Oh. Didn't realise he was from *NSYNC or that Basement Jaxx had one of them. It's great to know about someone not Timberlake (the most popular member).

The MV made me think of another MV two years later (Fedde Le Grand 'Put Your Hands Up For Detroit'). Such aesthetics and concepts I always find to be fun.

Edited October 14, 2025Oct 14 by AllStarBySmashMouth

31 - 12/04/2004 Wolfman feat. Pete Doherty - For Lovers

Chart Run: 01-01-02-04-04-05-09-11-11-14-18-22-22-26-33-37-34-40 (18 weeks)

Following The Libertines big 2003, a single featuring the vocals of Pete Doherty was always going to get some interest, and it became his first top 10 hit in the UK entering at #7, along with songwriter Peter Wolfe AKA Wolfman, with a re-working of a song he wrote in the early 90s. As a big fan of The Libertines work, it's of little surprise that this entered at the top, it was something a bit different to the energy which they provided but I loved the vocal on it.

Sometimes listening to something for the first time in a while really makes you remember just how good it is, and that's definitely the case here. For Lovers is absolutely superb, the lyrics are beautiful, his voice is great, and the production is fantastic. The first song in this list I've felt the need to listen again shortly after my initial re-visit. Somewhat annoyingly, this is now tagged on Spotify as being by Jake Fior, who was the producer on it.

2025 Rating: 10/10
Songs kept from #1: The Rasmus - In The Shadows, Franz Ferdinand - The Dark of the Matinée
The first #2 peaks for a while as The Rasmus climbed 03-02 and then Franz Ferdinand entered there not quite equalling their previous peak. Both songs are good, but #2 peaks are worthy. At the time it wasn't an entry of note, with a 2 week chart run of 29-35 but The Rat by The Walkmen entered whilst For Lovers was at the top, and if I were to rank all songs from 2004 now, would definitely be top 10, potentially top 5.

Edited October 15, 2025Oct 15 by RabbitFurCoat

32 - 26/04/2004 The Streets - Fit But You Know It

Chart Run: 01-01-01-01-04-06-06-06-08-10-14-18-23-25-25-28-33-40 (18 weeks)

A lead single to follow-up one of my all-time favourite albums, in Original Pirate Material. The Streets weren't exactly my 'thing' at the time, but I was taken in by the obvious English slant to everything about Mike Skinner - the lyrical content, the accent. OPM was a top 10 all-time album and remains so. The follow-up, A Grand Don't Come For Free, was an album I enjoyed but not to the same level. Its first single was everywhere and became his biggest hit, even more laddy and whimsical then previous efforts, and was straight in at number one for me where it spent the next month.

It's a song which is incredibly of its time, particularly with its lyrical content which Skinner has said wouldn't write now, yet still holds a nice wave of nostalgia. It remains decent to listen to, but towards the bottom of song choices from those first two albums. I'm please Dry Your Eyes went further in the UK and became his signature hit, it remains the best song off its parent album, but started 03-04-05 for me so won't have a re-listen and deeper dive.

2025 Rating: 7/10
Songs kept from #1: Ash - Orpheus, Morrissey - Irish Blood, English Heart, Keane - Everybody's Changing

For its four weeks at the top, there were four different songs occupying the runners-up berth. For Lovers for the first week, then Ash with the lead single to the follow-up of one of my favourite albums of the early part of the decade Free All Angels in Orpheus, Morrissey's big solo effort came next with his most hyped return in a long while, and then Keane almost making it 2/2 at the top with a slightly odd early chart run of 03-06-02-08. Other decent hits at the time were big R&B hit Dip It Low by Christina Milian and Jay-Z with 99 Problems

33 - 24/05/2004 The Killers - Mr Brightside

Chart Run: 01-01-01-01-01-01-01-03-04-03-03-06-08-09-12-13-17-19-21-23-24-28-31-32-31-33-36 (27 weeks)

And now for the big one. Seven weeks at the top and another three hanging around the top 3. Only one song has ever spent longer than its 7 weeks at #1, only three songs have ever spent longer than its 27 weeks in the chart. After a strong start to the year for a new wave of indie bands, the summer of '04 took it to new levels - debut albums from Kasabian, Razorlight and The Killers were all released, and I was straight onto all of them. Mr Brightside felt like such an upbeat, feelgood tune, with it and its parent album Hot Fuss very much soundtracking my summer. It was about this time that I first joined BuzzJack's predecessor site CoolClarity, and for the first time was aware of midweek charts which blew my mind. I absolutely adored Mr Brightside, there was never anything going to stop it from a long run at the top.

