gooddelta

I cannot hear or think about this song without hearing in my head Kate Thornton shout 'Shayne' before the key change. It's a very bland song indeed for me, unbelievable sales for such a Westlife album track kind of thing. But X Factor indeed was already on its way to becoming a cultural phenomenon.

A 40 song third semi? But then the other two would only have seven songs each.

I prefer Ronan, it's a good song for me, New Radicals should have kept it for themselves so they weren't a one-hit wonder. Really not a fan of Baha Men.

My recycling days are over for now, but I'll check the song out!

Katie Gavin features on the latest Sarah McLachlan single, if anyone fancies that.

This news report is always baffling to me, people buying 40 copies. What on earth for??!

@Nine And ¾

There are at least eight different artists called Moona on Spotify if the real thing is too cheap.

Freestyler!

Love Won't Wait is not bad, I prefer it to Forever Love and I quite like the chorus. It doesn't sound like a Madonna song whatsoever so I'm always surprised to hear that she wrote it. Candle In The Wind 1997 is also ok, not an Elton favourite of mine in the first place but served a purpose at the time and suited the public's mood quite clearly.

I found quite a few names on my searches who had several hit albums but only one hit single (but would still fit under the rules stated). It's really astonishing how few hit singles some really quite major artists managed.

E^ST should have been in my list as quite right you sent her first, I'll edit that in.

I was racking my brain wondering who was about to achieve this niche feat. Now it makes sense! I have confirmed now, on the assumption that nobody has got to the artist first. But went through at least 30 different options, it seems I like one-hit wonders a lot.

I was thinking the same, what did JADE add to it, a backing/co-vocal? It didn't sound very different to the original to me. The list above is all average to poor for me, so I will add another vote to Westlife. I don't love it but the Avicii if he was Irish sound is an interesting swerve (that sounds like it's from 2015, but still).

I'm actually not that big on Music, so going for It's My Life, which is the only really great Bon Jovi single of this century for me, I love the intro.

I always really enjoyed I'll Be Missing You, but obviously isn't something I seek out to listen to now. Faith Evans has always sounded lovely on it, and it was quite poignant before it was tarred by association. I never particularly liked I Belive I Can Fly, although it reminds me of the buzz around the Space Jam film. Ain't Nobody may well be last for me on musical merit, completely pointless. Of all the great songs he had that could have been a No.1 instead... Just scanned the full list and on the whole it is far more impressive than 1996, with very little complete rubbish, although the highs were maybe a bit higher in 1996.

I think I'd actually pick Let's Get Loud, it sounds like a Gloria Estefan classic so not surprising that she wrote it. It was criminal to release Feelin' So Good over that in the UK.

These are my recycles of acts sent by others first: XX - Anna Abreu - Music Everywhere (previously sent by Land of Jack) XXVII - Lena Meyer-Landrut & Ellie Goulding - Not Following (Ellie Goulding previously sent by Angelicland, Kingdom of Shadow and B.a.N.G) XXVIII - Markoolio & Linda Bengtzing - Värsta Schlagern (Linda Bengtzing previously sent by Herzebania and Angelicland) XXXII - Lykke Li - Sadness Is A Blessing (previously sent by Rivandia, Kopečka, B.a.N.G and Cadbury) XLIV - Mr Little Jeans - Runaway (previously sent by B.a.N.G) LIII - Michael Woods - Platinum Chains (Rontvian Club Edit) (previously sent by Aquafina) LVIII - Tensnake feat Fiora - 58 BPM (previously sent by Bøtanikkä) LX - RL Grime - Because Of U (previously sent as a remixer by Trifoski) LXVIII - Goldfish - Moonwalk Away (Moonlanding Mix) (previously sent by Lake Thermwoods) LXX - Walk The Moon - Shut Up and Dance (previously sent by Terra Avium) LXXII - Kadebostany - Castle In The Snow (previously sent by Batidas) LXXXIII - RØMANS feat Rejjie Snow - Prisoner (previously sent by République d'Áskorza) CI - E^ST - Life Goes On (previously sent by Thelonia) CXXVIII - Mason - Alive (previously sent by Pupok) CXXXVIII - DJ Muscleboy feat Yohanna - Spending My Time (Yohanna previously sent by Bhangra) CXXXIX - Sally Shapiro - Forget About You (previously sent by Utopia and Numayania) CXL - Alex M.O.R.P.H. feat Sylvia Tosun - An Angel's Love (previously sent by Danæviia) CXLVI - Hudson Mohawke - Bicstan (previously sent by Isconia) CLXVIII - Rachel K Collier x Saruri - Kiye Yuku Hana (Rachel K Collier previously sent by Mezidinia) CLXXII - God Colony & Roy - Loss Is Not Infinite (God Colony previously sent by Skall) CLXXIV - Lozeak - NADA (previously sent by Sandénia) So 20 in total from 178 entries, including multiple recycles of the much missed B.a.N.G and Angelicland. Weirdly, of my 20 recycles, 8 of the first 10 finished top ten for me, but only one of the most recent 10 has. So it isn't exactly a recipe for success for me in the last decade to recycle.

I remember when the mids came in that week I was genuinely shocked by how much it was set to sell, as Westlife felt like a spent force. Yet this single for some reason rejuvenated them, and even finished in the top ten of the year! I don't really mind the track compared to a lot of their other mid 00s material, it's bit 'made for X Factor montage', but if they hadn't had a hit with it then someone else would, it's just one of those timeless sounding songs. So much so that the song that Scooch famously beat to victory in the UK Eurovision national final 18 months later sounded exactly the same.

Oh my. If I was to end up getting tickets and any of A*Teens, Sanna or Jacqline were to miss the final I would be crying all the way home. Still not over buying tickets for the final in 2017 purely to see Loreen (as it was surely a given she'd make it to Stockholm) and then she crashed out in Andra Chansen 🫠 And 2024 when I was excited to see Fröken Snusk performing her Swedish No.1 hit and...she didn't make the final. Still, sure she's on a sugar high these days.

R Kelly can go, both sides are average and there are some strong songs in here.

I also try not to recycle unless it's an artist I sent first (Mira Craig, Sheelah, Dodie, DJ Sabrina) but I've had a couple this year. I think Sandenia sent Lozeak previously and Skall sent God Colony - think those are my only recycles of the last three years of other nations' acts and neither lit up the scoreboard first time out.

Will find something. At least Agnes won't be able to win two Bop Idols in a row due to her No.40 smash I Need You Now.

Switching to Bublé as I don't really care for Everything.

Maximo Park.