Popchartfreak

1 1 1 8 RELIQUIA - ROSALIA 497500 2 2 1 8 FREE LOVE - Cast 651250 3 3 1 7 TELL ME THERE’S A HEAVEN - Chris Rea 770000 4 4 4 12 YOUR LAST SONG - The Lottery Winners 474900 5 5 5 5 BROKEN STRINGS - Alan Walker featuring Katherine O’Ryan & Isabella Melkman 195500 6 9 6 9 HEAVY NEWS - Richard Ashcroft 196850 7 6 4 9 CLOUD - Seafret 315100 8 7 1 9 SHAKE IT DOWN - Mud 766000 9 13 9 11 MANY RIVERS TO CROSS - Jimmy Cliff 271400 10 8 1 1 WONDERFUL WORLD BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE - Jimmy Cliff 590200 11 11 1 17 LOTUS - Rose Gray 1136350 12 14 12 10 BEAUTIFUL SPIRITUAL - Blue 203950 13 16 13 3 TROUBLE FOLLOWS - YONAKA 75500 14 10 9 8 X.M.A.S. - Kylie Minogue 225500 15 17 1 20 DIE WITH A SMILE - Lady Gaga & Bruno Mars 800250 16 18 16 10 A LOVER’S CONCERTO - The Toys 131900 17 15 4 17 TIME WILL TELL - Celeste 591350 18 20 18 8 CHURCH - JADE 105000 19 32 19 3 ADDICTED TO LOVE - CHVRCHES 50800 20 22 20 7 DIVE INTO THE OCEAN - Alok, Zeeba & Portugal. The Man 9540 21 31 21 3 EMBERS - Robin Schulz featuring Izzy Bizu 33350 22 48 22 2 APERTURE - Harry Styles 31800 23 23 23 5 GIVE ME SOMETHING - OneRepublic 68300 24 12 12 8 HOT IN DECEMBER - Kylie Minogue 177350 25 19 3 10 I BELIEVE IN FATHER CHRISTMAS - Greg Lake 354600 26 21 13 18 HELLO - Sigala x Leigh-Anne x Jonita Gandhi 318700 27 26 26 10 ESIBIZIONISTA - Annalisa 114250 28 25 8 16 SAVE MY LOVE (NICKY ROMERO REMIX) - Marshmello, Ellie Golding & AVAION 454600 29 28 28 5 END OF BEGINNING - Djo 71100 30 29 1 20 SECRETS - Miley Cyrus featuring Lindsey Buckingham and Mick Fleetwood 1241400 31 47 31 3 MORRISSEY - Robbie Williams 35800 32 33 32 12 CHOOSIN’ TEXAS - Ella Langley 122950 33 34 33 4 I JUST MIGHT - Bruno Mars 59250 34 37 34 3 TO LOVE SOMEBODY - Al Green 45700 35 39 35 12 I’M DONE (GAMES THAT YOU PLAY) - Amy McDonald 133900 36 24 19 12 MYSTERIOUS GIRL - Damiano David 162500 37 27 3 12 ATCHAFALAYA - Orville Peck featuring Noah Cyrus 496800 38 42 38 3 PERFECT DAY - Al Green featuring RAYE 37950 39 40 39 8 THE CHANCE WON’T COME AGAIN - Andy Bell featuring Tim Rice-Oxley 84300 40 36 1 22 BRAND NEW ME - Saint Etienne featuring Confidence Man 118695

