Our pop peers over at UK music site PopJustice unveiled their picks for the Top 33 Albums and the Top 45 Singles of 2011, and their lists offer both the familiar and the fresh — Lady Gaga’s Born This Way topped their album picks, while Martin Solveig’s collaboration with Dragonette on “Hello” was their favorite tune from 2011. Their taste is heavy on dance tracks and larger than life melodies, so if your heart beats pure pop, you’ll be pleased with these picks, especially if you crave some tunes yet undiscovered here in The States. Top 10 for both lists below. 

The pop music site likens the sight of Gaga attempting to enter a car whilst wearing a ridiculously large hat in her “Marry The Night” video as a metaphor for her whole album: “Born This Way was the sound of someone trying to force a massive hat into a tiny car. It is a sprawling, ambitious album that shouted to be heard when everyone was already listening, but no other album in 2011 tried quite this hard to be amazing, and no other album succeeded in as many ways.”

We have quite a bit in common with PopJustice, as we named Gaga’s opus as one of our favorite LPs from the last year. (Albums from Will Young, The Sound Of Arrows and Britney Spears also landed on Idolator’s year-end list.)

PopJustice didn’t include write-ups for anyone on their Top Albums list other than Gaga, so you’ll have to tweet them directly to inquire about their adoration for Rihanna’s Talk That Talk and Nicole Scherzinger’s Killer Love. (Good for Nicole that her album was officially released somewhere in the world.)

POPJUSTICE’S TOP 10 ALBUMS OF 2011

1. Lady Gaga, Born This Way
2. Will Young, Echoes
3. The Sound of Arrows, Voyage
4. Sophie Ellis-Bextor, Make A Scene
5. Susan Boyle, Someone To Watch Over Me
6. Pnau, Soft Universe
7. Nicola Roberts, Cinderella’s Eyes
8. Rihanna, Talk That Talk
9. Britney Spears, Femme Fatale
10. Nicole Scherzinger, Killer Love

Head here to read the full list of their Top 33 Albums of 2011.

POPJUSTICE’S TOP 10 SINGLES OF 2011

1. Martin Solveig feat. Dragonette, “Hello”
2. Lady Gaga, “Judas”
3. Eric Saade, “Popular”
4. Katy Perry, “Last Friday Night (TGIF)”
5. Rihanna feat. Calvin Harris, “We Found Love”
6. Amanda Nair, “Doubt”
7. Olly Murs feat Rizzle Kicks, “Heart Skips A Beat”
8. Lady Gaga, “Edge Of Glory”
9. The Saturdays, “All Fired Up”
10. Will Young, “Jealousy”

Head here to read the full list of their Top 45 Singles Of 2011.

Emeli Sande knows a thing or two about writing successful singles — after all, before heading out on her own, the Scottish singer cut her teeth by writing songs for several of her fellow UK artists. “I think it’s probably melody and I think a lot of people forget that you have to understand melody and what people want to hear,” she said in a recent interview with MTV UK. “I mean, you can have the coolest words used, but if you don’t have something that people want to sing back, it’s not gonna be a hit.”

Emeli has been putting cool words to paper and laying down catchy melodies over the past year for her debut album, which is due out in February. Ahead of that, she released “Heaven”, a sweepingly-epic, soulful summer hit on the UK chart, and paired up with London rapper Professor Green on his latest single “Read All About It”.

Now we’re just waiting for this talented singer-songwriter to make a splashy stateside debut. Until that happens, find out just why Emeli Sande has been popping up on our radar below.

FULL NAME: Adele Emeli Sande. The singer-songwriter dropped her first name for performance purposes because, well, she didn’t want the masses getting her confused with a certain best-selling artist behind hits like “Rolling In The Deep” and “Someone Like You”. Sande stated the following in an interview with UK paper Metro earlier this year: “I changed it as soon as Adele came out. I just thought, you’ve kind of taken the name now, so I went with my middle name. She was just getting bigger and bigger, so I thought I just really need it.”

AGE: 24

HOMETOWN: Aberdeen, Scotland. Other artists who hail from the UK country of Scotland include “We Found Love” hit-maker Calvin Harris, Franz Ferdinand, KT Tunstall and Susan Boyle, whose newest album Someone To Watch Over Me Emeli co-wrote the track “The Will Be The Year” for. “Can you imagine a party with Susan Boyle? She’d just do something nuts and everyone would just be shocked,” Sande told Metro. “That’s a real rock star – very unpredictable.”

