February 18Feb 18 Author 70.HUNG UP- Madonna (548,500) YEAR: 2005PEAK POSITION: 1WKS ON CHART: 29 Madonna’s 4th entry on the list and her biggest hit of the decade was first heard on an advert for Motorola phones and of course famously features a sample of ABBA’s “Gimme Gimme Gimme (A Man After Midnight)” for which Madonna sent a handwritten letter to the ABBA boys to get permission to use the track. It all worked and formed the basis for another famed “comeback” as she hit No 1 for the 11th time.
February 18Feb 18 Author 69. LEAVE RIGHT NOW- Will Young (549,300) YEAR: 2003PEAK POSITION: 1WKS ON CHART: 18 Proving that he was more than just a reality TV show winner, “Leave Right Now” surprised many in late 2003 not least of all the record company who only pressed up 40,000 copies predicting that (after the performance of the most recent Gareth single) it would be a reasonable top 5 hit but were then shocked when it sold out after the first day on sale! Cue a mad scramble to produce more copies and get them into the record shops in time to meet demand and overturn a midweek deficit to Shane Richie. Blushes saved all round when Young did debut at No 1 if only by 5k
February 18Feb 18 Author 68. TOCA’S MIRACLE- Fragma (549,900) YEAR: 2000PEAK POSITION: 1WKS ON CHART: 19 Jesus I remember the wait for this song to be available! Coco’s “I Need A Miracle” made No 38 in late 97 and pretty much passed most by but became a slow burning hit in clubland. It was the release of the instrumental “Toca Me” in 1999 which struck a certain DJ Vimto (not a typo) who thought the two fitted well together and made a bootleg mash up. Clearances obtained and the track exploded on week 1 with 187k sales. It didn’t end well with Coco falling out over royalties and alleged contract breaches which saw the track withdrawn from all platforms until 2022 when it was finally decided.
February 18Feb 18 Thank goodness they acted swiftly to meet demand for 'Leave Right Now' as that's a far superior #1 to the alternative Shane Richie 'I'm Your Man' cover!'Toca's Miracle' is a genius mash-up so a shame its legacy has been a bit soured by the legal drama. Happy to have it in some form on streaming now, even if the vocals aren't an exact match, as it still feels faithful enough - especially with the identical production. I think I have three 'proper' copies lying around via the CD single, vinyl single and Now 45, so spoilt for choice to still hear the original release at least
February 19Feb 19 Author 67. AXEL F- Crazy Frog (552,600) YEAR: 2005PEAK POSITION: 1WKS ON CHART: 16 Created in 2003 by a Swede Erik Wernquist as a character called “The Annoying Thing” (how prophetic), he posted it on the web and CGTalk Forum. It soon attracted attention and got the attention of Ringtone Europe and Jamster who got the licence to use the character to promote ringtones around Europe. So the Crazy Frog (as it was renamed) was born and what could be next but a record of course, step forward Harold Faltermeyer’s 1985 #2 track “Axel F” which got the “honour” and the single went up against Coldplay’s “Speed Of Sound” in a highly publicised chart battle. Not there was much of a battle once the dust had settled- Crazy Frog won by a mighty 113k, smaller hits followed but by the time 2005 came to an end we had all got rather tired of it.
February 19Feb 19 Author 66. GRACE KELLY- Mika (554,400) YEAR: 2007PEAK POSITION: 1WKS ON CHART: 40 This was only the second track ever to top the charts on downloads alone when it rose 3-1 in January 2007 as Mika become one of the biggest chart stars of the year. Titled after the Hollywood actress (her film “The Country Girl” is sampled at the start of the track), this was inspired after the singer was advised that he should change his style to become more in tune with what was doing well in the charts at the time. He didn’t pay attention and reaped the rewards
February 19Feb 19 Author 65. BROKEN STRINGS- James Morrison & Nelly Furtado (559,105) YEAR: 2008PEAK POSITION: 2WKS ON CHART: 31 The best seller for both Morrison and Furtado, this duet was the second single from his second album and peaked at No 2 (spooky) behind Lady Gaga’s “Just Dance” but was a big seller over Christmas 2008 which helps here. The track entered the top 10 after a performance on “The Girls Aloud Party”
February 20Feb 20 Author 64. SPIRIT IN THE SKY- Gareth Gates Featuring The Kumars (563,800) YEAR: 2003PEAK POSITION: 1WKS ON CHART: 15 “Comic Relief” time again, and in 2003 that meant “Pop Idol” runner up Gareth Gates who was the hottest thing in pop at the time. The track had good pedigree having already been a No 1 for Norman Greenbaum in 1970 and Dr & The Medics in 1986, and when it debuted at the top (with a healthy sale of 273k) it was only the third track after “You’ll Never Walk Alone”, and “Unchained Melody” to hit the top for 3 different acts, of course Gates himself contributing one of those “Unchained Melody” covers! The Kumars got drafted in to provide the comedy muses.
