48. Ira Losco - 7th Wonder

 

 

Personal chart top 5 run: 1-1-1-1-3-4-4-4

 

Before I became obsessed with the Nordic countries, Estonia and Malta were my Eurovision countries of choice, the former for the great run of Diamond Of Night, Once In A Lifetime, Everybody and Runaway and the latter for To Dream Again, On Again...Off Again, Angel and of course this brilliant pop song. Ira oozed charm and likeability and her gorgeous summery pop song massively stood out of a diabolical contest. Sadly it ended up in 2nd behind a terrible winner but I became quite obsessed with it/her. She's still a big personality in Malta, a rock singer now I believe!

47. Delta Goodrem - A Year Ago Today

 

 

Personal chart top 5 run: 3-5-OUT-3-5-3-2-2-4-5-5-5-OUT-2-5

 

The second of four in the top 50 from Innocent Eyes, A Year Ago Today was a low key single for Delta in 2001, the follow up to I Don't Care. Whilst that didn't make the album, A Year Ago Today was polished up and used on the album. The original is almost unrecognisable as the same song due to the dated production and Delta's very different much more high pitched voice. Anyway, I massively related to this song lyrically back in '03 and it was one of my easy favourites. The middle 8 really is quite uplifting considering what the song is about. Others see it as album filler - good for them, to me it's an all time favourite. The only reason it didn't top my weekly chart is because its conqueror is still to come - much later!

46. Stromae - Alors On Danse

 

 

Personal chart top 5 run: 3-OUT-1-2-1-2-2-2

 

I have to say - 2010 was a hell of a lot better than I think I gave it credit for, 8 songs from said year have made my top 100, compared to four for example from 2003 (all Delta songs too!). Belgian singer Stromae's ode to something or other in French is absolutely mesmerising and probably my favourite ever foreign language song - I was just completely obsessed with it from almost the start of the year to the end of it. The moody sax made this song sound OH SO French and I absolutely loved it, definitely deserved to get higher than #25 in the UK but it's a wonder that it was playlisted and pushed in the country at all so I'll be thankful for small mercies.

45. Girls Aloud - The Promise

 

 

Personal chart top 5 run: 3-2-1-1-1-1-1-1-2-5

 

Joe Public's favourite Girls Aloud song is also very much mine. After years of churning out brilliant pop, Nadine, Cheryl, Kimberley, Nicola and Sarah got it oh so right upon their return in 2008. Realising that radio had finally started to give them the time of day with the likes of Call The Shots, it was time for something with a bit less 'attitude' and a bit more MOR friendly to capitalise. Embracing the soul pop sound that had been so big through the year, Xenomania created for them a glorious pop moment that was slightly reminiscent of the Blankety Blank theme tune! For me everything about this song absolutely works - the brassy intro, the verses (Here I aaaaaam, walking primrose :wub:), the anthemic radio friendly chorus, Kimberley's middle 8, the drums into the key change and the suitably abrupt finish. I know this would rank towards the bottom in a 'Buzzjack's favourite Girls Aloud song' rate, but for me this was the turning point in their career - the song that helped to lift them from 'great well respected pop band' to 'national treasures'. Please come back GA!

Yeah... I'm also one of those people that put 'The Promise' at the bottom parts of the GA singles rate. :lol:

The Promise is structurally incredible (which is fairly par for the course for Xenomania anyway), but even regardless of that it's undeniably a technically brilliant pop song. Those harmonies :wub:

44. Fragma feat Coco - Toca's Miracle

 

 

Personal chart top 5 run: 1-1-1-3-4-OUT-[2008 mix]3-5

 

One of the all time biggest dance songs and I'm struggling to find any evidence on Youtube that the original exists...now I loved the 2008 subtle electro remix but nothing beats the original! German dance act Fragma's own instrumental Toca Me (a UK #11 hit in 1999) was spliced with a top 40 hit from 1997 by Coco called I Need A Miracle and the end result was mesmerising. One of THE great mash-up's, everything about it worked perfectly and it's now legendary. Yet another example of why 2000 was a defining year for dance music.

