#41. B*Witched - C'est La Vie

2 weeks at #1 in 1998 (#6 of 30 for '98)

 

 

This is my sixth birthday #1. This is basically the Irish version of "Wannabe". It's undeniably catchy. The chorus and pre-chorus especially, and all the "Ah-Ohh"'s. Like "Wannabe", "C'est La Vie" is a lot of hooks crammed into a short amount of time (they're both just under 3 minutes long). It's a formula that works really well on both songs. Neither feel this short. "C'est La Vie" sticks to Irish sounds with that Irish jig breakdown in the middle. The lyrics are full of hidden sexual meanings ("I'll show you mine if you show me yours ", "Do you ever get lonely playing with your toys", etc.) I also love how this was a top 10 hit in the US.

#40. The Tamperer feat. Maya - Feel It

1 week at #1 in 1998 (#5 of 30 for '98)

 

 

The production samples "Can You Feel It?" by The Jacksons and the lyrics sample Urban Discharge's 1996 song "Wanna Drop A House". I love this production; it's pretty energetic. The "WHAT! she gonna look like with a chimney on her WHAT!.." line is Wizard Of Oz reference (when the house crushed The Wicked Witch Of The East.) In the song, Maya's trying to forgive her lover for cheating on her, but she doesn't trust the other woman. So she's basically calling the other woman a witch. Love that line.

Edited September 25, 201410 yr by n4yr

#39. Robbie Williams - Rock DJ

1 week at #1 in 2000 (#5 of 42 for '00)

 

 

Yeah, this is one disturbing video. Robbie tries to grab the attention of this girl by stripping everything off his body (literally..) It's definitely not a forgettable video. This is probably my favourite Robbie Williams song. There's really no meaning to it, it's just Robbie having a lot of fun. I love the beat. I love how Robbie randomly raps the verses. I like the "Can I kick it? (Yes you can)" part no matter how cheesy it is. The chorus is catchy. Etc.

#38. Kiesza - Hideaway

1 week at #1 in 2014 (#1 of 16 for '14)

 

 

"Oo ah ah oo oo ah ah oo oo ah ah oo oo ah ah oo". This is my favourite song of 2014 so far (and I can't see that being challenged). It took a while to grow on me, and when it did, I couldn't get enough of it. It was difficult to rank such a fresh song, and this might rank higher as time passes, but I knew this had to be in the top 40. I love the fusion of 90's deep house sounds and more modern dance sounds. I love all the beeps and boops. All the "oo"'s and "ah"'s. I love her voice in this. I love the overall quirkiness of the song. And of course, the video is amazing.

 

There's been quite a few #1's since "Sing" and I haven't begun to think about how I'd rank those ones yet. I'll probably add them onto this list after I've reached the #1. For now, though:

 

 

2014 ranking

 

16. Aloe Blacc - The Man [548]

15. Sam Smith - Money On My Mind [474]

14. 5 Seconds Of Summer - She Looks So Perfect [442]

13. Secondcity - I Wanna Feel [422]

12. Sam Smith - Stay With Me [414]

11. Ed Sheeran - Sing [405]

10. Rita Ora - I Will Never Let You Down [288]

09. Pitbull feat. Ke$ha - Timber [269]

08. Mr Probz - Waves [Robin Schulz Remix] [267]

07. DVBBS & Borgeous feat. Tinie Tempah - Tsunami (Jump) [265]

06. Calvin Harris - Summer [222]

05. Sigma - Nobody To Love [219]

04. Route 94 feat. Jess Glynne - My Love [190]

03. Duke Dumont feat. Jax Jones - I Got U [156]

02. Clean Bandit feat. Jess Glynne - Rather Be [68]

01. Kiesza - Hideaway [38]

 

Missing: Ghost, Gecko (Overdrive), Problem, It's My Birthday, Me And My Broken Heart, Crazy Stupid Love, Rude, Am I Wrong, Lovers On The Sun, Prayer In C, Blame, Changing (and most likely Bang Bang and All About That Bass by the time I'm done.)

#37. Sugababes - Hole In The Head

1 week at #1 in 2003 (#4 of 22 for '03)

 

 

Songs like these are why I love the Sugababes. And 2.0. Like their previous #1 "Round Round", this was also produced by Xenomania. It's a great "f**k you, you suck, goodbye" song. They just broke up with this guy and he's trying to get back with them, but they're so over it and don't want anything to do with him. It's pretty sassy with lyrics like "I'd sell my ass before I think of you", "You're in my face, sorry what's your name?", "Just because you made me go 'ooh'; Doesn't mean I'll put up with you" etc. I love Keisha's middle 8. The chorus "Ooh, won't you miss me like a hole in the head; Because I do boy; And it's cool boy" is also pretty sassy. Pretty much saying that missing being with him is like missing having a hole in your head. The song is also pretty catchy (like "cry-y-y for the guy-y-y".)

