Let's finally jump into a brand new year! In 2005 I turned 8, had moved house yet again and most importantly was starting to become obsessed with music. I began my Now! That's What I Call Music collection with the pleasingly round 60th edition and got my first ever MP3 player that Christmas. I also took an interest in the X Factor UK that year after not bothering with the inaugural edition. My grandparents contributed to Shayne Ward's giant first week sales that would secure him the second place EOY spot! The gold medal was prevented by renewed interest in 'Is This the Way to Amarillo' by Tony Christie, thanks to Peter Kay enthusiastically miming his way through a new memorable music video. This was a truly juggernaut moment for Comic Relief. Album chart heavyweights Robbie Williams and Coldplay were blocked on that respective EOY chart by the success of James Blunt's debut album Back To Bedlam, hugely anchored by the inescapable 'You're Beautiful' that year, which even became a Billboard Hot 100 chart topper. Elsewhere, Madonna completed yet another successful reinvention, the Arctic Monkeys came bursting on to the scene and Harold Faltermeyer's 'Axel F' would experience an annoyingly catchy makeover thanks to a certain animated frog taking over ringtones across the country...

40. Sugababes - Push The Button
(chart-run: 1-1-1-2-3-5-9-16-15-21-29-35-41-19-23-25-37-45-47-54-45-56-62)

39. My Chemical Romance - Helena
(chart-run: 20-31-48-63)

38. Coldplay - Talk
(chart-run: 10-20-22-24-39-35-40-52-60-66)

37. Kelly Clarkson - Since U Been Gone
(chart-run: 5-6-7-6-5-7-7-13-17-23-31-41-52-50-53-54-56-60-61-62-65-56-60-49-51-36-39-52-56-63-68-63-66-57-71-68-73)

36. Kaiser Chiefs - Everyday I Love You Less and Less
(chart-run: 10-22-25-28-37-39-39-29-40-38-45-44-53-50-52-65-73-67-60R(15)-50-62-67R(3)-67R(2)-51-64)



Sugababes 2.0 are back once again as they kicked off their final era of this line-up in 2005. 'Push The Button' served as the lead single from the Taller In More Ways album and was a storming success. It was the group's fourth #1 single but first to spend more than one week at the top, instead sitting pretty for three weeks. 'Push The Button' is a ridiculously catchy blend of both their pop and R&B styles. It was such an earworm that I was constantly singing it around the house at the time. We have a Christmas 2005 home video where you can see me listening to this song on my brand new MP3 player and singing along, albeit far from perfectly, half the words seem to be phonetic copying attempts. That was probably for the best as my young mind had no idea how raunchy this song actually was. 'Push The Button' is about a woman's sexual frustration when being unnoticed by a crush. Heidi expresses this feeling with: "How obvious should a girl be?" and Mutya takes it up a notch with "I'm ready to do something to relieve this mission". But it was band member Keisha who inspired the song. The girls worked with Dallas Austin on 'Push The Button' and at the time Keisha had feelings for another one of his artists. She was trying to make moves on him but didn't think he was getting the intended message. She lays it all out in spoken-word form during the middle 8 with lines such as: "I've been dropping so many hints... you're still not getting it". They brought the vision to life in a video filmed in Shepherd's Bush. The opening shots feature a lift as the central idea to tie into the song title. We then meet Heidi, Keisha and Mutya singing and dancing inside. Other shots feature very 60s-looking colourful back-drops. We are soon introduced to three different men opposite the girls and things begin to heat up. I had forgotten how suggestive this video was but apparently the original product was even more lewd before cuts were made. The whole package was a hit and the Sugababes bagged themselves another Brit Award 'Best British Single' nomination, ultimately losing out to 'Speed of Sound' by Coldplay. This era wasn't quite up there with their previous few for me but I do enjoy how melodic and carefree 'Push The Button' is, with standout electronic beats throughout and some well-placed guitar work to elevate the bridge especially. It is quite amusing to listen to the lyric "I've been waiting patiently" now as the word 'soon' has become entrenched in the Sugababes fandom after the almost-decade long wait for new music from the current Mutya, Keisha and Siobhan line-up.

While 'Push The Button' was a childhood favourite, the next song at #39 was instead one that I appreciated more when I became a bit older. Emo-rock band My Chemical Romance were two albums in and this sophomore effort in question is the much loved Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge that spawned several top 40 singles. 'Helena' was released as the third single here and became their second top 20 result, following 'I'm Not Okay (I Promise)' that had charted just one place higher. 'Helena' is a reflective, heartbreaking single that was inspired by the loss of the grandmother of lead singer Gerard Way and bassist brother Mikey Way. There is instant dark imagery from the word go with opening line: "long ago, just like the hearse you die to get in again" and it continues to be an outpouring of feelings that have come as a result of grief. Gerard Way explained himself that it's an angry, open letter to himself about how he wasn't around for the final year of his grandmother's life, a woman who was special to him. He dealt with a lot of self hate, but wanted it to grow into caring about himself instead and trying to keep himself alive. I think these feelings are perfectly expressed through the chorus lyrics: "Well if you carry on this way, things are better if I stay, so long and goodnight". He's recognising frustrations, trying to make peace with them and attempting to move on maturely. Gerard delivers these words in a powerful way (including the stunning jittery effects in the middle 8) and the band really attack the production alongside. The accompanying visuals are equally dark and centre around a funeral. The 'Helena' character in the video has passed away, but her body rises from the dead and dances, as a representation of afterlife too. She then returns to the coffin and the band, alongside a fan, act as pallbearers. It's great to be introducing My Chemical Romance to this countdown now and this certainly won't be the last of them, in fact, their top 40 single in 2022 titled 'The Foundations of Decay' was a #1 hit in my personal chart, so they really might be sticking around for a good while...!

Computer love, computer love! Back in 1981 the wonderful synth band Kraftwerk had released their double-A Side 'The Model'/'Computer Love', but in 2005 I hadn't discovered my love for 80s synths yet. So instead, 'Talk' by Coldplay would be my introduction to their music in a way. This #10 hit for the group, released as the third single from the accompanying X&Y album, interpolates the melody from 'Computer Love', instead transforming those glorious synths into guitars. Kraftwerk were pleased that the group had sought their permission to use their work. Guy Berryman, bassist for Coldplay, recalled the following about Kraftwerk member Ralf Hütter: "[he] said something like, "Yes, you can use it, and thank you very much for asking my permission, unlike that bast*rd Jay-Z" this was referring to '(Always Be My) Sunshine'. So, the stirring melody was in the bag and the lyrics to work alongside this focus on the subject of a lost, insecure individual. I think the line: "I feel like they're talking in a language I don't speak" compliments the alien theme of the video well. It is black-and-white footage and inspired by B movie science fiction, where the band find themselves on an alien planet and re-activate a robot, although it goes a bit pear shaped as it eats them and their spaceship when they attempt to leave. The dreamy, hypnotic interpolation definitely draws me to this song but I also find myself connecting with a number of the lyrics too, so I still find listening to this a worthwhile experience of its own, even if I do know and love the Kraftwerk song too now. "In the future, where will I be?" is definitely my most anxiety-inducing topic to think about though! Interestingly, this song was almost scrapped from X&Y after Coldplay had sent early versions of the tracks they'd been working on to Parlophone, but they struck gold on a later version after it was properly mixed - so got its place on the record and became their 8th top 10 single in the U.K. already.

