4 Brandy And Ray J Another Day In Paradise A brother sister pair here doing an RnB cover of Phil's classic: it works nicely but doesn't do anything really interesting with it

 

There's also Jam Tronik from 1990 who made the UK chart with a cover of 'Another Day In Paradise', that's my favourite version of the song.

Edited July 24, 2024Jul 24 by TheSnake

Oh an easy favourite here in Daydream In Blue, what a creative use of a sample and wonderfully hypnotic song that deserved to be a lot bigger.

 

Romeo is really solid too although not really one I actively choose to listen to anymore.

 

Really liking Astounded, I don't think I can recall that from the time.

 

We Come 1 is not really a Faithless essential for me tbh, I like Maxi Jazz's verses a lot but otherwise I find the tempo a bit slow in places and not too fond of the way it slows down before the main riff, which dials the energy down for me. I always wanted it to have a bit more oomph and a harder edge, I might check the remixes and see if there's anything that does that. I prefer One Step Too Far and Mass Destruction of their 00s hits, love both of those.

 

Can't recall the Delirious? song but I agree that his vocal delivery is rather odd. It's just ok listening to it now. I also don't care for that Steps double a-side. They did a sparkling new production of Here And Now on their last tour, with a really good new intro, but this single mix and You'll Be Sorry I've never massively loved, I know the latter tends to be a fan favourite though.

 

Never Enough is ok dance, Lullaby is pleasant but again, I never really loved anything from Mel B's solo career, and the Marti and Dina songs are pretty dull.

 

I did like the Brandy And Ray J cover, albeit not the slow version on Spotify but

, which at least brought something new into the mix. I thought Brandy sounded really good on the chorus.

Edited July 25, 2024Jul 25 by gooddelta

I'm another whose top song in the latest batch is 'Daydream in Blue' :wub: what a creative blend of psychedelic lyrics and trip-hop sounds. It took me a while to put a name to it, but finally got there thanks to Radio 1's One Hit Wonders of the Millennium countdown almost a decade ago and it's become such a favourite.

 

'Romeo' and 'We Come 1' round off my top 3 so the electronic representation at the moment is pretty excellent. I usually associate Basement Jaxx with being sonically kooky but there's also room in my affections for the more straight-forward 'Romeo', it's still with charm and uplifting overall with the "let it all go!" sentiment. Agreed that 'We Come 1' has a brilliant atmosphere to it.

 

I don't think I'd ever heard 'New Born' before so that was a great discovery ^_^

“Digital Love” reminds me a bit of “Video Killed The Radio Star” somehow with its sound world and technological theme: definitely tops this group though there’s some other very good stuff.

 

9 Daft Punk Digital Love The #97 peaking "Aerodynamic" won't be featured here but this joyous follow up is a delightfully retro piece of synth pop

8 Incubus Drive Another great #40 peaker: 1st Top 40 for this US rock band and a powerful track with meaningful lyrics and stonking vocals

8 Mis-Teeq All I Want The talent of these girls is impressive, and this excellently performed infectious garage track comes at you all guns blazing

7 Members Of Mayday 10 In 01 Only Top 40 for this German group who used to create the theme for the annual Mayday rave: a very enjoyable techno track

6 Public Domain Featuring Chuck D Rock Da Funky Beats The same style as usual for them: I don't think this hits quite as hard as "Operation Blade" but it's another strong house track

6 2Pac Until The End Of Time A posthumous hit based on Mister Mister's "Broken Wings", and it's a successful reworking of it with well fitting rap verses

5 Sticky Featuring Ms Dynamite Booo Only hit for this DJ and the 1st appearance for Ms Dynamite: it's a strong track but a little relentless hardcore garage for me

4 Limp Bizkit My Way Their usual fare here with a mix of softer twangy verse sections and a heavy almost shoted rap chorus: nothing new but OK

3 Stereophonics Have A Nice Day A very radio friendly number, but beyond the hummable tune which grates after a few listens there isn't that much to this

2 Lionel Richie I Forgot Appropriately I've already forgotten how this goes: he does do it with feeling but really it's another piece of bland disco pop

2 R. Kelly Fiesta There seems to be a trend for summer tracks having a Spanish style guitar like this at the moment, but it's a dirge of a track

1 allSTARS* Best Friends 1st hit for this teeny bop band who had their own TV show: I find this one terribly chichéd and cheesy, even for its genre

 

 

2001 Week 26:

 

#794 30/06/2001 Christina Aguilera, Lil' Kim, Mya And Pink Lady Marmalade 1 {1}-2-2-7-9-10-14-17-21-24-29-31-36-46-61-71->16

#795 30/06/2001 Faith Hill There You'll Be 3 {3}-5-8-12-15-18-20-25-30-30-41-59-64-70-10R(366)-22-39-71R(109)->18

#796 30/06/2001 Linkin Park Papercut 14 {14}-29-38-46-58-61->6

#797 30/06/2001 Phats And Small This Time Around 15 {15}-25-29-48-72->5

#798 30/06/2001 112 It's Over Now 22 {22}-39-58->3

#799 30/06/2001 Trisco Musak 28 {28}-49->2

#800 30/06/2001 Belle And Sebastian Jonathan David 31 {31}-52->2

#801 30/06/2001 India.Arie Video 32 {32}-45-68->3

#802 30/06/2001 ATB Let U Go 34 {34}-55->2

#803 30/06/2001 Warrior Voodoo 37 {37}-54->2

All I Want is great! So energetic and summery. :D

 

Digital Love is a very nice song and I get the Buggles comparisons you mention with the song theme, the style of synth melodies, and vocal effects.

 

Have A Nice Day I appreciate as a good thematic song goes well as a TV soundbed or I would imagine is used a lot as background music for social media videos.

 

I echo the love for "Daydream In Blue'.

 

I remember that AllSTARS* track from the time.

Edited July 26, 2024Jul 26 by TheSnake

allSTARS* - Best Friends - 9/10

Daft Punk - Digital Love - 1/10

 

Fixed your mistake.

I agree with your top pick in this group Julian, Digital Love was Daft Punk's only No.1 in my chart. Such a wonderful track with a lovely vocal. Pretty sure Aerodynamic didn't ever get a full UK release and just charted at No.97 on import, which is a really weird thing to do after you've just had a huge No.2 hit. But they do things their way I guess, and I'm glad they eventually managed to pull a second hit off Discovery.

 

All I Want is my second favourite, what a follow up to Why! Love the intro so much, it's still so quotable 23 years on, and really put Alesha Dixon on the map. I remember being surprised it debuted as high as No.2, but it was definitely deserved, same they never managed a No.1 hit after coming close with a couple of classic singles.

 

Best Friends is my third favourite though :ph34r: It's clearly cheesy, and almost a cornier early S Club track, but I do find it very feelgood and the chorus is very melodic. I was surprised it only got to No.20 at the time, I'm sure top five had been expected for it, certainly it was No.3 in the Woolworths chart that week I recall.

 

Wow, just checked Drive and it has 620m streams on Spotify so must be a big deal in the US, although has gone silver here too. Shame a lot of these US rock hits failed to make much of an impact here, although many are more fondly remembered these days. Anyway, I like it.

 

Had to double check 10 in 01 too but I do remember it, I think I have it on some compilations - good dance track.

 

Must admit I really quite like Have A Nice Day - Stereophonics were always very hit and miss for me post-90s (their 90s stuff is almost all great), but this does remind me a lot of summer 2001, clearly had a lot of airplay, the chorus is catchy but I can see why it could grate, the verses and middle eight are my favourite parts.

 

Had completely forgotten about Until The End Of Time, not sure it was one of 2Pac's better singles for me tbh. Boo wasn't my cup of tea as far as garage goes, I didn't like My Way (or a lot of Limp Bizkit's stuff), Rock Da Funky Beats is pretty good, with a nice riff. Surprised Lionel was racking up consistent top 40 hits still with such drab material, the string section in this is so one note and makes the song sound worse (and strings I usually love on ballads).

 

I can't really remember Fiesta, thankfully, it doesn't go anywhere and wasn't worth three minutes.

Digital Love was one I liked, knocking on the door of an 8/10, but then I generally rate them. Not heard it in yonks. Incubus were OK, and this one was an OK 4/10, but it was Are You In that gets my 9/10 - don't even know if that was a UK hit! (Spoiler, just looked, yes it was). One Night Stand was great but All I want was a lesser 4/10 for me - but Misteeq still had a biggie in their future and Alesha's current revamp of Hotstepper is really good.

