Batch 7 Rank:

 

Good:

#90 11/03/2000 Honeyz Won't Take It Lying Down 7 {7}-12-21-32-42-54-58-72R(3)->8 [this was the only hit of theirs I recall actually somewhat enjoying]

#89 11/03/2000 Lene Marlin Sitting Down Here 5 6-{5}-8-13-13-20-22-31-42-50-64->11 [it's cute]

#87 11/03/2000 *NSync Bye Bye Bye 3 {3}-8-11-20-28-37-44-58->8 [credit to this for being one of the better boyband era hits]

#102 11/03/2000 Orbital And Angelo Badalamenti Beached 36 {36}-53-68->3 [an interesting first listen]

 

Okay:

#97 11/03/2000 Slipknot Wait And Bleed 27 {27}-40-55->3 [don't really get them but the song's at least a bit of excitement amongst this lot]

#100 11/03/2000 Colour Girl Can't Get Used To Losing You 31 {31}-50-64->3 [odd cover version but cool]

#101 11/03/2000 Wisdôme Off The Wall 33 {33}-51->2 [another sub-average MJ rework already so soon after the previous one lol]

#95 11/03/2000 Yomanda Sunshine 16 {16}-26-38-49-70-74->6 [may as well be listening to his earlier hit]

#88 11/03/2000 Vengaboys Shalala Lala 5 {5}-6-10-17-22-29-35-40-50-70->10 [bit of a letdown from previous songs of theirs mind]

#93 11/03/2000 Madasun Don't You Worry 14 {14}-19-30-41-60-69->6

 

Crap:

#86 11/03/2000 Madonna American Pie 1 {1}-2-5-8-11-17-27-34-44-51-58-70-68R(3)-69->14 [utterly pointless cover]

#99 11/03/2000 Lynden David Hall Forgive Me 30 {30}-52->2 [plodding]

#91 11/03/2000 Puff Daddy Featuring R. Kelly Satisfy You 8 {8}-10-13-22-30-36-45-63->8 [match made in hell agh]

#96 11/03/2000 Dumdums Everything 21 {21}-31-40-48-71->5

#98 11/03/2000 98 Degrees The Hardest Thing 29 {29}-48->2

#92 11/03/2000 Mariah Carey Featuring Joe And 98 Degrees Thank God I Found You 10 {10}-18-26-40-41-58-66-75-75-71R(2)->10 [boooooring and who decided we needed TWO 98 Degrees songs in one week]

#94 11/03/2000 Northern Line Love On The Northern Line 15 {15}-34-49-71-73->5 [well this is your typical dated crap boyband I guess, nope]

Flowers is the ultimate garage anthem :heart:

 

Always found Airwave one of the weakest trance songs, pretty beige to me

 

Bingo Bingo is one of my fave from them, great energy

 

Never liked Amazed, a drippy mess of a song and an uninteresting vocalist

 

Life Story really sounds like Pink's Family Portrait - I wonder if the latter was influenced by the former?

 

That Cherie Amore song is a proper hot mess :lol:

Edited April 12, 20241 yr by Dobbo

Life Story really sounds like Pink's Family Portrait - I wonder if the latter was influenced by the former?

 

That Cherie Amore song is a proper hot mess :lol:

 

Oh it really does, I never really thought about that before despite remembering the Angie stone pretty well. The production on it isn't a million miles away from what P!nk put out in 2000 either.

 

Just listened to Cherie's song, wow at the mismatched vocal and backing track. It's the same sample as was used in 2019 in this apparent summer smash in waiting that never happened.

Truly great mashups are a rare thing but “Toca’s Miracle” is absolutely a mashup miracle and up there with the finest of all time. Despite that it isn’t today’s winner as there’s a track here that defies all description. It isn’t rock, pop, or folk - unique and captivating is what it is, and as far as I know it doesn’t sound much like any hit before or since.

