THE FRIDAY FIVE (AND IT’S A EURO 2021 SPECIAL) – 11.6.2021

1. Alphabeat – Danmark’s Dynamite
2. The Alarm – The Red Wall Of Cymru
3. Olivia Rodrigo – Good 4 U
4. Marshmello X Jonas Brothers – Leave Before You Love Me
5. Holly Humberstone – The Walls Are Way Too Thin

You may or may not have noticed, but an international football tournament starts today.

As is tradition, here’s a group by group chart by acts from the competing countries.

GROUP A

1. Yello – Oh Yeah
2. Spagna – Call Me
3. Stereophonics – Dakota
4. Bonnie Tyler – Total Eclipse Of The Heart
5. Ryan Paris – Dolce Vita

GROUP B

1. Tatu – All The Things She Said
2. Alphabeat – Boyfriend
3. The Rasmus – In The Shadows
4. Lordi – Hard Rock Hallelujah
5. Rasmussen – Higher Ground

GROUP C

1. Falco – Rock Me Amadeus
2. George Baker Selection – Little Green Bag
3. Shocking Blue – Venus
4. Focus – Hocus Pocus
5. Opus – Life Is Life

GROUP D

1. Simple Minds – Don’t You Forget About Me
2. Duran Duran – Ordinary World
3. Del Amriti – Always The Last To Know
4. Echo and the Bunnymen – Nothing Lasts Forever
5. Karel Fialka – Hey Matthew

GROUP E

1. Roxette – Joyride
2. Ace Of Base – The Sign
3. Robyn – Who’s That Girl?
4. Baccara – Yes Sir I Can Boogie
5. ABBA – Supertrouper

GROUP F

1. Daft Punk – Robot Rock
2. Nena – 99 Red Balloons
3. Freiheit – Keeping The Dream Alive
4. Desireless – Voyage Voyage
5. Lena – Satellite

THE FRIDAY FIVE – 1.3.2019

1. Chvrches and BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra – Miracle
2. Talk Talk – Life’s What You Make It
3. KT Tunstall – Suddenly I See
4. Miley Cyrus – Nothing Breaks Like A Heart
5. Stereophonics – Chaos From The Top Down

Today, is St David’s Day, so I’ve got a treat for Welsh readers, a chart for you to celebrate your national day.

FIVE SONGS BY WELSH ACTS

1. Stereophonics – Dakota
2. Donna Lewis – I Love You Always Forever
3. Manic Street Preachers – Motorcycle Emptiness
4. Bonnie Tyler – Total Eclipse Of The Heart
5. The Automatic – Steve McQueen

THE FRIDAY FIVE – 23.2.2018

1. Muse – Contagion
2. Hookworms – Static Resistance
3. Paramore – Rose Coloured Boy
4. Kylie Minogue – Dancing
5. Tom Grennan – Sober

A lot of gig news this week. Where to start?

George Ezra for CHSQ. Not that surprising after he left Belfast out of his upcoming tour. Might pop along to that.

Reef will be playing their one song at Holywood Rugby Club. Genuinely.

Noel Gallagher is playing Edinburgh Castle in the Summer, but not during the Festival in August, so I won’t be going to that.

Next Thursday, is St David’s Day. So, for all my Welsh readers, here’s a chart for you to celebrate. Stay tuned in three weeks when i’ll be going to see Stereophonics, and then in May when I go to see Manic Street Preachers.

FIVE SONGS by WELSH ACTS

1. Stereophonics – Dakota
2. Donna Lewis – I Love You Always Forever
3. Manic Street Preachers – Motorcycle Emptiness
4. Jem – It’s Amazing
5. Bonnie Tyler – Total Eclipse Of The Heart

THE FRIDAY FIVE – 4.3.2016

1. Lukas Graham – 7 Years
2. James – Nothing But Love
3. Coldplay – Hymn For The Weekend
4. Richard Ashcroft – This Is How It Feels
5. Nathaniel Rateliffe and the Bad Sweats – I Need Never Get Old

Firstly this week, an apology. Who to? The nation of Wales, all 3 million of them. Last Tuesday was St David’s Day and I forgot to do a Welsh Music Chart.

