Posted January 29, 201510 yr http://i759.photobucket.com/albums/xx240/MarthaJonesFan/ArtistsPhoto13resized-1.png Welcome to my top 60 artists countdown! I'll be reflecting on some of my favourite artists of all-time here, listening my favourite song and album by each of them. The #1 is probably quite obvious already but please can we not give the game away early in the thread :heehee: There's no real criteria to any of these inclusions, there are many who have only released one album, and many recent artists, it's all about my current taste really. Maybe in a year, some of those artists won't be worthy of being included, but I feel they are right now so that's what matters I guess. Some artists, I've heard each and every album by. One hasn't even released an album yet (but instead has two EPs). The only rule was that they had to have released at least an EP. 59 out of 60 ended up having released at least the one album anyway. Fun fact: every artist I've seen live appears in this list, apart from: Lauren Aquilina, Luke Friend and Meghan Trainor (well I've not seen her yet but still). The countdown will begin very soon, any predictions? :D
January 29, 201510 yr Author OK countdown cancelled, Adam has spoilt that Nadine Coyle is #1 :( http://www.buzzjack.com/forums/uploads/group_images/of_18_icon.gif
January 29, 201510 yr It was a very enjoyable countdown Joseph! Great results! http://i61.tinypic.com/2ephr2b.png
January 29, 201510 yr Author Breakdown: Male soloists - 10 Female soloists - 41 :lol: Boybands - 3 Girl groups - 4 Mixed groups - 2
January 30, 201510 yr Author 56 Ariana Grande (album: My Everything // song: Problem) 57 Rita Ora (album: ORA // song: I Will Never Let You Down) 58 Kelly Rowland (album: Here I Am // song: Down For Whatever) 59 Ed Sheeran (album: x // song: Thinking Out Loud) 60 Ella Henderson (album: Chapter One // song: Ghost) So kicking things off with a section of mostly new/recent artists, especially the #60. Ella Henderson released her debut album Chapter One only last October, and it very much impressed me. Ghost is a storming pop track and one of the best of last year also. What helps matters, however, is that she was my favourite contestant on X Factor the year she was on the show. The X Factor is a show I get invested in perhaps a little too much, so my favourites tend to stick with me (other recent examples are Luke Friend and Jack Walton) - Ella was no exception, so Chapter One was hugely anticipated by me. Nonetheless, she absolutely delivered with a killer album and loads of fantastic tracks, enough to warrant just sliding into the top 60 here. Will it hold up if I did this again next year? I don't know, but right now she's absolutely worthy of being included now. I wasn't always a fan of Ed Sheeran, it took me until his Give Me Love performance on The X Factor until I was truly sold on him. + is a very pleasant album though, perhaps a little samey, but he stepped it up for x and it's an album I've enjoyed listening to a lot since its release. Funnily enough, overplay hasn't actually affected any of the x singles, I mean they're all pretty much unavoidable still, but they're all great in their own way and it helps that they're quite different too. First EVER #1 Sing :jameela: took a little while to grow but it's definitely in my top 3, alongside Give Me Love and his current hit Thinking Out Loud. Keep it up Ed! Kelly Rowland is up next as the top Destiny's Child member. Yes, I prefer Kelly to Beyoncé. Don't get me wrong, Bey is great, but I find myself going to listen to Kelly more. Album-wise, I've only heard her two most recent albums. Here I Am is mostly great, full of jams, but Talk a Good Game is pretty dull. Nonetheless, she's produced a lot of jams - Stole, Like This, Work (remix of course) and my personal favourite Down For Whatever are among those I like to revisit. Album track Feeling Me Right Now is also right up there. Hopefully her next album isn't as dull as Talk a Good Game as she can be so on point when she wants to be. Yes, you read right, Rita Ora is in my top artists of all-time countdown. She's only had the one album, released two and a half years ago, but contrary to most, I always found it a really enjoyable debut. Sure, she was finding her feet with the album and seeing which style worked best, so it makes for an album that's quite all over the