The 10 Best Guilty Pleasure Songs of 2011

By now you’ve probably looked at nearly 700 year-end lists written by high-minded critics citing the best music 2011 had to offer. This is not one of those lists. In fact, fuck those lists.

We’re joking. Sort of. As music critics, a lot of times we’re looking for something new and inventive to write about. Even if, on a macro level, it kind of sucks. On the flip side, there’s music being made for the explicit purpose of entertaining the hordes of people who give nary a single shyte about any of that. And when looked at in the context of what that music is supposed to be—easily digestible and non-confrontational, i.e. brainless—some of it is actually pretty good.

We know, we know, you wouldn’t be caught dead listening to any of these songs around your “smart” friends— heaven forbid you should, like, enjoy yourself. But when nobody’s around, you might want to check out some of the best “guilty pleasure” songs of 2011.

A song Lupe Fiasco didn’t really want to make becomes his biggest hit ever. The irony. And yeah, it was difficult accepting something so formulaic from the guy who brought us “Hip-Hop Saved My Life,” among other crafty tunes. But really, not all music needs to be a science project. Think of all the new fans Lupe gained by making a crossover smash—new fans that could be turned on to his more creatively ambitious work. It’s a give and take, and we're happy for once that Lupe gave us something we didn’t have to think too hard about.

We thought Jennifer Lopez was pretty much over until she became a judge on American Idol.
Then it was like, fuck, we can’t escape her. It’s like the year 2000 all over again! Complicit in her
domination of the flyover states, she released “On The Floor” in early February, and the song
really hasn’t stopped playing since then. Surprisingly, we don’t mind. Weird.

For all the Nicki Minaj hype over the past few years, her biggest hit has actually been “Super
Bass,” which was—get this—the 7th single from Pink Friday. 7th! Talk about riding an
album till the wheels fall off. The song peaked at #3 on Billboard’s Hot 100 chart. But you know
how we knew the song had really taken off? Karmin covered it.

Cobra Starship could be standing in front of you right this very second and you’d have no idea.
But while you might not know the faces in the group, you definitely know “You Make Me Feel,”
which has spent the past few months on the radio every 30 seconds. Chances are you’ve
sung along to that “La-La La-La-La, you make me feel” part at least forty or fifty times, while also
thinking, “Geez, who the hell makes this song?” Now you know.

If there was ever a song that combined everything that people hate about the Black Eyed Peas, “Just Can’t Get Enough” might be it. Fergie’s singing, Taboo’s rapping, will.i.am’s harmonizing, electro breakdown... gah, make it stop! Except, the song was so incredibly catchy you probably even found yourself singing along at some point. And then you switched the station back to NPR, right?

Hot Chelle Rae could be musical virtuosos, but you’d never know by listening to them. Which is fine. They even subversively admit as much on “Tonight, Tonight,” singing, “La-La-La, whatever/ La-La-La, it doesn’t matter.” They’re basically conceding, right on their hit song, that overthinking things is not the move. Pop music is a joke that actually works. Here, need proof? Go listen to “Tonight, Tonight.” Now stop trying so hard.

Flo Rida is considered a singles artist who makes songs for douchey people to pop douchey bottles to at douchey nightclubs. Which is, like, the worst kind of music one could possibly make. Maybe that’s why he addressed those haters on “Good Feelin,” a song so amazing it almost makes you forget that it’s Flo Rida. Also, that you can hear the same exact song—minus Flo Rida—if you just type “Avicii - Levels” in your Google search bar. Don’t be lazy.

Swag is contagious. Ask Britney Spears. Ke$ha wrote “Till The World Ends,” but passed it off and wound up helping to revive Britney’s sagging career. Maybe it was a by-the-numbers dance-pop tune, but hey, not everything has to reinvent the wheel. Last we checked wheels still worked! So does Brit.

Pitbull could be the most hated rapper in the game. What’s not to hate about a guy who ditched the doldrums of rap for four-on-the-floor Top 40 wave? “Give Me Everything” was pretty much undeniable, though. Sure, there are some raps here, but the song is really just a hook and a b- section that you can’t help reciting when you’re too drunk to be thinking about whether Pit’s a sellout or not.

In the rare case of a song living up to its title, “Party Rock Anthem” literally was the anthem for 2011. From Top 40 radio to KIA commercials to over 300 million plays on Youtube, the song was everywhere. And while Redfoo and SkyBlu could easily be dismissed as a novelty act, a rumored Kanye West cosign made even the harshest of critics shut up and pay attention. Not that they needed it, though. High energy and a celebratory vibe—the perfect cure for rap fatigue—“Party Rock Anthem” made even the toughest hard rocks smile.