Music Flashback: 2010

Here are my most played songs from 2010.

At the time, I didn’t know how much I was going to love Avicii’s music. Seek Bromance was the start of this (although I didn’t know that Avicii was Tim Berg. This is a classic song!
This song makes you want to dance!
I loved McFly’s music. This is one of their finest and it was even better because they teamed up with Taio Cruz. Whatever happened to him?
A great remix of a great song!
An underrated dance tune!
I’m not sure why this is in my top ten most played songs of 2015. It’s great but I don’t know why I played it so often!
Such a brilliant song. I remember hearing it for the first time and couldn’t believe the whole song was sung by the same man. And what an album, too!
This song still gives my goosebumps. One of the best rap songs ever.
Classic Rihanna, back when her songs were good because they had a tune.
One of Eminem’s finest.

Awesome 2!

20 devastatin’ hits feature on Awesome 2! This is one of my favourite compilations ever. Released in 1991, I caught on to it that year by borrowing it from a friend so that I could listen to The Wonder Stuff’s The Size Of A Cow.

If you can track down a copy of it, I would recommend that you do as it is amazing.

  • James – Sit Down: One of the best songs ever. So easy to sing along to. Everyone knows the words and it will still get a crowd singing along. Just brilliant!
  • R.E.M. – Shiny Happy People: One of the happiest songs ever! It will make you smile and you might even want to get your air guitar out to play along!
  • The Wonder Stuff – The Size Of A Cow: Me, I like to think that life is like a drink and I hope that it tastes like Bourbon. One of the most random songs ever, but an absolute classic. This deserved more success than it enjoyed, but people of a certain age will recall it fondly.
  • E.M.F – Unbelievable: This song is unbelievable! It still sounds brilliant, 29 years later!
  • The Shamen – Move Any Mountain: This hasn’t aged well, but at the time this was amazing as were most of The Shamen’s songs.
  • Blur – There’s No Other Way: Perhaps this was Blur’s finest song. Debatable, maybe, but it’s up there with their best.
  • Voice Of The Beehive – I Think I Love You: I was amazed when I found out that this was a cover version. Beehive’s version is infinitely better and it is awesome.
  • Deacon Blue – Twist And Shout: Deacon Blue had some great songs and this was one of them. A great song for the album.
  • Divinyls – I Touch Myself: As long as you don’t play this with the kids in the car, this is a cracker.
  • Salt-N-Pepa – Let’s Talk About Sex: In 1991 a song that mentioned sex was automatically brilliant!
  • Erasure – Love To Hate You: Erasure did so many amazing songs. Love To Hate You is great but it’s not one of their best, perhaps. Worth a listen though!
  • Oceanic – Insanity: One of the best dance tunes ever! Released in 1991 Insanity was way ahead of its time.
  • Utah Saints – What Can You Do For Me: It took me a few years to realise how amazing Utah Saints actually were.
  • Sabrina Johnston – Peace: This is the weakest song on the whole compilation. It just feels out of place somehow.
  • Brothers In Rhythm – Such A Good Feeling: Another classic dance tune. It is brilliant as it is, but sounds like a completely new tune when mashed up with Lola’s Theme (released thirteen years later).
  • O.M.D – Pandora’s Box: I love O.M.D and this is probably their best song!
  • Zoe – Sunshine On A Rainy Day: Another song that sounds a bit out of place. However, Sunshine is a great song so it’s allowed.
  • PM Dawn – Set Adrift On Memory Bliss: How brilliant is this?! The perfect chilled out summer song.
  • Lenny Kravitz – It Ain’t Over ‘Til It’s Over: One of the best things about Awesome 2 is it’s attention to detail regarding punctuation. Sure, the graphic designer forgot that capital letters existed, but it gets every apostrophe spot on! This was the first time I had heard anything by Kravitz. This is great but nothing like anything else he’s ever released!

So many memories. I played this so many times that if I hear one of the songs I always expect the next one on the album to come on after. As I listen right now, I’m expecting Unbelievable to play in a minute!

Paul van Dyk – For An Angel

The first time I heard For An Angel was on a Club 051 Lee Butler cassette. My friend and I absolutely loved it instantly.

For An Angel is probably one of the best dance tunes ever. The bassline draws you in and the piano melody lifts you. It is layered – even after hundreds of listens I can still hear something different.

The song takes me back to a happy time. I was at uni but living at home. I was spending my nights with my best friends having the best laughs. I can recall nights out clubbing and loving the moment when For An Angel kicked in!

The song was remixed various times over the years, but nothing will ever beat the e-Work edit in 1998, or the mash up with Rachel McFarlane’s Lover.

I have a couple of other mashups which are worth a listen to if you can find them – For An Angel Vs OnePhatDeeva’s Bad Habit and also Vs Pulse’s Lover That You Are.