 

10 Black Box Recorder The Facts Of Life The only Top 40 for this UK indie group about adolescence: it's unique, quirky, captivating, heartwarming and very beautiful

9 Fragma Toca's Miracle 856th #1: a mashup of the #11 hit "Toca Me" and the #39 "I Need A Miracle" to create an utterly sublime dance anthem

8 Matt Darey Presents DSP From Russia With Love Another trance gem that scraped in at #40: I love how Russian this sounds with the chant-like vocals and folk instrument

7 Sisqo Thong Song The lyrics are lightweight at best but I can't not enjoy it: what an incredibly infectious song with very exciting production

6 Sting After The Rain Has Fallen After the brilliant surprise of "Desert Rose" this is more typical Sting, but a soulful track and still one of his more enjoyable

5 Monie Love Slice Of Da Pie Last hit for this Grammy nominated UK rapper: can see why it didn't set the world alight but it's catchy and well produced

4 Sash! Just Around The Hill The dance version of this is much better than the straight ballad version, but still it's a rather tepid and unremarkable track

3 R. Kelly Only The Loot Can Make Me Happy Samples an 80s soul song called "Happy", and it's not a bad track as such but uninspiring and the melody isn't very engaging

2 Jessica Simpson I Wanna Love You Forever Her debut hit: a power ballad and she seems to think that the way to get the emotion out is to pummel the life out of it

2 Point Break Freakytime A shame after "Stand Tough" was really good that this is lyrically naff, and the track plods along and the melody just nags

1 Sister 2 Sister Sister Another artist similar to title situation: unsurprisingly the only Top 40 for this Australian duo and astoundingly naff and limp

 

 

 

2000 Week 17:

 

#170 29/04/2000 Oasis Who Feels Love? 4 {4}-17-28-53-63-53-73-70R(3)->8

#171 29/04/2000 Toni Braxton He Wasn't Man Enough 5 {5}-8-9-14-18-21-30-42-51-48-57->11

#172 29/04/2000 True Steppers Featuring Dane Bowers Buggin' 6 {6}-7-11-21-27-37-48-64->8

#173 29/04/2000 Ricky Martin Featuring Meja Private Emotion 9 {9}-15-16-24-24-29-40-53-72->9

#174 29/04/2000 Cypress Hill Rap Superstar/Rock Superstar 13 {13}-23-27-41-73->5

#175 29/04/2000 TQ Daily 14 {14}-25-33-51-71->5

#176 29/04/2000 Hanson If Only 15 {15}-37-49-72->4

#177 29/04/2000 Mary J. Blige Give Me You 19 {19}-29-35-49->4

#178 29/04/2000 Eagle-Eye Cherry Are You Still Having Fun? 21 {21}-32-40-48->4

#179 29/04/2000 Shola Ama Imagine 24 {24}-43-47-65->4

#180 29/04/2000 Hurley And Todd Sunstorm 38 {38}-51->2

 

I have a few favourites in this bunch.

 

Fragma is actually my favourite, one of the best No.1 singles ever, a genius mash-up and a shame that the original Coco vocal version is missing from streaming. I always liked Toca Me when it was in the chart but this was just the perfect vocal to pair with it.

 

The Facts Of Life is my close second favourite - an astounding piece of music, I remember taping this one off the chart and being struck how unusual it sounded. Lyrically and musically wonderful and I own everything they released.

 

I personally much prefer Just Around The Hill to Adelante, I listen to both versions quite a lot myself and think it's quite a lovely song.

 

I never liked anything that Jessica Simpson released very much, definitely my fourth place out of the Britney/Christina/Mandy/Jessica four-way that was hyped in the teen press at the time. It also sounded very dated at the time and even moreso looking back, it sounds more like an early 90s ballad. Looking back though I've grown to like I Think I'm In Love With You but would probably prefer to just listen to the song it sampled, Jack & Diane.

 

Sorry but I really have always loved Sister. I know it's cheddar cheese but it's catchy and sentimental Aussie pop that was a mega selling top three hit in their home country and it reminds me so much of high school and being carefree I guess in a way that many songs from the time don't. These days they're Delta Goodrem's backing singers and run their own music school, plus have released some decent electro pop tunes recently. The great Can't Stop The Pop blog reviewed this single just this week!

