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039 Florence + The Machine "Shake It Out" (2011) [1,139]

UK chart peak: #12

 

27-15-11-06-02-02-02-03-03-04-07-10-15-19-26-34-39-43-48 (19 weeks)

 

Here is my favourite Florence single of the 2010s so far, and it is the wonderful "Shake It Out" which showcases and combines gospel-laden pop hooks, a church organ and Florence's outstanding vocals to maximum effect. The track was produced (along with most of the second album) with Paul Epworth who Florence had originally met whilst recording "Cosmic Love" and loved so much how that had turned out that she felt she had to work with him again. The #12 UK peak misrepresents its success, which includes 24 weeks on the singles chart - an enduring run - though it is indeed not surprising it has become one of her biggest hits it is disappointing that it didn't become her biggest. Florence said that the track was written about having a hangover and wanting to shake it out. Speaking to XFM radio, Florence explained: "I wanted to just shake something out, shake out these regrets, shake out these things that haunt you. It was one of those songs that came in about half an hour and when you've got a hangover, it is almost like a hangover cure. You're like, thank you!"

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038 Adele "Rolling In The Deep" (2011) [1,163]

UK chart peak: #2

 

28-15-06-03-01-01-01-02-03-05-07-10-16-21-29-36-41-47 (18 weeks)

 

Up until 2011, Adele's biggest song on my chart remained her gorgeous debut single, and ode-to-London "Hometown Glory" which made the Top 10 twice (once in 2007 on original release, and again in 2008 thanks to a High Contrast remix) that changed in a big way in early 2011. Whilst "Someone Like You" was very good, it always just lacked something for me. Something that did have passion was the 1st single from 21, the revenge song "Rolling In The Deep" (a play on the British slang Roll Deep) that Adele wrote within hours of breaking up with her long term boyfriend. "It's me saying, 'Get the f--- out of my house instead of me begging him to come back. It's my reaction to being told my life was going be boring and lonely and rubbish, and that I was a weak person if I didn't stay in a relationship," she said. "I wrote it as a sort of 'F--k you.'" The track was honoured as the most performed work of 2011 at the 57th Ivor Novello Awards. Accepting the award with Paul Epworth, Adele said that she never expected the song to be a hit. "No offence Paul, I didn't think it was going to do anything, anywhere!," she quipped.

Edited September 11, 201311 yr by Doctor Blind

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037 Esben and the Witch "Marching Song" (2010) [1,166]

 

47-32-21-09-03-01-01-01-03-05-06-09-11-13-21-27-35-42-48 (19 weeks)

 

Esben and the Witch are a brilliant three-piece band from Brighton who named themselves after a Danish fairytale. Their debut single (and to-date finest release) was the haunting and majestic "Marching Song" - which deals with with anxiety, and in particular that which accompanies the anticipation of something terrible. The way the track plays out is an excellent example of how pacing a track just right can pay dividends - with the moody production/ arrangement and slow pace initially adding to the dread, and the percussion slowly building momentum. The opening of the song starts as commentary from a battlefield onlooker and speaks of determination in the face the potential drama to come "Soldier on to this marching song. Head held high with eyes fixed strong" with it ending subtly as elements from the background are slowly removed. The video is quite harrowing to watch but matches the tone of the song completely.

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036 Disclosure ft. Sam Smith "Latch" (2012) [1,167]

UK chart peak: #11

 

48-25-09-05-03-02-03-05-06-10-11-17-19-25-30-36-38-39-39-44-44-48 (22 weeks)

 

Their debut commercial release after almost a year of build-up and smaller releases such as "Flow" and "Tender" was the excellent "Latch" which despite debuting at #26 on the UK singles chart (higher than expected) it actually managed to improve on debut position to become a relatively big hit. The song originated from an idea Disclosure had to write a song in a different time signature to other dance tunes. Guy Lawrence explained to Spin magazine: "We just wanted to make a song in 6/8, in that time signature. You know, the swung, triplet-y kind of sound. There's hardly any other timing in dance music than 4/4, and all we wanted to do is just make a track in 6/8. That's how it started." The chill house track features warm vocals from newcomer Sam Smith. The brothers hooked up with him through their manager, and Sam wrote the vocals and recorded them in a day. The track was produced by UK producer James Napier who added "Their music caught my attention because it appealed to my love for house and garage while sounding completely refreshing and very much their own."

