I hated this at the time, although I'm a bit more fond of it these days.

It really is a shameless and cheap rip-off of 'Just Dance' though.

A halo effect number 1, undeserving. Sad MJ didn’t make it.

I did have a soft spot for Cascada at the time (bar their cover of Truly Madly Deeply), Everytime We Touch is great, and I did enjoy this one at the time, although it is SO of the time it hurts these days, the production is so cheap and recycled and the Eminem copycat rent-a-rapper is quite hilariously pointless. I've got some good memories of it so can't dislike it, but not one I go back to much, a real shame MJ couldn't get a posthumous number 1, although I would say that one isn't really a huge highlight from him, just was very fitting at the time of his death.

Peter Kay's Animated All Star Band was the other one that I own on CD, I couldn't not with a video as creative and an ode to the many shows of my childhood as that one, it definitely doesn't really make sense without the video, but I do still think the transitions are quite well done and I love that they got most of the original voice actors back. Probably my favourite charity ensemble single, certainly none that followed were as fun.

‘Evacuate..’ is a good ‘of its time’ dance record, though I was surprised it stopped MJ from getting a posthumous number one

Ooh yes Mama Do is very Amy isn't it, not noticed before. I like it though, a decent pop single. JLS sounding very Usher/Ne-Yo but not quite as good as either at their best. The song has the production but lacks in the melody department. Evacuate The Dancefloor is bopping nicely, but Man In The Mirror was my preference. Cascada can be decent dance, but I've never been able to shake the image of an unfortunate gag about My Bowels replacing The Dancefloor, I wish they'd used a different word to Evacuate! Four Syllables so there must be alternatives. Of the three tracks Mama Do for me.

Cascada’s 2 biggest hits are the only ones I quite like - everything else I can remember from them sounds cheap and recycled. “1, 2 Step” should have been a #1 instead of the rather similar “Beat Again” but that was still one of their better efforts. Mid table is about right for “Mama Do” - has a nice vintage soul feel to it but without the emotional depth of Amy’s records.

I truly can't see how 'Mama Do' sounds like Amy Winehouse. It's more bubblegum pop compared.

Fair position for Cascada there. 'Everytime We Touch' was the #1 they should have had <3 I do enjoy 'Evacuate The Dancefloor' but never truly loved it despite peaking at 8 in my chart. Was definitely wanting MJ to get the number one in tribute.

16 Cheryl Cole - Fight For This Love

2 weeks in October / November 2009: {1}-1-2-4-5-8-10-13-17-14-11-26-33-37-37-42-43-36-40-49-51-40-43-51-50-65-73-70-70-57R(25)->30

Kept off #1: Westlife - What About Now

#4 in EOY 2009

We may be done with the year's #1 from contestants from The X Factor, but this one also feels inexorably linked to the show. Cheryl Cole (as she was then) had risen to fame as a member of Girls Aloud, formed in 2002 for one of its precursor talent contests on ITV, Popstars: The Rivals. With the group having stitched together 20 Top 10 hits - a run ended by the #11 peak of 'Untouchable' in early 2009 - Cheryl was primed for a solo career as the member most in the public eye due to her mentoring role on The X Factor which began in 2008, and following her solo chart feature that year on will.i.am's #4 hit 'Heartbreaker'. Her full solo launch was timed for promotion during the live shows of her second series as a mentor, and indeed this was released the week after 'Bad Boys' which marked the launch of Alexandra Burke's solo career for by far the biggest first week sale of the year to that point. Cheryl's song made an even bigger splash, as it flew to #1 with 292k sales, and sold another 138k in week 2 to stay there. With a fairly understated midtempo pop R&B production, the song's lyrical theme of relationships needing to be worked at came with the backdrop of Cheryl's much publicised personal life with then-husband Ashley Cole.

This is where it is because it's a well-written song that worked within the grasp of Cheryl's vocal abilities. There's nothing too complicated - the lyrics are very transparent, and the chorus echoes the chords of the verses and bridge, just sung an octave higher. It also has a memorable tune - in fact when 'Shallow' came out in 2018, I was amazed at how similar the melody of its chorus is (I was quite new to Buzzjack then, but I don't remember anyone mentioning it here at the time - it can't have been just me?) Ultimately though, this kind of statement hit was only apt to be a one-off for Cheryl, and it was diminishing returns thereafter (another four #1s notwithstanding), but at the time, it worked a treat for her. Even in the second week, the #2 wasn't particularly close - though who remembers Westlife could still chart that high in 2009, with a predictably bland cover which had recently been a #11 hit for Daughtry whose leader was an alumnus of American Idol - though of more interest is the song it had pipped to #3, as Jay Sean's 'Down' (featuring American rapper Lil Wayne) was also a US #1, an unprecedented feat for British artists in his genre.

