Jade

Hi James, hope you've had a good weekend <3 Great to see Miley entering this week! I gave the album a spin and am particularly loving the collab with Model/Actriz too. Thunder Bae was robbed in BJSC 😪

Hi Sergej hope you're good! I'm happy to see Fontaines holding up pretty well so far. I'm even more excited for their new album than I already was now that a ROSALÍA collab has been announced 😍 That Måneskin song is my favourite from your throwback chart

I already nominated this but I see it's not in the OP (no worries, these things are bound to happen)

week ending 20/09/26: 10 Ariana Grande [23 posts] just about held on to top 10 so I think that's 18 weeks in a row now from a quick glance, thanks all <3

Obsessed with the X Factor sketch making it to LoveofHuns I've been sent the link a couple of times already and have to act normal about the cast

Wonderful winner for Round 2! I went for 'Be Alright' as my favourite (an instant pick-me-up <3) and 'don't wanna break up again' for least favourite (the eternal sunshine song that leaves the least impression on me)

Strictly Come Dancing launch show impact (the dances properly kick off next week): 13+62 Bebe Rexha & Faithless - New Religion 38 Pitbull - Fireball (feat. John Ryan) 86 The Chemical Brothers - Go (feat. Q-Tip)

Oh yes, I wasn't familiar with him beforehand (apart from in Barbie apparently x) but he came across well. Looking forward to Amelia next week!

Thought this was a bit of a dud episode on the whole but I did love the Cold Open (yay Jack as Diana indeed!!) and Weekend Update. I also appreciate that things like an entire sketch about CEX or X Factor 2011 contestants can exist on this show. Love that Ania and Paddy were incorporated into the latter sketch. I didn't realise how much I missed Fouracres this episode until he turned up as Dermot!

1990s #08 Spice Girls - 'Viva Forever' (1997) #07 Oasis - 'Live Forever' (1994) Next we have a similarly titled double whammy from two iconic British groups! Our Michael hoped for a "Spicy Ladies or Victoria Beckham" top 3 placement earlier in the thread so I hope I haven't disappointed too hard with merely #8...! 'Viva Forever' could first be found on the Spice Girls' sophomore album Spiceworld, released in 1997. But it was pushed as a single the following year. My brother got 'Viva Forever' as his birthday #1 so I'm pretty jealous! The two of us went to see the girls as a four-piece at Wembley Stadium, back in 2019, soon before the world shut down for a while during the pandemic. So he has experienced his birthday #1 in the flesh and it was a magical moment for me to hear live too. The familial connections continue as my dad loves this song, so passed that on to me. If I had a penny for every holiday romance song beginning with V that has appeared in this countdown, then I'd have two. Like 'Vienna', 'Viva Forever' also reflects on this fleeting but special feeling. It would later turn out to be a bittersweet reflection of the group's own story too, as their time as a five-piece came to an end with Geri Halliwell's departure in 1998. Halliwell was still included in the stop motion promotional materials for the single as they had been meticulously crafted before she dropped out. Steve Box of Aardman Animations was behind the music video, which symbolises how pop music was consumed but soon disposed of at the time. I find those fairies a bit creepy but striking all the same. I like that 'Viva Forever' isn't your typical Spice Girls single. They had dabbled in Spanish elements before, like 'If U Can't Dance' on their debut album, but I'd say an orchestral 5 minute ballad with an eerie animated video wouldn't have been on my bingo card for their usually bubblegum brand. I think this song captures a beautiful, wistful tone. The string arrangement is particularly gorgeous from the production side and the Spanish touches, like castanets and the flamenco rhythm, also appeal to me. The girls have never particularly been known for their vocal prowess (maybe Melanie C excluded) but I think they effectively come together here to produce a haunting mood. I particularly enjoy Mel B's lower register towards the end of 'Viva Forever', which sounds husky and melancholic, but ends on a hopeful note lyrically with "ever searching for the one". 'Viva Forever' sold by the bucket load despite being a post-album single. The publicity surrounding Geri's departure can't have hurt! The girls' eye-watering run of #1 hits faced an interruption when third Spiceworld single 'Stop' stalled at #2, but 'Viva Forever' got them back on top. ... Liam Gallagher once stated that 'Live Forever' is his favourite Oasis song so we snap on this! I was bound to get into Oasis to some extent as a group so heavily inspired by The Beatles. My dad is a massive fan of them so usually went out to buy a new Oasis CD single or album during the 1990s and 2000s. Therefore, I unsurprisingly heard a lot of their music growing up. I particularly fell in love with the first two Oasis albums and accompanying B-sides but they still released some gems later on, even into the 2000s, with 'The Importance of Being Idle' especially standing out to me. 'Live Forever' has always been my unshakable Oasis favourite ever since I first heard it. That felt like a semi-inspired pick when I first decided this but is undoubtably one of their most popular songs in the streaming era now! 'Live Forever' opens with a standout drumbeat from Tony McCarroll and is soon joined by the main guitar line and piano, alongside vocals from Liam Gallagher. He typically has quite a snarling, distinctive style, which I appreciate, but I also love how he contrasts this with the softer falsetto moments on 'Live Forever' too. Liam's contrasting vocal moments feel like a good fit for Noel Gallagher's lyrics. He was inspired to write 'Live Forever' after listening to 'Shine a Light' by The Rolling Stones. Noel took a melodic cue from that track, wrote a lyric around it, then needed time to figure out the rest of the song. He was a construction worker with dreams of grandeur at the time, writing during breaks after a foot injury. The lyrics generally exude a confidence but there are also moments of vulnerable doubt, such as "maybe I will never be, all the things that I wanna be", much like the duality of Liam's two differing vocal styles. I like that the song explores both the beauty in the mundane (the "garden grows" lyric is a tribute to Liam and Noel's mother, a keen gardener) and in daring to dream, ultimately landing on the point that it's up to you to decide what is the right fit for your own life. There's a wonderful optimism to the song without feeling at all forced. Musically, I appreciate all of the guitar work from Paul Arthurs (who also plays the piano), Paul McGuigan and Noel Gallagher, but particularly love the two melodic, emotive solos provided by Gallagher. The music video is also one of their best as I enjoy the striking, surreal imagery throughout, like Liam sitting on a chair stuck to the wall. 'Live Forever' was released as the third single from Definitely Maybe and reached #10 at the time. This was the third ascending peak of the era, after 'Supersonic' hit #31 and 'Shakermaker' got to #11. Oasis finally returned to touring this decade which has resulted in a lot of chart action for their discography in recent years. This included 'Live Forever' now reaching a new peak of #8! Michael Jackson's 'Thriller' similarly achieved a new high of #9 last year after also previously peaking at #10, so that club is dwindling. 'Mr. Brightside' or 'Parklife' next?

