Severin

I suspect you won't be able to go anywhere this year without hearing her music, so in that sense she will be the sound of 2025. It's just that she was the sound of 2024 too and typically of Radio 1, they're always a few steps behind.

Hopefully this will bump up a few less obvious tracks. Had to give dear Siouxsie full marks. I've bolded the double a-side track that matters for clarity It's most old stuff because the charts are pretty much a deadzone for my tastes these days +30 Siouxsie and the Banshees – Hong Kong Garden +29 The Fatima Mansions / Manic Street Preachers – Suicide Is Painless (Theme from MASH) / Everything I Do (I Do It for You) +28 Betty Boo – Doin' the Do +27 Soul Asylum – Runaway Train +26 Grandmaster Melle Mel – White Lines (Don't Don't Do It) +25 Prince & The Revolution – Let's Go Crazy/Take Me With U +24 Suede – Animal Nitrate +23 The Sisters of Mercy – This Corrosion +22 Elton John – Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting +21 Kirsty MacColl – A New England +20 Garbage – Why Do You Love Me +19 Wink – Higher State of Consciousness +18 Oasis – Cigarettes & Alcohol +17 Iron Maiden – Run to the Hills +16 Nine Inch Nails – The Hand That Feeds +15 Beatmasters featuring Betty Boo – Hey DJ! I Can't Dance (To That Music You're Playing)/Ska Train +14 The Stranglers – Strange Little Girl +13 Editors – Smokers Outside the Hospital Doors +12 Tori Amos – Pretty Good Year +11 The Cure – The Love Cats +10 Girls Aloud - Long Hot Summer +09 Green Day – Basket Case +08 Nirvana – Smells Like Teen Spirit +07 Amy Winehouse – Rehab +06 David Bowie – Boys Keep Swinging +05 Wild Cherry – Play That Funky Music +04 The Doors – Light My Fire +03 Billy Idol – Mony Mony +02 Radiohead – Creep +01 Pulp – Disco 2000

Probably even worse when you didn't even write it as well

My plans so far - JAN 15 2025 - Lambrini Girls - Resident Music, Brighton, England JAN 17 2025 - Lower Slaughter, Francis Pig, Staff Party - The Hope and Ruin, Brighton, England JAN 18 2025 - Man/Woman/Chainsaw, Flip Top Head, SLAG, goodbye - Green Door Store, Brighton, England JAN 29 2025 - Cucamaras - The Hope and Ruin, Brighton, England FEB 21 2025 - Eville, Blue Eyed Giants, Hell Hotel - Green Door Store, Brighton, England FEB 22 2025 - Motionless in White - O2 Academy Brixton, London, England FEB 25 2025 - Heartworms - Concorde 2, Brighton, England MAR 01 2025 - Eville, Winter Gardens, Fever Rouge - Hope & Ruin, Brighton, England MAR 03 2025 - HotWax - De La Warr Pavilion, Bexhill, England MAR 07 2025 - HotWax - Resident Music, Brighton, England MAR 08 2025 - Black Orchid Empire, WREX - Daltons Showrooms + Bar, Brighton, England MAR 13 2025 - The Pale White - Green Door Store, Brighton, England APR 12 2025 - Lambrini Girls - Chalk, Brighton, England MAY 27 2025 - Public Image Ltd - Chalk, Brighton, England JUN 07 2025 - The Orb - The Forum, Royal Tunbridge Wells, England JUN 22 2025 - Forever Now Festival - Kraftwerk, Billy Idol, The The, Johnny Marr, The Damned, Death Cult, The Jesus and Mary Chain, UK Decay, The Psychedelic Furs, Theatre of Hate, Berlin, Peter Murphy, She Wants Revenge, Happy Mondays, The Chameleons, Public Image Ltd JUN 28 2025 - Iron Maiden, Halestorm, The Raven Age - London Stadium, London, England JUL 09 2025 - 2000 Trees Festival - TBC

Supports are Halestorm and The Raven Age. I'll be there too

You should also check out the band Wife Swap USA (now sadly defunct) but both Phoebe and Lily were in them for a while. As was Catt Jack, the original drummer. Neither provided vocals as it was Harry's band really but they had the same humour and raucous punk spirit.

The last two singles have definitely had a much mellower approach compared to the earlier releases. Jacked sounds like it may be different to the rest of the album and it's the only track on there she was playing live a few years back. I'm hopeful that she hasn't changed her sound too much as I love the rawer stuff

As should everyone. Great to see the years of brilliance are starting to pay off for them. They've been the hottest ticket in town for nearly five years now.

