Looking Back at...2010: The Top 10 Winners

For some, 2010 was a year of breakthroughs and successes unlike they've ever seen before. In my last Looking Back... post for the year, I acknowledge those in pop culture that have had the best twelve months ever.


10. The Twilight Saga: Eclipse - Despite it's massive popularity, a lot of criticism is heaped on the Twilight films for their lackluster cast, absurd plots, and sub-standard CGI effects. With all of that in mind, the latest installment was it's best yet, mostly because it didn't take itself as seriously this time around. The movie borderlined on comedy, in a good way. Yeah, there were the serious moments, but there were genuinely witty one-liners in the film, especially coming from (and directed at) Taylor Lautner's Jacob. The two classics: "Does he ever wear a shirt" Edwards complains when a shirtless Jacob shows up waiting for him and Bella, and the genius "Let's face it, I am hotter than you", Jake's double-entendre while they are all in the tent. If the films were more humorous and satirical, then they wouldn't have to deal with crappy satires like Vampires Suck.

9. Sandra Bullock - Considering her personal drama, some would say she lost a lot. But, Sandra would be the first to tell you she doesn't give up easily. That makes her a winner in my book. Earlier this year, she took home the Academy Award for Best Actress for her role in The Blind Side. A few weeks after, her personal life exploded when Jesse James was caught cheating. America rallied around their sweetheart, branding James a complete loser. Not one to be deterred, Sandra divorced her loverat of a husband and went forward with her secret adoption. She made her return to the spotlight at the MTV Movie Awards, where she received the Generation award and made out a bit with Scarlett Johannson. In fact, she did a lot of that. She also smooched Meryl Streep at the Critic's Choice Awards when they both won for Best Actress. So, I think it's been established that Sandra Bullock is indeed awesome.


8. Taylor Swift - Being a musical princess isn't as easy as everyone thinks, unless your name is Taylor Swift. She started off the year pretty well by taking home Album of the Year at the Grammys for her six-times platinum Fearless. The darling of country continued her domination of music with the release of Speak Now in October. It was predicted to be a big seller, but no one could have anticipated the mammoth 1 million opening week sales she amassed. Double platinum before Christmas, Taylor has been credited for saving the flogging music industry. Whether or not that's an overstatement can be argued, but there's no denying that Taylor is swiftly becoming a heavy-hitter in the pop world. While her music sales are incredible, what's more impressive is the continued growth of her musical output. See, for instance, Download of the Day choice "Back to December", where she plays the bigger woman and apologizes for hurting someone who loved her. With her massive buying appeal, and her continued artistic evolution, Taylor Swift is setting a path that will keep her on this list for at least a few more years.


7. Eminem - Slim Shady had to grow up some time. Eminem entered a new phase of his career with Recovery, the biggest selling album of the year. Mature but still brimming with musical brilliance, the Eminem on this record was introspective and fierce in his output. The first two singles from the album, "Not Afraid" and "Love The Way You Lie", hit #1 on the Billboard charts, a first for the rapper. "Love The Way You Lie", a duet with Rihanna, spent seven weeks at the top, becoming the biggest commercial hit of his entire career. He also went back to his Slim Shady roots for an explosive duet with superstar female newcomer (and fellow harborer of an alter-ego) Nicki Minaj on her track "Roman's Revenge". To further solidify his success, he was awarded with 10 Grammy nominations, including the coveted Album of the Year and Record of the Year nods. Eminem's astonishing and remarkable return to the top is a prime example of how anything is possible if you want it bad enough.

6. Bruno Mars - If there was one male voice heard all the time on the radio, it was Bruno Mars. The producer-turned-singer used his golden pipes to churn out hit after hit after hit for people, including himself. His singing on the chorus for B.O.B.'s "Nothin' On You" helped it reach #1, while giving Travie McCoy a top 5 hit with "Billionaire". He also co-wrote the Grammy nominated hit "Fuck You!" by Cee-Lo Green. After building enough profile through his features, he ventured out on his own, releasing his debut single "Just The Way You Are". The single went to #1 in the US and the UK. His second single, "Grenade", is currently #2 in America. The singles' success helped his freshman effort Doo-Wops and Hooligans enter the Billboard charts at #3. At the end of the year, he scored seven Grammy nominations for all of his hard work, an impressive feat for someone virtually unknown in January. Sure, there was a little speed bump involving drug possession, but Bruno Mars is back on cruise control to superstar success.

See the Top 5 after the jump....

Looking Back at... 2010: The Top 5 Losers

2010 was not a good year for everyone. In fact, for some, it was an absolute disaster and they are probably counting down the days to 2011. With that mind, for the next in my Looking Back at... 2010 series, here are the biggest epic fails of 2010.