😭 I can see where you're coming from but yeah it's my favourite to listen to in isolation! Glad 'Born Slippy' grew on you in the end ❤️ I get the KETTAMA comparison and there's also a song in my personal chart right now called 'Rolling Face' by Adult DVD that reminded me a bit of them. Yes it was absolutely brutal to cut this down to just ten songs as you can imagine! The Cure were an especially difficult snub, with 'Lullaby' as mentioned, but 'The Forest' is also very good and right up there with the best of the band's 1980s output. Glad you agree with me on 'Blue Monday' and 'Vienna' even if fairly obvious picks for both artists, they're just both that good! I assume they will be unleashed in Pop Factor at some point so I'm intrigued to see how they perform if so. Happy to hear that 'When Doves Cry' has grown on you more over time! I really like 'Raspberry Beret' as well so cannot knock that favourite choice. It has an uplifting feel that reminds me of the summertime so it got a spot on my 'summery summary' playlist. 'Crash' has really crept up on me over time so I'm glad I could fit in some jangly guitar representation for the decade. The term cuddlecore is definitely new to me...! Happy to see some more love for 'Sexy Boy' now in addition to Air in general <3 Oh yes, I embedded the radio edit just because I could find visuals for it, but my preference is the longer version too which has 32 more scrobbles than the radio edit for me, according to last.fm. This was my first Underworld song, then I think some of their music soundtracking the 2012 Olympics expanded my curiosity. Great stuff indeed.

Slayyyter soundbed ready to stan Lacey and Vito

Answers sent! It was so satisfying when some of these clicked. I'm still not confident on three of them but have given up now as it was driving me crazy

Spotify has updated Sadly my dreams of Model/Actriz appearing in the charts are dashed as there's no Miley impact in the top 200. However, this is a new entry: 135 beabadoobee - Write Me A Letter

