Maximo Mark's Top 100 of 2008!

[Maximo Mark]

100 Poppy & The Jezebels 'UFO' [P.S. Remix] (37-22-17-15-13-17-19-28-39)

A completely random download from late summer, I quite like the original but I like the P.S. remix quite a bit more. A decent feel good, female-fronted pop tune.

099 Dodos 'Red And Purple' (39-33-16-09-06-06-10-15-23-35-40)

Their first of three appearences in the top 100, not bad for a band I'd never heard of until June. I find that each single seems to get better and their album 'Visiter' is right at the top of my must purchase list.

098 The Futureheads 'Radio Heart' (25-20-16-16-09-05-03-05-06-12-16-18-28-37)

Their first of four top 100 appearences. I wasn't sure on this when I first heard it however after buying their album it did grow on me although I have tired a little. Still a good song though, just no to the standard of their other three singles and a lot of the album.

097 Roots Manuva 'Let The Spirit' (35-29-23-19-17-14-12-16-23*)

I've always thought that Roots Manuva was a very good rapper, I just knew very little by him. I've listened a bit more this year though, and his album does seem pretty good. Both singles were excellent, this recent one being the better of the two.

096 Noah & The Whale '2 Bodies, 1 Heart' (17-07-04-02-05-10-23-37)

I surprised myself when I didn't buy their album as I really liked their three singles, I just couldn't see their album being any good. It's done almost nothing commercially and I've barely seen anyone mention it since its release. I do still quite like their singles, although not as much as when they were first out. I think they're a much better summer band.

095 Rihanna 'Disturbia' (20-11-08-05-05-05-08-14-20-24-22-30)

When I first downloaded this in May I really loved it however I now feel I'm one of many to have suffered from Rihanna Overload. It's still great, I've just bored of it a bit. You still hear it out so much as well which doesn't help.

094 Sons & Daughters 'Darling' (29-22-13-05-03-03-06-08-15-24-33)

Following up 2007's excellent 'Gilt Complex' this wwas one of my early favourites of the year. Other stuff I heard wasn't so good however I still like them more than I did in their earlier era's, although 'Dance Me In' still remains my favourite of theirs.

093 Friendly Fires 'Paris' (21-15-18-27-31-39-40*)

I really have under-charted this, and I don't know why as it's only very recent. I've always liked it more than a #15 although there are much better on their album.

092 Hot Chip 'Ready For The Floor' (35-20-09-15-22-29)

I didn't really like this as much as I thought I would do considering the hype and their previous material. I tried to but a 6 week chart run wasn't particularly good. It has grown on me though, but it's still not as good as the 'The Warning' singles.

091 Noah & The Whale '5 Years Time' (30-24-13-01-03-04-10-21-28)

The first of 19 number ones to appear then, it's also the one that spent the shortest time on my chart. I adored this for about a fortnight but soon realised it wasn't really worthy of number one status. Still a great song though.

[Maximo Mark]

090 The Count & Sinden ft Kid Sister 'Beeper' (15-10-13-22-26-34-38)

This slice of bassline was something I massively overplayed when I first got it and it quickly fell out of my chart as a result. It deserved quite a lot better though, and it's a song I've appreciated more as the year's gone on.

089 Les Savy Fav 'Patty Lee' (22-08-09-11-13-24-38)

I'd only heard of Les Savy Fav before this year, but I didn't know any of their songs. I bought their 2007 album 'Let's Stay Friends' randomly and it's pretty decent, this was the single they released soon after. It's excellent, but there are better on the album.

088 Lykke Li 'I'm Good, I'm Gone' (24-12-12-09-17-26-37)

Doing this end of year chart I've realised I like Lykke Li a lot more than I thought I did... The quirky pop of her three singles is all very good if not spectacular and I also like 'Until We Bleed', with Kleerup.

087 Ladyhawke 'Dusk Til Dawn' (20-09-05-06-09-12-21-28-40)

I find Ladyhawke slightly odd, her singles are all really good and then after a few weeks I go off them. Each one does seem to be better than the last though.

086 Clocks 'All I Can' (38-17-11-07-02-02-06-09-11-11-22-36)

Clocks are the type of act I really should detest. They're really not that far from other commercial indie pap like The Feeling however the ballsy Strokes like feel makes this song rather good. The b-side 'That Much Better' was pretty decent too, the follow-up was rubbish though and then I've never heard of them since. A bit low for a #2 single though it did take advantage of there not being much out in the new year.

085 Chris Bathgate 'Serpentine' (36-39 / 33-32-35)

This single really underperformed in my chart. Twice. It fell out and then it grew on me again so re-entered the week after falling out. It only managed three weeks though and never troubled the top 30, the only song of the top 100 not to do so! It didn't click until later in the year but it really is gorgeous.

084 Vampire Weekend 'Oxford Comma' (31-21-11-06-07-08-14-19-25-34)

Although their album was in my top 10 of the year I've been rather disappointed with their single choices. After 'A-Punk' they could quite easily have had three singles challenging my top 20, however instead their follow-ups come in at 145 and 84.

083 Rubies 'I Feel Electric' (37 / 25-12-09-08-02-06-16-21-31-36)

This California based Swedish duo really are lovely... however most of their debut lacks that something that makes them stand out. Apart from their two singles this is. This had one week in my chart but as I couldn't find an mp3 of it it had to wait another month to re-enter.

082 Utah Saints 'Something Good '08' [Van She Tech Remix] (36-28-23-19-16-13-24-37)

I was never familiar with the original of this so the 2008 Van She Tech version was a new song to me, I like it much better than the original and it's a great modernisation of a dance song, certainly the best of the year. The video is great too.

