41 minutes ago, Roba. said:

Love 'I Don't Feel Like Dancin'. A really fun hoot of a song and one that I hardly grew tired of it either. Deserving to be their only #1 hit but they should have had several more!

Only The Horses! Even if it did owe a lot stylistically to Swedish House Mafia!

Scissor Sisters had so many classics on their debut that deserved higher peaks, but I Don't Feel Like Dancin' wasn't undeserving of being their No.1 hit. It's a great karaoke number when trying to imitate Jake's falsetto, I do get the Bee Gees comparison for sure. I think on balance I would probably pick Take Your Mama and Laura over it but the debut raised their profile so much that it wasn't surprising this was well set up to be their biggest hit.

Sexyback was pioneering in many ways to herald in the Timbaland sound that dominated for the next couple of years, but it's not necessarily one I love personally.

I generally really like them, but I can't stand that song! it drives me up the wall.

Both the last 2 are big and bold lead singles that show off the artist’s signature sound very well. Both acts have better songs though.

06 Take That - Patience

Kept off #1: Booty Luv - Boogie 2nite and Cliff Richard - 21st Century Christmas/Move It

English boy band Take That had an extremely successful run in the 1990s and achieved an impressive 8 U.K. #1 hits in that time. They briefly weathered the storm of charismatic presence Robbie Williams leaving the group and achieved the last of those chart-toppers in 1996, a cover of the Bee Gees' 'How Deep Is Your Love', without him. The group didn't last too much longer and their largely young, female fanbase was infamously inconsolable, requiring a hot line to deal with their grief. Take That member Howard Donald later admitted that the split was hard for him too, even experiencing suicidal thoughts. He ended up mostly DJing following their disbandment. Jason Orange went in to stage and screen roles. Robbie Williams experienced a slightly shaky start after jumping ship first, but a little song called 'Angels' would change his fortunes. The group's songwriter Gary Barlow achieved a couple of solo #1 hits before Williams got there, including the Madonna penned 'Love Won't Wait', but he moved into working behind the scenes for other artists after his own momentum fizzled out. This included helping out fellow bandmate Mark Owen who notched up some hits of his own, even into the early 2000s. In 2005, the group sans Williams tested the waters as a four piece again, with a new Greatest Hits album, an ITV1 documentary called Take That: For the Record and a press conference, announcing some live shows for the following spring called the Ultimate Tour.

There was evidently still some appetite for Take That, now a man band. Their documentary was a ratings success (a BBC article I found from the time mentioned that it pulled in 6 million viewers) and Never Forget – The Ultimate Collection reached #2 in the chart, only blocked by Madonna's Confessions on a Dancefloor. The Ultimate Tour sold an impressive 275,000 concert tickets in 3 hours, the second fastest selling tour in 2005, beaten by none other than Robbie Williams! Their next move was to record some brand new music after a decade away. They signed with Polydor Records and managed to stage an almighty comeback with new album Beautiful World. It reached #1 in early December 2006 in a top 5 that was completely full of all-male acts, with: Take That, Il Divo, Oasis, Westlife and The Beatles all occupying those spots. Beautiful World hung around and achieved the coveted Christmas #1 album, selling over 443,000 copies that week alone! My dad used to rinse Beautiful World in the car so I'm very familiar with the album. I thought it was a good comeback record although they would better it for me with the more electro-leaning Progress.

'Patience' was chosen as the lead single from Beautiful World and spent 4 weeks at the top of the chart. Take That didn't quite manage the Christmas #1 double, as Leona Lewis blocked them in the singles with X Factor coronation single 'A Moment Like This' that week. McFly rounded off the festive top 3 with 'Sorry's Not Good Enough'. Interestingly this is not the only time that we'd have a Leona Lewis/Take That/McFly top 3 in that exact order, as there would be a repeat the following year too, when Lewis topped the chart with 'Bleeding Love', Take That managed #2 with 'Rule The World' and McFly took the bronze with 'The Heart Never Lies'. 'Patience' became the group's 9th #1 out of a total of 12, so their comeback - both as a four-piece, then briefly as a five again with Robbie too, was incredibly successful. Perhaps THE gold standard for both comeback music and touring success. They even managed their final chart topper, 'These Days', as a three-piece after Jason Orange also departed.

