John_Squire

Some complete gems and lots of utter $h!te. The hardest year to give points to by far. 15 Soul II Soul “Back To Life (However Do You Want Me)” 12 Black Box “Ride On Time” 10 Marc Almond feat. Gene Pitney “Something’s Gotten Hold Of My Heart” 08 Lisa Stansfield “All Around The World” 06 The Bangles “Eternal Flame” 05 Madonna “Like A Prayer” Below this point I lose interest really. 04 Kylie and Jason “Especially For You” - it's OK 03 Jason Donovan “Sealed With A Kiss” - original was good 02 Gerry Marsden, Paul McCartney, Holly Johnson and The Christians “Ferry Cross The Mersey” 01 Jive Bunny and The Mastermixers “Let’s Party” - why not. -2 Jason Donovan “Too Many Broken Hearts” This, Sonia, NKOTB, Jive Bunny, awful covers...harder to give the -2 than in any other year

Did 'Put Your Hands Up' chart at all?

15 U2 “Desire” 12 Enya “Orinoco Flow” 10 Fairground Attraction “Perfect” 08 The Hollies “He Ain’t Heavy He’s My Brother” 06 Belinda Carlisle “Heaven Is A Place on Earth” 05 S-Express “Theme From S-Express” 04 Yazz and The Plastic Population “The Only Way Is Up” 03 Tiffany “I Think We’re Alone Now” 02 Kylie Minogue “I Should Be So Lucky” 01 Cliff Richard “Mistletoe And Wine” -1 Wet Wet Wet and Billy Bragg with Cara Tivey “With A Little Help From My Friends/She’s Leaving Home”

15 Madonna “La Isla Bonita” 12 The Bee Gees “You Win Again” 10 T’Pau “China In Your Hand” 08 Starship “Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us Now” 06 Whitney Houston “I Wanna Dance With Somebody (Who Loves Me)” 05 The Firm “Star Trekkin” 04 Michael Jackson with Siedah Garrett “I Just Can’t Stop Loving You” 03 Pet Shop Boys “It’s a Sin” 02 Madonna “Who’s That Girl” 01 Mel and Kim “Respectable” -2 Ferry Aid “Let it Be”

15 Berlin “Take My Breath Away (Love Theme From “Top Gun”) 12 Pet Shop Boys “West End Girls” 10 Wham! “The Edge Of Heaven” 08 Madonna “Papa Don’t Preach” 06 Diana Ross “Chain Reaction” 05 Falco “Rock Me Amadeus” 04 Chris de Burgh “The Lady In Red” 03 Europe “The Final Countdown” 02 The Communards “Don’t Leave Me This Way” 01 Jackie Wilson “Reet Petite” -2 Spitting Image “The Chicken Song” Decent year for number ons, only a couple of crap ones.

15 Foreigner “I Want To Know What Love Is” 12 Phyllis Nelson “Move Closer” 10 Feargal Sharkey “A Good Heart” 08 Midge Ure “If I Was” 04 Phillip Bailey & Phil Collins “Easy Lover” 05 Elaine Paige & Barbra Dickson “I Know Him So Well” 04 Dead or Alive “You Spin Me Round (Like a Record)” 03 Jennifer Rush “The Power Of Love” 02 Whitney Houston “Saving All My Love For You” 01 Eurythmics “There Must Be An Angel (Playing With My Heart)” -2 Wham! “I’m Your Man”

Usher - Burn. Can't believe the Cha Cha Slide lasted until round 11!

I think Reggie is unsuitable for the chart show. As people have said he doesn't take it seriously - he's an OK presenter generally but NOT for the chart, he improved a bit when it was just him instead of him and Fearne (who is actually good but not on the chart show) but these days he isn't very good at all, especially with all the gimmicks like the celebrity chart numbers - absolute crap, a 20-second Q&A with the next artist (like they sometimes did in Goodier's time) would be much better. Wes Butters and yes even JK and Joel were better than Reggie - less annoying features and in those days they focused on the albums, which was annoying as they didn't play the 40 singles, but at least they were playing music! Only including the top 5 albums is really irritating, as is Reggie constantly hyping who the guests are (and thus often making it obvious from the start that the guest will be #1) - I mean, I doubt very much that many people listen to the chart show for the guests - it's either a casual listen because it's Radio 1, or obviously chart-watchers. Ideally we'd have Goodier back but from the current R1 presenters, Zane Lowe, Edith Bowman or possibly Greg James would be better. Jo Whiley has gone to Radio 2 for the album chart show - she would actually have been a good choice, but of course she'd never get a look-in. EDIT: Scott Mills would be OK too.