 

Members didn't get me in the club on the one time I must have heard the track, Public Domain didn't grab me even if it was free to help yourself, but 2-Pac's Mr Mister borrow was a strong 6/10. I like to think Sticky went on-stage to Run-DMC's rewritten It's Tricky, but otherwise I know nothing at all about Sticky. Ms Dynamite will pop up though...

 

My Way got an approving Limp Bizkit 7/10 from me, as did Have A Nice Day Stereophonics best track in 2 years, and best track for another 2 years. I too forgot Lionel Richie, didn't chart it. Fiesta I did chart, though, and it gets an 8/10. Let's think Jay-Z rather than Kelly, I gave him a credit even if the label didn't. allstars only charted once for me, and it wasnt this one.

Swiftly back to matching your top pick, Julian! 'Digital Love' is my favourite Daft Punk single nowadays :wub:

Not Rich professing love for Astounded yet completely forgetting it was a FLJ entry to BJSC! :lol: I love that one, obviously - although I remember it was very divisive in BJSC and did pretty poorly in the final.

 

 

Of the last batch, Digital Love is definitely the highlight from an era where Daft Punk could do very little wrong really.

Not Rich professing love for Astounded yet completely forgetting it was a FLJ entry to BJSC! :lol: I love that one, obviously - although I remember it was very divisive in BJSC and did pretty poorly in the final.

 

Ha! It's funny because while listening I knew it sounded vaguely familiar, my memory of BJSC occaisonally fails me 8,000+ entries in sadly.

 

Just checked and I rated it 8.5/10 at the time and it was 19th in my final ranking.

19 (or more) above 8.5, that's insane!

 

ps I was only kidding... I'm pretty confident I've had songs make #1 for me when I did a personal chart that I gave nothing to in BJSC :blush: Plus, I Do This All The Time ended up being my song of the entire year yet I don't think I gave it 18 points when you sent it ooops

19 (or more) above 8.5, that's insane!

 

ps I was only kidding... I'm pretty confident I've had songs make #1 for me when I did a personal chart that I gave nothing to in BJSC :blush: Plus, I Do This All The Time ended up being my song of the entire year yet I don't think I gave it 18 points when you sent it ooops

 

Clearly I was feeling generous with my ratings that month or I'm easy to please :lol:

 

Oop, the curse of the grower or not paying enough attention first time around. Ha, yes I thought that had your 18 written all over it tbh. That's probably my only entry in the last few years I was very confident would come top five for us, such is its magic, and then it came 10th. Oops! You can just never tell with BJSC.

Week 19:

 

Best of the bunch top 3 - M.O.P. - Cold As Ice / Push - Strange World / Jason Downs Featuring Milk White - Boy With A Feather.

 

Best discoveries – Push – Strange World, great dance discovery this was but the Jason Downs song was nice listen too. 'Underdog' sounding good for Turin Brakes 1st hit as well.

 

Worst discovery – K-Ci and JoJo – super bland and the autotune in is jarring.

 

Additional note.. 'Imitation Of Life' is another solid REM track which I've heard before so isn't a discovery but also is in a way too lol

 

Weeks 20 and 21:

 

Fave 3 - A*Teens - Upside Down (this is 'Upside Down' in your rank :kink: a pop banger). Fragma - You Are Alive, Eve - Who's That Girl?

Best discoveries - Pepe Deluxe - Before You Leave / Mark B And Blade - Ya Don't See The Signs

Worst - Scott And Leon - Shine On – another one relient on autotune and sounds terribly naff.

 

Week 22: quite a weak week for discoveries imo.

 

Fave 3 - Dido - Thank You, Blue - All Rise, 3LW - No More (Baby I'ma Do Right)

Best Discovery - 3LW - No More (Baby I'ma Do Right)

Worst - Aaron Soul - Ring Ring Ring

 

Week 23:

 

Fave 3 - Eddy Grant - Electric Avenue (Ringbang Remix), Travis – Sing, N*E*R*D Featuring Lee Harvey And Vita - Lapdance – not a fan of NERD or Pharell generally but this immediately is recognisable and is a lot of fun.

Best discovery - not really got one in this group but the 'I Hope You Dance' track is fine as far as discovery goes.

