THE SOUND OF 2019

So 2019 is now over and we are almost in 2020.

Seeing as everybody is doing End Of Year Reviews, I thought i’d join the party, albeit a bit belatedly.

So here is my Top 50 Songs Of 2019. There’s no scientific formula to this list. I just went through 2019s Friday Fives and decided to spend an hour and rank the songs in order of favouriteness.

In a change from previous years, it’s only a Top 50 as it would probably take me until 2021 to do a Top 100.

1. Vampire Weekend – Harmony Hill
2. Sigrid – Mine Right Now
3. Taylor Swift ft Brendon Urie – Me
4. Dermot Kennedy – Outnumbered
5. Catfish and the Bottlemen – Longshot
6. Liam Gallagher – Shockwave
7. Sam Fender – Hypersonic Missiles
8. Two Door Cinema Club – Talk
9. Freya Ridings – Castles
10. Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds – Wandering Star
11. Tom Walker – Just You and I
12. Billie Eilish – Bury A Friend
13. Pet Shop Boys ft Olly Alexander – Dreamland
14. Of Monsters And Men – Alligator
15. Chvrches and the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra – Miracle
16. Kygo ft Whitney Houston – Higher Love
17. Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds – Black Star Dancing
18. Bastille – Joy
19. Coldplay – Orphans
20. Liam Gallagher – Now That I’ve Found You
21. Sam Fender – Will We Talk
22. Gang Of Youths – What Can I Do If The Fire Goes Out?
23. Editors – Black Gold
24. Bastille – Can’t Fight This Feeling
25. Bloxx – Go Out With You
26. Katy Perry – Never Really Over
27. Blossoms – Your Girlfriend
28. Muse – Hungry Like The Wolf
29. The Courteeners – Heavy Jacket
30. Billie Eilish – Bad Guy
31. Chemical Brothers – MAH
32. Jade Bird – Lottery
33. Haim – Now I’m In It
34. Crystal – Just Can’t Get Enough
35. Rick Astley – Every One Of Us
36. Chvrches – Death Stranding
37. OMD – Don’t Go
38. The Divine Comedy – Infernal Machines
39. Vic and Bob – Bono’s Cooking Some Pork
40. Miles Kane – That’s Life
41. Liam Gallagher – The River
42. The Divine Comedy – Queuejumper
43. Weezer ft Tears For Fears – Everybody Wants To Rule The World
44. The Vaccines – All My Friends Are Falling In Love
45. Dua Lipa – Don’t Start Now
46. Shakespear’s Sister – All The Queen’s Horses
47. Lizzo – Juice
48. Rose Elinor Dougall – First Sign
49. Miley Cyrus – Nothing Breaks Like A Heart
50. Dea Matrona – Let’s Go Crazy

Congratulations to Vampire Weekend. There’s no physical prize, but they can just boast about it everywhere they go. Ideally, they’d be doing so in Belfast before a concert. Hint hint.

If you care, here’s the list of previous winners (NOTE: The 2006-2008 Countdowns were on Bebo, and have now been wiped from internet history)

2018 Lovelytheband – Broken
2017 Liam Gallagher – For What It’s Worth
2016 The Strumbellas – Spirits
2015 Blossoms – Charlemagne
2014 Jamie T – Zombie
2013 Haim – The Wire
2012 Taylor Swift – We Are Never Getting Back Together
2011 Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds – AKA …… What A Life
2010 Marina and the Diamons – Shampain
2009 Little Boots – New In Town
2008 Sons and Daughters – Darling
2007 Feist – 1, 2, 3, 4
2006 Kasabian – Empire

THE FRIDAY FIVE – 5.1.2018

1. Anteros – Bonnie
2. Manic Street Preachers – International Blue
3. Vic and Bob – Trousers
4. Simple Minds – Magic
5. U2 – What’s Going On?

It’s cold, it’s wet, people are moaning about FA Cup ties not being shown on TV and grief junkieing over David Bowie. That can only mean one thing ……… it’s January.

At this time of year, there is one question we all ask, and this year, the answer is once again yes. If you haven’t worked it out yet, BBC Four’s Top Of The Pops repeats will continue into 1985.

You will be glad to know that The Story Of 1985 will be on BBC Four at 9pm. It’ll be a lot more entertaining that Liverpool 0-0 Everton on BBC 1.

To commemorate this, here’s a 1985 chart for you

FIVE SONGS FROM 1985

1. A-Ha – Take On Me
2. Simple Minds – Don’t You (Forget About Me)
3. Stephen Duffy – Kiss Me
4. Kate Bush – Cloudbusting
5. Baltimora – Tarzan Boy

MAGAZINE ARCHIVE : MELODY MAKER – 16.2.2000

Fran Healy of Travis is the cover star of this week’s edition of Melody Maker, as the band look to make it big in America.

As you open the magazine, Nina Persson poses for a photoshoot with Vic and Bob, after she recorded the theme tune to Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased) that they are starring in.

Oasis are on a media blitz to promote their new album, with Liam Gallagher appearing as a guest in The Big Breakfast.

The Brit Award nominations are announced, with Ian Brown, Travis and Stereophonics speaking to Melody Maker about their nominations.

Matt Bellamy gets asked about the Brit Awards, describing them as “so much bullshit”.

Mansun get asked to choose their favourite music videos of all time, choosing ones by David Bowie, Nirvana and Blondie.

Travis attempts to crack America get four pages of coverage.

On the other side of the world, Melody Maker covers Big Day Out in Australia, where Foo Fighters, Primal Scream and Blink 182 were among the performers.

Concert Reviews went on the road this week, with Muse in Munich getting five stars, compared with Stereophonics getting two and a half stars for their Toronto gig.

Tim Burgess is the subject of a Q and A, where he reveals he looks into a mirror a lot of times a day.

In lyrics, the lyrics to Oasis new single Go Let It Out get dissected.

MAGAZINE ARCHIVE : MELODY MAKER – 26.4.2000

Vic and Bob are joined on the cover stars of Melody Maker as she sings the theme tune to their new TV series, Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased)

Belle and Sebastian give Melody Maker a run through of their new album, while Oasis are set to miss out on a Number 1 with their new single, while American fans have been e-mailing Melody Maker with their views on the band’s US tour.

Also on tour in America is Primal Scream.

Cover stars Bob, Nina and Vic get four pages, with Bob commenting that they know how to handle Swedish women before, having worked previously with Ulrika Jonsson.

In live reviews, Melody Maker ventured out to see Elastica and JJ72 in concert.

Meanwhile, Paul Draper of Mansun is the subject of a Q and A, where he reveals he once bought a copy of FHM.