We move on this week to a series of red phone boxes around Leeds town centre.
(Coordinates 53°79’58.2″N, 1°54’05.5″W.)
Um, ignore the banana skin.
I like to see phone boxes that have been turned into cash machines – it means they’re still useful in the 21st century and councils are less likely to get rid of them!
Update July 2022: added coordinates.
Update May 2024: it now has Asterix illustrations on the other side!
Day 78 takes us to Now! #78, which was released on 11th April 2011.
Let’s see what I would have been listening to during the last few months in our Tollcross flat.
Track 1: Bruno Mars – Grenade
Too saccharine for me, but the tune’s okay.
Track 2: Adele – Rolling In The Deep
Great atmosphere – love the chorus on this one.
Track 3: Jessie J – Do It Like A Dude
The theme’s a bit daft, but there are some nice instrumental lines here.
Track 4: Rihanna – S&M
Great piece of electropop – really like this tune.
Track 5: Kesha – We R Who We R
Irritating tune, very uninspired.
Track 6: The Wanted – Gold Forever
Released as the official Comic Relief single for 2011. Sadly the song’s really bland.
Track 7: Matt Cardle – When We Collide
What was it I was saying three days ago?
Right on schedule, here’s X Factor winner Matt Cardle’s pointless cover of Biffy Clyro’s Many Of Horror. Rather offensively, they changed the title of the song, because it clearly wasn’t bland enough for the kind of people who buy X Factor winners’ singles. What’s hilarious is that the cover is SO pointless that on occasion, Cardle even apes Simon Neil’s Scottish accent.
Track 8: Take That – The Flood
Yay! Take That are no longer Fake That! Well, for one album at least. Robbie Williams returned for the Progress album, and all was finally right with the world again. This song is a gorgeous, epic, atmospheric tune – lovely stuff.
Track 9: Ellie Goulding – Your Song
Interesting folky cover of the Elton John classic (which was performed by Ellie Goulding for the first dance of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge at their wedding reception, fact fans). The operatic Moulin Rouge! version from 2001 had cast a long shadow over the ’00s in terms of other people copying that take on the song when they did cover versions, so it was refreshing that this cover was so different again.
Track 10: JLS and Tinie Tempah – Eyes Wide Shut
Far too cheesy for my tastes, and the electro line sounds the same as every other dance track of this era.
Track 11: David Guetta and Rihanna – Who’s That Chick?
Repeated artist alert! We’ve already had Rihanna on track 4.
This is a great piece of bouncy pop, though – awesome tune.
Track 12: Taio Cruz and Travie McCoy – Higher
Taio Cruz did two versions of this song, one with Travie McCoy and one with Kylie Minogue. I prefer the Kylie version, I have to say. It’s still a good tune though.
Track 13: Chris Brown – Yeah 3x
Another dance track where the instrumentals sound the same as every other dance track released around this time.
Track 14: Britney Spears – Hold It Against Me
Daft theme, as the lyrics are based around that terrible pun of a pick-up line, but the tune’s okay.
Track 15: Alexis Jordan – Happiness
I’ve always quite liked the video for this one. Do you remember how in the late ’00s/early ’10s, women’s fashion shoes were all ludicrously high six-inch-stiletto affairs with round covered platforms? (As with most things, I only got rid of (most of) mine in my cull earlier this year.) Like every other female pop artist of the era, Alexis Jordan wears them in the video here, but there’s a weird bit that makes it look like she can’t walk in them.
Anyway, the song’s kind of forgettable, but it’s got a nice feelgood atmosphere.
Track 16: Parade – Louder
Good beat, but the chorus is annoying.
Track 17: Olly Murs – Thinking Of Me
Nice jaunty track, quite like this tune.
Track 18: Avril Lavigne – What The Hell
Great bit of pop-rock – love that singalong chorus.
Track 19: McFly and Taio Cruz – Shine A Light
Repeated artist alert! We’ve already had Taio Cruz on track 12.
I’ve always found this tune pretty irritating.
Track 20: Noah & The Whale – L.I.F.E.G.O.E.S.O.N.
Great folk-rock track – awesome lyrics, lovely tune.
Track 21: Susan Boyle and Geraldine McQueen – I Know Him So Well
Cover (complete with hilarious parody video) of the classic ’80s duet by Elaine Paige and Barbara Dickson. It’s the kind of cover I would normally decry as pointless, but the point here is comedy, and they absolutely nailed it. The charity fundraising for Comic Relief doesn’t hurt either.
Track 22: Jessie J and B.o.B – Price Tag
Repeated artist alert! We’ve already had Jessie J on track 3.
This is a very nice feelgood tune though – good stuff.
Track 23: Chipmunk and Chris Brown – Champion
Repeated artist alert! We’ve already had Chris Brown on track 13.
I like the intro – lovely piano, nice choral bit, great atmosphere. The tune on the chorus is nice as well.
Track 24: Wiz Khalifa – Black And Yellow
Great tune, awesome atmosphere.
Track 25: Rihanna and Drake – What’s My Name?
