The instrumental of Tsunami is definitely better, Tinie indeed added nothing to it, his fantastic singles across 2010/11 were a long way behind him at this point.

Me and My Broken Heart is fine, sounds indeed like a Maroon 5 single, but not a strong one. I remember it dove from No.1 so it did well to get there at all.

Tsunami is good, clearly influenced by 00s hard dance, it builds well and the drop is good.

I really like the Rixton song, I'd say it's not only completely forgotten but it was barely known at the time!

The Tsunami one is perfectly alright, although it never wildly excited me.

I loved the original Tsunami at the time, I discovered it through BJSC, I would've loved to see that at number 1 but Tinie shouting nonsense all over it made it a hell of a lot worse, I'm glad these 'rent-a-rapper over popular European instrumentals' trend that lasted a while has stopped now as it was infuriating as the originals can easily stand on their own x

Easy to forget Cheryl holds the record for number 1s by a female artist after how quiet she went after this, I guess she didn't adapt well to the streaming age. I quite liked a few of her earlier solo hits, but these two were both pretty awful and throwaway. Crazy Stupid Love with it's 'rollercoaster, but I'm only going up' lyric and saxophones that still sound a bit out of tune is particularly bad!

I've softened to All About that Bass a bit over the years, it's a well-intentioned song and the doo-wop sound was quite unique at the time. The rest of her discography has been awful though.

Both songs I couldn’t recall from the titles but remembered on listening.

Tsunami is decent enough EDM with a good drop, as others have mentioned. Not sure if it needed Tine here though, but he was everywhere at that time and inexplicably seemed to have the golden touch for a while

Rixton is okay I suppose, but sadly it’s more Maroon 5 like pop/r&b. Not really essential but better than some of the others out so far.

Still waiting for something I really like.

Me and My Broken Heart this sampled Rob Thomas 'Lonely No More' if I remember correctly.

Why do you bring some of the best ones that early. The Rixton song is also one song I listen to regulraly - pure brilliance - one of the best pop songs of 2014 - very catchy. My #5.

Tsunami is a banger, but better without that useless vocals from Tinie. The vocal versions gets #17 from me.

02. Sam Smith - Money On My Mind (34)

04. Meghan Trainor - All About That Bass (32)

05. Rixton - Me And My Broken Heart (27)

12. Cheryl Cole - I Don't Care (29)

17. DVBBS & Borgeous ft. Tinie Tempah – Tsunami (Jump) (28)

18. Sam Smith - Stay With Me (31)

22. Magic! - Rude (33)

29. Cheryl Cole ft. Tinie Tempah – Crazy Stupid Love (30)

35. Gareth Malone’s All Star Choir – Wake Me Up (36)

36. Will.i.am ft. Cody Wise – It's My Birthday (37)

37. Ben Haenow – Something I Need (38)

38. Band Aid 30 – Do They Know It's Christmas? (35)

Wondering when my 33 and 34 are coming - it is by an artist I usually like and who had a great album this year, but 2014 was her worst era for me.

46 minutes ago, DaTilt said:

Why do you bring some of the best ones that early. The Rixton song is also one song I listen to regulraly - pure brilliance - one of the best pop songs of 2014 - very catchy. My #5.

Tsunami is a banger, but better without that useless vocals from Tinie. The vocal versions gets #17 from me.

02. Sam Smith - Money On My Mind (34)

04. Meghan Trainor - All About That Bass (32)

05. Rixton - Me And My Broken Heart (27)

12. Cheryl Cole - I Don't Care (29)

17. DVBBS & Borgeous ft. Tinie Tempah – Tsunami (Jump) (28)

18. Sam Smith - Stay With Me (31)

22. Magic! - Rude (33)

29. Cheryl Cole ft. Tinie Tempah – Crazy Stupid Love (30)

35. Gareth Malone’s All Star Choir – Wake Me Up (36)

36. Will.i.am ft. Cody Wise – It's My Birthday (37)

37. Ben Haenow – Something I Need (38)

38. Band Aid 30 – Do They Know It's Christmas? (35)

Wondering when my 33 and 34 are coming - it is by an artist I usually like and who had a great album this year, but 2014 was her worst era for me.

