I personally would have pegged Fuck You for 2010. It was extremely popular around here back then.

To be on Todd's list, it had to chart on the Year-End Hot 100, which Fuck You only did this year, not in 2010.
This is where all of the songs charted on the year-end list:
"More (Remix)" by Usher -- #61
"Moment 4 Life" by Nicki Minaj ft. Drake -- #50
"Someone Like You" by Adele -- #24
"Pumped Up Kicks" by Foster the People -- #13
"The Show Goes On" by Lupe Fiasco -- #28
"Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.)" by Katy Perry -- #14
"The Edge of Glory" by Lady Gaga -- #29
"Rolling in the Deep" by Adele -- #1
"All of the Lights" by Kanye West ft. Rihanna, Kid Cudi, Fergie, Alicia Keys, Elton John, Drake, Charlie Wilson, John Legend, La Roux, Tony Williams, The Dream, Ryan Leslie, Alvin Fields, and Ken Lewis -- #59
"Fuck You" by Cee-Lo Green -- #7

Interesting. I distinctly remember it picking up steam around October 2010. Namely, the fact that my school band was given a short pep band version (called Forget You, of course, since it's high school) to play at football games. I didn't like the song at first, but listening to it more closely actually helped me like it.

For me, it's the use of real instruments that makes it good, particularly drums. I just can't get over the abuse of electronic elements by modern pop. I am a percussionist of 8 years now myself, and I just can't take electronic drums (at least drums that distinctively sound electronic, and also are used for the entire song [to make room for Neil Peart using a hybrid set along with triggers, of course :P]).

Also, rock organ is completely irresistible to me. I love it.

I've never really had much appreciation for "Someone like you." Partly because the married man running into his ex, as Todd put it, didn't just run into her - the song makes it clear she was seeking him out. Anyone whose mental red flag alert doesn't immediately go off has clearly never had an ex drive 400 miles to knock on your door at 3:00 in the morning on a weeknight, three years after the last time you saw each other, just to talk about "us" and where things went wrong.
No, that song doesn't hit a nerve.

TGIF is a song by Katy Perry, cashing in on Rebecca Black, with a solo by Kenny G. There are so many layers of suck to this song.

Kanye has always been a great producer, but I've never been able to get behind any of his songs where he's front and center, primarily because when he gets a mic in his hands, he gets cornier than LFO. "All of the Lights" really leaned on his skills as a producer in a good way.

Someone Like You is one Adele song i really hate.

It's overplayed, and Adele sounds like she's being whipped by an Imperial Guard. It's just grating to listen to.

The best Adele song of the 2011 should be the Jamie XX remix's of Rolling in the Deep. That was way better than the original IMO.

I agree Tauifiq.

I can't stand Adele, and the cynical predictions that Todd made when she won that best new artist award shall come true in the next year. Just like they did with promising new artist Alannah Miles in the early 90s (who?), Lisa Stansfield (who?) and the rest.

And we have heard the song "Rolling In The Deep" before, Todd. It's the theme of "The Omen". All those chanting wrath of the Abgel back up chorus, for a woman who probably wasn't even 21 and cliaming "they could have had it all". Truly grating.

And Todd, why exaggerating Adele's success? She is not the biggest star of the year. Lady Gag, Beyonce and Katy Perry are just three of the acts that had more success. And Beyonce didn't even have to have a hit.

Also Rolling In the Deep is not a summer jam, nor was it the biggest hit of any part of the year. It was just one of those songs that was so overplayed that everyone except you got sick of it. I was sick of it the first time I heard it.

And even though you told me to go fuck myself, I still maintain that "Fuck You" is the worst song I'd ever heard by Cee-Lo out of his 15 year career as a recording artist, including his 3 solo albums and four or five LPs with other groups. It's a typical and predictable pop song (by 1960s standards, not todays. See what he did there?) And he added a curse word. Ooooooo! Provocative.

