gooddelta

I loved Blurred Lines at the time. It's a little marred these days but still is a bit of a groove, it just reminds me that Pharrell was everywhere in a 12 month period, on three gigantic hits. I feel like a lot of these biggest seller of the year type songs are very of their time. Obviously this was especially the case in the 00s with charity and reality stuff, but even in the 2010s, you never really hear Love The Way You Lie or Blurred Lines too much these days compared to other songs from their years. Not a fan of the 1D song so can support that being this low. They had some strong singles but this wasn't one of them, I'd even forgotten it was a mash-up with Teenage Kicks as I never really want to listen to it all the way through.

Such sad news, the queen of country, a true legend, and seemed like a thoroughly decent and very fun person. RIP.

Now have confirmed the vinyl of Yearbook '71 is delayed to 2nd October but the CD is coming out still this Friday. It doesn't affect me as I don't buy the vinyl editions of the 70s releases. It will be interesting to see how the chart position is affected as I'm not sure what the CD/vinyl breakdown is. It needs just over 3.5k to get to No.1.

Of the remixes, I really love Can't Speak French (Tony Lamezma's Radio Edit), it sounds like a mash-up with Tomcraft's Loneliness, and now I'm wishing an official mash-up existed. I had heard the Sexy! No No No... (Development Track) before because it was on the bonus disc in their singles box set which I still have (and is apparently worth over £100 now).

Very alt bloc. Liking the darkwave influence on this! Although can see how it maybe didn't fit the album.

Voted as I'm not free tonight to join the listenthrough unfortunately. This was such a good edition, my favourite yet. I loved 12 songs and sad not to be able to give anything to two of them. From the list of names in the mix, the top five that I voted for is the complete opposite of what I would have expected, so many pleasant surprises in here.

Michele is more my thing so I voted that of the two remaining. Can't promise I'd vote for it but sounds like the sort of song that might be around my lower votes or commiserations depending on competition.

I think so but was probably 'send any entry again' rather than just underappreciated flops. Obviously some countries who do well every single month would only have about four entries to choose from 🤣

We need to do a 'Let's Go Round Again' spin-off to bring back one of our old entries for another bite of the cherry. Maybe the rules could be they were either a DNQ or bottom 10 in the final. Some of these really old entries could definitely do better now, I can't remember Expialidocious but it's very charming and would definitely do better now. Just checked and seems I was in the opposite semi (so maybe didn't hear it back then).

Sunshine Anderson again. Private Emotion is far better imo, such a lovely duet with power and control in the right places vocally and it was nice to see Meja on a top ten hit after All 'Bout The Money missed out.

Hollywood

Daria ze Śląska was most to my taste but I Got A Gun (original) sounds like the biggest hit.

All Out Of Love. Although it could have easily been a Steps single, that One For Sorrow/After The Love Has Gone kind of ABBA throwback formula always works for me. Lately is my favourite of the two Lisa singles there, but I don't listen to that or Too Far Gone very much. Electric on the other hand...

Think I'd rather Rein Me In continues than sub-30k No.1s. Where on earth are the big hits this year? That said I'd be happy to see Choosin' Texas get there, just a shame it hasn't grown a bit further. As much as it's fun to see Ultra Naté in the running for a No.1, I'm not a fan of that track.

Samson was robbed blind. One of my favourite songs.

I think you’re great at the last category so voted that. The other two may bring you more success though. Can Herbilore make my podium for a third month in a row?

