RockLists.com

Year-end consensus · All Rock Formats · 44 countdowns combined

The best rock songs of 2011

44 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, 103.1 The River, 105.7 The Point, 106.1 The Corner, 107.1 The Peak, 88.3 The Sting, 89.7 The River, 89.9 WLCA, 90.5 WERG, 92.3 WTTS, 93XRT, 94.1 The Zone, 94.3 WCYY, 94.5 The Buzz, 97X, 98KUPD, 99 Rock, ALT 104.5, Exit 97.7, KFMA, KFOG, KJEE 92.9, KSLG, Lightning 100, Rock 93.5, Studio Brussel, WBER, WFUV, WRNR 103.1, WRSI 93.9 The River, WTMD, WXPN, X107.5, X96, Triple J and WBRU. Combining every list, the top rock song of 2011 is “Pumped up Kicks” by Foster The People, which appeared on 38 of the 44 countdowns and was voted number one by 18 of them. 21 different songs were voted number one somewhere: “Pumped Up Kicks” by Foster the People (16 stations), “Rolling in the Deep” by Adele (7 stations), “Sail” by AWOLNATION (3 stations), “Razorblade” by Knux and “Get Some” by Lykke Li and others. Foster The People was the year’s most-charted artist, with six different songs placing 85 times across the countdowns.

44countdowns
1,122songs charted
21different #1s

Top 100 songs of 2011

All 1,122 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
3,674		 38 #1 18
2 Rope Foo Fighters
2,489		 32 #1 1
3 The Adventures of Rain Dance Maggie Red Hot Chili Peppers
2,475		 34 #3 –
4 Walk Foo Fighters
2,427		 32 #1 1
5 You are a Tourist Death Cab for Cutie
2,385		 34 #3 –
6 Rolling in the Deep Adele
2,228		 26 #1 7
7 Howlin' for You The Black Keys
2,171		 29 #1 1
8 Lonely Boy The Black Keys
2,149		 36 #1 1
9 Sail AWOLNATION
2,052		 24 #1 3
10 Paradise Coldplay
1,984		 34 #8 –
11 Every Teardrop is a Waterfall Coldplay
1,951		 32 #4 –
12 Shake Me Down Cage The Elephant
1,794		 21 #2 –
13 Changing The Airborne Toxic Event
1,765		 26 #2 –
14 The Cave Mumford & Sons
1,755		 22 #1 1
15 Up All Night blink-182
1,707		 24 #1 1
16 Help Is On The Way Rise Against
1,585		 21 #3 –
17 My Body Young the Giant
1,568		 22 #3 –
18 Young Blood Naked and Famous
1,534		 20 #2 –
19 Cough Syrup Young the Giant
1,530		 22 #3 –
20 Helena Beat Foster The People
1,520		 24 #6 –
21 Roll Away Your Stone Mumford & Sons
1,494		 25 #2 –
22 The Sound Of Winter Bush
1,411		 20 #2 –
23 Whirring Joy Formidable
1,354		 19 #4 –
24 Adolescents Incubus
1,347		 23 #8 –
25 This Is Why We Fight The Decemberists
1,341		 24 #2 –
26 Shake It Out Florence And The Machine
1,317		 21 #3 –
27 Irresistable Force Jane's Addiction
1,239		 24 #8 –
28 Panic Sublime with Rome
1,216		 20 #7 –
29 Rumor Has It Adele
1,185		 16 #3 –
30 Long Time Cake
1,159		 22 #9 –
31 Holdin' on to Black Metal My Morning Jacket
1,117		 19 #5 –
32 Moneygrabber Fitz and the Tantrums
1,115		 15 #3 –
33 Sunset in July 311
1,109		 18 #16 –
34 Under Cover of Darkness The Strokes
1,088		 22 #10 –
35 Someone like You Adele
1,086		 14 #2 –
36 Make Some Noise Beastie Boys
1,080		 25 #11 –
37 Promise, Promises Incubus
1,057		 21 #15 –
38 Country Song Seether
1,052		 15 #6 –
39 Down By The Water The Decemberists
1,031		 15 #8 –
40 Waiting For The End Linkin Park
938		 14 #3 –
41 Dark Horses Switchfoot
923		 16 #11 –
42 Lost In My Mind The Head and the Heart
896		 14 #4 –
43 Colours Grouplove
871		 16 #6 –
44 Lucky Now Ryan Adams
845		 13 #6 –
45 Around My Head Cage The Elephant
840		 19 #13 –
46 New Low Middle Class Rut
839		 12 #3 –
47 Windows Are Rolled Down Amos Lee
825		 13 #1 2
48 Lotus Flower Radiohead
819		 18 #13 –
49 I Might Wilco
818		 14 #8 –
50 Helplessness Blues Fleet Foxes
817		 12 #5 –
51 Punching in a Dream Naked and Famous
810		 14 #5 –
52 Tonight Seether
795		 13 #7 –
53 Aberdeen Cage The Elephant
771		 17 #7 –
54 Not Again Staind
756		 13 #11 –
55 Junk of the Heart (Happy) The Kooks
756		 19 #14 –
56 Sick Of You Cake
751		 13 #4 –
57 Calamity Song The Decemberists
736		 14 #6 –
58 So Far Away Avenged Sevenfold
731		 12 #4 –
59 Face to the Floor Chevelle
729		 15 #20 –
60 Little Lion Man Mumford & Sons
702		 10 #2 –
61 After Midnight blink-182
700		 18 #14 –
62 These Days Foo Fighters
697		 18 #24 –
63 Will Do TV on the Radio
696		 14 #5 –
64 Riptide Sick Puppies
692		 10 #5 –
65 Tree by the River Iron and Wine
680		 12 #9 –
66 Dog Days Are Over Florence And The Machine
673		 11 #3 –
67 Make It Stop Rise Against
672		 10 #5 –
68 All I Ever Wanted The Airborne Toxic Event
656		 15 #18 –
69 What You Know Two Door Cinema Club
653		 12 #3 –
70 We Used to Wait The Arcade Fire
644		 11 #7 –
71 Monarchy of Roses Red Hot Chili Peppers
625		 17 #28 –
72 Busy Being Born Middle Class Rut
612		 11 #4 –
73 Stay Young, Go Dancing Death Cab for Cutie
610		 18 #28 –
74 Make It Stop (september's Children) Rise Against
609		 10 #6 –
75 The Walk Mayer Hawthorne
608		 10 #12 –
76 What You Want Evanescence
603		 13 #26 –
77 Machine Gun Blues Social Distortion
601		 14 #5 –
78 Faster Matt Nathanson
598		 8 #6 –
79 Got It All (This Can't Be Living Now) Portugal. The Man
579		 13 #22 –
80 Barton Hollow The Civil Wars
575		 10 #11 –
81 Tighten Up The Black Keys
572		 12 #10 –
82 Sing My Chemical Romance
560		 12 #16 –
83 Lost In You Three Days Grace
542		 10 #6 –
84 Get Up Korn
542		 9 #2 –
85 Pyro Kings of Leon
529		 13 #18 –
86 If I Had a Gun... Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds
512		 13 #21 –
87 Iridescent Linkin Park
511		 12 #28 –
88 Get it Daddy Sleeper Agent
499		 12 #14 –
89 She Walks in So Many Ways The Jayhawks
492		 10 #16 –
90 How Come You Never Go There Feist
488		 10 #12 –
91 Old Man Redlight King
487		 11 #12 –
92 Hear Me Now Hollywood Undead
483		 8 #9 –
93 Midnight City M83
480		 11 #5 –
94 Burn Papa Roach
476		 9 #3 –
95 Called Out In The Dark Snow Patrol
475		 11 #13 –
96 Somebody That I Used To Know Gotye
472		 8 #1 1
97 The Ballad of Mona Lisa Panic! at the Disco
471		 11 #3 –
98 All I Want A Day To Remember
471		 12 #13 –
99 Calgary Bon Iver
470		 11 #25 –
100 The Afterlife Paul Simon
467		 8 #8 –

