Kit Curran

17. Don't Stop The Music - Rihanna After the 2007 success of 'Umbrella. Ella. Ella', 2008 gave Rihanna a pretty tough act to follow. But she did her best by getting this song into the Top 20 of the year. Unique among this list, it is the only song of the twenty not to have reached number one or two: it actually got only as high as no 4, but it turned out to be a long runner in the chart, and the three songs that beat it in January all made it into the Year's 20 as well. It was produced by StarGate, the production team behind Blue's early success, and who had a number one in the Radio Newtown chart themselves with 'Easier Said Than Done' back in 2002. xKsBs2LQRvI

18. Stop and Stare - One Republic The follow-up to last year's hugely successful Timbaland collaboration, One Republic finally got acclaim on their own with this superb song. Only the phenomenon that was Duffy prevented this from topping the chart in March, making it all the more surprising that no more hits have hit the Top 20 since. But they've marked themselves down in history with this entry into the countdown of biggest songs of the year. onOTaGayhU4

19. Heilige Nacht - Helene Fischer In the race to be this year's Christmas number one, this was just beaten by the hugely popular Take That and 'Greatest Day' (which, unsurprisingly, you will find much higher up the countdown for the year). However, its popularity over the festive season is enough to get it into the Top 20 of 2008, the first of three entries for the German Schlager-musik pin-up girl. Only one other act has more than one entry in the Top 20, which makes it even more surprising that her third of four releases during the year stalled at 21 in the weekly chart. But here's the last of the Christmas spirit as those German Christmas markets pack up for another year... 9ZJsj7qX4V0

And so we reach the end of another year, and it's time to look at the songs that have been the twenty most popular in the Radio Newtown chart throughout 2008. We'll be doing the countdown in reverse order, over the next four days, and today we look at numbers 20 through to 16. 20. Brakes - Royworld An interesting year for the London University four-piece. A tour of libraries culminated in a memorable show in that most rocking of venues, the Westminster Reference Library, which was completed despite the attentions of a clutch of 'tweedy old crow' librarians going 'shhhhh'. This song was number two for FOUR weeks in late summer and early Autumn, and makes it into the twenty finishers for the year-long race. DzEPFqvG5tI

The problem for Rednex was that their two hits in the UK pigeonholed them as a kind of spoof bluegrass/country act, whereas other singles of their's like 'The Chase' and 'Spirit of the Hawk' were nothing like this, having more of a native American motif. Maybe people heard that Rednex were releasing and wrote them off as more of the same, when in fact they had more to offer than many of the cheesy UK pop acts that did make the charts in the early 2000s. Great fun live as well, though Rednex was always more of a concept than a band, with a very fluid line-up.

Well, maybe Mika did do alright (though I'm possibly blind to his success, as I can't stand him :puke2: ). But Just Jack? Everyone was saying he was gonna be so big in 2007 because of one January hit, ha ha ha. As for Duffy/Adele, we'll have to agree to differ, though the 'cognoscenti' were well into Duffy from the start, the mainstream media were obsessed with Adele for the early weeks of the year, simply because she released first. Before 'Chasing Pavements' was even released, there was a One Show piece about autographs - whose is valuable, whose isn't so valuable, and they were speculating that Adele's autograph was going to be worth huge amounts in the future because she was about to become such a big star. I mean, she's okay, but nothing like the absurd hype that she was given last January because the BBC had nothing else to talk about... Meanwhile, I'm just looking at my ISA statement and wondering if I have enough to buy a signed photo of Just Jack.... :lol:

That's a terrible song! It's just an endless, repetitive chant. TBH, though I like the Beatles, I found much of what I heard from George Harrison rather dull, and doubt it would've seen the light of day had it not been by an ex-Beatle. Sorry, don't mean to offend Beatle fans!

