Herbs

Confirming my final list: 1) The Ting Tings - That's Not My Name 2) Girls Aloud - The Promise 3) Leona Lewis - Run 4) Pink - So What 5) Estelle ft Kanye West - American Boy 6) Beyonce - If I Were A Boy 7) Take That - Greatest Day 8) Duffy - Mercy 9) Katy Perry - I Kissed A Girl 10) Coldplay - Viva La Vida 11) Kings of Leon - Sex On Fire 12) Ne-Yo - Closer 13) Rihanna - Take A Bow 14) Basshunter - Now You're Gone 15) Madonna ft Justin Timberlake - 4 Minutes 16) Dizzee Rascal, Calvin Harris & Chrome - Dance Wiv Me 17) Mint Royale - Singin' In The Rain 18) Alexandra Burke - Hallelujah 19) X Factor Finalists - Hero 20) Leon Jackson - When You Believe 21) Kid Rock - All Summer Long

1 The Ting Tings That's Not My Name #2s held off #1: None So there you have it. The Ting Tings are my number one. Let's tell you the story of why I love this song. I finished Uni in 2007 and didn't really want to move back home. A friend asked if I wanted to live in Manchester with him and I said I'd think about it. Fast forward two weeks later and I was pulling my hair out being back at home, parents right?! I needed my independence. Me and my friend got a flat, which was only twenty or so minutes walk from Canal Street. I was looking for my first post PGCE job, but in the meantime we took advantage of all the nights out available on our doorstep. As 2008 began, I got my first and last teaching job. I was too young and immature to be able to make a go of it. Didn't stop me bawling my eyes out when I realised I'd failed. A month later this song came out. I was obsessed with it. It didn't even cross my mind that The Ting Tings were from Salford (a city literally joined at the hip to Manchester), but thinking about it, I probably heard the song more than I would have in other parts of the UK. I used to go to a club called Alter Ego, especially on Tuesday/Saturday nights when they'd make one room a pop room (my teenage self rejoiced) and an indie room. I'd flit between the two over the night, deciding which song I'd like to dance to. Turns out I was drawn more towards the latter, as I love love loved losing myself in an indie song. The DJ in the indie room was also more receptable to requests. I used to request two songs; 'Misery Business' by Paramore and 'That's Not My Name'. Pretty much every time I went I'd run round and request the song, and then run around the venue until I heard my request play. When my request played, it was 3-4 minutes of pure joy and voice straining, errr, screaming. It also helped that I was from Milton Keynes, a place where the accent is perfectly suited to singing songs where the 'T's' are regularly dropped. It just rolled off the tongue. Around the time the song was released, I met someone off a dating app. We'd messaged and spoke on the phone a few times before arranging our first date. The first date went extremely well and we ended up at Alter Ego. When he left the next morning he sent me a message saying 'I'm glad we met'. As it turns out, I was not glad on how the next couple of years turned out with that. It was messy, on/off constantly (most of the time through his choice). In fact, any heartbreak song released at the time will probably hold some kind of memory for me that relates to that relationship. I recently messaged him to wish him a happy 40th (his bday is a few weeks before mine). He then told me that whenever he hears this song, he thinks of me. Make of that what you will. I'm choosing to embrace it, rather than denouncing any likeness for the song! Looking back, the song was very different from a lot of the other stuff I was listening to at the time. I was very pop-centric but moving to what I'd like to call a more well rounded music taste. It helps that I was living in a place quite well known for its musical output. The duo Katie & Jules stated that 'That's Not My Name' was written to vent their frustrations at the record industry. They'd been part of a group called 'Eskimo', who had been signed and then dropped. When no-one would then answer the phone to them, they wrote this song. Hence the multiple names reeled out before the inevitable 'That's Not My Name'. The video is beautifully simple. Katie & Jules perform in front of block colour backgrounds. It's very minimalistic in style but effective. The bands name makes multiple subliminal appearances via the drum that Jules bangs on throughout. The Ting Tings would follow this song with an equally catchy 'Shut Up & Let Me Go'. The parent album, 'We Started Nothing' would also hit the top spot. Both the single and album would only get the solitary week at the summit. Future releases saw a drastic dip in their charting prowess, although in total they ended up with 5 top 40 hits and 2 top 40 albums. I've always hoped that one day they'd return with a big hit, but alas that looks unlikely to ever happen. So we're over to @jimwatts for the 2009 countdown. Sorry for finishing this ranking so soon, but I am now off on my hols!

Obsessed with this - I want to read it!

This would have been my next song

Thanks to all who showed The Chicks support. I was hoping to last a couple of rounds so outdid expectations (especially with Lullaby as all my fave Chicks songs were singles!) Sorry Addy and Ansel for knocking you out!

Also voted for Shawn - still surprised he went when he did

I gave points to Toni and I can’t believe it didn’t make it back in!