1990s Next up is the first decade I actually existed in! Well, for a few years anyway, so I can't recall anything about the 1990s as it happened. I recently created a thread on the forum asking people what the earliest news event they remember was. The most popular response turned out to be the death of Diana, Princess of Wales, who passed away at the end of August 1997. I can't say my experience was the same, as I was probably fixating on Teletubbies rather than being able to comprehend the outpouring of grief from the public. The most notable fact about my date of birth just a few weeks prior to her death, 4th August 1997, is that the oldest person to ever exist died on that day - Jeanne Calment, age 122 years and 164 days. Am I her successor? Do I still have another 90+ years to create threads about my favourite music? Time will tell...! Unfortunately, on the subject of my date of birth, I got 'I'll Be Missing You' by Puff Daddy, Faith Evans and 112 as my #1, very much tainted now. At least Gala's 'Freed From Desire' is a pretty good #2 though. I got one of my all-time favourite '60s songs in that top 40 also, 'California Dreamin', which was at #12 that week thanks to a re-release. <3 The 1990s is my parents' favourite decade for music so I got a pretty good diet of it growing up. They especially passed on a love of electronic music, as my dad liked a lot of rave stuff and my mum was into trip-hop. Plenty of other movements were thriving too, from Grunge to Britpop. I also came into the world as a girl soon after 'Girl Power' burst on to the scene, as a Shampoo single of course, plus was adopted by five certain Spicy ladies. At the movies, my favourite film of the decade is probably Schindler's List, one that would be difficult to rewatch but was so well made and impactful. So it's not just my taste in music that can get quite depressing! There are some haunting '90s picks on the way for sure but also some banging beats, so let's sit tight and throw it back to the final full decade of the 20th century... #10 Air - 'Sexy Boy' (1998) #09 Underworld - 'Born Slippy .NUXX' (1995) French electronic duo Air's debut album Moon Safari is stunning so many tracks from it would be worthy of appearing here! But it's 'Sexy Boy', probably the most commercial moment on the record, that attracted me most and has rocketed in my affections over time, to the point where it's an ultimate '90s highlight for me now. Nicolas Godin of Air said that 'Sexy Boy' almost didn't make its parent album as it felt quite different from the rest, more upbeat. But they found a way to make it work. 'Sexy Boy' is quite the attention-grabbing and seductive title but it holds more meaning than what may appear on the surface. Fellow Air member, Jean-Benoît Dunckel, said the track was about the taboo idea that "men can be erotic too" and is satire of the ideal male form, with some of the French lyrics translating to lines like: "Apollo 2000, zero faults, twenty one years old, he's the ideal man, with his masculine charm". I like how the song strikes a balance of being both sensual and cheeky. The video is a fun ride too with the adventurous monkey! For years I assumed the French vocals in 'Sexy Boy' were performed by a woman, but instead it's Jean-Benoît Dunckel himself who contributes the manipulated, feminine-sounding vocals. I love the breathy, gender-bending sound of them. The production is of course an enormous selling point of this electronica song too. I adore the hypnotic groove of the bassline and synth riff throughout 'Sexy Boy'. The keyboards, organ pads and percussion, plus further guitar work and shimmering synths, also help to create a dreamy, textured experience. The moog solo is a blissful pause too. 'Sexy Boy' was Air's highest peaking song in the U.K. as it reached #13 in the chart. ... I'm pretty sure 'Born Slippy .NUXX' was the first techno song I ever came across so I have Underworld to thank for opening up this part of my taste. 'Born Slippy .NUXX' originally existed as a B-side to instrumental track 'Born Slippy' back in 1995. However, its use in the classic Danny Boyle film Trainspotting the following year swiftly ensured a reissue. 'Born Slippy .NUXX' was written by vocalist Karl Hyde after a night of drinking. He was inspired by Lou Reed's album New York and Sam Shepard's memoir Motel Chronicles, which consists of vignettes with no beginning or end. He took a notebook and camera to document his own environment, writing about his alcoholism, from the drunken perspective of somebody who is viewing the world in fragments. The result is pretty thrilling incoherence - with lots of "boy", lager and mega white things. I've always been teetotal for personal reasons, so cannot relate to feeling sloshed, yet I do feel transported to his frame of mind while listening nevertheless. The title 'Born Slippy' was inspired by the name of a greyhound who had won the group a lot of money at Romford race track. The protagonist then goes out to a party which contains lots of girls, drugs and firsts taking place. But, it's no glamorisation, instead a cry for help. Karl Hyde is a compelling narrator and the production on this song is absolutely massive. The pounding kickdrum is particularly enthralling, what a stomper. Otherwise, I like how the chaos of the distorted vocals and rambling words are contrasted with pretty heavenly synth chords too, providing a calmness much like the repeated angel imagery. I'm pleased that Trainspotting got the public to connect with this frankly weird, long techno song. The reissue got all the way to #2 in the U.K. chart but was blocked by The Fugees' version of 'Killing Me Softly', which is fine, but this would've made an epic chart topper.

Thanks for the refresher of your favourites! I also really like 'Bohemian Rhapsody', 'Comfortably Numb', 'Dr Mabuse', 'Welcome To The Pleasuredome', 'Never Let Me Down Again', 'Cry' and 'In The Air Tonight'. I'm pretty sure I gave the Depeche Mode song top marks when you sent it to BJSC 🖤 'Atmosphere' is amazing too 🥰 Glad you approve of the top 10! Ooh, that's a great idea - I eagerly anticipate your '80s thread. Glad the '80s countdown ended on a high for you, Jim couldn't agree more with your thoughts on both songs. 'She's Lost Control' is another strong Joy Division favourite mentioned in this thread! I was reminded the other day that I gave it top marks in the relevant retro song contest 🤩 as it was in the same edition as my Serge Gainsbourg song. Pleased to see 'Life On Mars?' in your '70s top 10 too <3 and a place for 'Dreaming', amongst others. --- Thanks all for your comments so far! Time for the '90s shortly...

Rochelle still there 😭 Shame Millie was the sacrificial lamb for people to keep Rochelle in as I liked her

A couple of '90s songs are back in the top 40 this week: TLC - 'No Scrubs' Oasis - 'Don't Look Back In Anger'

Oh wow yeah that’s cool for Faouzia! Not sure if an artist born in Morocco has charted here before.

Julia Michaels still doing pretty well for herself as she's a co-writer on 'Nicole Kidman'!

5 to 9 to... 17:00, that'll do

Happy to see 'No Scrubs' back even if it is an autoplay thing, what a classic 😍 I wouldn't recommend the reply song 'No Pigeons' though

Wow this really is a 'Man I Need' rip-off

Managed another week as it's #38 today!