Great thread, thoroughly enjoying it but haven't you missed A1 (Caught in the middle?)

OM bloody G- you're right! I'll get on it now!

2ND FEBRUARY- CAUGHT IN THE MIDDLE- A1 (1 Wk)

 

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/f/f5/Caught_in_the_Middle_a1.jpg

 

For my sins I'm truly sorry- I BLOODY LOVE this song! Boy Band track a cut above most, guitar driven, it is to the group what "Back For Good" was to Take That, the song that opened many people's eyes to how they were more than a group for screaming pre pubescent girls. Sadly that isn't the way it turned out for the boys, next single "Make It Good" (equally good I hasten to add) only made No 11, their first to miss the top 10 and poor album sales meant the end of the group before the end of 2002.

 

There's an emotional maturity here that is missing in much of their earlier work which was aimed at establishing them in the teenage market and was, as a consequence, mostly upbeat boy meets girl stuff, or drippy ballads, but to give them due they had run up 6 straight top 10 hits since 1999. They could play instruments and at least co-wrote much of their stuff but at precisely the point they started to truly use those talents that the market turned against them, in truth you only get about 4 years out of the boy band game (JLS take note) so perhaps their time was up but what a choon to go out on.

 

FANTASTIC!

 

 

I know I press the issue constantly but everyone REALLY needs to listen to A1's more recent singles which have all been hits in Norway, they very much picked up where Caught In The Middle and Make It Good left off, but without sounding dated. This excellent song almost represented Norway in Eurovision 2010 but alas came 2nd in their national final;

 

 

I'll remain forever gutted that Norway didn't pick this, imagine the UK audience reaction, I bet 99% wouldn't have even known that A1 had reformed, let alone to represent Norway (even though Christian IS Norwegian!)

9TH MARCH- WHENEVER, WHEREVER- Shakira (2 wks)

 

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/4/48/Shakira_-_Whenever,_Wherever.jpg

 

This certainly felt like a minor event at the time, the launch of a mjor new star who came in a visually stunning body and referred to her breasts as "small and humble, so you don't confuse them with mountains". With a video in which there was plenty of flesh on show it soared to the top of video playlists on countless channels pre release and confirmed sales of over 100k in its first week would easily have been enough for No 1 in most weeks in 2002 evidencing just this point, had it not run into Will Young's "Pop Idol" single then this is exactly what it would have done.

 

Written in part by Gloria Estefan this is a track I loved at the time, a pop sensibility than seemed too strong to resist, a touch of those pan pipes making it all slightly exotic all combined to make it one of the pop moments of the year. Shakira girates her way through the track (launching many a parody- a sure sign you've infultrated the public conciousness) and all in all it's a self assured "debut" in the UK at least. She'd been releasing Spanish language albums since the 90s of course into the latin market but this was her first forray into the UK market and with such rich pickings she decided to stay (a few projects aside). Like that popular kid at school it's hard not to like "Whenever, Wherever" too tempting, too tactile, too sensuous not to indulge in- why am i reminded of those "flake" ads in the 90s right now?

 

I'm probably on my own here, but I hate this song almost as much as the woman herself. Vile!

26TH JANUARY- GET THE PARTY STARTED- P!nk (2 wks)

 

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/8/82/GetThePartyStartedSingle.jpg

I'm probably gonna get hate mail for this but I can't stand this track. Annoyingly cloying record that seems to me quite vacuous in its sentiment, written by linda Perry (Ex- 4 Non Blondes) she confesses that she slung every cliche and soundbite into writing what she termed a "Fun" record and there is no disputing its a catchy number, but I do recall at the time (and again probably due to the fact it was released in a dull January) it was drasically over played at the time which may account for me hatred. I don't actually mind Pink though a lot of her tracks are very love/ hate for me and for every good song she produces there are three or four which appear to be more or less carbon copies of it, but this isn't her best.

 

What I suspect attracts most people to her is exactly what I find kinda artificial, that sassy agressive feminism that seems to be a little too dominating, and sometimes forced. This makes her, for me, a hard popstar to love (maybe not being a repressed female is affecting this) but her role as the Jo Brand of pop, a title she probably shares with Beyonce on that front, never makes me quite sure whether I'm meant to like her or not, am I her audience? In conclusion maybe Pink and I need to talk.

 

For me, 2002 was horrible year. Dance music was on its arse (only toy-town trance would trouble the charts) and to add insult to injury... I had to endure shite like P!NK! Another song I hated at the time. :puke2:

23RD FEBRUARY- YOU- S Club 7 (1 wk)

 

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/5/5b/You(SClub7).jpg

 

Meanwhile all is still rosy in the S Club camp. With that nasty Steps self destructing a couple of months previously, the pre teenage audience was all theirs for the taking and this motown-lite track was typical of their stock, light breezy, pop in a boy meets girl kinda way.

