I don't recall Automatic High, oops! I didn't chart it either, though S Club Juniors had one top 20 hit for me - New Direction hit 15. I think it's fair to say I wasn't the target audience :lol:

 

Justin, though, hit 2 in my charts, easily top 30 for top tracks of the year and was extremely cool, he was on fire 2002/3 and I also loved all those poppy N'Sync hits, and not "ironically" either, Max Martin/Denniz Pop were great producers/writers.

 

Vanessa hit 30 for me, it's OK but I got fed up with hearing it, and Milky I'd forgotten, but checked and it hit 55 in my charts - playing it now as I don't recall that Listen To What The Man Says sample at all. Nope, still don;t hear it but that do do dooo bit is the jangly guitar riff notes I guess. The intro is identical to New Musik's Living By Numbers to my ears, so it references 2 fave tracks of mine :)

 

Nelly still is a name for Northern landladies born around the turn of the 20th century, not so much rappers, but hey ho I really liked Dilemma. It hit 8 and made my year-end top 100 tracks of 2002 :cheer:

Hey there John :hi: :heart:

 

Oops, that's a shame about 'Automatic High'! Glad you at least experienced some fondness for 'New Direction' - genuinely quite a sophisticated (but in an appropriate way) pop release for such a young band. Hahahaha very true about the target audience :P I definitely would've been part of that bracket at the time but no shame in still liking their stuff at 23!

 

Yay, the 'Justified' era was such a perfect launch-pad for his solo ventures *.* excited to talk about more of those hits in the 2003 countdown. NSYNC indeed had some great tunes, of course 'Bye Bye Bye' made it into an earlier year in this countdown - I think that's my overall favourite of theirs.

 

I don't think I could ever tire of 'A Thousand Miles' but fair! Glad that Milky has been a re-discovery for you, it totally passed me by until 2015 :o

 

Hahaha :lol: that's a pretty good result for 'Dilemma' in your chart! ^_^

 

thank you for commenting <3

I'm a day behind but never mind :kink:

 

 

30. Nickelback - How You Remind Me

(chart-run: 5-4-5-9-6-5-4-7-5-7-8-14-19-22-22-33-47-48-50-65-73)

 

29. Sugababes - Stronger

(chart-run: 7-9-13-18-25-30-27-31-38-50-62-69-63)

 

28. Kylie Minogue - In Your Eyes

(chart-run: 3-7-13-22-28-34-41-46-42-40-43-50-55-62-65-67-70)

 

27. Coldplay - In My Place

(chart-run: 2-13-24-31-39-45-45-52-71-71)

 

26. Blue - Fly By II

(chart-run: 6-9-10-15-18-21-24-34-38-50-57-56)

 

 

Kicking off today's section is a band that I'm usually not too fond of. However, they struck gold with this song so it's a total exception in their discography. This is Canadian rock band Nickelback with 'How You Remind Me' - the lead single from 'Silver Side Up'. 'How You Remind Me' was their first song to chart here despite featuring on the third album of their career, so it was the one to put them on the map. Nickelback front man Chad Kroeger wrote this signature song about a dysfunctional relationship that he had experienced. So you can understandably feel frustration in his vocals and lyrics. This situation plays out visually too, as he is haunted by his ex-lover's memory. She asks him for forgiveness, but he pushes her away as he realises that this isn't what he wants. She is left broken-hearted. These scenes are spliced with footage of Nickelback performing in an intimate venue. Kroeger was initially against this idea, instead wanting a larger location, but in the end he was satisfied upon watching it back. 'How You Remind Me' is typically categorised as a post-grunge and alternative rock song. It achieved the rare feat of being a rock song that topped the Billboard Hot 100 during this century. 'Viva La Vida' by Coldplay is probably the closest to the genre since unless I'm forgetting something. Its tremendous success was heavily aided by the fact that it was the most played song on U.S. radio during the 2000s. Wow. It peaked at #4 here in the U.K. and achieved an impressive run in the top 10. The internet seems to love hating on Nickelback but this particular song doesn't deserve a hard time. I really enjoy the effective light and shade in both the instrumentation and Kroeger's voice. He can be good when he utilises his vocals well. 'How You Remind Me' borrows some of the intensity of the grunge genre and delivers a really gripping chorus as everything is heightened. The small instrumental pauses are quite effective for drama too. Credit where credit is due here as I'll always happily turn this one up. I'm partial to 'Rockstar' too actually. Otherwise, I have really struggled to enjoy anything else I have heard from them. It's a different story with Chad's ex Avril Lavigne though, more on her later...

 

Sugababes are back after appearing in my 2000 countdown with 'Overload'! Siobhán Donaghy departed the group since that debut era 'One Touch' and her replacement was Heidi Range. They've now evolved into Sugababes 2.0. Their sophomore release 'Angels With Dirty Faces' spawned multiple fantastic singles so there's definitely more on the way for 2002. But first, at #29, we have 'Stronger'. This was part of a double A-side with title track 'Angels With Dirty Faces' - stick around to find out if that one has made the cut too. This release netted the girls another top 10 peak from this era, as it reached #7. This double A-side was the third single release from 'Angels With Dirty Faces' and was able to show a different side of the record. 'Stronger' was preceded by two uptempo releases but now we had a ballad to show off the girls' impressive vocal talent. Heidi pulled off such a memorable performance that her vocal run was incorporated into a video called 'Heidi Range's Iconic Police Siren Vocal' which is pretty hilarious. All jokes aside, I do think her dramatic middle 8s were an essential Sugababes 2.0 ingredient. Heidi has named 'Stronger' as her favourite Sugababes song and a huge factor behind that is because it's pretty personal. It was written about her experience of being separated from her family and friends. She had actually been poached from Atomic Kitten to Sugababes, so she was quickly getting used to the struggles of the pop star lifestyle. The lyrics are all about self-help in tough times. So it's an effective song to cling to when a bit of strength is needed. It's really quite beautiful. They continued to accompany their vocals with interesting production too. The approach here is very Massive Attack, with flashes of trip-hop and an orchestral arrangement. It primarily has pop and R&B sensibilities but the slightly left-field production elements were a really cool touch. The video shows the girls in separate situations (Heidi working as a stripper, Mutya portrayed as a gangster and Keisha appearing heartbroken at a support group) but they all come together for the more calming pool scenes. The girls were all still so young here but effectively pulled off a really mature ballad.