I quite liked the Cascada song at the time and it was great to see them get a #1. Now however it not one I got back to much at all. I prefer many other songs by them.

I have a soft spot for this Cheryl song and I've always found it quite enjoyable. It is one of her better solo singles for me.

Oh I’d have Fight for this Love top 10 easily. As you say, a fairly understated song but it’s all the better for it as she’s not the best singer!

I completely understand how the chorus for 'Shallow' sounds very similar to 'Fight for this Love'.

I never noticed until @jimwatts mentioned it.

Who would have thought Lady Gaga would plagiarise other artists' music? 😆

Edited April 21Apr 21 by Charlielargepotatoes

'Fight For This Love' is a classic of its time. Her solo career was patchy to say the least, but this was a good 'un.

3 minutes ago, Jessie Where said:

'Fight For This Love' is a classic of its time. Her solo career was patchy to say the least, but this was a good 'un.

Personally, I thought 'Parachute' was a better song.

I wasn't a fan of her others.

I don't think I realised Cascada was more than one person (well, up to 2021) until I read press about them when they did Eurovision! Their music is not my thing although I'm not quite as much of a vocal hater as Brer. 'Evacuate the Dancefloor' is of its time and pretty tacky. Its lasting legacy in my head is certainly blocking Michael Jackson. I agree with Chez that 'Man In The Mirror' was a fitting MJ tribute albeit not a favourite musically.

'Fight For This Love' was a smart choice of solo launch when Cheryl had such high profile marital struggles. Total catnip for the public. The red and black military styling in the music video and live performances was a memorable visual accompaniment too. She was truly flying at this point with her X Factor platform and the 'nation's sweetheart' tag, quite the turnaround from her controversial early Girls Aloud days. Long-term I actually prefer the follow-up '3 Words' (minus the naff M-E-T-O-O part, but otherwise an interesting sonic direction) however this was absolutely the correct choice to kick off the era.

I'm with Jade on 3 Words, that is peak Cheryl for me, great record, Fight For This Love is OK, catchy pop but there were better chart options at the time.

'Fight For This Love' was a fun first solo hit for Cheryl's career. Sounds good still checking now too.

I do like Fight For Your Love. It’s very catchy but I agree that X Factor appearance was the most memorable thing about it, when Cheryl outdid pretty much all of the contestants. By this stage it felt that the show was more of an publicity vehicle for the guests than it was for the competition

Edited April 21Apr 21 by Jaz13music

15 Jay-Z feat. Rihanna & Kanye West - Run This Town

1 week in September 2009: {1}-3-4-5-6-10-17-28-40-47-57-74->12

Kept off #1: Sugababes - Get Sexy

#60 in EOY 2009

A superstar collaboration, each of whom need little introduction, though it's worth noting that as president of Def Jam Recordings, Jay-Z helped launch the careers of both guest artists here. In terms of the UK chart, with two #1 appearances already alongside Beyoncé, Jay-Z's third was on Rihanna's first #1, the megahit 'Umbrella', while Kanye West had appeared on his previous Top 40 hit, 2008's 'Swagga Like Us'. This single trailed the release of his album The Blueprint 3 and became his 4th UK #1 - and first as lead artist - as well as the 3rd for both guests, with opening sales of 62k. In Rihanna's case, although this was her only week at the top in 2009, it would ensure she would have at least one UK #1 every year from 2007 to 2013 inclusive. Regarding the song itself, Rihanna opens with the chorus and bridge, Jay-Z takes the first two verses and Kanye the final one.

Of the 33 songs in this countdown, this is among those I paid the least attention at the time itself (real life events took over that week), but the main things I recalled before relistening were Rihanna's parts and the production with the battle clap sound, which I still think are the song's best features. For Jay-Z it was a big statement and his flow in the second verse especially is unmistakeable, though 'Empire State Of Mind' would be the jewel of the era for him. Kanye, if we overlook where he was heading, or even the Taylor Swift incident at the MTV VMAs the very next week, does hold his own here for the most part (not so much "only good gon' come is this good when I'm..." yeah thanks for that). The video with the street mob preparing for battle was strong too. One of the other good things this did was block the song at #2 - it may have been a bit harsh for Amelle's solo feature to appear fourth from bottom in this countdown, but I'd have had little hesitation in putting this one with her group among the bottom three had it been #1 that week - the 'I'm Too Sexy' interpolation is pretty trashy and not in a good way, still they certainly wouldn't be the last to tread that particular path.

I really quite like this one. I way prefer it to 'Empire State Of Mind' anyway, that does my head in.