RockLists.com

Year-end consensus · Alternative & Modern Rock · 30 countdowns combined

The best alternative rock songs of 2011

30 radio stations and charts published year-end countdowns for 2011: KROQ, 91X, Live 105, WFNX, 89X, CD101, CFNY 102.1 The Edge, The Buzz, 102.7 WEQX, 105.7 The Point, 88.3 The Sting, 89.7 The River, 89.9 WLCA, 90.5 WERG, 94.1 The Zone, 94.3 WCYY, 94.5 The Buzz, 97X, 99 Rock, ALT 104.5, KFMA, KJEE 92.9, KSLG, Rock 93.5, Studio Brussel, WBER, X107.5, X96, Triple J and WBRU. Combining every list, the top alternative rock song of 2011 is “Pumped up Kicks” by Foster The People, which appeared on 25 of the 30 countdowns and was voted number one by 16 of them. 15 different songs were voted number one somewhere: “Pumped Up Kicks” by Foster the People (14 stations), “Sail” by AWOLNATION (3 stations), “Razorblade” by Knux, “Get Some” by Lykke Li and “Up All Night” by blink-182 and others. Foo Fighters was the year’s most-charted artist, with five different songs placing 74 times across the countdowns.

30countdowns
765songs charted
15different #1s

Top 100 songs of 2011

All 765 songs →

Ranked by combined points across every 2011 year-end countdown in this format. How it works.

# Song Strength Lists Best #1s
1 Pumped up Kicks Foster The People
2,460		 25 #1 16
2 Rope Foo Fighters
2,224		 28 #1 1
3 Walk Foo Fighters
2,204		 27 #1 1
4 Sail AWOLNATION
2,052		 24 #1 3
5 The Adventures of Rain Dance Maggie Red Hot Chili Peppers
1,907		 26 #3 –
6 Shake Me Down Cage The Elephant
1,732		 20 #2 –
7 Up All Night blink-182
1,707		 24 #1 1
8 You are a Tourist Death Cab for Cutie
1,670		 25 #3 –
9 Howlin' for You The Black Keys
1,666		 22 #1 1
10 Changing The Airborne Toxic Event
1,594		 22 #2 –
11 Help Is On The Way Rise Against
1,585		 21 #3 –
12 Young Blood Naked and Famous
1,534		 20 #2 –
13 My Body Young the Giant
1,516		 21 #3 –
14 Helena Beat Foster The People
1,447		 22 #6 –
15 The Sound Of Winter Bush
1,395		 19 #2 –
16 Cough Syrup Young the Giant
1,382		 20 #3 –
17 Whirring Joy Formidable
1,354		 19 #4 –
18 Paradise Coldplay
1,332		 23 #8 –
19 Lonely Boy The Black Keys
1,316		 23 #2 –
20 Adolescents Incubus
1,309		 22 #8 –
21 The Cave Mumford & Sons
1,270		 16 #1 1
22 Irresistable Force Jane's Addiction
1,216		 23 #8 –
23 Panic Sublime with Rome
1,192		 19 #7 –
24 Every Teardrop is a Waterfall Coldplay
1,188		 21 #4 –
25 Sunset in July 311
1,109		 18 #16 –
26 Make Some Noise Beastie Boys
1,079		 24 #11 –
27 Rolling in the Deep Adele
1,044		 14 #2 –
28 Long Time Cake
1,020		 19 #9 –
29 Promise, Promises Incubus
1,002		 18 #15 –
30 Roll Away Your Stone Mumford & Sons
1,000		 18 #2 –
31 Country Song Seether
959		 14 #6 –
32 Dark Horses Switchfoot
923		 16 #11 –
33 Under Cover of Darkness The Strokes
898		 18 #10 –
34 Colours Grouplove
871		 16 #6 –
35 Waiting For The End Linkin Park
860		 12 #3 –
36 Around My Head Cage The Elephant
840		 19 #13 –
37 New Low Middle Class Rut
839		 12 #3 –
38 Punching in a Dream Naked and Famous
810		 14 #5 –
39 Shake It Out Florence And The Machine
781		 14 #7 –
40 Aberdeen Cage The Elephant
771		 17 #7 –
41 This Is Why We Fight The Decemberists
745		 14 #2 –
42 Tonight Seether
723		 12 #7 –
43 Sick Of You Cake
707		 11 #4 –
44 After Midnight blink-182
700		 18 #14 –
45 So Far Away Avenged Sevenfold
677		 11 #4 –
46 Face to the Floor Chevelle
674		 14 #20 –
47 Make It Stop Rise Against
672		 10 #5 –
48 Not Again Staind
667		 12 #11 –
49 All I Ever Wanted The Airborne Toxic Event
656		 15 #18 –
50 What You Know Two Door Cinema Club
653		 12 #3 –
51 Riptide Sick Puppies
615		 9 #5 –
52 Busy Being Born Middle Class Rut
612		 11 #4 –
53 Make It Stop (september's Children) Rise Against
609		 10 #6 –
54 These Days Foo Fighters
606		 16 #24 –
55 What You Want Evanescence
603		 13 #26 –
56 We Used to Wait The Arcade Fire
596		 10 #7 –
57 Machine Gun Blues Social Distortion
578		 13 #5 –
58 Junk of the Heart (Happy) The Kooks
561		 14 #14 –
59 Monarchy of Roses Red Hot Chili Peppers
560		 14 #28 –
60 Lotus Flower Radiohead
529		 12 #18 –
61 Iridescent Linkin Park
511		 12 #28 –
62 Get it Daddy Sleeper Agent
499		 12 #14 –
63 Tighten Up The Black Keys
497		 9 #10 –
64 Holdin' on to Black Metal My Morning Jacket
487		 9 #19 –
65 Old Man Redlight King
487		 11 #12 –
66 Lost In You Three Days Grace
484		 9 #6 –
67 The Ballad of Mona Lisa Panic! at the Disco
471		 11 #3 –
68 All I Want A Day To Remember
471		 12 #13 –
69 Sing My Chemical Romance
460		 10 #16 –
70 If I Had a Gun... Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds
449		 12 #21 –
71 Get Up Korn
448		 8 #2 –
72 Pyro Kings of Leon
435		 9 #18 –
73 Little Lion Man Mumford & Sons
434		 7 #7 –
74 I Get By Everlast
430		 9 #18 –
75 People Say Portugal. The Man
426		 10 #18 –
76 Monster Paramore
426		 13 #9 –
77 Take It or Leave It Sublime with Rome
411		 10 #18 –
78 Not Your Fault AWOLNATION
411		 12 #8 –
79 Moneygrabber Fitz and the Tantrums
403		 6 #12 –
80 We Are Young fun.
400		 7 #3 –
81 Hear Me Now Hollywood Undead
400		 7 #9 –
82 Stay Young, Go Dancing Death Cab for Cutie
396		 10 #28 –
83 Midnight City M83
379		 9 #5 –
84 Burn Papa Roach
378		 8 #8 –
85 Got It All (This Can't Be Living Now) Portugal. The Man
378		 8 #22 –
86 Fix Me 10 Years
374		 7 #1 1
87 Under and Over It Five Finger Death Punch
370		 7 #17 –
88 Welcome to the Family Avenged Sevenfold
344		 7 #14 –
89 What the Water Gave Me Florence And The Machine
343		 7 #11 –
90 Bulletproof Heart My Chemical Romance
338		 9 #39 –
91 The Chills Blue October
338		 8 #24 –
92 Will Do TV on the Radio
332		 7 #5 –
93 Screaming Bloody Murder Sum 41
320		 7 #2 –
94 Blood Pressure Mutemath
319		 12 #5 –
95 Somebody That I Used To Know Gotye
300		 6 #1 1
96 Undisclosed Desires Muse
294		 7 #9 –
97 Next Girl The Black Keys
287		 5 #22 –
98 LowLife Theory of a Deadman
282		 7 #29 –
99 Block after Block Matt And Kim
281		 5 #17 –
100 Two Against One Danger Mouse & Daniele Luppi
280		 5 #27 –

