richie

A wee bit of good publicity for Tesco, a wee plug for Iron Maiden, a chance for middle-aged men to get misty-eyed over the copy of Now 11 they got from somebody for a birthday present once, a way to fill space in the Independent. Not going to start a revolution or anything. The saddest thing about records in shops now is that they've been sold alongside 12" picture frames for at least the last 10 years.

Don't think Channel 5 is featuring any of its content in this. Otherwise the 90s episode would have been full of its launch night content.

I thought Snakeskin was really good. Will be tuning in to the album come October.

+30 Public Image Ltd - Public Image +29 Ian Dury & The Blockheads - What A Waste +28 Sham 69 - If The Kids Are United +27 Eruption - One Way Ticket +26 Carpenters - Calling Occupants Of Interplanetary Craft (The Recognised Anthem Of World Contact Day) +25 Funkadelic - One Nation Under A Groove +24 Chic - Everybody Dance +23 Rose Royce - Car Wash +22 Johnny Nash - There Are More Questions Than Answers +21 The Goons - Ying Tong Song +20 The Drifters - Come On Over To My Place +19 Rupie Edwards - Ire Feelings (Skanga) +18 The Wombles - Banana Rock +17 Bob Marley & The Wailers - Is This Love +16 Dr Feelgood - Milk And Alcohol +15 Harold Melvin & The Bluenotes - If You Don't Know Me By Now +14 Wings - Live and Let Die +13 The Rods - Do Anything You Wanna Do +12 Stranglers - Something Better Change / Straighten Out +11 Bob Marley & The Wailers - Jamming/Punky Reggae Party +10 Chris Montez - Let's Dance +09 Elvis Presley - Always On My Mind +08 The Stylistics - I'm Stone In Love With You +07 Edwin Starr - H.A.P.P.Y Radio +06 Kool & The Gang - Ladies Night +05 Cliff Richard - Devil Woman +04 Sweet - Love is Like Oxygen +03 The Who - Won’t Get Fooled Again +02 Melanie - Ruby Tuesday +01 Thin Lizzy - Waiting for an Alibi

Yes, Trevor and Simon had a couple of characters called 'Pot Fish' who were some sort of rave roadshow a bit like The Hitman and Her. Trev had Pat Sharp hair and Simon was dressed in a leotard as 'Moon Monkey'. They basically used to just talk nonsense about being sorted while The Prodigy's 'Jericho' played in the background. The Keith Harris and Orville rave track is here if you want to hear it. They 'cleverly' got Orville to sing 'E E E - look at me, I'm fying'. losynOV5Yqc Despite what others think, this was at least a little bit of quality in my opinion. I had a Carl Cox at the Coventry Eclipse (I think) mix tape some time in late spring 1992 and this was on it. I had no idea what it was, but I loved it. I was really chuffed when it got released properly a few months later. I'm a pretty big Richard D James fan and I think I'd stick this on a best of compilation of his any day!

I love Hooton Tennis Club. They're practically the only band I can think of just now that are paying tribute to the likes of Dinosaur Jr, Teenage Fanclub, Pavement etc. in their sound. I'm not really sure if I should post them on the indie, rock and alternative board as they don't sound anything like Paramore, Hurts, Lana Del Ray. Marina and the Diamonds or FKA Twigs - but, you never know, one or two of you might like them. I'm off to Festival No.6 next week so can't wait to see them there. Hooton Tennis Club - Highest Point in Cliff Town 1. Up In The Air 2. I’m Not Going Roses Again 3. P.O.W.E.R.F.U.L. P.I.E.R.R.E. 4. Something Much Quicker Than Anyone But Jennifer Could Ever Imagine 5. Jasper 6. Always Coming Back 2 You 7. Barlow Terrace 8. Spokes 9. Kathleen Sat On The Arm Of her Favourite Chair 10. Standing Knees 11. …And Then Camilla Drew Fourteen Dots On Her Knees 12. Fall In Luv HqZ8i53CmEI kBZ47Ifz4cQ

I think she'll definitely take a medal but not sure she'll get gold as the other two semi-finals were much quicker. That said, she wasn't pushed and she must have a good bit left in the tank as they say.

These aren't sitcoms though, they're sketch shows - it needs to be the same characters and the same setting in a different situation each episode. Quite a good list this. Friends far, far, far too high - but it was popular I suppose. I think it's generally accepted that Frasier was the best 90s US sitcom though. Dad's Army is far too low, so is Porridge. No place for Sykes? What's that all about? Good to see Man About the House in the top 50 - just! - I would have it in my top 5. George & Mildred and Robin's Nest missed out, but probably right as MATH is the original and best. Blackadder remains brilliant. I'm probably the only person who thinks the third series is best, most seem to go for II or goes forth.

