#87

 

http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/lifestyle/2006-09/15/xin_270903150940746306382.jpg

 

Beyoncé

 

Points: 622

Date first charted: 20/01/2003

Number of entries: 10

Total weeks on chart: 95

Most Successful Year: 2003, 21st

 

 

The first rarity of an absolute megastar to appear is Beyoncé, who reaches #87. Over the years she's amassed a considerable amount of excellent pop and R&B songs, getting four top 5 hits in the 00s, first entering on my third chart featuring on Jay-Z's 03' Bonnie & Clyde, before the same pairing went a place higher in the summer with Crazy In Love, a song I probably like more now than I did then, a rare massive pop hit that I've always enjoyed and never got bored of, deserving of its status as a true classic. 2003's surprise 2nd top artist, Sean Paul, helped her to a third top 40 hit in the same year.

 

Her second solo era was a bigger hit with me overall, lead single Deja Vu being something I listen to more than most of these now and unlucky not to chart, with Irreplaceable being a stunning ballad scoring a first top 3, and Freemasons' excellent work following that up by turning a rather dull song into a fantastic dance hit. Her next album was almost entirely unrepresented, a remix I barely remember aside, but only Sweet Dreams was perhaps worthy of charting.

 

The biggest hit of her career, a 4-week run at the top and my #1 ranked single of the year, came in 2010 as she teamed up with Lady Gaga on Telephone, it was a song I really enjoyed anyway and then the quite incredible video propelled it 26-01 in a week as I became utterly obsessed with it. Whilst I perhaps wouldn't quite rank it as highly as my favourite song of that year 12 years on, it is still a superb listen, definitely still one of the great pop singles of the decade, and the highlight of both their careers. In recent years, Apeshit, the lead single from the album with husband Jay-Z, released as The Carters, which saw them both return to my chart for the first time in a long time, and Black Parade, have been her only entries - the latter a long runner for a low peak. There were probably some Lemonade tracks worthy of charting too, I just didn't pay attention at the time of its release.

 

Chart History:

20/01/2003 03' Bonnie & Clyde (w/ Jay-Z) 05-07-12-15-19-21-25-32-38 (9 weeks)

30/06/2003 Crazy in Love (feat. Jay-Z) 04-06-10-12-15-16-17-22-29-37 (10 weeks)

06/10/2003 Baby Boy (feat. Sean Paul) 23-31-39 (3 weeks)

06/11/2006 Irreplaceable 03-04-03-08-15-18-25-26-25-32-40 (12 weeks)

26/03/2007 Beautiful Liar (w/ Shakira) (Freemasons Remix) 30-22-15-11-03-05-09-11-12-19-24-34-40 (13 weeks)

06/08/2007 Green Light 17-06-09-20-36-40 (6 weeks)

08/03/2010 Telephone (w/ Lady Gaga) 39-30-26-01-01-01-01-02-03-04-07-09-10-11-16-19-23-28-34-37-36 (21 weeks)

23/08/2010 Why Don't You Love Me (MK Ultras Remix) 32-22-21-18-32 (5 weeks)

30/07/2018 Apeshit (w/ Jay-Z as The Carters) 38-32-25-19-16-17-24-31-39 (9 weeks)

01/08/2020 Black Parade 39-36-33-33-36-38-40 (7 weeks)

 

2023 Top 5 Rank:

01 Telephone

02 Crazy In Love

03 Irreplaceable

04 Apeshit

05 Beautiful Liar (Freemasons Remix)

#86

 

 

Jamie xx

 

Points: 623

Date first charted: 28/02/2011

Number of entries: 11

Total weeks on chart: 112

Most Successful Year: 2015, 12th

 

 

In my plan to post one thing a day during December, which I didn't quite manage, I was going to do acts I really thought would be top 100 but aren't. One of those was The xx, who finished well outside, however one of their members finishes comfortably within it; Jamie xx, with 11 entries racked up over the years, beginning in 2011 when he remixed US poet and vocalist Gil Scott-Heron's album I'm New Here, with it producing a big hit in I'll Take Care Of You. It's an excellent re-working which later became the base of the Drake and Rihanna smash, and the album is still a superb listen. His first solo work came three years later, as Girl became a small hit and All Under One Roof Raving became a big one, its clever use of samples of old films about rave culture making a really interesting song that was utterly infectious.

 

His solo album arrived a year later, and it's one which I'd definitely put in my top 5 of the decade, which make it somewhat surprising it only produced one top 20 hit, albeit one which went right to the top, collaboration with xx bandmate Romy, Loud Places, the best song either of them have been involved in, such a beautiful feelgood anthem. Whilst I do rank the album incredibly highly, it is something that works so well listening in one go without anything else standing out to the same extent, so whilst I definitely did under-chart some of those songs, not by too much, Stranger in a Room aside, but plus Obvs and The Rest Is Noise are my favourites on it and remained unreleased.

 

Since then it's been a sporadic mix of success, with the odd collaboration and solo hit, the bigger of them being his work with The Avalanches on their 2020 return Wherever You Go, which has a sound which so obviously signals his involvement. Singles released with slightly increased frequency gets me somewhat excited for another album, but happy enough for now with the odd release, from 2022 the full version of Let's Do It Again is great however Kill Dem is probably the least I've ever got into a song he's ever released.

 

Chart History:

28/02/2011 I'll Take Care Of You (w/ Gil Scott-Heron) 34-29-22-17-14-09-04-04-04-05-08-14-22-14-22-33 (16 weeks)

26/05/2014 Girl 38-30-37 (3 weeks)

07/07/2014 All Under One Roof Raving' 29-18-11-06-04-08-11-08-04-04-06-09-12-16-22-32-40 (17 weeks)

14/04/2015 Loud Places (feat. Romy) 21-12-06-04-01-01-02-02-03-03-03-05-09-13-16-21-25-34 (18 weeks)

29/06/2015 I Know (There's Gonna Be Good Times) (feat. Young Thug & Popcaan) 31-21-21-32 (4 weeks)

17/08/2015 Stranger in the Room (feat. Oliver Sim) 39-34-29-27-24-32 (6 weeks)

25/01/2016 SeeSaw (feat. Romy) 33-27-25-23-25-36-38 (7 weeks)

23/05/2016 Come We Go (w/ DJ Koze) 31-24-18-16-13-13-17-26-39 (9 weeks)

