20
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Avril Lavigne - Sk8er Boi
Artist link: 19  38
I’m ashamed to admit liking this track. I just don’t fit the demographic to which Avril’s smiling (completely manufactured) rock chick persona is meant to appeal. i.e. an MTV watching suburban white American 14 year old who’s not quite ‘subversive’ enough to like Linkin Park. But I do like it. Maybe its the pure pop appeal of this everyday tale of boy meets girl – girl spurns him coz he’s just a sk8er boi – boi becomes rock star – girl majorly regrets decision. Whatever my reasons, I think we can all learn a new line, with just a bit of a lyric paraphrasing “I am a boy. You are a girl. Can I make it any more obvious?” And no, it doesn’t work…
Isaac H
No of votes: 11, Score:
58, Highest vote: 1st
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19
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Avril Lavigne - Complicated
Artist link:20 38
It's easy to dismiss Avril Lavigne as yet another flash-in-the-pan pop/rock one hit wonder designed by the labels to help rake in a large amount of cash. Don’t. She’s actually pretty good. At times she can sound like the permanently PMT afflicted Alanis Morissette, but overall she’s got some rocking tunes and suitably grunge lyrics. Seems like the days of being a Britney Spears-alike are fading fast. Thank God.
Angela T
No of votes: 11, Score:
71, Highest vote: 1st
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18
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The Coral - Dreaming Of You
Artist link: 24
Why does this make me think of a sea shanty? Nah, I dunno really, maybe it's the close knit harmonies. But surely that's more to do with barber shop quartets? Of course, once you've chucked in the hammond organ and strumming guitars you find yourself in - 1965! Yes, there are a myriad of different influences here, but The Coral manage to draw them all together to make a song you can tap (your wooden) leg to. Hey, let's call it Nautical Pop - now who else can we get onto this bandwagon?
Jason M
No of votes: 11, Score:
77, Highest vote: 1st
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16
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Robbie Williams - Feel
Artist link: 12  29  35
Only one of two artists to make the top 50 in the past 3 years (I'll leave U2 work out who the other one might be) and inspite of an extra £80 million spending money, we find our Bob still bathing in an outdoor bath in his video. Can't say I get the western theme in the video either, "Feel" is a good and proper pop ballad, where Bob gets back to basics - love is all he needs. Do you reckon the vocal straining at the end is the noise of him propping up EMI records?
Jason M
No of votes: 12, Score:
72, Highest vote: 2nd
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15
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Nickelback - How You Remind Me
Nickelback are a four-piece rock band from Vancouver, Canada, and they remind me (good link, huh?) of the music my dad used to listen to. Good guitar, but nothing too heavy; personal, gritty vocals, but nothing heavy; drumming - yeah, same again. Having said this though, once I heard this track I was hooked. I’m a sucker for a good tune, and this one will have you playing air guitar without realising. If you are still reading, stop and buy their album. I said stop reading!
Angela T
No of votes: 12, Score:
75, Highest vote: 1st
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14
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Liam Lynch - The United States Of Whatever
Ha ha ha ha ha. I love comedy. La la la la la. I love music. Imagine my joy when I first heard this winner of a song. Liam struts and frets his way through his typical day, its the "On the Road" of the singles world, except shorter. I bought Jack Kerourac's stumbling masterpiece almost 5 yrs ago and I still haven't started it yet, whereas I've heard this number loads of times. A lesson for us all there I think. Wasn't it a lovely video too?
Paul M
No of votes: 12, Score:
75, Highest vote: 1st
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13
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Doves - There Goes The Fear
Artist link:12  36 44
The insistent jangle - almost certainly intro of the year - delivers you straight back to 1990 and makes you wish that the Stone Roses had never broken up. The lyrics however are not half has optimistic as the hook, full of regret with traces of life’s battle scars and a short, intimate, ‘us against the world’ lullaby. It is the extremes of sweet and sour that help turn this into something special and when the end collapses into tribal bongos you just shrug your shoulders and enjoy it all the more.
Danny G
No of votes: 12, Score:
81, Highest vote: 1st
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12
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Doves - Pounding
Artist link:13 36 44
Another passionate and tender offering from Manchester's finest. Again, it has that certain hint of foreboding and is heavily reminiscent of Catherine Wheel's "Black Metallic", arguably one of the Indie scene's greatest lost classics (plug!). Of course there are drums but it's the last 45 secs of guitar outro that really gives it the stamp of edginess. One of the few outfits around that do dark beautifully.
Paul H
No of votes: 12, Score:
88, Highest vote: 1st
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11
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Justin Timberlake - Like I Love You
Artist link:10  20 28
'Drums' - Justinmania seems to have hit Britain and has even managed to affect me, the girl whose poppiest CD in her collection is probably Blondie. 'Like I Love You' is one of those songs that gets me twirling in a club and trying desperately to reach those high notes (maybe I am the kind of girl who sings in the shower after all). The combination of rap, pop and a bit of R&B thrown in for good measure might usually make me feel sick, but with Justin it really, really works. He's cute, talented and says that Britney's rubbish in bed (there's hope for us all then). Just keep the Jacko impersonations to musical ones, okay Justin?
Milly H
No of votes: 12, Score:
90, Highest vote: 1st
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Thanks go to the following people for assisting with getting together our comprehensive aide-memoire: Danny G, Paul M, Kat B, Caz T, Jon B, Isaac H
A MASSIVE THANKS also to all those who slaved over a hot keyboard to produce the write ups: Danny G, Paul H, Caz T, Paul M, Kat B, Andrew S, Angela T, Isaac H, Milly H, Ben R, P Shoo, Jon B, Liza H, Dan Mc
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