What annoys me is that the media hype up someone to be 'the Voice of 07/08/09/whatever' based entirely on the fact that they are releasing a single in January. In 2007 it was Mika and Just Jack. Just Jack disappeared completely, Mika had a few more hits but could you say he was the biggest act of 2007? As for Adele, the 'Voice of 08', that was entirely based on hype over Christmas leading up to her January release... but she wasn't even the biggest act of 08 in her own genre, as Duffy had totally eclipsed her by the Spring. Presumably Lady GaGa will be touted as the 'Voice of 09'. The true 'Voice of 09' will be someone we haven't even heard yet, who will emerge some time between March and October.

In parts of mainland Europe, Abba's song IS that song. You can't go to a party or switch on a TV in Germany or Holland and not hear that at midnight. Strange, because they're on about 'another ten years time...the end of 89'... :lol:

Yes, these commentaries are a fascinating read, many thanks for keeping us up to date with why the chart looks as it does.

Hello, My faves from ur chart... 4 3 RUN Leona Lewis 1 6 *1-1-1-2-3-4 6 5 WOMANIZER Britney Spears 1 12 *1-1-1-2-2-4-7-5-3-4-5-6 9 15 THE BOY DOES NOTHING Alesha Dixon 2 11 *5-2-3-6-5-10-12-13-10-15-9 12 14 USE SOMEBODY Kings Of Leon 6 9 *21-7-6-13-17-19-17-14-12 13 24 WARM THIS WINTER Gabriella Cilmi 13 4 *46-46-24-13 15 11 GREATEST DAY Take That 11 7 *40-25-15-14-13-11-15 17 18 CRACK THE SHUTTERS Snow Patrol 17 5 *32-23-20-18-17 19 16 THE PROMISE Girls Aloud 1 15 *12-2-1-3-3-3-1-3-3-4-9-12-16-16-19 20 20 SEX IS ON FIRE Kings Of Leon 4 13 *8-4-4-6-6-8-8-15-22-26-19-20-20 25 17 RAIN ON YOUR PARADE Duffy 4 9 *35-26-22-11-4-10-9-17-25 26 19 HUMAN The Killers 6 9 *41-38-12-6-10-11-15-19-26 30 22 DREAM ON Robyn 5 8 *11-9-5-8-18-18-22-30 31 NEW ONCE UPON A CHRISTMAS SONG Geraldine 31 1 *31 36 29 FORGIVE ME Leona Lewis 6 14 *9-11-8-6-7-9-10-11-20-19-24-26-29-36 38 33 MAKE YOU FEEL MY LOVE Adele 9 12 *34-29-26-16-9-10-12-13-22-28-33-38 39 35 7 THINGS Miley Cyrus 15 12 *38-21-27-27-15-19-23-28-31-30-35-39 42 41 SPIRALLING Keane 11 14 *35-32-15-11-13-12-17-26-32-30-33-34-41-42 43 39 STEPPING STONE Duffy 10 18 *38-26-22-21-15-10-11-12-16-15-19-25-29-29-32-33-39-43 48 45 SEE YOU AGAIN Miley Cyrus 1 18 *33-33-1-1-4-5-7-9-10-14-13-13-18-22-33-40-45-45-48 49 43 BE THE ONE The Ting Tings 16 11 *44-37-32-36-34-16-24-30-38-43-49

SO That's it, the official Radio Newtown Christmas Number One for 2008 is 'Greatest Day' by Take That, and I have an exclusive here on the Radio Newtown Top 20, I've managed to get hold of the private number of Take That's main man, the very fulcrum of the band, the guy who makes it all tick... yep, on the line, we can welcome HOWARD DONALD! Hi Howard, how are ya?! 'Hi, this is Howard. I can't get to the phone right now. But if you'd like to leave your name, number and a brief message after the tone, I'll get back to you as soon as I can. BEEEEEP' Yeah Howard, it's great news, 'Greatest Day' is the 2008 Radio Newtown Christmas number one, you must be so thrilled about that! BEEEEP (Posh voiced BT recording) Thank you for calling. No, thank you Howard, it was a pleasure to hear from you - here's your Christmas number one! wGn5tbQ7Rf8

