# Best #1 single of the year retrospective: 2011 **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 7, 2014, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-1-single-of-the-year-retrospective-2011/706581 "2014-12-07T17:18:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2014, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-1-single-of-the-year-retrospective-2011/706581/1 "2014-12-07T17:18:06Z")
Well, sports fans, here we are. After sixty-ish straight years of “worst year for pop music EVER”, we’ve made it to 2011, the final poll in our year-by-year series (since 2012 and 2013 were accounted for before I started this retrospective). The best of the decade finals will begin on Tuesday, so after you’ve voted on this poll, please make use of the handy-dandy links below to make your voice heard in any year you haven’t voted on yet so that your vote can count towards which winning songs progress to the semi-finals. But business aside, here’s 2011 itself. There are 14 songs this year, including Katy Perry’s carryover (her successes this year would make her the second artist in history, after Michael Jackson, to chart five #1s off the same album), and it was also this year that the 1000th #1 in the history of the Hot 100 was crowned. What’s your favorite? Previous polls: [1955-56](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=731649) [1957](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=731871) [1958](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=732021) [1959](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=732199)[1960](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=732526) [1961](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=732691) [1962](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=732872) [1963](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=733112) [1964](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=733297) [1965](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=733526) [1966](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=733750) [1967](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=733958) [1968](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=734168) [1969](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=734331) [1970](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=734535) [1971](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=734741) [1972](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=735107) [1973](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=735304) [1974](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=735502) [1975](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=735659) [1976](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=735871) [1977](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=736076) [1978](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=736316) [1979](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=736501) [1980](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=736705) [1981](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=736957) [1982](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=737099) [1983](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=737315) [1984](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=737488) [1985](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=737732) [1986](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=737957) [1987](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=738178) [1988](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=738403) [1989](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=738639) [1990](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=738829) [1991](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=739067) [1992](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=739360) [1993](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=739525) [1994](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=739880) [1995](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=740122) [1996](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=740302) [1997](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=740497) [1998](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=740709) [1999](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=740859) [2000](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=741047) [2001](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=741267) [2002](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=741450) [2003](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=741604) [2004](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=741730) [2005](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=741915) [2006](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=742069) [2007](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=742147) [2008](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=742282) [2009](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=742467) [2010](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=742676) [2012](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=675664) [2013](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=710843) ---
**Author:** ![Eddie\_F](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/22d042/32.png) [@Eddie\_F](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eddie_F)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2014, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-1-single-of-the-year-retrospective-2011/706581/2 "2014-12-07T17:24:49Z")
Adele, “Someone Like You”. ---
**Author:** ![Ponch8](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ponch8/32/9883_2.png) [@Ponch8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ponch8)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2014, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-1-single-of-the-year-retrospective-2011/706581/3 "2014-12-07T17:58:00Z")
This was another very tight contest (although not a tie like in 2010), with “Give Me Everything” just barely finishing ahead of “Rolling in the Deep” in the world-famous **Ponch8 Music Rating System**. “Rolling in the Deep” will probably advance to the best-of-the-2010s poll anyway and doesn’t need my vote. In dead-ass last place, there is a three-way tie between “Hold It Against Me,” “ET,” and “Last Friday Night.” Each song gets an AUTOMATIC ZERO score in the **Ponch8 Music Rating System** , like all [Dr. Luke](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=737413)-produced songs that don’t feature Kesha. Hopefully this abuser/rapist motherfucker will end up broke, in jail, or dead before too long. ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2014, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-1-single-of-the-year-retrospective-2011/706581/4 "2014-12-07T18:01:06Z")
Looking up these songs for the past few years has brought one thing out: Katy Perry has amazing YouTube view counts compared to most of the other artists on these lists. Went with “Last Friday Night”, as Adele is almost guaranteed to win this thing and doesn’t need my support. ---
**Author:** ![Catamount](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/catamount/32/2840_2.png) [@Catamount](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Catamount)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2014, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-1-single-of-the-year-retrospective-2011/706581/5 "2014-12-07T18:19:01Z")
I went with “Born This Way” because it is an awesome pop song. I can’t support Adele since listening to her music makes me tired. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2014, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-1-single-of-the-year-retrospective-2011/706581/6 "2014-12-07T18:25:13Z")
For me, this one was practically a tie between “Rolling In the Deep” and “Born This Way”. I love Born This Way for its message, but in the end I went with Rolling In the Deep because it’s just the kind of song one can listen to over and over again, and it’s pretty much the closest thing to straight-up disco to hit #1 since the early '80s. ---
