Printable version of thread

Posted by: JulianT 17th March 2024, 11:14 PM

You may be aware that I've spent more than a year so far working on this in the 20th Century Retro forum, where I've so far reviewed every single that entered the Top 40 from the birth of the charts in 1952 to the end of 1970:
http://www.buzzjack.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=259820

It's been hard work getting through the 60s and into the 70s, and I feel like if I solely focus on the 70s at this stage I may become burned out with the project, so I need to mix it up.

Therefore I am now going to start my 21st century edition of this, and the plan is to alternate between this and the 20th century thread covering a year at a time.

Of course the early 2000s was one of the busiest periods in the chart's history, with somewhere in the region of 550-600 Top 40 hits in each year, so I'm fully expecting each year to take at least a couple of months even if I can manage 4 reviews each week or so.

The format for my 20th Century reviews so far has been to divide each year into batches of 14 or 15 singles. I plan to do it differently here and do the reviews chart week by chart week, but with a minimum of 10 songs per week, so combining weeks where there were fewer than 10 new entries in the Top 40.

I will score each hit and give a very brief commentary. I will aim to keep the average score in the 5-6 region and use the full range so:
7-10 great
4-6 decent
1-3 not for me

Each day I’ll post a video of my track of the day plus any runners up that I give a 9. Only my very favourite hits of the year (3 maximum) will score a 10.

I will review double or multiple A sides and EPs as 1, so effectively giving an average score. I also plan to review each song only once meaning that a remix of a previous hit won't be reviewed unless it's a completely different song.

I plan to listen to any songs I'm not familiar with half a dozen times or so, though where a single has multiple versions I only plan to listen to 1 (probably the radio or main single version if it's clear what that is).

I hope to avoid too much genre bias - I do tend to pivot a bit more towards indie than pop these days when it comes to 21st century songs, but I plan to give everything a fair hearing. Note that I'm not a music journalist or critic or historian on any level, but just a chart geek with a slightly bonkers compulsion to do this!

I’ll be reviewing everything solely on musical merit, so there could be some cases where rather unsavoury artists receive good scores, and of course that won’t indicate support for any of their non musical actions.

Comments will always be welcome, even if you strongly disagree with my ratings. And don't worry if you dip in and dip out of following the thread - occasional comments are good too!


Follow Spotify playlist link below

Posted by: JulianT 17th March 2024, 11:30 PM

Blank post for my highlights

Posted by: Roba. 17th March 2024, 11:39 PM

Hype for our century side of things with these

Posted by: Popchartfreak 18th March 2024, 12:10 PM

I started 2000 buying a mini disc player, the best recordable format ever, such a shame it never took off, so I have all my off-radio recordings for the 2000's from the get go, pretty much, and my first-ever batch my strongest memory is for Andreas Johnson's Glorious so this may give me an excuse to dig out my mini-discs for a 24th anniversary review (!!!!!!! now that is a frightening thought, seems like 10 years ago not a quarter of a century)

Posted by: gooddelta 18th March 2024, 01:06 PM

Ah good to see this Julian, and I look forward to following it. I'm sure I've forgotten many of these despite never missing any chart live between 2000-2003.

Posted by: Scene 18th March 2024, 01:10 PM

I will be following this for sure.

Posted by: JulianT 20th March 2024, 05:37 PM

And so I was 15 at this point. I had followed the charts from ‘94-‘97 but then stopped until now. I think it was by coincidence I had Radio 1 on for the first chart of January 2000, and began listening every week from then. If not for that I probably wouldn’t be here now.

The New Year charts were always quite slow moving in this period, but particularly this year: not sure if that was because everyone had expected the world to implode at midnight on 31/12/1999. It didn’t.

This first group covers the first 3 chart weeks of the year:

#1 08/01/2000 *NSync And Gloria Estefan Music Of My Heart 34 {34}-38-52->3
#2 15/01/2000 Pet Shop Boys You Only Tell Me You Love Me When You're Drunk 8 {8}-17-35-59->4
#3 15/01/2000 Choo Choo Project Hazin' And Phazin' 21 {21}-36-56->3
#4 15/01/2000 Nas Nastradamus 24 {24}-34-50->3
#5 15/01/2000 Dark Star Graceadelica 25 {25}-43-71->3
#6 22/01/2000 Manic Street Preachers The Masses Against The Classes 1 {1}-4-20-39-57-73-70R(5)->7
#7 22/01/2000 Donell Jones U Know What's Up 2 {2}-2-5-8-15-23-28-40-44-52-67->11
#8 22/01/2000 Scooch More Than I Needed To Know 5 {5}-14-30-43-62->5
#9 22/01/2000 Point Break Stand Tough 7 {7}-18-34-49-67->5
#10 22/01/2000 Bob Marley Vs Funkstar De Luxe Rainbow Country 11 {11}-21-35-48-61-70->6
#11 22/01/2000 Justin Let It Be Me 15 {15}-26-43-71->4
#12 22/01/2000 Missy 'Misdemeanor' Elliott Hot Boyz 18 {18}-29-47->3
#13 22/01/2000 Eddie Amador Rise 19 {19}-39-63->3

Posted by: Roba. 20th March 2024, 06:15 PM

Doesn't look like an particularly vintage first bunch here. Says it all when Scooch is amongst those I do know (along with Manics, Bob and maybe Donell).

Posted by: TheSnake 20th March 2024, 07:29 PM

I do vaguely recall the Manics' song but I don't remember the Donell Jones #2 hit at all.

I long assumed Scooch were a one-hit wonder with Flying The Flag, didn't know they had chart hits in 2000

'Sun is Shining' was brilliant from them but this follow-up I find a bit boring

Posted by: Popchartfreak 21st March 2024, 10:13 AM

I turned 42 in early 2000 and already fairly mature for a chart fan, just back from a Millennium family do in Mansfield, so these seem still fresh (time does that as you get older), that said I didnt bother recording Scooch, Choo Choo, Nas, NSync/Gloria, Justin, and Eddie Amador, and the only one I charted was NSync for one week at 75, so my comments should mercifully be a lot shorter than my 70's reminiscences as I can just group them together, say I don't remember them, and didn't rate them at the time from the one or two plays they got on chart shows - I was still listening to Radio 1 then so presumably not much airplay either

The rest I liked or loved...tbc

Posted by: Last Dreamer 21st March 2024, 11:16 AM

More Than I Needed To Know was # 1 in my chart.

Posted by: JulianT 22nd March 2024, 09:35 AM

I’m not expecting most of my top picks to be so obscure, but this is thoroughly recommended if you enjoy moody and deep guitar music.

8 Dark Star Graceadelica 1st of 2 Top 40s for this intriguing band and it's a wonderful 6 minute foray into neo-psychedelic rock with great poetic lyrics
8 Pet Shop Boys You Only Tell Me You Love Me When You're Drunk Quite a subtle track without a big hook or chorus, but lovingly produced and with a beautiful melancholy running through it
7 Manic Street Preachers The Masses Against The Classes 845th #1: their standard anti establishment subject matter in a bracing powerhouse of a song that's heavy by their standards
7 Scooch More Than I Needed To Know You might think it was Steps if you didn't know, but I think this is a first rate pop song with strong lyrics and good production
6 Donell Jones U Know What's Up This has a really good tune and a smoothness that I like, and Lisa's rap is really good, but overall it feels quite unremarkable
6 Point Break Stand Tough This boy band's biggest hit and much more enjoyable than you might expect with a rocky edge and a nice grittiness about it
5 Missy 'Misdemeanor' Elliott Hot Boyz This lacks the catchy hook of some of her future hits that will make them big hits but it's enjoyable with an infectious rhythm
5 Choo Choo Project Hazin' And Phazin' I can certainly see this working brilliantly in a club with its steady build and mesmerising riff, but not so much for home listening
4 Eddie Amador Rise Bigger of 2 hits for this US DJ; I'm not keen on the street preacher section but like the sung chorus and the track's pretty good
3 Bob Marley Vs Funkstar De Luxe Rainbow Country An attempt by this producer to re-create the magic of "Sun Is Shining", and it's pleasant to listen to but mainly thanks to Bob
3 Nas Nastradamus I know he's regarded as one of the greatest ever rappers but I find the chorus and beat to this plodding and I can't get into it
2 *NSync And Gloria Estefan Music Of My Heart A film title track giving Gloria her last hit, but there isn't very much of her and it's a drippy song with whiny boyband vocals
1 Justin Let It Be Me Last hit for this Scottish singer with a Jackson 5 style Everly Brothers cover complete with panpipes: cheesy and fairly ghastly



2000 Week 4:

#14 29/01/2000 Britney Spears Born To Make You Happy 1 {1}-2-4-6-9-15-24-30-36-46-54-68->12
#15 29/01/2000 Scanty Sandwich Because Of You 3 {3}-7-16-23-35-47-71-72->8
#16 29/01/2000 Des Mitchell (Welcome) To The Dance 5 {5}-13-21-29-46->5
#17 29/01/2000 Hi-Gate Pitchin' (In Every Direction) 6 {6}-12-19-28-47-71->6
#18 29/01/2000 Nu Generation In Your Arms (Rescue Me) 8 {8}-10-15-17-27-35-53-74->8
#19 29/01/2000 Sting Featuring Cheb Mami Desert Rose 15 {15}-21-22-27-36-51->6
#20 29/01/2000 Super Furry Animals Do Or Die 20 {20}-42->2
#21 29/01/2000 New Vision (Just) Me And You 23 {23}-51->2
#22 29/01/2000 Roger Sanchez Featurng Cooly's Hot Box I Never Knew 24 {24}-53->2
#23 29/01/2000 Space Manoeuvres Stage One 25 {25}-58->2
#24 29/01/2000 The Brand New Heavies Apparently Nothing 32 {32}-71->2

Posted by: gooddelta 22nd March 2024, 10:12 AM

Nice start, the PSB song is in my top five of theirs, it's so underrated and beautiful. Interestingly I think they had the highest new entry on the first top 40 of the decade, with this going in at No.8, and also the lowest new entry of the last with that Christmas EP at No.40.

Good to see a high score for Scooch, they had a brace of really very good pop songs in their short tenure but were completely overshadowed by Steps of course. More Than I Needed To Know is one I still listen to fondly now.

I have a soft spot for U Know What's Up, it was very big at the time but rarely heard now.

Posted by: Popchartfreak 22nd March 2024, 10:22 AM

I think I'll use your rating system to translate my chart positions for tracks (10 for a number 1, 9 for top 10, 8 for top 20 etc) for a quick comparison..

Dark Star was an 8 for me too, I really liked it, one I'd like to hear again as it gets zero plays anywhere. Pet Shop Boys an obvious 10 for me, bought the CD single, bought the album and one of my favourite PSB ballads, touching, emotional, sad and a lyric that is real for lots of folk, and takes me back to the Millenium period. Masses Among The Classes isn't one of my top fave Manics tracks but it's a 9 for me. Seen PSB's in concert oodles of times, and Manics just the once.

Donell Jones is one I remember well, pleasant smooth soul and is more of an 8 for me, Point Break a 7 but I have to admit I've forgotten how it goes, so I'd need a reminder. so here goes (pause for 2 mins)... and yes I like it, it's good. Imagine if New Kids On The Block had done something with decent banging production and more Backstreet Boys' Everybody is style. Hot Boyz went top 10 for me, but had a very short run, so I'll drop it to 8.

Rainbow Country an easy 9 for me, not quite up to Sun Is Shining, but the song is a good one and I like the remix/reworking. So, first impression for me on 2000 is I either like them a lot or not at all - NSync/Gloria would be a 2, and I'm playing Scooch out of curiosity now. Yes, very Steps. I think that it was obviously a blatant copy made me less than inclined to give any credence to it. Still a meh for me, sorry! Worth a 2 though, it's not awful.

Posted by: Roba. 22nd March 2024, 10:33 AM

Just given some a listen. Dark Star is indeed an intriguing entry but kinda loses me at points but certainly some interest bits in there.

Pet Shop Boys track is pretty good as is the Donell Jones song which I knew I heard before but as far as songs of that ilk go it's decent.

'Let It Be Me' is a worthy bottom ranker though. Not keen at all on that and sounds like he wants to MJ lol!

Posted by: Dobbo 22nd March 2024, 10:47 AM

I wonder if that former Buzzjack member darkstar79 was inspired by this band's name.

Posted by: danG 23rd March 2024, 12:07 PM

ooh yay I'll try and follow this as I'm still unfamiliar with a lot of the early 00s minor hits:

Batch 1 Rank:

Great:
#8 22/01/2000 Scooch More Than I Needed To Know 5 {5}-14-30-43-62->5 [one of the best pop songs of the early 00s and out-Steps pretty much all of Steps]
#7 22/01/2000 Donell Jones U Know What's Up 2 {2}-2-5-8-15-23-28-40-44-52-67->11 [very smooth RnB, one of the finest of its genre for the time period]

Good:
#5 15/01/2000 Dark Star Graceadelica 25 {25}-43-71->3 [certainly one of the more interesting selections here though ultimately I'd have to give it a few more listens before I remember how it goes]
#9 22/01/2000 Point Break Stand Tough 7 {7}-18-34-49-67->5 [well this was a lot better than I was expecting for our first forgotten boyband entry]
#2 15/01/2000 Pet Shop Boys You Only Tell Me You Love Me When You're Drunk 8 {8}-17-35-59->4 [quite nice actually, was expecting something with a bit more energy to it but this works too]

Okay:
#10 22/01/2000 Bob Marley Vs Funkstar De Luxe Rainbow Country 11 {11}-21-35-48-61-70->6 [seems a bit pointless when Sun Is Shining exists]
#6 22/01/2000 Manic Street Preachers The Masses Against The Classes 1 {1}-4-20-39-57-73-70R(5)->7 [Manic Street Preachers gonna manic street preach I guess]
#13 22/01/2000 Eddie Amador Rise 19 {19}-39-63->3 [has a bit more to it than the Choo Choo song but another forgettable club-oriented song that I'd guess only charted so high cos of the very dry January release schedule]

Meh:
#12 22/01/2000 Missy 'Misdemeanor' Elliott Hot Boyz 18 {18}-29-47->3 [hmm she's had better]
#3 15/01/2000 Choo Choo Project Hazin' And Phazin' 21 {21}-36-56->3 [not a great representative of dance to be the genre's first 'hit' of the 00s, doesn't seem to go anywhere]
#4 15/01/2000 Nas Nastradamus 24 {24}-34-50->3 [rapping's alright but the chorus lets it down]

Crap:
#1 08/01/2000 *NSync And Gloria Estefan Music Of My Heart 34 {34}-38-52->3 [what a drab start to the 21st century]
#11 22/01/2000 Justin Let It Be Me 15 {15}-26-43-71->4 [dear lord what is this the X factor losers single?]

Posted by: JulianT 23rd March 2024, 12:13 PM

Yay thanks for all the comments! Hoping to get the dance-tastic second batch posted today.

Posted by: JulianT 24th March 2024, 01:29 PM

Amazing how many short lived dance hits there were around this time, especially entering in the lower regions. I wonder if many of these singles were being bought by DJs rather than the general public. Here we have 8 of 11 dance songs (counting Nu Generation which could be played in a club). My top highlight isn’t any of the dance tracks though but this incredible East meets West from Sting and Cheb Mami.

9 Sting Featuring Cheb Mami Desert Rose If Sting has a finer solo song I have not heard it: I love the Arabic fusion style and the emotional intensity of the track is fantastic
8 Hi-Gate Pitchin' (In Every Direction) Judge Jules and Paul Masterson here with a belting club track: the way the hook builds and then goes up an octave is masterful
7 Space Manoeuvres Stage One One of the recording names of DJ John Graham: this track has a lovely futuristic and ethereal feel to it and a good tune
6 Scanty Sandwich Because Of You Only hit for DJ Richard Marshall and I love the instrumental sections: the hook, while inspired, does grate slightly after a while
6 Britney Spears Born To Make You Happy 846th #1: this doesn't quite have the impact of her first 3 hits but it's very pretty and the heartbreak does come across
5 Des Mitchell (Welcome) To The Dance Only hit for this DJ though he will be involved with "Heart Of Asia": a rousing club tune but not as memorable as those above
5 Nu Generation In Your Arms (Rescue Me) A decent cover of the Fontella Bass classic with some enjoyable elements such as the rapped intro and guitar accompaniment
4 New Vision (Just) Me And You The only hit with this artist credit that I can't find any information about: a fairly decent but long and unremarkable house track
3 Super Furry Animals Do Or Die Their 12th Top 40 hit and last single from the "Guerilla" album: it's very short and feels more like an album bonus track
3 Roger Sanchez Featurng Cooly's Hot Box I Never Knew Interesting that this and New Vision entered back to back as the production is quite similar: find the chorus to this a little dull
2 The Brand New Heavies Apparently Nothing Last hit for this group: the original is a classic and this cover adds apparently nothing; the vocals sound lifeless in comparison



2000 Week 5:

#25 05/02/2000 Gabrielle Rise 1 {1}-1-2-2-7-12-14-19-25-29-45-57-51-54-62->15
#26 05/02/2000 R.E.M. The Great Beyond 3 {3}-5-7-12-24-34-38-47-56-75->10
#27 05/02/2000 Andreas Johnson Glorious 4 {4}-7-9-13-25-37-42-50-53-64-72->11
#28 05/02/2000 Lyte Funkie Ones Girl On TV 6 {6}-11-14-20-26-42-59-60-65->9
#29 05/02/2000 Daphne And Celeste Ooh Stick You! 8 {8}-13-13-14-12-22-22-29-35-46-57-60->12
#30 05/02/2000 Mint Royale Featuring Lauren Laverne Don't Falter 15 {15}-25-37-57->4
#31 05/02/2000 The Notorious B.I.G. Featuring Puff Daddy The Notorious B.I.G. 16 {16}-26-36-50-75->5
#32 05/02/2000 Aurora Hear You Calling {2000} 17 {17}-34-42-69->4
#33 05/02/2000 The Space Brothers Shine 2000 18 {18}-36-46-74->4
05/02/2000 Lovestation Teardrops {2000} 24 {24}-40-49-75->4
#34 05/02/2000 Adam Rickitt Best Thing 25 {25}-45-63->3
#35 05/02/2000 Eurythmics 17 Again 27 {27}-44-52-67->4
#36 05/02/2000 David Bowie Survive 28 {28}-59->2
#37 05/02/2000 Star fighter Apache 31 {31}-50-66->3
#38 05/02/2000 Fred And Roxy Something For The Weekend 36 {36}-57->2
#39 05/02/2000 Utah Saints Love Song 37 {37}-66->2
#40 05/02/2000 Sundance Won't Let This Feeling Go 40 {40}-73->2

Posted by: danG 24th March 2024, 01:49 PM

Batch 2 Rank:

Great:
#17 29/01/2000 Hi-Gate Pitchin' (In Every Direction) 6 {6}-12-19-28-47-71->6 [this is a bit more like it though I'm taking the album version without the pointless vocal, bring back hard house!]
#15 29/01/2000 Scanty Sandwich Because Of You 3 {3}-7-16-23-35-47-71-72->8 [it's quite the banger, bring back big beat!]
#19 29/01/2000 Sting Featuring Cheb Mami Desert Rose 15 {15}-21-22-27-36-51->6 [I hadn't heard this before as Sting's solo career isn't something I've wanted to seek out lol, but it's actually very inspired WD]

Good:
#23 29/01/2000 Space Manoeuvres Stage One 25 {25}-58->2 [quite interesting but probably not one I'll go back to much, I'll rank it above Des anyhow just for being a bit different by standards of trance hits]
#16 29/01/2000 Des Mitchell (Welcome) To The Dance 5 {5}-13-21-29-46->5 [quite standard trance fare, I quite enjoy it but #5 feels unusually high peak]
#18 29/01/2000 Nu Generation In Your Arms (Rescue Me) 8 {8}-10-15-17-27-35-53-74->8 [easily the weaker of the two big beat throwback sample tracks although I do enjoy the sample here I wish they took out the 'rap']

Okay:
#20 29/01/2000 Super Furry Animals Do Or Die 20 {20}-42->2 [it's quite fun I guess]
#22 29/01/2000 Roger Sanchez Featurng Cooly's Hot Box I Never Knew 24 {24}-53->2 [well this is a little better but still lacking much excitement]
#21 29/01/2000 New Vision (Just) Me And You 23 {23}-51->2 [this one really needed a radio edit]

Meh:
#14 29/01/2000 Britney Spears Born To Make You Happy 1 {1}-2-4-6-9-15-24-30-36-46-54-68->12 [this falls a bit flat and is easily the weakest of her #1s]
#24 29/01/2000 The Brand New Heavies Apparently Nothing 32 {32}-71->2 [hadn't heard of this before or the original version, well it's just there I guess]

Posted by: Dobbo 24th March 2024, 03:15 PM

Welcome To The Dance is a stunning track.

Desert Rose is a real leftfield hit, like the fusion style too.

Because of You is quite annoying in truth.

Posted by: Jade 25th March 2024, 09:41 AM

Looking forward to this! There will be plenty to discover as I was only 2/3 years old in 2000, so a lot of my knowledge on the year is based on what was included on Now albums, Kisstory and Mixcloud uploads of U.K. top 40 charts here and there, so many gaps to fill I'm sure.

From the first batch 'The Masses Against The Classes' is probably my favourite, although is certainly helped by familiarity, from many #1 marathons over the years. 'U Know What's Up' is quite familiar as well thanks to the aforementioned Kisstory playing it a fair bit. The Pet Shop Boys track was a lovely discovery and 'Graceadelica' sounded intriguing too, good top 2 picks there.

From batch two I recognised 'Born To Make You Happy' (#1 singles coming thick and fast this year of course!) and the sample-heavy 'In Your Arms (Rescue Me)' and 'Because Of You' - the latter I actually heard as recently as Saturday in the car on Radio 1 anthems! Agreed that the big beat instrumental is cool but the shrill sample does grate after a while, especially when repetitively chopped. 'Rescue Me' is lovely in original form and I rather like this version too. 'Desert Rose' was a wonderful discovery and my favourite of this group too.

Posted by: gooddelta 25th March 2024, 11:40 AM

Desert Rose was much bigger across Europe IIRC, Now put it on the recently 2000-2001 Millennium release too. It is an intriguing song from Sting - good top pick.

Born To Make You Happy got a single remix made for it, but in the end they just went with the album version weirdly, which did well to make it to No.1 when the album had sold so well. If ever there was more a product of its time, this remix is it.



In Your Arms (Rescue Me) is the one I used to hear most at the time, commercial radio was all over that one.

Posted by: Roba. 25th March 2024, 11:53 AM

'In Your Arms (Rescue Me)' I vaguely recall buying at the time but I'm not sure where the CD is now lmao. Don't remember ever selling it or chucking it exactly. Was so into that back then but perhaps not as much now but still goes off though.

Will comment on some of those other ones later but the Britney track is nice albeit not one of her top best tracks obviously!

Posted by: TheSnake 25th March 2024, 07:05 PM

Desert Rose is still really popular on Youtube - great track. There was iirc a sort of slap house dance cover of it a while back but it didn't chart in the UK.

Agree with Jade about the Because of You sample grating after a while - I think this style of looped dance was done better by Daft Punk/Stardust in the late 90s/early 00s.

Welcome To The Dance I really like as really does welcome you to the dance scene of 2000 when dance music did so well in the charts. Pitchin' is very minimalist dance which I usually find boring but I actually like it.

Posted by: Popchartfreak 25th March 2024, 08:26 PM

Pretty sure DJ's used to buy loads of hot new dance tracks first week of release, as well as people generally, as they used to be cheaper. Second week they'd go up to full price. Britney's ...Baby One More Time was def cheap first week cos I bought it and I refused to pay up to £4 for CD singles. 99p, fine!

Desert Rose is def one of Sting's best solo tracks, also a 9 for me, Hi-Gate means nowt to me sorry, don't recall it at all and didn't chart it, Space manoeuvres ditto! Scanty Sandwich was a 4 for me, and I credited The Jackson 5 on it, so there must be a sample amongst it! Born To make You Happy, meanwhile was also a 9, peaking at 2 in my charts and having a longish run.

Des Mitchell, blank pour moi, NU Generation was a 6, and appealed to me for the Fontella Bass sample, but New Vision didn't get a glance from me. Super Furry Animals' track I also didn't rate (if I heard it) but their 2001 hit is one of the best of the year, so it's not as if I didn't rate them generally speaking. Just not this track. The Roger Sanchez track I never knew, and apparently nothin' for the Brand New Heavies either - which is odd as I like the band, and the song, so I can only assume it was a bit dull.

Ah, the next bunch has a few I actually recognise: 5 of them I def recorded off the radio, one topped my chart, and there's one that makes me want to run for the hills in horror. I think my niece liked them at the time....

Posted by: JulianT 26th March 2024, 08:22 PM

It’s incredible now to think that there were weeks with 17 new entries in the Top 40. (I’m leaving out “Teardrops” though as it’s effectively a re-issue of an earlier Top 40 hit. I am reviewing “Shine 2000” despite “Shine” having made the Top 40 before as the year is explicitly in the title of the new release, making it a separate hit for my purposes.)

This is one of my favourite R.E.M. songs, one that really captures the feeling of endless possibilities in the new millennium. However it is just pipped by the spine tingling “Glorious”.

9 Andreas Johnson Glorious Only Top 40 for this Swedish singer and it's an utterly euphoric pop rock anthem, later used in various adverts but still brilliant
9 R.E.M. The Great Beyond Their highest peaking hit written for the "Man On The Moon" film: a brilliant record with lovely lyrics about the meaning of life
8 Utah Saints Love Song The lead single from their 2nd album: this duo generally does really interesting trance tracks and this is enjoyable and hypnotic
8 Gabrielle Rise 847th #1: Dylan liked this so much that he allowed free use of the sample, and it is a remarkably soulful and uplifting pop track
7 The Space Brothers Shine 2000 Last hit for this trance duo: the song originally charted 3 years ago but this version beefs up the hook, and it is rather a belter
7 Mint Royale Featuring Lauren Laverne Don't Falter Debut hit for this DJ duo and only solo hit for former Kenickie member Lauren: a very enjoyable bright and breezy pop song
7 David Bowie Survive From the "Hours" album, this is quite a straightforward track by Bowie's standards, but it has a beautiful reflective simplicity
6 Aurora Hear You Calling {2000} Debut hit for the UK duo (not the Norwegian singer): a gentle trance track that doesn't quite go off but it's a very calming listen
6 Starfighter Apache An intriguing Ministry Of Sound produced trance track with helicopter noises and a relentless military sounding fast drum beat
5 Eurythmics 17 Again Their penultimate hit: it's a good song with a nostalgic feel to it, but it doesn't bring anything anyone hasn't heard before
5 Sundance Won't Let This Feeling Go Last hit for this trance act: it's a very nice tune and I enjoy the track as far as it goes but it doesn't seem to really develop much
4 The Notorious B.I.G. Featuring Puff Daddy The Notorious B.I.G. A curious hotchpotch of a track featuring Diddy and Lil' Kim whose parts don't fit with Biggie's, but the rapping itself is good
4 Lyte Funkie Ones Girl On TV Biggest hit for the US trio, 2 of whom died young: the lyrics are very naff but musically it's quite nice, the piano riff especially
3 Fred And Roxy Something For The Weekend Only hit for this female duo whose label had legal issues: it's catchy but in a repetitive and lyrically very basic kind of way
2 Adam Rickitt Best Thing Last hit for this soap actor and singer: it reminds me of D:Ream's similar hit and it's in that pop dance style; nothing original
1 Daphne And Celeste Ooh Stick You! It had an impressive chart run and there are some catchy rapped parts, but overall the vocals and lyrics are quite unpleasant





2000 weeks 6 and 7:

#41 12/02/2000 Sash! Adelante 2 {2}-4-8-16-28-36-43-51-57-70->10
#42 12/02/2000 Fierce Sweet Love 2K 3 {3}-11-19-29-44-61-61-58->8
#43 12/02/2000 The Tamperer Featuring Maya Hammer To The Heart 6 {6}-12-21-33-56-72R(2)-68->7
#44 12/02/2000 Death In Vegas Aisha 9 {9}-20-39-66->4
#45 12/02/2000 Q-Tip Breathe And Stop 12 {12}-18-28-37-50-64-75->7
#46 12/02/2000 Sisqo Got To Get It 14 {14}-19-31-45->4
#47 12/02/2000 Armin Communication 18 {18}-35-59->3
#48 12/02/2000 Korn Falling Away From Me 24 {24}-44->2
#49 12/02/2000 Tina Turner Whatever You Need 27 {27}-41-64->3
#50 12/02/2000 Tomski Featuring Jan Johnston Love Will Come 31 {31}-56->2
#51 12/02/2000 Byron Stingily That's The Way Love Is 32 {32}-54->2
#52 12/02/2000 Red Hot Chili Peppers Otherside 33 {33}-50->2
#53 19/02/2000 Oasis Go Let It Out 1 {1}-4-17-38-55-59-54-44-56-67-52R(2)-74->12
#54 19/02/2000 Eiffel 65 Move Your Body 3 {3}-6-9-18-23-31-36-45-60-75->10
#55 19/02/2000 Ian Brown Dolphins Were Monkeys 5 {5}-17-36-58->4
#56 19/02/2000 Joey Negro Featuring Taka Boom Must Be The Music 8 {8}-24-38-61-73->5
#57 19/02/2000 Hepburn Deep Deep Down 16 {16}-30-48->3
#58 19/02/2000 Pharoahe Monch Simon Says 24 {24}-41->2
#59 19/02/2000 Simply Red Your Eyes 26 {26}-53->2

Posted by: TheSnake 26th March 2024, 08:24 PM

Glorious is aptly named What a chorus! I thought it was a Britpop song until recently.

Posted by: Scene 26th March 2024, 09:43 PM

Daphne & Celeste They weren't exactly the most endearing. UGLY was a good novelty track at the time though.

Posted by: dandy* 26th March 2024, 09:52 PM

Space Manoeuvres - Stage One is a brilliant dance track, really love it and a rare hit from that deep house/trance genre that was reasonably big in clubs in the early 00s. PSBs song is lovely with yet more very well observed lyrics from Neil.

I too think that Desert Rose is Sting's best song, way better than anything else he's done in my opinion. I'd probably be willing to give it a 10.

In the most recent week, Andreas Johnson, REM, Gabrielle and Mint Royale are all classics for me - but do agree with your love of the Space Brothers track too.



Have to say that so far your rankings are reasonably close to how I'd rank most of the songs too

Posted by: Dotty New Year 26th March 2024, 09:55 PM

Adam Rickitt's pop career and Daphne & Celeste

Ah the early 00's.

Posted by: JulianT 27th March 2024, 07:44 AM

Pleased to have the dandy* seal of approval so far

Posted by: Popchartfreak 27th March 2024, 10:20 AM

Glorious is a 9 for me too, you've said it all, and as I said it's the one track I mostly think of for my very first mini-disc recordings from the top 40 show. The Great Beyond is a strong 8, and their next big hit is even better for me. Utah Saints I didnt record or chart so havent heard it in 24 years

Rise is a chart-topping 10 for me, and a brilliant use of the Dylan sample, from what may well be my 2nd-fave Dylan record of all-time. Space Brothers another "heard it once a quarter of a century ago" moment, but Mint Royale is a fave, love Lauren Laverne, a twice-charting 8 for me. Bowie's Survive I don't recall at all, had one week at 60 in my chart, so I didn't record it clearly, but that's enough for a 5 rating. Aurora and Starfighter swept gently past me never to be heard of again.

17 Again was a Eurythmics comeback, and I was so happy to have them back I gave it a 7 at the time, but it's prob more of a 6. Notorious B.I.G. was a 4, ditto Adam Rickett, and Daphne And Celeste said it all for me, so bad I still remember getting annoyed by it and one my niece still probably enjoys - I must ask her, she loves old tunes. Very much a 1 rating. The others I have no memory of.

Posted by: jimwatts 27th March 2024, 10:30 AM

My favourites so far are 'The Masses Against The Classes' (their better #1 for me and one of their last hits that truly sounds vital) and 'The Great Beyond' (not quite among R.E.M's absolute best songs, but a fine standard-bearer for them as their highest charting in the UK). I also really like 'Rise' and 'Shine' (see what I did there) in any version of the latter.

Two of my top 10 songs of 2000 are coming up in the next batch, wonder if you can guess which..

Posted by: JulianT 27th March 2024, 10:39 AM

I’d expect the Chilies to be one of your faves but not sure on the other… I don’t recall you particularly loving the Sash! or Oasis songs when we’ve covered them before.

Posted by: Dobbo 27th March 2024, 10:43 AM

Glorious is very much a Ronseal song, superb!

Rise is phenomenal too, one of the very best of noughties pop. And I had no idea it sampled Bob Dyaln my ignorance on full display there

Don't Falter I was introduced to thru BJSC and it's massively grow since then, a beaut!

Ooh Stick You is good fun too, at least it was outright cheese rather than the plethora of cheesy songs dressed as 'serious ones' of this era

Posted by: Jade 27th March 2024, 01:57 PM

Daphne & Celeste were pretty awful the first thing that comes to mind when I think of them is the Reading festival incident when they got bottled oops. They actually turned up in BJSC last decade with a more mature song called 'You And I Alone' and that was a pleasant surprise, not half bad. Elsewhere in this batch - 'Girl On TV' may come close to rivalling 'Ooh Stick You!' for worst lyrics oops

I think I discovered 'Don't Falter' via Wardy sending it to BJSC but I only gave it one point in the contest. It has really blossomed for me on repeat listens though, so cute I listen to Lauren Laverne quite a bit on 6Music so it was weird getting used to her as a singer at first when only knowing her for her talking voice!

'Rise' is a gorgeous chart-topper from Gabrielle and 'Glorious' is a brilliant one hit wonder (discovered it on Radio 1's One Hit Wonders of the Millennium show which was an Easter thing, so nearly 9 years now since we had the massive accompanying thread for it in the chart forum ) - those two and 'Don't Falter' would probably make up my top 3, but the R.E.M. song was sounding good too.

'Apache' has moments that remind me ever so slightly of 'No Good (Start The Dance)' production-wise, not quite as thrilling as that song though.

Posted by: Scene 27th March 2024, 03:37 PM

Same I know they were annoying and crap but good on them for actually continuing with the performance. I would have just walked straight off.

Posted by: dandy* 27th March 2024, 03:42 PM

I am very much hoping it is Aisha

Posted by: TheSnake 27th March 2024, 05:15 PM

I remember Gabrielle at the time on the radio talking about Rise and playing it down 'it's only a sample' but I did like the song at the time.

Posted by: gooddelta 27th March 2024, 05:29 PM

Andreas Johnson deserved a revival in 2006/7, he had a couple of great hits in Sweden that came 3rd and 2nd in Melodifestivalen those years, called Sing For Me and A Little Bit Of Love. Glorious is an epic, amazing piece of Swedish indie rock.

The Great Beyond is one of my favourite REM singles for sure too.

Hear You Calling was quite a good track but Aurora bettered it quite a few times.

I had to look up Fred And Roxy - Something For The Weekend, it rings a very vague bell but not something I've missed hearing again for 24 years.

I did like Girl on TV though, as cheesy as it was, and what happened to two thirds of that band was tragic.

Ooh Stick You was such a cult thing at the time, but I never particularly enjoyed them and it doesn't bring me any nostalgia to hear it now, like a lot of the pop from the time does.

Posted by: JulianT 27th March 2024, 08:53 PM

Three quarters in fact including the line up change.

Posted by: Roba. 27th March 2024, 10:44 PM

You can follow along on the below Spotify playlist here. Added to first post for Julian too

Posted by: JulianT 27th March 2024, 11:09 PM

So far nearly 95% of the hits are on Spotify but that’s actually lower than for hits of the 60s where it was about 97%!

Posted by: Roba. 27th March 2024, 11:49 PM

Am listening to all these now I've added the playlist to my Spotify lol. Sunday's batch wasn't quite up to scratch for me personally but the latest one is stronger.

'Rise', 'Don't Falter', 'The Great Beyond', 'Glorious', 'Shine' and 'Apache' are all definite top highlights. The latter two being the best new discoveries . Aurora and Sundance are great as well, think I've heard the latter somewhere before as it sounds familiar. 'Ooh Stick You' omg how you can't remember that cheese fest Wasn't crazy on Bowie, Eurythmics or Utah Saints ones sadly. Notorious was alright but nothing special. 'Something For The Weekend' has some catchy moments whilst not being great but it's at least better than the LFO and Adam Rickitt songs. The latter is really so crap and I rather ashamedly quite like 'Breathe Again' by him too.

Posted by: JulianT 28th March 2024, 11:13 PM

My first three winners peacked in the twenties, teens and top ten respectively, so it’s time for one that peaked in the thirties. Even as a 15 year old with much poppier taste I remember listening to this on the chart show and thinking it sounded far too good to be entering at #33.

9 Red Hot Chili Peppers Otherside One of their best; a track that manages to be incredibly powerful with an intense emotional build, despite having no chorus
8 Sash! Adelante Controversially this might be my favourite Sash! song: I especially love the Spanish motivational vocals and the accordian part
8 Death In Vegas Aisha A largely intstrumental track with some cryptic shouted vocals: a chaotic whirlwind but brilliant and well worth the 6 minutes
8 Ian Brown Dolphins Were Monkeys A great one from Ian: his joint highest peaking solo hit, with intriguing cryptic lyrics and an individual slightly funky style
7 Q-Tip Breathe And Stop One of only a couple of solo hits for Q-Tip and it's quite mesmerising, with a mechanical inevitable rhythm to it that I enjoy
7 Korn Falling Away From Me A very dark and emotionally intense track from this pioneering nu metal band: not for the faint hearted but I think it's great
7 Armin Communication 1st of only 2 Top 40s for Mr Van Buuren and the other won't be for 13 years: this is a great uplifting trance instrumental
6 Pharoahe Monch Simon Says Debut hit for this US rapper who was sued for using the sample without permission: a rather aggressive but very catchy track
6 The Tamperer Featuring Maya Hammer To The Heart Reminds me of "Gimme! Gimme! Gimme!" - their last hit and nothing groundbreaking but a strong power ballad style number
6 Tomski Featuring Jan Johnston Love Will Come Only hit for the DJ though Jan has featured on a few hits: not the most exciting trance song but has a lovely ethereal melody
5 Byron Stingily That's The Way Love Is Last hit for him, oddly covering his own former group's song: it's a nice soulful version of it though in an upbeat house style
5 Oasis Go Let It Out 848th #1: I like the instrumental sections where you can really hear the Beatles influence; the lyrics and melody not so much
5 Hepburn Deep Deep Down Last hit for them: it is a bit more interesting and rocky than much other girl group fare, but the chorus is slightly weak here
4 Joey Negro Featuring Taka Boom Must Be The Music Only Top 10 for either of these artists: I like the retro disco feel but I find that the song is slightly boring and doesn't develop
4 Fierce Sweet Love 2K Strange that this was by far their biggest but also their last hit: it's nothing special but not a bad cover of the Anita Baker song
3 Tina Turner Whatever You Need Nice to see her extending her chart career into another decade but this is mid tier Radio 2 fodder and doesn't have much bite
3 Eiffel 65 Move Your Body Their 2nd and final hit, trying and failing to re-capture the magic of "Blue" and instead producing something fairly irritating
2 Simply Red Your Eyes Like many of theirs, despite Mick's excellent voice and the soulful production and use of instruments, this fails to be interesting
2 Sisqo Got To Get It Debut hit for this US RnB artist and it really isn't very enjoyable: he almost sounds constipated as he wails his way through it



2000 Week 8:

#60 26/02/2000 All Saints Pure Shores 1 {1}-1-2-3-7-9-12-18-26-32-40-41-50-66-74-69->16
#61 26/02/2000 Christina Aguilera What A Girl Wants 3 {3}-8-19-21-27-34-38-41-53-55-58-52-43->13
#62 26/02/2000 Shania Twain Don't Be Stupid (You Know I Love You) 5 {5}-14-25-32-41-44-48-67-74-67R(3)-60->11
#63 26/02/2000 Aqua Cartoon Heroes 7 {7}-10-17-20-32-42-55-63-64-75R(3)-73->11
#64 26/02/2000 Rebecca Wheatley Stay With Me (Baby) 10 {10}-20-32-47-54-59-58-71R(5)->8
#65 26/02/2000 Eels Mr E's Beautiful Blues 11 {11}-30-49-70->4
#66 26/02/2000 CRW I Feel Love 15 {15}-32-48-71->4
#67 26/02/2000 Jay-Z Anything 18 {18}-31-46-65->4
#68 26/02/2000 Baby Bumps I Got This Feeling 22 {22}-46->2
#69 26/02/2000 Air Playground Love 25 {25}-54->2
#70 26/02/2000 Starparty I'm In Love 26 {26}-57->2
#71 26/02/2000 Fiona Apple Fast As You Can 33 {33}-65->2
#72 26/02/2000 Jean-Michel Jarre Featuring Natacha Atlas C'est La Vie 40 {40}->1

Posted by: TheSnake 28th March 2024, 11:35 PM

'Adelante' is definitely the highlight of these tracks for me. Its one of those tracks that makes you realise how great dance music was at that time. In 2000 I was a pop fan and didn't appreciate dance back then. As a result I do remember 'Ooh Stick You' from the time, it sounds influenced by Betty Boo doing the do 10 years earlier.

