1ST FEBRUARY- 03 BONNIE & CLYDE- Jay Z Ft Beyonce (1 wk)

 

http://cdn.7static.com/static/img/sleeveart/00/000/552/0000055288_350.jpg

 

A song seemingly steeped in controversy. None other than Toni Braxton had written a song based around Tupac's 1996 track "Me And My Girlfriend" back in 2002 and had played it to Def Jam who seemed to have little interest in it, but less than 6 months later the same song got sampled on this track by Jay Z who claimed he never heard the Braxton song before he wrote this. Whatever the truth is there are no less than 7 writing credits on this track, including Prince (thanks to some of the lyrics) and an early example of the penmanship of Kanye West, the song takes the concept of Bonnie & Clyde from that self same Tupac record making the whole thing rather less original than it might at first appear.

 

Naturally Beyonce livens things a bit up here, but to be honest all the parts of the song that I like (the melody, the Beyonce parts) are all lifted from other records making this song not much else than a rather enjoyable mash up.

 

8TH FEBRUARY- STOLE- Kelly Rowland (1 wk)

 

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/b/b9/Kellyrowland_stole.jpg

 

With a somewhat unusual theme of school suicide to deal with, "Stole" became Rowland's Debut solo single whilst on a break from DC, though the tracks appearance in this thread is probably more to do with the success of "Dilemma" her previous duet with Nelly which had sold over half a million just 5 months before this release.

 

I'm always a fan of story telling in a song (whatever happened to that) so I quite like "Stole", it's not the cheeriest of records granted, but it's certainly meaty topic wise, Rowland vocals are a little hystrionic on the track in a typically post Mariah early 00s style but I can overlook that in that instance for some level of genuinity in the delivery and passion for the subject which seems to be present. Beyonce was shortly to blow Rowland out of the water but it was certainly all about Rowland for me up until this point.

 

UK # 2, which were # 1 in my charts:

1. Steps - It's The Way You Make Me Feel

My song of the year. Amazing video, It's masterpiece level. Yes, I'm ultimate Heidi Range's fan, but STEPS IS THE BEST POP GROUP EVER.

[better, than Sugababes, ABBA, Girls Aloud, Bucks Fizz]. Claire and Faye have divine voices.

 

2. Sophie Ellis Bextor - Take Me Home

Her first # 1 in my chart.

 

3. Steps - Chain Reaction

Next # 1 for Steps, but it's not superhit. More better, than original version.

 

4. Sophie Ellis Bextor - Murder On The Dancefloor

Very good song. Sad, that her worst song "Groovejet" was UK # 1.

 

5. S Club 7 - You

I hate "Don't Stop Movin'", this reason made "You" their peak in my eyes. My favourite song. First and last # 1 in my charts

 

6. Britney Spears - I'm Not A Girl, Not Yet A Woman

Very good ballad, It was her comeback on the top after 2 flops (I'm Slave For You, Overprotected)

 

7. Cheeky Girls - Touch My Bum

Fun and bubblegum. I love this song. 1 week on the top in my chart.

 

S Club Juniors - One Step Closer

They didn't reach # 1 in my charts, because it was very hard against eternal superhits and monsters of my charts.

- Jessica Garlick - Come Back (my all-time #1 Eurovision song)

- H & Claire - DJ (their first # 1, song from my all-time # 1 album "Another You, Another Me")

- ALLSTARS* - Back When (fourth and last # 1 in my charts. I adore this group)

- Faye & Russell - Someone Like You (Wonderful ballad)

 

15TH FEBRUARY- CRY ME A RIVER- Justin Timberlake (2 Wks)

 

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/e/e9/Jt_cry_me_a_river.jpg

 

Oh this is dark. Whenever you hear "great" pop music being discussed there is always a word left off- "Sincerity", and that's what "Cry Me A River" has in spades. Written by Timberlake about the break up with Spears (if in doubt watch the video with a Britney-a-like cast in the lead role) it's a song dripping with melancholy and sadness, spiced up with a large dollop of bitterness. Timbaland's on the control deck perfecting the sound of 2007 and creates this kind of funereal pop that is both desolate and compelling, in fact there is little cheery here at all but who says great pop has to be upbeat?

 

The breaking up of a pair of high profile individuals is always going to result in some kind of tabloid frenzy and their's was no different but Timberlake is making the first strike here. Spears apparently dismissed it as a great promo gimmick (to make the track about her) but she was obviously so affected by it that she penned "Everytime" in response, this however is a far greater record than that, the five stages of grief crammed into a four minute pop song.

 

The video reinforces this feeling of vaguely vengeful psychotic lover who's about to create havoc, the work of a dark psyche remains an interest psychological prospect all these years later. Whatever the real story behind the split its clear it wasn't resolved and here is the proof. Masterful.

