14. Agnes - One Last Time

 

Chart run: 20-15-14-9-6-3-1-1-2-6-13-19-35

 

 

Onto a true grower now, Swedish Idol winner and once UK chart star Agnes Carlsson topped my end of year 2009 chart with the legendary Release Me but had struggled to come anywhere close to it since, scoring top fives in my chart with Love Love Love, Secret Love and Don't Go Breaking My Heart but never going anywhere near #1. However, the post Eurovision summer lull was in full force and tends to be a time where songs grow more in my affections rather than going in near the top and falling away. I was slightly underwhelmed by One Last Time to begin with but it slowly began to worm its way right into my affections and I realised that it was in fact an absolutely gorgeous and very unique sounding electro-ballad. It completed a textbook climb to #1 in mid-July and has cemented itself as my second favourite single of hers ever! Apparently this beauty is her biggest hit in Sweden for years and made her star shine brighter than ever before, but looking at the charts there I'm not sure how, because it never even reached the top 30! Maybe it was a big airplay/sales hit but nobody wanted to listen to it on Spotify? Odd.

13. Girls Aloud - Something New

 

 

Chart run: 2-4-2-2-2-3-3-8-13-20

 

I wasn't quite sure what I wanted for the long awaited comeback of Britain's biggest girlband of the century, Girls Aloud. On the one hand they're best known for their big wacky, oddly structured Xenomania pop songs, but on the other hand, The Promise was my favourite ever song of theirs and quite unlike anything they'd done before. But Something New was most certainly the former, sounding like a mix of about five of their past singles but being as wonderfully frantic and in your face as always and sounding like a GA classic from the first listen. A huge melodic chorus, beat-driven verses and all of the personality that the girls have always brought in spades. It's a shame that it never properly caught on in the UK and fell into oblivion after the decent opening week, who knows what went wrong? Maybe the 4 year gap was just too long and it's reluctantly turned them into a 'legacy act', trading on past glories but only getting one week fanbase hits? It's the public's loss because this is another solid gold pop song, and the first song to spend over three weeks at #2 in my chart without going all the way since 2005 and Vanilla Ninja's Cool Vibes!

12. Delta Goodrem - Sitting On Top Of The World

 

Chart run: 3-1-1-3-7-6-8-17

 

 

Missing in action for almost five years, I let out many a cheer when it was announced that 2012 would finally mark the return of my all time favourite artist, Australian singer and former Neighbours star Delta Goodrem. Having already been to #1 in my chart with the majority of her singles, and all of her lead singles, it was more or less a given that Sitting On Top Of The World would top my chart, short of it being a major turd. I don't loon for many artists but Delta is one that I definitely do. Based on one listen it smashed straight into the top three and eased to the top the following week, although it didn't last that long in my top 20 due to being released bang in the middle of Eurovision season. That it managed to unseat Loreen's Euphoria from the top for a fortnight says volumes about the power that Delta has in my chart, even when faced with a bigger force. An upbeat and jolly pop song with a very cute video, everything was very Lenka and I absolutely loved it. Not my favourite song of the era by any means but it served as a perfect lead single and Radio 2 would surely lap it up if she ever decides to return to the UK!

11. ATB feat Ramona Nerra - Never Give Up

 

Chart run: 5-2-1-1-3-3-5-12-23

 

 

2012 was truly the year that I fell back in love with dance and indeed there are four dance songs in my top ten of the year, compared with one in each of the last three years and none in 2008! But just falling short of making it five in the top ten is German DJ Andre Tanneberger's summer single Never Give Up, which feautres vocals from German The Voice star Ramona Nerra. ATB has always been my favourite DJ by far, scoring #1 hits in my chart with 9PM (Till I Come) and Don't Stop in 1999, My Dream in 2000 and I Don't Wanna Stop in 2003. After a nine year wait he made it five as I was massively taken by the Calvin Harris-esque trance riffs on Never Give Up, quite unlike the synthy blips of his previous material. It was another of my BJSC entries and made a tremendous non-impact, finishing in the bottom five and completely failing to win over anybody! I do get why, I suppose it could be seen as a generic dance song, but my love for ATB, the fantastic riff, and the lyrics which were actually pretty close to how I felt in a certain situation at the time all called out to me and ATB can count himself unlucky to finish just outside the top ten! Never write these 90s stars off - Whigfield and ATB have both still got it!

