10 October 1969 Don't go out tonight! Don't make unnecessary journeys! Ireland in 1969 didn't have weather apps or storm-battered TV reporters, so it fell to mid-table rock bands like Creedence to warn the people of impending extreme weather events. 'Bad Moon Rising' predicts earthquakes, lightning and hurricanes, all of which John Fogerty wraps up … Continue reading Creedence Clearwater Revival – ‘Bad Moon Rising’ →

20 March 2014 Our previous 2014 number one, 'Rather Be' by Clean Bandit, included a feature credit for then-unknown guest vocalist Jess Glynne that effectively launched her career. However, the vocalist on DJ-producer Duke Dumont's 'I Got U', Kelli-Leigh, doesn't get a feature credit - that goes to the other DJ-producer here, Jax Jones. Now, … Continue reading Duke Dumont ft. Jax Jones – ‘I Got U’ →

3 October 1969 Those of you following Robin Gibb's 1969 solo run and his chart-topping 'Saved By The Bell' are probably waiting for the other shoe to drop: what happens now with the Bee Gees? Well, here's their subsequent single without the third brother, now replaced by a Peter Mason. You may be familiar with … Continue reading Bee Gees – ‘Don’t Forget To Remember’ →

20 February 2014 On the basis of 'Rather Be' and most of their subsequent singles, Clean Bandit's artistic vision seems to be: what if every uplifting dancefloor pop hit aspired to the state of the University Challenge theme tune? This is an understandable worldview, I grant you, when your group was formed at Jesus College, … Continue reading Clean Bandit ft. Jess Glynne – ‘Rather Be’ →

19 September 1969 Exciting, isn't it: we're exactly 500 years from the year 2525! If I recall something I saw on TV once, everyone will be phenomenally beautiful, dressed in white spandex jumpsuits, and accompanied by droids quite similar to, but sufficiently distanced in copyright terms from, the droids in Star Wars. I think it … Continue reading Zager & Evans – ‘In The Year 2525 (Exordium & Terminus)’ →

2 January 2014 The last time we saw family-friendly Pharrell here before this soundtrack hit from all-ages cartoon Despicable Me 2 was a mere six months earlier as randy player Pharrell on consent-bemoaning anthem 'Blurred Lines' with Robin Thicke, whose cartoon would be Despicable #MeToo. Here in 2024, I doubt we'd be so ready to … Continue reading Pharrell Williams – ‘Happy’ →

5 September 1969 Not, unfortunately, the theme from that '90s US high school sitcom: this 'Saved By The Bell' is a solo Bee Gees joint. I gather Robin briefly left the group after a disagreement with his brothers, perhaps on how exactly to make their records sound so gloopy and nauseous, then re-joined after a … Continue reading Robin Gibb – ‘Saved By The Bell’ →

30 August 1969 Back in August 1969 Ireland was setting up refugee camps for families fleeing persecution and civil strife in their homeland. As it happens, those refugee families were also Irish, their homeland was the six counties of Northern Ireland, and they were fleeing loyalist attacks on nationalist areas of Belfast, Newry, Armagh and … Continue reading Sean Dunphy and The Hoedowners – ‘When The Fields Are White With Daisies’ →

16 August 1969 Well, I certainly didn't expect to see the Stones' most debauchery-drenched single at number one in '60s Ireland - not because of prudishness or religiosity of the time and place, but because the last two years of Irish chart-toppers have been mostly twee bubblegum schmaltz. Could the same individuals who enjoyed 'Lily … Continue reading The Rolling Stones – ‘Honky Tonk Women’ →