At #37 we have a reality TV winner who successfully avoided the sophomore slump. Kelly Clarkson came in all guns blazing for her Breakaway album and I was drawn to the Avril Lavigne-esque pop-rock sound of the second single, 'Since U Been Gone'. This song was one that had been passed around the industry. At first, P!nk was the singer in mind for it, but she turned it down. Next, attentions turned to Hilary Duff, but it was once again rejected when she could not hit the higher notes required. Kelly was then dubious, as she thought the sound of her album was shaping up to have a rock edge and this Max Martin (and Dr. Luke) produced song was sounding pretty poppy to her ears. But the decision was made to add heavier guitars and drums and then she was satisfied with what she was hearing. Kelly uses her powerful voice to its advantage and adds a lot of oomph to the freeing lyrics. She is talking about a relationship that went seriously downhill and now she feels liberated after a break up. As she says: "since u been gone, I can breathe for the first time". The structure of the production was inspired by listening to a lot of alternative music at the time, with a particular focus on 'Maps' by Yeah Yeah Yeahs. The similarities lie with the same key, similar intros, guitar breaks post-chorus and a similar middle 8 too. Despite those alt-foundations, Billboard's Gary Trust wrote 10 years after the release of 'Since U Been Gone' that this record helped lead to the re-emergence of 'pure pop' in the Billboard charts, after R&B had ruled supreme for a while. I have been recently listening through a playlist of every Billboard Hot 100 #1 and am up to about 2006 - I am not anti-R&B whatsoever but it was a bit of a slog to get through some of the chart-toppers in places, especially during the late-90s, as it really was such a dominant force. In 2005 we still hadn't quite got to the big break through of Gaga, Katy, Rihanna etc. yet. But in the meantime Kelly was smashing it with this #2 single in the U.S., blocked by 50 Cent's 'Candy Shop', just like 'Boulevard of Broken Dreams' was earlier. It would settle for #5 here, still a good result and an improvement on the #6 position for 'Miss Independent' a couple of years earlier. Re-watching the video right now was a right throwback as the fashion and styling looked very 2000s. Kelly wanted the video to have a humorous edge, so in it she cheekily trashes the house of her unfavourable ex's brand new girlfriend. It has now been 20 years since Kelly won American Idol and she's carved out a fantastic career, with many hits and her own chat show in the U.S. under her belt.

Following 'Talk', today's section rounds off with another #10 single! This time it's indie-rock band Kaiser Chiefs with 'Everyday I Love You Less and Less'. Ricky Wilson and co. released this as the third single from their debut album Employment, which became their second top 10 result here after a re-release of 'Oh My God' earlier in the year. 'Everyday I Love You Less and Less' mixes their typical rockier sound with more of a heavily synthesised new wave direction, naturally pretty up my street. According to Ricky Wilson the song is about an ex who won't leave you alone after a break-up. The former flame particularly faces the wrath in the lyrics: "I can't believe once you and me did sex, it makes me sick to think of you undressed". Ouch! There seems to be further mental layers to unpack though, particularly with the line: "the doctor says all I need is pills and rest". Musically the upbeat sound is battling against negative subject matter. This gives off a pretty exhilarating, conflicting, frantic direction throughout. I think the best example is during following part of the lyrics: "Oh yes, I'm stressed, I'm sorry I digress, impressed, you dressed to S.O.S" - what a mouthful!! I came for the instantaneous synths and stayed for the drama. There are also some ludicrously catchy hooks elsewhere - simplistic "na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na" additions for example, that were added with the intention of sticking in the minds of the listeners and standing out to record labels. The video is a really memorable one as well, from featuring a parody newspaper called 'The Son' to the band dressing and dancing about in skeleton costumes - I feel it in my bones, after all, sings Ricky Wilson. Not only have guitars been quite prominent recently but guyliner is currently all the rage, with Billie Joe Armstrong in the previous section, then Gerard Way in all his emo glory earlier and now Ricky in this music video. There's a lot of angst and emo styling in the air and I'm here for it.

Great start to 2005 Jade! I think Push The Button is the Sugababes' best song alongside their cover of Freak Like Me, the first and last #1s of the mk 2 line up. Since U Been Gone was an unexpected switch up from the earlier singles from Kelly and it's brilliant that a minor indie Top 40 hit (Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Maps... I missed its only chart show play while refuelling the car) has proved so influential. EILYLAL is a wonderful burst of energy and rhymes to open the 'Employment' album, hope there might be more to come from it!

Hooray for a new year :jump: here's hoping that opening blurb will be the only appearance of 'You're Beautiful' in this thread xx

 

'Talk' is easily my highlight of this section :heart: my mind remains blown to this day by discovering that it was a Kraftwerk sample (I think I did know both songs already before I learnt that but just never made the connection somehow, same with 'SOS'/'Tainted Love'). Also really like the Kaiser Chiefs song, and I wasn't sure if I knew 'Helena' so I went to look up the iTunes preview quickly and saw it's titled 'Helena (So Long & Goodnight)' on there for some reason, that did instantly jog my memory of which MCR song it was at least so I guess the retitling works :lol: the Tiger Lily of 2005. I am a fan of that one too! 'Push The Button' is also one of the better Sugababes songs for me - surprised that's so low here after how much success they've had in previous years of this countdown, glad it sneaked in just for further documentation of that anecdote of younger you singing along to it tbh :basil: 'Since U Been Gone' is the clear weak link here imo, I used to really hate that song oops, I don't feel as strongly whenever I occasionally hear it these days but I still don't really care much for it oops. I do see the appeal but I just find it a little annoying/overblown idk :ph34r: probably just one of my inexplicable hot takes x (I'm sure it won't be long until we get another section with 5/5 songs that I have only positive things to say about!)

 

I will say though that 'Since U Been Gone' is at least not the worst UK hit that was spawned by 'Maps', looking at you Beyoncé... :kink: (though it's also not the best, as I recently discovered 'Meet Me Halfway' also samples it. And of course 'Maps' itself is easily the best lol)

Talk and Kaiser Chiefs are both big faves of that year, both acts at a peak. Sugababes is great pop and i think thats kelly clarksons best record by far. Im not that familiar with mcr helena though! One i need to visit revisit :)

Great start to 2005 Jade! I think Push The Button is the Sugababes' best song alongside their cover of Freak Like Me, the first and last #1s of the mk 2 line up. Since U Been Gone was an unexpected switch up from the earlier singles from Kelly and it's brilliant that a minor indie Top 40 hit (Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Maps... I missed its only chart show play while refuelling the car) has proved so influential. EILYLAL is a wonderful burst of energy and rhymes to open the 'Employment' album, hope there might be more to come from it!

Thanks Jim! 'Freak Like Me' is my top Sugababes song so I definitely agree with that one :heart: although 2.0 certainly went out with a bang too where #1s were concerned.

 

'Since U Been Gone' is the first Kelly single I remember at the time, so the switch-up never registered with me when released as it was my introduction to her, but now I can definitely appreciate it! I know right?! I was fascinated to find that out :o

 

Glad you're also an 'Everyday I Love You Less And Less' fan *.* watch this space...!

