Sorry SevenSeize, not quite #1. :(

 

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51ah-nSgp9L._SL500_AA500_.jpg

 

006 Bombay Bicycle Club "Shuffle" (2011) [1,486]

UK chart peak: #64

 

36-16-08-05-02-01-01-01-02-03-03-06-06-07-09-11-17-22-26-30-32-35-43 (23 weeks)

 

Here they are then - with their only single in the Top 100 - but what a song! Jack Steadman, bassist Ed Nash, guitarist Jamie MacColl and drummer Suren de Saram are Bombay Bicycle Club. 4 lads from London who only started out as the Canals in 2005 at the age of just 15 and struggled to get a record deal despite winning Virgin Mobile’s “Road To V” battle-of-the-bands contest in 2006. They persevered though and in 2011 gave us "Shuffle", the stunning highlight of 3rd studio album A Different Kind Of Fix and sound of a band really coming into their own. The song was originally written by Steadman in the late 2000s and he reworked it as more of a hip-hop track for A Different Kind Of Fix. The vocal melody was taken from an afro-beat song that he and Ed Nash used to play during soundchecks; they took a simple piano loop from an old jazz record, and built the song around that, joining what sounds like an off-key riff into something that compliments the vocals and rhythm of the song, it's so vibrant, alive and addictive.

http://i294.photobucket.com/albums/mm82/TheMagicPosition86/092e_zps4e5a657e.png

 

005 Jessie Ware "110%" (2012) [1,575]

UK chart peak: #61 (but #41 when re-titled "If You're Never Gonna Move" !)

 

33-19-12-06-02-01-01-01-01-01-02-04-07-12-16-21-25-25-23-26-32-34-40-40-43 (25 weeks)

 

Inevitably I am going to go on about that sample - but before I do a little about Jessie. Jessie Ware is a brilliant multi-talented singer/songwriter who was brought up by her Jewish family in Clapham, South London. After working with SBTRKT and Sampha, she decided to branch out on her own and record her debut Devotion which was released to much critical acclaim in 2012. For "110%" - a play on Big Pun's "100%" (which is that sample) - she teamed up with upcoming UK producer Julio Bashmore. She states: "I basically wrote the song based on the idea of trying to get [big Pun] out of his chair," she said, "and onto the dancefloor... you know, this massive kind of guy who just won't budge, even though you really want him to." Repeated throughout the song there is a sample of Big Pun reciting the line, "carving my initials on your forehead" from his track, "The Dream Shatterer." "There was something quite obscene about that line that I kind of wanted to see if I could get away sampling one of the biggest, most beloved rappers on top of this very sweet vocal," Ware recalled to Billboard magazine with a laugh. "It just cuts through and sounds really good with the song." Let's just say, he didn't see the funny side.

Edited September 15, 201311 yr by Doctor Blind

'Shuffle' :wub: Absolutely one of my favourite songs of the century so far. Don't really like any of their other stuff much, so it really is something special!

 

Black Light is fantastic, loved 'Paper Romance' although 'History' was my big takeaway from it.

 

JESSIE <3 Not even close to being my favourite of hers, but superb nonetheless.

'Shuffle' :wub: Absolutely one of my favourite songs of the century so far. Don't really like any of their other stuff much, so it really is something special!

 

Black Light is fantastic, loved 'Paper Romance' although 'History' was my big takeaway from it.

 

JESSIE <3 Not even close to being my favourite of hers, but superb nonetheless.

YAY. Glad you approve.

There is just something about "Shuffle" - it never fails to cheer me up! :D

 

Well here is a song that is probably the most OBVIOUS choice here - that's it for now. Next time: The Top 3 of the decade.

 

http://cdn03.cdn.gorillavsbear.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/Midnight-City.jpg

 

004 M83 "Midnight City" (2011) [1,588]

UK chart peak: #34

 

49-23-11-04-01-01-02-04-04-05-05-06-10-16-18-21-23-28-30-33-39-40-42-48-46-43-35-33-40 (29 weeks)

 

The last time I was writing about this song in 2011, I was lamenting it failing to become a UK chart hit - and then in early 2012 the BBC used it to advertise its own forthcoming coverage of the London 2012 Olympics and it charted - prompting Radio 1 to get ON BOARD. You've got to love the BBC sometimes haven't you? The band is really just Anthony Gonzalez; who took the name from the spiral galaxy, Messier 83 - I think probably one of the only bands to be named after a galaxy! Previously charting with "Kim & Jessie" in 2008, "Midnight City" surpassed that to become easily his biggest hit on my chart and the 4th biggest of the decade (so far). The track ends with a glorious saxophone solo played by James King of the Los Angeles soul/indie pop band, Fitz and The Tantrums - Anthony said: "Sometimes a song needs an element to be finished. You know that this element has been overused in the past and is considered clichéd or cheesy, but the song needs it. With this album, the whole idea was to do something and have no regrets"

http://i294.photobucket.com/albums/mm82/TheMagicPosition86/4bb8_zps7c12d9c7.png

 