5. Cheryl Cole - Last year, she was the nation's sweetheart who could do no wrong. This year, British pop singer and X Factor judge Cheryl Cole saw her world turned upside down in virtually every way, throwing her infallibility into doubt. First, it was revealed that her husband Ashley Cole cheated on her again, leading to their divorce. She started work on her second album, which was derailed by a nearly life-ending bout with malaria. She recovered, but she faced unbelievable backlash when, during the judge's house round of X Factor, she decided to not put fan favorite Gamu to the finals round. The outrage became worse when Gamu revealed that she faced deportation back to Africa because of Cheryl's decision. The Gamu incident would taint Cheryl's validity as a judge, along with criticism of her partly-mimed performance of her #1 single "Promise This" and her contestants Rebecca and Cher failing to win this season. It's been a traumatic year for Cheryl, but it's doubtful that she won't bounce right back.


4. Lindsay Lohan - It's hard to believe that the charming, sexy lead from Mean Girls devolved into the tragedy that was Lindsay Lohan this year. 2010 proved to be her worst year yet, and that's saying something. After violating the probationary terms of her DUI arrest in order to go to the Cannes Film Festival, Lindsay was sentenced to 90 days in jail on July 6th. The image of her sobbing at the verdict were splashed across newspapers worldwide, with little sympathy. Luckily for her, LA jails are overcrowded, so she was released after two weeks. Even after jail and mandatory rehab, she failed a drug test and was sent back to jail. She is currently cooling her heels in rehab until next year, probably thinking about how she got it so terribly wrong.

3. Microsoft - Last week, Facebook and Microsoft did a joint news conference. During that conference, Facebook CEO and movie subject Mark Zuckerberg referred to Microsoft as the underdog. Hmmm, that doesn't sound right. And yet, it's incredibly accurate. Once the computer company of the world, Microsoft has lost in nearly every category in the field. It lost the mobile computing war to Apple, the web search war to Google, the browser war to Firefox, and now it's in danger of losing ground in the OS war, thanks to the success of the Mac and the future release of Google's Chrome OS. While some argue that the Vista debacle caused irreparable damage to the behemoth, it's really a lack of innovation that derailed the house that Bill Gates built.


2. T.I. - Before heading to prison, he released Paper Trail and ruled the charts with hits like "Live Your Life". Leaving prison, the reaction has been lukewarm. Every single he's released has been a flop, and his album No Mercy entered the charts at #4 with 154,000 copies, a little more than a 1/5 of the first week sales of Paper Trail. If his sales weren't bad enough, then his stupidity should do the trick. The rapper and his wife were arrested for drug possession, and T.I. went back to jail for another year for violating his probation. Maybe 2012 will be a better year?

1. Christina Aguilera - Oh, Christina, what a year it's been, eh? The big-voiced diva had arguably the worst career era of the year, with many declaring her career over. It started with the release of her new single "Not Myself Tonight", which was met with terribly lukewarm reception. The song peaked at #23 on the US chart. The video didn't help matters at all, being criticized for it's similarities to Lady Gaga. Her album Bionic suffered from the single's flopping, debuting at #3 in the US with sales of 110,000, a third of her last studio effort, 2006's Back to Basics. In the UK, the album debuted at #1, with the lowest first-week sales for a #1 album in history. It then plummeted down to #29, the biggest drop from #1 in history. The bright spot of her year was Burlesque, which was met with mixed to poor reviews and middling box office success. Despite being one of the most talented vocalists of the past fifteen years, Aguilera's place in pop culture wasn't as secure as everyone thought. It makes you bring up the irony of her disparaging comments towards the pop juggernaut that is Lady Gaga.

Looking Back at... 2010: The Top 5 Breakthroughs

2010 was a year filled with hot, new things. In the next installment of my Looking Back at... 2010 post series, I take a look back at all of pop culture's biggest breakthroughs in 2010.

5. iPad - The Apple tablet had been rumored for years, but in January, it was officially unveiled to the world as the iPad. Just like they did for the MP3 player and the smartphone, Apple completely revolutionized the tablet computer market. Almost immediately after it's announcement, rival Google declared they were moving forward with an iPad killer. Now, everyone is hopping on the iPad's coattails, just like they did with the iPod and the iPhone. However, people want the real thing. Since it's April release, the iPad has sold over 8 million copies and has become a pop culture reference point. Now, everyone from celebrities to colleges are clamoring for one. And let's put it like this; when Oprah declares it her ultimate favorite thing, you know it's big.