 

Hooray for a new year :jump: here's hoping that opening blurb will be the only appearance of 'You're Beautiful' in this thread xx

 

'Talk' is easily my highlight of this section :heart: my mind remains blown to this day by discovering that it was a Kraftwerk sample (I think I did know both songs already before I learnt that but just never made the connection somehow, same with 'SOS'/'Tainted Love'). Also really like the Kaiser Chiefs song, and I wasn't sure if I knew 'Helena' so I went to look up the iTunes preview quickly and saw it's titled 'Helena (So Long & Goodnight)' on there for some reason, that did instantly jog my memory of which MCR song it was at least so I guess the retitling works :lol: the Tiger Lily of 2005. I am a fan of that one too! 'Push The Button' is also one of the better Sugababes songs for me - surprised that's so low here after how much success they've had in previous years of this countdown, glad it sneaked in just for further documentation of that anecdote of younger you singing along to it tbh :basil: 'Since U Been Gone' is the clear weak link here imo, I used to really hate that song oops, I don't feel as strongly whenever I occasionally hear it these days but I still don't really care much for it oops. I do see the appeal but I just find it a little annoying/overblown idk :ph34r: probably just one of my inexplicable hot takes x (I'm sure it won't be long until we get another section with 5/5 songs that I have only positive things to say about!)

 

I will say though that 'Since U Been Gone' is at least not the worst UK hit that was spawned by 'Maps', looking at you Beyoncé... :kink: (though it's also not the best, as I recently discovered 'Meet Me Halfway' also samples it. And of course 'Maps' itself is easily the best lol)

:cheer: you might be on to something there :kink:

 

oh yeah I think I remember being the one who pointed out 'SOS' / 'Tainted Love' to you (and the ribena lyric in 'American Boy' #neverforget) but I don't think I realised that you didn't make the 'Talk'/'Computer Love' connection for a while as well despite knowing both! Well, there you go. Both tunes *.* Happy to hear that you're an 'Everyday I Love You Less And Less' fan too, wasn't expecting that one to have much love here for some reason, so I'm pleasantly surprised. Oh wow haha one of those bracket titles that is actually helpful :lol: outsold 'Just The Way You Are (Amazing)' with ease. Oh yes, I guess 'Push The Button' is comparatively low indeed but I do think the competition is hotting up anyway as I get familiar with more and more as the years go by.

 

I had remembered that you weren't a 'Since U Been Gone' fan, oops :kink: (I do at least agree with you on the 'Hold Up' front, as much as I love Beyoncé!!)

 

Talk and Kaiser Chiefs are both big faves of that year, both acts at a peak. Sugababes is great pop and i think thats kelly clarksons best record by far. Im not that familiar with mcr helena though! One i need to visit revisit :)

Yes Coldplay and Kaiser Chiefs really were killing it that year *.* the longevity of the former is seriously impressive too, with their opening week sales last year still being huge in comparison to today's (pretty dismal) climate. Indeed it was, young me was so into the pop from them and Girls Aloud and that part of my taste has never really faded. My favourite Kelly song is still to come :o ooh I see, that song has aged like a fine wine for me so a good one for a revisit :heart:

:hi: Jade

 

Cracking start to the 2005 top 40 here. I'd say it's a toss up between 'Push The Button' and 'Talk' for fave of this bunch though. Really enjoyed the video to 'Talk' as well, one of their best songs imo, reminds me of the time I started slowly coming back to the charts after dipping out for 2 years around December 05. 'Since You Been Gone' is obviously a pop rock anthem but it's not my fave Kelly song by any stretch despite being hugely acclaimed as her best song.

Wow, fantastic start to the 2005 list, glad they're all in there but all five should be higher! :lol:

 

Push The Button is such a classic pop tune and Since U Been Gone works as a similarly good singalong anthem, Kelly's pop-rock songs in particular were great but haven't been a fan of anything she's released after the 2000s finished oops (festive songs aside). Particularly happy to see Helena, Talk and Everyday I Love You Less and Less included, all of those would be in my top 20 of the year! All by incredible bands too, I recently put Helena as high as 5th out of 13 in an indie forum thread ranking all of MCR's top 75 hits, love the appreciation for their comeback The Foundations of Decay in your commentary there too, a real contender for my favourite song of 2022 so far! :heart: X&Y and Employment were both great albums as well, Everyday I Love You Less and Less is a bouncy break-up banger and Talk would even go in my top 10 of 2005, the sample works nicely, the lyrics are great and the instrumental throughout is fantastic! It's a really underrated song in Coldplay's discography these days :wub:

I promise that I haven't abandoned this already :kink: blame testing positive for Covid and hosting Club Bizarre - shall hopefully feel more up to it over the weekend.

 

:hi: Jade

 

Cracking start to the 2005 top 40 here. I'd say it's a toss up between 'Push The Button' and 'Talk' for fave of this bunch though. Really enjoyed the video to 'Talk' as well, one of their best songs imo, reminds me of the time I started slowly coming back to the charts after dipping out for 2 years around December 05. 'Since You Been Gone' is obviously a pop rock anthem but it's not my fave Kelly song by any stretch despite being hugely acclaimed as her best song.

Hey Rob! :hi:

 

I'm glad you think so :cheer: I thoroughly enjoyed my revisit of the 'Talk' music video while compiling this. Ooh interesting, I actually didn't start listening to the chart until late 2007 (I remember 'About You Now' being the #1 at the time), which is surprising as I was quite interested in the booklets in the Now albums. Got there in the end! 'Since U Been Gone' is also not my favourite Kelly song, watch this space...!

 

 

Wow, fantastic start to the 2005 list, glad they're all in there but all five should be higher! :lol:

 

Push The Button is such a classic pop tune and Since U Been Gone works as a similarly good singalong anthem, Kelly's pop-rock songs in particular were great but haven't been a fan of anything she's released after the 2000s finished oops (festive songs aside). Particularly happy to see Helena, Talk and Everyday I Love You Less and Less included, all of those would be in my top 20 of the year! All by incredible bands too, I recently put Helena as high as 5th out of 13 in an indie forum thread ranking all of MCR's top 75 hits, love the appreciation for their comeback The Foundations of Decay in your commentary there too, a real contender for my favourite song of 2022 so far! :heart: X&Y and Employment were both great albums as well, Everyday I Love You Less and Less is a bouncy break-up banger and Talk would even go in my top 10 of 2005, the sample works nicely, the lyrics are great and the instrumental throughout is fantastic! It's a really underrated song in Coldplay's discography these days :wub:

:lol: happy to see such a positive reaction to this section! What can I say, there's still a whole lot of goodness to come... :o

 

I agree that both of those are huge singalong anthems! In fact, I owned Pop Party 3 as a kid which had both of them on it and it came with a bonus karaoke CD. 'Since U Been Gone' is one of those 'sing into your hairbrush passionately' songs especially :lol: I agree that Kelly's post-00s highlights are mostly confined to festive hits (huge shocker that I loved the Ariana collab x) although I did quite like 'Heartbeat Song' at the time. Yesss, Coldplay in the 00s were pretty reliably great for me and 'Talk' was no exception <3 MCR are a group I've really come to appreciate more in later years as I hadn't quite tapped into that side of my taste yet as a kid. Most Kaisers love that I seem to come across nowadays is directed at 'I Predict A Riot', which is great too tbf, but I'm glad that 'Everyday I Love You Less and Less' is receiving a lot of appreciation in this thread! Anyway, that's a fantastic MCR ranking - I may or may not be a huge Black Parade fan too...! and 'The Foundations of Decay' really surpassed my expectations, going to do an EOY this year (not quite as ambitiously presented as this x) so won't spoil but it's certainly been a huge highlight! Oh wow that's high praise for 'Talk' *.* I agree that it does feel a bit forgotten in their discography now even if X&Y was a huge album itself.