02/05/2020 Idontknow 28-26-28-26-29-37 (6 weeks)

15/08/2020 Wherever You Go (w/ The Avalanches, Neneh Cherry & CLYPSO) 30-11-20-06-02-01-01-03-03-04-06-08-11-14-20-27-36 (17 weeks)

23/04/2022 Let's Do It Again 38-24-16-12-12-15-22-31-38 (9 weeks)

 

2023 Top 5 Rank:

01 Loud Places

02 All Under One Roof Raving

03 I'll Take Care Of You

04 Wherever You Go

05 Obvs

Right, actually have some time to properly read what people have been posting :ph34r:

 

Sant(o/i)gold is great, I became so obsessed in '08 that I bought every single from that first era, even the flop ones that I wasn't as in to (well they were all flops I guess) like “Say Aha” and “Lights Out”.. this was in the golden era of ChCMedia ofc where I was a member of the Roulette Dares!! Great that she's still going even today, I heard a new track of hers on 6Music today which sounded fairly decent. From the self-titled debut away from the singles I really liked “I'm A Lady”, think that would have made a great fourth single.

 

“Song 4 Mutya (Out Of Control)” is another banger from that time which I bought on CD single too. Only peaked at 3 for me. It got stuck behind “With Every Heartbeat” and “Fluorescent Adolescent” which were two of the biggest songs for me in 2007 so I guess it got hammered by very bad timing.. it actually was #20 in my EOY for '07 (CR: 39-22-07-03-03-03-05-07-09-18-24-28-33-42-49 (15 weeks))

 

Will enjoy following this as a trip down memory lane : )

 

Thanks Dr B, glad you're enjoying it. Yes, definitely remember Santogold discussion on there, her recent singles have all been decent enough even if I haven't ended up charting them, still got it and I'll continue to check out new stuff from her. Song 4 Mutya sounds like the type of song I'd have grown tired of in the last 15 years at some point, but I definitely haven't - it still sounds great! Both of those that kept it from the top were successful for me too, more of them later maybe...

 

'Dogrel' is definitely somewhere on the list of older albums I should listen to one day - I know the two singles you charted from it and liked both of them but 'Televised Mind' was the song that turned me into a fan, loved both their second and third albums ('Skinty Fia' was even better than 'A Hero's Death' for me so a bit of a disagreement there whoops, I am surprised 'I Love You' didn't chart for you at all!)

 

Completely forgot HEALTH were in Unknown Pleasures and looking back at my rankings I surprisingly didn't vote for their song there at all, have independently rediscovered them recently though and they've had some really good singles of late, particularly the Nine Inch Nails and Poppy collabs as well as 'HATE YOU' with JPEGMAFIA. Btw there are two versions of it on Spotify so I'm not 100% sure about this but I think 'Excess' is just a cover of the Perturbator song of the same name rather than a proper collab - I absolutely love the original version of that, wasn't quite as keen on the HEALTH version.

 

Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs' best song for me is still the first one I heard from him which was 'Household Goods', again a little surprised to see that didn't chart for you at all (I think I had it as a BJSC potential back in the day) - 'Garden' was good too though and I was also a big fan of his more recent collabs with Amtrac and Bonobo and his new album had a few good songs on it too though nothing quite as great as the aforementioned.

 

I'm still waiting to hear something from Phoebe Bridgers as lead artist that I can really get into, she's one of the biggest examples of artists I feel like I should love but just can't get into for some reason (I've enjoyed more stuff from both of the other members of Boygenius). However I am at least a fan of a few of her recent features, the MUNA song as you've mentioned plus her songs with The Killers and *hides* Marcus Mumford.

 

Thanks Bre, you should definitely listen to Dogrel, I think it's so good and so raw. I do quite like the newer one, just didn't get into it as much. I didn't know that about Excess, I might have to listen to the original - I'd have only likely discovered it because anything new from HEALTH tends to appear on my Spotify recommendations and I do tend to listen to most of that each week.

 

I'll add Household Goods to my 'songs to listen to' list too, as I don't recall hearing that one, as well as the Phoebe track with The Killers - not come across that one before, the Mumford one is fine but I didn't add it to regular rotation, the new SZA one is fine and I quite liked the one she did with Taylor from the re-worked Red last year.

 

 

I came somewhat late to Animal Collective but I have much of the same thoughts on them, MPP is a fantastic album that I keep wanting to go back to every time I think about it. As you've described they also have a few later career highlights that have stood out to me here and there. Snow Patrol, same, 'Set The Fire To The Third Bar', though it seems like a track I haven't heard in forever, has been so easy to play loads of in the past, I love it.

 

Thanks Iz, yeah a few tracks aside I don't think I'd ever listen to any AC that wasn't from MPP, it's just such a perfect album but the rest I've really struggled with and the further back in the discography I kept going the less I liked it.

#85

 

 

Little Boots

 

Points: 624

Date first charted: 18/08/2008

Number of entries: 8

Total weeks on chart: 89

Most Successful Year: 2009, 1st

 

 

An entry that fills me with nostalgia and disappointment. In 2008 Victoria Hesketh AKA Little Boots was such a promising popstar, early demos seemed to be loved by most of BuzzJack including myself - the full 6 minute version of Stuck on Repeat has always been exceptional and Meddle went all the way to the top. Then 2009 came with what was supposed to be her big break but it all fell a bit flat. New In Town had the big push, but it was ok and nothing more, the Fred Falke remix elevated it up so many levels and gave her a second number one, something Remedy followed too, such a superb pop song and a deserved big hit, but the album was something of a disappointment, half of it was great but that was the half that was already out there, the rest was nowhere near as good, Symmetry the only one that came close.

 

A fourth number one in 5 releases in just over the space of a year came with Earthquake, and her 4 number ones is only bettered by four other acts over a 20 year period, all of which are comfortably inside the top 10 here. Some reasonable songs have followed but they've been few and far between. Shake was good but that was it until 2018, a few releases were decent but Picture was a level above the others and returned her to the top 10 once more. At #85, she is the highest placed act with only 8 entries.

