So, we come to the song that is, as of today, the UK Number 1 single, was on my 45th birthday, and has been for an impressive 8 weeks so far (by end of day, 9)
Sprinter - Dave & Central Cee
How fitting, since I went to great lengths not to be called Dave, since the name David McGaughey has, I suppose, a c at or near its centre, and since I have unquestionably, in my younger days, sprinted.
Dave (David Omoregie) has been a star of UK hip-hop for a few years. When he emerged, one might have thought he would be an early Dylan/Chuck D-like figure, a voice of seriousness, clarity and truth in a trivial world.
To a certain extent, that has applied to his albums. Acclaimed, Mercury-winning, Brit-winning, they cover heavy issues like generational trauma, mental health, abuse, racism, sometimes heavy-handedly, sometimes brilliantly.
What's interesting, and was less predictable, is that alongside the righteous, powerful, acclaimed albums, he has also become a massive singles artists, with singles that are much more glib, hedonistic, braggadocious, than his initial persona suggested.
Sprinter is spare, elegant, laid-back, arrogant. empty - Central Cee and Dave trade verses with barely a change of temperature. I can't quite detect what it has that has made it Number 1 for 8 weeks and the UK's best selling ever hip-hop track, but it's pretty good.
It's the third song to dominate the charts this year, after Flowers by Miley Cyrus, and Miracle by our old friend Calvin Harris and Ellie Goulding.
I've paid closer attention to the charts this years than some years - there have been some fairly interesting hits, as, I guess, there always are.
One thing about Dave, which I think tells you everything you need to know about how far the pop charts are from being a universal, generational, family topic these days - we put "Dave song titles" as an answer in an OC wall last series. This was at a time when he'd won the Mercury, won the Brit, his single was at time of filming UK Number 1. It wasn't just that it wasn't got. The team was a very good team, in fact the team that would go on to win the series - they had good music knowledge, the might have got it, they were a bit disappointed not to, and I could have made the category one notch easier with an easier song title.
It was how much doubt there was about putting it in the wall, whether it was fair game. When it was literally one of the most popular artists in the UK right now. Now, of course, that says something about OC and its teams - one year, a team got "women in Velvet Underground song titles" but another team didn't get "Mariah Carey albums". But still.
So ... the fun bit. I've, of course I have, ranked them from favourite to least favourite.
In general, I feel I could have had a better bunch. A few classics, but quite a lot where I much preferred the Number 1 from a month earlier or later. There's very little "rock music" let alone indie rock. A few, like Florence, Sheeran, The Streets, who came vaguely from that world, but from the time of the hits, were resolutely in the pop world.
There are quite a few with a Latin feel, quite a few which were Number 1 for a very long time - like people couldn't be bothered to buy anything else over the summer.
When it comes to my favourite three, they're all top notch and they could really be in any order. My least favourite is out on its own, though fair to say We Will Rock You by 5ive ft Queen is truly a terrible record, but I'm quite fond of both acts, so it misses the bottom spot. I still hate Wannabe, even though I know that makes me a bad person.
So, here goes.
- Umbrella - Rihanna ft Jay-Z (2007)
- There Must Be an Angel (Playing with My Heart) - Eurythmics (1985)
- Crazy in Love - Beyonce ft Jay-Z (2003)
- I Don't Like Mondays - Boomtown Rats (1979)
- Fame - Irene Cara (1982)
- Black Magic - Little Mix (2015)
- (Everything I Do) I Do it for You - Bryan Adams (1991)
- La Bamba - Los Lobos (1987)
- Dry Your Eyes - The Streets (2004)
- Wake Me Up - Avicii (2013)
- Livin' La Vida Loca - Ricky Martin (1999)
- Papa Don't Preach - Madonna (1986)
- Pray - Take That (1993)
- Wherever I Lay My Hat - Paul Young (1983)
- You're the One that I Want - John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John (1978)
- Beautiful People - Ed Sheeran ft Khalid (2019)
- Ain't No Doubt - Jimmy Nail (1992)
- Use it Up and Wear it Out - Odyssey (1980)
- Sprinter - Dave and Central Cee (2023)
- Eternity/The Road to Mandalay - Robbie Williams (2001)
- Afraid to Feel - LF System (2022)
- Spectrum (Say My Name) - Florence and the Machine (2012)
- Deeper Underground - Jamiroquai (1998)
- We No Speak Americano - Yolanda B Cool and DCUP (2010)
- Wild Thoughts - DJ Khaled ft Rihanna and Bryson Tiller (2017)
- You're Beautiful - James Blunt (2005)
- Turtle Power - Partners in Kryme (1990)
- Me and My Broken Heart - Rixton (2014)
- Anyone of Us (Stupid Mistake) - Gareth Gates (2002)
- Head & Heart - Joel Corry ft MNEK (2020)
- Green Door - Shakin' Stevens (1981)
- Beat Again - JLS (2009)
- Boom Boom Boom - Outhere Brothers (1995)
- Glad You Came - The Wanted (2011)
- Dance wiv Me - Dizzee Rascal ft Calvin Harris and Chrome (2008)
- You'll Never Stop Me Loving You - Sonia (1989)
- Two Tribes - Frankie Goes to Hollywood (1984)
- Nothing's Gonna Change My Love for You - Glenn Medeiros (1988)
- I'll Be Missing You - Puff Daddy ft Faith Evans and 112 (1997)
- Bad Habits - Ed Sheeran (2021)
- Love is All Around - Wet Wet Wet (1994)
- Don't Stop Me Now/Please Please - McFly (2006)
- In My Feelings - Drake (2018)
- Wannabe - The Spice Girls (1996)
- We Will Rock You - 5ive ft Queen (2000)
- One Dance - Drake (2016)
No comments:
Post a Comment