I find Mr Brightside such a conflicting song, because it is fundamentally brilliant, and the size it has become in the last two decades is fully deserved. At one point about 15 years ago I may well have said it was a top 3 single of all time, but there can't be many (if any) songs I've heard more times in my 36 years on earth, and as a result it has definitely become something I'm tired of and I just wouldn't ever choose to listen to it anymore. It's nice to hear occasionally, but with what must be close to 100% night out hearing rate, that's all that's needed.

2025 Rating: 8/10
Songs Kept from #1: Jet - Are You Gonna Be My Girl (3 weeks), Razorlight - Golden Touch (3 weeks), The Hives - Walk Idiot Walk (1 week)
The differing levels of quality of music out at any given point in time can influence how well songs do on personal charts - there have definitely been occasions where I've felt the strength of a top 5/10 is significantly higher than it was a couple of months earlier, and therefore songs can feel like they've peaked either too high or low. This was even more the case when I mirrored my chart to the UK chart's release schedule, as when two of the years' best songs are released in the same week it's difficult for both to hit the top spot.

At the end of the year, I compiled my favourite songs of the year and ranked them as such:
01 Franz Ferdinand - Take Me Out

02 The Killers - Mr Brightside

03 Jet - Are You Gonna Be My Girl

04 Razorlight - Golden Touch

At any other time, Jet and Razorlight are hitting the top and I'm thinking it's a better year for number ones than it was. As well as these, both Supergrass - Kiss of Life and Scissor Sisters - Laura charted at #3, and could quite easily have been #1s too at other times, the former in particular being an underrated gem from their large back catalogue.

Edited October 20, 2025Oct 20 by RabbitFurCoat

Yeah, I'd also choose to play any other Killers song over 'Mr. Brightside'. It's been that way for me for some years now.

Oh Gosh, I left the Killers concert the other year early as they started Mr Brightside, just no way I want to hear it any more - and yet I could still hear it as I walked down the roads from St Mary's. It's inescapable. Somebody Told Me was my chart-topper off the fab album. Jet was also denied a deserved number one in my charts. Well done for getting in early on Brightside though - I didnt even chart it for 12 years! It was All These Things That I've Done that sold me on buying the album.

On 21/10/2025 at 11:10, Popchartfreak said:

Oh Gosh, I left the Killers concert the other year early as they started Mr Brightside, just no way I want to hear it any more - and yet I could still hear it as I walked down the roads from St Mary's. It's inescapable. Somebody Told Me was my chart-topper off the fab album. Jet was also denied a deserved number one in my charts. Well done for getting in early on Brightside though - I didnt even chart it for 12 years! It was All These Things That I've Done that sold me on buying the album.

Haha that's great! It is completely inescapable, definitely. Without giving too much away, did like some of their other HF singles a lot too...

34 - 12/07/2004 Snow Patrol - Spitting Games

Chart Run: 01-02-02-02-04-05-08-13-15-21-23-26-31-30-37 (15 weeks)

After Mr Brightside's time at the top was up, it was replaced by Snow Patrol who were another band I'd been enjoying that year, with Spitting Games being able to go further than either Run (#3) or Chocolate (#7) had managed before it. Final Straw was a decent album, but it was definitely a singles album, not one of my favourites of the year.

Not for the first time in 2004, a decent but unspectacular song by a newly successful band hits the top of my chart, whilst my big favourite from theirs falls short. Spitting Games is still a good song that I like, but it's nothing on Run. As far as the album goes, I'd rank Wow higher too although never released as a single.

2025 Rating: 7/10
Songs kept from #1: Morrissey - First of the Gang To Die
The big UK #1 Lola's Theme entered in the top 10, but it was the former Smiths singer that went closest in an all new top 2. First of the Gang To Die was his second runner-up of the year, I can't say I listen to either now but this would be the one I'd pick.