A couple of points:
- Those were Todd's predictions in 2009. ...It is now 4 YEARS later and she's just had a massively successful no. 1 hit that is remarkable for being, well, kind of brilliant
- Adele is 24 (or somewhere around there), and I don't really think that anything in the song 'rolling in the deep' is incongruent with someone in their mid-twenties singing about wanting a relationship to work out (and I don't think you'll find a whole lot of people who'll think there was)
- You mentioned three other singers who were bigger successes then Adele? Yeah, I don't see any of them having bigger hits this year (or as many), so by definition they are NOT more successful this year (your logic is flawed there, and you just included Katy Perry in a comparison to Adele? Shame on you)

Now, Adele isn't my favourite singer of all time, however I do appreciate her work and I think she is immensely talented. If you don't recognise that, then each to his own, okay? But Todd had some very valid points there. You however, have less validity inherent to yours (just my opinion).

Also, all the above aside, 'Fuck You' WASN'T provocative by any standards (in fact, Todd said that himself, you might have noticed) but it is a bloody good song, and this will be the only time I disagree with someone's opinion so vehemently: if you don't think so, then I'm going to have to agree with Todd and say Fuck You, Good Sir! (Or Ma'am)

Hmm. You're welcome to dislike "Rolling in the Deep" all you want, THOOM, but your arguments for why it sucks are somewhat lacking and kind of offensive.

First off, "Rolling in the Deep" only sounds like The Omen by a great stretch of the imagination. It's more of a "kind of reminds me of" than a "this sounds exactly like!"

Second, what's wrong with a young person wanting a deep relationship? Is there an age requirement for it, like alcohol: you can only have it once you've turned 21? Lame.

Exactly!

Thankyou for saying concisely what I was trying to
say in a rambling rant.

... Apparently I need lessons in English *sob*.

Internet tells me that wasn't Kenny G. You're safe in continuing to think he sucks. Because he does.
It doesn't even sound like his style, either. It sounds like that guy that was in the SNL band... because it is.

I really, really hope you called the police and that he/she didn't have a knife.

... Seriously, that sounds like a situation where they'd show up on your door with a nine-inch long blade and high on PCP.

(I generally like 'Someone like you', but I'm going to say that I would hate it too if I had that same experience.)

Hasn't "Fuck You" been released in 2010?

Yes, but it didn't become a hit until 2011, and thus it wasn't until this past year that it hit the Billboard Top 100, which is the criteria for Todd's list: It has to be on the Top 100 Year End list.

#8
Adele's a good soul singer. I'm glad she's popular; she's worth hearing.

If you like her give Duffy and Lykke Li a listen.


#7
Todd's a closet hipster.

#6
I like Lupe Fiasco but this wasn't a good song by him.

#3
Same MV director as Jay-Z's "on to the next one". The one shared piece of imagery is a chick with a katana. He wasn't afraid to show her plump body neither. Between Adele and Lady Gaga it's been proven a woman can head to pop-stardom without sex appeal.

#2
Fuck Kanye.

#1
I love this song but didn't think it was that popular.

On the subject of deserved acclaim/rewards, MGMT was 2nd in album sales only to the Beebs in October of last year. But Clear Channel won't play a song as long as Siberian Breaks.

Just a quick question - what's the name of the song you're playing on the piano at the beginning? Puzzled me through the whole video, damn.

Todd's criteria for these lists is songs that show up on Bilboard's year end top 100 songs, I believe. When the songs are released doesn't matter as long as they're on that list. Fuck You was released in 2010, but it didn't get the radio airplay to chart on that list until 2011. That's why it's here and not on last year's list.

"On the Floor" by Jennifer Lopez ft. Pitbull, a song which Todd offhandedly dismissed as one of the "lamer" club-dance songs about dancing at clubs to club dance songs.

It's the Lambada song.

Do I win something? :p

you seem to have risen in popularity Todd, wich fills me with great joy. For when I started watching your videos on youtube.
Now you can fill a whole danceroom of fans and make them sing.
I wish you best of luck and hope the strangeness in popmusic stays.

I don't like the song "fuck you"
Mostly because he sounds so happy in the song and I just cant feel like a person really means the phase "fuck you" if they sound so happy. To me It means I hate you and you fill me with rage, so your really pissed off when you say it, or used towards your friends when they are give you shit as a joke.

But I can see how the song is good to a lot of people, it just doesn't sound right to me, he needs to sound more annoyed or angry when saying fuck you. But he just sounds so happy that the girl is a bitch.

Anyway the rest of your list is really good, you really see the pop music is truly changing for the good right now. Though their will always be really shit music, which means you will always have work Todd, keep up the good work.

