 3 on the original album gets a slight remix and moved up a spot on the album. The changes are fine, but if you already have Overcome, I wouldn't insist you get this too. I liked the song enough in its original version, although I didn't think it was absolutely one of the best tracks, as it's a bit overblown. Sounds like something Ryan Tedder would write, but apparently he did not.

4. All Night Long (single mix feat. Pitbull). This is one of my favorites from the original album, and it only got better on the single version, which got a fresher mix and a fun middle section rap from Pitbull.

5. Perfect. A new song--a lush ballad, awash in strings and piano, with guitar and drums that kick in for verse 2. This is a nice song. I would've put this out instead of "The Silence."

6. What Happens on the Dance Floor (feat. Cobra Starship). Alexandra gets to shake her booty on the '80s-sounding dance pop stomper loaded with synths and drum programming. I like the idea of Alex channeling Whitney Houston circa 1986, but unfortunately this isn't the greatest song for doing so. Maybe it will grow on me.

7. Before the Rain. Another downbeat ballad with minor key and piano. This is more dramatic than "Perfect," kind of like "Bleeding Love." It's pretty good, but I don't think I prefer it to the other new ballad. It's written by Steve Mac, who's written a ton of recent pop hits.

8. Broken Heels (single mix). I think this is just an edit, as I don't recall the song getting a new mix for the song. So unless you're a purist who must have this, I'm sure you can get by with the original version, which is 34 seconds longer.

Track 3 is "Bad Boys" and tracks 9 through 17 are all the other tracks that appeared on the original album, generally in the same sequence, except for moves made to accommodate the new songs above.

Buy: All Night Long (single version), Perfect
Skip: The Silence (single version)

UK Singles Chart, December 19, 2010

1. The Time (Dirty Bit) - Black Eyed Peas
2. Whip My Hair - Willow Smith

It was tight competition for #1 this week. During the first half of the week, Willow Smith, the 10-year-old daughter of actor/rapper Will Smith and actress Jada Pinkett-Smith, looked set to hit #1 with her first single, but by Thursday, she'd been overtaken by Black Eyed Peas' "The Time (Dirty Bit)," which climbs to #1 in its fifth week on the chart. This is BEP's fifth #1 hit. Willow Smith's father, Will, hit #1 in 1997 with "Men in Black," and has quite a few top 10 hits. As part of the duo D.J. Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince he also hit #1 in 1993 with "Boom! Shake the Room."

4. What's My Name - Rihanna (feat. Drake)
(5. Only Girl - Rihanna)
(9. Who's that Chick - David Guetta feat. Rihanna)

Rihanna and Drake climb four spots to #4, giving Rihanna her 15th top 5 hit. Like last week, Rihanna has three singles in the top 10, although not consecutively this week, as "Only Girl" climbs two notches to #5 and "Who's that Chick" with David Guetta holds at #9.

11. Hold My Hand - Michael Jackson (feat. Akon)

So the first single from the first posthumous album from Michael Jackson didn't turn out to be as big a deal as I had thought it would be. It debuts at #11 this week, which is a pretty poor showing for a first single from a Michael Jackson album. "You Rock My World" from Invincible hit #2, "Blood on the Dancefloor" from the album of the same name hit #1, "Scream" from History hit #3, "Black or White" from Dangerous hit #1, "I Just Can't Stop Loving You" from Bad hit #1, "The Girl Is Mine" from Thriller hit #8, and "Don't Stop 'til You Get Enough" from Off the Wall hit #3.

13. Christmas Lights - Coldplay

Coldplay's Christmas single climbs 5 spots to #13. Will it be top 10 next week?

16. The Silence - Alexandra Burke

On the cusp of the crowning of the 7th winner of The X Factor, the show's fifth winner, one of its most successful, re-released her 2009 album, Overcome, with the single versions of several releases from the last year plus a handful of new tracks. "The Silence" appeared on her original album, but gets a slight rework for its single release. The track has never been a big favorite of mine, but it's decent enough, and certainly an obvious choice for a single. This is Burke's sixth single and first to miss the top 10, assuming it climbs no higher (it is unlikely that it would).

32. Better than Today - Kylie Minogue

Poor Kylie seems to see her luck with singles dry up faster and faster. With her last album, X, it wasn't until the fourth single that she missed the top 10. That was "The One," which peakedat #36. With Aphrodite, it happens with single #3, which manages to enter the chart only slightly higher than "The One," which is Kylie's lowest charting single (apart from a couple of dance singles she sings on that no one really counts).

68. Someone Wake Me Up - Joe McElderry

Oh dear. This is not good. Not good at all. Poor Joe.

Next week, barring a viral Facebook campaign, the #1 hit will surely be "Many of Horror," a remake of last year's hit single from Biffy Clyro as performed by tonight's X Factor winner, Matt Cardle.

Matt Cardle Wins X Factor

Matt Cardle has apparently won The X Factor. Here he is performing Biffy Clyro's "Many of Horror," which will be his winner's single, out tomorrow.

Album Review: Kanye West - My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy (4.5/5)

Kanye West has proven he has a big ego, but on My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, he also continues to prove that he's an exceptional musician. This fifth album is his best yet, approaching a broad range of styles, making it big and messy, in contrast to his surprising last album, 808s and Heartbreak, which was confined and sleek. Whereas other pop artists are taking a "throw in everything and the kitchen sink" approach and see what works, West throws in everything and makes it work--all of it. Along the way, he's invited guest turns from enough of today's hottest pop stars to throw a decent-sized party.

A gradually menacing voice over introduces "Dark Fantasy," like it's setting up a twisted fairy tale, before the strings, choir and beats are layered in. It's a great start and typical of the "all or all" production style of many of the album's songs. The lyrics detail his troubled last year and starting fresh. Along the way, he cleverly name-checks or rather name-blends other pop stars ("Sex is on fire; I'm the King of Leona Lewis"). Pop culture references abound of course. In the relatively restrained gangsta-ish track "Gorgeous (feat. Kid Cudi & Raekwon)," for example, he turns a drug bust into a TV reference ("got caught with 30 rocks, the cop look like Alec Baldwin"; "What's a 'black' Beatle anyway, a f**kin' roach?"). "Power" throttles forth with a forceful production to match its unapologetic lyrics.