081 The Indelicates 'America' (40-29-14-07-07-10-21-28-40)

I downloaded this after discovering they included a former Pipette. It's a real grower of a song although I always thought it could get a bit annoying if I overplayed it, so I didn't.

[Panda]

Dec 23, 2008 17:29:20 GMT 1 Maximo Mark said:

100 Poppy & The Jezebels 'UFO' [P.S. Remix] (37-22-17-15-13-17-19-28-39)

A completely random download from late summer, I quite like the original but I like the P.S. remix quite a bit more. A decent feel good, female-fronted pop tune.

099 Dodos 'Red And Purple' (39-33-16-09-06-06-10-15-23-35-40)

Their first of three appearences in the top 100, not bad for a band I'd never heard of until June. I find that each single seems to get better and their album 'Visiter' is right at the top of my must purchase list.

098 The Futureheads 'Radio Heart' (25-20-16-16-09-05-03-05-06-12-16-18-28-37)

Their first of four top 100 appearences. I wasn't sure on this when I first heard it however after buying their album it did grow on me although I have tired a little. Still a good song though, just no to the standard of their other three singles and a lot of the album.

097 Roots Manuva 'Let The Spirit' (35-29-23-19-17-14-12-16-23*)

I've always thought that Roots Manuva was a very good rapper, I just knew very little by him. I've listened a bit more this year though, and his album does seem pretty good. Both singles were excellent, this recent one being the better of the two.

096 Noah & The Whale '2 Bodies, 1 Heart' (17-07-04-02-05-10-23-37)

I surprised myself when I didn't buy their album as I really liked their three singles, I just couldn't see their album being any good. It's done almost nothing commercially and I've barely seen anyone mention it since its release. I do still quite like their singles, although not as much as when they were first out. I think they're a much better summer band.

095 Rihanna 'Disturbia' (20-11-08-05-05-05-08-14-20-24-22-30)

When I first downloaded this in May I really loved it however I now feel I'm one of many to have suffered from Rihanna Overload. It's still great, I've just bored of it a bit. You still hear it out so much as well which doesn't help.

094 Sons & Daughters 'Darling' (29-22-13-05-03-03-06-08-15-24-33)

Following up 2007's excellent 'Gilt Complex' this wwas one of my early favourites of the year. Other stuff I heard wasn't so good however I still like them more than I did in their earlier era's, although 'Dance Me In' still remains my favourite of theirs.

093 Friendly Fires 'Paris' (21-15-18-27-31-39-40*)

I really have under-charted this, and I don't know why as it's only very recent. I've always liked it more than a #15 although there are much better on their album.

092 Hot Chip 'Ready For The Floor' (35-20-09-15-22-29)

I didn't really like this as much as I thought I would do considering the hype and their previous material. I tried to but a 6 week chart run wasn't particularly good. It has grown on me though, but it's still not as good as the 'The Warning' singles.

091 Noah & The Whale '5 Years Time' (30-24-13-01-03-04-10-21-28)

The first of 19 number ones to appear then, it's also the one that spent the shortest time on my chart. I adored this for about a fortnight but soon realised it wasn't really worthy of number one status. Still a great song though.

3 of those are in my top 100.

[Panda]

Dec 23, 2008 18:07:12 GMT 1 Maximo Mark said:

090 The Count & Sinden ft Kid Sister 'Beeper' (15-10-13-22-26-34-38)

This slice of bassline was something I massively overplayed when I first got it and it quickly fell out of my chart as a result. It deserved quite a lot better though, and it's a song I've appreciated more as the year's gone on.

089 Les Savy Fav 'Patty Lee' (22-08-09-11-13-24-38)

I'd only heard of Les Savy Fav before this year, but I didn't know any of their songs. I bought their 2007 album 'Let's Stay Friends' randomly and it's pretty decent, this was the single they released soon after. It's excellent, but there are better on the album.

088 Lykke Li 'I'm Good, I'm Gone' (24-12-12-09-17-26-37)

Doing this end of year chart I've realised I like Lykke Li a lot more than I thought I did... The quirky pop of her three singles is all very good if not spectacular and I also like 'Until We Bleed', with Kleerup.

087 Ladyhawke 'Dusk Til Dawn' (20-09-05-06-09-12-21-28-40)

I find Ladyhawke slightly odd, her singles are all really good and then after a few weeks I go off them. Each one does seem to be better than the last though.

086 Clocks 'All I Can' (38-17-11-07-02-02-06-09-11-11-22-36)

Clocks are the type of act I really should detest. They're really not that far from other commercial indie pap like The Feeling however the ballsy Strokes like feel makes this song rather good. The b-side 'That Much Better' was pretty decent too, the follow-up was rubbish though and then I've never heard of them since. A bit low for a #2 single though it did take advantage of there not being much out in the new year.

085 Chris Bathgate 'Serpentine' (36-39 / 33-32-35)

This single really underperformed in my chart. Twice. It fell out and then it grew on me again so re-entered the week after falling out. It only managed three weeks though and never troubled the top 30, the only song of the top 100 not to do so! It didn't click until later in the year but it really is gorgeous.

084 Vampire Weekend 'Oxford Comma' (31-21-11-06-07-08-14-19-25-34)

Although their album was in my top 10 of the year I've been rather disappointed with their single choices. After 'A-Punk' they could quite easily have had three singles challenging my top 20, however instead their follow-ups come in at 145 and 84.

083 Rubies 'I Feel Electric' (37 / 25-12-09-08-02-06-16-21-31-36)

This California based Swedish duo really are lovely... however most of their debut lacks that something that makes them stand out. Apart from their two singles this is. This had one week in my chart but as I couldn't find an mp3 of it it had to wait another month to re-enter.