Repeated artist mega alert! We’ve already had Rihanna on both track 4 and track 11! I am not impressed, Now! compilers.
This one’s an okay tune, but it’s a little repetitive.
Track 26: The Black Eyed Peas – The Time (Dirty Bit)
Messy cover of ’80s classic (I’ve Had) The Time Of My Life, with lots of…well…dirty bits (i.e. squeaky, tuneless feedback). I shouldn’t like it, but it’s actually very danceable.
Track 27: Nicole Scherzinger – Poison
Nice solid pop track, really like this tune.
Track 28: Enrique Iglesias, Ludacris and DJ Frank E – Tonight (I’m Lovin’ You)
Daft theme (don’t get me started on the explicit version), but it’s got a good beat.
Track 29: Cee Lo Green and Wiz Khalifa – Bright Lights Bigger City
Repeated artist alert! We’ve already had Wiz Khalifa on track 24.
This one’s a bit slow for my liking, but it’s got a great atmosphere.
Track 30: Katy Perry and Kanye West – ET
Awesome epic atmosphere, lovely tune, and the video is beautiful.
Track 31: Pink – Perfect
I find the theme of this one a bit awkward and the tune a bit dull. Not a fan.
Track 32: Tinie Tempah and Ellie Goulding – Wonderman
Double repeated artist alert! We’ve already had Tinie Tempah on track 10 and Ellie Goulding on track 9.
This song is lovely, though – that chorus is just gorgeous.
Track 33: Willow Smith – Whip My Hair
‘Not on Spotify’ Type 2: YouTube Pause (TM).
The theme is a little cheesy, but then she was about nine at the time. Good song otherwise.
Track 34: Katy B and Ms Dynamite – Lights On
I’m not hugely keen on the tune, but it’s got a good beat.
Track 35: Martin Solveig and Dragonette – Hello
Great dance track! Really like this feelgood tune.
Track 36: Flo Rida and Akon – Who Dat Girl
Dull tune, boring rap. Not keen.
Track 37: Far East Movement, The Cataracs and Dev – Like A G6
Daft lyrics, but it’s a good head-nodder.
Track 38: Wretch 32 and L Marshall – Traktor
Great beat – happily chair-dancing here. Awesome lyrics too.
Track 39: Aggro Santos and Kimberley Walsh – Like U Like
Love this tune, and the verses have an awesome rhythm.
Track 40: Devlin and Yasmin – Runaway
This one’s a bit generic – nothing special here.
Track 41: Tinchy Stryder and Melanie Fiona – Let It Rain
Boring and forgettable.
Track 42: Chase & Status and Liam Bailey – Blind Faith
I like the ’90s tinge, but on the whole the track’s far too messy for my liking.
The bookshelves I put up on Monday now have books on them…
…which took a lot longer than it should have done today. I also still have a lot more books to put away elsewhere in the house once I have done enough Tetrising to get more bookshelves in place, so we’re not done by a long shot.
What it has done is given me a bit more room to get on with the study project next week. Which is not nearly as pretty as putting books on shelves, but I really do need to get on with it.
Day 77 means Now! #77, which came out on 22nd November 2010.
Let’s have a listen to the Christmas party tunes of 2010.
Track 1: Rihanna – Only Girl (In The World)
Great piece of pop, awesomely danceable tune.
Track 2: Katy Perry – Firework
I appreciate the epic nature of this song, but I’ve always found the tune irritating.
Track 3: Cheryl – Promise This
Another danceable pop track with some great vocal hooks.
Track 4: Flo Rida and David Guetta – Club Can’t Handle Me
Pleasant enough, but the tune’s a bit forgettable.
Track 5: Cee Lo Green – Forget You
Great, powerful track with an awesome mid-century retro feel. This song was everywhere in 2010.
Track 6: Taio Cruz – Dynamite
Brilliantly danceable tune with a great singalong chorus.
Track 7: Tinie Tempah and Eric Turner – Written In The Stars
I do like this tune – some lovely lines going on.
Track 8: Mike Posner – Cooler Than Me
Great rhythm, really interesting song. Strangely, after this hit, Mike Posner disappeared from the charts for six years before showing up again in 2016 with the number one smash I Took A Pill In Ibiza (or just In Ibiza, if you’re listening to daytime radio).
Track 9: Enrique Iglesias and Nicole Scherzinger – Heartbeat
I like the piano bit, but the tune’s really boring.
Track 10: Usher and Pitbull – DJ Got Us Fallin’ In Love
Good beat, and there’s a nice singalong chorus. The verse is pretty generic though.
Track 11: The Wanted – All Time Low
Great tune, really like this one.
Track 12: Olly Murs – Please Don’t Let Me Go
Nice retro-sounding tune, but it’s a little saccharine for my liking.
Track 13: Eliza Doolittle – Pack Up
Great feelgood retro-tinged pop track. Quite like this tune.
Track 14: Michael Bublé – Hollywood
Nice epic tune, great feelgood pop song. Great track.
Track 15: Kylie Minogue – Get Outta My Way
Lovely tune, but the vocal line is a bit bland.