I think 0 of my top 5 went through. But then 3 of my next 5 made it!

1 NE Galantis, David Guetta & Little Mix - Heartbreak Anthem 2 NE Delta Goodrem - Eclipse 3 1 The Vaccines - Headphones Baby (CR: 1-1-3) 4 2 Bella Poarch - Build A Bitch (CR: 1-2-2-2-4) 5 3 Olivia Rodrigo - Good 4 U (CR: 1-3-3-5) 6 4 Conor Maynard - Crowded Room (CR: 37-48-51-43-19-14-9-7-8-5-4-1-1-1-2-3-5-4-6) 7 NE Darren Criss - I Can't Dance 8 NE BTS - Butter 9 5 Agnes - 24 Hours (CR: 5-9) 10 6 Tones And I - Won't Sleep (CR: 6-10) 11 7 Imanbek & Cher Lloyd - Baddest (CR: 3-4-5-5-6-7-11) 12 8 Surf Curse - Freaks (CR: 4-8-12) 13 9 Martin Garrix ft Bono & The Edge - We Are The People (CR: 7-9-13) 14 NE Brandy - Starting Now 15 10 Cheryl - Sexy Den A Mutha (CR: 2-3-4-8-10-15) 16 11 Jake Bugg - Lost (CR: 2-3-4-6-10-11-16) 17 12 Anton Ewald - DeLorean (CR: 3-6-6-6-7-11-12-17) 18 NE Lovejoy - One Day 19 17 Keiino - Summer Of My Life (CR: 14-17-19) 20 13 Lukas Graham - Happy For You (CR: 9-13-20) 21 14 Leon Bridges - Motorbike (CR: 14-21) 22 15 Will Young - Elizabeth Taylor (CR: 15-22) 23 16 Katy Perry - Electric (CR: 8-12-16-23) 24 18 Bebe Rexha ft Lil Uzi Vert - Die For A Man (CR: 1-3-3-5-7-8-10-10-12-17-18-24) 25 21 Bebe Rexha - Sabotage (CR: 7-5-6-6-8-2-3-5-5-5-7-6-7-9-11-12-13-16-20-21-25) 26 NE Alanis Morissette - Rest 27 19 Emily Barker ft Frank Turner - Bound For Home (CR: 9-13-19-27) 28 22 Coldplay - Higher Power (CR: 1-2-5-5-7-10-16-22-28) 29 20 Rain Radio & DJ Craig Gorman - Talk About (CR: 15-20-29) 30 24 Pink - All I Know So Far (CR: 4-7-8-11-19-24-30) 31 26 Winona Oak - Old Insecurities (CR: 38-44-47-30-21-13-14-18-25-26-31) 32 25 The Kid Laroi & Miley Cyrus - Without You (CR: 1-1-2-4-7-9-11-13-21-25-32) 33 30 OneRepublic - Run (CR: 30-33) 34 23 The Rasmus - Bones (CR: 23-34) 35 28 Hayley Kiyoko - Found My Friends (CR: 2-2-3-5-9-11-12-15-24-28-35) 36 31 Slayyyter - Over This! (CR: 21-22-27-31-36) 37 NE The Stranglers - And If You Should See Dave 38 27 Elton John and Years & Years - It's A Sin (CR: 18-27-38) 39 NE Area21, Martin Garrix & Maejor - Pogo 40 29 DJ Khaled ft Post Malone, Megan Thee Stallion, Lil Baby & DaBaby - I Did It (CR: 8-9-14-23-29-40) 41 34 Mark Knight & Beverley Knight ft London Community Gospel Choir - Everything's Gonna Be Alright (CR: 14-14-15-20-30-34-41) 42 33 Leftwing & Kody ft Hexe - Gold (CR: 22-33-42) 43 NE Lovejoy - Taunt 44 32 Anne-Marie & Niall Horan - Our Song (CR: 32-44) 45 35 Jack Wins & Joe Stone - Light Up My Life (CR: 17-29-35-45) 46 37 Rina Sawayama & Elton John - Chosen Family (CR: 1-2-4-4-6-8-12-18-20-24-32-37-46) 47 38 Ben Platt - Imagine (CR: 1-1-1-3-3-4-6-9-11-14-19-21-23-25-33-38-47) 48 NE Ben Rector ft Steve Winwood - Range Rover 49 36 Marina - Ancient Dreams In A Modern Land (CR: 26-36-49) 50 41 The Veronicas ft Allday - The Life of the Party (CR: 1-2-3-5-8-9-11-15-19-25-30-41-41-50)

& posting this in preparation for later and how my number one song made me feel back in the day!