'Make A Move On Me' is definitely better than 'Must Be The Music' but I do still really like the latter.

Oh my, had to edit this post as 'Your Eyes' by Simply Red isn't the song I thought it was, that song was 'Sunrise' as it has the phrase 'your eyes' in the chorus.

Posted by: Cow P 28th March 2024, 11:57 PM

Communication is a bop, I actually prefer its Part 3, which is probably more popular among trance listeners.
As it had three parts, you might wanna hear all original mixes, which is 27-minute long!

Posted by: Dotty New Year 29th March 2024, 03:12 AM

A fair share to enjoy in that group for me. Otherside would also be my top pick, a fantastic single from the Chilies. Dolphins Were Monkeys is also great stuff from Ian Brown and while Go Let It Out might not be an Oasis highlight, it's still a solid track in its own right. I also have a fair bit of love for Sweet Love 2K, quite the earworm.

Posted by: jimwatts 29th March 2024, 01:20 PM

'Otherside' is indeed my favourite so far in 2000 - very happy to see it top of this batch, what an album it is from The other one to make my top 10 of the year was the addictive 'Breathe And Stop' (although 'Aisha' was a good shout).

Posted by: Dobbo 29th March 2024, 01:25 PM

Adelante is my fave Sash song as well, it's either that or Move Mania.

I always confused Aisha with Aicha by Outlandish which was big in some circles around that time. Prefer the latter but both decent.

Simon Says is such a banger didn't know it used a sample, if anything it sounds like the type of song that later hits sampled. I even mentioned recently on the Similar Intros Lounge thread that the start of Vato Gonzalez - Badman Riddim is extremely close.

Posted by: Jade 29th March 2024, 07:02 PM

I totally agree that 'Move Your Body' was a poor follow-up to 'Blue (Da Ba Dee)' that had a certain charm to it but this one falls flat. I also think The Tamperer Featuring Maya suffered diminishing returns after a good first single, just revisited 'Hammer To The Heart' and I somehow didn't notice the 'Gimme Gimme Gimme...' similarity before but now it feels so obvious!

'Go Let It Out' would be ranked higher for me, not absolute top tier Oasis but I do like the psychedelic feel and lyrical themes.

OOH 'Simon Says' is a song I know but had no idea who the artist was nor the song title, so today I learned I'm pretty sure the instrumental used to be incorporated a lot on Radio 1.

I think the Q-Tip track was my favourite discovery from this batch (Red Hot Chili Peppers also sounding good - they're a bit of a blind spot aside from a handful of classics)

My favourite Sash! single is 'Mysterious Times' but 'Adelante' is a good'un too I went to a We Love The 90s nostalgia concert about 5 years ago, where they were the closing act and I was gutted that I had to leave part-way through the set as it was great fun!

Posted by: JulianT 30th March 2024, 09:25 AM

As soon as I started this thread I knew “Pure Shores” was going to be my first 10: aged 15 it was the first song of the century I was obsessed with and it solidified my renewed interest in the charts. 24 years on I really think it still stands up as one of the all time great pop songs.
What I had not appreciated was the brilliance that was lurking towards the bottom of the same week’s Top 40. I didn’t know “Fast As You Can” or “C’est La Vie” before this project and they’ve both very quickly become big favourites.

10 All Saints Pure Shores 849th #1: aside from the brilliant layered chorus and William's magical production, it's beautifully distant and other worldly
9 Fiona Apple Fast As You Can Only hit for this US singer songwriter; a very artistic track with tempo and colour changes unlike anything else in the charts
9 Jean-Michel Jarre Featuring Natacha Atlas C'est La Vie Last hit for this legendary producer, and it's an epic and electrifying Eastern inspired song with amazing emotional intensity
8 CRW I Feel Love This is Mauro Picotto with his trance side project: its only Top 40 but it's a very fine effort conveying the euphoria of love well
7 Shania Twain Don't Be Stupid (You Know I Love You) The 6th and final single from the enormous "Come On Over" album and another really fun one, with a country dance feel to it
6 Air Playground Love This was for a film soundtrack: it's a very sultry and gentle song but really enjoyable and one to add to the chill out playlist
6 Aqua Cartoon Heroes The debut single from their second album and their success was waning by this point, but it's a fun and well crafted pop song
5 Eels Mr E's Beautiful Blues Lead single from their 3rd album: a very sweet track with interesting poetic lyrics but I find the replay value somewhat limited
4 Baby Bumps I Got This Feeling 2nd and final hit under this credit sampling "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough": an inessential but nice chirpy little dance track
3 Christina Aguilera What A Girl Wants "Genie In A Bottle" was brilliant but I find this follow up bland, though I appreciate the attempt to show off her soulful voice
3 Starparty I'm In Love Alias of Ferry Corsten and Robert Smit: this is largely a re-working of N-Joi's "Anthem" that doesn't do a whole lot for me
2 Rebecca Wheatley Stay With Me (Baby) A "Casualty" actress who also appeared in the cast's charity single: she sings it quite well but it's an unnecessary 60s cover
2 Jay-Z Anything Maybe trying to recreate "Hard Knock Life": the rap is fine but the sampled chorus from "Oliver" is irritating and incongruous







2000 Week 9:

#73 04/03/2000 Artful Dodger And Romina Johnson Movin' Too Fast 2 {2}-4-7-12-19-25-32-36-43-60-68-64R(4)->12
#74 04/03/2000 Backstreet Boys Show Me The Meaning Of Being Lonely 3 {3}-9-13-20-28-35-46-49-72-64R(5)-51->11
#75 04/03/2000 Kelis Caught Out There 4 {4}-11-15-22-31-40-53-52-61-67-75R(2)-64->12
#76 04/03/2000 Jamelia Money 5 {5}-13-16-24-27-36-47-61-70->9
#77 04/03/2000 A1 Like A Rose 6 {6}-20-28-39-47-50-52-62-67-70-58-47->12
#78 04/03/2000 Flickman The Sound Of Bamboo 11 {11}-23-33-45-66->5
#79 04/03/2000 The Bluetones Keep The Home Fires Burning 13 {13}-39-62->3
#80 04/03/2000 Delirious? It's OK 18 {18}-63->2
#81 04/03/2000 Toploader Dancing In The Moonlight 19 {19}-26-29-34-43-62-71->7
#82 04/03/2000 Muse Sunburn 22 {22}-47->2
#83 04/03/2000 The Smashing Pumpkins Stand Inside Your Love 23 {23}-59->2
#84 04/03/2000 Ann Lee Voices 27 {27}-51-66->3
#85 04/03/2000 Lenny Fontana And DJ Shorty Chocolate Sensation 39 {39}-73->2

Posted by: Scene 30th March 2024, 09:34 AM

Pure Shores remains stunning! The dreamy, warped production on it really takes an already amazing song and turns it into something incredible. IIRC, it was also named Buzzjack’s favourite 00’s single a few years ago.

What A Girl Wants is ok but all the other singles from Christina’s debut >>>>

Posted by: Popchartfreak 30th March 2024, 10:35 AM

week 7:

Red Hot Otherside is a 7 for me, their classic album is a few years off yet for me, Adelante a 9, it went top 5 for me, a fave dance tune, and Death In Vegas also a 9, top 3 Aisha one that stands out from that period. Dolphins For Monkeys didn't grab though, a mere 3 but he has some classics to come.

The next 4 all mean nowt to me, and I never liked Korn at all, but The tamperer I did - so ob pop still ruled for me! 8 out of 10. Skip 2 more blanks and straight to Oasis and Go Let It Out, a decent 8, not up with top-notch classic Gallagher but good enough. Noel chose not to do that one t'other week and I wasn't too fussed about it.

Hepburn was an OK 5, def one I recorded, and Joey Negro another 8 for, I do like a good dance tune even if it seems like a lot of these one-wonders came and went without notice as far as my charts go. Fierce was a 7, helped by the song which I loved in the 80's, while Tina Turner also a 7 helpoed by seeing the great lady at Wembley stadium a few years earlier, live gigs always good for a boost of enthusiasm for an act.

Eiffel 65 def a comedown on Blue, but still worth a 6, bearing in mind I only rated Blue 7, oops! Both of them got slightly irritating after a while - Blue took 8 weeks to start to annoy, though, and this took a mere 3. Red Mick I usually find pleasant, at the least, and this one scraped a 7 in it's overall non-threatening pleasantness. Constipated Sisqo will be delivering a monster soon, but this one squeezed out a 5 for me, r'n'b always a genre I tend to like at least a bit.

Posted by: Dobbo 30th March 2024, 10:55 AM

Anything is my fave Jay-Z song, think it does Hard Knock Life much better.

Posted by: Popchartfreak 30th March 2024, 11:20 AM

week 8:

All Saints, Pure Classic, 10 out of 10, and Shaznay has still got it in 2024 with a couple of very All Saints'-sounding very good singles. Their best record, no question. I tend to rate anything Orbit-ey, right from Bassomatic. Never did see the film. Fiona Apple is one I have no recollection of, but sounds like I would like it, so maybe I was on holiday or something and missed it! That theory crashes though as I charted Jean-Michel Jarre - for one week, so an unlikely 3 out of 10 based on one hearing I'm guessing as I'm predisposed to love JMJ.

CRW? No idea. Shania though was a biggie pop tune, and one I could sing along to a bit still, even if it was a mere 7 - it's still memorable. Air's another one I recall, and yet it only grabbed a 5, Aqua's I loved, total fun, loved the subject matter, and as their hits declined, the more I seemed to like their quirkiness and humour - a 9!

Eels are another under-rated band, always enjoy their stuff, and some of it is brilliant. Mr E is a borderline 9. Baby Bumps, pass, Christina's was never one of my faves of hers, but again it's one I can hum the chorus still even though it scraped a 7 (top 40) for me. Starparty, lost in the mists of time, The cover of Stay With Me Baby impressed me not a jot - it's Lorraine Ellison or nobody, bar the exception that is The Walker Brothers. Jay-Z's is vaguely memorable, Oliver was part of my childhood. Still only worth a 3 though. Stick with the original thanks.

Posted by: gooddelta 30th March 2024, 07:51 PM

Just catching up...

Adelante on the flip side is my least favourite from Sash! It just never clicked with me despite loving him usually.

Breathe and Stop unfortunately always reminds me of an accident I had where my thumb was slammed in the bathroom door - as it was playing on the radio at the time it happened

Hammer to the Heart definitely was a cheeky song, 'inspired' by the ABBA track that Madonna so famously sampled...but obviously didn't warrant a sample, nor would Benny & Bjorn have probably allowed it.

I actually like Go Let It Out more than a lot of other Oasis lead singles from the 00s, agree the instrumental is good, and the drum intro pattern is exactly the same as Roxette's Wish I Could Fly from the year before. Not too mad on Liam's drawn out vocal in places, I know it's his trademark but it seemed a bit OTT on this one 'go let it eeeehooooouuuuutt'.

I liked Move Your Body but there was a lot better on the album, that also sounded different to Blue. I'd have gone with Too Much Of Heaven or Living On A Bubble as the second single.

Pure Shores is of course wonderful, such a shame it didn't get the end of year No.1, definitely feels like it was one of the most representative songs of 2000.

Liking both Fast As You Can and especially C'est La Vie - I don't remember them from the time at all.

Have always loved I Feel Love, a great trance track.

Mr E's Beautiful Blues is wonderful, it's featured on so many TV and film soundtracks since it was released, I still hear it all the time. Very commercial track for Eels.

Agree with Christina review, an alright track but all the other singles were much better from the album.

And also agree about Jay-Z, a clear attempt to encourage lightning to strike twice - it didn't.

Posted by: dandy* 30th March 2024, 07:56 PM

I absolutely love Mr E's Beautiful Blues, that's my biggest gripe with your scoring so far!


At least you enjoyed the Fiona Apple track though so not all bad

Posted by: TheSnake 30th March 2024, 08:17 PM

Pure Shores is very good, have always liked the the 'many places I have been' vocal in it - is it Shaznay?

For CRW, I am more used to this version of CRW I Feel Love



which is an amazing song to listen to in headphones, because of the phaser effects of the buildup and the bassline. Don't think its the version that charted though, the version that charted seems to be more traditional trance.

Posted by: King Rollo 30th March 2024, 08:17 PM

I'm glad you liked C'est La Vie by Jean Michel Jarre, I bought the album it was on. Playground Love by Air is another good one.

Posted by: Jade 30th March 2024, 09:03 PM

'Pure Shores' is definitely a 10 for me as well the vocals of All Saints mixed with the ambient beats of William Orbit are a dreamy match made in heaven 'Playground Love' is also a beautifully chilled-out soundtrack song, can't go wrong with a bit of Air. Jean-Michel Jarre is reliably great too and certainly went out on a high in the charts with 'C'est La Vie'.

I'm so happy to read that you enjoyed 'Fast As You Can'! I really got into Fiona Apple over lockdown after checking out her latest album Fetch The Bolt Cutters. I now own all her records on vinyl and would consider her to be one of my favourite artists <3 shame she only had one top 40 hit but 'Fast As You Can' is excellent representation, thrillingly off-kilter.

Snap in loving 'Genie In A Bottle' but not caring much for 'What A Girl Wants'. Can't say that 'Anything', 'Cartoon Heroes' or 'Don't Be Stupid (You Know I Love You)' from this batch do a lot for me either.

Didn't think I knew 'Mr E's Beautiful Blues' by name but it actually does sound very familiar, so maybe caught it on TV or at the movies as per Rich's post - good stuff anyway.

Posted by: JulianT 30th March 2024, 09:41 PM

Thanks for all the comments! Who’d have thought 2000 would get more engagement than 1953?

I think everyone’s right that I underrated The Eels. Sorry Mr E!

Posted by: Popchartfreak 31st March 2024, 11:18 AM

and I'm revisiting jean-Michel Jarre to see what I missed - C'Est La Vie is really World Music a la synth, not Oxygene at all (now that's a stunning album!), more in common with Enigma/Deep Forest albeit more dance-beats. I like it, upgrade to a 5 on a second listen and those Twin Peaks-ish chords always work for me.

Posted by: Anita Hanjaab 31st March 2024, 02:42 PM

OMFG PURE SHOES YES YES YES!!!

One of the best girl band sangs of ALL TAR!!!!

Posted by: Anita Hanjaab 31st March 2024, 02:43 PM

It is, it is Shaznay singing that line thesnake!!!!

Posted by: danG 31st March 2024, 03:48 PM

Batch 3 Rank:

Great:
#30 05/02/2000 Mint Royale Featuring Lauren Laverne Don't Falter 15 {15}-25-37-57->4 [really lovely song, ought to have been their #1 over Singin]
#27 05/02/2000 Andreas Johnson Glorious 4 {4}-7-9-13-25-37-42-50-53-64-72->11 [this one has aged very well! love the strings on it]

Good:
#25 05/02/2000 Gabrielle Rise 1 {1}-1-2-2-7-12-14-19-25-29-45-57-51-54-62->15 [very pleasant song, the Bob Dylan sample works too without being overbearing]
05/02/2000 Lovestation Teardrops {2000} 24 {24}-40-49-75->4 [Joey Negro edit; I'd have counted this so going in the rank - quite a nice groovy funky house rendition here on par with the '98 'original']
#36 05/02/2000 David Bowie Survive 28 {28}-59->2 [ooh this is rather nice, not very familiar with 90s/00s Bowie efforts but guess I ought to be]
#40 05/02/2000 Sundance Won't Let This Feeling Go 40 {40}-73->2 [the best of the week's trance hits so of course it ends up being the lowest charting]

Decent:
#26 05/02/2000 R.E.M. The Great Beyond 3 {3}-5-7-12-24-34-38-47-56-75->10 [don't think I've ever heard this one before, or either of their other two top five hits none of which are amongst their most listened-to now. it is very standard REM, not bad, not special]
#37 05/02/2000 Star fighter Apache 31 {31}-50-66->3 [haven't heard this one before, got a bit of oomph to it but ultimately makes me wish I was listening to The Prodigy's No Good]
#33 05/02/2000 The Space Brothers Shine 2000 18 {18}-36-46-74->4 [Commie radio edit; not very familiar with this mix as it's not on Spotify... and it's quite noticeably poorer than the original (which would be top of the ranking)]
#32 05/02/2000 Aurora Hear You Calling {2000} 17 {17}-34-42-69->4 [Darkmoon radio edit; I think it was the this remix that was the hit rather than the album version that's on the playlist, below par for trance hits of the time anyway I'd say]
#39 05/02/2000 Utah Saints Love Song 37 {37}-66->2 [alright but wish it had a bit more variation given its near 6 minute runtime]

Meh:
#34 05/02/2000 Adam Rickitt Best Thing 25 {25}-45-63->3 [got a bit of a groove to it but he's not that great of a vocalist]
#35 05/02/2000 Eurythmics 17 Again 27 {27}-44-52-67->4 [opposite problem to Adam; great vocal, boring song]
#38 05/02/2000 Fred And Roxy Something For The Weekend 36 {36}-57->2 [it's giving budget Spice Girls, not surprised it didn't perform that well]

Crap:
#31 05/02/2000 The Notorious B.I.G. Featuring Puff Daddy The Notorious B.I.G. 16 {16}-26-36-50-75->5 [this doesn't seem to go anywhere]
#28 05/02/2000 Lyte Funkie Ones Girl On TV 6 {6}-11-14-20-26-42-59-60-65->9 [first time listen and big meh, shame what happened to them but I can't pretend this is good in any way whatsoever]
#29 05/02/2000 Daphne And Celeste Ooh Stick You! 8 {8}-13-13-14-12-22-22-29-35-46-57-60->12 [unlistenable]

Posted by: JulianT 31st March 2024, 09:29 PM

5 new entries in the Top 6 but most of them far from the respective artists’ best work. Further down we have one legendary rock band entering the Top 40 for the first time and another entering it for the last time side by side. And we also have “Dancing On The Moonlight” starting its Odyssey but it won’t peak for nearly a year.

It’s time a dance track came top though: I absolutely love “The Sound Of Bamboo” for its raw and transfixing power.

9 Flickman The Sound Of Bamboo Only Top 40 for this DJ but what a stonker: so compelling from the "da da da" scat style vocal to the pot rattling drum beat
8 Muse Sunburn Their 1st Top 40 and not their best remembered but it's wonderfully intense: I love the relentless shimmering piano line
8 Artful Dodger And Romina Johnson Movin' Too Fast Romina's only Top 40: a great xylophone riff and melody making for a very memorable and radio friendly pop dance hit
7 The Bluetones Keep The Home Fires Burning The lead single from their 3rd album: very enjoyable and has a lovely old school feel to it right from the opening brass notes
7 Toploader Dancing In The Moonlight Their 1st Top 40 whose remix will have a huge run; the song is from 1970 but this is a strong cover with an original riff
6 The Smashing Pumpkins Stand Inside Your Love They're still going but this is their last Top 40 hit from their 5th album: it's very enjoyable but doesn't stand out in any way
5 Backstreet Boys Show Me The Meaning Of Being Lonely Written by Max Martin and the 3rd Top 5 hit from the album, it's not exciting but a well done ballad with Latin guitars
5 Jamelia Money Her debut hit with uncredited Beenie Man is pop RnB with some quirky and different elements: interesting but not beautiful
4 Delirious? It's OK Not an explicitly religious song from the Christian rock band, but a fairly pleasant slow ballad about facing life's challenges
3 Ann Lee Voices Her 2nd and final hit and her vocals are quite nice but it's very similar to "2 Times" with the beeping Eurodance instrumental
3 Kelis Caught Out There Her debut hit and thankfully she will get much better; she sings this well but I don't much like the shouty gimmicky chorus
2 Lenny Fontana And DJ Shorty Chocolate Sensation It's based on "Love Sensation" by Loleatta Holloway, the same track as "Ride On Time", but this really does not sound good
1 A1 Like A Rose Their 4th Top 10 hit: this is very like Westlife in style but so schmaltzy and boring I feel like even they would have rejected it



2000 Week 10:

#86 11/03/2000 Madonna American Pie 1 {1}-2-5-8-11-17-27-34-44-51-58-70-68R(3)-69->14
#87 11/03/2000 *NSync Bye Bye Bye 3 {3}-8-11-20-28-37-44-58->8
#88 11/03/2000 Vengaboys Shalala Lala 5 {5}-6-10-17-22-29-35-40-50-70->10
#89 11/03/2000 Lene Marlin Sitting Down Here 5 6-{5}-8-13-13-20-22-31-42-50-64->11
#90 11/03/2000 Honeyz Won't Take It Lying Down 7 {7}-12-21-32-42-54-58-72R(3)->8
#91 11/03/2000 Puff Daddy Featuring R. Kelly Satisfy You 8 {8}-10-13-22-30-36-45-63->8
#92 11/03/2000 Mariah Carey Featuring Joe And 98 Degrees Thank God I Found You 10 {10}-18-26-40-41-58-66-75-75-71R(2)->10
#93 11/03/2000 Madasun Don't You Worry 14 {14}-19-30-41-60-69->6
#94 11/03/2000 Northern Line Love On The Northern Line 15 {15}-34-49-71-73->5
#95 11/03/2000 Yomanda Sunshine 16 {16}-26-38-49-70-74->6
#96 11/03/2000 Dumdums Everything 21 {21}-31-40-48-71->5
#97 11/03/2000 Slipknot Wait And Bleed 27 {27}-40-55->3
#98 11/03/2000 98 Degrees The Hardest Thing 29 {29}-48->2
#99 11/03/2000 Lynden David Hall Forgive Me 30 {30}-52->2
#100 11/03/2000 Colour Girl Can't Get Used To Losing You 31 {31}-50-64->3
#101 11/03/2000 Wisdôme Off The Wall 33 {33}-51->2
#102 11/03/2000 Orbital And Angelo Badalamenti Beached 36 {36}-53-68->3

Posted by: TheSnake 31st March 2024, 10:47 PM

Didn't think Flickman would be top of your ranking. I sell bamboo boo boo boo



I don't think its about them selling the plant bamboo in garden centres though. Probably slang for some drug or something.

'Moving Too Fast' is very good and certainly nostalgic.

Posted by: JulianT 1st April 2024, 10:35 PM

Quantity rather than quality is the order of this week with 17 new entries but none of them absolutely outstanding.

We have at the top a very interesting garage version of an old hit and a surprisingly great girl group hit. I can see why Madasun didn’t make it big though: they looked too quirky for starters and doing more grown up pop you risk not appealing to the young audience who buy that music while still not being taken seriously as an alternative act.

8 Colour Girl Can't Get Used To Losing You Only hit for this UK garage singer with a remarkable cover of the 1963 Andy W hit: this really works and it's a unique track
8 Madasun Don't You Worry 1st hit for this UK girl group: I love the production and it's a very strong track all round; maybe too mature for its own good
7 Slipknot Wait And Bleed Debut hit for this US band: a short and sharp track but very effective with punchy spoken sections and a chant-like melody
7 Lene Marlin Sitting Down Here Debut for this Norwegian singer that climbed to its peak: nothing extraordinary but a very endearing and well written song
7 *NSync Bye Bye Bye Their best remembered: the style and production is quite of its time but it's a powerful song and a great example of its style
6 Orbital And Angelo Badalamenti Beached One of many hits from "The Beach" soundtrack; a very nice largely instrumental electronic track with a bracing violin melody
6 Honeyz Won't Take It Lying Down 5th Top 10 hit for them that sold over 50k at #7: this is quite a well aged, powerful and well performed piece of pop RnB
5 Yomanda Sunshine 2nd hit for this Irish DJ: I really like the frenetic opening instrumental section but the "Sunshine" hook is a little repetitive
5 Dumdums Everything Debut hit for this London band and it's a catchy tune, but I think it's more like watered down rock than pop with an edge
4 Puff Daddy Featuring R. Kelly Satisfy You Samples "I Got 5 On It" and has a decent chorus of its own but mainly just makes you wish you were listening to that instead
4 Lynden David Hall Forgive Me Last Top 40 for this UK soul singer: his voice is gorgeous, but I struggle to be excited by this track which does plod a little
3 Madonna American Pie 850th #1: whereas Don's original is raw and folky and the rhythms are imprecise, this is highly sanitised and fairly bland
3 Vengaboys Shalala Lala Their hits to date have been good fun if not exactly high art: this is a pleasant tune nicely produced but much more boring
2 Mariah Carey Featuring Joe And 98 Degrees Thank God I Found You A US #1 and to me this definitely has an American hands in the air feel to it: I find it a really dull and overwrought ballad
2 Northern Line Love On The Northern Line Having your band name in the title of your biggest hit isn't a recipe for longevity: this is incredibly naff but somewhat catchy
1 98 Degrees The Hardest Thing 2 in the same week for this US boyband: this is about a guy having to ditch his bit on the side; very drippy and whiny track
1 Wisdôme Off The Wall Only hit with this credit and a very strange version of the Michael Jackson track with the vocals distorted quite unpleasantly



2000 Week 11:

#103 18/03/2000 Chicane Featuring Bryan Adams Don't Give Up 1 {1}-3-5-7-16-25-37-47-44-52-56-72-65-72->14
#104 18/03/2000 Tom Jones And Stereophonics Mama Told Me Not To Come 4 {4}-9-18-26-44-54-66->7
#105 18/03/2000 Five Don't Wanna Let You Go 9 {9}-16-21-31-42-43-39-48-63-74-55-40->12
#106 18/03/2000 Moby Natural Blues 11 {11}-17-23-33-48-71->6
#107 18/03/2000 Barbara Tucker Stop Playing With My Mind 17 {17}-28-37-51->4
#108 18/03/2000 Lulu Where The Poor Boys Dance 24 {24}-25-38-49-75->5
#109 18/03/2000 Filter Take A Picture 25 {25}-44-62->3
#110 18/03/2000 Kraftwerk Expo 2000 27 {27}-48->2
#111 18/03/2000 Coldplay Shiver 35 {35}-51-74->3
#112 18/03/2000 Chili Hi Fly Is It Love? 37 {37}-57->2
#113 18/03/2000 Big Time Charlie Featuring Soozy Q Mr Devil 39 {39}-66->2

Posted by: Popchartfreak 2nd April 2024, 10:13 AM

oops I didn't chart Flickman, thought I did but apparently not! Playing it now...like the rhythm track but the House Of Bamboo repeat chant just annoys me, as usual with songs that can stick different words in but don't. Muse ditto didnt chart (and I usually rate them), sorry! Movin' Too fast was r'n'b-ish and a pleasant 7. I never rated The Bluetones much so this one just passed me by. Ouch such negativity!

Toploader OTOH I was a massive fan of first time round, bought it and the follow-up, big number one million-"seller" for me and ongoing popular classic. I like the King Harvest version but this is the definitive. The Smashing Pumpkins another band I wasn't especially a fan, and whoosh, over my head and not in my chart. Backstreet Boys always got radio exposure (including in Florida where I was for a month this year so expect a lot of one-week chart-wonders to mean nothing to me I just won;t have heard them). 7 out of 10 for this, pleasant but not amongst their greats.

I like Jamelia, Money got a 7 despite the Beanie Man feature (not a fan). It's OK? No idea if it is or not, means nothing to me. 2 Times-hitmaker being a bit optimistic when it comes to my charts, but Caught Out There is the best record in this underwhelming bunch - that's a 9. As a career statement of intent opener it was pretty strong. Like A Rose? I do actually like a sweet-smelling rose, but this was one to sniff at and put on one side. A1 will do WAY better.

Posted by: gooddelta 2nd April 2024, 10:43 AM

Thank God I Found You is one I have always loved, and bought at the time. I know it's very unpopular though on the whole. The Make It Last remix with Joe and Nas was just as good to me, if a completely different song (like the J.Lo remixes a few years later).

I also like the Vengaboys' track, as it's very Bavarian in sound (as was the video), which was unusual for the UK charts.

Dumdums felt a little like a predecessor to Busted looking back, their hits were ok but they lacked the personality, and their sound wasn't really the right fit for the charts in 2000.

The Madasun song is very good, it's a shame it didn't really click here. Weirdly it did much better in Australia, where it was a long-running top ten hit.

Thanks for the reminder of the Colour Girl song, I'd forgotten about that but added it to my garage playlist.

I really loved all five of Honeyz' top ten hits. They came, went and disappeared but left me with five songs I still play very heavily to this day, Won't Take It Lying Down was very popular on the radio at the time.

From the previous batch, I don't really love any of them but Toploader's longevity with that song was impressive at the time (even if it took a mostly redundant and barely changed Stargate mix for the second push).

Money and Caught Out There were always sequenced next to each other on practically every compilation album released at the time. Must admit I'd forgotten they'd charted next to each other on the same week too. A few years later they repeated the feat when variations of Superstar/Thank You/Milkshake/Trick Me were placed next to each other on a lot of albums.

A1 were incredibly naff from time to time, Like A Rose being the worst, although by far their most popular song on Spotify with nearly 35 million streams - you can thank Eastern countries like Philippines for that, as they love a saccharine boyband ballad (it also explains very high stream counts for some random ballads from 911 and Westlife).

Ann Lee, bless her. I bought her album around the time and it was basically just 2 Times 12 times over, including Voices. The cover of Ring My Bell in that style was quite quirky though.

Posted by: Popchartfreak 2nd April 2024, 10:51 AM

week 10:

Colour Girl? No memory of this at all and I love the song. Can only guess I compared it to Andy Williams and The Beat, both of which I love, and it came out lacking for me. Hooray, Don't You Worry did though, a solid 7, and I don;t often use the word "appalling" when it comes to music, so treasure this moment: I dislike Slipknot with consistency, hated everything I've ever heard from them. Some of my younger relatives beg to differ, but Alexa will be told to "stop" if any of their back catalogue creeps onto the speaker in place of something new they may not entirely enjoy..

Lene Marlin is a fab pop track, a strong 8, and "NSYNC were consistently quality pop, huge on US radio, less huge over in the UK where DJ's insisted on saying ENSINK. My eyes spent 3 years rolling at the collective obliviousness; it's IN-SINC, it's a music pun, the comma is there for a reason, do your jobs. Sorry, still annoyed apparently....! 9 out of 10.

I recently mentioned Twin Peaks, well here's the soundtrack man with Orbital and it's good - 7! Honeyz I usually liked too, and Won't Take It is a strong 8. Sunshine didn't rise for me, Dumdums sounds like a made-up chart act based on the statue from Night At The Museum, and Puff Daddy I shockingly rated as a strong 8, mostly because I adore I Got 5 On It. I have never liked the former Puff Daddy, I overdosed on his cash-in Police re-write of a stalking classic into mushy tribute, I hate his name (speaking of someone who spent years being called that name, and I don't mean 'daddy'), and he just struck me as opportunistic from day one.

Lynden David Hall was a great singer, and died too young, but this track was one I must have missed. Thank God I Found You another big US radio tune, a strong 7 out of 10, though. Or maybe it just reminds me of the new theme park, Islands Of Adventure which was new and exciting in Florida. Madonna's version of American Pie I liked enough for an 8 out of 10, but it was an odd choice of cover that got huge stick at the time. I found it fairly inoffensive, OK it's not Don McLean, but who is, nobody else can cover it...

Vengaboys will always be a 1 out of 10, sorry! Northern Line, no idea, but I've spent weeks of my life on the Northern Line and I suggest reading a newspaper. The Hardest Part another overblown US radio tune, 3 out 10. Wisdome tells me a rubbish cover of Michael Jackson not always a good idea.

Posted by: gooddelta 2nd April 2024, 11:08 AM

On 'N Sync, I think the idea for the original pronunciation was as you say - in sync - but they soon changed the apostrophe to a star before N and became *NSYNC (one word), presumably because everybody did pronounce it wrong so often so they just went with it and adopted either pronunciation as canon.

Posted by: Dobbo 2nd April 2024, 02:37 PM

I never realised this but Korn have a near unbelievable chart history. Their first 8 singles all peaking between #22 and #26 (the first 5 in fact completing a perfect #22-#26 run) and all spending exactly 2 weeks in the top 40. A.D.I.D.A.S is probably their best song.

Wait And Bleed is a metal masterpiece unbelievable energy in that song.

I always used to think Bye Bye Bye was N*Sync's best but I think these days I'd probably listen to the admittedly very similar-sounding It's Gonna Be Me first.

Madonna's version of American Pie is pure dogturd one of the worst #1s ever.

Posted by: dandy* 3rd April 2024, 05:31 AM

Stand Inside Your Love is my favourite of the last couple of weeks. The album was pretty good too.

Posted by: Popchartfreak 3rd April 2024, 09:33 AM

It's Gonna Be Me is great, bought that one in Florida for 99 cents - the only CD single releases by then in record shops were boybands or 6 dollar maxi-singles with extra tracks and remixes, Everything else you had to buy the album. I bought some Depeche Mode, Erasure, kate Bush, Prince, madonna (Keep It Together) and a few others during the 90's. Hoped they would end up being valuable. Not so much...

Posted by: Roba. 3rd April 2024, 10:27 AM

Way behind atm oops but I did discover that Fiona Apple track a couple of months back and it was a great discovery!

Posted by: JulianT 3rd April 2024, 11:48 PM

Of course “Play” was one of the biiggest albums of the year, also producing some decent size hit singles such as the incredibly arresting “Natural Blues”.

9 Moby Natural Blues Samples a 1937 Vera Hall folk song and does it brilliantly creating a beautiful meditative electronic blues crossover track
8 Kraftwerk Expo 2000 Originally commisioned for the actual Hanovet expo, a wonderfully robotic and futuristic sounding track in their usual style
8 Coldplay Shiver Quite a low key debut for them and still not one of their best known, but a very fine song that still sounds as great as ever
7 Filter Take A Picture Only hit for this US rock band from their 2nd album about getting drunk on a plane, and it's great with a hypnotic chorus
7 Lulu Where The Poor Boys Dance Her last solo hit and perhaps her best for decades: a really lovely and soulful mid tempo ballad which she carries very well
6 Chicane Featuring Bryan Adams Don't Give Up 851st #1: great for Chicane to have hit the top with a strong pop dance crossover, but I'm not sold on the auto-tuned vocals
6 Five Don't Wanna Let You Go The follow up to the fab "Keep On Movin'", this is another good pop song though with a slightly disturbing stalker-ish theme
5 Chili Hi Fly Is It Love? Only hit for these Australian producers with a nicely used Kool And The Gang sample; quite a cute and catchy dance track
5 Big Time Charlie Featuring Soozy Q Mr Devil 2nd and final hit for this producer with a Chic sample: a decent tune well sung and a good but unremarkable club track
4 Tom Jones And Stereophonics Mama Told Me Not To Come Tom's biggest hit since the 80s: there's nothing wrong with this cover but also nothing at all original, so it falls a little flat
3 Barbara Tucker Stop Playing With My Mind Well she certainly gives this house soul style song a lot of welly but it's a little too in your face with no real light and shade



2000 Week 12:

#114 25/03/2000 Geri Halliwell Bag It Up 1 {1}-4-8-19-28-27-26-39-45-68-71-71R(3)-55->13
#115 25/03/2000 Blink-182 All The Small Things 2 {2}-6-9-15-19-26-33-38-46-61->10
#116 25/03/2000 ATB Killer 4 {4}-10-14-26-37-41-53-65-74R(5)->9
#117 25/03/2000 Dr Dre Featuring Snoop Dogg Still D.R.E. 6 {6}-7-10-14-21-29-41-46-59-67->10
#118 25/03/2000 Embrace You're Not Alone 14 {14}-29-52->3
#119 25/03/2000 Will Smith Freakin' It 15 {15}-26-37-55-56-60-65-59R(3)->8
#120 25/03/2000 Macy Gray Still 18 {18}-30-39-50-50-68-69-69R(2)-65->9
#121 25/03/2000 No Doubt Ex-Girlfriend 23 {23}-45-69->3
#122 25/03/2000 Mero It Must Be Love 33 {33}-55->2
#123 25/03/2000 Babybird The F-Word 35 {35}-52->2
#124 25/03/2000 Dario G Voices 37 {37}-60->2

Posted by: gooddelta 4th April 2024, 10:31 AM

Play had so many great songs on it, I totally see why it was such a big album for Moby.

Fair review for Lulu, I'm not a big fan but I remember thinking that it was a good track at the time and deserved to chart for a few weeks, which it did.

I missed this chart as was away in Tenerife at the time, so I don't remember all of the dance songs lower down. Will check them out. I do remember the Barbara Tucker song as I had it on a club compilation, it's just ok though for me.

I think I mentioned elsewhere recently though that I remember coming back from holiday and being gobsmacked to find out that Chicane and Bryan Adams had gone to No.1, I don't think it felt like that was on the cards at all at the time.

I thought Five would be No.1 that week, and still unsure how they only peaked at No.9, with what I think was an attempt to recreate Everybody (Backstreet's Back), maybe it would have been better as a Halloween release? But their prior four singles had all gone top two (the immediate predecessor to No.1), and their next two releases went to No.1, so what exactly happened for this to go to only No.9 I have always wondered.

Posted by: JulianT 4th April 2024, 10:37 AM

Yes it sounded like a Number 1 or at least a much bigger hit to me too. Also it had a curious chart run, re-entering the Top 40 twice. I don’t know if that was just that lots of copies ended up in the bargain bin because they’d overestimated demand in the first place.

Posted by: Jade 4th April 2024, 10:37 AM

Sunday batch:

I wasn't familiar with 'Like A Rose' at all until a few weeks ago when Ben Adams was on Scott Mills' Radio 2 show. A childhood fan had been invited on stage at an A1 concert back in the day, due to the sign she had made, but felt too shy to accept the invitation. This now grown up fan was on the phone telling this story and he sang 'Like A Rose' down the phone to her, as that was the song she would've been pulled on stage for had she accepted :') so a random way to become aware of that song, but yeah. Can't say it does much for me either!

TIL that it's not just me who isn't too fond of 'Caught Out There' on here. I remember taking an instant dislike to the bratty vocal style in the chorus and upon re-listen it's still a turn off. Thankfully her music will get much better indeed *.*

'Dancing In The Moonlight' is one of my earliest memories of hearing a song on the radio and it certainly wouldn't be the last time I do still quite like it despite the overplay / pub karaoke sing-a-longs over the years.

