411 Music Buy or Sell 01.05.11: The Biggest Songs of 2011

Posted by Jeremy Thomas on 01.05.2012

Was Nicki Minaj's "Super Bass" worth a buy in 2011? Did the Foo Fighters hang themselves with "Rope"? Is Foster the People's "Pumped Up Kicks" worthy of its hit status? 411's Wyatt E. and Adam Hill listen to the top tracks of 2011!


Greetings and salutations, Music Zone readers! Welcome to your top choice in music single opinion columns, 411 Music Buy or Sell! I'm your host Jeremy Thomas, and this week we're doing something different; we're taking a look back at the biggest singles of 2011 and giving them the Buy or Sell treatment. This week's listeners are the man behind the Music Zone 8 Ball in Wyatt Estabrooks going up my Music 5 & 1 predecessor, Adam Hill!

All right, enough of the introductions and rules…let's hop to it!

1) Adele - "Rolling in the Deep" From 21 (XL) Released February 1, 2011
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Wyatt Estabrooks: BUY You know how the chord changes on the verses seem to be one note behind on every bar? I dunno why I like that little touch, but it somehow works here. This isn't my favorite song on 21, but it's a winning single with an instantly recognizable chorus. Granted, we've all heard it to death thanks to radio regurgitating it again and again, but this isn't like "Mambo #5." This is a genuinely great song.
Adam Hill: BUY I know I am in a minority, especially amongst the staff here at 411, but generally speaking I just don't like Adele. There is no question that she can sing, girl has got some pipes on her, and that she doesn't rely on gimmicks and layer upon layer of production should be commended. But I find the music that she makes to be somewhat dull and uninspiring. That said, "Rolling in the Deep" is one of her more interesting tracks with a vibrant arrangement and, despite being played pretty much everywhere you went and on every TV show, ever, it doesn't quite feel overplayed (yet).
ANALYSIS: BUY

2) Foo Fighters - "Rope" From Wasting Light (RCA) Released March 1, 2011
Wyatt Estabrooks: BUY God, Taylor Hawkins is an awesome drummer. I guess when you're Dave Grohl, only the best drummer will do. If you don't like the Foo Fighters anyway, well, you still won't care because it's the established sound once again. Those that love straightforward hard rock, well, "Rope" is as solid as they've ever been.
Adam Hill: BUY I know a lot of you out there thought that Wasting Light was one of the best albums of the year and that the Foo's remain the one great rock band in the world, yadda yadda. Let's be honest though, it wasn't that great really was it? It's ok, it's just you and me, and I won't tell anyone you said it. It was a bit middling really wasn't it? Not their best. Not rubbish, but not really much more than ok. "Rope" is a decent enough track though and one that I certainly enjoyed a great deal, the Deadmau5 remix is pretty darn fine as well.
ANALYSIS: BUY

3) Pitbull (ft. Ne-Yo, Afrojack & Nayer) - "Give Me Everything" From Planet Pit (Polo Grounds/J/Mr. 305) Released March 18, 2011
Wyatt Estabrooks: SELL Gah. This guy again. I keep getting Pitbull songs whenever I do this. I HAVE HERPES OF THE INTERNET COLUMN. Okay, Ne-Yo's an alright singer, that piano part at the end sounds nice, and the arrangement is relatively inoffensive. But the rapping is so banal, and hard to listen to, that once again I feel the urge to scream "SOMEBODY PLEASE THROW PITBULL INTO THE SUN."
Adam Hill: SELL Pitbull was to 2011 what Mr. Hudson was to 2010. That dude that appeared on seemingly every track out there and added very little to each one. This is the least objectionable of Pitbull's 8million soundylike tracks of the year and almost scrapes a ‘Buy' just for Nayer's vocal contribution which is crazy infectious. But alas, it is not enough to drag the song up from a ‘Sell'. With any luck, Pitbull's music career will soon go the way of Old Yella, and get taken out back and put down.
ANALYSIS: SPLIT

