Here at Exclaim!, we spend all day, every day reading, researching and writing about music in order to help you scratch that news itch. In 2011, like any year, the search for the stories kept bringing up certain names again and again, whether we wanted them to or not. Whether it was hyped-up new albums, high-profile collaborations, non-music-related controversies or awesome innovations, there were certain artists who dominated the headlines in 2011.
Looking back over the year that was, here are Exclaim!'s Top 10 Newsmakers of 2011. In the future, when we remember 2011, these are the acts we will think of as the ones who defined our year.
Exclaim!'s Top 10 Newsmakers of 2011:
10. The Flaming Lips
These Oklahoma psych rock veterans have been around for almost 30 years, but they just seem to keep getting more creative with age. This year brought some of the most bafflingly awesome developments in the band's career to date. From housing EPs inside of gummy skulls to writing 6- and 24-hour songs to concocting pieces for 12 iPhones, 2011 was an anything-goes free-for-all from the Flaming Lips. We can only hope that 2012 is half as good.
9. Lil Wayne
It was just another year in the life of Weezy. He released a long-delayed album, hinted at his imminent retirement, planned new recordings and landed in a heap of legal trouble. Clearly, Lil Wayne hasn't been squandering his time since getting out of jail last year. If we're taking bets, we're going to guess that those retirement comments were just a bluff and he'll keep on making headlines for a long time to come.
8. Radiohead
Anytime Radiohead release an album, the rock music world stops in its tracks. That happened again this year when Radiohead released The King of Limbs out of nowhere in February of this year. Add to that a remix series, a newspaper, and various solo endeavours from Thom Yorke, Jonny Greenwood and Phil Selway, and you've got another unforgettable year from the beloved band. Even if we never got The King of Limbs Part 2 like we were hoping, 2011 was still pretty awesome.
7. Jack White
The White Stripes broke up, but that didn't stop Jack White from have a crazy, jam-packed year. He threw a divorce party, went to Rome with Norah Jones and Danger Mouse, and produced more singles and live albums for his Third Man Records label than we can even keep track of. Our personal favourite release has got to be that Mozart redo with the Insane Clown Posse, which truly proved just how unpredictable Jack can be.
6. Jay-Z & Kanye West
Kanye had a massive year in 2010, and he didn't slow down at all in 2011. He teamed up with Jay-Z for the insanely hyped Watch the Throne and embarked on a massive tour. It wasn't all good, however, since the two rappers got slapped with a lawsuit for an uncleared sample. In non-musical news, we scratched our heads when Kanye started marketing silk scarves and Jay-Z appropriated an Occupy slogan for a T-shirt. To reward their efforts, both rappers landed in the Top 3 in Forbes' Hip-Hop Cash Kings list.
5. Pearl Jam
For a while in 2011, it felt as if scarcely a week went by without a major new update from Pearl Jam. It was for good reason: the grunge legends celebrated their 20th anniversary this year, and they marked the occasion with deluxe reissues, a Cameron Crowe-directed documentary (with a soundtrack), beer, a book, and tours. The band kept the new music coming too, as they began recording new music and frontman Eddie Vedder released Ukulele Songs.
4. Drake
Everyone's favourite sweater-wearing actor-turned-rapper had a hell of a year. This Man of the Year released his much-buzzed sophomore album, Take Care, and marketed himself like crazy with jackets, energy strips, and a comic (okay, that last one wasn't really his fault). What's more, his buddy the Weeknd also earned a barrage of hype, partly thanks to Drake's support.
3. Amy Winehouse
Amy Winehouse had long been considered one of the pop world's most troubled stars, and her music was frequently overshadowed by her public struggles with drugs and alcohol. She passed away suddenly in July, and the coroner later reported that alcohol poisoning caused her death. Of course, the tributes have been pouring in since her passing, and the posthumous album Lioness: Hidden Treasures arrived this month. Some might say, they saw this whole thing coming, but it shocked the world nonetheless.
2. Arcade Fire
Following last year's The Suburbs, Montreal indie stars Arcade Fire took home what we casually refer to as the Triple Crown: a Grammy Award, a Juno Award, and the Polaris Music Prize. They also released a film, shot hoops with NBA players, got involved in politics at home and abroad, and got in a public squabble with director Vincent Moon. Despite all they did, we've only got one question: who is Arcade Fire??!!?
1. Odd Future Wolf Gang Kill Them All
Who else better to top our list than 2011's craziest, more controversial rap crew? The earliest reference to them on our site wasn't until February of this year, but once these Los Angeles pranksters arrived, they remained a fixture in the headlines. Whether they were drawing the wrath of the LGBT community, allegedly brawling with female photographers, storming the crowd, or getting kicked off of bills because of their offensive lyrics, we couldn't stop talking about Odd Future. Oh yeah, and the music -- there were also releases from a number of artists in the collective, not to mention a book and plans for a TV spinoff. No matter your opinion on the group, there's no doubt that 2011 was the year of Odd Future.
