I shall count down the top 10 tomorrow. It's probably entirely as you'd expect and 9 of the acts in it have already appeared in the top 100 so far.

010 - Kanye West 'All of the Lights' 22-13-09-05-03-04-02-01-01-01-01-03-05-06-11-16-23-29-35-40 (20 weeks) *10th hit*

 

History (Kanye West):

'Through The Wire': #76, 2004

'Jesus Walks': #35, 2004

'Number One' (ft. John Legend): #70, 2005

'Gold Digger' (ft. Jamie Foxx): #27, 2005

'Touch The Sky' (ft. Lupe Fiasco): #33, 2006

'Homecoming': #72, 2008

'American Boy' (ft. Estelle): #32, 2008

'Runaway' (ft. Pusha T): #08, 2010

'H.A.M.' (ft. Jay-Z): #98, 2011

 

 

Reaching the top 10 for a 2nd year running, with two singles off one album is Kanye West with this years epic 'All of the Lights'. Featuring a huge array of guest stars it's one of a few songs that despite involving so many, they all add to a song. Rihanna's chorus, Kid Cudi's rap, the Elton John and Alicia Keys part at the end, even Fergie is alright on it! When the long intro from the album is added it's even better, you can't beat some strings. With this Kanye becomes yet another act to reach 10 End of Year chart entries.

009 - Arctic Monkeys 'Suck It And See' 24-17-10-04-01-01-01-01* (8 weeks) *11th hit* *PEAK*

 

History:

'Fake Tales Of San Francisco': #56, 2005

'I Bet You Look Good On The Dancefloor': #34, 2005

'When The Sun Goes Down': #95, 2006

'The View From The Afternoon': #89, 2006

'Fluorescent Adolescent': #28, 2007

'Teddy Picker': #21, 2007

'Brianstorm': #16, 2007

'Crying Lightning': #49, 2009

'Cornerstone': #17, 2009

'The Hellcat Spangled Shalalala': #44, 2011

 

 

With this song Arctic Monkeys become the most successful act in my End of Year history, in terms of number of entries at least, so it's perhaps a surprise it's taken this long for them to reach the top 10. My current number one, their recent single 'Suck It And See' is amongst their greatest ever songs, and possibly my favourite of theirs. A wonderful heartfelt love song with a retro feel and some wonderfully inspired lyrics. It definitely contains my favourite lyric of the year; 'You're rarer than a can of Dandelion & Burdock, and those other girls are just post-mix lemonade" :wub:

008 - Fixers 'Iron Deer Dream' 36-27-19-09-05-02-02-03-04-01-01-01-03-05-08-14-18-28-40 (19 weeks) *3rd hit* *PEAK*

 

History:

'Swimmhaus Johannesburg': #97, 2011

'Crystals': #33, 2011

 

 

The ended the year as one of my favourite acts of it, but I hadn't heard of them until I downloaded this in March. I was immediately taken in, it was like the band had listened to 'Merriweather Post Pavilion', taken everything that was good about it and turned it into a four minute song. It owes a hell of a lot to Animal Collective but that doesn't stop it from being utterly fantastic in its own right. A joyous record with lots going on, they've yet to better it but that was always going to be difficult.

007 - Coldplay 'Every Teardrop Is A Waterfall' 33-30-20-08-02-02-02-02-05-08-13-18-28-39 (14 weeks) *10th hit* *PEAK*

 

History:

'The Scientist': #41, 2002

'Clocks': #31, 2003

'Speed of Sound' #91, 2005

'Fix You': #41, 2005

'Talk': #09, 2005

'Violet Hill': #65, 2008

'Viva La Vida' #43, 2008

'Life in Technicolor ii': #44, 2009

'Paradise': #49, 2011

 

 

After Arctic Monkeys two positions ago, another act reach their peak for me well into their career. I've always been a fairly big fan of Coldplay, perhaps more than I thought I should. Their 2008 album 'Viva La Vida...' was easily my favourite of theirs and I hugely anticipated their return this year. I liked this fairly instantly but like with 'Paradise' on X-Factor, it wasn't until I saw this performed live at Glastonbury that I really fell in love with it. It's so incredibly uplifting for them and unlike the album I do think it's fairly interesting. It definitely now challenges 'Shiver' for my favourite song of theirs.

