My Random Music Blog: May 2025

We've reached the end of the 50s which is largely unchartered territory for me. As the decade has gone on we've seen the inevitable increase in quantity of records thanks to more chart positions available. But what about quality?

Well if we start with the positives. The best record, "Smoke Gets In Your Eyes" is a well known classic with origins going back to way before the charts began but done in a style which was modern for it's time. The same could be said about "Baby Face" by Little Richard too.

We have an original composition in 3rd place from Buddy Holly which could also be labelled as a well known classic, but we all know what happened to Buddy Holly once we were in February.

Slim Dusty gives us a novelty record with "A Pub With No Beer" which gets it's high placing for the simple fact I find it funny. It was however a 2 year old record by the time it hit the UK charts.

Whilst we have a handful of records that sound modern for their time, I would say around half the records wouldn't sound out of place in 1953. Had the charts remained a Top 12 like 1953 then none of these records would feature because they charted below 12.

However that doesn't always make them bad records. The Frankie Vaughan record "That's My Doll" is one I'd consider old fashioned but is quite a fun record.

Then we have the inevitable record with multiple versions, "The World Outside". I was pleasantly surprised by the Russ Conway version, least of all because everything I've heard of his is a forgettable piano medley. The Four Aces version is almost as good, the Ronnie Hilton version not so good.

We have Cliff Richard charting in January for the first time and despite it being one of the more modern sounding records I find it bad enough to score a zero. It's not as bad as the novelty records from Max Bygraves and Alma Cogan below it.

Had this been a Top 12 then it would have scored higher than 1953. As it's a Top 30 though it doesn't.

Score: 32

As we've reached the end of the decade, time to look at the table so far:

I thought I'd go for a graph this time. The mid-table slump perhaps suggested that rock n roll needed to happen. Not a great deal of variation between the years though.

2001: The Good Old Days? - October

In May 2002 we went back into the UK garage era and every month we've gone backwards since we've had at least one UK garage new entry. In October 2001 there were 5 of them so we're really in the thick of it now.

We have "Sambuca" by Wideboys & Dennis G which I'm certain I heard long before this but good record nonetheless. We do however have the MC driven garage in "Course Bruv" by Genius Cru and "Bouncing Flow" by K2 Family which aren't so good. The Streets debuted with the garage record "Has It Come To This" which again isn't to my liking. Then jumping on the UK garage bandwagon is Liberty X with their debut "Thinking It Over" which consisted of Popstars contestants who didn't make it into Hear'Say. Again no points.

Mis-Teeq had their first R&B single with "One Night Stand" though it does have a garage section in it which pretty much makes the tune. There's some great beats by Dr Dre on "Family Affair" by Mary J Bliuge which again makes the tune.

The best record of the month is also an R&B record which is "Where The Party At?" by Jagged Edge ft Nelly. It's the first proper tune on the "Jagged Little Thrill" album which is a great album.

One of the singles I bought this month was "It's Over" by Kurupt. Yes it does sound a bit childish but I do enjoy it. Lisa 'Left Eye' Lopes went in a similar direction with her solo hit "The Block Party" but I can't say I like that one.

We have "2 People" by Jean Jacques Smoothie, a record I bought on vinyl. It never really went with the other tunes I had on vinyl though which were more the harder side of dance music.

We had "Fat Lip" which was the debut Top 40 hit for Sum 41. It was a record which mixed punk with nu metal, not a concept I was keen on but I have to concede that I like it. Likewise we had "First Date" by Blink 182 which was very American high school but I do like it.

The worst record goes to Girls@Play with "Respectable". They were one of many short lived girl groups from around this time and it was a cover of the Mel & Kim record.

Here's a list of the records with the best on top, worst at the bottom and the good ones in green, OK ones in amber and rubbish ones in red (and in no particular order):

Score: 31%

Here's a look at the chart:

If we look at the final quarter of the years we've looked at so far then 2001 is considerably better.

Tuesday, 20 May 2025

UK Number 40s: Bill Withers - Ain't No Sunshine (2009)

Two questions are probably springing to mind here, did this really only make number 40? and did this really not come out until 2009?

