Comments on: Which Decade Is Tops For Pops? Round 4: the Number 7s. https://freakytrigger.co.uk/which-decade-is-tops-for-pops/2010/05/which-decade-is-tops-for-pops-round-4-the-number-7s Lollards in the high church of low culture Thu, 10 Jun 2010 16:26:40 +0000 hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.4.3 By: sarlitchin https://freakytrigger.co.uk/which-decade-is-tops-for-pops/2010/05/which-decade-is-tops-for-pops-round-4-the-number-7s/comment-page-2#comment-704755 Thu, 10 Jun 2010 16:26:40 +0000 https://freakytrigger.co.uk/?p=18593#comment-704755 6 points – Snap!
5 points – Brenda Lee
4 points – True Steppers
3 points – The Hollies
2 points – Rodney Franklin
1 point – Chipmunk

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By: Tom Lawrence https://freakytrigger.co.uk/which-decade-is-tops-for-pops/2010/05/which-decade-is-tops-for-pops-round-4-the-number-7s/comment-page-2#comment-704625 Wed, 09 Jun 2010 22:42:33 +0000 https://freakytrigger.co.uk/?p=18593#comment-704625 6. Snap! But of course.
5 Brenda Lee
4. Rodney Franklin
3. Chipmunk
2. True Steppers feat. Dane Bowers
1. Hollies

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By: RobMiles https://freakytrigger.co.uk/which-decade-is-tops-for-pops/2010/05/which-decade-is-tops-for-pops-round-4-the-number-7s/comment-page-2#comment-703872 Sun, 06 Jun 2010 12:14:06 +0000 https://freakytrigger.co.uk/?p=18593#comment-703872 6 – Snap. Immense all-time dance classic.
5 – Brenda Lee
4 – True Steppers Featuring Dane Bowers
3 – The Hollies
2 – Chipmunk
1 – Rodney Franklin

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By: a tanned rested and unlogged lørd sükråt wötsît https://freakytrigger.co.uk/which-decade-is-tops-for-pops/2010/05/which-decade-is-tops-for-pops-round-4-the-number-7s/comment-page-2#comment-703864 Sun, 06 Jun 2010 11:57:55 +0000 https://freakytrigger.co.uk/?p=18593#comment-703864 Six for Rodney Franklin – The Groove
Five for Snap! – The Power
Four for Brenda Lee – Sweet Nothin’s
Three for Chipmunk – Until You Were Gone (ft. Esmee Denters)
Two for True Steppers Featuring Dane Bowers – Buggin’
One for The Hollies – I Can’t Tell The Bottom From The Top

Never never never liked the Hollies
Love the word BUGGIN: singin is a little nasal and unconcerned in a very pretty arrangement, though it sharpens up when the autotune starts to wrinkle it.
Brenda is the highest I’ve marked the oldest song so far, I think: I always loved her rasp and i like how she growls it out into view here but doesn’t purely trade on it.
RUN AWAY CHIPMUNK RUN AWAY! Go build a tree fort, as Ewing Minor would put it. A MILF-RESISTANT TREE FORT.

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By: Rachiesparrow https://freakytrigger.co.uk/which-decade-is-tops-for-pops/2010/05/which-decade-is-tops-for-pops-round-4-the-number-7s/comment-page-2#comment-703226 Thu, 03 Jun 2010 12:04:00 +0000 https://freakytrigger.co.uk/?p=18593#comment-703226 Disco baby!

6pts – Rodney Franklin
5pts Brenda Lee
4pts Snap
3pts – The Hollies – yawn.
2pts – Chipmunk
1pt – Dane Bowers.

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By: Lord B https://freakytrigger.co.uk/which-decade-is-tops-for-pops/2010/05/which-decade-is-tops-for-pops-round-4-the-number-7s/comment-page-2#comment-702755 Mon, 31 May 2010 21:56:55 +0000 https://freakytrigger.co.uk/?p=18593#comment-702755 Good heavens. It’s not a vintage, is it?

6 points – The Hollies (I think it’s Elton on piano, you know.)
5 points – True Steppers. It’s Ok, innit
4 points – Chipmunk. I find him increasingly palatable, actually
3 points – Brenda Lee – meh
2 points – Rodney Franklin – sounds like Al’s Bit Of A Disco
1 point – Snap – Always hated this. Horrid horrid horrid

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By: Z https://freakytrigger.co.uk/which-decade-is-tops-for-pops/2010/05/which-decade-is-tops-for-pops-round-4-the-number-7s/comment-page-2#comment-702418 Sat, 29 May 2010 19:29:01 +0000 https://freakytrigger.co.uk/?p=18593#comment-702418 I found this hard to score – I liked it all, except Until You Were Gone.
6 – Brenda Lee – what a great performance. I thoroughly enjoyed it.
5 – Snap – It’s not their fault that it’s been played so much that I was bored at the prospect of watching the video. Actually, it’s still damn good and I liked it a lot better than I thought I would. Brilliant
4 – The Hollies – I can’t even remember this but I must have listened to it a lot at the time – needed something to take my mind off my homework.
3 – True Steppers Featuring Dane Bower – I like..
2 – Rodney Franklin. Ooh dear, it was very good, but it went on rather and I got a bit bored. Sorry.
1 – Chipmunk. Formulaic and dull. And stop pointing at me, child.

