THE FRIDAY FIVE – 8.6.2018

1. The Kooks – No Pressure
2. Johnny Marr – Hi Hello
3. Courtney Barrett – Nameless Faceless
4. Christine and the Queens – Girlfriend
5. Aurora – Queendom

And now, the first of many apologies.

Apologies for not having a Friday Five last week, I was too busy doing blogs from Biggest Weekend.

The last time I did a Friday Five, I totally forgot that it was Her Majesty Kylie Minogue’s 50th birthday.

Belatedly, he’s a chart to celebrate Kylie’s half century on earth.

FIVE SONGS BY KYLIE MINOGUE

1. I Believe In You
2. Better Than Today
3. I Should Be So Lucky
4. 2 Hearts
5. Some Kind Of Bliss

I’m not sure if you’ve noticed, but the World Cup starts. So here, is a series of musical charts based on the groups. You may notice that some acts are appearing under FIFA’s nationality rules.

SONGS BY ARTISTS FROM COUNTRIES IN GROUPS A-B

1. Tatu – All The Things She Said
2. Enrique Iglesias – Do You Know?
3. Nelly Furtado – Maneater
4. Tatu – All About Us
5. Baccara – Yes Sir, I Can Boogie

SONGS BY ARTISTS FROM COUNTRIES IN GROUPS C-D

1. Alphabeat – Boyfriend
2. Of Monsters And Men – Little Talks
3. Desireless – Voyage Voyage
4. Steffan Dennis – Don’t It Make You Feel Good
5. Daft Punk – Robot Rock

SONGS BY ARTISTS FROM COUNTRIES IN GROUPS E-F

1. Yello – Oh Yeah
2. Ace Of Base – The Sign
3. Freiheit – Keeping The Dream Alive
4. Modern Talking – Brother Louie
5. Emilia – Big Big World

SONGS BY ARTISTS FROM COUNTRIES IN GROUPS G-H

1. Glenn and Chris – Diamond Lights
2. Gotye – Somebody That I Used To Know
3. FR David – Words
4. The 5678s – Woo Hoo
5. Shakira – Underneath Your Clothes

THE FRIDAY FIVE – 20.1.2017

1. Amy MacDonald – Dream On
2. Gotye ft Kimbra – Somebody That I Used To Know In The 80s
3. Biffy Clyro – Flammable
4. David Bowie – Killing A Little Time
5. Iggy Pop – Gold

Next Thursday, sees Australia Day. Any excuse for a chart. Here’s some Australian songs for you.

FIVE SONGS BY AUSTRALIAN ACTS

1. Steffan Dennis – Don’t It Make You Feel Good
2. Kylie Minogue – Better Than Today
3. INXS – Baby Don’t Cry
4. The Temper Trap – Fall Together
5. Angry Anderson – Suddenly

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 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

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

THE FRIDAY FIVE – 20.7.2012

1. Neil Hefti – 60s Batman Theme
2. Prince – Batdance
3. U2 – Hold Me, Trill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me
4. 10CC – The Things We Do For Love
5. Gotye – Somebody That I Used To Know

Meanwhile, last week I remember that I still had a Ticketmaster voucher for 20 quid (left over from my birthday) so I decided to put it to good use and got a ticket for The View at The Limelight (my first ever gig at The Limelight, believe it or not)

Northern Ireland play Russia that day, hopefully an afternoon kick-off due to the time difference, which could be s fun day built around those events (Unsurprisingly, that’s my STLFTEM for September sorted)

So, in honour of this, behold, a Top Five for The View

FIVE SONGS BY THE VIEW

1. Blondie
2. Same Jeans
3. Don’t Look Back Into The Sun
4. The Don
5. Grace

THE FRIDAY FIVE – 13.7.2012

1. Katy Perry – Wide Awake
2. Florence and the Machine ft Calvin Harris – Spectrum
3. The Killers – Runaways
4. Josh Osho – Redemption Days
5. Gym Class Heroes ft Ryan Tedder – The Fighter

Last Sunday, ITV launched a three part series titled ‘The Nation’s Favourite Number One’ which will probably have some crap Robbie Williams or Spice Girls song as the winner.

To commemorate this (The UK Singkes chart turns 60 this year) i’m going to do a Top Five for every decade from the 60s on.