The record was originally from 1971, a time when Bill Withers was yet to have a Top 40 hit in the UK. There was however a version by Michael Jackson that made the Top 10 in 1972. Bill Withers had his first Top 40 hit that year with "Lean On Me" and then with "Lovely Day" in 1978.

By 2009 a record could get into charts purely on downloads. On the TV show Britain's Got Talent one of the contestants sang "Ain't No Sunshine". That performance had enough of an impact for the general public to go and download the Bill Withers original version and as a result it made the Top 40.

Monday, 19 May 2025

UK Number 40s: Killers - Spaceman (2009)

One could argue that The Killers are the most successful UK chart act of all time. At the time you're reading this there is a good chance that "Mr. Brightside" is currently in the charts.

They made their Top 40 debut in 2004 with "Somebody Told Me". It was the time when indie music was starting to take over the UK charts. No doubt many people thought The Killers were British as a result, but they hail from Las Vegas which is a place I don't imagine people to actually come from, just a place where people holiday.

This record was originally released in 2008 but finally climbed to number 40 in 2009. With "Mr. Brightside" seemingly ever present in the charts though it doesn't really matter how any other their other records are doing in the charts.

Sunday, 18 May 2025

Top 30 in 1999 Reviewed: Week 20

Here's my weekly look at the Top 30 from 26 years ago. The plan is for these posts to go out at 17:30 on a Sunday.

Here is the Top 40 in full.

I've decided against repetition from previous weeks moving forward so will only feature the records I'm reviewing for the first time. I also won't repeat the reviews from the Top 20 in 1999 Reviewed posts.

Once again my opinions are inevitably going to differ from other people, but I'm not trying to convince anyone something is good or rubbish, I'm simply giving my opinion.

So this is the records new to the top 30 from this week in 1999 with my verdict on each record:

30. DMX - Slippin'

This was the Top 40 debut for DMX which was from his 2nd album "Flesh of My Flesh, Blood of My Blood". It's a pretty calm record by DMX standards, I guess that eased people in to his other material. I own said album and all his other early albums, so I was quite a fan.

Verdict - Good

28. Barenaked Ladies - It's All Been Done

This was the other hit for Barenaked Ladies and their final Top 40 hit to date. As mentioned with their big hit, they were an all male band despite their name. This was written by a different band member, but I can't help but think it's all been done in their big hit and I didn't like that one.

Verdict - Rubbish

22. Veracocha - Carte Blanche

There were a number of trance records that were by Ferry Corsten under different names. He'd already had a Top 40 hit as System F and now here he is alongside Vincent De Moor as Veracocha. It's the sort of record that would divide opinion, some would say it's good and euphoric and some will say it's crap and obvious. I'm one of those who likes it.

Verdict - Good

If we give the records which were good 1 point each and those which were OK half a point, the final score is 17/30, or 57%. The same as last week.

Thursday, 15 May 2025

January Charts: 1958

Here are the new entries ranked from best to worst:

1. Danny And The Juniors - At The Hop

2. Bill Justis - Raunchy

3. Jim Dale - Just Born (To Be Your Baby)

4. Larry Williams - Bony Moronie

5. Sam Cooke - You Send Me

6. Charlie Gracie - Cool Baby

7. Jim Dale - Crazy Dream

8. Elvis Presley - Jailhouse Rock

9. Elvis Presley - I'm Left, You're Right, She's Gone

10. Eydie Gorme - Love Me Forever

11. Marion Ryan - Love Me Forever

12. Michael Holliday - The Story Of My Life

13. Gary Miller - The Story Of My Life

14. Dave King - The Story Of My Life

15. Kaye Sisters - Shake Me I Rattle/Alone

16. Johnny Otis Show - Bye Bye Baby

This is really the first batch of records that tells me that rock n roll has properly arrived. The best record "At The Hop" is one of those records that I've known all my life that showcases how teenagers used to live in the 50s.

Instrumental rock has also arrived in the shape of "Raunchy" by Bill Justis, a record that's perhaps best known as the tune that George Harrison played when he auditioned to be in the Beatles.

Elvis Presley had 19 hits prior to 1958 but this is the first time he entered the charts in January and he did it twice. Chart topper "Jailhouse Rock" is the better known of these records and the better one in my opinion, though both are my least favourite of what I'd describe as being cool records for the time.

