Jaz13music

Bruce Springsteen - Dancing In The Dark Bronski Beat - Smalltown Boy Frankie Goes To Hollywood - Two Tribes Grandmaster And Melle Mel - White Lines (Don't Do It) Lloyd Cole And The Commotions - Perfect Skin

This Is Love is a bit EDM by numbers really, nothing memorable except for the annoying shout outs.

I realise it might be a bit too short notice for today Jim, but sad to see the news that Jennifer Finch bassist/vocalist from the band Los Angeles band L7 has died aged 59. 😢

Some superb stuff here, topped off by The Caterpillar, an absolutely unique song. One of my favourites from the Cure and that’s definitely saying something. I Want To Break Free, one of later day Queen’s best. Dr Mabuse is fantastically dark, they have another later single (next year I think) which is one of my absolute favourites of the 80s. They were very underrated. Against All Odds is beautiful/emotional. The Psychedelic Furs were an excellent band, another that were under appreciated, Heaven is lovely. Just Be Good To Me is great but I agree the later version is just fantastic. NIk Kershaw and OMD both continue their incredibly consistent output, if not their absolute best

Of course Toxic is undeniable, hard to argue with that outcome really. Thanks again for your great work Jade, I really enjoyed following along!

I’m not really a fan of Maroon 5 anyway but Payphone is particularly bad, obviously successful off the back of their biggest hit. Very forgettable

Impossible is okay. One of the better winner’s songs I suppose, but the bar is admittedly very low

What You Waiting For? is another excellent song. A worthy top 4!

Biology is still an extraordinary song isn’t it!

Brown is a despicable character and Turn Up The Music does nothing to redeem him. A very poor song.

The song of the decade, utterly brilliant!

Yeah 1 Thing is certainly my favourite, brilliantly percussion driven and ahead of its time, it’s absolutely fantastic! Really enjoying your thread and commentary too Jade, great work!

Yeah Sing is dreadful, not something I’ll choose to hear again after this I’m afraid. Barlow’s solo output has been generally terrible really.

I’m agreeing with your top choice, Wood Beez is excellent forward thinking pop music. Ain’t Nobody is classy funk that I like and admire, but don’t quite love. Nelson Mandela is a fantastic song in its own right, but the power of its message was a rallying cry for change that’s easy to underestimate with the passage of time. You Take Me Up is one of my favourite Thomson Twins singles, literally uplifting pop. People Are People is musically typically great Depeche Mode, though I agree not one of their very best with awkward lyrics. I also have a soft spot for Glad It’s All Over, though the medley it was paired with is awful

Yes Candy is very poor and just irritating. Not sure if I’d put it last, I’ll wait to see what else is to come.

Excellent introduction @RabbitFurCoat, I’m really looking forward to your countdown. Also consider me now very intrigued by your lowest ranked song, that’s even worse than all the other objectionable stuff you mentioned!

So I had the same top 2 but the other way round! We Found Love is my favourite Rihanna and my favourite Calvin song. A wonderful energetic banger with the ultimate of build and release, fantastic pop and club music. Those stabbing keyboards harking back to the piano of peak house music days. I love it! Someone Like You is gorgeous of course, great emotive vocal performance though also restrained just enough. I also prefer that Brits performance, the emotion and the emphasis change in the chorus, absolutely jaw dropping though, even now. Fantastic thread @Paddington James, really enjoyed your countdown and commentary and loved joining in. I’m so glad you enjoyed it too. I only hope I can get somewhere close to it in 2013, you’ve set a high bar. Particularly enjoyed your view from Australia! Here’s my ranking: We Found Love (feat. Calvin Harris) — Rihanna Someone Like You — Adele Price Tag (feat. B.o.B) — Jessie J Promises — Nero Glad You Came — The Wanted Loca People (What the F**k!) — Sak Noel Louder (feat. Sian Evans) — DJ Fresh Don't Go (feat. Josh Kumra) — Wretch 32 Read All About It (feat. Emeli Sandé) — Professor Green When We Collide — Matt Cardle Grenade — Bruno Mars What's My Name? (feat. Drake) — Rihanna Give Me Everything (feat. Ne-Yo, Afrojack & Nayer) — Pitbull Changed the Way You Kiss Me — Example On the Floor (feat. Pitbull) — Jennifer Lopez Don't Hold Your Breath — Nicole Scherzinger Heart Skips a Beat (feat. Rizzle Kicks) — Olly Murs What Makes You Beautiful — One Direction Swagger Jagger — Cher Lloyd Wherever You Are — Military Wives, Gareth Malone & London Symphony Orchestra We R Who We R — Kesha No Regrets — Dappy All About Tonight — Pixie Lott Party Rock Anthem (feat. Lauren Bennett & GoonRock) — LMFAO The Lazy Song — Bruno Mars Cannonball — Little Mix Dance With Me Tonight — Olly Murs Stay Awake — Example She Makes Me Wanna (feat. Dev) — JLS Don't Wanna Go Home — Jason Derulo Wishing on a Star - X Factor Finalists

