Your Top 5 Artists of 2011

[Wumbo]

A little late for this thread, but it can still be done! So, who do you think dominated the music industry last year? Here's my list:

5: Red Hot Chili Peppers. One of my all-time favourites came back strong this year, with a new sound and a new guitarist. While I will miss the funky stylings of John Frusciante, their new sound is almost, if not as good as their original. Favourite 2011 song: The Adventures of Rain Dance Maggie -

4: Lady Gaga. 2011 was the year I started going gaga for Gaga, probably because she started getting better. I really like her as an artist, but her fans insulting Adele need to GTFO (kind of spoiler alert). Favourite 2011 song: The Edge of Glory -

3: Down With Webster. Don't know if you've heard of these guys down there, but they're pretty big up here, and for good reason. I love rap/rock combinations, and every song they've had so far that I've heard, I like. Favourite 2011 song: She's Dope -

2: Jessie J. Amomg all the Lady Gagas and Katy Perrys and what have you lies this somewhat hidden gem. "Price Tag" is a great song, and it's refreshing to hear someone who has a certain uniqueness in this music industry. Favourite 2011 song: Price Tag -

1: Adele. What a voice on this powerful woman. "Set Fire to the Rain" is one of my favourite songs at the moment, and you can tell that she pours her heart and soul into every song. Damn, she gives me chills. If only more artists nowadays were like this. Favourite 2011 song: Set Fire to the Rain -

[Clappy]

Since no one will recognize my top 5 favorite artists of 2011, I am going to do mainstream and who I thought was the most impressive this year. I am even willing to show no bias and admit when someone had a career year.

5 Runner-Ups (in no particular order):

-Nicki Minaj - Hate her with a passion, but this was the best year of her career and she all but established herself as a player in the music industry

-Lil Wayne - Hate him with a passion, but the guy had one of the best opening weekends for an album in 2011. He came back from prison to where he left off.

-Chris Brown - I seriously thought his career was dead and he would never make it back to where he once was near the top of the music industry. He proved me wrong and his album is actually pretty good stuff.

-Coldplay - Their new album is easily my favorite mainstream artist album of 2011. That is all.

-Rihanna - We Found Love might be the biggest hit of her career. Otherwise, just an average year for her if you want to consider everything else she released onto the radio.

5. Pitbull - Not really fond of him, but he had the best year of his career. A number 1 hit album, headlining his own tour, and one of the year's biggest smashes (Give Me Everything).

4. Lady Gaga - This is the year where I too became a Gaga fan. While Born This Way only produced one number 1 hit (the titled song), to me, the album was full of great songs. While her fan base needs to STFU about Adele's weight, there is no denying that Gaga's fans are so passionate about her, that they gave her the first album to do over a million in a single week since 2008.

3. Katy Perry - She easily makes it this high for being only the second artist to have five number 1's (with a chance of six) from an album. The only other artist to do that is Michael Jackson. That is amazing. Plus she is beautiful, she is starting to get into acting, and Russell Brand is a fool.

2. LMFAO - Say what y'all want, but these guys went from being the guys who did that song about alcohol with Lil' John (yuck) to having the best year of their career. Arguably the biggest hit of 2011 was either Party Rock Anthem or Rolling In The Deep (more on that later). Plus Sexy and I Know It was a pretty big hit this year too. These guys easily made themselves into stars by highlighting that they weren't meant to be serious songs with meaningful lyrics. They just wanted to have fun. Which is what LMFAO succeed at.

1. Adele - Pretty much everything Wumbo said. She had the best selling album of the year and she is without a doubt going to clean house at the Grammys this year thanks to the other argauble biggest hit of 2011 Rolling In The Deep. It is safe to say that no artist had a better year than Adele. It's a shame that she is taking a break before working on her next album, but I hope she gets her voice back full strength. I haven't heard a voice that powerful in such a long time.

[Wumbo]

Oh yeah, honourable mentions for me would go out to Katy Perry, Pitbull, Foo Fighters, and Foster the People.

Perhaps I should make a Bottom 5 artists of 2011 so maybe we can all agree on things.

[shin]

5. Skrillex.

This one is probably going to take a little bit of explaining, so here goes.

I like Skrillex. Not just tolerate-- I actually like him. But that's not why I think he deserves a spot.

It's because of the extremely polarizing effect he's had on dubstep/electronic music. A lot of people will hate on him for the fact that now, everybody and their grandma has heard of dubstep at least once. A lot more hate him for his approach: excessive noise and wobbing to the extreme.