We have the debut of Sam Cooke which is "You Send Me", a pretty well known record that topped the American charts but only made number 29 here. It's one of 7 records that wouldn't feature if the charts were still a Top 20.

If it was still a Top 20 we'd only have 1 version of "Love Me Forever" which is the Marion Ryan version. However I prefer the Eydie Gorme version, though I don't particularly like either.

We would still have all 3 versions of "The Story Of My Life" if it was still a Top 20. It was the first Burt Bacharach and Hal David composition to make the UK charts but none of the versions were the original. Michael Holiday had the chart topper and once again we have Gary Miller providing an alternative version of a song. None of them are to my liking.

Down the bottom we have "Bye Bye Baby" by Johnny Otis Show which I guess you could describe as being the 50s equivalent of Jive Bunny. Not quite bad enough to give a zero to but it was close.

Overall I'd say the positives are rock n roll and the negatives are the same songs being repeated.

Score: 36

Dutch top 40 1995: Week 20

These were the new entries in the Dutch Top 40 that never made the UK Top 40:

Frans Bauer - Waarom Heb Jij Mij Verlaten

We say hello again to Frans Bauer who we first saw in the 2nd week. Here we have a record that sound just like the hit he had in that 2nd week. We'll be seeing him again, the question is will his next hit sound the same too.

Lick ft Kentucky Martha - I'm The Girl Of Your Dreams

Lick is a Dutch act who never had a UK Top 40 hit, but it's 2 members had hits by other means. They were Peran Van Dijk who had a minor Top 40 hit with "Good Time" in 2002 under the name Peran. Then there was Wessel Van Diepen, one of the men behind Nakatomi, Vengaboys and Alice Deejay. Kentucky Martha is a Dutch drag queen. As you can imagine then, this is a cheesy Eurodance record. It was their 2nd and final Dutch Top 40 hit.

2001: The Good Old Days? - November

We've already established that we're now back in the era when dance music was big in the charts. There were no shortage of dance records in November 2001. However there were more rap and R&B records so this is where we'll start.

The only rap or R&B record to get full marks that I didn't buy the album of is "Ugly" by Bubba Sparxxx. The ones I do own as part of the albums are "Fight Music" by D12, "Livin It Up" by Ja Rule ft Case, "Letter 2 My Unborn" by 2Pac and "Fallin" by Alicia Keys.

That's all the rap records getting full marks but just the one R&B record. The rest of the R&B records all get zero even though these were the early days of me declaring myself as an R&B fan. With the likes of Destiny's Child having hits though it shouldn't be too much of a surprise.

I got into R&B off the back of being into UK garage. This month there were 2 UK garage records but neither were any good and part of the reason for the genres demise. We have "They Don't Know" by So Solid Crew which needs no further explanation. Then we have "Messin" by Ladies First, a girl group jumping on the garage bandwagon.

Trance music is a mixed bag. There's a zero for vocal records "Stay With Me" by Angelic and "Dreams" by Miss Shiva. The vocal record "Underwater" gets half a mark though. Instrumental trance record "The Legacy" by Push gets full marks.

There isn't a bad house record this month and that includes "Rapture" by IIO which I do like despite the fact it appeared to inspire a lot of vocal rubbish in later years. We also have "Harder Better Faster Stronger" by Daft Punk which I could almost tell would be a single when I first heard it on the album.

It's not Daft Punk who give us the best record though, it's a record from the punk world. I'd bought Green Days "Warning" album the day it was released a year or so prior to this. I found the album to be disappointing but one exception was the track "Waiting" which was different in a good way.

The worst record comes from Cher. After her late 90s revival with her autotune nonsense it seemed like that phase was over by 2001. But then came "The Music's No Good Without You". Fortunately that was the end.

Here's a list of the records with the best on top, worst at the bottom and the good ones in green, OK ones in amber and rubbish ones in red (and in no particular order):

Score: 28%

Here's a look at the chart:

It's looking more promising but lets see how the rest of the year pans out.

