It’s obvious that a good song must contain great production, beats and lyrics for it to be considered for your best of 2011 list. It’s however more so the test of time that really determines how good a song is when we start to talk about the best songs of the year. After a year of listening to music in 2011, your perspective becomes more clear and compiling a list like this one allows you to become more accurate in your decision making. Below are the 3 major criteria points I measure with.
Replay Value – How many times did you play the song over and over and over?
Longevity – How long did this song last on your playlist before you got sick of it?
Lyric Reciting – If you find yourself singing/rapping the lyrics on a regular basis.
With these criteria in mind, below is Hillydilly.com’s top 20 songs of 2011. Hit the jump to check it out.
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1. Blue Scholars – Cinemetropolis
Taken from “Cinemetropolis”
‘Cinemetropolis’ ruined conversations in 2011 on a regular basis. No matter what the situation, if this song came on, I would immediately drop the conversation and focus all attention on the song. This song got the repeat treatment so much that I eventually learnt the entire song word for word. Sabzi’s beat on this track is orgasmic and Geo’s raps were epic as shit on this one. Making this song my favorite of 2011 was an easy choice.
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2. Macklemore & Ryan Lewis – Can’t Hold Us ft. Ray Dalton
Released as a single.
If you had a brain in 2011, you saw Macklemore & Ryan Lewis live and witnessed ‘Can’t Hold Us’ in all its glory with a thousand sweaty people loosing their minds. ‘Can’t Hold Us’ is definitely an anthem and one of the best songs you will ever hear live.
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3. Hilltop Hoods – I Love It ft. Sia
Taken from “Drinking From The Sun” (album out Feb ’12)
In November the Hilltop Hoods released ‘I Love It’ as the first single from their new album. The song held down the #1 spot on HypeMachine for a few days shortly after we posted it. The reaction from people towards this song was tremendous and definitely gave them some more new fans in North America. ‘I Love It’ is one of those songs that never skips the constant feeling of greatness every time you listen to it. Suffa and Pressure are incredible on this track and so is that beat. I would go as far to say that ‘I Love It’ is easily one of the best songs they have ever recorded.
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4. Cunninlynguists – Enemies With Benefits ft. Tonedeff
Taken from “Oneirology”
‘Enemies With Benefits’ is a hauntingly beautiful song that was obsessively played on a daily basis in March. Natti has the best verse of 2011 with his opening verse on this song. Everytime Tonedeff’s verse dropped it felt like the heavens were opening up. This is the type of song that you blast out of your car. When you pull up to a stop light – you don’t turn it down, you sit there unfazed and blow people’s minds away, while they stand there in amazement with their bag of groceries.
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5. Macklemore & Ryan Lewis – Make That Money
Released as a single.
‘Make The Money’ is an impressionable song that features one of the most incredible vocal/beat drops in recent memory. Mack leads the drop with the classic line “If I had done it for the money, I had been a f**cking lawyer”. If that part of the song doesn’t get you wound up, I would prompt to check your pulse.
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6. Jay-z & Kanye West – Niggas In Paris
Taken from “Watch The Throne”
You could say that “Niggas In Paris” was a cultural phenomenon in 2011. “That shit cray” had to be one of the most tweeted combination of words in 2011. This song was so adored that someone actually created a video that had ‘that shit cray’ on repeat for 2 hours on YouTube. I found this song to be a guilty pleasure. While the reserved part of me wanted to dismiss this song off as one of the most ridiculous songs I have ever heard, the other part of me just couldn’t get enough of it. If you take this song too seriously you’re going to miss the point.
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7. Sol – Stage Dive
Taken from “Yours Truly” (album out Jan 20th, 2012)
‘Stage Dive’ was a very late edition to this list and was definitely unexpected (the song was released last week). After a week of incessantly playing this song on a daily basis, it has become pretty clear that Stage Dive deserves to be on this list. This song is packed with quotables. You can definitely expect people to memorize the words on this one. Stage Dive is a song destined for glory. It held down the #1 spot on HypeMachine for 3 days straight! The beat on Stage Dive is so good that it reaches a point of perfection that may only be left in thoughts and never spoken aloud in fear of giving it such a taboo label. But trust me, in my world, this beat is perfect.
