8 minutes ago, Jessie Where said:

I enjoy it for the tat it is, and of course it brought us the delightful Ke$ha.

I always thought the backing track shared similarities with 'I Kissed a Girl', which funnily enough The aforementioned Kesh starred in before her breakthrough.

Wait, Kesha's in I Kissed A Girl? I presume it's the music video?

25 minutes ago, Paddington James said:

Wait, Kesha's in I Kissed A Girl? I presume it's the music video?

Yes!

15 minutes ago, Jessie Where said:

Yes!

Wow, I never knew that! I just rewatched the video and I think I saw which one was Kesha.

I agree, Right Round isn’t the best of Flo Rida, a bit rap by numbers for me and relying too heavily on ‘You Spin me …’ for melody.

only rated this worthy of a high spot of 62 in my charts of the time, I think I was annoyed at the rewriting of Dead Or Alive and the inevitable creep to full-on lyrical graphic-sex-obsession of pop music of 2026, but playing it now...I actually really like this! It's a banging production and relentlessly enthusiastic. Colour me surprised! As a dance track, it's pretty good.

As a BTW apparently some poll on the changing language of time showed Gen Z folk when asked about former names for the unmentionable act 80% had no idea what olden times rumpy-pumpy, a bit of how's your father, or making love meant. Presumably just use the S or F word these days 😮😇

25 Alexandra Burke - Hallelujah

3 weeks in December 2008 / January 2009: {1}-1-1-3-6-11-23-32-28-47-61-70R(34)->12

Kept off #1: Jeff Buckley - Hallelujah [in 2008]

#52 in EOY 2009

After losing the first #1 for the featured artist on 'Bad Boys' yesterday, we now lose the first for the lead artist. As mentioned above, Alexandra Burke won the fifth series of The X Factor in 2008, defeating JLS in the final. Both acts performed this song in the final, and with Alexandra announced as the winner, her recorded version was released and swept to #1 with sales of 576k in Christmas week and 311k the week after, making it the best selling single of 2008 from just a fortnight's sales. A third week at #1 in the first week of 2009 was secured with a sale of 104k, so it qualifies for this countdown - I wasn't going to include it originally, but as almost all of these rates have included carried over #1s from the previous year, and it does put it in comparison with Alexandra's follow-up, I've given it a berth here. Another reason for doing so is that it gives me an opportunity to talk about the earlier version of the song which this held off #1, albeit in the Christmas chart of 2008.

'Hallelujah' was written by Leonard Cohen, whose version was released in 1984, and whose downloads on the back of the later versions would see it land at #36 in the chart of Christmas 2008, becoming his only Top 40 hit. However the hitherto best known version was recorded by Jeff Buckley for his 1994 album Grace, his only studio album released before his death in 1997 at the age of 30. I had read about his version but hadn't heard it until I bought an iPod in 2007 when it was one of the first songs I downloaded. By coincidence, the compilation So Real - Songs From Jeff Buckley had just been released with 'Hallelujah' the focus track, and I downloaded it the same week it made its Top 75 debut at #65. Within a few months, it had established a place among my favourite songs - accompanied only by his plucking an electric guitar, Jeff's voice soars through five verses, building with crescendos to draw new life from the lyrical imagery, and interwoven by the lullaby-like chorus.

When in the 2008 series of American Idol contestant Jason Castro performed the track, Simon Cowell must have realised there was some mileage in bringing it to a larger audience - it would feature in many contestants' auditions at the judges' houses in the following series of The X Factor, before being chosen as the song for the winner's single. The recording for Alexandra's version clearly takes its cue from Jeff Buckley with the guitar backing - she sings the first, second and final verse from this version, with the obligatory key change before the latter. The video features her singing in a room full of candles, interspersed with the usual montage from her 'journey' on the show. It's a strong vocal performance, reasonably poised, and does succeed in making her version more than a tread through a song she had clearly been told to sing. It just pales in comparison to Jeff's recording for me, which hits the emotions as if it would be the last thing he would ever sing. With awareness of his version growing, it returned to the chart in late 2008, and a campaign emerged with the aim to take it to Christmas #1 instead - in the end managed to outsell everything except Alexandra's version that week, albeit with sales a long way behind at 80k. I'd like to think that the bulk of those sales were not specifically with the aim of blocking Alexandra, but because people had discovered this version and liked it. However there would be no denying Alexandra her moment, as well as no shortage of ker-ching! for Simon Cowell and co. on another chapter in The X Factor success story. Having originally said the song didn't do anything for her, Alexandra has since spoken positively of it, and I do think it stands out as the best of her three #1s, so it deserves a spot on this countdown above 'Bad Boys'.

As mentioned earlier, I think Alexandra had a great voice, but I can’t like this cover version. For a song that’s subtle, understated, sad, haunting and beautiful, this version blasts all that away with typical X Factor bombast (key change, gospel choir, Christmas Bells etc etc). I once read somewhere that Leonard Cohen actually wrote something like 80 draft verses in total and kept chopping and changing them aiming for perfection.