Love 'Movin' Too Fast', my favourite of this batch it was one of the very first singles I bought on vinyl. I got my first record player for my 17th birthday (almost 10 years ago now...) and popped into a charity shop on the way back from my birthday meal, picking up both that and 'Scandalous' by Mis-Teeq!

Monday batch:

I find the parent album Rainbow enjoyable but 'Thank God I Found You' is not for me either. Can see why it went to #1 in the U.S. though, her haul of chart toppers there over the years is impressive. 'Shalala Lala' is pretty naff, it gives me flashbacks to being on the coach for the Spice Girls at Wembley, with drunk girls right behind me singing it that 'American Pie' cover is obviously not Madge's finest moment either, way better elsewhere on the accompanying album much like Mariah.

I'm not a Honeyz fan in general but 'Won't Take It Lying Down' is the best I've heard from them, it's quite punchy. Same with *NSYNC and 'Bye Bye Bye', Justin has some great solo stuff but that's probably the only song from the group that I return to.

'Sitting Down Here' is a great radio staple. I associate it with this spring/summer time of year as the acoustic production is quite breezy, even if the lyrics are less positive.

The idea of a garage version of 'Can't Get Used To Losing You' sounded baffling on paper but that version was a surprisingly decent discovery

Today's batch:

Love 'Don't Give It Up' I'm a sucker for Chicane's production style and enjoy the contrast of quite cold vocal processing/beats mixed with optimistic lyrics.

'Shiver' was a fine debut for Coldplay indeed albeit not one I revisit all that much outside of listening to Parachutes in full.

I've recently been reading a New Romantics book that chronicles 1975 - 1985 in music and fashion, from punk to Live Aid and everything in between. I found an accompanying playlist that someone made for a more immersive experience and it's really made me fall in love with Kraftwerk all over again, with a lot of 'Trans-Europe Express' plays last month in particular. There are still gaps to fill where they are concerned and 'Expo 2000' is one of them, sounded brilliant - futuristic and robotic as you say, their specific synth shtick never tires on me.

'Natural Blues' is a great one to top this section. That sample is captivating (always love when this song pops up in media) and the whole album is on point production-wise.

Posted by: JulianT 5th April 2024, 08:58 PM

It was ranked the 2nd greatest hip-hop beat of all time behind “Shook Ones - Part II” by an expert panel recently. It’s my 1st hip-hop top pick, meaning that my winners now cover all the major genres.

9 Dr Dre Featuring Snoop Dogg Still D.R.E. It's the first Top 10 for either of them and the keyboard vamp is rightly considered one of the best ever on a hip hop track
8 Babybird The F-Word Last of their 8 Top 40s from their 3rd album, later used for Gordon Ramsay's TV series: it's a great unrelenting rock track
8 Macy Gray Still This is a worthy follow up to "I Try": not catchy in the same way but a soulful emotionally powerful track in her unique style
7 Blink-182 All The Small Things Their 2nd and by far their biggest hit, which I think was so big because it's really quite poppy, but an excellently written track
7 No Doubt Ex-Girlfriend Lead single from their 4th album and a powerful rocky number with a slight Latin flavour that deserved to do much better
6 Dario G Voices Another one from "The Beach" soundtrack: a very nice exotic sounding, warm and shimmery track with a sing-along hook
5 Embrace You're Not Alone From their 2nd album and the type of song with an anthemic and uplifting chorus that they do well, but they'll have better
4 Will Smith Freakin' It After 6 straight Top 3s this missed the Top 10, but it's less naff than some of his others and quite a fun and catchy number
3 Geri Halliwell Bag It Up 852nd #1: I'm not keen on the vocals here and find the spoken verses quite naff, but there's a catchy retro song in there
2 ATB Killer His 3rd Top 10 hit and the last for more than 20 years: this is a very uninspired cover of the classic with weaker vocals
2 Mero It Must Be Love Only hit for the Simon Cowell managed Scottish boyband; intended as a Motown throwback but a very run of the mill song



2000 Week 13:

#125 01/04/2000 Melanie C Featuring Lisa 'Left Eye' Lopes Never Be The Same Again 1 {1}-2-7-9-11-14-17-26-31-38-42-54-67-75-70R(3)-74->16
#126 01/04/2000 Moloko The Time Is Now 2 {2}-4-11-16-25-38-36-44-58-75->10
#127 01/04/2000 Santana Featuring Rob Thomas Smooth {2000} 3 {3}-5-12-17-23-30-34-40-43-66->10
#128 01/04/2000 Precious Rewind 11 {11}-18-31-46-65->5
#129 01/04/2000 N+G Featuring Kallaghan Right Before My Eyes 12 {12}-17-25-33-48-74->6
#130 01/04/2000 Savage Garden Crash And Burn 14 {14}-21-28-34-45-57->6
#131 01/04/2000 Jennifer Lopez Featuring Big Pun And Fat Joe Feelin' So Good 15 {15}-27-38-51-62-73->6
#132 01/04/2000 M2M Don't Say You Love Me 16 {16}-24-30-38-42-61->6
#133 01/04/2000 Primal Scream Kill All Hippies 24 {24}-53->2
#134 01/04/2000 Doves The Cedar Room 33 {33}-61->2
#135 01/04/2000 Semisonic Singing In My Sleep 39 {39}-72->2

Posted by: TheSnake 6th April 2024, 01:50 AM

All The Small Things is iconic, The F-Word TV show theme tune was excellent, I like all Yomanda's hits including 'Sunshine', Chicane and Bryan Adams song is a very good #1, I wonder did those vocal effects influence Dirty Vegas and Kanye West, I like one of the versions of ATB Killer but not the most popular youtube version, I wonder did you listen to both as the Killer 2000 version is definitely way better?

Posted by: JulianT 6th April 2024, 07:29 AM

Ah I did have the wrong version on my playlist. Having just listened to the correct version I’m not detecting much difference haha. What about it is way better for you?
I think either way the original is a brilliant sparkling record and this is quite flat, but that’s generally what happens if your cover is just a copy and doesn’t attempt anything different.

Posted by: gooddelta 6th April 2024, 09:04 AM

Still D.R.E. is easily my favourite here too, the song comes into my head so often. Snoop and Dre were both brilliant on it and the bouncing car video is so memorable.

Only just realising how many hits The Beach soundtrack spun off, I don't remember Voices that well. Dario G had quite a few more top 40 hits than many might remember.

I thought Freakin' It was very weak for Will Smith, although its low peak was a surprise to me at the time as I thought he was always more or less guaranteed top ten, and it followed a couple of No.2 hits.

Love ATB usually but really don't like his version of Killer. The album version was pointless enough but the UK single edit just added that pitch bend sound and had a more energetic intro. I guess it was an easy way to get another hit, but the parent album had so many brilliant songs I'd have liked to have seen get the single treatment instead.

The only thing I remember about It Must Be Love is that it was expected to do a lot better than it did, and it had the same intro as Always Have, Always Will by Ace of Base.

Posted by: Popchartfreak 6th April 2024, 09:10 AM

Moby, great album, great track, also a 9/10 for me. Kraftwerk great to have them back but just a 6 for me, and Shiver passed me by entirely, first impression of Coldplay was a bit "whatever" but I'd be seeing them in concert inside a year or two. Still not a song I know well (and I have the album). Filter, OTOH, fits in with my US-biased tastes at the time (what with all the holidays) and was a 9 for me.

Lulu was also about to tour in 3 or 4 years time, I still have the photos, by which time she was firmly established as a soul-based (or r'n'b as per the times) artist after her fabulous 1993 revival with Independence. Loved Lulu as a kid, still love her and this track is just about a 9 or strong 8.

Bryan Adams suddenly doing dance was not expected! I rather liked rated it, 8/10 and the autotune didn't annoy me in those days as it hadnt become the massive obligatory cliche it is now. Five, I was still enjoying their upbeat pop stuff and another strong 8/borderline 9 - not heard it in 24 years though so it's hard to say how it sounds now! Must dig out my US radio cassettes and convert to digital, that reminds me....

Chilli Hi Fly? Never heard of it! Big Time Charlie a bit optimistically named, but Barbara Tucker I rather liked, a 7. That leaves Mama Told Me Not To Come. The underlying Randy Newman song is good but I'd been put off by the Three Dog Night hit dreariness. Tom & The Stereophonics had a bit more oomph to it, 8/10 and the album it came from was pretty good, Tom's best bar a Greatest Hits.

Posted by: Popchartfreak 6th April 2024, 09:28 AM

Still Dre under-achieved for me, a strong 6, but I'd pump it up a bit these days to a 7 or 8. Babybird got a bit higher but had a very short run, so I reckon I got fed up of it quickly and a 6. Still an OK 5, don't recall it TBH. Blink 182 still iconic to many of that generation (my niece for example), and this far and away their best record, 8/10, though I have got a bit bored with it over the years.

No Doubt I always like, Gwen I love even more, but Ex-Girlfriend was a lowly 3 for me. Dario G, a former chart-topping act (and still good) and Voices is an 8 or 9 by a whisker. Embrace also had a number one in them, but this scraped a 4 from me. Will Smith everyone seems to slag off these days, but I liked his pop career, and Freakin' It is a 9 for me. Geri's solo career was usually underwhelming, but bag It Up one of her better smashes, second only to Ride It for me, an 8.

ATB I have never been a fan of, and indeed they committed a Killer crime here 3 out of 10. That leaves Mero. No memory of them or this, and I never charted it.

Posted by: Last Dreamer 6th April 2024, 09:36 AM

Geri's solo music material was wonderful and million times better than Spice Girls.

Posted by: Roba. 6th April 2024, 11:33 PM

Week 7 : Sash!, RHCP, Armin (best new discovery from wk7) are all highlights although 'Adelante' still isn't exactly among Sash!'s best for me by any strech, Byron is decent enough and Q-Tip was a grower on another listen. Oasis - one of their better 00's tracks. 'Simon Say's is an addictive rap track. Not saying 'Move Ur Body' is anything remarkable but I do quite enjoy that lol. Ian Brown, Joey Negro, Hepburn and Simply Red were all decent-ish for me as well but nothing too memorable either. The rest didn't leave an impression or weren't good.

Week 8 : Fab tracks from All Saints (obviously), CRW, Shania and also good in Christina and Aqua too but neither among the respective acts best songs overall, Eels is good too as is the Air track as well as Star Party. Already mention that the Fiona Apple song is great. 'C'est La Vie' is an interesting electronic piece too, sounds almost Eurovisiony in some way too. 'I Got This Feeling' is fine but offers nothing too exciting with the MJ sample. Rebecca Wheatley is sung nicely but forgettable as well.

Week 9, now going by each song in order hehe : Artful Dodger is good, Backstreet Boys, Kelis are both among the best here for me 'Caught Out There' especially which I personally find the shouty chorus quite a standout lol I guess it seems that isn't surprising as I like 'Beautiful Things' as well which gets moans for the same reason lol. Jamelia 'Money' is quite good but nothing too special, 'Like A Rose' is corny naff pap. Don't think A1 do slushy ballads well oops. Not keen on 'Sound of Bamboo' but I guess there are some good instruments going on in it at least. Bluetones track is quite good. 'It's OK' is a bit plodding. Can't remember how their 2010 one goes either, seems standard for them oops. 'Dancing In The Moonlight' is such a classic despite the overplay. 'Sunburn' isn't the most essential Muse track sadly, not doing much for me. 'Stand Inside Your Love' is rather bland for me. 'Voices' is forgettable crap and wasn't a fan of '2 Times' either much. 'Sensation' doesn't use the 'Ride On Time' well at all and falls short and is really boring oop.

Posted by: Chez Wombat 6th April 2024, 11:49 PM

Great to see you covering an era I would be for the most part, a bit more familiar with, this will be a huge nostalgia trip for me. Rest assured I am reading it all the way through even if I can't always comment. I'm still not overly clued up on some chart hits from the turn of the milliennium, but there are some real all time favourites coming for 2000 (and two of my favourite bands growing up have popped up, Hi Coldplay and Muse x)

2006 was when I started listening weekly so I could well recognise most if not all of the songs from around that point until about 2014 *__ (I should also know a decent amount of 04 and 05 thanks to Now albums).

Posted by: Roba. 7th April 2024, 12:45 AM

Week 10 : I did like the Madonna cover of 'American Pie' at the time doesn't of course beat the Don McLean version though. 'Bye Bye Bye' is NSYNC best song but still only a 6.5/10 for me. 'Shalala La La' nothing amazing and they have a load better obviously but 7/8 year old me found it quite a bop lol the spanish guitar was a nice touch too. Did get an unfair pile on in the survivor last year imo but I was it's only defender oop. Guess seeing it picked up -1's in some older NOW rates does make sense a bit as to how disliked it is but even then it surprised me how unpopular it was though. 'Sitting Down Here' is a pop classic and such a lovely track to be a hit. 'Wont Take It Lying Down' is solid, Honeyz do have some good stuff tbh. 'Thank God I Found You' is nice. 'Don't You Worry' is rather meh. Yomanda 'Sunshine' inessential dance track. 'Everything by Dumdums is alright, does sound Busted esque. 'Wait and Bleed' is a iconic metal tune. 98 degrees or Lynden... pass. Colour Girl 'Can't Get Used To Loving You' doesn't work as a dance track and 'Beached' by Orbital is a decent one to finish up week 10!

Posted by: danG 7th April 2024, 01:26 PM

Batch 4 Rank:

Great:
#41 12/02/2000 Sash! Adelante 2 {2}-4-8-16-28-36-43-51-57-70->10 [not my absolute fave of Sash's work but it's close up there with Ecuador]
#47 12/02/2000 Armin Communication 18 {18}-35-59->3 [Armin deserved a lot more than two hits, glad this got a brief look in though as it's a strong trance anthem]
#58 19/02/2000 Pharoahe Monch Simon Says 24 {24}-41->2 [iconic hip hop track, deserved a much better run]
#52 12/02/2000 Red Hot Chili Peppers Otherside 33 {33}-50->2 [another baffling low peak though the album must've been out a good while already at this point, closing in on a billion Spotify streams now so they can't mind too much]
#50 12/02/2000 Tomski Featuring Jan Johnston Love Will Come 31 {31}-56->2 [haven't heard this one before probably because it's not on Spotify, a very nice trance track here and I see it was co-produced by Chicane too]

Good:
#42 12/02/2000 Fierce Sweet Love 2K 3 {3}-11-19-29-44-61-61-58->8 [think I may like this more than the original version, good on Stargate here with the production]
#44 12/02/2000 Death In Vegas Aisha 9 {9}-20-39-66->4 [quite interesting to have a rock/electronic crossover in the chart]
#45 12/02/2000 Q-Tip Breathe And Stop 12 {12}-18-28-37-50-64-75->7 [this being the inspiration for a recent MK hit helps]
#56 19/02/2000 Joey Negro Featuring Taka Boom Must Be The Music 8 {8}-24-38-61-73->5 [quite groovy but not the most exciting of the dance hits of the time]
#54 19/02/2000 Eiffel 65 Move Your Body 3 {3}-6-9-18-23-31-36-45-60-75->10 [decent novelty but 'Blue' exists...]
#48 12/02/2000 Korn Falling Away From Me 24 {24}-44->2 [not very familiar with them, quite like this on a first listen though]

Okay:
#53 19/02/2000 Oasis Go Let It Out 1 {1}-4-17-38-55-59-54-44-56-67-52R(2)-74->12 [Oasis on autopilot]
#55 19/02/2000 Ian Brown Dolphins Were Monkeys 5 {5}-17-36-58->4 [forgettable]
#43 12/02/2000 The Tamperer Featuring Maya Hammer To The Heart 6 {6}-12-21-33-56-72R(2)-68->7 [didn't need that faux-Abba sample]
#51 12/02/2000 Byron Stingily That's The Way Love Is 32 {32}-54->2 [quite beige for standards of dance]
#46 12/02/2000 Sisqo Got To Get It 14 {14}-19-31-45->4 [he seems totally pointless besides Thong Song]

Meh:
#57 19/02/2000 Hepburn Deep Deep Down 16 {16}-30-48->3 [don't particularly like the vocal]
#49 12/02/2000 Tina Turner Whatever You Need 27 {27}-41-64->3 [boring]
#59 19/02/2000 Simply Red Your Eyes 26 {26}-53->2 [snooze]

Posted by: TheSnake 7th April 2024, 07:52 PM

Because one version has the iconic original bassline in it (which is better imo) and one doesn't.

Posted by: TheSnake 7th April 2024, 08:07 PM

This is great, maybe if they would have waited until summer to release it it would have done better on the chart.

Posted by: JulianT 7th April 2024, 08:29 PM

We really were spoiled in this period in a way: an entirely new Top 3 this week and all excellent original songs. My top choice is one that I loved at the time and I still think is a unique chart hit.

9 Moloko The Time Is Now I find this a totally entrancing and unique record, from the guitar bass line to Roisin's vulnerable vocals to the sensual lyrics
8 Melanie C Featuring Lisa 'Left Eye' Lopes Never Be The Same Again 853rd #1: Mel is such an expressive performer and it's a lovely song, but it's the addition of Lisa's part that makes it great
8 Santana Featuring Rob Thomas Smooth {2000} A huge US #1 and the biggest hit for either act here, and an excellent passion filled piece of Latin rock with a vintage feel
7 Semisonic Singing In My Sleep A belated 3rd hit from their 1998 album: this is a really rousing and well delivered pop rock song with a strong melody
7 Primal Scream Kill All Hippies Inspired by the 1980 film "Out Of The Blue", a very interesting song with an aggressive and distorted electronic sound
6 N+G Featuring Kallaghan Right Before My Eyes Only hit for these garage producers: I particularly enjoy Kallaghan's vocal parts and feel they could be developed further
6 Precious Rewind Their 2nd hit arter their Eurovision entry, and this follows a standard formula but it is a really strong and catchy pop song
5 Doves The Cedar Room 1st Top 40 for the group formerly known as Sub Sub, and has their typical warm indie sound but isn't a very distinctive track
4 M2M Don't Say You Love Me It's quite sweet and I like the guitar pop style, but the vocals have a very strange childlike quality that I struggle to enjoy
3 Jennifer Lopez Featuring Big Pun And Fat Joe Feelin' So Good Her 3rd hit after 2 pop dance bangers and more RnB orientated: the rapping is OK but the sung parts are quite boring
2 Savage Garden Crash And Burn They have done some good and distinctive love ballads in the past but this is very bland and schmaltzy local radio fodder



2000 Week 14:

#136 08/04/2000 Westlife Fool Again 1 {1}-8-14-22-28-37-54-53-60-61-66R(3)-60->12
#137 08/04/2000 Destiny's Child Say My Name 3 {3}-9-12-16-22-20-28-36-41-52-66->11
#138 08/04/2000 Atomic Kitten See Ya 6 {6}-21-32-36-46-64-74R(7)->7
#139 08/04/2000 Montell Jordan Get It On... Tonite 15 {15}-27-42-64->4
#140 08/04/2000 B*Witched Jump Down 16 {16}-34-48-56-56-74R(3)-62->7
#141 08/04/2000 Celine Dion The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face 19 {19}-35-47-59-68-69-74R(4)->7
#142 08/04/2000 Ralph Fridge Angel 20 {20}-40-55->3
#143 08/04/2000 Idlewild Actually It's Darkness 23 {23}-49-72->3
#144 08/04/2000 Soulsearcher Do It To Me Again 32 {32}-62->2
#145 08/04/2000 Beck Mixed Bizness 34 {34}-61->2

Posted by: TheSnake 7th April 2024, 08:37 PM

That iconic top three, 'The Time Is Now' I much prefer to the overplayed 'Sing It Back'. Genuinely thought 'The Time Is Now' was by Texas at the time for some reason, I think its because its production/chorus vocals are a bit like 'Summer Son'.

'Never Be The Same Again' has a good chorus.

Smooth I heard a lot of times at the time because my parents had the Santana album, is it better than Maria Maria though, not sure....

Posted by: Jade 7th April 2024, 10:15 PM

Friday's batch:

I actually own 'Bag It Up' on cassette somewhere as I had a major Spice Girls fixation as a kid and would buy anything related to them at carboot sales/charity shops for my collection but that aside I do agree this is a pretty naff song from Geri. These days I'd say my favourite of hers is 'Look At Me', so a shame that stalled at #2 when she would achieve several #1s after.

There's one blink-182 song that I really love (more on that in 2004) but must say that on the whole they're not really my thing, including 'All The Small Things'. Better than the Jedward version though x

It was news to me that Babybird not only had more than one top 40 hit but 8 of them?! Quite a good, retro-sounding song, but have to agree that the brilliant 'Still D.R.E.' is the best of this lot

Today's batch:

I've been meaning to check out more from Doves so this is a great opportunity to get around to that. I really like the sound of 'The Cedar Room' on first listen, was quite drawn in by the themes of loneliness, plus pretty cool guitar work.

'Rewind' isn't half-bad, definitely more memorable to me than their Eurovision entry.

I adore the Screamadelica album but don't know much of Primal Scream's work after that, so 'Kill All Hippies' was a discovery. Loving that production!

'Smooth' really was an absolute monster in the U.S. love the distinctive Santana guitar and Rob's vocals, a sizzling combination perfect for summer.

'Never Be The Same Again' is quite possibly my favourite solo Spice Girl song. Crazy that it came as late as single #3 in the campaign!

'The Time Is Now' is so good <3 what a hypnotic riff and love the urgent chorus. Yaeji interpolated it pretty well in the song 'Last Breath' too. I recently watched A Clockwork Orange for the first time and it was fun to learn that both Moloko and Heaven 17 got their names from the movie.

Posted by: Notorious D.O.T 7th April 2024, 10:52 PM

That really is a fantastic top 3! Smooth is such a catchy feel-good hit, the production and vocals on The Time Is Now do indeed compliment teach other perfectly and Never Be The Same Again is a pure banger from Mel & Lisa and a great #1. I think Mel C's two #1s are comfortably my favourite solo Spice hits, if I had to choose I think i'd lean slightly more towards I Turn To You but both 10/10s imo.

Posted by: gooddelta 8th April 2024, 09:36 AM

Agree this was a stellar top three of new entries, all very different genres but equally good. I'm glad Melanie C did so well after a rocky start, as this song deserved its success. Quite interesting that she genre switched on each of the top five singles from this album - rock/grunge, ballad, R&B duet, dance (the remix of I Turn To You was, anyway). Left Eye was brilliant on it.

The Time Is Now is a pretty mesmerising production, very unusual kind of song to go as high as No.2 as it's quite arty for the 2000 charts, was good to see it outpeak Sing It Back.

And Smooth is a classic, amazing guitar from Santana - his 1999/2000 global revival was quite unexpected but very welcome - and Rob's vocals are great.

I have no recollection of that Semisonic song at all, I do remember their other three top 40 hits well.

I think that was MC Neat on the rap on Right Before My Eyes - not a bad track, I do remember it quite well.

Precious left it way too long to follow up Say It Again, but when they eventually did, Rewind was actually a strong effort - very Cheiron influenced and of its time but a strong song, shame it missed the top ten by a whisker.

I love Don't Say You Love Me, I guess it's Marit Larsen on the lead vocal as she does have a childlike quality to her voice, as also heard on her huge 2009 European hit If A Song Could Get Me You, which didn't chart here. The other member was Marion Raven, who had a top ten hit here eventually in 2006 with Meat Loaf on It's All Coming Back To Me Now. This song is classic Scandi teen pop, and was on the Pokémon movie soundtrack, I have their album somewhere.

Feelin' So Good was a big misstep for Jennifer Lopez, it's just boring and a pointless song. The rest of the world had the classic Let's Get Loud around the same time and they really messed up not releasing that here instead, would have been a very easy top ten hit.

Posted by: Dobbo 8th April 2024, 11:19 AM

Never heard any other Babybird songs before, you'd never think The F-Word was by the same band as You're Gorgeous!

Macy Gray put way too much inflection in her voice, not a great singer imo.

Never heard Voices before! Chilled but not essential, one for the melancholic playlist.

Rewind is a great discovery, super pop song and better than Say It Again.

Posted by: JulianT 8th April 2024, 09:49 PM

No huge favourites here but I think “Say My Name” is a classic and really grown up record from Destiny’s Child, as the seeds for Beyoncé’s superstardom are sown.

8 Destiny's Child Say My Name Their biggest hit to date and a US #1: an excellent unrelenting RnB track where the emotion of the lyrics really comes across
7 Montell Jordan Get It On... Tonite Another very strong RnB track that was big in the US; the minimalist production and his smooth voice create a sensual mood
7 Ralph Fridge Angel Only Top 40 for this German DJ: I love the "ah ah ah" vocal hook which builds to make a very nice ethereal trance track
6 Beck Mixed Bizness One of the later hits for the experimental singer sampling "Honky Tonk Woman": fun and quirky but doesn't blow me away
5 Idlewild Actually It's Darkness From the Scottish indie band's 2nd album: it's a very pleasant track in their usual style, but I don't find it particularly exciting
4 Atomic Kitten See Ya Their 2nd hit: while B*Witched want to sound grown up this is unashamedly young, but quite a cute and catchy little tune
3 Westlife Fool Again 854th #1 making 5 out of 5 for them: the usual Westlife formula but at least has a bit of energy and is not too saccharine
3 Celine Dion The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face Originally a 50s folk song most famously done by Roberta Flack: this version isn't needed but Celine sings it quite nicely
2 B*Witched Jump Down Their last hit: this was said to be them showing a maturer sound, which I think was an excuse for the song being very boring
2 Soulsearcher Do It To Me Again 2nd and final hit for this DJ: parts sounds suspiciously like "Boogie Wonderland" and I find the rest a fairly dull disco track



2000 Week 15:

#146 15/04/2000 Craig David Fill Me In 1 {1}-2-2-3-7-13-16-20-27-36-45-47-56-72->14
#147 15/04/2000 Sweet Female Attitude Flowers 2 {2}-4-8-9-10-17-21-27-39-49-68-72-62R(407)->13
#148 15/04/2000 Richard Ashcroft A Song For The Lovers 3 {3}-11-20-27-30-38-47-55-66-75-61R(2)->11
#149 15/04/2000 Steps Deeper Shade Of Blue 4 {4}-10-12-18-23-32-38-48-60->9
#150 15/04/2000 The Bloodhound Gang The Bad Touch 4 5-5-7-{4}-5-8-6-9-15-24-28-28-36-52->14
#151 15/04/2000 Lock 'N' Load Blow Ya Mind 6 {6}-6-10-13-14-22-26-35-46-58-69R(2)->11
#152 15/04/2000 Rank 1 Airwave 10 {10}-15-33-45-61->5
#153 15/04/2000 Basement Jaxx Bingo Bango 13 {13}-30-44-64->4
#154 15/04/2000 Angie Stone Life Story 22 {22}-41-57->3
#155 15/04/2000 Daniel O'Donnell Light A Candle 23 {23}-39-54-72->4
#156 15/04/2000 Lonestar Amazed 21 24-23-30-36-32-30-28-26-{21}-23-22-22-21-26-30-35-37-42-51-57-64-73->22
#157 15/04/2000 Cherie Amore I Don't Want Nobody 33 {33}-59->2
#158 15/04/2000 The Wamdue Project You're The Reason 39 {39}-68->2

Posted by: TheSnake 8th April 2024, 09:54 PM

Say My Name is good but not my favourite Destiny's Child song.

Ralph Fridge - Angel is one of my trance favourites.

Posted by: danG 8th April 2024, 10:18 PM

Batch 5 Rank:

Great:
#60 26/02/2000 All Saints Pure Shores 1 {1}-1-2-3-7-9-12-18-26-32-40-41-50-66-74-69->16 [pop classic for a reason, lush production too of course]
#66 26/02/2000 CRW I Feel Love 15 {15}-32-48-71->4 [although the radio version on your playlist is the inferior mix to the full length original]

Good:
#70 26/02/2000 Starparty I'm In Love 26 {26}-57->2 [good bit of standard trance but Ferry Corsten has done better]
#72 26/02/2000 Jean-Michel Jarre Featuring Natacha Atlas C'est La Vie 40 {40}->1 [first listen; interesting soundscape here]
#65 26/02/2000 Eels Mr E's Beautiful Blues 11 {11}-30-49-70->4 [quite nice]
#71 26/02/2000 Fiona Apple Fast As You Can 33 {33}-65->2 [first listen; interesting, I can hear how she's got critical acclaim from this I guess although I see it's not actually one of her more popular songs even if it's her sole "hit"]

Okay:
#62 26/02/2000 Shania Twain Don't Be Stupid (You Know I Love You) 5 {5}-14-25-32-41-44-48-67-74-67R(3)-60->11
#69 26/02/2000 Air Playground Love 25 {25}-54->2 [starts off nice with potential but I wish this actually went somewhere]
#68 26/02/2000 Baby Bumps I Got This Feeling 22 {22}-46->2 [never heard this before unsurprisingly, not a dance classic for a reason I suppose just a bit bog standard and I could be listening to MJ instead..]
#61 26/02/2000 Christina Aguilera What A Girl Wants 3 {3}-8-19-21-27-34-38-41-53-55-58-52-43->13 [gets a bit annoying as it goes on]

Crap:
#67 26/02/2000 Jay-Z Anything 18 {18}-31-46-65->4 [why sample Oliver agh]
#64 26/02/2000 Rebecca Wheatley Stay With Me (Baby) 10 {10}-20-32-47-54-59-58-71R(5)->8 [boring]

Unlistenable:
#63 26/02/2000 Aqua Cartoon Heroes 7 {7}-10-17-20-32-42-55-63-64-75R(3)-73->11

Posted by: danG 8th April 2024, 10:25 PM

Batch 6 Rank:

Great:
#73 04/03/2000 Artful Dodger And Romina Johnson Movin' Too Fast 2 {2}-4-7-12-19-25-32-36-43-60-68-64R(4)->12 [lush!]
#81 04/03/2000 Toploader Dancing In The Moonlight 19 {19}-26-29-34-43-62-71->7 [overplayed but it's great anyway]

Good:
#84 04/03/2000 Ann Lee Voices 27 {27}-51-66->3 [it's a blatant copy of 2 Times sure but actually quite a good one]
#75 04/03/2000 Kelis Caught Out There 4 {4}-11-15-22-31-40-53-52-61-67-75R(2)-64->12 [AGGGGGGGHHHHHH]
#78 04/03/2000 Flickman The Sound Of Bamboo 11 {11}-23-33-45-66->5 [this took a few listens but kinda get the appeal of it, though it won't be going up with the big dance classics of the era]
#82 04/03/2000 Muse Sunburn 22 {22}-47->2 [not too familiar with early Muse but quite enjoyed this]
#85 04/03/2000 Lenny Fontana And DJ Shorty Chocolate Sensation 39 {39}-73->2 [well hasn't this sample been done to death, at least the chords are a bit unexpected]

Okay:
#79 04/03/2000 The Bluetones Keep The Home Fires Burning 13 {13}-39-62->3
#80 04/03/2000 Delirious? It's OK 18 {18}-63->2 [as per the title Lol]
#83 04/03/2000 The Smashing Pumpkins Stand Inside Your Love 23 {23}-59->2

Crap:
#76 04/03/2000 Jamelia Money 5 {5}-13-16-24-27-36-47-61-70->9 [who decided this needed to be SIX minutes long and Beenie Man can get in the bin]
#74 04/03/2000 Backstreet Boys Show Me The Meaning Of Being Lonely 3 {3}-9-13-20-28-35-46-49-72-64R(5)-51->11 [boyband ballad snooze fest #1]
#77 04/03/2000 A1 Like A Rose 6 {6}-20-28-39-47-50-52-62-67-70-58-47->12 [boyband ballad snooze fest #2]

Posted by: JulianT 9th April 2024, 07:05 AM

Aww even Dan doesn’t love Flickman - looks like I’m alone on that one haha!

Posted by: Jade 9th April 2024, 08:23 AM

Scott Mills plays 'Can't Get Enough' by Soulsearcher on his show sometimes and this 'Do It To Me Again' song sounds extremely similar to that formula detected.

Decent top two there, I recognise the Montell Jordan song from Kisstory and enjoy the 'Love For The Sake Of Love' sample. 'Say My Name' has grown on me quite a bit over the years!

Posted by: Dobbo 9th April 2024, 08:38 AM

Get It On Tonite is super ploddy, I'll stick with his best known song I think.

Angel is a super forgotten gem

Fool Again is their best #1 single although my fave Westlife song is probably Amazing overall.

Posted by: gooddelta 9th April 2024, 10:17 AM

I spy about five songs I listen to regularly in the next batch, including a trance song that deserved more than a fleeting chart run.

But for this batch, I agree again on the top pick. Say My Name is a very strong single that is still heard a lot now and is comfortably Destiny's Child's most popular song on Spotify.

I thought Get It On... Tonite was pretty good, interesting that it had an incredibly similar chart run to his single Somethin' 4 Da Honeyz from years earlier.

See Ya is catchy and fun but Follow Me was the first single from them that I really enjoyed.

Jump Down is ok but B*Witched really faded out quickly there after such a perfect first era, I guess the bubble had burst, those singles certainly weren't up to the same standard as their first few.

I don't mind Fool Again, in fact the single remix was pretty good, with a nice intro on the 2000 Remix, but this isn't on Spotify for some reason, nor was it featured on their Greatest Hits, the album version was.

Posted by: Popchartfreak 9th April 2024, 01:32 PM

Love Moloko and love The Time Is Now, a 9/10 for sure, as is the Mel C/Lisa Lopez track, added pathos to it after Lisa died so tragically. Santana was a 1999 chart-topper for me before it took off in the UK, another US Florida holiday track and a great comeback with the under-rated Rob Thomas/Matchbox 20 (in the UK) on vocals. I bought the album, and saw Santana way back in 1980 at Knebworth Festival, where they were so laid back hippies were falling asleep while shuffling dancing to the latin rhythms

Also caught Semisonic back in the day, around about this time or a bit earlier, they were good but this track was 3 based on one play. Primal Scream another great band of the 90's but Kill All Hippies didn't really fit with my sentiments (see Santana comment), 2.

Right Before My Eyes is one I've forgotten about and not heard in 24 years, but a strong 9 for me at the time. Need to hear it again! Rewind was better than the Eurovision entry for Precious, a 7/10 I thought. Doves fluttered by without notice but I would come to be appreciative in 2 years time. Feelin' So Good an 8 for J-Lo, and ditto Savage Garden. Good to see me being largely positive about the tracks this time!

Posted by: Popchartfreak 9th April 2024, 01:47 PM

Say My Name oddly not a fave of mine, a 6, though I was by this time seriously regretting I did a theme park day instead of going to see Destiny's Child do a Mall PA in the Florida Mall, Orlando. I just felt a bit embarrassed that it might be me and 300 teenage girls and didn't want to take the chance... Montell Jordan a strong 6, but Ralph Fridge left me cold. I'm not going to apologise for that quip, deserves a round of applause

Mixed Business a 6 for Beck, one of his more hits in a long career of hits and misses, Idlewild tickled my fancy only a couple of times, and this wasn't one of them, and Atomic Kitten? See Ya said me too, didnt chart it. Fool Again was in the better tier of Westlife tracks and I give it a firm 7, oooerr!

Celine's Roberta cover was lucky to get a 6 from me, but nobody can do it like Roberta sang it in that fab Clint Eastwood stalker film, Play Misty For Me. B*Witched never much of a fan, but this was so dull I didnt bother to chart it, so even worse than To You I Belong. Soulsearcher really didn't do it to me again after their first track grabbed a 5 rating.

Posted by: JulianT 10th April 2024, 10:25 PM

This has to be up there with my most fondly remembered groups of chart hits ever: the first ever complete top 6 of new entries, including “The Bad Touch” which wouldn’t peak until several weeks later, and “Amazed” which would go on to spend 17 weeks in the top 40 (very rare in itself) but without ever making the top 20. Even now that would be an impressive run for a hit of its size.

It’s also a very strong group of songs: my usual spreading out of scores isn’t quite possible as there’s only one sub par track. At the top it’s “The Bad Touch” which I absolutely love: possibly my favourite ever novelty song if you can call it that. I almost gave it an 10 but realised that would mean giving two 10s in a row (spoiler). And “Flowers” is obviously a huge garage classic, as evidenced by the number of samplings it’s had in chart hits recently.

9 The Bloodhound Gang The Bad Touch A unique hit with a brilliant hook and utterly addictive rapped verses, and with delightfully naughty and unrestrained lyrics
9 Sweet Female Attitude Flowers Only Top 40 for this UK garage duo with a chord sequence based on Satie's "Gymnopédies"; a fantastic captivating song
8 Steps Deeper Shade Of Blue Sometimes I don't find that Steps songs convey much emotion but this one absolutely does, and it's also a first rate tune
8 Rank 1 Airwave Only hit for this Dutch trance group: the "I feel you…" part gives it a sensuality and it's a feel good track with a great tune
7 Craig David Fill Me In 855th #1: his solo debut and a really strong and well sung RnB pop song with clever lyrics; just slightly lacking replay value
7 Basement Jaxx Bingo Bango Their 5th Top 20 hit sampling a 1980s Latin track called "Merengue" and successfully combining it with dance elements
6 The Wamdue Project You're The Reason The only follow up to their #1 and this deserved much more as it's just as good with an interesting beat and tempo changes
6 Lonestar Amazed An incredible chart run and I do still enjoy it and think it's very good for its genre, but there's nothing really exciting about it
6 Angie Stone Life Story Debut hit for this US soul singer: her voice is beautifully clear and it's shown off well with this expressive and intimate song
5 Richard Ashcroft A Song For The Lovers His 1st solo hit: I really like how the track builds with the soaring dramatic violins, but the actual song I find a little ordinary
5 Lock 'N' Load Blow Ya Mind Only hit for this dance duo based around a frenetic repeated rapped verse: I love the rap but the track could develop more
4 Cherie Amore I Don't Want Nobody Only hit for this singer and can't find much information about her: her accent is very strong but it's quite a dynamic track
1 Daniel O'Donnell Light A Candle More cheese here than on the pizza I just ate; complete with an unnecessary children's choir and a soppy and stilted melody





2000 Week 16:

#170 29/04/2000 Oasis Who Feels Love? 4 {4}-17-28-53-63-53-73-70R(3)->8
#171 29/04/2000 Toni Braxton He Wasn't Man Enough 5 {5}-8-9-14-18-21-30-42-51-48-57->11
#172 29/04/2000 True Steppers Featuring Dane Bowers Buggin' 6 {6}-7-11-21-27-37-48-64->8
#173 29/04/2000 Ricky Martin Featuring Meja Private Emotion 9 {9}-15-16-24-24-29-40-53-72->9
#174 29/04/2000 Cypress Hill Rap Superstar/Rock Superstar 13 {13}-23-27-41-73->5
#175 29/04/2000 TQ Daily 14 {14}-25-33-51-71->5
#176 29/04/2000 Hanson If Only 15 {15}-37-49-72->4
#177 29/04/2000 Mary J. Blige Give Me You 19 {19}-29-35-49->4
#178 29/04/2000 Eagle-Eye Cherry Are You Still Having Fun? 21 {21}-32-40-48->4
#179 29/04/2000 Shola Ama Imagine 24 {24}-43-47-65->4
#180 29/04/2000 Hurley And Todd Sunstorm 38 {38}-51->2

Posted by: Roba. 10th April 2024, 10:33 PM

(My Rank from best to least fave)

Week 11 Solid bunch overall.

