threepiecesuit

I hope they skip Will Young's 'Grace' and go straight ahead to 'Let It Go' (out March 2nd) for this volume. Daniel Merriweather's 'Change' should also be in there.

Will Young (4) Craig David (4) Keane (3) Darren Hayes (3) That is actually not very many. I blame that on the fact that most artists don't really have more than one or two good albums, and the fact that I'm not old enough really to have been into bands with particularly long careers. Also nowadays with artists being dropped so swiftly, many don't get the chance to put out more than two.

I swear to god as late as the first quarter of this year, the general price for new release CDs in supermarkets and Woolworths, especially those that were predicted to sell well, was £8.99, and in some cases £7.99. This has clearly all stopped though - this week's three biggest sellers, Kings Of Leon, Will Young and James Morrison, I've not found for under £9.99 anywhere in a bricks and mortar store, and it is now commonplace to see albums in Zavvi and HMV back up to £10.99+. I find it peculiar that this phenomenon has not been more widely remarked upon in the industry or at least the business pages of the newspapers - I swear a few years ago the 'price wars' among supermarkets driving down prices was (relatively) big news. Does anyone have a theory as to why these price changes have occurred, and why there hasn't been much comment on it?

A quick glance at my 'Best of ____' playlists reveals... 2000 Savage Garden - Hold Me Lionel Richie - Don't Stop The Music 2001 Liberty X - Doin' It 2002 George Michael - Freeek! Craig David - What's Your Flava? 2003 Rosie Ribbons - A Little Bit Darren Hayes - Crush (1980 Me) Justin Timberlake - I'm Lovin' It 2004 Tyler James - Why Do I Do? Darren Hayes - Pop!ular 2005 Nate James - Set The Tone Tyler James - Foolish Tyler James - Your Woman Nate James - Universal Nate James - The Message Rob Thomas - This Is How A Heart Breaks Kubb - Wicked Soul Darren Hayes - So Beautiful Daft Punk - Robot Rock 2006 Daniel Powter - Lie To Me Gnarls Barkley - Smiley Faces George Michael - An Easier Affair Simon Webbe - Coming Around Again Keane - Crystal Ball Keane - Nothing In My Way 2007 Keane - A Bad Dream Sophie Ellis-Bextor - Catch You Rob Thomas - Little Wonders Sophie Ellis-Bextor - Me and My Imagination Ghosts - The World Is Outside Take That - I'd Wait For Life Simon Webbe - Grace Ghosts - The World Is Outside Darren Hayes - On The Verge Of Something Wonderful Maroon 5 - Wake Up Call Shayne Ward - If That's OK With You Craig David - Hot Stuff (Let's Dance) Darren Hayes - Me Myself & I Gabrielle - Every Little Teardrop 2008 Jennifer Lopez - Hold It Don't Drop It Mary J. Blige - Just Fine Craig David - 6 of 1 Thing The Feeling - Without You Jordin Sparks - Tattoo The Script - We Cry Kelly Rowland - Daylight OneRepublic - Say (All I Need) Maroon 5/Rihanna - If I Never See Your Face Again Annie - I Know Ur Girlfriend Hates Me Daniel Powter - Next Plane Home My taste has grown more out of line with the record-buying public as the years have gone by :(

I think a genuine surprise was Will Young's Leave Right Now back in 2003, up until then it was common knowledge that reality acts were doomed to be one-hit wonders, and it was up against Shane Richie's reprehensible cover of 'I'm Your Man' which was a charity single, normally assured a number one. Here is the story on the BBC news site about the shops running out of the Leave Right Now single, because they hadn't ordered enough due to low expectations http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/3243630.stm still makes me smile that all the cynics got their comeuppance...

Singles: Taio Cruz - She's Like A Star don't even like the song, but I've got all the other singles from this campaign and wanted to keep the collection going. Never know, it could turn out to be worth something as there is a misprint on the paper insert, with the Cahill Remix of 'She's Like A Star' being incorrectly labeled as 'Can't Say Go'. Overall not as pleased as I was with the single package for 'I Can Be' which had an excellent remix and an original B-side on it.

I think top 5 for the single, top 3 for the album, depending on the conditions that week. Wouldn't surprise me either if it stays around the top 3 or even hits no.1 again as the weeks go on, he's a consistent seller. It's hard to say with Will really, re: sales figures, since he so tremendously upset the orthodoxy of 'second album does terribly' by selling even more than his first. Keep On also had a very strong opening week despite the very strange single choice of Switch It On, which only managed no.5, and the fact he'd been away for 2 years. I think there's a real affection for him that is highly uncommon, and with a song as good as Changes, the sky is the limit really.