Ever heard of "juxtaposition"?

In addition to the concept of juxtaposition (namely, the contrast between the sentiment of "fuck you!" and the bright and cheery feel of the song), the whole point is that the narrator is basically saying "fuck you, I'm happy anyway!" The whole point is that he's happy despite this girl being a bitch.

This was a happy video. It felt energetic and optimistic and it made me smile. :)
I didn't know all the songs featured, mostly because I'm not paying much attention to pop music and not all of them reached Europe, but I did recognize a good half of them. "Someone Like You" felt overplayed to me, and that kinda ruined the feeling, but it has its merits.

I really liked this list compared to last year's list and mainly because most of them stuck in the summer
Mostly every one of the song was my favourite this year, buti REALLY LIKE Moves Like Jagger, Give Me Everything and Party Rock Anthem ( Im a summer music person) but still amazing list
Though if you could put Fuck you in last year's hit , All Of The Lights was the No. 1, which I considered the best song of 2011, Yeah thats right even better than Rolling the Deep,
So Good Job Todd

Excellent list, out of the swampy dredge of pop songs this year, there were some real gems. Hope it continues into this year.

PS. I totally cannot get into "someone like you" fuuuccckkkk ttthhhaattt ssshhhiittt

and Dante, you literally don't understand the point of the song Fuck You. I don't mean that as a dig, but how you describe why it "doesn't sound right" is , and I do mean this literally, EXACTLY what the song is about.

Of course, if you don't like it because of that, I guess that's fine, but still, you're comment made me laugh

...and forget you too.

okay but seriously musically it's okay and his voice is awesome but I just never liked songs like this. It's popular mainly because it's controversial. And I HATE songs that replace swear words in the main title but have another words censored as is in the verse. I'd like to know if a song I hear on the radio is as the artist intended it and don't get surprised when I buy the album.

You're wrong.

It's not popular because it's controversial. It's popular because it's CATCHY. Despite the obscenity.

That's the whole point and you really show your ignorance by failing to recognize that.

okay 1) having a different opinion than you is not ignorance 2)I don't find this song as catchy as other people do. I just don't.

I disagree that it was popular because it was obscene (I do actually agree with Yeahwhatever that it was popular because it was catchy), but if you don't like this song based on the music, fair enough. Everyone has their own tastes in music and despite what Todd said, I do think it is absolutely impossible to find a song that everyone likes.

What gets to me, though, is when people disregard the actual song and say they don't like it based on the swearing. Glee needs to be hit over the head for censoring 'Fuck You' the way they did. Don't taint people's artistic creations with censorship! If you do that all you become is a target for Southpark's next social purge! ... (Although the hilarity that provides may be the one up-side...)

The only real objection I have with this list is when you went on about how unique you thought Rolling In the Deep was. Considering I figured you for a big Cee Lo fan, how can you not know it sounds just like Crazy?

http://www.youtube.com/ watch? v=bd2B6SjMh_w&ob=av2e

Yeah, that's because Cee Lo was part of Gnarls Barkley.

http://en.wikipedia.org/ wiki/Gnarls_Barkley

I like how you worked in Ferris Bueller.
Still not sure if Cee Lo Green is a righteous dude.

I am kinda sad to say that the first time I heard this song was on Glee (Shutup, I like that show, that's not a crime) but it is a truly awesome song. I even heard a mashup version of Fuck You and I Will Survive this year which soon became the most played song on my ipod... as did Fuck You itself, Forget You (Because again, Fanboy) and the version sung by chickens which I inflicted on everybody... though to be cruelly technical, those chickens are singing Forget You, that's how it's listed on the Muppet album.

Still an awesome list, Adele earning 2 spots made me cheer and admit it, you've always loved Katy Perry but you knew that Lupa wouldn't approve so you hid that affection deep inside. It's OK, join us in Perry land, we have cupcake boobs that shoot fireworks, how can you not love it?

Of course that's how it's listed, it's a family movie. But you know what they're REALLY singing. ;D

No, they even cluck the extra syllable. Which is either hilarious or depressing or maybe a little of both, depending on your outlook on the whole incident.

My Take:

#10. Usher - More
I really like this song. Its such a great party/dance song to listen at clubs.