35. My Chemical Romance - I’m Not Okay (I Promise)
(chart-run: 19-46-72 + re-release: 28-40-52-70)

34. The Lovefreekz - Shine
(chart-run: 6-16-24-32-50-63)

33. Deep Dish - Say Hello
(chart-run: 14-21-32-37-47-54-73)

32. Gwen Stefani - Cool
(chart-run: 11-15-19-25-36-41-52-60-69-75)

31. Green Day - Holiday
(chart-run: 11-23-27-39-50-46-57)



Oops I ended up still feeling fairly under the weather last weekend but this is now back in action once more!

Kicking off today's post is an enormous burst of energy - I'M NOOOOT WOOOOAHKAY *.* My Chemical Romance are swiftly back after already appearing in the previous section with 'Helena'. This time, landing at #35, it's the lead single from Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge. 'I'm Not Okay (I Promise)' became the band's first top 20 hit here in the U.K. and also cracked the Billboard Hot 100, with a not-quite-as impressive #86 placing. The single was actually re-released in the U.K. but failed to improve on its peak and stalled at #28 second time around. Both releases occurred in 2005 so they were certainly prolific this year! The song is told from the perspective of someone who feels increasingly frustrated with a friend who takes an insular approach to life. "You wear me out", Gerard explains. He is suffering from his own issues but puts them aside to help out this friend in question. Her problems seem to include the circulation of inappropriate photos, as illustrated by the line: "for all the dirty looks, the photographs your boyfriend took". These issues appear to be very outward while his are closed away, but that doesn't make them any less important. However, the friend doesn't seem to understand the problems of others and this extends to the music she listens to, whereby she proclaims to love and relate to it all but doesn't actually take it in properly. This is a similar premise to the also brilliant 'In Bloom' by Nirvana. While that music video is a parody of the Beatles and other acts of their time on The Ed Sullivan Show, this one is instead a take on the "high school" experience. The storytelling is mapped out like a film trailer and the band find themselves playing a group of outcasts. So we have emotionally loaded lyricism and visuals as per usual with My Chemical Romance, although not quite death this time. I love the relentlessly high octane execution of the song and feel invested in the relatable themes. We only get about 3 seconds to breathe as the group briefly dial down the pace to flip the wording to "but I'm okay" instead. This could be the protagonist of the song hiding their feelings and pretending all is well, to the self-absorbed friend. This record really resonated with listeners and is credited with helping to expand the band's fanbase. It even bagged them a nomination for 'Best Single' at the Kerrang! Awards. 'I’m Not Okay (I Promise)' was also on the soundtrack for Burnout 3: Takedown which may have been my introduction to it as my brother was obsessed with that game.

Now we pivot to an entirely different genre altogether! LoveFreekz was an alias of producer Mark Hadfield, who was also a member of Lucid - their song 'I Can't Help Myself' featured earlier on in this countdown for 1998. But this is worlds apart from that also loveable dance record. Instead of intense moody trance, 'Shine' is a very uplifting piece of disco house music. It took me years to realise what the sample within this song was until I eventually stumbled across the source material in the wild. This is 'Shine a Little Love' by Electric Light Orchestra, a group also responsible for the similarly joyous classic 'Mr Blue Sky'. It's no wonder this song feels so euphoric when Jeff Lynne had the following to say about 'Shine a Little Love': "It's very jolly and bouncy and I must have been in a very good mood when I wrote it!". The original dates back to 1979 when disco was still in its prime. Now, 26 years later, it was time to don the roller skates once more for the video. These visuals are pretty goofy but a fun and freeing fit for the song. The lady that the video centres around is unashamedly absorbed in a passion for a few minutes and her enthusiasm is cloned into several versions of herself by the end. The very start of the video looks like it's about to turn into 'Call On Me' by Eric Prydz while she's lying on the ground but instead the roller skates take her away to a different world. The whole experience does still feel aggressively mid-00s dance though, even down to viewing it in poor quality on YouTube 17 years later. Loopy dance was still all the rage at this point and I can't help but feel swept up in the happiness of the soaring disco strings and repetitive positive lyrics. A Positiva dance release feeling so positive is a neat correlation. 'Shine' was apparently featured in an episode of How I Met Your Mother, when a character in the show was dancing to it in a nightclub. I don't watch it but that sounds like an on point DJing decision to me as it's a great 'let your hair down' Friday night kind of song. LoveFreekz scores the only top 10 hit of this section as 'Shine' achieved a #6 peak, although it only managed four weeks in the top 40, so its limited longevity is beaten elsewhere by a record that managed one more week than that - which we'll get to soon.

But first, we continue down the route of dance music! This is another house song but not quite as feel-good as the last. 'Say Hello' instead makes me feel quite sentimental. The opening line "tricky time never slows" is a pretty powerful and thought-provoking start. It continues into themes of luck, opportunities and how they often present themselves unexpectedly. I think that latter point is perfectly captured in the line: "that moment walked me by without bothering to say hello". The vocalist who provides these words has an incredibly wistful delivery. This is Anousheh Khalili, who was also the voice behind previous Deep Dish hit 'Flashdance'. The execution of this one is a real flip on 'Flashdance' as she sounded quite fierce on that song. The music video perfectly bottles a feeling of nostalgia, especially when you see two kids trying to communicate through the old fashioned method of tin cans attached by strings. It strips communication back to basics in a heart-warming fashion, in amongst more isolated scenes, that also end up with a more hopeful conclusion. I think the whole package is a dreamy experience and proves that loopy dance can sometimes have a more emotional impact. It's funny I should mention the word dreamy as Deep Dish's follow-up to this was 'Dreams' featuring Stevie Nicks, yes, a version of the Fleetwood Mac classic which itself was recently opened up to a brand new audience thanks to TikTok. Both 'Say Hello' and 'Dreams' charted at #14, so a consistent step down from the high of 'Flashdance' peaking at #3. 'Dreams' was the duo's final mark on the top 40, but member Sharam would be back in the chart the following year with 'PATT (Party All The Time)'. The other half is Dubfire and the two of them re-formed in 2014 to provide an 'Essential Mix' for BBC Radio 1. The music video for 'Say Hello' has more views on YouTube than 'Flashdance' but I suspect it's because the former isn't on streaming platforms. :cry: let's hope the team over at Pop Music Activism can sort this one out, as while I have a copy of it via my Now! That's What I Call Music 61 CD, I need it properly in my playlists!

The penultimate hit of this section is no longer dance, but instead pop. Gwen Stefani is back after previously appearing in the 2004 portion of this countdown with 'What You Waiting For?'. 'Cool' is a song that I've come to appreciate more over the years due to its nod to 80s synth pop and the lyrical maturity. Both aspects are ageing like a fine wine. However, at the time of release it was Gwen's first solo song to miss the top 10 after peaking at a tantalising #11. It charted at #86 in the U.S. so that number has randomly been pretty relevant today, with MCR peaking there too! I suppose only just missing the top 10 in the U.K. isn't so bad for the fourth single of an album campaign, but this feels much more well-remembered and loved than that number would suggest. 'Cool' has parallels to both 'Push The Button' and 'Since U Been Gone' in the previous section - as like the former, Gwen also worked with Dallas Austin on the song, while the latter connection is that 'Cool' was also initially intended for another artist. It was originally brainstormed with TLC in mind but that idea, ahem, cooled off when Dallas' real-life relationship with band member Chilli came to an end. Instead, he worked with Gwen and they finished the song together. Her own romantic history could very much relate to the subject material, as the record is about former lovers who have managed to stay civil and forge a friendship down the line despite a break-up. Gwen's own applicable story is her former 7-year relationship with No Doubt bandmate Tony Kanal. She was so mature about it that Kanal's subsequent real-life girlfriend Erin Lokitz actually played the role of the new partner in the music video! Gwen said she didn't expect any material on the Love. Angel. Music. Baby. album to get so personal, but that sometimes, it just happens. The video was an aesthetically pleasing watch, with the flashbacks to Gwen's old relationship incorporating some 60s throwbacks in style and music consumption. The director also took inspiration from flash cut cinematography, where the composition of the shots are matched by the actions of the subject(s). It's a refreshing tale of love in mainstream pop music, no infatuation or heartbreak, instead a healthy friendship. I suspect this will only continue to get better for me over time. 'Cool' may have stalled outside the top 10 here but it managed 5 weeks in the top 40, so that's the most within this seemingly flash-in-the-pan section of my countdown.