10. David Guetta feat Sia - Titanium

 

Chart run: 4-1-2-3-7-12-18-23-29-32-29-39-OUT-33-27-19-5-1-1-2-4-5-11-21-33

 

 

Few songs can lay claim to finishing in my end of year top 20 twice, and even fewer have had runs on top in two separate years! But that's exactly what happened with French DJ David Guetta's Titanium, a collaboration with the incredible (and criminally underrated until this year) Australian singer Sia. The stunning melancholy meets euphoric dance anthem initally quickly topped my chart in summer 2011 and finished at #16 in my end of year chart last year. However after a few decent singles from his Nothing But The Beat era, Guetta turned next to his crowning jewel, Titanium. For once common sense prevailed and the song slowly grew and grew and is now by far his biggest hit ever in the UK, knocking on the door of the million sellers club! With this and Wild Ones out at the same time, Sia had gone from being a one hit wonder 12 years ago to somebody with simultaneous top five hits for quite a few weeks running, it was amazing to witness. It's rare for songs to get a huge 'UK release boost' in my chart after they've charted as album tracks unless they're something SO special that they can win me over all over again, and that's exactly what the magnificent Titanium managed to do!

9. Swedish House Mafia feat John Martin - Don't You Worry Child

 

Chart run: 42-21-21-17-17-12-8-4-7-5-6-2-5-5-9-18-27

 

 

What would my end of year top ten be without some Swede's? Just for a change, a couple of my big Swedish favourites were huge UK hits too but none were bigger than dance trio Swedish House Mafia's farewell single Don't You Worry Child. The only song in my top ten of the year not to have topped my chart, and the first non #1 since Lady Gaga's Poker Face in 2009 to feature in my end of year top ten, Swedish House Mafia can count themselves eternally unlucky to have come up against a song still to come and not grab that pole position in their peak week. An absolutely sensational dance anthem, I first heard it as a live version in the middle of summer and it hovered around mid-table in my chart until the eventual studio version pushed it to the business end. With incredible soaring vocals from John Martin and one of the best riff's dance music has ever seen, this was an absolutely incredible high to end on, and easily their finest single to date. They will be sorely missed.

8. Prance Faris - Flares

 

Chart run: 31-15-9-2-3-3-1-2-3-8-16-24

 

 

Talking of huge Swedish dance riffs, how on EARTH have a major record label still not picked this up? Flares by the unknown producer Prance Faris is an incredible trance song which could really be turned into an absolutely MONSTER hit in the right hands. The bare bones are already there, perhaps a new vocal would be needed, or the existing semi-vocal removed but Flares could quite easily go stratospheric. As it is, it's managed a disgraceful 421 views on Youtube, is there no justice? At least half of these are probably from Buzzjack, it was my opening 2012 entry and managed a highly respectable third place. Considering dance barely ever does well in BJSC, and certainly never makes the top three, this was a huge achievement and confirms the huge crossover appeal of Flares, somebody PLEASE make this song happen!

7. Delta Goodrem - Wish You Were Here

 

 

Chart run: 1-1-1-1-3-6-8-13-19

 

Following four huge dance anthems, it's time to strip it right back with a piano ballad and it's Delta Goodrem's third single of 2012, Wish You Were Here. A stunningly beautiful song, this was much more 'the Delta of old' than the previous two singles and fans were elated to see this side of her returning. Dedicated to her friend Liam who had died a few years earlier in a motorcycle accident, the song is incredibly emotional and touching and I fell head over heels in love with it from the first listen, becoming a rare entry at #1 in my chart, which neither of the first two singles of the era had managed and spent four weeks on top before making a relatively swift exit as Christmas madness took over. Rivalling even Extraordinary Day in the raw emotion and feeling stakes, this is a beautiful song.

