2011 was a pretty crazy year. There were happy times, such as the marriage of Prince William and Catherine Middleton, and there were sad times, such as the passing of Apple co-founder Steve Jobs. Another newsworthy phenomenon was the rise of dance music in the United States. The genre really took off in 2011 and this is reflected in the amount of great music that was released in that 12-month span.
In order to pay homage to the fantastic tunes that were released 5 years ago and celebrate the year 2016, we’ve compiled a list of our 16 favorite songs from 2011. The list features classics from Skrillex, Above & Beyond, Avicii and more. With all this in mind, it’s time to sit back, press play on these timeless tunes and let the nostalgia take over.
Swedish House Mafia – Save The World
Release Date: May 13th, 2011
YouTube Views At Time Of Writing: 88,014,192
Fun Fact: “Save The World” received a Grammy nomination for Best Dance Recording.
deadmau5 – Raise Your Weapon
Release Date: May 23rd, 2011
YouTube Views At Time Of Writing: 47,324,150
Fun Fact: deadmau5 performed the song at the 54th Grammy Awards.
Rihanna – We Found Love ft. Calvin Harris
YouTube Views At Time Of Writing: 562,270,577
Fun Fact: “We Found Love” has sold over 10 millions copies worldwide, with over 5 million coming from the United States alone.
Avicii – Levels
Release Date: July 28th, 2011
YouTube Views At Time Of Writing: 196,391,823
Fun Fact: Pretty Lights used the same Etta James sample in his 2006 hit “Finally Moving”.
Nero – Promises
Release Date: August 5th, 2011
YouTube Views At Time Of Writing: 30,418,132
Fun Fact: “Promises” debuted at #1 on the UK Singles Chart.
Sandro Silva & Quintino – Epic
Release Date: October 3rd, 2011
YouTube Views At Time Of Writing: 18,735,814
Fun Fact: Infamous ghost producer Maarten Vorwerk is credited as a writer and producer on “Epic”.
Nadia Ali, Starkillers & Alex Kenji – Pressure (Alesso Remix)
Release Date: May 16th, 2011
YouTube Views At Time Of Writing: 7,219,003
Fun Fact: Kaskade described this song as the “tune of 2011”.
Benny Benassi ft. Gary Go – Cinema (Skrillex Remix)
Release Date: March 30th, 2011
YouTube Views At Time Of Writing: 6,207,865
Fun Fact: Skrillex won the Grammy Award for Best Remixed Recording, Non-Classical at the 54th Grammy Awards thanks to this jam.
Tiësto & Hardwell – Zero 76
Release Date: February 7th, 2011
YouTube Views At Time Of Writing: 6,207,865
Fun Fact: ‘076’ is the area code of Breda, the Dutch town that Tiësto and Hardwell call home.
Madeon – Pop Culture
Release Date: July 11th, 2011
YouTube Views At Time Of Writing: 32,748,127
Fun Fact: Madeon samples 39 songs in this incredible live mashup.
Bingo Players – Cry (Just A Little)
Release Date: May 18th, 2011
YouTube Views At Time Of Writing: 18,052,043
Fun Fact: Bingo Players had another massive hit in 2011 with “Rattle”.
Knife Party – Internet Friends
Release Date: December 12th, 2011
YouTube Views At Time Of Writing: 7,857,303
Fun Fact: “Internet Friends” was initially a free download.
Above & Beyond feat. Richard Bedford – Sun & Moon
Release Date: March 20th, 2011
YouTube Views At Time Of Writing: 11,873,043
Fun Fact: “Sun & Moon” was the lead single from Above & Beyond’s 2011 album Group Therapy.
Steve Aoki & Laidback Luke ft. Lil Jon – Turbulence
Release Date: May 14th, 2011
YouTube Views At Time Of Writing: 65,276,102
Fun Fact: “Turbulence” was used as the official goal song for the Toronto Maple Leafs of the NHL.
Ellie Goulding – Lights (Bassnectar Remix)
Release Date: May 23rd, 2011
YouTube Views At Time Of Writing: 23,237,953
Fun Fact: This remix can be found on Bassnectar’s 2011 album Divergent Spectrum.
Nicky Romero – Toulouse
Release Date: December 19th, 2011
YouTube Views At Time Of Writing: 281,676,098
Fun Fact: After the success of “Toulouse”, MTV named Romero an ‘EDM Artist To Watch’ in 2012.
Did we miss any? Let us know your favorite song from 2011 in the comments!