As this is the last post of not only the year but the decade, I thought it quite fitting to cover the most played tracks of the noughties. The figures were released by PPL, the music licensing body today. Although the list only takes tracks released up until 2007 into account, it is quite revealing about the music tastes of the British public.

The reason why it only covers tunes up to 2007 is because “the tracks need time to build up sufficient plays to figure in the list” according to the BBC report that announced the findings. Out of the top 10 though, 6 of the tracks were released in 2006 or 2007 and only one before 2004. This can be explained when you look at how the figures were compiled – the number of plays on the radio, TV, online and in public (meaning in shops and suchlike). Obviously, this does not take the illegal stuff into account but the growth of the Internet as an avenue for music from the middle of the decade onwards is reflected in the list.

You might be surprised at the top tune though, although probably not if you watch Sky regularly and eventually got annoyed by the advert for Grey’s Anatomy.

Here it is in full:

1. Chasing Cars by Snow Patrol, released 2006.
2. Shine by Take That, released 2006.
3. I Don’t Feel Like Dancing by Scissor Sisters, released 2006.
4. Love It When You Call by The Feeling, released 2005.
5. About You Now by Sugababes, released 2007.
6. Rule The World by Take That, released 2007.
7. You’re Beautiful by James Blunt, released 2004.
8. I Predict A Riot by Kaiser Chiefs, released 2004.
9. Can’t Get You Out Of My Head by Kylie Minogue, released 2001.
10. Crazy by Gnarls Barkley, released 2006.

In keeping with my last post, I have more 2010 festival news to report. In fact, I have a lot of festival news to report… and some of it will surprise even the most hardened of festival fans, those that have come to expect the unexpected.

The 2010 Isle Of Wight festival has already announced some huge names in music will perform. Jay-Z, Pink, Calvin Harris, Friendly Fires, Vampire Weekend and The Strokes have all been confirmed. This should really get the festival season off to a flying start. Today though, another band was announced, a real blast from the past… Spandau Ballet!

Yes, the kings of the Eighties romantics have been announced as performing on the main stage on Sunday 13^th June. After making a hugely successful comeback in 2009, they were bound to appear at one of the festivals but the season opener is a definite coup for the band.

Gary Kemp has been reported as pointing out the following by Music-News.com: “In the 80s, the only festivals to play were for rock bands. We played clubs, then arenas and stadiums on our own so this will be our first multi-artist event since Live Aid. We’re really looking forward to being part of it…”

This just goes to show how much the music world has changed since the 1980s. It was common for rock bands to play big stadia back then but pop bands were never afforded the privilege. Times have definitely changed and the previous list of Isle Of Wight festival attendees proves that. You have the best of urban, alternative, rock and dance there, along with elements of pop. There is well and truly something for everyone.

2010 is certainly shaping up to be the best festival season yet and will get this brand new decade off to a fantastic start.

First of all, I hope everyone had a very Merry Christmas yesterday! Eating too much and watching TV seems to be part of the deal every Christmas and so most people would have definitely been able to tick those boxes. Now Christmas is out of the way, we head towards the New Year, and new decade, of 2010… and we are well and truly in festival speculation season.

On Christmas Eve, it was announced that two acts were confirmed as Glastonbury headliners for 2010. One is still a big secret but the other has been announced and arguably highlights the calibre that this festival season is likely to have.

It has been confirmed that U2 will headline the Friday night during Glastonbury week, which is 23^rd to 27^th of June in 2010. Apparently Saturday night’s headline act has also been confirmed in principle but will not be announced until at least January, and they are looking at options for the Sunday night.

It is not event 2010 yet but Glastonbury is being sorted as we speak. Why? Because this year is a very special year in Glasto terms. It is the festival’s 40^th anniversary this year and so you can understand why the organisers want it to be a little special. There are rumours that Bob Dylan and the Rolling Stones are being lined up to give the festival a little extra kick.

All of the huge names that are being bandied about go to show just how big the festival season has become in the UK. There is nothing quite like experiencing music that way. The mud, camping and solidarity amongst music fans has to be seen to be believed so if you have yet to head to Glastonbury then now is the time… especially in the amazing anniversary year that is being lined up.

I was in my car for a total of 30 minutes today and counted 7 Christmas tunes on the radio with only 2 tunes being non-Christmassy. With two days left to go until Christmas, this is to be expected really but none of the tunes were my favourite Christmas songs. This shocked me given the fact that two of my favourites are usually played every hour at this time of year.

