“Put Your Hands Up…” is my favourite of the last 3, but I echo the love for “Yeah Yeah” which would have been an even better chart topper.

The chorus of “Déja Vu” has always grated with me a little, but actually I can now appreciate that the rest of the track is very well made.

Meck didn’t do a whole lot with “Thunder In My Heart”, but I guess he didn’t need to as it speaks for itself.

I remember being OBSESSED with Deja Vu back in the day. Her manic delivery towards the end of the song really sold it lmao. Irreplaceable on the other hand was never an essential for me but still enjoyable.

Put Your Hands Up For Detroit is one I’ve grown to appreciate over time. Let Me Think About It has always been my fave of that FLG era though. BOP!

11 Razorlight - America

Kept off #1: nothing directly, but the highest non-#1 that week was David Hasselhoff - Jump In My Car at #3!

English indie-rock group Razorlight skipped the self-titled debut album and instead named their follow-up record Razorlight. The group's first era Up All Night, also the name of One Direction's debut album, produced two top 10 hits with 'The Golden Touch' and #2 hit 'Somewhere Else'. So pressure was on to keep up this success. Lead single 'In The Morning' swiftly bagged the group another top 3 hit so they could breathe a sigh of relief about the dreaded sophomore slump. Especially as the second single would become their sole #1 hit to date. 'America' was likely the group's attempt to make it across the pond and this move didn't go down very well with critics. They largely lambasted 'America' for attempting to be political yet not having much of a message at the same time. But the British public took it under their wing, as it debuted at #15 and quickly climbed to #1 in its second week. It spent that sole week at the top ahead of the previous week's #1 from Scissor Sisters but also David Hasselhoff's 'Jump In My Car', so critics, be careful what you wish for! 'America' experienced an impressive 20 weeks top 40 overall.

I didn't realise that 'America' was so disliked critically at the time but do remember lead singer Johnny Borrell often being called pretentious. I suppose his OTT musings, plus sell-out alarm bells, weren't going put them in the best light with the press, before getting to the lyrics. I do find the hate a bit over the top, but they're not entirely wrong, as 'America' definitely lacks the lyrical bite of something like 'American Idiot' from just a couple of years prior. Thoughts like "there's panic in America" are quickly danced past without much deeper explanation. They set the scene well, of being in a hotel room and flicking through the news, then feeling disillusioned about the doom and gloom that meets them on the TV each night. But it never really advances much further. On a more positive note, I really like the instrumental and structure of the song, with the echoing guitars and light and shade throughout. This is probably the #1 I had the most conflicting thoughts about. But in the end, while not quite as developed as I'd like, it still has an appealing quietness and nostalgic landfill indie feel to it. So it can just about be my 'best of the rest' ahead of a fabulous top 10.

Really like 'America' myself but I understand why it has the criticism it has too. Much prefer it to 'In The Morning' which I wasn't a fan of whatsoever so am glad this was the one to do it for them!

Another one I don't remember ever hearing. This one sounds ok though.

I think No Tomorrow and Thunder In My Heart Again would be near or maybe just in the top 10 - I have some nostalgia for Meck, not the most innovative dance song but it does its job well better than any other Leo Sayer songs I’ve heard. Orson is pretty dumb rock but I’ve always found it quite enjoyable, unlucky that it’s forever seen as a sign of a declining era even though it actually sold quite well overall.

America is one I liked at the time but it has worn off and I get the critical consensus more now, it’s just quite empty and hollow lyrically and just feels like an attempt to be anthemic, In The Morning that got to #3 earlier in the year was much better.

Plenty of wonderful stuff still to come in that top 10

Also Jump In My Car remains iconic x

Loved 'America' by Razorlight back in the day. Beautiful song. Takes me back to more innocent times.

Edited Sunday at 09:464 days by montyj

I really like “America”, though I’m not devastated at it missing the Top 10. I rather like the fact that the lyrics don’t spell out what the trouble is and leave you to make your own story.

America would be in my top 5. Loved it at the time and still revisit it now and then. Shame it’s missed your top 10!

Most of the last few are about where I'd place them. I quite liked 'No Tomorrow' at the time, and elements of it - the slightly post-punk intro, power pop style of chorus and ending - still sound decent, but the vocals are a bit whiny and the lyrics lean into a glamourised world which is not so much for me. 'Déjà Vu' is fine, but doesn't really escape the shadow of 'Crazy In Love'. The two dance ones are OK, though 'Thunder In My Heart Again' feels pretty forgotten.