This part concludes in the same way that it started - with a punchy rock song! Green Day are now back with another single from the American Idiot era, after the title track and 'Boulevard of Broken Dreams' both represented the band for 2004. This was bound to happen as the album is an all-time favourite for me! 'Holiday' actually precedes 'Boulevard of Broken Dreams' in the narrative of the album but was indeed chosen as a single afterwards. Like 'Cool' just now, for Green Day 'Holiday' was also a single that broke a neat little run of top 10s during an era, when it stalled at #11. It is easily the biggest U.S. hit of this section though as it charted at #19 on the Billboard Hot 100. In the main story-arc of the record, protagonist Jesus of Suburbia has just left his broken home and is living life on the streets. He's isolated and shunned from society but isn't holding back on his beliefs. 'Holiday' is another overtly political single on the album much like the title track. It's a protest song, with Billie Joe Armstrong explicitly insisting that: "this song is not anti-American, it's anti-war." There are lyrical shots fired at then-president Bush and Republican politicians in general, who he felt were strategic in alienating a group of people to win votes off another. They're of course taking a stand on the Iraq War and its consequences here, with lyrics such as: "can I get another Amen? there's a flag wrapped around a score of men" to showcase the unnecessary deaths, to the destruction of homes mentioned elsewhere. The chorus begins with a defiant stand against what is being presented to the world, with: "I beg to dream and differ from the hollow lies" and the theme of being "on holiday" addresses those who are apathetic towards what is going on. It's an extremely passionate and pointed record that particularly unleashes everything during that breakdown just before the final chorus, when Nazi regime comparisons are brought in to highlight how broken it all is. The music video begins with the band in a car and they all play several different characters within society throughout - from a punk rocker to a policeman. At the end of the video, the car grinds to a halt and the 'Boulevard of Broken Dreams' video picks up where this has left off. It's a brilliantly bold single with a bridge that Billie Joe Armstrong described as a "politician's worst nightmare". The instrumentation is a middle ground between the in-your-face 'American Idiot' and more acoustically-layered 'Boulevard of Broken Dreams'. It still has a very consistent pulse that helps to slam home the gravity of the lyrics. The band may or may not still have more to come...!

Didn't immediately recall 'Shine' or 'Say Hello' from the titles so just given a refresher listen now - 'Shine' did sound familiar so I think it may be one I heard a bit at the time but hasn't quite stuck around as much as some similar big songs from its era, I do like it but think it's the weakest from this batch of songs. 'Say Hello' I think may actually be new to me though (unless I heard it during one that Now! listenthrough I guess, my memory of those is quite foggy) - but that is a great (re-)discovery, serving melancholy banger vibes :wub: Approving of the other 3 picks here which I knew better already, MCR already making a second appearance we love to see (and I agree with this song being slightly better than 'Helena') + 'Cool' is maybe my favourite Gwen song, shame it just missed the top 10 as I remember it quite well considering the low peak! And another goodun that just missed the top 10 from Green Day too, Kerrang memories are strong for that once again as well as MCR.

 

Also had forgotten that Deep Dish did a version of 'Dreams', and that one also having a higher UK chart peak than the Fleetwood Mac original *_* (although at least Stevie was credited for it). Oh and I didn't realise that Dubfire was from Deep Dish! I've playlisted a few of his recent songs after finding him via a Kölsch collab (delving into pretty underground techno after the commercial highs of the Deep Dish days but still good stuff). A very educational paragraph there.

Hey Jade, I'm behind on commenting but your 2005 chart is off to a great start with “Talk” and “Push The Button” which were both personal chart #1s for me. “Since U Been Gone” I really enjoyed at the time, it reminds me of my sister leaving me phone messages jokingly belting the chorus out after I left for University, I put it on the playlist for her wedding which I DJ'd at. *.*

 

I see what you mean about the nostalgic feel to “Say Hello”, I love the video too which does capture perfectly the tone of the track, I agree. I think the nostalgic feel may be because of the unusual chord progression in the song but I'm not really a musical theory expert. I did love it though, I thought with sig R1 play it would become a Top 10 hit but it was not to be sadly. Anousheh Khalili is Iranian just like the the duo of Deep Dish. Because it was well before you were born you won't know, but they actually did a remix of De'Lacy's “Hideaway” (

) in the 1990s which appeared on my Top 100 of the 1990s that I sent to Pitchfork recently.. although they pretty much ignored most of my suggestions!

 

Looking forward to seeing what else is to come from '05!

More great songs here! The MCR song is one I didn't really notice at the time, but since their #1 from 2006 (which I guess could do well here *.*) it's the one that stands out from their earlier songs I've heard. Strange that Say Hello isn't on streaming platforms - it's a nice song but belated appreciation for Flashdance from your 2004 list, that's a big tune. As you might expect, Holiday is my favourite from this section - it took a lot of people by surprise that Green Day could so articualtely address the contempt for what their country's administration was doing. Although I hope they have more to come in 2005 here, as both the others are my favourite singles from the album!

'Holiday' is another decent offering from Green Day. They were on top form during that period. 'Cool' is good too but I prefer a couple of others by Gwen I think.

Cool was a big chart-topper for me and I loved that album, Gwen Stefani was on fire with the solo debut. My next fave is the ELO borrow, both went top 10 for me, just great fun and enthusiastic. As ELO were critically reviled and forgotten at the time (cos people getting all precious about what is or isnt Cool) I was very much in favour of acts like Atomic Kitten and Lovefreekz doing their bit to rehabilitate their reputation back to what it always should have been. Say Hello was top 20 for me - but I've not heard it in 17 years! So my memory is totally unreliable re: how it stands up these days. I do usually like my own charts though :lol: Holiday was top 40 for me, though I generally prefer ballad Green Day to rock GD, but I was pleasantly surprised at a young American band getting all political, not that common at the time. MCR was another minor hit for me - I checked and Helena peaked at 71 (why I didnt remember it) and this did a bit better (top 60) but it took a Florida holiday and a monster track to get me into a track proper - and ahead of the UK release to boot.

 

As always a very thorough informative enthusiastic commentary! :)

Didn't immediately recall 'Shine' or 'Say Hello' from the titles so just given a refresher listen now - 'Shine' did sound familiar so I think it may be one I heard a bit at the time but hasn't quite stuck around as much as some similar big songs from its era, I do like it but think it's the weakest from this batch of songs. 'Say Hello' I think may actually be new to me though (unless I heard it during one that Now! listenthrough I guess, my memory of those is quite foggy) - but that is a great (re-)discovery, serving melancholy banger vibes :wub: Approving of the other 3 picks here which I knew better already, MCR already making a second appearance we love to see (and I agree with this song being slightly better than 'Helena') + 'Cool' is maybe my favourite Gwen song, shame it just missed the top 10 as I remember it quite well considering the low peak! And another goodun that just missed the top 10 from Green Day too, Kerrang memories are strong for that once again as well as MCR.