My act goes through yes....... Everyone is pretty sure who I am but I could give a few people capable of sending the same artist

2 Girls Aloud The Promise #2s held off #1: None In the end it wasn't really close. I'll give me reasons for my number one later, but when I listened to all the songs again Girls Aloud/Leona Lewis were always my runners up. 'The Promise' was to be their fourth and final number one single. But oh was it an almighty song. Girls Aloud had some momentum going into this release. Cheryl was the nation's darling as a judge on X Factor, and this elevated platform gave Girls Aloud free promo for the lead song from their fifth studio album 'Out of Control'. The album would also hit the top spot, giving them only their second UK number one album and their first studio album number one. The song has it all for me. Each girl gets their own solo (with some epic vocals from Sarah and my personal fave Nicola). The retro feel and black and white video gave the song a slick feel - money was definitely poured into this campaign. The girls performed the song poignantly during their most recent tour, with the late Sarah's vocals being shone onto the screen as the other girls took it all in. I saw Nadine perform this song at Milton Keynes pride last year and it still sounded as great as it did in 2008. Nadine also performed some of her solo stuff during this performance, although I will always maintain that Cinderella's Eyes by Nicola is the best solo Girls Aloud album/output from the group.

I actually remember not hating his version, but I could never get over him. He always felt like such a victim to me

Voted

Britney sadly

I have 2 clear faves this round Going for Rick Waller

All I can say is you’re wrong 😜

How can a Woolworths exist without a music section?! That feels like some sort of crime has been committed Interestingly though my memory is that WW was more more expensive than HMV and had less to choose from

I hope the non- qualifiers will be ordered in how they performed in earlier rounds and not in this round?

Initially I think I’d say there was a 3 way battle for my top spot, but I listened back to all the songs a few times to get my final ranking :)

What should the prize be if you’re right?

If I was a guessing man I’d say Ting Tings is the one you liked & GA is the one you’re neutral on.

3 Leona Lewis Run #2s held off #1: None Sometimes I really miss the era of CD's. In case you don't know, I was born in 1985 and started getting properly into music around 97/98 (biggest Steps & B*Witched fan in my school - an honour I wore proudly!), I went through the era of cassette/CD singles, using my weekly pocket money from my nan to buy whatever took my fancy that week. Growing up in Milton Keynes meant regular visits to the huuuuge shopping centre and an over-excited Herbs browsing the stands in HMV (and occasionally Woolworths) considering what to buy. Sometimes I'd save my money up over a period of weeks so I could buy a full album! And when I moved into my late teens/adulthood I discovered I also liked buying compilations. When I heard about the concept of Radio 1 for the first time I was sold. I could hear an artist perform an acoustic version of their song, plus a cover of another artists' song. And I looooooooove an acoustic song at the best of times. And so we move to Leona Lewis. Her first post X Factor single 'Bleeding Love' was big. Seven weeks at number one big. And she went onto Jo Whiley's Live Lounge to perform a live version of the track, accompanied by a 14 piece band. The fact that barely anyone remembers this performance tells you how much of an impact her choice of cover had. Now I am a big Snow Patrol fan. And I adore their original version of 'Run'. But I think I have to say I prefer Leona's version (fire any daggers you want at me, I will die on that hill.....). When I first heard Leona's live cover, I cried. As apparently did everyone in the room at the time. Jo Whiley gave interviews saying that there were many wet faces in the room & after the performance people regularly phoned in asking for the performance to be repeated on the radio. Even Snow Patrol front man said that her version of his bands song took his breath away and he made a point about having a continual dislike for reality music shows. Initially there were no plans to release this song as a single, despite it's popularity. But somewhere down the line, this feeling changed and a studio version of the song was recorded ready for the next season of X Factor. The song was launched with a simply stunning, woodland themed video and it blew up all over again. It went straight to number one, knocking off that Take That song you have all shown your undying love for (lol). This felt like a poignant changeover at the top, as it was Gary Barlow who said to Simon Cowell that Leona was the best contestant X Factor had ever had and he had a responsibility to make the best record he can. I often wonder how big the sales would have been had her record label rush-released 'Run' in 2007. I expect first week sales would have been huge and it may have gotten more than 2 weeks at the top. At this point in her career, I think many people thought Leona would go on to have many more number one singles. 'Happy' almost made it the following year, but despite taking an early midweek lead over Black Eyed Peas, it eventually lost out to 'Meet Me Halfway' after both songs were performed on X Factor (an own goal if ever there was one). Leona had a few top 10 hits after but each saw decreased returns (the exception being her Christmas song 'One More Sleep'). Back to Live Lounge, I'd love to hear what your favourite live lounge performances are. Some of mine are as follows: Little Mix - I Will Wait Girls Aloud - With Every Heartbeat Birdy - Let Her Go Tom Odell - I Knew You Were Trouble Kodaline - Same Love Bastille - We Can't Stop

I mean, if this was the order I'd be telling you to get out of my head!

Of the three songs left 1 made me cry the first time I heard it 1 is a song that brings me a lot of joy (with a slight tinge of sadness) 1 is just an epic song and gave the artist a thoroughly deserved number one