 

22ND FEBRUARY- I CAN'T BREAK DOWN- Sinead Quinn (1 Wk)

 

http://991.com/newGallery/Sinead-Quinn-I-Cant-Break-Down-236630.jpg

 

So you've just lost a reality TV show and you're feeling down? Well have no fear as Sinead Quinn knows! Apparently she signed a £1 million record deal covering 5 albums after she emerged in second place behind David Sneddon in the 2003 show "Fame Academy", sadly this was her sole journey into the top 10. A tolerable piece of MOR pop it does have the bonus a truly glorious chorus which seems to come from nowhere which lifts it beyond the average piece of reality show pop.

 

Not a song that I loved at the time, it's rather nice listening to it now, the video incidentally is filmed at the old fame academy house where they stayed- I wonder if that's Ainsley Henderson's guitar?- now his song "Keep Me A Secret" was truly the best thing to come from that show but I digress. Yes passable pop for Quinn but no more- she's now married to the drummer in the Feeling!

 

22ND FEBRUARY- I CAN'T BREAK DOWN- Sinead Quinn (1 Wk)

 

http://991.com/newGallery/Sinead-Quinn-I-Cant-Break-Down-236630.jpg

Best song EVER !!!!!! :angel:

Watch and enjoy. :wub:

Love Cry Me a River and Stole. Not keen on 03 Bonnie & Clyde but I had forgotten how brilliant I Can't Break Down was!

but I had forgotten how brilliant I Can't Break Down was!

:yahoo: :cheer: :heart: :wub:

True wise words, she could be on the same level with Amy Macdonald

8TH MARCH- BOYS OF SUMMER- DJ Sammy (1 wk)

 

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/3/35/BoysOfSummer.jpg

 

Another victim of the "in this thread because their last hit was a No 1" here's Spanish DJ Sammy on his mission to "rave up" another 80s rock track. Having worked over Bryan Adams' "Heaven" for a chart topper in Nov 2002, for the follow up he chose this Don Henley 1985 No 12 hit about the passing of age into adulthood. Whilst he had novelty on his side for the first hit this is a very liimp affair to be frank, stipped and devoid of any real meaning that the original hit had.

 

If I recall correctly personality wise he was as mad as a hatter and quite funny but really this needed to stop. RIGHT HERE.

 

 

15TH MARCH- I BEGIN TO WONDER- Dannii Minogue (1 wk)

 

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/b/b2/Wonderdanniiminogue.jpg

 

Given my musical taste for a bit of Kylie, sister Dannii is always an artist whose music I've liked more than her TV personality. For me she has always been clinging onto her sister's coat tails slightly, an whiff of desperation about her, and a psychotic need for fame and success. So whilst disliking her on that level I've also found myself buying some of her tracks 1997's "All I Wanna Do" remains a dancefloor must for me and her make-over circa 2001 into a dance diva was perfect.

 

This track (equally well known in its mashed-up form with Dead Or Alive's "You Spin Me Round") was another track I liked, but not love, a judicious use of samples served her well throughout the period and next single "Don't Wanna Lose the Feeling" heavily sampled "Into The Groove" so perhaps I like this period because I like the samples. Anyway the point here that whilst my relationship with Dannii has always been slightly begrudging I can't deny that she has made some cracking tunes, 2004's "You Won't Forget About Me" being her last though, this one whilst good isn't great.

 

22ND MARCH- ALL I HAVE- Jennifer Lopez Ft LL Cool J (1 wk)

 

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/1/13/Jennifer_Lopez_-_All_I_Have_-_CD_single_cover.jpg

 

Though I'm no fan of this genre THIS record is a one fo the first (in this thread anyway) of a set up that would dominate the charts for the rest of the noughties. Female vocalist gets a guest rapper in to provide an "interlude" and set the template for the success of J-Lo in the decade, the fact that it became so popular in the US probably explains the multitude of copy cat cases since.

 

This tale of lovers parted is suitably sweet and melancholy, utilising a sample from Debra laws 1981 track "Very Special" but it's not remarkable in any way, indeed it does mark the point at which my interest in Lopez wained severely and much sparked my interest until "On The Floor" in 2011, if this is your bag then I'm sure you'll love it but for me the concept was wearing very thin already.

 

 

29TH MARCH- SCANDALOUS- Mis-Teeq (1 wk)

 

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/1/19/Mis-Teeq_-_Scandalous.jpg

 

After "One Night Stand" this has to my favourite Mis-Teeq track, edgy, sassy, and packed with attitude, "Scandalous" sizzles with a sexual tension that you can feel through the tight production on the track which just occasionally relaxes to allow a smooth kind of sensuality to bubble to the surface before it back to the "rip the clothes off" vocal delivery.

 

The girls are on fine form on this sixth straight top 10 hit though the end of the road (charts wise) was just 9 months away with the failure of "Style" to make the top 10 which would become their final hit. OK so it's not going to revolutionise the charts or leave a lasting mark, but "Scandalous" is as fina a piece of pop in 2003 as you could hope for and if only all such songs were delivered with such pazzazz and convinction then the charts wouldn't be a worse place for it!