HER BIG BREAK: After meeting fellow UK musician Naughty Boy and working together (Emeli writing, Naughty Boy producing) on the single “Diamond Rings” for London rapper Chipmunk, she went on to pen tracks for Cheryl Cole, Leona Lewis and Tinie Tempah. She also features on “Let Go”, from Tinie’s debut LP Disc-Overy. “I really loved working with Tinie – he has just supported me from day one,” Sande has said. “He’s brilliant and, yeah, he’s a very good looking man. I have never seen him not looking good. He’s very polished. I’d love to work with him again.”

HER BIGGER BREAK: Emeli featured on Wiley’s Top 10 hit “Never Be Your Woman” last year, then stepped out on her own this past summer by releasing her synth-soaked, orchestral debut single “Heaven”, which was co-produced by Naughty Boy, Mike Spencer (Kylie Minogue’s “Spinning Around”) and Craze & Hoax. The result: a #2 hit on the UK chart.

“It’s amazing to hear the song on the radio, the first time I heard it I was in a taxi at like 2am,” Sande told MTV UK. “It was incredible. I really want to hear it in a club and have a little dance to it.”

UP NEXT: Emeli’s debut LP Our Version Of Events is currently scheduled for a February 6, 2012 drop date in her home country. (There’s no word yet on a stateside release.) “As for surprises, if people are expecting ten songs like ‘Heaven’ then they’ll probably be surprised but there is going to be different elements – like quite intimate moments on the album,” she told MTV UK. “Producers I’ve work with include Naughty Boy who I work with a lot and is quite an integral part of it. I’ve worked with Jim Abiss on a lot of the production but I like to keep it quite a small circle of people who I have good chemistry with.”

Ahead of that, “Daddy,” the follow-up single to “Heaven”, will be released this Sunday (November 27).

WHO SHE’D REALLY LIKE TO WORK WITH: The songstress has stated many times that she would love to get in the studio with recent American Music Awards winner Nicki Minaj. Of course, given Nicki’s prolific string of collaborations, we’re surprised this hasn’t actually happened yet! “I could like sing the chorus and have something that can match her rapping but I would want it to be something where we were both doing something as equally as good and just really owning each part of it. It would be just something brilliant.”

While we wait for that particular meeting of the musical minds, Emeli’s got her hands full with UK rapper Professor Green. His dramatic, “Love The Way You Lie”-esque single “Read All About It” features Sande on the chorus and topped the UK chart earlier this month.

What do you think of Emeli’s music. Has she got a good chance of cracking the US market with her soulful pop jams? Let us know in the comments below, or on Twitter and Facebook!

Elsewhere, given the #1 debuts of Susan Boyle’s first two albums, it’s somewhat surprising to see her latest effort, Someone To Watch Over Me, go in at #4. Then again, I Dreamed A Dream started off with 701,000 copies sold in 2009, while last year’s The Gift opened with 318,000 — a steep drop that seems to have indicated a trend. Someone To Watch Over Me moved 132,000 copies in its first week.

Sandwiched between Bieber and Boyle, at #2 and #3, respectively, are Wale’s Ambition (164,000) and Miranda Lambert’s aptly-titled fourth album Four The Record (133,000).

With four new releases stacked at the top of the chart, Adele’s 21 is bumped down to #5 — the lowest position the album has reached since being released in late February. This leaves Florence + The Machine’s second album Ceremonials to enter at #6 (105,000). The Top 10 debuts are rounded out by Tyrese’s Open Invitation (76,000) at #9.

It was a relatively busy week, though expect things to get shaken up again by the debuts of Mac Miller’s Blue Slide Park and the Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 1 soundtrack in seven days.

