Hello all and welcome to my official ranking of the 2007 number ones!

I’m honoured to be able to contribute to this incredible series (thanks @gooddelta!) and follow in the footsteps of those of you who have ranked already – you’ve all done a fabulous job and have set the standard for detail very high! 😍

2007 saw a world swiftly moving into a new technological era, with the launch of the revolutionary iPhone, and social media networks such as Twitter and Tumblr. While these innovations would take a bit of time to dominate our lives, the leading social media platforms during 2007 were Bebo, MySpace and MSN, with Facebook’s glory days right around the corner. The internet was also beginning to take on a life of its own. YouTube’s growing popularity saw homemade videos go viral around the world for the first time ever (a baffling thought back then). One of the classics of course being Charlie Bit My Finger.

 

In the world of entertainment, 2007 saw the arrival of two hugely popular British TV shows – Britain’s Got Talent and Skins. The former proved a massive ratings hit in its first year, with over 11 million people tuning in to watch Paul Potts announced as the inaugural winner. The latter proved a phenomenon with the teen/young adult demographic and had a huge influence on the youth culture of that time. Other major TV moments of the year included the Celebrity Big Brother race row that saw Jade Goody, Jo from S Club and Danielle Lloyd ganging up on Shilpa Shetty. The scandal hit the news across the globe, and the world reacted in disgust, with ITV and Endemol both heavily scrutinised for commissioning the mess.

While one reality show was sinking, two were on the up… and locked in a ratings war with each other. BBC’s Strictly Come Dancing was steadily increasing in ratings each year since its inception in 2004. The star of the 2007 series turned out to be Alesha Dixon, former Mis Teeq member and future Britain’s Got Talent judge, who went on to win the series, beating EastEnders' Dean Wicks in the process. Meanwhile, ITV’s The X Factor was also reaching new heights each year and by 2007 it seemed the show had finally found an actual pop star. The show received a major shake-up with Louis Walsh (temporarily) axed in favour of Brian Friedman (mad this actually happened!) and Kate Thornton replaced by Dermot O'Leary. Alas, it would take another year (or two?) for The X Factor to firmly overtake Strictly in the ratings.

 

Into the music world, it’s fair to say the charts of 2007 were a varied mix. The dominance of indie and guitar-led music was easing by this point, and the impending EDM craze was a couple of years off. So relatively speaking, 2007 seemed a year where any sound could pop off. It’s fair to say two producers of the moment – Timbaland and Mark Ronson – were especially dominant, as heard in the tracks of Nelly Furtado, Justin Timberlake and Amy Winehouse. Elsewhere, the triumphant return of Take That had already seen other 90s pop groups such as All Saints try their luck and, by the summer of 2007, it was the turn of the Spice Girls. It was also the year Britney Spears made a successful pop comeback, teaming up with Danja and others to produce an album for the ages... Blackout. The album came despite Britney suffering a year from hell: a public meltdown, endless media scrutiny and no privacy whatsoever.

 

The treatment towards Britney wasn't the only ****stain on the year. The first six months saw the Virginia Tech massacre, the most deadly US school shooting of all-time, occur as well as the untimely death of Anna Nicole Smith. The latter half of the year wasn't without its misery. It was of course the summer Madeleine McCann disappeared, and the winter the world was hit by the Great Recession.

Let's not dwell on the doom, however! Back to the number ones of 2007: There are a total of 18 songs in this countdown, including the song that started the year as the number one. I thought, since there are relatively less #1s in this year compared to others, I might as well include it! The list is a varied mix of pop, indie, R&B and rap, with a sprinkle of dance and charity fodder. Apologies in advance if I end up waffling a bit or going off on tangents –

With that said, I aim to kick things off over the weekend! Feel free to reminisce about all the good (and bad) of 2007 in the meantime. I'm not going to post a list of the #1s prior to reveal just to keep a bit of mystery hehe.

