#72. Gabrielle - Dreams

3 weeks at #1 in 1993 (#2 of 15 for '93)

 

 

It's a nice inspiring uplifting song that your dreams; well; can come true. I don't have much else to say on this one.

#71. Tinie Tempah - Pass Out

2 weeks at #1 in 2010 (#3 of 34 for '10)

 

 

So many pop culture references. Especially British ones. It's not a surprise that this wasn't able to become a hit in North America. I think this song is basically just Tinie making a name for himself. It's his debut single, after all. He's making all these bold statements that he's (going to be) a big star. You have to have a lot of confidence in yourself to say that in your first single. But it works. Labrinth's production is fantastic. I love how it speeds up at the end. "I got so many clothes I keep 'em in my aunt's house" is a weird lyric, though.

It Feels So Good, It's Like That and Touch Me are absolute classics :heart:

 

VERY mixed bag in that last update for me haha. Rhythm Is A Dancer & Dreams are both absolute 90's classics. Then we have Only Girl & Pass Out which for many, many months were impossible to avoid in any bar/club (and still are???). And Dry Your Eyes is one of my least favourite number 1's of all time. I despise the Streets with a passion.

 

On your 1992 summary Snap! is definitely the best one there (and I prefer it to Stay) & Shamen 2nd. For me KWS would be a little higher. And poor old Deeply Dippy :lol:

#70. Leona Lewis - Run

2 weeks at #1 in 2008 (#2 of 20 for '08)

 

 

One of the best cover song #1's. Leona totally makes this song her own. Her voice adds a lot of emotional depth to it. Not to say the Snow Patrol version doesn't, but Leona really sounds like she's in pain. This song builds to something big and epic in that last chorus. The choir backing track in that part works surprisingly well. I still get chills sometimes when that part hits. I think this song is about saying goodbye to someone; not because you want to, but because you have to.

#69. Gorillaz feat. Shaun Ryder - DARE

1 week at #1 in 2005 (#3 of 25 for '05)

 

 

"Feel Good Inc" wasn't my type of thing in 2005, but I've grown to love it over the years. It's a bit odd that "DARE" went #1 instead of that one, though. "Feel Good Inc" was blocked by Akon's "Lonely", of all songs. But "DARE" is a brilliant song nonetheless. I love the synths in it. Though the meaning of the song goes right over my head. Shaun's vocals have a thick accent, and having them juxtaposed with Gorillaz's vocals is an interesting mix.

#68. Clean Bandit feat. Jess Glynne - Rather Be

4 weeks at #1 in 2014 (#2 of 16 for '14)

 

 

I'm getting pretty sick of hearing this song, but it's still one of the best songs of 2014 so far. I love the incorporation of all the different instruments used in this. The violins, the piano, whatever makes the boop boop boop boop sounds (I'm guessing a xylophone-like instrument), etc. I also love Jess's voice on this for some reason. The lyrics are a bit sappy, but sometimes sappy really works.

#67. B*Witched - Blame It On The Weatherman

1 week at #1 in 1999 (#3 of 35 for '99)

 

 

I find this a pretty deep song. They're feeling confusion over a failed relationship and feeling sadness (the rain). They're looking for someone to blame for the rain, so they'll just blame it on the weatherman. Weathermen don't cause the rain, but they get blamed for it anyway. And of course my love of midtempos is also in play here.

#66. Daniel Bedingfield - If You're Not The One

1 week at #1 in 2002 (#7 of 29 for '02)

 

 

This song is just beautifully written. I don't really know how else to describe it. Daniel's confused as to why he's not together with this girl, because he thinks she's perfect for him, and so he's asking all these rhetorical questions. My favourite line is "If you're not the one then why does my hand fit yours this way?" It sums it all up, really.

#65. Lorde - Royals

1 week at #1 in 2013 (#1 of 30 for '13)

 

 

I'm still stunned at how this managed to be #1 for 9 weeks in the US. I remember when I first heard this in April-ish 2013, and I never thought it'd be that big. I love the minimalist production on this. It really sets the song apart. I love the snapping and it works well with the melody. This song is about the music industry's obsession with expensive, lavish material possessions. And Lorde declares that she doesn't need any of them; she has a different fantasy for herself.

