2011 Music Hits: Top Songs, Radio Favorites, and Pop Classics

2011 music was a loud, glossy mix of dance-pop, EDM, hip-hop, pop-rock, country crossover, alternative rock, and emotional ballads. LMFAO, Rihanna, Calvin Harris, Adele, Bruno Mars, Lady Gaga, Britney Spears, Pitbull, Maroon 5, Nicki Minaj, Mumford & Sons, The Black Keys, and Foster the People helped define a year where radio hits were getting bigger, faster, and more club-ready.

This PopCultureMadness guide starts with the Top 10 songs of 2011, then groups more 2011 music hits by style so you can browse the year by sound, mood, and memory. It was the year of party anthems, dance-floor drops, dramatic Adele vocals, big pop hooks, and enough “tonight” songs to make everyone suspiciously optimistic after dark.

Quick Answer: What Music Was Popular in 2011?

Popular music in 2011 included dance-pop, EDM, hip-hop, pop-rock, R&B, country-pop, alternative rock, and big vocal ballads. Songs like Party Rock Anthem, We Found Love, Rolling in the Deep, Moves Like Jagger, Pumped Up Kicks, Born This Way, and Someone Like You helped define 2011 music.

Top 10 Songs of 2011

1. Party Rock Anthem – LMFAO
2. We Found Love – Rihanna featuring Calvin Harris
3. Forget You! – CeeLo Green
4. Moves Like Jagger – Maroon 5 featuring Christina Aguilera
5. Blow – Kesha
6. Stereo Hearts – Gym Class Heroes featuring Adam Levine
7. Pumped Up Kicks – Foster the People
8. Rolling in the Deep – Adele
9. You Make Me Feel… – Cobra Starship featuring Sabi
10. Tonight Tonight – Hot Chelle Rae

More 2011 Music Hits by Style

Beyond the Top 10, 2011 music gets more useful when grouped by style. The year had major club records, big pop singles, Adele-sized ballads, country crossover songs, alternative radio hits, and early-2010s party tracks that still sound like they were mixed inside a strobe light.

2011 Pop, Dance-Pop, and Big Radio Hits

Pop music in 2011 was polished, dramatic, and built for radio repetition. Lady Gaga, Britney Spears, Rihanna, Bruno Mars, Katy Perry, Maroon 5, Kelly Clarkson, Selena Gomez, Hot Chelle Rae, Kesha, and Adele helped make the year bright, emotional, and extremely singable. This was pop in full neon mode, with heartbreak in one hand and a dance beat in the other.

Forget You! – CeeLo Green
Moves Like Jagger – Maroon 5 featuring Christina Aguilera
Blow – Kesha
Tonight Tonight – Hot Chelle Rae
Grenade – Bruno Mars
Born This Way – Lady Gaga
Till the World Ends – Britney Spears
E.T. – Katy Perry featuring Kanye West
The Edge of Glory – Lady Gaga
I Wanna Go – Britney Spears
You and I – Lady Gaga
Hold It Against Me – Britney Spears
Just Can’t Get Enough – The Black Eyed Peas
Mr. Know It All – Kelly Clarkson
Price Tag – Jessie J
Cheers (Drink to That) – Rihanna
Who Says – Selena Gomez & The Scene
Pretty Girl Rock – Keri Hilson
What the Hell – Avril Lavigne
Skyscraper – Demi Lovato

2011 EDM, Dance, Club, and Party Anthems

Dance music dominated 2011. LMFAO, Rihanna, Calvin Harris, David Guetta, Pitbull, Afrojack, Jennifer Lopez, Martin Solveig, Swedish House Mafia, Alexandra Stan, and Britney Spears helped make the year feel like one long nightclub entrance. If a song had a giant beat drop, glow-stick energy, or a chorus about tonight, 2011 probably gave it a VIP wristband.

Party Rock Anthem – LMFAO
We Found Love – Rihanna featuring Calvin Harris
Without You – David Guetta featuring Usher
Give Me Everything – Pitbull featuring Ne-Yo, Afrojack & Nayer
On the Floor – Jennifer Lopez featuring Pitbull
Hey Baby (Drop It to the Floor) – Pitbull featuring T-Pain
Yeah 3X – Chris Brown
Where Them Girls At – David Guetta featuring Flo Rida & Nicki Minaj
Mr. Saxobeat – Alexandra Stan
Hello – Martin Solveig & Dragonette
Who’s That Chick? – David Guetta featuring Rihanna
Stereo Love – Edward Maya & Vika Jigulina
Dirty Dancer – Enrique Iglesias featuring Usher & Lil Wayne
In the Dark – Dev
Save the World – Swedish House Mafia

2011 Hip-Hop, Rap, and Pop-Rap Favorites

Hip-hop and pop-rap were everywhere in 2011, often blended directly into pop and dance music. Nicki Minaj, Wiz Khalifa, Lil Wayne, Drake, Kanye West, Pitbull, Tinie Tempah, Dr. Dre, Eminem, and B.o.B helped keep rap features and crossover hooks in heavy rotation. The featured-artist line was working overtime, and frankly, it deserved health benefits.