006 - Ben Howard 'Keep Your Head Up' 33-23-15-05-01-01-01-01-01-01-03-06-09-10* (14 weeks) *3rd hit* *PEAK*

 

History:

'Old Pine': #47, 2011

'The Fear': #19, 2011

 

 

Perhaps something of a surprise to be this low down considering the love I've expressed for him and his album, and that it spent 6 weeks at the top of my chart. The 6 weeks atop the chart though is probably more down to a weaker time of the year with only Friends providing any real competition in the latter half of its stint. It is a wonderful song however, it's the perfect soundtrack to a summer's evening, so fantastically sing-a-long and some great vocal work on the chorus.

005 - Elbow 'Lippy Kids' 29-22-18-13-10-07-04-02-01-01-02-04-06-08-12-17-23-30-38 (19 weeks) *6th hit*

 

History:

'Grounds For Divorce': #57, 2008

'The Bones Of You': #28, 2008

'One Day Like This': #01, 2008

'Neat Little Rows': #96, 2011

'Open Arms': #42, 2011

 

 

I'd not listened to anything other than the single 'Neat Little Rows' before they released 'Build a Rocket Boys!' as I wanted it all to be fresh when I listened. This song had been around for a bit but I'd resisted temptation and when I first listened to the album it was the immediate standout. A moment of beauty for different reasons than most beautiful Elbow songs, being so minimal is what makes the song, the drum beat, the whistle, Guy's drawn out vocals. It's ambitious and it works.

And now for something completely different...

 

004 - The Joy Formidable 'Whirring' 30-21-08-01-01-01-06-06-09-12-14-17-21-22-25-30-30-30-35-39 (20 weeks) *2nd hit* *PEAK*

 

History:

'Cradle': #52, 2011

 

 

Although the band and this song had been around for years it wasn't until this year that I ever listened to the Joy Formidable so remained blissfully unaware of what a superb track this actually was. Just shy of 7 minutes of heavy madness in total, the first three making up a radio edit with Ritzy Bryan providing vocals, it then descends into a complete mindf***, 4 minutes of instrumental which gets quicker and heavier all the time, the perfect track to get lost with your air drums/guitar. The climax and feedback at the end is also something special but I could seriously listen to this for so much longer.

003 - Bombay Bicycle Club 'Shuffle' 30-23-12-09-06-02-03-03-02-01-01-01-01-02-02-03-03-04-06-09-13-16-24-32-38-39* (26 weeks) *5th hit* *PEAK*

 

History:

'Magnet': #86, 2009

'Ivy And Gold': #62, 2010

'Rinse Me Down': #38, 2010

'Lights Out, Words Gone': #83, 2011

 

 

If there was a song released this year to make you fell good, it was probably a song still to come, but after that it would have to be 'Shuffle'. The most joyous of indie pop songs, starting as it means to go on with a heavy piano and almost instant vocals. It gets into a rhythm fairly soon and that riff continues throughout, taking me back to summer like nothing else, it was the perfect soundtrack to a sunny festival season really. The best thing about it is that it just won't get old, just over 6 months since it was released and it still sounds as fresh as it ever did. It's for that reason that it became only the 5th song in 8 years to spend half a year in my personal chart, and spent more weeks inside the top 10 than any other.

I shall post the top 2 this evening, but for now here's a recap of the top 100.

 

100 Howling Bells 'Into The Sky'

99 Rihanna ft. Calvin Harris 'We Found Love'

98 Kanye West & Jay-Z 'H.A.M.'

97 Fixers 'Swimmhaus Johannesburg'

96 Elbow 'Neat Little Rows'

95 Joe Goddard ft. Valentina 'Gabriel'

94 This Many Boyfriends 'Young Lovers Go Pop'

93 Pains of Being Pure at Heart 'Belong'

92 Lady GaGa 'Born This Way'

91 Strange Talk 'Climbing Walls'

 

90 Lykke Li 'I Follow Rivers'

89 Metronomy 'The Bay'

88 Example 'Change The Way You Kiss Me'

87 Warpaint 'Shadows'

86 Wye Oak 'Civilian'

85 Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds 'AKA… What A Life'

84 Washed Out 'Amor Fati'

83 Bombay Bicycle Club 'Lights Out, Words Gone'

82 Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs 'Garden'

81 Ponytail 'Easy Peasy'

 

80 Florence & The Machine 'What The Water Gave Me'

79 Airship 'Kids'

78 Wretch 32 ft. Example 'Unorthodox'

77 Alpines 'Drive'

76 Lana Del Rey 'Video Games'

75 Ed Sheeran 'The A Team'

74 Lucy Rose 'Scar'

73 Dodos 'Black Night'

72 Subways 'We Don't Need Money To Have A Good Time'

71 Fool's Gold 'Wild Window'

 

70 Duke Spirit 'Everybody's Under Your Spell'

69 Aviici 'Fade Into Darkness'

68 Foster The People 'Pumped Up Kicks'

67 I'm From Barcelona 'Always Spring'

66 Grouplove 'Colours'

65 Calvin Harris ft. Kelis 'Bounce'

64 Drums 'How It Ended'

63 Two Door Cinema Club 'What You Know'

62 Friends 'Friend Crush'

61 Gang Gang Dance 'MindKilla'

 

60 Noah And The Whale 'Waiting For My Chance To Come'

59 Creep 'Days'

58 Tennis 'Baltimore'

57 MNDR 'Fade to Black'

56 Noah and the Whale 'L.I.F.E.G.O.E.S.O.N.'

55 Apparat 'Song of Los'

54 Cashier No.9 'Oh Pity'

53 Wild Beasts 'Bed Of Nails'

52 Joy Formidable 'Cradle'

51 Vaccines 'If You Wanna'

 

50 Pierces 'You'll Be Mine'

49 Coldplay 'Paradise'

48 Bon Iver 'Calgary'

47 Ben Howard 'Old Pine'

46 Cults 'Abducted'

45 Emeli Sande 'Heaven'

44 Arctic Monkeys 'The Hellcat Spangled Shalalala'

43 Belle & Sebastian 'I Want the World to Stop'

42 Elbow 'Open Arms'

41 Aloe Blacc 'I Need a Dollar'

 

40 Kassidy 'I Don't Know'

39 Little Boots 'Shake'

38 Alpines 'Cocoon'

37 Horrors 'I Can See Through You'

36 White Lies 'Bigger Than Us'

35 Duke Spirit 'Don't Wait'

34 jj 'Die Tonight'

33 Fixers 'Crystals'

32 Those Dancing Days 'I'll Be Yours'

31 National 'Think You Can Wait'

 

30 Naked And Famous 'Girls Like You'

29 Pains of Being Pure at Heart 'The Body'

28 Kings Of Leon 'Back Down South'

27 Metronomy 'The Look'

26 Edwyn Collins ft. The Drums 'In Your Eyes'

25 Wu Lyf 'We Bros'

24 Friends 'I'm His Girl'

23 Robyn 'Call Your Girlfriend'

22 Sleigh Bells 'Rill Rill'

21 Horrors 'Still Life'

 

20 James Blake 'The Wilhelm Scream'

19 Ben Howard 'The Fear'

18 M83 'Midnight City'

17 Fleet Foxes 'Helplessness Blues'

16 David Guetta ft. Sia 'Titanium'

15 Death Cab For Cutie 'You Are A Tourist'

14 Vaccines 'Norgaard'

13 Summer Camp 'Better Off Without You'

12 Friendly Fires 'Hawaiian Air'

11 Gil Scott-Heron & Jamie xx 'I'll Take Care Of U'

 

10 Kanye West 'All Of the Lights'

9 Arctic Monkeys 'Suck It And See'

8 Fixers 'Iron Deer Dream'

7 Coldplay 'Every Teardrop Is A Waterfall'

6 Ben Howard 'Keep Your Head Up'

5 Elbow 'Lippy Kids'

4 Joy Formidable 'Whirring'

3 Bombay Bicycle Club 'Shuffle'

 

In June this year I posted the following on this forum about one of the songs in my top 2. "Something incredibly special will have to come out in the second half of the year for this to not finish top of my 10th End of Year chart." So, was the song that I added to my iTunes within a week of saying this special enough or not?