Terrible Christmas jumpers from the Wombats, hey Fran my superfluous yet gorgeous female co-host, you'd better not have got me any old tat like that for Christmas, it'd go straight in the bin!!! Fran? Fran?? Oh no Fran, please stop crying.... Look, like everyone else out there, you want to know what's number one... Now there's two songs left, who is going to be Christmas number one... is it going to be Helene Fischer with 'Heilige Nacht'? Or is it Take That with 'Greatest Day'? Take That? or Helene Fischer? Well I can tell you... that the song at number two... is... last week's highest new entry, Helene Fischer is up one place and Take That are number one! (Fran whoops hysterically) 9ZJsj7qX4V0

What a great video there from Johnny, I particularly like the way he keeps changing his position on the chair between lines, without even missing a note of the song!! :lol: So, three records left, who is gonna be number one for Christmas? You've been e-mailing and texting, so many people want different songs to be number one, is it gonna be Helene Fischer, or The Wombats, or can Take That hold on for a fifth week... well... at number three... it's up two places, The Wombats, 'Is This Christmas?' QQAmwRM-vXU

It's the live Christmas chart here on Radio Newtown, more of your texts, please keep sending them in... Helene Fischer should be number one because we heard it at our local German Christmas Market and it sounded all nice and cosy. That's from Jessica in the car on the M25. She actually sent that last week, but I'm guessing she's still there. And here's one from Doris at home, she says 'I'd like that nice young man Johnny Mathis to be number one, he's such a pleasant boy and my granddaughter is teaching me how to use this portable phone she bought me last Christmas'. Thanks Doris, but bad news for you... Johnny Mathis hasn't got to number one, but he's up two places, 'When A Child Is Born' is number four... RGMky4tVN7c

This is the Radio Newtown Christmas Top Twenty, and before we get into the top five, let's have a look at some of the text messages we've received about who you want to be Christmas number one... I fink Basshunter shud b Xmas Number one wiv Jingle Bells cos he is a genious but if not him den Take That coz they iz well fit for old guys. That's from 'Samanfa' in Newtown, thanks for that... Wombats should be number one cos their - that's t-h-e-i-r- sound la Thanks Kevin from Liverpool, listening online, but you don't seem to have finished your text.. 'their sound la'?? 'Their sound la' what??? 'Their sound lasts and lasts'? 'Their sound lavishly envelopes one in aural luxury'? 'Their sound lacks only one thing - a kazoo'? Please check your texts before you send them. And this one says Gabriella Cilmi should be number one cos I'm gonna keep my new boyfriend warm this winter! That's from Keeley, rather too much information, Keeley, and I hate to disappoint you but Gabriella Cilmi isn't number one... she's down three places to number five... rSckgBLs3qM

Welcome to the new Radio Newtown Top 20, the Christmas chart for 2008... we're just about to go into the top five, but before we do, let's have a recap of the songs from 20 through to 6... 20 (13) Cash In My Pocket – Wiley feat Daniel Merriweather 19 (14) Make You Feel My Love - Adele 18 (26) It’s Christmas Time – Status Quo 17 (NEW) Once Upon A Christmas Song - Geraldine McQueen 16 (20) All I Want For Christmas Is You - Mariah Carey 15 (11) Human - Killers 14 (10) I Want More - Can 13 (15) Shades of Hippiedom - King of Prussia 12 (8) The Show - Lenka 11 (16) Perfect Symmetry - Keane 10 (17) Little Drummer Boy - Bandaged 9 (12) I'm Outta Time - Oasis 8 (9) Live Your Life - Rihanna feat TI 7 (7) Use Somebody - Kings of Leon 6 (4) Run - Leona Lewis Top five to follow...