#9. Moment 4 Life - Nikki and Drake
I haven't heard much of this song. Plus I'm remotely ok with Drake and I'm no fan of Nikki Minaj.

#8. Someone Like You - Adele
I'm now becoming a Adele fan as I'm having so much respect for her because she's much more stable than Amy Winehouse whom she has MORE hits than Amy. I also like this song.

#7 - Pumped Up Kicks - Foster The People
I HATE this song! Sorry but this is just too mellow and daresay "hipster-ish" for my taste.

#6 - The Show Goes On - LUPE FIASCO!
I LOVE THIS GUY, he's my favorite rapper out there and SO GLAD to catch him in concert! Can understand his view in this song, but like with Superstar, he manage to make what could have been so mainstream into something so kickass. Granted its not his best and its not my favorite (still Hurt Me Soul), but its still an awesome song.

#5 - Last Friday Night - Katy Perry
Still don't like Katy, but this one is tolerable.

#4 - Edge Of Glory - Lady Gaga
Still don't like Lady Gaga, but I'm SO surprised she did this song. Because it sounds so nothing like the other garbage she put out earlier. In fact, first time I heard it I dug it, it was so fist-pumping and didn't know it was Gaga. Like the song, but still don't like her.

#3 - Rolling In The Deep - Adele
Yes what I said. Now an Adele fan, yet I prefer her earlier songs than this. But this is still a great song to listen to.

#2 - All Of The Lights - Kayne West
I LOVE THIS SONG! First time I heard it, I had my mind blown. It was magnificent and brilliant! So I was excited to see the video and when I saw it... the video was SHIT! What is this typo-bullshit that its trying to rip off the Enter The Void opening. AWESOME song... SHITTY video!

#1 - Fuck You - Cee Lo Green
In what you said about everybody loving this song and how everyone agrees with this song.... I HATE THIS SONG!!! Thats right, I hate this song! I'm sorry I can not dig this song. Maybe it overplayed too much that it rub me the wrong way. Maybe I just don't like his voice and it comes off as whiny or too high-pitched. Maybe the music is just doesn't have that impact and it wanes through the entire song. Maybe that the use of a swear word for the title of the song and chorus comes to me as too simple and pandering that its trying to get shock value. Maybe its with all of these reasons. Whatever reason, I hate and I do mean shut this radio off hate, this song... Not as much as I hate that Friday song.

P.S and wasn't Fuck You from 2010?

P.P.S I still prefer Another FU song from Reel Big Fish

P.P.P.S Fuck you too!

"With a big rusty pole or a splintery post..."

A fun song, but I don't see a radio-edited version working IN ANY WAY.

I said this in blip, but I'm gonna say it again- Todd, I'm so disappointed that you put the atrociousness of "Last Friday Night" over "Someone Like You". My faith in you shattered for a couple minutes... until you put "Rolling in the Deep" at number 3 and "Fuck You" at number one. So I'll let it slide... for now.

I was actually surprised when I heard "Edge of Glory"... I actually kind of liked it. And... okay, as much as I dislike "Last Friday Night", I prefer it over "The One That Got Away", because that one is so. Freaking. BORING. I mean, come, on, a bland, mediocre break up ballad? Seriously Katy Perry? Come on, you can do better than that.

You know what I just realized? And it's probably the reason why I don't dislike "Friday" as much as I should- it's because it doesn't sound like a pop song, it sounds like a PARODY of a pop song. An annoying beat, Kindergarden level lyrics, and auto-tune that butchers the song and the singer's voice- that sounds like half of the popular pop songs out right now.