1st February/8th February 2026 It’s a late chart due to being hectic in New Zealand right now, so no new music to speak of and 2 weeks rolled into one. Updates later in the month! Just the 2 new entries for now! 1 1 1 8 RELIQUIA - ROSALIA 497500 2 2 1 8 FREE LOVE - Cast 651250 3 3 1 7 TELL ME THERE’S A HEAVEN - Chris Rea 770000 4 4 4 12 YOUR LAST SONG - The Lottery Winners 474900 5 5 5 5 BROKEN STRINGS - Alan Walker featuring Katherine O’Ryan & Isabella Melkman 195500 6 9 6 9 HEAVY NEWS - Richard Ashcroft 196850 7 6 4 9 CLOUD - Seafret 315100 8 7 1 9 SHAKE IT DOWN - Mud 766000 9 13 9 11 MANY RIVERS TO CROSS - Jimmy Cliff 271400 10 8 1 1 WONDERFUL WORLD BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE - Jimmy Cliff 590200 11 11 1 17 LOTUS - Rose Gray 1136350 12 14 12 10 BEAUTIFUL SPIRITUAL - Blue 203950 13 16 13 3 TROUBLE FOLLOWS - YONAKA 75500 14 10 9 8 X.M.A.S. - Kylie Minogue 225500 15 17 1 20 DIE WITH A SMILE - Lady Gaga & Bruno Mars 800250 16 18 16 10 A LOVER’S CONCERTO - The Toys 131900 17 15 4 17 TIME WILL TELL - Celeste 591350 18 20 18 8 CHURCH - JADE 105000 19 32 19 3 ADDICTED TO LOVE - CHVRCHES 50800 20 22 20 7 DIVE INTO THE OCEAN - Alok, Zeeba & Portugal. The Man 9540 21 31 21 3 EMBERS - Robin Schulz featuring Izzy Bizu 33350 22 48 22 2 APERTURE - Harry Styles 31800 23 23 23 5 GIVE ME SOMETHING - OneRepublic 68300 24 12 12 8 HOT IN DECEMBER - Kylie Minogue 177350 25 19 3 10 I BELIEVE IN FATHER CHRISTMAS - Greg Lake 354600 26 21 13 18 HELLO - Sigala x Leigh-Anne x Jonita Gandhi 318700 27 26 26 10 ESIBIZIONISTA - Annalisa 114250 28 25 8 16 SAVE MY LOVE (NICKY ROMERO REMIX) - Marshmello, Ellie Golding & AVAION 454600 29 28 28 5 END OF BEGINNING - Djo 71100 30 29 1 20 SECRETS - Miley Cyrus featuring Lindsey Buckingham and Mick Fleetwood 1241400 31 47 31 3 MORRISSEY - Robbie Williams 35800 32 33 32 12 CHOOSIN’ TEXAS - Ella Langley 122950 33 34 33 4 I JUST MIGHT - Bruno Mars 59250 34 37 34 3 TO LOVE SOMEBODY - Al Green 45700 35 39 35 12 I’M DONE (GAMES THAT YOU PLAY) - Amy McDonald 133900 36 24 19 12 MYSTERIOUS GIRL - Damiano David 162500 37 27 3 12 ATCHAFALAYA - Orville Peck featuring Noah Cyrus 496800 38 42 38 3 PERFECT DAY - Al Green featuring RAYE 37950 39 40 39 8 THE CHANCE WON’T COME AGAIN - Andy Bell featuring Tim Rice-Oxley 84300 40 36 1 22 BRAND NEW ME - Saint Etienne featuring Confidence Man 118695 41 35 16 15 IN THE END - Depeche Mode 244100 42 66 42 6 OPALITE - Taylor Swift 51350 43 30 3 15 BERGHAIN - ROSALIA Featuring Bjork & Yves Tumor 554950 44 38 19 19 FIX WHAT YOU DIDN’T BREAK - Nate Smith 259600 45 73 45 2 SUCH A FUNNY WAY - Sabrina Carpenter 18600 46 46 46 2 PAPAOUTAI (AFRO SOUL) - mikeeysmind, Chill77 & Unjaps 25500 47 68 47 5 ONLY GONNA LET YOU DOWN - Loaded Honey 37900 48 69 48 3 ALL MY LIFE - Robbie Williams 22500 49 58 49 5 GONE GONE GONE - David Guetta, Teddy Swims, Tones and I 36100 50 43 43 4 SWEET LOVE - Stephen Sanchez 37500 51 41 12 15 CHARIOT - Westlife 296800 52 50 50 4 SATISFACTION SKANK - Fatboy Slim & The Rolling Stones 46400 53 52 1 34 GOD ONLY KNOWS - The Beach Boys 1192000 54 46 22 12 BOOM BODY - Shaggy, Akon & Aidonia 173150 55 55 55 5 SAVE MY SOUL - Bastille 40500 56 44 5 19 UNCONDITIONAL - JADE 671050 57 49 1 15 IT’S A SIN (BRYCE MILLER MONSTER MIX) - Pet Shop Boys 734500 58 63 58 4 LA BAMBOLA - Madonna 28000 59 60 59 3 FALLING INTO YOU - Appleton 26100 60 65 60 4 GALAXY - Kungs & Theophilus London 25400 61 64 61 5 TURN THE LIGHTS OFF - Kato featuring Jon 27600 62 57 57 3 HAND IN MY HAND - Rob Thomas 25600 63 61 61 2 WORKINONIT - J Dilla featuring 10cc 14700 64 53 53 3 YOU KNOW WHAT I NEED - PNAU featuring Troye Sivan 23350 65 51 10 14 GHOST - Rob Thomas 263900 66 66 66 5 HORSES - Winona Oak 27400 67 67 67 6 IMMORTAL LOVE - Mika 37400 68 68 68 2 IMPOSTER - Louis Tomlinson 12800 69 70 69 2 ROCK U RIGHT - Peter Andre 12200 70 NEW 70 1 PINS AND NEEDLES - Callum Beattie 6000 71 71 71 2 BOYS DON’T CRY (1979 VERSION) - The Cure 11600 72 72 72 2 I COULD GET USED TO THIS - Jesse Ware 11200 73 NEW 73 1 READY - CMAT 5400 74 74 74 3 WHEREVER I GO - Chicane featuring Moya 14600 75 75 75 2 RAINDANCE - Dave featuring Tems 10000