Tuesday, 13 May 2025

UK Number 40s: Status Quo - It's Christmas Time (2008)

It had been almost 51 years since Status Quo made their Top 40 debut with "Pictures Of Matchstick Men". This was single number 56 for them, at the time just Elvis Presley, Cliff Richard, Elton John, Madonna and David Bowie could have claimed to have more.

This was the only Christmas Top 40 hit they had and it followed that same Status Quo formula that we'd all become familiar with.

Status Quo had been considered old fashioned for quite some time by this point. They were famously banned on Radio 1 in the mid-90s for that very reason. Yet here they were outliving many of those new mid-90s acts whose Top 40 career had long been finished by this point.

They weren't finished with this either. One more Top 40 hit came in 2010 which made them the first band to have Top 40 hits in the 60s, 70s, 80s, 90s, 00s and 10s.

Monday, 12 May 2025

UK Number 40s: Pudsey's Beautiful Dreamers with The Tartan Army - We Have A Dream (2008)

"We Have A Dream" was the official Scotland World Cup record back in 1982. This was then covered by a collective of collaborators in 2008 for Children In Need.

It was lead by BA Robertson who wrote the record and had a chart career of his own back in the early 80s. Not everyone on the record was Scottish but it's certainly the Scottish ones who stand out on the record.

The fact it was for Children In Need meant that people would have gone out and bought it regardless of what the music sounded like. At the same time though, it does seem a bit baffling using a Scottish football song for Children In Need. The reality is that most of the UK population is English and therefore won't buy a record that is pro-Scotland.

Sunday, 11 May 2025

Top 30 in 1999 Reviewed: Week 19

Here's my weekly look at the Top 30 from 26 years ago. The plan is for these posts to go out at 17:30 on a Sunday.

26. Kelly Price - Secret Love

I would classify this record as not aged very well. I like a lot of 90s R&B music but when I take off my rose tinted specs I can see there was a lot of rubbish too. There was too much of it that sounded like this and sounds like it was made to sell to the masses rather than be decent musically.

Verdict - Rubbish

25. Groove Armada - If Everybody Looked The Same

This was the Top 40 debut for Groove Armada and it was a pretty well known record, but was quickly overshadowed by the follow up record "At the River". Groove Armada have had some pretty good tunes over the years and this was one of them.

Verdict - Good

24. Korn - Freak On A Leash

Korn are one of those bands who have had more Top 40 hits than you might think. They've had a total of 11 which have mostly charted in the lower reaches of the Top 40. This is perhaps their best known hit though, it's the one I think of when I hear the name Korn. Not my cup of tea though.

Verdict - Rubbish

22. Boney M Vs Horny United - Ma Baker/Somebody Screamed

Boney M had a pretty successful Top 40 career in the late 70s. Since then their chart hits have mostly been remakes of their big hits. In the case of this record it's a Sash! remix of their 1977 number 2 hit. Doesn't really do anything for me.

Verdict - Rubbish

If we give the records which were good 1 point each and those which were OK half a point, the final score is 17/30, or 57%. Slight drop over last week.

Friday, 9 May 2025

Dutch Top 40 1995: Week 19

These were the new entries in the Dutch Top 40 that never made the UK Top 40:

Irene Moor & De Smurfen - K Heb Nieuwe Schoenen

We're now into 3rd hit of the year territory with this record. After topping the charts with their "No Limit" cover they never reached the same heights with the 2 follow ups and this will be the last we'll see of them. It's in Dutch, but it's a cover of "I Like To Move It" by Reel 2 Real.

Ronald & Peter Beense En Het Ajax Koor - Ay Ay Ay Ajax

Ajax would have been confirmed Dutch champions by this point so we have yet another cheesy football record. Ronald & Peter Beense are not brothers like you may think, Ronald is yet another 1 named singer. He was a school mate of fellow Dutch singer Rene Froger. This was his 3rd and final Dutch Top 40 hit. Peter Beense is also an actor and this was his only Dutch Top 40 hit.

