EQ's Top 100 Singles Of 2011 - Top Picks featuring Bright Light Bright Light, Nina, The Young Professionals, Adrian Lux ft. The Good Natured, Beth Ditto, Adam Tyler, Darren Hayes, Frankmusik, Johnny Lazer and Sirpaul

by Raj Rudolph

Well if you thought 2011 was a bad year for pop music, well you might want to reconsider that notion and take a look at our Top 100 List of pop and electronic singles for 2011.  It's sure to be much different than any other singles chart you'll see at this year end.

We love this time of year over at EQ, it gives us time to reflect on the musical sound-scape that has sound-tracked life this year and gives us an opportunity to be thankful for all the artists that have put out amazing new pop music over the last twelve months.

The EQ Top 100 Singles chart is a celebration of what's different, cool and cutting-edge in electronic pop, not what sells the most, gets the most radio airplay or is funded and manipulated into chart positions by the big machine.  Nope - it's simply a list of songs that are equally brilliant and some you may not have heard before.

Congratulations to Bright Light Bright Light whose single "Disco Moment" truly deserved being a favorite single of the year and in our opinion, deserved to be a number one global smash.  Nina's haunting "Take Me Away" also proved to be one of those audio nuggets that lodged itself into our psyche and brought us hours of audio pleasure.  Surprsingly one of the singles that really captivated our ears this year was "Going Down In La-La Land" by Sirpaul whilst the gritty dirty electro of Johnny Lazer's "Bad Boyfriend" sent us into a complete tizzy every time it invaded our iPod.

So without any further hesitation, check out our Top 100 pop and electronic single picks of 2011 after the jump - where did your favorite EQ song rank?

Friendly Fires - Live Those Days Tonight

 

Anyone know knows me well enough will know not to cross me when the topic of Friendly Fires comes up. When they arrived onto the scene in 2008, I followed these boys the leadth and breadth of Blighty. It's not because I was obsessed, it was because they know how to put on a live show. Bring up YouTube on your browser and you'll see what I mean (when you have half-naked samba dancers, it's always going to be a winner).

Where would bands from suburbia be without the "commuter-belt boredom" that Friendly Fires say inspire the pop and rave compound that complements their new single? The trio bolted foward to mainsteam success three years ago when their self-titled debut album went big in America and Japan, setting the blue torch paper for a rocketed scope through the various leagues of the world of music. The surprise that they bring is their refinement; they are cool and wise enough to know how to keep the dancefloor heaving. 

EQ Chart (Your Essential Playlist) - RebekkaMaria Is No. 1 With "Corollaceous"

This week was a lot of fun EQs, although I am getting slightly jealous reading all the SXSW tweets from my favorite pop bloggers who are out in Texas and getting to go to great gigs this week.  This has just confirmed that I need to be there next year - although a lot of these acts who are playing do end up coming to London at some point or another, I think the setting and the fact that so many music lovers are there will add to the excitement.  Next year - Austin or bust!

Here in Londontown, I got to see Loebeat do great little gig in Shoreditch which was great - even Pixie Lott showed up!  We bonded over Haloumi cheese and diet cokes afterwards.  Last night I went to Boy George's single launch party for "Amazing Grace" and it was a lot of fun.  Boy delivered a great DJ set which included "Dreamer" by Livin Joy and "Whoop There It Is" by Tag Team which was hilarious.  Unexpectedly and excitedly, I got to meet Adam Lambert very briefly too - man, he's tall!  Adam is here for meetings (and partying) and finally planning his assault on the UK which I am very excited about!

I also should let you big apple readers know that I'll be coming to New York City from April 8th - 16th to do some blogging in a different locale and to meet as many of you as possible.  I'm very excited about this trip as I need to do a spot of shopping, drinking and socializing in the city that never sleeps.  I've even pencilled in a chat with Kimberley Locke to gab about her new single "Strobe Light" - tre exciting!

A few notes about the websites - We decided to open up EQ Trax to everyone now as we think we worked out a lot of the kinks based on your great feedback.  We have some really good free downloads over there in way of KCAT, new hotties Locnville, Penguin Prison, Estelle, Lady Gaga, Sugababes and Boy George - so go grab them!  Mandy has been doing a fab job at keeping EQ Trax updated with the free mp3s that are 100% artist and industry approved!  We also have some amazing competitions going on over on the Facebook Fan page (discussion tab) where you can win Boy George signed picture discs and Sugababes "Sweet 7" Limited Edition boxsets - so make sure you are a fan and get over there and get socializing with each other!

So right now, it's Sunday morning and my end of week soundtrack is the amazing "Sunshine And Other Misfortunes" by The Candle Thieves and "Earth Vs. The Pipettes" which surprisingly is very good!  If there is one song that I can't stop listening to, that is "Corollaceous" by RebekkaMaria - in fact, the whole "Sister Sortie" album is very good.  I just can't stop playing it and that is why it's the EQ number one this week, with "Mayday" by Tinashe coming in a close second.  I've played "Fembots" by Robyn about 20-gazillion times too...but with that, on with your Top 50 countdown of essential tracks to seek out this coming week... Raj 

1. Corollaceous: RebekkaMaria

2. Mayday: Tinashe

3. Moving Parts: Mr. Fogg

4. Love Harder: Ali Love

5. Telephone: Lady Gaga ft. Beyonce

6. Chemistry: The Bang Bang Club

7. Momma's Place: Roisin Murphy

8. Will You Be There: MiMó

9. Somebody Tell Me: Muchuu

10. Losing Streak: Computer Club ft. Frankmusik