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

Diamonds has never been a Rihanna top tune for me, though I do rate Sia, I tend to love Rihanna pumping dance tunes or stark ballads most of all, and Diamonds sort of sits in between and isnt either. There are a few out already I rate higher.

All of those three were in the lower end of my personal top 100 of the year, although Hall Of Fame is somewhat annoying I liked it at the time.

Wings was a nice proper debut for Little Mix and still a good song but sounds more dated than a lot of their material, although kudos to them for going with something brassy and not a generic club song.

Diamonds on paper I should love, but I only like it. The verses and production are really strong, the chorus I find a bit droney. It just sounds like Rihanna imitating Sia too much I think for me to absolutely love it, espcially in the 'shine bright like a diamond part'. I'd have rather Sia just released it herself.

Can't stand 'Diamonds', thoroughly annoying and that stupid accent she puts on for it.

17. Olly Murs feat. Flo Rida – Troublemaker
2 weeks at #1 (entered 25^th November) 01-01-03-05-07-04{- 06-10-13-18-27-31-36-41-43-37-42-51-44-45-63-75R(3)-69R(4)-72R(2)-75R(2)} (25 weeks, 6 in 2012)
Kept off #1: Girls Aloud – Something New & Bruno Mars – Locked Out of Heaven
Sales: 121,497 & 82,696
EOY: #29 (441,000)

It’s now the turn of the fourth act in the countdown to have emerged from X-Factor, and the fifth song to be a collaboration between a pop act and a rapper, and Troublemaker by Olly Murs and Flo Rida is the highest placed song from both of these categories. Olly was a well-established star by this point, he’d released albums in both of the previous years and this was his 4^th number one single, which was the lead single from his third album, Right Place Right Time, released the week after and which also spent a fortnight at #1.

Murs wasn’t a stranger to the pop/rap combination, as the lead from his previous album had featured Rizzle Kicks, although there was a huge difference in profile between them and Flo Rida, who had become one of the biggest names in world music by 2012, this being his 5^th visit to the UK top 3 in 2012, and having had three #1s in previous years, not also forgetting his big breakthrough Low, which just fell short and is still hugely popular, and remains my favourite song of his. The collaboration came about after Olly specifically picked Flo to guest on it but thought it was unlikely, however he listened and thought it would be a big hit and wanted to be involved, and he wasn’t wrong. Unsurprisingly given the addition of Flo, Troublemaker was Olly’s biggest worldwide hit including being #25 on USA’s Billboard chart. It also has by far his biggest streaming numbers, 642 million being 300m more than anything else.

I rank all of Olly’s big singles fairly similarly, they’re all decent pop hits of the time but I don’t love any of them. If pushed, I’d probably have this just behind Dance With Me Tonight as his best, but it follows the fairly standard formula for an Olly Murs hit, a funky radio friendly pop song with a good hook and danceable, it’s nothing new or innovative but knows its job and does it well. Similarly, Flo’s addition is nothing groundbreaking but fits nicely, certainly not making me wish it was a purely solo hit like some of the previous of these combinations in here.

It was released in the same week as a big return, Girls Aloud’s Something New, their first release for nearly four years following a hiatus, to lead their second compilation album, Ten, released to celebrate their 10 year anniversary. It may have been hyped and got to #2 but it was no contest, falling over 50k behind Olly’s sale of 121k. It had no longevity either, with an initial chart run of 2-14-30-45. Part of that was explained due to Christmas, but it never regained any traction, just fell at a slower rate in the new year. It’s certainly one of their weaker singles and would’ve placed much lower than this had it managed to reach the top. Troublemaker is the third and final song here to appear that kept Bruno Mars Locked Out of Heaven off the top too as it climbed back up following Bruno's performance of it on X-Factor.

"Troublemaker" not among my Olly-favourites - maybe also because I am not a big fan of Flo Rida. This is quite forgetable. "Heart Skips A Beat" remains my all-time favourite from him. Decision: 28th place!

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)

28. Olly Murs; Flo Rida - Troublemaker (17)

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)

Troublemaker is okay, and like pretty much all of Olly’s big singles it just doesn’t excite me at all and is pretty forgettable. Sounds very Maroon 5 to my ears too.

Rich's thoughts on 'Diamonds' mirror mine, not bad but feels like too much of a Sia pastiche even down to Rihanna emulating her vocal style.

I can see why 'Troublemaker' was so successful for Olly, that Billboard peak was quite something, but it's not a particular highlight of his for me. I got so used to hearing the no rap version in my driving instructor's car (she's a Heart FM listener) that I've almost retconned Flo Rida's contribution

Girls Aloud rarely got to the top with their best work and that would've been the case for me if 'Something New' had made it there too, quite of its time in that club banger era, when so much of their 2000s work still sounds exciting. Flashbacks to BuzzJack being littered with many orange 'Something New' GIF signatures at the time though!

'Troublemaker' is an ace tune, although I did really want Girls Aloud to get that number one at the time!

'Troublemaker' is very poppy and very overplayed on MOR radio not a fan.

6 minutes ago, Jade said:

Girls Aloud rarely got to the top with their best work and that would've been the case for me if 'Something New' had made it there too, quite of its time in that club banger era, when so much of their 2000s work still sounds exciting. Flashbacks to BuzzJack being littered with many orange 'Something New' GIF signatures at the time though!

I liked Something New at the time great chorus but now I think the verses are a bit of a mess.

Of course Neon Jungle would continue down the club bangers route.