Top 10 Singles - Roundup

So there we are, the list of my Top 10 singles is official, with some entries that surprised even me. Here is the list in full:


1) Umbrella (Feat. Jay-Z) - Rihanna
2) Flashing Lights (Feat. Dwele) - Kanye West
3) Break The Ice - Britney Spears
4) Say It Right -Nelly Furtado
5) Be Mine - Robyn
6) Empire State of Mind (Feat. Alicia Keys) - Jay-Z
7) Dancing On My Own - Robyn
8) About You Now - Sugababes
9) Crazy In Love (Feat. Jay-Z) - Beyoncé
10) Toxic - Britney Spears

And the rest of the list from 11-17 and 18-25 can be found at the respective links.



The artist that appears the most in the list is Kanye West with 4 songs in the top 25. Counting guest appearances though, Jay-Z arguably trumps Mr West by turning up in the top 10 3 times, featured on his wife's best hit, and my number 1 pick. Robyn deserves a special mention as the only lead artist to be in the top 10 twice, and for bringing the tears quota for the entire list.

There's only one song that was released before the noughties, Bjork's fantastic Joga.The most prolific years on the list are 2008 and 2009, where 5 songs from each year made the cut. It's interesting that only one song, Dancing On My Own made it from last year, my second best song of 2010, Power, being outranked by 2 more of Kanye hits.


I hope you have enjoyed this year's epic list, I sure have. I'll be uploading an updated version of my albums list next, with some new articles appearing after that.


To listen to my top 25 singles list on Spotify head to this link: http://open.spotify.com/user/fatchins/playlist/6r1nMRl0PZqB0BWNN0RtZw

Top 10 Singles - #1

Umbrella (Feat. Jay-Z) - Rihanna - Good Girl Gone Bad - 2007


I have never mentioned the song that sits atop my Top 10 Singles list on my Blog, but it's a song that everyone reading will know. Staying at the UK number 1 for 10 weeks, Umbrella is undeniably Rihanna's biggest hit. For me, it's not only her best, but the best song in my music collection. It combines everything mentioned about the songs that preceded it; it's Crazy in Love from the future, with an epic drum pattern that makes up most of the production. A chorus that is both epic and relatable, with the 'eh eh' hook that would soon define the charts heard in it's purest form. The closing section of the middle 8 has to be one of my favourite parts of any song too, the 'Because...' setting off that massive chorus for the final time. Lyrically and sonically it doesn't get much better than Umbrella. A perfectly simple yet marvelous song.

UK Chart Position - 1
Best Lyric - 'When the sun shines we'll shine together, told you I'll be here forever'

Top 10 Singles - #2

Flashing Lights (Feat. Dwele) - Kanye West - Graduation - 2008


Another obvious one if you've read my Kanye West top 10, Flashing Lights is his best single yet. The production is flawless, giving the rapper a true anthemic song, rather than the club friendly upbeat joints that preceded it. The stomping chorus isn't hook heavy, but instead resonates along with the string led production and stabs of synth. It's the sort of song that is much deeper than your first listen, with hidden meaning found in both the lyrics and overall concept of the song. My favourite song by my favourite artist, what could beat that...


UK Chart Position - 29
Best Lyric - 'She in the mirror dancin' so sleazy, I get a call like 'where are you Yeezy?''

Top 10 Singles - #3

Break The Ice - Britney Spears - Blackout - 2008


A song I gushed over when it reached the top of my Top 20 Britney list, Break The Ice is the definitive Brit record. With production so slick Timbaland would be jealous, and the most intense heavy breathing of the singer's career, this is the song (and album) that I will always use as an example of why Britney should be taken seriously. It may not have been a huge chart hit, and the video may not have had Brit herself in it, but this will always my highlight of Britney's near flawless back catalogue.


UK Chart Position - 15
Best Lyric - 'I like this part'

Top 10 Singles - #4

Say It Right - Nelly Furtado - Loose - 2007

The final Timbaland production on the list, Say It Right is his masterpiece. Infectious synth and 808s are just the start, as Furtado's most impressive vocal to date echoes across them. It sounds as if she is calling across a vast open landscape, an effect that gives Say It Right a unique sonic feel. Everything is unexpected and interesting, the lack of a final chorus leaving you still feeling that drum pattern even after the song has ended. If I was producing music, Say It Right would be the blueprint for the ultimate RnB/Pop crossover song.