Hello, I like (02) 01. Britney Spears - Womanizer (4,6,5,7,3,2,1) 172,000 (09) 02. Gabriella Cilmi - Warm This Winter (34,23,9,2) 129,500 (07) 05. Duffy - Rain On Your Parade (8,8,6,3,4,7,5) 85,000 (04) 08. Take That - Greatest Day (36,35,14,9,6,4,8) 70,000 (RE) 10. The Wombats ft Les Dennis - Is This Christmas? (30,35,OUT,10) 67,500 (10) 15. Shakin' Stevens - Merry Christmas Everyone (16,10,15) (29) 24. Slade - Merry Xmas Everybody (29,24) (24) 35. The Killers - Human (38,40,OUT,19,15,13,24,35) (36) 36. Wham! - Last Christmas (36,36) (34) 37. John Lennon ft Yoko Ono & The Plastic Ono Band - Happy Xmas (War Is Over) (34,37) (40) 38. Rihanna - Shut Up And Drive (40,38) Great for charting the Wombats! Not many I've seen yet charting The Feeling... if they'd released a Christmas single in 2006, they'd have had a top ten hit, but I think their time has passed... too much negative press to get over now.

:cheer: Merry Christmas :cheer: And the same to you! I like... http://images.radcity.net/5990/533372.gif 02. 2nd Week " Gabriella Cilmi - Warm This Winter " [ 1-2 ] http://images.radcity.net/5990/533372.gif 03. 2nd Week " Miley Cyrus - See You Again (Rock Mafia Remix) " [ 2-3 ] http://images.radcity.net/5990/533378.gif 06. 14th Week " Mariah Carey - All I Want For Christmas Is You " [ 40-18-6-4-9-27-X-21-15-8-26-40-X-32-20-6 ] http://images.radcity.net/5990/533372.gif 08. 10th Week " Alesha Dixon - The Boy Does Nothing " [ 15-4-2-1-3-5-4-1-3-8 ] http://images.radcity.net/5990/533378.gif 10. 5th Week " Leona Lewis - Run " [ 14-5-8-11-10 ] http://images.radcity.net/5990/533372.gif 11. 9th Week " Britney Spears - Womanizer " [ 23-15-4-7-6-7-3-6-11 ] http://images.radcity.net/5990/533369.gif 12. NEW! " Geraldine McQueen - Once Upon A Christmas Song " [ 12 ] http://images.radcity.net/5990/533372.gif 15. 6th Week " T.I.; Rihanna - Live Your Life " [ 27-21-10-7-8-15 ] http://images.radcity.net/5990/533372.gif 19. 12th Week " Girls Aloud - The Promise " [ 9-1-1-2-3-5-8-7-8-11-16-19 ] http://images.radcity.net/5990/533372.gif 22. 8th Week " Robyn - Dream On " [ 18-11-1-1-1-4-13-22 ] http://images.radcity.net/5990/533378.gif 24. 8th Week " Pretenders - 2000 Miles " [35-15-22-X-30-23-33-X-37-24] http://images.radcity.net/5990/533378.gif 25. 2nd Week " Boney M - Mary's Boy Child " [ 40-25 ] http://images.radcity.net/5990/533378.gif 27. 2nd Week " Keane - Perfect Symmetry " [ 35-27 ] http://images.radcity.net/5990/533372.gif 30. 14th Week " Sugababes - Girls " [ 8-5-3-3-4-5-9-16-24-28-22-26-29-30 ] http://images.radcity.net/5990/533372.gif 33. 8th Week " Duffy - Rain On Your Parade " [ 33-27-18-15-17-17-24-33 ] http://images.radcity.net/5990/533372.gif 34. 12th Week " Leona Lewis - Forgive Me " [ 20-10-2-6-5-8-10-11-14-20-25-34 ] http://images.radcity.net/5990/533372.gif 38. 11th Week " Alicia Keys; Jack White - Another Way To Die " [ 28-20-13-6-10-11-13-16-22-31-38 ] http://images.radcity.net/5990/533372.gif 40. 8th Week " The Killers - Human " [ 34-25-19-18-21-23-34-40 ]