A strong dance track, not my favourite at the time or even now but there was a punch in the tracks at the beginning of Euro-Dance that started to get diluted as the years went on. Pretty much the blueprint for many to come - including "Mr Vain" which is practically the same song with different lyrics.

Number 15s +20 The Jam - Down At The Tube Station At Midnight (my absolute favourite Weller track ever) +18 Sly & The Family Stone - Family Affair +16 T-Rex - New York City +14 Stevie Wonder - Signed, Sealed, Delivered, I'm Yours +12 The Jam - Strange Town +10 Crystals - Da Doo Ron Ron +08 Village People - Go West +06 Elvis Costello - Watching The Detectives +04 Paul Simon - Me And Julio Down By The Schoolyard +02 Elton John - The Bitch Is Back Number 18s +20 The Carpenters - Superstar/For All We Know +18 The Stranglers - Nice 'N' Sleazy +16 Tom Robinson Band - Don't Take No For An Answer/Glad To Be Gay +14 David Bowie - Young Americans +12 The Fatback Band - (Are You Ready) Do The Bus Stop +10 Rufus Thomas - Do The Funky Chicken +08 Chuck Berry - Reelin' And Rockin' +06 Streetband - Toast/Hold On +04 Iris Williams - He Was Beautiful (Cavatina) (Theme From 'The Deer Hunter') +02 Tony Christie - Is This The Way To Amarillo Much as I love Good Vibrations by the Beach Boys and would have it at no.1 out of these normally, I don't really give points to re-releases.

Home advantage always helps, but yes, the Chinese did well. Also liked the Aussie guy who jumped with his chain in his mouth.

Plastic Bertram?

Nope, I bought the Sonz of Bungle one! EbitvwVjCNY (17:44 in) This is the one that managed to rope Zippy and George into a TV appearance on The Word (I think) BgNl3rQcnJA

Looks like a mixture of Rusev and Hillbilly Jim.

I thought we all agreed to put it at no.36? I wasn't going to do a top 50 but then I realised my favourites would all get 20 points less than others so I bolstered it.

I've still got a lot of time for Sesame's Treet. There's certainly nothing wrong with the track if you remove the samples - and the same with Urban Hype - but that's what caught the record buying public's imagination. I was the perfect age - 15 - old enough to remember the kids TV shows and young enough not to let the cheesiness bother me. The trend went on and on and later in 1992 two acts released tracks that sampled the Rainbow theme in the same week. Only one had the backing of Zippy and George (the rubbish(er) one). Then at Christmas, Keith Harris and Orville were given the hardcore treatment..... It was immense fun for me, but pretty tiresome for most...and we haven't even got on to the Nintendo remixes yet... Anyway, if anything, Sesame's Treet introduced me to Suburban Base Records and what was by far the best hardcore label then and now. There's a great clip from Dance Energy about the emergent 1992 Essex hardcore scene here -> http://idmmag.com/news/the-essex-rave-scene/

Yep, great run from Rabah Yousif. Just qualifying for the final is great. Ditto Eilidh Childs.

How on earth is Daniel O'Donnell only 53? He seems to have been around forever. http://24.media.tumblr.com/570bce3b1498f2f22731f6d7b07df1ae/tumblr_mpb01uvR061qleraio1_250.gif

YES!!!!!! Now hopefully Bolt can make it a treble and send Gatlin home with three silvers. Great performance from JEH - composed the whole way through. KJT looked nervous as anything but she was desperately unlucky in the long jump. She will get there though. She won the high jump and 200m and set personal bests in the hurdles and shot putt. Would have been a really, really exciting finish if she'd still been there for the final 800m.

Seems to be all over the web already in animated gif form. I didn't bother with it this year as the line-up looked really poor. I guess the only plus is that John Cena lost his title - but where does that leave him? It was fine having him in the mid-card but now he'll probably be back in main events again. Hopefully he can get in some kind of feud with the Big Show and that'll keep them both busy. Otherwise very bored of the main roster in general - the tag division is awful and the intercontinental title scene isn't any better. Owens should beat Ryback as soon as possible for that title and make his feud with Cesaro for the belt instead. Practically given up on Raw as it's now just 70% talking with main event tag matches between the same handful of stars...happening...right...now.

