Julian_

10th: Wu-Tang Clan - Gravel Pit 14/32 votes (44%

3 huge classics here but Kate falls slightly short of the top level for me on this occasion, though I know it is very well regarded. We’re also getting our 2nd 10 of the year. The fact that “Love Will Tear Us Apart” deals with the problems Ian Curtis had and he took his life shortly afterwards certainly adds to the meaning of the record, but even that it’s a perfect mix of message, melody, and production. 10 Joy Division Love Will Tear Us Apart Will chart on several occasions and deserves its reputation as one of the best indie records ever, with added poignancy 9 Bob Marley And The Wailers Could You Be Loved One of his most streamed songs: it's a brilliant soulful and simple chorus, but it's the infectious bassline that makes it 8 Kate Bush Babooshka One of her biggest hits and has great storytelling, but I actually prefer its more musically stunning predecessor "Breathing" 7 Joan Armatrading Me Myself I She had 10 hits but only 3 Top 40s: this is a lovely track that she delivers with great power and genuine emotion 7 The Undertones Wednesday Week I wasn't convinced by "My Perfect Cousin" but this is very good, and the anguish of the protagonist comes over very well 6 Yellow Magic Orchestra Computer Game ('Theme From The Invaders')/Firecracker Only hit for this experimental Japanese band: the 1st part is quite bizarre but "Firecracker" a lovely Oriental instrumental 6 Phil Lynott King's Call Another intriguing track from him with a broody and intense feeling to it, but overall think he does better with the band 6 Black Sabbath Neon Knights Their 1st hit without Ozzy and Ronnie James Dio does well on vocals: it's a really good but not outstanding metal track 5 Change A Lover's Holiday/Glow Of Love Debut hit for this Italian American group: the 1st side is quite dull but "The Glow Of Love" with Luther Vandross is great 5 The Rolling Stones Emotional Rescue A different style for them with the falsetto vocals and saxophone: it's quite good and feels like the style Prince will develop 4 Bad Manners Lip Up Fatty About their large frontman Buster Bloodvessel: it's slightly on the grating side but with some good ska elements to it 4 AC/DC Whole Lotta Rosie The 2nd song here about an oversized person: not keen on the song itself but I was impressed by the guitar work 4 Gerard Kenny Fantasy Only Top 40 for this US singer songwriter who will become known for the "Minder" theme: it's a sincere but slow ballad 3 Leo Sayer More Than I Can Say Originally written by Crickets members just after Buddy's death: this cover did well but I find a little boring and soulless 3 The Detroit Spinners Cupid/I've Loved You For A Long Time Their last hit and again it's a '60s song with some extra bits: I don't get much from it and would rather hear Sam Cooke 1980 Group 13: #182 12/07/1980 Dexy's Midnight Runners There, There My Dear 7 45-20-12-{7}-11-19-16-46-70->9 #183 19/07/1980 Diana Ross Upside Down 2 31-8-3-{2}-2-5-7-14-23-33-47-71->12 #184 12/07/1980 The Whispers My Girl 26 60-35-{26}-29-38-66->6 #185 12/07/1980 The Gap Band Oops Upside Your Head 6 59-38-19-18-7-{6}-7-9-15-19-31-36-49-53->14 #186 28/06/1980 Gene Chandler Does She Have A Friend? 28 71-47-43-39-32-{28}-30-36-61->9 #187 12/07/1980 The Gibson Brothers Mariana 11 72-40-23-23-14-{11}-15-21-38-65->10 #188 19/07/1980 Hot Chocolate Are You Getting Enough Of What Makes You Happy 17 47-25-27-21-{17}-29-36->7 #189 19/07/1980 Sheena Easton 9 To 5 3 50-29-20-5-{3}-4-3-4-6-11-17-31-40-53-75->15 #190 12/07/1980 New Musik Sanctuary 31 51-46-{31}-33-31-38-45->7 #191 19/07/1980 Tom Browne Funkin' For Jamaica (NY) 10 74-33-24-16-{10}-12-16-23-31-51-70->11 #192 12/07/1980 George Duke Brazilian Love Affair 36 54-44-{36}-38-51-65->6 #193 19/07/1980 John Foxx Burning Car 35 64-38-36-{35}-43-59-72->7 #194 05/07/1980 Ultravox Sleepwalk 29 74-63-49-39-34-33-{29}-31-29-30-55->11 #195 02/08/1980 Abba The Winner Takes It All 1 9-{1}-1-2-4-8-16-30-41-74->10 #196 26/07/1980 George Benson Give Me The Night 7 47-22-10-{7}-10-12-16-28-38-56->10 #197 02/08/1980 Roxy Music Oh Yeah (On The Radio) 5 30-9-{5}-6-11-19-33-56->8 #198 26/07/1980 Grace Jones Private Life 17 55-31-25-24-{17}-24-28-41->8