#36. Timbaland feat. Keri Hilson & D.O.E. - The Way I Are

2 weeks at #1 in 2007 (#4 of 17 for '07)

 

 

This was like the climax of the Timbaland domination. Well, actually, maybe "Apologize" is. ("4 Minutes" feels past that peak, though he was very much sought after in 2008.) But "The Way I Are" is when it felt like he could do no wrong. After giving Nelly Furtado and Justin Timberlake a bunch of hits, Timbaland was pursuing a solo thing. Well I can't really call it solo since there was always going to be features. The incorrect grammar in the title annoyed me at one point, but "The Way I Am" would just sound weird in this song. The lyrics in this song are really basic, and honestly borderline bad. But that doesn't even matter when it's one of the catchiest songs to ever go #1, with one of the most infectious beats. At the time, the production sounded dancier than anything Timbaland had done so far. It was one of my top songs of 2007, and I still love it to this day.

Edited September 25, 201410 yr by n4yr

Great batch of songs there. Rock DJ is a Robbie fave of mine too, so catchy. Hideaway was also my top #1 of 2014 before your cut-off point (but it's been overtaken since). I also love The Way I Are and it has actually aged pretty well I'd say compared to a lot of tracks from that era!

#35. Liberty X - Just A Little

1 week at #1 in 2002 (#3 of 29 for '02)

 

 

It's just really catchy I guess. This chorus is fire! "WORK it a little; get HOT just a little; meet ME in the middle; let GO, just a little bit moooooore (just a little bit); gimme just a little bit moooooore (just a little, just a little)". I don't have much else to say lol.

Edited September 26, 201410 yr by n4yr

#34. Melanie C feat. Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes - Never Be The Same Again

1 week at #1 in 2000 (#4 of 42 for '00)

 

 

Such a beautiful song. It's about Mel C figuring out that she and her best friend have feelings for each other, and how that friendship will "never be the same again". Mel is trying really hard to assure her friend that everything will be okay. This song captures every bit of emotion perfectly. The production is perfect for it too. Left Eye's rap is also a really nice addition. Best solo Spice song.

#33. The Chemical Brothers - Setting Sun

1 week at #1 in 1996 (#5 of 24 for '96)

 

 

I've already talked about their harsh, dark, noisy productions in "Block Rockin' Beats". The reasons why I like that are pretty much the same reasons why I like this. But I find "Setting Sun" to be more cohesive of the two songs. Noel Gallagher does the vocals on this song; which I always forget about. But the singing isn't the most important part of this song. It's all about the production. The drums and the screeches and the breakdown where everything comes to a grinding halt. I have no idea what this song is about, though. Probably drugs.

#32. The Prodigy - Firestarter

3 weeks at #1 in 1996 (#4 of 24 for '96)

 

 

And, well, yeah. This completes the four Prodigy / Chemical Brothers #1's. Again, the production is pretty aggressive. But probably the tamest compared to other 3 that I've already dealt with. It's not the most meaningful song ever. He's just running around proclaiming that he's a troublemaker. And showing his demented personality. Which all comes off a bit frightening. But that's the point.

#31. Kylie Minogue - Spinning Around

1 week at #1 in 2000 (#3 of 42 for '00)

 

 

Kylie's big comeback single! The latter half of the 90's hadn't treated her so well; especially during the Impossible Princess era. Shame because that might just be my favourite Kylie album. But she came back stronger than ever in 2000. Ditching the more toned down sound of her last two albums, and going in a dance pop route. "Spinning Around" was originally meant for Paula Abdul's comeback (that never happened), but was instead given to Kylie. It has disco elements, mixed with more current synths. I found this song annoying at first, but I've grown to love it. A perfect song to have a comeback with. With lyrics like "Threw away my old clothes; Got myself a better wardrobe", "I'm through with the past", "And did I forget to mention that I found a new direction; And it leads back to me?", etc., this song can be interpreted as her saying that she's back with a new style, she knows it's what the audience wants, but it's what she wants to do. She's still staying true to herself ("There's no way I'm gonna fake it 'cuz it's gotta be real"). I don't know. That's just how I see it. I love how this song starts with the chorus because it's such a strong chorus.