Track 16: The Saturdays and Flo Rida – Higher
Repeated artist alert! We’ve already had Flo Rida on track 4.
This is quite a good tune, though – nice and upbeat.
Track 17: Roll Deep – Green Light
Good dance beat, great bassline, interesting rap, but the tune on the sung vocals is pretty bland.
Track 18: Ne-Yo – Beautiful Monster
Not keen on the theme, but the tune’s okay.
Track 19: Duck Sauce – Barbra Streisand
I’ve always had a soft spot for this daft dance track – Geth used to play it when we were doing Electrolicious Sundays at Mr Modos.
Track 20: Swedish House Mafia and Tinie Tempah – Miami 2 Ibiza
Repeated artist alert! We’ve already had Tinie Tempah on track 7.
Great beat, and I love the rap on this. Good track.
Track 21: Tinchy Stryder – In My System
Messy and dull – not keen on this one.
Track 22: Diana Vickers – My Wicked Heart
‘Not on Spotify’ Type 2: YouTube Pause (TM).
Quite an interesting track – like Florence & The Machine except exciting. The tune could be a bit more pleasant, though.
Track 23: Bruno Mars – Just The Way You Are
Super saccharine, as was standard for Bruno Mars during this era. The tune’s nice, but it’s just too cheesy for me.
Track 24: B.o.B and Hayley Williams – Airplanes
Gorgeous atmosphere, really nice tune.
Track 25: The Script – For The First Time
Nauseatingly cheesy soft-rock – not my kind of thing at all.
Track 26: Robbie Williams and Gary Barlow – Shame
Daft duet to celebrate the former Take That bandmates being friends again after years of rivalry. The Brokeback Mountain-esque video is also hilarious.
Track 27: Adele – Make You Feel My Love
Cover of the Bob Dylan song. The vocals are gorgeous, but it’s just far too slow for my liking.
Track 28: Rumer – Slow
It certainly is slow. Slow and impossibly dull.
Track 29: Shontelle – Impossible
I appreciate the power ballad stylings, but the tune is super annoying.
Track 30: Nelly – Just A Dream
Lovely guitar on the intro, and it’s got a good rhythm. Quite like this one.
Track 31: Labrinth – Let The Sun Shine
Very pretty tune – great track.
Track 32: Travie McCoy and Bruno Mars – Billionaire
Repeated artist alert! We’ve already had Bruno Mars on track 23.
Nice jaunty song to which we can all relate. Good stuff.
Track 33: Alesha Dixon – Drummer Boy
As you might guess from the title, the drums on this are great. The theme is a bit daft, though.
Track 34: Mark Ronson and The Business Intl – Bang Bang Bang
Good head-nodder, pleasant tune, though it’s a little repetitive.
Track 35: Brandon Flowers – Crossfire
Nice tune, but a bit slow for my liking.
Track 36: Mumford & Sons – The Cave
This one’s a bit too acoustic-y for my current tastes.
Track 37: Plan B – Prayin’
Good beat, good atmosphere.
Track 38: Jay Sean and Nicki Minaj – 2012 (It Ain’t The End)
Annoying, cheesy tune, and the theme is pretty daft (and will get more and more dated – who’s even going to remember the 2012 apocalypse prophecy in a couple of decades’ time?).
Track 39: N-Dubz – Best Behaviour
I find the tune a little too cheesy for my tastes, but I do like the bassline once the track gets going.
Track 40: Jason Derulo – What If
On hearing the first notes of the piano intro just now, I was like ‘whoa! It’s Alone by Heart!’ Apparently this is not coincidental. Other than that bit of interest, the song’s a bit boring.
Track 41: Pixie Lott – Broken Arrow
Too ballad-y for me, like most of the stuff off Pixie Lott’s first album.
Track 42: Joe McElderry – Ambitions
The vocals are too high-pitched and irritating for me, and the tune’s pretty uninspired. It’s got quite a good beat though.
Track 43: McFly – Party Girl
Very messy track! Far too much going on here, very jarring sound.
Track 44: Katy B – Katy On A Mission
Good danceable track – happily nodding along here.
So, on Saturday while Geth was away in Lancashire, I did my weekly setting of TV recordings. I do this every week because, other than music channels, I never watch TV live – Geth and I are both just too busy to commit to (and remember) the timeslot when things we might want to watch are on, and even if we did remember, it would inevitably be the case that when the timeslot actually arrived, one of us would be NOT AT ALL in the mood for watching that particular show, and would want to do something else. Probably me.
This is one of the few areas in life where I am not a 20th century throwback, although, to be fair, it was definitely easier to remember TV timeslots when there were only four channels and no internet to distract you.
As such, I do a weekly setting of recordings, which looks something like this:
So yeah. That’s what I was doing on Saturday night. Before I did that, though, I had to scroll through the guide in order to change the channel from Radio 4 to Vintage TV. Geth listens to Radio 4 every morning to catch the news headlines (he used to watch the BBC News channel before they started doing that godawful Victoria Derbyshire programme in the mornings), and so he always leaves the digibox on the Radio 4 channel. I, on the other hand, can’t stand listening to the news in the current awful climate in which we live, so while I’m doing my setting of recordings I like to have Vintage TV on in the background.