Guess it would come down to which of “The Chain” and “Go Your Own Way” was the 3rd favourite track in that particular week.

Bit delayed with the last batch of commentaries but my picks are going to look like this: 1 Joy Division - Love Will Tear Us Apart (10) 2 Bob Marley - Could You Be Loved (9) 3 Peter Gabriel - No Self Control (9) 4 Korgis - Everybody’s Got To Learn Sometime (9) 5 Elvis Costello & The Attractions - New Amsterdam Commiserations with 8: Kate Bush - Babooshka Siouxsie & The Banshees - Christine Olivia Newton John & ELO - Xanadu Stranglers - Who Wants The World Manhattan Transfer - Twilight Zone

Oh now this I would be properly up for!

I did say in the OP that the commentaries were written by Pixie Lott’s brother Copi. x Not my usual style but it was either that or nothing in this case as I wouldn’t have had time to write them, and people seemed to enjoy having the information there.

Might have been the weakest group of 10 to date, but still was quite a moment.

This is a great Ultimate - good job everyone. Everything’s at least an 8/10 for me but I’m going for “Supreme”.

Killers - Somebody Told Me defeated Natasha Bedingfield - Unwritten 20-9 Keane - Everybody’s Changing defeated Sugababes - Overload 16-15 Gorillaz - 19/2000 defeated The Saturdays - Up 18-12 Blink 182 - I Miss You defeated deadmau5 & Kaskade - I Remember 21-12 Noisettes - Never Forget You defeated Dandy Warhols - Bohemian Like You 19-14 Robbie Williams - Supreme defeated S Club 7 - Never Had A Dream Come True 17-14 Wu-Tang Clan - Gravel Pit defeated Booty Luv - Shine 16-12 Sugababes - Stronger / Angels With Dirty Faces defeated Britney Spears - Womanizer 17-12 Empire Of The Sun - We Are The People defeated Fedde Le Grand - Put Your Hands Up For Detroit 21-11 Snow Patrol - Run defeated Avril Lavigne - I’m With You 19-16

I’m actually going for Ian Van Dahl - this just felt a bit soulless and too similar to their other hits.

It’s a baby faced goodbye to Kenzie and friends. The group was named after a housing estate in Chingford, and had a mere 3 members, down from 10 in Blazin’ Squad. This was the bigger of their 2 hits, reaching #5 in October 2005. 8th: Friday Hill - Baby Goodbye 14/31 votes (45%) 9th: Stuntmasterz - The Ladyboy Is Mine 14/30 votes (47%) 10th: Ronan Keating & LeAnn Rimes - Last Thing On My Mind 13/35 votes (37%)

The fountains have been turned off. The US rock band had been going since 1995 and having various minor hits. “Stacy’s Mom” was quite late in their career and was by far their biggest hit, reaching #11 in March 2004. 5th: Fountains Of Wayne - Stacy’s Mom 11/35 votes (31%) 6th: Pixie Lott - Cry Me Out 16/31 votes (52%) 7th: Beyoncé - Work It Out 14/34 votes (41%) 8th: Scooter - Weekend! 10/33 votes (30%) 9th: Artful Dodger featuring Lifford - Please Don’t Turn Me On 11/33 votes (33%) 10th: Hermes House Band - Country Roads 11/31 votes (35%)