082 Utah Saints 'Something Good '08' [Van She Tech Remix] (36-28-23-19-16-13-24-37)

I was never familiar with the original of this so the 2008 Van She Tech version was a new song to me, I like it much better than the original and it's a great modernisation of a dance song, certainly the best of the year. The video is great too.

081 The Indelicates 'America' (40-29-14-07-07-10-21-28-40)

I downloaded this after discovering they included a former Pipette. It's a real grower of a song although I always thought it could get a bit annoying if I overplayed it, so I didn't.

1 of those is in my top 100.

[Maximo Mark]

080 Christian Falk ft Robyn 'Dream On' (24-10-05-03-02-06*)

Although I really like this it doesn't feel like it's a number two single, November was possibly the weakest month of the year in terms of releases. I like this because whilst it's different enough from Robyn songs it wouldn't feel out of place on here album.

079 Imogen Heap 'Not Now But Soon' (26-13-09-07-12-21-31)

I love Imogen Heap and was delighted she'd returned with this single in the summer. At the same time I was disappointed as I couldn't decide if it was actually that good but over time it's grown on me. Classic Imogen.

078 The Hours 'See The Light' (35-17-08*)

Backed by the superb Calvin Harris remix this recent single has been one of the surprises of the year for me. After being hyped in late '06 with 'Ali In The Jungle' they sank without a trace and I didn't think I'd ever hear from them again. But I was wrong and this is as good as anything I heard off their debut.

077 The Mae Shi 'Lamb & The Lion' (39-35-28-22-19-14-12-14-20-22-28-34)

'Run To Your Grave' was good but it wasn't great. I downloaded this more out of hope than anything and its two minutes of blips, blops and shouty vocals turned out to be a real grower.

076 The Last Shadow Puppets 'Standing Next To Me' (30-18-06-02-04-07-10-18-25-32)

This never really made complete sense until I found it was a single. Their album is a brilliant piece of work and a fantastic listen but I found that only the lead single and 'Seperate And Ever Deadly' stood out as individual tracks. This soon became the third as it recieved more listening outside their other work.

075 Davd Holmes 'Holy Pictures' (32-28-11*)

I know very little of David Holmes work though what I have heard (usually through last.fm's radio) has always been pretty good. This is the first single I've known at its time of release and it's grown on me a lot in the past fortnight, its dancey beats, subtle vocals and surprisingly non-annoying 'aaah's make for an enjoyable five minutes.

074 Shinichi Osawa 'Star Guitar' (38-25-15-07-04-03-02-06-22*)

A recent number two hit that I never really knew how much I liked. It's a great song, but it is anyway. The Chemical Brothers original is amongst their best work, and this doesn't really feel too different, it's sped up and slightly more upbeat but it sounds like it could easily be a remix rather than the cover version that it is, and Au Revoir Simone's vocals aren't too different from what originally appears. For that reason this is lower than it perhaps could've been.

073 Late of the Pier 'Bathroom Gurgle' (30-17-08-04-03-02-02-02-05-09-16-23-35-39)

Another recent-ish number two hit then and one which probably got so high in my chart because of how much I did like it, rather than how much I do like it. Their album 'Fantasy Black Channel' is a decnet record, but it wasn;t the easiest to get into and this was my original highlight which I listened to a lot. I'd gone off it by the time it was released but I still felt it deserved a high position and long chart run because of how much I had like it. I regret it though, as it never re-grew on me as much as I hoped it would and it's not as good as their previous singles, two of which are still to come.

072 Kanye West ft Chris Martin 'Homecoming' (15-04-01-02-06-10-12-19-23)

I first heard this when his 'Graduation' album was released and it was clearly the standout track from it, I still loved it by the time it recieved an early January release and it became my second number one of the year (although first 2008 #1, 'Hustler' was an '07 single), it didn't last long although it's still great and amongst his finest work.

071 Ting Tings 'Shut Up And Let Me Go' (36-27-14-13-08-07-07-08-12-19-27-33)

When I first heard 'That's Not My Name' upon its original release nearly two years ago I thought it was dreadful. 'Great DJ' was a lot better and then they re-released the debut, it was still awful although managed to get to number one somehow! I'd read the album wasn't up to much and had pretty much given up hope but then I heard this and it was great, under three minutes, shouty, catchy, female vocal - things that help make fantastic pop records. Its '7 Nation Army'-esque video certainly didn't disappoint either.

[Panda]

Dec 24, 2008 17:35:25 GMT 1 Maximo Mark said:

080 Christian Falk ft Robyn 'Dream On' (24-10-05-03-02-06*)

Although I really like this it doesn't feel like it's a number two single, November was possibly the weakest month of the year in terms of releases. I like this because whilst it's different enough from Robyn songs it wouldn't feel out of place on here album.

079 Imogen Heap 'Not Now But Soon' (26-13-09-07-12-21-31)

I love Imogen Heap and was delighted she'd returned with this single in the summer. At the same time I was disappointed as I couldn't decide if it was actually that good but over time it's grown on me. Classic Imogen.

078 The Hours 'See The Light' (35-17-08*)

Backed by the superb Calvin Harris remix this recent single has been one of the surprises of the year for me. After being hyped in late '06 with 'Ali In The Jungle' they sank without a trace and I didn't think I'd ever hear from them again. But I was wrong and this is as good as anything I heard off their debut.

077 The Mae Shi 'Lamb & The Lion' (39-35-28-22-19-14-12-14-20-22-28-34)

'Run To Your Grave' was good but it wasn't great. I downloaded this more out of hope than anything and its two minutes of blips, blops and shouty vocals turned out to be a real grower.