 

So I've realised that I had a memory fail when replying to comments in here! I told Chez that 'In Your Eyes' had just missed out on my 2001 countdown... but that can't have been the case, as it has fallen into 2002! So I must've just assumed that when seeing his list as I'm quite a fan of the song. So a miss was always going to be a near-miss. However, my memory of the list I had created a couple of months prior had totally failed me, so just ignore that. Instead, 'In Your Eyes' does get the chance to shine for 2002! It was originally set for release in January of that year, but was pushed back to February, due to the overwhelming amount of airplay that 'Can't Get You Out Of My Head' was still receiving. This allowed it to die down a little and pave the way for 'In Your Eyes' to become the 2nd single from 'Fever'. This was another success for Kylie as it peaked at #3 here, becoming her 22nd U.K. top 10 single. Very impressive! 'In Your Eyes' was more of a playful follow-up to 'Can't Get You Out Of My Head' both lyrically (this is more about flirty desire rather than obsession) and sonically. 'Can't Get You Out Of My Head' has its intense pulsating synths but here the synths are sparkly and funky, so the production feels a lot more friendly. Kylie's vocals are quite floaty also which spears the song in a dreamy direction. 'In Your Eyes' does borrow some of the robotic dance moves from the 'Can't Get You Out Of My Head' video though! But the general aesthetic is very different to that. The rainbow LED lights for 'In Your Eyes' feel very of their time and give me serious flashbacks to the Popworld TV show. But it's all good fun all these years on nevertheless. 'In Your Eyes' was a continuation of Kylie's dance-pop sound, with flavours of both nu-disco and europop music. This sonic overhaul for her in the 2000s was still going down a treat. The 'Fever' singles run is so strong that there's still another one to come. But for now, 'In Your Eyes' with all of its catchy charm has placed at #28.

 

Next at #27 we have Coldplay! This section keeps dipping between rock and pop so far. 'In My Place' was released as the lead single from the group's sophomore record 'A Rush of Blood to the Head' and came close to being their first chart-topper. But one man stood in their way. This was Darius with 'Colourblind'! I cannot begrudge such a BuzzJack legend. Coldplay would instead have to wait another 6 years for that coveted #1 single. They were still doing well nevertheless and selling albums by the boatload. 'In My Place' is a sonic treat. Firstly, it reels you in with a crash cymbal and drums. Soon, a seriously magical and melodic guitar line joins them. Lead singer Chris Martin described the song as having the following lyrical meaning: "...where you're put in the world, and how you're given your position, and the way you look, and how you have to get on with it". So quite intense. It also veers into the direction of a break-up anthem too, as Martin pleads with the love interest in amongst his tired state. He really does an amazing job of selling the song with his heartfelt delivery. The elongated notes in the chorus prove to be a Coldplay singalong moment too. The video is nothing to write home about as it's a bog standard band performance. But Chris does inject a little bit of life into it when charging towards the microphone towards the end. This was a gorgeous single to lead the era, but I must confess that they had something even better up their sleeve as there is more Coldplay to come in 2002. Look at me teasing so much today! There are quite a lot of artist repeats it seems.

 

Rounding off this section is a song that contains the lyrics "the hot stuff, the top stuff, yeah we got stuff" so you know it has to be a Blue song. I live for their obsession with lyrics about "stuff" - first the peculiar lines in 'All Rise' earlier and now here for 'Fly By II'. Well, they're doing something right as these are my top 2 Blue songs! The 'All Rise' era still had legs so 'Fly By II' was chosen as the fourth single from this album. It was another top 10 hit under their belt as it achieved a #6 peak. I actually remember this song from the time and would've guessed that it was a top 5 hit minimum. 'Fly By II' stands out in their discography as a deliciously catchy single. The chorus has pop sensibilities but the production gives them a lot more 'street cred' with its R&B features. It contains a sample of 'Rise' by Herb Alpert, which is also sampled on 'Hypnotize' by The Notorious B.I.G. - a very cool song. In fact, that was a hit that appeared in my 1997 countdown. So we're reaching the stage where I'm far enough into this project for songs to be borrowing from other hits earlier on. That makes me feel good about my progress so far. Anyway, 'Fly By II' contains really euphoric energy which also adds to its appeal. Lee Ryan steals the show on vocals here with his dramatic bridge. He is the youngest member of the band and was just 18 at the time. Simon Webbe balances out the drama well with his more laidback style. Anthony and Duncan are fine but have the less essential contributions here. The club setting in the video feels just right when the song contains the "hands high when we fly by" lyric, as of course putting your hands up is the ultimate club cliché. The execution of 'Fly By II' isn't quite as clever and imaginative as the court-room setting of 'All Rise', but the whole aura of the song is just so contagious that it slightly edges that for me.

catching up again..

loving the big amount of dance in the top 15 for 2001; big fan of quite a few of those songs

I have to agree the Avicii remix of Rapture is a big improvement from the original although I enjoy that version too

Murder on the Dancefloor, Touch Me, Can't Get You Out of My Head and of course Another Chance would all be in my top ten too when I make one.

Don't Stop Movin was a big fave of mine at the time, I'm not that big on it now but it's held up a lot better than the rest of their material.

from 2002 so far my faves are Lazy, Just the Way You Are, Dilemma, In Your Eyes - the Nickelback one I'd say is their best too (seemingly a popular opinion)

My mistake re: In Your Eyes :hithead: I was going by the dates on Apple. Wonderful to see this here ofc. I think I prefer to ...Out of My Head, such wonderful production <3

 

Very pleased to see In My Place here ofc., though I am more pleased to see more still to come as the other singles from that album were much better. How You Remind Me is indeed probably the only really good song from Nickelback, they have some guilty pleasures, but most are awful!

loving the latest batch of 2002!

 

Great reviews all round actually, including Nickelback who I also have little time for generally, but How You Remind Me ended as my number 26 of 2002 for new tracks, Stronger was the lowest of 3 Sugababes tracks in my year-end at 58, In Your Eyes was the lowest of 3 Kylie tracks at 24, and Blue was their other bonafide pop classic, outdoing All Rise and ending the year at 10. Coldplay's In My Place ended at 9 so you've already taken 2 of my top 10 faves of the year. :yahoo: :cheer:

 

That "other" Coldplay track made my top 200 and it's beloved of fans - but it never quite clicked for me to the same degree as their other many classics for some reason.. :(

catching up again..

loving the big amount of dance in the top 15 for 2001; big fan of quite a few of those songs

I have to agree the Avicii remix of Rapture is a big improvement from the original although I enjoy that version too

Murder on the Dancefloor, Touch Me, Can't Get You Out of My Head and of course Another Chance would all be in my top ten too when I make one.

Don't Stop Movin was a big fave of mine at the time, I'm not that big on it now but it's held up a lot better than the rest of their material.

from 2002 so far my faves are Lazy, Just the Way You Are, Dilemma, In Your Eyes - the Nickelback one I'd say is their best too (seemingly a popular opinion)

Hey there Dan :hi: :heart:

 

Yay! 2001 was a fantastic year for dance. I'd say that it seems to be swaying more to pop for 2002 but definitely some dance coming up.

I would've been shocked if you didn't favour the Avicii version tbh! I don't know if it's partly to do with the fact that it was the first version I knew, but yeah, I guess the way it's executed is just more upbeat and exciting.