place, but most of the tracks are ones I'd happily revisit. She's had three #1 singles in my chart, with my favourite song by her, I Will Never Let You Down, plus How We Do (Party) and Iggy Azalea collaboration Black Widow. I'm very much looking forward to her new album when it FINALLY arrives, as she really can bring the goods when she wants to. Poundland Rihanna? Possibly, but I'd take her songs over Rihanna's (well, depending on the song, RiRi has several 10/10 moments but is let down by some absolute stinkers). From Poundland Rihanna to Poundland Mariah perhaps, Ariana Grande is last in this section. I've known about her since I got Put Your Hearts Up recommended to me by Jack500 in early 2012 and I've always been a fan. Debut album Yours Truly was a lot better than I think the singles suggested - The Way was good but I'm not sure it totally hit my expectations and Baby I was nice and that's it. Right Here is wonderful though so I'll defend that. It wasn't until the second era, however, until I was truly excited by her music. Iggy Azalea collaboration Problem always sounded promising and when it premiered, I liked it a lot, although the whispered chorus took some getting used to. It ended up growing a HUGE amount though and had the longest consecutive run at #1 in my chart of 2014. Follow-up singles Break Free and Bang Bang (well it's Jessie J's single but even so) both went to #1 also. We'll forget Love Me Harder ever happened and pretend she moved right onto the sublime One Last Time. (it's not all new artists, I promise)
January 30, 201510 yr Author She's very underrated and forgotten in the grand scheme of things, so many great singles!
January 31, 201510 yr Author 51 Carly Rae Jepsen (album: Kiss // song: Call Me Maybe) 52 Gabrielle Aplin (album: English Rain // song: The Power of Love) 53 Lewis Watson (album: The Morning // song: Stay) 54 5 Seconds of Summer (album: 5 Seconds of Summer // song: She Looks So Perfect) 55 Mia Silvas (album: A Lot Like Me // song: Takin' a Chance) Among a bunch of relatively new artists, we have Lucie Silvas' sister, Mia Silvas. Mia adopted the same stage surname as her sister (their real surname is Silverman) for her independently released album A Lot Like Me. The album is very singer/songwriter based and vocally, Mia isn't as strong as Lucie, but she has an incredibly pleasant voice along with a very strong album, one I've not listened to in a long time but I still appreciate its finest moments, such as Takin' a Chance and I'm a Lot Like Me, the latter of which inspiring my Twitter bio for a bit with the lyric "there's any number of different ways that I could choose to be, but I'm a lot like me". Listen below to the demo of I'm a Lot Like Me, which is literally the only version I can find online. It's only short anyway so please listen and give me your views :o Anyway, Mia is currently busy being a mum to two songs, Monty and Frankie, so this will most likely remain her only album. Boo. Also, on the subject of Mia, I feel like this is a fun opportunity to say that I have her album signed personally to me :o As well as an autograph of her, and Lucie. My friends e-mailed her using the address on her website several years ago and asked if they could get an autograph from her and Lucie for me for Christmas, she sent them at NO cost and chucked in an album for each of us too :wub: Some pics (with a few CDs there too, they are a few years old lol): http://i759.photobucket.com/albums/xx240/MarthaJonesFan/COLLECTION0009-1.jpg http://i759.photobucket.com/albums/xx240/MarthaJonesFan/COLLECTION0001-1.jpg Aussie boyband 5 Seconds of Summer are next. Luke, Calum, Michael and the bloody gorgeous Ashton released their debut self-titled album last year, following their first EVER UK #1 She Looks So Perfect :jameela: Anyway, it ended up in my top 10 albums of last year, being a great pop/rock album (says it all when this is the closest I get to actual rock :heehee: sorry Iz x) although not quite being good enough to live up to One Direction and The Vamps for me, both of whom are still to come. Nonetheless, I'm well and truly a 5SOS stan and I'd be shocked if they don't climb this list over the next year or two if they keep going this way! 5SOS' album ended up debuting at #2 on my chart despite being more than worthy of #1, due to stiff competition from Lewis Watson's debut