Looking forward to this! 2007 was the year I started tuning into the chart show and got my first ever iPod, which looked like this:

That OP brings back a lot of memories. I remember that inaugural edition of BGT, series 4 of X Factor (I was devastated that Same Difference didn't win!! the accompanying tour was my first ever concert ) and I had quite an early interest in the news, it's funny to look back at my old diaries journalling about the credit crunch as a young kid !! The coverage for Madeline McCann was unlike anything I'd ever seen up until that point.

I think 'Toxic' was the first Britney song I remember but I vividly recall the Blackout era in full and how much people were talking about the head-shaving incident.

There are three 2007 #1s that particularly stand out as big favourites for me so I'm intrigued to see where they end up for you!

Omg yes! I had a blue version of that iPod. I think it was the nano? So basic in hindsight but like nothing else at the time.

30 minutes ago, Scene said:

Omg yes! I had a blue version of that iPod. I think it was the nano? So basic in hindsight but like nothing else at the time.

Yes it was a Nano I treated myself to a second hand iPod classic as an adult and still love the feeling of the click wheel

18 Leon Jackson When You Believe

#2s held off #1: Crank That (Soulja Boy Tell 'Em)

 

By 2007, The X Factor was on the brink of its imperial phase, having found a potential world class diva the year before (more on her later). Ratings were at an all-time high, helped in part by the addition of Dannii Minogue on the judging panel and Dermot O’Leary as host. The fourth series also saw the Under 25s category split into ‘boys’ and ‘girls’ for the first time, so the show was well and truly shaken up.

Despite all the makings of a successful fourth series, it’s fair to say on a talent level, it turned out to be one of the worst seasons ever, with none of the live show finalists appearing to have popstar potential. Initially, it seemed manufactured girlband Hope were being hyped as contenders for the crown, with the lucrative closing slot of the first live show (believed to be the marker of a producer ‘chosen one’ back in the day). Unfortunately, they quickly proved unpopular with the public, landing in the bottom two multiple times. Sharon also had a contender in Emily Nakanda, until she was forced to withdraw after a video of her ‘happy-slapping’ a kid surfaced online.

Then there was Welsh diva Rhydian, who was leagues above the rest vocally, but served more opera than pop, and was given an arrogant edit from the off! As Simon Cowell remarked at the time, the series was heading towards a train wreck.

Simon must have realised early on in during the live shows that Rhydian was the most bankable contestant of the finalists, since Rhydian’s ‘villain’ edit was suddenly ditched for a more favourable one. In turn, Rhydian became hot favourite to win and, heading into the final, seemed a dead-cert to take the crown (at odds of 1/3), with Same Difference second-favourite, and Leon Jackson a distant outsider (at odds of 6/1).

In a TV talent show upset rarely seen, Leon inexplicably ended up beating Rhydian in the final, also causing perhaps the biggest upset with the bookies in reality TV history! Leon therefore got to release that year’s winner single, a cover of Mariah Carey and Whitney Houston’s ‘When You Believe’, a top 5 hit in the late 90s. By then it was a tradition of the show for a quick cash-in, and to aim for the coveted Christmas Number One, something the previous two winners achieved. Leon bagged the festive top spot in the end but with relatively poor sales of 275,000, over a 50% dip from last year’s winner’s opening-week sales.

In all fairness to him, he was given big boots to fill. I’m not sure what exactly the thinking was behind selecting  ‘When You Believe’ as the coronation single, other than the prospect of Rhydian winning being a foregone conclusion. X Factor winner singles were never going to be anything great but selecting either an original song or a song unknown to UK audiences would’ve maybe at least produced something more interesting. Leon’s version plods along, backed with X Factor-by-number production and the all-important key change. His own contribution to the track has no essence of a winner: he sings in a monotone that evokes little sense of hope and belief, leaving me unconvinced as a listener. I guess, in his defence, he (a) probably had too little time to finesse his delivery and (b) wasn't expecting his version to be the one released! I’ve had to give Rhydian’s version a play, out of curiosity more than anything, and honestly it blow Leon’s version out of the water. His vocal approach is that of someone who knows what they’re doing with a song and has command over his voice. I’m sure if he had released When You Believe, opening sales would have been 400k at least! Leon should've just had a different song lined-up, perhaps more in the vein of Paolo Nutini or Michael Bublé. Unfortunately (for him), his music career didn’t go anywhere. His ‘proper’ debut single ‘Don’t Call This Love’ in October 2008 was just as dreary as this cover, but still managed to go top 3. His album Right Now would also hit the top 5. The only other song of his I recall is ‘Creative’ and distinctly remember thinking he should’ve led his album with that. Alas, it ended up a cute top 100 entry. I just gave it a curiosity listen and actually it isn't bad but nothing special either lol: it gives major Sway vibes.

