gooddelta

If you are about to break the record for the longest running No.1 ever, and at the midweek stage you are only about 100 copies adrift of your only challenger (with Ariana on the horizon next week so it could be your last chance), I don't think you are going to let that opportunity go. It will be very easy for Sam's label to find some physicals, send out begging emails to fans or release the Capaldi duet version. I just can't see Shakira or her team actively doing anything to make this into a proper battle, so I think Rein Me In has it.

Glad you didn't place this rock bottom, this is another I bought on CD at the time, not just to support the worthy cause but because I enjoy the version. Some very good vocal performances on it by some great singers, and I've always just generally loved He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother. A very warm cover of the song, it's a shame it's not on Spotify actually as every now and then it's a nice one to listen to.

No One Lasts Forever is the one that really hit me outside the singles. Lyrically just makes you reflect, and that outro really is so effective, I'm sure the vinyl outro even moreso where it doesn't end. I've downloaded the b-sides version even though I bought the CD too. iTunes getting more action than it has in a while after I downloaded Dai Dai yesterday to help Shakira's quest for No.1 😂 Liking the whole album a lot though, definitely a lot to go back to and unpack on this.

I definitely knew Twilight was the forgotten song you were talking about, as objectively it was more or less forgotten as soon as it had disappeared from the chart, and was a surprise No.1 to begin with, helped along by mass airplay from the likes of Capital iirc. But it's also by far my favourite to drop out so far and one I bought at the time, I just find it so beautiful melodically and vocally, with lovely production similar to some of Rihanna and Keri Hilson's material at the time. So it was probably already dated sounding by about three years when it surfaced, but it is just so charming. The bridge is my favourite part, the vocal is so warm there and the chords I just love where it goes 'and you know I love to be in control...'. I didn't care for any of their other singles at all, but this was a delightful surprise chart topper, I still listen to it a lot now. No disagreements about any of the others - Ne-Yo - agreed it's autopilot and the chorus is too clunky lyrically; One Direction quite sweet musically but extremely naff lyrics throughout, some of Ed's worst; and Rita's is just '2012 generic party song #23'. Melodic and catchy but ultimately one of those uninspiring songs that wouldn't have existed any other time but that 2011-2012 period so she's like another Pixie Lott/JLS/Taio Cruz empty vessel of releasing whatever music was the 'in sound' at the time for an easy hit.

A definite Justice feel to this, really liking it.

Robbie and Nicole

I didn't realise PSB were still being playlisted on Radio 1 with the Nightlife era (or at least for the lead single). Or that Steps had got onto the A-list with Love's Got A Hold On My Heart. Or, actually, that Dina Carroll made the A-list, shame that song underperformed as I enjoyed it.

Ooh, wonderful! Time for me to download Dai Dai on iTunes finally then. It would be helpful if it was reduced to 59p although as I understand it the proceeds of the song go to charity so I doubt they will do that. I was thinking earlier how a Shakira greatest hits is so long overdue (she only has a Spanish one called Grandes Exitos that covers 1995-2001 Spanish hits). At this point it would probably have to be at least two discs, as she has so many hits in both English and Spanish. For all the constant talk of the biggest global female singers, she is very often overlooked but has to be in the conversation when you take the Spanish hits into account too (she is currently the 5th biggest artist in the world on Spotify).

Going back to Shakedown, on balance I think I'd rather hear Who Let The Dogs Out!

The Bravery again... not Corrs out ☹️

I like Smoke and Ahai the most. Voted Smoke.

I really expected something like 1-26 for Madonna so 1-9-14 is exceptional in this day and age. Obviously she had the World Cup boost this week (all publicity is good publicity!) so it may fall a lot further next week. So cool to see Shakira at No.2 and giving Rein Me In a run for its money. As well as being a long overdue new smash for Shakira, who has never quite had the number of UK hits to match her status like some other superstar singers, it’s good to see an original football song do well and not just the usual suspects. I was in a restaurant the other day that played her 2014 World Cup song La La La - which I’d forgotten about but of course didn’t chart here, probably because we did so terribly. The same restaurant inexplicably played Crazy Frog’s Axel F and Gunther and the Sunshine Girls’ Ding Dong Song so La La La was the least random of the night.

I loved Move Your Body, and the single had an album megamix on it that immediately persuaded me to get that - one of the best Europop (that was even the title) albums of its time. I always think it's funny that Eiffel 65 managed another top three hit before disappearing from the UK charts for good yet Lou Bega's follow up couldn't even breach the top 40. Both could so easily have gone the same way, for better or for worse. Too Much Of Heaven deserved to be a third hit for Eiffel 65, not sure if the UK release was canned or if it was never even planned. Also, around this time we went on holiday to Tenerife, my first ever holiday abroad, and Kim Lukas was all over the radio there with All I Really Want, which had been a top 10 hit all over Europe. Eiffel 65 produced the hit version of that and it so easily could have been a hit here at the time, I have no idea why they fumbled the bag there, she's even a British singer herself despite being more popular in Europe, kind of like Ann Lee. Eiffel 65 also produced some memorable remixes of Bloodhound Gang's The Bad Touch and S Club 7's Reach (this one has to be heard to be believed, the vocoder makes Jon sound like a robot).

They might have saved Stand By Me for one of the Final Chapter albums. It would be a shame if Now had lost the licensing for a while.

Oasis were on 1997 and 1998 so should hopefully be good for 1994-1996.