A bit belatedly, here is a Welsh Music Chart for St David’s Day.

FIVE SONGS BY WELSH ACTS

1. Stereophonics – Dakota
2. Donna Lewis – I Love You Always Forever
3. Bonnie Tyler – Total Eclipse Of The Heart
4. Manic Street Preachers – Autumn Song
5. Lisa Scott-Lee – Electric

I could just about get away with offending the Welsh, but there’s one group of people you shouldn’t offend, and that’s Internet Feminists, which is why there was never any danger of me forgetting International Women’s Day next Tuesday.

So, to celebrate this event, here’s some related charts for you – Female acts and songs with female names and pronouns.

FIVE SONGS BY FEMALE SINGERS

1. Nina Nesbitt – He’s the One I’m Bringing Back
2. Jane Weidling – Rush Hour
3. Lisa Loeb – Stay
4. Sinead Lohan – Whatever It Takes
5. Brianna Corrigan – Love Me Now

FIVE SONGS BY GIRL GROUPS

1. Sugababes – Soul Sound
2. Little Mix – Black Magic
3. Girls Aloud – Biology
4. Madasun – Don’t You Worry
5. All Saints – Pure shores

FIVE SONGS BY FEMALE FRONTED BANDS

1. Chvrches – Leave A Trace
2. Blondie – Heart Of Glass
3. Texas – Black Eyed Boy
4. Hole – Celebrity Skin
5. Sixpence None The Richer – Kiss Me

FIVE SONGS WITH FEMALE NAMES IN THE TITLE

1. The Killers – Jenny Was A Friend Of Mine
2. Oasis – Lyla
3. Jon Bon Jovi – Janey Don’t You Take Your Love To Town
4. Glasvegas – Geraldine
5. Franz Ferdinand – Eleanor Put Your Puts On

FIVE SONGS WITH WOMAN/GIRL/SHE/ HER IN THE TITLE

1. The Kooks – She Moves In Her Own Way
2. White Town – Your Woman
3. Ash – Girl From Mars
4. Neil Finn – She Will Have Her Way
5. Kate Bush – Rubberband Girl

Of course, when International Men’s Day comes around, there’ll be similar charts for the menfolk.

If you don’t know when International Men’s Day is, just go on Twitter on Tuesday and you’ll have smug and self righteous comedians (looking at you Richard Herring) and journalists pointing it out to you in a patronising manner.

It’s on November 19th, if you want to save yourself the effort of being spoken down to by patronising wankers (looking at you Richard Herring) desperate to boost their own personal brand.

That’s eight months away. Until then, you have St Patrick’s Day, St George’s Day, Euro 2016 and International Yorkshire Day charts to listen to.

THE FRIDAY FIVE – 27.2.2015

1. Stine Bramsen – Karma Town
2. Paloma Faith – Beauty Remains
3. Eric Prydz v Chvrches – Tether
4. Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds – Ballad Of The Mighty I
5. The Kooks – She Moves In Her Own Way

This Sunday, is St David’s Day. As is now tradition on this blog, we shall have a Welsh musical celebration for you. Sadly, having only 40% of members from Wales will disqualify Steps. And no, I won’t be using Andy Bell as an excuse to include Oasis.

FIVE SONGS BY WELSH ACTS

1. Stereophonics – Dakota
2. Marina and the Diamonds – Shampain
3. Manic Street Preachers – Motorcycle Emptiness
4. Lisa Scott-Lee – Electric
5. Bonnie Tyler – Total Eclipse Of The Heart

THE FRIDAY FIVE – 28.2.2014

1. Florrie – Seashells
2. DJ Fresh vs Jay Fay ft Ms Dynamite – Dibby Dibby Sound
3. Bruce Springsteen – Just Life Fire Would
4. American Authors – Best Day Of My Life
5. James – Frozen Britain

Tomorrow, is St David’s Day. As is tradition, there shall be a St David’s Day chart for Welsh readers. Enjoy.