Batch 8 Rank:

 

Great:

#103 18/03/2000 Chicane Featuring Bryan Adams Don't Give Up 1 {1}-3-5-7-16-25-37-47-44-52-56-72-65-72->14 [not Chicane's absolute best but this giving a #1 to his name is great to see, love that trance anthems like this were able to smash this much back then]

 

Good:

#113 18/03/2000 Big Time Charlie Featuring Soozy Q Mr Devil 39 {39}-66->2 [shame this seems to have been all but forgotten about, not surprising given the chart run of course, but the Chic sample is great]

#106 18/03/2000 Moby Natural Blues 11 {11}-17-23-33-48-71->6 [one of the better old timey sample pieces Moby did]

#107 18/03/2000 Barbara Tucker Stop Playing With My Mind 17 {17}-28-37-51->4 [quite standard but got a bit of life to it]

#110 18/03/2000 Kraftwerk Expo 2000 27 {27}-48->2 [an intriguing piece of music although not a fave of the admittedly little I've heard from them]

 

Okay:

#111 18/03/2000 Coldplay Shiver 35 {35}-51-74->3 [could've been bigger if it had a re-release post-Yellow I guess, it's a decent start for them]

#109 18/03/2000 Filter Take A Picture 25 {25}-44-62->3 [hadn't heard of this before so surprised to see it with 100m streams though I suppose it was bigger in USA]

#105 18/03/2000 Five Don't Wanna Let You Go 9 {9}-16-21-31-42-43-39-48-63-74-55-40->12 [well at least Five don't do boring from what I've heard]

#104 18/03/2000 Tom Jones And Stereophonics Mama Told Me Not To Come 4 {4}-9-18-26-44-54-66->7 [it's whatever, not very familiar with the original version of this either]

#112 18/03/2000 Chili Hi Fly Is It Love? 37 {37}-57->2 [not heard this one before and yeah this is a bit more forgettable for dance of the time]

 

Meh:

#108 18/03/2000 Lulu Where The Poor Boys Dance 24 {24}-25-38-49-75->5 [it was slightly better than I'd expected for a late stage Lulu track but not my thing]

In a way “Rock Superstar” feels like a precursor to Eminem’s “Lose Yourself”, with the punchy rhythmic rap and the mounting tension provided by the rock style accompaniment.

 

8 Cypress Hill Rap Superstar/Rock Superstar The 2 sides are similar but "Rock Superstar" has more oomph in the production: a great dramatic rap / rock crossover hit

8 Eagle-Eye Cherry Are You Still Having Fun? His last Top 40 and it's in a very similar style to "Save Tonight" but also a great tune and he gets the character across clearly

7 Oasis Who Feels Love? For me this works much better than "Go Let It Out": a lovely psychedelic instrumental and the lyrics have a serenity to them

6 Toni Braxton He Wasn't Man Enough Her last big hit and I like that it's something more upbeat from her: a relentless and sassy piece of RnB very well performed

5 True Steppers Featuring Dane Bowers Buggin' Their huge hit will be later in the year but this is decent: the "buggin'" hook is slightly irritating but I guess that's intentional

5 Hanson If Only Their 1st hit for a couple of years and they've grown up a lot: it's a nice folly number with harmonica but nothing remarkable

4 Mary J. Blige Give Me You The 2nd biggest hit from "Mary" after "As", this is quite a sweet and soulful number without much to really grab the liatener

4 Ricky Martin Featuring Meja Private Emotion The biggest hit for Swedish singer Meja; a nicely done duet but quite dated: I think it ends up being slightly soppy and trite

3 Hurley And Todd Sunstorm A dance remake of Elton's mostly instrumental "Song For Guy": an interesting idea but doesn't really enhance the original