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By: wichita lineman https://freakytrigger.co.uk/which-decade-is-tops-for-pops/2010/05/which-decade-is-tops-for-pops-round-4-the-number-7s/comment-page-2#comment-701856 Wed, 26 May 2010 16:56:23 +0000 https://freakytrigger.co.uk/?p=18593#comment-701856 6 Snap – cowbells shakin’!
5 Brenda Lee – wr. by Ronnie Self! Check out his twisted rock’n’roll rave-up Bop A Lena!
4 Dane Bowers – w/ joanna newsom on harp!
3 Rodney Franklin – flick! Lonsdale! Farahs!
2 Chipmunk – err, ok-ish!
1 Hollies – I blame The Band!

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By: Clair https://freakytrigger.co.uk/which-decade-is-tops-for-pops/2010/05/which-decade-is-tops-for-pops-round-4-the-number-7s/comment-page-2#comment-701632 Tue, 25 May 2010 19:04:20 +0000 https://freakytrigger.co.uk/?p=18593#comment-701632 6 points – Snap!
5 points – Brenda Lee
4 points – Rodney Franklin
3 points – The Hollie
2 points – Chipmunk
1 point – Dane Bowers

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By: Tina https://freakytrigger.co.uk/which-decade-is-tops-for-pops/2010/05/which-decade-is-tops-for-pops-round-4-the-number-7s/comment-page-2#comment-701215 Sun, 23 May 2010 20:01:33 +0000 https://freakytrigger.co.uk/?p=18593#comment-701215 6 points: Snap!
5 points: Rodney Franklin
4 points: The Hollies
3 points: Brenda Lee
2 points: True Steppers Featuring Dane Bowers
1 points: Chipmunk

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By: Ben https://freakytrigger.co.uk/which-decade-is-tops-for-pops/2010/05/which-decade-is-tops-for-pops-round-4-the-number-7s/comment-page-2#comment-701152 Sun, 23 May 2010 15:08:28 +0000 https://freakytrigger.co.uk/?p=18593#comment-701152 6 – Snap!
5 – Brenda Lee
4 – Truesteppers
3 – Chipmunk
2 – Rodney Franklin
1 – The Hollies

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By: Martin https://freakytrigger.co.uk/which-decade-is-tops-for-pops/2010/05/which-decade-is-tops-for-pops-round-4-the-number-7s/comment-page-2#comment-700934 Sat, 22 May 2010 17:26:58 +0000 https://freakytrigger.co.uk/?p=18593#comment-700934 6 points – Rodney Franklin
5 points – Brenda Lee
4 points – The Hollies
3 points – Snap!
2 points – Chipmunk
1 points – True Steppers

For me this became three sets of 2 to distinguish, Rodney narrowly beats out Brenda, The Hollies edge out Snap!, and Chipmunk beats True Steppers by a nose. The space separating the dyads is LARGE. And (Snap! excepted) I think there’s a general consensus in the voting on this. This is the round so far where I agree with the polling the most.

Furthermore, Rodney and Brenda are the first two tracks that I’d seek out and add to my iPod — so far.

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By: Mark Davis https://freakytrigger.co.uk/which-decade-is-tops-for-pops/2010/05/which-decade-is-tops-for-pops-round-4-the-number-7s/comment-page-2#comment-700932 Sat, 22 May 2010 17:24:52 +0000 https://freakytrigger.co.uk/?p=18593#comment-700932 6p: Brenda Lee
5p: Rodney Franklin
4p: The Hollies
3p: Snap!
2p: Chipmunk
1p: True Steppers

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By: grange85 https://freakytrigger.co.uk/which-decade-is-tops-for-pops/2010/05/which-decade-is-tops-for-pops-round-4-the-number-7s/comment-page-2#comment-700379 Thu, 20 May 2010 22:46:33 +0000 https://freakytrigger.co.uk/?p=18593#comment-700379 Love Brenda to pieces; Hollies track was very very dull; Enjoyed Rodney for about a minute and then got bored. I think over-familiarity has ruined The Power – it’s good but I’m tired of the whole “I’ve got the power” bit. True Steppers did nothing. Not being aware of how Chipmunk might be selling out I just let it go – not wonderful but doing no harm…

6 – Brenda Lee
5 – Snap!
4 – Chipmunk
3 – Rodney Franklin
2 – True Steppers
1 – The Hollies

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By: intothefireuk https://freakytrigger.co.uk/which-decade-is-tops-for-pops/2010/05/which-decade-is-tops-for-pops-round-4-the-number-7s/comment-page-2#comment-700301 Thu, 20 May 2010 14:52:30 +0000 https://freakytrigger.co.uk/?p=18593#comment-700301 …….with comments this time.
6 The Groove – soundtracked many a night at the local hop.
5 Sweet Nothins – have always enjoyed her fiesty vocals.
4 I Can’t Tell The Bottom etc. – decent tune if a little jaded delivery
3 The Power – marked down due to over repetition and the fact that I don’t like his rappin.
2 Buggin – exactly
1 Until You Were Gone – generic pop

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By: Tom https://freakytrigger.co.uk/which-decade-is-tops-for-pops/2010/05/which-decade-is-tops-for-pops-round-4-the-number-7s/comment-page-2#comment-700253 Thu, 20 May 2010 12:21:48 +0000 https://freakytrigger.co.uk/?p=18593#comment-700253 6 points – Snap! It’s not really a spoiler to say that I think this is tremendous.

5 points – Brenda: goodness me, this is good stuff – first real indication we’ve had that the turn away from rock’n’roll at the end of the 50s was a good idea as well as a bad one.

4 points – Chipmunk: appreciate the general drift of Marcello’s argument but the fact is while I don’t like the bubblegrime stuff we’re getting as much as the mid-00s music it’s springing from, I do still LIKE it, and I have a particular soft spot for Chipmunk whose hangdog relationship pop always seems to get stuck in my head.

3 points – Bowers: what makes this song both not work and also be memorable is that harpsichord effect, which was all over UK garage pop in 2000 but really does not suit ANYTHING about the rest of this record!

2 points – Hollies: not a bad tune but a little ham-fisted in the delivery.

1 point – Rodney: I don’t really ‘get’ it but certainly this isn’t unpleasant. Good round overall.

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By: Abe Fruman https://freakytrigger.co.uk/which-decade-is-tops-for-pops/2010/05/which-decade-is-tops-for-pops-round-4-the-number-7s/comment-page-1#comment-700098 Wed, 19 May 2010 22:37:06 +0000 https://freakytrigger.co.uk/?p=18593#comment-700098 Hmm. Again nothing that I could honestly say that I’m mad about.

6 – Snap – Hated this sort of stuff at the time but will grudgingly admit is the best single out of this lot.

5 – Chipmunk – Not a bad tune, really! And actually backed by a real live band with guitars and everything..

4 – Brenda – Erm, best of the rest

3 – Hollies – Doesn’t really get going till the bridge.

2 – Rodney – Sounds like the sort of stuff the play while ITV Nightscreen is on.

1 – Blowers – Nuff said

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By: Lionel d'Lion https://freakytrigger.co.uk/which-decade-is-tops-for-pops/2010/05/which-decade-is-tops-for-pops-round-4-the-number-7s/comment-page-1#comment-700058 Wed, 19 May 2010 19:17:57 +0000 https://freakytrigger.co.uk/?p=18593#comment-700058 6 points – Brenda Lee
5 points – Rodney Franklin
4 points – The Hollies
3 – Chipmunk
2 – True Steppers
minus 1 million – Snap!

I probably should explain: The Snap! vote is more due to flashbacks caused by an over-amorous couple in the flat above mine back in 1990. This was either “their tune” or the only bloody record they owned.

I hope this doesn’t skew the results too much …

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By: scott woods https://freakytrigger.co.uk/which-decade-is-tops-for-pops/2010/05/which-decade-is-tops-for-pops-round-4-the-number-7s/comment-page-1#comment-699985 Wed, 19 May 2010 14:24:23 +0000 https://freakytrigger.co.uk/?p=18593#comment-699985 6 – Snap! – The Power – The default choice. A strong record I nonetheless grew pretty sick of it at the time and for me it pales considerably next to the 10/10 “Rhythm is a Dancer.”
5 – Chipmunk
4 – Brenda Lee – Don’t really get the enthusiasm for this.
3 – The Hollies
2 – True Steppers Featuring Dane Bowers
1 – Rodney Franklin – the beginning of this is brilliant because it reminds me of Marshall Jefferson’s “Move Your Body.” Goes downhill at a 90-degree angle from there, though.

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By: Erithian https://freakytrigger.co.uk/which-decade-is-tops-for-pops/2010/05/which-decade-is-tops-for-pops-round-4-the-number-7s/comment-page-1#comment-699955 Wed, 19 May 2010 11:50:59 +0000 https://freakytrigger.co.uk/?p=18593#comment-699955 6 pts: 1990 Snap – one of those records that revises your opinion of what a genre of music is capable of. That electrifying riff, the threatening rap, the vocal – the whole package is still a thrill twenty years on.

5 pts: 1970 The Hollies – ooh, this would be rather superior Eurovision wouldn’t it? Not the greatest production, but a fine song nonetheless.

4 pts: 1960 Brenda Lee – bit of a pop classic although the Hollies get the nod on the day.