Top 10, maybe top 5; it'll probably sell enough in a week to go top 3 but not in one chart, so I don't think it will go any higher than 4-5.

15 George Michael “Careless Whisper” 12 Frankie Goes To Hollywood “Two Tribes” 10 Wham! “Freedom” 08 Duran Duran “The Reflex” 06 Nena “99 Red Balloons” 05 Wham! “Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go” 04 Frankie Goes To Hollywood “The Power Of Love” 03 Lionel Richie “Hello” 02 Band Aid “Do They Know It’s Christmas?” 01 Paul McCartney “Pipes Of Peace” -2 Stevie Wonder “I Just Called To Say I Love You”

Regarding Queen: I don't know if it's fair to divide the sales equally - I would imagine (with no justification except the popularity of the songs on each disc) that the GH I-III collection sold mostly on the strength of GHI or GHII. Though by that standard GHI would probably be close to 6m sales, which is just ugh. Thing is with any of the pre-CD era albums, a hell of the lot of the sales will be replacements for LPs so the likes of Sgt Pepper, Queen GH, Rumours have probably had a lot of double sales to the same people. Which of course means sod all - otherwise no fanbase mutliple buys would count either - but it diminishes it a little bit, compared to say Dido which is likely to be all CD sales with few few replacement sales. Then again Dido buyers could all have bought 2 copies each and it could've sold to only 1.5m buyers - so I know it's an irrelevant argument! Back to Adele - I don't know if she will sell that much in Q4 (ie not another million) because presumably most of her target demographic would have bought it themselves by then; she's had the Valentines and Mothers Day sales too - I guess the only major Christmas untapped market would be kids who don't buy albums for themselves. I think Adele will sell 3m easily but to do it by the end of Q3 (September) would mean she needs to average 35k?+ every week until then - do-able given her sales but maybe not over the summer (of course she'll probably be above 50k until at least early June). If she releases deluxe, of course, she could easily do 4m this year - certainly next year.

Probably the worst year yet. Nothing too awful but not much that's great. 15 David Bowie “Let’s Dance” 12 The Flying Pickets “Only You” 10 Kajagoogoo “Too Shy” 08 Bonnie Tyler “Total Eclipse Of The Heart” 06 Michael Jackson “Billie Jean” 05 Duran Duran “Is There Something I Should Know” 04 Phil Collins “You Can’t Hurry Love” 03 Spandau Ballet “True” 02 Culture Club “Karma Chameleon” 01 The Police “Every Breath You Take” -2 Paul Young “Wherever I Lay My Hat (That’s My Home)”

She's very underrated, good songwriter, her first album was very mature and I was surprised how little it's dated.

Pleased with the 1981 results - Ghost Town would've had my 15. 15 Kraftwerk “The Model/Computer Love” 12 Culture Club “Do You Really Want To Hurt Me” 10 Irene Cara “Fame” 08 The Jam “A Town Called Malice/Precious” 06 Charlene “I’ve Never Been To Me” 05 Nicole “A Little Peace” 04 Adam Ant “Goody Two Shoes” 03 Bucks Fizz “My Camera Never Lies” 02 Tight Fit “The Lion Sleeps Tonight” 01 Dexy’s Midnight Runners with The Emerald Express “Come On Eileen” -2 Musical Youth “Pass The Dutchie”

15 ABBA “The Winner Takes It All” 12 Fern Kinney “Together We Are Beautiful” 10 Blondie “Atomic” 08 David Bowie “Ashes to Ashes” 06 The Pretenders “Brass In Pocket” 05 Blondie “Call Me” 04 Kelly Marie “Feels Like I’m In Love” 03 Barbra Streisand “Woman In Love” 02 The Jam “Start” 01 M*A*S*H “Theme From M*A*S*H (Suicide is Painless)” -2 The Specials “Too Much Too Young (The Special AKA Live! EP)” Remarkably good year for #1s! And lots of variety. Could easily give 5 points or more to most of these songs.

