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Post by blondini on Dec 30, 2016 20:41:16 GMT 1
HITS
30 The National - Morning Dew
The group curated a mammoth box set of covers of The Grateful Dead, of which this was one of their contributions. If only radio had picked it up, this is fantastic adult rock and better than any of the previous versions of the song.
ALBUMS
30 Britney Spears - Glory DEEZER
Yeah, some of it is dodgy but the slow tracks are among the best she's done.
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Post by blondini on Dec 30, 2016 20:55:36 GMT 1
HITS
29 Nina Nesbitt - Chewing Gum / Take You To Heaven / Masquerade (Modern Love EP) DEEZER EP STREAM
It's criminal that radio ignored Chewing Gum (not a cover of Annie!). :evil: But at least UKMix still like her.
ALBUMS
29 Kitten - Heaven Or Somewhere In Between (MA) DEEZER
Stopgap while we wait for the second full-length. Not as amazing as can be but better than most of this ilk- two fifths of this are on the songs list.
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Post by blondini on Dec 30, 2016 21:09:05 GMT 1
HITS
28 Zayn and Taylor Swift - I Don't Wanna Live Forever
So Zayn had a great single in PillowTalk (to my amazement) and a decent album but this is his only YE appearance. Composed with and produced by Swift regular Jack Antonoff from Fun. and Bleachers, this is gorgeous. Obviously it's not been fully marketed yet so all the early YE listers can say to me "well it doesn't have a proper video yet, it's basically a pre-release". :wink: Nope, it's a 2016 release and this is why i hold out till the last days of December. :lol: Cause i have it on my list and you don't! So there!
ALBUMS
28 Chairlift - Moth DEEZER
Not enough of the great pop sounds of Something for me. Damn shame they've split. :cry:
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Post by blondini on Dec 30, 2016 21:21:01 GMT 1
HITS
27 Charli XCX - Explode
Not a single but Atlantic Records uploaded an audio stream video for this, which constitutes a tiny bit of marketing for The Angry Birds Movie in which Charli also voiced a character. I've not seen the film and Charli didn't even mention this song on her Twitter which suggests it's a cast-off from Sucker that she forgot about. It's a great throwaway dance-pop track, better than After The Afterparty for me. Pity it wasn't pushed more strongly.
ALBUMS
27 Ramin Djawadi - Game Of Thrones Season 6 (OTVST) DEEZER
Probably the best set yet, certainly popular after the explosive season finale.
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Post by blondini on Dec 30, 2016 21:33:21 GMT 1
HITS
26 Charlotte Hatherley - A Sign DEEZER STREAM
Released unexpectedly early on Christmas Eve, this stunning synth track by former Ash and Bat For Lashes live member doesn't even have a video link yet!
ALBUMS
26 Ladyhawke - Wild Things DEEZER
Again, not the classic her debut was but slightly better than the confused second album. She's back to synths and better for it.
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Post by blondini on Dec 30, 2016 21:50:04 GMT 1
HITS
25 Lock - Everlasting Road
Think of a midway point between old-style Veronicas and The Pierces. Great melodic pop-rock from sisters Edie and Gita (formerly known as The Langley Sisters). This was played on XFM but i'm surprised Radio 2 didn't cream over it.
ALBUMS
25 Jamie-Lee - Berlin DEEZER
Unfairly maligned at Eurovision, this teenager was the winner of The Voice Of Germany and this is a decent set of quirky pop. She has a great voice, they should have just laid off with the costumes at ESC. Was too big a moment for her to cope with, i think. :cry:
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Post by blondini on Dec 30, 2016 22:00:37 GMT 1
HITS
24 Angela Perley and The Howlin' Moons - Electric Flame
A great find this group were, hidden away on BBC Radio Scotland's playlist (not with this and they're American). This is Americana with a stunning vocalist. This is from recent album Homemade Visions. One more to come.
ALBUMS
24 Avec Sans - Heartbreak Hi DEEZER
Closing today's batch is this synth duo who have built a cult following over the past few years. This set is a bit like a hits set to me. If you liked old style Little Boots and Saint Etienne...
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Post by blondini on Dec 31, 2016 22:30:46 GMT 1
HITS
23 White Lies - Come On
This was used in (at least) two UK soaps but they still haven't pushed it as a "proper" single yet. One more from them to come.
ALBUMS
23 Delerium - Mythologie DEEZER
Great chill-out. Features Phildel who i love.
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Post by blondini on Dec 31, 2016 22:43:09 GMT 1
HITS
22 Janet Devlin - Wake Up, It's Christmas
She did something even Spice Girls didn't do on my chart - two Christmas number ones in a row! Last year's December Daze was YE #21, she's one place lower this year with a haunting ballad about getting over a failed relationship - at Christmas. Radio 2 should have woken up.
ALBUMS
22 Holly Henry - King Paten DEEZER
And this girl is quite similar! Debut full length for the best contestant on The Voice US by far.
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Post by blondini on Dec 31, 2016 22:55:26 GMT 1
HITS
21 Angela Perley and The Howlin' Moons - Hurricane
From the 2013 album Hey Kid.
ALBUMS
21 Banks - The Altar DEEZER
Though more consistent than Goddess (#4) it was not as full of classic tracks. And - to my astonishment - i didn't purchase it. Couple of tracks from it missed my 50 but made the shortlist (around 80) - Gemini Feed, Mind Games.
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Post by blondini on Dec 31, 2016 23:05:35 GMT 1
HITS
20 Leonard Cohen - You Want It Darker
His biggest single on my chart even before his death - broody, adult pop.