3 pts: 1980 Rodney Franklin – it passed me by at the time but yes, this could be the sound that defines the Essex soul boy phenomenon. Tinkles effectively but it does go on a bit…

2 pts: 2010 Chipmunk – the song doesn’t do much for me (unlike Esmee) but at least there’s some life and tune to it. Unlike…

1 pt: 2000 True Steppers ft Dane Bowers – which just, erm, bugged me for the duration. Joyless boring garbage.

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By: DietMondrian https://freakytrigger.co.uk/which-decade-is-tops-for-pops/2010/05/which-decade-is-tops-for-pops-round-4-the-number-7s/comment-page-1#comment-699917 Wed, 19 May 2010 08:56:25 +0000 https://freakytrigger.co.uk/?p=18593#comment-699917 6. Brenda Lee
5. The Hollies
4. Rodney Franklin
3. Snap!
2. Chipmunk
1. True Steppers – those autotuned vocals make me want to hurt someone.

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By: Al Ewing https://freakytrigger.co.uk/which-decade-is-tops-for-pops/2010/05/which-decade-is-tops-for-pops-round-4-the-number-7s/comment-page-1#comment-699900 Wed, 19 May 2010 06:59:56 +0000 https://freakytrigger.co.uk/?p=18593#comment-699900 Methodology dept: I’ve got a tendency to rate the songs based on nothing but how they sound – without even reading a single word on them or knowing any history aside from personal experience until after I’ve laid down my precious points – so certain details like the existence of F.T. Smith or the historical significance of Dane Bowers’ charmless tosser impression have unfortunately escaped me.

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By: Al Ewing https://freakytrigger.co.uk/which-decade-is-tops-for-pops/2010/05/which-decade-is-tops-for-pops-round-4-the-number-7s/comment-page-1#comment-699895 Wed, 19 May 2010 06:34:02 +0000 https://freakytrigger.co.uk/?p=18593#comment-699895 Lots of ‘would-have-beaten-but’ in this round.

6 points – Snap! – PLEASE! STAY OFF MY BACK! OR I WILL ATTACK! AND YOU DON’T WANT THAT! Amazing stuff and still good and now proven UNBEATABLE.

5 points – Chipmunk – Adorable slice of I-did-you-wrong-pop. Loses some points for bad rhyming, though, which stopped it snatching Snap’s crown.

4 points – Rodney Franklin – WELCOME TO MY DISCO I AM RODNEY FRANKLIN LET ME TAKE YOUR COAT. Unfortunately no words, which keeps it from surpassing Chipmunk.

3 points – Brenda Lee – Charming, throaty, balance between innocent & naughty etc – loses points for erring on the side of too much innocence. Sweet nothin’s are already pretty innocent without you bringing your Mum in to end the song.

2 points – The Hollies – Cheer up emo kid.

1 points – True Steppers – OH JUST FUCK OFF. The worst song so far out of ALL of them including previous rounds. I WOULD GIVE IT ZERO POINTS IF I COULD.

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By: asta https://freakytrigger.co.uk/which-decade-is-tops-for-pops/2010/05/which-decade-is-tops-for-pops-round-4-the-number-7s/comment-page-1#comment-699846 Wed, 19 May 2010 00:46:19 +0000 https://freakytrigger.co.uk/?p=18593#comment-699846 6 pts- Brenda Lee. I’d give her 10 if I could. Look at that ridiculously unflattering dress and that repressed hairdo, then close your eyes and just listen to that growl into a not-entirely-feigned innocence. Brilliant singer. Brilliant song.

5 pts- Snap! On every radio, at every club, and during every school dance for a few brief minutes everyone within listening range had the power. It’s held up well.

4 pts- True Steppers. I don’t recall this being much of anything on this side of the ocean, and it’s not much more than that to me now.

3 pts- Chipmunk. Mostly I’m just relieved this singer’s first name isn’t Alvin; when I saw Chipmunk on the list I did wonder. And because the female vocalist is easy enough to listen to.

2 pts- The Hollies I imagine this would work best selling one of those pro-biotic fruit yogurts.

1 pts- This is jazz in the way that the Golden Arches is fine dining. This is the kind of music played on local cable station travelogues. Dreck.

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By: thefatgit https://freakytrigger.co.uk/which-decade-is-tops-for-pops/2010/05/which-decade-is-tops-for-pops-round-4-the-number-7s/comment-page-1#comment-699785 Tue, 18 May 2010 19:57:55 +0000 https://freakytrigger.co.uk/?p=18593#comment-699785 I feel like I’m part of a consensus with this round. So:

6 points-Brenda Lee
5 points-Snap!
4 points-Rodney Franklin
3 points-The Hollies
2 points-Dane Bowers and TrueSteppers
1 point-Chipmunk

It’s nothing against Chipmunk, but we have a likeable young scamp who showed much promise in 2008 when he broke with “Chip Diddy Chip”, but here he seems to have hit a brick wall. Such a shame.
UKG as a movement gave TrueSteppers a tough time. Bugging? Mugging? Buggering Me? Buggering You? No, ta!
The Hollies avoid settling into proggy introspection, but adopt a poppier stance. Fine, if the material attracts a new set of fans, but too many may have jumped ship with Graham Nash leaving a fan vacuum, that songs like this could never help readily fill.
Rodney Franklin eh? Who remembers The Freeze? And how did Shakatak get away with ripping this off with Nightbird?
Snap! came from another planet in 1990 didn’t they? This could be heard on every street corner in town played on ghetto blasters by those shellsuit wearing types who sold liquorice wrapped in clingfilm for £20 per eighth.
Brenda Lee deservedly gets full marks for this wonderfully sassy toe tapper. You can’t deny Little Miss Dynamite can you?