Looking back over the year that was, here are Exclaim!'s Top 10 Newsmakers of 2011. In the future, when we remember 2011, these are the acts we will think of as the ones who defined our year.
Exclaim!'s Top 10 Newsmakers of 2011:
10. The Flaming Lips
These Oklahoma psych rock veterans have been around for almost 30 years, but they just seem to keep getting more creative with age. This year brought some of the most bafflingly awesome developments in the band's career to date. From housing EPs inside of gummy skulls to writing 6- and 24-hour songs to concocting pieces for 12 iPhones, 2011 was an anything-goes free-for-all from the Flaming Lips. We can only hope that 2012 is half as good.
9. Lil Wayne
It was just another year in the life of Weezy. He released a long-delayed album, hinted at his imminent retirement, planned new recordings and landed in a heap of legal trouble. Clearly, Lil Wayne hasn't been squandering his time since getting out of jail last year. If we're taking bets, we're going to guess that those retirement comments were just a bluff and he'll keep on making headlines for a long time to come.
8. Radiohead
Anytime Radiohead release an album, the rock music world stops in its tracks. That happened again this year when Radiohead released The King of Limbs out of nowhere in February of this year. Add to that a remix series, a newspaper, and various solo endeavours from Thom Yorke, Jonny Greenwood and Phil Selway, and you've got another unforgettable year from the beloved band. Even if we never got The King of Limbs Part 2 like we were hoping, 2011 was still pretty awesome.
7. Jack White
The White Stripes broke up, but that didn't stop Jack White from have a crazy, jam-packed year. He threw a divorce party, went to Rome with Norah Jones and Danger Mouse, and produced more singles and live albums for his Third Man Records label than we can even keep track of. Our personal favourite release has got to be that Mozart redo with the Insane Clown Posse, which truly proved just how unpredictable Jack can be.
6. Jay-Z & Kanye West
Kanye had a massive year in 2010, and he didn't slow down at all in 2011. He teamed up with Jay-Z for the insanely hyped Watch the Throne and embarked on a massive tour. It wasn't all good, however, since the two rappers got slapped with a lawsuit for an uncleared sample. In non-musical news, we scratched our heads when Kanye started marketing silk scarves and Jay-Z appropriated an Occupy slogan for a T-shirt. To reward their efforts, both rappers landed in the Top 3 in Forbes' Hip-Hop Cash Kings list.
5. Pearl Jam
For a while in 2011, it felt as if scarcely a week went by without a major new update from Pearl Jam. It was for good reason: the grunge legends celebrated their 20th anniversary this year, and they marked the occasion with deluxe reissues, a Cameron Crowe-directed documentary (with a soundtrack), beer, a book, and tours. The band kept the new music coming too, as they began recording new music and frontman Eddie Vedder released Ukulele Songs.
4. Drake
Everyone's favourite sweater-wearing actor-turned-rapper had a hell of a year. This Man of the Year released his much-buzzed sophomore album, Take Care, and marketed himself like crazy with jackets, energy strips, and a comic (okay, that last one wasn't really his fault). What's more, his buddy the Weeknd also earned a barrage of hype, partly thanks to Drake's support.
3. Amy Winehouse
Amy Winehouse had long been considered one of the pop world's most troubled stars, and her music was frequently overshadowed by her public struggles with drugs and alcohol. She passed away suddenly in July, and the coroner later reported that alcohol poisoning caused her death. Of course, the tributes have been pouring in since her passing, and the posthumous album Lioness: Hidden Treasures arrived this month. Some might say, they saw this whole thing coming, but it shocked the world nonetheless.
2. Arcade Fire
Following last year's The Suburbs, Montreal indie stars Arcade Fire took home what we casually refer to as the Triple Crown: a Grammy Award, a Juno Award, and the Polaris Music Prize. They also released a film, shot hoops with NBA players, got involved in politics at home and abroad, and got in a public squabble with director Vincent Moon. Despite all they did, we've only got one question: who is Arcade Fire??!!?
1. Odd Future Wolf Gang Kill Them All
Who else better to top our list than 2011's craziest, more controversial rap crew? The earliest reference to them on our site wasn't until February of this year, but once these Los Angeles pranksters arrived, they remained a fixture in the headlines. Whether they were drawing the wrath of the LGBT community, allegedly brawling with female photographers, storming the crowd, or getting kicked off of bills because of their offensive lyrics, we couldn't stop talking about Odd Future. Oh yeah, and the music -- there were also releases from a number of artists in the collective, not to mention a book and plans for a TV spinoff. No matter your opinion on the group, there's no doubt that 2011 was the year of Odd Future.