Edited September 11, 201311 yr by Doctor Blind

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035 Foster The People "Pumped Up Kicks" (2011) [1,171]

UK chart peak: #18

 

36-20-12-06-03-03-01-01-03-05-06-08-10-16-21-27-35-44-48 (19 weeks)

 

It was a matter of time before this song got pulled from the US airwaves, I mean it has the words "gun" and bullets" in it (which of course you are legally allowed to buy if you live in America - it is your LEGAL RIGHT, right?), and the lyrics speak of a misunderstood outsider going on a killing spree of children - a theme which contrasts a juxtaposition with the upbeat melody and chords - so what is it really about then? The Los Angeles rock band explained that 'Pumped Up Kicks' is about a kid that basically is losing his mind and is plotting revenge. He's an outcast. I feel like the youth in our culture are becoming more and more isolated. It's kind of an epidemic. Instead of writing about victims and some tragedy, I wanted to get into the killer's mind, like Truman Capote did in In Cold Blood. I love to write about characters. That's my style. I really like to get inside the heads of other people and try to walk in their shoes."

Edited September 11, 201311 yr by Doctor Blind

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034 The Drums "Money" (2011) [1,195]

 

49-37-26-17-11-07-02-01-01-02-04-08-14-20-24-28-33-37-40-41-46 (21 weeks)

 

I absolutely love the Drums, and it was inevitable that I would be all over the 1st single from their 2nd LP Portamento but it did take a LONG time for this to build in my affections (see chart run above) although it is now easily one of my favourites of theirs. For me, "Money" sounds like it could have been a Smiths song - for a start the "I want to buy you something, but I don't have a money" refrain sounds a little like that of "This Charming Man", plus Jonathan Pierce's vocals are very falseto and Morrissey/Smiths like. Quite simply the tracks lyrics are about wanting to do something for the person you love and not being able to.

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033 Kanye West "Runaway" (2010) [1,201]

UK peak: #56

 

43-24-13-11-08-06-04-02-02-04-05-07-08-11-17-23-29-34-38-45-49 (21 weeks)

 

Breaking into the 1200 points barrier now (meaning these will definitely be amongst the decade's finest/biggest songs) we have the amazing "Runaway" from Kanye West - which I still think is easily his best track of the decade. From the moment you hear the melancholy opening piano note repeated, you know that something special is about to happen - Kanye has said the song was about having remorse for being a fool and then rapped about toasting those who are douche-bags, scumbags and jerk-offs. And so finally slipping away from all the outlandish antics and silly bravado we have Kanye showing some self-awareness (in his own way, of course) "I just blame everything on you/ At least that's what I'm good at." Rapper Pusha T comes onboard for the track and Kanye also borrows a drum break from Pete Rock & CL Smooth's 1992 debut album, Mecca and the Soul Brother to excellent effect. Maybe now everyone can move on and forget about that Taylor Swift incident or that "George Bush doesn't care about black people".

Edited September 11, 201311 yr by Doctor Blind

A lot of *.* songs so far. KEEP IT UP

 

MORE YAMMYWHAMMY PLZ

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032 iamamiwhoami "Goods" (2012) [1,211]

 

34-22-11-05-02-01-01-01-01-02-05-08-10-13-18-27-37-48 (18 weeks)

 

Don't you just hate it when Pavel's right? It's so ANNOYING isn't it? *.* Anyway the disco infused and synth driven slice of pop perfection of "Goods" was by far the stunning highlight from Kin. Jonna Lee's (alongside musical producer Claes Björklund) incredible talent is something she demonstrates highly on this track - which shows that the conventional song structure is something the band could easily be hammering out track after track and probably getting a lot of hits too, but the fact is - they don't really care about hits do they.. "Goods" is an insanely enjoyable and addictive track effortlessly weaving Lee's delicate and otherworldly vocals through warm synth blasts. Is the line "Don't expect to hear from me 'Cause I have got to feed our hungry mouths/ I do enjoy your company But we must work to keep you content" a correspondence with her fans - we await the next chapter with anticipation.

 

BYE

Edited September 11, 201311 yr by Doctor Blind

That was a massive coincidence by the way! :D

 

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031 The Horrors "Still Life" (2011) [1,214]

UK chart peak: #63

 

34-17-12-08-06-03-01-02-02-05-08-13-13-20-24-29-29-36-39-44-50 (21 weeks)

 

Final song for today - and it is from the Horrors, who up until 2009 were really quite awful but then released the absolutely amazing Primary Colours and suddenly all was forgiven. In 2011 the hotly anticipated follow-up was due and from it the lead single was "Still Life" which sounds incredibly like a Simple Minds tune (which I naturally, would love) but despite having heavy influences from mid-1980s pop culture it manages to update it and refresh it into something that sounds cutting edge and new at the same time. "Still Life" was the first track written by British alternative punk band The Horrors for their third album, Skying. Bassist Rhys Webb told NME that he and vocalist Faris Badwan started work on it, then sent it to synth player Tom Cowan, who introduced the break and brass at the end." He added: "After a year on the road, before the night was out we had recorded the first demo. It was so relaxed and pretty exciting. I left saying to myself, 'If that's the first track we've written, what's the rest of it going to sound like?'" The end result was this amazing tune!

