19 June 1970 This single on vinyl is one of the few records that were in my house when I was young. It wasn't on heavy rotation as the soundtrack of my childhood or anything; we simply found it and a record player at the back of a closet when we were in the process … Continue reading Dermot Hegarty and The Plainsmen – ‘Twenty One Years’
Milky Chance – ‘Stolen Dance’
14 August 2014 Viral hit? Top of the charts in Ireland and across Europe? Really? Okay, on re-listening to 'Stolen Dance' it's slightly familiar to me. Still, though: there's no killer hook or memorable lyric or catchy chorus here at all. Lead Milky Chancer Clemens Rehbein picks some basic jazzy shapes on the ol' Tanglewood … Continue reading Milky Chance – ‘Stolen Dance’
Christie – ‘Yellow River’
5 June 1970 When did pop music, traditionally for the kids, start pitching to adults too? Perhaps in the mid-'60s with The Beatles taking Dylan's influence on board, along with Paul going music-hall, and around the same time as the advent of Bacharach & David's sophisticated masterpieces. Later on, bubblegum pop was always made by … Continue reading Christie – ‘Yellow River’
Cheryl ft. Tinie Tempah – ‘Crazy Stupid Love’
24 July 2014 Here's the last of Cheryl's four solo Irish chart-toppers. And Girls Aloud only had one! You people. Suffice it to say, 'Crazy Stupid Love' hasn't matured into a Xenomania-level banger like fine wine ageing in the cellar. The percussion and saxophone come across as a lazy mash-up of generic 'Latino' R&B-pop with … Continue reading Cheryl ft. Tinie Tempah – ‘Crazy Stupid Love’
The Moody Blues – ‘Question’
29 May 1970 Remember 'Spaceman' by Babylon Zoo, that '90s chart-topper from a jeans ad that used its catchy electronica opening, only for the track itself to be a stodgy rocker? I wonder if 'Question' by The Moody Blues' gave the music punters of 1970 a similar bout of buyer's remorse. Its opening verses of … Continue reading The Moody Blues – ‘Question’
Ariana Grande ft. Iggy Azalea – ‘Problem’
3 July 2014 In June 2014 Iggy Azalea, a white Australian who rapped in an American accent, was at number one and two on the US charts with her first two singles to appear on the Billboard Hot 100, the first time this had happened for any act since The Beatles hit America in 1964. … Continue reading Ariana Grande ft. Iggy Azalea – ‘Problem’
Norman Greenbaum – ‘Spirit In The Sky’
22 May 1970 I'm surprised to listen attentively to the original 'Spirit In The Sky' and find myself feeling a little disappointed. Okay, obviously the scuzzy minimalist riff is pure gold and the stompy clap-along beat is great fun: no issues there. And I'm already familiar with the buzz-killing Jesus namecheck, making this the first … Continue reading Norman Greenbaum – ‘Spirit In The Sky’
5 Seconds Of Summer – ‘Don’t Stop’
19 June 2014 I recall 5 Seconds Of Summer having a fandom, but even at the time their chart hits didn't make an impression on me. I couldn't name any of the four band members either. All credit to them for their success, but the vibe of McBusted-for-1D-fans is hard to dispel. 'Don't Stop' combines … Continue reading 5 Seconds Of Summer – ‘Don’t Stop’
Dana – ‘All Kinds Of Everything’
20 March 1970 The 1970 episode of Reeling In The Years shows Dana's celebratory post-Eurovision homecoming, which includes a meeting with Ireland's then-president, an elderly Éamon de Valera. Dana went on to try to emulate Dev by becoming a fundamentalist Catholic, then an Irish presidential candidate, and finally an American citizen. Still, Dana could claim … Continue reading Dana – ‘All Kinds Of Everything’
Ella Henderson – ‘Ghost’
12 June 2014 A moment of chart history: when 'Ghost' by Ella Henderson re-took the Irish top spot on 10 July 2014 it became our first number one under new IRMA rules that include streaming figures as well as sales and downloads. So, a chart-topping single in Ireland could now swell an artist's coffers by … Continue reading Ella Henderson – ‘Ghost’
