Favourite Singles Of 2009

[Si Hunt]

My Singles of 2009:

1. Dolly Parton - "Change It"



I think she's really "got" the way music is sold now, as she seems to trot out a song whenever she has it - this was one of two non-album songs brought out this year as digital singles. The first time I heard it, I wasn't sure - the second time, I loved it. It's such a positive song. "Change it, if you don't want your little light to never shine", basically saying (like it's close cousin song "Better Get To Livin'") that if you don't like your life, you should stop whinging and do something about it. I played it non-stop when I was in Atlanta. Oh, and it has the most iconic video ever.

2. Lady Gaga - "Poker Face"



Someone recently said, how odd that the best pop star of the decade should appear just as it ends. The odd thing is, when "Just Dance" came out and went to Number 1, I did not get it at all. I still don't really like that track. And yet when this appeared, something clicked. It's a furiously addictive, bang up to date, ballsy, catchy song, with a chorus to die for. And it's sung by someone with the voice of Christina Aguilera and the fashion sense of Madonna. Does anything else matter? One of the most perfect singles of the year, a year which has been all about Lady Gaga.

3. Lady Gaga - "Bad Romance"



Here she is again - "Poker Face" is easily a standout track of the year, but I did think twice before ranking this one so highly because it's recent (it hit Number 1 two weeks ago) and so it's longevity is up for grabs. But when I heard it, I fell in love immediately. There's so many idea's thrown into this song, that's why I like it: the bonkers "Ga Ga Ooh La La!" sing-along bit, the swishy "Walk walk fashion baby..." bridge, the HUGE chorus. Then there's the bit where she yells "I'm a free bitch baby!". And the end, in which she suddenly starts drawling like she's having a stroke. And just when you think it can't get any better, there's a bit sung in French. It's just someone at the peak of their powers, overflowing with inspiration. And it screams "of the moment". That's a good thing.

4. Sugababes - "About A Girl"



They've had an interesting year. I got really annoyed when people who were quite happy when the band contained only one member that had been in it from the start suddenly threw a strop when it suddenly contained one member that had been in it almost from the start. If anything, though, "About A Girl", which crawled from the wreckage of Keisha's departure complete with re-recorded Jade Ewan vocals, strengthened their point - it sounds nothing like the Sugababes. It has, however, fortuitously one of the most stunning, infectious dance singles of the year. RedOne is responsible again, but it's hard to describe why this is so great other than saying it makes you want to strut. If this is the future of the Sugababes, bring it on!

5. Girls Aloud - "The Loving Kind"



A track from the other end of the year now, an underperforming Xenomania tune but one which I have a soft spot for. It's got a great melancholy feel to it, while being more uncluttered and focussed than the proceeding "Untouchable". Plus there was a famous car crash live performance of it on morning TV in which notes were missed in spectacular fashion. I'm not a huge fan, but this I love.

6. Lady Gaga - "Paparazzi"



This is the last time, I promise. I'm not ashamed though - I can't help that she's chaired three of the most amazing songs of the year. This is another nostalgic sounding RedOne dance smash with another killer hook - "I'll follow you until you love me/paparazzi". It was around this point that I discovered who she was - or, as much as I want to know - a proper pop star. She wears stupid outfits, says controversial things and never reveals anything about herself. You know what? I hope we never find out. She's best left as a mystery. For all I know she might be around for 40 years but everything about her seems as if it is made to be enjoyed right now, as if she might dissapear any second. If she did, it wouldn't matter - we'd still have this.

7. Agent X featuring Ultra and Mutya - "Fallin'"



Unlikely! This should-have-been forgettable rent-payer from the ex-Sugababe grew to become one of my songs of the year. I don't know what I like most - the extremely dark tone, the brilliant stuttering production ("Even though it's g-o-o-o-o-ne") or the highly emotive lyrics about someone who has fallen for someone they shouldn't. "I never thought you were for me/I already have a special one". Brilliant.

8. A-ha - Foot of the Mountain



I've never really loved A-ha, as I believe you probably had to be there at the time. So aside from the classics ("Sun Never Shines On TV", "Take On Me") and some late fodder like "Touchy" and "You Are The One", I've never dipped my toe too far in. Yet their last album produced a single brilliant lead single, and the one this year did exactly the same. Soaring Harket vocals, thundering drums and a wistful, guitar led sound. Affirming and at once sombre and reflective. I'd just decided my relationship with Aha could continue in this manner, with me buying one brilliant song every four years. Then they split up. Bugger.

9. Taio Cruz - Break Your Heart



He isn't brilliant and he works to a formula, but his productions, cheesy vocodering antics and all, have a habit of leaping on your back and gnawing at your ear for long periods of time until they have borrowed down deep. It doesn't hurt that this one is especially great, and was a UK number 1. I'm impressed by the interesting subject matter - he's basically saying he's a sod so don't get too near - but this deserved its chart position.

10. James Morrison/Nelly Furtado - Broken Strings



This is one of those songs - never mind the fact that it's the most unlikely team up since Janet Jackson did a track with Cliff Richard - that sounds by-numbers at first, but come back in a year and the bloody things being performed acoustically on the Girls Aloud tour and has become a standard. Some things are better for having not had immediate appeal, and this is one of them. This won't be forgotten and Nelly, who's teeth you can audibly hear grinding for having been forced by her record company to phone in her brief video performance, might just end up quite glad she did it.