'Don't Stop Movin' a childhood / school disco classic *.*

Great to see that you're positively namedropping quite a lot of songs here, both for the end of 2001 and start of 2002!

I'm glad that it is a popular Nickelback opinion :lol:

 

thank you for commenting <3

 

My mistake re: In Your Eyes :hithead: I was going by the dates on Apple. Wonderful to see this here ofc. I think I prefer to ...Out of My Head, such wonderful production <3

 

Very pleased to see In My Place here ofc., though I am more pleased to see more still to come as the other singles from that album were much better. How You Remind Me is indeed probably the only really good song from Nickelback, they have some guilty pleasures, but most are awful!

Hey there Chez :hi: :heart:

 

Ha, no worries! I totally get that, sometimes I'll just Google a song and occasionally the first year it brings up is wrong, so always good to double check when it matters. Technically the 'Fever' album was released in 2001 so not necessarily wrong in terms of that, but yeah, single release was definitely 2002! Anyway, the production really is lovely :heart: thought you'd approve of Coldplay! Indeed, there's one more 2002 song from that era and then I think it continues into 2003 - definitely some great songs left from them to come *.* haha yeah Nickelback really aren't my cup of tea at all either but they were on to something with 'How You Remind Me' <3

 

thank you for commenting <3

 

loving the latest batch of 2002!

 

Great reviews all round actually, including Nickelback who I also have little time for generally, but How You Remind Me ended as my number 26 of 2002 for new tracks, Stronger was the lowest of 3 Sugababes tracks in my year-end at 58, In Your Eyes was the lowest of 3 Kylie tracks at 24, and Blue was their other bonafide pop classic, outdoing All Rise and ending the year at 10. Coldplay's In My Place ended at 9 so you've already taken 2 of my top 10 faves of the year. :yahoo: :cheer:

 

That "other" Coldplay track made my top 200 and it's beloved of fans - but it never quite clicked for me to the same degree as their other many classics for some reason.. :(

Hey there John :hi: :heart:

 

I'm really pleased that you're enjoying the latest batch of songs and the accompanying reviews, aiming for more tonight! I do usually write these on a Monday but have been busy during the past couple, so the day is slipping a little at the moment. Wow, disliking Nickelback but enjoying 'How You Remind Me' definitely seems to be a common pattern in this thread so far :lol: interesting to hear about all of those stats! Definitely more Kylie and especially Sugababes to come for 2002.

 

Aww, well top 200 is better than nothing for that song, but yeah it does seem like a huge fan favourite and that definitely extends to me *.*

 

thank you for commenting <3

Been ages since I posted in here oops but that's a great Top 5 for 2001, certainly a mix of genres but I like all of them! The nostalgia continues.

 

Lazy is my favourite of the 2002 songs I've heard, giving Fly By II a listen now and it does sound very 00s, 'got the city on lockdown' having a whole different meaning in 2020 :lol:

^ thanks Pete! Blue way ahead of their time with that lyric :lol:

 

 

25. Elvis vs. JXL - A Little Less Conversation

(chart-run: 1-1-1-1-3-6-11-21-30-32-45-60)

 

24. Goldtrix Presents Andrea Brown - It’s Love (Trippin’)

(chart-run: 6-12-18-17-20-34-40-52-71R(2))

 

23. Shy FX & T Power - Shake Ur Body (feat. Di)

(chart-run: 7-13-18-20-22-31-38-47-66-75-57)

 

22. Sugababes - Angels With Dirty Faces

(chart-run: 7-9-13-18-25-30-27-31-38-50-62-69-63)

 

21. Shakedown - At Night

(chart-run: 6-13-20-34-40-52-57-68)

 

 

For 2002, I'd say that the number of appearances for dance songs has felt pretty low so far. However, that's all about to change as this section is full of floor-fillers! Kickstarting this chain is a 2002 reworking of an Elvis Presley song. 'A Little Less Conversation' dates back to 1968, where it was originally performed in the film 'Live a Little, Love a Little' and reached a very modest #69 on the Billboard Hot 100. Fast forward to the 21st century and Dutch producer JXL (also known as Junkie XL, real name Tom Holkenborg) wanted to put his spin on it. This release was a huge deal as it was the first time that an artist outside of the Presley organisation had received authorisation from the Elvis Presley Estate to remix one of his songs. So this one had to be good! You could say that it went down well. 'A Little Less Conversation' entered the U.K. Chart at #1 and achieved 4 weeks at the top in total. It also returned to the chart in 2005, at #3, following THAT Elvis re-release invasion. 'A Little Less Conversation' was used for Nike's 2002 FIFA World Cup advertising campaign and also popped up in movies too. My own personal discovery of this song was in the film Shark Tale! I immediately took to it and have never got tired of it over the years. This JXL version features lower vocals than the Elvis original and emphasises a lot of the instrumentation more. The production has a big beat facelift too. I love how dynamic the whole experience is. The electronic influence, funk rock instruments, instructional Elvis lyrics and choral backing vocals all totally click together and feel really thrilling. There's a lot going on but it just works and feels like an impactful but appropriate reimagining of the original. The video is a bit of an eyesore with so much bright red but that social distancing was certainly ahead of its time. I also have to thank the song in any form for inspiring Ariana Grande's 'Into You' with that "a little less conversation and a little more touch my body" line. I'd say that this is easily my favourite Elvis-related song. 'Jailhouse Rock' is probably the one that appeals to me the most in its original form. But this mashes up that old school flavour with an assortment of breakbeats and synth loops, which caters to my taste perfectly.

 

Now is something less well-known but a top 10 hit all the same! This is the Goldtrix and Andrea Brown team-up 'It’s Love (Trippin’)'. Production duo Goldtrix consists of Daniel Goldstein and Matrix - yep, the latter from Matrix & Futurebound. Vocalist Andrea Brown is the cousin of Bobby Brown. There we go, some fun connections right there. I'm pretty sure I discovered this song through its appearance on Now 51, but it also featured on Radio 1's 'One Hit Wonders' show and I'm almost certain that it's been a Kisstory favourite in the past too. So quite a few crossovers with my musical habits over the years. This follows on from the Elvis remix well as it's also a reworking - in this instance a cover of R&B singer Jill Scott's 'It's Love (Trippin')'. Andrea Brown's distinctive vocal performance retains that R&B charm as she sounds incredibly soulful and gives the record a timeless feel. The house production is a welcome addition too. It's pretty bouncy but not to an exhausting extent. Instead, it keeps up with Brown's heavenly drawl, ramping up a little during the chorus. The lyrics are pretty intense - from the word go you have: "They say I'm crazy, the way you got me open baby". These words continue to be the outsider perspective on a woman crazy in love from what I gather. The video flicks between Andrea Brown singing in fetching sequins and trippy party scenes. It concludes with Brown coming down from all the madness and lying on her bed. This is one big adrenaline rush, especially as the production thumps in a similar way to 'Hide U' by Kosheen, also a wild ride.