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By: Lena https://freakytrigger.co.uk/which-decade-is-tops-for-pops/2010/05/which-decade-is-tops-for-pops-round-4-the-number-7s/comment-page-1#comment-699751 Tue, 18 May 2010 16:57:02 +0000 https://freakytrigger.co.uk/?p=18593#comment-699751 Tough as always, but…

6 – Brenda Lee
5 – Snap!
4 – The Hollies
3 – Dane Bowers
2 – Rodney Franklin
1 – Chipmunk w/Esmee Denters

If I could have both Brenda & Snap! at 6 I’d be happier!

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By: mark sinker https://freakytrigger.co.uk/which-decade-is-tops-for-pops/2010/05/which-decade-is-tops-for-pops-round-4-the-number-7s/comment-page-1#comment-699716 Tue, 18 May 2010 14:46:02 +0000 https://freakytrigger.co.uk/?p=18593#comment-699716 hurrah! and back to work (boo)

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By: Mike Atkinson https://freakytrigger.co.uk/which-decade-is-tops-for-pops/2010/05/which-decade-is-tops-for-pops-round-4-the-number-7s/comment-page-1#comment-699715 Tue, 18 May 2010 14:44:20 +0000 https://freakytrigger.co.uk/?p=18593#comment-699715 Oh, you’ve got BAGS of time – the voting stays open for ALL rounds, until a few days after I’ve posted the final round. So you’ve probably got another fortnight, at the very least.

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By: mark sinker https://freakytrigger.co.uk/which-decade-is-tops-for-pops/2010/05/which-decade-is-tops-for-pops-round-4-the-number-7s/comment-page-1#comment-699709 Tue, 18 May 2010 14:26:02 +0000 https://freakytrigger.co.uk/?p=18593#comment-699709 (mike when does voting close on these? sorry am super-busy till 2moro eve and haven’t had time to plunge in yet: which deadlines will i miss if i can’t start playing till say friday?)

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By: Mike Atkinson https://freakytrigger.co.uk/which-decade-is-tops-for-pops/2010/05/which-decade-is-tops-for-pops-round-4-the-number-7s/comment-page-1#comment-699706 Tue, 18 May 2010 13:53:51 +0000 https://freakytrigger.co.uk/?p=18593#comment-699706 This is a close round – both at the top of the scoring, where Snap! and Brenda Lee are currently in tied first position, and at the bottom, where Chipmunk and Dane Bowers are separated by just two points. Of the votes received so far, all but one of you have awarded top marks to either Snap! or Brenda.

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By: Martin Skidmore https://freakytrigger.co.uk/which-decade-is-tops-for-pops/2010/05/which-decade-is-tops-for-pops-round-4-the-number-7s/comment-page-1#comment-699701 Tue, 18 May 2010 13:32:19 +0000 https://freakytrigger.co.uk/?p=18593#comment-699701 6 pts: Snap!
5 pts: Brenda Lee
4 pts: Rodney Franklin
3 pts: Chipmunk
2 pts: Hollies
1 pt: Dane Bowers

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By: jeff w https://freakytrigger.co.uk/which-decade-is-tops-for-pops/2010/05/which-decade-is-tops-for-pops-round-4-the-number-7s/comment-page-1#comment-699686 Tue, 18 May 2010 12:14:20 +0000 https://freakytrigger.co.uk/?p=18593#comment-699686 Poor old Chipmunk! As I’ve said elsewhere, I like the fact that you can sing the chorus of “We’re All Going To the Zoo Tomorrow” over the chorus of “Until You Were Gone”. And he comes up with some good lines in his bits, e.g. the ‘You took off faster than my career’ one.