The tracks with the most guest stars follow. "All of the Lights" is rousing track with a Rocky-like horns sections, layers of beats and a prominent--albeit not technically featured--vocal from Rihanna. It also features Elton John on piano plus additional vocals by Kid Cudi, Tony Williams, The-Dream, Charlie Wilson, John Legend, La Roux's Elly Jackson, Alicia Keys, Elton John, Fergie, Ryan Leslie, and Drake (Kanye West is apparently so famous that stars and big as Alicia Keys and Fergie show up as background vocalists throughout the album without actual featured vocalist credit). Boisterous "Monster" features guest raps from Jay-Z, Rick Ross and Nicki Minaj, plus a brief vocal from Bon Iver. Minaj in particular is in fine form, displaying the kind of vocal acrobatics and personality she displayed with such acumen on her album, Pink Friday. Brooding "So Appalled" has Swizz Beatz, Jay-Z, Pusha T, Prince Cy Hi and The RZA as guests. Although generally not a highlight for me, it does have some of my favorite lines on the album: "the day that you play me will be the same day MTV plays videos." Touché! Also good: "I move a bird like I'm in bed with Mother Goose."

"Runaway" was a great single, but on the album, it's transformed into an amazing 9-minute epic of a song. It's about Kanye's failings with women--his tendency to always find fault and end up with women who aren't good for him and that he's not good for. There's no desire to improve though; instead he warns off any potential mates, throws himself in with other similar slops and toasts them all on the song's memorable chorus. The track ends with an extended outro that at first sounds like some distorted synth, but then, as it clears up at the end, turns out to actually be Kanye West's singing, distorted beyond recognition.

The only songs that don't really work for me are "Devil in a New Dress," a lounge-y, laid-back groove with a Smokey Robinson sample, and the pornographic fantasy "Hell of a Time," which is just a bit too dirty. However, I do enjoy Chris Rock's hilarious, potty-mouthed monologue at the end of "Blame Game," which I wouldn't date try to describe in this forum.

The last song on the album is my favorite. "Lost in the World" is built around a prominent sample of folk group Bon Iver's "Woods," a lovely, layered work of digitally distorted vocals, an affect similar to Imogen Heap's haunting "Hide and Seek" (which, just to make this more complicated was prominently sampled on last year's hit song by Jason Derulo, "Whatcha Say"). West adds a driving beat after the opening verse, pushing the quiet folk into dancefloor-appropriate power pop territory. La Roux's Jackson also does background vocal duty here. Gil Scott-Heron's 1970 poem "Comment No. 1" is tacked onto the end as the album's epilogue, "Who Will Survive in America," a provocative tirade against American hypocrisy.

Kanye West has been my favorite hip-hop artist for years now and, despite his personal failings (or perhaps because of them), continues to be an engaging and important presence in popular music. My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy is an odd title for an album, but it fits this work perfectly. I've generally enjoyed each of his successive albums more than the previous one, which is an exciting prospect for what's yet to come.

Best: Lost in the World, Runaway, Power, All of the Lights, Dark Fantasy, Monster, Blame Game

Billboard Hot 100, December 18, 2010

1. Firework - Katy Perry

Katy Perry climbs a notch to #1, scoring her third #1 hit this year and fourth #1 overall. As last week's #1 single, Pink's "Raise Your Glass," managed only a week at #1, this is the 6th week in a row that the Hot 100's top song has been something different. Perry is the second artist this year, after Rihanna, to score a third #1 hit within the calendar year. Not since 1989 have two acts had at least 3 #1 hits each on the chart. That year, Paula Abdul hit #1 with "Straight Up," "Forever Your Girl" and "Cold Hearted" and Milli Vanilli did so with "Baby Don't Forget My Number," "Girl I'm Gonna Miss You" and "Blame It on the Rain."

"Firework" follows "California Gurls" and "Teenage Dream" to #1. All three songs are from the same album, Teenage Dream. The last artist to score three #1 hits from one album was Black Eyed Peas, who hit #1 this year with "Imma Be" and last year with "Boom Boom Pow" and "I Gotta Feeling," all from The E.N.D. The last female artist to do so was the Peas' own Fergie, who's album The Dutchess produced #1 hits "London Bridge" in 2006 and "Glamorous" and "Big Girls Don't Cry" in 2007. The last female artist to see the first three singles from her album hit #1 was Monica, who hit #1 in 1998 with "The Boy Is Mine" and "The First Night" and in 1999 with "Angel of Mine," all from her album, The Boy Is Mine. The last artist to hit #1 within a calendar year with the first three singles from an album was Usher in 2004, reaching #1 with "Yeah!," "Burn" and "Confessions Part II" from Confessions.

4. The Time (Dirty Bit) - Black Eyed Peas

All of a sudden it seems everyone's decided to love this song. It bolts up 5 places to #4 this week, and could be the #1 song in Britain this weekend.

5. Grenade - Bruno Mars

Bruno Mars gets his fourth consecutive top 5 hit, as "Grenade" jumps 5 spots to #5.

21. Dog Days Are Over - Florence + the Machine
22. Dog Days Are Over - Glee Cast
(29. Hey, Soul Sister - Glee Cast)
(38. I've Had the Time of My Life - Glee Cast)

Lately, Glee has helped the original versions of the songs it covers propel up the chart. Like what it did for Cee Lo Green's "Fuck You!," the Florence + the Machine's original version of "Dog Days Are Over" charts higher than the Glee version, although just barely, as the two are back-to-back. Glee is sort of responsible for us having two songs with two versions in the top 40 this week. Further down the chart, the Glee Cast debuts at #38 with their version of "(I've Had) the Time of My Life," the '80s classic from the film Dirty Dancing. This is the song interpolated in the Black Eyed Peas song "The Time" at #4. Glee also charts at #29 with "Hey, Soul Sister," a remake of this year's hit by Train.