3 Shola Ama Imagine Her last solo Top 40 and a serviceable RnB track with a stronger tune than the below, but still it blends into the background

2 TQ Daily Last solo hit for American Terrance Quaites: a plodding and slightly whining piece of RnB that doesn't really go anywhere

 

 

 

2000 Weeks 18 and 19:

 

#181 06/05/2000 Oxide And Neutrino Bound 4 Da Reload (Casualty) 1 {1}-2-5-8-13-22-38-48-52-65-66->11

#182 06/05/2000 Mandy Moore Candy 6 {6}-13-25-32-42-44-50-61-53-67-75-64-57->13

#183 06/05/2000 MJ Cole Crazy Love 10 {10}-12-20-25-31-47-67->7

#184 06/05/2000 Lolly Per Sempre Amore (Forever In Love) 11 {11}-18-31-46-70-70-70-73-68R(2)-63->10

#185 06/05/2000 Scooch The Best Is Yet To Come 12 {12}-25-42-75-64R(6)->5

#186 06/05/2000 Precocious Brats/Kevin And Perry Big Girl 16 {16}-21-34-48->4

#187 06/05/2000 System F Cry 19 {19}-29-39-54->4

#188 06/05/2000 Death In Vegas Dirge 24 {24}-45->2

#189 06/05/2000 William Orbit Ravel's Pavane Pour Une Infante Defunte 31 {31}-59->2

#190 06/05/2000 Dutch Force Deadline 35 {35}-60->2

#191 06/05/2000 Q-Tip Vivrant Thing 39 {39}-53->2

#192 13/05/2000 Britney Spears Oops!... I Did It Again 1 {1}-2-3-6-9-16-18-20-27-34-38-46-49-55->14

#193 13/05/2000 Watergate Heart Of Asia 3 {3}-6-7-12-20-32-39-42-54-73->10

#194 13/05/2000 Toploader Achilles Heel {2000} 8 {8}-15-19-22-34-47-75->7

#195 13/05/2000 Made In London Dirty Water 15 {15}-27-35-47-71->5

#196 13/05/2000 Pearl Jam Nothing As It Seems 22 {22}-56->2

#197 13/05/2000 Rhythm Of Life You Put Me In Heaven With Your Touch 24 {24}-57->2

#198 13/05/2000 Dark Star I Am The Sun 31 {31}-70->2

 

Private Emotion is easily my favourite in this bunch and the one I listen to most still, for me it's a genuinely brilliant, melodic duet, and it was nice to see Meja get a top ten hit too.

 

I think Who Feels Love is probably Oasis' top five hit that I remember the least, it's not a bad track but I think for me this album generally missed a bit of magic that they did find again on singles from their 2002 and 2005 albums.

 

He Wasn't Man Enough is a great R&B track, have always liked that a lot. Darkchild was all over the charts at the time but this was a strong example of his sound.

 

Imagine is a fairly unremarkable song (and a much lesser Darkchild production), but it's way better known for its fab garage remix by Asylum, which is a classic of the genre, with 15 million Spotify streams compared to 1.5 million for the original.

 

I had to look up Sunstorm as don't remember it from the time at all. Seems to be just a basic trance beefing up, doesn't sound that great to me.

 

I've got no real memory of the Cypress Hill track but agree with your thoughts about Lose Yourself Julian, completely see how that would have been an inspiration, with the strings too.

Edited April 15, 20241 yr by gooddelta

Black Box Recorder, I have to admit I've forgotten but I gave it a 7. Playing it now, and it sounds a bit All Saints Never Ever. Toca's Miracle is a classic dance track a strong 9 and shout-out to Rob Davis of Mud for the lyrics. From Russia With Love isn't Matt Monroe so I'm blank on it, but Sisqo's Thong Song was a big 9 fave for me. So catchy!

 

Sting's Rain another one I have no strong memories of so resorting to my spreadsheet, I find I didn't chart it. Hey ho. Monie Love ditto, but Just Around The Hill I rather liked enough for an 8/10. Tina Cousins, I think, with Sash! R Kelly lyrically wearing his heart on his sleeve there, a big zero from me. The final 3 all mean nowt to me....! Sorry!