ALBUMS
20 Kid Cudi - Passion, Pain and Demon Slayin' DEEZER
Released mid-December, this is Cudi at his best - full of atmosphere, textures and grooves. Way more invention here than in Kanye's Life Of Pablo. And all that hideously overplayed, overstreamed Drake stuff. But radio doesn't want to know. :-? Frequency missed my Hits YE 50.
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Post by blondini on Dec 31, 2016 23:17:45 GMT 1
HITS
19 Christine and The Queens - Narcissus Is Back
Everyone loves Tilted, i prefer this track on the album (from 2011!!) - really spiky with a great video. Album missed my 50.
ALBUMS
19 Bat For Lashes - The Bride DEEZER
Once one of my absolute faves, she's now er, NOT. :lol: :oops: This works better as an album than as a set of isolated songs.
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Post by blondini on Dec 31, 2016 23:35:33 GMT 1
HITS
18 Julian Winding - The Demon Dance
Stunning electronic track from the film The Neon Demon (used extensively in the trailer). Julian is director Nicolas Winding Refn's nephew and son of Brigitte Nielsen. The score itself (mainly by Cliff Martinez) missed my 50.
ALBUMS
18 Bright Light Bright Light - Choreography DEEZER
Featuring Elton John and every Scissor Sister, Rod Thomas' third album of pop was a big improvement on the second though not the standard of the debut.
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Post by blondini on Dec 31, 2016 23:52:08 GMT 1
HITS
17 The Jezabels - My Love Is My Disease
It's a constant irritation that the media ignores this radio-friendly alt-pop/rock band from Australia. But i'll wheel out the references again and people will ignore them again. :roll: :cry: Pretenders, Cranberries and on this album synths underpinning their trademark guitar sound. Admittedly, their videos have gotten rather weirder!
ALBUMS
17 Leonard Cohen - You Want It Darker DEEZER
Same YE position as last album Popular Problems. I wasn't totally convinced at first but his death highlighted lyrics i hadn't appreciated (Leaving The Table is of note).
16-11 will be posted next year. Happy 2017 (can't be any worse :-? ).
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Post by blondini on Jan 2, 2017 0:51:19 GMT 1
HITS
16 Beyond The Wizard's Sleeve with Hannah Peel - Diagram Girl
Producer Erol Alkan and Richard Norris (The Grid) have been remixing acts for a few years and finally put out their own album of psychedelic dance / indie. This features a female vocal treated to sound male and is very similar to my #2 song of the year (big clue! :wink: ). Both songs sound like M83 used to sound.
ALBUMS
16 David Bowie - Blackstar DEEZER
Next door to Cohen on my list. :cry: :cry: A lot better than The Next Day and incredibly brave final testament. Lazarus missed the 50.
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Post by blondini on Jan 2, 2017 1:06:08 GMT 1
HITS
15 Allie X - All The Rage
Canadian pop singer's best yet. The election lyric is spot on concerning some idiots this year! Yet again, radio doesn't want to know.
ALBUMS
15 Vaults - Caught In Still Life DEEZER
Don't like the bland Randy Crawford cover from the hyped John Lewis ad that was rightly ignored by radio. The rest of this long-gestating debut is the kind of slick beat-driven urban pop that London Grammar do. Radio should definitely NOT be ignoring the likes of Cry No More and Hurricane. :evil: Another "greatest hits" set on this list by my chart terms.
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Post by blondini on Jan 2, 2017 1:16:25 GMT 1
HITS
14 Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds - I Need You
This warm synth ballad could almost be The Killers or Springsteen. Radio needs to get with it.
ALBUMS
14 The Jezabels - Synthia DEEZER
Already said it. It's synthier, gettit? :wink:
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Post by blondini on Jan 2, 2017 1:38:25 GMT 1
HITS
13 Pixie Geldof - Woman Go Wild
Of all the women that have been inspired by Lana Del Rey this is the best song from any of them. Gorgeous. Yes, she's Bob's daughter. No, this isn't her first foray into music - she lead the group Violet before this. Do i need to keep saying this next sentence? Bloody radio! :lol: :evil: :roll: I might have to start my own station! :lol: Paula and Michael's daughter Fifi is in the vid, too - though i'm not sure where! :oops:
ALBUMS
13 Equador - Bones Of Man DEEZER
Bo Bruce was a contestant on The Voice UK and had my #13 album of 2013 with Before I Sleep. She's now put her Sarah McLachlan-ish vocals to great use with Zero 7's Henry Binns (who i'm only now finding out are MARRIED! ). In a great year for chillout music this rates high.
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Post by blondini on Jan 2, 2017 1:53:57 GMT 1
HITS
12 Kitten - Fall On Me
Highest this year for Chloe (Charli's mate and Break The Rules co-star, remember :wink: ). And my avatar. More classic retro glamour pop, this time harking back not to 80s synths but 60s Spector.
ALBUMS
12 White Lies - Friends DEEZER
This contains some great singles but it's a bit lightweight for them both lyrically and musically. Their darkness needs to come back at least a little. Which doesn't mean it's bad, cause #12 is miraculous for an "indie" act on my chart these days!
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Post by blondini on Jan 2, 2017 2:10:13 GMT 1
HITS
11 All Saints - One Woman Man
This could be their greatest song for me. Big soaring melody, like their old style but updated and ramped up to 11. It was a pre-order / grat single at first and topped my chart and was eventually a "proper" single but only by way of remixes. They performed a truncated version on TV but seemingly they were put off making a video by the general indifference of the public response to One Strike and the over-rated (on UKMix) This Is A War which i found to be trip-pop by numbers and soul-less.
ALBUMS
11 Sophie Ellis-Bextor - Familia DEEZER
I really wasn't keen on her folk-pop album Wanderlust with Ed Harcourt. Thankfully their second collab brings back the beats for a lot of it and the folk-pop all works.
10-6 revealed tomorrow.
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