20 to 11

20

Justin Timberlake - SexyBack

Artist link:10 11 28

Inspiring many random youtube parodies, one about hallucinogenic drugs, was undoubtedly JT's claim back in the spotlight. The beat is more addictive than cocaine mixed with sex and reality tv, and the new album was a pretty good follow-up from his last pop accomplishment, even though nobody has the slightest chance of hearing his line in the chorus, and no-one would understand it anyway. "Go head be gone with it"? What the hell?

Elliott

No of votes: 12, Score: 72, Highest vote: 1st

19

Muse - Knights Of Cydonia

Artist link:16 25 27 39 44 44

Having cranked up the intensity a few notches with Absolution, it was hard to see where Muse had left to go. Of course, I'd forgotten that in the rock genre there are few tricks you can employ when you've taken a formula and worked it pretty hard. So here we find the band opening the potential Pandora's Box that is the Rock Opera. But, the Dark and Diminuitive Overlord of Devon (or Matt, if you prefer) laughs in the face of the seemingly impossible. In the case of "Knights Of Cydonia" he's managed not only to start it off like a rock western, but also plunder ideas from Bohemian Rhapsody, and makes what could have been a potential turd of a tune into a monumental majestic rock epic.

Jason M

No of votes: 12, Score: 94, Highest vote: 1st

18

Pink - Stupid Girls

Artist link:16 22 39 49

The video that gripped the nation for mentioning terrorism, sex, illegal drugs and more! Well... not really. But it was still a good video that had that certain type of humour that can only be depicted as seeing a woman roll around washing a car and biting sponges taking the p*ss out of Jessica Simpson. Hooray!

Elliott

No of votes: 13, Score: 51, Highest vote: 2nd

17

Hot Chip - Over and Over

Artist link:18

There's something incredibly 'New York' about the Hot chip sound, epitomised by this their best single of 2006. Something about the rather messed up electronicy sound and the intentionally repetitive lyrics make me thing of big-apple college kids in their latest arts project - far too smart and cool for anything good to come of it. Its intensely disappointing then, to find that Hot Chip hail from Putney... although slightly reassuring that they're signed to a hip NY label. The song itself? Lyrical madness about monkeys with miniature cymbals and an addictive casio inspired melody. In the spirit of the track I hope Hot Chip re-release the single next year, you vote for it again, and I can submit this review again. As they say "The joy of repetition really is in you".

Isaac H

No of votes: 13, Score: 80, Highest vote: 1st

16

Muse - Supermassive Black Hole

Artist link:19 25 27 39 44 44

This band seem to reinvent themsleves each time they release a record, with a whole new set of songs that often sound very different to their predecessors. This song was their first single off the album and reached no.4 in the UK singles chart. The song itself is a great mix of odd beats, interesting sounds and Matt Bellamy's ear splitting falsetto, which always makes me wonder how does he reach such highs. The video of the song sees them regress back to some of the odd video's of the eighties.

Emyr I

No of votes: 13, Score: 92, Highest vote: 2nd

15

Shakira feat Wyclef Jean - Hips Don't Lie

A strange mash up this... the whole Wyclef thing is pretty standard, but when Shakira's voice sails in on this track... it just sort of sticks out like a sore thumb. I don't know whether she's a bit out of tune, or she just stomped her feet in the studio and got herself turned up in the mix, but there's something hugely distinctive and annoying about her vocal. However much this annoys me though, it's annoyingly catchy and causes me to imitate her lines in an over the top falsetto, which is still doing me no good on a night out because this track is still hugely popular. More objectively, it was a big international hit, and served as a constant reminder that Shakira can swing her hips like no other.

Dan Mc

No of votes: 14, Score: 72, Highest vote: 2nd

Shakira feat Wyclef Jean - Hips Don't Lie

14

Lily Allen - Smile

Artist link:26

There's something delightfully twisted about sweet sounding pop songs having barbed lyrics - I would never have bought into this saccharine bubblegum pop if Lily wasn't confessing to her twisted pleasure in seeing her ex's pain. If its not for the delicious vindictiveness, you'll have voted for this track because it reminded you of last summer, probably a Sunday morning listening to 'The Hits' with the windows open, feeling all is well with the world... until the rain started to come down and The Hits played James Blunt... You may not always warm to outspoken Lily, her mission in interviews seeming to be to slate as many music establishment figures as she can... but you can you resist her 'streets-lite' brand of pop? And, frankly do you have as many myspace friends as her?

Isaac H

No of votes: 14, Score: 79, Highest vote: 3rd

13

Girls Aloud - Something Kinda Ooooh

Artist link:12 13 18 24 26 47

'Something Kinda Ooooh' sports so much nonsensically cheerful horniness, it can only mean the song was written with the Eurovision Song Contest in mind. Its subsequent recording by Girls Aloud must therefore be down to one of two reasons; either the composers realised that it WAS possible to give the track a more plastic, vacuos, irrelevant destiny, or that they withdrew from the Song for Europe dogfight fearing competition from Morrissey's forthcoming 'Chick-a-dee-dee-dee (Mother, I'm So Very Sorry)'. Next time you listen to this song on the radio, consider these three questions: 1. Which of the five would you prefer to "bump" in the "back room"? 2. Is it morally reprehensible to find Cheryl Tweedy attractive? And 3. Why don't they let the ginger one sing much and if the answer is the obvious one, can someone who watched 'Popstars: The Rivals' please tell me on what basis lovely Nicola made the band?

Danny G

No of votes: 14, Score: 80, Highest vote: 1st

12

The Killers - When You Were Young

Artist link:2 11 19 27 32 48

Not since Coldplay released A Rush of Blood To The Head had there been such a sense of anticipation about a band's sophomore album as there was about The Killers and Sam's Town. Were they a one trick pony? Could they live up to the hype and deliver the goods? A nation held its breath. Then, as the opening chords of "When You Were Young" rang out, you could almost hear the sigh of relief sweep from Lands End to John O'Groats. Expect to see a statue of Brandon Flowers popping on the vacant plinth in Trafalgar Square any day now.

Greg B

No of votes: 14, Score: 84, Highest vote: 1st

11

My Chemical Romance - Welcome to the Black Parade

Artist link:27

The song that made me look up the meaning of the word 'Emo' on Wikipedia. It refers to a type of hardcore music that emerged around Washington DC - 'EMOtional Hardcore'. So, that locale must have a lot of bands that have listened to a lot of Queen and the original Rocky Horror Show soundtrack, because that's what this song puts me in mind of. The start, with it's slow piano and the build into some dramatic guitar based antics seems to have some pretty slick production (is that too 80's a phrase to use in the noughties?) behind it. This has prompted people to say they sound like a boy band, Busted even. It's enough to make you reach for your eyeliner...

P Shoo

No of votes: 14, Score: 94, Highest vote: 1st

My Chemical Romance - Welcome to the Black Parade

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Credits

Site designed by Jason "He Plays Music" Mansfield, 2007

Thanks go to the following people for assisting with getting together our comprehensive aide-memoire: Danny G, Paul M, Kat B

A MASSIVE THANKS also to all those who slaved over a hot keyboard to produce the write ups: Danny G, Paul M, Kat B, Isaac H, P Shoo, Dan Mc, Karen G, Emyr I, Greg B, Lisa S, Elliot H, Wendy B, Elliott

Any thoughts, comments on the site are welcomed, just mail me.

Top 50 of 2006