Hi Seltin 😎 Fancy text! Great new charts, fab top 3 Cheers! 🎶😎

Hey Seltin! Sorry for the delay Replying I’m in New Zealand and no time much for music eek! 😳 Thanks for the picks, and jade a good number 1 choice!😎

Hi SSP Good top 2 and lower down goodies from Bruno, Steven Sanchez, fat boy stones, rob thomas, beaches, Amy Mac, alok, Louis, harry, Robbie new in, need to hear Lou gramm and Mike, Jessie’s a good one, ghost, shakira, kungs, morrissey, Madonna, all fab Great charts! 😎

Hi SSP Thanks for the picks,! Sorry for the delay replying! I’m in New Zealand on an organised coach tour so very little time! Cheers! 😎

Hi AH! Hope things are a bit easier at the moment! Not finding the time to hear new music on tour so I will be well out of touch come March 😳so not heard the top 2 but I bet they are good! Fabulous chart though, maybe things will get less hectic next week but I doubt it, another day another hotel! Cheers 😎

Hi AH! Sorry to hear tickety boo boo is in vogue, it won’t help at all me being on a guided lap tour of humid hot Singapore megacity, New Zealand breath taking fjords and a few snow capped mountains, and dicing with death down mountainous slopes in ravines on dirt tracks and back up again. Ah well one of the advantages of being old. I’m getting into hearing “eh” sounds pronounced as “ih”. As in Dick The Hawls with boughsuv holly. Or Shillbe awroight mite! I thought you might enjoy Reliqiua at 1 pure class! Yay Mud. That was the highlight from Ray n Rob on their tour the other month 🥰Church still has legs but I’m not hearing much new music, mostly oldies. Oddly, Loaded Honey, Bruno n Gaga, and Opalite rare exceptions. But Sukiyaki, Merry Christmas Mr Lawrence, Horse With No Name and of course plenty of crowded house all great to hear. I also like that Harry is evolving musically, always a good sign in an act. Thanks for all the picks and comments n chat! 😎

Hey Sven! Fab top 3 and a good top 10 with Harry bounding right in there too. Choosing Texas, Church, Papaouti and Stephen new in are my top 40 highlights with Breakers including Annalisa, fat boy stones, Sabrina, kungs and huge. Back in the day I was into Hello, Faded and Coldplay, Zayn and a few other decent tracks too. Fab charts! 😎

hey Sven! Sorry for the late reply been touring dirt track road mountains today precipices deadly at every turn😳not had much free time! Thanks for the picks esp Al Green still love his voice 55 years on ❤️ Cheers! 😎