I always like looking at your year end charts Mark but it always faintly terrifies me as I know I then have to spend the next two days trawling Spotify and Youtube to check out the myriad of tracks I've never heard of

Well I just hope you enjoy! :D

002 - The Go! Team 'Buy Nothing Day' 23-20-16-15-08-02-02-01-01-01-02-06-09-13-16-23-27-27-33-38-39-37-39 (23 weeks) *4th hit* *PEAK*

 

History:

'Bottle Rocket': #10, 2005

'Ladyflash': #70, 2006

'Doing It Right': #86, 2007

'Grip Like A Vice': #63, 2007

 

 

First appearing in December of last year this was released right at the very back of 2010 weeks before their album came out and features Beth Cosentino from Best Coast on vocals, with Best Coast being a band who I've listened to a lot in the last 15 months. It was a while since we'd heard from The Go! Team and their previous album had been a little disappointing, however this was certainly a welcome returned, it includes everything that was previously great about them but they'd progressed their sound enough and the dreamy guest vocal made it sounds great a year on. I was right that it would take something incredibly special to beat this to number one, but in the end it was essentially a one horse race.

So that's three personal charts this year that The Go! Team have found themselves at number 2 on. As I've said before, it's a fantastic song, and is perhaps the 2nd best song the group will ever do (I just don't think they've ever topped Huddle Formation). I have absolutely no idea what your number 1 will be.

It's not really been a competition this year, it's been possibly my easiest ever decision on the number one, in stark contrast to last year's nightmare top 3 split.

 

 

 

 

 

 

001 - Bon Iver 'Holocene'

 

37-29-19-11-07-03-02-02-01-01-01-02-03-04-06-09-15-20-25-29-32* (21 weeks) *3rd hit* *PEAK*

 

History:

'Blood Bank': #46, 2009

'Calgary': #48, 2011

 

 

A completely obvious and predictable choice given it's been high up in about every remotely alternative leaning publication or website this year, but there's a good reason for that, it's fully deserved. It's lyrically brilliant, Justin Vernon's voice is is beautiful to listen and the instrumental is golden. It's one of a few songs where I'll happily just stop and listen so carefully for 5 minutes, taking absolutely everything in.

 

'I could see for miles, miles and miles' :wub:

So that's three personal charts this year that The Go! Team have found themselves at number 2 on. As I've said before, it's a fantastic song, and is perhaps the 2nd best song the group will ever do (I just don't think they've ever topped Huddle Formation). I have absolutely no idea what your number 1 will be.

 

Who else's has it been in? I need to get round to commenting on others now, will go through a load tomorrow I think!

 

It's now definitely my favourite song of theirs, it had always been 'Bottle Rocket' but not any more. 'Huddle Formation' is great too, I'd certainly put it in their top 5. 'Everyone's A VIP To Somebody' is another favourite of mine.

Yay, a great number one Mark. I absolutely love "Holocene". :wub:

 

We share 3 songs in our Top 10s of the year, you can probably guess which ones!!

 

What I like from the rest of the Top 100:

 

99 Rihanna ft. Calvin Harris 'We Found Love' Possibly may favourite pop song of 2011, it's definitely now my favourite number 1 of the year at least (though it has been a crap year for UK #1s)

97 Fixers 'Swimmhaus Johannesburg' I think my favourite single so far would be "Uriel" from the Here Comes 2001.. EP but this is great too

96 Elbow 'Neat Little Rows' Consistently good, and they didn't disappoint with Build A Rocket Boys IMO, looking forward to the Olympics anthem!

