Review of the Year 2005

Review of the Year 2005

Yes, it's that time of year again, where 12 months after promising that "I won't be making a Review of the year CD next year", I've gone and made a review of the year CD again!

Not everyone actually gets to have a physical CD though (although if you ask me nicely - see below - I might send you one), which is why I'm making all the tracks available to download here as well.

Yes there are only 12 months in a year, but there are 13 tracks in total as includes an extra added on festive bit at the end.

Download & Play

If you want to play/stream them direct from here, or download them to play on another portable music player then download these, the mp3 versions instead.

January - February - March - April - May - June - July
August - September - October - November - December - Ending

Christmas track: Small World Incident, Have yourself a Merry Little Christmas

News of 2005

... was the year that London found out it was hosting the 2012 Olympic Games, only for a few days later to be wrecked by the terrorist bombs on the 7th July on the London Underground.

The Results

Well - thanks to everyone that voted then, for playing the CD and for sending in to me your fave five choons.

In the meantime, all the votes have been compiled - each song getting one point everytime that it was voted for by someone - and with all the scores tallied up, the big final top ten (in reverse order) is as follows ...

10. Gorillaz - Dare

I An excellent year for Damon Albarns & Jamie Hewletts cartoon-character based band as the album Demon Days went tripled platinum - selling over one million copies and making it the fifth biggest selling album in the UK in 2005. Keep your eye out for "El Mañana" which will be the fourth single release in February of 2006.

9. Arctic Monkeys - I bet you look good on the dance floor

So 2006 could be a big year for the Arctic Monkeys then if their initial success and hype of 2005 are anything to go by. Their debut album "Whatever people say I am, that's what I'm not" is released in the last week of January. Expect more hit singles and big things from this band during this year.

8. Franz Ferdinand - Do you want to

Mercury Award winners back in 2004, FF managed that tricky 'follow up the hype' album in 2005 with "You could have it so much better", with three singles from it so far and another planned in 2006. Will they still be around this time next year and as as successful. Only time will tell.

7. Green Day - Wake me up when September ends

Green Day have been going almost as long as U2 and Depeche Mode which got mentions on the CD for their longevity, and yet lead singer Billie Joe still looks just about as young and as fresh faced as he did all those year ago.

The album "American Idiot" turned out to be a huge success from its initial release in 2004 well into 2005, spawning several epic singles, including this poignant song, as well as the more recent "Jesus of Suburbia".

6. Athlete - Wires

Four piece British band from Deptford, south London have been around since 2002, had initial success in 2003 but definitely made it big in 2005 when their second album "Tourist" when straight into the UK album charts at number one.

5. Killers - Somebody told me

The Killers actually had more success during 2004, but just about snuck in at the beginning of 2005 in January with this loud-as-the-rest single "Somebody told me", actually a re-release. They're currently putting the finishing touches to that tricky second album which should be out in the summer of 2006.

4. Kaiser Chiefs - I predict a riot

2005 was the the year that the KC's finally made it big, having been formed in Leeds in the UK just two years earlier. They had four big hits during 2005, including "Oh my god", "Everyday I love you less and less", "Modern Way", and this - the extremely catchy "Riot" - all taken from the album "Employment"

3. James Blunt - You're beautiful

And into the top three .. with the old "You love either love him or hate him" artist that is James Blunt. A former Captain in the British Army, Blunt scored the biggest hit/selling single of the year with "Beautiful" from his album "Back to Bedlam" - with two more singles following it. James has now been nominated for five Brit Awards in the ceremony taking place in Feb 2006.

2. Madonna - Hung up

She's going to be 48 this year, but she's still going strong. Will the ever-popular Madonna ever hang up her proverbial singing shoes? Possibly not - with a new album out last year "Confession on a dance floor" the immensely dance-floor-filling "Hung up" being the one of the most memorable hits of the year, it does look as if Madonna can keep on re-inventing herself, and keep entertaining us for many more years yet. Just no more skimpy pink leotards in videos please madge! Your thighs do not look good.

1. Coldplay - Fix You

What can possibly be said about Coldplay - one of the biggest bands on the planet that hasn't already been said. Was it too predictable that the biggest selling album of the year (half a million in its first week alone) would have three big top 10 singles, and thus the number one on the final vote of the year? Probably. Anyway - well done chaps, let's see if you can do it again in 2006 ..

Tracks 'just outside' of the big final ten and worthy of a mention included: Depeche Mode - Precious, Gorillaz - Dirty Harry, Gorillaz - Feel good inc, Hard Fi - Hard to beat, Kaiser Chiefs - Oh my god, KT Tunstall - Other side of the world, and Sugababes - Push the button.