Hi Sergej! Fab top 10 very Ella-centric and I must play that Alle Farben when I get a mo. Miley, Jessie, Bruce new in, Louis up bigly Mike new and Nate Smith back in all my fave climbers! Great charts all round 😎

Hi Sergej! Thanks for the bundles of picks you like, hooray! Sorry for the late reply, I’m on a coach tour down under with no roaming for my phone and so can’t do it on the bus. I might have to pay extra so I can keep up! 😄 Many thanks n cheers! 😎

Hey James! Third run on top for Taylor! Loving undecided and landslide top 5 ❤️ Also Dave Djo up and Supernature bounding. That went top 3 for me when I was a lad of 20! Sabrina nearly there Bruno bouncing and Harry newly in also highlights! Fab charts!😎

Hey James! Sorry for the delay replying I’ve been busy in fjords mountains and cities so not even had time to do a chart so rolling over one instead! Church still doing ok yes and glad you like Harry’s it’s a goodie! I wouldn’t say Jessie’s is her best but it’s better than some others in the charts and mildly pleasant. RAINDANCE back at 1 now so you got your wish 😄 I haven’t heard Roommates properly yet but I have a holiday roommate - Dave coincidentally!😃 Thanks for the comments! 😎

Thanks both Singapore hot n humid and jetlaggy and high blood pressurey dehydrationey in a super 21st century mega city and now in laid back pleasant christchurch. Not the dorset one! Not slept for 30 hours so very jetlaggy and 7pm here. Found a vinyl cd shop and bought a 1976 Beatles japanese issue of Yesterday for 10 quid. It was practically begging me to buy it. Congrats both on the 39s! Plus side Round 1 39 Round 2 39 3 on 10 too nice to talk to tears of a clown then got beaten to the andy Williams cover. Considering i am barelyconscious at the mo fighting off sleep i will take that!

Ah forgot KWS came form Nottingham, that puts them 3rd behind Paper Lace and Jake Bugg. Oh hang on, 4th, behind Su Pollard. My nearby hometown had Alvin Stardust (also better) 😇Apologies to anyone else I have forgotten. Hang On In There Baby was a good cover of an even better original, I generally liked Curiosity either with or without the cat. 2 Unlimited getting less good as they go on, Metallica, never a fan but the charity cause gets a gold star, En Vogue's is a soul bop, never get bored of that one, and The Wedding Present, meh, never got them. Sorry!

Save A Prayer was my fave Duran single to date at the time, but I overdosed on the song I think, though the synth twiddley-bits decorating the backdrop are still fresh. Simon's vocals could get a little OT in those days too, but he got better as he went on. 8/10. Bamboo Houses I liked, my sort of soundscape, but I'm not sure about the tune - haven't heard it in over 40 years I reckon, so playing it now. It's quite pleasant 7/10. When The Tigers Broke Free, ditto not heard it since it left the charts, but I'm not sure I was that fond of it at the time. Not that fussed but the choir and brass is nice 5/10. I Eat Cannibals got on my nerves after a few weeks and I've never got to the stage where I get nostalgic about it. 6/10. What was a goodie though, I like the 60's Northern Soul vibes 8/10. White Boys And Heroes was OK, but not on a par with his first half-dozen singles 6/10. Wot was great fun, bought that one, 8/10. The Captain, as Snakey mentions, had one more gem to come in 84. I like that the chart titles are What? Wot? Nobody's Fool was a good one to go out on before Nick Heyward waves bye to the band. Their comeback single last year was fab (The Unloving Plum), even better than this. 8/10. Hi Fidelity was catchy pop with a nice melody, and Fame the gritty and fab movie classy. I saw the gay kid in the film 45 years older in a TV show the other month looking 60-something, no hair, but still recognisable. Fame the TV series was a Glee prototype but not as good. Record 8/10. Rocker's Revenge version of Walking On Sunshine is sparklingly fresh and modern-sounding, I still love it, and much as I am a fan of Eddy's this version is the dog's bollocks, packed with great touches and unusual 9/10. Under The Boardwalk was a tad pedestrian, prefer The Drifters original, but worth a 6/10, and not in the same league as the non-hit Genius Of Love. Boystown's was a boystown camp, cheesy cover anthem of an anthem cover of an anthem. Frankie Valli robbed of a hit with it (as often the case in the 60's) but Andy Williams was fab, this one could get a bit annoying but it set up the monster brilliance of Pet Shop Boys' cover mash-up so all is forgiven 7/10. Spread A Little Happiness didn't bear hearing too much before one wanted to chuck something at the radio, but I rather like the idea of it - I just wish Sting had gone for any number of way better songs from that era, though the mood was quite British and appropriate for the film. 4/10. Modern Romance going all 50's, great tune and all that, but not a band that impressed me generally 6/10. Big Fun not Kool & co at their best, very forgettable and samey 5/10. Shakey's not one of his better efforts though I'm more tolerant now of his duffers than I was at the time 5/10.