SO hard! There are only about half a dozen I don't want to give points to! 15 Blur – Tender 12 Madonna – Beautiful Stranger 10 Shaft – (Mucho Mambo) Sway 08 DJ Jean – The Launch 06 Fatboy Slim – Right Here Right Now 05 Artful Dodger feat. Craig David – Re-Rewind 04 Ann Lee – 2 Times 03 Tin Tin Out feat. Emma Bunton – What I Am 02 Geri Halliwell – Look At Me 01 DJ Jurgen pts. Alice Deejay – Better Off Alone -2 The Offspring – Why Don’t You Get A Job because it's crap compared to PF(FAWG), though not awful, it was between this and 'Will 2K' for the -2

Hardly unexpected - I was surprised they even gave him a third album. He could probably do some decent stuff but most of his songs are boring/bland IMO, his voice isn't bad but not really my thing.

Is the album made up of the stuff she was supposed to have recorded before the X-Factor? Don't mind that song at all. But then I liked her on X-Factor.

Ten's not that great IMO, first album was probably better, neither are GREAT though. She should go more rock-y or Goldfrapp-y rather than the watered-down RnB/dance-lite/average pop route.

Really?! I don't mind the video at all. When Nerina comes out from the alley she reminds me of Katy B mixed with Myleene Klass. Good song. IMO far better than Kylie could have done with it (Kylie would've done it OK though). Doubt it'll go top 40 though, hopefully top 75. I think Nerina will probably get like Thea Gilmore chart-wise - devoted fanbase but lucky to go top 50. Fingers crossed the album does better than 'The Graduate' and goes top 40 :wub: She deserves it, one of the best pop singer-songwriters around.

PARKLIFE- Blur LISTEN WITHOUT PREJUDICE VOL 1- George Michael ALL SAINTS- All Saints edit to add THE VERY BEST OF THE BEE GEES- Bee Gees

15 Beautiful South “Perfect 10” 12 Spice Girls “Stop” 10 Mousse T “Horny” 08 Pras Michel “Ghetto Superstar” 06 Madonna “Ray of Light” 05 George Michael “Outside” 04 Brandy and Monica “The Boy is Mine” 03 Five “Everybody Get Up” 02 Busta Rhymes “Turn It Up” 01 911 “More than a Woman” -2 E17 “Each Time”

15 Natalie Imbruglia “Torn” 12 Gala “Freed From Desire” 10 Cardigans “Lovefool” 08 No Mercy “Where Do You Go” 06 Sash “Encore Une Fois” 05 Boyzone “Picture of You” probably their best 04 Dario G “Sunchyme” 03 Oasis “Stand By Me” 02 Blur “Song 2” 01 Backstreet Boys “Quit Playing Games With My Heart” -2 Chumbawamba “Tubthumping” Close between this and The Verve for the -2. Whilst both are good songs, they are not half as good as the absolute bumming almost everybody gives them. And as BS is much better than this, this gets the -2.

15 Manic Street Preachers “A Design for Life” 12 Los Del Rio “Macarena” 10 Robert Miles “Children” 08 Toni Braxton “Unbreak My Heart” 06 Underworld “Born Slippy” 05 3T “Anything” 04 Bluetones “Slight Return” 03 Kula Shaker “Hey Dude” 02 Robbie Williams “Freedom” 01 Fugees “No Woman No Cry” -2 Peter Andre “Mysterious Girl” --------------------

10 Suede - Animal Nitrate 09 Spin Doctors - Two Princes 08 James - Laid 07 Radiohead - Creep 06 Robin S - Show Me Love 05 Nirvana - Heart Shaped Box 04 Cypress Hill - Insane In The Brain 03 Bjork - Play Dead 02 Jamiroquai - Too Young To Die -1 Mariah Carey - Hero