However 'America' is one I still enjoy a lot and would possibly put as high as top 3. If the lyrics only hint at the wider unrest outside the bubble of the protagonist, these are secondary to the soundscape around the guitar which gently winds around the verses before building up towards the end. I do prefer Razorlight's previous album on the whole though, but this was something different from them and I thought it worked.

I got bored of America very quickly and wouldn't listen to it out of choice now, think they have a lot of better songs. Jonny Borrell was certainly one of the more obnoxious faces of that scene at the time.

10 Lily Allen - Smile

Kept off #1: nothing directly, but Razorlight - In The Morning and Rogue Traders - Voodoo Child both reached #3 during its time at the top

Kicking off the top 10 is an artist who has experienced an unprecedented renaissance in 2025! But rewind nearly two decades back and 'Smile' was the song that introduced a lot of people to Lily Allen for the first time. Unless you spotted her in the 'Vindaloo' music video in the '90s! Her father, comedian Keith Allen, was of course involved with the lyricism for that Fat Les football anthem and his connections would prove important for his daughter's own career, as she was able to get her foot in the door of London Records and signed with them in 2002. However, this ended up falling through and she briefly turned her attention to studying horticulture instead. Her new plan to become a florist was short-lived and she was soon itching to get back to music. Allen ended up signing to Regal Recordings in 2005 and was given some cash to help produce an album, but the label was unable to provide much support, as they had other releases such as Coldplay's X&Y and Demon Days by Gorillaz to prioritise. Lily then turned her attention to social networking platform MySpace, following advice from Lady Sovereign and began posting demos on there in late 2005. By spring 2006, these songs were picking up thousands of listeners and media publications began taking notice. Allen's label wasn't happy with the sound of the demos, so they assigned her to more mainstream producers and new writers to collaborate with. They then felt more confident about some of her material and 'Smile' became a chosen one for debut album Alright, Still.

Lily claims that 'Smile' was the first song she ever wrote. This track was poised as her big mainstream debut and indeed set up her career marvellously, debuting at #13, before later spending two weeks at #1 during the summer of 2006. This was the first of three U.K. chart-toppers to date for Lily as 'The Fear' and her cover of Keane's 'Somewhere Only We Know' also reached the summit. 'Smile' is a revenge anthem directed at an ex who Lily felt badly treated by. We quickly learn through her often no-nonsense storytelling, still beloved and present in her work today, that the other party was sleeping with the girl next door. I think her scorn and bitchiness is well played, with quite a humorous angle, although I do feel some parts of the music video are a bit unnecessarily violent.

I remember adoring 'Smile' at the time and I'm pretty sure this song was the first time I'd ever heard the term "mental health" before, as a generally carefree 8-year-old otherwise. I appreciated her conversational storytelling and also the breezy production with its rocksteady feel, thanks to the sample choice of 'Free Soul' by the Soul Brothers from the 1960s. I'd say nowadays 'LDN' is my favourite single from this project but I do still enjoy 'Smile' enough for a top 10 placement here. I recently revisited Lily's discography in full, after enjoying new album West End Girl and thought Alright, Still has held up as a strong debut album. On the other hand, something I haven't sought out for a while is the Simlish version of 'Smile', where an artist would record their song in the fictional Sims language! I was an avid Sims 2 player so remember this phenomenon clearly. 'Smile' also got the Glee treatment in series 1 of the show. This song remains her biggest solo hit on the Billboard Hot 100, reaching #49, but T'Pain's '5 O'Clock' which also credited Lily made it all the way to the top 10 around 5 years later.

I loved Smile at the time and went out and bought Alright Still. Such a great introduction to Lily Allen.

Smile is the first one that I'd potentially choose to play. I don't think it's a patch on some of her later singles (including LDN from the same album) but it was a nice enough introduction to Lily and her style.

Definitely prefer Lily's second era and it's when I became more of a fan of her music. Can't say I've ever particularly liked 'Smile' oops nor the two follow ups. 'Alfie/'F*** You' was alright though.

Oh I LOVED Smile and the Alright, Still album, this was No.1 for five weeks in my chart. This sound, and Lily's voice and image was so refreshing to me at the time. This and a song still to come were the sound of the summer for me along with the song it helped to keep from the top, Voodoo Child by Rogue Traders.

Put Your Hands Up For Detroit also topped my chart, with Bodyrox by Yeah Yeah at No.2 just like the official chart, but I'd have taken either at No.1, love that electro dance sound at the top.