album. Funnily enough, he finishes just one place ahead here too. I wasn't convinced on Lewis at first, he seemed a little boring with some of the songs from his first four EPs, although the lead single off EP #5, Even If, did well to convince me otherwise. I truly fell in love, however, when hearing his first proper single Stay, which many will know as a BJSC entry of mine last year. It just CLICKED with me and made me really anticipated for the album, and it didn't let me down at all, a really pleasant listen throughout with so many tracks I'll happily keep going back to, including Holding On, Into the Wild, Windows and Castle Street. Again, he's relatively new so it will be interesting to see how well he holds up in the future but a solid start! Gabrielle Aplin was another who I knew of in her days of releasing EPs, I stumbled across her track Home and considered it for BJSC back in 2012, several months before The Power of Love came about, but ultimately passed on both that and Please Don't Say You Love Me. Damn you Silas for sending the latter and getting a hit!! While I probably DNQ'd like I did most of 2012 :kink: It wasn't until The Power of Love until I was totally sold on Gabrielle though, her voice sounds beautiful on the haunting piano backing track and it made the perfect John Lewis song. I actually feel it's been topped in both the following years with Lily Allen and Tom Odell but that doesn't stop it being fantastic still. Her debut album impressed me WAY more than I thought it would and I ended up seeing her live in November 2013, a fantastic night and I thoroughly enjoyed it, my first experience of a smaller gig, ie. not in an arena or theatre like I had been to a few times before. Finally, Canadian singer Carly Rae Jepsen burst onto the scene in 2012 with viral hit Call Me Maybe. I didn't hear this through BJSC as I hadn't joined by this time but I saw it climbing the iTunes chart and gave it a listen, I never looked back. Pure bubblegum pop at its absolute finest! I went back and revisited debut album Tug of War, which is more acoustic pop than bubblegum pop like sophomore album Kiss, which ultimately I did end up preferring, ending up in my top 5 EOY chart that year. Call Me Maybe aside, Carly's perfected the art of fantastic pop, with amazing tracks like Tonight I'm Getting Over You, Guitar String / Wedding Ring, Beautiful and Hurt So Good all on the album.
January 31, 201510 yr YAAAAAAS KELLY ROWLAND she's so underrated, plus "Down For Whatever" is such a JAM! :wub: :wub: :wub: "Hurt So Good" is the real CRJ smash, wonder why her label actually skipped on that one :( Also QUEEN ARI AND 5SOS :wub: :wub: :wub: Tell me when King Conor Slaynard comes on because I'm expecting him to be top 5 (with Girls Aloud probably)
January 31, 201510 yr :hi: I was actually thinking of doing something similar but you have beaten me to it :heehee: I can't say i properly love any of the acts so far oops, although i am a fan of Ariana and Ed (against my better judgement -__-). Kelly has some jams, including your hii-light there *.* And i am happy to hear Gaga will be appearing, based on every act you've seen live making an appearance :D Gaga for #1 :cheer:
January 31, 201510 yr Kelly R >>>>> Beyonce. Stealing this idea too tbh. k bye http://i.imgur.com/yPlJ4CV.gif
January 31, 201510 yr Author Thanks to all who have commented so far :D Slayberry - Conor will indeed be featuring :o Not quite that high but if album 2 is as good as album 1 then I see no reason why he can't climb a lot *.* Adam - it was such a huge shock for me but it was beyond lovely of both my friends to organise it for me and for Mia and Lucie to send them! Free of charge too :heart: Ball - #HuasofJseoph on form I see then :o I think there'll be more you like further up, including Gaga! It's all been quite recent so far but there are some less recent artists appearing shortly. Regina - glad we share an opinion there re. Kelly R *.* I look forward to your countdown :o Not sure who your overall fave is, you seem to stan for a number of artists and I can't pinpoint who exactly is #1 :kink:
January 31, 201510 yr Author 46 Rachel Stevens (album: Funky Dory // song: Sweet Dreams My LA Ex) 47 Natasha Bedingfield (album: Unwritten // song: These Words) 48 Rox (album: Memoirs // song: Forever Always Wishing) 49 Reed Deming (album: Satellites - EP // song: Crash Test Dummy (Broken)) 50 Conor Maynard (album: Contrast // song: Animal) Speaking of Conor Maynard, here he is! I first heard of Conor through the Buzzjack topic for debut single Can't Say No, I gave it a listen and didn't like it. It took a good few listens before I liked it actually, it continued to grow and grow though, eventually peaking at #9 in my chart. The further three singles each topped the one before also, IMO. Contrast has proved itself to be one of my favourite debut albums of the past few years, I listened to it just a few weeks ago and it still sounds just as good as it did back in 2012, something not all albums released that year ended up doing. His second album is one of my most anticipated albums right now so hopefully he'll bring it like I know he can. Just above Conor is an artist who hasn't actually released an album yet. 15 year old Reed Deming has put out two EPs - Ridiculous and Satellites, but no full length release. Reed auditioned for The X Factor USA in 2012 and made it up to judges' houses, before being sent home by Britney Spears. Silly Britney. Only bad thing she's done tbh. However, that didn't stop him making some quality pop tracks since then. I'd compare him to another of my fave young singers, Greyson Chance (still to come), ultimately he's just making some pop tracks but there's meaning behind most of them because Reed's had that input. Crash Test Dummy (Broken) is remarkably mature for a 15 year old, and it strikes a chord with me, as ultimately it's a song about being accepted, something I'm sure many of us have worried about at one point. I won't repeat all I said in my 2014 end of year chart but I bloody love that song basically. Really anticipating an album from him because I've genuinely loved each and every song he's released to date. Some of you may remember Rox from her top 100 hit My Baby Left Me back in 2010, sadly she never made much of an impact chart-wise but her fantastic soul voice made for an amazing debut album in Memoirs, which I'm listening to right now as I type. It would no doubt be high on a top albums countdown if I were to do one (idea for when this thread's finished :heehee:). I remember I first heard of her through a music channel randomly, I googled her and kinda became hooked from then onwards. Sadly she's yet to follow up Memoirs, hence the relatively low entry here when her debut album is so damn good. Definitely an example of where an artist with just one album can stand the test of time, however, so perfect proof of why I don't have a minimum of two albums limit or whatever. Over 10 years ago now (!), Natasha Bedingfield burst onto the music scene with debut hit Single, which caught my attention instantly and I became a fan through music channels. Second hit and her first EVER UK #1 These Words :jameela: topped it, however, and it led to a pretty fantastic debut album in the form of Unwritten. I must admit, I've not actually listened to second album N.B. or US album Pocketful of Sunshine, singles aside (I Wanna Have Your Babies is my biggest guilty pleasure), but I've heard third UK album Strip Me Away. I enjoyed it, but not too much actually stood out to me sadly. Sadly, she's pretty much forgotten now in both the UK and the US - she ditched the UK to focus on the US, flopped in the US and had no UK career to come back to. Silly woman :( At #46 we have the second group member gone solo, following Kelly Rowland. Rachel Stevens was of course in S Club 7 (still to come), and following their split, was the first to release solo material. Sweet Dreams My LA Ex was a big hit for Rachel, unsurprisingly, and she had further success with Some Girls, which matched LA Ex's peak of #2. Further top 10 hits came from her cover of More More More, plus second album singles Negotiate With Love and So Good (and #11 hit I Said Never Again (But Here We Are)). Rachel's debut album Funky Dory makes for a great listen for me, simple pop at its best really, with tracks like Breathe In Breathe Out (Swat-Team Remix) standing out. WHY DID YOU NOT RELEASE THAT, RACHEL?? :( I feel like I'm going against the grain now but follow-up album Come & Get It never took me quite as much, it actually kinda bored me when I listened through a few years ago? Maybe it'll sound better if I listen now, who knows. Will have to find time to do that soon tbh.