2nd March 1976 It's another new chart-topper as Tina Charles outdoes her stint with 5,000 Volts and Biddu outdoes Summer Of Love as disco hits the top spot, I Love To Love grabbing the top spot from the Four Seasons. Status Quo meanwhile make it a 5th top 10 as Rain is up to 7. Harpo, Swedish pop star, is back again with Movie Star his non-hit of 1975 which went top 5 for me with ABBA's Frida on backing vocals giving her two for one this week. Manhattan Transfer give the first half of the 20th century a song slot as Tuxedo Junction goes top 10. A good song is a good song, no matter how old it is... As was the habit in those days, record labels shove out EP's of recent hits as reissued singles - and as Harvest, the label, had departed I guess someone was making hay while the sunshine had fallen into their lap and Roy Wood and Wizzard were not getting hits anymore, so out come their 3 1973 hits on one disc, and in at 11, 12, and 13. See My Baby Jive and Angel Fingers had already topped my charts. Cliff gets his first top 20 in 3 years with the fabulous Miss You Nights, and Guys & Dolls make it a trio of charting with a cover of Dusty Springfield's 1966 ballad classic, You Don't Have To Say You Love Me. It's better than Elvis' cover but, they ain't no Dusty! In at 20. Billy Ocean gets his first chart entry under his own name, with the Motown-referencing and still-popular Love Really Hurts Without You new at 25 - but he had already gone top 5 as Scorched Earth in 1974 on two chart runs for the fab On The Run. Another 1973 re-issue is back at 26 for Deodata and that jazzy version of the 2001: A Space Odyssey borrow. The Fatback Band jump in at 27 with Do The Spanish Hustle, as Van McCoy's shadow hangs over dance and funk tracks, with two versions of Let's Do The Latin Hustle at 49 and 50. I think Eddie Drennan is the original and the M & O Band a competing cover that stole some sales from Eddie. The cover is at 49, Eddie 50. John Denver's back for a 4th chart appearance at 29, Fly Away, which is 3 more than he got in the UK charts, I was always partial to his more melodic wistful wide-screen spectacles. Randy Edelman debuts with a decent cover of Unit 4 Plus 2's Concrete and Clay, another 60's revamp in at 39, and The Stylistics keep their run going with Funky Weekend, their best single since their UK chart-topper last summer, at 40. Talking of 60's covers, Linda Ronstadt has Tracks Of My Tears at 43, but Smokey Robinson's original had already charted for me, and her version just ain't in the same league! Sadly her best material was in the 60's and early 70's with the Stone Poneys-era, at least 2 genuine classics still obscure in the UK. Harold Melvin & Teddy Pendergrass are back