I thought “Xanadu” was going to win this group but I have “can I speak double Dutch to a real double duchess going through my head. I think the Elvis Costello song is one of the most poetic things I have heard in a while. 8 Elvis Costello New Amsterdam A very simple track but somehow I find it mesmerising, largely due to the poetic lyrics and the straightforward but compelling delivery 8 Olivia Newton-John And Electric Light Orchestra Xanadu 461st #1: a beautiful escapist musical theatre collaboration with sparkling synths and storytelling excellently delivered by Olivia 8 The Stranglers Who Wants The World? Another track about aliens, and their last Top 40 until their signature song: the declamatory chorus and whirling organ are wonderful 7 Queen Play The Game Another of their Top 20 hits that's not quite in their A list but great and well performed nonetheless, with a glorious other worldly intro 7 Splodgenessabounds Simon Templar/Two Pints Of Lager And A Packet Of Crisps Please A very strong novelty double A side: the hectic "Simon Templar" is very entertaining and the other side has had a big cultural impact 7 Saxon 747 (Strangers In The Night) A bigger hit than "Wheels Of Steel" and this one has clicked with me much more: it's less full on with some atmospheric storytelling 6 The Police Six Pack A six track EP of which all other than "The Bed's Too Big Without You" were previous hits: this is good with a very infectious rhythm 6 Paul McCartney Waterfalls The inspiration for TLC's track of the same name: a very sparse ballad here but I think it has a sincere tenderness and does work well 5 Stacy Lattisaw Jump To The Beat Only Top 40 for this IS singer who was only 13 at this point: she does do it well though and it is a well written and catchy pop song 5 The Sex Pistols (I'm Not Your) Stepping Stone A 1966 rock 'n' roll song being given a punk makeover: this does work well but I compared it with The Monkees version and prefer that 4 Odyssey Use It Up And Wear It Out 462nd #1: only the 2nd hit for the US disco band: they do have some great gritty and soulful tracks but this is more on the naff side 4 B.A. Robertson To Be Or Not To Be Another quirky one from him with lyrics full of Shakespearean phrases: all in all it's a little silly though still charming in its own way 3 UB40 My Way Of Thinking/I Think It's Going To Rain I loved their 1st double A side, but find this one disappointing; the 1st track is dull and the other an inessential Randy Newman cover 3 Darts Let's Hang On Last Top 40 for this doo-woo revival band with a cover of a 1965 Four Seasons hit: I can't see that this brings much extra to the song 2 Rod Stewart If Loving You Is Wrong (I Don't Want To Be Right) I really enjoy the 1st minute of this: a piano intro and then a cascading sound as if going into a dream, but the rest is deathly dull 1980 Group 12: #167 21/06/1980 Bob Marley And The Wailers Could You Be Loved 5 46-32-21-9-{5}-5-6-8-14-23-35-55->12 #168 14/06/1980 Yellow Magic Orchestra Computer Game ('Theme From The Invaders')/Firecracker 17 63-45-40-36-25-26-{17}-19-27-28-48->11 #169 28/06/1980 The Detroit Spinners Cupid/I've Loved You For A Long Time 4 50-16-5-{4}-6-10-20-37-58-71->10 #170 28/06/1980 Joy Division Love Will Tear Us Apart 13 45-30-18-17-{13}-16-22-49-67->9 #171 28/06/1980 Change A Lover's Holiday/Glow Of Love 14 70-35-29-23-{14}-17-23-45->8 #172 14/06/1980 Bad Manners Lip Up Fatty 15 58-51-44-37-33-28-21-{15}-15-15-19-26-39-53->14 #173 28/06/1980 AC/DC Whole Lotta Rosie 36 41-38-37-{36}-42-54-73-75->8 #174 14/06/1980 Joan Armatrading Me Myself I 21 54-47-42-39-31-27-28-{21}-28-25-74->11 #175 05/07/1980 Kate Bush Babooshka 5 63-16-7-7-{5}-6-12-22-41-68->10 #176 05/07/1980 The Rolling Stones Emotional Rescue 9 56-20-19-{9}-12-19-41-71->8 #177 05/07/1980 Leo Sayer More Than I Can Say 2 51-22-10-3-{2}-4-8-14-23-40-60->11 #178 05/07/1980 The Undertones Wednesday Week 11 61-30-32-20-{11}-12-23-34-75->9 #179 05/07/1980 Black Sabbath Neon Knights 22 58-34-25-{22}-26-36-26-66-61->9 #180 21/06/1980 Phil Lynott King's Call 35 73-46-43-{35}-43-60->6 #181 21/06/1980 Gerard Kenny Fantasy 34 65-41R(2)-40-{34}-37-63->6

Nobody else tried Agnes at all actually. Maybe like me they didn’t actually know she started out on a talent show. 😆

It was a beautiful entry! I actually also considered something much boppier that would likely have done better too, but this just felt more me. I guess it wasn’t the contest for unknown gems but I think we can feel good for broadening the field.

