Pazartesi 2 Oca 2012, 17:54

Welcome to this special
http://img709.imageshack.us/img709/192/musicmonday.png
Normally I would now reminisce about my last week in music. But trust me when I say that there ain’t been much to discuss (apart from the fact that I listened to PlayRadioPlay! a lot).

So this time I’ll focus on the last year instead - my artists, my songs, my albums of 2011. It's all stats!

Artists
20> Kylie Minogue (223 plays) : It took me some time, but I now kind of like her latest album “Aphrodite”.
19> Britney Spears (237 plays) : Though her album “Femme Fatale” was well produced, only the hit singles really mattered to me.
18> Avril Lavigne (241 plays) : Her latest album is still somehow “meh”, although there are a few good tracks on it.
17> The Sounds (242 plays) : Lovely band - and I saw them live!
16> Glee Cast (243 plays) : Their cover versions got me to listen to music that I might have missed.
15> Owl City (362 plays) : The new album was very disappointing.
14> Stanfour (264 plays) : No new material, but the old stuff is still amazing.
13> Kate Bush (280 plays) : Via some friends I got to know her music more.
12> Daft Punk (350 plays) : That is all about the TRON soundtrack. Such a fine score.
11> Pet Shop Boys (364 plays) : I’ve become more and more obsessed with some of their songs (and I recognized them in Berlin).
10> Lady GaGa (374 plays) : Her album was okay, but I focussed more on the singles.
09> Sarah McLachlan (390 plays) : Always a gem when it comes to slow and sad music.
08> Céline Dion (426 plays) : It must be the amount of songs I have in my collection that make her so important to my life in music.
07> The Raveonettes (479 plays) : Really liked the new album.
06> Roxette (526 plays) : Although I think it was a small comeback, I was still very happy with a new album.
05> mr.tinoforever (529 plays) : Where should I start? What can I say? Buy his music. It is good and he is a very nice person.
04> Darren Hayes (602 plays) : Wow, I still can’t believe how often I listened to his music.
03> Tom Sinclair (668 plays) : Now that’s an easy case. His EPs and albums proved to be the perfect soundtrack/score to my work life.
02> Madonna (748 plays) : Well, I’m still a fan. (can’t wait for new songs) ^^
01> Thirteen Senses (811 plays) : Another surprise to me. I know that I was sort of addicted to their third album. So that’s why this awesome band is my “artist” of the year 2011. :-)

Songs
20> DJ Got Us Fallin’ In Love (featuring Pitbull) (36 plays) : Well produced and qualified for dance times.
19> I Will Be (37 plays) : When I hear that song, I somehow would like to lay down and sleep. ^^
18> Out Of Tune (38 plays) : I love the melancholy of this track.
17> The Beautiful People (39 plays) : One of my favorite Aguilera tracks ever. This one should have been a single.
16> Love Come (42 plays) : Oh, that’s such a sad and great track.
15> Into The Fire - Acoustic (43 plays) : I really listened to that one for hours. So it’s no wonder it had to be among my top 20.
14> Club Can’t Handle Me (featuring David Guetta) (44 plays) : Damn, that Guetta dude knows how to make me like a Flo Rida song.
13> Send Myself To Sleep (46 plays) : Hm, not the best TS song, but OK.
12> Judas (47 plays) : One of my favorite Gaga songs at the moment.
11> After The Retreat (Acoustic) (51 plays) : Another TS song.
10> Home (Acoustic) (54 plays) : Another TS song.
09> Out There (55 plays) : This TS song is one of the highlights of “Crystal Sounds” and the outro is epic.
08> The Loneliest Star (Acoustic) (63 plays) : This TS song is one of the reasons I’m happy to have ordered the Deluxe Edition of the album.
07> Talk Talk Talk (65 plays) : Definitely one of the best tracks Darren Hayes has ever made.
06> Drive (67 plays) : Ooh, this song was also one of my favorite tracks last year.
05> Higher (featuring Kylie Minogue) (72 plays) : That’s just thanks to the Kylie feature - I also listened to the solo version, and I wasn’t convinced.
04> Hold It Against Me (75 plays) : Now that was a comeback. Her song was extremely catchy - plus Drum ‘n Base.
03> Hey Baby (Drop It To The Floor) (78 plays) : Hehe, I know this seems a little odd, but this song is the best Pitbull track I ever heard. It even made me take a look at T-Pain’s solo stuff (which is not that good).
02> Born This Way (81 plays) : It was quite difficult to miss this one out, because it was hyped like nothing I’ve seen before. The song was always compared to Madonna’s “Express Yourself” - and I think that’s just a compliment. Anyway… this will easily be one of the most played songs of 2011.
01> Ignite (90 plays) : And here’s my number one. Tbh it’s a bit of a surprise for me. But the song is awesome. And I’m glad it’s different from my most played song of 2010. :-)