003 Grimes "Genesis" (2012) [1,809]

 

47-30-21-11-06-03-01-01-01-01-01-01-02-03-05-05-06-07-09-13-19-25-32-39-39-42-44-47 (28 weeks)

 

The exceptionally talented Claire Boucher is at #3 with the amazing "Genesis". She was first brought to my attention in 2011 when Pavel (who else!) sent Grimes to Unknown Pleasures XI with the track "Crystal Ball". The track featured many elements of her music that she would go on to recreate on her 2012 debut Visions - an expert execution of hyper-digital sound; using a couple of vocal pedals, a sampler, a Juno-G keyboard, and GarageBand, she manages to channel bubblegum-pop vibes through a series of futuristic filters, topping everything with extraterrestrial vocals. The single "Genesis" expertly showcases all of these elements, and adds a slight Asian influence in the opening keyboard riff before launching into a well structured conventional (but exceptionally good) synth-pop song - which title "Genesis" seems to conjure up the image of this being a new beginning for Claire.

http://i294.photobucket.com/albums/mm82/TheMagicPosition86/d02c_zps55537ff6.png

 

002 Foals "Spanish Sahara" (2010) [1,838]

 

30-20-12-10-13-19-30-41-48-XX-39-19-10-03-01-01-01-01-03-06-07-06-09-13-14-16-20-23-27-32-37-43 (31 weeks)

 

I loved their debut Antidotes - but in 2010 the Oxford band came back with something amazing, the boldly titled Total Life Forever. The lead single from it was something totally different - and in many ways completely different to the album but served as one of the most interesting alternative songs of the decade. "Spanish Sahara" a slow building song meditating on matters post-apocalyptic was inspired by a local band's cassette that Yannis bought for a pound after a show in Oxford. He states: "I never listened to it, but it was wrapped in a map, and on that map it said Spanish Sahara. It seemed to fit with the song's mood, which is lunar and apocalyptic, but beautiful. Hopefully it allows different interpretations." Inspired by a bleak moment gazing out at the Aegean Sea, lyrically the song was singer Yannis Philippakis' attempt to capture the intensity of Greek myth, Yannis said: "I came up with the lyrics while visiting my dad in Greece. I went for a walk on this really remote beach. It's the deepest point ion the Aegean, and locals think it's an evil place. The beach was littered with refuse and I saw a dead dog floating in the waves. It was a twisted, hallucinogenic scene, but it had a weird beauty to it. I wanted to capture that sense of malignancy."

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41muS803KDL._SL500_AA500_.jpg

 

001 Crystal Castles ft. Robert Smith "Not In Love" (2010) [1,969]

UK chart peak: #54

 

40-26-18-07-02-01-01-01-01-01-01-01-02-03-03-05-07-07-09-12-15-18-22-28-33-36-41-45-48-48 (30 weeks)

 

I think many people guessed it correctly, but the 3rd single from II is the biggest song of the decade so far - by some way as well. It seems oddly fitting that a cover of forgotten 1980s Canadian New Wave band Platinum Blonde, was updated so brilliantly by Crystal Castles but that the unassuming version on the album belies the incredible impact that the single edit had on me during late 2010. I have always been a huge fan of the Cure and to hear Robert Smith's vocals on any new track is a joy - but to hear them employed so well on "Not In Love" is an absolute pleasure. The lyrics "'Cos it's cold oustide" seemed to chime incredibly well with the record breaking cold December that occured that Winter with feet of snow and temperatures well below minus double digits- this seemed to be the only thing keeping me warm. Seven weeks at number 1 and I thought it would be unstoppable - when in early January I heard it actually played in a club and the place just came ALIVE (NOT a JLS reference !). Congratulations Alice, Ethan and Robert - the MOMENT of the decade so far. *.*

Edited September 16, 201311 yr by Doctor Blind

I've been waiting to see this thread appear again so I could add to my previous comments, didn't realise it had been three weeks since I last posted, only feels like a week or so!

 

001 Crystal Castles ft. Robert Smith "Not In Love" - 01

002 Foals "Spanish Sahara" 02 - I don't know what was at number one ahead of this but it shouldn't have been!

003 Grimes "Genesis" - 02

004 M83 "Midnight City" - 05

005 Jessie Ware "110%" - DNC - I didn't really pick up on her until after the album was released, it comfortably made my top 100 of the year though.