Morrisey was denied a number one in my charts too - by a couple of oldie resissues. The album was his best solo I think. Lola's Theme did top my chart though,but Snow Patrol never quite got there (#3 was the highest) 👍

35 - 19/07/2004 Ash - Starcrossed
Chart Run: 01-01-01-03-04-05-11-11-18-22-24-28-27-35 (14 weeks)

As mentioned earlier when their previous single reached #2, Ash had become a favourite of mine. Their 2001 album Free All Angels was one I played a lot, and a follow-up was always going to interest me, and whilst I was less bothered overall by 2004's Meltdown, it did have a couple of decent singles which were very different in sound - Starcrossed being from their more mellow side following the rocky Orpheus. If this chart had started a couple of years earlier, there's no way Starcrossed would be their only number one.

It's a nice song but that's all, not something that remained a staple of my listening for much after that. Some of their earlier work I still love, and their 26 singles project at the start of the next decade was largely decent, but this is the weakest chart topper of the year so far.

2025 Rating: 6/10
Spitting Games was runner-up for each of its three weeks at the top. Now, it feels frankly bonkers that Dry Your Eyes charted 03-04-05 in these weeks, it's now comfortably my standout from this top 3.

36 - 09/08/2004 The Libertines - Can't Stand Me Now

Chart Run: 01-01-01-02-03-07-07-09-11-11-16-22-22-23-26-27-33-34-38-36-34-36 (22 weeks)

And now we reach the first act to have a #1 in multiple years, as well as the first person to have two number ones in the same year with different acts, as Can't Stand Me Now entered at the top for The Libertines, following frontman Pete Doherty's guest vocal on For Lovers earlier in the year. Such was the interest in The Libertines as a band, and Pete Doherty as a celebrity by this stage, that this became one of indie's first big charting hits in the UK, entering at #2. It felt like it was always an easy #1, but is another track that came out in the same week as another of the years best, so it was a close-run thing.

I still think they're great, and this is one of their best songs. A song fully deserving of all its successes, and one I've continued to listen to a lot in the two decades since.

2025 Rating: 10/10
Songs kept from #1: Kasabian - LSF, Lostprophets - Last Summer

Again, what reaches the top is purely down to the release schedule - LSF would have breezed to the top in the previous month, but has to settle for a fortnight as runner-up here, the first I really got into Kasabian after the more minor hit in Club Foot. This will be the final mention of Lostprophets in here, as they didn't bother the top 10 again after this, but another where the better song doesn't reach the top - I've always enjoyed Last Summer more than their two #1 hits. Also charting, Franz Ferdinand followed a #1 and #2 with a #3 with Michael, whilst Goldie Looking Chain debuted in the top 10 with Guns Don't Kill People, Rappers Do.

37 - 30/08/2004 The Killers - All These Things That I've Done

Chart Run: 01-01-03-03-05-04-05-09-13-12-16-21-24-29-31-34-31-30-32-38 (20 weeks)

I said in Mr Brightside's entry how much I'd listened to Hot Fuss in this summer, half of the album was decent whilst the other half was exceptional. If their follow-up single was from the latter half then it was always likely to follow it to the top, and thankfully it was. All These Things That I've Done was an equally anthemic and brilliant song, but whilst being completely different too, a real standout from the album.

Unlike its predecessor, I've never really begun to fall out of love this All These Things. I'm not sure if this would be my go-to Killers tune now, but it's certainly competing for that title with about 3 others of their earlier hits.

2025 Rating: 9/10
Songs kept from #1: Jet - Cold Hard Bitch
Jet made it a pair of #2 hits with the follow-up to Are You Gonna Be My Girl, still a decent song. The other most notable higher entry of this point was Jesus Walks, the first of many big hits for Kanye West, which spent 5 weeks between #4 and #6.