again for a 4th year of sweet soul, this time on the socially aware Wake Up Everybody at 44. Kevin Ayres gets a second chart entry with Falling In Love Again, one I don't remember where I do recall the good After The Show from 1974. This is at 46, one ahead of Lynsey De Paul's Love Bomb on her 5th year of hitting my rundown. Not heard that in decades either, but I know I liked it. That's 17 new entries, phew, over one-third of last week's chart has been kicked out including all the christmas songs. 1 ( 2 ) I LOVE TO LOVE Tina Charles 2 ( 1 ) DECEMBER ’63 (OH WHAT A NIGHT) The Four Seasons featuring Frankie Valli 3 ( 5 ) IT SHOULD’VE BEEN ME Yvonne Fair 4 ( 4 ) CONVOY C.W. McCall 5 ( 3 ) NIGHTS IN WHITE SATIN The Moody Blues 6 ( 6 ) MAMMA MIA ABBA 7 ( 11 ) RAIN Status Quo 8 ( NEW ) MOVIE STAR Harpo featuring Frida 9 ( 7 ) LOVE MACHINE The Miracles 10 ( 14 ) TUXEDO JUNCTION Manhattan Transfer 11 ( NEW ) SEE MY BABY JIVE Wizzard 12 ( NEW ) ANGEL FINGERS Wizzard 13 ( NEW ) BALL PARK INCIDENT Wizzard 14 ( 9 ) (IF PARADISE WAS) HALF AS NICE Amen Corner 15 ( 10 ) DAT Pluto Shervington 16 ( 28 ) MISS YOU NIGHTS Cliff Richard 17 ( 17 ) RIDERS OF THE STORM The Doors 18 ( 8 ) ROCK A DOODLE DO Linda Lewis 19 ( 13 ) I LOVE MUSIC The O’Jays 20 ( NEW ) YOU DON’T HAVE TO SAY YOU LOVE ME Guys & Dolls 21 ( 20 ) WEAK SPOT Evelyn Thomas 22 ( 40 ) YOUR MAGIC PUT A SPELL ON ME L.J. Johnson 23 ( 12 ) ANSWER ME Barbara Dickson 24 ( 41 ) FALLING APART AT THE SEAMS Marmalade 25 ( NEW ) LOVE REALLY HURTS WITHOUT YOU Billy Ocean 26 ( NEW ) ALSO SPRACH ZARATHUSTRA (2001) Deodata 27 ( NEW ) DO THE SPANISH HUSTLE The Fatback Band 28 ( 15 ) SOMETHING’S BEEN MAKING ME BLUE Smokie 29 ( NEW ) FLY AWAY John Denver 30 ( 45 ) BEST OF MY LOVE/ TAKE IT TO THE LIMIT Eagles 31 ( 25 ) BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY Queen 32 ( 19 ) EVIL WOMAN Electric Light Orchestra 33 ( 48 ) THE OTHER SIDE OF ME Andy Williams 34 ( 16 ) LET’S CALL IT QUITS Slade 35 ( 18 ) BABY FACE Wing & A Prayer, Fife & Drum Corps 36 ( 24 ) ON HORSEBACK Mike Oldfield 37 ( 37 ) LA BOOGA ROOGA The Surprise Sisters 38 ( 21 ) WALK AWAY FROM LOVE David Ruffin 39 ( NEW ) CONCRETE AND CLAY Randy Edelman 40 ( NEW ) FUNKY WEEKEND The Stylistics 41 ( 26 ) HELLO MUDDAH HELLO FADDAH Allan Sherman 42 ( 27 ) MIDNIGHT RIDER Paul Davidson 43 ( NEW ) TRACKS OF MY TEARS Linda Ronstadt 44 ( NEW ) WAKE UP EVERYBODY Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes 45 ( 22 ) LOW RIDER War 46 ( NEW ) FALLING IN LOVE AGAIN Kevin Ayres 47 ( NEW ) LOVE BOMB Lynsey De Paul 48 ( 49 ) PEOPLE LIKE YOU PEOPLE LIKE ME The Glitter Band 49 ( NEW ) LET’S DO THE LATIN HUSTLE The M & O Band 50 ( NEW ) LET’S DO THE LATIN HUSTLE Eddie Drennan & B.B.S. Unlimited

