Every Friday, I’m publishing my top ten songs from a single year and this week, we’re finally all caught up- it’s here, it’s the turn of 2017.

For previous top ten tunes, please click on the year: 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2018 2019

So, 2017 wasn’t much of an improvement on 2016. In 2017, millions of people march in the Women’s Marches across the UK and the world in protest of reality TV star Donald Trump’s inauguration as the US President, a petition to stop reality TV star Donald Trump from entering the UK gains 2 million signatures, Ian Stewart is found guilty of killing his fiancee- the children’s author Helen Bailey, a terrorist attack takes place in London when a car ploughs into pedestrians on Westminster Bridge– killing 6 and injuring over 40- the driver then stabs a police officer to death, the UK invokes Article 50 which triggers the formal withdrawal from the EU, a terrorist attack takes place in Stockholm, Sweden where a lorry is driven into crowds and then crashes into a department store- 5 people die, one of which is British and 14 are injured, Ian Brady- the Moors Murderer- dies at 79- he was Britain’s longest serving prisoner, a female zookeeper is killed by tiger at a zoo in Cambridgeshire, 8 people are killed and 48 are injured in a terrorist attack when a vehicle ploughs into people on London Bridge and then subsequently the attackers stab several people to death on the street- the police shoot all 3 of the terrorists dead within 8 minutes, the UK general election takes place, but the Conservative party fail to gain enough votes for a majority win– they have to form a coalition with the DUP as a result, 1 person is killed and 10 are injured when a van deliberately rams into people outside a mosque in Finsbury, London, the Duke of Edinburgh retires from public duty at 96 years old, 15 people are killed in two terrorist attacks in Spain, Prince Harry announces his engagement to American actor Meghan Markle, the Me Too movement against sexual harassment and abuse spreads globally and results in many allegations against people especially in Hollywood (here’s my little “fuck sexual harassment” post HERE), Emmanuel Macron becomes the new French President, at least 90 people are killed in Texas as Hurricane Harvey strikes the US, in Charlottesville, Virginia, a car crashes into a crowd at an anti-racist rally and kills 1 person and injures 28 others, in Texas a gunman attacks a baptist church killing 26 people and injuring 20 others, 58 people are killed by one gunman in Las Vegas as he opens fire on a crowd of concert-goers from his hotel room.

A major fire engulfs Grenfell Tower (a 24-storey block of flats in London), which causes the deaths of 72 people and injuring 70 others. It is the worst residential fire since the Second World War. The fire was believed to have started from a faulty fridge/freezer. However, the rapid spread of the fire was caused by the exterior cladding. A new review on building regulations and fire safety has since been published.

On the 22nd May, Manchester Arena was attacked by a suicide bomber during an Ariana Grande concert. 22 people were killed and 139 were injured. More than half of the victims were children. The youngest person killed was 8 years old. Two weeks later, Ariana Grande returned to Manchester (and a day after the London Bridge terrorist attack) for the One Love Manchester concert in honour of the victims of the attack and to raise funds for the injured and the bereaved. It was attended by over 50,000 people and watched by over 22 million in the UK and across 38 different countries around the world. Shortly afterwards, in a unanimous vote by councillors, Ariana Grande was made an honorary citizen of Manchester city.

The films Dunkirk, Get Out, Wonder Woman, Baby Driver, Call Me By Your Name, Ladybird, Lion, Star Wars: The Last Jedi, IT, Beauty and the Beast and T2 Trainspotting are all released and I turn a mere 41 years old.

Have we really reached the end?! Phewee- 42 posts later and here we are in 2017. So, here’s the top ten tunes from 2017 and it’s probably one of the least commercial playlists, I’ve done. Thank you so much for sticking with me through this journey. Next week, I’ll be doing a little review of these Top Ten Tunes post where I’ll provide a bumper playlist plus they’ll be a little announcement…

1. Green Light by Lorde

2. Don’t Kill My Vibe by Sigrid

3. Tomorrow by Anni

4. Everything Now by Arcade Fire

5. 1998 by the Dears

6. Issues by Julia Michaels

7. Fior Di Latte by Phoenix

8. Dear Life by Beck

9. New York by St. Vincent

10. Fireworks by First Aid Kit

Special bonus as it’s the last week: Somewhere Over the Rainbow by Ariana Grande

At the end of last year, I said that my favourite song from 2017 was St.Vincent HERE, but almost a year on, I would now say it’s Julia Michaels. Which one is your favourite?

See you next week for the Top Ten Tunes Review!

Every Friday, I’m publishing my top ten songs from a single year and this week it’s the turn of 2016.

For previous top ten tunes, please click on the year:1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2017 2018 2019

Full of so much joy that they won

Oh 2016. Ok, let’s do this.