I guess we all have our own taste - your best ones are not mine (as you noted in your own rate when people commented). Interesting to see your rate though as I count down.

26. Ariana Grande ft. Iggy Azalea – Problem

Chart run: 1-2-2-5-7-8-8-12-16-23-31-34-37-40-44-49-52-48-55-59-67-69R(5)-50-65 (24 weeks)

Sales at number 1: 112,903

Year End: 23

Number 2 peaks behind the chart topper: None

No huge problem with Problem for me!

Ariana Grande’s career began in Broadway back in 2008 and then she got her big break being cast as Cat Valentine in Nickelodeon’s Victorious and Sam & Cat – this role kept her busy from 2010 all the way through to 2014. She released her debut album in 2013 (a Billboard number 1 and a UK number 7 hit) but she really didn’t make a singles chart impact here until Problem was released as the lead single from her second album My Everything.

Problem features Australian (no, not Austrian!) rapper Izzy Azalea, or Amethyst Amelia Kelly, fresh from her 2014 successes with the rather great Fancy and Black Widow. She is a rather controversial figure to say the least, mainly accusations of racism – her lyrics to D.R.U.G.S. in particular where she was also accused of ‘willfully ignorant’ cultural appropriation as her rapping style was more in the American style without any of her original Australian accent. This was further fuelled by the video for 2021’s Iam the Stripclub, where she allegedly ‘blackfished’ by imitating a black female aesthetic, which she denies after using the same foundation for years.

Anyway, back to the actual song. Problem was written by both Grande and Azalea along with other luminaries such as Max Martin (who also co-produced it). It’s a mix of dance, RnB and pop, featuring lots of saxophone and trumpets – the sax in particular stands out as the songs earworm.

Interestingly, Problem was more successful in the UK as both artists’ first number 1s than in the US Billboard chart where it peaked at number 2. The song to keep it off number 1? Iggy Azalea’s Fancy! Ooh the irony. This really kick started Ariana’s career in the UK as she continues to achieve number 1s to this day. Iggy Azalea would never remotely reach these heights again though.

This was the first UK number 1 to include the dreaded streaming towards its sales. Things have never been the same since!

More on Ariana Grande later? Yep.

I am now getting past the number 1s I can just tolerate to those I don’t mind. I have never been a massive fan of Ariana, in fact I have barely charted her songs on my own Personal Chart until she starred in Wicked. I guess her pop/RnB is just not generally my thing and there isn’t much that really makes me stop and listen again. So, not terrible, just average.

Oh yeah - now we are more in line. This is no good song and for me Ariana's weakest era. R&B does not fit for her well - and this just goes on and on. I can't stand this and also her other #1 from this year. Iggy on the other hand has much better stuff to offer from that year - particularly Balck Widow is a BOP. My #33.

02. Sam Smith - Money On My Mind (34)

04. Meghan Trainor - All About That Bass (32)

05. Rixton - Me And My Broken Heart (27)

12. Cheryl Cole - I Don't Care (29)

17. DVBBS & Borgeous ft. Tinie Tempah – Tsunami (Jump) (28)

18. Sam Smith - Stay With Me (31)

22. Magic! - Rude (33)

29. Cheryl Cole ft. Tinie Tempah – Crazy Stupid Love (30)

33. Ariana Grande ft. Iggy Azalea – Problem (26)

35. Gareth Malone’s All Star Choir – Wake Me Up (36)

36. Will.i.am ft. Cody Wise – It's My Birthday (37)

37. Ben Haenow – Something I Need (38)

38. Band Aid 30 – Do They Know It's Christmas? (35)

I didn't join BJSC until 2015 so the vocal version of 'Tsunami' was the first one I knew. Therefore, I don't seem to dislike it as much as others even if the original is superior, now I know that as well. Much preferable to Tinie's last appearance here for me.

