Death By Airplay Top Ten Singles Of 2010: #1

Marina And The Diamonds - Hollywood

It takes something special to beat Robyn’s masterpiece and this song is it. If 2010 is remembered for one artist, it should be Marina Diamandis. She’s one of the most interesting, creative and talented artists in music at the moment and seems to have a gift for writing sugary pop music with a biting satirical edge in their lyrics. This is her finest moment so far. Happy New Year.

Death By Airplay Top Ten Singles Of 2010: #2

Robyn - Dancing On My Own

Most artists are lucky if they release two great albums in their careers. Robyn's released two in one year. The first single from her "Body Talk" trilogy of albums, this is pretty much the perfect pop song. As well as being insanely catchy, its lyrics are brutally emotive, really setting the scene of a crowded club which seems as empty as country road at 4am. With icy synths, throbbing hooks and a driving melody, it's a beautiful piece of music. In any other year, it would be the best track of the year, but 2010 was not just any year…

Death By Airplay Top Ten Singles Of 2010: #3

Kanye West - Power

Most of his fifth “My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy” requires four or five listens before you really start to get it, but the lead single is as instantaneous as they come. Underpinned by a booming King Crimson sample, the track zips through its five minutes. Completely brilliant.

Death By Airplay Top Ten Singles Of 2010: #4

N-Dubz - Best Behaviour

The video is one big exercise in showing off. The lyrics are as subtle as a right hook from a night club bouncer. And yet it’s all saved by a soaring, whallop of a chorus. If it was written by anyone but N-Dubz, it would have been hailed as a brilliant anthem of tour burnout and song writing. A top track.

Death By Airplay Top Ten Singles Of 2010: #5

Rihanna - Rude Boy

Easily the standout single from her “Rated R” album, this wonderfully playful track still sounds fantastic, nine months after it was released and played to death on the airwaves.

Death By Airplay Top Ten Singles Of 2010: #6

B.O.B Feat. Hayley Williams - Airplanes

Hayley Williams may have endured a traumatic end to the year with her song writing partner and former boyfriend walking out of Paramore, but she’ll be best remembered this year for her star turn alongside B.O.B. A neatly crafted, wistful collaboration, Williams’ vocals make the song, which was one of the most played this year and yet it still sounds great.

Death By Airplay Top Ten Singles Of 2010: #7

Florence & The Machine - Heavy In Your Arms

The only new release from Florence & The Machine turned out to be an absolute belter. All the best bits from her “Lungs” album all compressed into one track. It was ornate, graceful, lavish and full of vocal yearning. Deserved more attention than it got.

Death By Airplay Top Ten Singles Of 2010: #8

Crystal Castles Feat. Robert Smith - Not In Love

Taking a break from abrasive, Nintendo sampling electronica, Crystal Castles suddenly went all hands in the air pop, with a little help from the Cure’s Robert Smith. And it really really worked. All cooing vocals and a stupendous chorus. One of these an album from now on would be brilliant.

Death By Airplay Top Ten Singles Of 2010: #9

#9: Professor Green Feat. Lily Allen - Just Be Good To Green

Professor Green’s reworking of Beats International’s seminal bit of reggae pop is one of the best uses of a sample this year. Powered by the catchy groove of the original and the vocal chemistry between Green and Lily Allen, this is a cheeky, lively bit of pop music.

Death By Airplay Top Ten Singles Of 2010: #10

#10: Hurts - Wonderful Life

The Mancunian duo’s debut single, which tells the story of a suicidal middle aged man being talked down from jumping over a throbbing 80s pop soundtrack, has one of the year’s most uplifting and irresistible choruses. The best thing they’ve done so far and more than likely, the best thing they’ll ever do.

Death By Airplay Top Ten Singles Of 2010

Right, end of year countdown time. 


For the next five days, two tracks will be knocked off the list, appearing at 1pm and 7pm (GMT), culminating in the Death By Airplay single of the year on New Years Eve.

5 Artists Worth Getting Excited About In 2011 #5: Lights

Given there are people of acts who do kooky electro pop, it's pretty difficult to stand out. But Canadian singer Lights has something different about her. She's messier, less slick and she's even duetted with Bring Me The Horizon. She has a real pop art quality to her songs, like they've been built using paint and glue and ended up with this glittery, slightly wonky finish. It's great though. She's one to watch.




    

5 Artists Worth Getting Excited About In 2011 #4: Primary 1

Last year so much was expected of Ali Love, but he let everybody down, badly. So did Dan Black, but hopefully Primary 1 will be able to pull off the "British Prince" tag in 2011. Sharp, funky and great live.





     

5 Artists Worth Getting Excited About In 2011 #3: Esben And The Witch

If you liked either Bat for Lashes or Florence and the Machine, then you should fall in love with Esben and the Witch. Covered in the same ethereal mist as those two, but with a real wickedness to their sound. It draws you in slowly, but utterly and completely too. Brilliant.







            

5 Artists Worth Getting Excited About In 2011 #2: exlovers

Heartbroken pop is so hard to do well. Most who try end up sounding like Pixie Lott and like they've been copying doing lyrics from livejournal. London's exlovers however manage to fuse earnest indie pop guitars with cooing harmonies and spine tingling choruses that are just completely irrestible.


They combine all the best bits of Britpop, shoe gaze and alt rock in their sound, with Pulp, Teenage Fanclub and Dandy Warhols being most pronounced in the mix.


Hopefully, their first album should be ready next year, it can't come soon enough.

Check them out here:

5 Artists Worth Getting Excited About In 2011 #1: Jamie Woon

A break from the usual as it's almost the end of the year. The next few blogs will look back at 2010, praising and panning those who deserve it. We start by looking forward, to next year, and the five artists worth getting really excited about. You get one a day for the next five...

Jamie Woon

In the loosest possible terms, Jamie Woon is a soul singer. But he's not about to do a Plan B and start offering out Marvin Gaye lite, no, Woon has his own take on the much mined genre. For his debut album, he's worked with king of dubstep Burial and his material has the same spacious grace that makes dubstep such a beloved sub genre. His debut single "Night Air" has the same delicious melancholia of Portishead and early Massive Attack, hauntingly beautiful and incredibly infectious. Hopefully his first record, due in March, will be full of more of the same.




Check it out here: