February 22Feb 22 Author 56. IF I WERE A BOY- Beyonce (582,680) YEAR: 2008PEAK POSITION: 1WKS ON CHART: 27 You may recall that this was released in a stellar week for female solo acts with new singles by Britney, Leona, and Alesha Dixon all entering the top 10 simultaneously. Beyonce made the biggest splash though with this track written by BC Jean about her own break-up, she was composing with Toby Gad for her debut album which wasn’t ultimately made, but when the project got ditched Gad offered the tracks they had written out and Beyonce picked this one up, trouble is that no-one told Jean who caused a slight stir in the media about her song getting “nicked”, all parties eventually reached an agreement though. It’s her 5th track to appear on the rundown!
February 23Feb 23 Author 55. CAN’T FIGHT THE MOONLIGHT- LeAnn Rimes (583,900) YEAR: 2000PEAK POSITION: 1KS ON CHART: 17 A good bit of Diane Warren penned pop here, recorded for the film “Ugly Coyote” Rimes so badly wanted the song that it prompted her to get a part in the film, and after hearing all the songs in the film she asked to provide vocals on them all! It turned into her sole UK chart topper even though it deprived Daft Punk’s “One More Time”- booo!
February 23Feb 23 Author 54. ROCKSTAR- Nickelback (587,000) YEAR: 2007PEAK POSITION: 2WKS ON CHART: 50 A real slow burner this one taking 17 weeks to peak at No 2 (held off by Basshunter and Duffy) and lasted a whopping 50 weeks on the chart (a feat in the 00s). The promo was memorable for its cameo appearances by Nelly Furtado, Gene Simmons, and Kid Rock among others, the spoken parts come courtesy of ZZ Top’s Billy Gibbons- an all star affair
February 23Feb 23 Author 53. GROOVEJET (IF THIS AIN’T LOVE)- Spiller (590,800) YEAR: 2000PEAK POSITION: 1WKS ON CHART: 24 Its opponent ends up at No 152 but here’s the victor of THE chart battle of 2000 (probably). The story of how the track came about is well known by now- DJ Cristiano Spiller created the instrumental track back in 1999 and named it “Groovejet” after the club in Miami where he first played it but the record label were reticent to release it without lyrics to radio- step in seasoned hit maker Rob Davis who co-wrote the lyrics with Theaudience frontwoman Sophie Ellis-Bextor to provide the vocals. It soon became one of the hottest tracks in the clubs in the summer of 2000 after being used extensively to promote Radio 1 events that summer on radio and TV before going head to head in what the press called Posh Vs Spiller. Despite not doing a tremendous amount of promo during the week the chart battle raged, the track won with over 200k sold and helped launch the solo career of SEB!
February 24Feb 24 Author 52. MAD WORLD- Michael Andrews Featuring Gary Jules (591,300) YEAR: 2003PEAK POSITION: 1WKS ON CHART: 17 Christmas 2003 and the bookies placed “The Idols” as favourites pre release but in the first set of mids it was The Darkness , (No 149 on this list)- a lead which extended to 4k by the end of Thursday and most predicting that the race was over. However it was this track which surprised most by becoming the festive No 1 that year a track recorded for a Gary Jules’s album in 2001 which then got used in the film “Donny Darko” the following year. The film got a DVDV release in 2003 which saw it become something of a cult favourite and finally get a release to a clearly eager public!
February 24Feb 24 Author 51. THE KETCHUP SONG (ASEREJE)- Las Ketchup (592,400) YEAR: 2002PEAK POSITION: 1WKS ON CHART: 26 Spanish sisters who hit it big with this pan European hit which hit the top practically everywhere on the continent. Complete with its own dance and gibberish lyrics (the chorus is a very rough interpretation of the Sugarhill Gang’s “Rapper’s Delight”) it caught our imagination and got an extended chart life when a Christmas version got released in the run up to Christmas. Genius.