Thursday, 8 May 2025

January Charts: 1957

Here are the new entries ranked from best to worst:

1. Fats Domino - Ain't That A Shame

2. Platters - You'll Never Never Know/It Isn't Right

3. Johnnie Ray - You Don't Owe Me A Thing/Look Homeward Angel

4. Mitchell Torok - Red Light Green Light

5. Lonnie Donegan - Don't You Rock Me Daddy-O

6. Vipers Skiffle Group - Don't You Rock Me Daddy-O

7. Alma Cogan - You, Me And Us

8. Joe Valino - The Garden Of Eden

9. Frankie Vaughan - The Garden Of Eden

10. Gary Miller - The Garden Of Eden

11. Dick James - The Garden Of Eden

12. Four Aces - Friendly Persuasion

13. David Whitfield - The Adoration Waltz

The best record from this batch is an example of why the charts can be detached from what's actually happening in the music world. That's because "Ain't That A Shame" by Fats Domino is from 1955 and a far inferior cover by Pat Boone charted at the time.

Just missing out on top spot is the Platters with both sides of the record decent. Incidentally both this and the Fats Domino record made number 23 in the charts. Had both records come out a year earlier when it was still a Top 20 instead of Top 30 then neither would have charted.

No such problem for 3rd placed Johnny Ray who was a pleasant surprise. Despite him being one of the artists in the first chart of 1952 he was still able to top the charts in the rock n roll era though not with this particular record.

Another pleasant surprise came from Alma Cogan. Many of her records were novelty hits but this record actually isn't bad and is the best song from a female artist so far.

We have 2 skiffle records this time round, Lonnie Donegan and Vipers Skiffle Group with their respective versions "Don't You Rock Me Daddy-O". Lonnie Donegan's version is the cover but I think it's slightly better.

It goes without saying that I'm now sick of hearing "The Garden Of Eden" having listened to 4 different versions. Joe Valino had the original and Frankie Vaughan had the chart topping version. Gary Miller and Dick James had also done their own versions of "Robin Hood" the previous year, this was the only other hit for Dick James and Gary Miller had a year long gap between these 2 hits, but he'll be back.

David Whitfield sounded old fashioned even when he made his debut in 1953 let alone in the rock n roll era where he hadn't updated his sound and finishes bottom as a result, though not bad enough for a zero.

Aside from hearing "The Garden Of Eden" too much it's been an easier listen than the last 2 years and the score reflects this, though it falls slightly short of the 1953 score. Due to the small quantity of songs though it would be mathematically impossible for them to have exactly the same score so I guess they're on a par with each other.

Score: 35

2001: The Good Old Days? - December

One thing I remember the band Ash saying at the start of 2001 was that it was going to be the year of rock. If we make that definition guitar music then based on the new entries in December they were wrong. There were more dance records entering the charts.

From the indie records the only one to get any points was "60 Miles An Hour" by New Order. I initially wasn't too keen on their newer more guitar orientated music but it's grown on me over the years.

Feeder normally make indie records but this time they've gone punk with the record "Just A Day" which is easily the best thing they've ever done.

There is a case for having "Trouble" by Cypress Hill in the guitar music category. It's a great blend of rap and rock, the chorus very much fitting the latter category. It's part of a double a-side with "Lowrider" which is purely a rap record. Both are decent.

The best record is a dance record which is "Where's Your Head At?" by Basement Jaxx. There is an argument this is rock music given it entered the US Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart, but in reality it's a dance track with rock elements in it.

Much of the dance music is rubbish thought. Vocal trance is leading the way and includes a record with Dannii Minogue providing vocals. There is however a decent instrumental trance record in "Resurrection" by PPK.

There were 2 UK garage records and both were decent. There was "It Ain't Enough" by Artful Dodger and Dreem Team, the final Top 40 hit for both. It had been doing the DJ sets for well over a year by this point. The other one was the Daniel Beginfield debut "Gotta Get Thru This" which is the only decent record he ever made.

The Jackson family represented the R&B genre this month with the only 2 record being "Cry" by Michael Jackson and "Son Of A Gun (I Betcha Think This Song)" by Janet Jackson. Neither are any good.

The worst record is "Paid My Dues" by Anastacia. Her voice is so annoying.

Here's a list of the records with the best on top, worst at the bottom and the good ones in green, OK ones in amber and rubbish ones in red (and in no particular order):

Score: 24%

Here's a look at the chart:

Given the Christmas slump this is a good start. Better than the new Decembers looked at and better than most months in 2002.