In 2016, junior doctors strike over contract conditions, former Eastenders actor Sian Blake is murdered along with her two sons by her partner, all four members of British indie band- Viola Beach are killed along with their manager in a car crash in Sweden, a major incident is declared as one person is killed and three remain missing after an explosion at Didcot Power Station in Oxfordshire, 6 people from Rotherham are jailed for a combined sentence of 103 years for the grooming, sexual assault and the rape of 15 teenage girls, three bombings take place in Brussels and are declared a terrorist attack- 35 people are killed and over 300 are injured, thousands of people protest austerity cuts in central London, the Queen celebrates her 90th birthday, for the first time in history Leicester City win the Premiership defying all odds, Labour MP Sadiq Khan is sworn in as the new Mayor of London, a shooting takes place in an Orlando, Florida nightclub and 49 people are killed, Andy Murray wins the Wimbledon Mens Singles for the second time, a terrorist attack takes place in Nice, France when a lorry plows into a crowd at a Bastille Day fireworks display and kills 86 people many of whom were children, the Olympics take place in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil and Team GB finish 2nd in the medals table, the BBC loses the rights to broadcast Great British Bake Off, 7 people are killed and 50 are injured when a Tramline tram derails in Croydon, a terrorist attack takes place at a Christmas market in Berlin leaving 12 people dead and 56 injured, people of Syria are mercilessly bombed for several months by their government in an attempt to bomb and starve them into submission- tens of thousands of lives were lost.

Labour MP Jo Cox is shot and stabbed to death in public by far-right supporter Thomas Mair. She was 41 and had two young children.

51.9% of people that voted in the United Kingdom’s EU referendum vote to leave the European Union. It becomes the first country in the 59 years of the organisation to vote to leave it. David Cameron resigns as Prime Minister and Theresa May replaces him.

In the USA, reality TV star Donald Trump is elected as President of the United States.

And Pete Burns, David Gest, Kenny Baker, Frank Kelly, Paul Daniels, George Martin, Liz Smith, Leonard Cohen, Ronnie Corbett, Terry Wogan, Caroline Aherne, Gene Wilder, Alan Rickman, Victoria Wood, Muhammed Ali, Prince, Debbie Reynolds, Carrie Fisher, George Michael and David Bowie all pass away.

FFS.

The films Zootopia, Arrival, Deadpool, La La Land, Moana, Moonlight, Ghostbusters, Manchester By the Sea, Sully, the BFG, I, Daniel Blake and Hackshaw Ridge are released and I celebrate my 40th birthday.

I mean, fuck 2016, right? But, we did have the Olympics and Paralympics and I had my 40th and there is all the below music. I’m a big fan of this week’s playlist, but it is quite the emotional one. There’s Bowie, there’s Beyonce, there’s Gaga and then there’s Nick Cave laying his emotions bare. Spotify playlist at the end as per. List in no particular order as per. I don’t like to change things round here much.

An embarrassing display of photos of me throughout my life for all to laugh at, at my 40th birthday party.

1. Tilted by Christine and the Queens

2. Where Are You Now? by Lady Leshurr

3. Don’t Touch My Hair by Solange

4. Formation by Beyonce

5. Secret Love Song by Little Mix featuring Jason Derulo

6. Best to You by Blood Orange

7. The Orange Monkey by PJ Harvey

8. Lazarus by David Bowie

9. Million Reasons by Lady Gaga

10. Distant Sky by Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds– where do I start with this song (and performance). I can barely listen to a few seconds of it without the tears starting. For those of you that don’t know, Nick’s 15 year old son, Arthur, died in a cliff fall whilst Nick was recording the Skeleton Tree album that this song is taken from. If you ever get a chance to watch the accompanying film One More Time With Feeling, I strongly recommend you do. It is both beautiful and heartbreaking at the same time.

While Formation and Secret Love Song are close runner-ups, my favourite is undoubtedly the stunning Distant Sky. Come on, don’t be shy- let me know which is your favourite.

See you next week for 2017! And then we’ll be all caught up, gang!

Every Friday, I’m publishing my top ten songs from a single year and this week it’s the turn of 2015.

For previous top ten tunes, please click on the year: 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2016 2017 2018 2019

In 2015, 12 people are killed and 11 are injured in a terrorist attack at French satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo‘s offices in Paris, an arson attack takes place in Crowmarsh, Oxfordshire where a large council office building is destroyed (FYI, my parents live next door to this building and they were terrified when they were woken in the early hours of the morning by a noise that sounded just like a bomb. For some inexplicable reason, this meant that my brother was then featured on Sky news, various radio stations and national newspapers as an eye witness), Gary Glitter is found guilty of sexually abusing three young girls and weatherman Fred Talbot is found guilty of abusing 2 young boys, TV presenter Jeremy Clarkson is suspended from Top Gear and the rest of the series is cancelled after he punches his producer in the face and racially abuses him because his dinner wasn’t hot enough (BTW- he recently claimed the “youth of today” are too sensitive), an estimated £200,000,000 worth of jewels are stolen from Hatton Garden Safe Deposit in meticulously planned heist, an earthquake in Nepal kills 6,000 people, Princess Charlotte is born– daughter of Prince William and Catherine, the Conservative party wins the general election, which secures David Cameron a second term in office, former leader of the Liberal Democrats Charles Kennedy dies at the age of 55, a serious collision happens on the Smiler ride at Alton Towers which results in 5 people being seriously injured, a terrorist attack takes place on a beach in Sousse in Tunisia– 30 of the 38 people that are killed are British, singer and television star Cilla Black dies aged 72, Queen Elizabeth II becomes the longest reigning British monarch– surpassing Queen Victoria, Jeremy Corbyn becomes the new leader of the Labour party, on Friday 13th November a series of terrorist attacks take place across Paris killing 137 and injuring 413, astronaut Tim Peake becomes the first Brit to step afoot on the International Space Station, a former disgruntled news anchor shoots dead two of his colleagues live on air in Virginia, USA, the films Inside Out, Star Wars: A Force Awakens, The Martian, The Revenant, Room, Spotlight, Brooklyn, The Big Short, Spectre and Amy are all released and I turn 39 years old.