Thanks Jade and well done Rollo on another 39 🤩REM foxed us all then! I'm off to Singapore/New Zealand tomorrow bar the unexpected so I'm not sure if Greatest Hits Radio catch-up will be online there, so it may be sporadic or live (evenings) or not at all for 4 weeks, apologies in advance if not at all! round 1: 33 Brand New Friend round 2: 36 beat me to Dance The Night Away (RIP Raul) tiebreak: yes 3 in 10: Relax Two Tribes Power Of Love

Thanks Rollo! Well done on the bangin 39 too! 🤩 round 1: yay Ken playing the under-rated Hand Over My Heart. 39 round 2: 33 Near Wild Heaven not Feels Like Heaven. 3 in 10: All Around The World, This Is The Right Time, Never Never Gonna Give Ya Up

loved Temple Of Love and Ofra Haza being on it, Goth banger. Marc Almond at 4 makes the top 5 substantially better too, hooray! In The Closet was never a fave of mine, always thought it was one of his weakest singles, and preferred other tracks on the album not yet released as singles. That of course is bound to be rectified based on the number of Bad singles last time out.... Please Don't Go, KC's original was pleasant and an MOR comeback for him as Disco Sucks wiped out his career in the USA. KWS though, ooh no no no, I've said before it got on my nerves after a short while, that hook was too repetitive and a rip off of a cover (which I did chart along with KWS briefly). I caught them on the Radio One Roadshow - so I could see the crowd enjoying it, even if I wasn't.

I'm reading a book about pop music from Saint Etienne's Bob Stanley, covers an in-depth assessment of music from 1900 to the 1950's, quite illuminating - obviously the poor recording capabilities wouldnt do much for old recordings, but old standards from artists later in the century could be done. The songs are fine! I never realised that people like Jerome Kern, Louis Armstrong, Ragtime and Jazz were essentially influential pop music pioneers of the early decades wiping away European fey operettas, classical, Music Hall and the like and set the scene for later quality acts. Some of the now obscure acts of the time are just aching for a movie bio, tragedy and pioneering much!

Thanks Jade, and condolences Rollo on the moral almost-39, Everybody nearly there! round 1: 39 round 2: 30 bon jovi, diana ross. The 90's def doing me in... 3 in 10: Hard To Handle, My Girl, Dock Of The Bay

well not heard that Dylan track before, sounds like a prototype for Positively 8th Street but not as good. I can sing like Dylan. Yes I'm really that bad! Odd choice bearing in mind songs that didnt get to be singles but were covered by others. A bit shambolic. My dad bought the Funny Girl EP for Don't Rain On My Parade, which really should have been a hit, it's a showstopper, but Second Hand Rose is on it too, so is a forgotten goodie, playful. Recovery not one I know but that's really good, thats one to add to my itunes basket I think. A Lover's Concerto is in my current chart for the very first time, following a live performance in a 50s to 80's That'll Be The Day show, this one wont be joining it though. Not in the same league. The Big O not on the Greatest Hits album mum and dad had, which seemed to tail off in late 1964, so pretty much all Roy hits of 65 onwards were unknown to me. This is OK, I guess he felt he had to go more upbeat to keep up with the British Invasion. Don't Make Me Over is well know to me by Dionne Warwick's original, that version is fabulous, this loses the sophistication and class but the song is strong enough to carry the Blue Jeans. Not bad, but there are better covers (Sybil). Second City Sound is also one I dont know, but the tune is instantly familiar as with most classical pieces even if I dont know what they are called, and Tchaikovsky is one of my fave tunesmiths. Can't beat a good tune, lyrics not essential to my enjoyment of music. The beat doesnt exactly improve the original in any way, and it's all a bit plinketty plonk. Nut Rocker did it better. Nancy is still famous for Boots, and it's a Lee Hazlewood debut that was beloved by me at the time and since, attitude for the new generations striking a blow for women, and with humour. Nancy & Lee's work together is amongst the greatest of the 60's. Lee was def on something! Many have covered Boots but none have improved on the original. Other non hits to mention include: Elusive Dreams, Sand, Some Velvet Morning, Summer Wine, Sundown Sundown, Ladybird - all from their only album collab Nancy & Lee. The only duff track is a misguided cover of Youve Lost That Loving Feeling. ROTW obv, I'm a fan, followed Nancy right through to her Morrissey comeback (among others) in the 2000's and online these days too.

Elvis Costello had a plain white sleeve in 1980 on one of his singles, truly bizarre as the internal sleeve was full-on colourful but you couldnt see it. I'm still not sure if it was a printing error! I would have had no idea what a condom was until I was at least 16, I found out by curiously picking one up on the school playing field and others going eww and enlightening me. Eek! I dropped it quickly! So many anecdotes...😄