THE FRIDAY FIVE – 8.3.2019

1. Catfish and the Bottlemen – Longshot
2. Chvrches and the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra – Miracle
3. KT Tunstall – Suddenly I See
4. The Prodigy – Firestarter
5. Rose Elinor Dougall – First Sign

Today, is International Women’s Day. As is now tradition on this blog, i’ll do some themed charts.

If you doing something or going to something, enjoy yourself.

If you’re not that bothered and it’s just another day to you, enjoy yourself.

Whatever you’re doing, just don’t be a dick about it. You know who I mean, the sort of person who sits in front of a computer screaming IT’S NOVEMBER 19TH!!!!!!

Here’s some charts

FIVE SONGS BY FEMALE VOCALISTS

1. Donna Lewis – I Love You Always Forever
2. Celine Dion – It’s All Coming Back To Me
3. Madonna – Who’s That Girl?
4. Amy Studt – Misfit
5. Britney Spears – Boys

FIVE SONGS BY FEMALE FRONTED BANDS

1. Blondie – Heart Of Glass
2. Chvrches – Lies
3. Paramore – Hard Times
4. Altered Images – Don’t Talk To Me About Love
5. Garbage – Stupid Girl

FIVE SONGS BY GIRL GROUPS

1. Sugababes – Soul Sound
2. Alisha’s Attic – I Am I Feel
3. Bananarama – Love In The First Degree
4. Girls Aloud – Biology
5. Little Mix – Black Magic

FIVE SONGS WITH A GIRL’S NAME IN THE TITLE

1. The Killers – Jenny Was A Friend Of Mine
2. Toto – Roseanna
3. Oasis – Lyla
4. Marillion – Kayleigh
5. Franz Ferdinand – Eleanor Put Your Boots On

FIVE SONGS WITH GIRL OR WOMAN IN THE TITLE

1. Rick Springfield – Jessie’s Girl
2. White Town – Your Woman
3. Kate Bush – Rubberband Girl
4. Fergie – Big Girls Don’t Cry
5. Billy Joel – Uptown Girl

THE FRIDAY FIVE – 29.6.2018

1. James – Coming Home (Part II)
2. Weezer – Roseanna
3. Weezer – Africa
4. Liam Gallagher – I’ve All I Need
5. Johnny Marr – Hi Hello

It’s a rest day in the World Cup, but don’t worry, you can survive this difficult 24 hours.

Women’s NIFL Cup Final is on the BBC Red Button, meanwhile, BBC Four will be making the licence fee a bargain tonight with a whole night dedicated to Duran Duran. Remember, it’s only a few weeks until Duran Duran Appreciation Day (August 10th)

And after all that, BBC Scotland will be broadcasting highlights of TRNSMT.

Decent night of TV viewing to make up for the lack of football.

Also, Canada Day and Independence Day coming up as well. Sounds like an excuse for a couple of themed charts.

FIVE SONGS BY AMERICAN ACTS

1. Toto – Africa
2. Britney Spears – Boys
3. Dan Hartman – I Can Dream About You
4. Deep Blue Something – Breakfast At Tiffanys
5. Christina Aguilera – Keeps Getting better

FIVE SONGS BY CANADIAN ACTS

1. Celine Dion – It’s All Coming Back To Me Now
2. Tegan and Sara – Closer
3. Nelly Furtado – All Good Things
4. Tom Cochrane – Life Is A Highway
5. Appleton – Fantasy

FIVE SONGS BY DURAN DURAN

1. Ordinary World
2. Wild Boys
3. Hungry Like The Wolf
4. Serious
5. Reach Out For The Sunrise

THE FRIDAY FIVE- 3.3.2017

1. John Hassell and the April Rainers – Intercity 125
2. Pale Waves – There’s A Honey
3. Ryan Adams – Streets Of Philidelphia
4. Blossoms – In Da Club/Carelss Whisper
5. Ray Davies – Rock N Roll Cowboys

In gig news this week, it’s all about people not coming to Belfast. The Kooks are already on a Greatest Hits tour which bypasses Belfast, but now they’ve announced a European tour with Blossoms as support. It would be brilliant if that line-up came to Belfast. That said, i’m going to see Blossoms on Wednesday night as a headliner, having already seen them support Paul Weller. Regular readers will know I think Blossoms are brilliant.

Erasure have announced a new album and tour for May which has no Belfast gig. I’m staring expectantly towards the organisers of Belfast Pride. Outdoor show, Custom House Square. You know it makes sense. Go on go on go on go on. That’s just me hoping and wishing rather than any inside info by the way.

