Printable version of thread

Posted by: Medellíam Jul 11 2019, 08:52 AM

It's been 10 years since Cascada battled with Michael Jackson for the #1 spot.

German dance trio Cascada had enjoyed chart success in the mid-Noughties with Eurodance anthems that covered or sampled songs that had been hits for other artists. They broke away from their trademark formula with 'Evacuate the Dancefloor' and took a lean towards the electropop sounds that had took over the charts.

King of Pop, Michael Jackson, sadly passed away on June 25 2009, with fans responding by downloading his back catalogue in their droves. The song that became most popular and something of a swansong was 'Man in the Mirror'. Originally a #21 hit in 1988, the song had re-entered the chart at #11 the previous week on the strength of just a couple of days of sales and was a hot favourite to climb to #1.

'Man in the Mirror' had established an early lead in the first set of midweeks whilst 'Evacuate the Dancefloor' trailed behind at #3. Throughout the week, MJ's sales slowed down, with just a 200 copy lead over Cascada by the last set of midweeks! When the official chart was announced, Cascada had denied MJ his eighth #1 to receive their first ever, completing the week with a 5k lead. When it comes to total sales, MJ won the war with 'Man in the Mirror' receiving a Platinum certification in 2016 for sales of over 600k (which isn't factoring in its original 80s sales) whilst 'Evacuate the Dancefloor' remains just shy of Platinum.

10 years on, which is your favourite?

Posted by: Medellíam Jul 11 2019, 08:52 AM

Top 10
01 (NE) Cascada - Evacuate the Dancefloor
02 (11) Michael Jackson - Man in the Mirror
03 (01) La Roux - Bulletproof
04 (02) David Guetta feat. Kelly Rowland - When Love Takes Over
05 (04) Lady Gaga - Paparazzi
06 (03) Black Eyed Peas - Boom Boom Pow
07 (06) Agnes - Release Me
08 (05) Keri Hilson feat. Kanye West & Ne-Yo - Knock You Down
09 (07) Pixie Lott - Mama Do (Uh Oh Uh Oh)
10 (25) Michael Jackson - Billie Jean

Top 40 New Entries
15 (NE) Jamie T - Sticks 'n' Stones
28 (54) Pitbull - I Know You Want Me (Calle Ocho)
39 (79) Black Eyed Peas - I Gotta Feeling

Previous Chart Replays
http://www.buzzjack.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=223051
http://www.buzzjack.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=223497
http://www.buzzjack.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=223741

Posted by: Tawdry Hepburn Jul 11 2019, 08:54 AM

I REALLY hate that Cascada track, like massively so!

'Man in the Mirror' was only 1 copy ahead of La Roux here.

Posted by: Jade Jul 11 2019, 08:56 AM

'Man in the Mirror' isn't even a massive MJ highlight for me but he was still robbed. That Cascada song was trash and has aged horribly

Posted by: John-James Jul 11 2019, 08:58 AM

I remember listening to this chart in the car, as if its been 10 years

Posted by: Medellíam Jul 11 2019, 08:58 AM

As nice as it would have been to see Michael Jackson receive a posthumous number one, I did and still do unashamedly love 'Evacuate the Dancefloor'. What a bop that was at family parties that year!

'Man in the Mirror' isn't a MJ track I return to much but it's probably one of my favourites out of his songs of that ilk.

Posted by: Iz~ Jul 11 2019, 09:09 AM

Cascada easily. It’s the good side of Eurodance, bright, cheery and gives me great memories of the time. There are certainly hits from around then that have aged worse.

It was up against one of the better MJ songs, actually, scratch that, Man In The Mirror is a well structured song but his voice isn’t good on it. Would never put it on over Evacuate.

Posted by: coi Jul 11 2019, 09:10 AM

Evacuate the Dancefloor!

Posted by: 777666jason Jul 11 2019, 09:11 AM

Evacuate the dancefloor easily (minor note though really silly that songs use the lyrics about being a new track because it ismt new for long )

Posted by: Bjork Jul 11 2019, 10:11 AM

Man in the Mirror is not my favourer MJ song but still miles and miles better than the horrible Cascada song, still to this day shocked that such terrible song managed to beat MJ and deny him a posthumous #1

what is really crazy is that Man in the Mirror kinda flopped when originally released... well it peaked at #21 but that was a huge underachievement for Jacko, since the 3 previous singles from Bad all had been top 3 and this was his 4th #1 in a row from Bad in the US

Posted by: Bré Jul 11 2019, 10:58 AM

I think my feelings about this one are fairly well known... 'Evacuate The Dancefloor' is up there with my least favourite songs of all time, Cascada are pretty trash in general but that was their absolute nadir. 'Man In The Mirror' isn't quite one of MJ's best songs or anything but still very much robbed. (As for his other posthumous #2 hit though... not so much)

Posted by: Chez Wombat Jul 11 2019, 11:15 AM

Ooh, one I remember listening to live *.

