Got me through it

These are the songs that had me jumping, twirling and crying through 2011.


1. Tears Dry On Their Own, Amy Winehouse - My tears aren't dry yet. We miss you, Ames.

2. Rumor Has It, Adele

3. Born This Way, Lady Gaga - A pop-cultural force for good. I didn't grasp the real significance of Lady Gaga until this past Fourth of July at a friend's yacht club, when the young people sang along to Gaga with the 6-piece band - "No matter gay straight or bi... I'm on the right track, baby, I was born this way" - while they danced with their parents' generation of traditional white Republicans. This is how the culture is transformed by the irresistible allure of pop.

4. Don't Let It Break Your Heart, Coldplay - It did!

5. No Church In The Wild, Jay-Z & Kanye West - Watch The Throne was a major cultural moment for me, from the gilded Givenchy packaging of the album to the electric synergy between Jay and 'Ye. This was my favorite track, ominous and catchy.



6. Till The World Ends, Britney Spears - Don't call it a comeback, but babygirl's back.

7. In Your Dreams, Stevie Nicks - Stevie only gets better with age.

8. S&M (Remix), Rihanna f/Britney Spears - I like it like it; Brit's breathy vocals turn the heat up even higher on this erotic dance monster track.

9. Love On Top, Beyoncé - She stay on top.

10. Sadness Is A Blessing, Lykke Li

11. Bang Bang Bang, Mark Ronson f/Q-Tip - No one ever does it like that anymore.

12. Cry Baby, Cee-Lo Green - Fuck who?

13. Super Bass, Nicki Minaj f/Sophia Grace - One of the year's most fun and playful hip-pop hits made all the world better by one of the year's easily most joyful moments on camera. Sophia Grace for Prime Minister!


14. Two Kinds Of Happiness, The Strokes - There will always be a soft spot in my heart for Julian Casablancas and the Strokes.

15. We Found Love/Do Ya Thang, Rihanna - The kind of singles I have on re-peat.

16. Give Your Heart A Break, Demi Lovato - Demi's a brave girl, and 2011's Unbroken was the work of a songstress with chops beyond Disney.

17. Blue Jeans, Lana Del Rey



18. Sooner Or Later, Mat Kearney

19. Pumped Up Kicks, Foster The People - Not as cheery as its catchiness suggests!

20. Last Friday Night, Katy Perry - Can't deny it, why would you want to?