I do like all sorts of versions of the brilliant song though (Rufus Wainwright’s from the Shrek soundtrack is fantastic), but Jeff Buckley’s is the one for me. One of my all time favourite cover versions. What a great number one it could have been.

“Everybody In Love” is fairly dreary but a pleasant enough listen at least. “Right Round” is a little trashy and uninteresting like much of Flo’s output.

I’d certainly put “Bad Boys” above “Hallelujah” as it’s a serviceable pop song - the main positive of the latter is that it brought the other versions to a new audience and otherwise it’s just all kinds of wrong.

Certainly there’s nothing more than a 4 or 5 out of 10 to appear so far though.

My sister was a big JLS fan growing up so unfortunately I would not stop hearing them day after day which made me intensely dislike them. Looking back on it now, they only did one truly horrible song, The Club is Alive, the rest were just average really, nothing that really holds up. Their other number 1 here is probably their best, Everybody in Love is just very average.

Was also not a fan of Bad Boys, I think Alex was a bit like Leona in that she had real talent but not good material and going by what she's said since, it wasn't the music she wanted to make anyway.

I quite like both Never Leave You and Boys & Girls, both are very of their time but pleasant enough and I do prefer them to both their respective number 1s to come. My brother's friend is pretty much Pixie Lott's only remaining stan and is on meeting terms with her and her family!

I used to dislike Right Round heavily as I love the original, but it's...fine I guess if you take it as it is as typical of Flo Rida. Both fairly average 80s callbacks in that top 2.

Ooh bad Boyz being so low is a choice was the perfect choice to launch her career, Overcome was such a great album itself , shame they fumbled with Heartbreak on Hold (even that has some gems though)

Right round is interesting low too either im missing something or 2009 was just very strong in terms of number 1s

Alexndras version of Hallelujah was fantastic and it worked well as a winners song, it definitely wouldnt of worked as well for JLS , I do really like Rufus wainwright and Jeff Buckleys version though

At the time I quite liked Alexandra's 'Hallelujah' but I found myself going back to Jeff's glorious version mainly and would only really seek out that version now. I liked Rufus's too.

24 Chipmunk - Oopsy Daisy

1 week in October 2009: {1}-3-3-7-12-23-32-39-44-54-69R(2)-43-48-74-75->15

Kept off #1: The Saturdays - Forever Is Over

#48 in EOY 2009

British rapper Chipmunk, later known as Chip, made his chart debut earlier in 2009 while studying for his A-levels, and a few months later had scored three Top 10 hits including this UK #1, as well as a #2 album, all at the age of 18. Most of his hits were collaborations, and although uncredited on the chart, much of the vocal heavy lifting here is by female singer Dayo, who would amass several chart appearances including another #1 in 2012 on Wiley's 'Heatwave' as Ms D, and later under the name Dyo on NEIKED's huge 2016 hit 'Sexual' which peaked at #5. For Chip this was his only week at #1 with sales of 82k, although more hits followed including the #2 Chris Brown collab 'Champion' in 2011, but generally following a less commercial path. There is a section on his Wikipedia page under the heading "Feuds", though I can't substantiate any of that, so go and look it up if you're interested.

I have a slight soft spot for this, as there's a nostalgic sense of innocence to it. It's another one where the production hasn't aged the best with that squeaky synth sound associated with the turn of the decade, though the piano cushions it all nicely. Chip's verses are accessible in subject matter and flow, however the best and most memorable aspects are D(a)yo's vocals on the bridge and chorus. Ironically, as Chip namechecks The Saturdays and their earlier hit 'Issues' in one verse, this would hold their latest single off #1! Although unlike their previous #2 as covered earlier, this one wasn't particularly close run as 'Forever Is Over' sold less than half the song it had to beat. When I described their previous one as "shouty", I had forgotten this would be coming up - I find it even more so, especially on the chorus, so I'm not too sad this wasn't the one to go #1 for them.

I also have a bit of a soft spot for “Oopsy Daisy”, though it was probably only the sung parts I really enjoyed. It’s not that great in retrospect but still preferable to that Saturdays thing.

Meh to that one. Only song I particularly cared for with him on was the Esmée collab. 'Champion' is alright I guess too.

Oopsy daisy was alright I just never got how it was so huge so its about right being this low

Just awful, I don't believe I liked anything he put out whatsoever.

I much preferred his previous single, 'Diamond Rings' featuring the pre-fame Emeli Sandé! With 'Oopsy Daisy' it just felt like Chipmunk's star was rising and he'd get to #1 with anything regardless of quality.

Chipmunk. Ha, forgot this ever existed. Awful!

The first number one from this year that I had absolutely no recollection of, and after listening again just now, I can see why. Nothing of interest for me, it commits what I think is the biggest sin in music or arts in general, being boring/safe. One of those songs that seemingly leaves no footprint once leaving the charts.

I didn’t mind Diamond Rings but Oopsy Daisy was horrendous. The no.1s of 2009 largely weren’t so great tbh.