FGTH’s The Power Of Love is a great song and I thought Gabrielle’s version was nice enough if a bit flat and lacking the emotion of the original.

As you’re approaching half way in your countdown, I took a sneaky peek at the remaining songs. There were some really great number ones in 2012, at least 10 I would rate highly are still to come, including one world beater that seems to get better year on year.

Edited Wednesday at 15:064 days by Jaz13music

It's a nice enough, if plain cover of a much superior original. She went on to do much better original material for sure.

Nice enough yeah. I really liked Gabrielle Aplin and bought the album this came from which was very pleasant too. Her voice sounds lovely in the middle eight.

I was never into Heatwave much or really much solo output from Wiley, despite liking most of what he did with Roll Deep. The chorus on this could be stronger for me really.

Nice enough cover. Acoustic covers were becoming popular in adverts there was also Templecloud from the KFC advert and Charlene Soraia's Twinings advert cover from the year before; both making the charts. I preferred the latter of the three at the time.

I don't like that cover version much. The vocal does sound a bit too artificial - I don't get any emotions from it. Decision: 29th place.

04. Jessie J - Domino (28)

14. will.i.am; Eva Simons - This Is Love (31)

17. Tulisa - Young (29)

20. Cover Drive - Twilight (24)

21. Maroon 5;Wiz Khalifa - Payphone (32)

22. Rita Ora;Tinie Tempah - R.I.P. (30)

24. The Justice Collective – He Ain’t Heavy, He’s My Brother (23)

25. Rita Ora - How We Do (Party) (26)

27. Ne-Yo - Let Me Love You (Until You Learn To Love Yourself) (27)

29. Gabrielle Aplin - The Power Of Love (21)

30. Wiley, Djo Feat. Ms. D - Heatwave (22)

31. One Direction - Little Things (25)

33. Chris Brown - Turn Up the Music (34)

34. James Arthur - Impossible (33)

35. Robbie Williams - Candy (36)

36. Gary Barlow & The Commonwealth Band - Sing (35)

Still waiting for my #32.

Gabrielle’s “The Power Of Love” isn’t exciting at all and it’s quite one note in colour - I’d have it lower.

“Heatwave” is nothing more than OK. I think the follow up “Can You Hear Me? (Ayayaya)” was better.

Is agree “He Ain’t Heavy…” is tasteful as these things go, though not something I’d seek out. It’s quite fun looking back at how of the moment some of the stars that were asked to participate are, like Andy Brown of Lawson.

“Twilight” does indeed feel incredibly random… it’s not bad.

Never paid much attention to 'Heatwave' either. The follow up was a bit preferable but don't think I ever listened to anything of Wiley's out of choice. 'Wearing My Rolex' was okay though and the Roll Deep #1's!

I do rather like Gabrielle Aplin's softer cover of 'The Power of Love' though.

Oh one I remember, that's worth noting! It's a very nice cover of a classic. I mean I'd still rather hear Frankie's but the song is strong enough to switch to very different treatments. If anything I'm surprised it hasn't been covered more, maybe it's the genius line about the Hooded Claw that doesn't mean anything to anyone not around in the early 70's watching Hannah-Barbera cartoons. (It's from Wacky Races spin-off The Perils Of Penelope Pitstop, the comical villain in that show played by the wonderful Paul Lynde aka Uncle Arthur in Bewitched, hamming it up to 10 on the scale)

One of my faves to go out so far.

I remember 'Heatwave' soundtracking that summer a fair bit but it does feel quite forgotten now. I was rooting for 'We'll Be Coming Back' at the time and do still prefer it long term, but have a soft spot for the aforementioned slush puppy lyric nevertheless *.*

Entering fever pitch for the John Lewis festive adverts over the next few years now! My cousin worked for them, so the success of the adverts was a hot topic at Christmas family gatherings for a while, as you can imagine. I vividly remember the hat trick of the snowman advert, Bear and the Hare, then Monty the penguin but my memory wanes after that latter Tom Odell year. Anyway, I adore the original 'The Power of Love', Frankie Goes to Hollywood had an unreal run in 1984 ❤️ I liked Gabrielle's version at the time and still don't mind it, although the John Lewis piano ballad cover formula would soon wear thin. Shame she blocked 'Locked Out of Heaven' though as that has really endured.