 

At #23 we have the first of two back-to-back #7 hits! This one is 'Shake Ur Body' by Shy FX & T Power, with help from Di on vocals. Both of the producers specialise in Drum & Bass music. Di, whose real name is Dianne Joseph, was formerly part of 90s R&B trio Truce. They experienced a singular dent on the UK Top 40, following multiple top 75 peaks, with 'Eyes Don't Lie' at #20. They called it quits after this single despite that new personal best. The dance route was calling several members, as Di of course had Shy FX collaborations, but fellow member Michelle Escoffery also found a taste for that world by appearing on Artful Dodger's song 'Think About Me'. Gotta love a bit of flop girl-group trivia! 'Shake Ur Body' is every bit as energetic as the title would suggest. The D&B production manically charges ahead at full speed, while Di accompanies this with a strong vocal performance and instructional lyrics. She tells the listener that it's okay to: "Shake your body, up down, stomp your feet and spin around". I'm surprised that this didn't come with an accompanying cheesy dance routine as so much school disco fodder came out of the noughties decade. Nope, this was too cool for school. The video is full of dancers showcasing their talent in front of a crowd though. However, the YouTube upload I just witnessed has got to be the most potato quality offering during this countdown to date! Like, seriously painful. Well, at least I am experiencing the standalone song in HQ glory right now on Spotify. I definitely first discovered this through Now 52 and was taken aback by how fast-paced it was. It swiftly became an addictive energiser and remains a D&B essential all these years later. Shy FX is still making fantastic music in 2020 under the 45 Roller alias - I would definitely recommend 'Rain' and 'Outrun'.

 

The second of these two back-to-back #7 hits is 'Angels With Dirty Faces' by Sugababes! This follows on from the other half of this double A-side 'Stronger' which appeared in the previous section. I'd hazard a guess that most people would prefer 'Stronger' out of the two, as it naturally seems to stir an emotional reaction. However, title track from their sophomore album 'Angels With Dirty Faces' has the slight edge for me and a huge part of this could be down to the nostalgia factor. This is because one of my earliest obsessions was Cartoon Network show The PowerPuff Girls and this song was released in conjunction with the franchise. So I can actually recall it from the time. The Powerpuff Girls Movie was the first film that I remember watching at the cinema. So I was able to hear this on Cartoon Network and through the film. The band get the Gorillaz treatment as they become animated for the video too. Mutya, Keisha and Heidi are transformed into PowerPuff Girls and are thrust into the world of the 'Nano of the North' episode of the show. In retrospect, the connection does raise an eyebrow because the lyrics in this song are a bit suggestive in places. But I think they were aiming for more of a girl power angle with the crossover. 5-year-old me couldn't detect anything mature at the time anyway and I was part of their target audience. Away from the nostalgia, I think this is quite a daring and memorable girl-group single, even if not regarded as a Sugababes classic. They had the Xenomania dream-team on board for production duties so you can bet that this element of the track was interesting. It fuses pop, R&B, electronic and hip-hop influences together, so the girls continued to stand out and carve their own lane. The main beat of the song feels like it's battling against the vocals, which could come across jarring, but for me it feels quite enthralling and ties in well with the action-packed nature of the PowerPuff Girls. Mutya particularly shines for me on this song vocally but they all bring it with the harmonies as ever. These girls still have TWO songs to come for this year of the countdown so they were well and truly killing it in 2002!

 

Rounding off this section is Shakedown with 'At Night'! This is one of those songs that took me years to figure out. I could remember the chorus lines, but for some reason I thought they were the verses of another song rather than being the main hook. But yes, my brain was apparently being daft and I was eventually reunited with this song. It had a bit of BuzzJack crossover too, as it was entered to the BJSC 00s dance spin-off, plus featured in the One Hit Wonders show that we listened to on here. Yep, the Swiss musical project would soon fade away after the top 10 status and Top of The Pops performance for 'At Night'. Unfortunately, follow-up single 'Drowsy with Hope' stalled at #46 in the chart. Anyway, back to 'At Night' - it's taken me until just now to realise that this has a tenuous Halloween link. Well, mainly when paired with the video. The lyrics talk of coming alive at night, which is a bit dark itself, but the video contains blood, spiders, fangs and even 'Thriller'-esque choreography. So that was a bit of an awakening. It's hard to find this spooky without the video though as the synth melody is so utterly joyful. The vocals, sang by Terra Deva (who would also appear on other more minor dance top 40 hits) are equally loopy and enjoyable too. House music was clearly continuing to thrive in 2002, with two songs from the genre appearing just in this section. See, here is where all the dance music was hiding! I can promise some more dance on the horizon, a whole lot of pop, some rap and finally rock music. Stay tuned to find out my top 20 chart hits of 2002!

'At Night' definitely ranks up there with my favourite 00s dance one hit wonders <3 Big love for the Elvis remix too, I actually think I remember hearing that quite a lot around the time it originally came out so that's probably one of the earliest popular songs that I can remember experiencing in real time.

 

:heart: for 'Fly By II', 'In My Place', 'How You Remind Me' (disclaimer: I too only like this and like 1 or 2 other songs, Nickelback can stay in the bin otherwise x), 'Dilemma' and 'Like I Love You' as well from since I last posted in here. x

Another biggie for me with Elvis, 27 year-ending for the way-better version of A Little Less Conversation, the best Elvis "new" material since Way Down - so that's better than any unreleased, alternate or live versions that RCA bunged out in 25 years.

 

Goldtrix finished at 45 for 2002, one I havent heard since 2002 despite peaking at 4 in my charts!

 

Shy FX made my year-end 200 - with Don't Wanna Know, oops! Shake Ur Body just missed out as the former peaked at 30, the latter 38 in my charts.

 

Have to admit I don't recall the Sugababes track at all, Stronger got the airplay I'd guess. Playing it now, not bad.

 

Shakedown was fab, 17th fave of 2002 and peaked at 2 in my charts :heart:

'At Night' definitely ranks up there with my favourite 00s dance one hit wonders <3 Big love for the Elvis remix too, I actually think I remember hearing that quite a lot around the time it originally came out so that's probably one of the earliest popular songs that I can remember experiencing in real time.

