Top Songs of 2011

It’s the end of the year, which means a glut of music sites releasing “Best Of” lists. Indie-loving Pitchfork picks the top 100 tracks of the year; here are the top 10, which include some mainstream surprises:

1. M83, “Midnight City”
2. Bon Iver, “Holocene”
3. EMA, “California”
4. Nicki Minaj, “Super Bass”
5. Real Estate, “It’s Real”
6. Destroyer, “Kaputt”
7. Beyoncé, “Countdown"
8. Cass McCombs, “County Line”
9. Azealia Banks, “212”
10. DJ Khaled, “I’m On One” (Feat. Drake, Rick Ross, and Lil Wayne)

You might notice a distinct lack of Adele on the above list: Her “Rolling in the Deep,” which seemed like a shoe-in for Song of the Year, doesn’t appear until No. 23. In fact, Pitchfork’s No. 1 pick is experiencing a surge in other recent lists as well: M83’s “Midnight City” is also No. 1 on Stereogum’s list, where Adele’s “Someone Like You” ranks seventh, and No. 2 on Paste magazine’s list, which has "Rolling in the Deep" at No. 34. Will M83 score an upset? Ultimately, New York thinks not, pointing out that Adele still appears above M83 on lists from Spin, Rolling Stone, and MTV. (More 2011 stories.)