Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

The Current's Surprise Hits Of 2011

Dawes, seen here performing at the Newport Folk Festival, had one of The Current's most popular songs of the year in "A Little Bit of Everything."
Shantel Mitchell for NPR
Dawes, seen here performing at the Newport Folk Festival, had one of The Current's most popular songs of the year in "A Little Bit of Everything."

This year has been flooded with crossover pop successes. Records like Adele's 21 and Foster the People's Torches have long had "smash success" written all over them, and with good reason — they're great records. But what may be of more interest, at least to some, are the hits that weren't preordained.

At The Current, a ton of the music we play resonates with our music team, our hosts and our audience. But these five songs came seemingly out of nowhere to capture a special place in our hearts and playlist.

Copyright 2011 The Current

Peter Valelly and Jon Schober