43. All Saints - Rock Steady

 

 

Personal chart top 5 run: 2-1-1-1-2-1-1-1-1-3-4-5

 

'Cool' 90s girlband followed Take That onto the comeback trail in late 2006. Probably one of the least likely pop acts to ever reform after their bitter split five years earier, Mel, Shaznay and the Appleton sisters nonetheless returned with a killer pop track with what can only be described as a fierce video. Sadly beaten in the UK charts by a duo of crap covers from Westlife and U2/Green Day, it was a perfect slice of modern pop with an excellent chorus. It was sadly a one off return to the limelight as follow up single Chick Fit absolutely bombed. Should have gone with Scar...

42. Ian Van Dahl - Castles In The Sky

 

 

Personal chart top 5 run: 4-2-2-3-3-4-3-1-3-4-4-5

 

With Will I up earlier on, the appearance of this was always going to be inevitable. Belgian dance act Ian Van Dahl's debut single featured the vocals of anonymous singer Marsha, who wasn't usually a member of the group, and it was an absolutely defining dance anthem from pretty much exactly a decade ago. I remember hearing it first on Dave Pearce's Dance Anthems (I miss that show!), and instantly falling in love with it. A classic.

41. Fragma feat Maria Rubia - Everytime You Need Me

 

 

Personal chart top 5 run: 2-2-2-2-1-OUT-1-1-1-2-4-3-5

 

A year after Toca's Miracle, it was early 2001 and Fragma thought that they ought to finally follow up that massive hit. And they did it with gusto - roping in British singer Maria Rubia (who later had an excellent minor top 40 solo hit with the French/English song Say It), it took the best bits of its predecessor (the plucking electro sound, now used by anyone who's anyone from Romania) and added a pop charm and a great chorus. As for poor old Maria, seems like she went on to have a rather difficult life: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-...wheelchair.html. I do hope that she's fully recovered from that now :o

40. Rihanna feat Drake - What's My Name

 

 

Personal chart top 5 run: 3-2-3-5-3-1-2-2-2-1-1-2-4

 

Oh na na! Everything about this song is absolutely wonderful - the first time I heard it I was impressed but it really grew so much over the next few weeks and months as well. Taking a few ideas from Te Amo and improving on them in every way imaginable, the hook, the lyrics, the middle 8, just the way in which it's slightly subtle and far less 'in your face' than most Rihanna singles, but manages to be absolutely perfect getting the correct balance of everything. I have to add that Drake's verse is as much a reason that I love the song as anything else too, it really does add to the song as a whole and having the rap verse first and then it's done with for the remainder of the song is an interesting structural element. Her solo version is great but I'll take the complete package. Well deserving of a place in my all time top 40.

39. Madonna - Hung Up

 

 

Personal chart top 5 run: 1-1-1-1-1-2-5-5-3-4-1-4

 

No 'all time best' countdown would be complete without an appearance from the 'Queen of Pop', so here is Madonna. Revolving around a sample of ABBA's Gimme Gimme Gimme, Hung Up took that foundation and added an irresistible chorus and excellent contemporary production courtesy of Stuart Price. A worldwide #1, the song and its parent album, the excellent Confessions On A Dancefloor, reaffirmed Madonna's status as one of the greatest popstars around - another successful reinvention! Shame about Hard Candy, lets have something more along the lines of this or Ray of Light for the next era please!

38. Shakira - Whenever, Wherever

 

 

Personal chart top 5 run: 2-3-2-2-4-OUT-3-4-2-1-3

 

For her first international English single, Colombian superstar Shakira unleashed Whenever, Wherever (aka Suerte in Spanish) on the world in 2002. Packed full of quirky charm - a prominent use of pan flute, ridiculous lyrics 'lucky that my breasts are small and humble, so you don't confuse them...with mountains' and a sound that was completely unlike anything else around at the time. Add to that a brilliant video and the fact that it was by a stunningly attractive woman and the only thing this was ever going to be was a huge #1. Until some idiot thought that it would be wise to release it on the same day as the decade's biggest seller, Will Young's Evergreen...bugger :(

37. Delerium feat Sarah McLachlan - Silence

 

 

Personal chart top 5 run: 1-1-1-1-2-2-3-5

 

Did I mention that 2000 was good for dance music? Underrated Canadian singer Sarah McLachlan provided vocals for Delerium's Silence and it was a brilliant combination. At first sight it seems strange that someone as MOR as Sarah would provide vocals for a big trance number, but the original version of this actually feels like a soundtrack to something religious, it's essentially a Gregorian chant. Beefed up beyond recognition by a number of DJ's, Tiesto's version is probably the most well respected but I'll stick with the version that was pushed in the UK - the Airscape mix. Glorious trance.

