Ghoulian

1 Fontaines D.C. - Favourite: such a beautiful album closer 2 Depeche Mode - Never Let Me Down Again: i didn’t actually know this but it’s a fab and slightly sinister track 3 New Order - Regret: a very lovely and m emotive later hit 4 Texas - Summer Son: this is pretty good and I really like the chimes 5 Sade - Kiss of Life: lovely smooth vocals as ever but not the most interesting track 6 Bananarama - I Want You Back: sounds too similar to a lot of other late ‘80s songs

Haven’t checked what’s left but certainly everything in the top 20 so far is decent. “Am I Wrong” is probably my favourite - have always had a soft spot for that. I like the drum beat and the brass on it. Next would be “Sing”, which isn’t as good as “Thinking Out Loud” but has a strong Timberlake style groove. I agree the spaghetti western style works well on “Lovers On The Sun” though it doesn’t have much of interest beyond that. “These Days” is nothing special but jolly enough.

If you’ve got no chance go with a personal favourite absolutely.

Hoff it is

Just seen that Neliönoir is an island in the middle of nowhere? How did everyone get here?!

Don’t You (Forget About Me) 19 Cry Duel No Rest

Yeah and it’s a bit of a shame to be seeing a round like this with final worthy songs at this stage because the girls’ mentors are so afraid of each other.

I think it’s right that a certain number from each category go to the live shows so that if you get a male artist it still feels worthwhile.

Tears For Fears only narrowly missed a 10 with “Shout” so it feels right that this one makes it. They’re joined at the top by Frankie getting another great score. I used to think this wasn’t up with any of the trio of #1s but actually although it doesn’t have a big hook like the others it’s an incredible and innovative ride of a track, especially the full length version. 10 Tears For Fears Everybody Wants To Rule The World Their biggest hit and one of the best ever synth pop tracks with timeless lyrics about the human desire for power 9 Frankie Goes To Hollywood Welcome To The Pleasuredome A runner up hit following their chart topper trio and every bit as good as those: a wild and wonderful 13 minute epic 8 Sarah Brightman And Paul Miles-Kingston Pie Jesu From his "Requiem", this is a lovely little piece of classical music and an impressive departure for Lloyd Webber 8 Glenn Frey The Heat Is On Recorded for the "Beverly Hills Cop" film and the 1st hit for this Eagles member, it's a great lively pop rock song 7 The Alarm Absolute Reality The lead single from their 2nd album: it's not quite up with "98 Guns" but it's a very strong and spirited track 7 Alison Moyet That Ole Devil Called Love This rendition of a 1940s jazz song doesn't feel like it should be her biggest solo hit, but she does it beautifully 6 Billy Bragg Between The Wars EP 1st hit for this UK singer: I don't usually enjoy very political songs but some of these tracks have great guitar work 6 Nik Kershaw Wide Boy Not up with his best few but this is another catchy and well performed number with well thought out lyrics 5 Phyllis Nelson Move Closer 548th #1: only Top 40 for this US singer and one of the 1st female entirely self penned #1s; it's quite a nice song 5 Starvation Starvation/Tam-Tam Pour L'Ethiope Behind this middling combined score is a terribly naff first side and a wonderful and authentically African second 4 King Won't You Hold My Hand Now A much smaller hit than their debut and it doesn't have anything like the impact of that, though it's decent enough 4 The Power Station Some Like It Hot 1st hit for this British American supergroup with Robert Palmer on lead: it's a passable unremarkable funk track 3 The Cool Notes Spend The Night 1st Top 40 for this UK band: to me it's just a standard funk track with nothing particularly distinctive going on 2 David Grant And Jaki Graham Could It Be I'm Falling In Love David's last hit and Jaki's 1st with a cover of this '70s song: it's competently done but dull and unnecessary 1 Big Daddy Dancing In The Dark EP Only hit for this US novelty band with terribly drab and limp karaoke versions of a whole bunch of classic songs 1985 Group 6: #1640 30/03/1985 The Smiths Shakespeare's Sister 26 29-{26}-38-56->4 #1641 30/03/1985 The Damned Grimly Fiendish 21 33-{21}-22-26-30-43-75->7 #1642 23/03/1985 Pat Benatar Love Is A Battlefield {1985} 17 43-34-29-23-{17}-17-23-37-58-74->10 #1643 16/03/1985 REO Speedwagon Can't Fight This Feeling 16 71-51-38-28-19-{16}-21-31-42-66->10 #1644 16/03/1985 Bryan Adams Somebody 35 62-48-39-{35}-36-37-52->7 #1645 16/03/1985 Change Let's Go Together 37 53-41-40-{37}-40-44-57->7 #1646 30/03/1985 The Rah Band Clouds Across The Moon 6 43-27-18-9-{6}-9-12-21-41-57->10 #1647 06/04/1985 ABC Be Near Me 26 36-{26}-33-45->4 #1648 30/03/1985 Dream Academy Life In A Northern Town 15 57-38-25-{15}-15-26-40-60->8 #1649 09/03/1985 Billy Connolly Super Gran 32 60-47-49-58-39-34-{32}-35-42->9 #1650 30/03/1985 China Crisis Black Man Ray 14 59-40-32-19-{14}-15-24-42-58->9 #1651 13/04/1985 USA For Africa We Are The World 1 7-{1}-1-2-5-17-33-45-67->9 #1652 13/04/1985 Phil Collins One More Night 4 27-8-{4}-6-10-16-34-46-65->9 #1653 06/04/1985 Foreigner That Was Yesterday 28 43-39-30-{28}-34-47->6

