Brandon's Best of....Top Singles of 2010 So Far

Okay, so the halfway point of 2010 was last month, but as the summer winds down and I head back to college in a few weeks, I thought now would be a great time to list my favorite songs of 2010 so far (well, since the end of July). Luckily for me, this was pretty easy.

First, because I realized there were lots of songs I loved, here is my #20 - #11:
20. Breakeven (Falling To Pieces) - The Script
19. I Like It - Enrique Iglesias
18. Crossfire - Brandon Flowers
17. Memories - David Guetta featuring Kid Cudi
16. I Got You - Leona Lewis
15. Ego - The Saturdays
14. Missing You - The Saturdays
13. Hands Tied - Toni Braxton
12. Need You Now - Lady Antebellum
11. Your Love - Nicki Minaj

Now, for the Top 10:


10. Airplanes - B.O.B featuring Hayley Williams
I mostly skipped over his first single with Bruno Mars, so his second single with Paramore's frontwoman is what really got me interested. Between the effortlessness of the chorus and the true lyrics about wishing for a simpler life, "Airplanes" was clear evidence that hip hop could be more than sparse beats and lame rhymes about money and swag.


9. OMG - Usher feat. will.i.am
Was it a sellout move? Usher went the electropop route on his album Raymond v. Raymond, teaming up with BEP frontman will.i.am. Instead of playing like a cheap trick, it was one of the hottest songs of the year, topping the Billboard Hot 100 and saving what would have been a flop era. While it didn't push boundaries with it's lyrics (Boobies? Are we twelve?) but it did remind everyone why Usher was once the biggest male popstar since MJ.


8. Commander - Kelly Rowland
Who knew she had it in her? After the worldwide (a.k.a, outside of the US) success of "When Love Takes Over" last year, the former Destiny's Child member teamed up with David Guetta for "Commander", a full-stop dance-pop smash, instant on first listen. For reasons that are beyond me, she didn't release it to radio in the States, just as the dance-pop fever hit full force.


7. Dancing On My Own - Robyn
The Swedish dance diva delivered a sweet treat for her first single from Body Talk Pt. 1. With it's mournful lyrics paired with pulsating, somber beats, "Dancing on My Own" embodied everyone's fear of lost love and loneliness while on the dancefloor.



6. Love The Way You Lie - Eminem featuring Rihanna
Domestic violence isn't supposed to sound this good. The two music superstars teamed up on a surprisingly personal, visceral, and accessible duet about the truth behind abusive relationships. Currently #1 on the charts, it goes to show that lyrical honesty can make for an amazing pop tune. Plus, Rihanna plus rappers is always guaranteed gold.


5. Find Your Love - Drake
Last year, he set the pop world on fire. This year, he fanned the flames. "Find Your Love" was an unexpected turn for the Canadian rapper. It was sharp, yet sensitive. Pulsing, yet melodic. Fierce, yet tender. Of course, that's because of Kanye's excellent production and Drake's great vocal performance. It made for a true blue pop hit for him and the confirmation that he may be the future of hip-hop.


4. California Gurls - Katy Perry featuring Snoop Dogg
Pegged as the West Coast answer to "Empire State of Mind", Katy snatched the summer with what may become her signature hit. It's bouncy electropop sound, the cute and clever lyrics, and an excellent cameo from Snoop made this song a #1 hit throughout the dog days of summer. Even with the sweltering heat, Katy made us wish we were all chillin' on the beach, melted popsicles and all.


3. Alejandro - Lady Gaga
So maybe the macabré video killed the vibe of the song a bit, but "Alejandro" was one of the highlights of an album full of them, The Fame Monster. It's ABBA-esque charm and it's tale of unwanted desire made it an excellent soundtrack to the summer. It also showed that seven singles into her career, she shows no sign of stopping her effortless domination of pop music.


2. Telephone - Lady Gaga and Beyoncé
What happens when you put two of the biggest female singer in the world on one track? Um, how about dancefloor heaven? Okay, so not all the time, but the unstoppable duo's second try together yielded much sweeter fruit. Thrown in a colorful, Tarantino-styled music video and you have a pop juggernaut on your hands.


1. All The Lovers - Kylie Minogue
I had been waiting for this song before I even knew I was waiting for it. The Aussie pop princess threw out the baggage of 2007's X and came back with an absolutely epic first single. Part teary-eyed, part euphoric release, and part dancefloor stomper, "All The Lovers" was a goddess send (the album is called Aphrodite after all). After only three months, it is only the eighth song ever to have over 400 plays in my iTunes. It also made me rabid for two months until the release of her equally as epic new album. Kylie is back!