Another really good set of songs and I agree with your choices at the top too! Renegades Of Funk is definitely outstanding, I love a lot of the rap records of this era when you can see the rapid evolution of the genre. Dance Halls Days is quirky and excellent. Gorgeous is the right description of Your Love Is King, I hear a lot of Sade in what Olivia Dean is currently getting so much success with. It’s Raining Men is undeniable isn’t it. Robert De Nero’s Waiting is close to being my favourite Bananarama single, brilliant pop music with a message.

The Caterpillar- The Cure The Pointer Sisters - Automatic Duran Duran - The Reflex New Order - Thieves Like Us Cocteau Twins - Pearly-Dewdrops' Drops Tie Breaker Depeche Mode - People Are People

Johnny Hates Jazz’s founder and keyboardist/drummer Calvin Hayes died this week aged 63. 😢

Thank you Rollo for a fab countdown and your excellent commentary. I really enjoyed reading and contributing. Here’s my ranking of the 20:- The Sun Always Shines on T.V. – Aha West End Girls – Pet Shop Boys Papa Don't Preach – Madonna Take My Breath Away – Berlin Reet Petite – Jackie Wilson Caravan of Love – The Housemartins Chain Reaction – Diana Ross A Different Corner – George Michael The Final Countdown – Europe Spirit in the Sky – Doctor and the Medics True Blue – Madonna Don't Leave Me This Way - The Communards with Sarah Jane Morris Rock Me Amadeus – Falco When the Going Gets Tough, the Tough Get Going – Billy Ocean The Edge of Heaven – Wham! I Want to Wake Up With You – Boris Gardiner The Chicken Song – Spitting Image The Lady in Red – Chris de Burgh Every Loser Wins – Nick Berry Living Doll – Cliff Richard & The Young Ones ft. Hank Marvin

I entirely agree with your top 2 and the order, indeed they were well ahead of all the other songs. West End Girls is a fabulous song, moody synth magnificence, I love the ‘ticking clock’ like rhythm too, Neil’s talk/rap was great. What a calling card it was, and a US number one too! However the PSBs would have even better songs to come, so….. I also choose The Sun Always Shines On TV as my number one. I’ve always thought it is comfortably the best Aha song, though I do love Take on Me. That fantastic intro sets the scene with that anticipatory build to the explosion of sound. Talk about throwing everything but the kitchen sink at a song. Coming full circle, in many ways the intro to the PSBs It’s A Sin mimicked it. A gorgeous song with brilliant passionate vocals from Morton. You’re right, dramatic is certainly the word to use, a powerful wonderful song, a deserved number one!

Great song, if not quite as good as the other one left to come, Rihanna could hardly do any wrong at this stage. And yes, your top 2 are the same as mine! Thank you for this, very interesting! LMFAO at number one for 17 weeks in total! I’ve just noticed, isn’t it weird that Moves Like Jagger was a massive selling non number one of 2011 in both Australia and the UK?! Which were the songs that blocked it in Australia?

A lot less number ones than over here that year. Which ones were at the top longest, and do you know which were the end of year best sellers in Australia? Really looking forward to your top 3, my favourite 2 are still to come, will they be in the same order as yours?!

Yeah Take My Breath Away is excellent. I have a special attachment to it as well because it was the ‘first dance’ song at my wedding! Your top 2 are the same as mine, but in which order?