Nice thread idea!

'Move Your Feet' and its accompanying squirrel video is my favourite to appear so far, so I'm pleased to read that it's held up well for you

05 - 24/03/2003 Coldplay - Clocks

Chart Run: 01-01-01-02-03-04-06-07-09-09-13-15-19-23-24-27-33-36-39 (19 weeks)

I did own Parachutes but I it wasn't a particular favourite of mine, just the singles and Everything's Not Lost, but A Rush of Blood To The Head I absolutely adored. After listening to this song so much in the previous months it was never in doubt where it would enter. The Scientist has an unfortunate peak of #8 from the first chart of the year, a full two months after it was originally released and would have charted. Without looking back at what was out at the time of that and In My Place, it's very possible Clocks could have been completing a trio of #1s from that album.

Clocks is definitely still one of their best songs. I can't say I've cared for a lot of their more recent material, but some of their older songs are classics the deservedly elevated them to their status. A Rush Of Blood... joins Viva La Vida in the only album of theirs I'd still ever be likely to play in full. They went on to reach my top 3 another 7 times.

2025 Rating: 9/10

Songs kept off: Hot Hot Heat - Bandages

A quiet three weeks really, Make Luv (the official #1) bounced about in the #11-20 region for 2 months, but there was very little else. Bandages is a great underrated indie banger of the time, but not something I've revisited a lot in recent years.

Edited Friday at 14:454 days by RabbitFurCoat

I remember enjoying your personal charts back in the CC days (sorry if that's a taboo subject we shouldn't mention)

Looking forward to this.

A top 2 of Move Your Feet and Gossip Folks is not a top 2 I would ever associate with you but a very brilliant top 2 all the same.

Expecting a lot of Florence, Maximo Park and other indie classics upcoming

06 - 14/04/2003 Blur - Out of Time

Chart Run: 01-02-02-02-02-04-06-09-11-13-18-18-20-24-28-32-38-40 (18 weeks)

My love for Blur wasn't fully developed in 2003, I was probably only aware of a handful of songs, their biggest earlier songs and then Tender and Coffee & TV from their previous album 13, but they weren't necessarily a band someone would get into before the age of 10. Their 2003 singles began to change that, Out of Time is absolutely gorgeous and Crazy Beat (#5 in July) was a huge amount of fun, although not something I really go back to now.

In the intervening 22 years, there are only a handful of acts I'll have listened to more than Blur, most of their albums ended up becoming CDs I owned and the majority of them are great. I've generally preferred their more mellow side and Out of Time remains a perfect example of it. It'd be a hard task to rank their best songs, but it would definitely appear towards the top, and its parent album Think Tank is definitely in my top 3 of theirs.

2025 Rating: 10/10
Knocking Clocks down to #2, Out of Time was the only release of the week that charted in the top 10, though both Goldfrapp - Train and Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Date With The Night would definitely have been worthy of that.

Edited Friday at 14:464 days by RabbitFurCoat

Oh I Iove “Out Of Time” - felt it was underrated.

Clocks is great, Coldplay could do no wrong for the rest of the decade and into the next for me. Blur's is nice but they had better before and since. Not heard it in over 20 years though, so nice to hear it again.

Out of Time is my most listened to Blur track by some distance, it’s wonderful.

My other favourite so far is Junior Senior, it’s never lost any of its charm and fun for me over the years

07 - 21/04/2003 The White Stripes - 7 Nation Army

Chart Run: 01-01-01-01-02-04-08-10-12-15-17-19-22-25-30-33-37 (17 weeks)

The White Stripes were a slightly strange band for me. On the face of it they were the type of act I should've loved, but apart from the odd single (that tended to be one per album) I just never really took to them. I'd really enjoyed Fell In Love With a Girl previously, but that was it. 7 Nation Army felt like it was huge at the time, Jack White's vocal on it was great and it was so catchy and anthemic - its UK chart run certainly doesn't befit how big a song it felt, and a 4 week run at the top for me is in no way surprising.

It's one of a few songs of this era that has completely transcended its popularity of the time to become something much bigger, with it being the perfect anthem to chant along to at any kind of sporting or political occasion, but unlike others in that category hasn't reached the stage where I'm completely bored of listening to it. It isn't something I choose to listen to often as a result of how everywhere it is, but it is still great, the riff has never stopped being all kinds of incredible. A song absolutely worthy of what it has become.

2025 Rating: 8/10

Blur were knocked down to #2 and remained there for the duration of 7 Nation Army's stay at #1. Tomcraft - Loneliness, Dandy Warhols - We Used To Be Friends and Sean Paul - Get Busy the pick of the top 10 entries during its month at the top.

08 - 19/05/2003 Stereophonics - Madame Helga

Chart Run: 01-01-01-02-04-07-08-09-13-16-20-22-24-25-31-36-39 (17 weeks)

For quite some time I'd have said Stereophonics were my favourite act, I adored their previous album Performance & Cocktails and still remember going to buy their debut soon after getting into that. In 2003 I'd have taken my Year 9 SATS exams, and going to see their tour at Nottingham Arena that year was the gift from my parents for doing well. In the two years leading up to their third album I'd have listened to them so much that it was always likely they'd have returned with a first #1 single, they probably could have released any old dross and done it.

And release any old dross, they certainly did! 8 songs in to get the first one where I really think "oh no, why this?!" isn't that bad going I suppose considering these were my early teenage years. I'd still say I have a soft spot for the Stereophonics, although it's been a long while since I bothered to listen to new material they put out. I have seen them a further three times and they're still a great live act - I watched and enjoyed their full Isle of Wight headline set this summer, but Madame Helga is quite far from being a song of theirs I'd willingly put on.

2025 Rating: 4/10

Songs kept from #1: It was three different songs occupying the #2 spot behind this, the Stripes to start with before a rare long-ish climb for R Kelly's Ignition (Remix) (18-10-03-02-04-...) which felt like it came from absolutely nowhere at the time. I'd say I'm glad I didn't make it number one because y'know, however it is a much better song than Madame Helga and there are much more problematic to come in the next 12 months... before Evanescence entered at #2 with Bring Me To Life, not something I listen to much now but a fully deserved UK #1 and again, better than this.

4 hours ago, dandy* said:

Out of Time is my most listened to Blur track by some distance, it’s wonderful.

My other favourite so far is Junior Senior, it’s never lost any of its charm and fun for me over the years

I'm glad it has its fans, it really is fantastic, definitely one of their best.

5 hours ago, Popchartfreak said:

Clocks is great, Coldplay could do no wrong for the rest of the decade and into the next for me. Blur's is nice but they had better before and since. Not heard it in over

20 years though, so nice to hear it again.

Singles wise Coldplay were excellent for that whole period, they never missed my top 10 until Charlie Brown. I did love X&Y a lot at the time and listened a lot but I can easily discard half of it now.

On 22/08/2025 at 13:39, Viper* said:

I remember enjoying your personal charts back in the CC days (sorry if that's a taboo subject we shouldn't mention)

Looking forward to this.

A top 2 of Move Your Feet and Gossip Folks is not a top 2 I would ever associate with you but a very brilliant top 2 all the same.

Expecting a lot of Florence, Maximo Park and other indie classics upcoming

Haha no not really, had some good times posting on there! Definitely be a lot of that kind of thing - it wasn't until 2004 when it became such a dominant force that I got so into it, was definitely more whatever was on Radio 1 playlist from 2001-03.