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
103.1 The River Pumped Up Kicks Foster The People 103.1 The River Top 103 of 2011
105.7 The Point Fix Me 10 Years 105.7 The Point Top 105 Songs of 2011
106.1 The Corner Rolling in the Deep Adele 106.1 The Corner Top 107 of 2011
107.1 The Peak Rolling In The Deep Adele WXPK Top 107 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
92.3 WTTS Pyro Kings of Leon WTTS Top 50 Songs of 2011
93XRT Rolling In The Deep Adele WXRT Listener Poll: Top 25 Songs 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
98KUPD Blame It On The Boom Boom Black Stone Cherry 98KUPD Top 98 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
Exit 97.7 Rolling in the Deep Adele WEXT Top 97 of 2011
KFMA Sail AWOLNATION KFMA Top 50 Songs of 2011
KFOG Rolling in the Deep Adele KFOG Foghead Favorites 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
Lightning 100 Windows are Rolled Down Amos Lee Lightning 100 Best 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
WFUV Rolling In The Deep Adele WFUV Top 90 Songs of 2011
WRNR 103.1 Lonely Boy The Black Keys WRNR Top 103.1 Songs of 2011
WRSI 93.9 The River Need You By My Side Sun Parade WRSI Top 93 Songs of 2011
WTMD Rolling In The Deep Adele WTMD Top 89 Songs of 2011
WXPN Pumped Up Kicks Foster The People WXPN Year in Review: Top 100 Songs of 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 44 qualifying countdowns. This ranking combines every rock format on the site. Read the full methodology.