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 SOUND OF 2016 : 76-100

Well, 2016 is almost over and what a year of music it has been. Bowie died, Prince died, and Phil Collins announced a comeback. It hasn’t been all bad. There were some songs I liked, and I’ve put them into a chart.

There’s nothing scientific to it, I just cut and pasted Friday Fives and spent half an hour trying to put them into an order based on what I liked the most over the past year.

You may notice a few rerecordings and previously unreleased versions of songs that have already been released. Well, my chart, my rules.

So, who will join the list of previous winners? You’ll have to wait a few weeks to find out.

2006-2009 were done on Bebo, so the articles are sadly gone, but you can click on the links to previous countdowns. There are a few former winners in this year’s chart.

2015 Blossoms – Charlemagne
2014 Jamie T – Zombie
2013 Haim – The Wire
2012 Taylor Swift – We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together
2011 Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds – AKA …… What A Life
2010 Marina and the Diamonds – Shampain
2009 Little Boots – New In Town
2008 Sons and Daughters – Darling
2007 Feist – 1, 2, 3, 4
2006 Kasabian – Empire

76. Wyvern Lingo – Letter To Willow
77. DNCE – Cake By The Ocean
78. Tegan and Sara – Faint Of Heart
79. Bruno Mars – 24k Magic
80. Frank Turner – Mittens
81. David Bowie – Killing A Little Time
82. Garbage – Empty
83. James – Dear John
84. Primal Scream and Sky Ferreira – When The Light Comes In
85. Travis – Everything At Once
86. Manic Street Preachers – Together Stronger
87. Laura Tesoro – What’s The Pressure?
88. Nika Kocharov and Young Georgian Lolitaz – Midnight Gold
89. Sergey Lazarev – You Are The Only One
90. KT Tunstall – Evil Eye
91. Tove Lo – True Disaster
92. Kings Of Leon – Waste A Moment
93. The Divine Comedy – How Can You Leave Me On My Own?
94. Bear’s Den – Dew On The Vine
95. Richard Ashcroft – Hold On
96. Izzy Bizu & the BBC Orchestra – La Foule
97. Travis – What Will Come
98. Madness – Herbert
99. Primal Scream – Mantra For A State Of Mind
100. Madness – Can’t Touch Us Now

THE FRIDAY FIVE – 29.4.2016

1. Bruce Springsteen – Purple Rain
2. Iggy Pop – Gardenia
3. Band Of Skulls – So Good
4. The 1975 – A Change Of Heart
5. Garbage – Empty

This week saw the latest batch of headliners for Belsonic announced.

After moving away from their traditional August slot to June, they’ve now added new August gigs to compliment the June ones.

The first one announced was The Corrs, rather underwhelming. Thankfully, it got better after that.

I know I shouldn’t really complain about the line-up, I should know by now that it’s so diverse i’m not actually going to like every headlining act.

The ones that appeal the most to me are Madness and Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds. It’ll be just like 2012.

I remember blogging about the big risks Belsonic was taking when it increased from two nights, now look at it.

Fair play to Belsonic, they’ve never been shy in taking risks or being ambitious.

Undecided about the new venue, but i’m more than willing to give it a chance. Looking forward to Belsonic 2025, a 120 night event running from May to September.

Oh, here’s a chart based on the August acts.

FIVE SONGS BY ACTS APPEARING AT BELSONIC IN AUGUST

1. Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds – AKA What A Life
2. Madness – Lovestruck
3. Catfish and the Bottlemen – Kathleen
4. Fatboy Slim – Right Here Right Now
5. The Corrs – So Young

50 YEARS OF TOP OF THE POPS : AUG 22 – AUG 28

Hello, and welcome to this week’s round-up of the TOTP archives. We begin, with one of the most criminally under-rated bands of the 1980s.

This is brilliant. Remember, other brands of breakfast cereal are available.

Keith Moon would have been the craziest 68 year old in town this week. Here’s Oasis performing My Generation from a TOTP Special (It got released as a single in 2002 as a triple A-side)

Not quite in the Moon league, but Shaun Ryder celebrated his birthday this week.

Hitting the big 40 this week, is Shifty Shellshock of Crazy Town

Also celebrating a milestone birthday this week, is Jet Black of The Stranglers, hitting the big 75.

And now, some Garbage, a joke, which has been recycled from earlier in the year. Just doing my bit for the environment.

Here’s the Bloodhound Gang with a beautiful love ballad.

Florence from Florence and the Machine turned 28 this week.

Last week, we marked the death Elvis, this week, the birth of the other Elvis.

Not TOTP related, but an absolute treat ……. the time when Elvis Costello gave up pop to become a football pundit for Channel 4.

50 YEARS OF TOP OF THE POPS : AUG 1 – AUG 7

Hello and welcome to this week’s round-up from the TOTP archives. We start, near the start, in black and white times, with Amen Corner.

And now, some Garbage that shouldn’t be put in a bin.

This week’s sad bit. Pete De Frietas from Echo and the Bunnymen would have been 53 this week.

Which nicely links us into another Scouse band ………

And we end, with Geri Halliwell, not in anyway ripping off La Isla Bonita.

But before we go, RIP Mike Smith.

THE FRIDAY FIVE – 8.3.2013

1. Stereophonics – Dakota
2. Simple Minds – Broken Glass Park
3. Biffy Clyro – Black Chandelier
4. David Bowie – These Stars (Are Out Tonight)
5. Nina Nesbitt – Boy

It’s International Women’s Day, you quite fancy a chart for the women whose music we have enjoyed, and inspired.

FIVE SONGS BY FEMALE SINGERS

1. Stevie Nicks – Edge Of Seventeen
2. Dusty Springfield – Sone Of A Preacher Man
3. Madonna – Rain
4. Cyndi Lauper – Time After Time
5. Carly Simon – Nobody Does It Better

FIVE SONGS BY GIRL GROUPS

1. The Bangles – Manic Monday
2. The Ronettes – Be My Baby
3. Girls Aloud – The Promise
4. Strawberry Switchblade – Since Yesterday
5. The Pipettes – Pull Shapes

FIVE SONGS WITH GIRLS NAMES

1. The Killers – Jenny Was A Friend Of Mine
2. Dion – Runaround Sue
3. Glasvegas – Geraldine
4. The Who- Pictures Of Lily
5. Suggs -Cecilia

FIVE SONGS WITH GIRL/WOMAN IN THE TITLE

1. Tori Amos – Cornflake Girl
2. White Town – Your Woman
3. Billy Joel – Uptown Girl
4. Cliff Richard – Devil Woman
5. Garbage – Stupid Girl