Tapeworthy: Best of Music 2010

Every year people claim it's the worst year for music and that everything new is total crap, and every year I defend them (I'm not sure who them is but I do). This year, all the music was basically the worst. So even though I have bad taste in music and enjoy the schmaltzy and pop, even I could barely muster up enthusiasm for new music this year. So this might not be so much a "best" list as "favorites" list this year.

Here are my picks for the Best of Music 2010:

1. Hedley - "Perfect"

Perfect mix of rock ballad and schmaltz without losing the edge or the crisp vocals by Jacob Hoggard, who hasn't sounded better.

2. Florence + The Machine - "Dogs Days Are Over"

It didn't require a dance song to have the coolest beat around in a song. (Though technically released in 2009, it's here on this list since it didn't hit it big until this year)

3. Darren Criss on Glee - "Teenage Dream" w/ The Warblers, "Hey Soul Sister" w/ The Warblers, "Baby, It's Cold Outside" w/ Chris Colfer

Love or hate the show, Darren Criss automatically became many's teenage dream when he made quite the entrance with an infectious interpretation of Katy Perry's song that only improved the song itself. Then he managed to make the lame "Hey Soul Sister" song into a delightful ditty, then warmed our hearts when he and co-star Chris heated up a Christmas classic. (The other newcomer Chord Overstreet came close to making the list with his renditions of "Billionaire" and "Lucky")

4. Young Artists for Haiti - "Wavin' Flag"

The remake of the current K'naan hit, in support of the Haiti crisis, was the gathering of (Canadian) artists at its best, and avoided the bloated and overwrought that usually accompanies recent attempts at these group songs for charities. Partly coinciding with the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics, it sort of became an anthemic song of national pride (with the original version of the song doubling also for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa).

5. Taio Cruz - "Dynamite"

Throw your hands up and celebrate one of them most fun songs of the year!

6. Take That - "The Flood"

Robbie Williams rejoined Take That after mending fences with Gary Barlow and the reformed group created an epic song for their return.

7. Kylie Minogue - "All The Lovers" Video

Kylie on top of a wonderfully zippy pop ditty in a video that manages to show enough skin to be a soft-core porn video yet remains sensual yet romantic and hopeful.

8. Lady Antebellum - "American Honey"

Need You Know became the big crossover hit of the year, but I had already placed it on last years list. Lady A's second single managed to ooze country charm and a slick nostalgic sound to Americana.

9. Janelle Monáe feat. Big Boi - "Tightrope"

Even with the song being used in an overplayed ad, the song remains a tight.

10. Bruno Mars - doo-wops & hooligans Album

With catchy singles like "Grenade" and "Just The Way You Are" and an album full of pleasurable pop ditties, Mars delivers a debut full of great mainstream poppy, dancey, easy-access melodies.

The Worst of Music 2010:

There were a LOT of choices for this, but easily by far the worst offender is:
Black Eyed Peas - "The Time (Dirty Bit)"
If I need to even explain why, then we can no longer be friends.

Here's the list in video format:

1. Hedley - "Perfect":