 

Problem is it's all starting to wear a bit thin now, whilst it was undoubtedly a high, "Don't Stop Movin" with its serious dancefloor ambition showed what a great song could do in their hands and everything post that track seems a bit, well, substandard really. Had this been 2000 it would have been perfect but there were dark clouds on the horizon with 2002 proving to be an annus horribilis for the group with Paul Cattermole's departure and the failure of feature film "Seeing Double" all occuring by the year end.

 

"You" therefore is a track that treads water, and not even convincingly, the band barely appear to turn up for the track and with the launch of S Club Juniors imminant (who took much of their audience for the remainder of the year) it is perhaps not surprising that their only other single of the year "Alive" became their smallest hit to date making No 5 in November 02. That in itself was just a retread of "Don't Stop Movin" in tattier clothes- we'll meet them again in 2003 by that time it was officially all over.

 

 

Have to disagree with you here!!

 

'You' was absolutely brilliant. The song and the video were pop masterpieces. I absolutely hated 'Don't Stop Movin'' on the other hand. Over-played, over-hyped and overrated. :puke:

 

Have to disagree with you here!!

 

'You' was absolutely brilliant. The song and the video were pop masterpieces. I absolutely hated 'Don't Stop Movin'' on the other hand. Over-played, over-hyped and overrated. :puke:

Overplayed I certainly have to give you but it provided them with a new audience of people who previously considered them for kids (for example it got them played in clubs where previously they were almost a swear word, I recall this from my clubbing days :lol: ). "You" isn't bad just a bit vapid IMO

16TH FEBRUARY- HEY BABY- No Doubt (1 wk)

 

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/8/81/No_Doubt_Hey_Baby.jpg

 

I should prefix this with an explanation that I detest No Doubt. Yes even the mighty "Don't Speak" bores me to tears (VERY oerplayed at the time) and the kind of ska influence rock they dallied in does nothing for me I'm afraid. This track with tinges of Jamaican dancehall in it is not going to redeem them in my eyes I'm afraid, the fact that the whole era seemed to fail (certainly in comparison to former glories) only goes to justify my opinion here.

 

I really can't find a nice word for it, even the chorus gets under my tits with its repetitive cry. Anyway you get the idea I'm sure.

Oh Gezza, don't let me down. :(

 

 

Just HOW was this not a single from Rock Steady?!!!

 

13TH APRIL- I'M NOT A GIRL, NOT YET A WOMAN- Britney Spears (1 wk)

 

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/0/07/Britney_Spears_-_I'm_Not_a_Girl,_Not_Yet_a_Woman.png

 

Two schools of thought on this one, either it's a heartfelt exploration of teenage angst and the troubles of puberty, or its a light hearted piece of americanised dross about growing up. I actually think it's a bit of both, written by Dido (Flavour of the month back in 2002) its actually quite a tender song, laden with piano hooks which ultimately is rather spoilt by that Britney inflection when she sings making it all sound a little nasally and adolescent-esque (quite apt thematically). I suspect that Britney is actually connecting with the lyrics (after all it wasn't all that long ago that she had been going through it) and in terms of her career she had gone through the flush of initial success and was out the other side. She experienced the feeling of missing the top 10 with "Don't Let Me Be The Last To Know" and her third album "Britney" had been released with mixed reviews and success in 2001.

 

What undermines it slightly is that just 6 months previously her "sexual" makeover for "I'm A Slave 4 U" had been the place where she really wanted to be at come 2002 and that seemed clear. Taking on board that this is a song penned to promote her starring role in the film "Crossroads" it seems out of place to where she was heading and indeed where she excelled by this point (the superb "Overprotected" had preceeded this release) it seems like a mis- step akin to Madonna's "Crazy For You" or Kylie's "Tears On My Pillow" all commercially very successful but harking back not forward. It's a nice enough number I don't deny but for all the reasons I state it misfires in my opinion.

 

20TH APRIL- LAZY- X Press 2 Featuring David Byrne (1 wk)

 

http://991.com/NewGallery/X-Press-2-Lazy-505914.jpg

 

It was very cool to like this song back in 2002, for my money I couldn't stand it. Vocals by former Talking Heads frontman David Byrne and a standard dance beat circa early 00s add nothing much to the mix and it fails to connect. Despite this I don't HATE this song I just don't really want to hear it again and there my friends I think I'll leave it.

