dandy*

I already have all the ones on the right but none of the ones on the left… well, not those versions anyway. Tempted by Like a Prayer but then I also remember the rumours around deluxe reissues and I’d definitely rather have the latter

I've still not given this a listen, which is madness considering I really like their other albums. Must rectify that this week!

I didn't hate the film or anything and welcome the effort and style of it, but the music just isn't exciting me in the slightest for some reason - it all sounds fine but I've yet to hear anything that makes me stop and really want to listen, I want that killer hook that the best Madonna songs have and I'm just not hearing any. At the moment I haven't even wanted to pre-order it (sadfacecryetc) and it's in danger of becoming only the second of her albums that I haven't bought week one in a huge rush of excitement (the other being MDNA which I still have never bought) I still like Madame X - there's not really any tracks that I'd rank among her very best, and they don't sit well alongside her singles collection either, but I still find it an interesting listen when I go back to it.

I’m here seeing everyone else getting excited whilst I’m not really feeling this era at all 😢 I had way more anticipation for Madame X

Finally listened to this just now and it delivers way more than I was expecting, a really interesting and varied listen - can see me listening to this a lot on holiday soon

I love Janet but in the UK she’s never been that popular. I’d say Bon Jovi or the Killers both have very recognisable hits that people would assume could have been #1s, arguably the Killers more likely.

I don’t mind this but I’m not rushing back to it any time soon I don’t think. It will work on a night for sure though

Could someone who, say, ended up with Paraguay maybe swap for Egypt? 🤭 Or enter for both!

I barely like anything revealed so far 😕 What a bad year for #1s after I enjoyed quite a few in the 2009 thread. Diana Vickers is probably my favourite so far. We No Speak Americano is okay as well, but listened to it when you revealed it and it’s more basic than I remember.

Thanks both, that’s really helpful ☺️

Out of interest though, is there a way of searching for acts from a specific country on Spotify or other sites that I’m not aware of? I’ve just been using google so far

I’ve spent quite a long time looking and decided to give up trying to find something I like. I’m just going to send something that sounds (to my uneducated self on Paraguay’s music scene) like something modern but with traditional influences that I could imagine listening to in a bar or by a pool there

Diana was my first thought and it was definitely the most memorable, but then I realised I’d have been about 16 so clearly there must be earlier ones. After doing some thinking I’ve decided it’s probably the Berlin Wall coming down in the late 80s. I was definitely aware of that happening although to be honest I didn’t spend much time with news as a child.

Please let this become a proper hit, it’s definitely one of the songs of the year <3

After initial digging I can confirm this is going to be a slog 🫣

Oooo interesting. Not exactly the biggest country (musically anyway) so I’m imagining choices may be limited, but let’s see!

I’ll try to do this, whichever number left is the lowest please

Illinois is potentially my favourite album of all time, it’s just such an epic undertaking and one where every track is both inventive and good!

Return to Innocence is another huge favourite of mine so that’s two in two weeks Actually I’ve overlooked In Your Room which is also great, albeit I prefer the album version

Cornflake Girl is miles better than anything else in that top 10, a tour de force that is one of my most listened to songs of all time <3

Yes that one did sell out really quickly, it had gone by the point I looked as well. Lemon Jelly sold out not long after but thankfully the price probably put enough people off so I got one - it is expensive but then an original costs upwards of £500 now so in comparison it’s okay. Plus I know the packaging is nice and it looks like they’ve put a lot of care into it as the band were promoting it and seemed on board

Congratulations Rollo! A great winner! It’s one of four songs that I almost tried to send (The Knife, Islands and Junior Boys being the others) but I doubt I’d have got any of them as I confirmed very late. I went with Toop Toop in the end after looking back on my list of #1s from 2006 and deciding that it had been unfairly forgotten about over the years. I’ve always thought it was a really fun track and an unexpected swerve for Cassius.

The Rough Trade 50 series latest batch has dropped and I have had to get Blur, Illinois and, most importantly, Lemon Jelly!!! 🍋 https://www.roughtrade.com/collection/rough-trade-50

I’m not sure I see a need to change it at all tbh, even though the tone in here has been a little surprising towards it

Must admit that It’s Me was the first BJSC entry I can recall where I’d heard it lots of times before the contest on social media reels etc so not surprised it has such a high stream count. I didn’t know what it was but when I heard it I was like “oh so this is the song that I keep seeing animated purple Japanese animals dancing to”