 

:heart: for 'Fly By II', 'In My Place', 'How You Remind Me' (disclaimer: I too only like this and like 1 or 2 other songs, Nickelback can stay in the bin otherwise x), 'Dilemma' and 'Like I Love You' as well from since I last posted in here. x

 

Hey there Brer :hi: :heart:

 

Yay, I'm pleased that you're so fond of 'At Night' too *.* oh wow, you would've been so little when the Elvis remix came out so that's impressive. Pre-Shark Tale I really can't remember :lol: an iconic way to find that song. Glad you could pick out so many songs you enjoyed from the past few sections! #DownWithNickelback etc

 

thank you for commenting <3

 

Another biggie for me with Elvis, 27 year-ending for the way-better version of A Little Less Conversation, the best Elvis "new" material since Way Down - so that's better than any unreleased, alternate or live versions that RCA bunged out in 25 years.

 

Goldtrix finished at 45 for 2002, one I havent heard since 2002 despite peaking at 4 in my charts!

 

Shy FX made my year-end 200 - with Don't Wanna Know, oops! Shake Ur Body just missed out as the former peaked at 30, the latter 38 in my charts.

 

Have to admit I don't recall the Sugababes track at all, Stronger got the airplay I'd guess. Playing it now, not bad.

 

Shakedown was fab, 17th fave of 2002 and peaked at 2 in my charts :heart:

Hey there John :hi: :heart:

 

I'm pleased that you speak so highly of the Elvis remix - JXL really did a terrific job. Certainly high praise for that to be his best for you from that 25-ish year period of releases.

 

Woah, 18 years without hearing Goldtrix!! That's probably the case for a lot of people tbh. Well... yay for you recognising it in such a way at the time :kink:

 

I'm far less familiar with 'Don't Wanna Know' - need to revisit that!

 

I do find that 'Stronger' seems to be the better remembered song, despite all the money that was thrown into the PowerPuff Girls promotion, so yeah probably down to general airplay. Yay for ending on a strong note for you with Shakedown *.* what beat it to #1 in your chart? :o

 

thank you for commenting <3

20. Avril Lavigne - Complicated
(chart-run: 3-3-4-4-7-11-17-31-58)

19. Lasgo - Something
(chart-run: 4-5-6-10-10-11-14-14-19-22-31-36-49-63-70)

18. Oasis - The Hindu Times
(chart-run: 1-4-13-23-37-51-66-63-65-62-74)

17. Shakira - Whenever, Wherever
(chart-run: 2-2-3-4-3-3-3-6-6-8-11-18-25-30-28-38-51-68-67)

16. Christina Aguilera - Dirrty (feat. Redman)
(chart-run: 1-1-3-6-10-19-32-45-60)



Time for the top half of the 2002 countdown now! Who better to kick it off than one of my favourite musical ladies of the 2000s? This is Canadian singer Avril Lavigne with her debut single 'Complicated'. She was just 17 years old when this was released but had experienced a couple of years of frustration in the music business already. She signed to Arista Records all the way back in 2000 but they really struggled with her artistic direction. The label wasn't happy with the guitar-heavy songs that she presented them with. She would eventually meet with production team The Matrix who would help to hone the pop-punk direction that she wanted to follow. 'Complicated', one of the first songs they co-wrote with her, was the track that convinced the label that this musical path would work for Avril. It was chosen as her debut single and was a roaring success - reaching #2 in the U.S. (blocked by two Nelly songs - 'Hot In Herre' and 'Dilemma' with Kelly Rowland) and #3 here in the U.K. She'd done it. I was too young to remember this all happening at the time but definitely went through a huge Avril Lavigne phase by the time her third era had rolled around. I had two best friends at the time and our music taste was all pretty different - but we had Avril in common. So that was pretty cool. After discovering her I quickly bought all of her first three albums on CD - 'Let Go' was the first studio album I ever purchased. I spammed that album so much that it definitely skips a lot now. 'Complicated' was one of the songs I warmed to the most. But one I could never sing along to effectively as the verses are too low for my voice. Avril quickly made her mark as this moody young girl with anthemic guitar laden songs. 'Complicated' is about those people in life who act fake around others - illustrated by lyrics such as "you become somebody else, 'round everyone else". So a two-faced anthem basically. Avril was inspired to write this due to boyfriends and female friends that have acted this way in front of her. I think the lyrics feel extremely relatable, especially back when I was first discovering her in school and this kind of drama seemed like your whole world at the time. I adore the fast-paced execution of the very catchy chorus. Avril's voice sounds really strong too and the emotive instrumentation is gorgeous and refreshing. The video shows Avril and some friends messing around in a mall and also performing at a skate park. It all really clicked with her image and feels like one of her most memorable videos. Avril has one more song to come for 2002 and then the era carries over to 2003.

Next at #19 it's time for some dance music! Lasgo are a Belgian group who found success with four different songs in the U.K. Top 40. It was their first hit that was the biggest, as 'Something' peaked as high as #4 here. I was introduced to it through Now 51 and was eventually brought back to it through BuzzJack. The first BJSC spin-off that I decided to enter was the 00s dance one, back when the rules were a bit more relaxed than they are now. So it was packed full of hits. I decided to select 'Something' for the competition as I thought that the female vocals might appeal to people. Turns out that I was on to something because it actually won the spin-off! Well, by default, after the actual winner faced a deduction. But still, I was crowned champion on my first go and it felt fantastic. So I am always going to have positive associations with 'Something' now. It's a trance song with production that initially runs wild but becomes more disciplined and dark in places as the song progresses. I feel like it matches the conflicted emotions of the song well. Vocalist Evi Goffin is very devotional and romantic but feels that her love interest is bottling up feelings. This frustration results in glorious, longing vocals from her. There are some ethereal background vocals to heighten the emotion too. The video takes place at a train station which adds to this yearning feeling. It makes a change for a trance video to feature some kind of public transport rather than the singer running on foot. You frankly can't go wrong with this genre and trance is always at its best when coupled with emotive vocals to battle those beats.

Now at #18 we have the first of two #1 hits in this section. However, the overall chart run for 'The Hindu Times' is pretty shocking to see - just 5 weeks in the top 40 for a chart-topper. I feel like the discourse surrounding 'The Hindu Times' is always mixed whenever I come across Oasis chat online. However, critically it was their most well-received song in about 5 years. I can understand why it may not be people's cup of tea - Noel even said himself that the song isn't really about anything and he came up with the title before he'd even written the words. It's hard to feel roused by that description of the song. However, there are some really great components for me. Yeah, okay, so the creative process was pretty lazy here - perhaps Oasis on autopilot - but I find some standalone lyrics to contain beautiful optimism - "I do believe, I got flair, I got speed and I walk on air" for example. That makes me feel great. The oomph in the chorus delivery is quintessentially Liam too. Plus, the Beatle nerd in me cannot ignore the sonic similarity to 'Rain' here, one of my favourite songs by them. The phenomenal sitar-esque riff that runs throughout definitely makes me think of George Harrison's style. Apparently this riff often gets compared to 'Same Size Feet' by Stereophonics too. So, this isn't particularly original or revolutionary like they are capable of, but it has Oasis flair in the vocals and some pleasing psychedelic instrumentation, so I have to be predictable here and admit that I do enjoy it quite a bit. The video was filmed in Abbey Road Studios so the Beatles comparisons grow more by the minute. It's a standard performance video where Liam is being Liam - hands behind his back as usual. The brothers coming together towards the end is a pleasant sight and makes me long for that reunion once more.