6pts – Snap!
5pts – Chip Diddy Chip
4pts – Brenda L
3pts – Rodney F
2pts – Dane B
1pts – Hollies

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By: Birdseed https://freakytrigger.co.uk/which-decade-is-tops-for-pops/2010/05/which-decade-is-tops-for-pops-round-4-the-number-7s/comment-page-1#comment-699677 Tue, 18 May 2010 11:34:44 +0000 https://freakytrigger.co.uk/?p=18593#comment-699677 6 – Snap
5 – Rodney Franklin
4 – Brenda Lee
3 – Chipmunk
2 – Dane Bowers
1 – the Hollies

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By: Amanda S https://freakytrigger.co.uk/which-decade-is-tops-for-pops/2010/05/which-decade-is-tops-for-pops-round-4-the-number-7s/comment-page-1#comment-699671 Tue, 18 May 2010 11:30:04 +0000 https://freakytrigger.co.uk/?p=18593#comment-699671 6 Points: Snap! – Beautiful, spacious, powerful production
5 Points: Brenda Lee – Sounds like a Leiber and Stoller song (but isn’t)
4 Points: Rodney Franklin – A good instrumental stands out in a collection of songs
3 Points: The Hollies – The harmonies are quite interesting
2 Points: Chipmunk – Solid but unmemorable pop song
1 Point: True Steppers Featuring Dane Bowers – I don’t like the processed vocals

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By: David Belbin https://freakytrigger.co.uk/which-decade-is-tops-for-pops/2010/05/which-decade-is-tops-for-pops-round-4-the-number-7s/comment-page-1#comment-699661 Tue, 18 May 2010 11:02:12 +0000 https://freakytrigger.co.uk/?p=18593#comment-699661 6 The Hollies Must have heard this at an impressionable age because I’ve always loved it. Memorably cover by Dexy’s Kevin Rowlands on his legendary solo album
5 Brenda Lee What lonepilgrim said
4 Snap
3 Rodney Franklin
2 Chipmunk
1 True Steppers

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By: JonnyB https://freakytrigger.co.uk/which-decade-is-tops-for-pops/2010/05/which-decade-is-tops-for-pops-round-4-the-number-7s/comment-page-1#comment-699653 Tue, 18 May 2010 10:26:58 +0000 https://freakytrigger.co.uk/?p=18593#comment-699653 6 – Brenda
5 – Hollies
4 – Rodney
3 – Snap
2 – Chipmunk
1 – True Steppers

I was unenthusiastic about this selection until I listened. And I grew up in the epitome of Essexey Essex – but I’m pleased to report I wasn’t much of a frequenter of those sorts of clubs.

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By: punctum https://freakytrigger.co.uk/which-decade-is-tops-for-pops/2010/05/which-decade-is-tops-for-pops-round-4-the-number-7s/comment-page-1#comment-699640 Tue, 18 May 2010 09:39:13 +0000 https://freakytrigger.co.uk/?p=18593#comment-699640 6 points – Brenda Lee
Cautiously sexy – she really has no choice in the matter, even though she knows that she has the whole world in front of her – Brenda offers a scenario which, though not unknown to the likes of Wanda Jackson, was pretty radical in a Britain stuffed with demure, hessioned songstresses seemingly born in 1894 at the age of 45. Brenda suggests, not in herself knowing the full answers, but her diary key winks and the pre-emptive Kitty Wells swagger in her growl tell us that he’ll succumb…and he’ll love it.

5 points – Snap!
Recorded at “Hype Studios” in “Brixton.” Right. A Teutonic confectionery con, but by some accident it had quite an impact here; as central London got smashed up in the Poll Tax riots (“I’m the lyrical Jesse James!”), this was playing out of most speakers everywhere around the city and the burning was felt, almost to the point of regretful exuberance. Remember when the charts could echo our feelings about the wider world?

4 points – True Steppers/TV’s Dean Gaffney, um, Dane Bowers
Ah yes, remember when AutoTune was still a tickling novelty? This was Cheggers Plays Kraftwerk with a bit of Stoke Newington roughage; Our Dane probably didn’t have the slightest clue what he was mouthing but his attempt to be The Future is, a decade hence, rather endearing. “Out Of Your Mind” with Dane n’ Becks, however, is a tower of seldom acknowledged power.

3 points – The Hollies
Thanks to Mike for linking up my Hollies piece on TPL. They were indeed in a bit of a quandary after Graham upped and left, leaning simultaneously towards cabaret time and still wanting to be taken seriously. There’s an album from this period – Confessions Of The Mind – for which you have to give them full marks for trying (if not for the rather disappointing end result, although the six-minute orchestral title track has its fans). This “I Can’t Tell The Bottom From The Top” – co-written, I see, by Kathryn Flett’s dad – inevitably pales, however, beside Kevin Rowland’s extraordinary re-reading of the song on My Beauty, an expression of raw pain and unalloyed loss comparable with anything on John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band. Decent 1970 AoR with still a wistful tinge of ’67 about its verses but the Hollies lack the initiative to take the song further.

2 points – Rodney Franklin
“Coming up right after the news, it’s the Lost Budgie slot and the Bulletin Board. The funniest message will win a 25p postal order and a Radio Oxford mug. And there’s music to come from Engelbert Humperdinck, Elkie Brooks and Brendan Shine. This is Radio Oxford, serving the community and mending your tiles.”

1 point – Chipmunk/Esmee Denters
OK, the Professor Green song is funny and sharp, but here’s where I have to invoke the spirit of Mark Perry (“Alternatives” on The Image Has Cracked to be precise); “So you’ve got Roll Deep at number one, half the top ten are records by grime people, they’re on the radio and on the telly, and it’s great – but it’s not, is it? You’re getting diluted shit.”