'Patience' was an apt name for a comeback song as Take That's original fans had been waiting a while to see them together again. This return also introduced their music to a brand new generation, including myself, as I was born after they split. The arrival of 'Patience' felt like a big deal. The men were in their 30s now so had a more mature perspective to share with the world. They had typically been associated with love songs targeted at a young fan base, with the odd song, such as 'Back For Good', finding broader appeal. 'Patience' was darker than your typical Take That single. The protagonist has experienced an incredibly difficult heartbreak and needs his own time to process it. So he's asking a prospective lover to give him that space while he's still feeling numb and depressed. I think 'Patience' really stuck the landing and showed an effective natural progression for the group. This is a more laidback direction sonically, complete with lovely guitar strums from John Shanks (now a member of Bon Jovi) but feels more interesting than your average MOR boy/man band hit. Gary Barlow delivers the emotional lyrics with heartfelt conviction and I particularly enjoy his elongated notes during the chorus. This might be their finest moment for me, or 'The Flood', depending on what mood I'm in. 'Patience' was a slam dunk of a return, not only topping the charts, but winning the Brit Award for Best British Single too. They also won The Record of the Year award which usually went to Westlife more often than not. 'Patience' got some respectful nods outside of the pop sphere too, with Nicky Wire from Manic Street Preachers claiming that it was "the greatest comeback single in history" and that "people would be calling it a masterpiece if Neil Young had written it".

Take That blocked two different releases from #1. Booty Luv was made up of two former members of Big Brovaz, Cherise Roberts and Nadia Shepherd. English DJ Seamus Haji got his hands on the Tweet song 'Boogie 2nite' and turned it into a house anthem. Booty Luv then covered this version of the song and promoted it as a single, although the DB Boulevard version was used in the music video. I loved this at the time, it does feel a bit dated now so I'm not as gutted about it missing out on #1 as I would've been in the past. Cliff Richard was also hoping to stretch his #1 tally into a new decade and Christmas time was very much his domain. He promoted new song '21st Century Christmas' alongside a fresh version of his pioneering 1950s #2 hit 'Move It', now with added Brian May on guitar. It would've been cool to see Cliff at #1 from a statistical point of view, as he would've achieved a chart-topper in six consecutive decades, but musically I don't feel any enthusiasm for '21st Century Christmas'. It's not exactly a 'Millennium Prayer'-esque turkey but is nowhere near as good as 'Patience'. So, once again, musically I'm glad Take That prevailed. 'Move It' is a genuine classic, potentially his best, although I wish that had just got to #1 in its original form back in the 1950s. It was blocked by Connie Francis with 'Stupid Cupid' / 'Carolina Moon' so it could've been prevented by a lot worse at least.

This #6-#3 section in particular is extremely close! I've been spoilt with much great pop and rock this year.

So my least favourite is on the way to # 1 again and again

IDFLD is very good - I think it would be in my Top 5. However, "Patience" is not on my toplist and would be outside the top 10 for me.

I remember in school at the time some of my friends joked about with the sound system and slowed 'Patience' to about half of its speed, I found it funny!

'Boogie 2Nite' is still a great bop for me.

Edited December 11, 2025Dec 11 by TheSnake

I thought “Patience” might make your Top 3! 6th is around where I’d put it tough - an excellent comeback but they had even better to come.

Majestic comeback single, that's how it's done. Great genre switch to suit the 2006 charts, and not some naff single trying to recreate their heyday, but you could see also how it was a sonic successor to the likes of Back For Good. I ended up preferring Shine, Rule The World and The Flood and even so Patience is a record I rank very highly, there will never be a bigger or better pop band comeback on a commercial level and, for about four years at least until the Progress era, a quality level.

Patience is a great song, what a comeback it was. It's one I still like to regularly listen to.

I Don't Feel Like Dancin' and 'Patience' what a duo of #1's.