**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2014, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-1-single-of-the-year-retrospective-2011/706581/7 "2014-12-07T18:32:44Z")
That’s an easy one. “Born This Way,” of course. ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2014, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-1-single-of-the-year-retrospective-2011/706581/8 "2014-12-07T19:13:00Z")
> [@Johanna](#): > > That’s an easy one. “Born This Way,” of course. I’d say the same, but for Adele - I went with Rollin’. Points off to Gaga for emulating Express Yourself on too many levels. Nice to see folks like Adele and Bruno Mars on the charts. ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Lendervedder](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happy_lendervedder/32/8488_2.png) [@Happy\_Lendervedder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Lendervedder)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2014, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-1-single-of-the-year-retrospective-2011/706581/9 "2014-12-07T19:20:07Z")
Never liked Adele. I do like Bruno, and almost voted for Grenade, but instead I went with the funnest song on the list: LMFAO’s Party Rock Anthem. ---
**Author:** ![Nema98](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/d2c977/32.png) [@Nema98](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nema98)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2014, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-1-single-of-the-year-retrospective-2011/706581/10 "2014-12-07T21:33:28Z")
Surprised myself, voted for Lady Gaga. Tied in second place was Katy Perry’s “Fireworks” and Maroon 5 with Christina Aguilera. The others do not merit my vote. Adele makes me zzzzzzzz. ---
**Author:** ![Nema98](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/d2c977/32.png) [@Nema98](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nema98)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2014, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-1-single-of-the-year-retrospective-2011/706581/11 "2014-12-07T21:38:23Z")
> [@Ponch8](#): > > This was another very tight contest (although not a tie like in 2010), with “Give Me Everything” just barely finishing ahead of “Rolling in the Deep” in the world-famous **Ponch8 Music Rating System**. “Rolling in the Deep” will probably advance to the best-of-the-2010s poll anyway and doesn’t need my vote. > > In dead-ass last place, there is a three-way tie between “Hold It Against Me,” “ET,” and “Last Friday Night.” Each song gets an AUTOMATIC ZERO score in the **Ponch8 Music Rating System** , like all [Dr. Luke](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=737413)-produced songs that don’t feature Kesha. Hopefully this abuser/rapist motherfucker will end up broke, in jail, or dead before too long. I do not want to witness a meeting between you and Dr Luke. ---
**Author:** ![Darth\_Sensitive](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/58956e/32.png) [@Darth\_Sensitive](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darth_Sensitive)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2014, 2:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-1-single-of-the-year-retrospective-2011/706581/12 "2014-12-08T02:16:39Z")
Dale! ---
**Author:** ![Stringbean](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d6d6ee/32.png) [@Stringbean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stringbean)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2014, 4:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-1-single-of-the-year-retrospective-2011/706581/13 "2014-12-08T04:47:57Z")
> [@Nema98](#): > > I do not want to witness a meeting between you and Dr Luke. His whole rap is quite tiring. ---
**Author:** ![Stringbean](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d6d6ee/32.png) [@Stringbean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stringbean)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2014, 4:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-1-single-of-the-year-retrospective-2011/706581/14 "2014-12-08T04:50:05Z")
Not given any particular affinity toward this list, I would vote for _I Found Love_. It was one of the first house/club beats that went big mainstream (no doubt due to Rihanna), ushering in the EDM renaissance that has been all the rage the last few years. ---
**Author:** ![Les\_Espaces\_Du\_Sommeil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/les_espaces_du_sommeil/32/308_2.png) [@Les\_Espaces\_Du\_Sommeil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Les_Espaces_Du_Sommeil)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2014, 10:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-1-single-of-the-year-retrospective-2011/706581/15 "2014-12-08T10:40:27Z")
I haven’t been impressed with **Adele** but the competition is so weak that she gets my vote (_Someone Like You_). ---
**Author:** ![GoodOmens](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/d26b3c/32.png) [@GoodOmens](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GoodOmens)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2014, 12:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-1-single-of-the-year-retrospective-2011/706581/16 "2014-12-08T12:48:53Z")
“Rolling in The Deep” in an easy choice. I’d give second place to “Firework” even though I don’t like Katy Perry. ---
**Author:** ![YogSothoth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/8edcca/32.png) [@YogSothoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/YogSothoth)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2014, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-1-single-of-the-year-retrospective-2011/706581/17 "2014-12-08T17:54:45Z")
I’m shocked Rolling in the Deep is beating Adele’s other song. ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2014, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-1-single-of-the-year-retrospective-2011/706581/18 "2014-12-08T18:12:50Z")
Adele’s voice is unpleasant for me to listen to. I went with _Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.)_ because it is kind of fun in a brain-damaged way. _We Found Love_ repeats its line too much. Or, perhaps I should say - _We Found Love_ repeats its line too much. _We Found Love_ repeats its line too much. _We Found Love_ repeats its line too much. _We Found Love_ repeats its line too much. _We Found Love_ repeats its line too much. _We Found Love_ repeats its line too much. _We Found Love_ repeats its line too much. _We Found Love_ repeats its line too much. _We Found Love_ repeats its line too much. _We Found Love_ repeats its line too much. _We Found Love_ repeats its line too much. _We Found Love_ repeats its line too much. _We Found Love_ repeats its line too much. _We Found Love_ repeats its line too much. _We Found Love_ repeats its line too much. _We Found Love_ repeats its line too much. _Born This Way_ is a rip off of one of Madonna’s also-not-very-interesting songs. None of the songs will live forever, and none of them is horribly offensive. I must be mellowing in my old age. Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2014, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-1-single-of-the-year-retrospective-2011/706581/19 "2014-12-08T19:16:22Z")
> [@Les\_Espaces\_Du\_Sommeil](#): > > I haven’t been impressed with **Adele** but the competition is so weak that she gets my vote (_Someone Like You_). Curious - how come? She has a wonderful instrument. True, it is a Big Voice and best-suited to Big Voice Songs, but she seems to pick her material effectively. I have enjoyed the fact that her voice stands out in a world of AutoTune and over production. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2014, 2:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-1-single-of-the-year-retrospective-2011/706581/20 "2014-12-16T02:50:34Z")
I guess the thing about Adele is that she’s really boring. She has a Big Voice for Big Songs but for the most part they’re all about her - like a lot of singers now she prefers to write most of her songs in the first person - and a 21-year-old really doesn’t have a lot about themselves to say. Her best song by far is “Skyfall” because it’s not really about Adele Adkins. Actually, maybe it is, but you can pretend it’s not.