10
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Justin Timberlake - Rock Your Body
Artist link: 11  20  28
I'd never particularly been a fan of N*Sync, but it's amazing what decent production and a few top tunes can do. It warms the cockles to know we have the new Michael Jackson now we have no use for the old one. Let's just hope he doesn't turn too weird (showing a liking for Llamas is usually a bad sign). Embarassingly, I have been known to attempt to copy the beatbox bit from this song. When I do it though, it ends up sounding the noises a ZX Spectrum used to make when it was loading a game. I bet Justin is too young to even know what one of them is.
Andrew S
No of votes: 18, Score:
115, Highest vote: 1st
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9
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Foo Fighters - Times Like These
Artist link:6  18  20  35
After last year's larynx shredding with "All My Life", there may have been some cause for concern about Dave Grohl. Still, seasoned Foo's fans know that sometimes he just has to open up the throttle as far as it will go (check out "Monkey Wrench" for some more tonsil tearing vocals). This is an anthem of entirely different proportions, but the right from the first dischord riff you feel the adrenaline rush, and from there on you're hooked until the end. I love rock music, but it isn't that often that you hear a rock song that sounds so unashamedly positive and leaves you feeling, well, human again, but this song does it and more so - a modern rock anthem to counter the hassle of modern life.
Jason M
No of votes: 21, Score:
111, Highest vote: 1st
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8
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Black Eyed Peas - Where Is The Love
Artist link:43
Ber-limey! Just look at it out there - the world's gone kerrrrrrazy! All this global terrorism, capitalism causing a greater gap between those who have and have not, you know what we need? Yeah, peace anthems aren't exactly new, but this much is for sure - the only way it's going to work is either with some extremely clever lyrics or a melody that penetrates your brain like some musical form of nerve gas. Now, with a chorus that goes "People killin', people dyin', Children hurt and you hear them cryin'" you can guess which I think is the main ingredient for this massively successful song. It's hugely radio friendly, and the fact it was the biggest selling single of the year continues to show that rap / R&B is the premier musical flava of choice with the masses.
Jason M
No of votes: 23, Score:
115, Highest vote: 1st
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7
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Will Young - Leave Right Now
That Will Young chap, right. He goes and wins Pop Idol, release 3 passable covers, then an album that's full of completely unexpected tracks - so much more laid back - then buggers off for a year. Has he 'done a Sneddon' and jacked it in? No, he's been away and actually thought about what he wants to perform, then comes back with what is one of the most beautiful songs of the year. No thinking this guy should 'leave right now before he falls any deeper' because Mr Young is most definitely here to stay. Pop Idol who?
Kat B
No of votes: 23, Score:
121, Highest vote: 1st
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6
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Evanescence - Bring Me To Life
Artist link:40
Despite owning one of the most idiotic band names in recent memory, Evanescense have had a pretty good year, not least with this memorable Number One. You remember, the one that sounds as if Tori Amos was hired to front Linkin Park? The nice touch here is that it's a goth / rock band with a female vocalist, which makes for a funky combination. As far as I'm concerned, if you don't like this, you don't like music.
Angela T
No of votes: 23, Score:
151, Highest vote: 1st
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5
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Outkast - Hey Ya
Artist link: 21
It's more than catchy, it's contagious. Layered with hooks, it grabs from the start and doesn't let you go. Even my boss has been known to hum along to the only song that compares booty to a polaroid picture. Nowadays Outkast aren't so much of a twosome, the current double album is far from a collabrative effort rather two solo albums stuck together. But who cares so long as they're releasing records like this.
Paul M
No of votes: 25, Score:
156, Highest vote: 1st
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3
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Beyonce feat Jay-Z - Crazy In Love
The first time you heard the hook, you knew that Beyonce, the harmonic generator, was about to explode. EVERYONE loved Crazy In Love; not just the chart shows who knew that the rump-shaking video was doubling their viewing figures or the diligent-but-lowly mortals whose job it is to find music for TV trails and radio sports montages. Even Radio 2 played it, causing weekend presenters of no discernible retirement age to attempt jokes about it being "Jay-Z like a Sunday morning". Crazy In Love is a near-perfect blast of sexual energy, which kicked summer 2003 up the ass until it delivered the kind of heat that the tune deserved - much of the credit for that goes to producer Rich Harrison for sourcing the riff of the year from The Chi-Lites and for suggesting to Miss Knowles that she fill in the gaps with some melodic grunting. Uh-oh, oh momma!
Danny G
No of votes: 32, Score:
236, Highest vote: 1st
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2
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The Darkness - I Believe In A Thing Called Love
Artist link:13
"Now children, The Darkness are a rare band indeed", "Why’s that Granny?" "Because they all play an instrument, and perform their own songs without the help of a corporate make-over and obligatory personality injection. In fact my dears, they rock like old school muthas. In my day, all great rock songs had The Darkness’ overblown riff laden glory. Thankfully, in "I Believe.." the lads have raided the sacred rock archives and we’re treated to Justin’s now trademark falsetto, a sing-a-long chorus, pounding percussion and a Thin Lizzy inspired twin guitar sound". "But Granny, are The Darkness a revivalist, tongue-in-cheek, pseudo-cock rock band?" "Who gives a fuck kids, lets RAWK!"
Liza H
No of votes: 34, Score:
238, Highest vote: 1st
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1
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The White Stripes - Seven Nation Army
Artist link:7 14 38 38
Virtually the antithesis of The Darkness, The White Stripes made this year the transition from just making waves to crashing back onto the alternative scene with the force of a tsunami. Jack White wants the sound as raw as possible, so he ensures that all the instruments and recording equipment are pre-1960s. This is not a sound crafted by some clever effects and a talented production engineer, this is something far more inspiring - music with all the intensity delivered by 2 people and their understanding of how to make a wall of sound from a guitar and a drum kit. We've seen pop top the poll for the past 3 years, so it's good to see The White Stripes turning the tide, giving rock music the crown at last.
Jason M
No of votes: 35, Score:
201, Highest vote: 1st
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Thanks go to the following people for assisting with getting together our comprehensive aide-memoire: Danny G, Kat B, Caz T, Isaac H
A MASSIVE THANKS also to all those who slaved over a hot keyboard to produce the write ups: Danny G, Caz T, Paul M, Kat B, Andrew S, Angela T, Isaac H, P Shoo, Liza H, Dan Mc, Kevin B, Harley R, Karen G
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