 

Also had forgotten that Deep Dish did a version of 'Dreams', and that one also having a higher UK chart peak than the Fleetwood Mac original *_* (although at least Stevie was credited for it). Oh and I didn't realise that Dubfire was from Deep Dish! I've playlisted a few of his recent songs after finding him via a Kölsch collab (delving into pretty underground techno after the commercial highs of the Deep Dish days but still good stuff). A very educational paragraph there.

Poor brave 'Shine' :kink: I guess I'm a bit of a sucker for that 00s loopy house sound when done well. Glad you're more complimentary of 'Say Hello' though :heart: it would've been played at one of those sessions as it was on the 61 track list, so perhaps it just needed a second play to truly jump out at you. I think I have been fairly vocal about my love of 'Welcome To The Black Parade' in the past but this has really reminded me how much I appreciate their work outside of that era too. Ooh I don't think I knew that 'Cool' was (maybe) your favourite Gwen song, that's a great pick then *.* indeed the #11 peak is a shame although still solid for a fourth single at least. Oh yes, it's like a hybrid of Kerrang meets Clubland meets Popworld so far :lol:

 

*_* the chart placings for Fleetwood Mac's Rumours era in the U.K. get all the more curious with that fact too :lol: happy to have provided that Dubfire revelation for you! 'Ulm' was pretty good.

 

Hey Jade, I'm behind on commenting but your 2005 chart is off to a great start with “Talk” and “Push The Button” which were both personal chart #1s for me. “Since U Been Gone” I really enjoyed at the time, it reminds me of my sister leaving me phone messages jokingly belting the chorus out after I left for University, I put it on the playlist for her wedding which I DJ'd at. *.*

 

I see what you mean about the nostalgic feel to “Say Hello”, I love the video too which does capture perfectly the tone of the track, I agree. I think the nostalgic feel may be because of the unusual chord progression in the song but I'm not really a musical theory expert. I did love it though, I thought with sig R1 play it would become a Top 10 hit but it was not to be sadly. Anousheh Khalili is Iranian just like the the duo of Deep Dish. Because it was well before you were born you won't know, but they actually did a remix of De'Lacy's “Hideaway” (

) in the 1990s which appeared on my Top 100 of the 1990s that I sent to Pitchfork recently.. although they pretty much ignored most of my suggestions!

 

Looking forward to seeing what else is to come from '05!

Hey Dr B! No worries, welcome back to the thread, great to have you in here :heart: ooh I wouldn't have had you down as a big 'Push The Button' fan for some reason but I'm very glad to hear that's the case, same with 'Talk' too! Haha I love that anecdote - how very cheeky of your sister :kink: and what a thoughtful move putting it on her wedding playlist!

 

I hadn't watched the video for 'Say Hello' in a long while so it was lovely to be reminded of how beautifully it works alongside the song. Shame that it didn't quite make the top 10 indeed especially after 'Flashdance' managed to do so well! Ooh I am a fan of 'Hideaway' but wasn't aware of any Deep Dish remixing involvement :o pesky Pitchfork!!!

 

More great songs here! The MCR song is one I didn't really notice at the time, but since their #1 from 2006 (which I guess could do well here *.*) it's the one that stands out from their earlier songs I've heard. Strange that Say Hello isn't on streaming platforms - it's a nice song but belated appreciation for Flashdance from your 2004 list, that's a big tune. As you might expect, Holiday is my favourite from this section - it took a lot of people by surprise that Green Day could so articualtely address the contempt for what their country's administration was doing. Although I hope they have more to come in 2005 here, as both the others are my favourite singles from the album!

Why thank you, Jim *.* you may be on to something when referring to a certain 2006 #1... :P 'I'm Not Okay (I Promise)' is also one that I've appreciated more over time. I know right?! Fingers crossed that it'll one day make its way on there. If 'Music Sounds Better With You' and 'Toca's Miracle' (sort of) can then this needs to be the next dance addition! Glad you're also a 'Flashdance' fan, what a pair of hit singles <3 I was a bit too young to properly understand what Green Day were doing at the time, but retrospectively it's fascinating to read about and I can soak up the lyrics way more. You may or may not be disappointed...! #tease

 

'Holiday' is another decent offering from Green Day. They were on top form during that period. 'Cool' is good too but I prefer a couple of others by Gwen I think.

'American Idiot' really was their magnum opus for me <3 fair, I don't think 'Cool' is my top favourite of hers either but still a tune *.*

 

Cool was a big chart-topper for me and I loved that album, Gwen Stefani was on fire with the solo debut. My next fave is the ELO borrow, both went top 10 for me, just great fun and enthusiastic. As ELO were critically reviled and forgotten at the time (cos people getting all precious about what is or isnt Cool) I was very much in favour of acts like Atomic Kitten and Lovefreekz doing their bit to rehabilitate their reputation back to what it always should have been. Say Hello was top 20 for me - but I've not heard it in 17 years! So my memory is totally unreliable re: how it stands up these days. I do usually like my own charts though :lol: Holiday was top 40 for me, though I generally prefer ballad Green Day to rock GD, but I was pleasantly surprised at a young American band getting all political, not that common at the time. MCR was another minor hit for me - I checked and Helena peaked at 71 (why I didnt remember it) and this did a bit better (top 60) but it took a Florida holiday and a monster track to get me into a track proper - and ahead of the UK release to boot.

 

As always a very thorough informative enthusiastic commentary! :)

Great to see some more 'Cool' love in here :wub: I really want to purchase the accompanying album on vinyl second-hand at some point, as there was a pink/white swirl Urban Outfitters pressing released a few years ago. My grandad is a huge ELO fan but I wasn't really aware of this fact until my teen years so I'm pretty sure 'Shine' was my sort-of introduction to them :lol: I wasn't aware that the critics had turned on them at the time! Well, just look at 'Mr Blue Sky' go nowadays *.* Glad to hear that the other three songs still ended up making your chart even if not quite the heights of top 10! Green Day could certainly nail a ballad too, I agree.

 

thank you for the kind words regarding the commentary <3 I forgot how much I loved this as a creative outlet.

30. Green Day - Jesus of Suburbia
(chart-run: 17-39-62)

29. Bloc Party - Banquet
(chart-run: 13-43-56)

28. Arcade Fire - Rebellion (Lies)
(chart-run: 19-43)

27. Mylo vs. Miami Sound Machine - Doctor Pressure
(chart-run: 3-4-7-9-14-17-15-21-24-29-32-40-40-50-53-54-49-51-58-58-62-64-70)