 

 

2013 ranking

 

30. PJ & Duncan - Let's Get Ready To Rhumble [552]

29. Sam Bailey - Skyscraper [551]

28. Eminem feat. Rihanna - The Monster [517]

27. Ellie Goulding - Burn [497]

26. Pharrell Williams - Happy [490]

25. will.i.am feat. Britney Spears - Scream & Shout [463]

24. One Direction - One Way Or Another (Teenage Kicks) [443]

23. Lily Allen - Somewhere Only We Know [437]

22. Calvin Harris & Alesso feat. Hurts - Under Control [416]

21. Katy Perry - Roar [362]

20. Miley Cyrus - We Can't Stop [360]

19. Storm Queen - Look Right Through (MK Remix) [354]

18. Daft Punk feat. Pharrell Williams - Get Lucky [350]

17. Miley Cyrus - Wrecking Ball [314]

16. Justin Timberlake - Mirrors [308]

15. Bingo Players feat. Far East Movement - Get Up (Rattle) [303]

14. OneRepublic - Counting Stars [281]

13. Avicii - Wake Me Up [279]

12. Rudimental feat. Ella Eyre - Waiting All Night [239]

11. John Newman - Love Me Again [233]

10. Robin Thicke feat. T.I. & Pharrell Williams - Blurred Lines [226]

09. Jason Derulo feat. 2 Chainz - Talk Dirty [214]

08. Naughty Boy feat. Sam Smith - La La La [210]

07. The Saturdays - What About Us [206]

06. Martin Garrix - Animals [201]

05. Duke Dumont feat. A*M*E - Need U (100%) [157]

04. Macklemore & Ryan Lewis feat. Wanz - Thrift Shop [146]

03. Icona Pop feat. Charli XCX - I Love It [131]

02. Avicii vs Nicky Romero - I Could Be The One [99]

01. Lorde - Royals [65]

#64. B.o.B feat. Hayley Williams - Airplanes

1 week at #1 in 2010 (#2 of 34 for '10)

 

 

That summer of 2010 when everyone I knew in real life kept quoting lyrics from this and "Love The Way You Lie." Quite annoying. But that was 4 years ago. My local radio stations liked to go back and forth between playing the regular version of this, and the Part II version with Eminem (notably the latter having a lot of censors). They played Part II just as much as Part I; if not more than Part I. I don't really know why they played Part II so much, though. B.o.B's verses are completely different on Part II, and Hayley adds more "oh"'s. But the subject matter is the same. It's about wishing they could go back to a simpler time in their lives; before they were famous. The song is all about Hayley's hook ("Can we pretend that airplanes in the night sky are like shooting stars..") Because shooting stars are a bit rare and airplanes well.. aren't, and being so desperate for this wish to come true, Hayley's pretending an airplane is a shooting star.

#63. Ace Of Base - All That She Wants

3 weeks at #1 in 1993 (#1 of 15 for '93)

 

 

This is one of the earliest hits that I have at least some recollection of from my childhood. Considering how young I was at the time, I'm guessing my radio station was still playing this somewhat regularly by 1996/1997. My mom has/had their "Happy Nation / The Sign" album, though, so I don't know. But either way, Ace Of Base always takes me back to being a little kid. They had a string of major hits on this side of the Atlantic with this, "The Sign" and "Don't Turn Around", all three of which are really catchy songs. They fused together Eurodance with reggae elements. I prefer "The Sign" (which got blocked from #1 by "Without You" and "Doop" in the UK) but "All That She Wants" is really good, too.

 

 

1993 ranking

 

15. DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince - Boom! Shake the Room [561]

14. UB40 - (I Can't Help) Falling In Love With You [465]

13. Take That - Pray [395]

12. The Bluebells - Young At Heart [382]

11. Shaggy - Oh Carolina [361]

10. George Michael & Queen with Lisa Stansfield - Five Live (E.P.) [346]

09. Take That - Babe [251]

08. Take That feat. Lulu - Relight My Fire [240]

07. Mr Blobby - Mr Blobby [235]

06. Culture Beat - Mr Vain [153]

05. Meat Loaf - I'd Do Anything For Love (But I Won't Do That) [137]

04. 2 Unlimited - No Limit [127]

03. Freddie Mercury - Living On My Own [1993]

02. Gabrielle - Dreams [72]

01. Ace Of Base - All That She Wants [63]

Edited September 20, 201410 yr by n4yr

#62. Gnarls Barkley - Crazy

9 weeks at #1 in 2006 (#3 of 24 for '06)

 

 

This song is often credited for kickstarting the download era in the UK charts. It was the first song to go #1 on downloads alone. But digital sales didn't seem to fully take off til late 2008-ish in the UK. This is such a contrast from Cee Lo's other #1 (the song I can't stand.) I love the thumping bass beat in this. I think this song can be interpreted in so many different ways. The lyrics are very confusing like that. I see it as a song about finding yourself. Discovering who you truly are and not letting other people dictate who you are. And this constant self-analysis can drive you crazy. I like how there's a bit of craziness in the song itself; like with some lines repeated, such as "I remember when, I remember, I remember when I lost my mind" and "Come on now, who do you, who do you, who do you, who do you think you are". And certain parts sound like Cee Lo is talking to himself.