Greetings. I like this week 01 (01) Kings Of Leon – Use Somebody [6wks] (21-4-3-1-1-1) 02 (02) Snow Patrol – Crack The Shutters [3wks] (7-2-2) 04 (04) Leona Lewis – Run [5wks] (13-6-4-4-4) 05 (08) Keane – Perfect Symmetry [2wks] (8-5) 06 (05) The Killers – Human [12wks] (4-2-3-3-2-1-1-1-1-2-5-6) 09 (06) Take That – Greatest Day [5wks] (18-5-3-6-9) 10 (07) Christian Falk feat. Robyn – Dream On [8wks] (23-6-2-2-2-5-7-10) 13 (09) Duffy – Rain On Your Parade [7wks] (18-9-6-4-9-9-13) 14 (11) Snow Patrol – Run [5wks] (29-18-14-11-14) 15 (20) Girls Aloud – The Promise [10wks] (23-9-7-4-4-8-12-15-20-15) 20 (17) Oasis – I’m Outta Time [3wks] (26-17-20) 22 (**) Jeff Buckley – Hallelujah [1wk] (22) 25 (19) Snow Patrol – Take Back The City [12wks] (1-1-1-1-1-2-3-5-9-12-19-25) 26 (33) Saint Etienne – I Was Born On Christmas Day [2wks] (33-26) 27 (24) The Script – Breakeven [8wks] (20-14-8-6-13-18-24-27) 31 (26) The Bellamy Brothers – Let Your Love Flow [5wks] (30-22-19-26-31) 32 (23) Madonna – Miles Away [6wks] (26-17-8-16-23-32) 36 (**) Gabriella Cilimi – Warm This Winter [1wk] (36) 39 (**) Wham! – Last Christmas [1wk] (39)

Hi there. I like this week... 01| Leona Lewis - Run [2-1-1-1-1] NM *4th Week at Number 1* 08| Cascada - Last Christmas [28-18-8] 10 10| Kings of Leon - Use Somebody [38-36-26-26-5-10] 5 13| Britney Spears - Womanizer [2-1-1-1-1-1-2-1-3-4-8-13] 5 14| The Killers - Human [3-3-4-5-3-3-3-4-7-11-14] 3 20| Mariah Carey - All I Want For Christmas [30-24-20] 4[/color] 23| T.I Feat. Rihanna - Live Your Life [11-7-1-4-6-8-15-23] 8 30| Chris Brown & Keri Hilson - Superhuman [4-8-14-20-31-38-X-7-6-5-7-6-8-12-21-30] 9[/color] 32| Britney Spears - Phonography [10-29-32] 3 36| Kings of Leon - Sex On Fire [18-13-16-19-23-28-32-35-31-33-35-36] 1 38| Girls Aloud - The Promise [17-7-4-2-2-9-14-21-29-36-39-38] 1

Hi Nick, I like 03. Britney Spears - Womanizer (6-2-2-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-2-3) 13wks 06. Coldplay - Lost! (50-37-33-31-24-15-6) 7wks 07. The Kooks - Sway (31-22-14-8-11-7) 6wks 08. Kings Of Leon - Use Somebody (28-20-10-12-8) 5wks 10. Madonna - Milles Away (43-35-31-32-50-x-31-12-11-7-10) 10wks 18. Chris Brown feat. Keri Hilson - Superhuman (47-34-29-21-18) 5wks 22. Sarah Connor - I'll Kiss It Away (34-24-19-14-14-22) 6wks 25. Leona Lewis - Forgive Me (44-42-41-47-50-40-54-45-37-42-53-34-25) 13wks 30. David Guetta - Everytime We Touch (40-30) 2wks 39. Adele - Make You Feel My Love (40-35-39) 3wks 42. Sugababes - Girls (33-23-19-13-8-5-3-3-2-3-7-9-11-10-20-29-42) 17wks 43. Duffy - Rain On Your Parade (40-41-37-43) 4wks 45. Leona Lewis - Run *New* 46. Roisin Murphy - Slave To Love *New*[/b] 47. Dido - Don't Believe In Love (41-43-34-18-12-6-8-13-22-34-45-47) 12wks 50. Oasis - I'm Outta Time *New* 55. Guru Josh Project - Infinity 2008 (Klaas Vocal Edit) (60-31-17-7-7-17-41-55) 8wks *Biggest Faller* Keep charting Oasis, it's their best single for years...