076 The Last Shadow Puppets 'Standing Next To Me' (30-18-06-02-04-07-10-18-25-32)

This never really made complete sense until I found it was a single. Their album is a brilliant piece of work and a fantastic listen but I found that only the lead single and 'Seperate And Ever Deadly' stood out as individual tracks. This soon became the third as it recieved more listening outside their other work.

075 Davd Holmes 'Holy Pictures' (32-28-11*)

I know very little of David Holmes work though what I have heard (usually through last.fm's radio) has always been pretty good. This is the first single I've known at its time of release and it's grown on me a lot in the past fortnight, its dancey beats, subtle vocals and surprisingly non-annoying 'aaah's make for an enjoyable five minutes.

074 Shinichi Osawa 'Star Guitar' (38-25-15-07-04-03-02-06-22*)

A recent number two hit that I never really knew how much I liked. It's a great song, but it is anyway. The Chemical Brothers original is amongst their best work, and this doesn't really feel too different, it's sped up and slightly more upbeat but it sounds like it could easily be a remix rather than the cover version that it is, and Au Revoir Simone's vocals aren't too different from what originally appears. For that reason this is lower than it perhaps could've been.

073 Late of the Pier 'Bathroom Gurgle' (30-17-08-04-03-02-02-02-05-09-16-23-35-39)

Another recent-ish number two hit then and one which probably got so high in my chart because of how much I did like it, rather than how much I do like it. Their album 'Fantasy Black Channel' is a decnet record, but it wasn;t the easiest to get into and this was my original highlight which I listened to a lot. I'd gone off it by the time it was released but I still felt it deserved a high position and long chart run because of how much I had like it. I regret it though, as it never re-grew on me as much as I hoped it would and it's not as good as their previous singles, two of which are still to come.

072 Kanye West ft Chris Martin 'Homecoming' (15-04-01-02-06-10-12-19-23)

I first heard this when his 'Graduation' album was released and it was clearly the standout track from it, I still loved it by the time it recieved an early January release and it became my second number one of the year (although first 2008 #1, 'Hustler' was an '07 single), it didn't last long although it's still great and amongst his finest work.

071 Ting Tings 'Shut Up And Let Me Go' (36-27-14-13-08-07-07-08-12-19-27-33)

When I first heard 'That's Not My Name' upon its original release nearly two years ago I thought it was dreadful. 'Great DJ' was a lot better and then they re-released the debut, it was still awful although managed to get to number one somehow! I'd read the album wasn't up to much and had pretty much given up hope but then I heard this and it was great, under three minutes, shouty, catchy, female vocal - things that help make fantastic pop records. Its '7 Nation Army'-esque video certainly didn't disappoint either.

1 of those is in my top 100. 3 of the other acts feature in my chart in some way.

[Earl Purple]

Noah & The Whale are one of the bands who have p*ssed me off by making their music hard to get hold of. I think I had to buy one of them on CD because there was no download and another one I couldn't find without DRM.

Once a band get on the bad side of me I guess I am a bit prejudiced when it comes to actually liking their music.

It's ok but given that there are loads of indie bands out there I can never work out why some make it and others don't, other than possibly they are indie bands signed to big labels and getting lots of promo...

Oxford Comma reached #2 in my chart and America #1 so they should be in the upper end of my chart of the year.

[yeahyeahtron]

= 100 Poppy & The Jezebels 'UFO' [P.S. Remix] (37-22-17-15-13-17-19-28-39)

09 = 099 Dodos 'Red And Purple' (39-33-16-09-06-06-10-15-23-35-40)

= 098 The Futureheads 'Radio Heart' (25-20-16-16-09-05-03-05-06-12-16-18-28-37)

= 097 Roots Manuva 'Let The Spirit' (35-29-23-19-17-14-12-16-23*)

= 096 Noah & The Whale '2 Bodies, 1 Heart' (17-07-04-02-05-10-23-37)

05 = 095 Rihanna 'Disturbia' (20-11-08-05-05-05-08-14-20-24-22-30) (her best work to date)

10 = 094 Sons & Daughters 'Darling' (29-22-13-05-03-03-06-08-15-24-33)

08 (10 for the Aeroplane remix) = 093 Friendly Fires 'Paris' (21-15-18-27-31-39-40*)

10 = 092 Hot Chip 'Ready For The Floor' (35-20-09-15-22-29)

10 = 091 Noah & The Whale '5 Years Time' (30-24-13-01-03-04-10-21-28)

[yeahyeahtron]

???090 The Count & Sinden ft Kid Sister 'Beeper' (15-10-13-22-26-34-38)

08 = 089 Les Savy Fav 'Patty Lee' (22-08-09-11-13-24-38)

10+ = 088 Lykke Li 'I'm Good, I'm Gone' (24-12-12-09-17-26-37)

10 = 087 Ladyhawke 'Dusk Til Dawn' (20-09-05-06-09-12-21-28-40)

I find Ladyhawke slightly odd, her singles are all really good and then after a few weeks I go off them. Each one does seem to be better than the last though. (Same thing with me!)

= 086 Clocks 'All I Can' (38-17-11-07-02-02-06-09-11-11-22-36)

= 085 Chris Bathgate 'Serpentine' (36-39 / 33-32-35)

10+ = 084 Vampire Weekend 'Oxford Comma' (31-21-11-06-07-08-14-19-25-34)

Although their album was in my top 10 of the year I've been rather disappointed with their single choices. After 'A-Punk' they could quite easily have had three singles challenging my top 20, however instead their follow-ups come in at 145 and 84.