25. Christmas Lights - Coldplay

The rock band that ruled the last decade debuts at #25 with their first holiday-themed song, "Christmas Lights," a one-off release not tied to an album. It was rumored they would release their fifth album by the end of the year, although apparently not, as it has not materialized. "Christmas Lights" is Coldplay's 6th top 40 hit:

1. Clocks, #29
2. Speed of Sound, #8
3. Violet Hill, #40
4. Viva La Vida, #1
5. Lost+ (feat. Jay-Z), #40
6. Christmas Lights, #25

Personal Chart, December 11, 2010

Album Review: Duffy - Endlessly (4/5)

Something is amiss on Duffy's sophomore album, Endlessly. It's not the songs, as they are quite solid. Better than I expected actually, as the album has gotten surprisingly mixed reviews. I think the problem lies with the singer herself, or rather just her voice. Duffy, or Aimée Ann Duffy as her parents know her, has a rather set of pipes. She used it to great effect on Rockferry, her 2008 debut that was my favorite album of the year. But whatever magic producer Bernard Butler was able to work on that album has apparently eluded this album's producer, Albert Hammond.

Whether its his doing or her choice to play up her vocal weaknesses rather than her strengths is hard to tell, but I completely agree with the Slant review that says at times she sounds 7 and at other times 70. She overdoes the nasal and the vibratto, which is probably the reason a lot of people were turned off by the album's first single, "Well, Well, Well," which if, like me, you can get past that, is a smoking hot tune. Hip-hop group The Roots, who had a rather good year this year, create a bracing start-stop melody that always makes me want to stand up and dance.

It's one of several standout tracks. The album opens well with "My Boy," but gets better by the third track, "Keeping My Baby," a delicious disco re-read of Madonna's "Papa Don't Preach." We'll leave it to the lawyers to determine whether its an homage or an opportunity for copyright litigation. Also drawing inspiration from an obvious classic hit is "Don't Forsake Me," which embodies the same kind of '60s summer romanticism of the Righteous Brothers' "Unchained Melody." I guess I shouldn't be surprised that these great songs, along with the upbeat pop track "Lovestruck," are co-produced by my favorite producer of the year, the amazing Stuart Price.

There are other highlights too. The title track is soulful, simple and sweet. Sugary "Girl" riffs on "The Beat Goes On" via Kylie's 2000 interpretation, "Koocachoo," complete with some "koos" thrown in. "Too Hurt to Dance" is a lovely doo-wop throwback, perfect for a high school slow dance. Listening to the album reminds me a lot of the movie Dirty Dancing, which Duffy's music evokes so much better than the Black Eyed Peas' tepid remake of the movie's hit song.

I guess Duffy doesn't really sound that bad, and the great songs make up for it, but she really needs to rein herself in a bit. Otherwise, this is a solid follow-up album. I hope that "Well, Well, Well's" lack of chart success doesn't mean some of these other great songs don't get a chance at being played on the radio.

Best: Keeping My Baby, Well Well Well, Don't Forsake Me, Lovestruck, Endlessly

BBC Sounds of 2011

Next year's list is out. Check them out on the official Sounds of 2011 website or read my rundown:

Jessie J

She's the biggest name on the list so far, having scored a top 40 hit a couple weeks ago with her first single, "Do It Like a Dude." The singer, from Essex, England, is also the most "pop" of the artists on this year's list.



The Naked and Famous

This New Zealand-based band has already made big waves in their homeland, scoring a #1 hit last summer with their first single, "Young Blood." Now the rest of the world will get a chance to hear them. Their single, "Punching in a Dream" was released in Britain this week and, along with "Young Blood," is also available in the US. Their sound is a bit new wave-y in the way that MGMT and Empire of the Sun can be.



James Blake

This one I'd already heard of, as his recent single, the Feist cover "Limit to Your Love" has been getting play on Radio 1 and was released last week. His vocals evoke soul, while the moody electronic production sounds like Massive Attack, an exciting contrast. He's also release a number of more instrumental EPs.



Nero

This dance act comprised of producers Joe Ray and Dan Stephens with singer Alana has also garnered a decent amount of attention, with their new single "Me and You" currently on the B list at Radio 1 (It's out January 3). Love the video game-themed video. "Innocence" is already available.



Anna Calvi

She's drawn the attention from the likes of Brian Eno and Nick Cave, whose band Grinderman she toured with. Her first single, "Jezebel," has a bold sound with an obvious Spanish influence. Apparently it won't appear on her debut album, Anna Calvi, slated for a January release.



Daley

Mancunian singer-songwriter Daley got a big boost appearing as guest vocalist on Gorillaz's recent top 40 single "Doncamatic," setting the stage for his own debut next year. The video for his first single, "Rainy Day," is below. He's got a great voice. Reminds me a bit of Jai, but with more heft.




Claire Maguire

The 22-year-old singer from Birmingham, England, worked with producer Fraser T. Smith (Taio Cruz, Pixie Lott, Tinchy Stryder) on her debut album, Light After Dark, due in February. Her first single, "Ain't Nobody," is already out. Like Anna Calvi, she's got a pretty big sound, although more pop oriented from the sounds of this first track. She's offering a free track from her website.



Jamie Woon

Here's another one I've already heard on Radio 1. The buzz sound right now seems to be "electronic soul," (I think it's called "post dubstep") for that label also seems to describe his music, which has a strong ambient undercurrent.



Warpaint

This LA-based foursome benefits in my book for having two of its members come from Oregon. Their album, The Fool, was released in October.



Esben and the Witch

Both songs I've heard from this Brighton, England-based band have a dark, sinister sound to match the band's name. Their album, Violet Cries, is due at the end of January. Listen to "Warpath" on their website and check out "Marching Song" below.



Jai Paul

Sweet soul falsetto meets fuzzy synth production on "BTSTU," Jai Paul's first single. Not sure what that means exactly, but it's an interesting song. Paul hails from London.



Mona

This Nashville, Tennessee-based band has a grungy rock sound on their single "Trouble on the Way."



The Vaccines

This indie quartet hasn't had as much exposure of many of these other artists. One of the few that don't have something for sale at iTunes already.



Wretch 32

The British grime rapper has been putting out singles since 2007, and even an album in 2008, so I'm surprised to see him on this list. Still, he hasn't broken out big yet, so maybe next year will be his year.



Yuck

Another act I know little about, other than I what I read on the Sounds of 2011 website. It's a five-piece band whose members come from the US, Britain and Japan.

A Very Glee Christmas

Coach Bieste organizes a secret Santa gift exchange. Emma draws someone she doesn't want (possibly Will, but it isn't clear) and Will draws Sue. The kids are irritated they aren't getting respect from their peers, given that they've won Sectionals 2 years in a row now. Will announces they will raise money for a homeless kids' charity.

