My Take That top 10 in alphabetical order...

 

Back for Good

Happy Now

Hold Up a Light

Kidz

Never Forget

Patience

Rule the World

Shine

The Garden

These Days

 

Make your predictions and share your hopes!

I think land of dreams is possibly marks best solo album with the green man a close 2nd.

Mark has released some great solo music and it's a shame really his solo work is so overlooked but thankfully he managed to achieve some solo hits.

Re the countdown up all night is another great track, I was so disappointed with its chart position at the time as I was expecting it to be a far bigger hit than it was as I expected it to appeal to people who also enjoyed shine.

Love The Flood, it’s one of my favourites from them.

21 Said It All

 

 

Didn’t realise I’d missed this in the countdown. I adore this song. I first discovered it when Claire Richards sang it during Covid, I loved her version so made sure to check out Take That’s original and o wasn’t disappointed.

10 Kidz

 

 

My expectation of how Progress would sound was based entirely on The Flood until recently. I was expecting an album of mature "man band" ballads and midtempos - how wrong I was! Second single Kidz paints a very different picture, and whilst The Flood was an expertly chosen lead single, Kidz represents the whole album better. Its electropop production is thumping and ambitious, with a great vocal delivery from both Mark and Gary as they take the lead. Criminally, despite a performance at the BRITs in 2011 and the release of a live version to coincide, Kidz only peaked at #28 in the UK, which is *far* lower than what it deserved, but it did recently certify silver at last, so small victories.

 

Completely agree with the review. I like the music video and the riotous nature of Kidz. The crescendo and build towards the end is fantastic. It was daring and like the album reaped the rewards for being so.

 

It is a shame they didn't perform this on the X Factor Final at Simon Cowell's request due to the actual riots happening at the time. They instead performed The Flood again. The performance at the BRIT Awards was memorable and am sure it will be featured in best of performance reviews in years to come. Just like their Beatles tribute in the '90s was.

 

Again in contrast to other former boybands, Take That have gotten to a place where they are confident in addressing more broader topics, themes and styles of music. Kidz seems like the perfect blend of rabble rouser solo star Robbie and the growth of Take That merged perfectly.

 

I am glad it went Silver as it means the song wasn't lost but has slowly grown over time. I can see non pop or Take That fans liking this one.

Edited September 23, 2024Sep 23 by nirvanamusic

For some reason I always thought SOS was a single from Progress, guess I was wrong.

9 These Days

 

 

Though Robbie's return to the group may not have been expected to be permanent, the announcement of Take That's seventh studio album was preceded by some very surprising news: Jason Orange had left the group. His departure was officially confirmed in September 2014, just weeks before the premiere of These Days, the group's first single as a trio! Losing one member isn't uncommon in pop bands, but losing another is quite rare, so even I, as someone who wasn't super into the group at the time, was interested in how they'd navigate the next chapter. These Days steps up to the challenge well. I wasn't actually a fan of it at the time, but since revisiting it recently, I've really come to love the song. It feels like a natural progression from Progress (lol x), with the dance-pop sound carried over, albeit with a lighter vibe and tone. Gary, Howard and Mark step up to share lead vocal duties, which gives the song a fresh feel, and its chorus is simply irresistible. It stands as the group's final #1 single (to date...!), and proves that Take That can very much still function as a trio.

 

These Days indeed has a fantastic chorus, and aside from their early days and threat of being dropped, posed their most significant post reunion release. Their fate rested on this song. No pressure then.

 

I am hit and miss with the song itself but more than glad it hit number 1, though don't believe this was purely just a fan push. The song appeared across numerous playlists and wedding receptions at the time of release. I doubt it would have gone Platinum otherwise.

 

I'll be honest the optics of the three of them didn't seem right to me for a long time. As you have mentioned it is very different going 5-4-3 and I never really got used to it until This Life, maybe it was just time needed. Though that said I would prefer the full 5 line up or 4 still were the options presented.

 

I think it was a good idea they carried on and they have produced some great music as a trio. I think waiting 6 years though between their last studio albums was a long time in popular music, even more so for an older act.

 

My favourite songs from this period were Get Ready For It and Higher Than Higher. Get Ready For It had a tie in music video with the Kingsman film but should have had a full committed release in my opinion.

Edited September 23, 2024Sep 23 by nirvanamusic

I thought These Days was a fantastic first outing as a trio, and for me a song they haven't bettered since.

 

A great surprise that it got to No.1 too because I was sure it would be stuck behind Band Aid 30, which turned out to be a damp squib in the end.

 

I love the shared lead vocal, I think more bands should do that. I like Bananrama for the same reason, it's nice to hear a chorus of voices on verses too sometimes.

 

The Flood is my other favourite of the last few, just epic and a perfect return, absolutely astonishing that with all the hype AND a perfect song, it wasn't a No.1 single. I have very good memories of that.

