This has been a TASK AND A HALF. Trying to compile the greatest songs of the year in one simple list of, er, 206 titles. This year, I've broken many of my old rules. First of all, you'll find there are PLENTY of album tracks in the chart. For the past few years, I've never done that, keeping it strictly to singles and remixes. That's all out the window. Also included are demo's, unreleased material and assorted B-Sides. At one point I thought "Fuck It. I may as well include live performances as well". So I did.

These are my top 26 tracks of 2006, with commentary to go with it. Below that, you'll find numbers 27 - 206 in boring list form. Songs found in the Top 30 are all tracks I wanted to squeeze into the Top 10. Everything Outside of the Top 30 = tracks I wanted to squeeze into the top 20. YOU DO NOT UNDERSTAND HOW HARD COMPILING THE LIST WAS THIS YEAR. The original list of songs I had was a total number of 1072. I had to cut all those great songs down and - as you could imagine - was something that brought on several migranes over past two weeks. But now the end of the year is nigh, it is time to publish the final results... My Albums of 2006 list should be up by next week.

01. MADONNA - YOU THRILL ME/EROTICA (CONFESSIONS TOUR STUDIO VERSION)
Turning the raunch and dirty sex-factor found within the original "Erotica" into a delicious, gorgeous and absolutely stunning Trance-infused love song. Truly the most amazing piece of music my ears have heard in all of 2006. A leaked demo, Madge performed this very version of "You Thrill Me/Erotica" during her Confessions Tour earlier this year. Exquisite in every sense of the word.



02. GIRLS ALOUD - SOMETHING KINDA OOOOH
Girls Aloud's second greatest single ever slams itself in front of your feet and demands that you tap them. Shoving everything that was brilliant about the early 90's rave movement in with everything that was brilliant about the highly underrated sound of Eurodance... Alexia and Whigfield have NOTHING on these girls.



03. ASHLEE SIMPSON - L.O.V.E
...and this was BEFORE the nice new nose. Ashlee's cute and Girl-Power-esque "L.O.V.E" was the soundtrack to my summer at the start of the year. Every time I drove down to the beach, I annoyed the living shit out of my friends by playing it full bore in the car (along with the equally amazing "Boyfriend"). Then, when I couldn't listen to the song, I would just sing scream it, usually dancing around wherever I was. Good times...



04. KLEERUP FT. ROBYN - WITH EVERY HEARTBEAT
FACT: There is no climax found in a pop song this year as big, grand, or as stunning as the one found within this: the greatest things Robyn has ever put her name to. Heartbreaking.



05. LIL' CHRIS - GETTIN' ENOUGH??
This pint-sized pop star is the "bees knees", as Kath Day-Night would say, sipping on a glass of Cask-poured Reisling. A genius combination of guitars, loud shouting, and electro-synth-pop. And yes, it IS slightly disturbing to hear a boy who looks like he's about 3 years old asking a girl if she's "gettin' enough", but that doesn't take anything away from Chris being THE best new pop star of 2006.



06. JAMELIA - BEWARE OF THE DOG (EXTENDED VERSION)
Whilst the original/album version of this track is mighty, you truly have not lived till you've indulged in the Extended Version, found on the second disc of the CD single of this very song. You probably have not heard it because a total of 6 people bought said single, but I believe this very remix is readily available from iTunes. Strangely, that is where I got it from: The AUSTRALIAN iTunes store. Go figure.



07. AMY WINEHOUSE - BACK TO BLACK
FACT: Amy Winehouse can (almost - see here) do no wrong. Winehouse's raw vocal rips through your heart and sends shivers up the spine in this, the most outstanding moment found on her superb album of the same name.



08. TAKE THAT - PATIENCE
I was pretty much the biggest Take That fan in all of Geelong during their prime. So when the news of a brand new album from the recently-reformed 5-gone-4-piece was announced this year, no one could have been more pleased than I. To top off all that excitement, they released this, a ballad which is pretty much only JUST a tiny bit more brilliant than "Back For Good". Fucking sensational.



