END OF THE YEAR: BIG SONGS IN 2011

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2011 really was a good year for music, however, it was some songs that just stuck around a little longer than others. When you turned on the radio, you knew this song would be playing, and if you cut on MTV Jams, or BET’s 106 & Park, you knew that you were gonna see this video playing. Whether you loved it, or hated it, it made a big splash in 2011. So here they go, in no particular order.

CHRIS BROWN – LOOK AT ME NOW

Some argue that this is the track that gave Chris Brown the push he needed to get his career back on track. Labeled as the second single from his fourth studio album, F.A.M.E., the track was co-produced by Diplo, Afrojack and Free School, and written by Brown himself, as well as Busta Rhymes and Lil’ Wayne. It reached number six on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, making it Brown’s highest chart position since “Forever,” back in 2008. As of December 14th, 2011, “Look at Me Now” has sold 3,051,000 digital copies in the United States.

KANYE WEST & JAY-Z – NIGGAS IN PARIS

Although never really released as on official single at first, a fan favorite from Jay-Z & Kanye West’s joint album, Watch the Throne, the HitBoy-produced track “Niggas In Paris” (renamed simple, “In Paris” for radio) debuted at #75 on the Billboard chart and then was finally sent to Rhythmic and Urban radio on September 13th. The song has since peaked at number 6 on the US Billboard Hot 100, becoming Kanye West’s 14th top-10 single and Jay-Z’s 18th making Jay-Z the rapper with the most top-10 hits.

KELLY ROWLAND – MOTIVATION

Kelly Rowland scored her biggest selling hit with the Lil’ Wayne-assisted “Motivation,” lifted from her third studio album, Here I Am. The track, penned by Rico Love and produced by Jim Jonsin debuted at #55 on the Billboard Hot 100, but quickly rose to #17 on that chart, as well as #1 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart and was also certified platinum by the RIAA in August 2011. The track is currently nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Rap/Sung Collaboration at the 54th Grammy Awards, which will be held on February 12, 2012.

NICKI MINAJ – SUPER BASS

Originally included on Nicki Minaj’s debut album, Pink Friday as a bonus track, “Super Bass,” (produced by Kane) featuring songwriter Ester Dean became Nicki Minaj’s top selling single, peaking at #3 on the Billboard Hot 100. She has performed the song on several high profile stages, including the American Music Awards and the Billboard Awards, with a special guest appearance by Britney Spears.

LMFAO – PARTY ROCK ANTHEM

Love it or hate, LMFAO had a huge year with their track, “Party Rock Anthem,” the first single from their sophomore album, Sorry For Party Rocking. The track, produce Redfoo & GoonRock, interpolates from Rick Ross’s hit single, “Hustlin’,” and can be heard on several commercials. In addition landing #1 spots all across the world, it has sold over 4,734,000 digital downloads in the United States. It also became the seventh song in the chart’s history to spend at least 25 weeks in the top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100.

MIGUEL – SURE THING

Produced by Happy Perez, Miguel found major success with his second single, “Sure Thing.” The track was lifted from his debut album, All I Want Is You, and found itself peaking at #36 on the Billboard Hot 100, but #1 success on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. It is also said that “Sure Thing” was the most played song from any male R&B artist this year.

RIHANNA – WE FOUND LOVE

Pop starlet just released her latest album, Talk That Talk and it’s lead single, “We Found Love,” produced and featuring Calvin Harris, has already broken records. Becoming Rihanna’s eleventh #1 single, the track is Rihanna’s greatest selling single, as of this month, having sold 2,251,000 copies in the United States. “We Found Love” has spent eight consecutive weeks at the top of the Billboard Hot 100, surpassing “Umbrella” as Rihanna’s longest number one single, as well as the years longest running number one, beating Adele’s “Rolling In the Deep.”

HONORABLE MENTIONS

Beyoncé feat. André 3000 – Party (full) – listen
Big Sean feat. Nicki Minaj – Dance (A$$) (Remix) (full) – listen
Marsha Ambrosius – Far Away (full) – listen
Jennifer Lopez feat. Pitbull – On the Floor (full) – listen

What were some of your favorite songs of 2011?