best of 2011: top 10 tracks + albums

I told you to expect a lot of entries. But I promise this one has substance. Yesterday I was asked to compile a list of my top 20 songs from 2011. I am obsessed with best of the year lists, especially music and fashion lists, so this was a lot of fun to do and surprisingly, I was able to do it much faster than I anticipated. Last year I did my top 10 fashion moments. This year I have decided to compile my top 10 tracks and album from 2011. So here they are according to me:

Top 10 Tracks

1. East Harlem- Beirut

2. Midnight City- M83

3. Holocene- Bon Iver

4. Strawberry Swing- Frank Ocean

5. Take Care- Drake + Rihanna

6. Jejune Stars- Bright Eyes

7. Look at Me Now- Chris Brown

8. Niggas in Paris- Kanye + Jay-Z

9. We Found Love- Rihanna

10. Birds Pt. 1- The Weeknd

Top 10 Albums

1. Bon Iver- Bon Iver

2. Hurry Up, We're Dreaming- M83

3. Thursday- The Weeknd

4. The Rip Tide- Beirut

5. 21- Adele

6. F.A.M.E.- Chris Brown

7. Nostalgia/Ultra- Frank Ocean

8. Take Care- Drake

9. Born This Way- Lady Gaga

10. The Year of Hibernation- Youth Lagoon

Synopsis: Bon Iver KILLED it this year. They're up for Grammys and stuff aren't they? But honestly, Bon Iver is nothing short of perfection. It's beautiful and I can listen to it nonstop. Also one of the best concerts I've ever attended. Justin Vernon is an angel performer. M83 is coming to SLC in April!!! Um, The Weeknd rules. I think both of their albums are still available for free download on their website. Do it now. Some of the sexiest stuff I've heard in a long time.

It was difficult narrowing down my list of top 20 tracks to 10, so here are some honorable mentions:

Real Hero- College + Electric Youth

Turning Tables- Adele

Somebody That I Used to Know- Gotye

All of the Lights- Ellie Goulding vs. Kanye West

District Sleeps Alone Tonight (Death Cab cover)- Birdy- This one very nearly made the list. I listen to it at least twice every day. It's hauntingly pretty and I like it better than the original, which is never the case with covers. Even very well-done covers. However, I felt that my top 10 needed to be original songs and not remixes/covers. Seriously get this song.

This was fun. I hope you enjoyed reading/listening as much as I enjoyed compiling/listening.