1. Caught In The Middle - A1
The third division Boyzone were responsible for a pointless cover of Take On Me. This however, was sharp, hook heavy pop the Bluetones would once have killed for.
2. Miss You Nights - Cliff Richard
Ever unhip British Elvis produces aching, tear duct pricking number of delicate beauty before returning to tripe like Wired For Sound.
3. Life Is A Rollercoaster - Ronan Keating
Actual Boyzone front fella launches solo career with a Greg Alexander penned scorcher. Flies in the video (not the insects).
4. Unpretty - TLC
Forerunners for Destiny's Child never bettered this defiant stand against beauty fascism. Genuinely empowering.
5. In The End - Linkin Park
Otherwise ropey rock / rap crossover merchants pull off a splendid slab of noisy angst.
6. 25 or 6 to 4 - Chicago
Quite how the authors of this cracking, driving, air-guitar anthem managed to proceed to slush fests of such extreme dullness, is a mystery that remains unsolved.
7. Silver Mac - Westworld
The poor person's Republica suddenly ditch inane chants for this thoughtful, Elvis mentioning lost love song. Then split.
8. I Wanna Go Where The People Go - The Wildhearts
Cred metal never really made its mark, but at least these fellas gave us a tune that would excite air punching and jumping around in a depressed tortoise.
9. Father Figure - George Michael
Instead of opting for dull-as-ditchwater jazzy meanderings and spliffs, Gerorgie would have been better sticking with this thudding, lusty soul. And he is singing about ... y'know ... isn't he? A long way from 'GoGo'.
10. Crazy Horses - The Osmonds
Just when every right-thinking 70's lad had reached the conclusion that these Mormon teeth flashers were as drippy as a runny nose, they wrong-footed us with this riff-tastic and genuinely powerful rock workout. Environmental lyric 30 years ahead of its time too.
Magnus Shaw, 2010
