THE FRIDAY FIVE – 5.7.2019

1. Bastille – Joy
2. Mark Ronson ft King Princess – Pieces Of Us
3. Blossoms – Your Girlfriend
4. Liam Gallagher – The River
5. Sam Fender – Hypersonic Missiles

Been catching up with Glastonbury highlights all week. Tame Impala are a bit decent, aren’t they?

Apologies, I forgot that it was Canada Day last Monday. So, to make up for it, here’s a chart.

FIVE SONGS BY CANADIAN ACTS

1. Celine Dion – It’s All Coming Back To Me
2. K’naan – Wavin Flag
3. Nelly Furtado – All Good Things
4. Carly Rae Jepsen – Run Away With Me
5. Arcade Fire – Everything Now

And apologies to the Muricans, as I forgot that it was Independence Day yesterday.

FIVE SONGS BY AMERICAN ACTS

1. Billy Joel – We Didn’t Start The Fire
2. Tom Petty – Freefallin
3. Prince – Gold
4. Madonna – The Power Of Goodbye
5. Hall and Oates – Family Man

THE FRIDAY FIVE – 8.7.2016

1. Bastille – Good Grief
2. Two Door Cinema Club – Are We Ready? (Wreck)
3. Oasis – Half The World Away
4. Walking On Cars – Catch Me If You Can
5. Kylie Minogue – This Wheel’s On Fire

First of all, an apology. Or rather, two apologies.

Because I posted the Half-Term Half Century last Friday, meaning there was no Friday Five, and thus, no chart to celebrate Canada Day or Independence Day. Sorry Canada and America.

Better later than never I guess.

FIVE SONGS BY CANADIAN ARTISTS

1. Feist – 1, 2, 3, 4
2. Tegan and Sara – Closer
3. Celine Dion – It’s All Coming Back To Me
4. Carly Rae Jepsen – Run Away With Me
5. Arcade Fire – Wake Up

PS : It falls on the same day as Dan Aykroyd’s birthday. It should really be called Danada Day

FIVE SONGS BY AMERICAN ARTISTS

1. Prince – Gold
2. Creedence Clearwater Revival – Down On The Corner
3. Tom Petty – Freefallin
4. REM – Orange Crush
5. Katy Perry – Hot n Cold

The Limelight have had a good week of announcing gigs for the later part of the year, with Feeder, Cast and Ocean Colour Scene all lined up.

Best of all, they’ve even got a gig by AC/DC.

Oh wait, sorry, it’s ABC. Misread the listings. Still, that’s good.

Here are charts to get you in the mood for Cast and Ocean Colour Scene.

FIVE SONGS BY CAST

1. Finetime
2. Flying
3. Alright
4. Sandstorm
5. Beat Mama

FIVE SONGS BY OCEAN COLOUR SCENE

1. The Circle
2. Better Day
3. The Riverboat Song
4. The Day We Caught The Train
5. July

THE SOUND OF 2015 : 51-75

51. Stereophonics – Song For The Summer
52. Foo Fighters – Saint Cecilia
53. Travis – Everything At Once
54. Brandon Flowers – Can’t Deny My Love
55. Echosmith – Cool Kids
56. Charli XCX ft Rita Ora – Doing It
57. Cathal Smyth – Do You Believe In Love?
58. Squeeze – Cradle To Grave
59. Stereophonics – Cest La Vie
60. Walk The Moon – Different Colours
61. David Bowie – Blackstar
62. New Order – Restless
63. Muse – Psycho
64. Kodaline – Ready
65. Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds – Riverman
66. Carly Rae Jepsen – Run Away With Me
67. Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds – The Dying Of The Light
68. James Bay – Hold Back The River
69. The Weekend – Can’t Feel My Face
70. Chvrches – Empty Threat
71. Sunset Sons – She Wants
72. The Vaccines – Handsome
73. Years and Years – King
74. Charli XCX – Famous
75. Natalie Imbruglia – Instant Crush

THE SOUND OF 2015 : 76-100

So, it’s that time of year to look back at the twelve months just past, and this blog is no different.

Totally unscientific and totally guesswork, time to present to you the Top 100 Songs Of 2015, to see who will join Kasabian, Feist, Sons and Daughters, Little Boots, Marina and the Diamonds, Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds, Taylor Swift, Haim and Jamie T on the honours list.

Spoiler alert. There are four former winners in the Top 100, and there are two acts who appear on it who also have a cover of one of their songs in the countdown.

I’ll let you guess them, and the winner. Here’s the first 25 to get you going. Another 25 will appear every Thursday for the next three weeks.