Stereo Hearts – Gym Class Heroes featuring Adam Levine
Fly – Nicki Minaj featuring Rihanna
Down on Me – Jeremih featuring 50 Cent
Written in the Stars – Tinie Tempah featuring Eric Turner
How to Love – Lil Wayne
Higher – Taio Cruz featuring Travie McCoy
Black and Yellow – Wiz Khalifa
S&M – Rihanna
I Need a Doctor – Dr. Dre featuring Eminem & Skylar Grey
Strange Clouds – B.o.B featuring Lil Wayne
All of the Lights – Kanye West
Do the John Wall – Troop 41

2011 R&B, Soul-Pop, and Big Ballads

R&B, soul-pop, and ballads gave 2011 some of its strongest emotional moments. Adele, Bruno Mars, Christina Perri, Jason Derulo, Colbie Caillat, Keri Hilson, and Kelly Clarkson helped balance the year’s club-heavy sound with heartbreak, big vocals, and slow-burn radio songs. This was the part of 2011 where the dance floor briefly stepped aside so feelings could take the microphone.

Rolling in the Deep – Adele
Someone Like You – Adele
Grenade – Bruno Mars
It Will Rain – Bruno Mars
Jar of Hearts – Christina Perri
I Do – Colbie Caillat
It Girl – Jason Derulo
Don’t You Wanna Stay – Jason Aldean featuring Kelly Clarkson
A Thousand Years – Christina Perri
Kiss Me Slowly – Parachute

2011 Rock, Alternative, Indie, and Pop-Rock Hits

Alternative and rock had a strong year in 2011. Foster the People, Mumford & Sons, Foo Fighters, Coldplay, AWOLNATION, Linkin Park, Red Hot Chili Peppers, The Black Keys, Cage the Elephant, Death Cab for Cutie, and My Chemical Romance helped keep guitars and band-driven songs in the mainstream mix. The year’s rock lane ranged from folk stomp to arena polish to darker alternative radio.

Pumped Up Kicks – Foster the People
Little Lion Man – Mumford & Sons
Rhythm of Love – Plain White T’s
The Cave – Mumford & Sons
Waiting for the End – Linkin Park
Walk – Foo Fighters
For the First Time – The Script
Paradise – Coldplay
Sail – AWOLNATION
All In – Lifehouse
Monster – Paramore
The Adventures of Rain Dance Maggie – Red Hot Chili Peppers
Lonely Boy – The Black Keys
Closer to the Edge – Thirty Seconds to Mars
Shake Me Down – Cage the Elephant
Tighten Up – The Black Keys
The Sound of Winter – Bush
Howlin’ for You – The Black Keys
Young Blood – The Naked and Famous
Sing – My Chemical Romance
You Are a Tourist – Death Cab for Cutie

2011 Country and Country-Pop Hits

Country and country-pop had several major moments in 2011. Jason Aldean, Kelly Clarkson, Lady Antebellum, Thompson Square, and country-friendly crossover sounds helped keep Nashville visible in a year dominated by dance-pop and club tracks. Country did not need lasers to compete, but a few big choruses did not hurt.

Just a Kiss – Lady Antebellum
Dirt Road Anthem – Jason Aldean
Don’t You Wanna Stay – Jason Aldean featuring Kelly Clarkson
I Got You – Thompson Square

2011 TV, Movie, and Pop Culture Favorites

Pop culture helped several songs from 2011 feel bigger than radio alone. It Will Rain became tied to the Twilight era, A Thousand Years became one of Christina Perri’s signature soundtrack-connected ballads, and songs from Big Time Rush and Miranda Cosgrove reflected the TV-to-pop pipeline of the moment. The year still had one foot in radio and another in cable-friendly teen fandom.

It Will Rain – Bruno Mars
A Thousand Years – Christina Perri
Big Night – Big Time Rush
Boyfriend – Big Time Rush
Dancing Crazy – Miranda Cosgrove

2011 Viral Hits, Dance Crazes, and Internet Favorites

2011 was full of songs that spread through dance floors, YouTube, social media, and early meme culture. Party Rock Anthem became a party catchphrase, Do the John Wall carried dance-craze energy, and Pumped Up Kicks became one of the year’s most recognizable alternative hits. The internet was not yet fully in charge of music, but it had already found the aux cord.

Party Rock Anthem – LMFAO
Do the John Wall – Troop 41
Pumped Up Kicks – Foster the People
Tonight Tonight – Hot Chelle Rae
Mr. Saxobeat – Alexandra Stan
Sail – AWOLNATION
Black and Yellow – Wiz Khalifa

How PopCultureMadness Looks at 2011 Music

PopCultureMadness looks at 2011 music through chart activity, radio presence, downloads, YouTube impact, early streaming momentum, cultural memory, and long-term trivia value. Some songs were official chart monsters, some became dance-floor staples, some came from pop culture moments, and some captured the exact sound of a year when pop and EDM were turning the volume all the way up.