Worst - Ludacris Featuring Shawnna - What's Your Fantasy

It’s the year mid point and not the most stellar bunch, though Linkin Park are great again and “Jonathan David” is a lovely discovery.

 

8 Belle And Sebastian Jonathan David A biblically themed single: I find this beautiful with a great build and instrumental to it and an excellently delivered melody

8 Linkin Park Papercut Very different from "Crawling", this showcases their rappier side well and has a wonderful intensity and trapped feeling to it

7 Faith Hill There You'll Be Her biggest hit, eschewing the country style for a more traditional power ballad, but it's a very good song well performed

6 ATB Let U Go His last hit for 20 years and a dance remake of "Wrong To Let You Go" by The Wild Strawberries which works rather well

6 112 It's Over Now They've had a feature credit on other hits but this is the 1st on their own for this US group: a decent RnB track well sung

5 Warrior Voodoo The only follow up Top 40 to their eponymous hit and very much in the same style, but still a nice tune and good club track

5 India.Arie Video 1st hit for this US soul singer songwriter introducing herself: it has a nice sound world but I would like more from the song

4 Phats And Small This Time Around Last Top 40 for this UK electronic duo: it's not a bad house track at all but I think similar to and weaker than "Turn Around"

3 Christina Aguilera, Lil' Kim, Mya And Pink Lady Marmalade 900th #1 for "Moulin Rouge!" for a stellar list of artists: it's a well performed version but not a track I care for in any form

2 Trisco Musak Only hit for this DJ and it's essentially the instrumental lifted from "Tryouts For The Human Race" by Sparks so not original

 

 

2001 Week 27:

 

#804 07/07/2001 Hear'Say The Way To Your Love 1 {1}-5-13-18-23-29-38-45-45-48-56-65-68-75R(2)-75-71-60->17

#805 07/07/2001 Usher U Remind Me 3 {3}-6-11-14-15-19-29-44-58->9

#806 07/07/2001 Gorillaz 19/2000 6 {6}-9-15-20-21-25-34-39-47-62->10

#807 07/07/2001 Dane Another Lover 9 {9}-20-30-41-62->5

#808 07/07/2001 Backstreet Boys More Than That 12 {12}-23-34-52-69->5

#809 07/07/2001 Backyard Dog Baddest Ruffest 15 {15}-22-33-49-68-69R(3)->6

#810 07/07/2001 The Strokes Hard To Explain/New York City Cops 16 {16}-31-42-64-73->5

#811 07/07/2001 The Offspring Million Miles Away 21 {21}-35-51-70->4

#812 07/07/2001 James Getting Away With It (All Messed Up) 22 {22}-48-69->3

#813 07/07/2001 Static Revenger Happy People 23 {23}-44-64->3

#814 07/07/2001 Delerium Featuring Leigh Nash Innocente (Falling In Love) 32 {32}-52-72->3

Didn't know 'Let U Go' was a cover, its a very good sensible dance track that doesn't sound that dated and deserved to be higher on the chart.

Belle & Sebastian I loved - the European kiddie TV series they were named after. Much like the show's TV theme, melodic and pleasant but they never really hit the big league for me, bar one other single in 2001. This was a mildly pleasant 4/10. Papercut too not one of my top Linkin Park tracks, but a decent 5/10. There You'll Be was a big song, from the movie Pearl Harbour and a Diane Warren song, produced by Trevor Horn, so you'd think it was be a cert fave of mine. And yet it got a 3/10. I was obv not in line with chart trends at the time!

 

ATB, meh, and at last one I got behind, 112, r'n'b continues to do it for me with a firm 9/10. Blame Florida radio. I dread to think what pop radio is playing right now (if it actually exists), the US charts are one third rap one third country and one third singer-songwriter with a drop of dance and pop. I will find out hopefully in October. Warrior, no memory. India.Irie though was a then-fave, she was great and Video was a strong 8/10.

 

Phats & Small did OK with me with this single, 7/10 is pretty good, and obv Moulin Rouge monster, battling divas makes for a bit of a mish-mash-up for me. 5/10 and it should be grateful for that. LaBelle is the definitive classic, then All Saints, then this. Musak came and went without noticing, appropriately as that was what Muzak was for.

I bought two of these - Lady Marmalade and Let U Go. I still think it's a really good version of the former, Christina is clearly the dominant force on it for better or worse, it feels like everything builds to her verse. I found the production on the All Saints version a bit basic in comparison to this, it feels like clothes shop background music.