Five Don't Wanna Let You Go - one of their best for me.
Moby Natural Blues
Kraftwerk Expo 2000 - some really cool stuff going on in this.
Barbara Tucker Stop Playing With My Mind - quite a funky catchy track.
Coldplay Shiver
Filter Take A Picture - this sounds very Incubus or something like them which is a positive. Does sound familiar tbh.
Tom Jones And Stereophonics Mama Told Me Not To Come
Lulu Where The Poor Boys Dance - was expecting something boring but actually quite decent from Lulu!
Chicane Featuring Bryan Adams Don't Give Up - it's fine but was never crazy on this.
Big Time Charlie Featuring Soozy Q - Mr Devil - average but good vocals and instrumental which is reminds of Armand Van Helden 'You Don't Know Me'.
Chili Hi Fly Is It Love? - too monotonous.

Week 12

Blink-182 All The Small Things
Dr Dre Featuring Snoop Dogg Still D.R.E. - spoiler, this is popping up in the next survivor
Dario G Voices - this is a gorgeous discovery!
No Doubt Ex-Girlfriend - another great from No Doubt. Deserved a top 10 placing tbh.
Geri Halliwell Bag It Up - This is such a bop despite how naff and corny it is which is an completely justified reason lmao.
Embrace You're Not Alone - their better stuff came in 06 and 2014, not that familiar with Embrace's other songs outside of those two years!
Babybird The F-Word
Will Smith Freakin' It
Mero It Must Be Love
Macy Gray Still - found this rather dull
ATB Killer - pointless remake

Week 13

Melanie C Featuring Lisa 'Left Eye' Lopes Never Be The Same Again - this and 'Northern Star' are my faves from Mel!
Moloko The Time Is Now - great track, better than 'Sing it Back' for me which I never liked that much!
Precious Rewind
Savage Garden Crash And Burn - I've heard this a lot along with their other tracks as my mum has their album. It's nothing groundbreaking but still nice for me.
M2M Don't Say You Love Me
Semisonic Singing In My Sleep - thought I wouldn't recognise this but I do and it's another good track from them!
Santana Featuring Rob Thomas Smooth - good but overrated for me
Primal Scream Kill All Hippies
N+G Featuring Kallaghan Right Before My Eyes
Jennifer Lopez Featuring Big Pun And Fat Joe Feelin' So Good
Doves The Cedar Room - found this droned on for how long it was.

Week 14

Atomic Kitten See Ya
Celine Dion The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face - obviously not the best version but still a pretty well done cover from Celine.
Destiny's Child Say My Name
Westlife Fool Again
Ralph Fridge Angel
Montell Jordan Get It On... Tonite - hmm verses and chorus are quite boring to me but some good rhythmic beats and musical stuff going on in there which saves it completely from being ranked lower than here even
B*Witched Jump Down - like most of their stuff but this isn't anything to write home about hence the peak I guess lol.
Beck Mixed Bizness
Soulsearcher Do It To Me Again
Idlewild Actually It's Darkness - boring

Posted by: TheSnake 10th April 2024, 10:41 PM

'The Bad Touch' production is very Erasure I think!

Of the two big garage hits, 'Fill Me In' is good but I prefer 'Flowers', a very nostalgic sounding song now I think.

'Bingo Bango' is good fun and summery

'Airwave' is great, was covered/sampled in Flip and Fill 'True Love Never Dies' in 2002 so it makes me think of that song.

'Blow Ya Mind' could build more I agree.
'
'Amazed' is a nice enough song.

Posted by: TheSnake 10th April 2024, 10:56 PM

I prefer the Eye to Eye ft Taka Boom cover of the song, a low top 40 chart hit in 2001

Posted by: jimwatts 11th April 2024, 08:52 AM

A whole host of songs I like since I last commented, although no more from my top 10 of 2000 - these ones made it onto my iPod:

'Dancing In The Moonlight' - even in this initial chart run, when it wasn't playlisted by Radio 1, I thought it had potential to be a big favourite
'Shiver' - one of my favourites from Coldplay even now, there's a charming hopefulness about it
'Actually It's Darkness' - Idlewild seemed more interesting than most of their peers at the time and had some great songs, albeit this was their only earlier hit they left out of their set when I saw them at V2001
'Amazed' - that chart run was something else, but a unique sound for those charts and it's held up well

I was trying to work out what's bound for a 10 in the next batch as it appeared a bit underwhelming, then realised the ones you posted are for the week after - it should be 22/04/2000 next, and I think I know the one...

Posted by: Jade 11th April 2024, 08:55 AM

'A Song For The Lovers' is ever-so-slightly tainted for me by the weekly SyncTube chart sessions, upon the discovery that the music video has some musical breaks in it where he is having a wee lmao, but a good song discovered on Now 46, love the strings.

'Bingo Bango' is great fun with its Latin grooves and carnival feel I ran a Basement Jaxx singles rate about five years ago and was pleasantly surprised that it did really well in that, finishing 2nd only to 'Red Alert'! Not bad for a single that missed the top 10.

My brother really wanted to see Craig David live a while ago and I ended up going with him and had a good time. 'Fill Me In' is one of his best, agree that the lyrics are well-written and the 2-step garage style really suited him. 'Flowers' is another great garage tune! Last year I finally got around to Sarah Harding's autobiography and found out that she was originally supposed to be a member of Sweet Female Attitude but it didn't end up happening, due to having her tonsils out.

'Airwave' is a pretty lush trance song. I remember 'True Love Never Dies' thanks to the Now series but somehow never made the sample connection, as per Snake's post, so I'll need to revisit that song as well.

I didn't really get 'The Bad Touch' when I was younger but it's grown on me sooooo much over the years and I fully appreciate its madness now

Posted by: jimwatts 11th April 2024, 09:03 AM

Oh my I had just remembered that about the 'A Song For Lovers' video when relistening it's coming up in the #3 sessions too!

Agree that 'Fill Me In' is lyrically great, although "you left all your money on the TV" is an interesting line to have aged with technology

Posted by: gooddelta 11th April 2024, 10:06 AM

My favourite of that bunch by far is Airwave, one of my favourite songs ever and such a refreshing song to see make the top 10, as it's largely an instrumental. I very well remember buying it in Woolies on the week of release, and was somewhat surprised they were even stocking it as it felt quite underground. True Love Never Dies I don't think ever officially acknowledged a sample, and the songwriters of both are different, but it was very clearly based on it as there was an unofficial bootleg going around for ages in 2001 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LKh3cA-9Nbo (it wasn't Kylie, sounds nothing like her) and Flip & Fill I guess decided to capitalise.

The Bad Touch is legendary, they had quite a few more hits in Europe, and this Eiffel 65 remix was also popular on the continent, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H_0etox0laI.

Deeper Shade of Blue isn't my favourite Steps song but is definitely their most respected hit and I can see why, it's icy cool for them, and obviously a timeless melody (our Eurovision entry this year sounds similar, for example).

Flowers is a classic, had never made the link to the chord sequence based on the Satie piece, but definitely hear it now

Amazed on paper isn't my thing (it's like a country Westlife song, essentially and I think they eventually covered it), but I think I was so in awe of that chart run, and how it ended up doing really well in the end of year chart that year despite never going top 20. It's funny how some country songs like this and How Do I Live used to have quite odd and protracted chart runs, I suppose because airplay was often limited so the public would discover them over a longer stretch of time than was normal at the time.

Blow Ya Mind I used to find very annoying, one of the few top 10 dance hits of 2000 that I had no time for.

Never heard the Daniel O'Donnell song and a bit scared to listen, but for the sake of wanting to hear everything Julian is reviewing, I will check it out...

Posted by: Popchartfreak 11th April 2024, 01:00 PM

The Bad Touch is another Florida-hol US radio track I rate, great fun, 9/10 too. Flowers OTOH just annoyed me right off the bat, I couldnt get used to the garage treatment of the classical piece. Deeper Shade Of Blue, though, is Steps' best non-cover until 2012. I give it 7 or 8.

Rank-1 means nowt to me, Fill Me In is OK, a 7, but I got fed up hearing it at the time and still haven't gotten over that. Bingo bango a decent 8, but their classic was still 4 years in th future. Wamdue Project, nah, never got them. Lonestar another 8 for me at the time, but again another that hung around for ages and I got fed up hearing - especially given it was huge in the USA as well - so one I still have no desire to hear and would rate it lower these days.

Angie Stone is fab, Life Story a strong 8, and Richard Ashcroft a 9 and top 3 for me, picking up where The Verve left off on Song For The Lovers. Lock 'n' Load whoosh, over my head, Cherie Amour a good 7 (but I've forgotten it!), and Daniel O'Donnell for future reference always gets a zero from me for everything he ever did, except for his cover of Singing The Blues in 1994 which got a 2/10 for one week at 75 on my personal charts. Amazingly consistent I must say...!

Posted by: danG 12th April 2024, 06:47 AM

Batch 7 Rank:

Good:
#90 11/03/2000 Honeyz Won't Take It Lying Down 7 {7}-12-21-32-42-54-58-72R(3)->8 [this was the only hit of theirs I recall actually somewhat enjoying]
#89 11/03/2000 Lene Marlin Sitting Down Here 5 6-{5}-8-13-13-20-22-31-42-50-64->11 [it's cute]
#87 11/03/2000 *NSync Bye Bye Bye 3 {3}-8-11-20-28-37-44-58->8 [credit to this for being one of the better boyband era hits]
#102 11/03/2000 Orbital And Angelo Badalamenti Beached 36 {36}-53-68->3 [an interesting first listen]

Okay:
#97 11/03/2000 Slipknot Wait And Bleed 27 {27}-40-55->3 [don't really get them but the song's at least a bit of excitement amongst this lot]
#100 11/03/2000 Colour Girl Can't Get Used To Losing You 31 {31}-50-64->3 [odd cover version but cool]
#101 11/03/2000 Wisdôme Off The Wall 33 {33}-51->2 [another sub-average MJ rework already so soon after the previous one lol]
#95 11/03/2000 Yomanda Sunshine 16 {16}-26-38-49-70-74->6 [may as well be listening to his earlier hit]
#88 11/03/2000 Vengaboys Shalala Lala 5 {5}-6-10-17-22-29-35-40-50-70->10 [bit of a letdown from previous songs of theirs mind]
#93 11/03/2000 Madasun Don't You Worry 14 {14}-19-30-41-60-69->6

Crap:
#86 11/03/2000 Madonna American Pie 1 {1}-2-5-8-11-17-27-34-44-51-58-70-68R(3)-69->14 [utterly pointless cover]
#99 11/03/2000 Lynden David Hall Forgive Me 30 {30}-52->2 [plodding]
#91 11/03/2000 Puff Daddy Featuring R. Kelly Satisfy You 8 {8}-10-13-22-30-36-45-63->8 [match made in hell agh]
#96 11/03/2000 Dumdums Everything 21 {21}-31-40-48-71->5
#98 11/03/2000 98 Degrees The Hardest Thing 29 {29}-48->2
#92 11/03/2000 Mariah Carey Featuring Joe And 98 Degrees Thank God I Found You 10 {10}-18-26-40-41-58-66-75-75-71R(2)->10 [boooooring and who decided we needed TWO 98 Degrees songs in one week]
#94 11/03/2000 Northern Line Love On The Northern Line 15 {15}-34-49-71-73->5 [well this is your typical dated crap boyband I guess, nope]

Posted by: Dobbo 12th April 2024, 10:32 AM

Flowers is the ultimate garage anthem

Always found Airwave one of the weakest trance songs, pretty beige to me

Bingo Bingo is one of my fave from them, great energy

Never liked Amazed, a drippy mess of a song and an uninteresting vocalist

Life Story really sounds like Pink's Family Portrait - I wonder if the latter was influenced by the former?

That Cherie Amore song is a proper hot mess

Posted by: gooddelta 12th April 2024, 03:31 PM

Oh it really does, I never really thought about that before despite remembering the Angie stone pretty well. The production on it isn't a million miles away from what P!nk put out in 2000 either.

Just listened to Cherie's song, wow at the mismatched vocal and backing track. It's the same sample as was used in 2019 in https://www.officialcharts.com/chart-news/swales-new-single-higher-call-my-name-featuring-ruthanne-is-a-potential-summer-smash-in-waiting__25750/ that never happened.

Posted by: JulianT 12th April 2024, 10:04 PM

Truly great mashups are a rare thing but “Toca’s Miracle” is absolutely a mashup miracle and up there with the finest of all time. Despite that it isn’t today’s winner as there’s a track here that defies all description. It isn’t rock, pop, or folk - unique and captivating is what it is, and as far as I know it doesn’t sound much like any hit before or since.

10 Black Box Recorder The Facts Of Life The only Top 40 for this UK indie group about adolescence: it's unique, quirky, captivating, heartwarming and very beautiful
9 Fragma Toca's Miracle 856th #1: a mashup of the #11 hit "Toca Me" and the #39 "I Need A Miracle" to create an utterly sublime dance anthem
8 Matt Darey Presents DSP From Russia With Love Another trance gem that scraped in at #40: I love how Russian this sounds with the chant-like vocals and folk instrument
7 Sisqo Thong Song The lyrics are lightweight at best but I can't not enjoy it: what an incredibly infectious song with very exciting production
6 Sting After The Rain Has Fallen After the brilliant surprise of "Desert Rose" this is more typical Sting, but a soulful track and still one of his more enjoyable
5 Monie Love Slice Of Da Pie Last hit for this Grammy nominated UK rapper: can see why it didn't set the world alight but it's catchy and well produced
4 Sash! Just Around The Hill The dance version of this is much better than the straight ballad version, but still it's a rather tepid and unremarkable track
3 R. Kelly Only The Loot Can Make Me Happy Samples an 80s soul song called "Happy", and it's not a bad track as such but uninspiring and the melody isn't very engaging
2 Jessica Simpson I Wanna Love You Forever Her debut hit: a power ballad and she seems to think that the way to get the emotion out is to pummel the life out of it
2 Point Break Freakytime A shame after "Stand Tough" was really good that this is lyrically naff, and the track plods along and the melody just nags
1 Sister 2 Sister Sister Another artist similar to title situation: unsurprisingly the only Top 40 for this Australian duo and astoundingly naff and limp





2000 Week 17:

#170 29/04/2000 Oasis Who Feels Love? 4 {4}-17-28-53-63-53-73-70R(3)->8
#171 29/04/2000 Toni Braxton He Wasn't Man Enough 5 {5}-8-9-14-18-21-30-42-51-48-57->11
#172 29/04/2000 True Steppers Featuring Dane Bowers Buggin' 6 {6}-7-11-21-27-37-48-64->8
#173 29/04/2000 Ricky Martin Featuring Meja Private Emotion 9 {9}-15-16-24-24-29-40-53-72->9
#174 29/04/2000 Cypress Hill Rap Superstar/Rock Superstar 13 {13}-23-27-41-73->5
#175 29/04/2000 TQ Daily 14 {14}-25-33-51-71->5
#176 29/04/2000 Hanson If Only 15 {15}-37-49-72->4
#177 29/04/2000 Mary J. Blige Give Me You 19 {19}-29-35-49->4
#178 29/04/2000 Eagle-Eye Cherry Are You Still Having Fun? 21 {21}-32-40-48->4
#179 29/04/2000 Shola Ama Imagine 24 {24}-43-47-65->4
#180 29/04/2000 Hurley And Todd Sunstorm 38 {38}-51->2

Posted by: gooddelta 12th April 2024, 10:33 PM

I have a few favourites in this bunch.

Fragma is actually my favourite, one of the best No.1 singles ever, a genius mash-up and a shame that the original Coco vocal version is missing from streaming. I always liked Toca Me when it was in the chart but this was just the perfect vocal to pair with it.

The Facts Of Life is my close second favourite - an astounding piece of music, I remember taping this one off the chart and being struck how unusual it sounded. Lyrically and musically wonderful and I own everything they released.

I personally much prefer Just Around The Hill to Adelante, I listen to both versions quite a lot myself and think it's quite a lovely song.

I never liked anything that Jessica Simpson released very much, definitely my fourth place out of the Britney/Christina/Mandy/Jessica four-way that was hyped in the teen press at the time. It also sounded very dated at the time and even moreso looking back, it sounds more like an early 90s ballad. Looking back though I've grown to like I Think I'm In Love With You but would probably prefer to just listen to the song it sampled, Jack & Diane.

Sorry but I really have always loved Sister. I know it's cheddar cheese but it's catchy and sentimental Aussie pop that was a mega selling top three hit in their home country and it reminds me so much of high school and being carefree I guess in a way that many songs from the time don't. These days they're Delta Goodrem's backing singers and run their own music school, plus have released some decent electro pop tunes recently. The great Can't Stop The Pop blog https://www.cantstopthepop.com/2024/04/08/sister2sister-sister/!

Posted by: danG 14th April 2024, 12:04 PM

Batch 8 Rank:

Great:
#103 18/03/2000 Chicane Featuring Bryan Adams Don't Give Up 1 {1}-3-5-7-16-25-37-47-44-52-56-72-65-72->14 [not Chicane's absolute best but this giving a #1 to his name is great to see, love that trance anthems like this were able to smash this much back then]

Good:
#113 18/03/2000 Big Time Charlie Featuring Soozy Q Mr Devil 39 {39}-66->2 [shame this seems to have been all but forgotten about, not surprising given the chart run of course, but the Chic sample is great]
#106 18/03/2000 Moby Natural Blues 11 {11}-17-23-33-48-71->6 [one of the better old timey sample pieces Moby did]
#107 18/03/2000 Barbara Tucker Stop Playing With My Mind 17 {17}-28-37-51->4 [quite standard but got a bit of life to it]
#110 18/03/2000 Kraftwerk Expo 2000 27 {27}-48->2 [an intriguing piece of music although not a fave of the admittedly little I've heard from them]

Okay:
#111 18/03/2000 Coldplay Shiver 35 {35}-51-74->3 [could've been bigger if it had a re-release post-Yellow I guess, it's a decent start for them]
#109 18/03/2000 Filter Take A Picture 25 {25}-44-62->3 [hadn't heard of this before so surprised to see it with 100m streams though I suppose it was bigger in USA]
#105 18/03/2000 Five Don't Wanna Let You Go 9 {9}-16-21-31-42-43-39-48-63-74-55-40->12 [well at least Five don't do boring from what I've heard]
#104 18/03/2000 Tom Jones And Stereophonics Mama Told Me Not To Come 4 {4}-9-18-26-44-54-66->7 [it's whatever, not very familiar with the original version of this either]
#112 18/03/2000 Chili Hi Fly Is It Love? 37 {37}-57->2 [not heard this one before and yeah this is a bit more forgettable for dance of the time]

Meh:
#108 18/03/2000 Lulu Where The Poor Boys Dance 24 {24}-25-38-49-75->5 [it was slightly better than I'd expected for a late stage Lulu track but not my thing]

Posted by: JulianT 14th April 2024, 11:15 PM

In a way “Rock Superstar” feels like a precursor to Eminem’s “Lose Yourself”, with the punchy rhythmic rap and the mounting tension provided by the rock style accompaniment.

8 Cypress Hill Rap Superstar/Rock Superstar The 2 sides are similar but "Rock Superstar" has more oomph in the production: a great dramatic rap / rock crossover hit
8 Eagle-Eye Cherry Are You Still Having Fun? His last Top 40 and it's in a very similar style to "Save Tonight" but also a great tune and he gets the character across clearly
7 Oasis Who Feels Love? For me this works much better than "Go Let It Out": a lovely psychedelic instrumental and the lyrics have a serenity to them
6 Toni Braxton He Wasn't Man Enough Her last big hit and I like that it's something more upbeat from her: a relentless and sassy piece of RnB very well performed
5 True Steppers Featuring Dane Bowers Buggin' Their huge hit will be later in the year but this is decent: the "buggin'" hook is slightly irritating but I guess that's intentional
5 Hanson If Only Their 1st hit for a couple of years and they've grown up a lot: it's a nice folly number with harmonica but nothing remarkable
4 Mary J. Blige Give Me You The 2nd biggest hit from "Mary" after "As", this is quite a sweet and soulful number without much to really grab the liatener
4 Ricky Martin Featuring Meja Private Emotion The biggest hit for Swedish singer Meja; a nicely done duet but quite dated: I think it ends up being slightly soppy and trite
3 Hurley And Todd Sunstorm A dance remake of Elton's mostly instrumental "Song For Guy": an interesting idea but doesn't really enhance the original
3 Shola Ama Imagine Her last solo Top 40 and a serviceable RnB track with a stronger tune than the below, but still it blends into the background
2 TQ Daily Last solo hit for American Terrance Quaites: a plodding and slightly whining piece of RnB that doesn't really go anywhere





2000 Weeks 18 and 19:

#181 06/05/2000 Oxide And Neutrino Bound 4 Da Reload (Casualty) 1 {1}-2-5-8-13-22-38-48-52-65-66->11
#182 06/05/2000 Mandy Moore Candy 6 {6}-13-25-32-42-44-50-61-53-67-75-64-57->13
#183 06/05/2000 MJ Cole Crazy Love 10 {10}-12-20-25-31-47-67->7
#184 06/05/2000 Lolly Per Sempre Amore (Forever In Love) 11 {11}-18-31-46-70-70-70-73-68R(2)-63->10
#185 06/05/2000 Scooch The Best Is Yet To Come 12 {12}-25-42-75-64R(6)->5
#186 06/05/2000 Precocious Brats/Kevin And Perry Big Girl 16 {16}-21-34-48->4
#187 06/05/2000 System F Cry 19 {19}-29-39-54->4
#188 06/05/2000 Death In Vegas Dirge 24 {24}-45->2
#189 06/05/2000 William Orbit Ravel's Pavane Pour Une Infante Defunte 31 {31}-59->2
#190 06/05/2000 Dutch Force Deadline 35 {35}-60->2
#191 06/05/2000 Q-Tip Vivrant Thing 39 {39}-53->2
#192 13/05/2000 Britney Spears Oops!... I Did It Again 1 {1}-2-3-6-9-16-18-20-27-34-38-46-49-55->14
#193 13/05/2000 Watergate Heart Of Asia 3 {3}-6-7-12-20-32-39-42-54-73->10
#194 13/05/2000 Toploader Achilles Heel {2000} 8 {8}-15-19-22-34-47-75->7
#195 13/05/2000 Made In London Dirty Water 15 {15}-27-35-47-71->5
#196 13/05/2000 Pearl Jam Nothing As It Seems 22 {22}-56->2
#197 13/05/2000 Rhythm Of Life You Put Me In Heaven With Your Touch 24 {24}-57->2
#198 13/05/2000 Dark Star I Am The Sun 31 {31}-70->2

Posted by: gooddelta 15th April 2024, 10:26 AM

Private Emotion is easily my favourite in this bunch and the one I listen to most still, for me it's a genuinely brilliant, melodic duet, and it was nice to see Meja get a top ten hit too.

I think Who Feels Love is probably Oasis' top five hit that I remember the least, it's not a bad track but I think for me this album generally missed a bit of magic that they did find again on singles from their 2002 and 2005 albums.

He Wasn't Man Enough is a great R&B track, have always liked that a lot. Darkchild was all over the charts at the time but this was a strong example of his sound.

Imagine is a fairly unremarkable song (and a much lesser Darkchild production), but it's way better known for its fab garage remix by Asylum, which is a classic of the genre, with 15 million Spotify streams compared to 1.5 million for the original.

I had to look up Sunstorm as don't remember it from the time at all. Seems to be just a basic trance beefing up, doesn't sound that great to me.

I've got no real memory of the Cypress Hill track but agree with your thoughts about Lose Yourself Julian, completely see how that would have been an inspiration, with the strings too.

Posted by: Popchartfreak 15th April 2024, 10:57 AM

Black Box Recorder, I have to admit I've forgotten but I gave it a 7. Playing it now, and it sounds a bit All Saints Never Ever. Toca's Miracle is a classic dance track a strong 9 and shout-out to Rob Davis of Mud for the lyrics. From Russia With Love isn't Matt Monroe so I'm blank on it, but Sisqo's Thong Song was a big 9 fave for me. So catchy!

Sting's Rain another one I have no strong memories of so resorting to my spreadsheet, I find I didn't chart it. Hey ho. Monie Love ditto, but Just Around The Hill I rather liked enough for an 8/10. Tina Cousins, I think, with Sash! R Kelly lyrically wearing his heart on his sleeve there, a big zero from me. The final 3 all mean nowt to me....! Sorry!

Posted by: Dobbo 15th April 2024, 11:08 AM

Cycling back a bit the Flowers / Gymnopédie similarities have BLOWN my mind like I've listened to Flowers hundreds of times and never made that connection but now when I listen I can't unhear it!

Facts Of Life is definitely a very unique-sounding hit, it's very I Do This All The Time but of course that's much more modern and wasn't a hit!

Never knew Jessica Simpson started off with a terrible attempt at a Mariah Carey recreation.

Freakytime with a shameless We Wil Rock You sample in the background it sounds like.

Who Feels Love? is definitely an underrated Oasis single, haven't heard it in a very long time but sounding great.

Posted by: Popchartfreak 15th April 2024, 12:50 PM

Eagle-Eye Cherry liked that one, a 7, Who Feels Love is another one I havent heard since 2000, but a 9/10 for me and Noel didnt do it at his concert t'other week. He Wasn't Man Enough is one that sticks in my mind, as US radio hits tend to do for me, and another 9. Buggin' a 6.

The Hanson track I liked, a good 8/10, and Give Me You a 7. Private Emotion is another one that sticks in my mind, but only a 7. Imagine hmmm like Shola Ama but a 3 really, I agree, but the TQ hit was more of a 7 for me. The rest I forgot long ago....!

Posted by: Dobbo 15th April 2024, 02:06 PM

Never heard that TQ Daily song before but it sounds like it loosely samples George Michael's Faith

Posted by: gooddelta 15th April 2024, 03:31 PM

I loved this fact too. I always learn something new in almost every batch Julian posts!

And I subsequently found this live version that incorporates Gymnopédie more in the music.

Posted by: Roba. 15th April 2024, 06:39 PM

Week 15

The Bloodhound Gang The Bad Touch - Classique
Craig David Fill Me In
Steps Deeper Shade Of Blue
Sweet Female Attitude Flowers
Basement Jaxx Bingo Bango - one of their best!
Rank 1 Airwave - didn't pick up on the 'True Love Never Dies' in this at first and whilst I prefer that, this is decent.
Richard Ashcroft A Song For The Lovers - not his best but still quite good.
Lonestar Amazed
Lock 'N' Load Blow Ya Mind
Angie Stone Life Story
The Wamdue Project You're The Reason - meh, nothing standing out about this.
Cherie Amore I Don't Want Nobody - grates and doesn't go anywhere.
Daniel O'Donnell Light A Candle - easy bottom ranker and quite possibly the worst song I've heard so far. How the heck this was a top 40 hit

Posted by: TheSnake 15th April 2024, 07:51 PM

Indeed!

Posted by: Roba. 15th April 2024, 08:17 PM

Week 16

Fragma Toca's Miracle - easy top fave
Sash! Just Around The Hill - slower version >>>>> is gorgeous for me in that form!
Black Box Recorder The Facts Of Life
Sisqo Thong Song
Point Break Freakytime - actually enjoyed this for what it is lol. Nothing amazing but catchy,
Matt Darey Presents DSP From Russia With Love
Monie Love Slice Of Da Pie
Sister 2 Sister Sister
R. Kelly Only The Loot - is catchy despite everything.
Sting After The Rain Has Fallen - bit boring for me.
Jessica Simpson I Wanna Love You Forever - yeah nice song but she oversings too much which puts me off.

Week 17

Ricky Martin Featuring Meja Private Emotion - agreed this is his best song for me too, bought it from Woolworths at the time and it was raining on the way to the car lol. Must be something about this song as it rains in the video too and they also mention pouring rain in the lyrics too haha.
Cypress Hill Rap Superstar/Rock Superstar - both great but the rock is much more meatier!
Toni Braxton He Wasn't Man Enough
Eagle-Eye Cherry Are You Still Having Fun? - this sounds a lot like an Ash song, another good tune from him.
Oasis Who Feels Love?
Hanson If Only - hmm some good bits but also not quite doing it for me.
Shola Ama Imagine
Hurley And Todd Sunstorm - sounds like there's some potential there but does seem to transcend into nothing special.
True Steppers Featuring Dane Bowers Buggin - the autotune effect is jarring and the 'Buggin' bit in the chorus you mentioned is indeed irritating.
TQ Daily - can hear 'Faith' in there actually hehe, not great though.
Mary J. Blige Give Me You - bland.

Posted by: TheSnake 15th April 2024, 08:47 PM

Thong Song has some rather epic production, would add to the opinion that Sash!'s Just Around The Hill is a bit boring.

'Buggin' by True Steppers I like actually, their other big hit was better though!

Posted by: Jade 15th April 2024, 09:46 PM

Friday's batch:

Ooft that Jessica Simpson song was a pretty painful listen, screech alert. I remember liking 'With You' from her as a kid but that's about it.

That Sash! track was new to me and I enjoyed it more than I was expecting to after the mixed reviews in the thread. I suppose my favourite song from them is 'Mysterious Times' which is also a Tina Cousins feature. Not a lyrical masterpiece or anything but was quite into the new age feel of it.

My continued Glee brainrot is so bad that I immediately think of Mr Schue's version of 'Thong Song' during any discussion of the original anyway, do agree that the production of this song is great, such standout strings and love the dramatic development just before the final chorus / outro section.

'Toca's Miracle' is the first ever song I can remember hearing at its time of release, so it's incredibly nostalgic what a seamless mash-up. I was so glad when something was finally worked out on streaming a couple of years ago even if the vocals are a bit different. I do like 'Toca Me', albeit less than the mash-up, but found the 2008 version to be a bit of a damp squib - so this really has been a very welcome return to my playlists. It is my favourite of the batch but 'The Facts Of Life' certainly stands out too, I do like a good spoken word tune set to slightly quirky electronica backing.

Posted by: danG 16th April 2024, 09:56 PM

Batch 9 Rank:

Great:
#117 25/03/2000 Dr Dre Featuring Snoop Dogg Still D.R.E. 6 {6}-7-10-14-21-29-41-46-59-67->10 [classic hip hop for a reason]

Good:
#124 25/03/2000 Dario G Voices 37 {37}-60->2 [ain't no Sunchyme but a rather pleasant listen]

Okay:
#116 25/03/2000 ATB Killer 4 {4}-10-14-26-37-41-53-65-74R(5)->9 [okay for being 'Killer' albeit utterly pointless cover version of it]
#123 25/03/2000 Babybird The F-Word 35 {35}-52->2 [wouldn't have called this being the same band that did 'You're Gorgeous']
#121 25/03/2000 No Doubt Ex-Girlfriend 23 {23}-45-69->3

Meh:
#114 25/03/2000 Geri Halliwell Bag It Up 1 {1}-4-8-19-28-27-26-39-45-68-71-71R(3)-55->13 [naff central]
#118 25/03/2000 Embrace You're Not Alone 14 {14}-29-52->3 [boring]
#120 25/03/2000 Macy Gray Still 18 {18}-30-39-50-50-68-69-69R(2)-65->9 [boring]

Crap:
#119 25/03/2000 Will Smith Freakin' It 15 {15}-26-37-55-56-60-65-59R(3)->8 [Will Smith ain't gotta cuss in his raps to sell records, but I do...]
#122 25/03/2000 Mero It Must Be Love 33 {33}-55->2 [even I have more Spotify listeners than them that says it all]

Unlistenable:
#115 25/03/2000 Blink-182 All The Small Things 2 {2}-6-9-15-19-26-33-38-46-61->10 [I can't stand this whiny trash]

Posted by: TheSnake 16th April 2024, 10:01 PM

Oh my!

Posted by: danG 16th April 2024, 10:09 PM

Batch 10 Rank:

Great:
#126 01/04/2000 Moloko The Time Is Now 2 {2}-4-11-16-25-38-36-44-58-75->10 [a very unique sound for the chart here, love the orchestration]
#127 01/04/2000 Santana Featuring Rob Thomas Smooth {2000} 3 {3}-5-12-17-23-30-34-40-43-66->10 [likewise with his guitar work on this]
#125 01/04/2000 Melanie C Featuring Lisa 'Left Eye' Lopes Never Be The Same Again 1 {1}-2-7-9-11-14-17-26-31-38-42-54-67-75-70R(3)-74->16 [one of the stronger solo Spice records ending a very strong top 3 of new arrivals for the week]

Good:
#129 01/04/2000 N+G Featuring Kallaghan Right Before My Eyes 12 {12}-17-25-33-48-74->6 [decent bit of garage though not one of the top players of the genre]
#133 01/04/2000 Primal Scream Kill All Hippies 24 {24}-53->2 [interesting instrumental]

Okay:
#132 01/04/2000 M2M Don't Say You Love Me 16 {16}-24-30-38-42-61->6 [quite cute]
#128 01/04/2000 Precious Rewind 11 {11}-18-31-46-65->5 [decent by standards of C-list pop acts of the time, well done on ripping Max Martin off somewhat well x]
#134 01/04/2000 Doves The Cedar Room 33 {33}-61->2 [this goes on a lot longer than it ought to]

Meh:
#135 01/04/2000 Semisonic Singing In My Sleep 39 {39}-72->2 [not keen on the vocal]
#131 01/04/2000 Jennifer Lopez Featuring Big Pun And Fat Joe Feelin' So Good 15 {15}-27-38-51-62-73->6 [doesn't go anywhere]
#130 01/04/2000 Savage Garden Crash And Burn 14 {14}-21-28-34-45-57->6 [haven't heard a single song from them I actually like agh]

Posted by: danG 16th April 2024, 10:17 PM

Batch 11 Rank:

Great:
#142 08/04/2000 Ralph Fridge Angel 20 {20}-40-55->3 [great bit of trance although definitely benefits from the full mix]

Good:
#137 08/04/2000 Destiny's Child Say My Name 3 {3}-9-12-16-22-20-28-36-41-52-66->11 [clearly has held up as their most remembered hit now, can't moan about it as it's a good'un]
#139 08/04/2000 Montell Jordan Get It On... Tonite 15 {15}-27-42-64->4 [this sort of RnB doesn't often do it for me but this is very smooth]

Okay:
#144 08/04/2000 Soulsearcher Do It To Me Again 32 {32}-62->2 [another dance follow-up that feels pointless coming after the big hit]
#140 08/04/2000 B*Witched Jump Down 16 {16}-34-48-56-56-74R(3)-62->7

Meh:
#138 08/04/2000 Atomic Kitten See Ya 6 {6}-21-32-36-46-64-74R(7)->7 [very naff]
#143 08/04/2000 Idlewild Actually It's Darkness 23 {23}-49-72->3
#145 08/04/2000 Beck Mixed Bizness 34 {34}-61->2

Crap:
#141 08/04/2000 Celine Dion The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face 19 {19}-35-47-59-68-69-74R(4)->7 [What a boring rendition of this song]
#136 08/04/2000 Westlife Fool Again 1 {1}-8-14-22-28-37-54-53-60-61-66R(3)-60->12 [Wastelife on autopilot so of course the "Great" British public duly awarded this with a #1]

Posted by: danG 16th April 2024, 10:30 PM

Batch 12 Rank: (and last of my spam tonight)

Great:
#147 15/04/2000 Sweet Female Attitude Flowers 2 {2}-4-8-9-10-17-21-27-39-49-68-72-62R(407)->13 [proper classic now! Very uplifting song]
#152 15/04/2000 Rank 1 Airwave 10 {10}-15-33-45-61->5 [beauty of a trance song, works better in the album version for me though which develops it a bit further]
#153 15/04/2000 Basement Jaxx Bingo Bango 13 {13}-30-44-64->4 [this one feels a bit underrated in their catalogue, it's one of their very best]
#149 15/04/2000 Steps Deeper Shade Of Blue 4 {4}-10-12-18-23-32-38-48-60->9 [likewise, this may even be my favourite Steps hit]
#151 15/04/2000 Lock 'N' Load Blow Ya Mind 6 {6}-6-10-13-14-22-26-35-46-58-69R(2)->11 [you've got the wrong version on the playlist there, the hit version beefs it up a lot more and is quite the banger]

Good:
#156 15/04/2000 Lonestar Amazed 21 24-23-30-36-32-30-28-26-{21}-23-22-22-21-26-30-35-37-42-51-57-64-73->22 [it's got a bit of charm to it even if it's essentially a (better-sung) Westlife song]
#146 15/04/2000 Craig David Fill Me In 1 {1}-2-2-3-7-13-16-20-27-36-45-47-56-72->14 [his best soon yet to come but this was a good proper launch for him]
#148 15/04/2000 Richard Ashcroft A Song For The Lovers 3 {3}-11-20-27-30-38-47-55-66-75-61R(2)->11 [decent bit of indie here, strings helping]

Okay:
#150 15/04/2000 The Bloodhound Gang The Bad Touch 4 5-5-7-{4}-5-8-6-9-15-24-28-28-36-52->14 [do kinda get its appeal but don't really find it that funny]
#157 15/04/2000 Cherie Amore I Don't Want Nobody 33 {33}-59->2 [very standard disco, doesn't help the only radio version of this I can find is low audio quality too]
#158 15/04/2000 The Wamdue Project You're The Reason 39 {39}-68->2 [now this is one of the worst cases of 'let's just recreate the big dance hit' no wonder it did poorly]

Meh:
#154 15/04/2000 Angie Stone Life Story 22 {22}-41-57->3

Shite:
#155 15/04/2000 Daniel O'Donnell Light A Candle 23 {23}-39-54-72->4 [what in the Cliff Richard is this]

Posted by: JulianT 17th April 2024, 10:15 PM

As under my rules anything that was a Top 40 hit before the turn of the century won’t be reviewed here, we’ll unfortunately miss out on a couple of chart toppers including “Don’t Call Me Baby” and “It Feels So Good”.

A lot to enjoy in this group covering 2 weeks, but Britney comes out on top this time. I think it’s a formula that’s been used in countless pop songs but rarely did it ever work as well as in this and “Baby One More Time”.