But just because of that, he's caused a gigantic leap in the amount of active dubstep producers, encompassing (almost) all tastes.

4 & 3. SNSD/Wonder Girls.

I decided to clump both of these guys in the same paragraph because they have massively contributed to a single event that's only started to take hold recently: the rise of Korean pop music in non-Asian markets. Anyone who's friended me on Facebook has probably caught on to the fact that I'm far from the biggest K-Pop fan out there, but they have gone past the point where they can be regarded as just some kind of localized fad. I know it happened this year, but just earlier this week, SNSD made two appearances on American TV: firstly on The Late Show and then on Live with Kelly to promote their first US single.. and not to be outdone, Wonder Girls teamed up with Nick for a movie promoting their debut. So to a rather culturally-involved Asian such as myself, this was one of the biggest events in music to date.

2. Jessie J.

Netsky remix of "Nobody's Perfect". Enough said.

1. Excision.

Bringing the dubstep jib-jab full circle here with a personal favorite.

If you guys think Skrillex is just a bit much, Excision's even heavier.

Like it or not, dubstep (with all of the ups and downs it brings) is still going strong.

[Clappy]

You know what? Just because I can, I will post my Top 5 artists, even though I have a feeling I will get a lot of huhs, whats, and whos.

5. Of Mice and Men - Austin Carlisle may be the epitome of rock star douchebags, but he is so damn talented. Thank goodness his heart scare wasn't as threatening as we all thought. Their new cd wouldn't have been as good if Jerry Roush was still the lead vocalist.

4. Dance Gavin Dance - Thank god Johnny Craig is back! This band is 10x better with him in it. Plus the sequel to Downtown Battle Mountain is amazing.

3. Emery - Their first CD in three years is easily one of their best. Thank goodness the break up rumors were false. Now will you guys please go back to touring? D:

2. A Day To Remember - Probably the most familiar name on my list to everyone else. They made the jump from pop-punk underground to getting actual radio play this year. Job well done boys because you are still being yourselves.

1. The Devil Wears Prada - They are starting to make their claim as one of the best metal bands today. This is not bias since they are my favorite band. They are selling out at every venue they go to and their new CD's opening weekend cracked the top 5. First time in a long time for a metal band. Best part is that they are still pertaining to their Christian values, but not shoving their beliefs down your throat in the process. If you guys want to check out what they are capable of, listen to their Zombie EP since it is their cheapest CD, but easily their most metal.

[70s]

5. Lana Del Rey - Best song of 2011: Off to the Races

4. Foster the People - Best song of 2011: Pumped Up Kicks

3. fun. - Best song of 2011: We Are Young (by default)

2. Florence + the Machine - Best song of 2011: Shake It Out

1. Adele - Best song of 2011: Someone Like You/Rumour Has It/Turning Tables/Rolling In the Deep/Set Fire to the Rain/DON'T MAKE ME CHOOSE

Honorable mentions: Hot Chelle Rae, Lady Gaga, Coldplay

[Guest hilaryfan80]

5. Michael Buble - I love some of his songs, especially his new-ish Christmas songs.

4. Red Hot Chili Peppers - "Tonight, Tonight", just saying.

3. LMFAO - Party Rock Anthem

2. Adele - Someone Like You

1. Lady Gaga - *

I don't think I need to explain anymore... :cool:

[shin]

You know what? Just because I can, I will post my Top 5 artists, even though I have a feeling I will get a lot of huhs, whats, and whos.

5. Of Mice and Men - Austin Carlisle may be the epitome of rock star douchebags, but he is so damn talented. Thank goodness his heart scare wasn't as threatening as we all thought. Their new cd wouldn't have been as good if Jerry Roush was still the lead vocalist.

4. Dance Gavin Dance - Thank god Johnny Craig is back! This band is 10x better with him in it. Plus the sequel to Downtown Battle Mountain is amazing.

3. Emery - Their first CD in three years is easily one of their best. Thank goodness the break up rumors were false. Now will you guys please go back to touring? D:

2. A Day To Remember - Probably the most familiar name on my list to everyone else. They made the jump from pop-punk underground to getting actual radio play this year. Job well done boys because you are still being yourselves.

1. The Devil Wears Prada - They are starting to make their claim as one of the best metal bands today. This is not bias since they are my favorite band. They are selling out at every venue they go to and their new CD's opening weekend cracked the top 5. First time in a long time for a metal band. Best part is that they are still pertaining to their Christian values, but not shoving their beliefs down your throat in the process. If you guys want to check out what they are capable of, listen to their Zombie EP since it is their cheapest CD, but easily their most metal.

i love you jsyk