And so that is all. Congratulations to Addy! for winning pretty much the only song contest he hadn’t already won, and to dandy* and Roba. for coming so close. Thanks for the votes for little Clara - if I had to lose my Top 10 streak losing it with 12s from Rollo, Jim and dandy* was a very respectable way to do it! And congratulations Jim on maintaining your Top 10 streak! Thank you all so much for participating: it’s been huge fun and I look forward to AddyBop next time!

1 I Trance - Agnes 101 Addy! 2 Borderline - Tove Styrke 101 dandy* 3 Blood - Equador 96 Roba. 4 You’ll Never Get To Heaven - Diana Vickers 76 Tafty 5 Racing Cars - Ruti 74 jimwatts 6 Kashmir - Escala 73 Chez Wombat 7 Damaged - Danity Kane 71 Scene 8 Gladiator - Dami Im 66 CowTzy 9 Bloodstream - Tokio Myers 65 Brer 10 Baby Don’t Dance - Fleur East 58 ChrisJK 11 Alone By Heart - Clara Van Wel 58 Julian_ 12 Chameleon Life - Daithi featuring Raye 57 King Rollo 13 California - Amelia Lily 56 awardinary 14 Dub On The Track - Cher Lloyd et al. 53 Dobbo 15 Domino - Saara Aalto 52 Calum 16 Breathe - Liberty X 50 Jade 17 Nolwenn Ohwo! - Nolwenn Leroy 50 gooddelta 18 I Do - Only The Young 49 Mangø 19 Misty Eye - Aiden Grimshaw 44 Herbs 20 Ladies In The ‘90s - Lauren Alaina 34 Cody Piastri 21 Creep - Dannii Minogue 20 vibe 22 Think Of You - Christina Grimmie 18 uhsting 23 Rock With Me - Reggie ‘n’ Bollie et al. 12 AllStarBySmashMouth The other ties have been broken on number of voters. Gah at me losing my Top 10 streak on a tie!

I mentioned at the beginning that 14 of the 23 tracks received at least 1 set of 12 points. But somehow “Borderline” managed to do as well as it did without a single 12. “I Trance” received two 12s from Jade and Tafty. Therefore “I Trance” is the winner of Bop Idol 4!

“Borderline” had an impressive 18 voters of a possible 22. “I Trance” had….. …also 18 voters! Meaning we need to go to the number of sets of 12 points awarded.

So the 6 points for “Blood” means it finishes just 5 points behind on 96. “I Trance” and “Borderline” both finish on 101, which means we need to go back to the number of voters for each.

Voter 23: dandy* Tove Styrke’s “Borderline” is a bold and genre-blending electropop track released on 9 October 2014 as the second single from her EP Borderline and later included on her 2015 album Kiddo 🎵 Song Overview: Genre: Electropop with reggae influences Writers: Tove Styrke and Janne Kask Producer: Johan T. Karlsson (also known as Familjen) Length: 3:23 🎤 Theme & Lyrics: “Borderline” is a feminist anthem that critiques societal structures and power dynamics, particularly those imposed by patriarchal systems. Styrke described the song as being about “smashing the patriarchy” The lyrics use metaphors like “the empire” to represent oppressive forces, and the chorus captures emotional duality: “I'm borderline happy and I'm borderline sad / I'm borderline good and I'm borderline bad.” This reflects the internal conflict and emotional complexity of navigating identity and resistance in a restrictive world. 🎬 Music Video: Directed by Rúnar Ingi Filmed in Pyramiden, a ghost town in Svalbard, Norway The stark, icy visuals mirror the song’s themes of isolation and rebellion 📈 Reception: Though it didn’t chart in Sweden, it was certified Platinum by the Swedish Recording Industry Association (GLF), indicating over 40,000 units sold Critics praised it for its genre fusion, lyrical depth, and Styrke’s evolving artistry, with The Line of Best Fit calling her a “shape-shifting pop singer”