 

 

Cycling back a bit the Flowers / Gymnopédie similarities have BLOWN my mind :o like I've listened to Flowers hundreds of times and never made that connection but now when I listen I can't unhear it!

 

Facts Of Life is definitely a very unique-sounding hit, it's very I Do This All The Time but of course that's much more modern and wasn't a hit!

 

Never knew Jessica Simpson started off with a terrible attempt at a Mariah Carey recreation.

 

Freakytime with a shameless We Wil Rock You sample in the background it sounds like.

 

Who Feels Love? is definitely an underrated Oasis single, haven't heard it in a very long time but sounding great.

Eagle-Eye Cherry liked that one, a 7, Who Feels Love is another one I havent heard since 2000, but a 9/10 for me and Noel didnt do it at his concert t'other week. He Wasn't Man Enough is one that sticks in my mind, as US radio hits tend to do for me, and another 9. Buggin' a 6.

 

The Hanson track I liked, a good 8/10, and Give Me You a 7. Private Emotion is another one that sticks in my mind, but only a 7. Imagine hmmm like Shola Ama but a 3 really, I agree, but the TQ hit was more of a 7 for me. The rest I forgot long ago....!

Never heard that TQ Daily song before but it sounds like it loosely samples George Michael's Faith :lol:

Cycling back a bit the Flowers / Gymnopédie similarities have BLOWN my mind :o like I've listened to Flowers hundreds of times and never made that connection but now when I listen I can't unhear it!

 

I loved this fact too. I always learn something new in almost every batch Julian posts!

 

And I subsequently found this live version that incorporates Gymnopédie more in the music.

 

Edited April 15, 20241 yr by gooddelta

Week 15

 

The Bloodhound Gang The Bad Touch - Classique

Craig David Fill Me In

Steps Deeper Shade Of Blue

Sweet Female Attitude Flowers

Basement Jaxx Bingo Bango - one of their best!

Rank 1 Airwave - didn't pick up on the 'True Love Never Dies' in this at first and whilst I prefer that, this is decent.

Richard Ashcroft A Song For The Lovers - not his best but still quite good.

Lonestar Amazed

Lock 'N' Load Blow Ya Mind

Angie Stone Life Story

The Wamdue Project You're The Reason - meh, nothing standing out about this.

Cherie Amore I Don't Want Nobody - grates and doesn't go anywhere.

Daniel O'Donnell Light A Candle - easy bottom ranker and quite possibly the worst song I've heard so far. How the heck this was a top 40 hit :lol:

 

9 Fragma Toca's Miracle 856th #1: a mashup of the #11 hit "Toca Me" and the #39 "I Need A Miracle" to create an utterly sublime dance anthem

 

Indeed!

Week 16

 

Fragma Toca's Miracle - easy top fave :wub:

Sash! Just Around The Hill - slower version >>>>> is gorgeous for me in that form!

Black Box Recorder The Facts Of Life

Sisqo Thong Song

Point Break Freakytime - actually enjoyed this for what it is lol. Nothing amazing but catchy,

Matt Darey Presents DSP From Russia With Love

Monie Love Slice Of Da Pie

Sister 2 Sister Sister

R. Kelly Only The Loot - is catchy despite everything.

Sting After The Rain Has Fallen - bit boring for me.

Jessica Simpson I Wanna Love You Forever - yeah nice song but she oversings too much which puts me off.

 

Week 17

 

Ricky Martin Featuring Meja Private Emotion - agreed this is his best song for me too, bought it from Woolworths at the time and it was raining on the way to the car lol. Must be something about this song as it rains in the video too and they also mention pouring rain in the lyrics too haha.

Cypress Hill Rap Superstar/Rock Superstar - both great but the rock is much more meatier!

Toni Braxton He Wasn't Man Enough

Eagle-Eye Cherry Are You Still Having Fun? - this sounds a lot like an Ash song, another good tune from him.