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8. ::M∆DE:IN:HEIGHTS:: – Viices
Taken from “APORIA- IN THESE §TREETS” (free download)
‘Viices’ was easily the most artistic song of 2011. When Sabzi and Kelsey Bulkin get together they create ‘mythical filth pop’. If you were ever to see a unicorn in the forest, this is the song that would be playing as it pranced around. The synth that drops in the chorus is sickening.
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9. Cunninlynguists – My Habit (I Haven’t Changed)
Taken from “Oneirology”
The way Kno weaves the samples on this gem is exactly what every Cunninlynguists fan dreams of. ‘My Habit (I Haven’t Changed)’ was one of the best tracks on Oneirology and easily one of the best hip-hop songs in 2011.
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10. Looptroop Rockers – Professional Dreamers
Taken from “Professional Dreamers”
Looptroop Rockers speak a genuine message in their music and with ‘Professional Dreamers’ they had themselves a perfect song to accompany everything this group is about. Supreme takes home the best verse on this track and DJ Embee is responsible for the beat on this one. The lead synth line on this song will stick with you for the rest of your life. Play this song 2-5 years down the road and it will take you right back to March 2011.
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11. Blue Scholars – Slick Watts
Taken from “Cinemetropolis”
‘Slick Watts’ easily takes home the best beat of the year. Geo keeps it simple by referencing Seattle neighborhoods on the first verse and shout outs ex Seattle Sonic players on the second verse. Slick Watts is exactly why the Blue Scholars are my favorite hip-hop group making music right now.
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12. Lupe Fiasco – Words I Never Said ft. Skylar Grey
Taken from “Lasers”
Content wise, ‘Words I Never Said’, was a very powerful song. Being in the position that Lupe sits in, hearing him rap about the things that some people are afraid to touch upon was very important. In these days and times a song like this is very empowering. Hopefully people that look up to Lupe will start to question things in this world. We need more rappers like Lupe who are not afraid to speak out.
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13. Jay-Z & Kanye West – Gotta Have It
Taken from “Watch The Throne”
‘Gotta Have It’ was another favorite from Watch The Throne that received a heavy amount of play throughout the summer. Kanye stole the show on this track. Ye’s first few bars set the tone with the infamous “lollolol white america assasinate my character….”
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14. Foster The People – Helena Beat
Taken from “Torches”
2011 was a breakout year for L.A’s Foster The People and it was songs like ‘Helena Beat’ that set this band far apart from everybody else in pop music. Helena Beat is one of those cheerful songs that just puts a smile on my face every time I hear it.
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15. Blue Scholars – Tommy Chong ft. Macklemore
Taken from “Cinemetropolis”
‘Tommy Chong’ takes us on a journey through the history and culture of ganja, spoken through the words of Geo and Macklemore. Tommy Chong features the clever quotable from Geo, “I got a Shawn Kemp in my pocket, cut it in half, that’s two Gary Payton’s, don’t ask, do the math” Reciting the words from this one was a regular occurrence in 2011.
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16. 360 – Boys Like You
Taken from “Falling & Flying”
‘Boys Like You’ showcases the combination of 360 and producer Styalz Fuego with a crossover hit that has been burning up the Triple J radio station in Australia for the past 2 months. Boys Like You is one of those songs that sounds like nothing else. The female vocalist, Gossling, steals the show on this song with her incredible voice.
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17. Pac Div – Top Down ft. Skeme & Casey Veggies
Taken from “The Div”
‘Top Down’ is one of those songs that makes you lose your shit. When the bass drops on the second verse, it’s just ridiculous. If you ever want to blow the top off of any moment, throw this song on and BLAST IT.
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18. 360 – Hammerhead
Taken from “Falling & Flying”
If you know anything about 360, it’s that the guy does not give a f**k what anyone thinks about him. This directly shows in his music and is clearly evident with ‘Hammerhead’. Hammerhead is a comedic song that is filled with some hilarious lines. This is song is not all just for laughs, it will be stuck in your head, and before you know it you will be rapping along. “What cunt??”
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19. Jay-Z & Kanye West – Murder To Excellence
Taken from “Watch The Throne”
‘Murder To Excellence’ was initially the first song from Watch The Throne that I had on constant repeat. Symbolic One was responsible for the beat on this one. Jay & Kanye kill this track.
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20. 360 – Child
Taken from “Falling & Flying”
‘Child’ is a beautiful song. 360 lays it all out and raps about his early years growing up. 360 seems like such a genuine guy and it’s songs like this one that give testament to this guys character.