It's revealed that Brittany believes in Santa Claus...for real. The kids go with her to the mall to see Santa and she tells him that all she wants for Christmas is for Artie to be able to walk.
Rachel, in an effort to win Finn back, erects a bunch of artificial blue Christmas trees on the stage and offers him a gift--a song from her--but he doesn't go for it. Since this is a musical show, she sings it anyway.

Meanwhile, over at Dalton Academy, Blaine drops in on Kurt studying by the fire in a wood-paneled library for a singing interlude. Will drops in to get Kurt's advice on what to buy Sue for her "secret Santa" gift. Turns out Sue rigged the secret Santa exchange so she'd be the only recipient.

Will and Bieste repossess the gifts they'd been tricked into giving Sue to donate them to help the homeless kids. The guys enlist Bieste's help in keeping Brittany's belief in Santa alive, although it backfires when her belief in Santa becomes cover for Sue's trashing the rehearsal room. Rachel and Finn go Christmas tree shopping to replace the one Sue destroyed, which gives Rachel another chance to woo Finn. He won't have it though and tells her emphatically that they are split. Bieste dresses up as Santa, breaks into Brittany's house, and tells her that he(she) can't give Artie the ability to walk for Christmas. This puts Brittany in a real funk.

Brittany gets her Christmas wish when Artie gets an electric device that can help him walk without a wheelchair. No one knows who gave the gift, which would be rather expensive. They say it must be Santa. Sue's icy heart melts after hearing the kids sing, she apologizes to Will and gets the kids to decorate his house in Christmas Eve.

Songs:

The Most Wonderful Day of the Year - From "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" (New Directions). New Directions sing this while decorating their practice room. The strange girl who joined the club last week seems to have not been just a 1-week member, as she's back.

We Need a Little Christmas - From "Mame" (New Directions). This is abbreviated, representing the kids failed attempt to go caroling through the school to raise money for their charity.

Merry Christmas Darling - The Carpenters (Rachel). Trying to make up to Finn, Rachel cooked up this number in the auditorium, which she performs anyway, despite the fact that Finn has stormed off. The AV club worked so hard on the snow effects, after all.

Baby, It's Cold Outside - From "Neptune's Daughter (Blaine and Kurt). This was available on the Internet before the show aired and it's really fun.

You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch - From "How the Grinch Stole Christmas (Will). The lyrics are re-written to be about Sue, who dresses as the Grinch (complete with green makeup) and breaks into the rehearsal room and breaks all their Christmas decorations.

Last Christmas - Wham! (Rachel and Finn). It's cool how this song ended up in the story even though it was recorded a year ago and works quite well lyrically when you considered the damaged state of their relationship. They sing it in the Christmas tree lot, making a great moment between them.

Welcome Christmas - From "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" (New Directions). The kids try again to sing in a classroom and it goes better this time.

Album Review: Eminem - Recovery (3/5)

Eventually, I knew I had to get around to reviewing this. I've had the album for months, but Eminem is a tough listen for me. I really didn't like his last album, Relapse, which I found to be unncessarily violent and misogynistic without much pop appeal. Thankfully, Recovery has a lot of pop appeal, although it's an interesting twist of how hip-hop can appropriate pop into something dark and sinister. Sure Recovery features Pink and Rihanna and draws samples from some highly recognizable sources, but nothing about Eminem is ever light or breezy. The kind of wicked goofiness that he showed on his earlier work, such as "Without Me" or "The Real Slim Shady" is missing here.

Instead, the album is dominated by plodding, dark, guitar-driven songs that hybridize rap and pop, often with a great sample. He skirts the dance pop stylings of Rihanna in favor of her darker side on "Love the Way You Lie," the domestic abuse drama that became one of the year's biggest hits. Intriguing "Space Bound" interpolates R.E.M.'s dark burner, "Drive," and "25 to Life," which features vocalist Liz Rodrigues, has a welcome laid back feel touched with a bit of sadness. He even manages to turn a dance pop sample--Haddaway's "What Is Love"--into something sinister on "No Love," with Lil Wayne in tow for some extra cred. It's a more clever sampling than using Black Sabath's "Changes" on "Going Through Changes," which doesn't take much creativity.

"Not Afraid" shoots for an epic sound and scores, another album highlight. P!nk, shows up on "Won't Back Down," a soulful, upbeat jam--one of the few here. Prominent electric guitar lends a rock air to "Talkin' 2 Myself."

I listen to this album, and some of the songs are good, but it just doesn't grab me. I know it will probably win the Album of the Year Grammy Award, which it probably deserves, but I'm just not a big fan of his. I'm grateful that this album doesn't display the kind of violent misogyny I found so repellent on his last album, Relapse, but I wish he would lighten up a little more.

Best: Love the Way You Lie, Not Afraid, No Love, Space Bound, Won't Back Down

UK Singles Chart, December 11, 2010

1. Heroes - The X Factor Finalists
2. Your Song - Ellie Goulding

Despite wide critical derision, The X Factor Finalists' single remains at #1 a second week, which means Ellie Goulding has to settle for a second week at #2 for her, in my opinion, clearly superior remake of "Your Song."

3. Poison - Nicole Scherzinger

A few years ago when Nicole Scherzinger tried to have a solo career, it didn't work out. So much so that the album she recorded was shelved. She did manage to land at #14 with what would have been that album's second single, "Baby Love," but both it and its predecessor, "Whatever U Like," failed to chart in the US. Back to the Pussycat Dolls for her. Credit her for trying again though, and "Poison" is a much more promising start, reaching #3 this week, which is just as good as the last PCD album's biggest hits achieved (that would be Doll Domination/Doll Domination 2.0's "When I Grow Up" and "Jai Ho (You Are My Destiny)").

6. The Time (Dirty Bit) - Black Eyed Peas

This song has yo-yo'd from #11 to #7 to #11 and now back up to a new peak of #6.

7. Only Girl (in the World) - Rihanna
8. What's My Name - Rihanna feat. Drake
9. Who's that Chick? - David Guetta feat. Rihanna

Clearly, Rihanna is one of the biggest pop stars of 2010, a point she proves many times over this week, as she appears three times in the top 10, back-to-back-t0-back with her recent #1 hit "Only Girl," her new single, "What's My Name," and a guest turn on David Guetta's new single, "Who's that Chick," her fifth top 10 hit this year. This is David Guetta's 8th top 10 hit.