I don't agree with you here! I think that Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa, A-Punk & Oxford Comma are the best 3 songs on their debut!

083 Rubies 'I Feel Electric' (37 / 25-12-09-08-02-06-16-21-31-36)

03 = 082 Utah Saints 'Something Good '08' [Van She Tech Remix] (36-28-23-19-16-13-24-37)

= 081 The Indelicates 'America' (40-29-14-07-07-10-21-28-40)

I downloaded this after discovering they included a former Pipette. It's a real grower of a song although I always thought it could get a bit annoying if I overplayed it, so I didn't.

I really want to check out this... I didn't know there was a former Pipette with the Indelicates!

[yeahyeahtron]

10+ = 080 Christian Falk ft Robyn 'Dream On' (24-10-05-03-02-06*)

08 = 079 Imogen Heap 'Not Now But Soon' (26-13-09-07-12-21-31)

I was also very happy to have her back in the summer but this never really grew that much on me =/

= 078 The Hours 'See The Light' (35-17-08*)

= 077 The Mae Shi 'Lamb & The Lion' (39-35-28-22-19-14-12-14-20-22-28-34)

10 = 076 The Last Shadow Puppets 'Standing Next To Me' (30-18-06-02-04-07-10-18-25-32)

= 075 Davd Holmes 'Holy Pictures' (32-28-11*)

07 = 074 Shinichi Osawa 'Star Guitar' (38-25-15-07-04-03-02-06-22*)

10+ = 073 Late of the Pier 'Bathroom Gurgle' (30-17-08-04-03-02-02-02-05-09-16-23-35-39)

Love this to death at the moment!!! I think it's 2nd best on their album right after Heartbeat!

07 = 072 Kanye West ft Chris Martin 'Homecoming' (15-04-01-02-06-10-12-19-23)

His best work to date!

09 = 071 Ting Tings 'Shut Up And Let Me Go' (36-27-14-13-08-07-07-08-12-19-27-33)

[Maximo Mark]

Dec 25, 2008 15:43:37 GMT 1 Earl Purple said:

Noah & The Whale are one of the bands who have p*ssed me off by making their music hard to get hold of. I think I had to buy one of them on CD because there was no download and another one I couldn't find without DRM.

Once a band get on the bad side of me I guess I am a bit prejudiced when it comes to actually liking their music.

It's ok but given that there are loads of indie bands out there I can never work out why some make it and others don't, other than possibly they are indie bands signed to big labels and getting lots of promo...

Oxford Comma reached #2 in my chart and America #1 so they should be in the upper end of my chart of the year.

Thanks for commenting. I downloaded all three Noah singles off iTunes, although I don';t think any were on + which I know you like...

[Maximo Mark]

Dec 25, 2008 20:43:04 GMT 1 yeahyeahtron said:

10+ = 084 Vampire Weekend 'Oxford Comma' (31-21-11-06-07-08-14-19-25-34)

Although their album was in my top 10 of the year I've been rather disappointed with their single choices. After 'A-Punk' they could quite easily have had three singles challenging my top 20, however instead their follow-ups come in at 145 and 84.

I don't agree with you here! I think that Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa, A-Punk & Oxford Comma are the best 3 songs on their debut!

Thanks for your comments YYT. My three favourites on VW's album are 'A-Punk', 'Campus' and 'M79' with 'The Kids Don't Stand A Chance' not far off! I do like 'Cape Cod...' though I think I prefer the new Hot Chip and Peter Gabriel cover!

[Maximo Mark]

070 The Strange Death Of Liberal England 'Angelou' (34-25-15-11-14-19-17-20-27-36)

Their 2007 album 'Forward March!' had drawn comparisons to both Arcade Fire and less-so Pixies however I hadn't heard any material by them. I recognised the name and downloaded this standalone single in the summer, it's excellent although I can't find loads in the way of Arcade Fire similarity.

069 Mates of State 'Get Better' (38-30-20-17-11-08-08-13-26-37)

Various mentions of these throughout forums I post on intruiged me enough to download this single, the voice of Kori Gardner soon had me hooked, so lovely and welcoming. Why I still only know two songs by them I don't know!

068 M83 'We Own The Sky' (34-30-27-20*)

This is proving to be one of the slow burners of the year, I suspect in a couple of months I'll feel this should've had a far higher position. Apart from the two singles this year I know nothing of them, I'll get the album tomorrow though, all I've read is how fantastically haunting their mixture of indie, shoegaze and electronica can be. If this is anything to go by they're spot on! This is the first of four entries by French acts.

067 Hercules & Love Affair 'Blind' (26-04-06-12-17-26-32)

Antony Heggarty fronting a dance record?! It's not something I thought I'd be hearing at the turn of the year. It was intruiging and although I wasn't entirely sure at first it is very good and certainly no worse than the more emotive acoustic work he does with his Johnsons!

066 Ladyhawke 'My Delirium' (26-20-13-07*)

After buying Pip Brown's album upon its release I thought this was always the standout track and unlike the previous two singles I've not yet started to tire of it. The best track on the album but not here highest position in my top 100....

065 Coldplay 'Violet Hill' (22-10-13-22-34-38-20-10-16-24-27-37)

Coldplay's lead single was always going to gain mass hysteria, and giving it away free only added to it. I wasn't sure at first but given time and certainly after the album was released it started to make a lot more sense. For once Coldplay had released a really good single and it wasn't one of the best songs on its parent album.

064 Robyn 'Be Mine' (24-07-04-03-04-08-08-11-16-28-40)

Released in January this was always going to be a fairly big hit on my chart as I was still listening to her album a lot and 'With Every Heartbeat' was my single of 2007. It's a great song and one of the albums best.