I have three editions of the Guinness Book Of British Hit Singles (1999, 2001, 2003) and read them from cover to cover, so I know which songs were and weren’t Number One off by heart.

I had to use Wikipedia for this decade, whatever it’s called. A marked departure from when I would check the charts on Ceefax on a Sunday night (It’s still on page 528, if you’re interested)

FIVE NUMBER ONES FROM THE 60s

1. Small Faces – All Or Nothing
2. Rolling Stones – Get Off My Cloud
3. Tommy Roe – Dizzy
4. The Beatles – Ticket To Ride
5. Bee Gees – I Just Gotta Get A Message To You

FIVE NUMBER ONES OF THE 70s

1. Kate Bush – Wuthering Heights
2. Tina Charles – I Love To Love
3. Blondie – Heart Of Glass
4. Sweet – Blockbuster
5. Status Quo – Down Down

FIVE NUMBER ONES OF THE 80s

1. Wham – Freedom
2. Nena – 99 Red Balloons
3. Blondie – Call Me
4. Joe Dolce – Shaddap You Face
5. The Jam – Going Underground

FIVE NUMBER ONES OF THE 90s

1. U2 – The Fly
2. Queen – Innuendo
3. Chesney Hawkes – the One And Only
4. Blur – Country House
5. Babylon Zoo – Spaceman

FIVE NUMBER ONES OF THE 00s

1. Tatu – All The Things She Said
2. Stereophonics – Dakota
3. Nelly Furtado – Maneater
4. Cheryl Cole – Fight For This Love
5. Billie Piper – Day And Night

FIVE NUMBER ONES OF THE 10s

1. Owl City – Fireflies
2. Carly Rae Jepsen – Call Me Maybe
3. Rihanna ft Calvin Harris – We Found Love
4. Gotye ft Kimbra – Somebody That I Used To Know
5. Diana Vickers – Once

2012 : THE HALF-TERM HALF CENTURY

Amazing to believe, but we are now officially at the half-way point of 2012.

As is tradition, this halfway mark is commemorated by a half-century of the best songs of the year so far.

Enjoy

1. Bruce Springsteen – We Take Care Of Our Own
2. Coldplay ft Rihanna – Princess Of China
3. Emeli Sande – Next To Me
4. Gotye – Somebody That I Used To Know
5. Little Boots – Headphones
6. Ren Harvieu – Open Up Your Arms
7. Fun ft Janelle Monae – We Are Young
8. The Shins – Simple Song
9. Black Keys – Lonely Boy
10. Keane – Silenced By The Night
11. Mayer Hawthorne – The Walk
12. Ladyhawke – Sunday Drive
13. Can Bonomo – Love Me Back
14. Carly Rae Jepsen – Call Me Maybe
15. Thea Gilmore – London
16. Lloyd – Dedication To Me Ex
17. Hot Chip – Day and Night
18. Paloma Faith – Picking up The Pieces
19. Amy MacDonald – Slow It Down
20. The Maccabees – Pelican
21. Cher Lloyd – Want U Back
22. Gotye – Eyes Wide Open
23. Michael Kiwanika – I’m Getting Ready
24. Ben Howard – Only Love
25. Ed Sheeran – Small Bump
26. Alex Clare – Too Close
27. Chiddy Bang – Ray Charles
28. The Big Pink – Stay Gold
29. Eugene McGuinness – Lion
30. Dappy ft Brian May – Rockstar
31. Rita Ora – RIP
32. Taylor Swift – Ours
33. Will Young – I Just Want A Lover
34. Nicola Roberts – Yo-Yo
35. Marina and the Diamonds – Primadonna
36. Lana Del Ray – Born To Die
37. Professor Green – Never Been A Good Time
38. Maroon 5 – Payphone
39. Jedward – Watermark
40. Marina and the Diamonds – Power and Control
41. DJ Fresh – Hot Right Now
42. Kelly Clarkson – Stronger
43. Foster The People – Don’t Stop
44. Alyssa Reid – Alone
45. Lawson – When She Was Mine
46. Sleigh Bells – Comeback Kid
47. Miles Kane – First Of A Kind
48. Horrible Histories – Flame
49. Gemma Ray – Rescue Me
50. B.O.B – So Good

Half-Term Half Century 2011

Half-Term Half Century 2010

Half-Term Half Century 2009

Half-Term Half Century 2008

Half-Term Half Century 2007

THE FRIDAY FIVE – 25.5.2012

1. Alex Clare – Too Close
2. Gotye – Eyes Wide Open
3. Ben Howard – Only Love
4. Little Boots – Headphones
5. General Fiasco – Rebel Get By

It’s Eurovision!!!! Oh yes, it’s that time of year. When Englebert Humperdink was announced, I did a Eurovision Top Five. It would be rude to let this weekend pass without a chart, so here’s the Top Five from last year.