 

 

All I Have - have to agree with you! Not a fan of the song at all nor am I fond of female/guest rapper songs (bar a few exceptions such as 'Umbrella', 'Hip's Don't Lie' and Livvi Fran's fantastic 'Now I'm That Chick'). JLO also lost it for me between this and 'On The Floor' I'd be pushed to mention a song that she did which I liked ('Get Right' isn't terrible I suppose).

 

Scandalous - Now this is a tune!

1ST FEBRUARY- 03 BONNIE & CLYDE- Jay Z Ft Beyonce (1 wk)

 

http://cdn.7static.com/static/img/sleeveart/00/000/552/0000055288_350.jpg

 

A song seemingly steeped in controversy. None other than Toni Braxton had written a song based around Tupac's 1996 track "Me And My Girlfriend" back in 2002 and had played it to Def Jam who seemed to have little interest in it, but less than 6 months later the same song got sampled on this track by Jay Z who claimed he never heard the Braxton song before he wrote this. Whatever the truth is there are no less than 7 writing credits on this track, including Prince (thanks to some of the lyrics) and an early example of the penmanship of Kanye West, the song takes the concept of Bonnie & Clyde from that self same Tupac record making the whole thing rather less original than it might at first appear.

 

Naturally Beyonce livens things a bit up here, but to be honest all the parts of the song that I like (the melody, the Beyonce parts) are all lifted from other records making this song not much else than a rather enjoyable mash up.

 

 

This is my second most played song ever on my iTunes. The most played song is also a #2 hit from the (late) noughties. Any ideas? :kink:

 

This is my second most played song ever on my iTunes. The most played song is also a #2 hit from the (late) noughties. Any ideas? :kink:

Something like T.I & Rihanna :lol:

Are you doing the full decade or just 00-04 Gezza? I followed your 80's and 90's threads only knowing certain songs but the 00's I can really get involved with.

19TH APRIL- CRY- Kym Marsh (1 wk)

 

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/4/44/Kym_Marsh_-_Cry.png

 

A little bit of guilty pleasure here, this is quite endearing. On the minus side it's a bit Natalie Imbruglia lite, with some dodgy rhymes but all in all it's a reassuringly melodic attempt at solo stardom by former Hear'Say star Marsh though admittedly her pop career was confined to just this year. Perhaps it was her clear fear that it would all fall flat on its face (her solo career) or be a non starter, but Marsh always seemed a bit of an ameteur in the field, perhaps Lithgoe's advice to lose weight during the filming of "Popstars" knocked her in a big way but she seems unsure of herself even in this performance.

 

The voice isn't the best either but all in all it's a passable tune and though I didn't buy "Cry" (I did buy the fallow up "Come On Over" though) it is far from the worst No 2 of the year.

 

Are you doing the full decade or just 00-04 Gezza? I followed your 80's and 90's threads only knowing certain songs but the 00's I can really get involved with.

Probably- it depends on uni work/ buying a house this year- but hopefully! :D

"Danger! High Voltage" is brilliant, stands up to repeated listens even better than "Gay Bar", which is great itself.

 

"Cry Me A River" is another excellent pop record, although not to my tastes as his three (?) other #2s.

26TH APRIL- AMERICAN LIFE- Madonna (1 wk)

 

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/5/59/American_Life_(single).jpg

 

A song that is rather like marmite! Where to start with "American Life"....well the parallel's are rather striking in terms of where Madonna was in 2003 and where she is in 2012, essentially producing music which is failing to shift beyond her fanbase whilst the press proclaims that it is over for her career. In all fairness she does rather get herself into these scrapes, the truth is that whilst we're prepaired for her to go out on a limb lyrically and visually we are certainly not allowing Madonna to veer to far from her pop roots. Whilst many an act of the time (and indeed now) would have got a heavyweight rapper in to do the rapping in this track she typically takes on the role herself, whilst it isn't awful it isn't good either, a wise popstar knows their limitations but Madonna never has.

 

In a way this is good, it's a trait which has allowed her to become probably the most influential female popstar of the last 30 years, but what is does expose her to is the fact that her failures are far more visible than most popstars. The fact that she dares to attept them is what keeps fans, and to a large extend the wider record buyer population, willing to continue to grant her more leeway than we do the average popstar.

 

"American Life" (the single) suffers a similar fault to "Gimmie All Your Love" it's melodic and perfectly acceptable single but as a lead single we simply expect something more than we do of most singers, the baggage of being a "Musical Icon" comes with its downside! The single is, ultimately, lightweight, and not poppy enough to lead the album, some of these problems weren't repeated with the current era but in terms of her career she would do well to look back to 2003 and devise her next step accordingly!