#5 Most Played Songs of 2011

#5 The-Dream - Motivation (Remix)

Första gången vi har en artist tre gånger i rad eller överhuvudtaget på tre platser på den här listan, men det är väl bara en indikation på hur sjukt bra The-Dream är. Den mest spelade The-Dream låten är dessutom en remix av Kelly Rowland hit "Motivation ft. Lil' Wayne". Men om låten saknar något i ursprungsversionen, även om det är ett sjukt bra beat så är det The-Dreams röst, pinsamt för Ms. Rowland att alla gör hennes hit bättre än henne själv. Har egentligen oftast slutat lyssna även när Lil' Waynes vers börjar. Yep.

Lyssna:

Download: The-Dream - Motivation (Remix)

Bonus: R. Kelly's remix av samma låt, även den (inte oväntat) bättre än originalet. Ha!
R. Kelly - Motivation (Remix)

#6 Most Played Songs of 2011

#6: The-Dream - Body Work/Fuck My Brains Out

Musik blir fan inte mycket bättre än så här. Who releases a song that's 9:31 minutes long as the first single in today's radio/music environment? Well, Prince and...The-Dream. I've said it before; in today's music industry The-Dream is the new Prince and one listen to his music tells you where he gets his inspiration from. "Body Work..." är egentligen två låtar i en, men de flyter ihop utan problem. Efter kontraktsproblem släppte The-Dream istället ett gratis album "1977", men "Body Work..." är en liten påminnelse om hur bra nästa skiva verkligen kan bli. The-Dream har fortfarande inte fått det där massiva genombrottet han förtjänar (även om han tog hem en Grammy som producent för årets låt 2010, Single Ladies (Put A Ring On it)), men det torde endast vara en tids fråga. Dessutom, på den här listan plats 7 och 6 (hittills). Inte dåligt.

Lyssna: (Stream borttagen p g a anmälning)

Ladda ner: The-Dream - Body Work/Fuck My Brains Out (Länk borttagen p g a anmälning -> googla den)

Bonus: The-Dream's cover of Aaliyah's classic "One In A Million"
The-Dream - One In A Million (Länk borttagen p g a anmälning -> googla den)

#7 Most Played Songs of 2011

#7: The-Dream - Long Gone

That The-Dream is one of the most creative and unique artists today is nothing new. Nobody in modern R&B has a so unique sound of his own. In 2011 The-Dream released an album, 1977, under his real name Terius Nash. The album was available for free via his homepage, but that didn't stop from being one of the best albums this year. The album is just great from beginning to end with out no fill out tracks. "Long Gone" is the standout track with an infectious bass line with a spanish flamenco feel to it. The expectations for his next album "Love IV: Diary of A Mad Man" just hit the ceiling. Just listen to the song about his late mother "1977 (Miss You Still)" and you'll understand why.

"Another day with you is just another fuckin day."

Bonus: Download the album "1977" here.

#8 Most Played Songs of 2011

#8: Drake - Headlines

Drake had a good year. Again. Thanks to his producer Noah "40" Shebib, who took care of 90 % percent of Take Care, Headlines was the perfect first single. Listened to this a lot when it came out, but eventually I do not think Take Care lived up to the hype and is not even close to being as good as Thank Me Later. Nonetheless, Drake makes hits.

On a side note Drake performs in Stockholm 15/4.

"And they say that I'm back
I'd agree with that
I just take my time with all this shit I still believe in that
I had someone tell me I fell off
Ooh I needed that"

Bonus: iTunes bonus tracks.

Drake - The Motto ft. Lil' Wayne
Drake - Hate Sleeping Alone

#9 Most Played Songs of 2011

#9: Young Jeezy - F.A.M.E (Fake Mother Fuckers Envy) ft. T.I.

The Snowman had a rough road up to the release of Thug Motivation 103: Hustlerz Ambition (21/12 this year), but in the end sales came in good. The album was first announced back 2008 and an avalanche of singles have been released (the best perhaps being the first Lose My Mind ft. Plies) without getting the buzz for the album going (All White Everything, Jizzle and Ballin' was just bad) and with more and more voices saying the Jeezy had lost it. Mixtape after mixtape after mixtape after mixtape after mixtape and nothing happened. Finally (!) Shake Life appeared and not long after Jeezy returned with the above mentioned; F.A.M.E with T.I. and all was forgiven. Classic Jeezy produced by some of the best in the industry: J.U.S.T.I.C.E. League.

"Can’t slow down, too much evil in my rear view
Sometimes you wanna scream to God, but he can’t hear you
And even if you did, this’ll probably be disaster
F-ck you ‘plainin’ ’bout? It ain’t like you got cancer"

Bonus: Young Jeezy - Shake Life

#10 Most Played Songs of 2011

#10: Lil' Wayne - How To Love

It's that time of year again! Yup. The most played songs of 2011, compiled from the iTunes, iPod, iPhone of yours truly. Let's Go!!

At # 10 we find LilTunechi a.k.a Weezy F a.k.a Birdman JR a.k.a Lil' Wayne with "How To Love" from this year's much anticipated and hyped fourth installment in Tha Carter series; "Tha Carter IV". Selling 964 000 copies in its first week in the US alone, this was the best selling hiphop album of the year, although I think everyone agreed it was not even close to "Tha Carter III" in quality. Nonetheless, it's a great album with a lot of great songs. After "6 Foot 7 Foot" failed to be the new "A Milli" and "John" didn't do the trick neither "How To Love" was released as the official single in the spring after Mack Maine said it was gonna be the new cross over a la "Lollipop". It wasn't really what everyone expected and I personally went through a like-hate-like-love phase with this song. It finally grew on everybody and became the pop/crossover hit Lil' Wayne surely needed. Listen for yourself.



Bonus: All six bonus tracks from different editions; Best Buy, Target etc.

Lil Wayne - Novacane
Lil Wayne - Mirror
Lil Wayne - Up Up And Away
Lil Wayne - I Like The View
Lil Wayne - I Got Some Money On Me
Lil Wayne - Two Shots