2011 Music Hits Chart

1. Party Rock Anthem – LMFAO
2. We Found Love – Rihanna featuring Calvin Harris
3. Forget You! – CeeLo Green
4. Moves Like Jagger – Maroon 5 featuring Christina Aguilera
5. Blow – Kesha
6. Stereo Hearts – Gym Class Heroes featuring Adam Levine
7. Pumped Up Kicks – Foster the People
8. Rolling in the Deep – Adele
9. You Make Me Feel… – Cobra Starship featuring Sabi
10. Tonight Tonight – Hot Chelle Rae
11. Grenade – Bruno Mars
12. Born This Way – Lady Gaga
13. Till the World Ends – Britney Spears
14. Someone Like You – Adele
15. Tonight (I’m Lovin’ You) – Enrique Iglesias featuring Ludacris & DJ Frank E
16. E.T. – Katy Perry featuring Kanye West
17. Without You – David Guetta featuring Usher
18. Give Me Everything – Pitbull featuring Ne-Yo, Afrojack & Nayer
19. The Edge of Glory – Lady Gaga
20. It Will Rain – Bruno Mars
21. I Wanna Go – Britney Spears
22. On the Floor – Jennifer Lopez featuring Pitbull
23. Hey Baby (Drop It to the Floor) – Pitbull featuring T-Pain
24. You and I – Lady Gaga
25. Yeah 3X – Chris Brown
26. Where Them Girls At – David Guetta featuring Flo Rida & Nicki Minaj
27. Hold It Against Me – Britney Spears
28. Just Can’t Get Enough – The Black Eyed Peas
29. Fly – Nicki Minaj featuring Rihanna
30. Mr. Saxobeat – Alexandra Stan
31. Rocketeer – Far East Movement featuring Ryan Tedder
32. Hello – Martin Solveig & Dragonette
33. Mr. Know It All – Kelly Clarkson
34. Who’s That Chick? – David Guetta featuring Rihanna
35. Stereo Love – Edward Maya & Vika Jigulina
36. Little Lion Man – Mumford & Sons
37. Price Tag – Jessie J
38. Cheers (Drink to That) – Rihanna
39. Rhythm of Love – Plain White T’s
40. Who Says – Selena Gomez & The Scene
41. The Cave – Mumford & Sons
42. Marry Me – Train
43. Down on Me – Jeremih featuring 50 Cent
44. Written in the Stars – Tinie Tempah featuring Eric Turner
45. Pretty Girl Rock – Keri Hilson
46. Waiting for the End – Linkin Park
47. How to Love – Lil Wayne
48. Higher – Taio Cruz featuring Travie McCoy
49. Walk – Foo Fighters
50. For the First Time – The Script
51. Black and Yellow – Wiz Khalifa
52. Paradise – Coldplay
53. Sail – AWOLNATION
54. S&M – Rihanna
55. All In – Lifehouse
56. Just a Kiss – Lady Antebellum
57. Jar of Hearts – Christina Perri
58. I Need a Doctor – Dr. Dre featuring Eminem & Skylar Grey
59. Dirty Dancer – Enrique Iglesias featuring Usher & Lil Wayne
60. In the Dark – Dev
61. Dirt Road Anthem – Jason Aldean
62. I Do – Colbie Caillat
63. It Girl – Jason Derulo
64. Monster – Paramore
65. Strange Clouds – B.o.B featuring Lil Wayne
66. The Adventures of Rain Dance Maggie – Red Hot Chili Peppers
67. Lonely Boy – The Black Keys
68. All of the Lights – Kanye West
69. What the Hell – Avril Lavigne
70. Closer to the Edge – Thirty Seconds to Mars
71. Big Night – Big Time Rush
72. Don’t You Wanna Stay – Jason Aldean featuring Kelly Clarkson
73. Shake Me Down – Cage the Elephant
74. Tighten Up – The Black Keys
75. Up n’ Down – Britney Spears
76. Skyscraper – Demi Lovato
77. The Sound of Winter – Bush
78. Ships in the Night – Mat Kearney
79. Boyfriend – Big Time Rush
80. Howlin’ for You – The Black Keys
81. Young Blood – The Naked and Famous
82. Dancing Crazy – Miranda Cosgrove
83. A Thousand Years – Christina Perri
84. I Feel Like Dancin’ – All Time Low
85. Sing – My Chemical Romance
86. Changing – The Airborne Toxic Event
87. You Are a Tourist – Death Cab for Cutie
88. Party All Night (Sleep All Day) – Sean Kingston
89. Save the World – Swedish House Mafia
90. Do the John Wall – Troop 41
91. Mrs. Right – Mindless Behavior featuring Diggy Simmons
92. Help Is on the Way – Rise Against
93. Maybe – Sick Puppies
94. I Got You – Thompson Square
95. Adolescents – Incubus
96. Sick of You – Cake
97. Faster – Matt Nathanson
98. Kiss Me Slowly – Parachute
99. Face to the Floor – Chevelle
100. The Golden Age – The Asteroids Galaxy Tour