I think Little Mix (fka Rhythmix) were initially written off on The X Factor as girl groups had such a poor reputation on the show (I remember someone unearthing an article from 2011 which predicted them to leave first during the live shows!!) but they really grew into a standout act in time, with performances of 'E.T.' and 'Don't Let Go (Love)' particularly turning them into serious contenders. The winner's single was a damp squib but I agree 'Wings' was much more like it, energetic and good fun. I actually preferred follow-up 'DNA', as the electro-pop sound is right up my street, but it was still a good start. Their styling on the show and in the 'Wings' video is such an early 2010s time capsule! They were obsessed with putting Jade in bows for some reason.

I have also seen The Script live as my dad is a fan I quite like the piano in 'Hall of Fame' but otherwise the lyrics are a bit too try hard inspirational for me. Poor brave Tom Jones the only judge from that 2012 Voice line-up not to score a chart topper this year! I remember the initial hype for that show, it even beat BGT (while that was still fairly relevant) when the two shows overlapped, but it didn't take long for the decline to set in. I wonder how much longer it will last.

I liked 'You Bring Me Joy' at the time (I had been rooting for Amelia on The X Factor even though I was still happy for Little Mix to take the crown) but haven't sought it out in years. Agreed 'Say Nothing' was a pretty beige Example single!

I quite liked The Man Who Cant Be Moved at the time but I’ve always just found the Script sort of just there. Hall Of Fame does nothing for me and neither did the Ne Yo track that held it off first week. Much preferred the Pink track that arrived in third that week.

Never been that much of a fan of The Script, pedestrian ballads by and large for me in the early days, but they do chuck out the odd goodie, and Hall Of Fame was the one for me, it had more going for it than the usual singles, will.i.am prob helped with that side of it. I also like their recent single which has similar vibes - Man In The Arena - and they've had a few decent singles over the last 15 years too, I've bought 3 others too since this came out!

18. Rihanna - Diamonds

1 week at #1 (entered 7th October) 01-04-04-04-08-08-09-10-03-05-07-10-08{-08-11-15-17-19-25-27-31-31-33-39-48-35-41-42-47-51-42-45-56-55-60-57R(2)-56-74-67R(11)-64R(3)-69-72} (42 weeks)

Kept off #1: N/A

Sales: 105,593

EOY: #11 (672,000)

Diamonds reaching the top meant it was a 6th consecutive year of getting a UK #1 single for Rihanna, from her first Umbrella in 2007. Her first two albums had been reasonably successful but it was that, along with its parent album Good Girl Gone Bad, that turned her into the huge worldwide star she became. Backed by a hit team of writers and producers, and with genuine star quality and an incredible workrate, she was able to release a new album every year (2008 the only gap, but the deluxe of GGGB spawned two huge hits), which were usually backed up by multiple big hits that showed longevity, and Diamonds was no different, spending the first 13 weeks after release in the top 10, and its parent album Unapologetic ended 2012 in the top 10 sellers, and 2013 in the top 40 sellers.

I have a fairly strange relationship with Rihanna and her music. A cursory think about her and there’s loads of songs I’ve enjoyed at the time they were out and she’s probably deserving of all the success she’s had and I’d say I really like her, however I hardly ever listen to her music now, and when I do the majority is when she’s featuring with others or they're heavily involved – We Found Love, Run This Town, All of the Lights probably the main three.

Diamonds fits in with this perception vs reality of Rihanna, on the face of it it’s a song of hers I really enjoy and it felt like there was a good chance of a top 10 position in this countdown when I was first assigned the task, but it isn’t a song I actually listen to much now and there’s a reason why, it just doesn’t particularly excite me and whilst it’s still good and I enjoy it, it feels like the memory of Diamonds is better than listening to it now in 2026, there’s far less going on than I thought there was, and I find it a bit too repetitive. It feels like she’s a singer who over time 8/10s turn to 6s and 6/10s turn to 4s etc.

It would have been incredible to think at the time that her post-Diamonds career would have gone like it has done, after an extended run of a new album and hit singles every year, just one album released after 2012, with the majority of single successes being features on the work of others – Eminem, Drake, Calvin Harris, DJ Khaled. But it’s a fair and sensible decision to take a step back and focus on other things and raising family, and she’s still one of the most listened to artists in the world without releasing anything new so not like she needs it.

“Hall Of Fame” is just average.

I’m not a big Little Mix fan in general: I think that era of pop has aged quite quickly, but I do like “Wings” a fair bit. A really credible first single proper, and they had a few others I still think are good.

“Diamonds” is probably my favourite out so far. I really enjoy Sia’s emotive writing and it’s a very strong performance.

"Diamonds" is a masterpiece. One of the best pop songs of all time. Great dramaturgy - incredible vocal performance. Deserved the #1 spot - only one other #1 came even close to it.

01. Rihanna - Diamonds (18)

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)

I really like Diamonds, probably the first of my top ten to appear here. At the time I thought it was quite brave to have it as first single from a new album, but looking back Rihanna always had incredible instincts for that.

I’d say Diamonds is one of a handful of Rihanna songs I really like so would be in my top 10 I imagine.

Would’ve much preferred Skyfall to be number 1 but there you go….!

Don't mind 'Hall Of Fame' too much but can see why it garners hate too and does get a bit tedious hearing it so much which was a lot. Wouldn't say I'm a big fan of them either. Liked a handful of their songs.

'Diamonds' is nice but one I get bored hearing nowadays.

Can't disagree with the two placings either side of the top 20 line. 'Heatwave' is pretty inconsequential - yet another chorus leaning heavily on the word "party", and rhymed with "body" for bonus cliché points. 'The Power Of Love' is my favourite of the FGTH trilogy of #1s - Gabrielle Aplin's cover is nice enough, the piano sounds nice too and it suited the advert, but there's not sufficient need to revisit it.

'Wings' was an impressive debut proper for Little Mix and suggested they and their team had some pop sensibility and imagination, even if they appeared to be marketed to the younger end of their audience at that time. I thought The Script's previous lead single 'For The First Time' was really good, but post-The Voice their music became more wallpapery, and 'Hall Of Fame' sure is too try hard inspirational for its own good, Jade nailed it there.

'Diamonds' however is one that I just thought OK when it came out, but has since grown with time and is a Rihanna highlight for me now, certainly among her #1s - her vocals bring a lot of life and emotion to it. It's the first to drop out that would almost certainly be top 10 for me, although I haven't looked up to see everything to come.

Not really a fan of Diamonds because of a. the drug references from her trying to be edgy and 2. its too slow and boring and overplayed on media