 

Let U Go is wonderful, I really loved ATB's first two albums. I think this was quite a switch up in style from the pitch bends and it has a really good chorus. The original by The Wild Strawberries is very good too, some nice Spanish guitar on that.

 

I really like There You'll Be a lot, I heard a lot of Faith Hill's music when I was in the US last year, I guess she was such a huge deal there compared to here but it's nice that she did manage one really big hit in this big sweeping ballad. I remember it re-entered the top 10 in 2008 (?) following somebody performing it on X Factor.

 

Papercut is good, not my favourite though by any stretch from Linkin Park, It's Over Now is fine - sounds like Dru Hill, Voodoo sounded decent, maybe better than Warrior for me - I don't remember this from the time though and I did remember Warrior well. And I wasn't into Musak.

 

This Time Around is bland, I'm surprised Phats and Small were still having hits at this point as their stuff tended to be very samey for me.

 

I always liked Video. Really pleasant R&B track. India is on Cat Burns' new album, so I was glad to see she is still around in some capacity.

 

I've got a lot of time for Belle and Sebastian, and love a lot of their songs and albums, but Jonathan David isn't a favourite of mine.

Edited July 30, 2024Jul 30 by gooddelta

India Arie is my favourite this week. I didn’t initially rate it but then my dad played the album a lot and the single really grew on me

A stonking first double A side single from The Strokes; both really strong songs in their own right, and more great stuff from Gorillaz, but my heart goes with James here.

 

8 James Getting Away With It (All Messed Up) Only Top 40 this century for the UK band: there's a beautiful intimacy and sincerity to this which is why it pips The Strokes

8 The Strokes Hard To Explain/New York City Cops Debut hit for the New York band and both sides are excellent with their trademark stompy beat: a strong statement of intent

7 Gorillaz 19/2000 This feels slightly overshadowed by "Clint Eastwood" as it's similar in style including the faster remix, but another great single

7 Backyard Dog Baddest Ruffest An one hit wonder ragga duo from Manchester here: it's a very infectious and enjoyable track with some interesting effects

6 Delerium Featuring Leigh Nash Innocente (Falling In Love) This doesn't have the spine tingling magic or memorability of "Silence" but it's a very nice trance song with heartfelt vocals

6 Static Revenger Happy People Only hit under this name for house producer Dennis White based on Jimmy Dockett's "Get Down Happy People": works well

5 The Offspring Million Miles Away Very similar in style to "I Want You Bad" and again a really catchy chorus, but dynamically it's all on one half shouted level

4 Usher U Remind Me I prefer this to "Pop Ya Collar" and I think he delivers the lyrical story well, but overall it's still fairly run of the mill pop RnB

3 Hear'Say The Way To Your Love 901st #1: it's a pleasant enough listen and nice tune but it's so precisely formulated there isn't much artistry to appreciate

2 Backstreet Boys More Than That If this was the best 3rd single choice from the album they could have not bothered: very drippy, cheesy and overwrought

1 Dane Another Lover Another ballad with that in vogue Spanish guitar sound: a dull ballad that has trying too hard all over it and he sounds in pain

 

 

2001 Week 28:

 

#815 14/07/2001 Roger Sanchez Another Chance 1 {1}-3-8-11-13-20-29-32-42-62-70-73->12

#816 14/07/2001 Wheatus A Little Respect 3 {3}-8-10-14-18-27-32-36-44-54-61-62->12

#817 14/07/2001 O.P.M. Heaven Is A Halfpipe 4 {4}-6-7-8-7-8-13-15-19-25-34-42-54-69->14

#818 14/07/2001 Jessica Simpson Irresistible 11 {11}-26-31-42-57-67->6

#819 14/07/2001 Damage So What If I 12 {12}-28-38-49-73-70R(2)->6

#820 14/07/2001 Blink-182 The Rock Show 14 {14}-29-36-39-44-54-61->7

#821 14/07/2001 Bellefire Perfect Bliss 18 {18}-31-39-52->4

#822 14/07/2001 Weezer Hash Pipe 21 {21}-38-55->3

#823 14/07/2001 Feeder Turn 27 {27}-55->2

#824 14/07/2001 The Beta Band Broke/Won 30 {30}-57->2