18. Christmas Lights - Coldplay

Coldplay offers up a surprise seasonal treat--a one-off Christmas song, "Christmas Lights." The song wasn't available until Wednesday, so it didn't get a full week of sales. Will this take off and become a seasonal hit in the next couple weeks? At #18, it's a pretty low start for a Coldplay single.

29. Lose My Mind - The Wanted

This had been scheduled for a January release, but it's been moved up to late December, although charting early as an album cut. This follows The Wanted's #1 hit, "All Time Low" and #2 hit "Heart Vacancy."

Music of 1990: November

United States

Proving she wasn't a flash-in-the-pan, Mariah Carey followed up her August #1 hit, "Vision of Love," with a second #1 in November that was just as big. The single was a more conventional pop ballad, and spent 3 weeks at #1. Of course, pop music history followed, with two more #1 hits from her debut in 1991, plus a fifth #1 hit, the first of her second album, "Emotions." Since then, Carey has become the most successful charting female pop artist in history with an impressive total of 18 #1 hits to date.



November's other #1 hit was a bit of a novelty, although if you were in junior high at the time (like me), you'd have not thought that, since teens (at least white suburban teens) were devouring "Ice Ice Baby" like it was the best thing of the year. Vanilla Ice really was the flash-in-the-pan of the moment, with this David Bowie-sampling single now remembered as one of the '90s worst guilty pleasures. Don't call him a one-hit-wonder though: the follow-up single, "Play that Funky Music," was a top 5 hit in early 1991. He even got some play time with Madonna, appearing in her 1992 picture book, Sex.



MC Hammer scored his third and highest-charting hit single with "Pray," which spent 2 weeks at #2. I liked this single a lot, especially the remix that was also frequently played on the radio. I wish I could find it for sale, but alas, only the original version is on iTunes (hear the remix in the video clip below). Hammer would score two more top 10 hits from his second album released a year later ("2 Legit 2 Quit" and "Addams Groove"), but after that he faded away fast.



Canadian hair band Alias had their first and only major hit in November, hitting #2 with ballad "More than Words Can Say." Despite this fairly limited success, the members of the band were no strangers to the spotlight. Two of its members came from the then-defunct band Sheriff, which had disbanded in the mid-'90s, but generated renewed interest when, in 1989, their 6-year-old single "When I'm with You" became a #1 hit. Taking advantage of the moment, two members of Sheriff teamed up with some former founding members of Heart to create Alias.

New York dance act Deee-Lite were dance club fixtures in the early '90s, scoring several #1 dance hits. One of those singles, "Groove Is in the Heart," was a also a major pop hit, reaching #4 in November. It was also a #2 hit in Britain. Although officially a double-A side release with "What Is Love," only the former was a true pop hit. They would have none others.



Also reaching the top 10 in November were hip-hop act Candyman with "Knockin' Boots," hair band Warrant with "Cherry Pie," and R&B trio Tony! Toni! Toné!, who scored their first of four top 10 hits with "Feels Good." They'd have their biggest hit a few years later with "If I Had No Loot," followed closely by "Anniversary," but wouldn't score their most recent top 10 hit until just 6 years ago when they appeared on Alicia Keys' single "Diary."

United Kingdom

Last month I wrote about The Righteous Brothers' "Unchained Melody" in the US. It was an even bigger hit in the UK, spending the entire month of November at #1. Although it was the biggest song to make a return to the charts in November 1990, it wasn't the only one. Berlin's "Take My Breath Away" was a #1 hit in the US in 1986. Although a great song, the fact that it was featured in the hit movie Top Gun helped it along. In the UK; however, it wasn't a big hit, with the single hitting #52 in 1998. Then in November 1990, Top Gun aired on television, prompting the single's return to the chart at a much higher position, peaking at #3.

Kim Appleby had been one half of Mel & Kim with her sister Mel Appleby in the late '80s, scoring four top 10 hits including #1 "Respectable." Sadly, the duo never got to follow-up its success, since Mel contracted cancer and died in early 1990. Her sister Kim, however, embarked on a solo career, which, while not as big, generated two top 10 hits, including #2 single "Don't Worry." Although it sounds like Stock/Aitken/Waterman, it is actually not produced by them. After a decade-long hiatus, Appleby released a few more singles in the last 10 years, although none were hits.



Speaking of S/A/W, they did have a top 10 hit in November with Kylie Minogue's "Step Back in Time," the follow-up to her #2 spring hit "Better the Devil You Know." "Step Back in Time" preceded the November release of Rhythm of Love, Minogue's third album. The single hit #4, becoming Minogue's 11th consecutive top 10 hit, all of which were actually top 4 singles. Two more top 10 hits from Rhythm of Love would follow in 1991, before her streak of top 10 hits was broken by the first single from her fourth album, "The Word is Out," which peaked at #16 in September 1991.



Two songs with similar titles were hits. Whitney Houston hit #5 with "I'm Your Baby Tonight," the first single from her third album of the same name. It was her 8th top 10 hit. And Robert Palmer and UB40 hit #6 with "I'll Be Your Baby Tonight," the first British single from Robert Palmer's album Don't Explain ("You're Amazing" was chosen instead as the first US single).

Black Box had another top 5 hit with "Fantasy," one of their singles from this time that was a hit in Britain but not the US. In the UK, the group hit #1 in 1989 with "Ride on Time" and #4 in 1990 with "I Don't Know Anybody Else," whereas in the US, their top 10 hits were "Everybody Everybody" and "Strike It Up."

Belinda Carlisle's US chart fortunes dried up in 1990, after "Leave a Light On" was only a modest hit, reaching #11, and it's follow-up, "Summer Rain," a disappointment, peaking at only #30. It was a shame actually, as I was a bit of a Belinda Carlisle fan (I still love her second solo album, Heaven on Earth). Overseas, the picture was a bit different. "Leave a Light On" hit #4 in the UK in 1989, beginning a string of six singles from Carlisle's third album, Runaway Horses. While none of the intervening singles where big hits, the album's 5th single, "(We Want) The Same Thing," hit #6, becoming her 5th top 10 hit ("Summer Rain" was released as the album's 6th single in late 1990). The song was remixed significantly for the single version, giving it a heftier pop production. Pity this wasn't released in the US. It might have turned her career around, as it's a great pop single.