Edited September 23, 2024Sep 23 by gooddelta

10 Kidz

 

I agree that Kidz represents the album better than the flood even though the flood is the best track on the album for me. I like kidz alot and it did show a different side to them, i dont like it enough to be in my own top 10 but its a solid single from them.

These Days is a track i love myself and would be safely in my own top 10, i remember been shocked but very happy when it went number 1 and really it was the last time they had a big hit, id like to think they could possibly have 1 more hit in them but the odds are very much against it happening.

I think Kidz didn’t do so well as a single purely because The Flood persuaded so many people to rush out and buy Progress.

 

The audience already had it. This is also why solo Robbie didn’t end up with that many No1 singles at his height - most fans just bought the album the week of release.

8 Back for Good

 

 

After a run of hits and two highly successful albums under their belt, Take That still somehow took things up a gear in 1995. Unveiled at the BRIT Awards, the response to Back for Good was so huge that its release date was brought forward to capitalise on the demand. A sensible move, too, because it was a massive seller on arrival, entering at #1 with almost 350,000 sales! It's easy to hear why, too, because it's a well-written, relatable ballad with a strong lead vocal from Gary, not to mention its wide appeal. Back for Good also peaked at #7 on the US Hot 100, marking their only hit over there. It's undeniably a classic nowadays and one of their most loved songs, and it's comfortably one of my favourites from their early releases. Just one more pre-split song is left in the running...!

 

Oh I absolutely love Back For Good. It’s not just one of my favourite Take That songs but one of my favourite boy band songs.

Back For Good is when everything came together: vocals, video, harmonies, songwriting, image, and the payoff of having travelled the world for two years prior promoting themselves. Remember back then you had to be physically seen to promote, out of sight out of mind, unlike todays world of social media. Much harder, longer to sync the world together and physically demanding.

 

One Direction never left their sofa and became the biggest band in the world before a record even came out through online networking.

 

Back For Good was the most succesful pop single worldwide of 1995, number 1 in 31 nations and top 10 in all others, and the third overall behind Gangsta's Paradise by Coolio --13 weeks World Chart #1-- and Boombastic, Shaggy. It is their only single to have topped the World Chart, doing so for three weeks.

 

It is also my joint favourite alongside Pray and another still to feature.

 

It remains the highest point of both their own and Robbie's solo career, and won't be matched by either now. The fact it went Top 10 in America at that time shows how strong the song is. Not because Americans have superior tastes and standards --they don't-- but because it happened in a non pop friendly time dominated by grunge, alternative rock, gangsta rap, dance, New Jack Swing, R & B and hip hop. Their was also a major backlash towards pop acts caused by New Kids on the Block's popularity and Milli Vanilli's lip syncing. The only pop artists charting well then were pre-established older acts such as Madonna, Michael Jackson, Elton John etc, not new pop artists.

 

That would come later in 1997 with Hanson, Spice Girls and Backstreet Boys. I believe Take That going Top 10 in America was incremental positive change which allowed the start of the late 90s pop explosion, and is often overlooked. People remember those who burst through the door, but not those who initially cracked it open.

 

For example, US boyband 98 Degrees debut single's music video in 1997. Look familiar? Black and white, classic car, running to shelter, thick coats, rain. Lead singer Nick Lachey stated Take That were a blueprint and he even covered Patience for a US release.

 

 

Backstreet Boys and NSYNC were also constantly informed about Take That being the main pop boyband worldwide and watched numerous videos of their songs and tours whilst they were still in development during Take That's popularity. Both have cited Take That as an inspiration --the only non US vocal harmony group mentioned-- and a favourite group of theirs alongside New Kids on the Block, Shai, and Boyz II Men. New Kids have said they are fans of Take That, referencing this music video in one of their recent songs, and as we know Boyz II Men worked with the group on Odyssey and covered Back For Good.

 

Back For Good is a song which simply can't be ignored or denied.

Edited September 24, 2024Sep 24 by nirvanamusic

I liked Back for Good on release, didnt love it nearly as much as others and still don't but i have appreciated it more and more as the years went on and probably like it more in recent years than i ever did.

I think 8 is a fair placing for it on your countdown as while there is no denying it is a great song and put them on another level career wise i still enjoy other songs from them more.

Aside from being a fantastic song, 'Back For Good' has also birthed this immortal meme/joke:

 

Some underrated ones of theirs that have been already including 'Up All Night' and 'Said It All'.

 

'Greatest Day' I didn't mind for a bit but looking back isn't that great now.

 

'Babe' another of their earlier hits I like a lot too and 'Back For Good' is one of my earliest song memories.

 

'Four Minute Warning' is the best solo Take That member single for me aside from Robbie's lengthy output. Such a fun track.

 

This is an interesting read Joseph!

Aside from being a fantastic song, 'Back For Good' has also birthed this immortal meme/joke:

 

 

Ah that really made me lakeside, thanks for sharing. :lol:

:lol:!