26. Mariah Carey - We Belong Together
(chart-run: 2-3-2-5-7-9-13-24-28-30-33-35-48-61-68-75-64R(12)-59)



Time to pick up where I left off with even more Green Day! It was tough to order these songs that I've enjoyed for so long, but 'Jesus of Suburbia' just about has the edge over 'Holiday' for me. It was released as the fifth and final single from their highly successful American Idiot album and resulted in a clean-sweep of top 20 peaks for this era, after charting at #17 in the U.K. 'Jesus of Suburbia' is the second song on the album, following the title track, where we are properly introduced to the protagonist of this concept record. It gets straight to the point with opening line: "I'm the son of rage and love", referring to the personality he has moulded off the back of his father's rage and mother's love. We soon learn about his small town and the disconnect he feels, especially with the lines: "It says "home is where your heart is," but what a shame, 'cause everyone's heart doesn't beat the same, it's beating out of time". Billie Joe pours his beliefs (e.g. anti-religious sentiments like "the bible of none of the above") and societal commentary ("hearts recycled but never saved, from the cradles to the grave") into this 9-minute epic, giving us plenty of time to establish this core character. So we now know more about his back story and it's time for Jesus of Suburbia to leave for the city, as a result of such discontent. There are two music videos for this song and the one I chose to revisit is even longer than the song, clocking in at 11-minutes. It's pretty much a retelling of the lyrics and was a tough watch in places, from the domestic at the start to self-harm later on. The band's motive when writing this song was to create a 'Bohemian Rhapsody' of the future. It is cut up into five sections, the first is simply titled 'Jesus of Suburbia' which transports us straight into the back story. We then have the piano-laden 'City of the Damned' section which outlines his surroundings a bit more. It then morphs into the initially repetitive 'I Don't Care' part, where the protagonist has lost all motivation, as a result of those around him and society in general not caring. The penultimate section 'Dearly Beloved' is lyrically hard hitting, as Jesus of Suburbia is asking if his feelings are natural or a result of his mental disorder, with him later stating: "oh therapy, can you please fill the void?". The final section, named 'Tales of Another Broken Home' is the aforementioned conclusion, where he is fed up of his current life and is getting ready to leave town as a result. The song is laced with some fantastic guitar and bass solos that join all of these different parts together naturally. I also love the passionate percussion throughout, particularly in the first and third sections. 'Jesus of Suburbia' was the band's longest ever single and the world was going to know it, as they chose to play the full thing on Top of the Pops, despite the radio edit being cut down closer to 6 minutes. I really appreciate the Beatles ('Revolution'), Bowie ('Moonage Daydream') and of course Queen mood-board they've got here, even if this is not quite as eccentric as 'Bohemian Rhapsody'. It was still an ambitious effort for them. There is a lot of real-life pain poured in and a desire for more really shapes up the conceptual narrative nicely. Well, we've covered four of the five singles now, will there be a full set? Stay tuned...

Next, following on from Green Day's fair share of appearances, we now turn to an act who have landed here for the first time! British band Bloc Party arrived at the charts with material from their well-received debut album Silent Alarm. 'Banquet' was originally released as a double A-side with 'Staying Fat' in 2004, where it limped in at #51. However, its 2005 solo re-release resulted in a much better chart performance, as it now peaked at #13. I must confess that I'm not too well versed in Bloc Party's discography, they're a group I'm still discovering more about, but 'Banquet' has really catapulted into a favourite for me over the past few years. The dance-punk execution of this single is riveting from the word go. The charging drums in the intro really remind me of 'Stand and Deliver' by Adam and the Ants and it seems I'm not totally off-the-mark with that comparison, as today I learned that the band were inspired by their other #1 single 'Prince Charming' when putting together this song, so there we go! I can actually hear that influence quite a bit in some of the backing vocals throughout. Pixies, another group I really need to get into more, were a further source of inspiration for the phrasing of this song. 'Banquet' is about life when "becoming adult" as the lyrics suggest. It is about sexual frustration and pretty much hitting a brick wall in a relationship, as lead singer Kele Okereke tells us about a woman who, while a bit of a catch, has a "heart of stone" and also, "she don't think straight". The protagonist has a cacophony of emotions about her, from lust to anger and ultimately tells her to stamp out what they have, as he can't deal with it all. The bridge offers hope elsewhere, as part of a more general coming-of-age sentiment, as there is reassurance that "we will wait for you on the other side" if you feel alone and unaccepted. I love the phrasing throughout (e.g. "I wanted to bite not destroy" and "turning away from the light" morphing into "turning into the light") and the energetic guitar work, on top of the aforementioned stellar drumming. I am a fan of Kele's distinctive vocal style too on top of his instrumental contribution.

At #28 is quite a bittersweet inclusion. I only listened to Arcade Fire's highly acclaimed debut album Funeral for the first time earlier this year. Immediately, I could see what all the fuss had been about, most songs were amazing and the worst offerings were still good, it was pretty much a no-skips affair. My favourite track on the record turned out to be 'Neighborhood #3 (Power Out)' which, already on first listen, felt like it was setting my soul on fire. I couldn't believe how incredible this was all sounding to me and I was elated to have come across such a worthwhile discovery. Then, about two months after I'd finally dipped my toes into their musical world, it was revealed that frontman Win Butler had been accused by multiple women of sexual misconduct. I was very disappointed when reading his Pitchfork statements about it which just reeked of power imbalance, honestly it makes for quite a grim read. So, that is why this feels bittersweet, as while I love the music - the moral dilemma here has dulled my sparkle towards this great band that I'd started to feel rather excited about. It's a bit tainted now, however, 'Rebellion (Lies)' is still a powerful record that ties into the general childhood naïvety meets adult realisations theme of the accompanying album. I think the metaphors within the song on a larger scale are about opening your eyes to frightening situations that are happening around us, even if the powers that be want us to blindly accept things. So, we don't have to sleep when society tells us to, essentially. I think sleeping and dream imagery can often be pretty evocative and that is certainly the case here. As the song progresses the repetition is a really powerful stylistic choice too. Of course, the instrumentation is an absolute winner, I think that the violin and harp are my two favourite instruments to listen to and both beautifully feature on this song. The hand-claps and backing vocals are pretty atmospheric too. The electric guitar throughout the whole album was a centrepiece that really pulled me in sonically and that's no different here. It's pretty stunning from head to toe, really. The public must have thought the same as 'Rebellion (Lies)' was their biggest hit in the U.K. - its #19 peak was the band's only time in the singles chart top 20.

Now it's time to lighten the mood for song #27 as we drop the pressure with Mylo and Miami Sound Machine! In this section, we've touched upon hits between the #11-20 region of the top 20 so far but this was a lot bigger in the chart, with a #3 peak achieved in 2005. This wasn't the first taste of success for this song, though. 'Drop The Pressure' is a mash-up of Miami Sound Machine's 80s #6 smash 'Dr. Beat' alongside Mylo's #19 hit 'Drop The Pressure' from as recently as 2004. The two singles were mixed together on a bootleg record courtesy of Phil 'N' Dog, which then underwent minor alterations by Mylo ahead of release. I was surprised to find out that this mash-up wasn't all that popular on BuzzJack, within a series of polls taking place in the 2000s forum, although 'Doctor Pressure' was my introduction to both of the songs it sampled so maybe it has an edge for me in that sense. I have since heard both 'Dr. Beat' and 'Drop The Pressure' and enjoy them both as individual songs, but still think they work well together in mash-up form, particularly the transition that kicks off the final minute. I think this is a perfect work-out song, with its well-paced catchy electro production and lyrics that lend themselves well as hype music ("music makes me move my body, makes me move my soul!"). Gloria Estefan and Mylo's vocoder don't seem like the most obvious pairing but sometimes the unexpected works, see also Tubeway Army and Sugababes coming together. The accompanying music video was acknowledged by Chris Mugan (of The Independent) as "one of the first officially sanctioned mash-up visuals", alongside Addictive TV's 'Rapture Riders' video (which itself is a mash-up of Blondie's 'Rapture' and The Doors' 'Riders on the Storm'). Like 'Say Hello' in the previous section, 'Drop The Pressure' is another dance song that is sadly not on streaming platforms. I can still individually enjoy the original 'Dr. Beat' and 'Drop The Pressure' songs on there, at least. 'Doctor Pressure' was Mylo's biggest hit by far, as the only one to crack the top 10 for him. Miami Sound Machine did achieve other top 10s here but 'Doctor Pressure' was their highest peaking too!