I've not got time to format this with all the runs, but posting for posterity in case nobody else gets round to it: Radio 2 Playlist: 22/08/26 A List Ariana Grande - Tracks from petal Carly Rae Jepsen - Don’t Leave Me On The Dancefloor *Chaka Khan - Chakzilla James Blunt - Tastes Like Summer Jungle - Someday, Somewhere ^ KATSEYE - Animal Koe Wetzel Feat Ella Langley - Jaded Lulu - I'm In Love Again Madonna & Kylie - Love Sensation (Afterhours Mix) Sam Smith Feat The TwoCity Chorus - Oh Mother B List Alex Warren - Rescuer Brandon Flowers - Tiger's Blood Cast - Calling Out Your Name ^ Dagny - Rain *Dan & Shay - Marry You Again *Jack Savoretti - The One *James Emmanuel - Bridge Over The Tears I’ve Cried KAROL G, Bruno Mars - Still Morgan Wallen - Been By Now Shed Seven - Stand Together C List *Carly Simon - Howl *Jordan Rakei - Enemies *Natalie Imbruglia - Just Drive Stefan Mahendra - Too Late The Womack Sisters - If I Let You Record of the week: Chaka Khan - Chakzilla Album of the week: Brandon Flowers - THRASHER Out: sombr - My Body Isn't Ready [B-B-B-B-A-A-A] The Script - The Crowd Was Singing Wonderwall [B-A-A-A-A] Delta Goodrem - Hologram [B-B-B-B] Jessie Ware - Sauna [B-B-B-B] Paul Heaton Feat. Rianne Downey - Sad Songs and Lawsuits [B-B-B-B] Jess Edie - T&Cs Apply [C-C-C-C] Leon Bridges - Light The Way [C-C-C-C]

I bought all of these. Hi-Gate I'm quite surprised they didn't play. I know the others were all heavily supported on TV music channels (especially The Box darling Vanessa) so became hits that way. Well, I say hits, only two went top 10. Was the Big Brother theme playlisted?

Crazy to see something like Unfinished Sympathy come 2nd last in a semi. I agree it would have only been because people penalised it for being cheap. Oh I still love this Au Revoir Simone song, nice to be reminded of it!

I suppose as Virgin were kind enough to give Now instant access to Stop and Viva Forever, Now considered it would help to sell the albums better to have the fresher hits on there. As I recall, Viva Forever was actually at No.1 the week Now 40 was released and it was always a coup to have the current No.1 single, especially an act as big as that. It would have been nice to have both Too Much and Stop on Now 39 but maybe they were only allowed one, and by the time Now 41 came round there were no other Spice Girls songs to use at that point so they used Too Much then (I agree thought it looks out of place on that album). The Grease Megamix and The Boys Of Summer must be two of the strangest disc openers Now did, retro picks and the megamix was from 1990 anyway, it was You're The One That I Want on its own that recharted at this time. Don Henley had such a brief chart run too.

A bit like hits in the streaming era. 20 weeks in the low top 75 is better for your YTD position than peaking in the top 10 but disappearing in a few weeks. As I've had four DNQs this year my chances of a respectable placing are non-existent, but on the plus side I feel no pressure to maintain anything and if I slip up again then 41st or 48th makes no difference to me. Coming up to the end of the year is when some countries I would imagine will start to play it safer to maximise their YTD placing. Although I would caution people to think again about what they consider is safe because the competition is so hot these days. 'Playing it safe' can easily mean something gets forgotten or overlooked for being samey and is an accidental DNQ. A very interesting battle going on at the top between two pop countries, I couldn't call which way that will go as both are so consistent.

1996 is one of my favourite 90s years in Eurovision so nice to see lots of entries from there ranking highly. I was quite into Croatia in 2002 and 2003. Loved the moody Everything I Want, which was like a Britney album track done by a Shania Twain meets Sharon Corr kind of figure, one of only 7 songs I enjoyed in a very weak year. And then Više Nisam Tvoja again was very Britney/Cheiron and a little dated by 2003 but I always liked it. Moja Štikla is wonderful, I've always loved it and wanted it to come top 10 in 2006, and thought it would.

Bronzil seem to be trending that way. I also wouldn't put it past The Spodic Empire, Zanmatony, or a quick victory from New Helvetica.

Got the CD and vinyl today, had to have both for my favourite album from them. What's A Girl To Do is great although surely samples the production of this Lisa Stansfield cover from 2005 that got to No.34. I bought this and thought it would be massive like Lola's Theme, which interestingly the new write-up in Tangled Up compares What's A Girl To Do to. If it's not a sample then that is a close coincidence.

Carel Brorderman has confirmed my 4th place so I'm happy.