It was quite impressive that 'Me And My Broken Heart' even managed to chart as high as #14 on the Billboard Hot 100, in addition to the #1 status here! I can see the Maroon 5 comparisons although I think their follow-up 'Wait On Me' was even more of a pastiche.

I loved 'Problem' in 2014 but the horn trend has aged so badly for me. 'Love Me Harder' and 'One Last Time' from that era have stood the test of time much better. Ari's star power has also come a long way since that music video. Crazy how popular Iggy was for a hot minute, simultaneously occupying the top 2 Billboard positions with 'Fancy' and this, only to burn out just as quickly.

Even though I'm not an Ariana Grande fan and a lot of her more recent songs sound the same, 'Problem' was one of her decent ones.

Also, what happened to Iggy Azalea? She was everywhere in 2014.

Edited Wednesday at 11:223 days by Charlielargepotatoes

2014 was prob the last time I went into GAY in Soho for one of my once-in-a-blue-moon drops in to check out the video music playlist, so you never know you might have walked right past me 😄 I was the one making a coke last for an hour...

Ben Haenow's track I havent heard since it departed the chart and it's not nearly as insipid as most X Factor winners, I quite enjoyed it actually hearing it again. Put it down lo low expectations. Peaked at 25 for me. It's My Birthday I remember as vaguely as Ben's. But it's not quite as good, one week at 75 is my self-confirmation that Will was well into treading water at this stage, and my new bottom-rung track of the year.

Gareth Malone is affable, and Wake Me Up is another I have forgotten all about, though it may be more listenable than Will.i.am's. For what it is, I really don't mind it. Band Aid 30, a bit like as interesting to see the new line-up of Celebrity Traitors, and a new charity addition from me to buy for the causes, but it's a bit lifeless compared to the original. Better than the previous 2, but I'd slot Ben Haenow higher so far.

Sam Smith on course from amazing vocal debut in La La La, decent effort on Nirvana to whiny annoyance and this got on my nerves very quickly. Playing it again no change there then. Bottom rung for me. I do at least remember it the most of all the records so far, so there's that. Magic! rang no bell till I played it. It has that 90's US top 40 reggae-vibed rock feel that I liked, albeit not quite as good as those of the time. 2nd best behind Ben so far.

All About That Bass is the best so far to go out, I find the retro vibes charming and the messgae is a good one, and I also thought it was trouble, oops! Meghan Trainor I continue to like new stuff by, on the whole, some of it more than this track which just fell short of my top 10 and a clear margin ahead of everything else to this point.

Stay With Me is better than Money On My Mind, but in the rating of songs called Stay With Me, it's near the bottom compared to mini-classics by acts like Lorraine Ellison, Faces, Blue Mink or even Calvin Harris. I realise I may be a minority here though. Amongst Sam's ballads it's near the top end, a bit classier and less whiny.

Cheryl, and we're back those I've forgotten, so what does Crazy Stupid Love sound like in 2026? Not bad in the chorus bit, Little Mix could have done it, but it never seems to arrive at a "moment", expectations get confounded. The sax seems to be on the wrong track. As does Tinie Tempah. It's OK though. It is, however, nowhere close to being as perfect as Cheryl's will.i.am gifted 3 Words, which wuz robbed of a top spot in 2010.

Oh hang on, another Cheryl number one I dont remember - a sweary one! The underlying track is better than the previous one and the closest rival to Meghan so far. Yes, I'm going to say I like this apart from the obligatory sweary/clean/bleeped versions. If you must swear in a lyric then refuse to self-censor. Otherwise it's just marketing and wasn't really needed in the first place. Went top 30 at the time for me.

Tsunami, forgot that one too. Tinie much more useful on this one, and I like the beats, it's dated quite well I think in the sense that those sort of heavy beats are of their time and I hadn't realised I was missing them. 2nd best so far.

