Last year was an interesting year for music. It saw the release of Lady Gaga’s so-called “masterpiece” album “Born This Way” which turned out to be anything but. Nickelback also released their newest album, again making me ask myself what a band like that is doing still making music. Still, there were some highlights in 2011 that made music enjoyable. The year saw the emergence of Adele as one of the foremost artists in the business and it also pushed Mumford and Sons front and center. However, for me, 2011 was overall a pretty weak year for music in general. Still, there were some standout songs and artists that helped make the year at least somewhat enjoyable. Here is my look back at the year in music.

Adele: It seems that nearly everybody has been turned on to this songstress in the past year and it is for good reason. Adele has the most distinctive voice in music today and I absolutely love her soulful style. I highly advise that everyone give her album “21” a full listen as each song is completely different. I cannot stand artists that are stuck producing songs with only one sound, which gives me reason to love Adele. While it is easy to spot her voice, she often uses a different style in each of her songs. “Someone Like You” is an affective ballad about love lost, while “Rumor Has It” is a wonderfully upbeat, more soulful song. I was unaware that Adele had won the Grammy for Best New Artist in 2009, but from her continued great work last year it is clear to see why.

Mat Kearney: Matt Kearney is another artist that I had heard little from before 2011. I enjoyed his single “Nothing Left to Lose” when it was released in 2006 but that’s the extent to which I listened to him. Kearney’s fourth album “Young Love,” released in 2011, turned out to be one of the best albums of the year. Rarely can I sit down and listen through an album in its entirety and love every song, but that happened with Kearney