95 Joe Goddard ft. Valentina 'Gabriel' Who needs Hot Chip anymore?

94 This Many Boyfriends 'Young Lovers Go Pop' Great pop single, I remember really enjoying this for a few weeks in the Autumn

93 Pains of Being Pure at Heart 'Belong' :wub: One of my favourite singles of the year

92 Lady GaGa 'Born This Way' She really lost it this year for me, "Judas" was the best, but even that was a poor "Bad Romance" re-tread

 

90 Lykke Li 'I Follow Rivers' This just grew and grew on me, I much prefer this album to her debut and this is the best thing on it

87 Warpaint 'Shadows' Love the remix from Neon Lights

85 Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds 'AKA… What A Life' It's not a competition but Noel's winning!

84 Washed Out 'Amor Fati' Better as part of the album but still a great track

83 Bombay Bicycle Club 'Lights Out, Words Gone' This and "Shuffle" made me sit up and take notice, great band

82 Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs 'Garden' Love this! :D

 

80 Florence & The Machine 'What The Water Gave Me' If only all 'buzz' singles were this good!

79 Airship 'Kids'

77 Alpines 'Drive'

76 Lana Del Rey 'Video Games' Absolutely :wub: this. Hate the stupid / pointless hate being directed at her by music snobs

75 Ed Sheeran 'The A Team'

74 Lucy Rose 'Scar'

73 Dodos 'Black Night'

72 Subways 'We Don't Need Money To Have A Good Time'

71 Fool's Gold 'Wild Window'

 

70 Duke Spirit 'Everybody's Under Your Spell'

68 Foster The People 'Pumped Up Kicks' Much higher for me, but I think I've overplayed it now! :lol:

66 Grouplove 'Colours' The album is a bit disappointing, but this still stands out as a great track

64 Drums 'How It Ended' I thought this was a bit of a weak single from a surprisingly decent album, "Money" is brilliant!

63 Two Door Cinema Club 'What You Know'

62 Friends 'Friend Crush' I wish I had discovered this earlier in the year

61 Gang Gang Dance 'MindKilla' Mindblowing, but brilliant

 

60 Noah And The Whale 'Waiting For My Chance To Come'

57 MNDR 'Fade to Black'

56 Noah and the Whale 'L.I.F.E.G.O.E.S.O.N.'

55 Apparat 'Song of Los' I don't think I'll ever tire of coming back to listen to this song

54 Cashier No.9 'Oh Pity'

53 Wild Beasts 'Bed Of Nails'

52 Joy Formidable 'Cradle'

51 Vaccines 'If You Wanna' My favourite Vaccines single, the album is really good too IMO

 

48 Bon Iver 'Calgary' Flawless, I don't think he'll ever top this album though

46 Cults 'Abducted' One of my favourites of the year, like a lost 60s pop gem

45 Emeli Sande 'Heaven' Like you say, if Massive Attack wanted a hit in 2011, this is what it would sound like - epic

44 Arctic Monkeys 'The Hellcat Spangled Shalalala'

42 Elbow 'Open Arms'

41 Aloe Blacc 'I Need a Dollar' Overplayed but great

 

39 Little Boots 'Shake'

38 Alpines 'Cocoon'

37 Horrors 'I Can See Through You'

36 White Lies 'Bigger Than Us' I forgot all about this, just about misses my Top 100 (it peaked at #8 in January, but fell out rather quickly), a shame as its a solid track

33 Fixers 'Crystals' Should have led with "Uriel" but this is another highlight from the EP

31 National 'Think You Can Wait'

 

30 Naked And Famous 'Girls Like You'

29 Pains of Being Pure at Heart 'The Body'

27 Metronomy 'The Look'

25 Wu Lyf 'We Bros'

24 Friends 'I'm His Girl'

23 Robyn 'Call Your Girlfriend'

22 Sleigh Bells 'Rill Rill'

21 Horrors 'Still Life'

 