9 Britney Spears Oops!... I Did It Again 858th #1 and lead from her 2nd album: one of the best ever pop songs of its kind with a very clever though simple theme
8 Pearl Jam Nothing As It Seems A later hit for this US grunge band: quite a slow pulsating track but with brilliant guitars and a very absorbing sound world
8 Toploader Achilles Heel {2000} Their debut re-issued and my favourite of theirs: a gorgeous tune that ripples along before erupting into a punchy chorus
8 Dark Star I Am The Sun Their 2nd and final hit: they complement each other well as this is less intense and with more of a hook than "Graceadelica"
7 MJ Cole Crazy Love 2nd and biggest hit for this UK garage musician very well sung by Elizabeth Troy Antwi: strong track and love the violins
7 Watergate Heart Of Asia A great track: the only hit for this trance group using the title theme from the 1983 film "Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence"
7 Dutch Force Deadline The work of Dutch DJ Benno de Goejj also involved with Rank 1: a really strong trance instrumental here worth the length
6 Death In Vegas Dirge Unlike "Aisha" which was quite a complex track this is all based around a theme repeated in a ritualistic way: quite hypnotic
6 William Orbit Ravel's Pavane Pour Une Infante Defunte Another classical piece redone by him: the original is very gentle and this version has a suitably childlike echoey soundscape
6 System F Cry 2nd Top 20 under this alias for Ferry Corsten: more of a pop track than a dance number but an emotional song nicely sung
5 Made In London Dirty Water Only Top 40 for this girl group: it's a very decent TLC style piece of RnB influenced pop, but nothing that really stands out
5 Q-Tip Vivrant Thing His 2nd and final solo hit: this is also enjoyable but it doesn't quite have the infectious excellence of "Breathe And Stop"
4 Scooch The Best Is Yet To Come The title isn't true as their best song was their last one: this one isn't bad but lacks a proper chorus and doesn't quite deliver
4 Rhythm Of Life You Put Me In Heaven With Your Touch Only hit for this DJ act: it's quite a nice trance tune with soaring female vocals, but overall it seems quite ordinary to me
3 Oxide And Neutrino Bound 4 Da Reload (Casualty) 857th #1: an interesting idea using the iconic "Casualty" theme and parts of it I really enjoy but overall it's quite disjointed
3 Precocious Brats/Kevin And Perry Big Girl A novelty song based on the sitcom "Kevin & Perry Go Large": the track is quite catchy though the repetitive lines are grating
2 Mandy Moore Candy 1st of only 2 hits for her: she pronounces it "canday" and "me" as "may" for some reason, and I find the song pretty drab
1 Lolly Per Sempre Amore (Forever In Love) Her 4th Top 20: there's something about the really forceful, almost possessed delivery on this that makes it quite unpleasant



2000 Week 20:

20/05/2000 Madison Avenue Don't Call Me Baby {2000} 1 {1}-2-5-10-17-20-23-32-41-56-60-70->12
#199 20/05/2000 Tom Jones And Mousse T Sex Bomb 3 {3}-4-7-14-21-25-29-43-57-75->10
#200 20/05/2000 Armand Van Helden Koochy 4 {4}-10-18-31-45-65-71->7
#201 20/05/2000 Paul Van Dyk Featuring Saint Etienne Tell Me Why (The Riddle) 7 {7}-13-23-37-48->5
#202 20/05/2000 Iron Maiden The Wicker Man 9 {9}-17-30-57->4
#203 20/05/2000 Shaft {1999} Mambo Italiano 12 {12}-20-24-35-46-74->6
#204 20/05/2000 Heather Small Proud 16 {16}-23-34-45-60->5
#205 20/05/2000 The Bluetones Autophilia 18 {18}-40-63->3
#206 20/05/2000 Donell Jones Shorty (Got Her Eyes On Me) 19 {19}-30-43->3
#207 20/05/2000 Utah Saints Funky Music 23 {23}-50->2
#208 20/05/2000 Faith Hill Breathe 33 {33}-51->2
#209 20/05/2000 Conductor And The Cowboy Feeling This Way 35 {35}-69->2
#210 20/05/2000 N-Trance Shake Ya Body 37 {37}->1

Posted by: TheSnake 17th April 2024, 10:22 PM

OIDIA and the vocal style of this era is iconic

System F - Cry is a great tears-on-the-dancefloor anthem with a great bassline and vocal, deserved to chart higher. Heart of Asia is a lovely tune

Posted by: Cow P 18th April 2024, 02:59 PM

Trying to catch up from where I left before

Jay-Z's Hard Knock Life freestyle was indeed horrible. Wonder why they'd even dare to call it a song.

I kinda forgot how Dancing In The Moonlight sounded when the song went viral again 2021 with Jubel.

Shalala Lala is fine, but I don't think lots of people remembered it was a cover.

Shiver was a great debut from the upcoming band, but then got oversatured by their later singles.

Still D.R.E. is a bop!

All The Small Things was one of those childhood tunes back when I played Facebook games!

Smooth is a masterpiece. It also sounds good when you mash-up it with Havana.

Nothing nostalgic from Say My Name, but then it reminded me of the late NBA player Kobe Bryant who died on a heli crash back in 2020 . There was a version that featured him on Spotify, so that's where I discovered the song.

The Bad Touch was a recent discovery last month where a DJ reworked it and re-titled it to Discovery Channel. An iconic one, I see!

Flowers is also good, the original is absolutely better than Nathan Dawe's rework.

Airwave is a nice trance classic too, but I prefer their follow-up single Such Is Love w/ Shanokee.

Posted by: gooddelta 19th April 2024, 10:18 AM

A few favourites in this batch, Oops! is of course a pop classic, I heard a mother singing it to her daughter in the street the other day who kept saying 'oops, oops' which was sweet. It's cool that the word 'oops!' now makes many people think of Britney and this song.

Achilles Heel is such a stunning ballad, I don't care for anything else that Toploader did, including Dancing in the Moonlight, but this is an epic that deserved much better than No.8.

Used to love Heart of Asia at the time so much, such a great idea of a sample/cover for a trance track. I think Watergate was an alias for DJ Quicksilver, who'd had a few hits some years earlier.

Quite a few of the trance songs here I can't recall by name, it was crazy how many were charting each month, I need to look them up again. I do remember and quite liked You Put Me In Heaven With Your Touch.

Dirty Water is my favourite here, I still listen to it very regularly. It was later covered by Aussie Popstars winners Bardot. I think they were trying to set up Made in London to be a new All Saints style cool girlband, but the album was very average and pulled (although it eventually ended up on Spotify). Not sure TLC was Dirty Water's main influence, rather Janet Jackson. Listen to this song from a few years earlier and then Dirty Water - it's more than just a homage, it's almost comical how similar it is: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LsPb2EVCLdg

I like The Best Is Yet To Come, but it certainly delivered on its title because the next single was much better (and gave them their only Now appearance).

Was never a fan of Bound 4 Da Reload, but liked some of the other stuff Oxide and Neutrino did, was a bit odd seeing the Casualty theme at No.1, both then and looking back now.

I love Candy, it was No.1 in my personal chart at the time and I don't mind Mandy's vocal tendencies as Britney and *NSync used to do the same thing back then. I heard it playing in a mall in Las Vegas last year among many other songs but for some reason that was the moment it truly felt like I was in America, it just has that US high school sound and vibe that didn't always crossover so well here, so it's cool that this went top 10.

Posted by: JulianT 19th April 2024, 11:40 PM

Sometimes the dance tracks from this period can lack emotion, but not the top two here which have it in spades.

8 Conductor And The Cowboy Feeling This Way Only hit for this DJ act in their own right: the male and female vocals interact beautifully and it's a very tender trance track
8 Paul Van Dyk Featuring Saint Etienne Tell Me Why (The Riddle) The only Top 10 hit for either act incredibly, and a lush collaboration on an emotionally strong and entrancing dance song
7 Iron Maiden The Wicker Man Many of their songs can feel quite throwaway and similar, but this is a really dramatic track with a stonking powerful tune
7 Utah Saints Funky Music Their last brand new hit, based around Edwin Starr's 1971 track "Funky Music Sho Nuff Turns Me On": fun and works well
6 Heather Small Proud Only solo Top 40 for the M Peole star that has been used as an inspirational theme, for example at the Olympics: nice track
6 The Bluetones Autophilia Another nice single from them with an intriguing mouthful of a bracketed title: this is quite gentle but with good storytelling
5 Armand Van Helden Koochy Sample Gary Numan's "Cars" and adds racey robotically sung words: an interesting track at least, if not entirely successful
4 Faith Hill Breathe The biggest song of the year in the US despite peaking at #2, but only a minor hit here: nice enough but middle of the road
4 Donell Jones Shorty (Got Her Eyes On Me) His 2nd and final Top 40: another smooth RnB track but it lacks the strong hook of "U Know What's Up" and is slightly dull
3 Shaft {1999} Mambo Italiano After "Sway" did well they're covering another 50s Italian themed record: this version doesn't bring much new to the song
2 Tom Jones And Mousse T Sex Bomb Lyrically it's quite deeply naff and I can't really enjoy it but musically I have to admit it's quite fun and he performs it well
2 N-Trance Shake Ya Body I'm yet to be convinced that N-Trance were any good beyond 1 song: this is a pointless Jacksons cover with a cheesy rap



2000 Weeks 21 and 22:

#211 27/05/2000 Billie Piper Day And Night 1 {1}-4-11-22-31-31-38-44-49-45-64-73R(2)->12
#212 27/05/2000 DJ Luck And MC Neat Masterblaster 2000 5 {5}-8-16-31-40-44-61-71->8
#213 27/05/2000 Southside Spinners Luvstruck 9 {9}-14-23-37-53-59-75->7
#214 27/05/2000 Madasun Walking On Water 14 {14}-28-41-61->4
#215 27/05/2000 The Charlatans Impossible 15 {15}-36-56->3
#216 27/05/2000 Chelsea Football Club Blue Tomorrow 22 {22}-44->2
#217 27/05/2000 Bentley Rhythm Ace Theme From Gutbuster 29 {29}-54->2
#218 27/05/2000 Amoure Is That Your Final Answer? (Who Wants To Be A Millionaire) 33 {33}-65->2
#219 27/05/2000 Nicki French Don't Play That Song Again 34 {34}-69->2
#220 27/05/2000 Dubstar I (Friday Night) 37 {37}->1
03/06/2000 Sonique It Feels So Good {2000} 1 {1}-1-1-2-4-10-17-17-22-26-27-32-32-36-41-62-75->17
#221 03/06/2000 S Club 7 Reach 2 {2}-2-2-4-9-13-18-21-23-23-26-27-29-37-38-51-71->17
#222 03/06/2000 Bon Jovi It's My Life 3 {3}-8-14-16-17-25-32-36-38-45-56-65-68-62R(533)-74->15
#223 03/06/2000 Sia Taken For Granted 10 {10}-18-26-43-58->5
#224 03/06/2000 DJ Dee Kline I Don't Smoke 11 {11}-25-39-49-57-70->6
#225 03/06/2000 Belle And Sebastian Legal Man 15 {15}-36-52->3
#226 03/06/2000 Novy Vs Eniac Pumpin' 19 {19}-43-71->3
#227 03/06/2000 Korn Make Me Bad 25 {25}-50->2
#228 03/06/2000 Hybrid Featuring Chrissie Hynde Kid 2000 32 {32}-68->2
#229 03/06/2000 A-ha Summer Moved On 33 {33}-59->2
#230 03/06/2000 Angel Lee What's Your Name? 39 {39}->1

Posted by: gooddelta 20th April 2024, 07:43 AM

I don't recall Feeling This Way but that's a good track, but The Riddle is gorgeous, I'm so glad that Paul Van Dyk and Saint Etienne both managed a top ten thanks to this lovely collaboration, both acts deserved many, many more. A few years ago I sat next to Paul on a flight to Berlin, but regrettably decided to leave him alone rather than tell him how much he influenced my love of dance music at an impressionable age.

Proud now always reminds me of Miranda. It seems like a very well known track for its low peak, thanks to its high media usage since.

Faith Hill was really underrated here, I know country wasn't a big genre but many of her songs sounded like they should have been bigger hits, including Breathe.

Tom Jones has always carried this real air of cool that somehow, even in 2000, I never really thought of Sex Bomb as being as naff as it quite clearly is. This was all over the radio at the time in a way I just couldn't imagine if it came out today.

Agree with you on N-Trance, another terrible cover. They clearly had such a talent that was entirely wasted on songs like this. At least the Clubland revival of 2002 would bring them another decent original hit.

Posted by: Jade 22nd April 2024, 10:14 AM

Operation catch-up begins now...

Last Monday's batch:

Oh my, today is the first time I've ever heard the standard version of 'Imagine' by Shola Ama! The Asylum garage remix (also mentioned in Rich's post) is the version I'm familiar with thanks to Kisstory rinsing it over the years. They did the same with the garage version of Gabrielle's 'Sunshine', so these slower versions feel quite flat to listen to after being so used to them in a more energetic form

'Buggin' is another hit that I'm familiar with thanks to Kisstory! I enjoy the garage production but am not massively sold on the hook either.

I firmly associate 'He Wasn't Man Enough For Me' with Burna Boy's 'Last Last' now, I liked that sample usage!

I think I've only heard 'Who Feels Love?' once before, back when I checked out Oasis' discography in full! I shall aim to no longer neglect it as I'm loving that textured psychedelic sound this morning upon overdue relisten.

Posted by: Popchartfreak 22nd April 2024, 11:39 AM

It Feels so Good is a 10 for me whichever year it crops up in!

Oops I Did It Again is a great pop 9, playful, Pearl Jam is a usual meh from me, never really got them, but Achilles Heel is another 10 chart-topper for me, two in a row for Toploader. Dark Star's follow-up passed me by. maybe I was out the country MJ Cole ditto.

Heart Of Asia borrowed the fab Merry Xmas Mr Lawrence tune, as featured in BJSC a few years back, so grabbed a decent 6 from me, but Dutch Force add to the dance-track-that -I heard-once category, but Dirge is a good 7 for me. William Orbit os always good, and Pavel's revamp is a 6, Made In London a firm 8. Cand-ay I rather liked, 9/10, and the rest mean nothing at all to me, sorry!


Latest batch:

Tell Me Why, a good St Etienne collab for an 8/10, and Utah saints Edwin Starr revamp is a 7. Heather Small's Proud is an anthem these days and a firm 9. Koochie is a Cars-sampled dance 7, and Faith Hill a breathless 7 too. Shaft just about grabs a 7 too, not a bad cover, and Sex Bomb is a pop dance delight, 9/10. I'd happily sing along to it...

None of t'others mean a jot to me, sadly...

Posted by: TheSnake 22nd April 2024, 11:05 PM

'Heart Of Asia' is lovely, and so is 'It Feels So Good'

Yeah I associate the Heather Small track with the London Marathon and the Olympics coverage on the TV.

Posted by: Jade 23rd April 2024, 10:18 AM

Wednesday's batch:

I don't mind 'Bound 4 Da Reload (Casualty)', maybe it helps that I knew this song before the actual Casualty theme I came across one of their other singles 'Devil's Nightmare' on a Mixcloud chart show and that is definitely the best I've heard from them.

'Ravel's Pavane Pour Une Infante Defunte' is very pretty decided to check out the standard version and the Ferry Corsten remix (he was getting around a lot at the moment ) and I do think I prefer the more delicate approach to it, but can appreciate the euphoria of the other mix too, a similar formula to the 'Adagio For Strings' remix

I agree that there is a hypnotic quality to 'Dirge' and I liked how the production developed.

I love Ryuichi Sakamoto's 'Merry Christmas Mr.Lawrence' <3 it was even sent to BJSC at one point. The dance version isn't half-bad either, a melody that transcends genres.

'Crazy Love' isn't my favourite MJ Cole release (still pretty good though) but I'm glad it means he has a top 10 to his name, I'm a big fan in general *.*

I wasn't too complimentary about 'Born To Make You Happy' but totally share your love for 'Oops!...I Did It Again' very punchy pop, iconic spoken-word middle 8 and one of her most memorable music video looks as well with the red bodysuit!

Posted by: JulianT 23rd April 2024, 09:59 PM

“It Feels So Good” would have been right at the top here if it hadn’t first charted in 1999. But that means this stunning A-Ha track can take the glory instead. It’s sublime anyway but its claim to fame is Morten holding the note before the final chorus for a record 20 seconds - I love the way you can hear the strain in his voice towards the end. My favourite Bon Jovi song isn’t far behind.

9 A-ha Summer Moved On The lead single from their 6th album and a Norwegian #1: a gorgeous enchanting ballad with a shimmering accompaniment
9 Bon Jovi It's My Life The lead from their 7th album: the soaring chorus rivals "Living On A Prayer" for excitement and I love the uplifting lyrics
8 Southside Spinners Luvstruck Another Dutch DJ act here with their only hit: a great club track with a tune that flutters like butterflies when feeling love
8 S Club 7 Reach Their 4th hit and they've all been Top 2 but the best so far: a timeless uplifting pop number about following your dreams
8 Bentley Rhythm Ace Theme From Gutbuster 2nd and last Top 40 for the electronic duo: I don't know what "Gutbuster" is, but a great track with a very compelling beat
7 The Charlatans Impossible 17th Top 40 hit for them: it's a lovely folky, wistful and sincere Dylan style song with prominent piano and harmonica
7 Belle And Sebastian Legal Man The biggest hit to date for this Scottish indie band: it's a lovely retro sounding song with their special wistful vocal blend
7 Dubstar I (Friday Night) Last of 7 Top 40s for the indie-dance duo: I love the march-like relentless rhythm; feels like being stuck on a hamster wheel
6 Novy Vs Eniac Pumpin' 1st Top 20 for Tom Novy: it's a long track that requires some patience but the rapped hook on it is really quite mesmerising
6 Hybrid Featuring Chrissie Hynde Kid 2000 [/b] Only Top 40 for this electronic duo: Chrissie sounds great on this and it's a very enjoyable listen that just lacks a killer hook
6 DJ Luck And MC Neat Masterblaster 2000 Their highest peaking hit with a surprisingly good Stevie cover, with many elements that are different from the original
5 Nicki French Don't Play That Song Again 16th in Eurovision for this: she's great and this is a fun disco tune, but it sounds quite 90s and I can see why it didn't do so well
5 Madasun Walking On Water Another #14 hit for them: a bit more sugary than the excellent "Don't You Worry" but I still enjoy their sound and style
5 DJ Dee Kline I Don't Smoke Only hit for this DJ and it's a unique garage hit with a striking comedy sketch sample, though more intriguing than beautiful
4 Korn Make Me Bad Another fairly enjoyable one from them but I don't think it stands out like "Falling Away From Me" and it's a little too tame
4 Billie Piper Day And Night 860th #1: it's a decent and grown up sounding pop song but very much using the Britney formula and slightly soulless
3 Angel Lee What's Your Name? Only hit for this producer: it's an intriguing relentless RnB number but slightly grating and I can't quite say it's enjoyable
3 Sia Taken For Granted Debut hit for this Australian singer sampling Prokofiev's "Dance Of The Knoghts": a fairly dull RnB song but she'll improve
2 Amoure Is That Your Final Answer? (Who Wants To Be A Millionaire) It's literally the TV theme cobbled together into a single: it's an excellent piece of music for its purpose but not as a chart hit
1 Chelsea Football Club Blue Tomorrow Last of 4 Top 40 hits for Chelsea F.C. and the usual crude singalong melody done as raucously: has a purpose but not for me





2000 Week 23:

#231 10/06/2000 Stephen Gately New Beginning/Bright Eyes 3 {3}-15-27-35-47-49-51-43-48-54-47->11
#232 10/06/2000 York On The Beach 4 {4}-4-7-11-20-30-37-41-61-69->10
#233 10/06/2000 Mary Mary Shackles (Praise You) 5 {5}-8-6-10-12-20-23-27-31-36-40-49->12
#234 10/06/2000 Pink There You Go 6 {6}-12-14-18-30-40-53-65-74->9
#235 10/06/2000 Dr Dre Featuring Eminem Forgot About Dre 7 {7}-13-13-16-26-37-50-63-75->9
#236 10/06/2000 Trevor And Simon Hands Up 12 {12}-25-37-45-62->5
#237 10/06/2000 Buffalo G We're Really Saying Something 17 {17}-40-59-74R(2)->4
#238 10/06/2000 Mikey Graham You're My Angel 13 {13}-34-57-68-71->5
#239 10/06/2000 Aqua Around The World 26 {26}-44-64-56-73-74->6
#240 10/06/2000 Len Cryptik Souls Crew 28 {28}-43->2
#241 10/06/2000 Embrace Save Me 29 {29}-55-67R(4)->3
#242 10/06/2000 Doves Catch The Sun 32 {32}-56->2
#243 10/06/2000 Maxim Carmen Queasy 33 {33}-51->2
#244 10/06/2000 The Dandy Warhols Get Off 38 {38}-63->2

Posted by: TheSnake 23rd April 2024, 10:09 PM

Luvstruck is one of my favourite trance songs, it builds so well, yet another great dance hit from 2000. I don't think there will be another year to rival 2000 in chart dance music quantity and quality.



It's My Life by Bon Jovi is very good but Dr Alban and Talk Talk's songs of the same name are better. To get three very good chart hits with the same name is amazing though.

Posted by: Popchartfreak 24th April 2024, 10:02 AM

Summer moved on is a good 8, a-ha staying good into the new century, and It's My Life is a slab of Max Martin poprock singalong goodness, 9/10. Southside Spinners fluttered past me unnoticed, but Reach was unavoidable at clubs, pubs and parties, probably still is. It was an 8 at the time but I've got a bit fed up with it since.

Impossible I oddly missed out on, I almost always chart Charlatans stuff! Belle & Sebastian will always be a European childrens show of the 60's with a big St Bernard dog, but this track I credited also to The Maisonettes (must be a sample) and rated it 7. I bought a Dubstar 90's album but this one I (Friday Night) missed.

AS she goes on Billie Piper does better in my charts, Day And Night an 8, much better than the big hits. Sia's is the best of the also-rans down the bottom end, a total 9/10 for me and an early adopter for Sia, moi. The rest were all pretty much rubbish. Korn are always a racket, never need to hear them...

Posted by: gooddelta 24th April 2024, 10:48 AM

Predicting a low score for Buffalo G in the next batch.

Of this current lot, there are a few classics, Bon Jovi and Max Martin was clearly a match made in heaven - and probably an obvious one because hair rock is full of those big melodic choruses.

Reach is cheesy but another classic, I still hear it around so much today even and everybody knows it, shame they released at the same time as Sonique as it felt like a No.1 single.

I Don't Smoke is wonderful, one I still listen to a lot now. I adore the stuttered sample and the breakdown. I used to quote the 'do you smoke Paul, er no I don't?' thing all the time

The Bentley Rhythm Ace track was my favourite discovery going through these, great track that I don't remember from the time.

Not overly fussed on Day and Night, or really any of Billie's singles in a big way. Honey to the Bee was my favourite but I would never say I loved it. Nice for her that she got another No.1 outside 1998 though, as I wasn't sure how successful she'd end up being with her second album. I think Precious' Rewind was a better aping of the Britney sound, but they didn't have Billie's profile.

Good grief, that's a memory unlocked. I'd forgotten that the Who Wants To Be A Millionaire theme was released as a single and made the top 40. There was a Weakest Link one a year later too that missed the top 40.

I love that Sia had a top ten hit as early as 2000, even preceding her turn on Zero 7's Destiny. What year did Sia first achieve a top ten hit would be a good pub quiz question. The song is far from one of my favourites though, I think the sample did the legwork to get this into the top ten. Destiny was the first time I loved her.

Posted by: Jade 25th April 2024, 10:07 AM

Saturday's batch:

Wow, N-Trance still going with that 'Stayin Alive' interpolation-meets-rapping formula 5 years on! Shaft's shtick is tiring a bit as well at this point, I do like 'Sway', but feel nothing for this 'Mambo Italiano' rework. Props to Tom Jones for still being involved with a big hit at this stage but 'Sex Bomb' is not for me at all either.

How impressive that 'Breathe' managed to pip both of the Santana mega hits that year to become U.S. EOY #1.

I haven't seen an episode of Miranda in at least a decade, but like Rich, I still associate 'Proud' with that show as well

'Tell Me Why (The Riddle)' was quite a random recent discovery for me. I found a link to the first ever series of Big Brother U.K. from 2000 on Reddit and started watching it out of curiosity. I did some reading on the side and came across the release of an accompanying soundtrack called Big Brother - The Original Soundtrack which was a dance music compilation. I listened through the whole thing and it was excellent *.* I made a Spotify playlist for it a couple of months ago and have just seen it has 17 likes, who knew that still had a bit of demand 'Tell Me Why (The Riddle)' is track 6 - lovely collab On the other hand, 'Feeling This Way' is a completely new discovery for me today, also sounding pretty lush.

Posted by: Roba. 25th April 2024, 10:35 AM

Yeah 'Proud' immediately connects me to Miranda as well lol. It's a good track anyhow.

Haven't heard the Mandy Moore song since it was released. I remember finding it okay though.

'Day and Night' is a pop anthem. I do have a Billie CD laying around somewhere of 'Something Deep Inside' which is to come later. I was a fan of her 00's stuff but less so her 90's hits as fun and nostalgic as those would be!

(Will listen to ones I don't know and maybe drop some late comments at some stage together as will likely slip behind atm.)

Posted by: Cow P 25th April 2024, 12:34 PM

Giving a listen to the a-ha song now as I'm not familiar with their '00s/'10s works. It's quite a grower for me. Will definitely have to add this to my car playlist to hear it more!

It's My Life in the other hand is definitely an anthem. All young'uns (incl. me) started screaming the chorus after their performance in Jakarta 8 years ago was reported!

Posted by: JulianT 25th April 2024, 10:19 PM

Another strong group here: the top few are really fabulous. I don’t think I know of another explicitly Christian song with as much appeal as a pop record as “Shackles (Praise You)”. Dr Dre really was on fire ant this point: “Forgot About Dre” is up there with “Still D.R.E.” as one of the best rap records ever made, and makes great use of Eminem’s speed rapping. And “Carmen Queasy” was quite a special discovery.

9 Mary Mary Shackles (Praise You) Deservedly one of the best selling gospel songs of all time, but it achieves a unique crossover appeal as a joyous RnB track
9 Dr Dre Featuring Eminem Forgot About Dre Easily the best Dre and Eminem collaboration: the rhythms are fantastic and the voices complement each other brilliantly
8 Maxim Carmen Queasy Only solo hit for this Prodigy member with gritty vocals from the wonderful Skin: this is fabulously intense, dark and raw
8 York On The Beach Biggest hit for this DJ duo: a unique and effective dance track with a lovely instrumental riff and a soaring vocal hook
7 The Dandy Warhols Get Off Lead single from their 3rd album that will make the Top 40 twice: it's a really powerful tune with their usual rich vocals
7 Aqua Around The World Their last and worst performing hit, which is a shame as it's actually a marvellously written, bracing and uplifting pop song
6 Doves Catch The Sun "The Cedar Room" has a nice sound world but this follow up has a stronger chorus and I think it works better as a single
6 Embrace Save Me Another nice follow up single; this has rather more bite to it than "You're Not Alone" and the desperation comes across
5 Len Cryptik Souls Crew 2nd and final hit for them: it has a very 80s rap feel to it and it's no "Steal My Sunshine" but the chorus is rather an earworm
5 Trevor And Simon Hands Up Only hit for this DJ duo which samples a track from a couple of years prior: it's an effective and well constructed club track
4 Buffalo G We're Really Saying Something Only hit for this Irish duo with a cover of a Motown tune with a cheesy rap added: not great but I quite enjoy the retro feel
4 Stephen Gately New Beginning/Bright Eyes 1st Top 40 for this Boyzone star: the "Bright Eyes" cover isn't too bad and I enjoy the violins on the decent "New Beginning"
3 Pink There You Go Her debut hit and she'll find her style but this is quite a run of the mill RnB track and it's just angry the whole way through
2 Mikey Graham You're My Angel Only Top 40 for this Boyzone star with a country style song and there's a sweetness about it but it's plodding and repetitive





2000 Week 24:

#245 17/06/2000 Richard Blackwood Mama - Who Da Man? 3 {3}-9-12-24-39-54-64->7
#246 17/06/2000 Travis Coming Around 5 {5}-23-34-41-59-67-71-67R(2)-55-75R(2)->10
#247 17/06/2000 Gabrielle When A Woman 6 {6}-10-14-22-35-41-51-72->8
#248 17/06/2000 B-15 Project Featuring Crissy D And Lady G Girls Like Us 7 {7}-12-19-33-47-62-58-58-69R(2)-55->10
#249 17/06/2000 Whitney Houston And George Michael If I Told You That 9 {9}-19-25-34-48-47-49-54-63-62R(2)-51->11
#250 17/06/2000 Fat Les 2000 Jerusalem 10 {10}-15-39-55R(5)-68->5
#251 17/06/2000 Angelic It's My Turn 11 {11}-21-27-46-62-73-59-56-52-56->10
#252 17/06/2000 Daphne And Celeste Ugly 18 {18}-24-26-35-45-59-56-62-65-75-51-48->12
#253 17/06/2000 Kelis Good Stuff 19 {19}-30-30-42-64->5
#254 17/06/2000 Muse Unintended 20 {20}-33-43-58->4
#255 17/06/2000 Northern Line All Around The World 27 {27}-54-54->3
#256 17/06/2000 Ariel {Argentina} A9 28 {28}-52-63->3
#257 17/06/2000 Ian Brown Golden Gaze 29 {29}-62->2
#258 17/06/2000 Agnelli And Nelson Embrace 35 {35}-66->2

Posted by: Notorious D.O.T 25th April 2024, 11:58 PM

I adore York's On The Beach, there's just something so euphoric about it. I agree with the love for both the Mary Mary and Eminem/Dre tracks as well but York would be my top pick there.

I also have to take this opportunity to admit that Buffalo G cover is a guilty pleasure of mine.

Posted by: danG 26th April 2024, 07:03 AM

catching up pt.1...

Batch 13 Rank:

Great:
#159 22/04/2000 Fragma Toca's Miracle {1}-1-2-4-10-11-17-24-33-36-36-39-51-66-72-58R(2)-52-29R(399)->18
#169 22/04/2000 Matt Darey Presents DSP From Russia With Love {40}-74->2 [great find here]

Good:
#165 22/04/2000 Black Box Recorder The Facts Of Life {20}-46-71->3
#160 22/04/2000 Sisqo Thong Song {3}-3-5-6-11-12-16-19-30-35-37-45-58-69->14

Okay:
#162 22/04/2000 Sash! Just Around The Hill {8}-18-21-19-29-39-50->7
#168 22/04/2000 Sting After The Rain Has Fallen {31}-50-62-73->4

Crap:
#167 22/04/2000 Monie Love Slice Of Da Pie {29}-52->2
#166 22/04/2000 R. Kelly Only The Loot Can Make Me Happy {24}-47-63->3
#161 22/04/2000 Jessica Simpson I Wanna Love You Forever {7}-17-20-26-36-44-56-55-57-69R(3)-68->11
#163 22/04/2000 Point Break Freakytime {13}-28-34-43-67-72->6
#164 22/04/2000 Sister 2 Sister Sister {18}-35-49-66->4

-x-

Batch 14 Rank:

Great:
#180 29/04/2000 Hurley And Todd Sunstorm 38 {38}-51->2 [love the Elton John piece this is based off too]

Good:
#171 29/04/2000 Toni Braxton He Wasn't Man Enough 5 {5}-8-9-14-18-21-30-42-51-48-57->11
#179 29/04/2000 Shola Ama Imagine 24 {24}-43-47-65->4
#174 29/04/2000 Cypress Hill Rap Superstar/Rock Superstar 13 {13}-23-27-41-73->5 [for the rock version]

Okay:
#170 29/04/2000 Oasis Who Feels Love? 4 {4}-17-28-53-63-53-73-70R(3)->8
#172 29/04/2000 True Steppers Featuring Dane Bowers Buggin' 6 {6}-7-11-21-27-37-48-64->8

Meh:
#178 29/04/2000 Eagle-Eye Cherry Are You Still Having Fun? 21 {21}-32-40-48->4
#173 29/04/2000 Ricky Martin Featuring Meja Private Emotion 9 {9}-15-16-24-24-29-40-53-72->9

Crap:
#177 29/04/2000 Mary J. Blige Give Me You 19 {19}-29-35-49->4
#175 29/04/2000 TQ Daily 14 {14}-25-33-51-71->5
#176 29/04/2000 Hanson If Only 15 {15}-37-49-72->4

++

Batch 15 Rank:

Great:
#190 06/05/2000 Dutch Force Deadline 35 {35}-60->2 [one of my all time fave trance anthems!]
#187 06/05/2000 System F Cry 19 {19}-29-39-54->4 [another big underrated trance classic]
#183 06/05/2000 MJ Cole Crazy Love 10 {10}-12-20-25-31-47-67->7
#188 06/05/2000 Death In Vegas Dirge 24 {24}-45->2

Good:
#193 13/05/2000 Watergate Heart Of Asia 3 {3}-6-7-12-20-32-39-42-54-73->10
#197 13/05/2000 Rhythm Of Life You Put Me In Heaven With Your Touch 24 {24}-57->2
#192 13/05/2000 Britney Spears Oops!... I Did It Again 1 {1}-2-3-6-9-16-18-20-27-34-38-46-49-55->14
#194 13/05/2000 Toploader Achilles Heel {2000} 8 {8}-15-19-22-34-47-75->7
#189 06/05/2000 William Orbit Ravel's Pavane Pour Une Infante Defunte 31 {31}-59->2

Okay:
#182 06/05/2000 Mandy Moore Candy 6 {6}-13-25-32-42-44-50-61-53-67-75-64-57->13
#185 06/05/2000 Scooch The Best Is Yet To Come 12 {12}-25-42-75-64R(6)->5
#195 13/05/2000 Made In London Dirty Water 15 {15}-27-35-47-71->5
#181 06/05/2000 Oxide And Neutrino Bound 4 Da Reload (Casualty) 1 {1}-2-5-8-13-22-38-48-52-65-66->11
#196 13/05/2000 Pearl Jam Nothing As It Seems 22 {22}-56->2
#191 06/05/2000 Q-Tip Vivrant Thing 39 {39}-53->2

Meh:
#184 06/05/2000 Lolly Per Sempre Amore (Forever In Love) 11 {11}-18-31-46-70-70-70-73-68R(2)-63->10
#198 13/05/2000 Dark Star I Am The Sun 31 {31}-70->2

Crap:
#186 06/05/2000 Precocious Brats/Kevin And Perry Big Girl 16 {16}-21-34-48->4 [shame this is so crap when their film soundtrack has quite a few quality trance anthems in it (not that I've watched the film)]

Posted by: gooddelta 26th April 2024, 08:47 AM

Agreed that Shackles is wonderful, so joyous like you say Julian and completely deserved to cross into the charts.

Forgot About Dre is also a classic, looking back it's so strange to me that this only peaked at No.7? Eminem was nearing the start of his commercial peak and it's packed with instantly memorable hooks. I'd have thought the public would have lapped this up, but maybe they'd all bought 2001 by this point.

Oh yes, I'd forgotten about Carmen Queasy, I do remember that vaguely from the time, bit of a forgotten gem. Great production and vocal.

On The Beach brings back good memories, I remember the week it came out though was raining all week, as I remember walking around listening to it on a Discman on rainy walks The famous riff being from the original by Chris Rea but it works very well as a trance song too.

Interesting to see that Around The World has higher streams on Spotify than Cartoon Heroes, it wasn't a bad song but I think Aqua suffered a bit from musically feeling like a product of another time by 2000. That very sugary brand of Europop had progressed just a little bit by this point into slightly harder beats, and the pop doing well was mainly from the US and UK at this point, there wasn't as much Europop around at the top of the charts. I can't really imagine the likes of Sex On The Beach, Coco Jamboo or Witch Doctor being as big at this point either. The changes were subtle but - retrospectively - they were showing, pop was very slowly getting more serious. Even Atomic Kitten, Five, Steps, S Club 7 were starting to release more mature sounding material by the end of 2000, and any new cheesy pop act launches (Girl Thing, Girls@play, Fem@ail, Supersister, BON, Boom! and many more besides) tended to fall by the wayside in a way they wouldn't have done two years earlier.

Hands Up I remember thinking was ok, sounds like a slightly harder Vengaboys song. There was a comedy duo on Going Live! and Live & Kicking called Trevor & Simon, I'm not sure if the act calling themselves the same was intentional, I think I'd have flipped it to Simon & Trevor, or a different name altogether.

There You Go wasn't a bad single by any means, but on the strength of it, I'd certainly never in a million years have called P!nk as still having chart hits nearly 25 years later. There was nothing about her first album that suggested more than a one album wonder, but her rockier reinvention on Missundaztood was one of the best musical moves anyone has ever made in music.

Then the Irish trio...Buffalo G included the sister of B*Witched's Keavy and Edele and Boyzone's Shane. Just not a very good cover and another example of something that felt more suited to 1998 than 2000. Mikey Graham's song was very dull but credit to him getting a solo top 20, I always liked him in Boyzone, he has a good voice that was underused until Stephen passed. Certainly a stronger voice than Keith and Shane.

New Beginning was quite a nice song though, although I feel Stephen had the goodwill and fanbase behind him to have got a solo No.1 with a really great song. I remember thinking this would be a No.1 anyway at the time but it slipped behind the double power of Sonique and S Club 7 on their second week.

Posted by: Popchartfreak 26th April 2024, 08:59 AM

Shackles is a great 9/10 for me too, still rousing and life affirming, though I hadnt realised it was Christian-based (I tend to take inspirational from any religious-based songs as being a positive thing, anyway, even if I dont necessarily advocate for it personally). Dre & Eminem is a top track too, both at their peak, and an 8 for me.

Maxim? No idea. York is one I remember - but I appeared not to chart it! How odd! I'd say it was a 4 or 5. Get Off a healthy 8 for Dandy Warhols, always like them (see recent charts of mine). Aqua's I also rate a decent 7, by this stage their Barbie Girl image gave them little credibility, annoyingly, as they are much better than credited.

Catch The Sun must have been a one-week wonder as I didnt chart it, and ditto Embrace. Cryptic Souls Crew, though, I liked and is a 7. Weren't Trevor & Simon a kids TV duo? I didn't chart it at any rate. Buffalo G song better known by Bananarama but worth a 3. Poor Stephen Gately had the voice of an angel, and New Beginning was a pretty fine 8, out-charting most of Boyzone's ouput give or take a handful of good tracks.

Pink I liked from the get-go, There You Go a 9 for me, think I bought the cd single in Florida, where R'n'B obv went down a storm in the early 90's on US radio and in the charts. Mikey, unlike Stephen and Ronan, remained untroubling my personal charts, so I assume a 1 or 2.

Posted by: Last Dreamer 26th April 2024, 09:24 AM

"Carmen Queasy" and "Shackles" are in my five least favourite singles of 2000 year.

Posted by: Jade 26th April 2024, 10:49 AM

Tuesday's batch:

'Day And Night' very much feels like it's piggy-backing off the Britney/Max Martin sound of the time but it's the best thing Billie released for me nevertheless!

I actually knew 'Masterblaster 2000' before the original (thanks Now 46) - I would rather seek out Stevie now, but not a bad take at all, some soulful vocals in there and an enjoyable piano line alongside the garage beats. 'Luvstruck' was a fabulous find from the same Now album back in the day <3 it used to be played at my exercise classes too!

'Legal Man' was a wonderful discovery I appreciate that surfer 60s soundscape too. The "ba ba ba..." parts sound perfect for an advert.

'Reach' instantly transports me back to school discos *.* I do find its relentless joy pretty infectious.

I first came across 'It's My Life' via the Glee mash-up of that and Usher's 'Confessions' that did pretty well in the chart, was a solid pairing of songs tbf.

The introductory production of 'Summer Moved On' instantly reminded me of 'Crazy' by Seal so that was already off to a good start! I really ought to familiarise myself with more post-80s a-ha material.

Posted by: gooddelta 26th April 2024, 11:16 AM

Top five worst of the year? what exactly do you find so bad about Shackles especially to hold it in that low a regard?

Posted by: Dobbo 26th April 2024, 12:02 PM

Luvstruck is a magical track with a rollercoaster-like production I've not heard many songs like it ever.

Day and Night is by a mile Billie's best song for me, pop perfection.

Had never heard about that Millionaire song wow

Forgot About Dre >>> Still Dre (I always used to confuse which one was which)

On The Beach is s thrillingly haunting track, it just nails a certain vibe.