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030 Woodkid "Run Boy Run" (2012) [1,215]

UK chart peak: #44

 

49-31-21-12-06-01-02-03-06-08-13-19-20-23-27-30-35-41-38-37-35-40-46 (23 weeks)

 

"Run Boy Run!/This world is not made for you"

 

Into the Top 30 and the split between the 4 years is as follows: 2010: 9, 2011: 9, 2012: 8 and in 2013: 4 (so far). At #30 we have 30 year-old Yoann Lemoine, aka Woodkid - who is a French music director who has worked on the music videos for Drake and Lana Del Rey, but in 2012 became a musician in his own right when he started work on his debut LP The Golden Age. The album explores childhood and the (sometimes scary) journey to becoming an adult, a theme which is picked up on strongly on his second single from the album, the dramatic "Run Boy Run" - which towers majestically above most of the tracks in this countdown with a large orchestra and thundering drumbeat throughout - and has a great video for which Yoann recieved a Grammy nomination for best short film in 2012. It's a quick musical journey full of intense originality and deserved to do much better than #44!

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029 The Count & Sinden ft. Mystery Jets "After Dark" (2010) [1,220]

UK chart peak:#47

 

39-21-13-08-04-01-01-01-01-02-03-05-07-11-16-22-32-44 (18 weeks)

 

3 years early to the disco revival were Essex duo The Count (Hervé) and Sinden who had previously made the chart back in 2008 with their collaboration with Kid Sister, "Beeper", a track that barely squeezed into the UK singles chart at #69. They decided in 2010 to showcase further underground artists on their debut Mega Mega Mega - which included collaborations with Bashy, Rye Rye and Katy B. But also they included their good friends, Eel Pie Island band Mystery Jets, who on "After Dark" take the bands traditionally psychedelic pop sound and mix it up to a catchy groove-ridden and soulful disco beat which works brilliantly well.

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028 Hooray For Earth "No Love" (2012) [1,241]

35-24-13-06-02-02-01-01-03-04-07-09-10-11-16-21-28-33-43-50 (20 weeks)

 

A massive Unknown Pleasures track (there is one more to come) enters here at 28 - and it is thanks to Dandy* for sending this track back in 2011 that I discovered it. The band Hooray For Earth have actually been around for a fair while now, formed at high school by Noel Heroux and bassist Chris Principe in 1996, but taking until 2011 to gather enough momentum and recognition to get worldwide acclaim and sales. The band name was just a joke but has stuck with them, Noel explains: "The name started off as a joke, and unfortunately we never changed it so there it is. It guess it’s supposed to be celebratory but it’s a joke too, like ‘hooray for earth, we totally f***ed it up!’." "No Love" is a strange but enjoyable synth-horn filled track, complete with elements of funk, house and punchy lyricism. It even made it to the Radio 1 playlist briefly in 2012, but sadly did not make the UK singles chart.

Edited September 14, 201311 yr by Doctor Blind

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027 Gold Panda "Snow & Taxis (2010) [1,241]

 

38-25-15-11-06-04-03-02-02-02-03-03-05-08-12-15-21-29-38-50 (20 weeks)

 

Sadly "You" does not chart here, a song probably now better known because of its sampling by Charli XCX this year on the divisive "You (Ha Ha Ha)"; however the equally brilliant "Snow & Taxis" also taken from Gold Panda's debut does. This is the highest charting instrumental of the 2010s (though the only instrumental #1 of the decade so far remains "Olympians" by Fuck Buttons) and was the second single to be taken from the London producers debut Lucky Shiner. Born in Chelmsford, Essex - Gold Panda - or Derwin R. Powers to give him his birth name, had been releasing ambient electronic music through a series of 7" single releases in 2009, but signed with Ghostly International to release his debut LP in 2010. The single "Snow & Taxis" is a crisp and creative track, and somewhat calmer moment from his LP. He recorded it in just a day, he said: "if I spend ages on something it ends up becoming awful and too contrived. I love that stuff that’s a bit messy".

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026 Daft Punk ft. Pharrell Williams "Get Lucky" (2013) [1,244]

 

UK chart peak: #1!

 

26-09-05-01-01-01-02-02-03-03-05-06-08-08-13-21-34-48 (18 weeks)

 

I don't think anybody was ever expecting this at the start of the year, not only a slight return from their disappointing Human After All era, but an all-conquering massive comeback from the French duo, which saw them having a worldwide smash that has sold over a million in the UK alone! "Get Lucky" stormed to #1 in May and gave the band their 3rd number 1 on my chart, following a 10 year gap between June 2001 chart-topper "Digital Love" and previously to that the 2 weeks at No. 1 for "One More Time" in November 2000. The track features the guitar work of Nile Rogers, the lead guitarist and founding member of the 70s band Chic; a music producer who inspired by Daft Punk and Pharrell Williams. Speaking about the track Pharrell said "I was trying to slice a really good moment and keep it on repeat. 'Up all night to get lucky' means you don't want the night to end. You want that golden moment on repeat, like the music repeats."

