Bulletproof very much the shining diamond in a good batch of tracks released - I went to see La Roux at the time when I used to get out more than in recent years. Decent gig too, same place as I saw James t'other week (Hi Simon). The old Opera House in Boscombe, now an O2, great venue.

Ooh now we are getting to the good stuff

Boom boom power was a great track but I agree that meet me halfway was just better

Personally the fear would be top 3 for me but a top 10 still decent enough

Bulletproof is around the right placing for me

Think the position for “Bulletproof” is about right. Shame La Roux faded away so quickly as they were a breath of fresh air.

I also think I’d have “The Fear” a good few places higher. It’s comfortably her best song and I was very glad ABBA didn’t have to face it in the Pop Factor final.

It's a banger, and I think it's held up well too!

'Quicksand' was always my favourite, shame it never got a proper moment to shine.

Bulletproof is very good, I knew about them and the rest of the 2009 synthpop revival (Little Boots too) because they were covered in a newspaper article I read before it was a hit.

8 hours ago, Julian_ said:

Shame La Roux faded away so quickly as they were a breath of fresh air.

Until being revived by Tion Wayne - mmm, hmm!

8 Dizzee Rascal & Armand Van Helden - Bonkers

2 weeks in May 2009: {1}-1-2-4-6-9-14-15-19-20-21-30-36-39-30-37-49-55-42-59-69-52R(12)-52 // 65-{31}-48->23+3

Kept off #1: none

#15 in EOY 2009

The second of Dizzee Rascal's #1s to appear in this countdown was the second #1 both for him and for American producer Armand Van Helden. For the latter, it came 10 years after his previous chart topper 'You Don't Know Me', although two years earlier his remix of Tori Amos' 'Professional Widow' had also reached the summit. From the music Armand had written, Dizzee wrote the lyrics with the potential for it to be a festival anthem in mind, and it was released early in that season in 2009. It opened with 114k, the highest weekly sale of the year up until 'Bad Boys' in October, and even a drop to 63k gave it a second week. Dizzee would later perform this at the London 2012 Olympics opening ceremony.

This is easily the best of Dizzee's five #1s for me. As a rap it's fairly minimal with one verse repeated three times around the chorus, but plays on the duality of the title in how others view him and how he's feeling, although any self-doubt is swept aside by "there's nothing crazy about me" and Armand's incessant looping of the title. By then we're done with pondering such nuances, as we've already been mesmerised by Armand's bassline that grinds through the song, and once the first drop comes in we're all too busy jumping around at whatever festival it's playing in. There's a very brief middle eight where we might be transported back to some chilled house, until it swiftly breaks back to the verse with added alarm noise. Three minutes of cathartic hedonism that I can't sum up better in one word than the title itself.

At the time Bonkers really reminded me of Audio Bullys We Don't Care which was in a Lucozade advert prior to the release of Bonkers.

Good and iconic track.

Bonkers is great, Dizzee and Armand throwing everything at the wall and seeing what sticks. Completely over the top and brilliant, I love it when artists go ‘all in’ like this!

I’ve always loved “Bonkers” - would be in my Top 5 at least. I think we’d have seen Ms Germanotta at least once by now in mine.

I’m not a big fan of Bonkers, it’s just never clicked with me for some reason. I’m not sure why.

Controversially, 'In For The Kill' did not click with me at the time, as I found the vocals too shrill. I warmed up to the more intense Skream remix in time and now do appreciate the original more. However, I found 'Bulletproof' pretty instant which was probably aided by the lower pitched vocals. It has a couple of similarities to 'With Every Heartbeat' in my head, with the trebly synths you pointed out, plus the fellow colourful building block video. Albeit a more upbeat and optimistic post-breakup headspace! I remember enjoying a mash-up of this with Agnes' 'Release Me' that was used in Pitch Perfect, although haven't heard it in years, so might have dated now with the dubstep sounds.

'Bonkers' has held up really well for me too, relentless banger. The outlandish music video style is memorable too and I sometimes find myself using it as a reference point when other videos are shot from a similar perspective, has popped into my head a couple of times in BJSC for example.