 

13TH APRIL- I'M NOT A GIRL, NOT YET A WOMAN- Britney Spears (1 wk)

 

 

Two schools of thought on this one, either it's a heartfelt exploration of teenage angst and the troubles of puberty, or its a light hearted piece of americanised dross about growing up. I actually think it's a bit of both, written by Dido (Flavour of the month back in 2002) its actually quite a tender song, laden with piano hooks which ultimately is rather spoilt by that Britney inflection when she sings making it all sound a little nasally and adolescent-esque (quite apt thematically). I suspect that Britney is actually connecting with the lyrics (after all it wasn't all that long ago that she had been going through it) and in terms of her career she had gone through the flush of initial success and was out the other side. She experienced the feeling of missing the top 10 with "Don't Let Me Be The Last To Know" and her third album "Britney" had been released with mixed reviews and success in 2001.

 

What undermines it slightly is that just 6 months previously her "sexual" makeover for "I'm A Slave 4 U" had been the place where she really wanted to be at come 2002 and that seemed clear. Taking on board that this is a song penned to promote her starring role in the film "Crossroads" it seems out of place to where she was heading and indeed where she excelled by this point (the superb "Overprotected" had preceeded this release) it seems like a mis- step akin to Madonna's "Crazy For You" or Kylie's "Tears On My Pillow" all commercially very successful but harking back not forward. It's a nice enough number I don't deny but for all the reasons I state it misfires in my opinion.

 

 

Even as someone who has more often than not valued ballads over up-tempos, I think 'I'm A Slave 4 U' and 'Overprotected' both deserved the #2 spot instead of this "dross", as you accurately put it. This is one of Britney's weaker ballads for sure. Doesn't touch 'Everytime' at all.

20TH APRIL- LAZY- X Press 2 Featuring David Byrne (1 wk)

 

http://991.com/NewGallery/X-Press-2-Lazy-505914.jpg

 

It was very cool to like this song back in 2002, for my money I couldn't stand it. Vocals by former Talking Heads frontman David Byrne and a standard dance beat circa early 00s add nothing much to the mix and it fails to connect. Despite this I don't HATE this song I just don't really want to hear it again and there my friends I think I'll leave it.

 

 

Fair enough (though I loved it at the time and still do) though a song like this could go as far as number 2 would very briefly restore your faith in the buying public. That aside, very typical of the uppety dance music if this era (see iio and DB Boulevard).

27TH APRIL- GIRLFRIEND- N*Sync Featuring Nelly (1 wk)

 

http://www.12inch.de/l/26445.jpg

 

EVERYTHING about this record should make me hate it with a vengence, yet oddly, and despite myself, I love it. Of course the Neptunes production is now quite dated and Nelly's involvement in the whole thing is slightly perfunctory, but it has a funkiness (whatever happened to that word) that just gets the feet going. Many comparisons between the Justin's have been doing the rounds in recent weeks (Timberlake and Beiber I mean) but it's at it's clearest here the whole Girlfriend- Boyfriend thing.

 

The move to a "neptunes" style musical direction was to spell the end of the boy band pretty much immediately after this song became their biggest hit but it's a clear of indication of where Timberlake the "solo" artist was heading. Indeed in its original version it's a rather flat bog standard bit of balladry that teenage girls probably lap up, certainly in the early 00s, but the urbanisation of the track for its single release has unleashed a cracking pop record and their most arresting moment since "It's Gonna Be Me" back in 2000. This may be an ending, but at least it's with what is, in my opinion, their finest record.

 

04TH MAY- ONE STEP CLOSER- S Club Juniors (2 wks)

 

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/8/8c/Onestepcloser.jpg

 

I said it at the time, and I stand by it, had this not been sung by frankly annoying kids this would be heralded as some kind of pop classic! Of course coming the brain of a certain Cathy Dennis it had a good pedigree (she was after all on somewhat of a roll by this point) and I love every minute of "One Step Closer".

 

For sheer uptempo pop music that is what it is, great fun, and catchy as hell to boot. Whilst it's also true that if pop isn't your bag then this won't convert you, I think you have to overlook the kids that sing it and concentrate on the song itself, and put in the hands of a more adult singer it would be much more highly regarded.

 

Ever since the Spice Girls tapped into the market for pre pubescent pop this moment was always coming when the kids actually became popstars themselves and I have a lot of time for some of their later singles ("Fool No More" & "Sundown" are particular favourites) but "One Step Closer" will always be a slight cut above the rest for me. You can start the hate now!.....

 

Always loved One Step Closer! and still do. I dont hate SCJ/8 actually all of their singles bar that terrible Christmas one were very good pop songs (Fool No More in particulary)

 

Not too fussed about the Nsync track, Bye Bye Bye, It's Gonna Be Me, Tearin Up My Heart, I Want You Back and Gone pi** all over Girlfriend IMO and all deserved to do a lot better than they did, certainly better than Girlfriend did anyway

22ND JUNE- LOVE AT FIRST SIGHT- Kylie Minogue (1 wk)

 

http://www.dirrtyremixes.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/tn-kyliem-lafs.jpg

 

Ah Kylie, after THAT song the re-invention of Ms Minogue as a diva for the 21st century was complete, the transformation in bankability from 1999 to 2001 was something to behold and her climb back into the A list celebrity pack was virtually unthinkable during the dark indie days of the late 90s.