063 Tilly & The Wall 'Beat Control' (29-14-04-02-04-06-07-12-16-30-39)

Released early on in the year I shamefully never heard it then, it wasn;t until its autumn re-issue that I cheked it out. I thought with promotion it had the potential to be a big hit but it never looked like troubling the top end of the charts.

062 Mystery Jets 'Two Doors Down' (33-19-06-03-05-09-15-21-35)

I'd hated the Mystery Jets singles off the first album so the quality of this years singles took me by huge surprise. I still never bothered with the album though, this slice of indie pop was the one of the perfect soundtracks to the summer.

061 The Hold Steady 'Seqeuestered In Memphis' (10-04-01-02-02-07-11-19-23-34)

Possibly an undeserved number one to sit alongside 'Stuck Between Stations' and 'Massive Nights' from last year but it was The Hold Steady's comeback single and I love them. It is a very good song, however there are better on the album and it's not quite as strong as previous material.

[Maximo Mark]

060 John Legend ft Andre 3000 'Green Light' (33-08-06-07-14-21-32-37 / 11-17-17-23-33)

I loved John Legend's debut album even though it's not really my thing and Andre 3000 is pretty decent too so this was always going to intruige me. It surprised me really, it's very different from what John had previously done, much more upbeat and suited to a club. It was still fantastic though. I may have overplayed it a bit when I first downloaded it but my love for it soon grew when it got a bit more promo around its official release.

059 Glasvegas 'It's My Own Cheating Heart That Makes Me Cry' (24-15-13-10-07-07-18-31)

Hyped a lot of the beginning of the year this February single was the first I'd heard of Glasvegas. I was really impressed, there's not enough moody indie around and sung in the thickest yet perfectly distinguishable Scottish accent. What's not to love?

058 Guillemots 'Kriss Kross' (25-14-05-04-04-03-06-14-23-34)

Guillemots debut 'Through The Windowpane' is one of my favourite albums ever and I was hugely anticipating their follow-up album. It may have been disappointing overall but it did have some good songs on it, this stomping opener one of them. This was probably as close as they got to 'Trains to Brazil part II'.

057 Elbow 'Grounds For Divorce' (35-32-27-25-34-39-30-27)

The lowest peaking song from my chart in the top 50, at a lowly #25. It's a great song but one that's only grown on me over time as my love for Elbow increased almost daily throughout the year. I certainly hold it in much higher regard now as I did when it was first released.

056 Foals 'Cassius' (24-06-05-08-10-15-17-25-33-40)

This time a year ago I had such high hopes for Foals. They seemed genuinely different and edgy and their three 2007 singles had all been brillaint. They started 2008 the same way with 'Cassius' however the lack of 'Mathletics' and 'Hummer' put me off buying the album. From reading what others have said about the album it was probably for the best, a shame really but they still had some great singles which make Klaxons sound as awful as they really are!

055 We Are Scientists 'After Hours' (40-31-13-07-13-27-34)

As a fan of the Scientists' debut album I was looking forward to it. I've heard it and bar this lead single I found it an huge disappointment. This was as good as they get though, reminds me a lot of the Strokes. But better, obviously.

054 T.I. ft Rihanna 'Live Your Life' (13-05-06-13-18-13*)

T.I. and Rihanna sampling O-Zone?! If someone had told me a few months ago that I'd love it I'd have laughed in their face. But it really is fantastic, completely infectious and manages to sample a rubbish song to great effect. To me this is 'Umbrella', a Rihanna duet with a rapper which sounds great at a party and everyone loves. I never did, but this is fantastic. I keep wanting to hate Rihanna but I just can't. 'You're gonna be a shiny star....' :wub:

053 Glasvegas 'Geraldine' (17-04-02-02-03-07-12-18-25-33-40)

Continuing in the same as 'My Own Cheating Heart...' but a bit better this got me all excited for their album in the summer. Slightly more anthemic and commercial than all of their other stuff it became a fairly sizeable hit and lead the way for a top 10 single and top 3 album. This is probably the song which I love the accent on most.

052 Late of the Pier 'Heartbeat' (32-19-11-08-09-10-09-12-13-14-08-14-22-34)

The follow up to their excellent May AA (still to come) I thought this was fabulous and got me excitied for the album. Not all of it was the same high quality as this but there was often a lot going on, this song especially. Possibly the greatest short verse ever included too ("Pineapple pieces in brine, f***ing around with your mind").

051 Britney Spears 'Piece of Me' (19-10-08-11-14-21-33)

Britney Spears in my end of year, and so high?! Well it is her best ever song (well, it's not really hard is it? It only had to be half-decent!). She's someone who I've always detested yet this was a slice of pop genius. Why? I can't really put my finger on it, but the appearence of Robyn and the lyrics (probably the best lyrics of the year, certainly the greatest pop lyrics by a long way) have something to do with it! More like this please Britney! ('Break The Ice' was surprisingly top too, shame about 'Womanizer' though!)