Oasis Who Feels Love?

Hanson If Only - hmm some good bits but also not quite doing it for me.

Shola Ama Imagine

Hurley And Todd Sunstorm - sounds like there's some potential there but does seem to transcend into nothing special.

True Steppers Featuring Dane Bowers Buggin - the autotune effect is jarring and the 'Buggin' bit in the chorus you mentioned is indeed irritating.

TQ Daily - can hear 'Faith' in there actually hehe, not great though.

Mary J. Blige Give Me You - bland.

 

 

Thong Song has some rather epic production, would add to the opinion that Sash!'s Just Around The Hill is a bit boring.

 

'Buggin' by True Steppers I like actually, their other big hit was better though!

Edited April 15, 20241 yr by TheSnake

Friday's batch:

 

Ooft that Jessica Simpson song was a pretty painful listen, screech alert. I remember liking 'With You' from her as a kid but that's about it.

 

That Sash! track was new to me and I enjoyed it more than I was expecting to after the mixed reviews in the thread. I suppose my favourite song from them is 'Mysterious Times' which is also a Tina Cousins feature. Not a lyrical masterpiece or anything but was quite into the new age feel of it.

 

My continued Glee brainrot is so bad that I immediately think of Mr Schue's version of 'Thong Song' during any discussion of the original anyway, do agree that the production of this song is great, such standout strings and love the dramatic development just before the final chorus / outro section.

 

'Toca's Miracle' is the first ever song I can remember hearing at its time of release, so it's incredibly nostalgic :wub: what a seamless mash-up. I was so glad when something was finally worked out on streaming a couple of years ago even if the vocals are a bit different. I do like 'Toca Me', albeit less than the mash-up, but found the 2008 version to be a bit of a damp squib - so this really has been a very welcome return to my playlists. It is my favourite of the batch but 'The Facts Of Life' certainly stands out too, I do like a good spoken word tune set to slightly quirky electronica backing.

Batch 9 Rank:

 

Great:

#117 25/03/2000 Dr Dre Featuring Snoop Dogg Still D.R.E. 6 {6}-7-10-14-21-29-41-46-59-67->10 [classic hip hop for a reason]

 

Good:

#124 25/03/2000 Dario G Voices 37 {37}-60->2 [ain't no Sunchyme but a rather pleasant listen]

 

Okay:

#116 25/03/2000 ATB Killer 4 {4}-10-14-26-37-41-53-65-74R(5)->9 [okay for being 'Killer' albeit utterly pointless cover version of it]

#123 25/03/2000 Babybird The F-Word 35 {35}-52->2 [wouldn't have called this being the same band that did 'You're Gorgeous']

#121 25/03/2000 No Doubt Ex-Girlfriend 23 {23}-45-69->3

 

Meh:

#114 25/03/2000 Geri Halliwell Bag It Up 1 {1}-4-8-19-28-27-26-39-45-68-71-71R(3)-55->13 [naff central]

#118 25/03/2000 Embrace You're Not Alone 14 {14}-29-52->3 [boring]

#120 25/03/2000 Macy Gray Still 18 {18}-30-39-50-50-68-69-69R(2)-65->9 [boring]

 

Crap:

#119 25/03/2000 Will Smith Freakin' It 15 {15}-26-37-55-56-60-65-59R(3)->8 [Will Smith ain't gotta cuss in his raps to sell records, but I do...]

#122 25/03/2000 Mero It Must Be Love 33 {33}-55->2 [even I have more Spotify listeners than them that says it all]

 

Unlistenable:

#115 25/03/2000 Blink-182 All The Small Things 2 {2}-6-9-15-19-26-33-38-46-61->10 [i can't stand this whiny trash]

Unlistenable:

#115 25/03/2000 Blink-182 All The Small Things 2 {2}-6-9-15-19-26-33-38-46-61->10 [i can't stand this whiny trash]

 

Oh my! :o