Like Julian I also thought you might have ranked 'Patience' higher, although that is a strong top 5, all of which I'd also have above those from 6-10, even though each of those aren't bad either!

'Smile' sounded like the most "London" thing in the charts' upper reaches for a while, even before its "Tesco" / "al fresco" rhyming follow-up. 'Sorry' maybe felt a little non-#1 in the slipstream of 'Hung Up', but it's solid. 'Sexyback' felt like a breakthrough moment for Justin Timberlake even after the trio of #2s from his previous era, from which 'Like I Love You' is still my favourite of his, but Timbaland's productions were consistently on point around this time. 'I Don't Feel Like Dancin'' is fun although it felt a little sellout, and the next few singles couldn't carry the momentum which was a shame after such a strong run of hits from their debut. 'Patience' was a strong comeback from Take That and a sure sign they had more ambition in their return than simply retreading past glories.

They really smashed it and then some with this comeback single, I still love it.

Now had a listen of all 24 songs and these are my rankings 24 to 11:

24. McFly - Don't Stop Me Now 

23. Westlife - The Rose 

22. McFly - Star Girl 

21. Chico - It's Chico Time 

20. Meck/Leo Sayer - Thunder In My Heart Again 

19. Akon Feat. Eminem - Smack That 

18. Orson - No Tomorrow 

17. Notorious B.I.G./P. Diddy/Nelly/Jagged Edge/Avery Storm/Jagged Edge - Nasty Girl 

16. Beyoncé Feat. Jay-Z - Déjà Vu 

15. My Chemical Romance - Welcome To The Black Parade 

14. Leona Lewis - A Moment Like This 

13. Ne-Yo - So Sick 

12. Sandi Thom - I Wish I Was A Punk Rocker (With Flowers In My Hair) 

11. Razorlight - America

Edited December 12, 2025Dec 12 by DaTilt

Scissor Sisters first album was a love letter to the 70's at a time when that was unfashionable, which is why they bombed in the USA, what with being so gay and all, and it's an all-time classic, I went mad on the Pink Floyd dancefloor killer, topped my charts, and loved the Billy Joel-style ballads, the pop stuff and all else with 2 more chart-toppers in Return To Oz and It Can't Come Quickly Enough, neither of them singles. I also loved the follow-up album which had the huge advantage of this single, which was another chart -topper for me, along with the massively under-rated follow-up single. Went to both tours, had great fun, but I've dimmed a bit on IDFLD from overplay, and the more I listen to it the more obvious it becomes that it's an Elton John-stylee song harkening back to the 70's when Elt could knock out pop bangers weekly, as opposed to the 2000's when a sense of humour in his solo work was most definitely absent.

Ta-dah had some great tracks, not least Doctor-Who pushed I Can't Decide, Lights, She's My Man, but it wasnt quite so hits-packed and even more genre-varied than Scissor Sisters, so it was more a collection of some great to good tracks and a few lesser tracks as filler, where the first album was consistent throughout. Land Of A Thousand Words may be the best track on it despite the chart-bombing.

Patience was a classy return to recording for Gary Barlow and Take That, Phase 2 was way more consistently good than Phase 1, and I was quite surprised by it to say the least. I wouldnt put in the same league as Back For Good, but in terms of songwriting it was a step up on most of the soppy ballads of the 90's. It would be a bit lower down the list for me, and Gazza had even better stuff in the wings!

05 Shakira - Hips Don't Lie (feat. Wyclef Jean)

Kept off #1: Christina Aguilera - Ain't No Other Man, Rihanna - Unfaithful, Cascada - Everytime We Touch and Chamillionaire - Ridin' (feat. Krayzie Bone)

Before I launch into my usual spiel, a moment of appreciation for how great a time capsule my 'Hips Don't Lie' CD single is with Shakira screensavers and ringtones *.*