36. Delta Goodrem - Born To Try

 

 

Personal chart top 5 run: 1-1-2-2-1-2-3-OUT-2-1-5

 

Anybody watching Neighbours in late 2002/early 2003 would have been aware of the character Nina Tucker, an aspiring singer. 'Nina' sang a number of songs on the show, in the coffee bar or at her home - This Is Not Me, Will You Fall For Me, In My Own Time and of course...Born To Try. A perfect launchpad then for Aussie teenage singer Delta Goodrem, the song flew to #1 in her native Australia but I first became aware of it in early 2003 when the relevant Neighbours episodes were screened here. I was impressed and slightly surprised when it was pushed as a single in the UK. It went straight into the top three upon release, like power ballads by debuting artists just DON'T DO anymore and I became rather obsessed with the curiously named Delta. Great debut single.

35. Delta Goodrem - Mistaken Identity

 

 

Personal chart top 5 run: 1-3-4-2-4-4-4-5-3

 

Delta's first misfire in Australia, after five consecutive #1's, Mistaken Identity, the second single from the album of the same name, landed at #7. To this day I won't understand why - was it too dark lyrically? Did the public not like this side of Delta? Sounding very like a more 'pop' Tori Amos on this song, Delta was clearly singing a few home truths on her second album, following the experiences of the year behind her. In my eyes this should have been the lead single to that album but perhaps it's best that it wasn't considering the indifference to it down under. The biting yet majestic track was scheduled for a UK release but never made it, we got Almost Here second and that was that. I'm not saying that this would have caught on any better earlier, but it would have been nice if it had had the chance. Don't worry - the rest of the countdown isn't overrun with Delta, she has three songs left to come!

34. Shapeshifters - Lola's Theme

 

 

Personal chart top 5 run: 4-1-1-1-1-1-2-2-2-3

 

As this countdown shows, I'm far more interested in trance than house music on the dance side of things, and 2004 was jam packed with uninspired looped 80s samples on the house side of things, it wasn't exactly great. But then British duo Shapeshifters and vocalist Cookie unleashed the monster anthem Lola's Theme. Sounding like a lost relic from the peak of 90s dance yet still completely relevant, it flew to #1, leaving Rachel Stevens' dreams of #1 continuing to last forever as Some Girls duly went in at #2 on the same week. In my opinion the best song won.

Loving the appearences from Hung Up, What's My Name?, The Promise and Mistaken Identity!

 

 

36. Delta Goodrem - Born To Try

 

 

Personal chart top 5 run: 1-1-2-2-1-2-3-OUT-2-1-5

 

Anybody watching Neighbours in late 2002/early 2003 would have been aware of the character Nina Tucker, an aspiring singer. 'Nina' sang a number of songs on the show, in the coffee bar or at her home - This Is Not Me, Will You Fall For Me, In My Own Time and of course...Born To Try. A perfect launchpad then for Aussie teenage singer Delta Goodrem, the song flew to #1 in her native Australia but I first became aware of it in early 2003 when the relevant Neighbours episodes were screened here. I was impressed and slightly surprised when it was pushed as a single in the UK. It went straight into the top three upon release, like power ballads by debuting artists just DON'T DO anymore and I became rather obsessed with the curiously named Delta. Great debut single.

I love this track sooooo much :wub: Deffo my fave Delta track, and one of my top 20 ever - just so beautiful!

Some amazing songs here... What's My Name, Silence, The Promise, Lola's Theme, Hung Up, Toca's Miracle, Castles In The Sky. I'm loving this countdown more than I thought I would :wub:

Great to see 'The Promise' so high up! :wub: Like you, I don't care what anyone else says; this is THE defining hit of their career, and deservedly so! Absolutely love 'Whenever, Wherever' too, Shakira's got such a good back catalogue and it's difficult to decide whether this or 'Hips Don't Lie' is my favourite (although I know that the latter will definitely be higher up here!). :D