 

Chart History:

18/08/2008 Meddle 18-06-02-01-02-03-07-10-13-21-33 (11 weeks)

12/01/2009 Stuck On Repeat 24-08-05-04-09-14-17-24-31-36 (10 weeks)

20/04/2009 New In Town (Fred Falke Remix) 03-01-01-02-02-02-04-08-11-15-27-39 (12 weeks)

20/07/2009 Remedy 27-13-06-01-01-01-02-04-06-08-12-13-18-26-29-35 (16 weeks)

26/10/2009 Earthquake 15-07-01-01-01-03-06-10-13-13-14-19-24-34-40 (15 weeks)

14/11/2011 Shake 31-25-20-07-03-02-03-07-12-16-29 (11 weeks)

23/04/2012 Every Night I Say a Prayer 38-33-36 (3 weeks)

09/04/2018 Picture (feat. Lauren Flax) 27-20-14-11-09-08-09-16-26-33-40 (11 weeks)

 

2023 Top 5 Rank:

01 Stuck on Repeat

02 Remedy

03 Earthquake

04 Mathematics

05 Meddle

#84

 

 

Belle and Sebastian

 

Points: 626

Date first charted: 17/11/2003

Number of entries: 13

Total weeks on chart: 82

Most Successful Year: 2006, 9th

 

 

Belle and Sebastian are certainly beneficiaries of having lots of quantity, as they're the first act to appear with more than a dozen chart entries, just two points ahead of Little Boots with five fewer. In the early days of this chart they'd have charted on the back of songs I probably only heard on the Chart Show, but they're all excellent songs which deserved way higher, particularly the first two from Dear Catastrophe Waitress, which is an excellent album.

 

2006s The Life Pursuit was the first time I really took notice of them, a magnificent album full of beautiful and dreamy indie pop, and it gave them a trio of top 10 singles here, I think I belatedly charted Funny Little Frog as I missed it when it was originally released three months previous but loved it. It's still an album I go back to from time to time and gives me a lot of joy when I do.

 

Following that I then paid much more attention to their career and both of their next two albums (their 8th and 9th) were also home to three hits, including their biggest two, I Want The World To Stop and Nobody's Empire, the latter of which remains my favourite song of theirs. Since then I've tended to work backwards in their career rather than forwards, so just the one hit from their last two albums, although their next new music is out this week so a chance to continue charting into 2023.

 

Chart History:

17/11/2003 Step Into My Office, Baby 31 (1 week)

16/02/2004 I'm A Cuckoo 25-32 (2 weeks)

21/06/2004 Your Cover's Blown 39 (1 week)

03/04/2006 The Blues Are Still Blue 03-04-06-11-16-20-21-31-34 (9 weeks)

08/05/2006 Funny Little Frog 07-16-32 (3 weeks)

26/06/2006 White Collar Boy 04-04-04-06-10-17-23-28-30-36 (10 weeks)

18/10/2010 Write About Love 36-31-24-19-23-25-31-39-37 (9 weeks)

31/01/2011 I Want The World To Stop 30-19-14-10-04-03-07-10-17-25-39 (11 weeks)

21/06/2011 Come On Sister 24-24-35 (3 weeks)

05/01/2015 The Party Line 26-21-17-15-19-32 (6 weeks)

07/04/2015 Nobody's Empire 35-30-26-36-34-23-12-06-05-04-08-13-18-29 (14 weeks)

22/06/2015 Allie 37-34-38-40 (4 weeks)

21/08/2017 We Were Beautiful 29-24-22-26-18-14-16-23-35 (9 weeks)

 

2023 Top 5 Rank:

01 Nobody's Empire

02 Funny Little Frog

03 The Blues Are Still Blue

04 I'm a Cuckoo

05 I Want The World To Stop

 

#83

 

 

Alpines

 

Points: 630

Date first charted: 04/04/2011

Number of entries: 11

Total weeks on chart: 101

Most Successful Year: 2012, 6th

 

 

I remember hearing Alpines for the first time when NME TV played the music video for Drive, and I immediately thought it was excellent, Catherine Pockson's voice being stunning on it and some amazing synths, and it soon hit the top 10. Their early career saw a number of support slots for big acts and their songs were used on soundtracks and adverts, but unfortunately never really built a profile to gain commercial success despite releasing an excellent string of singles and EPs ranging from the beautiful (Cocoon) to the banging (Hidden Love).

 

A commercial breakthrough of sorts did come in the form of a UK #12 as they teamed up with Sub Focus on Tidal Wave, but that was their only entry on either chart. Their three full albums have all been decent and varied with some incredibly big sounding poppy singles on the first, No Other Lover and Zero especially. Full Bloom off their recent album has gone on to become on of my favourites, and I hope they return again with a fourth album.

 

Chart History:

04/04/2011 Drive 34-18-13-10-08-09-09-12-19-31-37 (11 weeks)

22/08/2011 Cocoon 33-19-09-06-04-04-04-03-07-14-20-27-35 (13 weeks)

09/04/2012 Gold 40-31-21-11-06-04-02-02-03-05-11-13-22-27-31-40 (16 weeks)

24/09/2012 Early Hours EP 33-20-12-05-04-04-14-27-38 (9 weeks)

05/11/2012 Tidal Wave (w/ Sub Focus) 29-22-16-19-23-32-39 (7 weeks)

21/01/2013 Lights 29-19-11-08-10-17-34 (7 weeks)

17/02/2014 Oasis 35-27-27-35 (4 weeks)

05/05/2014 No Other Lover 33-26-23-23-28-23-17-13-18-25-36 (11 weeks)

04/08/2014 Zero 33-25-30-39 (4 weeks)

12/09/2016 Heaven 36-29-21-15-11-16-30-40 (8 weeks)

19/11/2018 Full Bloom 38-33-29-28-23-22-18-18-23-32-40 (11 weeks)

 

2023 Top 5 Rank:

01 Drive

02 Gold

03 Empire

04 Cocoon

05 Full Bloom

#82

 

 

Bicep

 

Points: 632

Date first charted: 04/09/2017

Number of entries: 9

Total weeks on chart: 105

Most Successful Year: 2020, 3rd

 

 

The first songs I heard by Bicep were Just and Celeste, from a 2015 EP which I enjoyed, but they weren't huge favourites. They were on my radar though for when they begun the campaign for their debut album in 2017, and I began to enjoy each release, Aura, Glue and Vale, with each one being preferred to the last. The addition of vocals to Vale gave them their first big hit, but it's Aura which has ended as my favourite from that era, the real standout track from an excellent debut album which became one of my most listened to in the period between that and their second, Isles.