Shed Seven are back with their first album since 2001 and are touring in December. It gets better, they have Cast as support. Guess what? No Belfast gig. Seeing as Cast have been to Belfast the last two years, i’m hoping John Power has a word in Rick Witter’s ear and rectifies this.

Ryan Adams is coming to Belfast in September. Unfortunately, it had sold out by the lunchtime of the day it went on sale. So, if you know anybody selling a spare standing ticket, get in touch.

On Monday lunchtime, I chanced my arm by going to the Venue Box Office during my final ten minutes of lunch. I was third in line, and manage to spend all ten minutes queuing. The person at the front couldn’t make their mind about about what seats they wanted for whatever show they were booking for, then proceeded to pay with a credit card that wouldn’t work.

The next person had a complaint about tickets they had recently purchased and were referred to Ticketmaster but then proceeded to argue that the problem had to be dealt with by the Venue Box Office Staff.

Seriously, how the fuck do people get out of the house and be so fucking stupid?

Also announced in the past week was the line-up for Party At The Palace in August at Linlithgow Palace. If you’re wondering where that is, it’s near Edinburgh.

Regular readers will know I go to Edinburgh every August. Very tempted to make this the weekend I head over.

FIVE SONGS BY ACTS APPEARING AT PARTY AT THE PALACE

1. Lightning Seeds – All I Want
2. Razorlight – America
3. Ash – Oh Yeah
4. Amy MacDonald – This Is The Life
5. Kaiser Chiefs – Oh My God

Finally, I spotted an article wondering whatever happened to the mythical and mystical place in music history called 3 Alveston Place. 90s kids will know what i’m talking about. You can read the article here.

This Wednesday, is International Richard Herring Being A Sneering Dick On Twitter Day. Or, if you prefer, International Women’s Day.

If it’s just another day to you, or if you’re doing something to commemorate it, enjoy yourself. Except if you’re planning on sitting in front of the computer screaming “IT’S NOVEMBER 19TH!!!!” all day. You’re a bit of a weirdo and you need help.

This blog will be commemorating it in the only way it knows, by having a series of charts of songs by and about women

FIVE SONGS BY WOMEN

1. Rose Elinor Dougall – Stellular
2. Kylie Minogue – I Believe In You
3. Madonna – Rain
4. Taylor Swift – Ours
5. Laura Branigan – Self Control

FIVE SONGS BY GIRL GROUPS

1. Girls Aloud – Biology
2. Eternal – I Wanna Be The Only One
3. Bananarama – Cruel Summer
4. The Saturdays – Up
5. All Saints – Pure Shores

FIVE SONGS BY BANDS WITH FEMALE SINGERS

1. Chvrches – Lies
2. Paramore – That’s What You Get
3. Blondie – Heart Of Glass
4. Echosmith – Cool Kids
5. The Pretenders – I’ll Stand By You

FIVE SONGS WITH FEMALE NAMES IN THE TITLE

1. The Beatles – Dear Prudence
2. Bastille – Laura Palmer
3. Cosmic Rough Riders – Melanie
4. Glasvegas – Geraldine
5. Britney Spears – If You Seek Amy

FIVE SONGS WITH FEMALE PRONOUNS IN THE TITLE

1. Oasis – She Is Love
2. James – She’s A Star
3. U2 – Hallelujah Here She Comes
4. The Kooks – She Moves In Her Own Way
5. Shed Seven – She Left Me On Friday

FIVE SONGS WITH GIRL/WOMAN IN THE TITLE

1. Tori Amos – Cornflake Girl
2. Kate Bush – Rubberband Girl
3. Ash – Girl From Mars
4. Alicia Keys – Girl On Fire
5. Simple Minds – Chelsea Girl

THE SOUND OF 2015 : 26-50

26. Ryan Adams – Style
27. James Bay – If You Ever Want To Be In Love
28. James – To My Surprise
29. Duke Dumont – Ocean Drive
30. Duran Duran – Pressure Off
31. Beck – Dreams
32. Stereophonics – I Wanna Get Lost With .you
33. Hot Chip – Dancing In The Dark
34. FFS – Police Encounters
35. David Bowie – Valentine’s Day
36. Eagles Of Death Metal – Save A Prayer
37. Father John Misty – Chateau Lobby #4 (In C For Two Virgins)
38. Rae Morris – Under The Shadows
39. Selena Gomez – Same Old Love
40. X-Ambassadors – Renegades
41. Foxes – Bodytalk
42. FFS – Johnny Delusonal
43. The View – Under The Rug
44. James Morrison – Demons
45. CeeLo – Music To My Soul
46. Blur – Ong Ong
47. Giorgio Moroder ft Britney Spears – Tom’s Diner
48. Ryan Adams – Bad Blood
49. Shura – Indecision
50. Triona – Shining Light

2015 : THE HALF-TERM HALF CENTURY

Well, we’re now at the halfway stage of 2015 and as is tradition at this time of year, it’s time for a Top 50 Songs Of The Year So Far, and it will keep you in suspense for the next six months as to what the best song of 2015 will be. Enjoy.