Tuesday, 6 May 2025

UK Number 40s: Scouting For Girls - I Wish I Was James Bond (2008)

One of the knock on effects of the popularity of indie music around the mid-00s was opening the door to pop music with instruments in the Top 40, or if you prefer Pop Rock music.

One of the big beneficiaries of this was Scouting For Girls. They made their Top 40 debut in 2007 with "It's Not About You", but it was their 2nd and 3rd hits "She's So Lovely" and "Elvis Ain't Dead" that had the big impact on the charts.

This was Top 40 hit number 5 for them. The desire to be James Bond in the lyrics perhaps added fuel to their name "Scouting For Girls". It had been 18 months since they made their debut and over a year since their debut album on which this appears was released.

They would have their biggest hit 2 years later when they topped the charts with "This Ain’t A Love Song".

Monday, 5 May 2025

UK Number 40s: Sonny J - Can't Stop Moving (2008)

I remember the hype about this record at the time. It seemed like a good promotion strategy. What we had was a record which sounded like it had a young Michael Jackson singing on it. Then they started rumours on the internet that this was sampling a long lost Michael Jackson record.

It got people talking, the record was regularly on the music channels and I seem to recall Jo Whiley talking about this record and Michael Jackson in the same breath, though I can't recall exactly what she did say.

After all that hype and promotion strategy though it only made number 40. It would also be the only Top 40 hit for Sonny J. It's a shame really because I think this record is pretty good.

Sunday, 4 May 2025

Top 30 in 1999 Reviewed: Week 18

Here's my weekly look at the Top 30 from 26 years ago. The plan is for these posts to go out at 17:30 on a Sunday.

30. UB40 - The Train Is Coming

This was a cover of the Ken Boothe record which was their final Top 40 hit from their "Labour of Love III" album. The issue I have with this record is that Shaggy also did a cover and his version is a lot better. I'm struggling to enjoy this record as a result.

Verdict - Rubbish

29. BMR ft Felicia - Check It Out (Everybody)

BMR is an alias of Boris Dlugosch and I guess you could describe this record as being a proper dance record. However, it just sounds too generic for my liking and there really isn't a lot about this record to like.

Verdict - Rubbish

28. Eric Benet ft Faith Evans - Georgy Porgy

I once knew someone called Georgy and I asked if they knew the record "Georgy Porgy" by Eric Benet to which they responded I was one of many to ask that question. Maybe not specifically that question though as this was a cover of a record by Toto. Furthermore though it's based on a nursery rhyme which was most likely the question they were asked by others. It's not a great record.

Verdict - Rubbish

23. Faith Evans ft Puff Daddy - All Night Long

Many people will no doubt remember the Puff Daddy ft Faith Evans chart topper, but I would speculate not too many people will remember this Faith Evans ft Puff Daddy record. There's a reason for that, it's shit.

Verdict - Rubbish

If we give the records which were good 1 point each and those which were OK half a point, the final score is 17.5/30, or 58%. Quite an improvement on last week.

Friday, 2 May 2025

Dutch Top 40 1995: Week 18

These were the new entries in the Dutch Top 40 that never made the UK Top 40:

De Nachraove - Sjeng Aon De Geng

I already knew we'd find happy hardcore and Eurodance in the Dutch Top 40 that never made it in the UK. What I've also learned is that they like their carnival music and that age seems no barrier to breaking though. Evident by this record, a carnival record and the main man behind it, Franz Theunisz has been around since the 60s.

E-Type - This Is The Way

More Eurodance this time which I guessed it would be. E-Type isn't Dutch or German or Italian, he hails from Sweden. He was one of the Cherion artists and this record was produced by Denniz Pop and Max Martin. It was a Swedish number one and his only record that came anywhere near the UK Top 40 but stalled at 53.