 

It was always likely that I'd enjoy their next release, and Atlas was another superb instrumental which rose all the way to the top, before Apricots also hit the top 5, manging to sound like it was definitely Bicep but its use of samples and loops like nothing they'd released before. Isles easily ended 2021 as one of my favourite albums of the year, and all 5 singles were at least top 20 hits. Meli (II) had become a live favourite and saw them get a 5th top 10 last summer.

 

My favourite song of theirs is Saku, the first song of a fruitful partnership with vocalist Clara La San. Their instrumentals are continually excellent but the addition of her vocals takes their tracks to new levels, they complementstheir music so well and Saku is one of the most beautiful dance tracks I've heard. X, the final single from Islas, gave them a second hit and recent single Water has made it 3/3, the natural follow-up to Saku, it almost went all the way but settled for #2. Unlike other songs, the instrumental is also available in the form of Waterfall, but again perfectly displays how she elevates them. By the time Water exits the chart, Clara will be on the verge of the top 350 purely through her providing vocals on three of these singles.

 

Chart History:

04/09/2017 Glue 31-23-21-22-32 (5 weeks)

18/09/2017 Vale 31-20-13-10-07-11-19-29-39 (9 weeks)

11/04/2020 Atlas 29-17-08-04-03-02-01-01-03-05-10-15-20-28-35-39 (16 weeks)

24/10/2020 Apricots 25-18-13-11-09-06-05-05-08-14-17-21-28-37 (14 weeks)

05/12/2020 Saku (feat. Clara La San) 31-20-12-06-02-01-01-02-01-02-03-04-07-09-13-18-26-35-39-39 (20 weeks)

30/01/2021 Sundial 35-29-21-16-14-12-11-13-21-30-40 (11 weeks)

01/05/2021 X (feat. Clara La San) 32-28-27-24-21-18-27-36 (8 weeks)

09/07/2022 Meli (II) 34-23-14-08-06-08-07-11-14-19-33-40 (12 weeks)

22/10/2022 Water (feat. Clara La San) 33-21-11-06-03-02-02-04-05-09-14* / -18- (11 weeks)

 

2023 Top 5 Rank:

01 Saku

02 Atlas

03 Water

04 Aura

05 Apricots

 

#81

 

 

The Vaccines

 

Points: 642

Date first charted: 22/11/2010

Number of entries: 13

Total weeks on chart: 104

Most Successful Year: 2011, 4th

 

 

Forming at the start of the previous decade, The Vaccines burst onto the scene with an album full of sing-a-long indie anthems that would surely have been so much bigger had they come 5 years earlier. Debut Single Wreckin' Ba (Ra Ra Ra) was a risk at less than 90 seconds, but it's an incredible song, followed by a bunch of singles in a similar vein. A total of 5 top 10 singles for them feels quite low.

 

Their second and third albums were both ok despite not hitting the same heights as their debut, and they have continued to produce hit singles, I Always Knew being the standout from them. Despite not charting it or listening to it much when it was released, Dream Lover has grown a lot in recent years, particularly after seeing them perform it live, and sneaks a place in my current top 5.

 

Their 2018 return was something of a real return to form, the only album of theirs following their debut which I've had a lot of time for, and I Can't Quit became their highest charting and longest running single, again it was properly anthemic and something I still listen to a lot, and I do now rank it as my favourite. Last years 5th album included a couple of songs that I listened to a bit, but nothing worthy of continuing their run, and they did kick it off with Headphones Baby, which is comfortably the worst song they've ever released.

 

Chart History:

22/11/2010 Wreckin' Ball (Ra Ra Ra) 39-29-24-16-16-27-37-40 (8 weeks)

24/01/2011 Post Break-Up Sex 37-37 (2 weeks)

21/03/2011 If You Wanna 34-20-10-07-06-08-11-17-29 (9 weeks)

07/06/2011 All In White 37-27-22-20-15-19-28-40 (8 weeks)

01/08/2011 Nørgaard 28-22-14-10-05-04-02-05-09-16-27-37 (12 weeks)

12/12/2011 Wetsuit / Tiger Blood 35-28-25-21-16-12-09-24-35 (9 weeks)

09/07/2012 No Hope 31-23-19-16-19-26-37 (7 weeks)

03/09/2012 Teenage Icon 30-26-26-34-39 (5 weeks)

29/10/2012 I Always Knew 34-34-40-X-27-23-17-11-10-11-23-36 (11 weeks)

09/02/2015 Handsome 36-34-33-38 (4 weeks)

15/06/2015 20/20 38-31-27-25-30-40 (6 weeks)

22/01/2018 I Can't Quit 31-22-14-12-06-03-02-03-04-06-08-11-17-22-28-35 (16 weeks)

25/06/2018 Your Love Is My Favourite Band 31-23-22-19-18-26-35 (7 weeks)

 

2023 Top 5 Rank:

01 I Can't Quit

02 Wreckin' Ball (Ra Ra Ra)

03 Nørgaard

04 If You Wanna

05 Dream Lover

#80

 

 

The Shins

 

Points: 650

Date first charted: 15/01/2007

Number of entries: 9

Total weeks on chart: 104

Most Successful Year: 2007, 1st

 

 

2007s Wincing The Night Away album was my first introduction to The Shins, their earlier two albums coming before I was ever likely to hear anything by a US indie band, as it became their biggest commercial hit following the breakthrough of previous songs being used in TV in between albums. It was a masterclass of indie pop, with a trio of fantastic sing-a-long anthems released as singles, Phantom Limb was an excellent introduction, Australia had me hooked and reached the top, and Turn On Me is absolute perfection, joining it as a number one but staying there for 7 weeks. The much more mellow Sea Legs was an excellent way to round off the campaign and they were comfortably my top performing act of the year.

 

Follow-up albums have been similar in sound and again produced an excellent array of anthems, with each single reaching at least the top 20. The Rifle's Spiral and Name For You are the pick from each, and Simple Song was also an excellent long awaited return in 2012. Their releases had become almost 5 years apart exactly, so album 6 feels somewhat overdue. With US acts that tour the UK infrequently, I felt it was necessary to make sure I went when they played here in 2017, and was well worth doing, the trio of New Slang, The Fear and Sleeping Lessons quite possibly the greatest encore I've ever seen played. It was great to see the latter two being such favourites despite them not being released.