FIVE SONGS BY WELSH ARTISTS

1. Bonnie Tyler – Total Eclipse Of The Heart
2. Stereophonics – Dakota
3. Manic Street Preachers – Motorcycle Emptiness
4. The Automatic – Steve McQueen
5. Scritti Politti – Absolut

THE FRIDAY FIVE – 6.12.2013

1. Pharrell Williams – Happy
2. The 1975 – Girls
3. Moby ft Wayne Coyne – The Perfect Life
4. Miles Kane – Give Up
5. Jessie J – Thunder

So, last week’s theme on X-Factor was ‘Musical Heroes’, giving us an insight into the awful taste in music of this year’s finalists. Mind you, at least they were honest about it. I’m still attending physiotherapy after putting my foot through the TV when Janet Devlin said that all her heroes were obscure.

So, as a tribute, here’s some Hero related songs.

FIVE SONGS ABOUT HEROES

1. Stereophonics – Superman
2. Prince – Batdance
3. Aerosmith – Spiderman Theme
4. It Bites – Calling All The Heroes
5. Bonnie Tyler – Holding Out For A Hero

THE FRIDAY FIVE – 25.10.2013

1. Franz Ferdinand – Evil Eye
2. Arlissa – Into The Light
3. VV Brown – The Apple
4. Lucy Rose – Movin On Up
5. Keane – Won’t Be Broken

And so, X-Factor continues, with yet more vague themes. Last week – Love and Heartbreak.

So, here’s five songs that the performers would have been better off singing.

FIVE LOVE SONGS

1. James – Just Like Fred Astaire
2. Erasue – Always
3. Billie Piper – Day And Night
4. 10CC – The Things We Do For Love
5. The Police – Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic

FIVE HEARTBREAK SONGS

1. Gotye – Somebody That I Used To Know
2. Bonnie Tyler – Total Eclipse Of The Heart
3. Paloma Faith – New York
4. Kelly Clarkson – Since U Been Gone
5. Blink 182 – I Miss You

THE FRIDAY FIVE – 1.3.2013

1. The Killers – Brown Eyed Girl
2. Wonder Villains – Blonde
3. Johnny Marr – The Crack Up
4. Pink ft Nate Reuss – Just Give Me A Reason
5. Pilot – Magic

So, today, is St David’s Day. As is now tradition, I celebrate Welsh music with a Top Five. Enjoy. It’s such a strong list, Shaky doesn’t get a look in.

1. Stereophonics – Dakota
2. Bonnie Tyler – Total Eclipse Of The Heart
3. Manic Street Preachers – Motorcycle Emptiness
4. Feeder – Save Us
5. Lisa Scott Lee – Electric

THE FRIDAY FIVE – 19.10.2012

1. Kylie Minogue – Flower
2. Green Day – Kill The DJ
3. Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds – Fallen Angel
4. Bombay Bicycle Club – Shuffle
5. Rebecca Ferguson – Backtrack

As with last year, I shall tweet a Top Five based on the previous week’s X-Factor theme. Last week’s theme was ‘Love and Heartbreak’, further proof, if it was needed, that they are making it up as they go along.

So, here’s five Long Songs and five Heartbreak Songs.

FIVE LOVE SONGS

1. Donna Lewis – I Love You Always Forever
2. Sara Bareilles – Love Song
3. Maccabees – Love You Better
4. Jamelia – Something About You
5. Kelly Marie – Feels Like I’m In Love

FIVE HEARTBREAK SONGS

1. Bonnie Tyler – Total Eclipse Of The Heart
2. Queen – Somebody To Love
3. Gotye – Somebody That I Used To Know
4. Sophie Ellis Bextor – Heartbreak Make Me A Dancer
5. The Motors – Airport

Right now, tickets for The Killers at The Odyssey have just gone on sale. Going to try and get one. Wish me luck. To celebrate, here’s a Killers Top Five

FIVE SONGS BY THE KILLERS

1. Jenny Was A Friend Of Mine
2. Spaceman
3. Mr Brightside
4. Ultra Violet
5. Read My Mind

Meanwhile, going to see Ray Davies at Whitla Hall on Saturday. Ever so excited by this. To celebrate, here’s a Kinks Top Five

FIVE SONGS BY THE KINKS

1. Waterloo Sunset
2. Lola
3. Living On A Thin Line
4. Days
5. You Really Got Me