Beastie Boys – Make Some Noise

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After three years away from the scene and a cancer scare inbetween, 2011 was the moment when the Beastie Boys presented their new single, Make Some Noise. The song is also the lead single of the reworked and retitled eighth LP Hot Sauce Committee Pt. 2. It’s got a tasty old school beat that we normally associate with the trio and it comes packed with a killer synth.

SBTRKT – Wildfire

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SBTRKT may seem like he sprung up from nowhere, but Aaron Jerome has infact remixed MIA, Basement Jaxx, Mark Ronson and Underworld, and issued a bunch of singles and EPs over the past few years. Only in 2011 has he finally decided to release his eponymous debut album and Wildfire was one of the choice cuts from that record.

Radiohead – Lotus Flower

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Radiohead returned from a self-imposed exile in 2011 to release their eighth studio album The King of Limbs. As part of their unannounced comeback, a contender for one of the best songs of 2011 Lotus Flower arrived with possibly the greatest music video of 2011 – a video showing Radiohead’s frontman Thom Yorke throwing some of the best shapes we have ever seen.

Russ Chimes – Tonic

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After the stunning solo impact that Russ Chimes made with his Midnight Club EP in 2010, he definitely needed to release something in 2011 that would match the impressively high standards he had previously set himself. With the release of his double Tonic/Helix EP, Russ Chimes showed he clearly had the answer.

DJ Khaled – I’m On One

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DJ Khaled has the uncanny knack of unearthing one solid rap anthem per year and in 2011 his quota was filled by the incredible I’m On One. By enlisting Lil’ Wayne and Rick Ross he was sure to have a solid set of verses for Drake to compliment with his talent for creating untouchable hooks.

Friendly Fires – True Love

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When the Friendly Fires returned in 2011 with their sophomore album Pala, it was obvious that they were going to bring with them a number of summer anthems. True Love was possibly the pick of the bunch with its infectious groove and catchy lyrics.

The Weeknd – Lonely Star

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It was inevitable that The Weeknd was going to appear at some point on this list but the trouble came when choosing which song to feature. The Canadian prodigy has had such a successful 2011 so far that he could have had a best song of 2011 shortlist all to himself.

When we finally had to make a decision it was the opening track Lonely Star from his new mixtape Thursday that made the cut purely because we haven’t been able to take it off repeat.

Frank Ocean – Novacane

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2011 has been a busy year for Frank Ocean so far, not only has be penned songs for Béyonce, provided vocals for Watch The Throne, but he still found time to release one of the most game-changing mixtapes this year with Nostalgia/Ultra.

Novacane was one of the picks from that mixtape and it gives us a glimpse into the new sound of R&B.

LMFAO – Party Rock Anthem

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Whilst many of you may be sick of LMFAO‘s Party Rock Anthem due to the sheer amount of repeat plays this song has garnered this year, it’s an undeniable achievement for the duo who had not even achieved a top 50 hit in the US before its release.

Using samples from Soft Cell‘s Tainted Love and Eric Prydz‘s single Call On Me to great effect, Party Rock Anthem had us all shuffling at some point this year.

jj – Still

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Swedish duo jj kicked off 2011 in fantastic fashion with the release of their cover/mashup mixtape Kills. The ten-track affair included their amazing opening track Still which expertly sampled Dr. Dre‘s street anthem Still DRE.