I'm stunned this is so close - I'll admit I liked Evacuate the Dancefloor at the time as it was fun, but it has dated horrendously. Everything feels so cheap and generic, it actually almost makes me laugh listening to it these days, and it features possibly the most pointless and tacked on rap verse ever.

Man in the Mirror isn't one of his greatest (I'd have been seething if it was Billie Jean/Smooth Criminal that was kept off), but it was very fitting as a tribute at the time and it's still a nice listen today.

Posted by: HausofTove Jul 11 2019, 11:25 AM

Bulletproof.

But of these two there is no contest here and this week in chart history still makes me feel sick. MITM for me easily.

Posted by: gooddelta Jul 11 2019, 11:27 AM

Man In The Mirror is a classic but I will always love the fact that Cascada managed to get a UK No.1.

I adore the song too, even though it's cheap and tacky and has dated very quickly. Very of its time, but kudos to them for getting a relatively decent UK chart career (compared to many Eurodance acts) out of a rinse and repeat/jumping on current trends formula. Sad that they never troubled the top 40 after this though.

Posted by: Medellíam Jul 11 2019, 11:36 AM

I actually bought the Cascada album Evacuate the Dancefloor off the back of the single! Certainly haven't listened to it since then. I remember really liking 'Fever' though and was sad to see that make no chart progress; I think 'Dangerous' was also a single and met a similar fate.

Posted by: Bré Jul 11 2019, 11:47 AM

I'm pretty sure 'Evacuate The Dancefloor' sounded dated even at the time. I know that sound was still in then with 'Just Dance' being a big hit a few months earlier etc. but it was always horrifically tacky even by the standards of that kind of song.

Posted by: Tawdry Hepburn Jul 11 2019, 11:54 AM

'Fever' was actually great, SO SO much better than the first two singles. It was never gonna do anything at the point it was released though sadly.

Posted by: Medellíam Jul 11 2019, 12:06 PM

I still have a soft spot for it but I think it's much more cheaper sounding than 'Evacuate the Dancefloor'!

For some reason the UK had 'Dangerous' released when the rest of the world had 'Fever'. 'Dangerous' was a return to their trademark Eurodance style which I guess could have been in response to the criticism of them 'copying' Gaga's sound, but surely the rest of the world would have received it too if that was the case.

Posted by: Houdini Jul 11 2019, 12:46 PM

What were the sales during that week in 2009? Man in the mirror is the better song definitely!

Posted by: Medellíam Jul 11 2019, 12:51 PM

61,221 for Cascada and 56,151 for Michael Jackson (56,150 for La Roux).

Posted by: danG Jul 11 2019, 12:52 PM

has to be MJ really, not one of my absolute faves of his but it’s aged a fair bit better than ETD. him missing out on a posthumous number one was rather surprising too, his music was absolutely everywhere around this time - one of the biggest shock deaths in music ever.

Posted by: Jαsє Jul 11 2019, 12:52 PM

Cascada!

MITM was never one of my fave MJ songs.

Posted by: Iz~ Jul 11 2019, 12:59 PM

Nah. In a way, that sound is timeless. You just don't understand how it draws from 2Unlimited influences that are woven into its structure which means the song could have premiered any year from 1992 to 2092. The rap part, sure, but I don't think about such a small and insignificant part of the song. Cascada's legendary beats will last the ages.

Posted by: SevenSeize Jul 11 2019, 01:19 PM

well in a perfect world Sticks 'n' Stones would be #1 but y'know

I would go with Cascada on this one, Evacuate is a pretty fun slice of trash. Never cared for Man In The Mirror really, so it wasn't like she beat out one of his better hits

Posted by: Bré Jul 11 2019, 01:22 PM

I don't think I have enough IQ for this.

Posted by: WhoOdyssey Jul 11 2019, 01:28 PM

To be fair, though, you have to have a very high IQ to understand Cascada. The metaphoric lyrics are extremely subtle, and without a solid grasp of theoretical physics most of the references will go over a typical listener's head. There's also DJ Manian's nihilistic outlook, which is deftly woven into his characterisation - his personal philosophy draws heavily from Narodnaya Volyaliterature, for instance. The fans understand this stuff; they have the intellectual capacity to truly appreciate the depths of these references, to realize that they're not just nice to listen to - they say something deep about LIFE. As a consequence people who dislike Cascada truly ARE idiots- of course they wouldn't appreciate, for instance, the humour in Evacuate the Dancefloor's existencial line "I'm infected by the sound," which itself is a cryptic reference to Turgenev's Russian epic Fathers and Sons I'm smirking right now just imagining one of those addlepated simpletons scratching their heads in confusion as Natalie Horler's genius unfolds itself on their electronic devices. What fools... how I pity them. And yes by the way, I DO have a Cascada tattoo. And no, you cannot see it. It's for the ladies' eyes only - And even they have to demonstrate that they're within 5 IQ points of my own (preferably lower) beforehand.

