Best known as a music store, the iTunes pick for artist of the year is Adele, the 23-year-old British phenom whose soulful voice and poetic lyrics bring chills to any listener. After one listen to the hit song “Someone Like You” there will be no question as to why she was also named Billboard’s Artist of the Year and has sold nearly 13 million copies of her sophomore album “21” worldwide.
For album of the year, the selection is “Wasting Light” by Foo Fighters. Debuting at number one on the Billboard charts, the album is the band’s first number one record and has earned an astounding six Grammy nominations. And with the surging popularity of electronic dance music in North America, for song of the year a good track to check out is “Levels” by the Swedish producer of house music, Avicii.
In the category of movies, without a doubt one of the top films of 2011 was ‘Bridesmaids.’ Therefore it’s no surprise to see it listed as this year’s best comedy. When teamed up with SNL alumna Maya Rudolph, Kristin Wiig delivers a brilliant two hours that leaves you laughing even during the “serious” parts.
The next pick worth mentioning takes the title of best indie film. With over 40 films to his credit, Woody Allen’s ‘Midnight in Paris’ has received critical acclaim and is considered to be one of his best works in over a decade.
For those who grew up with the Harry Potter books, the blockbuster conclusion to the film series, ‘Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2,’ is a fitting end that’s well-directed and well-acted. It’s a must see for those wishing to bid Harry Potter & Co. a proper adieu.
For eBooks, the top seller is Kathryn Stockett’s ‘The Help,’ but the year’s best novel belongs to Téa Obreht for ‘The Tiger’s Wife.’ At just 25, Ms. Obreht is the youngest winner of the prestigious Orange Prize for Fiction and is a National Book Award finalist. And for those looking for a taste of American history, a top nonfiction pick is ‘Destiny of the Republic’ by Candace Millard. In this work, Millard breathes life and excitement into the history of a forgotten president, James. A. Garfield.
In television, there are two Emmy winners worth watching: ‘Modern Family’ and ‘The Big Bang Theory.‘ The two hit comedies have won for Outstanding Comedy Series and Outstanding Lead Actor respectively. For best drama, the choice is ‘Breaking Bad.’ Sadly, the critically acclaimed series about a dying man working to secure his family’s financial future has only 16 episodes left.
The app of the year is a social networking app called Instagram which lets users share photos the way Twitter shares 140 characters. For game of the year, the honor goes to Tiny Tower, an excellent game of resources and time management as players work to build tiny societies, and a fun runner-up is Touchgrind BMX which turns your index finger into an X games pro-athlete.
So if you’re looking for Christmas gift ideas or to treat yourself to what the best 2011 has to offer, checking out iTunes Rewind is highly recommended. You can trust the advice of the iTunes staff or follow the lead of the millions of iTunes users and make a selection from the top sellers list. Either way, you can rest assured that your selection will be money well-spent.