Herbs

So solid crew

Oasis

13 Rihanna Take A Bow #2s held off #1: None (a #1 still to come sat at #2 both weeks) What a beautiful song this is. Barbadian singer Rihanna had debuted three years earlier with 'Pon De Replay' and I remember thinking at the time that she'd be a flash in the pan artist, maybe scoring another top 40 before disappearing into obscurity. How wrong was I?! Six top 10's later, including a massive number one in 'Umbrella', Rihanna took things slow with 'Take A Bow'. Co-written/produced by power-duo Stargate, the song alternated at the top with a song yet to be revealed in this countdown. I remember being surprised at the time that this got to number one, especially after another ballad 'Hate That I Love You' had stalled outside the top ten a few months before. But thankfully people connected with the song. Rihanna's voice sounds silky smooth and the way she draws out emotion in the words is flawless.

1 1 Conor Maynard - Crowded Room (CR: 37-48-51-43-19-14-9-7-8-5-4-1-1) 2 NE Jake Bugg - Lost 3 NE Imanbek & Cher Lloyd - Baddest 4 NE Pink - All I Know So Far 5 2 Coldplay - Higher Power (CR: 1-2-5) 6 3 Anton Ewald - DeLorean (CR: 3-6) 7 4 The Kid Laroi & Miley Cyrus - Without You (CR: 1-1-2-4-7) 8 7 Bebe Rexha ft Lil Uzi Vert - Die For A Man (CR: 1-3-3-5-7-8) 9 5 Hayley Kiyoko - Found My Friends (CR: 2-2-3-5-9) 10 6 Cassadee Pope ft Karen Fairchild & Lindsay Ell - What The Stars See (CR: 6-10) 11 9 Bebe Rexha - Sabotage (CR: 7-5-6-6-8-2-3-5-5-5-7-6-7-9-11) 12 8 Rina Sawayama & Elton John - Chosen Family (CR: 1-2-4-4-6-8-12) 13 NE JP Saxe - Like That 14 NE Mark Knight & Beverley Knight ft London Community Gospel Choir - Everything's Gonna Be Alright 15 11 The Veronicas ft Allday - The Life of the Party (CR: 1-2-3-5-8-9-11-15) 16 10 Jack Savoretti & Nile Rodgers - Who's Hurting Who (CR: 10-16) 17 12 Tom Odell - Money (CR: 8-12-17) 18 13 Tina Arena - Church (CR: 7-10-13-18) 19 14 Ben Platt - Imagine (CR: 1-1-1-3-3-4-6-9-11-14-19) 20 15 Rag N Bone Man - Crossfire (CR: 10-12-15-20) 21 30 Winona Oak - Old Insecurities (CR: 38-44-47-30-21) 22 16 Guilt Trippin' - Catch Me (CR: 9-14-13-16-22) 23 17 Olivia Rodrigo & Joshua Bassett - Even When/The Best Part (CR: 13-14-17-23) 24 NE Lil Sis Nora - MDMA 25 18 Krissy & Chesney Hawkes - It's Not Like This (CR: 15-18-25) 26 23 Lion Babe - Frida Kahlo (CR: 4-8-11-18-21-26-23-26) 27 21 The Aces - Don't Freak (CR: 6-12-17-20-21-27) 28 19 Trixie Mattel ft Orville Peck - Jackson (CR: 16-19-28) 29 20 Prospa - Want Need Love (CR: 12-18-20-29) 30 NE Joshua Bassett - Feel Something 31 22 Andrea Bocelli, Matteo Bocelli & Virginia Bocelli - The Greatest Gift (CR: 2-4-9-14-19-21-22-31) 32 29 Sam Ryder - Tiny Riot (CR: 1-1-1-1-1-1-2-3-2-3-3-4-4-4-7-11-15-21-24-30-29-32) 33 24 Ina Wroldsen - Fires (CR: 10-16-22-24-33) 34 NE Illenium ft Valerie Broussard & Nurko - Sideways 35 25 Moby ft Gregory Porter & Amythyst Kiah - Natural Blues (Reprise) (CR: 11-17-25-35) 36 NE Papa Zeus - Can't Stop (Oh No) 37 26 Daya - Montana (CR: 11-18-23-26-37) 38 27 Brooke Combe - Are You With Me? (CR: 8-15-20-25-27-38) 39 47 David Guetta - Get Together (CR: 47-39) 40 28 Picture This - LA House Party (CR: 19-28-40) 41 32 Afrojack & David Guetta - Hero (CR: 6-10-17-22-28-32-41) 42 NE Jonathan Antoine - Io Si (Seen) 43 NE Chasers - We're Going Backwards 44 33 The Weeknd & Ariana Grande - Save Your Tears (Remix) (CR: 7-12-19-25-33-33-44) 45 NE Felix Cartal ft Karen Harding - Only One 46 31 The Shires & Jimmie Allen - On The Day I Die (CR: 29-31-46) 47 36 The Eves - Brand New Day (CR: 2-6-10-13-20-26-34-36-47) 48 38 Kygo ft James Gillespie - Gone Are The Days (CR: 1-2-5-7-11-17-22-25-27-35-38-48) 49 NE Inhaler - Who's Your Money On? 50 34 Tia Kofi & Cahill - Look What You've Done (CR: 15-24-34-50)