I also remember James Arthur covering 'The Power of Love' on the X Factor live shows that winter too. The winner of the final main series in 2018, Dalton Harris, recycled that cover for his coronation single with James as a feature, which was a pretty desperate note for the show to end on.

3 hours ago, Popchartfreak said:

Oh one I remember, that's worth noting! It's a very nice cover of a classic. I mean I'd still rather hear Frankie's but the song is strong enough to switch to very different treatments. If anything I'm surprised it hasn't been covered more, maybe it's the genius line about the Hooded Claw that doesn't mean anything to anyone not around in the early 70's watching Hannah-Barbera cartoons. (It's from Wacky Races spin-off The Perils Of Penelope Pitstop, the comical villain in that show played by the wonderful Paul Lynde aka Uncle Arthur in Bewitched, hamming it up to 10 on the scale)

One of my faves to go out so far.

Ha, loving the Wacky Races mention, the greatest cartoon series!

20. Little Mix - Wings

1 week at #1 (entered 2nd September) 01-04-04-07-11-14-17-21-26-31-41-39-34-44-55-71-71-36{-53} (19 weeks)

Kept off #1: N/A

Sales: 106,766

EOY: #40 (397,000)

Now time for the customary release from this period of late summer single for the previous year’s X-Factor winner, it helped re-promote the show as it begun again for a new series and allowed the public to remember what they loved previously. In 2012 it was the turn of Little Mix, who followed their winners debut Cannonball in reaching the top with their launch, Wings.

A successful girl group had been something the show had been missing. A few other acts had gone on to have decent post-show careers, and there was little correlation to whether they won or not, but girl groups were traditionally voted out early. I didn’t watch or follow the show closely enough to know why Little Mix were so different, but their post-show career has gone on to be one of the most successful and it’s been deserved too – a list of my top songs by X-Factor acts would contain a few of the girls bigger hits.

Wings wouldn't be one of them but it’s not a bad song by any means, and certainly better than most winners returns. It's a fun enough enjoyable girlband song and it was great they wanted to be so involved in their first single, and all had a key part in writing it and wanting it to sound instantly recognisable, and it does to be fair, setting the tone for a successful career, but was definitely eclipsed for me by some of their latter successes.

Yes I agree, Wings certainly set out the girl’s distinctive sound and identity early on. Although this isn’t one of my favourite song of theirs they were just finding their feet and they would go on to become my favourite act of the X Factor alumni.

I think it's a great proper debut single and helped scrub the memory of 'Cannonball' from existence, bouncy and a little bit feisty! They've definitely gone on to better it a few times since though, and exceeded any expectations I had in the long-term.

Wings I think was the first proper Little Mix song I liked, lively and a bit sassy, and I still rate it as their best - I'm more of a fan of Jade's solo stuff on the whole though Little Mix were usually decent. Still sounds good here, though and among the top end of those that have dropped so far.

'Wings' is good the drum bit in the final chorus especially.

19. The Script feat. will.i.am – Hall of Fame

2 weeks at #1 (entered 9th September, #1 16th September) 02-01-01-02-06-10-14-15-15-21-28-21-19-29-34-34-17{-19-33-42-46-51-62-58-56-51-58-61-65-74-68-74-62-55-61-67-74-73R(2)-71-58-52-41-50-63-68-75R(45)} (46 weeks)

Kept off #1: Amelia Lily – You Bring Me Joy, Example – Say Nothing

Sales: 70,150 & 63,980

EOY: #21 (529,000)

We reach the top of the bottom half now with another pop act/hip-hop act collaboration. The Script are, perhaps surprisingly, one of two acts in this countdown which I’ve seen live (Isle of Wight Festival, 2021), and the other isn’t far ahead. A lack of stages and competition and a thought of “well, they do have one great song” meant they were the safe choice to be towards the back of the field partly paying attention. That song is The Man Who Can’t Be Moved, rather than Hall of Fame. There’s nothing offensive about The Script, they’re just a little but dull for my tastes – hard to particularly dislike, but nothing to wow me, and I’ve never been a massive listener of radio stations that would play them loads to get too bored or annoyed by them.