As I scrolled between Radio 4 (channel 704) and Vintage TV (channel 82), my eye was caught by what appeared to be a brand new channel on channel 88.
A brand new music channel.
A brand new music channel, dedicated to the ’80s.
A brand new music channel, dedicated to the ’80s, run by the people behind the Now! That’s What I Call Music compilations.
Welcome to Now! That’s What I Call ’80s, a music channel that they kindly invented just for me.
Well, that’s not quite true. According to Wikipedia, this channel has actually been running since 2013 as Now! That’s What I Call Music (they changed it to a dedicated ’80s channel in 2016, and added a ’90s version in 2017), but it’s never been part of the BT/Freeview channel lineup until now, so I’ve never come across it.
Obviously, I’ve spent the last few days with it constantly on in the background.
It’s been nice to have another retro music channel to enjoy. Vintage TV is great, but it only has so many videos available, so it gets a bit samey after a while. Now! That’s What I Call ’80s plays lots of videos that I’ve never seen on Vintage TV, and the kind of playlists it does are the kind of thing I’ve always dreamt of seeing on a music channel – Official UK Top 40 of the ’80s, for example, which is heaven for a chart geek like me. Most of the shows are narrated by Radio 1 DJs from the ’80s and ’90s – Mark Goodier, Simon Bates, Bruno Brookes – and there was one presented by a couple of the actors from Grange Hill, which is the kind of modern-music-channel fun nonsense that I miss on the more grown-up Vintage TV.
In short, I love it, and I’m so glad to have an extra music channel to watch.
I’ve got a feeling that an extra stage has also been added to my weekly setting of recordings. Similarly to Vintage TV, the trick will be restraining myself from recording EVERYTHING.
Day 76, and Now! #76, which was released on 19th July 2010.
Time for the first summer hits of the new decade!
Track 1: Katy Perry and Snoop Dogg – California Gurls
Great piece of pop, awesome party tune.
Track 2: Enrique Iglesias and Pitbull – I Like It
Great beat, highly danceable, fun tune. Quite like this track! We used to dance to this one at my Zumba class in Southampton, as my instructor Hayley was a big Pitbull fan.
Track 3: JLS – The Club Is Alive
Daft take on The Sound Of Music. It’s a bit less cheesy than their usual stuff, so I actually find this one okay.
Track 4: Usher and will.i.am – OMG
Great tune! Love the interesting vocals on this one.
Track 5: David Guetta, Chris Willis, Fergie and LMFAO – Gettin’ Over You
Great upbeat dance track – happily chair-dancing away here.
Track 6: Kylie Minogue – All The Lovers
Solid pop track, really like those instrumentals.
Track 7: Professor Green and Lily Allen – Just Be Good To Green
Fairly pointless cover of Beats International’s Dub Be Good To Me with added rapping. It’s okay, but the original is better.
Track 8: B.o.B and Bruno Mars – Nothin’ On You
I’ve always found this one a bit too saccharine.
Track 9: Lady Gaga – Alejandro
Great, atmospheric electropop. When we were doing Electrolicious Sundays at Mr Modos, Geth would always mix this one into La Isla Bonita by Madonna, ’cause the melodies are so similar.
Track 10: Cheryl – Parachute
The atmosphere’s nice, but the tune’s a bit dull.
Track 11: Rihanna – Te Amo
Quite like the vocal hook on this one, and the electro line is gorgeous. Nice Latin tinge too.
Track 12: Roll Deep and Jodie Connor – Good Times
Good dance beat, but the tune’s very generic.
Track 13: Kelly Rowland and David Guetta – Commander
Repeated artist alert! We’ve already had David Guetta on track 5.
This is a great track though – very danceable.
Track 14: Dizzee Rascal – Dirtee Disco
Messy intro, but I really like the disco instrumentals (the sample is the Staple Singers track I’ll Take You There, from 1972).
Track 15: Yolanda Be Cool and DCUP – We No Speak Americano
Interesting, danceable track. The sample is the 1956 song Tu Vuò Fà L’Americano by Renato Carosone, fact fans – it gives it an awesome mid-century feel.
Track 16: Inna – Hot
Good beat, but the vocals are pretty irritating.
Track 17: Edward Maya and Vika Jigulina – Stereo Love
I love the accordion on this one – it gives it a lovely Eastern European tinge.
Track 18: Sean Kingston and Justin Bieber – Eenie Meenie
Terrible theme, jarring lines, irritating vocals. The chorus is okay, though.
Track 19: Miley Cyrus – Can’t Be Tamed
Great atmosphere, but the tune’s a bit uninspired.
Track 20: Pixie Lott – Turn It Up
Bit of a bland tune, but the chorus is okay.
Track 21: Justin Bieber and Ludacris – Baby
Repeated artist alert! We’ve already had Justin Bieber on track 18.
Horrendously saccharine and squeaky. Teenage girls loved it, though, which just goes to prove that teenage girls’ taste is getting worse and worse as time goes on. How did we get from the Beatles to Bieber? You could write a whole book on that, and maybe one day I will.