Bonkers is the only Dizzee song I really like. I’d have this top 10 as well.

Bonkers is fun, not sure it would be quite this high for me (but it might be!) as there are a handful lower I'd rate higher, as I prefer melody to rhythm tracks and riffs. Great production here though.

Loooove 'Bonkers', what a grinding bassline!

I sometimes forget he actually has five #1s.

Bonkers is truly exceptional, would be my number one here for sure, it was so instant I loved it straight away and - I feel like some of his other big hits have really aged badly but this has stood up well - phenomenal to watch him perform it live.

Crazy how quickly Dizzee's popularity just dropped off a cliff. I forgot how huge he was and how effortlessly he was racking up number 1's for a while.

I always had a soft spot for La Roux's music back then. It reminds me of playing Sonic the Hedgehog. It's a shame they didn't last very long. I don't remember anything else they did apart from 'In for the Kill' and 'Bulletproof'.

I am loving the graphics and style of the 'Bulletproof' video too. Bringing the 80s into the 00s.

That Dizzee Rascal song would come near the bottom of my countdown. I think it's absolute poo. 💩

Edited April 30Apr 30 by Charlielargepotatoes

Some really good songs coming up now. The Fear, Bulletproof, Bonkers, Boom Boom Pow - I was addicted to all four of these in 2009. Less so Meet Me Halfway but it's certainly better than the very average Happy by Leona, she basically released the weakest song on her brilliant second album as the lead single.

I will go against the grain slightly with the Lily consensus in that I still prefer Smile and LDN to The Fear, but probably nostalgia talking as that album was one of several soundtracks to my amazing summer 2006.

Boom Boom Pow was such a bolt from the blue at the time, it sounded like nothing else then or since really. A brave lead from them!

Bonkers is completely infectious! Good to see Armand back on top, and Dizzee in the middle of his imperial phase was powerful.

Bulletproof and The Fear are my favourite tracks by those two artists, very pleased to see them in the top 10, I especially like how quickfire, appropriately, Bulletproof sounds for a hit, you don't get that sort of raw energy from every chart topper and I always value it when it comes along.

The Fear is just a very good introspective and lyrical track from Lily, I do like her but I often find her songs just a little bit on the wrong side of twee, but she manages to make those lyrical turns just sound powerful on The Fear which is really nice.

though speaking of energy, Bonkers certainly has it and has it well, it's not that complex of a hit, just simple and awesome in its chorus. Such an excellent one to jump along to as you say.

7 Calvin Harris - I'm Not Alone

2 weeks in April 2009: {1}-1-3-4-4-8-12-14-17-28-29-34-48-54-46-34-39-38-42-40-40-57-67-69R(131)-67->25

Kept off #1: La Roux - In For The Kill

#23 in EOY 2009

As with Dizzee, 2008's 'Dance Wiv Me' was also the first #1 for Calvin Harris, and his following hit also went straight to #1 in 2009. It sold 66k in its first week and 62k in its second, the latter holding 'In For The Kill' at #2 for the first of its 4 weeks at that peak. Like most tracks on his forthcoming album Ready For The Weekend, but as a rare feat for a #1 single, it was written, produced and performed solely by him - something he only achieved once since with 'Summer' in 2014, despite credits on 11 UK #1s to date, and several others as producer. The central riff would later earn him a songwriting credit on Chris Brown's 2011 #6 hit 'Yeah 3x' due to the perceived similarities.

Calvin was such a breath of fresh air to the charts in the late decade. Like many of his best songs he does the vocals himself (see also his debut 'Acceptable In The 80s', the later 'Feel So Close'), and the first verse is quite underrated as it gently questions the values of the listener with a mellow guitar backing. Then the big synth riff comes in, and once we're up jumping around the place, he comes back with the chorus which I guess extends the questioning on how one sees faith. It's a bold gambit to set up an era of dance bangers with, but such was Calvin's sense of conviction that he pulled it off. Huge international success would soon come calling with all the big name collaborations, although few would be as subtly powerful as this.