The Script had proven to be one of those radio friendly bands that appeal to a lot of audiences and as a result get hits that stick around for a while, with most of their early singles also having multiple runs in the chart as they find new sources of popularity. They probably needed something a bit extra to take the extra step and be a #1 selling artist though, and they did that in 2012 as they turned to will.i.am on Hall of Fame, released to radio just after he’d reached the top with This Is Love, and released as a single a few weeks later. It stuck behind Ne-Yo in its first week but had much better longevity and spent the next two weeks at the top.

Hall of Fame was created after Danny O’Donoghue, The Script’s singer and songwriter, and Will were both judges on the first series of The Voice at the beginning of the year and they decided to record a song together which they felt was good enough to lead their third album, #3. The chorus of Hall of Fame is good enough, decently anthemic, and Will plays a much better role than the usual featured rapper/hip hop act does, as he’s far more involved throughout rather than the typical one verse. It is a bit Script-by-numbers piano-led anthemic ballad, and that’s fine. They have a role and play it well, and Hall of Fame certainly does its job. It’s easy to see why this took them to the next step and a #1 single, and is amongst the best from both artists.

It prevented new entries at #2 in both of its weeks at the top. Amelia Lily, from the previous year’s X-Factor, with her debut You Bring Me Joy, and Example, quickly following up his major breakthrough album but not quite able to match the two chart toppers it brought. You Bring Me Joy is a song I have no recollection of, and listening to it find it very forgettable, whilst Say Nothing is a poor version of what Example had done before, I’m certainly not left thinking it’s a shame there wasn’t a reversal in either of these top 2s.

Still no #32 😄

I have both Little Mix and The Script quite at similar positions - only slightly higher. Both are good songs but nothing outstanding.

Update:

04. Jessie J - Domino (28)

14. will.i.am; Eva Simons - This Is Love (31)

16. Little Mix - Wings (20)

17. Tulisa - Young (29)

18. The Script, Will.I.Am - Hall Of Fame (19)

20. Cover Drive - Twilight (24)

21. Maroon 5;Wiz Khalifa - Payphone (32)

22. Rita Ora;Tinie Tempah - R.I.P. (30)

24. The Justice Collective – He Ain’t Heavy, He’s My Brother (23)

25. Rita Ora - How We Do (Party) (26)

27. Ne-Yo - Let Me Love You (Until You Learn To Love Yourself) (27)

29. Gabrielle Aplin - The Power Of Love (21)

30. Wiley, Djo Feat. Ms. D - Heatwave (22)

31. One Direction - Little Things (25)

33. Chris Brown - Turn Up the Music (34)

34. James Arthur - Impossible (33)

35. Robbie Williams - Candy (36)

36. Gary Barlow & The Commonwealth Band - Sing (35)

Hall Of Fame is pleasant enough with a pretty memorable chorus, though nothing earth shattering. The extra exposure from The Voice giving it an extra push to the number one.

Hall Of Fame another Airplanes style pop rap track which I didnt mind at the time and the lyrics are pretty inspiring! Will.i.ams rap is better than in This Is Love.

Wasn't a fan of Amelia Lily - You Bring Me Joy but I really liked Shut Up and Give Me Whatever You Got from her that was a bit of an epic.

Edited Friday at 21:231 day by TheSnake

Absolutely vile I generally despise them anyway but that's up there with the worst they've got, and it's a key example of their wanky "inspirational" lyrics I can't bear.