Okay I love ya Todd since youtube but…there is always a but {these are more nitpicky more than anything} and an ellipses…but More (remix) by Usher, number ten on your picks {as if I really need to remind your of own your picks or address you as if you’re really reading this and not the trolls that will flame me or not see me worthy to flame worthy} you can’t throw up the devil horns for a pop song. Yes I know the myth that Dio started the devil horns and got it from his grandmother but that has been a metal thing for years and I hate it when even on the lighter rock than I listen to scene or someone that just heard Black Flag or Fugazi for the first time throws up the horns {like I said nitpicky}. With Adele as your number three pick of Adele’s “Rolling in the Deep” you said you’ve never heard of anything like her singing in this song before, or something like that. Sir, I strongly disagree that you’ve never heard “something like that song before” because I know you’re first and foremost a music fan {obliviously} and from your love of music you must have seen Blues Brothers at least….a hundred times. The first time I heard ”Rolling in Deep” all I could think was not only does this woman sound like Aretha Franklin but they should do a track together no matter how obvious it sounds to other people. With your number one pick, I agree with you, I could not escape, nor want to escapes Cee Lo Green’s “Fuck You” {I’ve been getting down on Millions of Dead Cops, the good Misfits albums, well the genre defined as American Hardcore all year along with my beloved Deftones} and I have no “nitpicks” with that choice and I just wanted to thank you for the first Ferris Bueller’s Day Off quote I’ve heard in a while. Keep making videos hoss, I’m just nitpicky and drunk right now and always need my Todd in the Shadows fix.

Hey, I'm not the only one who thought of Aretha Franklin when I heard "Rolling in the Deep"! Yes! Honestly though, a lot of Adele's music reminds me of a lot of the blues/jazz from nearly 80 years ago back in Ray Charles' era. Strangely though, I don't feel like it's a retro rip-off.

... Does anyone have a time machine, by any chance?

I disagree that Adele's Rolling in the Deep is an entity on itself, cause she reminds me A LOT of Caro Emerald, a Dutch singer who had a hit for 30 weeks on #1 in the Netherlands, beating the previous record set by Michael Jackson's Thriller by one week.

Seriously, check out some of her songs and tell me she doesn't remind you of Adele.
- http://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=74LXx0wSqMI
- http://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=CFA6dEwWOb4
- http://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=id10ASJMzHA

The thing is though, Caro Emerald was first!!!

1. LOL America only getting Adele now.

2. You didn't mention that the video for "All the Lights" blatantly and obviously rips off "Enter the Void" right down to the stolen title sequence.

3. Man, maybe I'm remembering wrong... But wasn't "Fuck You" a hit in january last year?

4. No Lana? Aww.

I'm fine with that list, I would have added Stereo Hearts though, while not a great song, i do really enjoy it (and it made the years end top 100)

I 100% agree with you on everything you said about Kanye, that man is a true artist.

Yeah you may not wanna be his best friend anytime soon but you don't need that from a good producer just good music.

Strangley All Of The Lights isn't my fav song off that album - Lost In The World is - but Kanye's verses ave never been better in that song.

All for the rest of your list, it is a good one except for the Katy Perry song :9 but I agreed with you more often than not. :)

todd's line about "Maybe he's got the flu" made me laugh out loud. Just the way he said it was hilarious. XD

Flaw free top 3.

Too bad you always seem to ruin your best top 10's by having a Katy Perry song on them. :P

I love how Todd can still be funny even when talking about songs he likes.

By the way,anybody hear heard the "Show goes on" remix by Watsky? It's really awesome.

Happy to see Foster People in the list(We need a "hipster" reviewer here). Otherwise I definitely agree on Adele. At first I felt little interest except for Rolling in the deep but after paying attention to the lyrics of her other songs I was really blown away by the accuracy of her emotions and how she puts those feeling into simple but effective words. People can relate to those experience more than they can relate to being a multi-billionaire misogynistic and egocentric rap singer.
Otherwise I'd say that last Friday night is sort of a guilty pleasure for me because of the intro guitar... After that I usually stop the song in the middle and go back to the intro since the continuation of the song has just too much shit on top of it.
None of the other songs in the list kept my attention apart "fuck you" that I hate and I really can't explain why... Sort of like the "all the single ladies" Beyonce song it just feels to "noisy", loud and repetitive.
I feel that this generation of pop songs is reaching the 90's eurodance point and need to stop being so fucking loud and manage layers of sounds in a more subtle way. Having the same over the top climax from start to finish is aggressively annoying (like the More Usher song for example).
Pumped up kids is not my favorite of the brilliant album from Foster the people but if there is one thing you can appreciate is the overall quietness of the song and how it establishes several layers in a cool and subtle way.

I've checked this list: http://en.wikipedia.org/ wiki/Billboard_Year- End_Hot_100_singles_of_20 11
and based on it I wouldn't have been able to make a top 10. I've rarely felt so out of the mainstream music industry.

awwww man you only put good life in the credits? whatever. still an awesome review. now if you could just watch Class of 3000 like I've been asking you to do for months.