4. Ke$ha - Most of the time, she looks like she needs a shower. Or two. But Ke$ha, the anonymous girl from Flo Rida's "Right Round", proved this year that you didn't need to be clean to have good fun. The party girl du jour landed her first five singles in the top 10 of the Billboard charts, including #1 hits "Tik Tok" and "We R Who We R". Even though the Grammys snubbed her, there is no question that Ke$ha has kept the party going for many people this year. And, as her video for "Take It Off" showed, she knows how to throw a rager.


3. Glee - It's officially, Glee is the new American Idol. The hit TV series about a small Ohio glee club has completely reshaped the pop music landscape. Whenever the talented cast performs a song on the show, both their version and the original race up to the top of the iTunes charts. Everyone from Cee Lo Green to Florence + The Machine owe their sales boosts to the show. The current season of the show saw guest appearances from Gywenth Paltrow, John Stamos, and of course, Britney Spears, who had a whole episode dedicated to her. When the show is making us laugh and sing, its dealing with very important issues of today, like bullying. Chris Colfer, who plays gay teen Kurt, is bulldozing his way to an Emmy next September. Glee has it's finger on the pulse of pop culture, and it's not letting go anytime soon.


2. The Smith kids - Seriously, though, who would've guessed? Um, smart people! Willow Smith, with the blood of Will and Jada Pinkett Snith running through their veins, Jaden and Willow Smith were destined to be a star. We just didn't think so soon. First, Jaden karate-chopped his way into the spotlight with a successful remake of the 80's classic "The Karate Kid". Then, Willow arrived with an absolute monster of a single, "Whip My Hair". Awesome and age-appropriate at the same time, "Whip My Hair" showcased more swagger than artists eight years older than her. Then there is her out-there style, which is already garnering comparisons to Gaga and Rihanna. With her debut single setting charts ablaze worldwide and his movie career in full swing, the path is officially clear for Smith kid domination.

1. Nicki Minaj - If you listened to radio last year, chances are you heard her voice. Nicki Minaj, like Drake the year before, became absolutely inescapable in 2010, thanks to her priceless features on singles from everyone to Usher to Mariah Carey. The Queens-bred rapper's rapid-fire verses and high voltage personality reinvigorated the role of the female MC. When it came to her own singles, she made sure she showed her vulnerable side, like on the excellent Top 20 hit "Your Love" and her latest record "Right Thru Me". When her own album, Pink Friday, was released in November, it shifted an impressive 375,000 copies in its first week, the highest for a female rapper ever. Definitely one of the biggest names in hip-hop at the moment, Nicki will surely be spitting enough lyrics to last through 2011 and beyond.

Looking Back at... 2010: The Top 6 Should-Have Beens

Aren't there times when you wish someone or something would break the big time, and then they just don't, and they're just too good to consider flops?

Well, 2010 had quite a few of them.

Continuing my Looking Back at 2010 posts is my look back at the top 6 things and people that should have been hits this past year.

6. Toni Braxton - When Toni Braxton, fresh off a stint on Dancing with the Stars, announced she was releasing an album, I wasn't particularly moved. Then I heard the first single, "Yesterday", which is one of the best R&B ballads of the year. The singles released after that, including the spectacular "Hands Tied", should've warranted a huge comeback for the smoky-voiced songstress. Instead, her album peaked at #9. Maybe ageism can be blamed, but there is no real reason why Toni should've flopped.

5. Palm Pre - I'm not going to lie; the only reason why this phone is on the list is because my iPhone was stolen from Port Authority and AT&T allowed me to get two Palm Pres for $20 (long, complicated, and completely ridiculous story). Still, the Palm Pre, in my two weeks of having it, is definitely not a downgrade. In fact, it has some excellent features that even Steve Jobs should take a look at, like its awesome notifications system. Unfortunately, competition for Apple and Google shoved it to the backburner. Hopefully, with HP at the helm, the Palm Pre will get the recognition it deserves.

4. Joe McElderry - Not every X Factor winner can be a Leona Lewis, but Joe McElderry has had some pretty bad luck in the pop star department. His winner's single was beaten to the Christmas number-one by Rage Against The Machine, his first single failed to top the chart at all, and his second, the genuinely good "Someone Wake Me Up" is a disastrous flop. The shame is McElderry, who also came out of the closet this year, is the best male talent the show has ever produced, and he really should be following in Leona's footsteps. Unfortunately, it seems like a career more along the lines of Leon Jackson (remember him?) may be in his future.