Posted by: danG 27th April 2024, 07:59 AM

Batch 16 Rank:

Great:
#209 20/05/2000 Conductor And The Cowboy Feeling This Way 35 {35}-69->2 [ooh this is a great discovery, shame this one pretty much got lost to time]
#201 20/05/2000 Paul Van Dyk Featuring Saint Etienne Tell Me Why (The Riddle) 7 {7}-13-23-37-48->5 [For An Angel deserved, but yeah this is also really lovely]

Good:
#199 20/05/2000 Tom Jones And Mousse T Sex Bomb 3 {3}-4-7-14-21-25-29-43-57-75->10 [fun novelty]
#204 20/05/2000 Heather Small Proud 16 {16}-23-34-45-60->5 [was surprised to learn this wasn't actually a big hit, the anthemic sound to it made it sound bigger]

Okay:
#200 20/05/2000 Armand Van Helden Koochy 4 {4}-10-18-31-45-65-71->7 [this is rather baffling though]
#202 20/05/2000 Iron Maiden The Wicker Man 9 {9}-17-30-57->4 [all their songs seem to sound the same oop]
#203 20/05/2000 Shaft {1999} Mambo Italiano 12 {12}-20-24-35-46-74->6 [rather pointless when Sway exists though]
#207 20/05/2000 Utah Saints Funky Music 23 {23}-50->2 [could do without that vocal]

Meh:
#205 20/05/2000 The Bluetones Autophilia 18 {18}-40-63->3
#208 20/05/2000 Faith Hill Breathe 33 {33}-51->2
#206 20/05/2000 Donell Jones Shorty (Got Her Eyes On Me) 19 {19}-30-43->3

Crap:
#210 20/05/2000 N-Trance Shake Ya Body 37 {37}->1 [how the F did they go from Set You Free to this]

++

Batch 17 Rank:

Great:
#213 27/05/2000 Southside Spinners Luvstruck 9 {9}-14-23-37-53-59-75->7 [hard hitting trance anthem of course has to be my fave here]
#227 03/06/2000 Hybrid Featuring Chrissie Hynde Kid 2000 32 {32}-68->2 [Finished Symphony deserved, not as familiar with this but love its instrumentation]

Good:
#212 27/05/2000 DJ Luck And MC Neat Masterblaster 2000 5 {5}-8-16-31-40-44-61-71->8 [inspired re-work of Stevie here, prefer it to the original]
#220 03/06/2000 S Club 7 Reach 2 {2}-2-2-4-9-13-18-21-23-23-26-27-29-37-38-51-71->17 [gets points for nostalgia value]
#221 03/06/2000 Bon Jovi It's My Life 3 {3}-8-14-16-17-25-32-36-38-45-56-65-68-62R(533)-74->15 [one of their few good songs yay]
#225 03/06/2000 Novy Vs Eniac Pumpin' 19 {19}-43-71->3 [there is a radio edit of this on Spotify now thankfully, this doesn't really need 10 whole minutes]
#228 03/06/2000 A-ha Summer Moved On 33 {33}-59->2 [good find, yay for strings]

Okay:
#223 03/06/2000 DJ Dee Kline I Don't Smoke 11 {11}-25-39-49-57-70->6
#218 27/05/2000 Amoure Is That Your Final Answer? (Who Wants To Be A Millionaire) 33 {33}-65->2 [lol of course they had to do a dance remix of this theme, not as good as it could've been though]
#219 27/05/2000 Dubstar I (Friday Night) 37 {37}->1
#217 27/05/2000 Bentley Rhythm Ace Theme From Gutbuster 29 {29}-54->2
#226 03/06/2000 Korn Make Me Bad 25 {25}-50->2
#224 03/06/2000 Belle And Sebastian Legal Man 15 {15}-36-52->3
#222 03/06/2000 Sia Taken For Granted 10 {10}-18-26-43-58->5
#211 27/05/2000 Billie Piper Day And Night 1 {1}-4-11-22-31-31-38-44-49-45-64-73R(2)->12
#214 27/05/2000 Madasun Walking On Water 14 {14}-28-41-61->4
#215 27/05/2000 The Charlatans Impossible 15 {15}-36-56->3

Meh:
#229 03/06/2000 Angel Lee What's Your Name? 39 {39}->1

Crap:
#216 27/05/2000 Chelsea Football Club Blue Tomorrow 22 {22}-44->2 [death to football chants]

++

Batch 18 Rank:

Great:
#231 10/06/2000 York On The Beach 4 {4}-4-7-11-20-30-37-41-61-69->10 [this being one of the year's biggest dance hits is deserved]
#234 10/06/2000 Dr Dre Featuring Eminem Forgot About Dre 7 {7}-13-13-16-26-37-50-63-75->9 [Dre clearly at his best when he's in his own song title]

Good:
#232 10/06/2000 Mary Mary Shackles (Praise You) 5 {5}-8-6-10-12-20-23-27-31-36-40-49->12 [so feel-good I can easily ignore it being an actual gospel song]
#242 10/06/2000 Maxim Carmen Queasy 33 {33}-51->2 [good find here, wouldn't have called this as being Prodigy related]
#235 10/06/2000 Trevor And Simon Hands Up 12 {12}-25-37-45-62->5 [rather bog standard even down to its titular lyric but works well for what it is]

Okay:
#233 10/06/2000 Pink There You Go 6 {6}-12-14-18-30-40-53-65-74->9 [thankfully she'd improve a lot afterwards]
#238 10/06/2000 Aqua Around The World 26 {26}-44-64-56-73-74->6 [well at least I could listen to this unlike their previous]

Meh:
#239 10/06/2000 Len Cryptik Souls Crew 28 {28}-43->2 [and this is why Steal My Sunshine is a classic one-hit wonder song...]
#236 10/06/2000 Buffalo G We're Really Saying Something 17 {17}-40-59-74R(2)->4
#243 10/06/2000 The Dandy Warhols Get Off 38 {38}-63->2
#240 10/06/2000 Embrace Save Me 29 {29}-55-67R(4)->3
#241 10/06/2000 Doves Catch The Sun 32 {32}-56->2
#230 10/06/2000 Stephen Gately New Beginning/Bright Eyes 3 {3}-15-27-35-47-49-51-43-48-54-47->11 [the strength of the 'Bright Eyes' songwriting saves it from being total crap (although I had to listen to the Art Garfunkel original afterwards to cleanse my ears anyway)]

Crap:
#237 10/06/2000 Mikey Graham You're My Angel 13 {13}-34-57-68-71->5

Posted by: JulianT 27th April 2024, 11:02 PM

6 new entries in the Top 10 this week but a lacklustre bunch that get one of each score from 1 to 6. Thankfully there’s plenty to enjoy further down.

9 Muse Unintended This second hit really shows their versatility and performing skill: a beautifully tender ballad with a soaring falsetto chorus
8 Angelic It's My Turn 1st hit for this trance group including Judge Jules and his wife on vocals: this is a lovely and indeed an angelic dance song
8 Ian Brown Golden Gaze A really underrated, atmospheric and lyrically interesting Ian song underpinned by a striking relentless electronic bass line
7 Kelis Good Stuff This is indeed the good stuff and worlds apart from her debut: a really smooth and classy track with a hypnotic bass line
7 Agnelli And Nelson Embrace A lovely trance track by this DJ duo that indeed feels like a warm embrace, especially as the rousing production builds
6 Ariel {Argentina} A9 Only Top 40 for this producer and 1st ever for an Argentinian artist: it's quite a simple but well put together club track
6 B-15 Project Featuring Crissy D And Lady G Girls Like Us Only hit for any of this artists I believe: an effective well produced reggae and RnB crossover with multiple catchy hooks
5 Gabrielle When A Woman Not one of her finest and nothing groundbreaking but an enjoyable slice of bubblegum style pop with a cute little hook
4 Northern Line All Around The World Their last hit and this is surprisingly not too bad at all: quite retro sounding with a powerful chorus, a bit like London Boys
4 Whitney Houston And George Michael If I Told You That This was tipped to be #1: I enjoy the baseline and it's vocally excellent from both stars, but a very run of the mill track
3 Travis Coming Around Highly anticipated no doubt but this is very bland: extraordinary that it outpeaked all the brilliant "The Man Who" singles
2 Daphne And Celeste Ugly Obnoxious overall but focussing on the positives I quite enjoy the retro organ intro, the banjos and parts of the rapping
2 Richard Blackwood Mama - Who Da Man? Debut hit for this TV personality sampling the 80s track "Mama Used To Say": it feels narcissistic as well as not very good
1 Fat Les 2000 Jerusalem Devoid of originality, the 3rd and last hit for this Keith Allen led project, recreating the song with choirs for Euro 2000



2000 Weeks 25 and 26:

#259 24/06/2000 Black Legend You See The Trouble With Me 1 {1}-2-7-16-22-28-32-38-44-59-59-62-68-70-69->15
#260 24/06/2000 Darude Sandstorm 3 {3}-3-5-9-9-11-11-16-18-19-25-26-36-47-54->15
#261 24/06/2000 Moby Porcelain 5 {5}-13-23-36-55-61->6
#262 24/06/2000 Backstreet Boys The One 8 {8}-15-28-42-45-54-68-75R(5)->8
#263 24/06/2000 Jamelia Call Me 11 {11}-21-37-56-71->5
#264 24/06/2000 Richard Ashcroft Money To Burn 17 {17}-38-52-65->4
#265 24/06/2000 England Supporters' Band The Great Escape 2000 26 {26}-46->2
#266 24/06/2000 Jay-Z Big Pimpin' 29 {29}-40-51->3
#267 24/06/2000 Idlewild These Wooden Ideas 32 {32}-49-66->3
#268 24/06/2000 Amber Sexual 34 {34}-50->2
#269 24/06/2000 BT Featuring Kirsty Hawkshaw Dreaming 38 {38}-51->2
#270 01/07/2000 Kylie Minogue Spinning Around 1 {1}-3-12-14-17-22-33-38-45-54-56->11
#271 01/07/2000 David Gray Babylon 5 {5}-9-14-15-19-24-28-33-33-42-53-64->12
#272 01/07/2000 Frankie Goes To Hollywood The Power Of Love (Remixes) 6 {6}-16-29-39-50-69->6
#273 01/07/2000 Damage Ghetto Romance 7 {7}-15-23-34-40-52-66->7
#274 01/07/2000 Girl Thing Last One Standing 8 {8}-19-28-35-39-40-50-71-65R(3)-67->10
#275 01/07/2000 DJ Sandy Vs Housetrap Overdrive 32 {32}-53->2
#276 01/07/2000 En Vogue Riddle 33 {33}-50->2

Posted by: jimwatts 27th April 2024, 11:27 PM

'Get Off' and 'Catch The Sun' in the previous batch ended a long run without anything making it onto my iPod, although there are many more I enjoyed at the time. Another three lasting favourites from the year are coming up in the next batch.

Posted by: TheSnake 28th April 2024, 12:08 AM

The B15 track is one of the catchiest garage classics.

Posted by: chartjack2 28th April 2024, 12:23 AM

Where’s Nicki French Julian?

Posted by: Popchartfreak 28th April 2024, 12:04 PM

Unintended is a good 7/10, I wasnt sure what I'd make of Muse at the time but long-term they have pretty much got it going on still. Angelic I have no memory of, and ditto Golden Gaze! Good Stuff another 7 for me for Kelis, but I preferred caught Out There. Agnelli & Nelson back to the "no idea" rating!

A9 B15 sounds like a concert seat arrangement, the former I didnt chart the latter got a one week in the lower reaches for a 3/10. Gabrielle, OTOH, was an 8 for me, a good pop tune that I can still hum a bit of - that's a first for this batch! Northern Line is underground for me. Coming Around def didnt out-peak all The Man Who.. singles in my charts (the only one that counts ), a decent 7/10 though.

Whitney & George was fabulous, a 10/10, Whitney's best record and George's ongoing flirtation with classy r'n'b sounds. Love it, and it's not even close in this bunch. I also liked the Richard Blackwood track, 7/10. Not heard it in ages, but the Junior original is fab and Richard was top eye-candy at the time. For a footie track, I also briefly rated Jerusalem as 7, but it's short run (as with most footie songs) suggests it gets on your nerves quite quickly, so a 5 would be more realistic. That leaves Daphne & Celeste who always got a 1/10 from me. Memorable, but not in a good way....

Posted by: Mack. 28th April 2024, 12:29 PM

Jerusalem there would be another version five years later...

Posted by: Jade 29th April 2024, 10:30 AM

Thursday's batch:

P!nk's initial R&B direction isn't for me either but thankfully I'll appreciate her output a lot more in a couple of years time! Great to see a handful of artists popping up so far that have still scored hits during the current decade like herself, Coldplay, Eminem and of course Beyoncé away from Destiny's Child.

I remember discovering 'We're Really Saying Something' (and the facts about the duo's nepotism) when putting together a playlist of girl-group hit singles about a year ago. The sound of it gives me a slightly more mature take on Daphne & Celeste's style

'On The Beach' was another strong Now 46 discovery back in the day! I knew it before the Chris Rea song that it borrows from, which I only discovered when it was played on Radio 2 once before. The trance makeover for that blissful riff works really well, a summer banger.

Oh wow, I'd never heard 'Carmen Queasy' until today, what a brilliant discovery

'Forgot About Dre' is another song that Kisstory rinsed when I was a frequent listener but not complaining, absolute tune! That bouncy synth throughout is so addictive and I love Eminem's chaotic flow. The burst of epic guitar production is an interesting touch as well.

'Shackles (Praise You)' is a strong choice of favourite here! I agree that it has a unique crossover charm, an instantly uplifting anthem.

Posted by: JulianT 29th April 2024, 11:00 AM

Oh rubbish - I think I must have missed her because she was a climber rather than a new entry in the Top 100 that week. Will have some editing to do then.

Posted by: JulianT 29th April 2024, 11:50 AM

Note for Dan and anyone else wanting to review every song

Nicki French has been edited in as song #219. And all subsequent numbering amended.

Panic over.

Posted by: Roba. 29th April 2024, 12:00 PM

Can't say the Nikki French song is a loss necessarily. Reminds me of 'Last Thing On My Mind' and a bit of 'Fernando' by ABBA which I guess was in vogue with that medley stuff in 99!

Posted by: Scene 29th April 2024, 12:26 PM

Wait, Whitney and George collabed on two songs??

Posted by: gooddelta 29th April 2024, 12:41 PM

Angelic is my favourite here, I used to love that a lot, really soaring chorus.

Girls Like Us is a garage classic, there seemed to be 1 or 2 coming out each week in 2000 but Lady G (what did G stand for, Gaga!!?) made this one stand out.

When A Woman was never off the radio in 2000/1, I'm sure I heard it just as much as Rise and Out Of Reach. Clearly it was a hit off the back of Rise and wouldn't have been half as big if it had come out before Rise, but fair enough, it's a nice little song.

Yes, the Whitney and George track was a shock flop, it had all the makings of a No.1, and I'm still not entirely sure how their combined fanbases and a pretty good song could only get to No.9. Even the follow-up Enrique collab did better.

I didn't mind Coming Around, I often forget about it as it wasn't attached to any studio album. I agree all of The Man Who singles are better, but I do remember the memorable egg video.

Didn't like Ugly at all, I agree it's an obnoxious song and I remember it being happily picked up by playground bullies at the time. What was the need for it? It's just lyrically unpleasant, albeit catchy.

Richard Blackwood's musical career was a short-lived curiosity but this was catchy thanks to the sample.

And as for Nicki French - I've seen that song performed live more times than I see my own family, as she pops up at almost every Eurovision event to trot it out. But it's naff as they come, complete with the ticking clock hands dance routine, and I can't say 16th place was undeserved. It's a bit Steps-lite, but like an early Steps album track, as the real thing had moved onto the likes of Deeper Shade of Blue by this point. Imagine that as our 2000 Eurovision entry *.* (I know we have a kind of melodic rehash of it from Olly Alexander this year though).

Posted by: Scene 29th April 2024, 02:19 PM

His stint on Celebrity Detox Camp is probably more memorable:

Posted by: Roba. 29th April 2024, 03:32 PM

--

From the next batch after I last commented. 'Shackles' is such a fun feel good song. 'On The Beach' has a lush vibe going on. 'Carmen Quesy' is something I know I've vaguely heard before but not surprised it's not well remembered with it's peak. Decent track anyway. 'Around The World' is a great last UK top 40 hit for Aqua. Shame it peaked as low as 26 but I guess the public were over them at this point. 'Get Off' is good but doesn't top BLY. Doves song is better than the last one but never cared about them. 'There You Go' is an okay starting off point for P!nk but nothing too special. 'Forget About Dre' is good. I did always quite like 'New Beginning' and thought Stephen had the best voice out of the band. Mikey Graham's song however is like that carbon copy Boyzone/Ronan track. Didn't really step out of that sound and I guess it showed with no further longevity as a solo act.

Posted by: JulianT 29th April 2024, 11:03 PM

The “White Ladder” album was very much the soundtrack to my summer as a moody 16 year old, and so I still have quite an attachment to it. I know “Babylon” wasn’t anything groundbreaking but it remains an all time favourite for me: it’s so straightforward and heartfelt and somehow so joyous. “Porcelain” and “Sandstorm” are both also classics and unlucky to come up against it.

10 David Gray Babylon His 1st Top 40 though he's been going for 7 and a simple but perfectly crafted soft rock song; especially love the single mix
9 Moby Porcelain His biggest hit and best song: it's the beautiful blend of the voices, strings and piano that create a sense of fragile beauty
9 Darude Sandstorm Debut hit for this Finnish DJ: a marvellous club track that does take you on a storm-like ride with variations on a simple riff
8 En Vogue Riddle Last hit for this US RnB group known mainly for their 90s work: it's a marvellously catchy and hard hitting breakup number
7 Damage Ghetto Romance The comeback single and last big hit for this UK RnB boyband: it's a very good slickly produced track with a compelling chorus
7 Kylie Minogue Spinning Around 863rd #1: her return hit with a really strong and uplifting song whose lyrics encapsulate the positivity around her comeback
6 Jay-Z Big Pimpin' This is lyrically quite aggressive but musically much more like it from Jay-Z: an arresting track with Timbaland production
6 DJ Sandy Vs Housetrap Overdrive Only hit with either of these artist credits: this seems quite minimalist but it's a good club track with an effective baseline
6 Girl Thing Last One Standing Debut hit for this short lived girl group: something of a guilty pleasure as l like the retro feel and the "end of an era" theme
5 Jamelia Call Me A very RnB style 3rd hit from her: I like the harpsichord sound and I think it's a clever track rhythmically, but doesn't stand out
5 Frankie Goes To Hollywood The Power Of Love (Remixes) Focussing on the Rob Searle club mix, part of me thinks this classic shouldn't be touched but I do really enjoy the drop here
5 BT Featuring Kirsty Hawkshaw Dreaming This US DJ has had a few hits but it's the only Top 40 for Kirsty: a nice EDM record though the main hook is slightly repetitive
4 Amber Sexual Only hit for this Dutch star: the "le da di" is quite catchy and it's a very decent song musically, but I find the lyrics slightly silly
4 Idlewild These Wooden Ideas The sound world on this is very typically Idlewild: it's perfectly pleasant but I can't find anything to latch onto to really enjoy it
3 Richard Ashcroft Money To Burn "A Song For Lovers" has much more going on instrumentally: this to me has a fairly dull melody and theme and I can't get into it
3 Black Legend You See The Trouble With Me 862nd #1: I enjoy the tinny beat on this but that's about it: they failed to clear the sample so it isn't even Barry White's voice
2 Backstreet Boys The One Their first Top 5 miss in a while and no wonder as the autotune makes it sound manufactured and the song is quite lacklustre
2 England Supporters' Band The Great Escape 2000 1st time in the Top 40 for the 1963 film theme from the 1963 film which had become a football chant: it serves its purpose







2000 Week 27:

#277 08/07/2000 Eminem The Real Slim Shady 1 {1}-2-3-4-5-7-8-10-11-15-23-33-38-54-70-72R(174)->16
#278 08/07/2000 Samantha Mumba Gotta Tell You 2 {2}-8-10-15-13-17-20-25-32-33-47-65->12
#279 08/07/2000 Coldplay Yellow 4 {4}-11-18-21-25-29-31-34-39-44-61->11
#280 08/07/2000 Vengaboys Uncle John From Jamaica 6 {6}-13-16-25-33-48-70->7
#281 08/07/2000 Lonyo Summer Of Love 8 {8}-19-26-33-41-57-74->7
#282 08/07/2000 Ol' Dirty bast*rd Featuring Kelis Got Your Money 11 {11}-22-27-31-36-47-63-75->8
#283 08/07/2000 Sid Owen Good Thing Going 14 {14}-24-33-44-60->5
08/07/2000 Blink-182 What's My Age Again {2000} 17 {17}-31-42-52-59-75->6
#284 08/07/2000 Dumdums Can't Get You Out Of My Thoughts 18 {18}-38-44-62-67->5
#285 08/07/2000 Detroit Grand Pu Bahs Sandwiches 29 {29}-50-74->3
#286 08/07/2000 Ocean Colour Scene July/I Am The News 31 {31}-54->2

Posted by: Popchartfreak 30th April 2024, 09:02 AM

Babylon was a great single and David was cool enough, a 9 at the time but these days I'd knock it down to an 8, I'm more excited by other tracks here. Moby was peaking at this time, great album and Porcelain is a great single a def 9/10. Sandstorm was huge during my clubbing days and still sounds like an anthem, so exciting. PLAY LOUD! DANCE! love it 10/10.

Riddle is a good 8, shame it's the End Vogue for the charts. They were good in their heyday. Ghetto Romance I liked even more, a 9/10 but one that hasnt been played since on any radio station I've listened to! So who knows how it's dated or not. Spinnin' Around and Kylie is back 9/10 and not even the best track on the fabulous album. I saw her do that tour and what a show!

Big Pimpin' passed me by, possibly the title put me off - if I'd know it was Timbaland I would have given it another chance. I like jamelia, a debut 7. The Frankie remix was pretty good, though not as good as the original - 9 instead of 10. Money To Burn is an 8, You See The Trouble With Me is no Barry White, at best it's a 5. The One, as per my US radio tendencies, was an 8 borderline 9, and the rest mean nowt to me....

Posted by: Jade 30th April 2024, 10:37 AM

Sunday's batch:

Like Rich, I definitely remember that 'U.G.L.Y.' chant being used at school *_* Daphne & Celeste were really not holding back on the juvenile insults again!

Love 'Girls Like Us' yet another find from the dance-heavy Now 46 that stuck around in my affections. It's a great hype song, I really enjoy the garage production, endless hooks, some energetic back-and-forth delivery and the rap, yess Lady G *.* ("Nuh 'bout to play with us, cah we nuh Toys R Us" ) 'It's My Turn' is of course a fellow good'un from the same compilation - pretty blissful trance with a satisfying build-up and pay-off.

I'd never heard 'A9' before but I'm liking the sound of it great that it put Argentina on the map in the U.K. chart too. 'Golden Gaze' is also another very good discovery today, I don't know too much Stone Roses/Ian stuff outside the absolute classics.

Pre-Black Holes and Revelations Muse are a bit of a blind-spot for me so looking forward to filling in some gaps, agreed that the falsetto on 'Unintended' is very effective.

Posted by: JulianT 30th April 2024, 10:13 PM

2 more big favourites here both at the time and now: I had the “Parachutes” album and “The Real Slim Shady” was the only rap CD single I ever bought!

I also enjoyed how closely knit the chart runs of “Yellow” and “Babylon” were.

9 Coldplay Yellow Their big breakthrough with an exquisite tender ballad where Chris caresses the high notes almost with a yodel of emotion
9 Eminem The Real Slim Shady 864th #1: amazing he got away with the lyrics but the rhythmic flow and rise and fall of the rap makes this a real masterpiece
8 Ocean Colour Scene July/I Am The News An excellent complementary double A: I slightly prefer the wistful "July" but "I Am The News" has interesting protest lyrics
7 Samantha Mumba Gotta Tell You Her debut hit with a strong slickly produced pop song that somehow sounds more grown up than many of her contemporaries
6 Dumdums Can't Get You Out Of My Thoughts Their catchiest tune, and for me this one sounds like it knows it's pop and isn't trying too hard to be rock, and is better for it
5 Lonyo Summer Of Love 1st of 2 hits for this UK garage singer: well produced and summery but has limited replay value and he isn't that engaging
4 Ol' Dirty bast*rd Featuring Kelis Got Your Money Only hit as lead artist for ODB who could scarcely be more obnoxious with his style and lyrics, but the hook from Kelis is good
3 Vengaboys Uncle John From Jamaica Maybe the ticking represents their time almost being up: their 7th Top 10 doesn't have the inventive charm of their others
2 Detroit Grand Pu Bahs Sandwiches Only hit for this US group: points for invention but I can't enjoy listening to that grating and slightly creepy mechanical voice
1 Sid Owen Good Thing Going Only Top 40 for Ricky from "Eastenders" with a cover of an 80s reggae song which unsurprisingly is characterless and limp





2000 Week 28:

#287 15/07/2000 The Corrs Breathless 1 {1}-2-6-9-15-17-21-27-34-43-45-59-72->13
#288 15/07/2000 Limp Bizkit Take A Look Around (Theme From M:I 2) 3 {3}-4-7-10-14-15-17-22-23-30-39-46-66->13
#289 15/07/2000 Oasis Sunday Morning Call 4 {4}-11-18-30-46-66->6
#290 15/07/2000 Steps When I Said Goodbye/Summer Of Love 5 {5}-6-13-20-24-29-41-50-54-59-72->11
#291 15/07/2000 Artful Dodger And Robbie Craig Featuring Craig David Woman Trouble 6 {6}-7-14-19-25-35-36-45-59-66->10
#292 15/07/2000 Alice Deejay Will I Ever 7 {7}-8-9-17-22-28-38-41-60-73->10
#293 15/07/2000 Atomic Kitten I Want Your Love 10 {10}-20-26-42-74->5
#294 15/07/2000 Jessica Simpson I Think I'm In Love With You 15 {15}-24-34-44-53-59-64->7
#295 15/07/2000 Matt Darey's Mash Up Presents Marcella Woods Beautiful 21 {21}-31-42-65->4
#296 15/07/2000 Zed Bias Neighbourhood 25 {25}-46-67-71->4
#297 15/07/2000 Precious It's Gonna Be My Way 27 {27}-48-70->3
#298 15/07/2000 Mauro Picotto Iguana 33 {33}-58-73->3

Posted by: TheSnake 30th April 2024, 10:30 PM

Not a fan of the Sandwiches vocal either but the instrumental very much reminds me of the minimalistic form of house music that was popular in the mid 2010s like Jack by Breach, Rinse and Repeat by Riton and Kah-Lo etc.

I really like the Coldplay and Samantha Mumba songs.

Posted by: Popchartfreak 1st May 2024, 11:57 AM

Yellow is a solid 9/10 and the first time I was really impressed with Coldplay, one of my mates was a big early supporter then went off them as they got bigger - not me, they got even better! Slim Shady is also a key track of the time, 8/10 from me. The Ocean Colour Scene double sadly passed me by, no idea what either track sounds like.

Gotta Tell You is a good 7/10, but Samantha had a much better one to come. Dumdums pass, but Lonyo for once is a dance track I really got behind - 9/10! Obnoxious ODB managed a 6/10 with an assist from Kelis from me. But that's all he ever featured as lead artist in my charts!

Vengaboys, the kids joked about Uncle John at the time, but I'm not from jamaica, and Venga Boys didn't bother my charts with this one. Sandwiches wasn't even a snack for me and Sid Owen managed a 3/10 for the song - The old Sugar Minott hot was reggae fun, but this was at best passable.

Posted by: gooddelta 1st May 2024, 02:36 PM

Some classics in the set from the other day - Babylon (agree that the single mix is superior - great intro), Porcelain, Sandstorm, Spinning Around.

I wasn't a big fan of Girl Thing, but it was definitely a shock underperformance, it was expected to go to No.1 but I think people underpredicted Kylie's comeback and vastly overpredicted this. Black Legend was well loved at the time but I didn't care for it.

I didn't know or had forgotten that Amber was Dutch, but Sexual wasn't a bad track at all.

From the next set, another couple of classics but I do narrowly prefer The Real Slim Shady to Yellow, both genius though.

Gotta Tell You is a fantastic pop song, shame it ran into Eminem as would have made for a great No.1.

I listened to all of the Dumdums singles the other day and I do think they were surprisingly underrated and probably ahead of their time by a few years.

Not a big fan of Uncle John From Jamaica, definitely their worst top ten hit. And Good Thing Going was not great.

Posted by: dandy* 1st May 2024, 06:33 PM

I'm very late in commenting but Black Box Recorder - Facts of Life was my #1 song of 2000... so very happy to see you award it a 10! <3

Posted by: Chez Wombat 1st May 2024, 06:38 PM

Ooh what a wonderful few weeks for new entries that was, Porcelain, Yellow, Sandstorm & Babylon are all fantastic

Posted by: Jade 2nd May 2024, 09:13 AM

Tuesday batch #1:

I used to find 'You See The Trouble With Me' quite jarring with its live not-Barry White vocals, but it crept up on me a bit over time. I think it's the hypnotic beat doing most of the heavy lifting for me too, which would later be sampled elsewhere - including the Mad'House version of 'Like A Prayer'

It's a BJSC double-whammy of sorts in this section as Wardy sent 'Sexual' to one of the contests I co-hosted in the past, plus BT's 'Dreaming' is a cover of Judie Tzuke's 'We'll Go Dreaming' which is in the current contest - that timing *.*

The three Frankie #1s are all classics but can't say the dance version of 'The Power of Love' does much for me unfortunately. Despite a positive, spiritual message in the lyrics, I don't really think it needed a musical uplift of this kind

Poor brave Girl Thing all that hype, including the front cover of Smash Hits, only for the chart placements to be rather disappointing compared to expectations. I've actually seen one of the members live - Jodi Albert - as she was part of another girl-group Wonderland, who supported Olly Murs on tour when I saw him in 2011. Her husband Kian from Westlife and Louis Walsh were involved with managing that - they had no top 40 hits unlike Girl Thing, but did score a top 10 album

'Spinning Around' isn't an ultimate Kylie favourite for me but still great fun and the exact sort of self-assured, transformative moment she needed at that point in time to steer her career in the right direction. I remember reading in the Kylie AF that her team picked the right week to release it, as it would've missed #1 either the previous or following week - in a year with so much turnover at the top. It feels odd to imagine an alternate universe where it didn't make #1, as it is one of her classic moments.

'Sandstorm' is a total banger it's wild that it evolved into such a huge internet meme but not complaining *.*

'Porcelain' is my favourite of this batch what a stunning blend of electronica, string samples and piano. The haunting vocals really sell those sad lyrics too. 'Babylon' is a strong top pick nevertheless and my second favourite of this section - love the freeing words and laidback production choices.

Posted by: Roba. 2nd May 2024, 08:52 PM

just gone through where I was missed over listening to on the sections I commented on.. The Dutch Force track is a banger, 'Archilles Heel' sounds like something else well known I can't put my finger on good track from them again though. 'You Put Me In Heaven With Your Touch' is a tune as well. 'Koochy' certainly used 'Cars' a lot in that. Wasn't too bad I guess but certainly a classic on it's own. 'Legal Man', 'I Don't Smoke', 'Kid 2000 remix', 'Save Me' were all decent discoveries too. It's My Life' wouldn't be in my top 5 or possibly even top 10 Bon Jovi songs tbh but it's still good.

'Heart of Asia' is fab, kinda forgot about it over the years but instantly recognise it!

Week 24

Muse Unintended 9.5/10 0 - this is much better than the last one of theirs that appeared and a pretty strong track for them at that time.
Gabrielle When A Woman 9/10 - always found this quite a fun track from Gabrielle. She didn't miss in the 00's really.
Travis Coming Around 8/10
Agnelli And Nelson Embrace 8/10 - nice trance beat going on here.
Angelic It's My Turn 8/10
B-15 Project Featuring Crissy D And Lady G Girls Like Us 7/10
Whitney Houston And George Michael If I Told You That 7/10
Ariel {Argentina} 6.5/10
Richard Blackwood Mama - Who Da Man? - sample is pretty good on this but can't unwatch that video I saw shared here the other day now... 6.10
ian Brown Golden Gaze 6/10
Kelis Good Stuff 5/10 - not too keen on this.. bit of a comedown after 'Caught Out There' for me
Northern Line All Around The World 5/10 - oh yes Ziggy from Big Brother okay but also mid.
Fat Les 2000 Jerusalem 5/10 - passable but also nothing to write home about. better than some Footie songs though unbelievably.
Daphne And Celeste Ugly 1/10 - At least 'Ooh Stick You' had some charm despite how bad it was, this was just bad lol.

Posted by: danG 2nd May 2024, 09:39 PM

Batch 19 Rank:

Great:
#255 17/06/2000 Ariel {Argentina} A9 28 {28}-52-63->3 [what an absolute banger, this got very underrated]
#247 17/06/2000 B-15 Project Featuring Crissy D And Lady G Girls Like Us 7 {7}-12-19-33-47-62-58-58-69R(2)-55->10

Good:
#250 17/06/2000 Angelic It's My Turn 11 {11}-21-27-46-62-73-59-56-52-56->10
#246 17/06/2000 Gabrielle When A Woman 6 {6}-10-14-22-35-41-51-72->8
#257 17/06/2000 Agnelli And Nelson Embrace 35 {35}-66->2 [their two 90s hits were a lot better though]
#253 17/06/2000 Muse Unintended 20 {20}-33-43-58->4

Okay:
#256 17/06/2000 Ian Brown Golden Gaze 29 {29}-62->2
#245 17/06/2000 Travis Coming Around 5 {5}-23-34-41-59-67-71-67R(2)-55-75R(2)->10
#248 17/06/2000 Whitney Houston And George Michael If I Told You That 9 {9}-19-25-34-48-47-49-54-63-62R(2)-51->11
#252 17/06/2000 Kelis Good Stuff 19 {19}-30-30-42-64->5

Meh:
#244 17/06/2000 Richard Blackwood Mama - Who Da Man? 3 {3}-9-12-24-39-54-64->7

Crap:
#251 17/06/2000 Daphne And Celeste Ugly 18 {18}-24-26-35-45-59-56-62-65-75-51-48->12
#254 17/06/2000 Northern Line All Around The World 27 {27}-54-54->3
#249 17/06/2000 Fat Les 2000 Jerusalem 10 {10}-15-39-55R(5)-68->5

++

Batch 20 Rank:

Great:
#260 24/06/2000 Darude Sandstorm 3 {3}-3-5-9-9-11-11-16-18-19-25-26-36-47-54->15 [what a week for new entries in the top five there, although this really ought to have been #1 over Black Legend]
#261 24/06/2000 Moby Porcelain 5 {5}-13-23-36-55-61->6
#270 01/07/2000 Kylie Minogue Spinning Around 1 {1}-3-12-14-17-22-33-38-45-54-56->11
#259 24/06/2000 Black Legend You See The Trouble With Me 1 {1}-2-7-16-22-28-32-38-44-59-59-62-68-70-69->15

Good:
#271 01/07/2000 David Gray Babylon 5 {5}-9-14-15-19-24-28-33-33-42-53-64->12
#269 24/06/2000 BT Featuring Kirsty Hawkshaw Dreaming 38 {38}-51->2 [BT's a legend of electronic music but this isn't quite great tier, based off two listens to both I think the song works better in the original Judie Tzuke version]
#273 01/07/2000 Damage Ghetto Romance 7 {7}-15-23-34-40-52-66->7
#268 24/06/2000 Amber Sexual 34 {34}-50->2
#275 01/07/2000 DJ Sandy Vs Housetrap Overdrive 32 {32}-53->2

Okay:
#266 24/06/2000 Jay-Z Big Pimpin' 29 {29}-40-51->3
#272 01/07/2000 Frankie Goes To Hollywood The Power Of Love (Remixes) 6 {6}-16-29-39-50-69->6 [yeah this doesn't really work as a trance record]
#264 24/06/2000 Richard Ashcroft Money To Burn 17 {17}-38-52-65->4
#267 24/06/2000 Idlewild These Wooden Ideas 32 {32}-49-66->3
#263 24/06/2000 Jamelia Call Me 11 {11}-21-37-56-71->5

Meh:
#274 01/07/2000 Girl Thing Last One Standing 8 {8}-19-28-35-39-40-50-71-65R(3)-67->10
#262 24/06/2000 Backstreet Boys The One 8 {8}-15-28-42-45-54-68-75R(5)->8
#276 01/07/2000 En Vogue Riddle 33 {33}-50->2

Crap:
#265 24/06/2000 England Supporters' Band The Great Escape 2000 26 {26}-46->2 [why so many football songs argh]

++

Batch 21 Rank:

Great:
#277 08/07/2000 Eminem The Real Slim Shady 1 {1}-2-3-4-5-7-8-10-11-15-23-33-38-54-70-72R(174)->16 [still remains a big standout of his]

Good:
#279 08/07/2000 Coldplay Yellow 4 {4}-11-18-21-25-29-31-34-39-44-61->11 [overrated but it has a bit of charm to it]
#278 08/07/2000 Samantha Mumba Gotta Tell You 2 {2}-8-10-15-13-17-20-25-32-33-47-65->12

Okay:
#282 08/07/2000 Ol' Dirty bast*rd Featuring Kelis Got Your Money 11 {11}-22-27-31-36-47-63-75->8
#281 08/07/2000 Lonyo Summer Of Love 8 {8}-19-26-33-41-57-74->7
#280 08/07/2000 Vengaboys Uncle John From Jamaica 6 {6}-13-16-25-33-48-70->7
#286 08/07/2000 Ocean Colour Scene July/I Am The News 31 {31}-54->2

Huh?
#285 08/07/2000 Detroit Grand Pu Bahs Sandwiches 29 {29}-50-74->3

Crap:
#283 08/07/2000 Sid Owen Good Thing Going 14 {14}-24-33-44-60->5
#284 08/07/2000 Dumdums Can't Get You Out Of My Thoughts 18 {18}-38-44-62-67->5

Posted by: JulianT 2nd May 2024, 11:19 PM

A glorious dance tune at the top here. A later remix will give it a #10 peak, but it’s beautiful just as it is.

9 Matt Darey's Mash Up Presents Marcella Woods Beautiful This will become his only Top 10 on re-release: it's a sublime dance track with an excellent and vulnerable vocal performance
8 Oasis Sunday Morning Call I think this is underrated in the Oasis canon and I see it as "Don't Look Back In Anger" Part 2 with its soaring Noel chorus
7 Mauro Picotto Iguana His 2nd reptilian Top 40 after "Lizard": it's quite frenetic as the iguana roams the desert, but then melts into a lovely tune
7 The Corrs Breathless 865th #1: their only chart topper and nothing outside the box but a lovely soulful, bright and breezy song well performed
6 Artful Dodger And Robbie Craig Featuring Craig David Woman Trouble Robbie Craig from East 17 great vocals on this: a good pop garage song and quite a change in style from "Moving Too Fast"
6 Limp Bizkit Take A Look Around (Theme From M:I 2) Their 1st hit which takes the "Mission Impossible" theme and builds a nu metal style rap track around it, and it's well done
5 Steps When I Said Goodbye/Summer Of Love "When I Said Goldbye" is a sincere ballad but a dreary 3 while "Summer Of Love" is a 7: the latter is a strong pop dance song
5 Zed Bias Neighbourhood Only hit for this UK DJ: an interesting reggae-garage track whose hook verges on irritating, but it's certainly worth a listen
4 Atomic Kitten I Want Your Love Their 3rd Top 10 sampling the "Big Country" theme: it's a well constructed song but slightly shouty and feels very teenage
4 Jessica Simpson I Think I'm In Love With You Her 2nd hit: nothing special but has quite a nice old school feel thanks to the sample and doesn't try too hard like her debut
3 Alice Deejay Will I Ever Their 3rd Top 10 as the returns slowly diminish: this is catchy but quite basic and lacks the emotional power of their first 2
3 Precious It's Gonna Be My Way Their 3rd and last Top 40: it's not bad as such and there's clearly plenty of talent there, but a very standard slice of pop RnB



2000 Weeks 29 and 30

#299 22/07/2000 Ronan Keating Life Is A Rollercoaster 1 {1}-2-4-5-7-11-14-18-27-35-39-46-60-65->14
#300 22/07/2000 Aaliyah Try Again 5 {5}-10-12-18-24-28-38-39-50-61-63-75R(3)->12
#301 22/07/2000 Marc Et Claude I Need Your Lovin' (Like The Sunshine) 12 {12}-20-27-39-50-63-73->7
#302 22/07/2000 *NSync I'll Never Stop 13 {13}-24-29-41-57-67->6
#303 22/07/2000 Christina Aguilera I Turn To You 19 {19}-30-35-40-48-61->6
#304 22/07/2000 Jonah Sssst (Listen) 25 {25}-37-47-60->4
#305 22/07/2000 Chicane No Ordinary Morning/Halcyon 28 {28}-47-66->3
#306 22/07/2000 De La Soul Featuring Redman Oooh 29 {29}-48->2
#307 22/07/2000 Bleachin' Peakin' 32 {32}-53-73-70R(4)->4
#308 22/07/2000 Ultra Nate Desire 40 {40}-68->2
#309 29/07/2000 Five And Queen We Will Rock You 1 {1}-3-6-10-13-18-24-37-51-49-64-75-72R(3)->13
#310 29/07/2000 Louise 2 Faced 3 {3}-8-9-14-24-34-43-58->8
#311 29/07/2000 Destiny's Child Jumpin', Jumpin' 5 {5}-7-11-13-16-23-28-40-41-51-67->11
#312 29/07/2000 Savage Garden Affirmation 8 {8}-18-20-22-26-31-36-45-62-71->10
#313 29/07/2000 Shanks And Bigfoot Sing A Long 12 {12}-16-21-30-43-58-64-52R(2)->8
#314 29/07/2000 Placebo Taste In Men 16 {16}-39-45-60-71-74->6
#315 29/07/2000 Cleopatra Come And Get Me 29 {29}-50-59->3
#316 29/07/2000 David Bowie Seven 32 {32}-57->2
#317 29/07/2000 Lucy Pearl Dance Tonight 36 {36}-53->2

Posted by: Roba. 2nd May 2024, 11:34 PM

'Will I Ever' second to last in the ranking an absolute tune and sounded amazing about a year ago in my mates car driving around Bognor!