One thing we should all thank Leon for though is preventing Soulja Boy from getting to number one with ‘Crank That’. One god-awful #1 over the festive period is enough!

Dreary is a good word for this tripe.

And dull.

Looking forward to it. 2007 was the first year where no physicals were needed to chart.

Maybe it's my # 4 or # 5.

Edited Saturday at 18:164 days by Last Dreamer

X Factor was the bane of the 2000s.

And Leon Jackson's winner's song has to be the most forgettable of the lot.

And what is that sky backdrop in the music video all about? 😐

Edited Saturday at 20:014 days by montyj

Let's go, this year is good. At least, some of the #1s. I have strong feelings about some of the ones that I, ahem, hope end up low x

Looking forward to your commentaries nevertheless Scene, I definitely remember many of these songs being inescapable at the time, the lower number helping those that did make it to become severely overplayed. Along with the many of the highest-selling non-#1s. 'Crank That' though, I guess it's objectively awful and I also thought so back then but I think these days it has a bit of a strange charm to it, I'm pretty sure it was one of the few songs I managed to get on my low quality Sony Ericsson at the time, for whatever reason - just 5 or so song files that I'd managed to get on there and that was one of them. Don't ask me why it was on there even though I disliked it.

That X Factor song I have literally zero memory of, I wasn't watching the show yet, only briefly did for a few years later on, and I don't feel like reminding myself of it.

As with Steve Brookstein, there is a sadness when you play Leon's winning track when you know how their music career went after that.

The Soulja Boy song - I don't remember it from the time but its a bop.

Edited Saturday at 20:534 days by TheSnake

I have such strong memories of 2007, it was my first year out of high school and I was studying advertising. I had an iPod Video and it came in handy on those 1hr each way commutes to TAFE four days a week to study. Outside of that all my friends had turned 18, so they were all getting their drivers license, so many of the 2007 songs soundtracked our drives.

There were some absolutely mammoth hits which are of course still yet to come. Australian artists were also doing quite well in their homeland as well. The Veronicas, Delta Goodrem, Thirsty Merc, Sneaky Sound System and Ricki-Lee among others.

I'm really looking forward to this rank, thanks @Scene.

That Leon song is pretty bad, it sounds like it doesn't really suit him much at all. Which I guess is understandable, I've just listened to Rhydian's version and it's so much better suited to him. The only saving grace is that it prevented Crank That from getting #1, terrible song.

I'd probably have this last or bottom three for sure.

I did receive Leon's CD that Christmas 🤭 I don't dislike it or anything but nothing special either, Shayne's was the only winners single up to this point I really quite liked though.

Can't say I like 'When You Believe' as a song whoever it's by tbh. Rather unimpressive on the whole.

I didn’t like “Crank That” at the time but now think it’s not bad! Leon’s “When You Believe” is tragic though.

17 The Proclaimers feat. Brian Potter & Andy Pipkin (I'm Gonna Be) 500 Miles

#2s held off #1: Girlfriend (Avril Lavigne)

 

 

Comic Relief aka Red Nose Day was a biennial TV fixture on BBC One by 2007. The telethon was in its era of consistently rating around 10 million viewers and fundraising upwards of 60 million pounds. One of the most high-profile methods of fundraising was the Comic Relief single, born in 1986 when Cliff Richard decided to release a comedy version of his 50s hit ‘Living Doll’ for the cause. Though, it wasn’t until 1995 when the Comic Relief single would begin its streak of 9 consecutive #1 singles over a span of the next 12 years, headed by ‘Love Can Build a Bridge’, a collaboration between Cher, Chrissie Hynde, Neneh Cherry and Eric Clapton.

