Slight off-topic addendum: I've looked down the chart a bit further for 'Written In The Stars''s week, and I found the reason I got briefly very obsessed with the charts.

The Wombats 'Tokyo (Vampires & Wolves)' was getting huge play on Radio 1 at that time and I was absolutely obsessed with it, like playing it on repeat on the way home levels of obsessed, and it felt like the only song in the world at the time, of course it was going to #1. Only got to #23, absolute robbery. 'Written In The Stars' and 'Let The Sun Shine' make a lot more sense at the top looking at it objectively, but god if only we allowed rock songs at the top in 2010.

(I'd go through the same heartbreak a few months later with 'Jump Into The Fog', I was an absolute Wombats stan that album)

Another song that reminds me of my time living in Wales, I moved there in September and this song was already everywhere, and then got to No.1 a few weeks later. Probably my least favourite Tinie release of 2010, but still decent and anthemic. It sounds pretty dated to me now though in a way that his others from 2010 don't and still feel fresh.

It didn't take Blue long to completely rip it off for their 2011 Eurovision entry I Can, which has almost the same chords and production.

I'm very fond of Once, and that Diana album, it was a lovely song to get to No.1, of the type that would probably get to No.101 these days. Ah the combination of the held back era and X Factor at its peak. Her voice is a really acquired taste but I was backing her on X Factor in her year.

I really like Written in the Stars and the whole Disc-Ovary album. Tine was a big part in making UK rap acceptable.

Written In The Stars was ok though I never really gave it much time back in 2010. I much preferred his Ellie Goulding and Kelly Rowland collaborations from that album.

Another I'd forgotten until I played it again, Written In The Stars I havent heard since it waved bye to the charts - and it's pretty good. A good mash-up of styles with a proper chorus and production. It's also Tinie's best track as per my personal charts a long-running top 10, Wonderman is the nearest challenger a top 20 with Ellie Goulding.

Written in the stars is a bop, suprised its not played a lot anymore on radio though

'Written In The Stars' is the only Tinie track I have any time for. Love it. Really anthemic track. Will be rated inside the top 10 for me too.

7. Scouting For Girls – This Ain’t A Love Song

2 weeks at #1 (entered 4^th April): 01-01-02-05-07-11-17-28-31-37-44-53-56-56-58-54-47-52-58-68-82-91

Kept off #1: None

EOY #41

Speaking of rock songs, The Wombats should have been a tip off, as we move into the final section, the next song up is the only rock song by a band that would reach the top spot in 2010. Despite the years immediately preceding this containing the ‘indie landfill’ wave, the ‘club banger’ era took a toll on rock songs reaching the top, something that hasn’t ever swung back. Though 2009 would have none if it weren’t for RATM and the number had been declining for years.

In some interpretations, ‘This Ain’t A Love Song’ is the final rock song to ever hit #1 and so ‘this is goodbye’ makes it hit a little harder for me, and many of the other lyrics become painfully ironic. Yes it’s not literally the last song with rock influences to hit #1, but those that would manage it in the future are either harder-edged solo singers or all-stadium soft-rock outfits using all their radio pop skills to get one slightly rocky anthem a brief look-in at #1, and even that wouldn’t last more than a few years beyond this.

Scouting For Girls are hardly rock’s hardest edge, though their delving into ‘power pop’ makes them more rock than OneRepublic or later Coldplay, for instance. It’s actually surprising and a miracle that this song got to #1, for two weeks, when the song they’re almost certainly more known for, ‘She’s So Lovely’, was a little way off #1 a few years before. I absolutely recall hearing ‘She’s So Lovely’ everywhere, even a bit of ‘Elvis Ain’t Dead’, those two songs feel bigger for them in retrospect. ‘This Ain’t A Love Song’ came and went at the time without it impacting my life very much if at all. Going back to it, and despite a common criticism of all of SFG’s songs sounding the same, made me realise how quality it is in comparison to their more overplayed radio anthems.

Scouting For Girls were indie-rock landfill’s final form of the somewhat jarring indie anthem that had been peddled by The Fratellis, The Hoosiers, Kaiser Chiefs, The Wombats et al. Despite that being a perjorative, I enjoy most of the bands from that era a lot, and while some of their overplayed songs could get annoying, delving into an album is a fun pastime, it uncovers hidden gems and the singles seem better in context. Scouting For Girls were named for the members’ association with the Scout Groups, and not in fact, because they’re itinerant heterosexuals (though I’m sure they are), ‘This Ain’t A Love Song’, a completely self-written #1 (those have been quite rare in this thread!) led off their second album, and as is tradition, their accumulated fanbase from the first album ensured the lead single from the sophomore album would go straight to #1. Let’s hope rock bands can continue to rely on that, surely nothing would happen that would stop that.