[Maximo Mark]

100-51

100 Poppy & The Jezebels 'UFO' [P.S. Remix]
99 Dodos 'Red and Purple'
98 The Futureheads 'Radio Heart'
97 Roots Manuva 'Let The Spirit'
96 Noah & The Whale '2 Bodies, 1 Heart'
95 Rihanna 'Disturbia'
94 Sons & Daughters 'Darling'
93 Friendly Fires 'Paris'
92 Hot Chip 'Ready For The Floor'
91 Noah & The Whale '5 Years Time'

90 The Count & Sinden 'Beeper'
89 Les Savy Fav 'Patty Lee'
88 Lykke Li 'I'm Good, I'm Gone'
87 Ladyhawke 'Dusk Til Dawn'
86 Clocks 'All I Can'
85 Chris Bathgate 'Serpentine'
84 Vampire Weekend 'Oxford Comma'
83 Rubies 'I Feel Electric'
82 Utah Saints 'Something Good 08'
81 The Indelicates 'America'

80 Christian Falk ft Robyn 'Dream On'
79 Imogen Heap 'Not Now But Soon'
78 The Hours 'See The Light' [Calvin Harris Remix]
77 The Mae Shi 'Lamb & The Lion'
76 Last Shadow Puppets 'Standing Next To Me'
75 David Holmes 'Holy Pictures'
74 Shinichi Osawa 'Star Guitar'
73 Late of the Pier 'Bathroom Gurgle'
72 Kanye West 'Homecoming'
71 Ting Tings 'Shut Up And Let Me Go'

70 The Strange Death Of Liberal England 'Angelou'
69 Mates of State 'Get Better'
68 M83 'We Own The Sky'
67 Hercules & Love Affair 'Blind'
66 Ladyhawke 'My Delirium'
65 Coldplay 'Violet Hill'
64 Robyn 'Be Mine'
63 Tilly & The Wall 'Beat Control'
62 Mystery Jets 'Two Doors Down'
61 The Hold Steady 'Sequesetered In Memphis'

60 John Legend ft Andre 3000 'Green Light'
59 Glasvegas 'It's My Own Cheating Heart That Makes Me Cry'
58 Guillemots 'Kriss Kross'
57 Elbow 'Grounds for Divorce'
56 Foals 'Cassius'
55 We Are Scientists 'After Hours'
54 T.I. Ft Rihanna 'Live Your Life'
53 Glasvegas 'Geraldine'
52 Late of the Pier 'Heartbeat'
51 Britney Spears 'Piece of Me'

[Maximo Mark]

Top 50 hints:

Uk chart performance:

4 UK number ones!
3 Top 5s
3 Top 10s
3 Top 20s
5 Top 40s
2 Top 75s
30 Non Top 75s!

Nationality: (in songs with featuring artists only the main artist is considered)

Australia - 3 entries
Barbados - 1
United Kingdom - 24
Canada - 3
France - 3
Germany - 1
Ireland - 1
Sweden - 1
USA - 13

Gender: (in regards to the vocalist)
Female - 17
Male - 29
Male/Female (joint vocals) - 4

One of the songs was in the ESC!

[Panda]

Dec 26, 2008 22:31:30 GMT 1 Maximo Mark said:

070 The Strange Death Of Liberal England 'Angelou' (34-25-15-11-14-19-17-20-27-36)

Their 2007 album 'Forward March!' had drawn comparisons to both Arcade Fire and less-so Pixies however I hadn't heard any material by them. I recognised the name and downloaded this standalone single in the summer, it's excellent although I can't find loads in the way of Arcade Fire similarity.

069 Mates of State 'Get Better' (38-30-20-17-11-08-08-13-26-37)

Various mentions of these throughout forums I post on intruiged me enough to download this single, the voice of Kori Gardner soon had me hooked, so lovely and welcoming. Why I still only know two songs by them I don't know!

068 M83 'We Own The Sky' (34-30-27-20*)

This is proving to be one of the slow burners of the year, I suspect in a couple of months I'll feel this should've had a far higher position. Apart from the two singles this year I know nothing of them, I'll get the album tomorrow though, all I've read is how fantastically haunting their mixture of indie, shoegaze and electronica can be. If this is anything to go by they're spot on! This is the first of four entries by French acts.

067 Hercules & Love Affair 'Blind' (26-04-06-12-17-26-32)

Antony Heggarty fronting a dance record?! It's not something I thought I'd be hearing at the turn of the year. It was intruiging and although I wasn't entirely sure at first it is very good and certainly no worse than the more emotive acoustic work he does with his Johnsons!

066 Ladyhawke 'My Delirium' (26-20-13-07*)

After buying Pip Brown's album upon its release I thought this was always the standout track and unlike the previous two singles I've not yet started to tire of it. The best track on the album but not here highest position in my top 100....

065 Coldplay 'Violet Hill' (22-10-13-22-34-38-20-10-16-24-27-37)

Coldplay's lead single was always going to gain mass hysteria, and giving it away free only added to it. I wasn't sure at first but given time and certainly after the album was released it started to make a lot more sense. For once Coldplay had released a really good single and it wasn't one of the best songs on its parent album.

064 Robyn 'Be Mine' (24-07-04-03-04-08-08-11-16-28-40)

Released in January this was always going to be a fairly big hit on my chart as I was still listening to her album a lot and 'With Every Heartbeat' was my single of 2007. It's a great song and one of the albums best.

063 Tilly & The Wall 'Beat Control' (29-14-04-02-04-06-07-12-16-30-39)

Released early on in the year I shamefully never heard it then, it wasn;t until its autumn re-issue that I cheked it out. I thought with promotion it had the potential to be a big hit but it never looked like troubling the top end of the charts.

062 Mystery Jets 'Two Doors Down' (33-19-06-03-05-09-15-21-35)

I'd hated the Mystery Jets singles off the first album so the quality of this years singles took me by huge surprise. I still never bothered with the album though, this slice of indie pop was the one of the perfect soundtracks to the summer.

061 The Hold Steady 'Seqeuestered In Memphis' (10-04-01-02-02-07-11-19-23-34)

Possibly an undeserved number one to sit alongside 'Stuck Between Stations' and 'Massive Nights' from last year but it was The Hold Steady's comeback single and I love them. It is a very good song, however there are better on the album and it's not quite as strong as previous material.