Time to round off this section with two pretty big songs! First, at #17, we have the first appearance of superstar Shakira. She was five albums deep when she finally gained an international breakthrough. This is because album #5 - the huge 'Laundry Service' - was her first English-language record. The Columbian singer felt confident that she could transition into the world of English-speaking music and indeed, she nailed it with this song about romantic fate. 'Whenever, Wherever' hit #6 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #2 here in the United Kingdom. She was beaten to the top by Will Young's Pop Idol coronation release 'Anything Is Possible'/'Evergreen', which was so unlucky for Shakira as we all know how much of a juggernaut that was. It was a remarkable debut on the chart nevertheless and this song has remained incredibly popular even now. Earlier in 2020, Shakira teamed up with Jennifer Lopez to perform for the Super Bowl half-time show and 'Whenever, Wherever' received the most sales out of every song that was performed as part of the medley. This hit fuses Latin music and the worldbeat style together. It is also influenced by Andean music which gives it a particularly amazing flavour. The production is rich with culture and incredibly warm. I'm particularly a fan of the panpipes. Shakira couples this with her own playful stamp. I mean, WHO could forget that lyric about mountains?! Her vocals are incredibly distinctive too, so much so that she's still mimicked as a common celebrity impression to this day. The video is striking, as Shakira shows us her belly-dancing moves in amongst this beautiful scenery containing the ocean, rocks and a desert. She totally commands that video on her own like the star she is. I feel like everything just perfectly fell into place for this debut. It was unique, inviting, infectious and charming. It really is such a shame that she missed the top spot but thankfully she would experience #1s in the future and carve out a marvellous career.

We have the return of Christina Aguilera as the final song in this #20 - #16 section. 'Dirrty' lead her iconic 'Stripped' era and found huge success here, with 2 weeks at #1. However, it did not go down as well in the United States. It was only able to peak at #48 there. It was like Britney's 'I'm A Slave 4 U' all over again in terms of content and reaction. This was a radical departure for Christina after her previous era. She felt that she lacked creative control when releasing the likes of 'Genie In A Bottle' and 'What A Girl Wants'. There was this wave of squeaky-clean pop-stars at the time and she was made to hop on that. Well, she felt it inauthentic and not a true representation of her as a person. So, for 'Stripped', she took matters into her own hands and wanted to shock the world. The label wanted to release 'Beautiful' as the lead - this eventually acted as damage control as the second single, vaulting her to a much better #2 in the States. Christina was adamant to release 'Dirrty' as she really wanted to show the world her new image. She got what she wanted and faced a lot of backlash for it. The song is extremely sexual and this extends to the video too - where Xtina wears provocative clothing in different locations such as a boxing ring and shower. She expresses herself through dance moves such as the '$l*t-drop'. It's all very wild and was clearly too much for the U.S. to handle. Christina had no regrets though and found the experience liberating. She loved that she was at the forefront, all confident and in command, instead of being "some lame chick in a rap video". Critics have retrospectively said that this whole move was ahead of its time. Obviously, I'm a huge fan. The R&B/hip-hop influenced production sounds massive and Christina creates a very self-assured and exciting presence on the song. It's quite refreshing to hear flashes of her belting rather than an over the top affair of any kind. It once came on at a house party and that experience was truly amazing. The energy of the song personifies releasing your inhibitions which was especially perfect for that environment. Christina gave us everything this era - the controversial lead, heartfelt ballad and more uptempo anthem of strength that was somewhere in the middle. 'Beautiful' and 'Fighter' may have been more universally accepted but at least we allowed 'Dirrty' its moment to shine here too.

Yay for ending on a strong note for you with Shakedown *.* what beat it to #1 in your chart? :o

 

thank you for commenting <3

 

I think it was No More Drama Mary J Blige had a 3 week run around May/June of 2002 :)

I think it was No More Drama Mary J Blige had a 3 week run around May/June of 2002 :)

Ooh okay, good tune, I can accept that :kink:

Definitely don't think the 'Dirrty' video was played during the CBBC countdown of the UK Top 40. Sorry Jade for not commentating on this. Been busy.

 

'Complicated' this maybe my favourite Avril song belong with I'm With You. Something and The Hindu Times although not one Oasis.song I hear often now. 'Whenever Wherever' yes this is a time from Shakira, quite a chart run for it at the time.

 

Going back to Dirrty, hearing this I thought this sounded incredible it was on the radio when I first heard this. This music video is less controversial.than other music videos that you see now.

A Little Less Conversation - always found Elvis overrated and not my type of music, this was a great remix though

At Night - great discoesque track, just wish there was a radio edit on Spotify so I don't have to listen to it through a YT rip.

Complicated - haven't given it many listens over the last decade but this was a fave at the time of release, little me also enjoyed Sk8er Boi, that one hasn't aged as well :lol:

Something - what a top dance tune, a bit on the cheesy side of eurotrance but not too much so it holds up well

Whenever Wherever - has to be one of Shakira's best and would probably be in my top 10 pure pop of that year

not familiar with the Sugababes/Oasis tracks but I like the rest of that section too.

Definitely don't think the 'Dirrty' video was played during the CBBC countdown of the UK Top 40. Sorry Jade for not commentating on this. Been busy.

 

'Complicated' this maybe my favourite Avril song belong with I'm With You. Something and The Hindu Times although not one Oasis.song I hear often now. 'Whenever Wherever' yes this is a time from Shakira, quite a chart run for it at the time.

 

Going back to Dirrty, hearing this I thought this sounded incredible it was on the radio when I first heard this. This music video is less controversial.than other music videos that you see now.

Hey there Mack :hi: :heart:

 

Ha, I'm sure a lot of parents wouldn't have been thrilled about their kids watching any scenes in that video if reading about the reaction at the time was anything to go by. No worries Mack - I appreciate any comments no matter the frequency of them ^_^ happy that people still feel interested in this as I'm still more than okay to keep going.

 

Great choices of favourite Avril songs! 'I'm With You' wasn't released as a single until 2003 so that'll be one to watch for that year. I agree that 'The Hindu Times' doesn't really get much recognition nowadays despite being a #1 single! I suppose 'Wonderwall' alone overshadows everything else :lol: Oh yes that Shakira chart run is amazing, she was incredibly unlucky to be stuck behind Will Young as it did so well otherwise.

 

That's cool to hear regarding 'Dirrty', I cannot remember when I first heard it but I was quickly into it whenever that did happen! Yeah, there have been far racier videos since, I guess her transition from squeaky clean popstar to more of a sexual performer was a big shock to the system at the time for a lot.

