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How does one even start to sum up a year of incredible music into a list of just ten songs? This has been a challenging post to put together, no doubt. I’ve spent the past few hours sorting through a few thousand songs, deciding which ten made 2011 the year it was. What I ultimately decided to do was to not just highlight ten individual songs – that’s just not enough – but rather make my selection based on the artist and the style of music featured. My year has been a well-rounded balance of hip hop, electronic music, and yes, a mashup here and there.

Below, in no particular order, are my favorite songs of the year. Read the individual descriptions for more info about why I selected each track. Let me know what you think!

The Chase Is On – Hoodie Allen

This year Hoodie Allen truly blew up. He made his first major mark in the music scene back in 2010 but this year was truly his launching point. Vanessa interviewed Hoodie earlier in the year, and this Fall I had the chance to see him live and spend a few hours kicking back and talking. Hoodie Allen is one of the most laid-back, humble, and easy-going artists I’ve met this far in my journey with The Kollection. His music is fun, light, and full of some of the best lyricism around. The Chase Is On is my favorite Hoodie Allen track, landing him a place my top tracks of 2011.

Child Celebrity – Mac Miller

Love him or hate him, Mac Miller is a true success story of our generation. This young kid has hustled to the top of the music scene this year with some of the most explosive growth I’ve ever seen an artist experience. I first heard Mac Miller just a week or two after starting The Kollection – I was one of the first couple thousand views on Nikes On My Feet (the video now has 20,000,000 views) – and I was hooked ever since. Mac first gained solid traction in 2010 with K.I.D.S., continued his journey in 2011 with Best Day Ever and rounded out the year atop the charts with Blue Slide Park. No matter where Mac goes with his music, I’ll always respect his work-ethic, his enthusiasm, and his never-ending drive for success. Child Celebrity is one of my all time favorites from the kid.

Against The Bottom – Grieves

This track absolutely flew under the radar this year. I’ll admit, I don’t know much about Grieves or his work, but this track, Against The Bottom has been on such consistent playback that there’s no way I could leave it out of my top tracks. This song, for me, just means so much – the whole track comes together in such a beautiful way. It’s a feel-good song and a summer-time jam, but it also carries enough emotion that requires a deeper, independent listen. Beautiful.

Feel Tall – OnCue

OnCue is the one of the most unique artists to make a rise in 2011. He’s passionate, emotional, energetic and engaging. I was able to interview OnCue this year, and I can now say from experience that this guy is for real. OnCue seems so down to earth. He knows what he’s doing, why he’s doing it, and his love for music is utterly apparent. Feel Tall, for me, captures OnCue’s career in 2011 like no other track can. The lyrics are powerful and sincere and the instrumental is oh-so beautiful. Keep an eye on OnCue in 2012.

Inspired by Rehab – 3LAU

If anyone out there has had one helluva year, it is without a doubt Justin Blau, aka 3LAU. I’m always proud to say that we were one of the first blogs to pick this kid up and now, just a few short months later, he has nearly 30,000 fans on Facebook. 3LAU’s mashups, for many reasons, resonate incredibly well with young people. They’re unique, energetic, well-produced, and seem to hit the right mix of vocals and instrumentals. Inspired by Rehab is one of my all-time favorites from 3LAU – it’s a shame it’s so short (cough cough, extended mix please Justin?). I was able to interview 3LAU earlier this year as well – Justin is one of the most passionate musicians I know. I had more fun in his interview than with any other artist – he’s overflowing with energy and enthusiasm. Cheers to 2012 3LAU.

Dancing In The Dark (Proper Villains Remix) – Dev

I’m certainly not the biggest dubstep fan out there, and I would hardly call this track pure dubstep, but there’s something about the progression of this track, the incredible bass, and the way the melody and vocals seem to play along that has had me hooked since I first listened. The original Dancing in the Dark is good, no doubt, but this Proper Villains remix gives it the energy and power it truly deserves. This is one of my go-to tracks when I’m driving, working out, or snowboarding, earning a spot in my top picks of 2011.

Rolling in the Deep (Deathstar Remix feat. Marty Party & Minnesota) – Adelle

This is a strange song for me to put in my top tracks of 2011. I really wanted to stray away from remixes, especially over Adelle tracks. There seems to be a purity with Adelle’s music that so many artists take away with their remixes and mashups. But here I am – this Rolling in the Deep remix has had me hooked since we first posted it back in May. It’s a huge track, worthy of a solid sound system, and I feel like it does artistic justice to Adele’s emotion and power. Don’t even bother listening to this one without some bass.

Another One Down – Asher Roth

Ah, Asher Roth. What a guy. He’s absolutely one of my favorite artists right now, and is up in my top 3 for 2011. He’s been so consistent this year with amazing tracks, incredible melodies, solid collaborations, and great beats. His lyricism is so smooth, his flow completely unique, and his style unmatched by any other white rapper out there. His latest project, Pabst & Jazz is an incredible assortment of tracks that truly show what a diverse and talented artist Asher is. One of my goals for 2012 is to get an Asher interview – he’s just one of those artists that would be easy to chill with. Until then, Another One Down takes the cake for my favorite Asher track of 2011.

Broken Lungs (Adventure Club Remix) – Thrice

My close friends know that I’m not the biggest dubstep guy. In my mind, there’s a time, place and style that permits dubstep but this year it seems as though the market has gotten pretty crowded. However, despite the saturation, there’s always room for a few stand out artists. In 2011 my favorite dubstep producers are the duo known as Adventure Club. These guys have brought beauty and melody to a world of Skrillex-impersonators, and Broken Lungs captures the energy of their style into a truly beautiful and deep track. The bass in this song is unmatched, the buildups and drops are incredible, and the production truly demonstrates the impressive talents of these emerging artists. These guys are on my list of people I’d like to meet someday, just to pick their brain a bit. I love their music and their style which has landed Broken Lungs a spot in my top tracks of 2011.

Don’t Give Up On Us – Avicii

I can’t think of any other house producer in the world that deserves recognition more than Avicii. This artist has absolutely gone above and beyond what anyone expected of him in 2011 and has emerged as one of the most popular and well known electro artists in the world. His music is melodic, captivating, driving, and pure. The vocals he uses are beautiful and smooth. I can’t speak highly enough about Avicii and his work that he’s shared with the world in 2011. Levels was his biggest hit of the year, but for some reason I just knew I had to put Don’t Give Up On Us in my top ten. It seems so much more melodic, thoughtful, and passionate than anything else he’s done and I always enjoy throwing this track on repeat. Avicii has big things in store in the new year and I’m excited to be along for the ride.

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2011 was a big year for all of us at The Kollection. We’ve built an incredible portfolio of free music for anyone in the world to download with a click. We’ve published playlists that have been heard millions of times around the world. We’ve put together a dedicated and passionate team of music-lovers who have come together at The Kollection to give you the best upcoming music the world has to offer.

2011 was big. But 2012 will be bigger, trust me. We’re cooking up some big ideas at Kollection HQ, and I’m dying to give you all some sneak peeks into what we’re working on. However, before we get ahead of ourselves, it seems only right to let you, the fans, help us build the future. What do YOU want to see from us in 2012?

We’d love to hear your ideas, complaints, and suggestions. Good or bad, tell us how we did this year – we’re listening.

Send us your messages. Let’s make 2012 the year of The Kollection.
Be heard. Comment on this post, tweet us, post on our Facebook wall, or message me on Facebook. Your suggestions matter to us, and we’re excited to see what we can build together!