6. Taylor Swift - We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together

 

Chart run: 16-1-1-2-1-2-4-9-15

 

 

I really thought that Taylor Swift had peaked in 2009 with the fantastic Love Story, a #1 hit for two weeks for me which finished at #19 in my end of year chart. A couple of average years of singles followed but in 2012 the young country star got it more right than she ever had before. It was obvious from the first listen that We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together was something special. It's got to be something special to get a country song into the UK top five, although obviously it's the most poppy thing she's ever done thanks to Max Martin's influence. At some point between the last album and this one Taylor somehow gathered a huge fanbase in the UK, everything she's done during the Red era has turned to solid gold, two massive singles and a #1 album, and it's fully deserved, it's always saddened me that such a great pop song has never got the attention that she should be in this country. WANEGBT is another of 2012's future pop classics, so instant, so relateable and so damn catchy. Pop perfection!

 

The top five have all already made their way into my top 100 favourite songs ever, and are miles ahead of #6! Five VERY special songs to me that really absolutely defined my 2012, they will be coming up shortly!

5. Rae Morris - Don't Go

 

Chart run: 2-1-3-3-6-4-4-5-7-4-8-11-8-11-17-18-18-28

 

 

Even the combined force of Delta and piano balladry couldn't make it my favourite example of the genre this year! Blackpool singer Rae Morris first came to my attention when I was watching the final episode of the most recent series of Skins. Don't Go was used in the closing scene and immediately jumped out at me as being something very special indeed. I rushed to iTunes to buy it and it refused to leave my affections for the next few months. An absolutely gorgeous song, everything about it gets me every time. Her unique vocal style sets her aside from her contemporaries and I really hope that she can become huge at some point in the next few years, this really should be/should have been her breakthrough single. I was secretly hoping that somebody would sing it on X Factor or something because it went top 100 on iTunes based on the Skins clip and would unqestionably be huge. Birdy where are you? Lead single for the next era anybody? That said, when I sent it to BJSC it didn't exactly get the reception I'd hoped for, scraping through the semi-finals by the skin of its teeth and then winding up mid-table. But the fact that it qualified for the semi-finals of the Best Of and finished in a respectable position prove that perhaps people just hadn't let this song grow on them enough. And everybody really needs to because it's an absolute highlight of the musical year for me.

4. Gotye feat Kimbra - Somebody That I Used To Know

 

Chart run: 60-48-44-39-OUT-27-19-13-9-2-1-1-1-2-2-3-3-2-5-6-7-12-19-31-44

 

 

A song that needs no introduction, it's the biggest selling single of the year in the UK and the US and pretty much worldwide. And all this from humble beginnings. A Belgian-Australian male singer/songwriter and a young female New Zealander both struggling to achieve commercial success and coming together to record a duet doesn't exactly sound like the start of a mammoth chart hit but Somebody That I Used To Know is one of those special songs. I first heard it back in mid-2011 and found it a mild curiosity, it sat outside my chart for a few weeks but remained on my playlist, but I can't say that I loved it, it reminded me of an indie take on Baa Baa Black Sheep. Hitstastic sent it to BJSC around this time and it rose in my affections a little, I gave it 4 or 5 points. It started to take off globally and I found myself listening to and loving it more and more with each listen. It finished at #55 in my end of year 2011 chart, having made it to #2 in my weekly chart in my final chart of last year. But it really defined the opening quarter of this year for me and thoroughly deserves all of the success that it's had. The fact that it sounds so different to everything else, and that radio have opened it with welcome arms have made it the huge smash that it's been. How do you know when something's special? When a couple of Australasian nobodies can reach the UK's top 50 biggest selling singles of all time with nothing more than an incredibly effective hook and a clever video.

