Daveportivo's Cultural Evaluation Facility

Drake almost got lost in 2010. He had so much hype coming into the year, and despite delivering a sublime album he found himself overshadowed by Kanye's pop masterpiece and Big Boi's master class in progressive hip hop. Regardless, Drake's contribution should not be over looked, and "Over" is a classic example of what he does best. The track is loaded with attitude, has plentiful style and light but still impressive production. Drake is left to take centre stage and he flourishes in the glare of spot life with a self assured verse and one of the coolest choruses of the year, after all who doesn't like snarling "who the fuck are y'all"?

The Final Frontier saw Madien trying to push forward and evolve without sacrificing their core song structure. The results were certainly mixed but the surprisingly contemporary "When The Wind Blows" caught Maiden at the top of their post-80s game with a tender ballad that possessed the waltzing quality of Dance Of Death but with thoroughly contemporary and meaningful lyricism. It was great to hear Maiden taking the role of spokes person for a generation; showing the benefit of age they manage to sound sage and yet still engaged. No folklore, no myth, no metaphor this was Bruce Dickenson speaking plainly and creating a rich and immediate narrative. More of the same please boys.

The Suburbs was always going to be one of the years most anticipated releases and to wet our appetites Win unleashed a double A-side single. "Month Of May" was a snarling assault on scenesters that saw Arcade Fire offering their take on the Ramones and the riff heavy rock of QOSTA. Of course, they're take was a little quirky but it added a short, sharp and almost lo-fi edge to their big band arsenal. While "The Suburbs" set the scene for the forthcoming album. A charming suburban waltz layered with overwrought emotion (check the "send me a son" verse if you don't believe me). It plinks and it plonks as Win marries reflection to depression via brief bursts of escapism as he revisits his past and the lives of so many others. The track has a soothing mythical air and as a one two punch "The Suburbs/Month Of May" proved irresistible.

MCR gave up the ghost in 2010 and just decided to have a damn good time and the handclap filled, Sweet meets the Ramones stomp of "Vampire Money" characterized their new riotous and gloriously camp approach. "Well...3...2...1...We Came To Fuck, Let's All Party Till The Gas Man Comes" sums the whole affair; shameless thrills delivered with an ironic wink and a blown kiss. Chaos will undoubtedly ensue when they unleash this blast of frivolous punk bombast on next summer's festival crowds whether they're reluctant or not.

Picking just one track to represent Sleigh Bell's incredible art house bluster and their 2010 run of storming singles was nearly impossible; but when push came to shove I threw my weight behind "Tell 'em". It has all the Sleigh Bells trade marks; a sky scraper sized beat, a soaring riff, thunderous hand claps, a intoxicating cheerleader style string of vocals and a juddering sea soaring final riff. Then of course just when you think they've pulled out every trick in their arsenal an arpegiated synth line comes floating in. All these elements shouldn't work, it should be a nightmare but it's not, to put it as succinctly as possible: it's fucking cool.

Halcyon Digest was a sublime start to finish work and it feels wrong pulling a single track way from among its album mates but alas I had to make a choice and "Basement Scene" felt like the perfect representative. Chilled, dreamy, infinitely hummable and full of pithy endearing lyricism it captures Bradford Cox at his best. Creating music that shimmers and intoxicates the listener by creating an atmosphere and a sonic landscape for his audience to get lost within. "Basement Scene" may just be the most soothing melancholy ever committed to record. This is a record that transports you onto it's dreamlike plane, and that takes a special kind of talent.

If you haven't gathered by now, then I'll just have to tell you, Rihanna owned pop music in 2010. Not just with insanely catchy beats, but with brave arrangements, sassy character and a genuine charm. "S&M" saw Rihanna put slick R'n'B to one side and offer up a slice of driving, tub thumping power pop. The track just trusts forward relentlessly, and by being slightly retrospective and picking the best bits of electro-pop in the last decade she avoids feeling tired and scene like so many of her contemporaries. Oh and it of course it helps when you have a divinely sexy chorus: "I May Be Bad, But I'm Perfectly Good At It, Sex In The Air, I Love The Smell Of It, Sticks And Stones May Break My Bones But Chains And Whips Exite Me."

2010 saw Interpol giving up the pop ghost and returning to grim faced emotive gloom. While at times it felt tired in other moments it ignited as on the haunting lead single "Lights". Paul Banks stands out alone against a spacious soundscape and delivers a rich and stirring lead vocal performance punctuated by heart breaking cries of "That's Why I Hold You Dear". It may have felt too late in the day but it recalled the mood and emotion first approach of their stunning debut Turn On The Bright Lights. The track spirals away, it doesn't aim to please, it doesn't aim for the charts it simply immersed in it's own deeply personal moment.

Question: How do you make a great track even greater?

Answer: Add Robert Smith.

Robert Smith was initially impressed by Alice Glass and Ethan Kath when they supported the Cure on their NME awards show big gig at the O2 Arena. They seemed like an unlikely pairing sonically, but the aesthetic connection was always there. That being said I doubt anyone expected their collaboration would work this well; creating one of the winter's biggest indie disco hits and giving Crystal Castles the smooth emotive face they've always lacked (even if they didn't necessarily need one). A wonderful example of what can happen when two distinct but infinitely creative generations come together.

"Tightrope" saw the collision of two of 2010's biggest creative forces, but let's face it, for all his talents Janelle totally blew Big Boi out of the water. Monae is relentless it feels as though she is hunting down the beat, staying insatiably on edge, always driving forward. Big Boi for his part is smooth as silk providing a slower change of pace. That statement alone should give you an idea of just how on it Janelle is. "Tightrope" almost feels like a stream of consciousness as Monae rocks from one random thought and one internalized conversation to another over a fun and thrilling arrangement that marries bursting jazz energies to sexy soul and propulsive pop. Utterly irresistible.