The Best Music of 2011 - The "Ambies"

Well, 2011 is nearly a wrap and it's time to take a walk down memory lane.  If we were on the 'Board' of an artistic academy (such as for the Grammys), what artists and songs would we nominate for the 'Best of' 2011?

In lieu of an the Academy, Ambient DJs' staff members - as well as several industry friends, opined on their nominees for the "Best of 2011."  Contributing DJs include DJ Iron Mike, DJ Spinz, DJ AllDay, DJ Greg Nice, DJ Brett Gash, DJ Garrett B., DJ Austin, DJ "Stav the Greek," DJ Gill "the Dream" and myself, DJ Gregg Ambient.  Keep in mind that our esteemed academy is based in Central NJ, a land where dance music and hip hop reign, and country music is seldom heard.

Introducing, the categories and nominations for the first annual "Ambie" awards!  Winners are announced at the bottom of the blog.

TOP DANCE SONG OF THE YEAR
1) Party Rock Anthem - LMFAO
2) Give Me Everything Tonight - Pitbull f/Ne-Yo, Nayer and Afrojack
3) Paris - Jay-Z and Kanye West
4) Cinema (Skrillex Remix) - Benny Benassi
5) Barbara Streisand - Duck Sauce

BEST NEW ARTIST
1) Mumford and Sons
2) Foster the People
3) J. Cole
4) Wiz Khalifa
5) Avicii

BEST ALBUM
1) 21 - Adele
2) Watch the Throne - Jay-Z and Kanye West
3) Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites - Skrillex
4) Sorry for Party Rocking - LMFAO
5) Torches - Foster the People

ARTIST OF THE YEAR
1) Pitbull
2) Adele
3) Jay-Z and Kanye West
4) The Black Eyed Peas
5) Chris Brown

BEST HIP HOP/R&B ACT
1) Rick Ross
2) Nicki Minaj
3) Drake
4) Trey Songz
5) Miguel

TOP POP ACT
1) Lady Gaga
2) Katy Perry
3) Rihanna
4) Justin Bieber
5) Bruno Mars

TOP ELECTRONIC ACT
1) Avicii
2) Skrillex
3) David Guetta
4) DeadMau5
5) Afrojack

Based on staff consensus and the executive powers of DJ Gregg Ambient, the winners of the first annual Ambie Awards are shown below!

TOP DANCE SONG OF THE YEAR

Nearly every DJ selected either LMFAO's "Party Rock Anthem" or Pitbull's "Give Me Everything Tonight."  In a very close call, the award goes to "Mr. Worldwide" Pitbull... this track really works crowds into a frenzy!

BEST NEW ARTIST

In a close battle against J. Cole, Mumford & Sons takes the Ambie!



BEST ALBUM

As one DJ commented, Adele's 21 has the best production, vocals and lyrics, and most of us agreed.  The album of the year goes to Adele, and let's hope that her voice problems are resolved soon.

ARTIST OF THE YEAR

And the Ambie goes to..... Jay-Z and Kanye West for their collaboration on "The Throne"  Their music is "provocative and really gets the people going!"



BEST HIP HOP/R&B ACT

Dancefloors could just not get enough of the barks, grunts and boasts of the Teflon Don, aka Ricky Rosay, aka Big Meech - congratulations Rick Ross!



TOP POP ACT

Our DJs were most impressed by the efforts of Rihanna in 2011.  Lady Gaga's latest album was good, but not ground-breaking.  Bruno Mars' charisma and talent should take him far.  Bieber and Perry made us yawn.



TOP ELECTRONIC ACT

As a general comment, electronic dance music made great strides in 2011, breaking through into mainstream radio.  But the biggest break-through artist of them all was Skrillex, best known for his bass-heavy dubstep and electro productions.



Thanks to the Academy!

We look forward to partying with you in 2012!  To learn more about our award-winning DJ services, visit us online at www.ambientdj.com.

To view DJ Gregg Ambient's Top 50 songs of 2011, click here.
To view his 25 Recommended songs for New Year's Eve, click here.