3. Delta Goodrem - Hunters And The Wolves

 

Chart run: 2-1-1-1-1-1-1-2-4-8

 

 

Surely a year with Delta Goodrem being active wouldn't ever result in her not placing an entry in the top three of said year? Although her three singles were all brilliant, none were quite substantial enough to crack the very top of my affections. However the first listen to the album made it quite clear what the highlight of this era was. Hunters And The Wolves was a very instant standout, the thundering production and vocal style harking back to Tori Amos at her peak. A real zany vocal quality to the chorus last seen on Florence + The Machine's Lungs album, this is my favourite song of hers since the almighty Believe Again, my third favourite song of all time. I decided to send it to BJSC to mark the 50th anniversary of the contest and even though she's never done well before, I was elated that this was the song to change that, finishing second on joint points with the winner. Like the other unlucky losers, play and Love Killer though, this song was far better in my opinion than the song that defeated it (sorry Phil/Tomx2), and Delta will be MAD to not choose this as the fourth single from the era, should there be one.

TWO songs left, will there be a surprise at the top like last year when Moves Like Jagger unseated The A Team in the dying seconds, or will the winner this time be the song that everybody expects? Find out a little later!

I know one song obviously but I'm not entirely certain about the identity of the second, although the only way it won't be there is if I've somehow missed it lower down - I think the top 2 will go as I expect though. THIS TIME.

 

If I am right, I am very happy with how this has gone.

 

(Gotye and Rae Morris are both amazing songs YES, not a surprise to see Hunters And The Wolves up this high but it's also good even if it hasn't lasted that well for me)

I know one song obviously but I'm not entirely certain about the identity of the second, although the only way it won't be there is if I've somehow missed it lower down - I think the top 2 will go as I expect though. THIS TIME.

 

If I am right, I am very happy with how this has gone.

 

(Gotye and Rae Morris are both amazing songs YES, not a surprise to see Hunters And The Wolves up this high but it's also good even if it hasn't lasted that well for me)

 

I must admit that Hunters & The Wolves isn't sticking around atop my weekly chart for as long as I thought (I thought it would be my Xmas #1 and beyond) but I still think it's absolutely sensational. Rae Morris wasn't far behind her as my favourite BJSC entry of the year though, still gutted that it did so badly, if it had got a point or two less and DNQ'd, I'd have probably walked out of the contest in disgust and disbelief :lol:

2. Owl City & Carly Rae Jepsen - Good Time

 

Chart run: 25-8-7-5-1-2-2-1-2-2-1-2-3-3-7-12

 

 

In the year of the unlikely megahit, what was even more unlikely was the prospect of Carly Rae Jepsen ever having another hit! Even less likely was Owl City, the man behind 2010's magnificent UK #1 Fireflies, having one. However the unlikely duo joined forces for the excellent summer pop song Good Time and it provided both acts with another UK top five hit, and a fairly substantial one worldwide! This and We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together were my two huge summer anthems and they both kept swapping between #1 and #2, scoring three weeks each on top, Owl and Carly doing it quite unusually across three separate runs with a couple of weeks at #1 sandwiched inbetween each week at the top! Just an absolutely joyful, great fun, singalong, pure pop song, it absolutely defines my summer for a number of reasons and has never really left my affections. Whether either will ever have another hit is doubtful but Carly is far more likely to have one than Adam 'awkward' Young. Maybe not a popular opinion to rank Good Time above Call Me Maybe but I have no shame in doing so, it's always a good time when listening to this.

