Someone Like You - Adele
Releasing a devastating, goosebump-inducing song about heartbreak, with just her powerful voice and piano to carry it, Adele proved that occasionally the biggest hits are about a few high quality ingredients rather than layers of pop production or big names. An instant classic.
Somebody That I Used To Know - Gotye (feat. Kimbra)
Defying all expectations, this indie pop hit from Australian solo artist Gotye and our very own Kimbra has become the relationship breakdown anthem of the year. With delicate percussion, a sample of a Spanish guitar song, and lyrics that touched a few nerves, it's not your usual No 1 hit, but this song packed emotional punch with its sweeping boy vs girl story arc.
Moves Like Jagger - Maroon 5 (feat. Christina Aguilera)
This unavoidable hit had the name of a 60s rocker in the title, and a 70s guitar strum courtesy of the Doobie Brothers, plus a lot of auto-tune. It wasn't the only gimmicky song attempting a disco club revival this year, but having Adam Levine's fellow judge from TV show The Voice, Christina Aguilera, on board was a shrewd marketing move.
Party Rock Anthem - LMFAO
Pump class instructors rejoiced when this upbeat, yet entirely vapid, piece of synth pop rap was released, bouncing its way to the top of the chart. With an electronic riff as annoying as Crazy Frog, and lyrics like "get up, get down, put your hands up to the sound", let's hope it shuffles off into obscurity.
Love Love Love - Avalanche City
Having fallen into public consciousness when TV2 used it as its channel theme tune earlier in the year, this charming wee track from Auckland man Dave Baxter ticked all the boxes. With an easy sing-along chorus, feel-good lyrics, and lush instrumentation (including ukuleles), it's not surprising that our nation's songwriters awarded it the Silver Scroll for 2011.
