OLD & NEW MAKES A PERFECT SOUNDTRACK: Top 10 Albums & Songs of 2011

Best Of 2011: According To My ITunes

2011 music was okay this year. Even though we had a lot of gimmicks, but real music still come out on top. The music I speak of is Adele, she brought that real music back. Her album 21 is the best selling album of the year. I feel that her album is very deserving of this honor. When you listen to her album you can tell that it's from her soul and comes out real. This is the type of music that I appreciate, honestly. This is definitely the year of Adele. But other artists that made real music included Lady Gaga, Kelly Clarkson, Jay-Z/Kanye West, J-Cole, and Mary J. Blige. The music this year, didn't make me stray away from my throwbacks.

As like everyone I would like blog about my top 10 albums & songs that I played a lot this year. My top is a little different because some albums I listened to this come out this year but I played them a lot. As a result, this top 10 albums list will be a little different.

Albums:

Honorable Mentions

Adele- 19
Raphael Saadiq- The Way I See It
Marsha Ambrosius- Late Nights & Early Mornings

10. Born In The U.S.A - Bruce Springsteen(1984)

I always knew about Bruce Springsteen, but I didn't really play attention to his music. I only knew songs like "Dancing In The Dark" and "Born In The USA". I never really heard a full album from Springsteen. But Lady Gaga was promoting her Born This Way album she was explaining that Bruce Springsteen was a big influence on her because of her dad. So I felt that I need to gave a Springsteen album a try, so I downloaded Born In The USA and I fell in love with it. I listen to it at least once a week. With songs Like "I'm On Fire", "Working On The Highway", and "My Hometown". I understand while this album is such a classic.

Listen to "Dancing In The Dark" that saxophone by late Clarence Clemons AKA Big Man is awesome

9. My Life II: The Journey Continues (Act 1)- Mary J. Blige (2011)

Mary J. Blige released her 10th album, which she entitled My Life II, as a big fan of the first My Life, I was very nervous about this project. The first My Life album was very emotional, raw, and classic, I felt that was a era that Mary should have let alone. The My Life is dear to my heart, I didn't want it to be destroyed. So, the album was released Nov 21, and of course I loved it. But I still feel that this album should have not been called My Life II, because if you are a Mary J. Blige fan, this album seemed to be more her first album What's The 411?. I felt Mary could have just called this album The Journey Continues. But this album is still in my best albums of 2011, with songs like "Feel Inside", "Don't Mind", "No Condition", and my album favorite "Need Someone", Mary showed why she has lasted so long in this industry, 20 years .

Listen to "No Condition" this song still gives you that soulfulness that Mary continues to still give us for 20 years.

8. Born To Sing- En Vogue (1990)

En Vogue in my opinion is the best girl group of all time. There harmonies are unmatched, this girls can SANG. I always knew about En Vogue's first album but I never listened to it. Their Funky Divas was the album that I have never familiar with. So, one day I was listening to "Waiting On You" and I decided to download Born To Sing as I expected the album was awesome. Anytime I feel like listening to some SANGING, the first album I think about is Born To Sing was the best album title for this first album.

Listen to "Part of Me" this song was leaves me speechless.

7. Amazing Grace- Aretha Franklin (1972)

God has always been in my life, I know who he is but I finally found a church that I can all my own. During this time, I have been listening to Amazing Grace every night because it makes me feel good and understand how bless I am. Songs like "What A Friend We Have In Jesus", "God Will Take Care of You", "Never Grow Old", and "How I Got Over" makes me understand why this album is the greatest album of all time.

Be Blessed and listen to "Mary Don't You Weep"

6. Stronger- Kelly Clarkson (2011)

Ever since American Idol, I have been a fan of Kelly Clarkson. In my opinion, I feel she is the best American Idol winner. Her voice sings chills up my spine, her voice is the best out right now. Her vocals can across all genres, soul, pop, rock, jazz, etc. This year Clarkson released Stronger in October, which was a good album. But a lot of Kelly's song were leaked in the Spring, so when the album was released a lot of the songs I knew, but it didn't take away for the album. With Songs like "Honestly", "You Love Me", "Hello", and favorite track "The War Is Over". I listen to this album at least once a day, because it's a fun album.

Listen to my favorite track "The War Is Over", hear the aggression.

5. Cole World:The Sideline Story- J. Cole (2011)

I didn't know about J. Cole until one of my homeboys but me on to him. He told me that I should listen to his mixtape Friday Night Lights. When I listen to this mixtape, I thought he was ill on the mike. Then I saw him live on Rihanna's Loud Tour, I knew that I had to get his debut album. When I got this album, Cole didn't disappoint, he in my opinion was bringing that REAL hip-hop because he was rapping about REAL things. With songs like "Lights Please", "Nobody's Perfect", "Lost Ones", "Daddy's Little Girl", and my favorite track the emotional "Breakdown".

Listen to the emotion of the track and his rhymes on "Breakdown"

4. Watch The Throne- Jay-z & Kanye West (2011)

This album I was waiting for because Jay-Z & Kanye West are one of the best rappers out right now. When I heard "Otis" I knew this album was not going to disappoint. When the album was released on August 8, at midnight I brought the album. From "No Church In The Wild" to "Why I Love You", in my opinion is the best rap album of the year. With songs like the James Brown sampled "Gotta Have It", "New Day", and "Who Gon Stop Me", this album was awesome. You can tell this album was Jay-Z album as well as a Kanye album. In addition, I had to opportunity to go to the Watch The Throne concert, it was an EPIC event.

Listen to my favorite track off the album, the inspiring "Murder To Excellence"

3. 4- Beyonce (2011)

Finally Beyonce made a album that I will be album to play for years to come. Albums like B'Day and I Am..Sasha Fierce, didn't do anything for me. I think Beyonce was more concerned about having hits than making timeless music. Her album Dangerously in Love was her best until 4 was released. Even though the album leaked, she made timeless songs like "Start Over", "Dance For You", "End Of Time", and the MJ "Off The Wall" album inspired "Love On Top". When this album was officially released, I couldn't stop listening to it.

Listen to "End Of Time" this song needed a video, but I understand Beyonce was pregnant but this video had Michael Jackson all over it.

2. 21- Adele (2011)

As I said in one of the previous blog entry, I was introduced by Adele by one of my twitter followers. He asked me if I have ever heard of Adele before, I said yes, but he said I need to listen to her new album 21, it's very soulful. I decided to listen and I fell in love with it. I brought it before I listened to the album in full. One this album he was giving me soul, pop, blues, and jazz wrapped in one. With songs like "Someone Like You", "Turning Tables", and my favorite song "Take It All". This album is full with honestly and this album will be considered a classic. It was my best album until my number 1 album came out in May.

Listen to "Take It All" and her voice is so pure and soulful.

1. Born This Way- Lady Gaga (2011)

This album I listen to at least 4 times a day. When the first single was released, "Born This Way" I wasn't impressed. Even though I know that this song serves a purpose, but I wasn't a fan of it. But when I brought the album, I was impressed. This album was musically awesome. Lady Gaga put pop, rock, dance, and rhythmic sounds together and make a great blend. Many people think Gaga changed, but this album showed how she improved musically. Songs like "Marry The Night", "You & I", "Hair", "Bad Kids", "Judas", and the inspiring "The Edge Of Glory" makes the album the best album of 2011 in my opinion.

Listen to the New Years anthem "Marry The Night"