I don’t think anyone can claim victory here. And what does it say about how the British music industry regards black music in the 21st century that black artists are only allowed to put out records written and produced by off-the-peg white guys? That they’re not triumphing with the music that drew people like me to them in the first place, but with records that just sound like everybody else’s because that’s the only way they can get on Radio 1? Because unless something’s a Club Banger or Glee then you can forget it, and brilliant records like “Need You Now” which should be climbing to number one here instead of slipping from a gloomy peak of #21, get completely overlooked.

The skewering of music radio towards rote chart pop for teenagers and away from adult pop really has had a devastating effect on the charts; in the States, people like Monica, Melanie Fiona, Maxwell, get huge smashes, but who’s playing them here? Why bother, indeed, when faced with a pantheon of commercial and state-funded stations who only want to play “Maggie May” and “Careless Whisper” forever because they’re driven by money-motivated fear and endemic racism? When I hear a piece of pallid piss like “Until You Were Gone” – what exactly does that mean, Mr Smith? – I think of what Bangs wrote about Bob Seger, except that at least in Seger’s songs there remained an undertow of something– rage, the will to change circumstance. Fraser T Smith is like the yellow-jacketed council official of British chart pop, clamping down on everything different or provocative or even moderately entertaining, and he, and this, and everything which supports both, need to be smashed and destroyed.

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By: Alan not logged in https://freakytrigger.co.uk/which-decade-is-tops-for-pops/2010/05/which-decade-is-tops-for-pops-round-4-the-number-7s/comment-page-1#comment-699636 Tue, 18 May 2010 09:32:20 +0000 https://freakytrigger.co.uk/?p=18593#comment-699636 6 – Snap 90 still amazing
5 – Brenda! 60 cor, cracking
4 – Chipmunk 10 aw, wuvly chippy chipmunk. (i probs not care about this in 2 months time, but now I rly like it. you are all MEEEAN)
3 – Rodney 80 nice enough background noodling
2 – Hollies 70 falling asleep now
1 – True Steppers 00 hate this – didn’t like this corner of two step at the time. smoooove to featureless

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By: Mike Atkinson https://freakytrigger.co.uk/which-decade-is-tops-for-pops/2010/05/which-decade-is-tops-for-pops-round-4-the-number-7s/comment-page-1#comment-699632 Tue, 18 May 2010 09:15:16 +0000 https://freakytrigger.co.uk/?p=18593#comment-699632 I know you’re all secretly dying to know how my new “Cumulative Average Points” system works. Perhaps it’s best explained with an example. Looking at, say, the current score for the Eighties, it’s calculated like this.

Round 1.
Current score for The Undertones: 170
Current number of voters in Round 1: 38
Average score for The Undertones: 170 / 38 = 4.4736842

Round 2.
Current score for Hot Chocolate: 134
Current number of voters in Round 2: 37
Average score for Hot Chocolate: 134 / 37 = 3.6216216

Round 3.
Average score for Motorhead: 117 / 26 = 4.5

Total score for the 1980s: 4.4736842 + 3.6216216 + 4.5 = 12.5953058

Simple!

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By: Billy Smart https://freakytrigger.co.uk/which-decade-is-tops-for-pops/2010/05/which-decade-is-tops-for-pops-round-4-the-number-7s/comment-page-1#comment-699628 Tue, 18 May 2010 08:40:05 +0000 https://freakytrigger.co.uk/?p=18593#comment-699628 Five top discs to choose between… and one duff one.

6 – Brenda Lee – Very sassy, very instinctive, very sympathetic.

5 – Rodney Franklin – The sort of thing that’s often used as backing music on television and radio, but highly superior.

4 – The Hollies – You might respond more warmly to this as a song once you’ve heard the Kevin Rowland version, which documents a turbulent state of emotional confusion.

3 – True Steppers – Those blunkyblink raindroppy effects make me happy every time I hear this.

2 – Snap! – Abrasive! Stupid! But in a good way, probably.

1 – Chipmunk – It’s scrubbed up to sound loud, but signifies nothing at all to me.

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By: Steve Mannion https://freakytrigger.co.uk/which-decade-is-tops-for-pops/2010/05/which-decade-is-tops-for-pops-round-4-the-number-7s/comment-page-1#comment-699543 Tue, 18 May 2010 00:03:55 +0000 https://freakytrigger.co.uk/?p=18593#comment-699543 6: Snap! – Sorry but can’t help favouring 1990 first again. Have always enjoyed hearing this again over the last 5 years. Look fwd to discussing it on Popular.

5: Brenda Lee – First time hearing but what’s not to like? Maybe the accent/pronunciation could get on my nerves after a while but not yet.

4: True Steppers ft. Dane Bowers – not as good as ‘Out Of Your Mind’ but it’s 2 Step textbook moves nudge it above…

3: Rodney Franklin – First time hearing and it reminds me of some Mike Simonetti stuff from a few years later e.g. I Love The Piano but this sounds a lot cheesier so marked down.