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025 The Joy Formidable "Whirring" (2011) [1,249]

 

29-16-11-09-05-01-01-01-03-05-05-08-10-13-17-24-29-33-40-47 (20 weeks)

 

The second and highest entry for the Welsh rock band is the incredible (and easily their best ) single "Whirring" which was taken from their debut The Big Roar in 2011. I first heard this track as a rough demo on their first EP A Balloon Called Moaning back in 2009, but the huge wall-of-sound guitars that erupt near the end of the newly revamped version really make the track. "Whirring" has an interesting Pixies / Sugarcubes / Eve's Plum / Morella's Forest style melodic attack with very dramatic vocals, and sounds similar to something Arcade Fire produced on their 2nd LP Neon Bible in terms of structure, only a little more rock and with 3 people in the band not 7! The track has received much more attention in America than in the U.K. (Predictably it did nothing in the UK) - it made #7 on the US Alternative chart, Dave Grohl pronounced the song as 'song of the year' on his Twitter last year, and The Lonely Island sampled the track partly in their own song "Y.O.L.O. (You Only Live Once)" earlier in 2013.

i totally forgot about that mystery jets song! used to love that.

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024 Disclosure ft. AlunaGeorge "White Noise" (2013) [1,264]

UK chart peak: #2

 

39-22-11-04-01-02-03-04-06-09-10-13-19-23-26-28-31-37-37-40-40-43-48 (23 weeks)

 

Despite 2013 being a relatively disappointing year for new music (on the whole); there have been a surprisingly large number of excellent big UK chart hits - which this next song demonstrates nicely. The combination of emerging UK talents Disclosure and Aluna Francis from AlunaGeorge came about in 2012 after AlunaGeorge supported Disclosure at their show at Brixton's Plan B in late 2012. Their mutual admiration for each other's music resulted in them collaborating on this song, the wonderful "White Noise" - a bold pop/dance hybrid which showcases Howard and Guy Lawrence's impeccable knack for structure, and which shot 28-2 on the UK singles chart in February after significant interest built in the duo after their debut hit "Latch" (see: #36). As a response to critics saying that they would kill the 90s house revival, Disclosure responded "I’d say to him, would you rather be in your car and listen to Nicki Minaj, David Guetta and Avicii or White Noise?". The vocals and lyrics of Aluna are similiarly barbed in places "If you wanna get tough/ Let's play rough." A total joy, and one of this years finest songs for sure!

Edited September 14, 201311 yr by Doctor Blind

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023 Deerhunter "Revival" (2010) [1,264]

 

44-29-18-08-05-02-02-01-01-02-04-06-10-15-21-27-34-34-39-43-46 (21 weeks)

 

The rock band from Atlanta, Georgia released their 5th studio album in 2010, the wonderful Halcyon Digest - the album title referencing a collection of fond memories, and which lead singer Bradford Cox suggested "The way that we write and rewrite and edit our memories to be a digest version of what we want to remember, and how that's kind of sad. It has a lot to do with the way people romanticize the past, even if it was horrific". The first track from the album was "Revival" which I massively overplayed in late 2010, in which Cox uses themes of religion and spirituality to great effect in a jangly guitar-pop single that at just 2 minutes recalls the very short nature of pop singles of the 1950s and 1960s. The video isn't official, but it does suit the song brilliantly with its questioning of science vs religion.

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022 Bon Iver "Calgary" (2011) [1,280]

 

45-25-11-05-03-02-01-03-04-07-09-09-12-15-19-26-32-37-40-44-47-49-50 (23 weeks)

 

The final two tracks outside the Top 20 are from artists who have another hit inside the Top 20 - first up is Justin Vernon's band Bon Iver ('good winter' in French). The first single from Bon Iver's eponymous second album was "Calgary" - a track which like for most from the album is named after a real place, and is indeed a mid-western Canadian city located in Alberta's grassland region. After becoming addicted to their debut For Emma, Forever Ago in late 2008 it was inevitable that new Bon Iver tracks would do well, but "Calgary" surpassed all expectations by giving them their first #1. The track uses the Canadian city as a metaphor for a wedding-vow between two people that haven't met. "Calgary is a metaphor, I've never been there," Vernon explained. "It's about what you don't know. It's a hopeful song, kind of like a wedding vow song for someone you've never met. It's saying 'Look, if I do end up running into you along the line, I don't know who you are, but I feel like there's someone out there', 'it's inviting that mystery into your life and believing in it." Again, this isn't the official video, but I much prefer it to the official one.