09. ROGUE TRADERS - IN LOVE AGAIN
The most beautiful song to ever come out of Australia. Listen very carefully to this track: there is one particular part (just after the final na-na-na-na-na's) that absolutely makes me melt and reach unusual climax every time I hear it. In a deep tone, Nat simply says the word "coz", right before launching into the chorus for the last time. Breathtaking.



10. PARIS HILTON - NOTHING IN THIS WORLD
This should have been Number #1 for years. Instead it limped around the bottom 30's here. The most enjoyable, fun and pure-pop moment of the year, if this had been recorded by anyone else it would be at the top of many people's best-of-the-year lists.



11. MADONNA - LET IT WILL BE (LIVE @ THE CONFESSIONS TOUR)
I cannot explain in words why this is in here. Nor can I explain why this is truly the most brilliant live performance of her entire career. I could write for days about this remix, and for even longer about the live performance. No words... Instead, I'll just point you in the YouTube direction of seeing it for yourself. Wow.



12. EMMA BUNTON - LIFE IN MONO
To the public of the United Kingdom: Why are none of you buying the new Emma Bunton album? It is very good. And whilst this may be a cover of the rather brilliant Mono track, I really think that Emma's recreation of it does the original justice. She's kept the main important elements of the Mono-version, whilst twisting it around with her 60's sweetness just enough to call it her own. Absolutely charming.



13. ROBBIE WILLIAMS - WE'RE THE PET SHOP BOYS
Best. Robbie. Song. Maybe. Ever. And it's a bloody cover!



14. FERGIE - MARY JANE SHOES
May god strike me down for ever hating this woman. What was I thinking? When Fergie went solo, it dawned upon me that she truly was an absolute legend. Her album is superb, and this is a fine example as to why. Only Fergie could turn a boring Bob Marley sample into an exciting song about High Heel Shoes.



15. GIRLS ALOUD - THE CRAZY LIFE
Kimberly goes solo for this "Something Kinda Ooooh" B-Side. Turns out to be just as good as any album track from their Chemistry album.



16. BERTINE ZETLITZ - MIDNIGHT
A classic sounding song, you are going to notice this in the higher-areas of many fellow bloggers end of year charts. With gorgeous nods to Michael Jackson's "Billie Jean", and even Madonna's "Papa Don't Preach", just listening to this song makes you feel like it is being played right off a 7" vinyl. Tremendous.



17. THE PIPETTES - PULL SHAPES
For some reason, every time I hear this song I think of the delightful Jennifer Coolidge doing the "bend... AND SNAP!" to it in her living room. I don't know a single person that has disliked this song. If you find anyone who does, I grant you permission to hit them over the head with a frying pan.



18. MADONNA - GET TOGETHER
I have no idea what people's problem with this song was. It baffles the living daylights out of me to read people on the Popjustice forums label it as "trash", or "the worst thing Madonna has done"... have you people not heard "Open Your Heart"?!?! This is a spellbinding affair which takes Madonna into territory she SHOULD have stepped into a long time ago: Sexy, slick mid-90's French House. Why has this not happened before?



19. GIRLS ALOUD - CRAZY FOOL
A Cheryl Tweedy (she wasn't a "Cole" back then thank you) solo affair, this B-Side to "Whole Lotta History" turned out to make more of an impression than the actual single it was chucked at the end of. An absolute orgasmic electropop romp, pure gold.



20. ROGUE TRADERS - WATCHING YOU
My best friend Ben made me laugh a heap the other day when The Knack's "My Sharona" came on the radio. He quipped: "How DARE those bastards rip off the Rogue Traders?! I mean, HOW DARE they go BACK INTO TIME, record a song ripping off the main riff found in the Rogue's track and claim it as their own? WHAT BASTARDS." Genius.



21. GIRLS ALOUD - I THINK WE'RE ALONE NOW (ALBUM VERSION)
If you've heard the "new" single version of this track, you'll probably understand why I consider the album version to be the definitive one. The new version of it has managed to take any of the fun and enjoyment out of the original Album Version, replacing it with dull Christmas-esque bells and a duller-than-dishwater baseline. Ugh.