February 24Feb 24 Author Recap time!100. THE PROMISE- Girls Aloud (484,000)99. THE FEAR- Lily Allen (485,980)98. DO YOU REALLY LIKE IT- DJ Pied Piper & The Masters Of Ceremonies (486,500)97. CLINT EASTWOOD- Gorillaz (486,800)96. NOW YOU’RE GONE- Basshunter Featuring DJ Mental Theo’s Bazzheadz (490,100)95. SO WHAT- Pink (491,560)94. FILL ME IN- Craig David (493,400)93. WHEN YOU BELIEVE- Leon Jackson (495,900)92. BLACK AND GOLD- Sam Sparro (495,900)91. APOLOGIZE- Timbaland Presents OneRepublic (498,700) 90. LADY MARMALADE- Christina Aguilera/ Lil Kim/ Mya/ Pink (501,400)89. JUST A LITTLE- Liberty X (508,700)88. IF TOMORROW NEVER COMES- Ronan Keating (510,400)87. REACH- S Club 7 (511,700)86. HUMAN- The Killers (512,100)85. AMERICAN BOY-Estelle Featuring Kanye West (513,800)84. LOW- Flo Rida Featuring T-Pain (515,750)83. HOT N COLD- Katy Perry (517,100)82. SEXY CHICK- David Guetta Featuring Akon (517,237)81. IF YOU’RE NOT THE ONE- Daniel Bedingfield (521,300) 80. DANCE WIV ME- Dizzee Rascal Featuring Calvin Harris (521,820)79. IGNITION (REMIX)- R Kelly (524,700)78. HEAVEN- DJ Sammy featuring Yanou and Do (527,600)77. HOW YOU REMIND ME- Nickelback (529,400)76. VALERIE- Mark Ronson Featuring Amy Winehouse (532,000)75. DON’T CHA- Pussycat Dolls Featuring Busta Rhymes (536,700)74. BECAUSE I GOT HIGH- Afroman (537,100)73. I DON’T FEEL LIKE DANCING- Scissor Sisters (539,900)72. WITHOUT ME- Eminem (541,700)71. NUMBER 1- Tinchy Stryder Featuring N-Dubz (547,255) 70.HUNG UP- Madonna (548,500)69. LEAVE RIGHT NOW- Will Young (549,300)68. TOCA’S MIRACLE- Fragma (549,900)67. AXEL F- Crazy Frog (552,600)66. GRACE KELLY- Mika (554,400)65. BROKEN STRINGS- James Morrison & Nelly Furtado (559,105)64. SPIRIT IN THE SKY- Gareth Gates Featuring The Kumars (563,800)63. GOTTA GET THRU THIS- Daniel Bedingfield (564,100)62. MEET ME HALFWAY- Black Eyed Peas (567,948)61. BAD BOYS- Alexandra Burke Featuring Flo Rida (576,019) 60. I KISSED A GIRL- Katy Perry (577,455)59. f*** IT (I DON’T WANT YOU BACK)- Eamon (578,200)58. ANYONE OF US (STUPID MISTAKE)- Gareth Gates (579,700)57. PATIENCE- Take That (580,600)56. IF I WERE A BOY- Beyonce (582,680)55. CAN’T FIGHT THE MOONLIGHT- LeAnn Rimes (583,900)54. ROCKSTAR- Nickelback (587,000)53. GROOVEJET (IF THIS AIN’T LOVE)- Spiller (590,800)52. MAD WORLD- Michael Andrews Featuring Gary Jules (591,300)51. THE KETCHUP SONG (ASEREJE)- Las Ketchup (592,400)
February 24Feb 24 Love how 'Groovejet (If This Ain't Love)' has such a place in pop culture history with the 'Posh vs. Posher' chart battle victory and the accolade of first song to ever be played on an iPod. I've just revisited Sophie's discography for the singles rate in the Pop forum and this timeless dance collab is still my favourite song she's ever been involved with 'Patience' is also a big highlight recently - the blueprint of a successful comeback that impressively was not a one-off.Looking forward to the top 50.
February 24Feb 24 A LOT of catching up! Never knew about Leave Right Now not having enough stock originally. I love discovering little pop facts like this. If I Were A Boy was a real dark horse in that diva week chart race. I think Britney and Leona (maybe Christina too) were looking to do the best IIRC - Alesha managing top 10 on downloads alone though! *.* a real turnaround from her flop launch two years prior. The Mad World/Idols/Darkness chart race sounds like a fun chart battle to have experienced at the time with all the changing at the top throughout the week. The Ketchup Song never gets boring.
February 24Feb 24 I only have 6 favourites from the 100-51 section on the level of the 10 I posted for each of the previous sets of 50:86. HUMAN- The Killers (512,100)82. SEXY CHICK- David Guetta Featuring Akon (517,237)81. IF YOU’RE NOT THE ONE- Daniel Bedingfield (521,300)76. VALERIE- Mark Ronson Featuring Amy Winehouse (532,000)53. GROOVEJET (IF THIS AIN’T LOVE)- Spiller (590,800)52. MAD WORLD- Michael Andrews Featuring Gary Jules (591,300)
February 25Feb 25 The Mad World/Darkness battle was pretty intense, I'm still so glad with the result though.
February 25Feb 25 Author 50. LOSE YOURSELF- Eminem (598,100) YEAR: 2002PEAK POSITION: 1WKS ON CHART: 22 His first US chart topper but a fourth here in the UK and a third track on this rundown for the rapper. Written for the soundtrack to the film “8 Mile” it was the first rap song to collect an Oscar and marks the end of the sub platinum singles (within the decade obviously).