20 James Blake 'The Wilhelm Scream' :wub: Sums up early 2011 for me - wonderful

19 Ben Howard 'The Fear'

18 M83 'Midnight City' :wub: How this wasn't a hit is a mystery to me?

17 Fleet Foxes 'Helplessness Blues'

16 David Guetta ft. Sia 'Titanium' Missed out on my Top 100 slightly, should have released it as a single earlier and it would have been Guetta's first ever Top 10 hit. :P

15 Death Cab For Cutie 'You Are A Tourist'

14 Vaccines 'Norgaard'

13 Summer Camp 'Better Off Without You'

12 Friendly Fires 'Hawaiian Air' Love it! This was the encore when I saw them live last month :wub:

11 Gil Scott-Heron & Jamie xx 'I'll Take Care Of U' You are right, I think there is something disrespectful about sampling a song in the same year - yes imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, but Rihanna's voice is definitely not suited to this type of song and for me it falls really flat - the original however is brilliant

 

10 Kanye West 'All Of the Lights'

9 Arctic Monkeys 'Suck It And See'

8 Fixers 'Iron Deer Dream' It sounds so much like "Brother Sport" but that isn't a bad thing!

7 Coldplay 'Every Teardrop Is A Waterfall'

6 Ben Howard 'Keep Your Head Up'

5 Elbow 'Lippy Kids' :wub:

4 Joy Formidable 'Whirring' :wub:

3 Bombay Bicycle Club 'Shuffle' :wub:

 

Amazing chart, I like nearly everything - and stuff I've left off I generally am either indifferent too or have not heard, there's nothing here I dislike at all.

I think our tastes are actually surprisingly close.. closer than I would have guessed!

Edited December 29, 201113 yr by Doctor Blind

I always like looking at your year end charts Mark but it always faintly terrifies me as I know I then have to spend the next two days trawling Spotify and Youtube to check out the myriad of tracks I've never heard of

 

 

Oh, I thought it was only me that felt this way. :lol:

Somehow I had never seen that Holocene video before... Incredible. I love Iceland :wub:

My faves Mark (sorry if it's not many!)

 

99 Rihanna ft. Calvin Harris 'We Found Love'

95 Joe Goddard ft. Valentina 'Gabriel'

91 Strange Talk 'Climbing Walls'

90 Lykke Li 'I Follow Rivers'

88 Example 'Change The Way You Kiss Me'

85 Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds 'AKA… What A Life'

82 Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs 'Garden'

80 Florence & The Machine 'What The Water Gave Me'

76 Lana Del Rey 'Video Games'

75 Ed Sheeran 'The A Team' Pleased to see this here, it/he gets far too much hate

69 Aviici 'Fade Into Darkness'

68 Foster The People 'Pumped Up Kicks'

62 Friends 'Friend Crush'

60 Noah And The Whale 'Waiting For My Chance To Come'

57 MNDR 'Fade to Black'

56 Noah and the Whale 'L.I.F.E.G.O.E.S.O.N.'

50 Pierces 'You'll Be Mine' Such a gorgeous song, wish I'd peaked it higher in my weekly chart but there we go, I rectified it in the EOY chart!

49 Coldplay 'Paradise'

45 Emeli Sande 'Heaven'

41 Aloe Blacc 'I Need a Dollar'

39 Little Boots 'Shake'

32 Those Dancing Days 'I'll Be Yours'

30 Naked And Famous 'Girls Like You'

28 Kings Of Leon 'Back Down South'

24 Friends 'I'm His Girl'

23 Robyn 'Call Your Girlfriend'

22 Sleigh Bells 'Rill Rill' This is excellent, reminds me of something but I can't think what. I heard it at work the other day which massively surprised me!

18 M83 'Midnight City'

16 David Guetta ft. Sia 'Titanium' Finished exactly the same place in mine :lol: Amazing, who'd have thought he was capable?

13 Summer Camp 'Better Off Without You'

12 Friendly Fires 'Hawaiian Air'

11 Gil Scott-Heron & Jamie xx 'I'll Take Care Of U'

10 Kanye West 'All Of the Lights'

7 Coldplay 'Every Teardrop Is A Waterfall'

2 The Go! Team 'Buy Nothing Day'

 

Excellent, even if I haven't heard a ton of them!