And below...

11. Alesha Dixon - To Love Again

Strictly judge ropes in Gary Barlow for appealing ballad

12. Reba McEntire - Consider Me Gone

Botoxed old bag of country decides on a comeback.

13. Kelly Clarkson - Already Gone

Top Tunesmith Ryan Tedder accidentally gives someone else "Halo" as well.

14. Tynchy Stryder and Amelle - Never Leave You

Chav anthem for Sugababe and irritating grime bloke

15. Lily Allen - The Fear

Hugely successful second album campaign leader for another Chav tabloid staple

16. Akon - Beautiful

Business-as-usual anthem from prolific collaborator-to-all

17. Stereophonics - Innocent

Above average (but only just!) underperforming comeback single for Welsh stalwarts

18. Keri Hilson - Knock You Down

Likely career-high for iconic woman with famous mates

19. Aaron and Flo Rida - Dance With Me

Grubby twink forks out for costly rapper and pins hopes on a post-Dancing With The Stars hit

20. Mini Viva - Left My Heart In Tokyo

Sturdy debut from Xenomania dance hopefuls

And the rest...

21. Beyonce - Sweet Dreams
22. Girls Aloud - Untouchable
23. Britney Spears - Circus
24. Alexandra Burke - Bad Boys
25. Madonna - Celebration
26. Bananarama - Love Comes
27. Beyonce - Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It)
28. Pet Shop Boys - Did You See Me Coming?
29. Shontelle - T-Shirt
30. Saturdays - Issues

That was 2009!

Si.

[Matthew T]

10 of your top 30 feature in mine, not a bad hit rate:

01 Madonna - Celebration (The old bag never fails - ten years after it was big, she goes all trance, seemingly heavily influenced by Calvin Harris' similar sounding number one from earlier in the year. This is an unashamed hands in the air, poppers up the nose, gay disco stormer, and i loved it from the moment i heard it - I played it more than 30 times on repeat the day it leaked in fact!)

02 David Guetta & Kelly Rowland - When Love Takes Over (Another song that was destined to be at the top of my chart of the year from the first moment I heard it. Diva vocals and a summery dance beat rarely fail when the tune is this good. Never been a big Guetta fan, but he's been everywhere with two (TWO!) number ones of his own, plus being responsible for BEP's "I Gotta Feeling", so it really has been his year.)

03 The Noisettes - Never Forget You (Their big hit was Don't Upset The Rhythm, but this 60s influenced follow up hung around a fair bit in the lower reaches of the top 40 and to me was infinately better and more infectious. It grew on me and grew until it was one of my favourites of the year without even realising.)

04 Calvin Harris - I'm Not Alone (I yearn for the days in the late 90s when several records like this came out every week. From a deceptively low key vocal intro, this suddenly kicks in with a mega trance riff - and its fate was sealed for me.)

05 Alexandra Burke - Bad Boys (An unusual and very modern sounding song - the "alarm" like sound that runs through it could be annoying but it works, as does rent-a-rapper Flo Rida's interlude. I'm still not used to hearing this without Chris Moyles at the end tho, as I made do with a radio rip for ages before getting the single.)

06 Lily Allen - Not Fair (Overshadowed a bit by her preceding #1 hit, I thought this was far better, and I love love love the video)

07 Lady Gaga - Bad Romance (Like Si, I was a bit bewildered by the success of Just Dance, which I thought was very average. Poker Face was far better of course, but it took Paparazzi, and her astonishing MTV Awards performance, for me to be truly converted. All 8 new tracks on the reissued album are fantastic - but this is the best, a song which truly has everything, even 1991esque rave noises during the verses!)

08 Little Boots - Remedy (A song I was surprised to see absent from Si's chart, a superb pop / dance tune with a killer chorus.)

09 Girls Aloud - Untouchable (Girls Aloud's appeal has never diminshed for me, and their 2 hits this year are both amongst my favourites of ther now 20+ singles. Melancholy disco pop at it's finest!)

10 Black Eyed Peas - I Gotta Feeling (Without a doubt the song of the summer - it was everywhere, whenever I was in a club or a pub, this got the biggest reaction. Moreso even than Poker Face, this will be the sing that defines 2009 in years to come.)

11 Tinchy Stryder feat N-Dubz - Number 1
12 Lady Gaga - Paparazzi
13 Cascada - Evacuate The Dancefloor
14 Paloma Faith - New York
15 Lady Gaga - Poker Face
16 Jason Derulo - Whatcha Say
17 Girls Aloud - The Loving Kind
18 Freemasons feat Sophie Ellis-Bextor - Heartbreak (Make Me A Dancer)
19 Sean Kingston - Fire Burning
20 September - Can't Get Over
21 Cheryl Cole - Fight For This Love
22 Pussycat Dolls - Hush Hush; Hush Hush
23 Sugababes - About A Girl
24 Black Eyed Peas - Meet Me Halfway
25 Lily Allen - The Fear
26 Tinchy Stryder feat Taio Cruz - Take Me Back
27 Agnes - Release Me
28 Basshunter - Every Morning
29 Tinchy Stryder feat Amelle - Never Leave You
30 The Saturdays - Work