Top Five Albums of 2011...So Far!

The year 2011 has already been a great year for pop music. In the first half of the year there have been more than enough good, quality albums that have been unleashed onto the music scene, from Foo Fighters' "Wasting Light" to Nicki Minaj's "Pink Friday" and Adele's "21." Herein I'd like to present my picks for the top five albums of 2011 so far. Of course, since I'm a big fan of music you can dance to, all but can one or two fall under that very category...

#1 - 21 -- Adele

There's nothing quite like the feeling when you're listening to a song written by someone you don't know, who you never met, who somehow manages to describe exactly how you felt at a particular moment in your life. This next artist is able to do that time after time...if you've ever had a broken heart you're about to remember it now..."

These words were used to describe the unique appeal of British singer Adele. She's one of those rare artists that oozes natural talent, both as a singer and a songwriter, and back in February she released her sophomore effort, "21," which deservedly propelled her to the highest of heights.

"21" is full of cleverly written and melodic tunes. The first single,, "Rolling in the Deep" spent seven weeks at #1 on Billboard's Hot 100 Charts and has been one of the most played songs of the year. Other fine songs on "21" include the thumping "Rumour Has It," the tender "Turning Tables," and the heartrending "Someone Like You." This one's a sure bet for a Grammy nod!

#2 - Femme Fatale -- Britney Spears

Who would've ever thought that Britney Spears would ever make such a great album? Admittedly I've liked some of her songs in the past, but I've never been a big fan. In fact, when the first single off the album, "Hold It Against Me" was released, I didn't care for it too much, but that all changed when I downloaded the album.

"Femme Fatale" is the polar opposite of Adele's "21." As one might expect, it's heavily produced and full of European style dance beats, but virtually every song on the album is easy on the ears. The second single, "Till the World Ends" speaks my mantra, "keep on dancing till the world ends...," and is very danceable. Other notable tracks on the CD include the fun "I Wanna Go," the synth-heavy "Trouble for Me," and the melodic "He About to Lose Me." If you're a fan of Britney, then you probably already have this one, but if you don't and you like great pop/dance music, you must pick this one up.

#3 - Born This Way -- Lady Gaga

If hype was good enough to win awards, this one would win hands down. Lady Gaga is one of the most talked about artists in music today, and the release of "Born This Way," the singer's second full length album, was much-anticipated. Despite all of the hype surrounding the album's release, it wasn't as well received as many would have thought.

"Born This Way" is much different from Gaga's previous set "Fame/Fame Monster," which was full of cleverly written and produced pop/dance tracks that appealed to the masses. The songs on this one are not as easy to learn upon first, second, or even a fifth listen, but once you've heard it a few times, the songs really are pretty good. Of course, the title cut is an easy to please dance anthem that is reminiscent of the debut, Madonna comparisons aside, and "Judas" was the first of the songs to resemble more of the tracks on the new album. Critics all agree that the underlying theme of the music is 80's-sounding dance/electronica, and that's a very good characterization. Some of the more notable songs on "Born This Way" include the Latin-flavored, Tango inspired "Americano," the very poppish "Edge of Glory," the country-twanged ballad "You and I," and the melodic and defiant "Bad Kids."

#4 - 4 -- Beyonce

I've placed this new one by Beyonce in an appropriate spot since the name of the album is "4." Beyonce is another artist that I haven't followed too closely over the years, but I have really liked several of her songs and her previous set, "I Am...Sasha Fierce," was excellent! Though I wasn't too crazy about the first single, "Run the World (Girls)," off of "4," I bought it anyway when it came out just last week.

"4," basically put, is a mature and sophisticated masterpiece! Other than the first single, there are really no other fast and funky tracks that fans have come to expect from the singer. The majority of songs on the album are ballads, done in a classic late 70's/early 80's R&B style. If I didn't know any better, I'd swear this was an early Diana Ross album, the songs are that good. Some of my early favorites include the tender "1+1," the dramatic "I Care," and the inspirational "I Was Here." If you love some good, down to mid tempo R&B, you'll love this one!

#5 - LOVE? -- Jennifer Lopez

J-Lo is back and she's better than ever! Until I took a listen to this one, I had forgotten just how good Jennifer's music could be. Many of the songs on "LOVE?" are reminiscent of some of her earlier stuff, like the fun "Let's Get Loud" or "Waiting for Tonight." The debut single, "On the Floor" takes a sample from the classic "Lambada" and adds a little Pitbull into the mix for an extra-special dose of good, dancing fun, and "Good Hit" is a fast and funky, Latin-flavored song that always gets you moving. Other notable tracks on this one include the catchy "I'm Into You," featuring Lil Wayne, the very melodic "What is Love?," and the dance anthem "Papi." This one's surprisingly good!

So there you have it, my picks for the top five albums of 2011 so far. If you love nice, well-written music that's soothing to the soul, then check out Adele's "21" or Beyonce's "4," or if you love to dance, then Britney Spears' "Femme Fatale," Gaga's "Born This Way," and J-Lo's "LOVE?" are for you.