 

Chart History:

15/01/2007 Phantom Limb 38-34-22-15-12-27-37 (7 weeks)

02/04/2007 Australia 25-14-04-04-01-02-04-07-10-11-13-14-16-22-28-34-40 (17 weeks)

06/08/2007 Turn On Me 25-01-01-01-01-01-01-01-02-04-07-10-15-23-29-34-37-39 (18 weeks)

26/11/2007 Sea Legs 28-21-06-02-05-11-17-30-37 (9 weeks)

23/01/2012 Simple Song 28-14-12-08-08-07-07-09-14-27-39 (11 weeks)

23/04/2012 It's Only Life 30-26-21-18-28 (5 weeks)

28/05/2012 The Rifle's Spiral 28-21-14-08-05-07-12-16-20-25-33-36-39 (13 weeks)

28/11/2016 Dead Alive 35-32-22-22-19-21-21-26-40 (9 weeks)

23/01/2017 Name For You 24-15-12-08-02-01-01-02-03-07-08-12-18-26-37 (15 weeks)

 

2023 Top 5 Rank:

01 Turn on Me

02 Sleeping Lessons

03 Australia

04 Name For You

05 The Fear

 

#79

 

 

Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds

 

Points: 664

Date first charted: 15/08/2011

Number of entries: 12

Total weeks on chart: 98

Most Successful Year: 2011, 17th

 

 

I'm sort of surprised by Noel being so high, I don't really listen to him much now, there's been a significant downgrade in his recent material and I do think he's a Grade A ****. But actually it's quite easy to forget just how good a lot of his post-Oasis material has been. If you were to compare it to someone close, he certainly comes out on top by huge distance. The first High Flying Birds album was one I listened to a lot and AKA... What a Life was a superb single which really made me interested after I got bored of The Death of You And Me pretty quickly. All five singles from the album charted with ended as a successful campaign, as three of them made the top 10.

 

The second album Chasing Yesterday is definitely the one I'd choose to go back to most now, it doesn't have much weakness to it at all and the singles are a lot better than I gave them credit for in my chart, You Know We Can't Go Back in particular, and Ballad of the Mighty I is easily being my favourite Oasis related song since 2003. The third album was pretty good too, I didn't like it as much as previous but it had a solid string of singles and showed a variation not typically expected for a Gallagher, and even though I do think it's decent and gets some unfair stick, I'm not sure what I was thinking charting Holy Mountain quite that high, but the other two certainly deserving of their top 10 placings.

 

Chart History:

15/08/2011 The Death Of You And Me 30-20-15-35 (4 weeks)

03/10/2011 AKA…. What A Life 30-28-19-13-11-10-15-26-38 (9 weeks)

19/12/2011 If I Had A Gun… 34-23-13-05-04-07-16-26-38 (9 weeks)

26/03/2012 Dream On 30-29-30-38 (4 weeks)

09/07/2012 Everybody's On The Run 36-29-23-19-14-09-08-06-09-12-25-39 (12 weeks)

02/02/2015 Ballad of the Mighty I 28-12-04-04-02-02-04-06-10-12-16-23-27-37-40 (15 weeks)

21/04/2015 Riverman 39-37-40 (3 weeks)

27/07/2015 Lock All The Doors 28-28-35 (3 weeks)

22/02/2016 You Know We Can't Go Back 30-28-37 (3 weeks)

06/11/2017 Holy Mountain 24-15-06-03-02-02-03-04-05-07-16-26-36 (13 weeks)

18/12/2017 It's a Beautiful World 29-22-16-10-07-07-09-15-24-33-39 (11 weeks)

02/04/2018 She Taught Me How To Fly 37-25-16-12-10-06-06-11-21-28-35-39 (12 weeks)

 

2023 Top 5 Rank:

01 Ballad Of The Mighty I

02 AKA... What a Life

03 Everybody's On The Run

04 She Taught Me How To Fly

05 You Know We Can't Go Back

 

Some great picks so far, Jamie xx and Bicep especially. Atlas and Water are probably in my top 5 of theirs as well. Nice to see that the underrated Vale went top 10 for you. I also really liked the Little Boots debut era in pretty much the same order as you. A shame she became so bland musically after that.

#78

 

 

Editors

 

Points: 665

Date first charted: 24/01/2005

Number of entries: 11

Total weeks on chart: 100

Most Successful Year: 2005, 25th

 

 

Most indie bands in the mid 00s seemed to re-release their earlier, better singles once they got a bit of success, and Editors typified that more than most as all three of their main ones were promoted again. The key difference with them is that I knew and liked them all first time around, so three separate re-issues here, but only one becoming more successful second time out. Their debut album The Back Room is one of my favourites of the era, the singles Munich and Blood being brilliantly anthemic but with it also containing some more poignant songs, Fall has always been one of my favourites and Open Your Arms is superb too. I saw them supporting Franz Ferdinand on their arena tour at the end of 2005 and they remain the greatest support act I've ever seen live and made me enjoy them even more.

 

They've had 6 albums since, all of them have produced chart entries but just the one for 5 of them, the exception being 2009s In This Light and On This Evening, as they moved a bit more to synths with the glorious Papillon, with the title track being the other real standout on the album. Smokers Outside The Hospital Doors would definitely be just outside my top 5 songs of theirs now, but at the time I found it to be a bit of a boring and disappointing return, whilst An End Has a Start was more in keeping with their bigger singles and I loved straight away.

 

2015 saw them release what would be their biggest hit, with the almost 8 minute long Marching Orders reaching the top spot for three weeks, it was released in partnership with Oxfam and is a stunning song I still rank as my favourite. Other charting singles in the latter part of their career are A Ton of Love, the highlight off their fourth album which was the last I really got into, and Cold and Picturesque, the representatives from albums 6 & 7, both released after a bunch of other singles I never really got properly into, although in retrospect Darkness At The Door is definitely good enough for a decent charting position.