BBC Sounds of 2010: How did they do?

BBC will soon put out its Sounds of 2011 list, its annual rundown of hot new artists to watch in the next year. I like to look back around now and see how the last batch did. I've ranked them based on my own judgment of their success, based on popular (chart) and critical factors:

My rank. Name (BBC Sounds of 2010 rank, if available). With UK albums chart and singles chart positions:

1. Ellie Goulding (1). Although none of the BBC Sounds of 2010 artists managed to become as big as those in years past, Ellie Goulding, who won the title, did manage to accrue the most success. Her debut album hit #1 on the UK albums chart, the only artist of the 2010 list to do so. Her first single, "Starry Eyed," was a #4 hit earlier this year, and a remake of Elton John's "Your Song" has become the surprise hit of the season, currently #2. UK albums chart: Lights: #1. Biggest single: "Your Song," #2.

2. The Drums (5). Not a big hitmaker, but the '80s-loving American indie bands had one of the year's most acclaimed albums, so they've managed to attract a lot of attention. UK album charts: The Drums, #16. Biggest single: "Let's Go Surfing," #63.

3. Owl City. This band had a massive international hit with "Fireflies" and then never found a worthy follow-up. UK albums chart: Ocean Eyes, #7. Biggest single: "Fireflies," #1.

4. Marina & the Diamonds (2). This act was so hyped that it seemed she would be the biggest thing from the list. Yet, it never really happened. UK albums chart: The Family Jewels, #5. Biggest single: "Hollywood," #12.

5. Hurts (4). This synth duo put out a rather grand album this year and was probably more successful than expected. UK albums chart: Happiness, #4. Biggest single: "Wonderful Life," #21.

6. Devlin. The British rapper didn't release his album until October, so he may still be on the rise. His recent single, "Runaway," was fairly successful. UK albums chart: Bud, Sweat, and Tears, #21. Biggest single: "Runaway," #15.

7. Delphic (3). I hope this band gets a shot with a second album, because they seem to have a lot of potential. Their single, "Doubt," wasn't a major hit, but it should have been. UK albums chart: Acolyte, #8. Biggest single: "Doubt," #79.

8. Stornoway. British indie/folk band had a somewhat successful album, although I never heard anything about them throughout the year. UK albums chart: Beachcomber's Windowsill, #14. Biggest single: "Zorbing," #74

9. Giggs. Another British rapper that's made a few waves, but not a significant impact, although he did appear as a guest on Tinchy Stryder's recent top 40 hit "Game Over." UK albums chart: Let Em Ave It, #35. Biggest single: "Look What the Cat Dragged in," #53.

10. Daisy Dares You. This one never seemed to take off. She put out a single, with a lukewarm reception, and then the album, although apparently recorded, was never released. Biggest single: "Number One Enemy" (feat. Chipmunk), #13.

11. Everything Everything. British art rockers that didn't make much impact. UK albums chart: Man Alive, #17.

12. Two Door Cinema Club. I'm a bit biased on this one, as I heard about this band early in the year, got their album, and loved it. I'm surprised they never really took off, although Radio 1 still plays their singles (despite none of them becoming hits). UK albums chart: Tourist History, #46.

13. Gold Panda. No significant hits to date, although, I actually have his dreamy electronic album, Lucky Shiner, and it's quite nice. No hit albums or singles.

14. Rox. British soul singer that hasn't really broken out yet. UK albums chart: Memoirs, #97. Biggest single: "

15. Joy Orbison. British dance music artist that I can't say I know anything about. No significant hits to date.

2009

And just for fun, a quick second look at the 2009 club, to see how they're doing 2 years on:

1. Lady Gaga. Clearly, one of the world's biggest pop stars at the moment. She also just received six more Grammy nominations BBC rank: 6. My rank last year: 1.

2. Florence + the Machine. Still building their name and having some success with "Dog Days Are Over" in the US, which was featured last week on Glee. Just scored a Grammy nomination for best new artist. BBC rank: 3. My rank last year: 3.

3. La Roux. "Bulletproof" was a big hit in the US this year; Grammy nominations followed. BBC rank: 5. My rank last year: 2.

4. Mumford & Sons. They've built quite a following over the last year and, like Florence + the Machine, just scored a Grammy nomination for best new artist. BBC rank: (not in the top 10). My rank last year: 10.

5. Kid Cudi. Still not huge, but scored another hit with David Guetta this year. BBC rank: 8. My rank last year: 5.

Best of 2010 Lists Begin

On November 30, several British music magazines published their lists of the best albums of 2010. Here's a rundown.

Q Magazine

Top 10:

1. Arcade Fire - The Suburbs (Their Neon Bible was Q's #1 album of 2007; the only album that is in the top 10 for all 3 of these lists)
2. Robert Plant - Band of Joy
3. Plan B - The Defamation of Strickland Banks (Surprisingly high)
4. Laura Marling - I Speak Because I Can
5. Vampire Weekend - Contra (Their debut was #4 in 2008)
6. John Grant - Queen of Denmark (The only name I don't recognize in the top 10)
7. Gorillaz - Plastic Beach (Demon Days was #2 in 2005)
8. The National - High Violet (Yes!)
9. Paul Weller - Wake Up the Nation
10. MGMT - Congratulations (Outranks Oracular Spectacular, which was #13 in 2008)

Highlights:

11. The Black Keys - Brothers
12. Gil Scott-Heron - I'm Not Here
20. Take That - Progress (First Take That appearance on Q's year-end albums list)
22. Corrine Bailey Rae - The Sea
25. Kings of Leon - Come Around Sundown (Only By the Night was #1 album of 2008)
38. Janelle Monae - The ArchAndroid
50. Steve Mason - Boys Outside

NME

Top 10:

1. These New Puritans - Hidden (I'm afraid I don't know anything about them)
2. Arcade Fire - The Suburbs
3. Beach House - Teen Dream
4. LCD Soundsystem - This Is Happening
5. Laura Marling - I Speak Because I Can
6. Foals - Total Life Forever
7. Zola Jesus - Stridulum II
8. Salem - King Night
9. Liars - Sisterworld
10. The Drums - 'The Drums

Highlights:

11. The National - High Violet
21. Janelle Monae - The ArchAndroid
24. Vampire Weekend - Contra
34. Kanye West - My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy
65. Robyn - Body Talk Part 1

Mojo

Top 10:
1. John Grant - Queen of Denmark (Him again, definitely checking this one out)
2. Arcade Fire - The Suburbs (All three Arcade Fire albums have ranked #2 on Mojo)
3. MGMT - Congratulations
4. Edwyn Collins - Losing Sleep
5. The Black Keys - Brothers (Nice to see this ranked so high)
6. Paul Weller - Wakes Up The Nation
7. Midlake - The Courage of Others
8. Phosphorescent - Here's To Taking It Easy
9. The Coral - Butterfly House
10. Doug Paisley - Constant Companion

Highlights:

19. Rumer - Seasons of My Soul
35. M.I.A. - // / Y / (not as big as her previous effort)
48. John Legend and the Roots - Wake Up!