76. Hidden Cities ft Tim Halperin – Hungry Like The Wolf
77. The Libertines – Gunga Din
78. Coasts – Modern Love
79. The Charlatans – Come Home Baby
80. Walk The Moon – Shut Up And Dance
81. Mans Zelmerlow – Heroes
82. Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds – Lock All The Doors
83. The Vaccines – Give Me A Sign
84. Marina and the Diamonds – Blue
85. Bear’s Den – Agape
86. Gun – Every 1’s A Winner
87. Years and Years – Desire
88. Muse – Lies
89. Olly Murs – Kiss Me
90. Carly Rae Jepsen – I Really Like You
91. Miguel – Waves
92. Seasick Steve – Summertime Boy
93. Jason Derulo – Want To Want Me
94. The Courteeners – Has The Told You That He Loves You Yet
95. The Maccabees – Marks To Prove It
96. James Taylor – Montana
97. Coldplay – Adventure Of A Lifetime
98. Brandon Flowers – I Can Change
99. The Charlatans – Let The Good Times Be Never Ending
100. Years and Years – Shine

THE FRIDAY FIVE – 6.11.2015

1. Macklemore – Downtown
2. Harvey Danger – Flagpole Sitta
3. Carly Rae Jepsen – Your Type
4. Miguel – Waves
5. Duran Duran – What Are The Chances

THE FRIDAY FIVE – 21.8.2015

1. Carly Rae Jepsen – Run Away With Me
2. Chvrches – Never Ending Circles
3. Hozier – Someone New
4. Paloma Faith – Thirty Minute Love Affair
5. Stereophonics – Dakota

THE FRIDAY FIVE – 6.3.2015

1. Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds – You Know We Can’t Go Back
2. Carly Rae Jepsen – I Really Like You
3. Taylor Swift – Style
4. The Kooks – She Moves In Her Own Way
5. Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds – The Ballad Of The Mighty I

This Sunday, is International Women’s Day. So, to get you in the mood, here’s some female inspired playlists to get you in the mood.

FIVE SONGS BY FEMALE SINGERS

1. St Vincent – Digital Witness
2. Charli XCX – Boom Clap
3. Rae Morris – Under The Shadows
4. Annie Lennox – No More I Love Yous
5. Nina Nesbitt – Peroxide

FIVE SONGS BY ALL FEMALE BANDS

1. Tegan and Sara – Closer
2. Strawberry Switchblade – Since Yesterday
3. The Ronettes – Be My Baby
4. Girls Aloud The Promise
5. Appleton – Fantasy

FIVE SONGS WITH FEMALE NAMES IN THE TITLE

1. Steve Winwood – Valerie
2. Siouxsie and the Banshees – Dear Prudence
3. Eddy Grant – Give Me Hope Johanna
4. The Strypes – Blue Collar Jane
5. Jamie T – Shiela

FIVE SONGS WITH GIRL IN THE TITLE

1. OMD – Tesla Girls
2. Tori Amos – Cornflake Girl
3. Kate Bush – Rubberbabnd Girl
4. Stone Temple Pilots – Sour Girl
5. Katy Perry – California Gurls

50 YEARS OF TOP OF THE POPS : NOV 21 – NOV 27

SHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!

Alex James from Fat Les celebrates a birthday this week. No doubt he’ll be going out for a Vindaloo.

Some Canadian woman once walked up to me, gave me her phone number and asked me to call her.

Michael Hutchence died 17 years ago this week.

John Squire was 52 this week. Forget the Roses, this was his finest work.

Freddie Mercury died 23 years ago this week.

It’s easy to forget how brilliant ‘Baby Baby’ by Amy Grant is. (Apologies for the poor picture quality)

Whatever happened to Natasha Bedingfield?

And from one Blonde Bombshell, to another …..

Jimi Hendrix would have been 72 this week.

And as it’s Doctor Who’s 51st anniversary, I leave you, with this treat.

THE FRIDAY FIVE – 28.6.2013

1. Nina Nesbitt – Way In The World
2. Phoenix – Trying To Be Cool
3. Miles Kane – Don’t Forget Who You Are
4. Silhouette – Toss It Up
5. Eliza Doolittle – Big When I Was Little

This Monday, is Canada Day, which sounds like a good excuse for a chart of Canadian acts. So, here we go.

FIVE SONGS BY CANADIAN ARTISTS

1. Men Without Hats – The Safety Dance
2. Carly Rae Jepsen – Call Me Maybe
3. Appleton – Fantasy
4. Feist – 1, 2, 3, 4
5. Nelly Furtado – Maneater

THE SOUND OF 2012 : 1-25

So, here we go, the waiting is over ……… the best 25 songs of 2012

1. Taylor Swift – We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together
2. Wonder Villains – TV
3. Coldplay ft Rihanna – Princess Of China
4. Gotye – Somebody That I Used To Know
5. M83 – Midnight City
6. Emeli Sande – Next To Me
7. Ellie Goulding – Anything Could Happen
8. Little Mix – Wings
9. Bruce Springsteen – We Take Care Of Our Own
10. The Killers – Runway
11. Lenka – Everything At Once
12. Paloma Faith – Thirty Minute Love Affair
13. Two Door Cinema Club – Sleep Alone
14. Carly Rae Jepsen – Call Me Maybe
15. The Shins – Simple Song
16. Keane – Silenced By The Night
17. Paul Weller – The Attic
18. Tegan and Sara – Closer
19. Ren Harvieu – Open Up Your Arms
20. Katy Perry – Wide Awake
21. Bombay Bicycle Club – Shuffle
22. Jessie Ware – Wildest Moments
23. Fun ft Janelle Monae – We Are Young
24. Little Boots – Headphones
25. Can Bonomo – Love Me Back

So, congratulations to Taylor Swift, the winner of ‘The Sound Of 2012’, and a deserving winner at that.

If you live in a cave, and the only internet access you have is this blog, here’s the winning song and the previous winners.

The Sound Of 2011

The Sound Of 2010

The Sound Of 2009

The Sound Of 2008

The Sound Of 2007

The Sound Of 2006