 

thank you for commenting <3

 

A Little Less Conversation - always found Elvis overrated and not my type of music, this was a great remix though

At Night - great discoesque track, just wish there was a radio edit on Spotify so I don't have to listen to it through a YT rip.

Complicated - haven't given it many listens over the last decade but this was a fave at the time of release, little me also enjoyed Sk8er Boi, that one hasn't aged as well :lol:

Something - what a top dance tune, a bit on the cheesy side of eurotrance but not too much so it holds up well

Whenever Wherever - has to be one of Shakira's best and would probably be in my top 10 pure pop of that year

not familiar with the Sugababes/Oasis tracks but I like the rest of that section too.

Hey there Dan :hi: :heart:

 

I agree with you there actually, despite a penchant for retro music I never got the huge fuss around Elvis. The remix of 'A Little Less Conversation' was genius though <3

 

Oh yes I noticed how long the version of 'At Night' was on Spotify when adding it to my playlist a couple of weeks ago! It does go on a bit :lol:

 

Young you had taste *.* (not that you don't now :kink:) - I must admit that I still love 'Sk8er Boi', a lifelong favourite :lol:

 

Yes, I remember thinking that 'Something' was a bit on the cheesy side when I first heard it! That's not necessarily a bad thing but it did take some time to grow on me a bit more. I was totally in love with it by the time I sent it to BJSC though! Has definitely stood the test of time.

 

Yesss 'Whenever Wherever' is definitely in my Shakira top 3. Maybe even top 2! So good and definitely one of the best songs that 2002 has to offer.

 

Oh wow :o Poor Oasis with such a forgotten #1 - I guess the chart run speaks for itself :lol:

 

thank you for commenting <3

15. DB Boulevard - Point of View
(chart-run: 3-7-12-14-18-24-28-38-44-52-54-72)

14. Coldplay - The Scientist
(chart-run: 10-25-32-38-45-49-60-67-65)

13. P!nk - Just Like A Pill
(chart-run: 1-4-5-6-11-8-15-22-30-42-65)

12. Avril Lavigne - Sk8er Boi
(chart-run: 9-9-8-11-15-20-27-37-64)

11. Girls Aloud - Sound of the Underground
(chart-run: 1-1-1-1-3-5-9-15-19-19-22-27-38-42-57-56-71-67-56-71-73)



Today we begin the top 15 with one hit wonders DB Boulevard! They did try their best, with several more single releases in the 2000s, but nothing else charted at all. The female vocalist would experience a second moment in the sun. However, because she was part of this band, Radio 1 filed her hit as a soloist under the one hit wonder tag too during their 2015 'One Hit Wonders of the Millennium' broadcast! So, DB Boulevard made the show with 'Point of View', then vocalist Moony did too with her solo #9 follow-up hit 'Dove (I'll Be Loving You)'! For years I wrongly presumed that the vocalist was Geri Halliwell. Which is a bit silly as Moony herself is Italian. But hey, her tone was giving me serious Geri vibes. 'Point of View' was an instant hit as it debuted and peaked at #3. It incorporates a re-recorded sample of a song called 'Heatwave' by band Phoenix, released back in 1999. It's a really breezy dance hit with some gorgeous sparkly flourishes. 'Point of View' starts off on a negative note - as Moony sings about splitting up with her boyfriend, her car not working and not being able to pay her rent. But, like the song says, she soon learns to consider things from "another point of view". More of a positive one. So she then sings about life's simple pleasures, like beautiful flowers and birds. The video mirrors this through the plot to some extent. It begins with a girl in her room, slamming a picture of her now ex-boyfriend on to the bed, then leaving the house to go for a drive. She then ends up in her happy place - performing in front of a crowd. The most interesting aspect of the video is of course the fact that it's animated! The cardboard style is quite endearing. This song makes me feel instantly relaxed without fail - from the hopeful lyrics to Moony's elongated "aaaah"s during the chorus, which feel like the musical equivalent of releasing a deep breath. They played a blinder with this one.

At #14 we have 'The Scientist' by Coldplay. This is definitely one of my ultimate favourites of theirs. It peaked at #10, but like fellow occupants of this position 'Thriller' by Michael Jackson and 'Mr. Brightside' by The Killers, it feels much bigger than that would suggest. It was released as the second single from their sophomore album 'A Rush of Blood to the Head'. I was excited to find out that Chris Martin was inspired by George Harrison's excellent 'All Things Must Pass' album when writing 'The Scientist'. It does have a timeless classic feel to it which can also be said for that record by the late, great Beatle. 'The Scientist' is about a man feeling powerless when faced with love. Which may feel unexpected with that title. But Martin did say this about the song meaning: "That's just about girls. It's weird that whatever else is on your mind, whether it's the downfall of global economics or terrible environmental troubles, the thing that always gets you most is when you fancy someone." Lyrics such as: "Questions of science, science and progress, do not speak as loud as my heart" illustrate that feeling perfectly. These words are expressed through the power of a piano ballad. That instrumentation is captivating and Chris provides a stellar vocal delivery - particularly during the falsetto-driven final section of the song, that is spine-tingling. I feel like this is one of those singles that makes you think about anything and everything when it has your full concentration. Lyrics like "take me back to the start" not only have an emotive pull but can be broad in meaning, so just about anyone can potentially relate in some way. Love, science, progress... there's a lot to work with here! I think it's so beautiful and rightfully a Coldplay classic. The video is really cool too - it adopts the technique of reverse narrative, whereby the story is told backwards visually. The dedication was real with this one as Chris spent a whole month learning the song backwards to be able to pull off the back-to-front visuals! The video is quite dramatic as his passenger dies due to making the wrong decision - aka removing her seat belt in order to put her jacket on, just before an accident. So the video makes it all the more thought-provoking with that particular theme of making the wrong call. A flawlessly executed single in every way! Shame they skipped over it in the U.S.