All These Things had that anthemic pseudo-Queen vibe to it and It always reminds me of driving into the centre of Bath following a weekend in Bristol clubbing, it came on the radio and it was a "oh that's good!" moment. Funny how radio moments can stick with you, as was the comment from a young record store assistant in an International Drive Mall I used to buy CD's from in Orlando when I took Hot Fuss to the till to buy. "Good choice!" which I thought was cool as they hadnt broken in the USA yet, so I mentioned Las Vegas to show off. 😄I was finally cool! 😇

38 - 13/09/2004 Green Day - American Idiot

Chart Run: 01-01-01-02-02-04-08-06-08-10-10-14-14-15-17-14-17-24-30-32-35-40 (22 weeks)

Over those early teenage years, Green Day had become a massive band amongst certain parts of my generation, but I had never really been bothered, aside from what I'd describe as "the Big 2" in Basket Case and Good Riddance, but along came American Idiot and it catapulted the band to be one of the biggest in the world for a time. I've probably gone on to play Franz Ferdinand and The Libertines more, but at the time I'd say American Idiot was the album of 2004 that I played most, and I loved its title track from the first play. It was deserving of becoming their biggest UK hit at #3, and the whole album was superb.

Green Day were very much an 'at the time' band, I never got into their earlier stuff as a result of loving American Idiot, and their chart history following this is very small, 5 singles from this album and then absolutely nothing since. The album isn't something I've listened to much in the last decade or so, but this single is always good enough to get occasional plays where it sounds great, and listening always takes me back to a time when I absolutely loved it.

2025 Rating: 9/10
Songs kept from #1: Razorlight - Vice

Unlucky to release at the same time as a monster hit again, Razorlight spend weeks 4-6 at #2 this year, with one of my favourites from Up All Night, Vice. It was a decent three weeks for songs I've gone on to love but didn't quite enough at the time, with the beautiful Into The Fire by Thirteen Senses (#5), The Streets - Blinded By The Lights (#7), one of Muse's best in Butterflies and Hurricanes (#8), and Interpol - Slow Hands (#10) all entering whilst Green Day were at the top.

39 - 04/10/2004 Jimmy Eat World - Pain

Chart Run: 01-01-01-05-05-09-13-14-18-22-20-18-19-22-28-34-35-37 (18 weeks)

Sticking with US pop-punk type stuff here, as Jimmy Eat World returned in 2004 to follow-up 2001s Bleed American, an album which seemed to be hugely popular amongst my age group and I absolutely loved. The Middle and Sweetness were UK top 40 hits and are songs I still rate highly today. It scraped into the UK top 40, but I was enjoying it as much as their earlier stuff. A slightly bizarre 01-01-01-05 chart run sums up following the UK release schedule, as it immediately fell behind four releases in the same week, a couple of follow-ups to songs that had reached #1 over the summer, a member of a 2003 number one going solo, and a band who would become one of the world's biggest, but which would prevail at the top....?

When I first looked at the list of number ones from 2004, I figured this would probably rank as one of the bottom 3 or so, but it's the song of 39 so far that's surprised me the most. It isn't something I've given a huge amount of listens or thought to in the past few years, the occasional shuffle play and that's it, but it's still really good. It's not quite on the level of some of their Bleed American album, but fully deserving of an appearance on this list.

2025 Rating: 8/10
Songs kept from #1: The Zutons - Don't Ever Think (Too Much)
A couple of weeks for American Idiot before The Zutons entered at #2 with something I barely remember. Mylo - Drop The Pressure and Kasabian - Processed Beats the pick of other new entries that hit the top 10.

In no particular order, these have been my favourites so far but these a whole other bunch I like too. Agree about Mr Brightside and I don't think it's their best track but thankfully I don't go to places that seem to play it every night.

The Libertines - Don't Look Back Into The Sun

The Coral - Bill McCai

Linkin Park - Numb

Jane's Addiction - Just Because

Muse - Hysteria

The Strokes - 12:51

The Darkness - Christmas Time (Don't Let The Bells End)

Franz Ferdinand - Take me Out

Blink 182 - I Miss You

Green Day - American Idiot

Jet - Look What You Done

Killers - Mr. Brightside

Libertines - Can't Stand Me Now

Ash - Starcrossed

The Killers - All These Things That I've Done

An attempt to finish 2004 before the end of the weekend...

40 - 25/10/2004 Graham Coxon - Freakin' Out

Chart Run: 01-01-03-03-03-07-07-07-06-08-11-17-23-24-25-29-32-37 (18 weeks)

Guitarist of Blur, Graham Coxon, had been having a fairly prolific solo career, 2004s Happiness in Magazines was his fifth solo album in six years, and became by far his most successful - highest charting, longest running, biggest sales. Freakin' Out was released at the beginning of the year, becoming his first UK top 40 hit but it wasn't something I charted. A couple of singles over the summer followed, before it was released again as part of a Double A-Side, where it once again took the mantel of being his highest charting UK hit, this time reaching the top 20 for the first time. It was an album I liked, but if I remember right would've been purchased as a result of enjoying Freakin' Out so much, so this was a new song for me at the time.