POPHub could do it this time I think. These I think could also have good crossover appeal? Lookylion Ennea Cor Lupus Herbilore Thelonia Bøtanikkä

New Hell-vetica’s artist was taken and they were out of ideas. Thankfully Old Hell-Vetica have donated them something.

Was automatically reset 2 weeks ago and starred out within the top 20. So it’s plummeted - just not as fast as the new songs.

1 Kate Bush - Wuthering Heights: I know several of Gary’s songs are from 1979 but think this is now the oldest of the whole competition by 1 year, and it’s hard to overestimate how much it turned the pop world upside down 2 Robyn & Kleerup - With Every Heartbeat: there isn’t a lot that beats this; still sounds fresh and one of the most emotive pieces of dance pop ever 3 Sophie Ellis-Bextor - Murder on the Dancefloor: one of the most joyous pop songs of the decade; can’t believe I’m putting it as low as 3rd 4 Adele - Skyfall - again this would top many lists for me; it’s fabulously Bond and authentically Adele at the same time 5 MARINA - Oh No!: this is probably what her mentor is thinking now with the others going all out, but it’s a nice song with heartfelt delivery 6 Zara Larsson & MNEK - Never Forget You: another that goes on the soulless pile for me sorry!

Wow what a crazy round!

I think my bottom 2s just based on this round’s song would have been: Adele and Leona Sam Smith and HRVY Years & Years and Bananarama

New Hell-vetica may have gone a bit hard on the horrifying aspect.

Yep D12 - good grief I’d flushed that from my memory.

Has to be the Cyndi Lauper cover surely. 💃🏼

I think it’s incredibly hard and I’m really glad I wasn’t in the judges’ position. For example I don’t get very much from “All I Ask” or “How Do You Sleep?” and both Adele and Sam Smith would have been in my personal bottom 2 this round (with HRVY and Leona respectively). But surely I have to take into account past performance and overall forum taste in that situation? Or maybe not because you’re supposed to be voting on your feelings about this song only and not second guessing anything else? It’s a lose-lose situation really.

Jaz did say something - middle of page 20.

A tough round of course. Leona I can mostly take or leave but “Better In Time” is one of my favourites so it was nice to get that. Agnes certainly has moments of brilliance and I wondered if we’d be getting a second Bop Idol winning song in here at some point. For me iamamiwhoami has been the most interesting artist discovery of the competition (with Roosevelt second). I have to feel for Years & Years even though they’re less to my taste as they’d probably have got through a full vote. Despite being a singer songwriter fan I don’t know Damien’s work as well as I should so it’s been lovely exploring more. And the competition wouldn’t be quite the same without its twink representation. That does feel like the category where a full vote would have most likely aligned with the result though.

“She Looks So Perfect” isn’t bad really but fairly basic. I do really like “Thinking Out Loud” and think it’s one of Ed’s very best. It has a pace and charm to it that totally works. I don’t like “Perfect” much though, which is cut from the same cloth but I find much more cloying and missing the charm.

Sorry I fell behind with this but well done for finishing on schedule. I’m definitely going to check out the playlist as I don’t even know either of your latest top 2 oops!

“Smooth Operator” is absolutely Sadie’s best. I’m sure they will get a seat.

Thank u baby x