1. The Strypes – Get Into It
2. Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds – Ballad Of The Mighty I
3. Mumford and Sons – The Wolf
4. Muse – Mercy
5. Little Mix – Black Magic
6. Taylor Swift – Style
7. Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds – You Know We Can’t Go Back
8. Ellie Goulding – Love Me Like You Do
9. Florence and the Machine – Ship To Wreck
10. FFS – Johnny Delusonal
11. Frank Turner – The Next Storm
12. Kodaline – Honest
13. Blur – Ong Ong
14. Giorgio Moroder ft Britney Spears – Tom’s Diner
15. Mini Mansions – Death Is A Girl
16. James Bay – Hold Back The River
17. Kodaline – Ready
18. Years and Years – King
19. The Courteeners – Has The Told You That He Loves You Yet?
20. Charli XCX – Famous
21. Cathal Smyth – Do You Believe In Love?
22. Rae Morris – Under The Shadows
23. Soak – Sea Creatures
24. Imagine Dragons – Warriors
25. Carly Rae Jepsen – I Really Like You
26. Charli XCX ft Rita Ora – Doing It
27. FFS – Piss Off
28. Brandon Flowers – Can’t Deny My Love
29. Blur – There Are Too Many Of Us
30. Walk The Moon – Shut Up And Dance
31. Stereophonics – Cest La Vie
32. Jason Derulo – Want To Want Me
33. Paul Weller – Going My Way
34. Mans Zelmerlow – Heroes
35. The Charlatans – Come Home Baby
36. Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds – Riverman
37. James Taylor – Montana
38. Natalie Imbruglia – Instant Crush
39. Father John Misty – Chateau Lobby #4 (In C For Two Virgins)
40. Muse – Psycho
41. Little Boots – Better In The Morning
42. Gravity Storm – (Don’t You) Forget About Me
43. Nick Jonas – Jealous
44. Years and Years – Shine
45. Prides – Higher Love
46. Brandon Flowers – I Can Change
47. Madisen Ward and the Mama Bear – Silent Movies
48. The Strypes – Scumbag City
49. Blur – Lonesome Street
50. Florence and the Machine – What Kind Of Man

THE FRIDAY FIVE – 1.5.2015

1. Mumford and Sons – The Wolf
2. Giorgio Moroder ft Britney Spears – Tom’s Diner
3. Pigbag – Papa’s Got A Brand New Pigbag
4. Frisky and Mannish – Supersize
5. Imagine Dragons – Warriors

It’s a busy week for concerts in Belfast, with some gigs worth attending. I’m going to The Charlatans on Saturday. So, to get you in the mood, here’s a chart based on those performing in Belfast this week.

SONGS BY ARTISTS PERFORMING IN BELFAST THIS WEEK

1. Twin Atlantic – Heart and Soul
2. The Charlatans – Love Is The Key
3. Bryan Ferry – Slave To Love
4. Lucy Spraggan – Lighthouse
5. Take That – The Flood

MAGAZINE ARCHIVE : TOP OF THE POPS – FEBRUARY 1999

We’re back in 1999 for a magazine cover that could only come from 1999, featuring 5ive, who are looking for a girlfriend.

Scott from 5ive makes his debut as a columnist for the magazine, stating that he doesn’t want Britain to join the Euro, Essex should be the UK’s capital and that there should be more Pizza Hut’s built

Tipped for big things in that month’s edition : Emmie, Dot Allison, Loop Da Loop, Goo Goo Dolls, N*Sync and Take 5.

Billie Piper gets a double page spread interviewing Cher. Ironically, Billie Piper’s first public appearance was starring in an advert for Smash Hits.

In the “Songwords” section, ‘We Like To Party’ by Vengaboys was featured. Yes, the song where they go “We like to party, we like, we like to party” on a continuous loop.

Ultra (I don’t remember them either) dress up as Duran Duran in the ‘Planet Earth’ video.

A cast list of male pop stars queue up to tell what they would do to woo Emma ‘Baby Spice’ Bunton. H from Steps would write her a love song, while Aaron Carter would protect her so she doesn’t get hurt.

There is a page dedicated to an unknown up and coming singer called Britney Spears. Not sure what happened to her.

Billie Piper is the guest singles review. She says Britney Spears has a nice voice and that Steps are lovely. She bins Kula Shaker’s single and gives a 5* review to her boyfriend Kavana.