February 1, 201510 yr Who are these lessers above the king? :huh: :huh: :huh: :huh: :P Natasha tho :wub: :wub: Also, nice shout-out to an S Club 7 alum! Edited February 1, 201510 yr by Blank Slayberry
February 1, 201510 yr Author 41 Mariah Carey (album: Me. I Am Mariah...The Elusive Chanteuse // song: #Beautiful) 42 Big Brovaz (album: Re-Entry // song: Nu Flow) 43 Lady Gaga (album: The Fame Monster // song: Bad Romance) 44 Alexandra Burke (album: Overcome // song: Bad Boys) 45 Diana Vickers (album: Songs From the Tainted Cherry Tree // song: Music To Make Boys Cry) RYAN REJOICES as his fave Diana Vickers has made my top 50 artists! Diana was a favourite of mine when on The X Factor, I always enjoyed her unique voice and tone. Debut album Songs From the Tainted Cherry Tree is an album I regularly revisit, quite strange thinking back that this was a UK #1 album as she's sadly quite forgotten now. Shame because follow-up album Music To Make Boys Cry is really good too, it made #1 in my album chart, including three top 10 hits - #1 Boy In Paris, #4 Cinderella and #6, the title track. Hopefully we get a third album from Diana, she always impresses! The winner of Diana's X Factor series is just above her here. Alexandra Burke was my big favourite that series (well, once Rachel Hylton got eliminated), and I was hugely backing her to win, and was over the moon when she went all the way! Hallelujah is my favourite X Factor winning single still, but her first proper single, Bad Boys, was such a huge jam and would no doubt have been a second #1 in a row for Alex if I did a chart back then. Overcome is still such a strong album and unlike many, I also really enjoyed Heartbreak On Hold too. Generic? Hell yeah. But it was really fun, loads of bangers there that I constantly revisit. Shame she's gone to shit recently as she's so talented. :( From one Ball favourite to another, Lady Gaga is at #43. It took me a while to become fully open-minded to music so for whatever reason, I kinda shut out Gaga's music. I was shown the error of my ways in 2013, when Ball and Yu recommended many Gaga songs to me and I simply couldn't resist. I remember buying both The Fame Monster and Born This Way when out on the first #JJ meet-up in April 2013 for £10 in total, not bad! ARTPOP was a #1 album in my chart too, and I had the pleasure of seeing her live with Jack last October, so much fun and I loved her attitude of "fuck everyone else", a great experience and I'm SO glad I opened my mind up to Gaga. Nothing worse than being close-minded and I know that from experience. Big Brovaz seem a little out of place in here, right? I'm not sure why but I've always really enjoyed their music. Debut single Nu Flow is incredible infectious and serves as a wonderful introduction to them. The debut album, also titled Nu Flow, has many great songs on it. One of my favourites by them is their Scooby Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed song, We Wanna Thank You (The Things You Do), which sadly was a bit of a flop in the chart. Second album Re-Entry was much delayed and was a commercial flop, not being very widely available in the end, but I actually find it a lot better than the debut. Almost a Eurovision entry for the UK, Big Bro Thang is another highlight of theirs for me, plus Hey! Hey! (Take Me Home), the hit that sadly never was. Finally, Queen Mariah Carey is at #41. I'd have her higher but I'm actually largely unfamiliar with her albums, having only heard the most recent three (excluding Merry Christmas II You, steering clear of that even at Christmas time oops). Singles-wise, she has some absolutely storming tracks. Right back to songs like Vision of Love, Emotions and especially Fantasy, as well as more recent singles Touch My Body, #Beautiful, Obsessed and We Belong Together. Not forgetting the Christmas classic All I Want For Christmas Is You! Mariah is often on point and I really do need to find time to listen to her albums, I own them all but haven't gotten round to listening to many yet, oops. I believe it was It's Like That that got me into Mariah, and my mum gave me her old Mariah CDs that she no longer wanted :lol: So I've been a fan for quite a while, mainly with a resurgence in 2013 thanks to the release of #Beautiful, still such a great track there.
February 1, 201510 yr Natasha Bedingfield :wub: 'Unwritten' was the first album I EVER bought. :jameela:
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