Hideaway, Setting Sun and Firestarter are such life-defining anthems :wub:

 

#30. Cornershop - Brimful Of Asha (Norman Cook Remix)

1 week at #1 in 1998 (#4 of 30 for '98)

 

 

This song is about the Bollywood film culture in India. Don't get that in a lot of UK #1's. I don't know a lot about this subject, but from what I've read, ever since Bollywood films were introduced in India, they have gone on to become this huge captivating force in the country. They're a form of escapism from their everyday lives. Which is what "We don't care bout no Government warnings; About their promotion of a simple life; And the dams they're building" is referring to. The films often have singing and dancing in them. But the actors don't do the singing themselves, they lip sync to background singers. One of the big named background singers is Asha Bhosle, which is what the song title is referring to. But the word "asha" also means "hope", so there's a double meaning there. Many of these films depict a life that many Indians can only ever dream of having. The films provide them with hope. This song is very joyous, and the Norman Cook production really enhances that, and it captures the theme of hope. This song talks about just one example, but it shows that music and films can be a way of escaping. It's a very unique #1 hit.

Edited September 27, 201410 yr by n4yr

#29. Leona Lewis - Bleeding Love

7 weeks at #1 in 2007 (#3 of 17 for '07)

 

 

Leona had so much hype coming off of X Factor. She needed that killer single to launch her career. And she got just that. This went #1 practically everywhere in the world. This song was originally intended for Jesse McCartney, of all people, but Ryan Tedder (who co-wrote and produced this) gave it to Leona instead once he had heard her voice. This song opens with that organ note, and that note is prominent until the middle 8. I've always loved that organ note because it really adds to the mood. Speaking of that middle 8, it is one powerful part of the song. This song is about being hurt by heartbreak in the past so much that it causes her to close herself off from ever letting anyone into her heart again. But then she meets someone that changes all that (that's what "you cut me open and I keep bleeding love" means). But all her friends and family aren't convinced and they don't want them to be together. And she's trying to deal with that. The middle 8 ("And it's draining all of me; Oh they find it hard to believe; I'll be wearing these scars; For everyone to see") is the climax of her frustration. And then there's the final chorus where Leona gets to show what she can do with her voice.

#28. Tomcraft - Loneliness

1 week at #1 in 2003 (#3 of 22 for '03)

 

 

The entire intro of this song is EVERYTHING. The music video cuts down on it quite a bit, but there is a full 8 minute version of this song. And it's not just the intro that's amazing. This is one of the best dance songs of this decade. There's so much going on in this production.

#27. Coolio feat. LV - Gangsta's Paradise

2 weeks at #1 in 1995 (#2 of 17 for '95)

 

 

One of the best rap songs ever. It has a really strong message about the gang mentality. It follows this one person that's stuck being a part of it, and they regret it but they can't get out. The instrumental with all the strings, and the backing vocals in the chorus are really haunting.

#26. Gina G - Ooh Aah... Just A Little Bit

1 week at #1 in 1996 (#3 of 24 for '96)

 

 

It's impossible for me to dislike this. It's another song that always makes me smile. It's just a bunch of campy fun. Right from that opening "do do do do do do do do" etc. I'm hooked. The chorus is insanely catchy "OOH AAH JUST A LITTLE BIT OOH AAH LITTLE BIT MORE". It's one of the few Eurovision songs to actually do something over here.

#25. Spiller feat. Sophie Ellis-Bextor - Groovejet (If This Ain't Love)

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

 

 

Definitely one of my favourite dance songs ever. And I'm so glad this beat that messy "Out Of Your Mind" to #1. "Groovejet" is one chilled, laidback, summery song. It samples a disco song by Carol Williams. The production is basically a riff repeated over and over again. It's a brilliant production, but it can get a bit repetitive so that's why Sophie is added in. I really love her voice in this. I think because I find it pretty subdued which suits the song. The line "If this ain't love, why does it feel so good" sounds a bit cliche, but it's effective and it just sticks with me for some reason.

#24. Michael Andrews & Gary Jules - Mad World

3 weeks at #1 in 2003 / 2004 (#2 of 22 for '03)

 

 

One of the best Christmas #1's ever. There's still one more festive #1 to come in this list, though. This is the most recent Christmas #1 to not be charity related or TV talent show related. This is one of the most depressing songs I've ever listened to it. It's a stripped down piano ballad, but the original by Tears For Fears isn't, and that version actually sounds weird to me because of it. The Tears For Fears version is fine but I definitely prefer this cover because it really captures the sombre mood. It's about depression and suicidal thoughts. The normalities of their life have become a monotonous rut. They see everything in the world as pointless and meaningless. For example, with the "Children waiting for the day they feel good; Happy Birthday, Happy Birthday" line, he's saying that something simple like a birthday, which most kids eagerly anticipate every year, to him it's just another day of the week. "The dreams in which I'm dying are the best I've ever had" is one chilling lyric.