It got me thinking about my blog for today though and I thought a quick one about my favourite festive tunes. Feel free to comment on your favourite, but here are my top 5:

1. The Pogues – “Fairytale Of New York” – The ultimate anti-Christmas song is definitely my favourite. With a touch of realism, fantastic lyrics, a catchy tune and Kirsty MacColl, you can’t go wrong at Christmas.
2. Paul McCartney – “Wonderful Christmastime” – This always used to be on when I was growing up and hold some of the best memories of Christmas I have ever had. Besides that, I defy anyone not to tap their toe at it.
3. The Ramones – “Merry Christmas (I Don’t Want To Fight Tonight)” – Christmas, Ramone style. A realistic view of Christmas complete with arguments, family and festivities – perfect!
4. Jona Lewie – “Stop The Cavalry” –Pa rump pa pump pum! Again, this song holds some fantastic memories from childhood and I distinctly remember marching to it with my brother. Awesome!
5. Band Aid – “Do They Know It’s Christmas?” – This is the first of the three of course. The second one is not worth mentioning and the third isn’t much better but the original has to be in every list of favourite Christmas tunes.

So there is my list of Christmas songs… which would make your top list? If any at all of course! There are so many festive tunes that it is no wonder that the debate rages on every single year.

Merry Christmas to everyone!

People power! Yes, Rage Against The Machine are officially number 1 for Christmas after having beaten X Factor winner Joe McElderry to the top spot this year by 50,000 copies. To those people that bought a copy of “Killing In The Name” it might come as no surprise but it will go down as one of the biggest UK chart upsets in history. Nobody was expected to break the Simon Cowell monopoly on the charts… but then this is hardly the first upset that has ever happened in the charts.

There have been many chart and awards upsets in the past few decades. The fact that Mr Blobby and Bob The Builder made it to the top of the chart in 1993 and 2000 respectively can certainly be deemed upsetting in more ways than one. There were two credible chart battles that deserve a mention though.

The first was the battle dubbed Posh vs. Posher in 2000. Victoria Beckham’s first post-Spice Girls single was expected to fly to the top of the charts with very little effort but her single, “Out Of Your Mind” featuring Dane Bowers of boy band Another Level, only made it to the second spot with Spiller’s “Groovejet” featuring Sophie Ellis-Bextor claiming the top spot.

The Rage vs. McElderry shocker may trump that battle but nothing can touch the biggest chart upset of all time.

In February 1967, The Beatles released the Strawberry Fields Forever/Penny Lane double A side on the back of 11 straight number 1 singles. There was little doubt that this single would make it 12… and yet somehow the guy with the weirdest name in pop beat them to it. Engelbert Humperdinck’s “Please Release Me” prevented The Beatles from achieving yet another record. Yes, this is indeed true. It might not seem believable now but this event is recorded in history. There is still some way to go before any upset beats that one!

News broke yesterday that Red Hot Chili Peppers guitarist John Frusciante has quit the band for the second time. Bizarrely, he left the band a year ago and yet nobody actually knew about it, aside from the band and Frusciante himself of course. It was only revealed yesterday because a statement was posted on the guitarist’s website and MySpace profile.

It never fails to amaze me how the press do not pick up on things like this and yet know what type of underwear that huge pop stars wear!

Frusciante announced in his statement: “When I quit the band, over a year ago, we were on an indefinite hiatus. There was no drama or anger involved, and the other guys were very understanding. They are supportive of my doing whatever makes me happy and that goes both ways.

“Over the last 12 years, I have changed, as a person and artist, to such a degree that to do further work along the lines I did with the band would be to go against my own nature. There was no choice involved in this decision. I simply have to be what I am, and have to do what I must do.”

So expect more solo music from Frusciante very soon!

Frusciante, acknowledged as one of the best guitarists in recent years, joint the Red Hot Chili Peppers in 1988 following the death of previous member Hillel Slovak but left in May 1992 in the middle of the band’s tour of Japan. He returned in 1998 and continued to work with the band right up until they collectively took a break following the success of the Stadium Arcadium album.

Frusciante’s replacement has already been named as Josh Klinghoffer, a session guitarist who has previously toured with the band and worked with Frusciante on solo material.

Social networking sites have revolutionized the world in recent years. If you have never heard of Facebook and MySpace then you are not only behind the times but seriously spaced out. Well, social networking may just revolutionize the Christmas charts as well this year.

It’s a given that the winner of X Factor always gets the top spot at Christmas. That’s been the case for the last few years with Shayne Ward, Leona Lewis, Leon Jackson and Alexandra Burke all being Christmas No. 1. However, this year may well be a little different.