The Top 10 Of Billboard’s Top 200 Chart

1. Justin Bieber, Under The Mistletoe *new* *1 week*
2. Wale, Ambition *new*
3. Miranda Lambert, Four The Record *new*
4. Susan Boyle, Someone To Watch Over Me *new*
5. Adele, 21
6. Florence + The Machine, Ceremonials *new*
7. Coldplay, Mylo Xyloto
8. Michael Buble, Christmas
9. Tyrese, Open Invitation *new*
10. Kelly Clarkson, Stronger

:: BBBBoss played matchmaker on JoJo’s “Disaster” Video: Love, Loss And Motorcycles: “JoJo did a great job! Poor kid in the video, he only wishes he was hooking up with Jo LIKE THAT. You know our Princess Jo loves the BROTHAS. I really wish someone would just find Jo a handsome young dark skinned man because she really deserves it & you know dudes don’t be cheating like some of them wild Arnold Schwarzenegger types!”

:: theComplex had a different point of view: “Another painfully boring track for such a talented singer. What happened to the songs from her Can’t Take That Away From Me mixtape?”

:: memememem was having Sapphic thoughts on Justin Bieber’s New Haircut: Drink It In, Beliebers: “Lesbian!”

:: CBill came to SuBo’s defense on Susan Boyle Likes At Life From “Both Sides Now” On The Today Show: “If you want to see Susan answering questions in more depth, simply find her interviews with Molly Meldrum and Piers Morgan (Life Stories). She is funny, witty, articulate, sharp as a tack. One can hardly expect her to ‘go deep’ when the time frame for questions is as brief as it was at the end of her song on the Today Show.”

:: adam talked that talk on Coldplay Top Album Chart, Rihanna Racks Up 11th #1 On Hot 100: “Does anyone else find it frustrating that Rihanna is competing in the same category as ‘The Beatles (who have 20), Mariah Carey (18), Michael Jackson (13), Madonna (12) and The Supremes (12). Whitney Houston also has 11.’ It would be one thing if she brought anythign [sic] innovative to her genre, but she really is just a pretty face with a good team.”

:: Nano seconded the thought: “11th #1? … I can´t even remember half of those hits, she should take a break i feel like achieving #1´s so fast doesn´t allow those hit to have an impact in pop culture, for example think about The Beatles their music and hits still relevant are classics the same way for MJ and Mariah, their #1´s have substance.”

:: We’re fighting the image at the end of Yu Lee’s comment on Justin Bieber Tweets About Paternity Rumors: “She is obviously a huge LIAR who only wants his money. Justin is constantly being watched backstage by Kenny, security and video cameras! If she is a hater, why go to his concert in the first place? Oh, she was a fan, then like all Beliebers, she would be on her knees begging Justin to do it again!”

:: Danny was getting a feeling of deja vu on Katy Perry’s “The One That Got Away” Video: Watch The Trailer: “Is this part 2 of We Found Love? Even the intro monologue….”

:: Benjamin, however, thought there was more to be learned: “Kelly can do better…her management, stylist, media direction needs to take it up a notch…this looks like she just got out of American Idol last week rather than almost ten years ago…Kelly, you are amazing…Please move forward!!!!”

:: NolaChick felt there was no bite in Bruno Mars “It Will Rain”: Listen To The Twilight Soundtrack Song: “Ugh! This is awful! The only saving grace may be the fact that the singles from the last two soundtracks were terrible, but there were some great songs on them. New Moon was by far the best soundtrack, but worst movie. Eclipse soundtrack was good, but knowing that Stephanie had a hand in picking the songs for Breaking Dawn, I knew it would be total rubbish.”

:: Laura Corn only saw the beauty in Adam Lambert Talks Fashion With Heidi Klum: “These two interviews were so much fun to watch. Adam, in my opinion, doesn’t give a bad interview, but the chemistry between Adam and Heidi was very cute, almost flirty. She calls him beautiful as do his fans, thank you very much.”

:: Alex thought Cudder put the “X” in “sexy” on Kid Cudi Shows Off His Nike Mags, Discusses Kiss With Male Fan On Conan: “Why is it that when a strong hot masculine man, even a rapper like in this case, admits to not having homophobic prejudices I feel like I’m in love with them? Lol See people there is definitely something sexy about a man, gay or straight or bi, that is so secure in his own skin that things like getting kisses from men doesn’t bother him and doesn’t make him feel weird or gay. Confidence = SEX.”

:: John was violator-ed by Susan Boyle’s Depeche Mode “Enjoy The Silence” Cover: Compare The Versions: “he best thing I can say about the cover is that it could have been much worse. It’s not bad, but unless you can do an amazing re-work of a masterpiece, just don’t do it. The only amazing thing for me is I now remember how boffable Dave Gahan was back in the day.”