Every station’s number one of 2011

StationNumber one songCountdown
KROQ Pumped Up Kicks Foster the People KROQ Top 30 Songs of 2011
91X Razorblade Knux 91X Top 91 Songs of 2011
Live 105 Get Some Lykke Li Live 105 Top 50 Songs That Didn't Suck in 2011
WFNX Pumped Up Kicks Foster the People WFNX Top 101 Songs of 2011
89X Up All Night blink-182 89X Top 89 Songs of 2011
CD101 Howlin' for You Black Keys CD101 Top 102 Songs of 2011
CFNY 102.1 The Edge Pumped Up Kicks Foster the People 102.1 The Edge Top 102 Songs of 2011
The Buzz Rope Foo Fighters The Buzz Top 99 Songs of 2011
102.7 WEQX Pumped Up Kicks Foster The People WEQX Top 102.7 of 2011
105.7 The Point Fix Me 10 Years 105.7 The Point Top 105 Songs of 2011
88.3 The Sting New Low Middle Class Rut 88.3 The Sting WBWC Top 88 Songs of 2011
89.7 The River Pumped Up Kicks Foster The People 89.7 The River Top 89 of 2011
89.9 WLCA Pumped Up Kicks Foster The People WLCA Top 89 of 2011
90.5 WERG Pumped-Up Kicks Foster the People WERG Top 90 of 2011
94.1 The Zone Sail AWOLNATION 94.1 The Zone Most Played Songs of 2011
94.3 WCYY Pumped Up Kicks Foster The People WCYY Top 50 Songs of 2011
94.5 The Buzz Shameful Metaphors Chevelle 94.5 The Buzz Top 94 of 2011
97X The Cave Mumford & Sons 97X Top 97 of 2011
99 Rock Levitate Hollywood Undead 99Rock WFRD Top 99 of 2011
ALT 104.5 Pumped Up Kicks Foster The People Radio 104.5 Top 50.5 Songs of 2011
KFMA Sail AWOLNATION KFMA Top 50 Songs of 2011
KJEE 92.9 Pumped Up Kicks Foster The People KJEE Top 92 Songs of 2011
KSLG Pumped Up Kicks Foster The People KSLG Top 94 Slugtracks of 2011
Rock 93.5 Sail AWOLNATION Rock 93.5 WARQ Top 93 of 2011
Studio Brussel Walk Foo Fighters Studio Brussel De Eindafrekening 2011
WBER Pumped Up Kicks Foster The People WBER Listener Countdown 2011
X107.5 Sound of Winter Bush X107.5 Top 50 Songs That Didn't Suck 2011
X96 Pumped Up Kicks Foster the People X96 Top 50 Songs of 2011
Triple J Somebody That I Used to Know Gotye featuring Kimbra Triple J Hottest 100 of 2011
WBRU Pumped Up Kicks Foster The People WBRU Top 95.5 Songs of 2011

All 2011 countdowns in this ranking

About the 2011 ranking

Radio stations count down their listeners’ favorite songs at the end of every year. Each station’s list reflects its own audience, so a song that ruled Los Angeles could miss the top ten in Chicago. To find the songs that defined 2011 everywhere, RockLists gives every appearance percentile-based points (a number one earns 100, the last position earns close to zero) and adds them up across all 30 qualifying countdowns. Each radio format is ranked separately, so classic rock and hard rock countdowns never shift the alternative results; use the tabs above to switch formats. Read the full methodology.