A Facebook campaign to keep X Factor off the top spot has been going for some time and currently has almost 89,000 members of the associated group. As of yesterday, the Joe McElderry song was at #2 whilst the campaign’s chosen tune “Killing In The Name” by Rage Against The Machine was 10% ahead. Although this will probably change before Sunday, which is when the Christmas chart will be announced, it does beg the question as to just how powerful social networking has become.

And, more importantly, how powerful it will become in determining the future of the music industry?

Rage Against The Machine had a hit with “Killing In The Name” in 1992 and it is a huge cult hit, but the fact that it has been introduced to a brand new audience, for whatever reason, via social networking is simply immense. People have mobilised behind the song with a common goal all because of social networking. It doesn’t really matter why people have mobilized, just that they have.

This campaign for Christmas No. 1 has certainly demonstrated that the music industry is changing and will continue to evolve until we all begin to have more of a say as to what songs are released and critically successful. The availability and charting of MP3 downloads started it but social networking may just take it to the next level.

Given last night saw the airing of the 2009 X Factor final, it should come as no surprise that everyone is talking about it today. The annual event pulled in millions of viewers (19 million to be precise) and made plenty of money for ITV and Simon Cowell, but it wasn’t 18 year old Joe McElderry, the eventual winner, that caught the eye of most music aficionados.

That honour fell to former Beatle, Sir Paul McCartney.

In November 2008, McCartney was asked for his opinions on reality TV shows like X Factor and was rather scathing about them to say the least. NME.com reported him as saying: “It doesn’t encourage creativity. I don’t think you are going to get a Bob Dylan emerging from those shows, but then not everyone goes on those shows. I think it’s just a phase we are going through.”

Having slammed Cowell’s pride and joy, the last place you would have thought McCartney would show up is singing alongside all of this year’s contestants on the final. So has he forgotten what he said little more than a year ago or is he just looking to get his career back on track following a few years in what can only be described as the music wilderness? Either way, he has surely undermined his credibility by blatantly contradicting himself.

McCartney is not the only star to have criticised the show. In recent weeks, Sting joined the growing list of those ready to condemn it, branding it “TV karaoke”. However, Cowell hit back by stating that it was a legitimate opportunity for those that have previously had doors closed on them without ever having been given a chance to shine.

Well Mr Cowell, there are only five words that can be used in response to that – the disgrace that is Jedward!

Gina D’Orio and Annika Trost are Cobra Killer, a German duo whose music defies inclusion in any one genre. While the two femme fatale vocalists are often found posing provocatively in photos, it would be a mistake to write them off.

Both are veterans of Berlin’s digital hardcore movement. The genre was spawned by the London-based Digital Hardcore Recordings label, founded by Atari Teenage Riot’s Alec Empire. Gina spent time on vocals in EC8OR, while Annika cut her teeth with Shizuo, who produced perhaps the unlikeliest Cramps cover conceivable. Cobra Killer’s early efforts reflect the abrasive influence of the time they spent in that scene, but they are lent a unique charm by the inclusion of 60′s garage band samples.

A collaboration with Kapajkos, sometimes dubbed as a “punk mandolin quartet,” produced the kitschy, but occasionally beautiful “Das Mandolinenorchester.” On this album, previously recorded Cobra Killer tracks like “Mund Auf Augen Zu,” “Show Me Your Ruler,” and “High is the Pine” are re-imagined with mandolin. “High is the Pine,” an already wistfully evocative tune, sounds sublime in its new incarnation.

Lyrics usually veer towards the absurd; rarely is there an obvious narrative, theme, or other recognizable element to the words. One exception might be “I Like it When it Burns a Bit,” a tune whose meaning requires little imagination.

Their live shows are chaotic affairs, during which Gina and Annika almost always drench themselves in red wine or other liquors. Their onstage antics often show shades of Iggy Pop in his peanut-butter-rolling, chest-cutting days.

Their drunken recording escapades during a recent session were captured and spread online, and while the pointed Spock ears the duo sported didn’t exactly spawn a trend, they did create a buzz among fans.

Cobra Killer are worth a listen by any fan of eclectic, unpredictable, genre-crossing music. Their most recent recording, Uppers and Downers, should attract new fans with stay-in-your-head-all-day tunes like “The Universe is in the Oven” and “Upside Down the Building.” Featured indie fixtures like J. Mascis, Thurston Moore, and Jon Spencer can’t exactly hurt, either.