Mobile discovery firm Shazam has released its annual list of artists it predicts will break in the coming year as well as a review of those who led the Shazam tag charts in 2011.

Looking at the number of tags and other data indicating which acts are trending with fans, Shazam predicts that artists expected to make headlines in 2012 include Frank Ocean; A$AP Rocky; YG; Kreayshawn; Lana Del Rey; Spector; Azealia Banks; Friends; Michael Kiwanuka; and Excision (Wot no JLS? – Ed).

During 2011, Adele led Shazam’s list as the most-tagged artist of the year, with a combined total of more than 6m tags worldwide for her hits Rolling in the Deep and Someone Like You. The 10 most tagged songs by Shazam users were: 

1. Rolling in the Deep – Adele: 4.2m tags
2. Party Rock Anthem – LMFAO: 3.4m
3. Give Me Everything – Pitbull: 3.3m
4. Pumped Up Kicks – Foster the People: 3.2m
5. Mr. Saxobeat – Alexandra Stan: 2.7m
6. Someone Like You – Adele: 2.7m
7. Just Can’t Get Enough – The Black Eyed Peas: 2.4m
8. On the Floor – Jennifer Lopez: 2.3m
9. Moves Like Jagger – Maroon 5: 2m
10. Hello – Martin Solveig and Dragonette: 1.9m

Outside of radio airplay, one of the biggest drivers of Shazam’s tag charts during 2011 was television programming, particularly in the US. One example was the Led Zepplin track, Going to California, which was rarely tagged until it was used in the final episode of the US TV series, Entourage, in September, resulting in almost 25,000 tags during that week.

“The music industry continues to evolve, as mobile technology has accelerated the pace of digital adoption and enables people to interact with music wherever they are,” notes Will Mills, Shazam’s director of music and content. “People’s favorite sources for music discovery have evolved beyond radio and clubs into TV and advertising, driving awareness of new artists, as well as purchases of tracks by long-established acts.”

This year also saw the release of the first Shazam-enabled music video. In conjunction with Universal Music Group and VEVO, people could use Shazam with Lil Wayne’s How To Love (Shazam Version) video for a unique tag result, giving users the chance to win a VIP trip to see Lil’ Wayne in concert. The release of the Shazam-enabled video and promotion drove a 287 per cent increase in total Lil Wayne tags post-launch.

Similarly, Justin Bieber’s new holiday video, All I Want for Christmas is You, featuring Mariah Carey, is also Shazam-enabled, giving users the chance to win exclusive Justin Bieber prizes, including a signed guitar and clothing from the video.