Ranking the top artists of the past 365 days is a tricky proposition. What seemed like a simple enough question when we asked you to rate 100 top artists becomes a labyrinth of questions regarding the state of music in 2011. Is dance music really taking over the American landscape, or does hip-hop still rule the minds of music fans? Is it fair to nominate an act that didn’t release a proper record this year, when the internet has made the act of releasing albums virtually obsolete? Did some acts hustle hard for voters while others sat back and let the votes come in?

And can a sexually ambiguous sissie bounce act from New Orleans really come out of nowhere and reach the top 10 in almost no time at all? At least we know the answer to the last question…

10. BIG FREEDIA

How does an artist go from regional staple and hipster oddity to nationally recognized phenomenon in just a year? Repeat appearances on Treme and a strategic partnership with Scion A/V certainly helped Big Freedia becomes something of a household name in 2011. But the hype would mean nothing unless everyone from your baby brother to your grandma started bouncing dat azz to NOLA’s patented Sissie Bounce sound.

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