#61. Coldplay - Paradise

1 week at #1 in 2012 (#4 of 36 for '12)

 

 

This has gone on to become one of my favourite Coldplay songs. Everything about this production feels so epic. I don't know how to describe it, it just feels immense. This song has a weird structure, in that there's basically one long verse, then the chorus, a bridge, then the chorus again. I think this song is about coming of age and realizing what the real world is actually like. And this girl in question is now wishing she could return to her childhood innocence; which is what "paradise" refers to. And then towards the end of the song, she concludes that she can create her own paradise and find some sort of new happiness in her adult years. Something like that, anyway.

Hi n4yr,

I'm loving your countdown so far :D

#60. Gabrielle - Rise

2 weeks at #1 in 2000 (#7 of 42 for '00)

 

 

Gabrielle getting a #1 seven years after "Dreams" was a pleasant surprise. "Rise" samples "Knockin' On Heaven's Door", and I think that humming as the backing track works well. This song is about trying to move on after a break-up. I love the chorus: "Look at my life; Look at my heart; I have seen them fall apart; Now I'm ready to rise again." It's uplifting.

Edited September 21, 201410 yr by n4yr

#59. Usher feat. Lil Jon & Ludacris - Yeah!

2 weeks at #1 in 2004 (#3 of 29 for '04)

 

 

Crunk was one of my least favourite subgenres ever, and I'm glad it didn't last long. Lil Jon making random noises throughout an entire song is just plain annoying. But "Yeah" is that one exception that I like. Lil Jon helped bring crunk into the US mainstream with "Get Low" in late 2003. So then Lil Jon's style was mixed with Usher's R&B, and "Yeah!" was born. I imagine this sounded pretty unique at the time. Like I said in the "Burn" entry, "Burn" was originally planned to be the lead single, but the fan and US radio response to "Yeah" was so overwhelming that they changed their minds. "Yeah" follows "In Da Club" and "Ignition" as urban club bangers. And it's a song I still hear regularly to this day. Normally I'd hate a song that has a chorus that solely consists of saying "yeah" 12 times, but it's really catchy so I don't mind. I can tolerate Lil Jon's ad libs. Though I always forget that Ludacris is even on this song.

#58. Example - Changed The Way You Kiss Me

2 weeks at #1 in 2011 (#2 of 30 for '11)

 

 

This is my 19th birthday #1. I think I said in the "California Gurls" entry that that was #1 when I first started following UK charts. Well, it was, but I stopped following them for most of the first half of 2011. I'm not sure why. I did follow them weekly through the end of 2010, though. But "Changed The Way You Kiss Me" was #1 when I started to follow them again. For me, this is the song that kickstarted my summer that year. I really loved the production; I found it very euphoric at the time. I liked how the first verse is sung and the second verse is rapped. Lately I've gone off Example for the most part, but I can still enjoy this song.

Edited September 21, 201410 yr by n4yr

#57. La Roux - Bulletproof

1 week at #1 in 2009 (#4 of 32 for '09)

 

 

This song is about this person that keeps trying to get back together with her, but she doesn't want any of it. By being "bulletproof", she won't give in to his pleas. She's staying strong in her resistance and won't back down. Elly sings it with such fortitude and conviction. The phrase "this time baby, I'll be bulletproof" really sticks with you, and becomes this anthemic deceleration.

#56. The Shapeshifters - Lola's Theme

1 week at #1 in 2004 (#2 of 29 for '04)

 

 

Another song with a phrase you just want to exclaim outloud. "I'M A DIFFERENT PERSON YEAH TURN MY WORLD AROUND!" It's a very uplifting song. About how someone in the protagonist's life helped changed their life for the better. It's not just the lyrics that are uplifting, but the production is too. There's just something about those trumpets. The production mixes some disco elements with more current dance productions.

Edited September 21, 201410 yr by n4yr