I’ll forgive you 😜

Learnt that last year when people really went for Shut Up & Dance!!!

Really intrigued to see who sent Nadia Oh! Maybe it’s Nadia Oh herself?!!!

For some reason my brain didn’t compute and realise Cruel Summer is a Bananarama song! Which then makes me think it’s an odd choice To be fair if they went out I could see them getting back in via the second chance thing Otherwise it’s The Chicks vs The 1975 to go - based on the initial votes at least. I’d say that’s to be expected as they are the less poppy artists

Hope it smashes for her chart wise

Oasis

Angel of my dreams (S.A.D version), It Girl and Silent Disco please

Hoping I get some growers in Boot Camp but on first listen one category is a lot stronger for me

Boot camp is just for fun if it’s a blood bath. Will get the cat suit and all the glitter out…gonna have us a party!

Bangor sent Or maybe an Aberystwyth!

Glad to see Eric through Seems mad to me that The 1975 and The Chicks both beat Abba!

Actually surprised Nelly Furtado made the top 3!

And that’s my choice made! Round 3-4 was where I wanted to get to (as a minimum) so if I exit, I exit on a banger!

Tempted to go back and see this Saw Titanique on Saturday - and I’d say that Here & Now / Titanique are up there for me as some of the best musicals I have ever seen

Shawn Mendes - always liked this version Eric Saade - catchy pop song Troye Sivan - lovely song George Michael - underrated Markus Riva - like it, surprised it’s struggling Conan Gray - like Fred Again - singing parts are gorgeous The Weeknd - ok Ruel - ok Guitarri - ok David Bowie - couldn’t decide on, especially after a song I adored of his Nik Kershaw

This is such a strong round The Chicks - this is one of my all time fave songs. Love the story behind it and the message (Shut Up & Sing is an amazing documentary) Scissor Sisters - once I learnt what this song was about it made it even more powerful for me personally Ace of Base - superb pop song and so infectious The Corrs - great song from early in their career Abba - know this because of Abba dance on the Wii. It’s a grower Haim - their vocals always shine Atomic Kitten - subtle beauty Florence - another grower Blondie - solid song from them The 1975 - great instrumentation, chorus could be bigger Erasure - love the vocals, song could be bigger Girlicious - like but don’t love, found the vocals distracting

Kesha - always adored this song. RIP JVDB Lily Allen (Take That) - beautiful Nelly Furtado - was never gonna get the charts on fire but catchy Kelly Clarkson - good album track Chappell Roan - decent but know there’s better to come Delta Goodrem - like when I listen to it but then forget how it goes Toni Braxton - ok for me Michelle Branch - sad to see her go, was looking forward to hearing more Lisa - similar to Delta Rosalia - not for me part 1 Nadia Oh - like the build up but the chorus less so FKA Twigs - not for me part 2

MGMT

14 Basshunter Now You're Gone #2s held off #1: Britney Spears - Piece of Me, Adele - Chasing Pavements (x3), Nickleback - Rockstar Next up is a massive 5 week number one from Swedish musician Jonas Erik Altberg, aka Basshunter. The song originally started as an instrumental titled 'Boten Anna'. Vocals were then added from Sebastian Westwood and 'Now You're Gone' was born. It's a great piece of dance music, one that took over the early part of 2008. I immediately liked the song (catchy dance/pop number, what's not to like), although I have to admit I grew to just like it after a few listens. Looking back at this song reminded me of the big names it held off the top. Britney Spears, Adele & Nickleback. The latter could feel hard done by considering it climbed above Basshunter when 'Now You're Gone' eventually fell off the top spot. Basshunter would go on to have a UK number one album and a follow up #2 hit in 'All I Ever Wanted'. Further releases would 5 more top 40 hits and 1 more top 20 album.

From here on out are all songs that I really enjoy. If you don't like the order they appear in, tough!!!!

Maria lawsons album was pretty decent, but I suppose the chart performance is what happens when you’re screwed over by dodgy judge voting…. I still like to tell myself she has a very prominent vocal on a massive hit for Gabrielle