151-LADY GAGA FEAT. BEYONCE-Telephone (Interscope)
Once more we’ve reached the moment when everybody has a break to recap the best music of the year. 2010 may have been crisis-stricken and socially troubled, but it has also been excellent for music.
Bad news first, the industry has kept on going from bad to worse, with an ever shrinking number of reality idols; R&B pop stars and producers du jour watching their sales figures going on a downward spiral; now even affecting digital downloads. The fact that Susan Boyle is the best selling album of the year in the States and her follow-up is on its way repeat the achievement in 2011 says it all. The album format as such begins to feel like endangered species, with artists coming to challenge its supremacy (Robyn releasing her new record divided in three EPs) or vindicate it (Joanna Newsom’s mammoth triple album) and not a lot of them looking able to stand the test of time.
But for those willing to look beyond the mainstream and their exhausted physical ways: EPs, mixtapes, free downloads –thanks Bandcamp and Soundcloud-; limited edition vinils and the return of the cassette are making music more widely available in many more ways than ever.
The rebirth of electronica both looking back at its golden era during the 90s and looking ahead in brand new experimental manners (Daniel Lopatin and his label Olde English Spelling Bee) has been one of the defining trends of the year, whereas the Balearic and shoegaze infused chillwave has permeated the indie, R&B and pop genres with notorious results. Latin America gave signs of good health with a new wave of artists coming from all over the continent (from Chilean dance pop with Javiera Mena and Dënver to the tropical melting pot of Dominicans Rita Indiana Y Los Misterios) and followers of retro kept on enjoy the new generation of lo-fi; garage and psychedelic bands.
Elsewhere, a lo-fi veteran discovering the wonders of a proper studio; two hip-hop superstars on top of their game; a former arty collective getting comfy with their new found stadium status; some top-notch ethereal indie from Portland and a rising soul singer destined to become a female version of Prince have provided some of the year’s most memorable records.
Our review begins here with the best tracks of 2010. We had to increase our Best 100 singles selection to 150, hoping to reflect the growing number and importance of the individual tracks and the EP/singles format, beginning with the symbolic number 151 – a slot dedicated to the guilty pleasure of the year and occupied by the ubiquitous Lady Gaga and his duet with Beyoncé. In the long play department our list gets back to the usual Top 50. It will be preceded by the disappointments of the year and 100 honourable mentions, divided by genre. We hope you enjoy it!!