Rixton were a sort of wanna-be boy band in my memory. I couldnt have hummed it till I heard it it all came rushing back, quite good catchy pop and yet another (third in a row) to fall short of my top 20 at the time, which means its another one I like, though TVBBS is the one of the 3 I'd rather hear again.

I love 'Problem' although she has bettered it quite a few times since. Iggy Azalea featuring on it makes it feel somewhat like a time capsule though!

I'm not quite sure I saw Ariana still being a chart-topping force 12 years later at the time.

The fact Problem has become one of Ariana's more forgotten big hits is wild considering it's the song that kickstarted her international pop career.

Problem is also okay, obviously Ariana would go on to better things, and the Iggy feature is at best unnecessary and at worst annoying.

I liked Problem at the time and also with its heavy use of brass its like a precursor to 'Uptown Funk'.

Edited Tuesday at 17:063 days by TheSnake

25. Rita Ora – I Will Never Let You Down

Chart run: 1-4-5-7-11-12-18-22-27-28-31-33-35-39-44-48-58-60-64-75 (20 weeks)

Sales at number 1: 105,095

Year End: 36

Number 2 peaks behind the chart topper: None

I have an issue with Rita Ora personally due to her covid partying where she appears to think she was above the law as she was ‘famous’. Frankly, I can’t stand her and I am glad she isn’t on the Masked Singer panel any more and that her hits have dried up. Good riddance imo. You let yourself down, Rita.

But I have tried to separate this from how I found this song at the time and again on a further listen.

This was Ora’s 4th UK number 1, a total amassed fairly quickly and proof she was at her commercial peak and frankly everywhere. Omnipresent Ora. I Will Never Let You Down was written and produced by Calvin Harris, he was inspired by Whitney Houston and Pink when creating the song – can’t say I can particularity hear the influences myself? It’s a mix of EDM, pop and hip hop but basically a pop song with a dance vibe to it.

The song is about how Ora will not let her partner down – slightly ironic given that Harris and Ora had dated for a year before this song was released then went through a rather public split. Who let who down? Accordioning to Ora, it was Mr DJ Harris, who didn’t stick to the sentiments when writing the song!

Again for this section of the rate, this an OK song for me. I can see its huge appeal and why it was lapped up, but it never grabbed me in particular and contributed to the Ora’s over saturation of the charts.

24. Jessie J, Ariana Grande & Nicki Minaj – Bang Bang

Chart run: 1-2-2-5-4-4-7-13-16-16-25-30-23-11-12-16-23-28-34-34-36-35-47-47-47-51-53-56-60-59-61-62-71 (33 weeks)

Sales at number 1: 99,837

Year End: 25

Number 2 peaks behind the chart topper: None

Bang Bang! Into the room! Bang Bang! All Over You! Bang! The dirt is gone! (erm..)

Anyway. This jam packed three way (ooer missus) with divas song was the lead single from Jessica J’s third album, Sweet Talker and was a 3rd (and last to date) number 1 for Ms J, 2nd for Ms Grande (we all know she has had many more!) and the 1st and only number for Ms Minaj. The latter was robbed of the top spot when Starships failed to get there so at least she has a number 1 to her name here.

This was written by among others Max Martin and Nicki Minaj and also produced by Martin, so its no real surprise that it was a huge hit given his pedigree and the stars involved. Initially, it was offered to Ariana Grande alone, but she was not a fan, however Jessie J was when it was offered to her. Once Jessie had recorded it, Republic records sent it to Nicki Minaj, who wrote and added her rap. It was then sent back to Ariana who was seemingly impressed enough with the new recording and combination and decided to be included. Collaboration complete.

Another memory of this song is from the X Factor, where it was not only performed by the marvellous Fleur East in 2014, it was also performed by the band 4th Power (later 4th Impact) in 2015 and this became one of the more memorable things from that series.

For some reason I don’t see this as a Jessie J lead song, the Nicki Mainaj rap stands out to me much more and its like Jessie J and Ariana Grande just merge into one other voice between them. It’s an alright song though, if very shouty and it certainly stands out and has impact, as a song called Bang Bang should.