Craig David's 'Officially Yours' was just horrible, horrible, a c**p single choice. Didn't deserve any more than it's sub-top 75 position. '6 of 1 thing' was probably a mistake as well, should have gone with 'She's On Fire' as a second single for Radio 1 and 'Friday Night' as a third for Radio 2. Harrumph. Taio Cruz releasing 'She's Like A Star' is a poor choice as well, any other song from 'Departure' would be better. Maroon 5's 'Wake Up Call', despite it being one of my favourite songs from last year, shouldn't have been released because it sounds just a bit too similar to Makes Me Wonder, should have gone for 'Won't Go Home Without You' as the second, not third, single to keep the momentum going with the ballad everyone wanted from them.

'Ain't Such A Bad Place To Be' from Will Young's 'Keep On' was widely touted as a single, but never made it, would have really livened up his album campaign after two very straightforward ballads and I bet the video would have been amazing. 'Love Is A Matter Of Distance' from 'Friday's Child' on the other hand, I was incredibly pleased that was canceled, saves us from another energy-sapping ballad at every live performance. Also JT's 'I'm Lovin' It' although that's already been mentioned, is still one of my favourite songs it's an absolute crime it wasn't released. Why god why did they use that brill melody/production for a song commissioned by McDonald's which was consequently treated like an embarassment. Never Give Up On The Good Times is also the only Spice Girls song I ever liked, that SO should have been released, it screams 'single'. This thread has put me in a bad mood.

It's not that uncommon, I remember last year Maroon 5's 'Makes Me Wonder' was shunted down to no.2 by thursday or friday by 'Umbrella', it broke my heart to see it

I reckon to no.24ish

Singles: OneRepublic - Say (All I Need) Jamie Lidell - Another Day Albums: None Downloads: Beyoncé - Green Light (Freemasons Remix) May very well be the last week ever I buy two physical singles. I hope not though, I hope not. The OneRepublic one had an excellent B-side in the form of their live lounge cover of Duffy's 'Mercy' and Jamie Lidell's had an excellent live version of 'Little Bit Of Feel Good'. The Beyoncé download was just 'cos the Freemasons are working with Will Young on his new album and I thought I should widen my freemasons collection accordingly, all I had up 'til now was their mixes of Kelly Rowland's 'Work' (along with half the planet) and Luther Vandross' 'Shine'.

With airplay, top 15, without, top 30.

I've compiled playlists on iTunes for years with the singles that I've liked which have been released, based on numbers alone the decade seems to have got better as it has gone along, bar 2003, with a big jump in brilliance for 2007 - 2000 - 14 2001 - 12 2002 - 25 2003 - 12 2004 - 24 2005 - 22 2006 - 28 2007 - 35 2008 - 14 (so far!) That obviously doesn't tell the full story of course, because albums released in various years have skewed it. Singles wise though, 2007 is the undisputed best year for me in terms of volume of stuff I have liked, and the quality of those songs. Out of those, the truly brilliant singles years were 2002 (highlights - Will Young's first round of singles, Darren Hayes 'Insatiable', 'Strange Relationship', George Michael's 'Freeek!', JT's 'Like I Love You') 2004 (Maroon 5's Songs About Jane singles, Will Young's 'Your Game' and 'Friday's Child', Keane's Hopes and Fears singles, George Michael's 'Flawless' and 'Amazing') and 2007 (Maroon 5's It Won't Be Soon Before Long singles, Sophie Ellis-Bextor's Trip The Light... singles, Darren Hayes' This Delicate Thing... singles, Take That's 'Rule The World', Rob Thomas' 'Little Wonders', Keane's 'A Bad Dream' and 'The Night Sky') Albums wise, there's no real winner as my favourite albums have all been spread out over the decade (Will Young Friday's Child 2003, Maroon 5 Songs About Jane and Keane Hopes and Fears 2004, Nate James Set The Tone and Will Young Keep On 2005, Keane Under The Iron Sea 2006, Maroon 5 It Won't Be Soon... and Darren Hayes This Delicate Thing... 2007). I have put far too much thought into this :)

It is a truly stunning album, I am very very VERY impressed at the quality of the songs, the production and the vocals, a wonderful bit of work. None of the filler which characterises so many albums.