11 April 2013 'Pompous' is an easy reach here, I know, but it seems this track really is about being petrified in cataclysmic clouds of Vesuvian ash and lava as a metaphor for some vague romantic angst. Hang on now. Those unfortunate enough to be made statues by the neighbourhood volcano were most likely not … Continue reading Bastille – ‘Pompeii’ →

21 March 2013 Where are you Kodaline hipsters to tell me you preferred them when they were 21 Demands? Okay, I throw down that gauntlet knowing full well that Kodaline fandom doesn't really lend itself to hipsterism. Chart factoids, though, are always hip, and this is a band who've had two Irish number one singles … Continue reading Kodaline – ‘High Hopes’ →

28 February 2013 We've not had Ed Sheeran at number one yet—that pleasure is still a year away—but 'Let Her Go' can serve as our entrée to Ed-ism. Passenger's chart-topping profile in early 2013 came in great part from supporting Sheeran on his Irish tour that January. So, there's a good deal of similar baggy-jumper … Continue reading Passenger – ‘Let Her Go’ →

21 February 2013 One to remember for your next table quiz: which Irish act had a top 30 single in the UK and Ireland with 'Teenage Kicks'? Answer: Niall Horan, as part of One Direction, with this 2013 charity single that topped both charts. The original by The Undertones only reached no. 31 in the … Continue reading One Direction – ‘One Way Or Another (Teenage Kicks)’ →

14 February 2013 Macklemore made an unlikely return to the Irish charts in 2024 with 'Hind's Hall', an impressively committed and articulate track in response to the heavy-handed treatment of pro-Palestine demonstrations on US college campuses. I say "unlikely" because most of us had probably lost track of Macklemore, weren't aware of his politics, and … Continue reading Macklemore & Ryan Lewis ft. Wanz – ‘Thrift Shop’ →

17 January 2013 It doesn't feature the crassness of David Guetta or the Black Eyed Peas, but this wouldn't be a Will.i.am hit without some tang of unpleasantness. 'Scream & Shout' was originally written and recorded by Tulisa, which gives it an Irish connection since two of her uncles from Dublin had an Irish number … Continue reading Will.i.am & Britney Spears – ‘Scream & Shout’ →

25 October 2012 We're Backing Brave! Let's Make Possible! Just like your favourite 'inspirational' marketing slogans that used random adjectives as nouns, here's the title of Labrinth and Emeli's chart-topping 2012 collab. The minor-key strings and piano stir plenty of maudlin heartache in with the personal development stuff - plus we get a big ol' … Continue reading Labrinth ft. Emeli Sandé – ‘Beneath Your Beautiful’ →

18 October 2012 Aside from words like 'austerity' and 'bailout', is there anything that could sound more early-'10s than Calvin Harris and Florence Welch on the same track? 'Sweet Nothing' combines their signature styles: his electro-pop production; her soaring choruses. If you know, you know. Alas, the Calvin Harris sound and the Florence sound that … Continue reading Calvin Harris ft. Florence Welch – ‘Sweet Nothing’ →

11 October 2012 The archetypal James Bond title song has Shirley Bassey, or her most available equivalent, bellowing along to the strains of a buttoned-up orchestra. However, sometimes the franchise dips its toe into the bubble-bath of contemporary chart sounds - with mixed results. Duran Duran's hi-octane 'A View To A Kill' and Lulu's brassy … Continue reading Adele – ‘Skyfall’ →