Happy Holidays from DJ Gregg Ambient

Each year I enjoy recording a holiday compilation (unmixed) of favorite tracks.  This year's project is called "Switch the Style Up" which is a double-entendre.  First, this phrase is popular in hip hop parlance.  Second, the compilation features a wide range of styles as seen below.  If you are interested in receiving a free copy of the compilation, please send an email to info@ambientdj.com.  For those friends and wedding vendors who have been good boys and girls this year, keep an eye on your mailboxes!  

TRACK LIST AND LINER NOTES

It would have been easy to throw together the hottest dance songs on the radio and call it a day.  Instead, I selected tracks from many different genres - old and new - most of these songs have, or will stand the test of time due to their quality.  The compilation starts on a mellow note, with the energy building up throughout.  Enjoy!

Marooned - Pink Floyd (Psychedelic Rock).  A mysterious start to any holiday listener.

Falling in Love at a Coffee Shop - Landon Pigg (Acoustic Rock).  A mellow, romantic track used for a Brooklyn hipster wedding in the DUMBO neighborhood.

Pumped Kicks - Foster the People (Alternative Rock).  Enjoy this catchy track by a break-through artist.

Rolling in the Deep - Adele (Retro Soul).  Adele’s voice is huge and soulful.

I Can’t Help It - Michael Jackson (R&B) - Written by Stevie Wonder and Susaye Green of the Supremes, this little known track from the Off the Wall album is wonderful.

Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology) - Marvin Gaye (Soul). While a protest song, Gaye still makes the song sound beautiful, and I love the sax solo.

Body & Soul - Tony Bennett with Amy Winehouse (Crooners & Chanteuses).  Sadly this was the last song that Winehouse recorded before her untimely death. Notice that when Tony & Amy harmonize, Amy takes the lower notes with her sultry voice.

Feeling Good - Michael Buble (Crooners) - Michael Buble was blessed with a perfect voice and is also a great entertainer. Check out the Youtube video where at a concert Buble is heckled by a mother who wants her son to sing onstage.  Buble plays along, cues up this song, and the results may surprise you!

Bossa Nova U.S.A. - Dave Brubeck (Jazz).  Brubeck, now in his early 90s, is one of my favorite jazz pianists.

Spring - Ursula Rucker (electronica) - Philadelphia-based Rucker, best known for her poetry and political activism, showcases her vocal abilities in this moody electronic soundscape.

Dirty Laundry (Tom Middleton’s Balearic Mix) - Bitter:Sweet (Downtempo/Electronica).  The classically-trained DJ/producer Tom Middleton is an all-time favorite, producing lush electronic soundscapes such as this.

Waiting in Vain - Bob Marley (reggae).  One of Marley’s lesser known tracks, it is among his best.

Come See About Me - Diana Ross & the Supremes (Motown).  Fun Motown track.

You Make My Dreams - Hall & Oates (80s).  Hall & Oates are perhaps my favorite 80s act, and this track is a great party starter!

La Vida Es Un Carnaval  - Celia Cruz (Salsa).  The Queen of Salsa, Celia Cruz, was a major talent.  Coincidentally, I performed at a party this past year where the client was the doctor who treated Celia Cruz in her final years here in the U.S.

Audio Drop - Luciana.  Thank you to LA-Based “Super Promoter Extraordinaire Jon Moore” for having Luciana record this drop for me!

I’m Still Hot - Luciana (dance) - “I’ll rock your world... like a DJ”.. thanks Luciana for shouting-out the DJ!

Walking on a Dream - Empire of the Sun (dance).  This catchy song was featured in the movie “Hall Pass”

We Found Love - Rihanna f/Calvin Harris (dance).  Euphoric peak hour jam with Rihanna’s high-def vocals.

Sayonara - Ryuichi Sakamoto (international).  Sayonara of course is the Japanese word for “goodbye”... so goodbye until we meet again in 2012!

To check out DJ Gregg Ambient's Top 50 Dance Tracks of 2011, click here.

Musically yours,

Gregg Hollmann, aka DJ Gregg Ambient
Ambient DJ Service
www.ambientdj.com