006 Bombay Bicycle Club "Shuffle" - 01 - If I did something like this I imagine this will be number one by a mile, 12 weeks top 3!

007 Autre Ne Veut "Counting" - 33

008 Bon Iver "Holocene" - 01

009 The National "Bloodbuzz Ohio" - 03

010 Jagwar Ma "The Throw" - 01

 

011 Groove Armada "Paper Romance" - 04

012 Alabama Shakes "Hold On" - 07

013 James Blake "The Wilhelm Scream" - 03

014 Cults "Abducted" - DNC

015 Wu Lyf "We Bros" - 02

016 Hurts "Wonderful Life" - 05

017 Lana Del Rey "Video Games / Blue Jeans" - 03

018 Alt-J "Tessellate" - 02

019 Grizzly Bear "Yet Again" - DNC

020 Yeasayer "O.N.E." - 11

 

021 Foals "Inhaler" - 01

022 Bon Iver "Calgary" - 05

023 Deerhunter "Revival" - 34

024 Disclosure ft. AlunaGeorge "White Noise" - 07

025 The Joy Formidable "Whirring" - 01

026 Daft Punk "Get Lucky" - 01

027 Gold Panda "Snow & Taxis" - 14

028 Hooray For Earth "No Love" - DNC

029 The Count & Sinden ft. Mystery Jets "After Dark" - 15

030 Woodkid "Run Boy Run" - 04

 

031 The Horrors "Still Life" - 03

032 iamamiwhoami "Goods" - 05

033 Kanye West "Runaway" - 02

034 The Drums "Money" - 20

035 Foster The People "Pumped Up Kicks" - 16

036 Disclosure ft. Sam Smith "Latch" - DNC

037 Esben and the Witch "Marching Song" - DNC - No idea...

038 Adele "Rolling In The Deep" - 22

039 Florence + The Machine "Shake It Out" - DNC

040 Gang Gang Dance "MindKilla" - 07

 

041 Vampire Weekend "Giving Up The Gun" - 01

042 James Blake "Retrograde" - 14

043 Patrick Wolf "Time Of My Life" - DNC

044 Florence + The Machine "No Light, No Light" - DNC

045 Bat For Lashes "All Your Gold" - 08

046 Crystal Castles "Baptism" - 04

047 Villagers "The Waves" - 38

048 Grimes "Oblivion" - 15

049 Röyksopp ft. Susanne Sundfør "Running To The Sea" - 01

050 Apparat "Song Of Los" - 06

 

051 London Grammar "Wasting My Young Years" - DNC

052 Vampire Weekend "Step / Diane Young" - 07

053 Of Monsters and Men "Little Talks" - 10

054 Public Service Broadcasting "Everest" - 02

055 Kele "Tenderoni" - A song I don't like, very much a rarity here!

056 Santigold "Disparate Youth" - 22 -Didn't really grow on me til after

057 Florence + The Machine "Cosmic Love" - DNC - was bored of her by the time this was released

058 f*** Buttons "Olympians" - DNC

059 The Pains of Being Pure at Heart "Belong" - 09

060 Yuck "Holing Out" - DNC - never heard this

 

061 Oliver Tank "Last Night I Heard Everything In Slow Motion" - 10

062 Lykke Li "I Follow Rivers" - 08

063 Jessie Ware "Strangest Feeling" - DNC - Didn't know of her then but this is great.

064 Fixers "Here Comes 2001, So Let's All Head For The Sun EP" - 02

065 Robyn "Dancing On My Own" - 01

 

Almost 20% were number ones on my own chart! :D Excellent countdown and a good read. I shall have to listen to the couple I don't know. The top 10 (bar Counting) is utter perfection, I'm sure if I did mine (it hasn't been updated for about 18 months) it would look similar.

Edited September 25, 201311 yr by RabbitFurCoat

A mind-blowingly amazing Top 100, especially the Top 10 (all of them are 10/10 moments apart from The Throw which I've not heard much, Shuffle which is good but not that great and The National song which I've never heard). I must make a note to listen to all the songs I've not heard.

Edited September 25, 201311 yr by Tommy G

Thanks Mark. Really pleased that you enjoyed reading it - I think "Olympians" would be my big recommendation (if you don't already know it). Utterly beautiful - and VERY fitting for use at the start of the London 2012 Opening Ceremony. :D Actually the whole Tarot Sport album is very good and I know you like Animal Collective so should be up your street.

 

Yuck sound a lot like Nirvana, Pavement and Dinosaur Jr. - sort of early 1990s american rock.

 

Esben and the Witch are difficult to describe, I didn't like their album much but "Marching Song" remains a strong single that I come back to a lot.