 

Chart History:

24/01/2005 Bullets 37 (1 week)

18/04/2005 Munich 02-02-04-09-14-25-30-39 (8 weeks)

11/07/2005 Blood 08-19-21-21-26-33-39 (7 weeks)

26/09/2005 Bullets (Re-issue) 18-24-34 (3 weeks)

02/01/2006 Munich (Re-issue) 03-06-06-08-08-11-12-16-26-29-36-40 (12 weeks)

27/03/2006 All Sparks 11-20-26-39 (4 weeks)

19/06/2006 Blood (Re-issue) 16-25-36 (3 weeks)

20/08/2007 An End Has A Start 25-13-06-02-04-07-14-24-34 (9 weeks)

12/10/2009 Papillon 25-13-08-05-05-09-16-25-36 (9 weeks)

11/01/2010 You Don't Know Love 25-19-17-17-29 (5 weeks)

01/07/2013 A Ton of Love 30-25-21-18-19-22-25-34 (8 weeks)

13/07/2015 Marching Orders 18-07-02-01-01-01-02-03-04-03-05-07-10-14-21-29-36-39 (18 weeks)

09/04/2018 Cold 33-23-16-16-14-17-26-36 (8 weeks)

08/10/2022 Picturesque 27-21-31-35-39 (5 weeks)

 

2023 Top 5 Rank:

01 Marching Orders

02 Munich

03 Fall

04 Papillon

05 Fingers In The Factories

 

Some great picks so far, Jamie xx and Bicep especially. Atlas and Water are probably in my top 5 of theirs as well. Nice to see that the underrated Vale went top 10 for you. I also really liked the Little Boots debut era in pretty much the same order as you. A shame she became so bland musically after that.

 

Thanks Kath. Yes Vale is definitely an underrated gem in their discography, still something I love a lot and the song that got me properly into them so will always appreciate it. You're definitely right about Little Boots, a real shame to have a bunch of excellent songs and then such nothingness :(

#77

 

 

Bloc Party

 

Points: 672

Date first charted: 12/07/2004

Number of entries: 14

Total weeks on chart: 88

Most Successful Year: 2005, 5th

 

 

A position of 77 is completely at odds for how I would actually rank Bloc Party. Their first album has grown to be one of my favourites of all time and their second isn't that far behind, but being late to get properly into them and some poor choices of singles means they're way below some similar bands of the era who I like a lot less, as they have just two top 5 and a further four top 10 hits. Three of my top 5 of theirs never charted, which is probably going to be the most on this whole countdown.

 

Of British indie albums of that 2004-7 period, Silent Alarm definitely makes the top three, but at the time I was more into some quite significantly inferior acts (hello Kaiser Chiefs) and has proven to be a grower. A very strong selection of singles, which gave them their only top 5 hits in The Pioneers and So Here We Are, but for me the standouts have always been Like Eating Glass and This Modern Love. The second album was similar, I didn't really listen to it a lot at the time and have got into it more later, I Still Remember vastly undercharted but there were songs I liked much more than their other singles, Song For Clay and Waiting For The 7:18 in particular.

 

I do quite like the third album but again Mercury and Talons are both amongst the weaker songs on it so couldn't get the chart performance some of it deserved. Their fourth album Four, from 2012, remains probably the worst album I've ever purchased, and any interest in them after that was completely diminished, but they have bounced back to get a couple of strong top 10 singles since. Stunt Queen was a decent effort of a more electronic sound. Last years If We Get Caught was a return to earlier sounds and easily the best thing they'd made since 2007, and its parent album Alpha Games was a good enough listen too.

 

Chart History:

12/07/2004 Little Thoughts 37 (1 week)

25/10/2004 Helicopter 20-27-32 (3 weeks)

31/01/2005 So Here We Are 04-09-11-17-22-28-40 (7 weeks)

25/04/2005 Banquet 13-20-30-39 (4 weeks)

18/07/2005 The Pioneers 02-02-04-05-09-11-19-23-28-33 (10 weeks)

03/10/2005 Two More Years 06-07-07-06-06-07-12-13-21-27-31-32-32-34-37-40 (16 weeks)

05/02/2007 The Prayer 33-34-40 (3 weeks)

02/04/2007 I Still Remember 39-38-30 (3 weeks)

05/11/2007 Flux 31-28-25-33 (4 weeks)

11/08/2008 Mercury 33-30-27-37 (4 weeks)

26/01/2009 One Month Off 32-23-15-12-08-09-20-29-40 (9 weeks)

10/08/2009 One More Chance 28-21-17-30 (4 weeks)

10/10/2016 Stunt Queen 34-26-16-09-08-11-19-26-36 (9 weeks)

02/04/2022 If We Get Caught 34-21-13-10-09-06-07-10-17-28-35 (11 weeks)

 

2023 Top 5 Rank:

01 Like Eating Glass

02 I Still Remember

03 This Modern Love

04 The Pioneers

05 Song For Clay (Disappear Here)

 

#76

 

 

CHVRCHES

 

Points: 672

Date first charted: 29/10/2012

Number of entries: 11

Total weeks on chart: 104

Most Successful Year: 2015, 6th

 

 

CHVRCHES have always been an act I've found quite hit and miss, both with singles and across their albums, with none of them going on to become particular favourites, but there are more than enough big hits to see them get a comfortable and deserving place in this list. Their standout moment definitely comes in the form of debut hit The Mother We Share which kicked off my interest in them and is a song I have loved ever since, Recover was an excellent follow-up and equalled it's #5 peak but it's a shame Tether was left unreleased from their first album as that would have got them the hat-trick of top 5s.

 

One thing that has become consistent is that they return with something that is simply ok but their better songs on the album campaign have yet to come. Leave a Trace, Get Out and He Said She Said are fine songs, but were followed by much better, particularly from album 2 as Never Ending Circles and the super-poppy Clearest Blue saw them reach the top 3 for the first time.

 

Their recent collaborations with male acts which I'm a big fan of have both been as excellent as I'd have hoped for, Matt Berninger of the National's voice works so well alongside female vocalists and Robert Smith certainly elevated How Not To Drown, I'd rank both above Good Girls now but that ended up the bigger hit, their 6th top 5 in total.