Speaking of tracks that we will lose, one of Imola, Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez or the Las Vegas Strip Circuit will drop off the calendar following this year's race. It's unlikely to be Las Vegas given Formula One have put so much effort in to it and so it's a toss up between Mexico and San Marino (I know). Will Mexico still be willing to stump up the cost given there won't be any local drivers to cheer and this could affect attendance or will Liberty look to drop yet another classic European circuit? Worth bearing in mind that Northern Italy is far from poor and money is unlikely to be an issue. Also, Imola is effectively Ferrari's home circuit, much more than Monza is, although that didn't stop it disappearing in the past. Personally, whilst neither of the two offer great spectacle in terms of racing and both have lost absolutely brilliant corners (Tamburello and Peraltada) from their heyday, I hope it's Mexico we lose. Imola just offers a much greater challenge to the drivers and whilst both have passionate fans and a great atmosphere, the Tifosi shade it in this respect. Imola also has so much rich history and that is a priceless asset for the sport. What would be everyone else's preference to lose?

The only one I think looks hard done by in that list is Bottas. He hasn't been amazing or anything but the car has made some decent performances here and there look worse than they were

This! I do like this idea though. There a five singles out this week that I like - Heartworms, Bob Vylan & Amy Taylor, Lacuna Coil, Dana Dentata and the Manics. The Manics track is the least interesting for me but it gets my vote here. Interestingly, and for reasons I can't really explain Squid just aren't that well thought of in Brighton, which is weird as the town loves its own normally.

Brilliant work and a worthy winner. Thanks for this. As the Pogues reached #3 in 2005, I wonder if they'll win next year's #3s rate too!

Kurt hated Teen Spirit Liam hates Wonderwall Elton hates Crocodile Rock Slash hates Sweet Child Of Mine Bowie hated most of his '80s work (he singled out Absolute Beginners, the Scary Monsters album and Loving the Alien as exceptions)

Even allowing for the inevitable Mariah and Wham, I'm finding the top 10 of this countdown rather palatable. Pleasantly surprising

In years to come, people will look back at this and say 'here was where they crossed the line and the seeds were sown for losing the best circuit F1 ever had'. Go now while you can.

Zhou has always been perfectly OK as a driver in F1. OK though just isn't good enough.

Such a shame about Ricciardo. He'll be remembered as someone like Montoya. Came in a with a decent reputation, was fairly aggressive, impressed early on, won a hatful of races, then switched teams and his inability to master the technical and setup side of the sport eventually became his undoing. He really was very promising once

I should probably have thrown some points in the direction of Magical Mystery Tour but it's not anywhere near my favourite Beatles track and I immediately binned it from my first list, assuming there would be enough i liked more to not matter. Perhaps that was rash but I am glad She Loves You came out higher. Surprised at Pet Clark still being in though

The silliest thing about the whole mavity joke is that Newton didn't invent the term as such. He used the word gravity because it was based on the latin word gravitas, meaning weight. To switch that around to mavity makes Newton seem like something of an idiot. Albeit a genius as well

If I had to pick a ten best albums of the year, theis would be the list, with my favourite at the top - Mimi Barks – This is Doom Trap PROJECTOR – Now When We Talk It’s Violence Beyonce – Cowboy Carter Crimson Veil – HEX Poppy - Negative Spaces Bob Vylan – Humble as the Sun Heriot – Devoured by the Mouth of Hell Kid Kapichi – There Goes the Neighbourhood Allie X – Girl With No Face Delilah Bon – Evil, Hate Filled Female Linkin Park's From Zero in a very close 11th place

No surprises so far

Oh and thanks to Addy for hosting. Great work!

Wow! Thank you all so much for the votes and the kind words. I thought Curve might do OK but really had no expectations of higher than just inside the Top 10, as I don't tend to send entries with broad appeal, if previous contest results are anything to go by. Shame that I was otherwise engaged last night, so apologies for the late reaction. For those who liked them I would definitely recommend checking out their first three albums and early EPs. They were big on the underground in the early '90s and kind of laid the template that Garbage took and added a Pop polish to. There was some bitterness from the Curve camp about that but Shirley and co were glowing in their praise of Curve. They were one of my highlights from Glastonbury '92 as well. Curve had originally split in '94 having not quite cracked a Top 20 hit and the comeback didn't garner the same hype although Chinese Burn did get some airplay and was probablt most well known for appearing in this advert - EEtLV0o4MT Once again thanks for the great scores and well done to everyone else. It was a tough call to pick a favourite between all of my top 5. It was particularly great to be reminded how good I'm a Tree is as well. I'd forgot about that song.

Pre-season testing is two weeks before the season begins and still at held Bahrain's Sakhir Circuit on 26-28th February. The F1 launch event is held on 18th Feb where teams will present their 2025 drivers and cars. Although the cars are expected to be just a livery reveal and will be 2024 spec show cars. The real first glimpses will be in Bahrain

I don't think I've ever heard The Foundations described as 'noisy' before!