Thursday, 1 May 2025

January Charts: 1956

Here are the new entries ranked from best to worst:

1. Hilltoppers - Only You

2. Tennessee Ernie Ford - The Ballad Of Davy Crockett

3. Bill Hayes - The Ballad Of Davy Crockett

4. Dick James With Stephen James And His Chums - Robin Hood/The Ballad Of Davy Crockett

5. Gary Miller - Robin Hood

6. Lonnie Donegan - Rock Island Line

7. Tennessee Ernie Ford - Sixteen Tons

8. Frankie Laine With The Mellomen - Sixteen Tons

9. Malcolm Vaughan - With Your Love

10. Lou Busch - Zambesi

11. Nat King Cole - Dreams Can Tell A Lie

12. Frank Sinatra - Love And Marriage

13. Frank Sinatra - (Love Is) The Tender Trap

14. Edna Savage - Arrivederci Darling

15. Billy Vaughn Orchestra And Chorus - The Shifting Whispering Sands

16. Eamonn Andrews - The Shifting Whispering Sands

The list of records to listen to has grown this year but instead of having more variety we have more duplication. It also speaks volumes when the best record is a cover that's not as good as the original which is the case with the Hilltoppers cover of "Only You" by the Platters.

Then the next best records are TV theme tunes which are helped by their familiarity. One thing I've learned is that Tennessee Ernie Ford only had new entries in January, his first coming in 1955 and the other 2 in this month. In both cases this month he's done the better version of each record.

After the TV themes (i.e. "The Ballad Of Davy Crockett" and "Robin Hood") we have the chart debut of Lonnie Donegan. This introduced a new type of music to the world, skiffle. I like the DIY ethos of the music and the fact it encouraged many people to make music themselves. However I do find the music itself has it's limitations and the music it inspired that came later (e.g. The Beatles) is much better.

The records from Frank Sinatra and Nat King Cole aren't bad, just a bit boring so score 1 point. However the 2 versions of "The Shifting Whispering Sands" both get zero. It's hard to say which version is worse, both are long, boring and a bit silly. As Eamonn Andrews was a TV presenter as opposed to musician it seems right to put his version bottom.

One notable thing about this batch of records, no rock n roll. Bill Haley and his Comets were still the only rock n roll acts to have had a chart hit at this point but more was to come later in 1956.

This batch has been the toughest listen, least of all because of the repetition of the same songs.

Score: 28%

2002: The Good Old Days? - January

The first thing that strikes me about January is the number of new entries which are dance records. Over half of them are dance, the first time we've seen a genre be so dominant is this series.

With that sort of quantity the quality is inevitably a mixed bag. The Chemical Brothers are an act who I've always seen as a mixed bag, but with "Star Guitar" we have one of their better records. It's a move away from their big beat sound to house music.

Another great record is "It's Yours" by Jon Cutler featuring E-Man. We also have solid efforts from Lange with "Drifting Away" and DJ Garry with "Dream Universe". Most of the records to get half marks are also dance records.

There's just the one UK garage record this month which comes from the So Solid Crew with "Haters". It is the sort of tune that was responsible for the demise of UK garage but I do quite like this one.

One of the factors killing dance music in general in the charts was the trance/eurodance remakes of older records done in a lazy way. Well this month we have examples of this in house music with "Love Is In The Air" and "Love & Affection" which are crap.

The best record is a rap record which is "Bad Intentions" by Dr Dre & Knoc-Turn'al which I bought the single of in the knowledge it probably wouldn't appear on a Dr Dre album. It did however appear on the soundtrack to the film "The Wash" which I later bought.

No points for the other rap record which come from P Diddy and Jay-Z who are amongst the worst rappers of all time in my opinion.

R&B wise we have "Shit On the Radio" by Nelly Furtado and "More Than A Woman" by Aaliyah. Both records had an impact on me and I remember buying both of their respective albums at the same time.

However R&B also give us the worst record which is "AM To PM" by Christina Milian. Given she'd previously featured on "Between Me and You" by Ja Rule I really tried to like this. It's just a silly pop record with a bit of an R&B beat to it though. The fact it was always on the music channels at the time didn't help.

Here's a list of the records with the best on top, worst at the bottom and the good ones in green, OK ones in amber and rubbish ones in red (and in no particular order):

Score: 32%

Here's a look at the chart:

What we can say about 2002 is that it got off to a solid start but went downhill pretty quickly. This score is on a par with the final week of 1993 but lower if we use the same measuring criteria for December 1993. What we need to do now is go back to 2001 to see if these were the good old days.