Average: 6.45 Controversy: 2.5
FS: One of my favourite singles of the year – Tricky’s at his best when he’s at his poppiest. 9
KG: Enjoyable drums, quite well-paced, and, dammit, well-constructed record. 8[…]

Average: 6.6 Controversy: 2.56
NW: A summer song that slowly insinuates itself into your head, this is the sound of Madonna not trying too hard. The neo-sixties vibe to the song feels fresh rather than deliberately kitsch or retro: do call it a comeb[…]

Average: 6.7 Controversy: 2.47
JM: Record of the year, or at least record of the list. Morse code dance tune. 10
GE: Loved the record and the idea that a piece of minimal techno could get played and bought purely on the strength of an advert. There w[…]

Average: 6.95 Controversy: 1.92
PL: Didn’t like the Jaxx when I first heard them. Now I think they may be the best dance act to come along in ages. Pure dance genius! 10
PB: There are no bad records that a) use Vocoders and b) Go “dum-dum[…]

BRITNEY SPEARS – Baby One More Time
Average: 7.59 Controversy: 2.57
NW: Single of the year. No, stop laughing. Of all the pop acts to come out this year, it’s Britney that manages to get under the skin the most. There’s something di[…]

Average: 7.88 Controversy: 1.71
KG: Glorious. He says “darnce”. Where have all the lovely records like this gone? 10
GE: Travis should be made to clean Mr.Haines’ boots for a year. 8
NW: Glam style Cliff Jones would kill for. 8
TE: […]

Average: 8.02 Controversy: 1.51
JM: Shouting and swearing – excellent (though not as good as “Guilty Conscience”) 10
TE: If Tex Avery made a hip-hop record it wouldn’t sound too far off this. “Wanna copy me and do exactl[…]

The Freaky Trigger Pop Music Focus Group 1999
(Special Acknowledgement: The format and ideas of the FTPMFG are entirely ripped off from Phil Dellio’s Radio On poll format, which attracts critics of the calibre of the awesome Chuck Eddy, and can[…]

The Freaky Trigger Pop Music Focus Group 1999
(Special Acknowledgement: The format and ideas of the FTPMFG are entirely ripped off from Phil Dellio’s Radio On poll format, which attracts critics of the calibre of the awesome Chuck Eddy, and can[…]

Tom Ewing’s Top 100 Singles Of The 90s
Happy Mondays were Manchester lads who mixed grit and wit with a pilferer’s ear for a tune – Oasis started out getting compared to them, but the similarities really aren’t that great. Noe[…]