3. Vanessa Marcil's Return on General Hospital - Her inevitable return to the show that made her a star was supposed to save the dying soap opera genre. Instead, Vanessa Marcil's return to her uber-popular role of Brenda Barrett has been marred by horrific writing, including a borderline incest love triangle. As a result, ratings have remained stagnant, even dropping some. In an era where the soap opera is on the cusp of extinction, the powers that be couldn't really afford to screw up the return of arguably one of the most popular characters in the show's history. Lo and behold, they did.

 
2. Kylie Minogue - Is the public falling out of love with Miss Minogue? The Aussie pop princess released one of the best albums of the year, Aphrodite. She also released the best pop song of the year (in my opinion, of course), "Get Outta My Way". Yet, neither were particularly well-received by the public. "Get Outta My Way" inexplicably flopped on both sides of the Atlantic, despite a massive US promo campaign, and she was snubbed at the Grammys. She's clearly still awesome, but she may not be the golden girl she claims in the album's title track.

 

1. Robyn - Her album Body Talk is pop perfection. "Dancing with My Own" is pop perfection. "Hang With Me" is pop perfection. Her performances are pop perfection. So, why the hell wasn't Robyn queen of the pop world year? The Swedish singer is has always been low-key, but with a spectacular record like hers, some really high profile performances on Jay Leno and Gossip Girl, and the dance-pop craze, this year should've belonged to her. As they say, 2011 is another year. Until then, she just has to stick with dancing on her own.

Looking Back at... 2010: The Comebacks

It's that time of year again. It's time to look back at all of the good, the bad, and the absolutely ridiculous of the past year. While you all have been voting for your favorites in the BWU Awards 2010, I have sifted through the year in, everything, to find what's worthy of notice.

So, without further ado, here are the biggest comebacks of 2010!

5. Enrique Iglesias - He blew up during the Latin Invasion of the late 90's, but his career fizzled out at the turn of the new millennium, with his last hit being 2001's "Hero". Thanks to the Gaga-bred dance-pop explosion this year, the Latin lover caught an epic second wind. "I Like It", the first single off his latest album Euphoria, reached the top 10 of many countries, including the United States, where it reached #4. His next single, "Tonight (I'm Lovin' You)", is already burning its way up the iTunes chart, guaranteeing him success well into 2011. I guess we missed the mole more than we thought.

4. Usher - The King of R&B returned to his throne this year with very successful album Raymond v. Raymond, which spawned the ubiquitous smash "OMG", which #1 on the charts. He also celebrated the success of his protege Justin Bieber, who just won Artist of the Year at the American Music Awards. After the disappointment that was 2008's Here I Stand, 2010 was proof that Usher was the premier male pop star of the moment. Now if only he would get that haircut..

3. The British Royal Family - Let's be honest: the thirteen years since the passing of Princess Diana have been relatively uneventful. Sure, Charles married Camilla, and Harry became the troublemaker after bouts with swastika costumes and pot, but compared to the years of Diana, it's been quiet. That changed when Prince William, the second in line to the throne, announced that he would finally be marrying his long-time girlfriend Kate Middleton. Almost instantaneously, the world went absolutely bonkers over the engagement. The world's media plastered them across the front pages, speculating on everything from the wedding date to Kate's future role. Her status as a future pop culture figure has already been set; she was featured on Barbra Walters' 10 Most Fascinating People and the dresses she's worn in public have become instant best-sellers. The world, who probably didn't care less about the Windsors two months ago, now wait with baited breath over the April nuptials of the future King and Queen.

2. Rihanna - OK, so it's not really that much of a comeback, but Rihanna definitely regained lost ground on the pop landscape this past year. The Bajan beauty featured on the biggest record of 2010, Eminem's "Love The Way You Lie", and scored two #1 hits of her own with "Only Girl (In The World)" and "What's My Name". Her new album Loud gave her the highest first week sales of her career, although she hasn't been able to get that coveted #1 spot, yet. Also, she has fans cracking up with her witty, shady comments on Twitter and guessing about her love life, in a good way. It's nice to see that she's moved past the drama of last year.

1. Kanye West - He's a douchebag. He's an asshole. He's a scumbag. He's one of the most provocative musical artists on the past decade. Of course, he knows all of this. After the Taylor Swift debacle last year, it seemed like Kanye might have finally pushed the public too far. Well, being Kanye, he took the criticism and unleashed one of the most critically lauded records in recent memory, My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy Part-ego trip and part masterstroke, Kanye re-worked the conventions of rap and pop with impressive critical and commercial results. Yes, he's still got his antics (replacing his bottom row of teeth with diamonds, the Today Show interview disaster), but no matter what he does, we still have love for the college dropout. So let's have a toast for Kanye, who kept us on our toes in 2010.