In the chart profiles, J from 5ive revelas that Braveheart is his favourite film, Claire from Steps likes to relax in her bedroom and Brian Harvey’s favourite dinner is Roast Beef.

THE FRIDAY FIVE – 17.2.2012

1. Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds – AKA … What A Life
2. Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds – I Wanna Live In A Dream
3. Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds – Everybody’s On The Run
4. Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds – Stop The Clocks
5. Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds – If I Had A Gun

Oh yes, as you can guess, I was at the Noel Gallagher concert last night. A full blog and pictures will follow in due course.

Meanwhile, it appears that The Globe, where I pulled pints for three years is to be renamed The Elms at the start of March.

It says a lot, that in the six and a bit years since I left, everytime I hear a shite song that’s in the charts, I automatically think “Bet that’s a massive anthem in The Globe”

So, as tribute, here’s my Top Five Globe Anthems

FIVE GLOBE ANTHEMS

1. Bill Medley and Jennifer Warnes – Time Of My Life
2. Kenny Rogers – The Gambler
3. 50 Cent – In Da Club
4. Nelly – Hot In Herre
5. Britney Spears – Toxic

THE FRIDAY FIVE – 2.12.2011

1. Rihanna – We Found Love
2. The Coronas – Addicted To Progress
3. The Saturdays – My Heart Takes Over
4. Ed Sheeran – Lego House
5. Beyonce – Love On Top

As ever, last week’s X-Factor themes ripped the piss. First up, was ‘Guilty Pleasures’, which was difficult for me as I have no guilty pleasures, every song I like is brilliant.

However, feel free to enjoy that some people may consider to be guilty pleasures.

FIVE ‘GUILTY PLEASURES’

1. Cliff Richard – Wired For Sound
2. Bros – When Will I Be Famous?
3. Spagna – Call Me
4. Glenn and Chris – Diamond Lights
5. The Wanted – Heart Vacancy

Meanwhile, the second theme was ‘Heroes’, which rather disappointingly, didn’t involve any of them singing from Lynda Carter’s back catalogue.

Instead it was ‘Musical Heroes’, where tone deaf chancers spoke of their admiration of tone deaf chancers who have sold loads of records.

Poor Janet Devlin found this hard, as she only listens to “Obscure music that nobody else has heard of”, as a nation collectively screams “Oh fuck off you fucking self-righteous Emo” at their TV screens, as we see her and her boyfriend in her bedroom, listening to obscure music on her ipod.

I felt sorry for him. When she took him up to her bedroom, he was obviously expecting to get laid, not be subjected to “Obscure music” through an ipod.

Anyway, here’s five hero songs

FIVE HERO SONGS

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

Meanwhile, this week saw the tenth anniversary of the death of George Harrison.

I can actually remember when it was announced, I didn’t find out until the Friday morning as it was announced late on a Thursday night, that it was the lead story on Ceefax.

I was at Bangor Tec and had planned on spending the morning doing assignment work, but ended up trawling the web for Harrison obituaries.

So here, are five classic George Harrison songs.

As a side note, the recent documentary about him that was on the BBC is rather good. I’m still waiting to hear back from the BBC about getting funding for my documentary ‘Ringo : The Tank Engine Years’

FIVE GEORGE HARRISON SONGS

1. Travelling Wilburys – Handle With Care
2. George Harrison – Any Road
3. The Beatles – Here Comes The Sun
4. The Beatles – While My Guitar Gently Weeps
5. George Harrison – Got My Mind Set On You

Meanwhile, this week also saw St Andrew’s Day, which gave a good excuse to do a chart of songs by Scottish acts, and popstars called Andrew. Yes, there are five.

Don’t worry Welsh readers, you shall get your own chart for St David’s Day.

FIVE SCOTTISH SONGS

1. Big Country – One Great Thing
2. Sensational Alex Harvey Band – Boston Tea Party
3. Amy McDonald – Don’t Tell Me That It’s Over
4. Deacon Blue – Twist And Shout
5. Travis – Side

FIVE SONGS BY ACTS CONTAINING SOMEONE CALLED ANDREW

1. Wax – Bridge To Your Heart
2. Wham – Freedom
3. Hurricane #1 – Only The Strongest Will Survive
4. Roachford – Cuddly Toy
5. Andrew Cole – Outstanding

And finally, today marks the 30th birthday of Britney Spears. My word, I can still remember *That* school uniform video like it was yesterday.

So, let’s celebrate this milestone with a Top Five Britney Chart. you know you want to.

FIVE BRITNEY SPEARS SONGS

1. If You Seek Amy
2. Boys
3. Born To Make You Happy
4. Overprotected
5. Toxic