FIVE EUROVISION 2011 SONGS

1. A Friend In London – New Tomorrow
2. Anna Rossinelli – In Love For A While
3. Jedward – Lipstick
4. Getter Jaani – Rockefeller Street
5. Lucia Perez – Que Mi Quiten Lo Bialao

This week saw the unveiling of the trailer for the new James Bond movie. So, in honour of this, here’s a Top Five of Bond themes.

FIVE BOND THEMES

1. Carly Simon – Nobody Does It Better
2. Duran Duran – View To A Kill
3. Louis Armstrong – We Have All The Time In The World
4. Alicia Keys and Jack White – Another Way To Die
5. Chris Cornell – You Know My Name

It’s Paul Weller’s birthday today. I only know this because I saw it on Twitter. So, in honour of this, here’s a Top Five of Paul Weller solo songs.

FIVE PAUL WELLER SONGS

1. Changing Man
2. Mermaids
3. Sunflower
4. Instant Karma
5. From The Floorboards Up

This Monday sees Noel Gallagher’s birthday, so here’s the Top Five from his solo album, which I can’t urge you enough to buy.

PS : As a side note, i’ve applied for tickets to see him at Itunes Festival. Hopefully, if I do win, I get enough notice to get flights arranged, unlike when I won Manics tickets last year.

FIVE NOEL GALLAGHER SONGS

1. AKA ……. What A Life
2. I Wanna Live In A Dream
3. Everybody’s On The Run
4. AKA …… Broken Arrow
5. Stop The Clocks

Well, this week saw us have our one week of Summer and Sunshine. So, in honour of this, here’s five sun and five summer songs, to cheer you up when it starts pissing rain next week.

FIVE SUN SONGS

1. Crowded House – Distant Sun
2. Zoe – Sunshine On A Rainy Day
3. The Beatles – Here Comes The Sun
4. Elliott Minor – Solaris
5. Jamiroquai – Seven Days In Sunny June

FIVE SUMMER SONGS

1. Don Henley – Boys Of Summer
2. Bananarama – Cruel Summer
3. Lovin Spoonful – Summer In The City
4. Lostprophets – Last Summer
5. Squeeze – This Summer

THE FRIDAY FIVE – 30.3.2012

1. The Shins – Simple Song
2. Bruce Springsteen – We Take Care Of Our Own
3. Gotye – Somebody That I Used To Know
4. Dexy’s Midnight Runners – Jackie Wilson Said
5. Lloyd – Dedication To My Ex

As stated in a previous blog, I purchased Belsonic tickets for Madness and Two Door Cinema Club. Not going to lie, i’m pretty much excited about it.

This morning, I shall be desperately trying to get tickets for Noel Gallagher.

It’s great how much Belsonic has grown since it’s inception in 2008. I thought it was doing too much too soon, but it’s great to be proved wrong.

In honour, I shall do a Top Five for Belsonic and Tennent’s Vital.

FIVE SONGS BY BELSONIC WEEK 1 ACTS

1. Madness – My Girl
2. Emeli Sande – Next To Me
3. Madness – Lovestruck
4. The Darkness – Friday Night
5. Madness – Lola

FIVE SONGS BY BELSONIC WEEK 2 ACTS

1. Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds – AKA ……. What A Life
2. Noah and the Whale – L.I.F.E.G.O.E.S.O.N
3. Two Door Cinema Club – What You Know
4. The Enemy – No Time For Tears
5. James Morrison – Wonderful World

FIVE SONGS BY TENNENT’S VITAL ACTS

1. Stone Roses – Waterfall
2. Florence and the Machine – Shake It Out
3. Foo Fighters – The One
4. Florence and the Machine – Rabbit Heart
5. Black Keys – Lonely Boy