Not too big on Deja Vu or America myself, the former definitely is produced in a bigger way than the actual melody feels, so it kind of sounds epic without having any real reason to be, if that makes any sense. But agreed that the Freemasons remixes from this album were fantastic, and Irreplaceable was too.

Thunder In My Heart Again - another personal chart No.1, 2006 chart toppers and my tastes were strangely aligned this year for one of the only times ever. Leo Sayer's music I can take or leave (mostly leave) but Meck worked magic on this one and it was nice to see it get to the top.

No Tomorrow I have no major opinion on, I don't enjoy it a lot but wouldn't switch it off if it came on, it doesn't feel like a No.1 record to me and surprised it was that big.

Edited Monday at 11:423 days by gooddelta

Detroit would be down the lower end of my list, always annoyed me, as did America, Somewhere Else should have been the number one. Andy Burrows, though, has been the ongoing talent from the band, his solo stuff has been fab, including as I Am Arrows, and working with other acts - saw him on tour with KT Tunstall last year. Good stuff. Thunder In My Heart was my fave Leo Sayer track as I joined Uni in late '77, I was miffed that it was such a minor hit, when it was clearly excitement upped to match other dance tracks of the time, and especially after his dreary ballad chart-topper, so I saw this remix as justice served. Not as good as the original but it didnt ruin it. Saw Leo the other year, and he is so engagingly enthusiastic quite the surprise, more like an intimate banging gig with Leo including the audience, and the backing band happy to drop into whatever Leo felt like singing at any given moment. I was expecting MOR blandness, and it wasnt that at all - he was actually a great songwriter in his early days!

09 Madonna - Sorry

Kept off #1: Corinne Bailey Rae - Put Your Records On

As covered in Chez's 2005 #1s thread, Madonna pulled off another reinvention in style with ABBA-sampling 'Hung Up'. This juggernaut lead was going to be a tough act to follow but thankfully accompanying tenth studio album Confessions on a Dance Floor was packed with further hits. 'Sorry' was chosen as the follow-up single to take the campaign into 2006 and this was a smart move in the U.K., as it became her 12th #1 single here and penultimate one to date. The performance of 'Sorry' was hampered in the U.S. after it did not receive much radio play there. This song apologetically opens in several different languages, with a French "I am sorry" to kick off proceedings, then the same message attempted in Spanish, Dutch and Italian. This all takes place in the first verse but Japanese, Hindi, Polish and Hebrew is also used elsewhere in the song. Madonna claimed that everything "sounds better in another language". She recently praised Spanish singer ROSALÍA's latest album LUX on social media which also incorporates multiple different languages.

'Sorry' was written and produced by Madonna and Stuart Price. She asked Price to pen music that sounded like "ABBA on drugs" when brainstorming material for Confessions on a Dancefloor. 'Hung Up' may have an actual 'Gimme, Gimme, Gimme (A Man After Midnight)' sample but 'Sorry' continues their strong, catchy pop DNA on to another release. I really enjoy the pounding disco-synth production on this single and the confident, self-assured lyrics that radiate personal growth and empowerment. My favourite moment in the whole song is the build-up during the bridge where "I've heard it all before..." is repeated and the production switches up a little. The non-English language parts don't add a whole lot, especially as the Dutch translation is apparently incorrect, although it was a satisfying moment to be able to link "sono spiacente" back to a Madonna song during early days of learning Italian on Duolingo. Confessions... is a rightfully lauded Madonna project but 'Sorry' feels a little underrated in terms of her #1s. Understandable when her catalogue covers so many different eras. But I think it's a great pop song and had to put it within my top 10.

I remember 'Hung Up' really well from the time but 'Sorry' didn't follow me around quite as much. 'Put Your Records On' by Corinne Bailey Rae, which settled for #2 behind Madonna, was pretty ubiquitous in my world, with classmates often singing it, so I do actually recall that one better than 'Sorry' from the time - but I'm happy the latter did add to Madge's tally, as I go back to it more long-term.

The beat of “Sorry” always reminds me of “Feel It” quite a bit. It is a good track and this really does feel like Madonna’s last hurrah commercially. And all importantly it beat Westlife.

I’ve never been a fan of Lily despite feeling I should be as we share a birthday, but I was really impressed by “West End Girl”. Going back to “Smile” it has a really effortless flow to it; she is certainly a very talented songwriter.