Posted by: pippa Jul 11 2019, 01:59 PM

Man In The Mirror.

Posted by: fiesta Jul 11 2019, 02:51 PM

Mj. Jamie t & La rnux are much better songs.

Posted by: Euphorique Jul 11 2019, 03:06 PM

Cascada I guess

Posted by: gavindeejay Jul 11 2019, 03:07 PM

Defiantly Michael Jackson.

I just had a listen back to the Cascada track and yes it has dated quite badly compared to some of their other hits.

Posted by: T Boy Jul 11 2019, 04:16 PM

Imagine voting for Cascada here. It wasn’t even good for them.

Posted by: Rush Jul 11 2019, 04:49 PM

'Evacuate The Dancefloor' easily. I love it and I admire how brash it is, like it really doesn't care that 50% of people will hate it or say it's a blatant copy of 'Just Dance' (not a charge without merit) and it's going to pound you with that synth riff anyway. It's the perfect song to troll-block a beloved artist

'Man In The Mirror' is not remotely one of his best to me I'd probably literally prefer it if Cascada covered it. It feels like it's been gradually decreasing in stature ever since it was 'the big one' in 2009 and I'm not sure it would register as one of his definitive songs now.

Posted by: lewistgreen Jul 11 2019, 05:10 PM

Absolutely flabbergasted Bre has not voted for Cascada

Posted by: Medellíam Jul 11 2019, 05:22 PM

It's still a pretty big song for him, perhaps not a definitive hit but it still gets a lot of recognition and praise.

Posted by: dobbo Jul 11 2019, 05:35 PM

Cascada's a decent track but not on par with Everytime We Touch, Miracle or What Hurts The Most. But hands down MJ's track here.

Posted by: dandy* Jul 11 2019, 05:38 PM

Definitely should have been Man In The Mirror, although it's not one of my absolute favourites of his.

Posted by: Jordan Lee Jul 11 2019, 05:44 PM

Man In The Mirror For me

I was too young to remember this at the time as I didn’t have social media then but I did follow the charts but what was it that stuck Man In The Mirror to be the MJ song to chart highest as before that it wasn’t a big hit. Was there a campaign or was it just people found that song to be the most suitable lyrically?


I loved that Cascada track at the time but it’s low key awful now
They had far better tracks so it’s strange to me that was their number one! Reminds me of the Saturdays getting their only number one with one of their weakest singles.

Posted by: Bré Jul 11 2019, 05:54 PM

'Man In The Mirror' had been used in talent shows etc. not too long before his death iirc so its profile was raised a bit more than its original #21 peak would indicate, it is still odd that it was the most successful track of his in the wake of his death by such a large margin though.

Posted by: Medellíam Jul 11 2019, 05:57 PM

I don't know for sure but I suspect Man in the Mirror was already a song that was more known than its peak suggested. I believe it had shifted 100k by the time of his death which was pretty good going considering this was just as the boom of the download period. I guess it became his Swan song for being the most suitable.

Posted by: Houdini Jul 11 2019, 06:22 PM

You're too young to remember 2009?

Posted by: ThePensmith Jul 11 2019, 06:50 PM

I don't really care for either of them TBH but 'Man In The Mirror' is unquestionably the stronger of the two. Had this been against the song which eventually knocked Cascada off the top then it'd have been that all the way.

Posted by: Jordan Lee Jul 11 2019, 06:52 PM

I’d just become a teenager but I didn’t have social media or any apps like that. I didn’t realise midweeks even existed then haha. I just listened to the chart on a Sunday but I was wondering the reason behind MITM being his highest charting song following his death when before that it hasn’t even went top 20.

Posted by: WhoOdyssey Jul 11 2019, 07:10 PM

My first exposure to Man in the Mirror was Danyl Johnson's cover of it on The X Factor in 2009

Posted by: lewistgreen Jul 11 2019, 10:53 PM

Gosh I feel old

Posted by: Rob S~ Jul 11 2019, 11:00 PM

I'm a big cascada fan (no shame) but I was never huge on ETD at the time and it doesn't age too great now either. Echoing the love for Fever, should have been a decent sized hit imo.

And MITM is easily the winner for me (would've been difficult if this was Everytime We Touch however )

Posted by: dandy* Jul 11 2019, 11:19 PM

Definitely much bigger than the #21 peak suggests. It’s also down to the type of song imo, most of his big hits are dance tracks of sorts and obviously typically when there’s a tragedy you look for something meaningful and Man In The Mirror is the one that’s slower, has comparatively human and emotional lyrics and is uplifting in style.

Posted by: Jordan Lee Jul 11 2019, 11:39 PM

It’s funny you say that as my first recollection of it was Diana Vickers doing it in 2008.

I then started stanning him in early 2009! I’d always liked him but I hadn’t listened to his albums as a whole or delved past just the obvious hits until then. MITM was always a favourite though.