“Yeah!” is Usher’s greatest moment by miles and would be in my Top 5 too. “Radio” has also crept up on me over time - I didn’t think much of it at the time but I now really like the swaggy performance and the retro feel.

I wasn't a huge fan of Radio or Robbie at the time but I went through a phase in 2010-2013 where I was really into his music. I remember buying his 2010 Greatest Hits album.

Yeah! is one a wasn't keen of at the time but I've really come to appreciate it over the past 2 decades.

Looking forward to the top 4! I think I know what's left but I have no clue on what the order will be.

Yeah! Has grown hugely on me over the years, so catchy!

Radio is rather meh from Robbie, as you say the start of his decline. Still, it’s better than Rudebox!

4

Britney Spears - Everytime (1 week - 26th June) 9/10

A darkly beautiful and haunting ballad and video, and very different from from the previous number one, but one of her best tracks I thought. Sparse, pretty, sad, and her voice stands up without needing being drowned out, leaving it mostly convincing emotionally. After the previous 9 weeks of tat on top of the charts this is class and deserved a longer reign. This may be Britney's best vocal performance ever, as I've always rated style over emotionless vocal technical proficiency, and she really sells this song.

3

Michael Andrews featuring Gary Jules - Mad World (1 week during 2004, first chart of the new year) 9.3/10

Talking of haunting and darkly beautiful..... Donnie Darko is brilliant. Tears For Fears feature in it with Head Over Heels, uplifting that track. Drew Barrymore is behind the movie and consequently this belatedly hitting the top spot in 2003. The way to cover a classic is to do completely differently. I adore the original Tears For Fears stomping synthpop monster and I adore this, both classics.

Such a hauntingly beautiful ballad. I loved it at the time but then never really went back to it post mid 00’s. Which is a shame because I really do like this and as you mentioned it’s completely different et to her previous #1. (Or previous two #1’s if I’m talking the Australian charts).

so 2 dance monsters left, but which order.....final tomorrow...tease!

Great to see Mad World so high. That makes two years running it’s placed quite high.

Woot, my favourite made the top two!

Everytime is beautiful, definitely up there with Britney’s best and it’s great that it gave her a second No.1 from this album.

I said my views about Mad World in the last thread - it’s not for me, but I can appreciate it as a well done cover.

6 minutes ago, Popchartfreak said:

so 2 dance monsters left, but which order.....final tomorrow...tease!

Looking forward to it. I know which one d prefer at #1. 🙂

I think your top 3 would be mine as well - good job! Though let’s see if your number 1 is the same as mine…….

Yes I think my top 3 would be the same also so can’t grumble at the songs at the top.

My #1 would be the dance track to come

Love both of those!

I wasn't expecting 'Everytime' to be a number one at the time, but I was so glad it did!

51 minutes ago, Popchartfreak said:

so 2 dance monsters left, but which order.....final tomorrow...tease!

????

"Toxic" is obviously pop and not dance or you missed this song at all ?

Yep agree almost completely - “Yeah!” might have pipped “Everytime” and “Mad World” in mine but not by much and I agree with the Top 2. Not a Britney fan but those back to back chart toppers really were her finest hour and a world removed from the schoolgirl style of her first couple of albums.

Britney was on fire this era! In The Zone is my favourite album of hers. It's really well represented by its chart-toppers but also has plenty of interesting album cuts like fan favourites 'Breathe On Me', 'Touch of My Hand' and also the Moby-produced 'Early Mornin'. I find 'Everytime' really beautiful with its lullaby-esque piano and confessional lyrics. I also think Britney uses her range to its strength here with an emotive performance. The accompanying music video is also really striking.

That would be #3 here for me but I do appreciate 'Mad World' too, a very haunting take on it.

My top 2 matches yours so I'm intrigued to find out the order!

23 hours ago, Last Dreamer said:

????

"Toxic" is obviously pop and not dance or you missed this song at all ?

Ooh I used to be able to dance to both 😄I take your point though 😎

...and runner-up is.....

2

The Shapeshifters - Lola's Theme (1 week - 24th July) 9.5/10

Classic House dance track from British/Swedish production duo. 'Nuff said? OK, the strings are fab, the horn riffs are funky, a proper good singer on lead, good song construction, and a hook that isn't even in the title - Turn My World Around should have been the title. The old-skool vibes are very welcome to me, were then and are now, I could see Donna Summer doing this in the 70's or any number of 90's acts dropping it. Kudos to uncredited Cookie on vocals, and a sample from Johnnie Taylor's "What About My Love", which they recreated, last in the charts in 1976 with Disco Lady. Great track.

1

Britney Spears - Toxic (1 week - 13th March) 10/10

1 week on top is outrageous for record of the year, chart-topper or non-chart-topper. Britney's best by a pop mile, and a classic, exciting dance song and production, just brilliant. I love every single second of this track from start to end, it's perfect in every way, and one of the greatest dancepop tracks ever made, the twangy guitar, swirling Bollywood synths, the wailing and squelchy section near the end, and that sudden stop after that Intoxicate Me Now repeat. Pure class from Cathy Dennis & 3 co-writers, she of a few 90's fabulous dance tracks, and pop dance bangers in the 90's, notably Kylie's monster global number one. The video, too, is great, Britney not looking girlie anymore. Hard to believe Janet Jackson and Kylie turned it down as it's head 'n' shoulders better than anything they were dropping at that time. A shout-out to Producers and co-writers Bloodshy & Avant, top work after practising on Rachel Stevens and Christina Milian previously