 

Chart History:

29/10/2012 The Mother We Share 24-18-14-07-05-06-05-06-09-10-13-19-26-33-34-40 (16 weeks)

25/02/2013 Recover 40-28-18-14-08-05-08-11-16-20-25-37 (12 weeks)

01/07/2013 Gun 33-31 (2 weeks)

03/08/2015 Leave a Trace 34-25-21-16-17-18-20-27-39 (9 weeks)

07/09/2015 Never Ending Circles 25-15-07-03-02-03-06-13-22-34 (10 weeks)

05/10/2015 Clearest Blue 23-15-09-03-03-04-07-11-22-32 (10 weeks)

19/02/2018 Get Out 34-27-20-19-21-30-39 (7 weeks)

19/03/2018 My Enemy (feat. Matt Berninger) 27-18-10-06-05-05-09-13-21-39 (10 weeks)

06/04/2019 Here With Me (w/ Marshmello) 37-31-30-32-37-40 (6 weeks)

19/06/2021 How Not To Drown (feat. Robert Smith) 30-22-18-15-13-11-08-11-19-32 (10 weeks)

14/08/2021 Good Girls 33-23-17-11-10-08-04-05-10-12-18-30 (12 weeks)

 

2023 Top 5 Rank:

01 The Mother We Share

02 My Enemy

03 Never Ending Circles

04 Tether

05 How Not To Drown

 

 

The first quarter of the countdown complete:

 

100 - Fontaines DC

99 - The Coral

98 - HEALTH

97 - The Mysterines

96 - How To Dress Well

95 - Santigold

94 - Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs

93 - Phoebe Bridgers

92 - Lily Allen

91 - Snow Patrol

 

90 - Animal Collective

89 - Guillemots

88 - Mystery Jets

87 - Beyoncé

86 - Jamie xx

85 - Little Boots

84 - Belle and Sebastian

83 - Alpines

82 - Bicep

81 - The Vaccines

 

80 - The Shins

79 - Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds

78 - Editors

77 - Bloc Party

76 - CHVRCHES

 

#75

 

 

The Naked and Famous

 

Points: 672

Date first charted: 20/09/2010

Number of entries: 10

Total weeks on chart: 107

Most Successful Year: 2013, 12th

 

 

In the summer of 2010 I copied an idea from another forum and started an Unknown Pleasures contest in the Indie/Alt forum, Doctor Blind's entry was Young Blood and it was the runaway winner in the first contest. It was something I voted for but wasn't my favourite and I could see how it won. It was a great introduction to The Naked and Famous though and I found their songs got better after that, with Girls Like You managing to go one place further than predecessor Punching In a Dream and making it all the way to the top. Their debut Passive Me, Aggressive You remains one of my favourite albums of the decade, containing many gems.

 

Whilst they have been a law of diminishing returns band, each subsequent album has produced a couple of decent singles, with only Higher missing the top 10, and only just at that. Hearts Like Ours was an incredible return for their second album which got be very excited for it, and whilst it wasn't quite up to the standards previously set, it was an excellent effort. Most recent single Death was something a bit different, with a more male led vocal, but something which has worked its way to being one of my favourites.

 

Chart History:

20/09/2010 Young Blood 35-29-19-16-15-18-23-33-39 (9 weeks)

29/11/2010 Punching In A Dream 35-26-13-09-04-02-03-06-07-11-18-23-32-40 (14 weeks)

07/06/2011 Girls Like You 24-13-02-01-01-01-05-08-12-21-25-26-32 (14 weeks)

05/12/2011 No Way 39-37-35 (3 weeks)

05/08/2013 Hearts Like Ours 39-32-24-15-06-04-03-02-05-10-15-23-35 (13 weeks)

02/12/2013 I Kill Giants 28-22-18-15-10-07-06-04-07-10-17-25-35-40 (14 weeks)

08/08/2016 Higher 32-28-25-22-18-15-11-13-14-19-23-29-31-40 (14 weeks)

12/09/2016 Laid Low 38-31-24-18-10-07-19-33 (8 weeks)

21/12/2019 Sunseeker 25-18-15-11-09-12-18-25-36 (9 weeks)

01/08/2020 Death 29-20-15-11-07-08-15-24-35 (9 weeks)

 

2023 Top 5 Rank:

01 Girls Like You

02 Hearts Like Ours

03 Punching In A Dream

04 Death

05 All of This

 

#74

 

/images/articles/3461/jamieT_1262622372_crop_550x370.jpg

 

Jamie T

 

Points: 679

Date first charted: 03/07/2006

Number of entries: 11

Total weeks on chart: 100

Most Successful Year: 2022, 7th

 

 

The two Jamie's end up fairly close together, but T beats xx by 56 points and 12 places. I wasn't overly sold on his style for a while, enjoying some of his singles but nothing more than that, but still scored three top 10s with some of his bigger and more popular hits, and both Sheila and Sticks 'N' Stones have gone on to be massive favourites, both being such delightful sing-a-long anthems. It wasn't until his third album Carry On The Grudge in 2014 that I properly got into Jamie T, and therefore find it quite surprising that the two singles from it weren't bigger, the whole album is great and I've always loved those singles, Zombie in particular.

 

His fourth album in 2016 was the first time I'd anticipated a new album by Jamie T, but I was never that fussed with Tinfoil Boy, but Power Over Men was a huge upturn and finally brought a first top 5 hit as it made it's way to #2, it's not quite in the same in-your-face style as some of his songs, but something I've enjoyed a lot since release. #2 was a position he reached again last year, when he returned after his longest gap between albums, and The Old Style Raiders was released. It took a few listens, but has grown to become my favourite of his, lyrically it's superb and the sound shows how much he's developed, a shame it was up against the behemoths of Protection From Evil and Baby, We're Ascending as it's probably my favourite song of the year which didn't reach my top spot. Two further top 10s meant 2022 has gone on to be his most productive year, Between The Rocks in particular a great single in his unmistakable classic sound.

