Digital retailer iTunes releases its year-end “rewind” today, listing the biggest sellers in music (singles and albums) along with the staff’s own picks for the best of the year.
Not surprisingly, Adele takes top honors with the top-selling song (“Rolling in the Deep”) and album (21). She is also named iTunes Artist of the Year.
As for Album of the year, the retailer bestows that honor on the Foo Fighters’ Wasting Light, which is also nominated for a Grammy Award (one of six) in the same category.
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Says frontman Dave Grohl of the iTunes feat: “For an album made in my garage, totally analog to tape, without the help of any computers at all, to be iTunes’ Album of the Year? It’s inspiring! (and a wee bit ironic) To us it says that it’s ok to sound like human beings, to be a little rough around the edges, to bring the human element back into music. It lets the next generation of kids know that it’s ok to be imperfect and sound like actual people with actual instruments. So more than anything we thank you for that, iTunes!”
Rounding out the top 5 songs are LMFAO’s “Party Rock Anthem (feat. Lauren Bennett & GoonRock),” “Firework” by Katy Perry, “Grenade” by Bruno Mars and Cee-Lo Green’s “Forget You.” The top-selling albums include Sigh No More by Mumford & Sons, Lil Wayne’s Tha Carter IV, Watch the Throne by Kanye West and Jay Z and Coldplay’s Mylo Xyloto.
See the full iTunes music list below:
ITUNES TOP-SELLING SONGS OF 2011
1. “Rolling in the Deep” Adele
2. “Party Rock Anthem” (feat. Lauren Bennett & GoonRock) LMFAO
3. “Firework” Katy Perry
4. “Grenade” Bruno Mars
5. “Forget You” Cee-Lo Green
6. “Give Me Everything” (feat. Ne-Yo, Afrojack & Nayer) Pitbull
7. “E.T.” (feat. Kanye West) Katy Perry
8. “Moves Like Jagger” (Studio Recording from The Voice feat. Christina Aguilera) Maroon 5
9. “Pumped Up Kicks” Foster the People
10. “Super Bass” Nicki Minaj
ITUNES TOP-SELLING ALBUMS OF 2011
1. 21 Adele
2. Sigh No More Mumford & Sons
3. Tha Carter IV (Deluxe Edition) Lil Wayne
4. Watch the Throne (Deluxe Edition) Kanye West, JAY Z
5. Mylo Xyloto Coldplay
6. Born This Way (Bonus Track Version) Lady Gaga
7. Loud Rihanna
8. Take Care (Deluxe Version) Drake
9. Teenage Dream Katy Perry
10. Doo-Wops & Hooligans (Deluxe Version) Bruno Mars
ARTIST OF THE YEAR: Adele
ALBUM OF THE YEAR: Wasting Light (Deluxe Edition), Foo Fighters
SONG OF THE YEAR: “Pumped Up Kicks,” Foster the People
BREAKTHROUGH ARTIST OF THE YEAR: Nicki Minaj
Twitter: @shirleyhalperin