Track 22: Iyaz – Solo
I quite like the piano, but in general the song’s a bit too cheesy for my liking.
Track 23: Timbaland and Justin Timberlake – Carry Out
Love the atmosphere on this one – great track.
Track 24: Plan B – She Said
Great tune, awesome classic jazz feel.
Track 25: Scouting For Girls – This Ain’t A Love Song
It’s a bit cheesy and soft-rock for me, and the vocals are kind of irritating.
Track 26: K’naan – Wavin’ Flag
Nice jaunty tune released to tie in with the World Cup 2010. It’s funny to think that was two World Cups ago, and now we’re in the middle of another one (which I have been successfully avoiding).
Track 27: Jason Derulo – Ridin’ Solo
It’s an okay pop track, but the tune is a bit forgettable compared to most of Jason Derulo’s stuff.
Track 28: Alicia Keys – Try Sleeping With A Broken Heart
Gorgeous tune, beautiful atmosphere.
Track 29: Fyfe Dangerfield – She’s Always A Woman
Pointless cover of the Billy Joel track. I adore the song whoever does it, but there’s nothing new about this version.
Track 30: Train – Hey Soul Sister
What this song consistently achieves for me is that I always wish it really were Mr Mister on the radio, instead of Train. You have to give them credit for that.
Track 31: Scissor Sisters – Fire With Fire
I find this one a bit slow and dull.
Track 32: Diana Vickers – Once
Great pop tune – really like this one. I also love the video with all her hundreds of different outfits!
Track 33: Example – Kickstarts
The lyrics are a bit cheesy, but it’s a good danceable tune.
Track 34: Swedish House Mafia and Pharrell Williams – One (Your Name)
Great electro hooks, nice atmosphere.
Track 35: The Black Eyed Peas – Rock That Body
Good beat, but the tune’s a bit dull.
Track 36: Alexandra Burke and Pitbull – All Night Long
Repeated artist alert! We’ve already had Pitbull on track 2.
I quite like the vocal hook on the chorus, but the rap over the intro is pretty jarring.
Track 37: Aggro Santos and Kimberly Wyatt – Candy
Great bassline, great atmosphere. Good solid pop track.
Track 38: Taio Cruz and Kesha – Dirty Picture
Daft theme, and the tune is pretty forgettable.
Track 39: Chipmunk and Esmée Denters – Until You Were Gone
Generic and bland.
Track 40: Skepta – Rescue Me
I find the tune on this one a bit depressing.
Track 41: N-Dubz and Bodyrox – We Dance On
I like the Canon in D sample, but the rest of the track’s pretty forgettable.
Track 42: Robyn – Dancing On My Own
Boring tune – nothing redeeming about this one.
Track 43: Florence & The Machine and Dizzee Rascal – You’ve Got The Dirtee Love [Live At The Brit Awards 2010]
Repeated artist alert! We’ve already had Dizzee Rascal on track 14.
I remember watching this performance on the Brits at the time. You wouldn’t think You’ve Got The Love would work with Dizzee Rascal rapping over the top, but it’s actually quite an interesting take.
However, I am contractually obliged to point out that in addition to the three instances of the Source and Candi Staton’s original version of the song on Now! #19, Now! #36, and Now! #63, we now have two instances of the Florence & The Machine version, on Now! #74 and on this one, making a total of FIVE instances! I am almost certain that this makes it the most featured song in the history of Now! compilations, though I will have to check my stats at the end of the project.
Track 44: Kelis – Acapella
That title should be spelt ‘a cappella’, but I’m sure you all knew that.
I like the drums on the intro, and the vocal line is quite interesting.
Track 45: Tinie Tempah and Labrinth – Frisky
Great instrumentals, awesome atmosphere – very danceable.
Track 46: Pendulum – Watercolour
Lovely electro track – it builds beautifully, and the hooks are wonderful.
Well, I’ve been trying to get round to it for a few days, but today I finally got the bookshelves in place in the bedroom. Or the frames, at least:
These are Ikea Billy bookshelves that we’ve had for well over a decade – Geth adopted them from his PhD supervisor when he was living in his first flat in Edinburgh, circa 2004. As such, they’re made in a slightly different way from modern Billy bookshelves, which was fun when I was trying to remember how to put them together earlier! I’ve not put the shelves or books on yet, because I want to live with the frames for a couple of days and see if there are any issues such as always bumping into bookshelf corners etc., as it’s quite a small bedroom.
Assuming no such issues, I will get it done later this week though. It’ll be nice to have access to some of our books again.
Day 75 brings us to Now! #75, which came out on 29th March 2010.
Can you believe we’re three quarters of the way through this Now! marathon? That’s like being 19.65 miles of the way into an actual marathon. Only 6.55 miles to go – that’s easy! I will remember this moment when I’m 19.65 miles of the way through the London Marathon next April (spoiler: I almost certainly will not).
