1March

To-day is Weaver's 33-and-a-third birthday. For the last month or so, I've been making a list of my thirty-three most influential long-playing records. Here's the complete list, with links to the extended write-ups.

01 waking hours
02 when the world knows your name
03 heaven or las vegas
04 hup
05 doubt
06 good deeds and dirty rags
07 the big wheel
08 use your illusion
09 shepherd moons
10 jordan the comeback
11 prince of the deep water
12 suede
13 morning dove white
14 piano concerto
15 hounds of love
16 ancient and modern
17 disgraceful
18 jagged little pill
19 tragic kingdom

21 the golden mile
22 stunt
23 bat out of hell ii
24 the secret of life
25 since i left you
26 angels with dirty faces
27 do it for love
28 introduction
29 amongst the suns
30 on the town / wonderful town
31 listen hard
32 scala on the rocks
33 l'instant d'apres

Permanent link

3February

For fun, a chart commentary from this week ten years ago, when Fly Away Home was on release, microcredit and the ONDIGITAL consortium were launched, Victor Ubogu was Gotchaed, England beat Scotland and Ireland bettered Wales.

(More: The Top 40 of 2 February 1997 - 804 words)

Music

5January

Just a quick one to-day; I've updated the list of million-selling singles to include last year's sales.

(More: Britain's million-selling singles)

3January

It's still list of good music season. Anthologie says that she cannot seriously analyze why I like I write sins not tragedies, or this band, so much. For my money, it's the staccatto rhythm, the way the jerkiness of the song suddenly turns into the extended notes of the late chorus. I'm far from convinced that the Red Hot Chili Peppers have any relevance any more - or, indeed, that they were ever more than one-album wonders.

Kieron Gillen is right to put the Arctic Monkeys in the top 40, and right to put them down the bottom of the top 40; I see no evidence that they're anything more than one-song wonders. My Latest Novel make my top twenty-odd, and with When we were wolves, because it's a well-crafted song.

Welcome to the black parade as a reincarnation of the Polyphonic Spree? Good call, sir. Is the beating heart of Smile the first two words of At first, when I see you cry, it makes me smile? That a single pop lyric allows such divergent readings is a sign of literary quality.

Did I publish my top twenty-five in public? No? Careless. In alphabetical order by performance name, then.

• Smile, Lily Allen. See above.
• Aimer jusqu'a l'impossible, Tina Arena. A tremendous song about the nature of a love that cannot happen. The studio original is grand; the version from TV5's Acoustic programme is better.
• John the revelator, Depeche Mode. Ver Mode were ever-present on North Europe's Top 40 this year; I think this was the best single off a great album.
• What's in it for me?, Amy Diamond. Everyone's favourite young Swedish singer, still too young to make a full international tour.
• Nature's law, Embrace. For about a month, this band looked to be on course for greatness. Then they released the England world cup song.
• Call me when you're sober, Evanescence. Give us your number, dearie.
• Maneater, Nelly Furtado. In short, what Gillen said. Another day, I could have gone with Promiscuous.
• You are the generation that bought more shoes and you get what you deserve, Johnny Boy. Not just for the title, but for the way it combines an anti-consumerist seniment with handclaps.
• La camisa negra, Juanes. I have no idea what he's going on about, but it sounds wonderful.
• Just be good to me, Karmah. In a year of dodgy 80s covers from German bands, this one stood out as being actually quite good. Better than the original, and different from the Beats International reworking.
• Empire, Kasabian. Promoted by the novel method of not releasing it to radio until it was available as a single. The triumphalist riff in the chorus helped.
• Rooftops, Lostprophets. Plenty of opportunities for cover versions here - I can seriously hear this one performed by a counter-tenor.
• When we were wolves, My First Novel. See above.
• It's not that easy, Lemar Obika. It's perhaps the first time I've been convinced by Lemar's soul work; the string figure running through the track helps far more than it should.
• Nolwenn ohwo!, Nolwenn Leroy. A call-and-response song, remarkable for the way it almost combines alpine yodelling with African beats. Acoustic performance.
• Once and never again, Long Blondes. It's the lyrics that clinch it - clever, without being smart-arse.
• Roc, Nadiya. Worth €20,000? Perhaps not, but the percussion bridge is one of those four-note stabs that stick in the mind. Another Acoustic performance.
• Un ange frappé a ma porte, Natasha St-Pier. Again, it's the performance on Acoustic that clinched the deal.
• You and your hand, Pink. The video helped.
• Pull shapes, Pipettes. Again, Gillen's nailed it.
• I belong to you, Eros Ramazotti and Anastacia. Two people shouting at each other from six inches apart.
• Hips don't lie, Shakira. A deliberate and concerted attempt to have a massive hit single - and, do you know what, it worked!
• Ugly, Sugababes. The first pop song I remember hearing during 2006, and I don't think there's a better way to start the year.
• No no never, Texas Lightning. The one entry from this year's Eurovision crop - I've had my fill of Lordi - the Germans deserved better.
• Baila Morena, Zucchero. See Juanes, really.