Rap-Up’s 10 Best Songs of 2011

Familiar faces, breakout stars, and Young Money dominated the charts in 2011. We scoured our playlists and Spotify when looking back on the past year in hip-hop and R&B, and finally narrowed it down to 10 songs that had us pushing play over and over again.

Drake ignited a plethora of remixes with “Marvin’s Room,” including a standout version from JoJo that rivaled the original. Nicki Minaj had everyone from Taylor Swift to eight-year-old British girls singing along to her Pink Friday hit “Super Bass.” Rihanna found love in a hopeless place and at the top of the Billboard Hot 100, Chris Brown made a triumphant return with “Look at Me Now,” and Jay-Z and Kanye West gave Paris a new anthem.

We count down our 10 favorite songs of the past year.

10. “Swim Good” – Frank Ocean
9. “Party” – Beyoncé feat. André 3000
8. “I’m on One” – DJ Khaled feat. Drake, Rick Ross, & Lil Wayne
7. “Marvin’s Room” – Drake/JoJo
6. “Motivation” – Kelly Rowland feat. Lil Wayne
5. “My Last” – Big Sean feat. Chris Brown
4. “Look at Me Now” – Chris Brown feat. Busta Rhymes & Lil Wayne
3. “Super Bass” – Nicki Minaj
2. “We Found Love” – Rihanna feat. Calvin Harris
1. “Ni**as in Paris” – Jay-Z & Kanye West

What were your favorite songs of 2011? Share your picks below.