A mind-blowingly amazing Top 100, especially the Top 10 (all of them are 10/10 moments apart from The Throw which I've not heard much, Shuffle which is good but not that great and The National song which I've never heard). I must make a note to listen to all the songs I've not heard.

 

THanks Tom. :D

 

I think you'd like "The Throw".. it's upbeat, danceable and quite catchy! Cheers for reading.

Flawfree countdown! I honesty can't say I properly dislike any of your top 100 and I can see why every track is there, even if I haven't loved each other myself. I can't say that many of them are completely unknown to me, but there are so many that I've only heard once and forgotten about or whose band names I only know - I might just use your thread over the next few weeks to revisit them!

 

I appreciate your BEAUTIFUL chart runs too. <3 <3 Mine aren't quite so regular and feature older songs, but I do aim for a song to debut outwith the top 10 (unless it's really hyped; I let Reflektor in at #7) and climb for its first three or four weeks, and after that I let the track go anywhere, depending on how much I still listen to it. Re-entries are ugly but a necessary evil because I can't be having songs that I come back to not getting the points they deserve! Nerdiest paragraph ever.

 

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/518RMGpD7qL._SL500_AA500_.jpg

 

019 Grizzly Bear "Yet Again" (2012) [1,313]

 

48-31-21-11-04-01-01-01-01-02-04-06-08-10-14-19-27-35-40-40-45 (21 weeks)

 

Previously only charting with "Two Weeks" (incidentally one of the most melancholy and beautiful tracks of the 2000s), in 2012 the New York band returned with the outstanding Shields. First single from it, the brooding "Yet Again" became one of my most-played songs of late 2012 and rapidly ascended to #1. The track was written by the band as one of the first tracks for the album along with "Sleeping Ute". According to lead singer, Ed Droste, the single is apparently "about the overarching sensibility where you really want to be autonomous and alone all the time, but at the same time you're afraid of being alone and feel you need to find a partner, couple up and get domestic. It's about navigating that tricky terrain and finding the balance where you're happy in between." They played this at Latitude over the summer and I was totally spell-bound by it, it continues to grow on me even now!

Still growing on me! On paper they seem like such a dull band, especially with their last two albums, but gah, I can't stop listening to them and just have some sort of indefinable perfection that sets them apart from everyone else. <3

Edited September 25, 201311 yr by Harve

(late reply)

 

Oh so amazing. I think pretty much everything in your top 10 would have a good chance of being on my top 100 (if i were to ever make on of these), love seeing some hugely underrated gems like Abducted, O.N.E, Marching Song, The Waves etc. all featuring!

 

Flawfree countdown! I honesty can't say I properly dislike any of your top 100 and I can see why every track is there, even if I haven't loved each other myself. I can't say that many of them are completely unknown to me, but there are so many that I've only heard once and forgotten about or whose band names I only know - I might just use your thread over the next few weeks to revisit them!

 

I appreciate your BEAUTIFUL chart runs too. <3 <3 Mine aren't quite so regular and feature older songs, but I do aim for a song to debut outwith the top 10 (unless it's really hyped; I let Reflektor in at #7) and climb for its first three or four weeks, and after that I let the track go anywhere, depending on how much I still listen to it. Re-entries are ugly but a necessary evil because I can't be having songs that I come back to not getting the points they deserve! Nerdiest paragraph ever.

Still growing on me! On paper they seem like such a dull band, especially with their last two albums, but gah, I can't stop listening to them and just have some sort of indefinable perfection that sets them apart from everyone else. <3

 

Oh yeah, the chart runs are partly deliberate - I never let anything debut at #1 ever. I just think it is WRONG - there have been around 20 or so Top 10 debuts since my charts inception (not including the first ever week of course), the most recent of which was "Caliban's Dream / And I Will Kiss" by Underworld (debuted at #10 on 29 July 2012) but that was due to the ~Olympics fever~ Even if I absolutely love a song the first time I hear it, it is rare for it to make the Top 40 within the first 7 days and that is only to stop songs 'that are instant.. but then rapidly tire on repeated listens' having a high debut then rapid descent type run.

 

The chart points are calculated in Excel as: n=(50/SQRT(chartpos))+(50-(chartpos/2))

 

Which probably doesn't give enough weighting to #1s, but does mean that songs that peak at #3 and stick around for AGES can accumulate loads more than in-and-out #1s.

[/end of chart geekery]

 

(late reply)

 

Oh so amazing. I think pretty much everything in your top 10 would have a good chance of being on my top 100 (if i were to ever make on of these), love seeing some hugely underrated gems like Abducted, O.N.E, Marching Song, The Waves etc. all featuring!

 

Thanks SevenSeize, glad that you approve! :D