2: The Hollies – First time hearing but eeehhhhh…give me ‘After The Fox’ any day!

1: Chipmunk – Depressing to see him reduced to this pap after such promise (inc. his turn on England 10’s ‘She Likes To Move’ 18 months ago). Haters got fair reason as things stand.

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By: lockedintheattic https://freakytrigger.co.uk/which-decade-is-tops-for-pops/2010/05/which-decade-is-tops-for-pops-round-4-the-number-7s/comment-page-1#comment-699534 Mon, 17 May 2010 23:30:28 +0000 https://freakytrigger.co.uk/?p=18593#comment-699534 Wow. That was an incredibly tough one to score. 5 of these score well for me, and it was a tough choice choosing the order

6 – Snap! – Oh the joys of hearing a song for the first time in ages that you thought you’d got bored of a long time ago, only to find out it sounds better than you ever remembered.
5 – Brenda Lee – Fantastic performance, especially for a 15 year old
4 – True Steppers – Not half as good as ‘out of your mind’ – which made it suffer in my eyes at the time. Hearing it on its own now I’m appreciating it a lot more
3 – Rodney Franklin – gosh. I don’t normally like Jazz Funk
2 – Chipmunk – this may be a sell out, but it sounds great still, and it’s sad to score it a 2 – I’d rather listen to this than any of the number 8s (apart from Toni B)
1 – The Hollies – blah

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By: lonepilgrim https://freakytrigger.co.uk/which-decade-is-tops-for-pops/2010/05/which-decade-is-tops-for-pops-round-4-the-number-7s/comment-page-1#comment-699527 Mon, 17 May 2010 22:46:52 +0000 https://freakytrigger.co.uk/?p=18593#comment-699527 6 points: Brenda Lee
The song and the performance on the Youtube clip are pure joy
5 points: Snap!
This pumps along nicely – more to say on this in due course
4 points: Chipmunk
Being unfamiliar with Mr Munk’s previous work I am unable to say whether this is a sell out or not – but I like Ms Denter’s contributions
3 points: The Hollies
As a song this feels a bit cut and paste – redeemed by the Hollies reliable harmonies
2 points: Rodney Franklin
I have a low tolerance for this sort of thing – I’d rather listen to Herbie Hancock than a pale imitation
1 point: True Steppers Featuring Dane Bowers – Buggin’
I find this as bland and generic as the track above and don’t respond positively to the vocal

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By: Gordon https://freakytrigger.co.uk/which-decade-is-tops-for-pops/2010/05/which-decade-is-tops-for-pops-round-4-the-number-7s/comment-page-1#comment-699519 Mon, 17 May 2010 22:04:20 +0000 https://freakytrigger.co.uk/?p=18593#comment-699519 6 points: Snap! – The Power
5 points: Rodney Franklin – The Groove
4 points: Brenda Lee – Sweet Nothin’s
3 points: True Steppers Featuring Dane Bowers – Buggin’
2 points: The Hollies – I Can’t Tell The Bottom From The Top
1 points: Chipmunk – Until You Were Gone (ft. Esmee Denters)

Agreed, Chipmunk dead last, but Snap! take first mainly because that track was my first ever karoake attempt. Yes, really.

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By: taDOW https://freakytrigger.co.uk/which-decade-is-tops-for-pops/2010/05/which-decade-is-tops-for-pops-round-4-the-number-7s/comment-page-1#comment-699516 Mon, 17 May 2010 21:50:37 +0000 https://freakytrigger.co.uk/?p=18593#comment-699516 6 pts – snap!
5 pts – brenda lee
4 pts – rodney franklin
3 pts – the hollies
2 pts – chipmunk
1 pt – true steppers

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By: Mike Atkinson https://freakytrigger.co.uk/which-decade-is-tops-for-pops/2010/05/which-decade-is-tops-for-pops-round-4-the-number-7s/comment-page-1#comment-699515 Mon, 17 May 2010 21:41:25 +0000 https://freakytrigger.co.uk/?p=18593#comment-699515 FINAL SCORES:
200 points: Brenda Lee – Sweet Nothin’s
197 points: Snap! – The Power
139 points: Rodney Franklin – The Groove
116 points: The Hollies – I Can’t Tell The Bottom From The Top
98 points: Chipmunk – Until You Were Gone (ft. Esmee Denters)
90 points: True Steppers Featuring Dane Bowers – Buggin’

My scores:
6 points: Brenda Lee – Sweet Nothin’s
5 points: Rodney Franklin – The Groove
4 points: Snap! – The Power
3 points: True Steppers Featuring Dane Bowers – Buggin’
2 points: The Hollies – I Can’t Tell The Bottom From The Top
1 points: Chipmunk – Until You Were Gone (ft. Esmee Denters)

Very little to choose between Brenda, Rodney and Snap! An easy decision to place Chipmunk in last place, but much dithering over The Hollies vs True Steppers.

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