The next song is coming shortly and it’s one that was only at #1 for a week.

I didnt mind Matt Cardle, he had a nice voice and this was a decent version of a song that I didn't know well and had never really noticed. Not the worst X Factor winner crowning Xmas hit, that's for sure.

'Traktor' was a storming introduction to Wretch for me but I didn't care for the other singles from his sophomore album all that much, including 'Don't Go', which I found merely alright. 'Moves Like Jagger' isn't really my thing but feels like an iconic moment from the era so that was unlucky to miss out so many times. I was fed up of Emeli Sandé when her music was inescapable, but I do think 'Heaven' is refreshing, so that would've made a great #1.

I was expecting a different song when you teased an X Factor alumnus so I'm intrigued to see how much longer the one I had in mind sticks around for!

5 minutes ago, Jade said:

'Traktor' was a storming introduction to Wretch for me but I didn't care for the other singles from his sophomore album all that much, including 'Don't Go', which I found merely alright. 'Moves Like Jagger' isn't really my thing but feels like an iconic moment from the era so that was unlucky to miss out so many times. I was so fed up of Emeli Sandé when her music was becoming overexposed, but I do think 'Heaven' is brilliant, so that would've made a great #1.

I was expecting a different song when you teased an X Factor alumnus so I'm intrigued to see how much longer the one I had in mind sticks around for!

If we're on the same page it may very well be soon.

26 – Cannonball – Little Mix

1 Week at #1 / Weekly Sales – 210,129

#41 in EOY 2011 – Total Sales of 390,596

Up next in the countdown is the winners single from eighth series of The X Factor. Little Mix became the first girl group to win The X Factor and just the second group overall in The X Factors international history. (Random won The X Factor Australia back in 2005) Cannonball was performed by the girls as their winners single on the final of The X Factor and released straight after they were crowned the winners. Keeping with The X Factor tradition Cannonball is of course a cover, released originally by Irish singer/songwriter Damien Rice in 2002. Over the years Damien’s version had charted at #32 in 2003, #19 in 2004 and peaking in 2011 at #9, thanks mainly to its exposure on The X Factor. Where the original was more acoustic Little Mix take the song in a more polished pop direction, a direction one would come to expect for a winner of The X Factor. The highest new entry this week is at #8. It’s another X Factor winner, Leona Lewis. With her cover of the Nine Inch Nails song Hurt.

I really enjoyed this song quite a lot at the time and found myself playing it quite regularly in December 2011 and throughout 2012, but it’s not one that I go back to much at all now. Whilst it’s not as original as some of the songs before this I still prefer this one much more than those that have already dropped out. I feel I may be in the minority though.

Edited June 18Jun 18 by Paddington James

Another X Factor winner's single I bought for the b-side covers from the show.

It's fine, quite a pleasant version of Cannonball but not indicative of what they would go on to do and achieve, and probably a step back after When We Collide really. I see what they were trying to do with another cover of an indie track but not sure Cannonball suits being a group number at all. I don't know why they didn't give the group something more fitting.

Dont go , eh pretty meh should be lower

When we collide is one of the best winners single covers from the x factor shame his career wasnt really successful (even if he is still trying)

Cannonball is pleasant enough but was definitely the wrong choice for a group, its also kind of ironic the worst performing winners song up until here led to them being the most successful winners of all time from the x factor

12 minutes ago, gooddelta said:

Another X Factor winner's single I bought for the b-side covers from the show.

It's fine, quite a pleasant version of Cannonball but not indicative of what they would go on to do and achieve, and probably a step back after When We Collide really. I see what they were trying to do with another cover of an indie track but not sure Cannonball suits being a group number at all. I don't know why they didn't give the group something more fitting.

I agree completely. Although I do like this it really didn’t suit them.

I think they should’ve certainly gone with something else. Maybe something like the Sugababes Too Lost In You could’ve really suited them if they wanted to take the ballad option.

Edited June 19Jun 19 by Paddington James

3 minutes ago, Paddington James said:

I think they should’ve certainly gone with something else. May he something like the Sugababes Too Lost In You could’ve really suited them if they wanted to take the ballad option.

Unfortunately they never go with songs performed earlier in the series but En vogues Dont let go should of been their winners single, they even used it as their performance at the National Television awards

7 minutes ago, 777666jason said:

Unfortunately they never go with songs performed earlier in the series but En vogues Dont let go should of been their winners single, they even used it as their performance at the National Television awards

I was going to suggest Don’t Let Go, but I did think they performed it on the show.

My least favourite Little Mix song - this one is bland and boring. Why does it always have to be cover versions? This one is clearly behind the previous 3 you presented for me.

How dare The X Factor destroy the masterpiece that was Damien Rice's 'Cannonball'.

That should have been a crime against music.

Edited June 19Jun 19 by Charlielargepotatoes

I suppose it was great that Damien Rice got a top 10 single because of X Factor

I think it’s no secret that I’m a huge Damien Rice fan (now at 12 years and waiting for album #4…) and actually I never minded this version. I just obviously prefer the original

Meh at Cannonball. I am glad Little Mix had enough potential to release much better songs.

nothing much to say on that JLS song, not as offensively bad as their 2010 #1s but still pretty unremarkable

I enjoyed 'Don't Go' a fair bit for what it is, quite unusual to see an unfancied 3rd single take the #1 in this instance (although not the only 2011 #1 to do this!), I enjoyed 'Unorthodox' a lot more at the time, but 'Don't Go' wasn't too essential and I don't mind it going. Nice background vocals though, I wish Wretch had a bit more presence on this one.

I'd say good to see the X-Factor winners singles out (and similar marking as I did for 'When We Collide') but unusually, I have a clear favourite from the whole winner's singles lineup, and it's this one, 'Cannonball'. Obviously, yes, the original version is so much more meaningful and musically interesting as a song, but I do think that this offers something a little bit different in the way that 'When We Collide' didn't, a girl group version, reasonably emotionally performed, of a pretty cool song in any version. I was really into Little Mix winning at the time, I don't imagine it's unpopular to say they were the best winners of X-Factor (by some margin!), and this little emotional ballad offering did the job very nicely - I think I've played it more than any other song from their first album lol.

as it will come up a lot in this thread I do think that 'Moves Like Jagger' probably deserved a week at #1 at some point but god it was so annoying at the time, inescapable.

Just awful, you can see why A) they've disowned it and B) nobody ever thinks of it.

At least 'Wings' was an immediate big step up, and they continued to go from strength to strength onwards.

Cannonball seemed completely unsuited to Little Mix (so nothing new for the X Factor) and to be honest I almost forgot it existed. The original is great though.

Fair placement for those two - I can't say there was much artistic merit in any of the cover versions The X Factor put out as winner's songs, they all just seemed to be a cash grab to have a single out following the final and in time for Christmas. At least Matt Cardle's version is reasonably faithful (retitling aside) to the Biffy original 'Many Of Horror', though still vastly inferior, but 'Cannonball' didn't suit Little Mix at all, and it's to their immense credit that they managed to erase their version from all relevance over their decade of hitmaking which followed.

dull. everything they have done since has been a step up.

9 minutes ago, Popchartfreak said:

dull. everything they have done since has been a step up.

I agree, they had some absolutely brilliant singles and album tracks.