February 25Feb 25 Author 49. MERCY- Duffy (604,700) YEAR: 2008PEAK POSITION: 1WKS ON CHART: 44 Way back in 2008 Duffy and Adele were viewed as rivals with constant comparisons thanks to the two appearing as the top 2 in BBC sound of 2008 poll, and both breaking the charts within a few weeks of each other. Most predicated (and the charts suggested) that it would be Duffy who would prove the bigger star as this single flew to No 1 for 5 weeks and her album becoming the biggest seller of the year, however her second album underperformed and she was widely panned for her participation in a Coca-Cola advert but in 2020 she revealed that years out of the limelight was due to an horrific abduction and rape some years prior which truly shocked.
February 25Feb 25 Author 48. CHASING CARS- Snow Patrol (611,400) YEAR: 2006PEAK POSITION: 6WKS ON CHART: 95 The original download long laster even charted for longer than “Mr Brightside” within the confines of the decade, it also demonstrated the power of downloading as it was the main beneficiary of chart rules when compilation changed in January 2007 to mean that all downloads (as opposed to those with an associated physical product) could count towards the chart. It re-emerged to enter at No 9 six weeks after being deleted and therefore ineligible for the charts at that point, safe to say that we were all sick of it by the time it left the charts but 95 weeks in the top 75 is by some stretch the longest charting track on the rundown not to mention the highest placed non top 2 hit, and the last song ever performed on the regular weekly TOTP.
February 25Feb 25 I did get really sick of it at the time, and its overuse as an X-Factor soundbed became a bit eyeroll-worthy - but it is a great song, and I can appreciate it again now I don't hear it as much.
February 26Feb 26 Author 47. HIPS DON’T LIE- Shakira Featuring Wyclef Jean (614,700) YEAR: 2006PEAK POSITION: 1WKS ON CHART: 38 Emerging first on the soundtrack to “Dirty Dancing 2- Havana Nights” in 2004 as a duet between Wyclef and Claudette Ortiz, though its origin dates back further as “Lips Don’t Lie” which was intended as a Fugees reunion track that never ultimately happened. This was revisited and re-written by Jean and Shakira to revive her poorly selling “Oral Fixation Vol 2 album” which had made No 22 and disappeared after 3 weeks following the No 9 hit “Don’t Bother”. Cue a quick dash to try and re-invigorate the era with this addition which got tagged on to the re-issue of the album, it worked as it became Shakira’s first UK No 1 and had two spells at No 1 separated by 3 weeks- the longest such break since Celine Dion 8 years prior.
February 26Feb 26 Author 46. BOOM BOOM POW- Black Eyed Peas (616,981) YEAR: 2009PEAK POSITION: 1WKS ON CHART: 31 A first release in 3 years for the group that had been off pursuing separate interests in the interim with mixed results it’s fair to say. We’ve already one of the singles they made in 2009 (No 62) but this was the lead single from the album but what has it do with the X Factor? Well the track samples a song called “Reach Out” by Sweet Mercy which featured the vocals of a certain Rowetta Idah- yes the same Rowetta that was a finalist on the X Factor back in 2004 but also did backing vocals on many Happy Mondays tracks. Anyway it provided them with a second No 1 some 6 years after their first.
February 26Feb 26 Author 45. RUN- Leona Lewis (617,415) YEAR: 2008PEAK POSITION: 1WKS ON CHART: 25 The original was of course by Snow Patrol (#5, 2004) but Lewis’ version was repeatedly requested on Radio 1 after its first performance on “Live Lounge” in October 2007 convincing all that a studio version would be a seller. In September 2008 it happened and appeared on the “Deluxe” version of her “Spirit” album which again bounced back to No 1 but the song was still not intended to be a single, however after the song was performed on “X Factor” the reaction changed the plan and a single edit of “Run” was announced and debuted at No 1 without any physical copies available on a sale of 131k- the highest weekly tally for a digital release only (at that time).
February 27Feb 27 My top 15 from the 100-51 section:100. THE PROMISE- Girls Aloud (484,000)94. FILL ME IN- Craig David (493,400) 87. REACH- S Club 7 (511,700)81. IF YOU’RE NOT THE ONE- Daniel Bedingfield (521,300) 78. HEAVEN- DJ Sammy featuring Yanou and Do (527,600)76. VALERIE- Mark Ronson Featuring Amy Winehouse (532,000) 69. LEAVE RIGHT NOW- Will Young (549,300)68. TOCA’S MIRACLE- Fragma (549,900)66. GRACE KELLY- Mika (554,400)65. BROKEN STRINGS- James Morrison & Nelly Furtado (559,105)63. GOTTA GET THRU THIS- Daniel Bedingfield (564,100) 57. PATIENCE- Take That (580,600)56. IF I WERE A BOY- Beyonce (582,680)55. CAN’T FIGHT THE MOONLIGHT- LeAnn Rimes (583,900)53. GROOVEJET (IF THIS AIN’T LOVE)- Spiller (590,800)
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