I think we can safely say that this is the best record to ever spend nine weeks at the top of the UK chart. That rare beast, a  huge popular success that also captures the critical vote.

Although only the flintiest of hearts would deny the glory of some of the Ants early singles they had by this time descended into pure camp - dandy highwayman indeed. 

 I wish you were too, dear. 

 We may not have progressed all that far in the last 25 years but we can at least point to the fact that in 2006 the chances of someone like Shakey becoming a major pop star are a gnat's chuff away from zero.

Not the most offensive slice of Euro-house I've ever heard and at least it hasn't helped to resuscitate the career of some ropey seventies crooner. 

Like a seventies Top of the Pops album condensed into a single track. A godsend for wedding disco deejays, a plague from hell for everyone else.  Now that's what I call infernal.

"She said her name Shayeeda I could tell her mama feed her (Yeah!)". Who says they don't write 'em like that any more.

All right it's not a great song (or even a mediocre one for that matter). Lots of plinky-plink organ and dodgy backing vocals. And I didn't even fancy her. But then again the gardening tips have come in very handy.

Unless I'm mistaken this could be their biggest ever hit. And who would deny them another day in the sun after all these years of service to the cause. I bet they're even still throwing TVs out of hotel windows bless 'em.  

In recent times there has been something of an attempt to rehabilitate Chas & Dave and the same could be said of Spurs for that matter. For some of us though 25 years still seems  bit early for remission from a crime of this magnitude.

A combination that surprisingly manages to add up to more than the some of its parts. Of course, without the Big Brother effect the aptly-monickered boys would have already sunk without a trace. Now Lady S probably needs them more than they need her - although whether this will help to shake off the chav princess tag is another matter.

I have a bit of a soft spot for old Ten Pole and this raucous nonsense has  more energy than the rest of 1981's top ten put together. Come to think of it this is the sort of thing Adam & his Ants should have been doing. 

Having graduated from Busted Matt gets to stay up all night, which is nice. And make generic-sounding indie rock (which isn't so nice). (Incidentally whatever happened to pop stars giving themselves wacky aliases - where's the glamour in sticking with Matt Willis). 

 It's typical isn't it. After producing some truly fantastic but completely ignored solo material throughout the seventies Smokey finally scores a massive comeback hit with something that only just stays on the right side of gooey. Mind you, he could sing Ossie's Dream and I'd still love it.  

Another year of Eurovision failure. So how come there's enough shameless punters to help this rise up the charts the week after such ignominy. I blame downloading myself. 

One of the things that we should be proud of  in the UK is that we never allowed crappy American AOR acts to have more than one hit over here (with the exception of Bon Jovi that is). 

According to her website Rhianna is " a modern popstar with a stunning voice who works a future retro chic that is distinctly her own. Cool like Sade lost in Shoreditch, she name-checks Kate Bush, Nelly Furtado and Patty Smith as inspirations." Now how you could resist that (and a Tainted Love sample to boot). 

Do you remember that there was this guy who had his Ford Mustang (or whatever it was) covered boot to bonnet in a spray-job depiction of Toyah ? If he still has it I bet that's worth a bob or two now eh ?

Part of the soft rock revival discussed elsewhere on the site. The aural equivalent of a beanie baby collection. (Actually it's the chirpy geezer vocals I really object to).

Personally I always found Bette Davis' eyes a bit on the freaky side and so I have trouble with the underlying premise of this song. If you can accept that having eyes like that is a good thing then you're probably the sort of person who also thinks that this is acceptable dancefloor fodder.