Yes it's the Platinum Edition that I bought, where the songs are more mixed up. As I wasn't convinced to take a punt on it until about 3 or 4 singles into the era.

18 minutes ago, gooddelta said:

Yes it's the Platinum Edition that I bought, where the songs are more mixed up. As I wasn't convinced to take a punt on it until about 3 or 4 singles into the era.

I would've preferred the Platinum Edition I think. I was a pretty big Beyonce fan at the time, so I bought the Original Deluxe on release.

5 Estelle ft Kayne West American Boy

#2s held off #1: Flo Rida ft T-Pain - Low, Sam Sparro - Black & Gold

Next up is London born R'n'B singer Estelle with her one and only number one single 'American Boy'. In fact it's one of only five top 40 hits she's had in her career and her sole top 10 appearance. Which seems mad considering how big of a hit this actually was & how much critical acclaim she'd received up to the point American Boy was released.

Estelle's debut album had been released four years prior, featuring top 20 singles 'Free' and '1980'. Her semi-successful debut led to her receiving Best Newcomer at the MOBO awards. I remember the buzz that was around her at the time, with many predicting her follow up would do well.

Skip to four years later and this song came out. Featuring an appearance from the absolute bell-end that is Kanye West, the song had a rather odd entrance to the charts. It entered at #72 and then disappeared the following week. Yet one week later, the song achieved a rare feat of re-entering straight to number one. There it remained for four weeks. It was so big that it held off some cracking songs from number one. Flo Rida's 'Low' has been keeping people checking their ability to bend their knees since, errm, 2008. And Sam Sparro's 'Black & Gold' is just an excellent demonstration of a great pop song. But neither could budge Estelle from the top.

I love this song for it's chorus, sung many a times in clubs & at home. It's such a shame to me that she has barely dented the charts since.

Such a great track although I remember being so surprised when it blew up out of nowhere as Estelle was someone who, as you say, had only really achieved a couple of (very good and underrated) midtable hits four years earlier so I hadn't considered she was set for a major return. The Kanye feature was a major coup though, and the song is just high quality so I suppose it sold itself – not at all surprised it was a big hit in the US too.

I can't remember the reason for it entering at 72 and disappearing, I guess it was available for a day or two and withdrawn from sale again for a bit.

And in news that Paddington James will like, here is my number 4!

4 Pink So What

#2s held off #1: Geraldine - The Winner's Song

Those of a certain age will remember Pink's RnB infused debut album. And we liked it.

But we weren't prepared for what was to follow. Follow up album Misunderstood marked Pink as a popstar with an edge. Here was a cool singer who could flit between emotive ballads and out and out rock/pop songs. She'd hit the top spot previously with 'Lady Marmalade' and the tune that is 'Just Like A Pill' (back in the day that was a great treadmill song for me).

Numerous hit singles and albums followed, but it would take six years for Pink to return to the top spot. 'So What' hits you with an almighty empowered punch. Some people labelled the chorus as child like and bratty. Those people are wrong!

The video famously featured the antagonist of the songs lyrics. At the time Pink had separated from husband Carey Hart, putting the response to this event into her music. Carey returned the favour by appearing in the music video. What a legend.

Considering how big Pink is, it's a shame she is stuck at three number ones. But I will always remember an interview she did right before 'What About Us' was released. Pink told the interviewer that her record label, upon her turning 30, had sat her down and told her she was too old to be a singles artist now. They would have to promote her as an albums artist and move away from chasing hits. Having none of it, Pink smashed the charts once more with her return, proving that age is nothing but a number....

And so is anyone surprised with my top 3?

And who will rank number one from the final 3?

Girls Aloud vs The Ting Tings vs Leona Lewis

'American Boy' is overplayed but a banger, it was nice to see it come out of nowhere at the time and do what it did.

I was addicted to 'So What' at the time, but it's been so overdone that I struggle to get any enjoyment out of it anymore Still, an absolute storming lead single from her nonetheless.

Hi Herbs,

it's been quite some time since I commented here. From the 3 remaining songs the Ting Tings one is my favourite and would be also among my 3 favourites here. Not to keen on the ones by Girls Aloud and Leona Lewis. Among my top 5 I would definitely include Basshunter (my guilty pleasure), Kings Of Leon and Duffy. P!nk and Coldplay should be also close to it, but I need to give the 19 songs a proper re-listen to give a final ranking.

Pink, Duffy and Estelle would have been my top 3. The Promise is ok but yeah that’s not a great top 3 for me.

“So What” is a little bratty but I’m glad it gave Pink another chart topper, and I really like the other singles from that album.

“American Boy” though has held up so well: still sounds really classy and timeless and effortless.

I have a clear order of preference in the Top 3.

Still enjoy 'So What' lots whenever I do hear it and the accompanying album is fab. Was indeed great to see it finally give P!nk another number one after all this time!

'American Boy' was the song I was referring to oops. Find it on the boring end and would place near the bottom for me but I did at least like Kanye's parts on the track. I don't think I've heard any of Estelle's singles before it (and can't recall her follow up) so maybe I might like some of those.

Think I'm backing Girls Aloud to come out on top here!

So What I liked a lot more at the time, but there's no denying how catchy it is and it was great to see P!nk get a proper huge smash as a lead single.