Something Good was such a good record! I'd say that "I Want You" from 1993 was still a good record even though it wasn't anywhere near as big as their first 3 singles. Not sure if the Utahs managed to get all their samples cleared though. I think the early white label versions of 'What Can You Do For Me' had a snatch from 'Don't Stop Me Now' by Queen which they weren't able to clear for the full release.

Neither - both sound like parodies of themselves.

Heh, we'll have to agree to disagree! The Bends is the best Radiohead album and, although OK Computer is good, I can't really listen to anything from Kid A onwards. I've tried, but it just seems to me that all the acts they were taking influence from were much, much better at it than them. I also think Bjork's work with the Sugarcubes and on Debut are her best. Blur recovered slightly with their self-titled comeback after the embarrassing pool party that was The Great Escape but 13 was self-indulgent and very, very boring I thought. Never liked Mansun much - they were real also-rans. Mezzanine is nowhere near as good as Blue Lines or Protection! But, as I said, it's probably everything to do with how old we are when we get into things.

Number 19s +20 Mardi Gras - Too Busy Thinking About My Baby +18 B Bumble & The Stingers - Nut Rocker +16 X Ray Spex - Germ Free Adolescence +14 Clash - Tommy Gun +12 Squeeze - Take Me I'm Yours +10 Weathermen - It's The Same Old Song +08 Lynsey De Paul & Mike Moran - Rock Bottom +06 Sham 69 - Angels With Dirty Faces +04 Father Abraham & The Smurfs - Christmas In Smurfland +02 Sally Oldfield - Mirrors Number 20s +20 Public Image Ltd - Death Disco +18 Creedence Clearwater Revival - Long As I Can See The Light +16 Buzzcocks - Promises +14 The Goodies - Make A Daft Noise For Christmas +12 Scotland World Cup Squad - Easy Easy +10 The Damned - Love Song +08 Chas & Dave - Gertcha +06 The Commodores - Machine Gun +04 Eddie Drennon & B.B.S Unlimited - Let's Do The Latin Hustle +02 Shalamar - Take That To The Bank

+50 Medicine Head - One And One Is One +49 Mike Oldfield - Portsmouth +48 T.Rex - 20th Century Boy +47 Kenny - The Bump +46 Van McCoy & The Soul City Symphony - The Hustle +45 Ian Dury & The Blockheads - Reasons To Be Cheerful, Part 3 +44 Dean Friedman - Lucky Stars +43 Michael Jackson - Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough +42 Hank Mizell - Jungle Rock +41 Sugarhill Gang - Rapper's Delight +40 David Bowie - Sorrow +39 Mott The Hoople - All The Young Dudes +38 Wurzels - I Am A Cider Drinker (Paloma Blanca) +37 Bobby (Boris) Pickett & The Crypt-Kickers - Monster Mash +36 Abba - Money Money Money +35 The Jam - Eton Rifles +34 David Bowie - Sound And Vision +33 David Essex - Rock On +32 Robin Sarstedt - My Resistance Is Low +31 Edwin Starr - War +30 Michael Jackson - Rockin' Robin +29 David Bowie - Life On Mars +28 Boney M - Hooray Hooray, It's A Holi-Holiday +27 David Essex - Oh What A Circus +26 Frankie Valli - Grease +25 Status Quo - Rockin' All Over The World +24 David Dundas - Jeans On +23 Gerry Rafferty - Baker Street +22 America - A Horse With No Name +21 Lene Lovich - Lucky Number +20 Lulu - The Man Who Sold The World +19 David Bowie - Drive-In Saturday (Seattle-Phoenix) +18 R Dean Taylor - There's A Ghost In My House +17 Hawkwind - Silver Machine +16 Lynn Anderson - Rose Garden +15 Carly Simon - You're So Vain +14 Rose Royce - Wishing On A Star +13 Peter Shelley - Love Me Love My Dog +12 Abba - Angeleyes/Voulez-Vous +11 Creedence Clearwater Revival - Up Around The Bend +10 Abba - Gimme, Gimme, Gimme (A Man After Midnight) +09 Four Tops - Simple Game +08 Mungo Jerry - Alright, Alright, Alright +07 Wombles - Remember You're A Womble +06 Johnny Mathis & Deniece Williams - Too Much, Too Little, Too Late +05 Earth Wind & Fire - September +04 Donna Summer & Barbra Streisand - No More Tears (Enough Is Enough) +03 Boney M - Sunny +02 Python Lee Jackson - In A Broken Dream +01 Slade - The Bangin' Man