Well I think we know what #1 is going to be. :D The big question is will we share #1s of 2012? :o

 

Also :wub: for the Gotye write up and name check. Seriously though, even I never expected 'Somebody That I Used To Know' to become THAT big in the UK. It's really is a classic case of a track managing to appeal to a broader audience hence why its continued selling so well. Also like the fact it progressed 36-21-07-03-01 in the UK charts. In fact, I think mine and randomfurlong's are the only 2 charts where Gotye actually debuted at #1. :lol: Of course it had enough time to really grow on me before I charted it.

 

Not sure if you've had chance to check out my latest weekly chart but Delta has MADE MY TOP 10!!! (GD in celebration mode :w00t: :yahoo: ) with 'Hunters And The Wolves'. As Delta's #1 fan, please can you tell me if 'Believe Again' was released after 'In This Life' as the latter made #6 in my chart yet I can't recall how it goes. :drama: (I'm guessing it was released in 2004)

1. Loreen - Euphoria

 

Chart run: 1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-2-2-2-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-2-2-2-2-3-5-9-9-12-17-25

 

 

Never before has there been such a huge margin between #1 and #2 on my end of year chart. Words will fail to express how much I love Euphoria but I'll give it a go. Pre-Euphoria I was a bit of a Loreen doubter, I liked both My Heart Is Refusing Me and Sober, but both had felt slightly unsubstantial in some way, I sensed that Loreen had more to give, she seemed like such a unique performer. Fast forward to Melodifestivalen 2012 and the fact that she'd decided to return already suggested that she knew she'd found something good, a reason worth coming back for. I remember the opening comments on BJ from people that had heard one minute of Euphoria - they were unimpressed. I was highly impressed, but didn't feel the need to comment until hearing the full performance, which I did for the first time on her Melodifestivalen semi-final performance. I was absolutely blown away by the song and her unusual performance and the studio version confirmed to me that this song was incredibly special. It went on to do all sorts of unexpected things - beating Danny Saucedo to win Melodifestivalen 2012, went multi-platinum in her native Sweden and debuted at #1 in my chart, something which hardly ever happens. It took a three week break to allow Rae Morris and Delta Goodrem some time at the top but soon resumed its run and finished at a record shattering 17 weeks at #1 for me, five weeks more than the previous record of 12 weeks held by Delta's Believe Again and DJ Sammy's Heaven. 25 weeks inside the top three was also a record and it seemed that this could finally become the song to unseat N-Trance's Set You Free as my all time favourite song. Whether that ever happens remains to be seen, we'll see how it stands the test of time over the years.

 

Back to Euphoria, she and Sweden won Eurovision, and would even have done so on televotes alone, even though the Russian grannies would have been incredibly close. But then the unthinkable happened, the day after the contest Euphoria raced to #1 on iTunes across the continent, including in the Eurovision-phobic UK! Sadly, most UK radio and TV refused to support the song and it dropped away quickly after a #3 official debut. But UK Eurovision fans rejoiced at the sight of such a stunning masterpiece from the contest in the top three, and it surely brings us one step closer to a day that songs from the contest will again be accepted in this country! It was of course a mammoth hit across Europe and deservedly so, putting Loreen's name on the map. Following Satellite in 2010, Euphoria is the second Eurovision song to top my end of year chart, and has already become my favourite entry of all time. The 2013 contest has a LOT to live up to, is it at all possible to top perfection?

 

For me this song has never got boring, I've played it a ridiculous 300+ times according to my iTunes playcounts, five times as much as I've played any other song this year, I'll never tire of hearing that pounding siren intro leading into the melancholy brooding beat of the verses and the literal Euphoria of the chorus. The immense dance production laden with sweeping strings and the winding down to the minimalistic middle eight before crashing back into the incredible chorus and the thundering finish. Everything about the song is perfection.

:D Fantastic top 2, both are in the higher echelons of my chart and great paragraph for both of them (although I will continually wish for Owl City to have as many more hits as his luck allows him to).

 

Euphoria is stunning even now, and I never expected anything else to top your chart really, I'd forgotten just how many weeks it had spent at #1 for you.