And so we know “Borderline” won’t be receiving any more points, but it now has an 8 point lead over “I Trance” and an 11 point lead over “Blood”, meaning it all comes down to how many points dandy* gives those 2 tracks! 1 Borderline - Tove Styrke 101 ? 2 I Trance - Agnes 93 Addy! 3 Blood - Equador 90 Roba. 4 You’ll Never Get To Heaven - Diana Vickers 72 Tafty 5 Kashmir - Escala 71 Chez Wombat 6 Damaged - Danity Kane 71 Scene 7 Racing Cars - Ruti 67 jimwatts 8 Gladiator - Dami Im 66 CowTzy 9 Bloodstream - Tokio Myers 65 Brer 10 Baby Don’t Dance - Fleur East 58 ChrisJK 11 California - Amelia Lily 56 awardinary 12 Chameleon Life - Daithi featuring Raye 54 King Rollo 13 Dub On The Track - Cher Lloyd et al. 53 Dobbo 14 Domino - Saara Aalto 52 Calum 15 Breathe - Liberty X 50 Jade 16 I Do - Only The Young 48 Mangø 17 Alone By Heart - Clara Van Wel 46 Julian_ 18 Nolwenn Ohwo! - Nolwenn Leroy 40 gooddelta 19 Misty Eye - Aiden Grimshaw 39 Herbs 20 Ladies In The ‘90s - Lauren Alaina 34 Cody Piastri 21 Creep - Dannii Minogue 20 vibe 22 Think Of You - Christina Grimmie 18 uhsting 23 Rock With Me - Reggie ‘n’ Bollie et al. 12 AllStarBySmashMouth

Voter 22: Addy! Agnes' song "I Trance" marks a bold and stylish return to music for the Swedish dance-pop artist, best known for her 2008 hit "Release Me." Released in 2019 after a long hiatus, "I Trance" is one of two tracks (alongside "Limelight") that reintroduce Agnes with a fresh, club-ready sound. Key Highlights: Musical Style: "I Trance" is a deep, hypnotic dance track with sensual, minimal vocals layered over a shimmering, trance-inspired beat. It evokes the feel of late-night club euphoria and features a breakdown reminiscent of Timbaland and Keri Hilson’s "The Way I Are." Creative Team: The song was co-written by Vargas & Lagola, known for their work with Galantis, Avicii, and Madonna. Their influence helps shape the track’s polished, electronic sound. Artistic Intent: Agnes described the song as a celebration of dance and being in the moment. She said it’s about the pleasure and freedom of letting go completely on the dance floor. Comeback Context: This release followed a nearly seven-year break from solo music. Agnes spent that time traveling, exploring new creative directions, and redefining her identity as an artist

And with just the 22 leaders’ votes left there are only 4 points between the Top 3! 1 Borderline - Tove Styrke 94 ? 2 I Trance - Agnes 93 ? 3 Blood - Equador 90 Roba. 4 You’ll Never Get To Heaven - Diana Vickers 72 Tafty 5 Kashmir - Escala 71 Chez Wombat 6 Racing Cars - Ruti 67 jimwatts 7 Gladiator - Dami Im 65 CowTzy 8 Bloodstream - Tokio Myers 65 Brer 9 Damaged - Danity Kane 59 Scene 10 California - Amelia Lily 56 awardinary 11 Chameleon Life - Daithi featuring Raye 54 King Rollo 12 Dub On The Track - Cher Lloyd et al. 53 Dobbo 13 Baby Don’t Dance - Fleur East 48 ChrisJK 14 Domino - Saara Aalto 46 Calum 15 I Do - Only The Young 45 Mangø 16 Breathe - Liberty X 42 Jade 17 Alone By Heart - Clara Van Wel 42 Julian_ 18 Nolwenn Ohwo! - Nolwenn Leroy 40 gooddelta 19 Misty Eye - Aiden Grimshaw 39 Herbs 20 Ladies In The ‘90s - Lauren Alaina 32 Cody Piastri 21 Creep - Dannii Minogue 20 vibe 22 Think Of You - Christina Grimmie 13 uhsting 23 Rock With Me - Reggie ‘n’ Bollie et al. 12 AllStarBySmashMouth Addy! will be the penultimate voter reveal