1 of those is in my top 100...

[Panda]

Dec 26, 2008 22:31:56 GMT 1 Maximo Mark said:

060 John Legend ft Andre 3000 'Green Light' (33-08-06-07-14-21-32-37 / 11-17-17-23-33)

I loved John Legend's debut album even though it's not really my thing and Andre 3000 is pretty decent too so this was always going to intruige me. It surprised me really, it's very different from what John had previously done, much more upbeat and suited to a club. It was still fantastic though. I may have overplayed it a bit when I first downloaded it but my love for it soon grew when it got a bit more promo around its official release.

059 Glasvegas 'It's My Own Cheating Heart That Makes Me Cry' (24-15-13-10-07-07-18-31)

Hyped a lot of the beginning of the year this February single was the first I'd heard of Glasvegas. I was really impressed, there's not enough moody indie around and sung in the thickest yet perfectly distinguishable Scottish accent. What's not to love?

058 Guillemots 'Kriss Kross' (25-14-05-04-04-03-06-14-23-34)

Guillemots debut 'Through The Windowpane' is one of my favourite albums ever and I was hugely anticipating their follow-up album. It may have been disappointing overall but it did have some good songs on it, this stomping opener one of them. This was probably as close as they got to 'Trains to Brazil part II'.

057 Elbow 'Grounds For Divorce' (35-32-27-25-34-39-30-27)

The lowest peaking song from my chart in the top 50, at a lowly #25. It's a great song but one that's only grown on me over time as my love for Elbow increased almost daily throughout the year. I certainly hold it in much higher regard now as I did when it was first released.

056 Foals 'Cassius' (24-06-05-08-10-15-17-25-33-40)

This time a year ago I had such high hopes for Foals. They seemed genuinely different and edgy and their three 2007 singles had all been brillaint. They started 2008 the same way with 'Cassius' however the lack of 'Mathletics' and 'Hummer' put me off buying the album. From reading what others have said about the album it was probably for the best, a shame really but they still had some great singles which make Klaxons sound as awful as they really are!

055 We Are Scientists 'After Hours' (40-31-13-07-13-27-34)

As a fan of the Scientists' debut album I was looking forward to it. I've heard it and bar this lead single I found it an huge disappointment. This was as good as they get though, reminds me a lot of the Strokes. But better, obviously.

054 T.I. ft Rihanna 'Live Your Life' (13-05-06-13-18-13*)

T.I. and Rihanna sampling O-Zone?! If someone had told me a few months ago that I'd love it I'd have laughed in their face. But it really is fantastic, completely infectious and manages to sample a rubbish song to great effect. To me this is 'Umbrella', a Rihanna duet with a rapper which sounds great at a party and everyone loves. I never did, but this is fantastic. I keep wanting to hate Rihanna but I just can't. 'You're gonna be a shiny star....' :wub:

053 Glasvegas 'Geraldine' (17-04-02-02-03-07-12-18-25-33-40)

Continuing in the same as 'My Own Cheating Heart...' but a bit better this got me all excited for their album in the summer. Slightly more anthemic and commercial than all of their other stuff it became a fairly sizeable hit and lead the way for a top 10 single and top 3 album. This is probably the song which I love the accent on most.

052 Late of the Pier 'Heartbeat' (32-19-11-08-09-10-09-12-13-14-08-14-22-34)

The follow up to their excellent May AA (still to come) I thought this was fabulous and got me excitied for the album. Not all of it was the same high quality as this but there was often a lot going on, this song especially. Possibly the greatest short verse ever included too ("Pineapple pieces in brine, f***ing around with your mind").

051 Britney Spears 'Piece of Me' (19-10-08-11-14-21-33)

Britney Spears in my end of year, and so high?! Well it is her best ever song (well, it's not really hard is it? It only had to be half-decent!). She's someone who I've always detested yet this was a slice of pop genius. Why? I can't really put my finger on it, but the appearence of Robyn and the lyrics (probably the best lyrics of the year, certainly the greatest pop lyrics by a long way) have something to do with it! More like this please Britney! ('Break The Ice' was surprisingly top too, shame about 'Womanizer' though!)

And 2 of those...

[Panda]

Dec 26, 2008 22:56:15 GMT 1 Maximo Mark said:

4 UK number ones!

Wow! I think there's only 1 in mine...

Dec 26, 2008 22:56:15 GMT 1 Maximo Mark said:

Nationality: (in songs with featuring artists only the main artist is considered)

Australia - 3 entries
Barbados - 1
United Kingdom - 24
Canada - 3
France - 3
Germany - 1
Ireland - 1
Sweden - 1
USA - 13

No Barbados (I think we can guess who) or Ireland in my chart. I do have Norway and Denmark, though.

Dec 26, 2008 22:56:15 GMT 1 Maximo Mark said:

One of the songs was in the ESC!

If it's the one I'm thinking of, it's in my chart too!

[TheThorne]

Dec 25, 2008 15:43:37 GMT 1 Earl Purple said:

It's ok but given that there are loads of indie bands out there I can never work out why some make it and others don't, other than possibly they are indie bands signed to big labels and getting lots of promo...

In Vampire Weekend case it was 'Word of mouth' they had loads of reviews and writeups on blogs and as people heard their stuff they recommended it to their friends. My wife actually heard them before I did on Steve Lamacq on Radio 6 and she was talking about an indie band that sounded African and sang about 'Mansard Roof' I though 'Thats nice dear' and never thought much of it but as word spread and hype grew I got sucked in as well.

They are on XL Recordings which although now owned by a major is a very strong badge of quality and this also would have attracted interest in them.

They are different and sometimes that can do it for a band.