Album Review: Nicki Minaj - Pink Friday (4/5)

I've said before that I'm not a big hip-hop fan, but I'm loving this debut from Nicki Minaj. She's been the toast of the music industry for the past year, awash in vital internet buzz. Over the course of the year she put out a few singles, although none of them were major hits, and also made quite a few guest appearances on others' songs. The anticipation for her debut was palpable, but would it be good?

My answer is definitely "yes," as Pink Friday is one of the most enjoyable rap albums I've heard in years. Minaj exudes personality on the album and seems comfortable in all of its various musical styles. Generally, the album begins with the more hardcore rap, transitions to a slower R&B middle section (including tracks in which Minaj sings rather than raps), and then segues into an upbeat, sample-heavy pop conclusion. Along the way, some of the biggest names in the business make guest appearances, a testament to how much interest and good will she's already generated.

Among the opening numbers, first track "I'm the Best" kicks the album off with an old fashioned rap boast on which Minaj celebrates her emerging financial success. As a rap artist with a rather theatrical bent, Minaj is like feminine Eminem, matching his potty mouth with aplomb as well as a similar use of alter-ego personalities. She displays these traits best on "Roman's Revenge," my favorite track on the album, despite its frequently profane, yet always clever lyrics ("bitch if you ain't shittin' then get off the pot!"). Minaj employs her foul-mouthed alter ego, Roman, as well as Roman's mother, who's apparently British, or at least pretends to be. Eminem shows up in Slim Shady mode to add an assist. It's a great in-your-face track.

Yet Minaj can dial it down too. The smooth R&B middle of the album shows her more vulnerable side on songs like "Right Thru Me" and "Save Me," which employ mellower arrangements and slower tempos. On "Moment 4 Life," which features Drake, Minaj sounds a bit like Rihanna, who guests herself on the appropriately soaring "Fly," which could be the big pop hit that has so far eluded Minaj (apart from her guest appearance on Trey Songz's "Bottoms Up," she's yet to reach the Billboard Hot 100 top 10). All of these songs are keepers.

Black Eyed Peas frontman and uber-producer Will.I.Am gives "Check It Out" an infectious electronic beat while sampling The Buggles' "Video Killed the Radio Star." Cheryl Cole's vocal was added to the British single of this, although I can't say why, as you can barely make her out in the mix. "Blazin'" features the familiar Simple Minds' sample, "Don't You Forget About Me," as well as a guest rap from Kanye West. "Here I Am" has a more downbeat sound, using a sample of John B's "Red Sky." The best sampling has to be the use of Annie Lennox's "No More 'I Love You's'" on "Your Love," the album's sweetest moment.

It will be fun to see how big Minaj can break out next year. This album is certainly a great start, and has the potential to give her some big hits in the months to come. It's refreshing to hear a female voice in rap, a field so dominated by the men, but a voice that's not just female but also quite unique.

Best: Roman's Revenge, Check It Out, Fly, Right Thru Me, Your Love, Here I Am

Personal Chart, 12/4/2010

Grammy Nominations Rundown

Grammy nominees were announced late last night. Here are my observations:

Album of the Year

Arcade Fire - The Suburbs
Eminem - Recovery
Lady Antebellum - Need You Now
Lady Gaga - The Fame Monster
Katy Perry - Teenage Dream

As there always is, surprises abounded in the nominees, but this year's Album of the Year (AOTY) and Record of the Year (ROTY) lineups held more surprises than usual.

Biggest good surprise: a nomination for Lady Gaga's The Fame Monster, her fantastic second album that was really more like an EP. Overall, I thought The Fame Monster was a much better album than The Fame, which, apart from its singles, was a mixed bag, whereas every song on The Fame Monster was good.

Also a surprise: There are 3 rap/sung collaborations in ROTY this year. I was hesitant to suggest that two could be nominated. It's interesting that Grammy likes to spread AOTY around different genres, but doesn't feel the need to do so for ROTY.

Biggest bad surprise: a nomination for Katy Perry's Teenage Dream. This album has generated a few good singles, but after that, it's really not a good album, and it's a shame to see it here over so many other more deserving works. I could probably name 50 albums released in the eligibility period that I would consider to be more deserving. What a shame.

Biggest snub: Carole King and James Taylor. I thought their Live at Troubadour album would be major Grammy bait. I considered it a strong contender for AOTY, a shoo-in for Pop Vocal Album, and a likely contender in many of the other pop categories. Instead, the album received zero, zip, nada, nothing. To add insult to injury, one King and Taylor song did get nominated--"You've Got a Friend"--in the R&B category, for the Ronald Isley and Aretha Franklin version. Their own version, which was eligible for Pop Collaboration, didn't make the cut.

Also snubbed: Sade. Soldier of Love looked like a solid contender, but it was passed over here, as well as in R&B album, where it was also submitted. They did, however, pick up some other nods, so it's not as big a snub as King & Taylor.

No rock album: The Arcade Fire's The Suburbs (which I'm happy to see here), is from the "alternative" field, so there's actually no rock album in the lineup this year, which hasn't happened since 2000.

Outlook: Eminem scored the most nominations (10), and is therefore the obvious frontrunner here. In a race of relative newcomers, he's also the closest thing to a Grammy legend here. Recovery is his third album to nominated in AOTY after The Marshall Mathers LP in 2000 and The Eminem Show in 2002, neither of which won. Lady Antebellum was a shoo-in for a nomination, but I don't see them winning, since a country album won last year, and Need You Now isn't overwhelmingly loved. Lady Gaga is probably Eminem's biggest competition, since certainly Arcade Fire and Katy Perry should consider it an honor just being nominated.

