Liam's top 100 of life (re-start!)

Sorry but I just have to start again, this time only from 100!

100. Christina Aguilera - Fighter 2003 UK peak - 3 From the album: Stripped

The Stripped era saw many sides to Xtina - we had slutty (Dirrty, Can't Hold Us Down) and vulnerable (Beautiful, The Voice Within) plus the rocky, angry Xtina shown on this anthem! I just love it as it's so different compared to her other stuff and has stood the test of time without being overrated like bloody Beautiful!

99. Madonna - Hung Up 2005 UK peak - 1 From the album: Confessions On A Dancefloor

Now you may expect this higher up - but it's not her best for me, amazing as it is. Yes it does certainly deserve it's place inside my top 100 and it's an undeniable pop classic but it is not her best as a lot of people say. The sample is GENIUS though, rather then ending up cliched and cheesy it lifts the song into a soaring state of disco euphoria that shows Madonna still has it as the Queen Of Pop even as she ages!

98. Taylor Swift - Love Story 2008 UK peak - 2 From the album: Fearless

Cliche? Yes. Cheesy? Yes. But I'm a sucker for country as those who get to know me will know, and this did the almost impossible by becoming a worldwide hit! Though given the pop edge it kind of lessens the achievement :p Anyhoo, this song was my first glimpse into the lovely world of Taylor Swift, where every break-up, minor or major turns into either a heartfelt ballad or a crazy angry revenge track. But no, she does some excellent music and this (albeit soppy) nice little love song is her best to date!

97. Duffy - Mercy 2008 UK peak - 1 From the album: Rockferry

Definitely my artist of 2008 Rockferry literally barely left my CD player in 2008, and this fun, catchy retro soul-pop track launched her to stardom, spending 5 weeks at number 1 and thus becoming the 3rd best seller of 2008! It also ensured her debut album sold well over 2 million and was the biggest seller of 2008 (helped along the way by a sneaky re-release ) Shame her career went down the shitter with Endlessly (it was an OK album but to start with the lead single Well Well Well was a proper 1/10 moment if ever there was one....) as she really could have been a consistent big seller!

96. Alanis Morissette - Ironic 1996 UK peak - 11 From the album: Jagged Little Pill

I can already hear Grant's cries questioning my taste :p But this is a brilliant track from her magnum opus and is her best to date. So full of emotion and also power and even maybe a hint of anger, Alanis lets out her frustrations on rain on wedding days, free rides after paying and good advice you don't take to give us an undeniable modern pop rock classic. Also, it shocked me to learn this never made the UK top 10 - I always thought this was a huge end of year top 10 track!

95. Jessica Mauboy - Burn 2008 UK peak - N/R (Aus peak - 1) From the album: Been Waiting

TOTAL change of pace now. From the 'runner-up that's done so much better than the winner' of Australian Idol Jessica Mauboy. She's not the most revolutionary of artistes but what she does she does well! This particular track sees her channel her inner Rihanna with an electro-R&B uptempo club banger about wanting to end a relationship. I just need to say - JAMES LISTEN NOW AND I KNOW YOU'LL LOVE IT :p

94. Eminem ft. Dido - Stan 2000 UK peak - 1 From the album: The Marshall Mathers LP

Now things take a rather serious turn with this borderline depressing hip-hop classic. Em's choice of sample catapaulted a then relatively unknown Dido to worldwide fame by using the chorus of her song Thank You. The song tells of an obsessive fan who kills himself and his pregnant girlfriend after not getting a reply from his hero upon writing to him. Thus the popular internet term 'stan' for an avid fan was born! I don't care if it's a bit morbid and maybe depressing, it's a gem of the hip-hop genre, and epicly clocking in at over 6 minutes tells the story brilliantly!

93. Madonna - Like A Prayer 1989 UK peak - 1 From the album: Like A Prayer

More Queen M now, taking us back with late 80s with her then controversial religious themed hit Like A Prayer. At well over 5 minutes, it's one of Madge's more lengthy hits but it adds to the epicness and makes it all the more classic! I just love it all, verses, chorus and especially the distinct amazing intro! I'd LOVE her to do something like this on her new album!

92. Britney Spears - If U Seek Amy UK peak - 20 From the album: Circus

Definitely the highlight of Circus for me, banging electro-pop beats, lustorous Britney vocals and teasing sexually provacative lyrics. Such a criminal peak for such a brilliant song, it was round about this time we all knew her career was in danger...

91. Corrine Bailey Rae - Put Your Records On UK peak - 2 From the album: Corrine Bailey Rae

Nice is a bit of a shit word to use but this is just such a nice summer song! It just makes me think of sitting in the garden doing naff all on a lovely sunny day. Smooth soulful vocals, catchy verses and a sunny singalong chorus all make for a perfect chillout summer track! This was Corrine's one big hit, and gave a respectably selling album!

90. No Doubt - Bathwater 2001 UK peak - 17 From the album: Return Of Saturn

And now some ska punk with a bit of a jazzy fusion. Before Gwen was being slutty and cool with her new wave/electropop hits, her band No Doubt had a string of rocky hits. This is an underappreciated gem in their catalogue though, it often gets overlooked This shows off Gwen's voice perfectly with the jazzy vocals matched with banging drums.


And that's it for tonight, I'll do 10 a day each day now until I'm done. No more breaks, I promise :p