His isn't an album I've listened to in full for a long time, and may have to, but this has always remained on rotation, and is still a great underrated anthem.

2025 Rating: 9/10
Songs kept from #1: Kings of Leon - The Bucket, Snow Patrol - How To Be Dead
Both entered in the top 3 and swapped positions, with the #4 for both weeks being taken by The Libertines - What Happened To The Likely Lads. I'm less fussed on the Snow Patrol song now, but the other two would join Coxon as being amongst my favourite tracks of the year. I think I made the right choice having this as #1 for a fortnight.

41 - 08/11/2004 U2 - Vertigo

Chart Run: 01-01-01-04-05-05-05-04-07-14-19-23-26-30-34 (16 weeks)

A big comeback after a few years away, this was the only UK number one which I shared. At the time I was starting to get into U2, and my Dad really liked them, so it felt like an obvious big hit. The other singles from the album were also fairly successful, although Miracle Drug would have had a good chance of matching this if it had been released.

I have barely listened to this, or U2, in the 20 years since. It's fine, nothing offensive, but in no rush to put it on again.

2025 Rating: 6/10
Songs kept from #1: Steriogram - Walkie Talkie Man, Jay Z & Linkin Park - Numb/Encore
Walkie Talkie Man is definitely a blast from the past, an underrated tune. Numb/Encore has become somewhat of a classic and definitely the song of these three I've listened to most in recent years.

Have been meaning to catch up on this for a while, so my favourites to be mentioned since I last commented: 'Stacy's Mom', 'Take Your Mama', 'Irish Blood, English Heart', '99 Problems', 'Mr Brightside', 'Golden Touch', 'Spitting Games', 'Chocolate', 'Dry Your Eyes', 'Can't Stand Me Now', 'Club Foot', 'All These Things That I've Done', 'Jesus Walks', 'American Idiot', 'The Bucket', 'Vertigo', 'Numb / Encore'. A lot of songs, I know, although some of these took time for me - perhaps the only ones which may have been #1s for me at the time are those for Morrissey (after 'First Of The Gang To Die' came out I was convinced to buy the album, but I don't listen to it much now), The Streets, U2, and maybe Jay-Z / Linkin Park many weeks into 2005. It was 'Boulevard Of Broken Dreams' that really got me interested in that Green Day era, and the 'Somebody Told Me' reissue for The Killers, although 'Mr Brightside' soon became my favourite from that album and I can't begrudge it for the runaway success it has gone on to have.

42 - 29/11/2004 Babyshambles - Killamangiro

01-01-02-03-03-05-08-08-09-11-14-18-27-29-36 (15 weeks)

After becoming the first person to have number one singles in the same year as part of two different acts, Pete Doherty made it a third at the end of November, a feat I'm fairly sure hasn't been repeated, not just in one calendar year, but overall in 22 years of chart history. Babyshambles had been something Pete had been working on during his periods away from The Libertines over 2003 & 04, often due to being kicked out for one thing or another - drug use, being in prison for burglary - the type of things he was associated with at the time, and this was the first major single to come from the project, becoming the first of four UK top 10 hits they had. Such was my obsession with everything related to them at the time, it wasn't much of a surprise it hit the top.

Whilst it's not on the same level as a lot of The Libertines work, or For Lovers from the beginning of the year, and a lot of the Babyshambles output was a dirge, but I've always continued to like Killamangiro, always something I've enjoyed listening to and still sounds good.

2025 Rating: 8/10
Songs kept from #1:
Seven singles were released on November 29th 2004 which would reach my top 10, including the big rap hits of Snoop Dogg - Drop It Like It's Hot and Ice Cube - You Can Do It, along with the recently resurgent Natasha Bedingfield - Unwritten. The song behind it at #2 both weeks would spend the final three weeks of 2004 at number one.

The final song and 2004 review will be posted tomorrow.