the best of Twostepcubchart 2011, Part 4....

Hey folks, time for part 4 of my recap of the biggest songs on my weekly list from last year. This time we'll come by a Hootie, a Mumford, and the artist with the biggest-selling CD of this past year. Besides recapping the peak on my list, I've included the peaks on the major Billboard charts as well as the UK, French, and German charts if be.

70. Nicki Minaj - Super Bass (from the CD Pink Friday)

twostepcubchart peak: #12 (2 weeks)
US Hot 100 peak: #3
US Adult-Pop peak: #35
US R&B Singles peak: #6
US Dance Club Play: #23
US Dance Airplay peak: #18
UK Singles peak: #8
Global Dance Tracks peak: #35

Rapper/singer/wackadoo Nicki Minaj finally broke big with the seventh single from her debut CD, which was her most mainstream song yet even with the "somebody tell em who the 'F' I is" lyric. The fun bouncy track was booming all summer, and rightfully so, and the video made it all the better, like a left turn from "California Gurls"...




69. Thompson Square - I Got You (from the CD Thompson Square)

twostepcubchart peak: #20 (one week)
US Country Singles peak: #8
US Hot 100 peak: #68

Country husband/wife duo of Kiefer and Shawna Thompson followed up their #1 country hit "Are You Gonna Kiss Me Or Not" with this pop-rock nugget that sports a very cute Sonny and Cher homage video.




68. The Zac Brown Band - Colder Weather (from the CD You Get What You Give)

twostepcubchart peak: #1 (2 weeks)
US Country Singles peak: #1 (2 weeks)
US Hot 100 peak: #29

This song in my opinion is Brown's crowning achievement so far, a tearjerking mournful ballad about free spirit and the woman he loves. Flawless, and something I was very surprised to have reached the pinnacle on peppy-on-steroids country radio. But in a just world this should've been a lock for Grammy for song of the year.




67. Adele - Set Fire To The Rain (from the CD 21)

twostepcubchart peak: #19 (in 2011)
US Hot 100 peak: #13
US Adult Pop peak: #13
US Hot Dance Club Play: #18
US Rock Songs peak: #33
US Triple A Peak: #8
UK Singles peak: #11
French Singles peak: #9
German Singles peak: #6
Global Dance Tracks peak: #28

2011 was Adele's year. Her sophomore CD sold over five million copies this year, and she spent a dozen weeks at #1 on the US pop chart, and is likely to add to that next year with this third single, which tallied to runs up my list, first from when the dance mixes were released earlier in the year, as well as when it was her second released single in non-UK Europe, while the second run is now due to it catching fire now in Britain and the States. Funniest thing I read about this somewhere is someone describing this as the "Slovenian National Anthem". Expect this to be a big contender next year, it's just getting started.




66. Mumford & Sons - Little Lion Man (from the CD Sigh No More)

twostepcubchart peak: #28 (4 weeks in 2011)
US Hot 100 peak: #45
US Triple A peak: #2 (in 2010)
US Adult Pop peak: #16
US Alternative Rock peak: #1 (in 2010)
US Rock Songs peak: #3 (in 2010)
UK Singles peak: #24 (in 2009)

Mumford & Sons were this year's "little band that could", having their 2009 CD become the biggest-selling CD from a group in 2011. The first single didn't even make the British top-20 back in the day, but a slow word of mouth exposure and a sweet stint on the Grammy Awards proved that even losing can reap rewards. This record was in my year-end top-100 of last year, where it peaked in the top-15, but it managed to stick around for 17 more weeks this year.




65. Darius Rucker - This (from the CD Charleston, SC 1966)

twostepcucbchart peak: #10 (2 weeks)
US Country Singles peak: #1 (one week)
US Hot 100 peak: #51

Former Hootie & The Blowfish frontman proved he was no novelty act over the last three years by issuing two quality albums and amassing five #1 singles on the country chart, including this light, peppy, love song.




64. Bruno Mars - Just The Way You Are (from the CD Doo Wops and Hooligans)

twostepcubchart peak: #4 in 2011 (2 weeks)
US Hot 100 peak: #1 (3 weeks in 2010)
US Dance Airplay peak: #7 (in 2010)
US Adult Contemporary peak: #1 (20 weeks - 2011)
US Adult Pop peak: #1 (5 weeks in 2010)
UK Singles peak: #1 (2 weeks in 2010)
Germany Singles peak: #2

Mars' debut lead-artist single will be remembered as one of the classic songs of the era, as the biggies of Motown or the Beatles were in the day. This song was huge last year, but hung around long enough this year (thanks to its 20-week stint on top of the AC chart) to keep in on this years biggest.




63. The Eli Young Band - Crazy Girl (from the CD Life At Best)

twostepcubchart peak: #25 (3 weeks)
US Country Singles peak: #1 (one week)
US Hot 100 peak: #30

The band fronted by Mike Eli and James Young (yes, I too thought originally there was one "Eli Young") netted the #1 Country Single of 2011 with this song, which was even their first top-10 effort. It's nice to see some artist development, instead to pushing for the top and being dropped by your label the next.




62. Christina Perri - Jar Of Hearts (from the CD lovestrong)

twostepcubchart peak: #24 (4 weeks)
US Hot 100 peak: #17
US Adult Pop peak: #4
US Adult Contemporary peak: #11
UK Singles peak: #4
Germany Singles peak: #13

Philadelphia-area singer-songwriter hit it big with her female emo tale of woe in what I've dubbed the "cutters' national anthem". Months after its course in the States, the song found new life in being covered on Glee and over in Europe, becoming a top-10 hit in four countries by the end of the year. The makers of Twilight chose well in having Perri record the song from the latest movie in the series, since this song evokes the image of Kristen Stewart clutching her stomach in that constipated look that passes for emotion.




61. Blake Shelton - God Gave Me You (from the CD Red River Blue)

twostepcubchart peak: #10 (one week)
US Country Singles peak: #1 (3 weeks)
US Hot 100 peak: #22

Shelton have a good year for himself, marrying Miranda Lambert in March, winning top male country artist at both the CMAs and the American Music Awards, having a successful stint as judge on The Voice, and scoring his latest CD become his first #1 on the Billboard 200 all-genre chart. He also proved to be a little bit of a douche, igniting a Twitter furor over a stupid joke referencing Shania Twain's "Man, I Feel Like A Woman" in a homophobic way. He apologized, but I don't believe any LGBT person will completely trust him. However I will give props for this excellent song, a remake of Contemporary Christian Singer Dave Barnes done straightforward (no pun intended) and powerfully by Shelton.




That's it for this round, stay tuned next time for Blake's new Mrs., Ms. Clarkson if you're nasty, and the first appearance so far from Mother Monster. Thanks again for reading!