MSN Music
This year's poll of single songs changed the ground rules to reflect the
ongoing digital sea change in how fans consume music: A la carte downloads,
social recommendations, playlists and the rise of cloud services rival
commercial radio as ways to discover new music, while the earlier distinction
between full-length albums and singles is splintered by EPs, mixtapes and
remixes that further diversify listener choices.
MSN's critics and staff thus looked not just at official single releases but
at any compelling song that grabbed their attention over the course of the year,
whether stitched into a friend's shared playlist, uncovered in a personalized
online audio stream or unearthed as a bonus track or alternate mix. The results?
While the top half of our final 10 does celebrate bona fide hits, the bottom
half offers some surprises in the new faces featured and the familiar ones
missed.
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