 

Yes the return to gay disco had revived a fading star and "Fever" is an album that displays that joy at the return. There's a lot of filler on the album but when the songs hit the mark they do with a pop sensibility that shows what a good team she had around her and "Love At First Sight" is one such song. It's happy clappy Minogue we see now, at times it is quite vaccuous and hollow and Kylie's vocals are predictably quite weak but then she's never been known or sold on the basis of an amazing vocalist, what she is is a popstar, and you need much more than just a cracking voice to be that.

 

Having said all of that it's never been one of my favourite Kylie tracks, it's a bit Kylie-by-numbers for me, the cocky arrogance of "Can't Get You Out Of My Head" and "In Your Eyes" is missing here, sacrificed for a flat out commercial hit, indeed the previous hits almost dare you NOT to like them while this is a creature which rather begs to be liked, it's a subtle difference but noticeable all the same.

 

29TH JUNE- STOP CRYING YOUR HEART OUT- Oasis (1 wk)

 

http://store.digitalstores.co.uk/media/AbstractArticle/image/WarehouseArticle-20633/Oasis-Oasis-Stop-Crying-Your-Heart-Out.jpg

 

I confess after about 1998 I'd really moved on from Oasis apart for a couple of hits and this era did little to make me wanna come back. I do love a good Gallagher penned ballad (one is coming up later) but this is a snoozefest for me. I don't know what's mising here, for a personal song it feels very impersonal, like it's aimed at being sung in a large stadium, an ape of former glories like "Talk Tonight" or "Masterplan". I might go as far to suggest that back in the glory days of 95-96 this might have been an Oasis B-Side, that's not an enormously bad thing, their B-sides back then were as good as most band's A-Sides, but it's telling that come 2002 it was good enough for the main event.

 

Perhaps also it suffers from the same syndrome as Ms Minogue prior to it, a bit of auto-pilot going on, but then I think they've probably a bit guilty of that since 1998. Trouble is there is little emotion in SCYHO, I don't feel particularly connected to it, and it's not talking about my life or any point in it, not in the same way as it did once. Of course with every band who gain success money dulls the senses and the vitriol of being poor and struggling to make it fades, and the songs ordinarily become poorer and perhaps there is a bit of that going on here, after all it had been a while since they had been proper "Northern Working Class" hero's. There was still magic in the Gallagher pen he just didn't need it as often anymore.

 

 

6TH JULY- THE LOGICAL SONG- Scooter (3 wks)

 

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/4/4b/The_Logical_Song.jpg

 

I rather dismissed this as "top deck of the bus" mobile phone music at the time, I was rather snobby about it until, well maybe the years have mellowed me to it. I don't mind this song now, based heavily around the Supertramp hit of the same name which was about the failures of the educational system I might have been amused by own unknowing irony (given my dismissive attitude) at the time, but now it just seems rather harmless.

 

By the same token it certainly deserve (if such a term is appropriate) the No 1 spot either bringing nothing much to the party apart from maybe recreational drugs, indeed now it seems slightly cheesy, yet for such a genre as dance which has perhaps evolved and gone through more phases and variations in the last 20 years than any other genre this is perhaps an occupational hazard. Fun when drunk.

 

13TH JULY- BY THE WAY- Red Hot Chili Peppers (1 wk)

 

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/5/58/Bythewaysingle.jpg

 

Another band I feel I should like but who leave me cold every time (the obligatory "under the bridge" aside naturally). This is really "Californication" part two continuing the tale of Dani that would be concluded in their 2006 hit, I've just never been at home with RHCP. The jerkiness of their style never seems to allow me to relax to their songs (that's the best way I can explain it but that's probably an awful description- apols), the chorus of "By The Way" is a saving grace though, slightly melancholic and mournful it appeal son that level, the verses however destroy the beauty.

 

Understanding the vitriol this will probably inspire, but underscoring my point, I quite liked the Peter Gelderblom dance overhaul in 2007 retitled "Waiting 4" which may underline that it may be the genre the group operate in that doesn't meet my approval. My apologies to fans.

 

I remember The Logical Song being quite a surprising hit to me at the time. Scooter had never had a UK top ten hit before and suddenly this blasted into the top ten and crept up to #2 out of nowhere a few weeks later. The teachers at school (I was 15 and in Year 10 at the time) were all moaning about how inferior it was to the Supertramp version. I never LOVED it but I liked it, it reignited their career for a few years quite spectacularly anyway.