Best Songs Of 2010

The best songs of 2010 give a good picture of what was happening that year musically. These may not be, however, the best selling songs. Instead, they are a all about quality over quantity.

1. "Tightrope" -- Janelle Monae, featuring Big Boi -- Some songs just feel good to listen to, and "Tightrope" by Janelle Monae is one of these. It feels a little like a female-led James Brown track. Monae sings it with passion, and the dance floor heats up every time it comes on.
2. "Written in Reverse" -- Spoon. The pounding piano, combined with the nearly screamed vocal, makes for some intense pop music. Once you've heard this song the first time, you can't forget it. Spoon is that little British Invasion band, which just happens to be from Texas.
3. "Need You Now" -- Lady Antebellum -- Every year should have one compelling soft rock anthem; in 2010, that song was "Need You Now" by Lady Antebellum. The character in this song is drunk and desperate. In fact, love often feels like being drunk and desperate.
4. "Tighten Up" -- The Black Keys -- Few acts made a bigger sound than the lone duo of The Black Keys. If you thought blues music had already had its day, The Black Keys will prove you wrong. This is a loose, cool song.
5. "Wake Up Everybody -- John Legend and The Roots -- In a year when soul music didn't make too much of an impact, John Legend reached back to old '70s soul music for inspiration. This is not so much a song as it is a call for social justice. The world won't get any better until everybody wakes up and sees what's going on in the world.
6. "F---k You" -- Cee-lo Green -- This Cee-lo Green song was the best kiss-off song of the year. Psychologists says it's sometimes good to vent feelings now and again. This 2010 song is especially made for venting.
7. "Rude Boy" -- Rihanna -- Rihanna has such a distinctive voice. In this 2010 song, which was one of the year's best, she was especially distinctive with an island accent. The term 'rude boy' has a long tradition, particularly in reggae music, and this song carries that one.
8. "Bad Romance" -- Lady Gaga -- Lady Gaga was all over the radio in 2010, and this song may have been her best of the year. Love has its wild upswings and downswings, much like a bad romance novel. This song describes just such an affair.
9. "Just The Way You Are" -- Bruno Mars -- The world always needs a crooner, and Bruno Mars became pop music's favorite crooner in 2010. This song is the kind of song every woman needs to hear. They don't want to have to make radical changes for their man; they just want to be loved the way they are.
10. "Airplanes" -- B.o.B. -- With Hayley Williams of Paramore providing the sweet vocals, this song was a modern day "When You Wish Upon A Star" for 2010. However, it was all about wishing on airplanes and imagining them to be shooting stars.