February 20Feb 20 Author 63. GOTTA GET THRU THIS- Daniel Bedingfield (564,100) YEAR: 2001PEAK POSITION: 1WKS ON CHART: 18 Famously written and recorded in his bedroom, the young lad from New Zealand saw this single, his debut release, bounded to No 1 for his 22nd birthday- not a bad present. It cost just £1,500 to record and Bedingfield himself paid to press up initial copies and gave them to DJ’s which ultimately saw him get a record deal. It spent 3 weeks at the top, 2 consecutively and 1 just after Christmas, the latter week famously it recorded a sale of just 25k- (at the time the lowest recorded since 1969).
February 20Feb 20 Author 62. MEET ME HALFWAY- Black Eyed Peas (567,948) YEAR: 2009PEAK POSITION: 1WKS ON CHART: 13 If anyone could rival Lady Gaga in 2009 then Black Eyed Peas could probably claim it. This was the third single from “The E.N.D” and a third No 1 on the trot, the irony was that this song was performed on “X Factor” in the same week as the series previous winner Leona Lewis’s new single “Happy” and ultimately ended up beating her to the No 1 spot overturning a midweek deficit. In grabbing 3 UK chart toppers in a calendar year they were the first US to pull it off with new releases since Blondie in 1980 (and a non-UK act since Westlife in 2000).
February 21Feb 21 Author 61. BAD BOYS- Alexandra Burke Featuring Flo Rida (576,019) YEAR: 2009PEAK POSITION: 1WKS ON CHART: 12 The first single “proper” from the “X Factor” winner for 2008 was always going to be a big affair, it followed the (by now) traditional pattern of waiting 10 months to release the second single after the winners Christmas No 1 and featured an appearance on the new series of the reality TV show to give a push pre-release. It didn’t disappoint with 187k sold in week 1 to smash in at the top and give Burke two out of two with some help from Flo Rida of course.
February 21Feb 21 Author 60. I KISSED A GIRL- Katy Perry (577,455) YEAR: 2008PEAK POSITION: 1WKS ON CHART: 30 Perry’s breakthrough single had all the right ingredients, a song written by Cathy Dennis, Dr Luke , Max Martin and Perry herself, a subject theme flirting with bi-curiosity, and an eye catching image. It proved irresistible topping the charts on both sides of the Atlantic. Perry allegedly had reservations about the release which the label agreed with, concerned that radio wouldn’t touch it, it was actually offered out to Macy Gray who fortunately turned it down and Perry decided to go with it. It caused some backlash from the LGB community (as was back then) for its appropriation and use of homosexuality as titillation for the boyfriend (in the lyrics) but ultimately it only helped the track. It was another track which was rushed forward in terms of release date after cover versions started to attract interest with Nicki Bliss debuting at No 50 in the same week that Perry’s version entered at No 4.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kDebwTnsud0&list=RDkDebwTnsud0&start_radio=1
February 21Feb 21 Author 59. f*** IT (I DON’T WANT YOU BACK)- Eamon (578,200) YEAR: 2004PEAK POSITION: 1WKS ON CHART: 19 A song that certainly sold on its notoriety initially at least as one of the most expletive ridden singles to hit the UK singles chart (though a sanitised one was made for radio), Eamon’s bitter rant about his ex spent a month on top even spawning a No 1 response track from Frankee!. Only one of them makes the list though and that’s the original. The pair never made the top 20-again as their moment in the sun faded
February 22Feb 22 I loved Bad Boys and Alexandra Burke back in 2009/10.It's a shame her pop career was so short lived. She has a fantastic voice.I liked the Eamon song at the time but absolutely despise it now.I've never been huge on I Kissed A Girl, and that remains the same now. Not a horrible song either though.
February 22Feb 22 Author 58. ANYONE OF US (STUPID MISTAKE)- Gareth Gates (579,700) YEAR: 2002PEAK POSITION; 1WKS ON CHART: 15 After the runaway success of “Unchained Melody” all eyes were on the next Gareth Gates single to see if he truly had the legs to become a Bonafide popstar. The answer came in the form of this song and showed there was certainly a real demand for the singer, a sale of 241k in week one showed that, and its Venice lensed promo did enough to keep the girls swooning and his profile high. It was rumoured that RCA stopped making Elvis’ “A Little Less Conversation” (which proceeded Gates at the top) to ensure that Gates made No 1 but I’m sure that couldn’t be true (it was, at least, not needed on reflection if true).
February 22Feb 22 Author 57. PATIENCE- Take That (580,600) YEAR: 2006PEAK POSITION: 1WKS ON CHART: 40 One of the most eagerly awaiting reunions? Well it’s up there- a documentary in late 2005 coupled with a new GH album clearly established that the demand was there and so a year later the reunion was on with new material ready to go- even if 1 member wasn’t! A Robbie less Take That’s first release of Mk II was this ballad which took two weeks to make No 1 (their 9th) and winning record of the year plus a BRIT for best British single.
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