Okay, 1. Todd reviews pop songs, not cartoons. He won't be reviewing it unless he's doing a special, & even then there are MANY more deserving targets, *cough*Hammerman*cough*

2. Maybe it's just me, but wasn't Class of 3000 a genuinely good show? I mean, you're entitled to your own opinion, but I think the general consensus is that it isn't really bad, or at least not bad enough for Todd to mine material out of.

OH MY GOD! I was sitting here the whole time screaming yes with each entry. I seriously, I seriously am in love with this list and the first time that you've done one of these That I honestly can agree with... I just.. yes even the Katy Perry and the Lady Gaga... because these are two of their songs I loved right away.

As a saxophone player this year was a great one. I can bust out my baby and go at it no longer feeling shame. Now lets make clarinet and bassoon popular too and maybe then I can have a shallow relationship!

THAT ALBUM MY BEAUTIFUL DARK TWISTED FANTASY IS AMAZING! I cannot hate Kanye anymore because out it... so yeah, if anyone would go and listen to that whole damn thing.

But one point... I like all of the Killers albums... except Sawdust (but that doesn't count) not just Host Fuss... just thought I'd defend their others... so yeah.

I am a metal head I actually like most of these songs, atleast the ones I have heard the rare times I listen to the radio... here in Quebec we get the uncensored version of "Fuck You" by Cee-lo on the radio... got to love the french for not know much english and the fact Fuck you is sommething you can say around you mother but Khaliss de tabernacle de estie de christ is one of the worse things you can say.

Well clearly. Your Quebecian swear words are more things that would be said in church in any other country. And, I assume, vice versa.

Todd, that was just perfect. I honestly cannot disagree with any entry here, even "T.G.I.F." (which was yet another guilty pleasure for myself as well).

The only thing that surprised me was that it apparently took you so long to like "Super Bass". Really, months? It took me all of an hour, tops.

Anyhow, my own personal Top 10:

1. Lupe Fiasco - "The Show Goes On"
2. Kanye West - "All of the Lights"
3. Cee-Lo Green - "F*** You!"
4. Adele - "Rolling in the Deep"
5. Nicki Minaj - "Super Bass"
6. Lady Gaga - "The Edge of Glory"
7. Rihanna feat. Calvin Harris - "We Found Love"
8. Foster the People - "Pumped Up Kicks"
9. Drake - "Headlines"
10. Far East Movement - "Rocketeer"

...I would like to still emphasize how happy I am that you put "The Show Goes On" in your list. Aside from just sounding awesome in every possible way, in a year with a trend of bland, annoying, self-esteem boosting "be yourself" songs ("Firework", "F***in' Perfect", "Just the Way You Are", & my personal worst offender, Taylor Swift's "Mean"), "The Show Goes On" felt both exciting, optimistic, & delivered a great message about preserverance.

Of course, my favorite was My Chemical Romance's "SING", which sadly didn't make the year-end chart.

But once again Todd, great list, great commentary, great year. ^_^

Really solid list. 2011 was a really really solid year for pop, which was a good thing since my car pool listens to the pop station every morning.

So I wanted to put my own Top 10 list in this comment, but it more or less stacks up except for two songs. Last Friday Night would just barely miss the cut and Edge of Glory would be miles away from the list. Sorry, can't rationalize why but I hate that song, and I generally like Lady Gaga. So what would I replace it with? Party Rock Anthem and Moves Like Jagger. I know you reviewed both of them, and I can't really disagree with anything you said, but "it has a good beat and it's catchy" covers up a lot in my book. I'd have Party Rock as my #4 and Jagger as my #10. Jagger would have been higher on my list except the lyrics were so....so....stupid.

Todd, you were looking forward so much for Fuck you to hit the charts, it's almost cute. I agree it's a really cool song, quite different than what we usually hear. :)

Also, I don't think you need to apologize for Katy Perry this year. I think everyone likes TGIF, if not just for the amazingly over-the-top video with a bunch of has-been, uncool celebrity cameos. I would have been pissed if you had put bland, samey-sounding shlock like "The one that got away" on your list. :p