UK Chart Position - 10
Best Lyric - 'Oh you could mean everything to me'

Top 10 Singles - #5

Be Mine - Robyn - Robyn - 2005/2008


I knew that both Be Mine and Dancing On My Own would appear in my top 10 songs, but deciding which Robyn classic would come out on top was a tough decision. The best track on her near perfect eponymous fourth album, Be Mine is devastatingly sad, the middle 8 being the best 'talky bit' I've ever heard on a record. When she explains 'I just miss you, that's all' the emotional resonance of the track comes into full effect, the string led production echoing her sentiment. A modern Pop classic and the most emotive song on the list.


UK Chart Position - 10
Best Lyric - 'It's a good thing tears never show in the pouring rain, as if a good thing ever can make up for all the pain'

Top 10 Singles - #6

Empire State of Mind (Feat. Alicia Keys) - Jay-Z - The Blueprint 3 - 2009


The second appearance of Hip Hop king Jay-Z, Empire State of Mind is his masterpiece. A celebration of everything that makes him proud to come from New York, his 3 verses are some of his most iconic. The production is epic too, capturing the true scale of the city. But the real reason Empire finds itself at number 6 in my list is that chorus. Delivered effortlessly by Alicia Keys, it's the most infectious hook of the decade and will go down as one of the greatest achievements the genre has seen.


UK Chart Position - 2
Best Lyric - 'I'm the new Sinatra'


A quick side note, Empire State of Mind was the very first thing mentioned on this blog a year and a half ago. It feels weird returning to it after all this time.

Top 10 Singles - #7

Dancing On My Own - Robyn - Body Talk - 2010


Looking back at my 2010 end of year list article, I don't feel like I did the quality of Dancing On My Own justice. My point about the song being one of few songs to truly make me feel something when I hear it is still true, but the extent of this wasn't expressed. Emotional through and through, Robyn pours her soul into every line of Dancing On My Own. It's a devastatingly sad song yet still remains an empowering dancefloor anthem that will always have a special place in my music library.


UK Chart Position - 8
Best Lyric - 'I just came to say goodbye.'

Top 10 Singles - #8

About You Now - Sugababes - Change - 2007


The only UK act to make it into my top 10, Sugababes have had their fair share of troubles over the last decade. Controversial Lineup changes and accusations of bullying aside though, the fact remains that they landed what I believe to be the best UK pop hit of the 21st century in About You Now. With an incredibly infectious chorus and some of the slickest production from the now untouchable Dr Luke, About You Now eclipses even the band themselves. As Pop music goes, About You Now is just about as good as it gets.


UK Chart Position - 1
Best Lyric - 'Shoud've been strong, yeah I lied.'

Top 10 Singles - #9

Crazy In Love (Feat. Jay-Z) - Beyoncé - Dangerously In Love - 2003

A song that needs no introduction, Crazy In Love is the highlight of Queen B's long career. The brassy smash of an opening immediately grabs the listeners ear, and only improves as the song continues. The 'Oh Oh' dance hook went on to become a staple of not just Beyoncé, but every RnB Diva to follow. It's sassy, explosive, infectious and incredibly danceable, proved by B herself in the incredible video. Even hubby to be Jay-Z delivers one of the best Middle 8 raps of his career. Crazy In Love set the genre standard and few have bettered Beyoncé's classic.

UK Chart Position - 1
Best Lyric - 'You Ready?'

Top 10 Singles - #10

Toxic - Britney Spears - In The Zone - 2004


Kicking things off with the pop song that even 'real' music critics admit is brilliant. Toxic is a blistering production full of funk guitar riffs and strings, and is a 'Britney' record through and through.What more do you want than heavy breathing, an epic breakdown section and her sexiest video ever? It's a perfect pop song, the reason why Toxic is her most iconic song and thoroughly deserved of its place at number 10 in my list.



UK Chart Position - 1
Best Lyric - 'I took a sip from a Devil's cup.'

Top 10 Singles Intro

1 year ago today, I started compiling a list of my top 10 favourite albums. The list has changed a great deal since then, and I will put a revised one up near the end of this series of Blog posts. This time around though, my focus is on singles, making this list so much harder to construct than my last one. Expect some surprises, some obvious picks and a whole lot of brilliant music. To make it onto this list, the song must have been released as an official single.


Here we go...