Rounding off today's section is the biggest hit here by some considerable distance! 'We Belong Together' was noted as Mariah's musical comeback following an underwhelming few years of her career, including the infamous expensive flop Glitter era. She was back with her The Emancipation of Mimi album now and lead single 'It's Like That' had made ripples across the pond. However, the popularity of this era was about to go stratospheric with the second single. 'We Belong Together' is one of the longest-running #1s in Billboard Hot 100 history (notching up 14 non-consecutive weeks there) and also scored a #2 peak here in the U.K. The song is about wanting a former lover back after realising that breaking up wasn't what you actually wanted. I think the opening verse lays out those sentiments pretty explicitly. She really taps into emotional pain during the chorus when expressing that: "when you left I lost a part of me". Mariah also states in the song that she has to change the radio when certain records come on, for example Bobby Womack's 'If You Think You're Lonely Now', before then segueing into a brief interpolation of it. There is one further reference elsewhere, in this case additional 80s song 'Two Occasions' by the Deeles. Mariah was now on to a winner commercially once more but she also restored the faith in those who were even doubting her vocal prowess at this point. 'We Belong Together' is an R&B slow burner but she really doesn't come to play when that final chorus hits. The song climaxes with a seriously powerful vocal performance. I totally get that Mariah's more extreme vocal techniques can be quite alienating for people, but personally I think this was quite a goosebump-inducing moment of unleashing her talent - especially after coming across the botched Kidz Bop version in the wild. The music video is wedding themed and ends in tears to reflect the emotional impact in the song. Mariah wore her actual wedding dress from her former marriage to Tommy Mottola in the video after it had been stored away for years. 'We Belong Together' won Mariah two Grammy Awards for Best R&B Song and Best Female R&B Vocal Performance, from her whopping 8 nominations that night! This is a song that I've come to appreciate more over the years and especially after diving through Mariah's discography in lockdown. It was an easy standout from the accompanying album.

It is a real shame about what's come out about Win from Arcade Fire, they're one of my favourite bands and it'll be a real black mark against them going forward (if they can actually continue) :( but they have a fantastic back catalogue of work and Funeral is definitely the best of them, pleased you finally got into it :wub: My favourite is Neighbourhood #1 (Tunnels), but I love Rebellion too and love the rousing nature and lyrics of it. If you're a little unsure about exploring further, I would at least check out Sprawl II (Mountains Beyond Mountains) from the Suburbs as well, Win doesn't have lead vocals so it's easier to still appreciate as well x

 

Lots of other great songs here - Doctor Pressure, the Green Day ones and MCR. Haven't heard Say Hello in ages, reminds me of the Now album that soundtracked my summer that year!

 

A fantastic selection of songs here! I certainly wasn't disappointed, my favourite song from Green Day's American Idiot album has come up straight after Holiday *.* It's relentless across nine minutes, with all those different sections and changes in tempo - I hadn't noticed the Moonage Daydream similarity in City Of The Damned but can really hear that now! Then there's the defiant "but not this time!", and after that final piano-accompanied verse, the guitar charges back in and it ends as abruptly as it starts.

 

Hard to follow that for me, but Banquet does it very well - I love the drums and choppy guitar riffs. I'd not considered the Pixies connection, but can see that too - they're a band well worth delving into, with Monkey Gone To Heaven, Debaser, Gigantic and Velouria, to name just a few of my non-'Where Is My Mind?' faves of theirs.

 

Those two songs were in my top 10 singles of 2005, as were three songs by Arcade Fire, of which Rebellion (Lies) was the top one - I particularly like the lyrical metaphors, pulsing beat, multi-instrumentation and, yes, the handclaps. The other two were Wake Up, and the other track you mentioned, Neighborhood #3 (Power Out) - although like Chez, my favourite song of theirs is the non-single Neighborhood #1 (Tunnels) - so Funeral has always been close to neck-and-neck with American Idiot as my favourite album of the 2000s. And then The Suburbs looked like it was going to be my favourite album of the 2010s (I saw them live in 2011 too) until Lana pipped them for me right at the end. Of course, what's come to light this year has thrown any endorsement of their output into disarray, which I'm finding quite troubling to be honest, as I've always tried to put art before artist, and their musical imprint will be difficult to erase. As Chez says, there are some tracks with Régine on lead vocals which may get an easier time, but bittersweet is certainly apt.

 

I really like Doctor Pressure as well - it fuses the two songs so neatly. The Mariah song isn't bad - the idea of a Kidz Bop version though :lol: As a group of five songs, these will take some outdoing, but I look forward to what's next!

Haha, yep I do really enjoy “Push The Button” - it snuck a couple of weeks at #1 after Death Cab For Cutie's “Soul Meets Body” and Ladytron's “Destroy Everything You Touch” so quite an eclectic and different run of #1s there..

 

Ooft, “Banquet” and “Rebellion (Lies)” were also big favourites for me and personal chart #1s in 2005. The former is one of my favourite Bloc Party singles, like you I find the guitar work/riff and drums on this so compelling and addictive, there is a huge amount of energy there- testament to Matt Tong's excellent skills as drummer for the band. I became a little bit obsessed with them for a time in the 2000s, and I still follow whatever Kele puts out however their output over recent years has unfortunately been rather patchy. If you are going to delve deeper I'd highly recommend the Silent Alarm album- I got my Dad a T-shirt with the lyrics to the entire album on mainly because the album starts with “Like Eating Glass” of which the opening lyrics are 'it's so COLD in this house' and he's from the North and hates putting the heating on, so it literally always was so cold in our house! It's full of great (and equally angry) tracks like the aforementioned opener, “Helicopter” but also bittersweet moments like “This Modern Love”, “So Here We Are” and “Plans”.

 

The non-album single “Two More Years” is also worth checking out if you don't know it.

 

What you said about Arcade Fire is sadly how I feel too, I feel conflicted. My friend went to see their recent tour (where Feist cancelled last minute) and he said that the atmosphere felt very different. I feel quite ambivalent about it all really in terms of separating the artist from the art, however “Rebellion (Lies)” is nonetheless a brilliant track that marks the centrepiece for the captivating Funeral album with its life-affirming anthemic, dramatic chorus, exquisite string section and overall rousing spirit - as well as an amazing chord change. It never fails to get me in the feels and it takes me back to when I first heard it, house and dog sitting one summer in a house that had a massive TV, and yeah so every day after walking the dog would switch on MTV2 and kick back..! I also do love the gut punching energy in “Neighborhood #3 (Power Out)” and the opener “Neighborhood #1 (Tunnels)” but the whole album is a joy from start to finish.

 

Good to see Mylo represented too, whatever happened to him? I always felt like he deserved much more but forgot that “Doctor Pressure” was such a big hit. I find it odd that he was the one who came up with sampling and looping Boy Meets Girls' “Waiting for a Star to Fall” and yet it was the Cabin Crew and Sunset Strippers that fought to get Top 10 hits first and “In My Arms” just missed out a few months later at #13. I always enjoyed “Destroy Rock & Roll” too which samples 'Invocation for Judgement Against and Destruction of Rock Music', and has the brilliantly enunciated 'David Boo-ie', and like someone says in the YouTube comments 'for someone who hates rock music, they sure know a lot of 80s rock bands' :lol:

 

Not very familiar with those first 3 tracks, the first 2 didnt chart for me and Arcaded Fire a mere 70, but Mariah and Mylo/Miami both went top 10, the 2nd time for Doctor Beat to boot, and given Mariah hadn't had a top 10 for me since the mid 90s that was quite the comeback! The Green Day song sounds interesting, I'm not sure I even recall hearing it at the time!