A lot of the pop and pop/rock production of 2008 sounds really very dated now to me, including this track and Katy's early stuff, yet the soul/retro influenced hits from the likes of Duffy, Adele and Girls Aloud has held up way better for me, I suppose because it's a production style that never really ages, whereas that specific pop sound peddled by Dr Luke/Shellback/Max Martin/RedOne etc at the time was very much wedded to that era specifically.

I will go against the grain and say that my two favourite No.1s of the year are in fact in your top three.

Whilst I love P!nk I'm not huge on So What, so I'm happy to see it miss the top 3. I don't mind American Boy either.

I like all of the top 3 and if I'm predicting I think it'll go:

3 - Run

2 - The Prmise

1 - That's Not My Name

Two great singles there, American Boy isnt on oldies slots on radio that much but it remains fresh in my memory, and I heard So What the other day, still a pop bop.

Of the three songs left

1 made me cry the first time I heard it

1 is a song that brings me a lot of joy (with a slight tinge of sadness)

1 is just an epic song and gave the artist a thoroughly deserved number one

15 hours ago, Paddington James said:

Whilst I love P!nk I'm not huge on So What, so I'm happy to see it miss the top 3. I don't mind American Boy either.

I like all of the top 3 and if I'm predicting I think it'll go:

3 - Run

2 - The Prmise

1 - That's Not My Name

I mean, if this was the order I'd be telling you to get out of my head!

Just catching up now and my firm favourite alongside Coldplay is still in the running, yay!

Unfortunately I'm not a fan of 'If I Were A Boy' due to the cliché-ridden lyrics. I agree that Sasha Fierce was a real mixed bag of an era, as ballad-wise I do much prefer 'Halo'. The week 'If I Were A Boy' debuted in the top 10 alongside Britney, Leona, Alesha etc. remains an iconic girl power chart snapshot though!

Back to praise next as I still really like 'American Boy', it has effortless swagger. Shame Estelle's momentum tailed off pretty quickly after that.

This X Factor finalists performance of 'So What' came up on TikTok recently and now I cannot unhear Tesco Mary tackling the beginning of it:

Okay, forget what I said about the girl power week, P!nk vs. Geraldine is where it was at *.*

3 Leona Lewis Run

#2s held off #1: None

Sometimes I really miss the era of CD's. In case you don't know, I was born in 1985 and started getting properly into music around 97/98 (biggest Steps & B*Witched fan in my school - an honour I wore proudly!), I went through the era of cassette/CD singles, using my weekly pocket money from my nan to buy whatever took my fancy that week. Growing up in Milton Keynes meant regular visits to the huuuuge shopping centre and an over-excited Herbs browsing the stands in HMV (and occasionally Woolworths) considering what to buy.

Sometimes I'd save my money up over a period of weeks so I could buy a full album! And when I moved into my late teens/adulthood I discovered I also liked buying compilations. When I heard about the concept of Radio 1 for the first time I was sold. I could hear an artist perform an acoustic version of their song, plus a cover of another artists' song. And I looooooooove an acoustic song at the best of times.

And so we move to Leona Lewis. Her first post X Factor single 'Bleeding Love' was big. Seven weeks at number one big. And she went onto Jo Whiley's Live Lounge to perform a live version of the track, accompanied by a 14 piece band. The fact that barely anyone remembers this performance tells you how much of an impact her choice of cover had.

Now I am a big Snow Patrol fan. And I adore their original version of 'Run'. But I think I have to say I prefer Leona's version (fire any daggers you want at me, I will die on that hill.....). When I first heard Leona's live cover, I cried. As apparently did everyone in the room at the time. Jo Whiley gave interviews saying that there were many wet faces in the room & after the performance people regularly phoned in asking for the performance to be repeated on the radio. Even Snow Patrol front man said that her version of his bands song took his breath away and he made a point about having a continual dislike for reality music shows.

Initially there were no plans to release this song as a single, despite it's popularity. But somewhere down the line, this feeling changed and a studio version of the song was recorded ready for the next season of X Factor. The song was launched with a simply stunning, woodland themed video and it blew up all over again. It went straight to number one, knocking off that Take That song you have all shown your undying love for (lol). This felt like a poignant changeover at the top, as it was Gary Barlow who said to Simon Cowell that Leona was the best contestant X Factor had ever had and he had a responsibility to make the best record he can.

I often wonder how big the sales would have been had her record label rush-released 'Run' in 2007. I expect first week sales would have been huge and it may have gotten more than 2 weeks at the top.

At this point in her career, I think many people thought Leona would go on to have many more number one singles. 'Happy' almost made it the following year, but despite taking an early midweek lead over Black Eyed Peas, it eventually lost out to 'Meet Me Halfway' after both songs were performed on X Factor (an own goal if ever there was one). Leona had a few top 10 hits after but each saw decreased returns (the exception being her Christmas song 'One More Sleep').

Back to Live Lounge, I'd love to hear what your favourite live lounge performances are. Some of mine are as follows:

• Little Mix - I Will Wait

• Girls Aloud - With Every Heartbeat

• Birdy - Let Her Go

• Tom Odell - I Knew You Were Trouble

• Kodaline - Same Love

• Bastille - We Can't Stop

I respect Leona’s version of “Run” more than I love it, but I do think she brought something different to the record and that’s what a cover should do.

Ting Tings for the win but really like both..

I think she did a really good job of it, made it her own and put a different spin on it. I probably like both this and the original equally, but in a different way.