Also, we’re finally into the 2010s, the fourth and final decade of the Now! compilations so far (and also my life so far). Having followed the charts very closely this decade, I can say with certainty that the remaining Now! compilations will definitely be better than the ’00s ones. The ’00s was a real low for music. (Except 2009, when it picked up.) Thankfully I don’t have to listen to those again!
Track 1: Lady Gaga – Bad Romance
Stunning, classic electropop track – brilliant right from the a cappella intro. Great stuff.
Track 2: 3OH!3 and Katy Perry – Starstrukk
I love this track, even with the silly whistling bit during the verse. Awesome party song.
Track 3: The Black Eyed Peas – Meet Me Halfway
Beautiful tune! The video‘s gorgeous too.
Track 4: JLS – Everybody In Love
Far too cheesy for me, I’m afraid!
Track 5: Iyaz – Replay
Another great tune – really like this one.
Track 6: Tinie Tempah and Labrinth – Pass Out
Love the daft lyrics, and it’s got a great atmosphere.
Track 7: Kesha – Tik Tok
Another good party song – and the vocal style was refreshingly different at this point.
Track 8: Timbaland and Katy Perry – If We Ever Meet Again
Repeated artist alert! We’ve already had Katy Perry on track 2.
Love the chorus though – good track.
Track 9: Jason Derulo – In My Head
The tune’s a bit generic, but it’s still a good danceable song.
Track 10: Rihanna – Rude Boy
Nice atmosphere, interesting vocals. Another great track.
Track 11: Chipmunk and Talay Riley – Look For Me
This one’s a bit bland and forgettable, and the chorus is annoying.
Track 12: Glee Cast – Don’t Stop Believin’
Cover of the ’80s Journey classic by the cast of hit TV show Glee. This cover resulted in the original version – which had never actually been a hit in the UK when it was released in the ’80s – becoming a huge song during 2010 and staying prominent for the rest of the decade so far (I hear it played at every half marathon I run). I’m not complaining – both versions are awesome and epic.
Track 13: Gabriella Cilmi – On A Mission
Great ’70s disco throwback track! Love it.
Track 14: Alexandra Burke – Broken Heels
Another great party tune – very danceable.
Track 15: Sugababes – About A Girl
Great dance beat, but the tune’s pretty generic.
Track 16: The Saturdays – Ego
There’s something about the tune that’s a little irritating, but it’s got a good beat.
Track 17: Jedward and Vanilla Ice – Under Pressure (Ice Ice Baby)
So we had Vanilla Ice sampling Queen and David Bowie’s 1981 song Under Pressure in 1989 for Ice Ice Baby, which was already considered fairly sacreligious, and then in 2010 we had Jedward doing a medley of both tracks and getting Vanilla Ice to help out with vocals. It’s as awful as you might expect, but it somehow got to number two in the charts.
Track 18: Justin Bieber – One Time
Bieber in his early ‘fifteen and squeaky’ era. It’s sort of half laughable and half headache-inducing.
Track 19: Jay Sean, Sean Paul and Lil’ Jon – Do You Remember
Good tune, but I can’t listen to it without hearing Sean Paul’s opening vocals as ‘got dirty egg‘, thanks to presenter Reggie Yates pointing it out on the Radio 1 chart show at the time.
Track 20: Pixie Lott – Cry Me Out
Too ballad-y and slow for me.
Track 21: Joe McElderry – The Climb
The annual inclusion of the previous year’s X Factor winner. This is the one from 2009 that didn’t get the Christmas number one thanks to the much-publicised campaign to get Rage Against The Machine’s Killing In The Name to number one instead. That campaign reinvigorated my interest in the music charts after a few years of being Too Busy Being Goth, and led to my decision to follow the charts for the entirety of the 2010s to see how the decade would pan out musically. Halfway through 2018, that particular habit is still going, and I expect it will last into the 2020s and beyond.
Anyway, the track. It’s a pointless cover of the Miley Cyrus song, and there’s nothing else to say about it.
Track 22: Helping Haiti – Everybody Hurts
Charity cover of the REM classic by too many artists to mention. There’s some interesting voice-spotting to be done, but the point of this cover, as ever with these things, was fundraising to help the victims of the Haiti earthquake.
Track 23: Alicia Keys – Empire State Of Mind [Part II]
It’s Part II because this is the slow piano version. Part I was a more upbeat song with Jay-Z rapping the main verses. I prefer Part I, but that’s mainly ’cause I’m not into slow songs – this is still a great tune.
Track 24: Owl City – Fireflies
It’s a bit twee, but it’s a gorgeous tune – love that chorus.
Track 25: Jay-Z and Mr Hudson – Young Forever
‘Not on Spotify’ Type 2: YouTube Pause (TM).
The track is mainly a cover of the chorus and first verse from Alphaville’s Forever Young, which is fairly pointless but still great, ’cause it’s a great song. The rest is filled in by rapping from Jay-Z, which is okay, but I’m definitely lining up the original to play later on.
Track 26: Cheryl and will.i.am – 3 Words
Lovely melancholy tune, quite like this one.
Track 27: Robbie Williams – You Know Me
Nice tune, but for some reason the music channels always put this on their Christmas playlists, so it’s got festive associations for me now.