Posted by: Jade 3rd May 2024, 08:50 AM

Tuesday batch #2:

Ricky from EastEnders releasing a reggae cover *___* whose idea was that, oh dear x

The hook of 'Got Your Money' is my favourite Kelis contribution to date but I'm not really a fan of ODB either. 'Fantasy' is my favourite Mariah song but I never enjoyed the remix with him on it that Kisstory sometimes opted for over the original.

Speaking of Kisstory... they loved to spam 'Garage Girls' by Lonyo but not so much 'Summer Of Love', I do recall it from Now 46 though. I'm not the biggest fan of the autotuned chorus but do think the 'Cruel Desilusión' sample throughout was an interesting touch.

'Gotta Tell You' is a cracking debut from Samantha Mumba and still the best she did for me, I've really come to appreciate it over time.

I went through an Eminem phase around the time 'Not Afraid' came out but haven't really revisted his discography too much outside of 'Lose Yourself' and 'Stan' since then. 'The Real Slim Shady' is quite fun upon relisten, but yes, he did get away with a lot lyrically for sure

We're back to a snap favourite this time as 'Yellow' is certainly my top pick of this bunch too it really reminds me of playing Guitar Hero as a kid with my brother, insisting that I wanted to keep playing this song over and over again somehow I'm not sick of it, those tender charms are still as dreamy as ever 💛

Posted by: Popchartfreak 3rd May 2024, 09:35 AM

Matt Darey a good 7 but I havent heard it since 2002. Sunday Morning Call though, ouch just a 4 from me The only Mauro Picotto reptile I charted was Komodo, so blank on this one. Breathless the first one I could hum still, 7/10.

I rated the Limp Bizkit track theme, a surprising 9/10 from me and the other track I guess is Artful Dodger (?) Woman Trouble (oops) a good 7/10. Steps was a miss - obviously not impressed with either side, Zed bias pass, and I Want Your Love an 8/10, love that sample - still on my list as a potential for the original movie version.

Jessica Simpson I rather liked, 9/10! Alice Deejay was a pet peeve, sorry, and Precious no memory of at all.

Posted by: Last Dreamer 3rd May 2024, 09:45 AM

I wanted to do something similar (maybe for other decade), but my rates are very strict, so the most popular marks will be from 3 to 5 out of possible 10.

Posted by: jimwatts 3rd May 2024, 08:27 PM

The good stuff keeps coming - five songs on the last page all made my top 10 of the year at some point in time, of which only 'Babylon' and 'Yellow' were there when I last did each year of the 2000s in 2010, but 'Porcelain' and 'Sandstorm' may have since made it back in, and 'Sunday Morning Call' is the one song that's outlived Oasis' Standing On The Shoulder Of Giants era (oops at that missing "s" in the title) for me.

Elsewhere, I did have a soft spot for 'Will I Ever' - snubbed by Radio 1 but had more weeks in the Top 10 than all the songs above bar 'Sandstorm' which famously isn't a song so must have done something right - though it's only Alice Deejay's big #2 that I go back to now.

Posted by: TheSnake 3rd May 2024, 08:52 PM

'Beautiful' is brilliant indeed. I so associate it with the early 2002 chart that I am a little bit sad that you didn't leave it to then to review, early 2002 was still a good time for chart dance. Glad it was your top ranked track in its week in 2000 anyway.

I remember 'Beautiful' playing in an ice rink when I was younger too. Glad it eventually made the top 10 on its re-release.

'Iguana' with the buildup followed by the big 'drop' is like a precursor to more recent 2010s EDM especially the 2014 'big room house' scene. Very good track, would have really disliked it in 2000 when I disliked all hard dance music.

Posted by: danG 4th May 2024, 08:51 PM

Batch 22 Rank:

Great:
#295 15/07/2000 Matt Darey's Mash Up Presents Marcella Woods Beautiful 21 {21}-31-42-65->4 [another underrated trance classic! very strong vocal too]

Good:
#288 15/07/2000 Limp Bizkit Take A Look Around (Theme From M:I 2) 3 {3}-4-7-10-14-15-17-22-23-30-39-46-66->13 [this band seem to get a lot of shit but this song sounds great, very inspired interpolation of that MI theme]
#291 15/07/2000 Artful Dodger And Robbie Craig Featuring Craig David Woman Trouble 6 {6}-7-14-19-25-35-36-45-59-66->10 [there seems to be zero Craig David on the version I'm listening to on Spotify though oops]
#292 15/07/2000 Alice Deejay Will I Ever 7 {7}-8-9-17-22-28-38-41-60-73->10 [I like this more than Back In MY Life, though of course nothing touches Better Off Alone]

Okay:
#290 15/07/2000 Steps When I Said Goodbye/Summer Of Love 5 {5}-6-13-20-24-29-41-50-54-59-72->11 [top end of Okay for Summer of Love; WISG is on the opposite end of the spectrum]
#287 15/07/2000 The Corrs Breathless 1 {1}-2-6-9-15-17-21-27-34-43-45-59-72->13
#298 15/07/2000 Mauro Picotto Iguana 33 {33}-58-73->3 [I may as well just be listening to 'Lizard' here, this is pretty much the same song but not half as good]
#289 15/07/2000 Oasis Sunday Morning Call 4 {4}-11-18-30-46-66->6 [unfamiliar with this song so pleasantly surprised to hear Noel's vocal on it]
#293 15/07/2000 Atomic Kitten I Want Your Love 10 {10}-20-26-42-74->5
#296 15/07/2000 Zed Bias Neighbourhood 25 {25}-46-67-71->4

Meh:
#294 15/07/2000 Jessica Simpson I Think I'm In Love With You 15 {15}-24-34-44-53-59-64->7
#297 15/07/2000 Precious It's Gonna Be My Way 27 {27}-48-70->3

a certain highly underrated classique in that next section better be getting a very high score...

Posted by: gooddelta 4th May 2024, 09:07 PM

Was great to see The Corrs finally get a No.1 single with Breathless, after never managing one with the Talk On Corners singles. The parent album was mostly very glossy sounding pop, but this was a great lead single.

Will I Ever was 3/3 for me from Alice Deejay, I was obsessed with it for weeks. But I don't like it as much as the first two.

Beautiful reminds me more of 2002, an epic track indeed.

I've always quite liked When I Said Goodbye, but it was basically an H and Claire vehicle before they split off into a duo. Summer Of Love is a much better track, great chorus.

I had forgotten all about Neighbourhood until I heard it again a few months ago, now it's always in my head.

The first three Atomic Kitten singles were all perfectly servicable teenage pop, and this had a great sample, but I didn't love them until their middle of the road rebirth and with the addition of Jenny...

...who enhanced It's Gonna Be My Way for Precious with one of her legendary spoken middle eight contributions. I bought this one on single and loved the summer vibe to it. Very different to Say It Again and Rewind.

The single mix of Woman Trouble was removed from Spotify some time ago, the album version is much more bloated but the radio edit is pretty good. The better Craig doesn't add much to it but his 'bubblin' from the left...' contribution makes it sound more like a hit.

Posted by: JulianT 6th May 2024, 09:54 PM

Here we’re covering the 2 weeks where “Life Is A Rollercoaster” was the biggest selling song, though in the second it ceded the #1 spot due to a rule infringement. Aaliyah is comfortably the class of the field though.

9 Aaliyah Try Again A US #1 and her biggest hit to date, with a fabulous boundary pushing electronic RnB track with mesmerising production
8 Ronan Keating Life Is A Rollercoaster 866th #1: this is far and away Ronan's finest solo moment before he becomes a crooner, with a charming upbeat pop record
8 Placebo Taste In Men This is excellent, with a very effective relentless riff and some interesting instrumental effects, and an engaging angry vocal
7 Destiny's Child Jumpin', Jumpin' Another really effective and infectious RnB song from them; their last in this style before they move more into power pop
7 Chicane No Ordinary Morning/Halcyon A really well thought out double A side: "No Ordinary Morning" is a sweet electronic ballad and "Halcyon" a strong club track
7 Jonah Sssst (Listen) Only hit for this DJ with a quite simple but very effective club track with a slightly menacing rumbling tune that builds up
6 David Bowie Seven I feel rude to not be giving this a score that matches its name: not a classic but a sweet and charming acoustic guitar ballad
6 De La Soul Featuring Redman Oooh Their first Top 40 hit since 1993: this feels like a really old school hip hop song in style but is enjoyable and well performed
6 Lucy Pearl Dance Tonight Debut hit for this mixed sex US RnB group: slightly repetitive but I do enjoy it and it's different from other hits of its genre
5 Christina Aguilera I Turn To You Her 3rd hit with a rather lowly peak but it's a very sweet and simply performed ballad with good lyrics: not exciting though
5 Marc Et Claude I Need Your Lovin' (Like The Sunshine) Effectively a dance cover of "Everybody's Got To Learn Sometime": not essential but I think it comes together quite nicely
5 *NSync I'll Never Stop A decent heartfelt pop song here delivered very competently, but I don't think it offers anything that their other hits don't
4 Cleopatra Come And Get Me Their last hit and it's a fairly dynamic call and response style song competently performed but doesn't have enough sparkle
4 Ultra Nate Desire Her last solo Top 40, and a decent song in itself but nothing new and like a weaker version of "Free" in a very similar style
3 Savage Garden Affirmation This is pleasant enough to listen to but musically it's quite basic and the inspirational lyrics are intriguing but on the naff side
3 Bleachin' Peakin' Only hit with this credit and it samples Fleetwood Mac's "Big Love" adding rap verses: quite intriguing but not really a keeper
2 Louise 2 Faced Her highest peaking hit and it's quite cleverly put together but I find the teenage girls in the playground theme very tiresome
2 Five And Queen We Will Rock You 867th #1: the idea of building some rap into the Queen song isn't so bad but they come across almost like a gang of thugs
1 Shanks And Bigfoot Sing A Long Their only follow up hit to "Sweet Like Chocolate": a laughably naff and banal song and maybe they shouldn't have bothered



2000 Weeks 31 and 32:

#318 05/08/2000 Craig David 7 Days 1 {1}-2-3-7-8-11-18-29-36-44-52-58-65-68-74R(2)->15
#319 05/08/2000 Bomfunk MC's Freestyler 2 {2}-4-4-6-7-9-16-20-26-29-33-54->12
#320 05/08/2000 Santana Featuring The Product G&B Maria Maria 6 {6}-12-12-14-21-27-33-42-56->9
#321 05/08/2000 Point Break You 14 {14}-32-34-46-65->5
#322 05/08/2000 Scooch For Sure 15 {15}-30-36-44-60-68->6
#323 05/08/2000 Moloko Pure Pleasure Seeker 21 {21}-37-41-48-68->5
#324 05/08/2000 Different Gear Vs The Police When The World Is Running Down 28 {28}-43-62->3
#325 05/08/2000 Morcheeba Rome Wasn't Built In A Day 34 {34}-49-68->3
#326 05/08/2000 Macy Gray Why Didn't You Call Me 38 {38}-62-74R(2)->3
#327 12/08/2000 Robbie Williams Rock DJ 1 {1}-2-3-4-6-11-14-20-23-28-34-42-50-70-70-75-71-72R(2)-66-60->20
#328 12/08/2000 Storm {DE} Time To Burn 3 {3}-6-8-9-13-21-32-37-49-66->10
#329 12/08/2000 Mansun I Can Only Disappoint U 8 {8}-25-39-53-67-75->6
#330 12/08/2000 Wookie Featuring Lain Battle 10 {10}-19-18-30-35-52-74->7
12/08/2000 MJ Cole Sincere {2000} 13 {13}-26-40-52-70->5
#331 12/08/2000 Reef Set The Record Straight 19 {19}-42-52-69-72->5
#332 12/08/2000 Josh Wink And Lil' Louis How's Your Evening So Far 23 {23}-43-65->3
#333 12/08/2000 Spoiled And Zigo More And More 31 {31}-46-69->3
#334 12/08/2000 Richie Dan Call It Fate 34 {34}-49-73->3
#335 12/08/2000 Metallica I Disappear 35 {35}-45-70->3

Posted by: My... WAP?? 6th May 2024, 10:13 PM

Agreed that Life Is A Rollercoaster is actually a decent tune. Some of Ronan's other records could have been used as a form of torture at Guantanamo though.

Try Again is excellent. How tragic that we never got to see what might still have been to come from Aaliyah.

Posted by: TheSnake 6th May 2024, 10:16 PM

Try Again is a good track, the second most well known Aaliyah hit I would say.

The Marc et Claude track is wonderfully ambient and I really like it, more than any other song that samples EGTLS.

Life Is A Rollercoaster is a good song, was meant to be a New Radicals single originally.

Posted by: My... WAP?? 6th May 2024, 10:35 PM

I would have said Try Again was Aaliyah's best remembered, what would you rank above it Snake?

Posted by: TheSnake 6th May 2024, 10:36 PM

More than A Woman, her #1 UK hit?

Posted by: My... WAP?? 6th May 2024, 10:40 PM

Ah, despite being a #1 that has never felt that well known to me.

Posted by: Jade 7th May 2024, 08:49 AM

Friday's batch:

None of the bottom 7 in your ranking were my thing but then I turned a corner with 'Woman Trouble' it's not quite as iconic a team-up between Artful Dodger and Craig David as 'Re-Rewind' but I do remember this one well too. Craig's quick-fire hook is pretty addictive and Robbie Craig gives a soulful performance throughout. As mentioned elsewhere in the thread, it's a shame that the radio edit with Craig David isn't on streaming, only a 7 minute version.

'Sunday Morning Call' isn't a huge Oasis favourite for me but I am enjoying the continued psychedelic production choices running throughout this era.

Posted by: Popchartfreak 7th May 2024, 08:59 AM

Aaliyah's Try Again is another Florida holiday track 9/10 from me, and she seemed to be going places in music and film. Life Is A Rollercoaster easily Ronan's jewel in a patchy crown, courtesy of Gregg Alexander of New Radicals, his songs were usually excellent uplifting pop tunes. 10/10. Taste In Men just got a 3/10 from me, expect I heard it once or twice and never again.

Jumpin' Jumpin' 7/10 as they continued to be big in the USA, and on the rise. Chicane passed me by, Jonah ditto, but hooray Bowie's Seven was an 8/10 31 years into his career. De La Soul was another blank from me, surprisingly as I am generally a fan, but they would be back later in the year.

Dance Tonight I liked, as per for US r'n'b, 7/10, but Christina's ballad I was not a fan of, 2/10. Marc Et Claude, well I love The Korgis original so I gave them a credit and called it a 9/10 cover. *NSync I usually rated a lot on Martin/Pop stuff so no exception here on 9/10 I'll Never Stop - though I dont remember it like I do Its Gonna Be Me and Bye Bye Bye or I want You Back.

Cleopatra still coming atcha, but not at me, blank on this. Ultra Nate always tickles my fancy, and Desire is no exception, a solid 9/10 from moi. Affirmation kept Savage Garden going on with an 8/10 (but prob really a 7) after their massive quality double-chart-topper debuts in '98 but they got more tedious as they went on.

2 faced was one of Louise's decent tracks, 8/10, Shanks & Bigfoot a reasonable 5/10, and Five & Queen got a compensation 7/10 for We Will Rock You not being an A side 9/10 back in the day (but really its pretty rubbish in comparison).

Posted by: My... WAP?? 7th May 2024, 10:07 PM

Sunday Morning Call is good stuff but my easy pick for standout track from SOTSOG is the fantastic, moody and atmospheric album track Gas Panic!

Posted by: Jade 9th May 2024, 09:11 AM

That Five version of 'We Will Rock You' is incredibly naff, the worst #1 of the year so far for me - and there was a lot to choose from! Speaking of naff... the "Hi girls! Hi Louise!" intro in '2 Faced' does crack me up that song is not really my thing either, although it does have fairly interesting production.

Oh I do have a soft spot for 'I Need Your Lovin' (Like The Sunshine)' it probably helps that I knew it before the Korgis original, which I have come to adore since expanding my knowledge of 80s music. The verses on the Marc et Claude version are dreamy nevertheless and the trance drops do land pretty well.

'No Ordinary Morning' is on my chill-out playlist that I invited other BuzzJack users to contribute to years ago, so I've become quite familiar with that one over time <3 'Halcyon' was a discovery though - indeed more of an upbeat counterpart.

'Jumpin' Jumpin' is great fun *.* I'm sure that chorus is going to be lodged in my brain for the rest of the morning now!

Happy to see 'Taste in Men' getting a good score here! I only heard it for the first time last year when branching out into Placebo more. I have a subscription to Rolling Stone UK magazine and usually make the reading experience more immersive by listening to the music mentioned within too. They had an article about Placebo and it got me hooked on 'Pure Morning', so I then decided to check out more and this was another standout <3 it feels like the 90s haven't quite left yet.

'Life Is A Rollercoaster' is Ronan's most listenable moment indeed and 'Try Again' is the perfect choice to top this section love that acid house-style production from Timbaland, the lyrics are an instant pick-me-up and Aaliyah sounds as smooth as ever. Glad she managed a U.S. chart topper with it!

Posted by: JulianT 9th May 2024, 11:20 PM

A really strong group here, and I really quite like some of the ones I’ve ended up giving middling scores. “Freestyler” is a classic: apparently its genre is called breakbeat but to me it defies categorisation. “Battle” doesn’t feel a very well remembered garage track but it still sounds brilliant.

9 Bomfunk MC's Freestyler 1st of only 2 Top 40s for this Finnish group and a wonderful unique track which seems to mix all sorts of different styles
9 Wookie Featuring Lain Battle 1st Top 40 for this UK garage musician with a fabulous throbbing chorus, lovely soulful vocals and masterful production
8 Craig David 7 Days 868th #1 and for me still his finest moment: it's the rhythmic beauty of the verses rather than the distinctive chorus I love
8 Moloko Pure Pleasure Seeker Not as commercial as their 2 big hits but another beauty with a great saxophone riff and gritty vocals espousing hedonism
8 Santana Featuring The Product G&B Maria Maria Another huge US chart topper for them with a really classy Latin flavoured rock balllad with smooth vocals and guitar solo
7 Mansun I Can Only Disappoint U Their 4th Top 10 and 3rd album lead: similar to much of their output but an excellently performed and pain filled song
7 Spoiled And Zigo More And More Only hit for this dance music artist and it's a real belter with a dramatic soaring female vocal and an addictive instrumental
7 Scooch For Sure Their last hit for 7 years as they were sadly dropped with a really quirky, catchy and well written flamenco inspired song
6 Storm {DE} Time To Burn By far the biggest hit for this German DJ duo: not boundary pushing but a very commercial dance track with a great hook
6 Metallica I Disappear From the "Mission Impossible 2" soundtrack, this is similar to some of their others but it's strong with good bass and vocals
6 Morcheeba Rome Wasn't Built In A Day Last Top 40 for this UK electronic group: nothing to be hugely excited about but a really warm, gentle and joyous track
5 Josh Wink And Lil' Louis How's Your Evening So Far 2nd and final hit for this US DJ 5 years after the excellent 1st, sampling Li'l Louis' "French Kisses": it's an enjoyable listen
5 Reef Set The Record Straight Last of 9 Top 40 hits for this English rock band: it's good with a solid hook but I don't think it's anything new from them
4 Macy Gray Why Didn't You Call Me The 3rd hit from "On How Life Is" and it's decent but not sparkling and endearing like the other 2: a standard jazzy number
4 Robbie Williams Rock DJ 869th #1: I feel like Robbie temporarily ditched artistic quality for novelty value here, though the song is quite clever
3 Richie Dan Call It Fate Only hit for this UK reggae garage style artist, which has some slightly off-putting vocal effects but is a bit different
3 Point Break You Less naff than "Freakytime" and an attempt at a big anthem with violins: nice idea but not quite a strong enough song
2 Different Gear Vs The Police When The World Is Running Down A remix of a Police hit: the original song doesn't do a huge amount for me and I can't really see that this version adds much





2000 weeks 33 and 34:

#336 19/08/2000 Melanie C I Turn To You 1 {1}-4-5-8-15-24-30-36-34-48-55-55->12
#337 19/08/2000 Janet Jackson Doesn't Really Matter 5 {5}-9-10-16-24-36-44-53-63-60-70->11
#338 19/08/2000 Bob Sinclar I Feel For You 9 {9}-20-33-49-63->5
#339 19/08/2000 Ruff Endz No More 11 {11}-15-26-37-54->5
#340 19/08/2000 Red Hot Chili Peppers Californication 16 {16}-27-43-55-71->5
#341 19/08/2000 Mandy Moore I Wanna Be With You 21 {21}-35-46-61-69->5
#342 19/08/2000 Embrace I Wouldn't Wanna Happen To You 23 {23}-60->2
#343 19/08/2000 Lit Over My Head 37 {37}-58->2
#344 19/08/2000 The Shrink Are You Ready To Party 39 {39}-66->2
#345 26/08/2000 Spiller Groovejet (If This Ain't Love) 1 {1}-2-3-6-12-17-20-27-36-37-40-39-48-64-59-55-56-54-49-46-42-43-50-66->24
#346 26/08/2000 True Steppers And Dane Bowers Featuring Victoria Beckham Out Of Your Mind 2 {2}-3-5-12-19-31-39-31-44-54-53-67-75-71-62-69-69R(4)-58-68-69->20
#347 26/08/2000 Britney Spears Lucky 5 {5}-6-7-14-22-27-35-39-52-66-75->11
#348 26/08/2000 Hi-Gate I Can Hear Voices/Caned And Unable 12 {12}-19-31-48-64->5
#349 26/08/2000 Christian Falk Featuring Demetreus Make It Right 22 {22}-40-58->3
#350 26/08/2000 JJ72 Oxygen 23 {23}-47-66->3
#351 26/08/2000 Spin City Landslide 30 {30}-56-69->3
#352 26/08/2000 Queens Of The Stone Age The Lost Art Of Keeping A Secret 31 {31}-62->2
#353 26/08/2000 Electrique Boutique Revelation 37 {37}-63->2

Posted by: Jade 10th May 2024, 09:11 AM

I get your comment about 'Rock DJ', as it does feel like his most blatantly commercial move up to this point, but I do quite like it! I'm happy to forget the video, though

Today I learnt that Josh Wink sampled 'French Kiss' on a hit! The original is, of course, pretty NSFW so this works as a less risqué listen for fans of the instrumental I guess

I do prefer 'Smooth' from the two big Santana smashes this year, but both follow a similar sonic formula really - with the memorable latin-flavoured Santana guitar riffs, passionate vocal performances and a general summery feel. So, despite the preference, I am naturally a fan of this one too.

'Pure Pleasure Seeker' was bugging me, as the instrumental sounds really familiar... Google tells me it accompanied a dancing sloth advert for a mattress company? so perhaps that is why. I agree that the saxophone riff is fabulous anyway.

'7 Days' seems to have stood the test of time in popular culture when referring to days of the week I'm not as fond of it as 'Fill Me In', but another solid single from him.

Ohhh 'Battle' is great that is definitely one that Kisstory rinsed a lot, with their love for garage music. Great vocalist, production and refreshingly deep lyrics for the genre.

However... I think my favourite of this section is also the banger that rhymes 'Celine Dion' and 'Karma Chameleon' *.* the hip-hop meets breakbeat style is thrilling <3

Posted by: Popchartfreak 10th May 2024, 11:24 AM

Freestyler I remember, a 7/10 from me, Wookie I don't remember but I liked it 5/10. 7 Days is still famous, and I liked it enough to just fall short of my top 10 aka 8/10. I think that's a bit generous these days though, more of a 7, though it's pleasant enough.

Moloko always good, and this is a firm 8/10 from me. Santana I bought the album in Florida, and Maria Maria was hot on the radio of the time, so it had a long run in my charts but 8/10 is prob about right. Not as classic as Smooth or Game Of Love (still to come). Mansun I rated most of the time and I Can Only Disappoint You a 9/10 and top track so far of this batch.

Scooch I rated as a marginal top 20 track, bizarrely and surprisingly, so I'd give it a 7. Moorcheeba also another band I usually liked and Rome is a 7. Macy Gray a 6, Rock DJ though is a 10 for me, bit of a bop and samples Barry White and A Tribe Called Quest so not much about it I don't like (except the video. The first half is fab, the second half ewww).

Different Gear 8/10 from me, I really rated the original song (bought that album) and thought that was one of a couple of tracks that should have been a single, so it was good to see it chart in at least some form. The rest I know nothing of.....

Posted by: TheSnake 10th May 2024, 01:15 PM

Freestyler I remember from the time. Very good drum and bass dance classic! 7 days is good and also remember the excellent Maria Maria a lot as my parents had the Santana CD.

Posted by: gooddelta 10th May 2024, 03:39 PM

Catching up on the last two batches.

Try Again is genius, such ahead of its time production more reminiscent of the later 00s zeitgeist.

Life Is A Rollercoaster is a decent track, generally his uptempos were far better than his tedious ballads.

I love No Ordinary Morning, such a beautiful song and a chillout staple, such a shame it didn't do half as well as Don't Give Up.

Oh I haven't heard the Jonah song since it charted but instantly remembered that whisper intro.

I Turn To You was a beautiful ballad for me, I've always loved it and Christina has a great vocal as ever. It does sound very dated now, as many pop ballads from 2000 do, they had a certain gloss to them.

I'll Never Stop was weirdly just a European single, with a cheap tour video, don't know why it was even pushed here really, as it's fine but hardly a classic.

I do like Affirmation a lot, and it started to go viral recently for its lyrics, which I personally think are still very relevant today. Probably their last strong single though.

2 Faced I like as well, it's lyrically a little ahead of its time I think, I don't really recall people being two faced being approached in a pop song before. Pop was either bright and bubbly, or about romantic heartbreak. Surprised it was a top three hit for Louise but that spoken intro and outro make me laugh.

Hate the Five and Queen cover, I like both acts and I like the original from Queen, but this did not work.

Sing A Long was relatively pointless, weird it's not on Spotify though.

Freestyler is a classic, sunch an unusual track and really felt like it came out of nowhere to No.2 in the charts. I'd barely even heard of it when it charted.

Battle is definitely one of the better garage hits of the time, good chorus.

7 Days is memorable, I wouldn't say I've really ever loved it but it's definitely Craig David's signature song, and a very effective follow up to Fill Me In.

Good to see a positive review for For Sure, loved that. Scooch came, went, had two brilliant singles in More Than I Needed To Know and For Sure and then disappeared until Eurovision. They deserved better. There's a good track on their album too called Music To My Heart which I felt was a bit of a lost single.

Was never massively into Time To Burn as 2000 dance hits went for some reason.

Rock DJ is another classic that I've never loved but it was certainly memorable. I wasn't really prepared for it at the time as he'd played it straight down the line since launching his solo career and this felt like a novelty single.

Call It Fate is the only one in both batches I don't even remember existing. Checked it and wasn't too keen on it.

Posted by: TheSnake 10th May 2024, 07:51 PM

Rock DJ is a bit of a novelty song but Robbie was doing so well on the chart by this point that he could have fun and release something different.

Posted by: danG 12th May 2024, 02:05 PM

Batch 23 Rank:

Great:
#305 22/07/2000 Chicane No Ordinary Morning/Halcyon 28 {28}-47-66->3 [for No Ordinary Morning, beautiful song. Halcyon is quite good too]

Good:
#300 22/07/2000 Aaliyah Try Again 5 {5}-10-12-18-24-28-38-39-50-61-63-75R(3)->12 [her best effort for me]
#301 22/07/2000 Marc Et Claude I Need Your Lovin' (Like The Sunshine) 12 {12}-20-27-39-50-63-73->7 [not an ultimate trance classic but a good reworking]
#314 29/07/2000 Placebo Taste In Men 16 {16}-39-45-60-71-74->6 [first time listen for this and Bleachin sounded good]
#307 22/07/2000 Bleachin' Peakin' 32 {32}-53-73-70R(4)->4

Okay:
#299 22/07/2000 Ronan Keating Life Is A Rollercoaster 1 {1}-2-4-5-7-11-14-18-27-35-39-46-60-65->14 [tbf an Okay score is great by Ronan Keating standards...]
#311 29/07/2000 Destiny's Child Jumpin', Jumpin' 5 {5}-7-11-13-16-23-28-40-41-51-67->11
#304 22/07/2000 Jonah Sssst (Listen) 25 {25}-37-47-60->4 [a bit disappointing for a trance hit]
#308 22/07/2000 Ultra Nate Desire 40 {40}-68->2
#316 29/07/2000 David Bowie Seven 32 {32}-57->2

Meh:
#310 29/07/2000 Louise 2 Faced 3 {3}-8-9-14-24-34-43-58->8
#302 22/07/2000 *NSync I'll Never Stop 13 {13}-24-29-41-57-67->6
#312 29/07/2000 Savage Garden Affirmation 8 {8}-18-20-22-26-31-36-45-62-71->10
#315 29/07/2000 Cleopatra Come And Get Me 29 {29}-50-59->3
#309 29/07/2000 Five And Queen We Will Rock You 1 {1}-3-6-10-13-18-24-37-51-49-64-75-72R(3)->13
#306 22/07/2000 De La Soul Featuring Redman Oooh 29 {29}-48->2
#313 29/07/2000 Shanks And Bigfoot Sing A Long 12 {12}-16-21-30-43-58-64-52R(2)->8
#317 29/07/2000 Lucy Pearl Dance Tonight 36 {36}-53->2
#303 22/07/2000 Christina Aguilera I Turn To You 19 {19}-30-35-40-48-61->6

Posted by: My... WAP?? 12th May 2024, 10:22 PM

I've always liked the catchy lighthearted element of Rock DJ, but I suppose childhood disco nostalgia helps it's cause for me.

Posted by: JulianT 12th May 2024, 11:52 PM

A really strong 2 week group here with lots of great tracks and no stinkers at all. The Chilies just take the win from Spiller as it’s one of their greatest tracks (with an amazing nearly 1.4 billion Spotify streams). The other two 9s, Spiller and Mel C, are both wonderful unique pop dance chart toppers.

9 Red Hot Chili Peppers Californication Considered by many their greatest song, like "Otherside" this gently transports the listener to a world of wistful melancholy
9 Spiller Groovejet (If This Ain't Love) 871st #1: only big hit for him with Sophie's help, and a brilliant dance record with a hypnotic chorus and instrumental quirks
9 Melanie C I Turn To You 870th #1: the radio mix makes this and it's her finest moment; a brilliant, intense, powerful and uplifting pop dance song
8 Hi-Gate I Can Hear Voices/Caned And Unable A great double A: the first side is a beautiful vocal dance track and the second a frantic and percussive club instrumental
8 True Steppers And Dane Bowers Featuring Victoria Beckham Out Of Your Mind Famously lost the #1 to Spiller but another excellent track: a bold and exciting duet with very compelling garage production
8 JJ72 Oxygen 1st Top 40 for this Irish indie band with a really distinctive vocal sound, and this builds well to a soaring heartfelt chorus
7 Janet Jackson Doesn't Really Matter She's had nearly 40 Top 40s but her first for a couple of years: a lovely warm RmB pop song here with a punchy little chorus
7 Queens Of The Stone Age The Lost Art Of Keeping A Secret Debut hit for this US rock band: a great track that builds into a frenzy as he menacingly says don't tell anyone the secret
7 Christian Falk Featuring Demetreus Make It Right This Swedish DJ had 2 hits 8 years apart: this is a good pop dance track with a pleading chorus that has an effective echo
6 The Shrink Are You Ready To Party Only Top 40 for this DJ act and a simple but effective club track that builds into a frantic and relentless very danceable hook
6 Britney Spears Lucky It's very much re-using the song structure formula from "Oops…", but I do think this is a well done and rather sad song
6 Ruff Endz No More Only hit for this US duo that's still together: nothing amazing but a really effective, smooth and well performed RnB song
5 Lit Over My Head 2nd and last Top 40 for this US rock band who are still going: a very strong hook here though not sure it develops enough
5 Spin City Landslide Only hit for this UK boy band who were dropped very swiftly after this: a shame as it's a rather enjoyable and catchy song
4 Mandy Moore I Wanna Be With You Her 2nd and final hit: this is quite a soulful ballad and I prefer it to "Candy", but it's certainly not setting the world alight
4 Electrique Boutique Revelation Only hit for this DJ group; it's a really rousing club tune but I'm not so keen on the Bible reading part from "Revelation"
3 Bob Sinclar I Feel For You 1st Top 40 for this French DJ with quite a disco style: I'm not too keen on the punchy tune and feel it doesn't go anywhere
3 Embrace I Wouldn't Wanna Happen To You Has the usual Embrace sound but I find this one slightly dreary and less distinctive than their other 2 hits from this year








2000 weeks 35 and 36:

#354 02/09/2000 Madonna Music 1 {1}-2-5-11-14-13-23-33-36-28-31-29-33-49-50-50-55-56-48-33-36-47-63->23
#355 02/09/2000 Daphne And Celeste School's Out 12 {12}-21-42-68->4
#356 02/09/2000 Robbie Rivera Presents Rhythm Bangers Bang 13 {13}-22-46-59-64-71-47->7
#357 02/09/2000 The Bloodhound Gang The Ballad Of Chasey Lain 15 {15}-20-34-54-62-75->6
#358 02/09/2000 Baby D Let Me Be Your Fantasy (Remix) 16 {16}-19-32-48-73->5
#359 02/09/2000 Glamma Kid Bills 2 Pay 17 {17}-30-49-66-65-69R(2)->6
#360 02/09/2000 Toploader Just Hold On 20 {20}-40-53-67->4
#361 02/09/2000 Underworld Cowgirl 24 {24}-45->2
#362 02/09/2000 Yomanda On The Level 28 {28}-46->2
#363 02/09/2000 Madasun Feel Good 29 {29}-50-72->3
#364 02/09/2000 Lil' Kim No Matter What They Say 35 {35}-52->2
#365 09/09/2000 A1 Take On Me 1 {1}-4-13-21-27-32-49-52-60-72-69R(3)->11
#366 09/09/2000 Element Four Big Brother UK TV Theme 4 {4}-8-9-15-26-38-55-73-74-63R(39)-75->11
#367 09/09/2000 Bon Jovi Say It Isn't So 10 {10}-29-44-48-60-67-73R(5)->7
#368 09/09/2000 Tru Faith And Dub Conspiracy Freak Like Me 12 {12}-20-30-43-65->5
#369 09/09/2000 Lolly Girls Just Wanna Have Fun 14 {14}-25-38-50-63-74->6
#370 09/09/2000 Kid Rock American Bad Ass 25 {25}-38-50-75->4
#371 09/09/2000 Agnelli And Nelson Hudson Street 29 {29}-57->2
#372 09/09/2000 En-Core Featuring Stephen Emmanuel And Eska Coochy Coo 32 {32}-56->2

Posted by: My... WAP?? 13th May 2024, 12:28 AM

Agree with your top 3 there Julian, each utterly fantastic in there own way.

Out Of Your Mind and Janet's Doesn't Really Matter are decent too.

Posted by: Dobbo 13th May 2024, 09:02 AM

You are streamrolling through this Julian!

Californication I always remember for the bold, GTA style music video more than the song itself but it's an enjoyable listen.

I Turn To You is by far the best solo spice single ever, Mel C was a cut above the others.

Posted by: Popchartfreak 13th May 2024, 09:54 AM

Californication oddly not one I rated much - I got more into the band with By The Way, bought the album and all. 3/10 from me. Groovejet though is a 10, bit of a tune! I Turn To You a great pop dance track and a 9/10. Mel on a roll at this point.I also liked the Truesteppers track (and the expensive video) an 8/10.

Oxygen was under-rated I felt, unusual and a good 8/10 while Janet J was back on form for a 9/10 pop tune. The Lost Art Of Keeping A Secret a decent 6, and Christian Falk a good dance 7.

Lucky was a 10 from me, big record, among her best. Ruff Endz also one I rated - 8/10. Mandy Moore a 7, and the rest "mean nowt to me"....think I might copyright that as a catch-phrase.

Posted by: Jade 13th May 2024, 10:05 AM

'Lucky' isn't a Britney song I go back to particularly often, but it is quite sad that the darker side of fame detailed in the lyrics was quite prophetic for her.

'Out Of Your Mind' sounds incredibly dated now but I do have a soft spot for the garage production as well. On the flip side, the triumphant party in this famous chart battle 'Groovejet (If This Ain't Love)' is ageing like a fine wine and is my favourite in this batch love the blissful, funky instrumental and the euphoric charms of Sophie's vocal performance. It was originally serviced as an instrumental, but similar to 'Toca's Miracle', the added vocals marry together just perfectly.

Crazy that 'I Turn To You' was as late as single #4 in the campaign for Melanie! I agree that the Hex Hector remix is wonderful and gave the album version that extra oomph to become the late summer smash that it was. Love the hopeful lyrics, plus the squelchy synths and strings present in the production.

Posted by: jimwatts 13th May 2024, 12:26 PM

'Californication' is fantastic - I thought I'd rated it my favourite chart hit of 2000, though I actually had 'Otherside' a few places higher last time I did a top 100 of the decade - one of RHCP's very best songs anyway and it convinced me to get the album and see them live. 'Oxygen' also made my top 10 of the year with its build to the magnificent chorus.

I bought 'Groovejet...' on the Saturday after 'Out Of Your Mind' had been announced as the midweek #1 - then on the following day came one of the best chart reveal moments I've experienced. I still like the former although I don't revisit it too much these days, while the latter always felt overhyped but I appreciate the effort True Steppers put in to make it as dramatic and urgent as possible.

Posted by: TheSnake 13th May 2024, 03:42 PM

Turn To You and Out Of Your Mind best there imo becuase of their energy as you say. I Turn To You is the only one I liked at the time though! Great lyrics and vocal and Trance production mixed with strings fab too.