Hi. I like this week 2. Take That-Up All Night (1) (CR-5-1-2) 3. Girls Aloud-The Loving Kind (5) (CR-2-2-3-4-7-6-5-3) 4. Leona Lewis-Run (3) (CR-33-1-1-1-3-4) 5. The Killers-Human (6) (CR-50-49-38-20-8-8-5-2-2-6-5) 6. Gabriella Cilmi-Warm This Winter (4) (CR-46-22-6-3-4-6) 8. Britney Spears-Womanizer (8) (CR-48-21-14-9-4-7-11-14-15-20-11-8-8) 9. Nena feat Kim Wilde-Anyplace, Anywhere, Anytime (7) (CR-18-7-9) 10. Kings Of Leon-Use Somebody (14) (CR-35-14-10) 13. Girls Aloud-The Promise (13) (CR-17-3-2-1-1-1-1-1-1-2-5-10-13-13) 29. Take That-The Circus (21) (CR-37-21-29) 36. Take That-The Garden (34) (CR-40-27-34-36) 37. Take That-Here (27) (CR-22-17-27-37) 40. Take That-How Did It Come To This (41) (CR-47-41-40) 41. Take That-Hold Up A Light (NEW) (CR-41) 48. September-Can’t Get Over (36) (CR-30-27-37-OUT-29-26-36-48) 49. Alesha Dixon-The Boy Does Nothing (31) (CR-35-29-19-27-16-10-16-31-49) That doesn't include the songs I haven't heard yet... this forum's great when it introduces you to stuff you wouldn't otherwise hear. All the tracks on TT's album are good though.

Greetings! I like.. 01 Mariah Carey - All I Want For Christmas Is You (5-10-x-22-10-6-3-3-x-43-22-17-6-1) 03 Leona Lewis - Run (19-2-1-2-3) 06 Miley Cyrus - Fly On The Wall (38-29-28-26-30-38-x-25-20-15-3-1-6) 07 Girls Aloud - The Loving Kind (40-8-5-7) 08 Britney Spears - Womanizer (1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-2-3-8) 13 Jeff Buckley - Hallelujah (13) 14 Kate Bush - December Will Be Magic Again (22-x-20-x-29-14) 22 Kate Winslet - What If (12-20-x-22) 25 Kings Of Leon - Sex On Fire (16-3-3-13-21-25) 27 Adele - Make You Feel My Love (29-21-19-27-22-27) 28 Girls Aloud - The Promise (1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10-12-18-24-28) 39 Kings Of Leon - Use Somebody (43-24-29-39-43-39) 43 Take That - Greatest Day (36-28-26-35-43) 44 Leona Lewis - Forgive Me (28-18-13-9-6-3-4-7-6-13-21-30-39-44) 46 Duffy - Rain On Your Parade (23-13-10-5-4-9-17-28-38-46) 47 Alesha Dixon - The Boy Does Nothing (49-39-34-18-22-28-35-43-47-47) 48 Hilary Duff - Reach Out (19-7-3-5-9-10-13-22-30-37-42-48)

Blimey! My brain can only cope with twenty songs in a chart at any one time! If I did a Top 100, I'd forget what I'd already put and have the same song in several different positions... :D