Columbian singer-songwriter Shakira began her career as a teenager and gradually became a star in the Latin world as she built up her Spanish-language discography. I have only heard fourth album Dónde Están los Ladrones? from her 1990s releases but thought it was a great listen. She experienced her crossover into English speaking markets in the 21st century after deciding to learn the language, guided by Gloria Estefan, who noticed her potential. Her first English-language album and fifth overall Laundry Service produced the smash hit 'Whenever, Wherever' which became a U.K. #2 hit in 2002, unlucky to run into the Pop Idol juggernaut. Her next move, in 2005, was the Spanish introduction to a double feature, Fijación Oral, Vol. 1, which contained 'La Tortura'. She followed this up with the English continuation Oral Fixation, Vol. 2, which was lead with the single 'Don't Bother'. This release was seen as an underperformance, reaching #42 on the Billboard Hot 100, so the project was re-released with the inclusion of smash hit in the waiting, 'Hips Don't Lie'.

'Hips Don't Lie' is a reimagining of Haitian musician Wyclef Jean's song 'Dance Like This', recorded for the 2004 film Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights. An earlier version of this track was originally intended for his group, the Fugees, who had a reunion in the works. However, it was never finished, due to Lauryn Hill's dissatisfaction with the song. The president of Epic Records expressed interest in a remix of 'Dance Like This' with Shakira. She was given the song and worked on additional lyrics and production alongside Wyclef Jean, plus his cousin and longtime collaborator Jerry 'Wonder' Duplessis. 'Hips Don't Lie' also carries over the composing credits from the original 'Dance Like This'. A prominent feature from Wyclef's song is the trumpet sample from Jerry Rivera's 'Amores Como el Nuestro', which has been pitched up. The chorus melody also survived and some of Wyclef's lyrics, such as the first verse and majority of the pre-chorus.

'Hips Don't Lie' was injected with Shakira's star power and a summer-ready reggaetón beat. The added lyrics were inspired by her intuition to determine how release-ready a song was, from its motivation to make her dance or not. She shows off these moves in the music video, directed by Sophie Muller. I remember this release being absolutely huge at the time and soundtracking my summer. The Latin pop instrumental, catchy hooks and Shakira's distinctive delivery were an infectious mix. The simple addition of Wyclef's "Shakira shakira" also worked wonders and was instantly quotable. The whole package is great fun and sounded instantly massive upon arrival. One could argue that it was a sellout moment, after the initial underperformance of the era, but it doesn't feel out of place in either artist's discography all the same. 'Hips Don't Lie' originally spent a week at #1 in July 2006 but its journey at the top didn't end there, as it unusually experienced an additional four weeks at #1 later on in August, after taking a three week break while Lily Allen and McFly interrupted her run. That August return to glory ensured that I had a fantastic 9th birthday #1 that year. This was the second longest non-consecutive stay at #1 in 2006, only beaten by Gnarls Barkley. 'Hips Don't Lie' was a smash across the pond too and became Shakira's sole Billboard Hot 100 #1 hit. This team-up remains incredibly relevant today; it is the most streamed female-led song from the 2000s on Spotify, currently boasting over 2.2 billion streams on the platform. 'Hips Don't Lie' also has 1.7 billion YouTube views.

Shakira blocked four different songs from reaching #1 during her 5 weeks at the top. The aforementioned 'Unfaithful' by Rihanna ran into her path as well as McFly's. Chamillionaire's 'Ridin' was also previously acknowledged, but it was 'Hips Don't Lie' that directly blocked it from the top. German dance trio Cascada would have to wait a few more years for their first chart-topper as 'Everytime We Touch' was unable to topple the mighty Shakira and Wyclef. Finally, Christina Aguilera was no stranger to a #1, but had to settle for the runner-up position with 'Ain't No Other Man' and its window-shattering opening note. 'Unfaithful' is my favourite of these near-misses but I do prefer the sensual joy of 'Hips Don't Lie' to all of them, so I'm not mad about its standout non-consecutive run at the top.

"Hips Don't Lie" one of the highlights of 2006. Brilliant song, which is ranked slightly higher for me. "Unfaithful" is also brilliant and deserved a #1, too. One of my favourite Rihanna songs.

Brilliant song. Would be close to my #1. I've loved it from the moment I first heard it.