22. THE DUKES OF WINDSOR - THE OTHERS
My awesome friend Verity introduced me to this song from Aussie rockers The Dukes Of Windsor. Whatever their other stuff sounds like (I haven't quite been able to get past listening to this song to actually find out), this is how you make proper Electro-rock. There's a climax of fun-shouting, there's a line about licking guitars, and they even scream the words "boys" and "girls", much like that Blur song of equal brilliance. These boys are unsigned, sadly, but you can find this song (along with their other stuff I'm yet to pay attention to) over in your trusty iTunes store.



23. SUGABABES - EASY
A lot of people didn't like this. They obviously didn't hear the insanely great Roxette-esque brilliance that I heard within the chorus. Then there's the fabulous strings, which - had they featured in more of the song - would have seen this song up much higher than 23.



24. GIRLS ALOUD - SINGAPORE
This really should have been on the "Chemistry" album instead of "No Regrets", wouldn't you agree?



25. McFLY - TRANSYLVANIA
This year McFly recorded their best album yet. Sadly, no one really seemed to care about that, and it plummeted down the charts faster than you could say "take your clothes off". "Transylvania" should have been a single from that album. Instead, they threw it on as a B-Side to the miserable "Star Girl". Dougie sings quite a bit on this one too. He's very good at singing, you know.



26. THE ALL-AMERICAN REJECTS - MOVE ALONG
That riff... Jesus Christ, this is a VERY good song, innit?



...and the rest....

27. Pet Shop Boys ft. Elton John - In Private (Stuart Crichton Mix)
28. Scissor Sisters - Kiss You Off
29. Nelly Furtado - Maneater
30. The Cops - Call Me Anytime

31. Madonna - Music Inferno (Confessions Tour Studio Version)
32. Dannii Minogue - Feel Like I Do
33. Robbie Williams - Bongo Bong/Je Ne T'aime Plus
34. Fergie - Glamorous
35. Christina Aguilera - Hurt (JP & BSOD Electro Mix)
36. Take That - Shine
37. Robbie Williams - Love Light
38. Madonna - Like A Virgin/Jump (CT Studio Version)
39. Young Divas - Woman In Love
40. Robbie Williams - Rudebox

41. McFly - Sorry's Not Good Enough
42. Linda Sunblad - Oh Father
43. Pussycat Dolls - I Want You Back (Remix)
44. Girls Aloud - Hanging On The Telephone
45. Datarock - Fa Fa Fa
46. Alesha - Lipstick
47. Young Divas - Say I'm Your Number 1
48. Dannii Minogue - So Under Pressure
49. McFly - Friday Night
50. P!NK - U & Ur Hand

51. Amy Winehouse - Rehab
52. Van She - Kelly
53. Amiel - Be Your Girl (Bass Kleph Remix)
54. JC Chasez - Until Yesterday
55. Jamelia - Something About You
56. Eskimo Joe - Black Fingernails, Red Wine
57. Girls Aloud - Jewels & Stone Megamix
58. Gwen Stefani - Wonderful Life
59. Dannii Minogue - He's The Greatest Dancer (Fugitive Remix)
60. The Gingers - Evening Rose

61. Paris Hilton - Stars Are Blind
62.

• 5 comments

5 Comments:

• 7:31 PM |  Anonymous said...
  The Pipettes track "I Love You" has barely been off the Player since I discovered their album a few weeks back. I will have to seek out Emma's version of Life in Mono. Sounds spesh.

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• 10:11 AM |  xolondon said...
  Love your list - many great choices! Keep up the good work in 07 and please visit America!

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• 1:37 PM |  Poster Girl said...
  I have to second the love for your list as well. There are a couple of songs in that top 26 that I haven't heard of before, but I think I may have to go seek them out, given how much I like the rest of the songs on your list!

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• 10:14 AM |  Woodsman said...
  Sensational

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• 4:04 AM |  Anonymous said...
  that must have taken forever! and it was most worth it. glad to see we shared some choices on the singles and albums list, so i know i'm not completely out of touch with reality!

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