Track 28: Journey – Don’t Stop Believin’
Well, we often have repeated artists on these Now! compilations, but I don’t think we’ve ever had a repeated song! We already had the Glee Cast doing this song on track 12.
As I explained up-page, the Glee cover made this one a big hit too, and deservedly so, seeing as how it was overlooked by the UK music-buying public in the ’80s. The piano intro is just beautiful, the lyrics are immense, and the tune is epic.
Track 29: Florence & The Machine – Dog Days Are Over
I find Florence & The Machine’s stuff a bit samey, and this is no exception. There’s not really anything interesting about the tune, though the vocals are nice.
Track 30: Marina & The Diamonds – Hollywood
Gorgeous, unique track! Great lyrics, awesomely different vocals. Love this one.
Track 31: Ellie Goulding – Starry Eyed
Beautiful tune. It was Ellie Goulding’s debut and, as far as I’m concerned, one of her best ever songs.
Track 32: Biffy Clyro – Many Of Horror
Wonderful rock track – I love the tune, and the way it builds is stunning! I’m almost certain we’ll hear the X Factor cover version in three days’ time so I’ll skip ranting about that for now.
Track 33: Plan B – Stay Too Long
Nice retro-sounding rock track, quite like this one. If I weren’t the queen of misheard lyrics, I’d make an effort to listen to the concept album of which it was part. As it is, I’d probably be better off just reading the lyrics to all the songs in order to understand the story.
Track 34: Naughty Boy, Wiley and Emeli Sandé – Never Be Your Woman
Fairly pointless cover of the White Town classic with added rapping. Always a great tune, but the original is obviously better.
Track 35: Example – Won’t Go Quietly
Great, atmospheric dance track. Really like this one.
Track 36: Sidney Samson and Wizard Sleeve – Riverside (Let’s Go!)
Another highly danceable track – I really like the rap style.
Track 37: Gramophonedzie – Why Don’t You
Interesting track based around a sample of Peggy Lee’s Why Don’t You Do Right? from 1947. Quite like this.
Track 38: Lemar – The Way Love Goes
I find this one a bit saccharine, but it’s got a good beat and the piano is nice.
Track 39: N-Dubz and Mr Hudson – Playing With Fire
Repeated artist alert! We’ve already had Mr Hudson on track 25.
Nice epic atmosphere on the chorus, but the rest of the tune’s fairly generic.
Track 40: Chiddy Bang – Opposite Of Adults
Love the electro hook, which is a sample from Kids by MDMT. Nothing much else interesting here, though.
Track 41: Young Money and Lloyd – BedRock
Irritatingly daft track based around the infamously appalling Fred Flintstone pick-up line. If you ignore the lyrics, it’s actually okay.
Track 42: McLean – My Name
I find the tune on this one pretty uninspired.
Track 43: Rihanna – Russian Roulette
Repeated artist alert! We’ve already had Rihanna on track 10.
I find both the lyrics and tune on this one a bit depressing. Not the best way to end what has been an excellent Now! compilation!
I was planning to build some bookcases today, but I realised I’d totally forgotten where I’d put my bag of screws for said bookcases. However, I suspected they might be buried at the bottom of my endless bags of bags of different types of fixings, so I decided it was a good time to get round to sorting them all into the various hobby boxes that Geth and Dad had found me for the purpose.
The point of this is that it will be a lot easier to find things among my ridiculous array of fittings from now on. It also takes up a lot less space than all the plastic bags I was using:
A boring task, but it’s one more step towards an organised house. The bookcases, meanwhile, will be tomorrow’s project.
Day 74 takes us to Now! #74, which was released on 23rd November 2009.
So, we come to the end of another decade of music. How did chart music sound as we waved goodbye to the ’00s?
Track 1: Cheryl – Fight For This Love
Gorgeous, atmospheric song – I love the instrumentals. A longtime favourite.
Track 2: Michael Bublé – Haven’t Met You Yet
It’s a bit cheesy, but it’s a nice tune.
Track 3: The Black Eyed Peas – I Gotta Feeling
That title should be ‘I Got A Feeling’ – ‘gotta’ is an informal contraction of ‘got to’, which makes no sense here!
Great tune though – classic party song.
Track 4: David Guetta and Akon – Sexy Chick
Good atmosphere and good tune on the chorus, but I find the vocals a bit generic.
Track 5: La Roux – Bulletproof
Great electro track, awesome beat.
Track 6: Taio Cruz – Break Your Heart
More awesome electro instrumentals on the backing track. Good tune.
Track 7: N-Dubz – I Need You
There’s some good lines in here somewhere, but in general the track’s a bit messy.
Track 8: Jason Derulo – Whatcha Say
Another one that’s very typical of the electro-based atmospheric sound that was on everything at the time.
Track 9: Jay Sean and Lil’ Wayne – Down
Oh, it’s this one! The tune should annoy me, but I actually quite like it.
Track 10: Alesha Dixon – To Love Again
Slow ballad that’s not interesting enough for my liking.
Track 11: Chipmunk and Dayo Olatunji – Oopsy Daisy
Super irritating vocals and theme, not a fan of this one.