Record of the Year

"Nothin' on You" - B.o.B feat. Bruno Mars
"Love the Way You Lie" - Eminem feat. Rihanna
"Fuck You!" - Cee Lo Green
"Empire State of Mind" - Jay-Z feat. Alicia Keys
"Need You Now" - Lady Antebellum

Biggest surprise: A nod for Cee Lo Green's "Fuck You!" is definitely the biggest surprise in this category and a Grammy first, for nominating a song with a clearly obscene title for one of its biggest awards. It's certainly achieved a certain notoriety, as shown by the reception to the Glee version of the clean version, "Forget You."

Biggest snub: No "Bad Romance." Lady Gaga's massive hit was one of the defining songs of 2010. Everybody was predicting it would be nominated. To see it missing, is probably the biggest snub of all the Grammy nominees. To a lesser extent, "California Gurls" by Katy Perry and Snoop Dogg was also snubbed. It's actually a bit shocking that both Lady Gaga and Katy Perry ended up in AOTY, when it seemed they both had a better shot of ROTY.

Outlook: I doubt Grammy winners will give it to "Fuck You!" or "Nothin' on You," which was the other song that was a bit of a surprise to see here. "Love the Way You Lie" is the slate's biggest hit, and that's why it will lose, since the biggest single never wins (not since 1999 at least). It's also a bit dark from Grammy. "Need You Now" could have a shot, but I think "Empire State of Mind" is the frontrunner right now. I'd love to see it win.

Other observations

BNA is a foreign affair: Best New Artist has two Canadians (Justin Bieber and Drake) and two British acts (Florence + the Machine and Mumford & Sons), plus one American jazz act, Esperanza Spalding. Considering that she's the wild card, it's almost a given this award won't go to an American. I think Drake or Florence have the strongest chance. Shame The XX didn't make the cut.

Pop Female is a snooze: In a year where newcomers triumphed over legends (see King & Taylor above), the pop female category is the exception. Every nominee except Lady GaGa has been nominated in this category before. This is the third nomination for Norah Jones, who won both times before, and for Katy Perry, who's never won. I love Beyonce. I do. But it's real lazy to see a live version of "Halo" get nominated here, considering that the studio version of "Halo" won the award last year. Give someone else a chance! Ke$ha got snubbed, as this was her only real chance of a nod for "Tik Tok," and P!nk's "Glitter in the Air," which some thought would be honored, was not.

Pop Male is an interesting mix: I'd consider Michael Buble's "Haven't Met You Yet" the frontrunner in this race that includes newcomers Adam Lambert ("Whataya Want from Me") and Bruno Mars ("Just the Way You Are"), perennial nominee John Mayer ("Half of My Heart," his 6th nomination in this category), and a postumous nod for Michael Jackson ("This Is It").

Pop Vocal Album is a disappointment: Susan Boyle? Justin Bieber?? Katy Perry??? Really???? John Mayer is such a snooze too. I really hope Lady Gaga has this in the bag. Would have been so much better to see Rihanna and Corinne Bailey Rae on the list.

Chris Brown vs. Rihanna: The two square off in rap/sung collaboration, which includes his "Deuces" (with Tyga & Kevin McCall) and her "Love the Way You Lie" (with Eminem).

Alternative album: Since Arcade Fire is in AOTY, they are the obvious frontrunner here. Nice to see a nod for Broken Bells, but a shame that The National wasn't nominated.

Contemporary R&B album: Great to see Janelle Monae make the cut! I imagine Usher is the frontrunner here though for Raymond v. Raymond, despite its lukewarm reviews.

Billboard Hot 100, December 11, 2010

1. Raise Your Glass -P!nk

P!nk climbs a notch to #1, scoring her third #1 hit. She first hit #1 in 2001 as one of four women in the Moulin Rouge! ensemble performing a remake of "Lady Marmalade." She didn't get her second #1 hit until 2008 with "So What." This is the fifth week in a row that the Hot 100's #1 song has been something different, a period of turnover the chart saw around this time last year, when there was a 7-week stretch where the top song was something different.

2. Firework - Katy Perry

Katy Perry climbs 4 spots to #2 with "Firework," the third single from her album Teenage Dream, which last night was nominated for the Album of the Year Grammy. I think a week at #1 is a safe bet for this song.

4. Just the Way You Are - Bruno Mars
(10. Grenade - Bruno Mars)

Buoyed by the song's performance on Glee, Bruno Mars' former #1 hit rebounds 3 spots to #4. At the same time, his new single, "Grenade," enters the top 10 at #10, up 7 spots as this week's Digital Gainer. Both he and Rihanna each have two songs in the top 10 this week.

5. What's My Name - Rihanna (feat. Drake)
(3. Only Girl (in the World) - Rihanna)

Speaking of ol' Ri-Ri, she's up 3 to #5 and this week's airplay gainer with "What's My Name," her new single, while her previous one, "Only Girl," falls from #1 to #3.

9. The Time (Dirty Bit) - Black Eyed Peas

Black Eyed Peas climb 3 spots to #9, becoming the group's 9th top 10 hit.

18. Tonight (I'm Loving You) - Enrique Iglesias (feat. Ludacris & DJ Frank E)

Enrique Iglesias debuts at #18 with "Tonight," the US follow-up to his top 5 hit "I Like It." Billboard is giving the song's clean title. There is another version titled "Tonight (I'm Fucking You)," which is probably selling more copies. It seems like a new trend now, following Cee Lo Green's "Fuck You," to cash in on selling pop songs with profanity. Probably not a good trend.

26. Stereo Love - Edward Maya (feat. Vika Jigulina)

"Stereo Love" was a hit all over Europe earlier this year, including a #4 hit in Britain, but it's not the kind of thing that would generally be big in the US. Yet here it is, making a strong 9-notch climb to #26. It's now top 20 at pop radio too. Surely this is the biggest pop hit from a Romania act ever.

32. Marry You - Glee Cast
40. Just the Way You Are - Glee Cast

This week's Glee singles aren't as big as the one from recent weeks' shows, but still give them two more top 40 hits. I've lost count of how many they've had, and I read that they recently surpassed the Beatles in terms of total Hot 100 appearances.