I love the smooth chords here, there's not much oversinging, it's emo in the right ways, even if it's a bit more mainstream and radio-friendly than some of the best of that kind, the lyrics all really do their best to sell this heartfelt farewell song (that certainly isn't a love song), you can tell that lead singer Roy Stride is putting a lot of feeling here. Lyrical moves like 'though I'm down, I'll be coming back fighting, I may be scared but a little bit frightened', or 'the cruel words and the false accusations, the mean looks and the same old frustrations' just flow perfectly throughout the verses, the chorus is huge and sad, and that instrumental sounds brilliant throughout. The band grew and matured for their second album, and 'This Ain't A Love Song' is a very welcome result, and 'Famous' a little later in the year was another very decent follow-up.

It's easily my favourite track by them and a great conclusion to the era of indie-rock and emo. Ironic that just as I was getting into the charts, one of my favourite genres had had its final goodbye to the UK top spot, never to be seen again in its traditional rock band form, but it was a great last hurrah.

This Scouting for Girls song must be the very last of the 2000s landfill indie era. I wouldn't really class it as indie myself, it's more pop compared to their previous singles.

It's pleasant enough. Nothing special.

Edited June 6Jun 6 by Charlielargepotatoes

'Written in the Stars' is good, it's not one I've ever really listened to of my own volition but I've always enjoyed it whenever I heard it.

Scouting For Girls are one act I've never liked a single song by, and this should effectively be considered a cover of The Feeling's 'Never Be Lonely'. Or at least a very shameless rip-off.

I wouldn't ever call Scouting For Girls rock in any way, but I do have a massive soft spot for them!

I've seen them live a couple of times (and will be at one of their 20th anniversary shows at Wembley Arena, with The Hoosiers [also mentioned in your post] supporting, no less), and 'This Ain't a Love Song' is always a highlight.

Their more recent music doesn't grab me as much, so I'm not surprised they dropped off after this (they have a few gems, but they're certainly more hit and miss these days) - this was an excellent last hurrah though!

That would be the other end for me oops. Never liked them and this didn't change anything for me. I guess it is probably their best by default as it's not as annoying and using the same formula as their other hits but still left me feeling nothing.

We No Speak Americano was another very of the time moment that felt like it was designed to be used as a goofy montage, but it still is a lot of fun. Electro-Swing has definitely felt like it past it's peak in the mid-2010s, I will also shout out The Swingrowers from the genre, I sent their cover of Mr Sandman to a BJSC spin off *__

Diana Vickers was always my favourite on that series of X Factor and I have her album on CD! Her style and voice so much more distinctive than your typical contestant, and Once felt refreshingly different with it's electronic vibes so it was pleased it was a number 1, albeit a fleeting one. Shout out also to The Boy Who Murdered Love, was never big on My Wicked Heart though. I think I remember the play she starred in playing in my local theatre recently!

Tinie Tempah was certainly one of the powerhouses of early 2010s grime, though he really was a bit of a one-trick pony and morphed into a really generic rent-a-rapper as the decade went on. But in 2010, he was undeniable and his other one to come this year is still great, I really liked Written in the Stars as well, mainly cos of Eric Turner's epic chorus which gives it a real stadium feel.

I'm quite glad you ranked Scouting for Girls as high as the top 10, as they've always been a derided band I've had a soft spot for, I think that's their best song and yeah they had a sound they stuck to, but there's some real weight to that production that wasn't there before and a heartfelt delivery. (Have a lot of love for Tokyo (Vampires & Wolves) as well <3) I have a huge soft spot for landfill indie in general so it was a nice last hurrah for the genre commercially.

I’d never heard that Scouting For Girls song until now, in fact I don’t think I’ve ever heard anything by them until now.

It’s about average for me. Though I think this kind of sounds like a The Script song.

I agree their earlier songs are the ones that spring to mind - but for me in an irritating way. And this is so The Feeling, as per the comment above, but I'd much rather listen to this than the more-famous ones from Scouting For Girls, nice string section and it's not nearly as annoying as She's So Luvverlee, it's quite nice actually. As far as Rockpop goes, a sad farewell from me there have been dozens and dozens worthy tracks since this to top the charts, current faves being Reverend And The Makers and The Lottery Winners. Quality even if it's not what 14-year-olds listen to. Scouting For Girls have been pretty good of late though! Current single Get What You Give is easily as good as their best in their heyday (ie this track or Elvis Ain't Dead).