By 2005, we had the (mis)fortune of being treated to two Comic Relief singles at once. While McFly released ‘All About You/You’ve Got A Friend’ as the official charity track, Tony Christie teamed up with comedian-of-the-moment Peter Kay for a re-release of his 1971 #18 hit ‘(Is this the way to) Amarillo’. The song’s success eclipsed McFly’s release, becoming the UK's biggest-selling single of 2005.

The enormous success of Amarillo of course meant the same formula would be followed for the 2007 cause. To accompany the year’s official Comic Relief single, the Proclaimers re-released their 1988 hit ‘I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles)’ alongside comedy sketch characters Brian Potter and Andy Pipkin (aka Peter Kay and Matt Lucas) as the comedy/throwback ‘unofficial’ alternative. The release proved a success, albeit not as mega as Amarillo, spending three weeks at the top and finishing the year as the eighth-biggest seller.

I’m not particularly keen on the original so it’s no surprise, with a couple of tone-deaf comedy characters thrown in the mix, this would land low lol. The comedy element is also lost on me: I’ve never really found Peter Kay funny and Andy was never among my favourite Little Britain characters. I don't really get the point of this collaboration, other than someone thinking two wheelchair-using characters singing "and I will walk..." repeatedly would be funny enough. It was an aspect that was completely lost on me at the time admittedly, but then I never cared to watch the video which captions the song as (I'm Gonna Roll) 500 Miles. I guess that's why Brian & Andy feature across the entire song here and not just confined to the music video like Peter Kay was in 2005. Was this really the standard for British comedy in 2007? To think ten years prior, we had French, Saunders and co. serving the iconic Sugar Lumps sketch/music video to pair with the Spice Girls' Comic Relief single, Who Do You Think You Are. Now that was my kind of comedy!

If the comedians had just stayed contained to the video, and the original was left untouched, it would definitely be a few spots higher. But yeah, this is unlistenable. They also blocked Avril Lavigne from getting her first ever number one with Girlfriend, which is enough to hate it (fundraising aside of course!).

Avril was incredibly unlucky to run into the path of Comic Relief. She had in fact managed to debut at #3 on the strength of downloads alone, TWO weeks before CD release. I remember hearing it announced on the chart show at the time and feeling certain she could climb a couple of spots to the top. All wasn’t terrible for Avril though, as she managed a singles chart personal best of #2 with Girlfriend, and her third consecutive UK #1 album in the spring. Follow-up single When You’re Gone also managed to give Avril a third top 3 hit in July.

13 hours ago, Julian_ said:

I didn’t like “Crank That” at the time but now think it’s not bad! Leon’s “When You Believe” is tragic though.

The Travis Barker remix of Crank That that Radio 1 used to play is actually great tbf, wouldn't have minded that at No.1.

I agree with these two at the bottom Scene although would swap them round.

I loved the trip down X Factor memory lane there. Yes Leon's winner's single definitely was not chosen for or suited to him, very bland and beige with a dull vocal performance. Scots often get behind their own in reality shows, so I wasn't altogether surprised to see him win, but then again Susan Boyle was favourite to win Britain's Got Talent and didn't. Same Difference was the only act in the top three I liked that year although they felt like a product of a bygone era too.

I find 500 Miles completely awful though, Little Britain wasn't my cup of tea to begin with; it felt like the 'last hurrah' of comedy that stereotyped and picked on minorities and communities, which I don't miss at all. So I just found this completely unfunny and would put it last.

British comedy was in a ditch in the late 00s/early 10s though, it was almost as if comedians suddenly realised they had to find some other way to be funny without picking on minority groups, and many were unable to adapt. So we either had the last ditch attempts of veteran comedians who were still doing this and hadn't moved with the times, or the most beige kind of sitcoms that covered up unfunny jokes about nothing much with a laughter track. Thank goodness by the mid to late 2010s we had moved on to more clever stuff like Fleabag and Motherland.

Didn’t they sing roll instead of walk for the dreadful Comic Relief song?

My bottom 3 (no surprises) : Grace Kelly, Umbrella, Bleeding Love