:: Deborah Wilbanks seems to think Depeche Mode makes disco for some reason? Oh, well — people are people: “Susan did a much needed remake. Disco, if it’s not dead, it’s a smothered memory.”

We could have told you without even hearing the cover that Boyle and her team wouldn’t attempt a similar dance-pop vibe with the arrangement. Instead, the track is completely reworked as a sort of dream-like, Coldplay-esque number, with SuBo’s vocals echoing across a wall-of-sound instrumentation. For the climax, a guitar riff and choir sound off before the song ends with few somber piano chords.

Do you think Susan did Depeche Mode proud with her cover of their classic hit? Let us know below!

Susan Boyle is about to release her third album in three years (is she in a race with Rihanna?), and the Scottish gem is feeling pretty 80s this time around, adding covers of Depeche Mode’s “Enjoy The Silence” and Tears For Fears’ “Mad World” to her compilation of classics. All that’s missing is her rocking a side ponytail with a hot pink scrunchie on her album cover. Check out SoBu’s Someone To Watch Over Me track listing, and listen to her new sweeping epic of a song “You Have To Be There”.

“You Have To Be There” was written by ABBA’s Bjorn Ulvaeus and Benny Andersson, and hails from their 1995 musical Kristina.

Susan Boyle – You Have To Be There by Columbia Records

Susan Boyle - Someone To Watch Over Me

1. You Have To Be There
2. Unchained Melody
3. Enjoy The Silence
4. Both Sides Now
5. Lilac Wine
6. Mad World
7. Autumn Leaves
8. This Will Be The Year
9. Return
10. Someone To Watch Over Me

:: KLo1012 clued us in on Idolator’s Top 10 Favorite Pop Mashups: “Anyone looking for a good mashup should check out Titus Jones. My personal favorites are My First Three Way, Cali Girls Need To Dance and Smells Like Ke$ha’s G6. He’s a genius.”

:: Nickolas agreed with the critics on Review Revue: Coldplay’s “Paradise”: “Another wonderful Coldplay song if you ask me. Maybe not like old ones such as The Scientist, but its still pretty amazing.”

:: James B. was also singing Viva La Coldplay: “If there is this much action about Paradise, which in my opinion is catchy and moving, but certainly not their best, I am eager to see/hear the buzz when the entire album is released and people’s reaction to Charlie Brown. I think this song will be one of its highlights!”

:: Dorothy was chuffed to bits with Susan Boyle Is Pretty In Purple On Someone To Watch Over Me Cover: “Absolutely Brilliant! The best singer of all times! She is getting better and better and I am sitting on pins and needles waiting for her new CD to come out. I want it now!!!!!”

:: Garrett was saw injustice on Joe Jonas “Just In Love” Video: Review Revue: “There’s obviously a double-standard when judging this clip. Rewind two years ago Miley Cyrus released a music video for ‘can’t be tamed’ that comproable [sic]to this clip was incredibly tamed. The fact that Joe isn’t getting nearly any of the attention Miley is unfair, but hey, the song is awful so its not going anywhere”

:: Caldee Dao gave a standing ovation on Lady Gaga Is A Broadway Baby On Tony Bennett Duet “The Lady Is A Tramp”: “This is what we call pure talent ! She can do all genres .. Her voice is nothing but flawless !!! AMAZING GAGA !!! Make some jazz numbers now !!! A Xmas album maybe…”

:: However, kiki delivered a low blow: “suck squared. cant wait for them both to die off.”

:: Paul Richards shot back with this: “Kiki, I was under the impression that only people who actually know a thing or two about music were allowed to post here. Guess not.”

:: Mary Newton, for one, was very much happy that the iconic crooner was still at it on Tony Bennett & Amy Winehouse Share Smiles In “Body And Soul” Video: “Tony can do no wrong. He is my all-time favorite. And his life is an example of what it takes to be a real star. Sinantra called him ‘the singer’s singer’ once in an interview. The man is amazing. He can teach all of today’s youngsters coming into this business how to do it…..80+ years old!”

:: Jenn concurred: “Tony’s voice is ageless and amazing, He and Amy together left me speechless WOW,WOW,WOW, what amazing talent. She will be missed.”