4) Kelly Rowland (ft. Lil Wayne) - "Motivation" From Here I Am (Universal Motown) Released April 8, 2011
Wyatt Estabrooks: SELL Why would someone who can sing well on her own need any auto-tune? This isn't too bad or anything, and I don't mind Lil' Wayne that much. But damn it, I don't feel motivated. Kelly Rowland could do better, and I'm pretty sure she has.
Adam Hill: SELL In previous editions of Buy or Sell and the Music 5&1, I have discussed (at some length I know) my appreciation for the undoubted aesthetic charms that Ms Rowland possesses. The video for "Motivation" is just another occasion where she looks smoking hot, grinding away and looking all sultry and oiled up. But, hotness is not a substitute for musical quality (despite what Katy Perry may have us believe) and this is not a great tune by any stretch. I think I read somewhere that this was the top selling urban track of the year, according to Billboard. That right? If so, I had no idea that generic, I'm gonna get up on ya style tracks were so popular. It sounds like someone attended day one of ‘Sultry Urban Music 101' and rushed home to record this. To top it all off, Lil Wayne pops up in the middle sounding like Giovanni Ribisi in My Name Is Earl. Maybe watch this with the sound off and put something else on the stereo instead.
ANALYSIS: SELL

5) LMFAO (ft. Lauren Bennett & GoonRock) - "Party Rock Anthem" From Sorry for Party Rocking (Interscope/Panther Records) Released January 25, 2011
Wyatt Estabrooks: BUY I hate that I like this, but I do. I'll give credit where it's due; at least they seem somewhat like they know how stupid this music is. LMFAO need to hook up with Andrew WK and have the partiest party in the history of parties. Maybe throw in the Beastie Boys so they can add some fight to it.
Adam Hill: SELL You know what, this is nowhere near as bad as it should be. It's still rubbish though. Like so much of modern mainstream radio friendly dance music, it is vacuous, inane and contains no redeemable features. Even people who love this kind of music think it's awful. Their album is called Sorry For Party Rocking, don't waste your time apologizing guys, just stop making such shit records.
ANALYSIS: SPLIT

6) Foster The People - "Pumped Up Kicks" From Torches (Columbia/Startime) Released June 19, 2011
Wyatt Estabrooks: BUY BASSLINE. You can't even front on that bassline. It's killer. I really, really, really, really, really, really, really REALLY hope this isn't their only big hit, because I think they've got a few more songs like this in the tank.
Adam Hill: BUY This is a cracking little indie-pop tune, catchy as all hell with a great light and playful beat. This floaty, cheery sensibility is diametrically opposed to the songs meaning, which actually makes it all the more impressive. It's not often you get anti-bullying messages in a pop song (illustrated here through the tale of a kid who can't take it anymore and begins to plot his revenge against those who have wronged him), let alone one that is wrapped up so intelligently and in such an entertaining package.
ANALYSIS: BUY

7) Nicki Minaj - "Super Bass" From Pink Friday (Deluxe Edition) (Young Money/Cash Money/Universal Motown) Released April 5, 2011
Wyatt Estabrooks: BUY I dig Nicki's flow. Big time. I mean, most rappers nowadays are content with a drawl and bad catchphrases, but Nicki unleashes this badass, rapid-fire assault. Hell, it took the likes of Eminem to keep up with her, so that's gotta count for something. I would be remiss, of course, if I didn't mention DAT ASS
Adam Hill: BUY It shouldn't work, it really shouldn't, but it really really does. "Super Bass" is just pure bubblegum pop fun, with a little bit of attitude from Nicki (not too much mind) layered over the top. Sure, her flow isn't anything special, some of her rhymes are quite simplistic but this has got one hell of a hook and it really does stick with you long after you've stopped listening. One of the few true gems to be found within the mainstream charts last year, it's no wonder that so many places had it near the top of their tracks of the year lists.
ANALYSIS: BUY

8) Miguel - "Sure Thing" From All I Want Is You (Jive) Released January 17, 2011
Wyatt Estabrooks: BUY I like the beat. I don't like the weird sunglasses he wears in the video that make him look like he's welding something. Luckily, only one of those have to do with the song. Yeah, this is cool. I am decidedly down with this.
Adam Hill: SELL I can honestly say that, until this week, I had never heard this track before. Evidently I have seriously annoyed someone over the Christmas / New Year period as this can only be some form of cruel and unusual punishment for my transgressions. There really isn't anything to it, like nothing at all. How in the blue hell does it have over 20m views on YouTube? Surely his Mom must have other things to do in the day?
ANALYSIS: SPLIT

And there you have it for the biggest songs of the year! Thanks to Wyatt and Adam for their participation this week; that will do it us! What do you think of the singles we covered? Agree? Disagree? Let us know in the comments!