 

Chart History:

03/07/2006 Sheila 08-09-17-21-30-35 (6 weeks)

16/10/2006 If You Got The Money 17-24-39 (3 weeks)

15/01/2007 Calm Down Dearest 07-09-16-26-28-37 (6 weeks)

29/06/2009 Sticks 'N' Stones 20-15-12-10-10-16-29-34 (8 weeks)

01/09/2014 Zombie 27-21-15-17-21-29 (6 weeks)

24/11/2014 Rabbit Hole 33-23-20-18-22-30-40 (7 weeks)

05/09/2016 Power Over Men 37-34-27-17-13-08-05-03-02-04-07-09-13-17-27-32-39 (17 weeks)

05/12/2016 Tescoland 24-16-10-14-17-22-34-38 (8 weeks)

21/05/2022 The Old Style Raiders 33-23-15-06-02-02-04-03-05-08-12-17-20-22-27-33-38 (17 weeks)

23/07/2022 St. George Wharf Tower 35-27-21-15-10-09-10-16-27-38 (10 weeks)

27/08/2022 Between The Rocks 36-29-21-16-09-07-06-07-10-17-24-35 (12 weeks)

 

2023 Top 5 Rank:

01 The Old Style Raiders

02 Sheila

03 Sticks 'N' Stones

04 Power Over Men

05 Zombie

 

#73

 

 

Feeder

 

Points: 680

Date first charted: 13/01/2003

Number of entries: 12

Total weeks on chart: 104

Most Successful Year: 2005, 4th

 

 

If this list had been compiled by someone else on my behalf and I was made to guess the 100 acts in it, I think Feeder would be close to the last one I thought of. Two main reasons; I've never considered them to be a particular favourite and their best material came before I recorded a personal chart!

 

Their mid noughties output alone would have put them about 30 places short of this countdown, and it's a real mixed bag. Four of the songs are decent and I listen to them occasionally, however the other 5 this must be the first time I've listened to them for over a decade and I'm in no rush to hear any again. Just The Way I'm Feeling was the highest new entry on my second chart, their 2nd of 3 UK top 10s which stills holds up as a decent tune, and Feeling The Moment sounded great to a 16 year olds ears in the peak of indie and entered at the top, whilst Shatter is still their best song of the last 20 years, unfathomably held back as a b-side before fan pressure saw it got a proper single release as a Double A side with Tender.

 

Despite an 11 year gap between chart entries, they had released four albums in that time, but everything I either disliked or ignored. I'm not sure why I'd have even checked out Arrow but by this point they'd gone back to their heavier days of the 90s, and it made a refreshing change to what I was expecting and went all the way to #3. It's a sound they continued to varying degrees of success, and had managed to chart in 3 consecutive years, almost reaching as high with Fear of Flying.

 

Whilst Shatter is ranked my number one for this period, that list for their career as a whole would be Just a Day, Seven Days in the Sun, Sweet 16, Insomina and Turn. Never Buck Rogers though, eurgh.

 

Chart History:

13/01/2003 Just The Way I'm Feeling 02-03-03-06-08-10-14-16-20-22-26-27-33-38-40 (15 weeks)

05/05/2003 Forget About Tomorrow 13-17-21-24-28-32-38 (7 weeks)

22/09/2003 Find The Colour 30-35 (2 weeks)

17/01/2005 Tumble And Fall 16-26-31-38 (4 weeks)

04/04/2005 Feeling A Moment 01-01-03-03-05-08-12-20-24-29-32-39 (12 weeks)

27/06/2005 Pushing The Senses 12-16-26-36-39-40 (6 weeks)

10/10/2005 Shatter 03-04-05-07-08-10-11-15-19-21-25-23-26-32-34-36-36-40 (18 weeks)

10/10/2005 Tender 33-39 (2 weeks)

01/05/2006 Lost & Found 17-22-28-37 (4 weeks)

09/10/2017 Arrow 26-18-12-07-04-04-03-05-06-11-13-19-23-34 (14 weeks)

19/02/2018 Sex Type Drug 32-29-31-36-36-40-40 (7 weeks)

13/04/2019 Fear of Flying 36-28-24-17-08-05-05-07-09-15-20-27-36 (13 weeks)

 

2023 Top 5 Rank:

01 Shatter

02 Feeling a Moment

03 Just The Way I'm Feeling

04 Fear of Flying

05 Arrow

 

#72

 

 

alt-J

 

Points: 689

Date first charted: 13/02/2012

Number of entries: 11

Total weeks on chart: 110

Most Successful Year: 2012, 2nd

 

 

A band who are 50% amazing and 50% disappointment, certainly in terms of their album campaigns anyway. An Awesome Wave was one of my favourite albums of 2012 and they released a string of excellent singles from it, with a couple of songs reaching #2, and three others settling for top 20. Fitzpleasure was a good introduction, but they upped their game further with Breezeblocks and Tessellate, singer Joe Newman's voice is excellent with a great range. There were no disappointments on the album, and would have certainly finished as top act of 2012 if they'd gone with Dissolve Me or Taro as singles.

 

Hunger of the Pine is fine but not quite on the level of previous, but aside from The Gospel of John Hurt everything else that came on the album I thought was awful and I had absolutely zero anticipation and not much more interest in further work. But I needn't have worried as they returned with 3WW in 2017, I was soon hooked, went to the top and was one of the years three standout singles vying for my favourite song of the year. It builds up incredibly from its slow intro and the vocal of Wolf Alice's Ellie Rowsell is the most perfect addition. The rest of the album, Relaxer, was a huge improvement too, and its remix album Reduxer had some interesting alternative versions, Danny Brown on Deadcrush *.* As for last years fourth album, U&ME was a decent enough lead but I haven't particularly cared about anything else. I don't listen to new albums anywhere near as much as I used to, and theirs was never going to be one of the ones that I did.

 

Chart History:

13/02/2012 Fitzpleasure 26-18-14-11-16-30 (6 weeks)

28/05/2012 Breezeblocks 32-26-19-12-06-02-02-05-09-15-18-25-33 (13 weeks)

16/07/2012 Tessellate 32-17-05-02-03-03-05-07-10-14-18-29-37 (13 weeks)

01/10/2012 Something Good 30-25-20-23-32 (5 weeks)

10/12/2012 Matilda 35-25-19-12-15-21-30-40 (8 weeks)

14/07/2014 Hunger of the Pine 35-29-23-25-36 (5 weeks)

01/06/2015 The Gospel of John Hurt 27-21-12-09-06-04-07-10-12-17-27-36 (12 weeks)

27/03/2017 3WW 38-28-20-14-09-05-02-01-01-02-02-04-06-09-14-19-17-19-24-30-33-39 (22 weeks)

14/08/2017 Deadcrush 26-20-15-16-19-26-35 (7 weeks)

16/10/2017 Pleader 30-22-14-09-05-08-11-15-17-23-29-36 (12 weeks)

09/10/2021 U&ME 36-27-21-20-22-32-40 (7 weeks)

 

2023 Top 5 Rank:

01 3WW

02 Breezeblocks

03 Dissolve Me

04 Pleader

05 Taro