I completely forgot This Ain’t A Love Song got to number one, it’s pleasant enough. As others have mentioned, I hear some of The Feeling in there, but also maybe a bit of Keane especially in the piano driven melody?

If SFG is rock, it’s of the very softest pop kind.

They did much better, but they were way too schmaltzy for me.

'This Ain't A Love Song' is average for me but I do like 'Written In The Stars'! It has some memorable bars and a soaring chorus even if the vocals are distractingly breathy in places. It was quite a moment to watch that do so well in the U.S. too, when it peaked at #12 on the Billboard Hot 100 *.*

This Ain't A Love Song was a bit of a surprise number 1. Nice song but not the most interesting #1.

It sounds like it could be a hit now, its very Tiktok indie pop friendly.

6. Roll Deep – Good Times (feat. Jodie Connor)

3 weeks at #1 (entered 2^nd May): 01-01-01-03-09-14-30-37-41-46-57-52-56-68-65-83-80-99

Kept off #1: Jason Derülo – Ridin’ Solo

EOY #53

One unusual thing about 2010’s list is that there are no #1s that spent more than 3 weeks at the top. This has always made it seem like an outlier, even the years with the highest turnover often have a #1 or two that holds on for an entire month. Actually, along with not having a EOY #1 that was a #1, it’s also actually the only year in UK chart history without a #1 that had 4 weeks or more at the top, although 1999 & 2000 do have to share Westlife’s 4-weeker ‘I Have A Dream’ to make that completely true. ‘When We Collide’ was one of the 3-weekers, and that spilled into 2011. There were only 2 other 3-weekers, and they have both made it well into my top 10. Let’s look ahead to some ‘Good Times’.

As previously discussed, Roll Deep were Wiley's grime collective and they managed to get together and record an album that had a high amount of commercial viability, Wiley and a few others from his crew do the verses here, for the chorus singer they hire one Jodie Connor. A Genius annotation describes her as 'A gorgeous singer from England, she went on to collaborate with Wiley once again on her track “Now or Never”.' with a picture attached, just so we know what we're getting into here. Unfortunately that's a fairly accurate assessment of Connor's career, she did have a couple of solo songs that charted and that I enjoyed a little bit, but they weren't particularly memorable and it does not seem like she has done very much music related since 2012, a couple of songs released in 2016 and 2018, otherwise, dropped off the face of the earth, her Instagram is private and says 'Business Owner' so hopefully enjoying life.

For a 3-week #1 and clearly a little bit of longevity, ‘Good Times’ has a really strange chart run, it dominated for nearly the entirety of May (including blocking 'Ridin' Solo' again, yess) and then completely disappeared off the charts in a manner more befitting a fanbase buy. I’m not exactly sure why that was, maybe it was very easily replaceable in the clubs and on the radio, because it was. But it’s such an energetic listen I couldn’t help but place this very high indeed.

Seriously, listen through at least the first verse of ‘Good Times’. Jodie and Wiley swap their lines flawlessly, even if it is rhyming ‘high street shopping’ with ‘boppin’’ it’s the sort of song that’d leave you breathless on the dancefloor. Makes me feel alive even just listening to it at home, I haven’t heard it out for a long time but I know it was good when it did come on in a social setting. Further on through the song, Brazen has a decent second verse, but Breeze and Scratchy (side note: these names, man) bring it really really well together on verse 3, throughout their bars there is a constant sense of urgency and build to a climax, up to the point where Scratchy yells out ‘you only get one life, no replay’ it gives me as much musical excitement as I often get from power metal.

Which is a weird way to explain that this is an energy-laden song through and through, that’s a quality that is very often restricted to dramatic rock songs or intense songs of any genre, but also shows up sometimes in the most frenetic club bangers, and ‘Good Times’ is absolutely one of the latter. It feels weird to say because lyrically and instrumentally it’s kinda basic, but it works with what it has extremely well and it’s ultimately just incredibly joyful and fun to listen through.  

Again, like with 'Green Light', I'm not sure quite what happened here to send Wiley, his crew and Jodie Connor to briefly have the biggest single in the nation, such a thing was unexpected enough for this place to have it win a BJSC a couple of months before (albeit with a reservation list and limited veto and a lineup that looks far more cheap than it was even when I joined a year later), but it's a very well-done radio song, a great club jump arounder, and I enjoy listening to it at home a lot more regularly than I'd probably care to mention.