Albums
20> The Holiday (123 plays) : That’s a lovely score that I pretty much used when I wanted to read or clean or write.
19> The House (125 plays) : It’s quite impressive for an album from 2010 to still be this much in my playlist. ^^
18> Passive Me, Aggressive You (126 plays) : Indie times. Though I particularly favorited just about 3 songs, this is still one fine record.
17> Rise And Fall (127 plays) : Another leftover from 2010, I guess. But still.. a good one.
16> Goodbye Lullaby (129 plays) : Hm, I can’t really say that this is a good album, but it has some good tracks on it.
15> Zonoscope (130 plays) : More Indie times! The opening and the closing tracks are the best here.
14> Call To Arms (133 plays) : I was really excited for this. And I still can’t believe the story behind it. From reworked gems to anthems and a few experimental additions - this EP has it all. Go convince yourself. :-)
13> Early In The Morning (135 plays) : Another surprise for me. I didn’t think this would be among the top 20. Anyway, this is a good record for hot and lazy summer days. ^^
12> The Invitation (136 plays) : Another life changing record here - I would recommend it to anyone.
11> Ocean Eyes (142 plays) : Hm, yes, apart from the new Owl City stuff, this is the real deal. Time will tell if Adam Young will be this good again.
10> Laws Of Illusion (144 plays) : This is another album that basically benefits from a frew great tracks. Just my point of view.
09> Nothing But The Beat (156 plays) : Damn, I still can’t believe how catchy this album turned out to be. He’s like the new Black Eyed Peas - but better (if you ask me).
08> Stand Still (158 plays) : 2 songs are extraordinary. The rest is ok.
07> Electracardiac Arrest (163 plays) : This is simply a piece of art. If you don’t seem to like a song, it grows on you. I couldn’t be more happy with this album.
06> Rush (178 plays) : I wish I knew why it took me so long to find music like this. It’s like totally my wavelength when it comes to instrumental “dreamscapes”. And you can blend it into your daily life. Awesome work.
05> Secret Codes And Battleships (242 plays) : Yep, when an artist is among your top 4, chances are you might find an album by him here. The funny thing though is that I still don’t have the feeling to know that record that good. So that looks like a few more spins to go. ^^
04> Born This Way (251 plays) : Same could be said here. While the singles are very well known, I kind of lost track of the rest.
03> TRON Legacy (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) (328 plays) : I refuse to think of what a film “Tron Legacy” would have been without this score. This is definitely my soundtrack of the year.
02> Raven In The Grave (417 plays) : Again I have to say that I’m surprised. Yes, it is a great record and it feels complete. But did I really listen to it so many times?
01> Crystal Sounds (515 plays) : From the moment I heard the stream of the whole album, I knew that it would certainly grow on me. When it finally came out, I was blown away by acoustic versions (bonus tracks) of a few songs. And now I can say that there was no album that kept me scrobbling so much in 2011 like this one by Thirteen Senses. I hope that one day I’ll be able to watch them live.

So… that was my year in music (stats). If you read this far, I hope you found a bit of inspiration or suggestions for your next “Music Monday”. Anyway… have fun.