Track 12: Tinchy Stryder and Amelle Berrabah – Never Leave You
Another good atmosphere, but the tune’s a bit uninspired.
Track 13: Little Boots – Remedy
Great bassline, but the tune’s pretty dull.
Track 14: Pixie Lott – Boys And Girls
Nice retro ’60s feel, and there’s a good singalong chorus.
Track 15: Mini Viva – Left My Heart In Tokyo
Another awesome electropop tune – love that bass!
Track 16: Sean Kingston – Fire Burning
Daft theme, but it’s a great dance track.
Track 17: Pitbull and Nicole Scherzinger – Hotel Room Service
I quite like the vocal hook on this one, even if it is a bit repetitive. Good tune.
Track 18: Sugababes – Get Sexy
Daft theme, irritating lyrics – although I do like the callback to Right Said Fred’s I’m Too Sexy, and the electro hook is great.
Track 19: The Saturdays – Forever Is Over
Too ballad-y for me, though I do appreciate the rock tinge.
Track 20: Young Soul Rebels – I Got Soul
Interesting cover of the Killers track All These Things That I’ve Done, released in aid of the War Child charity. In this context, the repeated line ‘I got soul but I’m not a soldier‘ is a bit haunting (whereas usually I can’t hear the line without being reminded of the Bill Bailey parody that pointed out the line makes as much sense as ‘I got ham but I’m not a hamster’).
Track 21: Agnes – I Need You Now
Too saccharine for me, though there are some interesting instrumentals going on in the background.
Track 22: JLS – Beat Again
Super cheesy, but it’s quite a good tune.
Track 23: Lady Gaga – Paparazzi
Love this one! Great tune, brilliant chorus.
Track 24: Beyoncé – Sweet Dreams
Wonderful atmosphere, great beat. Very danceable.
Track 25: Shakira – She Wolf
More great electro instrumentals – awesome tune.
Track 26: Jay-Z, Kanye West and Rihanna – Run This Town
‘Not on Spotify’ Type 2: YouTube Pause (TM).
Another great brooding atmosphere. Unfortunately the vocals are fairly uninspired.
Track 27: Mr Hudson and Kanye West – Supernova
Repeated artist alert! We just had Kanye West on the last track.
Nice tune though – quite like this one.
Track 28: Robbie Williams – Bodies
Some interesting almost-monastic singing on the intro, which jars a bit once it gets into the bass-heavy main track. The chorus is great, though.
Track 29: Dizzee Rascal – Holiday
Great electro hook, good dance beat. Really like this track.
Track 30: Calvin Harris – Ready For The Weekend
Great dance track. I especially appreciate the line ‘I put on my shoes and I’m ready for the weekend‘. Nothing wrong with a new pair of shoes every Friday! (There are lots of things wrong with that. I know.)
Track 31: Whitney Houston – Million Dollar Bill [Frankie Knuckles Radio Mix]
Love that retro disco feel. Good stuff.
Track 32: Ian Carey Project – Get Shaky
Good instrumentals, but the tune’s pretty boring.
Track 33: Chase & Status and Plan B – End Credits
Lovely tune, gorgeous guitar, stunning atmosphere – and then the dull vocals spoil it! Oh well.
Track 34: The Temper Trap – Sweet Disposition
I find the vocals a little irritating, and the tune’s not interesting enough for my liking.
Track 35: Muse – Uprising
I’m just going to register my annoyance that Muse had been releasing great hits since 2000 and it took the Now! compilers until 2009 to feature one of their songs.
This track has a wonderful eerie electro line, great bass, and awesome brooding vocals. Love it.
Track 36: Snow Patrol – Just Say Yes
Even Snow Patrol were doing the electro instrumentals in 2009! Shame the rest of the tune is dull.
Track 37: Florence & The Machine – You’ve Got The Love
Pointless cover of the Source and Candi Staton song, as I may have discussed on the THREE OCCASIONS that the original has been featured on Now! compilations (still can’t get over that). As such, we now have a fourth track in the Now! canon that sounds exactly the same! Urgh.
Track 38: Lily Allen – 22
Nice retro tune. Great lyrics too, but they’re a little depressing!
Track 39: Paolo Nutini – Pencil Full Of Lead
Great classic ragtime sound! Love that trumpet riff.
Track 40: Mika – We Are Golden
Lovely tune, awesome singalong chorus. Really like this one.
Track 41: Cobra Starship and Leighton Meester – Good Girls Go Bad
It’s a bit messy, but as with pretty much every other track on this compilation, there’s lots of awesome electro lines and bass going on.
Track 42: Mumford & Sons – Little Lion Man
I normally find Mumford & Sons a bit dull, but this is a great bit of folk-rock – really like this song.
Track 43: Just Jack – The Day I Died
Too twee for me – those lyrics are just irritating.
Track 44: Esmée Denters – Outta Here
I like the backing track, but the tune is bland and repetitive.
Track 45: Deadmau5 and Rob Swire – Ghosts ‘N’ Stuff
Too much going on with this track, and none of it is very interesting.