Groovejet is a bit boring and overrated imo probably because its been overplayed on radio and the Carlsberg ad in the 00s etc. The Bob Sinclar track is way more interesting imo big sounding funky house production.

Posted by: danG 15th May 2024, 10:18 PM

Batch 24

Great
#328 12/08/2000 Storm {DE} Time To Burn 3 {3}-6-8-9-13-21-32-37-49-66->10 [quite amazed this got as high as #3, top quality dark trance banger here]
#319 05/08/2000 Bomfunk MC's Freestyler 2 {2}-4-4-6-7-9-16-20-26-29-33-54->12 [such a unique hit and very fun to listen to]
#320 05/08/2000 Santana Featuring The Product G&B Maria Maria 6 {6}-12-12-14-21-27-33-42-56->9 [very well sung and the Santana riff is great, this'll always remind me of DJ Khaled shouting now though]

Good
#318 05/08/2000 Craig David 7 Days 1 {1}-2-3-7-8-11-18-29-36-44-52-58-65-68-74R(2)->15 [a fair bit better than Fill Me In, worthy of being his biggest streaming hit by some distance]
#327 12/08/2000 Robbie Williams Rock DJ 1 {1}-2-3-4-6-11-14-20-23-28-34-42-50-70-70-75-71-72R(2)-66-60->20 [good bit of novelty listen once in a while]
#330 12/08/2000 Wookie Featuring Lain Battle 10 {10}-19-18-30-35-52-74->7

Okay
#323 05/08/2000 Moloko Pure Pleasure Seeker 21 {21}-37-41-48-68->5
#324 05/08/2000 Different Gear Vs The Police When The World Is Running Down 28 {28}-43-62->3
#335 12/08/2000 Metallica I Disappear 35 {35}-45-70->3
#333 12/08/2000 Spoiled And Zigo More And More 31 {31}-46-69->3
#329 12/08/2000 Mansun I Can Only Disappoint U 8 {8}-25-39-53-67-75->6

Meh
#322 05/08/2000 Scooch For Sure 15 {15}-30-36-44-60-68->6 [this one is a bit too on the side of cheese which is a shame coming after the brilliant More Than I Needed To Know (although it's more of a fluke they ever had a song that good to begin with)]
#332 12/08/2000 Josh Wink And Lil' Louis How's Your Evening So Far 23 {23}-43-65->3 [this sounds utterly pointless when French Kiss already exists (and I'm not huge on that even)]
#325 05/08/2000 Morcheeba Rome Wasn't Built In A Day 34 {34}-49-68->3
#331 12/08/2000 Reef Set The Record Straight 19 {19}-42-52-69-72->5

Crap
#334 12/08/2000 Richie Dan Call It Fate 34 {34}-49-73->3
#326 05/08/2000 Macy Gray Why Didn't You Call Me 38 {38}-62-74R(2)->3
#321 05/08/2000 Point Break You 14 {14}-32-34-46-65->5

Posted by: JulianT 15th May 2024, 10:41 PM

This group is much much weaker than the last, only redeemed by some great dance tunes.

8 Underworld Cowgirl 6th Top 40 for this group with a live version of a 04' track: it's marvellous with their usual stream of consciousness style
8 Madonna Music 872nd #1 and her 10th: an excellent electro-pop song with quite an unusual but striking and effective monotone chorus
7 Agnelli And Nelson Hudson Street An enjoyable euphoric trance tune from the production duo that captures the bustling atmosphere of the New York street
7 Element Four Big Brother UK TV Theme The work of a production duo including Paul Oakenfold: it's a great track and was the sound of the summer with the show
7 Yomanda On The Level Another hot for this Northern Irish DJ: I prefer this to "Sunshine" and really enjoy the frantic nature of the instrumental
6 Baby D Let Me Be Your Fantasy (Remix) I love the original, and this garage remix with MC Tails works surprisingly well, retaining much of the beauty of the record
6 Glamma Kid Bills 2 Pay Last hit for this Jamaican performer based around a sample of Blondie's "Rapture": it's quite messy but a really strong tune
6 Madasun Feel Good Last of their 3 hits before they were sadly dropped: nothing Earth-shattering but once again sweet and sincerely performed
5 Robbie Rivera Presents Rhythm Bangers Bang Only Top 40 for this Puerto Rican house producer who's worked on other hits: it's nice and I like the scat style hook on it
5 Tru Faith And Dub Conspiracy Freak Like Me A cover of a 1995 song that was a minor hit here: there'll be a much better version but this is quite a nice garage effort
4 The Bloodhound Gang The Ballad Of Chasey Lain Their 2nd and last hit: this get points for being bery catchy but the vocals are incredibly scratchy and the lyrics very crude
4 Lil' Kim No Matter What They Say The lead single from her second album and a perfectly decent Latin influenced RnB effort but it's not at all remarkable
3 Bon Jovi Say It Isn't So I find the vocal effect on this where he sounds like he's underwater quite odd, and it's quite an unremarkable song otherwise
3 Toploader Just Hold On The 3rd hit from "Onka's Big Moka" and a big step down from the enchanting "Achilles Heel": quite bland and throwaway
3 En-Core Featuring Stephen Emmanuel And Eska Coochy Coo Only Top 40 for this UK garage artist and London singer: it's fine as a backing track but doesn't really go anywhere for me
2 A1 Take On Me 873rd #1: covering an all time great clearly worked for them but it isn't very good and the distortion on "twooo" is ill advised
2 Daphne And Celeste School's Out Their last hit and it's probably the most listenable, but actually quite a dull cover suggesting they were running out of ideas
1 Lolly Girls Just Wanna Have Fun Last of her 5 hits: there's no attempt to be creative with this cover, and there's something about her vocal tone I don't enjoy
1 Kid Rock American Bad Ass His last Top 40 until he strikes gold in 8 years, but it's very shouty and lyrically obnoxious with an air of unpleasant bravado



2000 Week 37:

#373 16/09/2000 Modjo Lady (Hear Me Tonight) 1 {1}-1-3-5-10-17-19-19-26-36-40-45-57-61-65-54-53-57-69-74->20
#374 16/09/2000 Sonique Sky 2 {2}-4-8-10-18-24-29-36-44-55->10
#375 16/09/2000 Wyclef Jean It Doesn't Matter 3 {3}-8-16-21-30-45-59-63->8
#376 16/09/2000 Planet Perfecto Bullet In The Gun 2000 7 {7}-15-24-40-50-67->6
#377 16/09/2000 *NSync It's Gonna Be Me 9 {9}-18-28-41-54-62-64-69->8
#378 16/09/2000 Richard Blackwood 1-2-3-4 Get With The Wicked 10 {10}-17-23-30-44-63->6
#379 16/09/2000 Lene Marlin Unforgivable Sinner 13 {13}-25-32-45-62-73->6
#380 16/09/2000 A.T.F.C. Presents OnePhatDeeva Featuring Lisa Millett Bad Habit 17 {17}-40-58->3
#381 16/09/2000 Next Wifey 19 {19}-28-34-47-71->5
#382 16/09/2000 Rollergirl Dear Jessie 22 {22}-37-52->3
#383 16/09/2000 Badly Drawn Boy Disillusion 26 {26}-55->2
#384 16/09/2000 Slipknot Spit It Out 28 {28}-57->2
#385 16/09/2000 Aaron Carter I Want Candy 31 {31}-49-61->3
#386 16/09/2000 Cypress Hill Can't Get The Best Of Me/Highlife 35 {35}-60->2

Posted by: danG 16th May 2024, 07:22 AM

Batch 25

Amazing
#345 26/08/2000 Spiller Groovejet (If This Ain't Love) 1 {1}-2-3-6-12-17-20-27-36-37-40-39-48-64-59-55-56-54-49-46-42-43-50-66->24 [one of the best of the whole decade for me, such a classy dance track]

Great
#336 19/08/2000 Melanie C I Turn To You 1 {1}-4-5-8-15-24-30-36-34-48-55-55->12
#340 19/08/2000 Red Hot Chili Peppers Californication 16 {16}-27-43-55-71->5

Good
#338 19/08/2000 Bob Sinclar I Feel For You 9 {9}-20-33-49-63->5
#348 26/08/2000 Hi-Gate I Can Hear Voices/Caned And Unable 12 {12}-19-31-48-64->5
#346 26/08/2000 True Steppers And Dane Bowers Featuring Victoria Beckham Out Of Your Mind 2 {2}-3-5-12-19-31-39-31-44-54-53-67-75-71-62-69-69R(4)-58-68-69->20
#349 26/08/2000 Christian Falk Featuring Demetreus Make It Right 22 {22}-40-58->3
#352 26/08/2000 Queens Of The Stone Age The Lost Art Of Keeping A Secret 31 {31}-62->2

Okay
#350 26/08/2000 JJ72 Oxygen 23 {23}-47-66->3
#353 26/08/2000 Electrique Boutique Revelation 37 {37}-63->2
#339 19/08/2000 Ruff Endz No More 11 {11}-15-26-37-54->5
#344 19/08/2000 The Shrink Are You Ready To Party 39 {39}-66->2

Meh
#337 19/08/2000 Janet Jackson Doesn't Really Matter 5 {5}-9-10-16-24-36-44-53-63-60-70->11
#347 26/08/2000 Britney Spears Lucky 5 {5}-6-7-14-22-27-35-39-52-66-75->11
#341 19/08/2000 Mandy Moore I Wanna Be With You 21 {21}-35-46-61-69->5
#342 19/08/2000 Embrace I Wouldn't Wanna Happen To You 23 {23}-60->2

Crap
#343 19/08/2000 Lit Over My Head 37 {37}-58->2
#351 26/08/2000 Spin City Landslide 30 {30}-56-69->3

Posted by: Jade 16th May 2024, 10:05 AM

Some pretty naff covers in that batch with Lolly, Daphne & Celeste and A1 it's a shame that the latter out-peaked the original, albeit makes for a good quiz question.

Wow, that Bloodhound Gang song is an incredibly disappointing follow-up to 'The Bad Touch' I'd never heard it before and can see why!

Oh I quite like that garage version of 'Freak Like Me' I was a bit unsure when I first discovered it, as I knew a certain 2002 remake first and was so used to what that did to the original instead, but it grew over time. Don't get me wrong, I do prefer that version as well, but there is space for both in my affections now.

Today I learned that 'Rapture' was back in the charts via sampled bassline and that 'Let Me Be Your Fantasy' was remixed around this time too! The original was a staple in my household growing up, as it's one of my mum's favourite songs, so it's a bit weird to hear it a bit chopped and changed, but not too bad at all.

'Big Brother UK TV Theme' is an absolute banger, genuinely a really good trance song *.* as aforementioned, I'd recently been watching the first ever U.K. series of the show, after finding a link on Reddit, so this theme has suddenly been in my life a lot finished it the other day and Anna Nolan was my favourite x

I grew up with Madonna's Music album often soundtracking car journeys and the titular track is particularly nostalgic! A much better chart topper for her this year following the lacklustre 'American Pie'. The music video feels very of its time though with the Ali G cameo

Posted by: Popchartfreak 16th May 2024, 10:25 AM

Don't know Underworld & Agnlli & Nelson! Music is a Mirwais 9/10 bought the album in Florida which has some great tracks on it. The Big Brother Theme was an 8 for me and the first series on TV was delightful, a bunch of exhibitionist people having a laugh with no preconceived playing to the cameras and corporate fakeness about it - which it rapidly became, at which point I opted out.

Bills 2 Pay with the Blondie sample is good, a 7, and Bang's worth a 5, Freak Me a 4, Bon Jovi 3, Toploader a 5, and A1's is no a-ha but in comparison to most of these dance tracks passing me by it was an 8 I'd say.

As you say, not a great week, what was going on!? There were plenty of great records not making the charts yet though. Here's a few from my charts:

Lee Ann Womack - I Hope You Dance
kd lang - Summerfling
Don Henley - They're Not Here They're Not Coming
Elwood - Sundown
Enrique Iglesias - Be With You
Matchbox 20 - Bent

Errr, in other words US hits, and very much not part of the UK dance scene. The last 2 topped my charts

Posted by: gooddelta 16th May 2024, 10:42 AM

My favourite in the first batch there is the still wonderful Groovejet. It's all the more impressive that it got to No.1 over Posh considering it was included on Now 46 just ahead of the single release. I decided to buy the single anyway to support it, and for the mixes, and was glad it won that battle. Out Of Your Mind was a very interesting track though, a cut above Beggin' for sure and Victoria worked well on it.

I Turn To You is another brilliant No.1, Melanie C really offered something different with every single from that album, and it worked.

Californication is a great track, not my absolute favourite of theirs but a classic. Also love the intro to I Can Hear Voices by Hi-Gate, very hypnotic.

Doesn't Really Matter was such a smooth track from Janet, really love that one, and remember it from The Nutty Professor 2 soundtrack!

Loved Make It Right too, and thought that would be bigger at the time than it was. Interesting that Christian had his next hit with Robyn seven years later, and it peaked in a similar position.

With hindsight, Lucky was kind of a lyrical omen for Britney - I always thought it was very corny but I like it more now than I did back then.

Love I Wanna Be With You, I was really taken by those early Mandy Moore singles, I think it has a really lovely melody and build to the chorus.

Had to check out some of the dance songs I couldn't recall - Are You Ready To Party did absolutely nothing for me. I thought Revelation was much better musically personally, the Bible sample sounds quite misplaced but I guess it counts as a religious chart hit that I'd overlooked! I do recall the Bob Sinclar song but it wasn't that great - another act who had a UK top ten earlier than many people might recall.

Oh gosh, memory unlocked with Landslide. I thought I didn't recognise it from the name of the band, or the video initially. But when the chorus came in it came flooding back. It's an ok pop track, maybe a year or two out of date to have done that well in 2000.

Of the next batch, Music was a really intriguing lead single from Madonna. I didn't love it and still don't really, but appreciate what she was doing with it.

I have always enjoyed the Big Brother theme tune, the full length version is excellent and it's cool that it made the UK top five.

On The Level I'd forgotten about as well, is quite a decent track.

Glamma Kid was an interesting act for the charts in 1999/2000, I don't think there was really anyone releasing similar musical at the time. I preferred Taboo and particularly Why though to Bills 2 Pay.

Feel Good was ok, Madasun really deserved that big hit with Don't You Worry. I don't think the follow-ups were as strong at all.

Freak Like Me was interesting in that the singer on it was an uncredited Imaani, who had come 2nd for the UK at Eurovision in 1998. Not a massive musical swerve as the verses of that track were basically garage too.

The Bloodhound Gang had a few more big hits in Europe than here, I thought Chasey Lain was ok but not a patch on The Bad Touch.

Wasn't fond at all of the Bon Jovi or Toploader songs, very poor follow ups to great songs.

Had to look up Coochy Coo but I do remember it. It's just ok really for me!

A1's cover of Take On Me had a very impressive video - at the time it looked amazing with the Matrix influence, and clearly a lot of money was spent on it. Not so fond of the song itself though, but good for them getting a No.1 out of it.

And it was 3/3 for me for Daphne and Celeste songs that I didn't like at all. Likewise Lolly, another completely pointless cover - I'm glad we moved largely on from acts releasing covers that make no attempt to change the original as singles. Lazy and a quick and uninspired way to try and get a hit if all else was failing.

Posted by: dandy* 16th May 2024, 04:50 PM

I think that Revelation is being under loved here, it was a staple for me in the trance years and I don’t find the bible reference out of sync either - it benefitted from a Ferry Corsten remix, I prefer the original but back then a Ferry Corsten remix guaranteed decent club plays

Posted by: My... WAP?? 17th May 2024, 01:59 PM

The Big Brother Theme would honestly be my pick of the bunch from the last lot.

A TV theme does not need to be going this hard but i'm here for it.

Posted by: JulianT 17th May 2024, 10:19 PM

I don’t know what it is about “Bullet In The Gun” but there’s something incredibly stirring about it, especially the 2000 mix.

8 Planet Perfecto Bullet In The Gun 2000 Euphoric track: I like the original mix too but this made the Top 10 and indeed the pacing and production take it up a level
8 Modjo Lady (Hear Me Tonight) 874th #1: 1st of only 2 hits for this French duo: an excellent house track with a Chic sample and a beautifully simple lyric
7 Next Wifey The only other hit for the US trio who did the original "Too Close": this has held up well and it's a lovely smooth RnB track
7 Sonique Sky This doesn't have the magic of "It Feels So Good" but it still has a lovely uplifting chorus and she performs it excellently
7 Cypress Hill Can't Get The Best Of Me/Highlife A strong double A side : I really like the strings and piano and the rhythms on "Highlife" but the other side is also punchy
6 Slipknot Spit It Out A very high octane speed rap metal track: an enjoyable whirlwind of a listen but I find "Wait And Bleed" more affecting
6 *NSync It's Gonna Be Me I feel like this could be a Britney song and it's very much made from the 2000 pop factory, but it is a strong example of it
6 Wyclef Jean It Doesn't Matter Featuring Melky Sedeck and vocals from the wrestler The Rock, this has various samples but it's a catchy hip hop track
5 Rollergirl Dear Jessie Only hit here for this German singer and a loose Madonna cover but the chorus only: quite a nice beepy track otherwise
5 Badly Drawn Boy Disillusion 1st Top 40 after a couple of near misses for this UK singer songwriter: this has a nice sound world but it isn't remarkable
5 Richard Blackwood 1-2-3-4 Get With The Wicked 2nd of his 3 hits and easily the best: the bravado is tiresome and the rapping not stellar but this has a catchy and fun chorus
4 Lene Marlin Unforgivable Sinner This has a nice intro but launches into a rather middling pop song that's missing the innocent sparkle of "Sitting Down Here"
4 Aaron Carter I Want Candy 5th hit for this young US star and a cover of a 60s song: I'm rarely a fan of teen voices but this is quite a cheery version
3 A.T.F.C. Presents OnePhatDeeva Featuring Lisa Millett Bad Habit 2nd of 3 hits for this DJ act: not a bad song but there's something about the very in your face chorus that isn't to my taste



2000 Week 38:

#387 23/09/2000 Kylie Minogue On A Night Like This 2 {2}-11-18-25-40-49-59-75R(10)->8
#388 23/09/2000 S Club 7 Natural 3 {3}-10-14-26-37-33-37-49-57-70-72-75-73-73R(3)-56-71->16
#389 23/09/2000 Aurora Featuring Naimee Coleman Ordinary World 5 {5}-13-24-37-50-62-70->7
#390 23/09/2000 Sugababes Overload 6 {6}-9-9-15-21-28-35-53->8
#391 23/09/2000 Vanessa Amorosi Absolutely Everybody 7 {7}-12-16-20-28-34-43-57-60-74->10
#392 23/09/2000 Sash! With My Own Eyes 10 {10}-22-33-45-64->5
23/09/2000 K-Ci And JoJo Tell Me It's Real {2000} 16 {16}-25-32-43-61->5
#393 23/09/2000 Richard Ashcroft C'mon People (We're Making It Now) 21 {21}-41-62->3
#394 23/09/2000 Sasha And Darren Emerson Scorchio 23 {23}-35-52->3
#395 23/09/2000 Finley Quaye Spiritualized 26 {26}-42-61->3
#396 23/09/2000 Dumdums You Do Something To Me 27 {27}-47-73->3
#397 23/09/2000 Ideal US Featuring Lil' Mo Whatever 31 {31}-45-68->3
#398 23/09/2000 Primal Scream Accelerator 34 {34}->1

Posted by: TheSnake 17th May 2024, 10:27 PM

Planet Perfecto and Sonique tracks are great, the great standard of 2000 UK top 10 dance continues. I prefer Sky to It Feels So Good.

Posted by: Popchartfreak 18th May 2024, 09:11 AM

Planet Perfecto was an 8 for me too, great dance track, Modjo I was less keen on, a decent 7 though, despite being huge (Shh I preferred the follow-up, dont tell anyone). Wifey was also a 7 for me, and all of these remain memorable. But my top marks were for Sonique, Sky is just as brilliant as It Feels So Good, 2 major classics for me 10/10

It's Gonna Be Me was a chart-topping 10 from me, still into the perfect Florida pop of Martin/Pop, in retrospect maybe a 9 though. Havent heard it in ages as its not a radio staple. Wyclef, it doesn't matter a lot to me, 3/10. Richard Blackwood was on telly last night, but still only a 1 2 3 - 3/10.

Unforgiveable Sinner I liked, 8/10, but again havent heard it in 2 decades so no idea how i sounds these days. And the rest I didnt chart so either 1's or 2's or I didn't hear them. Cypress Hill & Slipknot just assume a 1/10 and 0/10 respectively for their entire 21st century chart career from me and I need never mention them again, ta!

Posted by: gooddelta 18th May 2024, 08:07 PM

Bullet In The Gun is great indeed. I bought this 2000 mix on single, wonderful track. It was a group comprisng, among others, Paul Oakenfold and JX iirc.

I never massively loved Lady but it sounds better to me these days. I actually preferred Chillin' too.

It's Gonna Be May has become more iconic over time, for that very line. It's one of *NSync's better songs I think.

I did quite enjoy It Doesn't Matter, quite a quotable song back in the day. Wyclef did have some strong solo hits in the 00s.

I was obsessed with that Dear Jessie version, bought it on single on import I think and thought it would be quite a lot bigger than it ended up being.

I like Unforgivable Sinner a lot, we were quite late to the party with it, it was No.1 for four weeks in Norway in late 1998, where it's far better known than Sitting Down Here.

The other songs in this batch I didn't rate at all unfortunately, but Wifey was ok musically.

Posted by: Dobbo 18th May 2024, 08:25 PM

I prefer Sky to It Feels So Good due to the punchier chorus.

Dear Jessie is a proper eurodance gem, it basically sounds like what inspired DJ Antoine's Welcome To St Tropez.

Posted by: dandy* 18th May 2024, 09:10 PM

5 Badly Drawn Boy Disillusion 1st Top 40 after a couple of near misses for this UK singer songwriter: this has a nice sound world but it isn't remarkable
4 Lene Marlin Unforgivable Sinner This has a nice intro but launches into a rather middling pop song that's missing the innocent sparkle of "Sitting Down Here"



These two are great!!! Disillusion is one of my favourite songs from the year, his album was great and it's my stand out from it. Unforgivable Sinner is a really good radio friendly pop song imo

Posted by: jimwatts 18th May 2024, 10:15 PM

'Lady (Hear Me Tonight)' and 'Disillusion' are my favourites from the last couple of batches - the former sounded like a fine successor to Stardust. The Badly Drawn Boy album won the Mercury Prize and although I wasn't huge on it as a whole, I agree 'Disillusion' was a standout from it.

Posted by: TheSnake 18th May 2024, 10:23 PM

Have long thought the Modjo song has been overplayed on radio and overrated, would have preferred Sonique at #1 that week. The Modjo song does has a good bassline though.

Dear Jessie by Rollergirl is very catchy, the production is very Vengaboys.

Posted by: danG 19th May 2024, 08:17 AM

Batch 26

Good
#371 09/09/2000 Agnelli And Nelson Hudson Street 29 {29}-57->2 [nothing great in this section so a lucky best of the batch for this pick which isn't one of my absolute fave trance hits but got a good progression to it]
#362 02/09/2000 Yomanda On The Level 28 {28}-46->2 [not that familiar with this but certainly picked up the pace within the section]
#366 09/09/2000 Element Four Big Brother UK TV Theme 4 {4}-8-9-15-26-38-55-73-74-63R(39)-75->11 [don't give a shit about actual Big Brother though]
#368 09/09/2000 Tru Faith And Dub Conspiracy Freak Like Me 12 {12}-20-30-43-65->5 [Sugababes outsold but this is a solid take]
#354 02/09/2000 Madonna Music 1 {1}-2-5-11-14-13-23-33-36-28-31-29-33-49-50-50-55-56-48-33-36-47-63->23 [quite good but I feel it would get annoying if I listen to it any more than once in a while, she's certainly had better]

Okay
#357 02/09/2000 The Bloodhound Gang The Ballad Of Chasey Lain 15 {15}-20-34-54-62-75->6 [Lol]
#361 02/09/2000 Underworld Cowgirl 24 {24}-45->2
#356 02/09/2000 Robbie Rivera Presents Rhythm Bangers Bang 13 {13}-22-46-59-64-71-47->7
#363 02/09/2000 Madasun Feel Good 29 {29}-50-72->3

Meh
#372 09/09/2000 En-Core Featuring Stephen Emmanuel And Eska Coochy Coo 32 {32}-56->2
#365 09/09/2000 A1 Take On Me 1 {1}-4-13-21-27-32-49-52-60-72-69R(3)->11 [why ruin an 80s classic like this]
#364 02/09/2000 Lil' Kim No Matter What They Say 35 {35}-52->2
#358 02/09/2000 Baby D Let Me Be Your Fantasy (Remix) 16 {16}-19-32-48-73->5 [this just doesn't work as a UK garage track, pass me the original back]
#367 09/09/2000 Bon Jovi Say It Isn't So 10 {10}-29-44-48-60-67-73R(5)->7
#359 02/09/2000 Glamma Kid Bills 2 Pay 17 {17}-30-49-66-65-69R(2)->6
#360 02/09/2000 Toploader Just Hold On 20 {20}-40-53-67->4

Crap
#369 09/09/2000 Lolly Girls Just Wanna Have Fun 14 {14}-25-38-50-63-74->6 [utterly pointless]
#370 09/09/2000 Kid Rock American Bad Ass 25 {25}-38-50-75->4 [hard to take this seriously given who he's shown himself to be recently but this isn't a good example of nu metal anyway]

Trash
#355 02/09/2000 Daphne And Celeste School's Out 12 {12}-21-42-68->4

Posted by: danG 19th May 2024, 08:28 AM

Batch 27

Great
#373 16/09/2000 Modjo Lady (Hear Me Tonight) 1 {1}-1-3-5-10-17-19-19-26-36-40-45-57-61-65-54-53-57-69-74->20 [absolute classy, has aged very well]
#376 16/09/2000 Planet Perfecto Bullet In The Gun 2000 7 {7}-15-24-40-50-67->6 [great to have another proper trance top 10 hit here, very anthemic sound to it]

Good
#374 16/09/2000 Sonique Sky 2 {2}-4-8-10-18-24-29-36-44-55->10
#384 16/09/2000 Slipknot Spit It Out 28 {28}-57->2
#377 16/09/2000 *NSync It's Gonna Be Me 9 {9}-18-28-41-54-62-64-69->8
#380 16/09/2000 A.T.F.C. Presents OnePhatDeeva Featuring Lisa Millett Bad Habit 17 {17}-40-58->3
#386 16/09/2000 Cypress Hill Can't Get The Best Of Me/Highlife 35 {35}-60->2 [for CGTBOM - Highlife is meh]

Okay
#375 16/09/2000 Wyclef Jean It Doesn't Matter 3 {3}-8-16-21-30-45-59-63->8
#379 16/09/2000 Lene Marlin Unforgivable Sinner 13 {13}-25-32-45-62-73->6
#382 16/09/2000 Rollergirl Dear Jessie 22 {22}-37-52->3
#381 16/09/2000 Next Wifey 19 {19}-28-34-47-71->5

Meh
#378 16/09/2000 Richard Blackwood 1-2-3-4 Get With The Wicked 10 {10}-17-23-30-44-63->6
#383 16/09/2000 Badly Drawn Boy Disillusion 26 {26}-55->2

Crap
#385 16/09/2000 Aaron Carter I Want Candy 31 {31}-49-61->3

Posted by: JulianT 20th May 2024, 12:11 AM

“Spiritualized” is a unique and interesting track and certainly deserves to be better known.

8 Finley Quaye Spiritualized Last Top 40 for this award winning Scotsman: a great quirky slightly folky and soulful track done with his lovely rich voice
8 Sugababes Overload Debut hit for this long running much evolving girl group: an excellent and unusual sounding song with special production
7 Sasha And Darren Emerson Scorchio A really strong track here from this DJ combination: it's very sunny sounding but also has some grittier orogresdive sections
7 Sash! With My Own Eyes This will be the last hit for Sash! for 8 years, featuring a Finnish vocalist: it's a lovely track with an awe-struck feeling to it
7 Kylie Minogue On A Night Like This The strength of these return singles set her up for a lengthy 00s career: a lovely uplifting dance flavoured pop song here
6 Ideal US Featuring Lil' Mo Whatever Only hit here for this US RnB quintet: this is a really pleasant listen and an effortless sounding track with a catchy rhythm
6 Vanessa Amorosi Absolutely Everybody Performed at the Sydney Olympics by this Australian singer: good track with a very infectious tune and a universal theme
5 S Club 7 Natural I like the oboe part on this interpolating Fauré's "Pavanne": it's a more RnB flavoured track from them and works quite well
5 Dumdums You Do Something To Me A 3rd hit for this pre Busted style group: it's another unremarkable but perfectly decent tune performed quite convincingly
4 Primal Scream Accelerator Quite a heavy one with a big sound from multiple frantically played guitars and urgent sounding vocals: not too keen on it
3 Richard Ashcroft C'mon People (We're Making It Now) The 3rd single from his debut album and it sounds very much like Richard Ashcroft, but it's boring and not distinctive to me
3 Aurora Featuring Naimee Coleman Ordinary World An electronic version of this: it's not a bad concept but I find the track quite flat and one note, lacking the original's sparkle



2000 Week 39:

#399 30/09/2000 Mariah Carey Featuring Westlife Against All Odds 1 {1}-1-2-5-13-17-27-40-46-55-73-68R(5)->12
#400 30/09/2000 Zombie Nation Kernkraft 400 2 {2}-2-5-7-12-15-23-30-39-47-64-69-72-71-71->15
#401 30/09/2000 Billie Piper Something Deep Inside 4 {4}-12-22-35-47-48-63-62-67R(8)->9
#402 30/09/2000 Pink Most Girls 5 {5}-7-14-22-27-25-40-51->8
#403 30/09/2000 Sisqo Unleash The Dragon 6 {6}-11-21-31-40-44-71->7
#404 30/09/2000 Anastacia I'm Outta Love 6 7-{6}-9-11-14-12-12-15-19-23-27-36-42-47-51-61-72->17
#405 30/09/2000 Green Day Minority 18 {18}-31-49->3
#406 30/09/2000 Scott And Leon You Used To Hold Me 19 {19}-28-46-70->
#407 30/09/2000 Foo Fighters Breakout 29 {29}-48-65->3
#408 30/09/2000 Timo Maas/Martin Bettinghaus Ubik 33 {33}-58->2
#409 30/09/2000 Soulwax Too Many DJs 40 {40}-74->2

Posted by: dandy* 20th May 2024, 07:26 AM

Scorchio is my favourite this week, loved Sasha <3 Of course Darren was in Underworld, and as you point out brings some harder edges to the track.

Posted by: Popchartfreak 20th May 2024, 09:59 AM

Finley Quaye is fine Spiritualised 7/10 from me, but Overload is a big 9 debut. Still sounds good. Kylie's back and On A Night Like This I feel like giving an 9 - there were more 9's and 10's on the album though. Vanessa Amarosi just about grabbed a 5 from me but 4 might be more like it these days.

Natural was a 7 for S Club, and Richard Ashcroft I always rate, in this case a 9/10.

And the rest were all big fat 1's or 2's based on one play or less. Or more. Who can tell! The only one I remember is the Ordinary World cover, which wasn't up to Duran standards.

Posted by: Jade 20th May 2024, 10:26 AM

Friday's batch

'Sitting Down Here' was the only Lene Marlin song I'd ever come across until today. I agree that 'Unforgivable Sinner' isn't as good as that, but I am still liking the sound of it. Interesting to read from Rich's post that it was actually bigger than 'Sitting Down Here' in Norway. I'd say both singles are tailored for radio, but as I mentioned when 'Sitting Down Here' did make an appearance in this thread, it is one of the ultimate radio-friendly songs that comes to mind for me, so that fact was surprising.

It was always going to be difficult for Sonique to scale the heights of the magnificent 'It Feels So Good', but 'Sky' still soars and is a worthy follow-up

Oh 'Wifey' is another one that I originally discovered from Kisstory. Interesting that it was their highest peaking hit here when 'Too Close' was the bigger of the two for them in the U.S., going all the way to #1 there. I suppose it did the same here albeit with different vocalists

I can understand why 'Lady (Hear Me Tonight)' will have soured on some due to overexposure, as it really does still get played a lot, but I do love it - my favourite of this batch. Those French house grooves and the lyrics are so warm, stretching out the summer a little longer with that September release.

Posted by: Dobbo 20th May 2024, 10:59 AM

Overload was SUCH a bold sound for a new girlband in amongst all the bubblegum pop at the time, it has aged very well indeed.

Sasha and Sash! entering the same week lol.

One of my fave ever Kylie songs there, this was at the start of her imperial phase for me.

Natural is one of the best S Club 7 songs, again it's aged better than most of their other big hits.

Ordinary World would be my fave of that bunch! One of the better 90s dance covers.

Posted by: TheSnake 20th May 2024, 11:20 AM

Ordinary World is just like similar vibes to DJ Sammy - Boys of Summer a few years early. I really like it anyway.

Absolutely love the Vanessa Amorosi track. Great euphoric Latin pop like Gloria Estefan and early J Lo (Waiting for Tonight)

Overload is very indie pop actually.

Posted by: Roba. 20th May 2024, 12:01 PM

Catching up as quite behind

Week 25 & 26 Best to least best

David Gray - Babylon
Moby Porcelain - Shame this only had 5 weeks top 40 tbh.
Kylie Minogue - Spinning Around
Richard Ashcroft - Money To Burn
Darude - Sandstorm - good dance track but I don't love it like others do.
Girl Thing - Last One Standing - rather cheesy pop but a fun bop.
Backstreet Boys - The One
DJ Sandy Vs Housetrap - Overdrive
Frankie Goes To Hollywood - The Power Of Love (Remixes) - the remix whilst nothing too special actually gives it some oomph for me.
Damage Ghetto Romance - Not a massive fan of this style overall but it's at least quite accessible.
Black Legend - You See The Trouble With Me
BT Featuring Kirsty Hawkshaw - Dreaming - Should've enjoyed this more as the production is rather slick but dunno feels a bit lacklustre in parts although a sprinkle of some decent bits too I guess.
Idlewild - These Wooden Ideas - has some bits I like but overall falls a bit flat for me.
En Vogue - Riddle - has potential be pretty good but unfortunately ends up being rather mid oops.
Amber- Sexual - same as above
Jamelia - Call Me
Jay-Z - Big Pimpin' - pretty one note for me oops.
England Supporters' - Band The Great Escape 2000 - another unnecessary crap football song.

Week 27

Samantha Mumba - Gotta Tell You
Coldplay - Yellow
Eminem - The Real Slim Shady
Vengaboys - Uncle John From Jamaica - couldn't quite recall this one, a bop nonetheless but admittedly a little less so than the majority of their songs.
Dumdums - Can't Get You Out Of My Thoughts - sounds like McFly in 2000 haha. Catchy though.
Ol' Dirty bast*rd Featuring Kelis - Got Your Money - this was pretty good, forgot this was just Kelis featuring mind.
Ocean Colour Scene - July/I Am The News - Prefer 'July' too. The vocals on 'I Am The News' weren't doing it for me.
Lonyo - Summer Of Love - good sample but the rest lacks for me.
Detroit Grand Pu Bahs - Sandwiches - rubbish
Sid Owen - Good Thing Going - *face palm*.. oh RICKKKKYY.. why did he bother lol.

Posted by: Roba. 20th May 2024, 06:16 PM

Week 28:

The Corrs - Breathless - fantastic song.
Alice Deejay - Will I Ever - Prefer to 'Back In My Life' personally. Uplifting banger as per.
Matt Darey's Mash Up Presents Marcella Woods - Beautiful - strong dance track indeed.
Limp Bizkit - Take A Look Around (Theme From M:I 2) - love the instrumentation in this. I do have to admit I liked a fair few of theirs lol.
Oasis - Sunday Morning Call - not their best but it's fine
Artful Dodger And Robbie Craig Featuring Craig David - Woman Trouble
Steps - When I Said Goodbye/Summer Of Love - basically what you said Julian lol. First one is nice in context but rather bland but 'Summer of Love' is a fun bop!
Atomic Kitten - I Want Your Love
Mauro Picotto - Iguana - a lot of annoying parts but bumped up because there were some cool bits in there as well.
Jessica Simpson - I Think I'm In Love With You - wouldn't be surprised to see this being something Mariah rejected as it sounds very in vogue with her style. A much better effort from Jessica even though not a fan of her.
Zed Bias - Neighbourhood
Precious - It's Gonna Be My Way - this is a pretty solid bunch for the most part... This one isn't bad but it does suffer from being uninteresting.

2000 Weeks 29 and 30 first 4 here are top notch imo.

Chicane - No Ordinary Morning/Halcyon - 'No Ordinary Morning' is gorgeous. Lovely discovery. 'Halycon' also pretty strong too.
Savage Garden - Affirmation - one of my faves from them. Inspired lyrics and I find the music great. Definitely one of their best last hits for me.
Ronan Keating - Life Is A Rollercoaster - defo one of his top efforts. I do think 'If Tomorrow Never Comes' runs it quite close though imo.
Aaliyah - Try Again - both her big hits were strong.
Louise 2 Faced
Ultra Nate - Desire - decent, only really know 'Free' by her of course which is a 90's classic.
Placebo - Taste In Men – solid but they got better.
Jonah - Sssst (Listen) - standard but solid dance track.
Destiny's Child - Jumpin', Jumpin'
Christina Aguilera - I Turn To You - nice enough ballad but also a little on the dull side. Not really surprised it only peaked at #19..
David Bowie – Seven – pleasant serviceable track from him but not quite essential Bowie really.
Lucy Pearl - Dance Tonight – based off the first minute it would've been near the bottom but it does get better this as it goes along!
Bleachin' - Peakin'
Marc Et Claude - I Need Your Lovin' (Like The Sunshine)
Cleopatra - Come And Get Me
Five And Queen - We Will Rock You - Yeah this is tacky as anything, much prefer 'Closer To Me'. Not the worst for me though.
*NSync - I'll Never Stop
Shanks And Bigfoot - Sing A Long
De La Soul Featuring Redman - Oooh

Posted by: Jade 21st May 2024, 10:32 AM

I knew the Aurora version of 'Ordinary World' before the original (thanks to the Now series as per usual) but haven't felt the need to revisit ever since the Duran Duran version did come into my life - that is incredible, one of their strongest moments and this cover does feel comparatively flat indeed.

'Natural' passed me by compared to the S Club school disco classics like 'Reach' and 'Don't Stop Movin', but I listened through their singles last year after the reunion was announced and was pleasantly surprised by it, one of their best. I agree that the oboe is a highlight and it's also refreshing to see Rachel take the lead in their group material.

Both 'Absolutely Everybody' and 'On A Night Like This' are great fun. I underrated the latter in Kylie's discography but it's crept up on me over the years.

First time hearing 'Whatever' by Ideal and there is a striking similarity to 'Get Down Saturday Night' by Oliver Cheatham, also used in 'Make Luv' by Room 5. Wikipedia tells me that 'O. Cheatham' has a writing credit so there we go! I see one of the guys from Next was involved with the writing too, so their relevancy continues for a little longer

'With My Own Heart' completely passed me by until now! The production is reminding me of 'Mysterious Times', which is my favourite Sash! hit, but this one isn't really hitting me as hard.

I was really late to 'Overload'! The Angels With Dirty Faces and Three albums were staples in my household growing up, but I don't think I listened to any pre-2.0 material until 'Flatline' came out in 2013. I had certainly been missing out as 'Overload' is an excellent debut. The teenage crush themes do feel age appropriate for the girls at the time but the execution on the whole is very mature. Love the genre-blending production and the off-kilter moments that come with it, plus the harmonies are wonderful.