Next we have unlucky #13 although the song representing this number is the first #1 of this section - so it was pretty lucky after all! 21st century chart heavyweight P!nk, who is on the cusp of another top 40 hit just this week, released 'Just Like A Pill' as the third single from her 'Missundaztood' album. It seems quite surprising that this was saved for as late as single #3! But it was a good move as it became P!nk's second chart-topper following girl power team-up 'Lady Marmalade' the previous year. This is my favourite P!nk single and one of the earliest examples I remember of obsessing over a song. It all began when I slept round my neighbour's house and we had a blast playing SingStar together. One of the songs I discovered through this game was of course 'Just Like A Pill' and it very quickly drew me in through its melody and electric feel. It was perhaps a bit adult for a young girl but I was none the wiser. I recall being perplexed about why she was lying on the floor but that's about all I can remember. I was delighted to find out that my parents owned the 'Missundaztood' album on CD so I stole it and spammed it for hours on end. Mainly just to hear 'Just Like A Pill'. But it turned out to be a fantastic album so I ended up taking away more than I expected to. My early love for 'Just Like A Pill' evidently never faded as I still have a lot of time for it. This is a pop-rock stormer about dealing with a toxic relationship and also P!nk's documented struggle with drug abuse. I love that these two different main themes coexist in such an effortless way. These topics are of course serious business so P!nk well and truly sings her heart out. I really find myself rooting for her throughout. She starts by documenting her sadness in quite a vulnerable way. But the vocals soon toughen as she finds her inner strength. The pure determination of the chorus really packs a punch each time. P!nk can be seen with black hair in the video - but not without a bit of pink in there, of course. The aesthetics marked a shift from the previous colourful videos from this era as it was all very dark this time, to match the deep themes of the song. The video features both rabbits and an elephant, but P!nk soon declared that she never wanted animals in her videos again as she didn't feel right about the elephant being there. 'Just Like A Pill' proved to be an international success for P!nk as it reached a peak of #8 in the United States too.

NOSTALGIA ALERT. Avril Lavigne is swiftly back at #12 with 'Sk8er Boi'. I mentioned earlier that I got into Avril around the time of her third era. Well, it wasn't actually due to a song from this album. 'Sk8er Boi' was the song that kick-started the Avril obsession about 5 years after its release. This is because of a P.E. lesson where it soundtracked some kind of dance lesson that we were doing. I remember loving the energy of it and the lyrics are pretty naïve so it was easy for me to understand as a primary school child too. The obsession was real - I would often spend hours watching people's Sims 2 versions of 'Sk8er Boi'! Even now, I'm always expecting the plot of the music video to be those literal retellings of the lyrics, rather than the actual video where it's Avril performing a concert on cars. This song will always have a special place in my heart due to those strong childhood links. But the energy of it is still every bit as irresistible now. The hook is pop-punk bliss. Avril really works her voice to perfection on 'Sk8er Boi', those towering guitars are an amazing adrenaline rush and I quite enjoy the storytelling in the song too. It's about a snobby girl who rejected a boy for being a skateboarder, but he gets the last laugh when he becomes famous. Avril acts as the narrator who ends up with the guy. True karma. The lyrics are still quoted as memes now - usually "he was a boy, she was a girl" or "he was a punk, she did ballet" accompanied by two amusing images. So there we go, it's an enduring anthem! 'Sk8er Boi' was actually a rare climber at the time, as it debuted at #9 on the U.K. chart but rose to a peak of #8. It managed #10 in the States - so she had another top 10 in the bag following 'Complicated'. 'Sk8er Boi' was thought of as a 'controversial' pick of 2nd single from 'Let Go' but it really paid off and has become an Avril staple. I hope to one day hear this song live as Avril feels like someone I definitely should've seen in concert by now. Her meet and greet part seems less essential based off *those* pictures of them though :kink: ahead of her time with social distancing. That's it for Avril in 2002 but the 'Let Go' era continues into 2003 so more could be around the corner.

Just missing out on a top 10 position are Girls Aloud but this is their debut so they have plenty more opportunities to get into future top 10s! The five girls were formed on a talent show called Popstars: The Rivals and were pitted against boyband One True Voice in a race for the Christmas #1. Their "buy girls, bye boys" campaign worked and the girls shot to #1. They stayed at the top for four weeks. I did not watch Popstars: The Rivals at the time but I can recall hearing 'Sound of the Underground' playing on the radio around the time of release. So I was just about old enough to follow the entire career of Girls Aloud post-Popstars - which is great, as they'd soon become one of my favourite girl groups of all-time. 'Sound of the Underground' was originally offered to a girl-group called Orchid and later Samantha Mumba. But it was Girls Aloud who got their hands on it thanks to manager Louis Walsh. What a breath of fresh air it was for a talent show winning single! In fact, the best one ever perhaps? We're so used to schmaltzy ballads, often covers, but here Girls Aloud were with an uptempo song unknown to the public. The Xenomania production was totally inspired with its fusion of dance-rock, surf guitar and even drum & bass elements. One of the writers, Miranda Cooper, explained that she was inspired by 'Addicted To Bass' by Puretone for the latter incorporation. This was girl-group music with an edge and has been hailed as one of the songs that helped to reshape pop music for the 2000s. They truly smashed it out of the park on their first go and would continue to collect a string of consecutive top 10 singles. The music video was shot in a warehouse and features emphasis on lighting and microphone stand choreography. It's simple but brings the imagery and energy from the lyrics to life a bit more. Plus, this was a rush-job - the girls had only been together for 16 days by the time 'Sound of the Underground' was released! So a warehouse setting is probably the best they could've hoped for in that scenario. It's a shame that this didn't inspire more left-field coronation singles, as we know all too well that uninspired X Factor covers would be hogging the Christmas #1 later in the decade. Well, at least Girls Aloud proved that unconventional can be successful for a talent show act and thankfully they'd release a lot more pop gems down the line too.

Oops getting behind a bit on this... :D

 

Complicated is possibly Avril's best track - maybe Let Me Go is the best, though I'm not a fan of her stuff though, generally - and made my top 80 for 2002. Lasgo was a big clubbing track at the time, so more memories of late nights in Southampton and getting hit on by a then-straight gymn personal trainer dabbling for the first time. It was great for a few weeks till I got dumped for a younger, stroppier, skinnier replacement and I had to find another venue to go to so I didn't see them, while I tortured myself playing Kosheen's Harder and feeling sorry for myself! Still, it all ended in tears for them a year later, which meant I could go back to the club till it closed down, result :P The song is fab though :lol: Top 40 of 2002 for me.

 

The Hindu Times made my top weekly chart but for Oasis ended the year at a lowly 130 or so, and I havent heard it in well over a decade, so no idea how it's held up, Curious now! Shakira, anthem! Always getting played at least once during every night out in 2002, fab video, loved the pipes and the mountain lyrics, and my number 6 for the year :heart: I liked Christina's naughty Dirrty as it rauched it's way to my number 30 - of 2003 though, the year it peaked in :)

Point Of View, yet another clubbing hit I liked, comfortably in my top 30 of the 2002 rundown, so still no major differences in taste from me! Though, as mentioned before, The Scientist was lower end of the 200 for me and one I need to revisit given it's so popular but peaked at 20 in my personal charts. Just Like A Pill peaked at 26, and is another one I just didn't get the popularity of, good and I liked it, but wasn't quite up to Get The Party Started quality pop. Sk8ter Boi is another that peaked at 20, I just wasn't the target audience but it was fine. :lol: Sound Of The Underground, though, don't care if I was target audience or not, it was a brilliant pop single, but under-performed at a mere top 80 (2003 list). Time it got a reactivated movie slot so I can chart it some more... :)