Another shitty year for news, but a pretty good year for music. On a personal level, 2015 was the year I had a total of 3 hen dos and oh yeah- got married. So, here are all those songs that remind me of one of the happiest days of my life and the year it took place (in no particular order).

1. Uptown Funk by Mark Ronson featuring Bruno Mars

2. Black Magic by Little Mix

3. WTF (Where They From) by Missy Elliot featuring Pharrell Williams

4. Ghosttown by Madonna

5. 4 Degrees by ANONHI

6. Shut Up and Dance by WALK THE MOON

7. Nobody Really Cares If You Don’t Go to the Party by Courtney Barnett

8. Ong Ong by Blur

9. Stay Gold by First Aid Kit

10. God Knows (You’ve Got to Give to Get) by El Perro Del Mar

Well, it’s an easy pick again this week. As Uptown Funk was the absolute THEME of both my hen dos and wedding, I have to pick that. Which one is your favourite, gang?

See you next week for 2016!

Every Friday, I’m publishing my top ten songs from a single year and this week it’s the turn of 2014.

For previous top ten tunes, please click on the year: 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019

One of the first gay marriages to take place in England. This happy couple married at the stroke of midnight- as soon as it was legal.

In 2014, severe floods hit the UK, the first gay weddings in England and Wales take place, teacher Ann Maguire is stabbed to death by a pupil in front of her class in Leeds, publicist Max Clifford is convicted of eight indecent assaults on women and girls and is jailed for 8 years, the World Cup takes places in Brazil and is won by Germany, Rolf Harris is found guilty of 12 counts of indecent assault and is jailed for almost 6 years, the Tour de France starts in Leeds, Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 crashes over Ukraine- 298 people are killed (10 are Britons), the Commonwealth Games open in Glasgow, British actor and director Richard Attenborough dies aged 90 years old, an independent inquiry into child abuse in Rotherham concludes that over 1,400 children were abused between 1997-2013, the Scottish independence referendum takes place and the “No” vote wins with 55% of the votes, Nicola Sturgeon becomes the leader of the Scottish National Party, 6 people are killed after a refuse lorries crashes in the centre of Glasgow, Robin Williams takes his own life aged 63, Philip Seymour Hoffman dies aged 46, Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 disappears somewhere over the South China Sea, Ebola strikes West Africa, 276 Nigerian schoolgirls are kidnapped, protests takes place in Ferguson, USA after the police shoot dead Michael Brown, a siege took place in a cafe in Sydney with a gunman claiming alliance with ISIS- 3 people are killed including the gunman, the films Gone Girl, The Grand Budapest Hotel, Boyhood, Birdman, Whiplash, The Imitation Game and Selma are released and I turn 38 years old.

Another year that I absolutely love musically. As you can tell, whilst I still love the odd commercial chart song, I was (and still am) listening to less commercial stuff. 2014 saw my other half finally getting round to getting down on one knee and asking me to be his wife after 15 years together. I said yes. Obvs. Here’s my favourites from 2014. Spotify playlist at the end for y’all.

1. Living for Love by Madonna

2. The Beigeness by Kate Tempest

3. Digital Witness by St. Vincent

4. Mr Tembo by Damon Albarn

5. My Silver Lining by First Aid Kit

6. Say You Love Me by Jessie Ware

7. ***Flawless by Beyonce

8. Chandelier by Sia (I’ve also included the piano version of this too on the playlist as it is also fantastic).

9. Glory by Common & John Legend

10. Just One of the Guys by Jenny Lewis

Whilst Glory, First Aid Kit and Bey are all close runner-ups, Sia is my clear winner this week. So, tell me- which one is yours?

See you next week for 2015!

Every Friday, I’m publishing my top ten songs from a single year and this week it’s the turn of 2013.

For previous top ten tunes, please click on the year: 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019

In 2013, Margaret Thatcher dies at the age of 87, Fusilier Lee Rigby is murdered in a terrorist attack outside army barracks, Sarah McClay a 24 yr-old zookeeper is killed by a tiger at a zoo in Cumbria, Andy Murray wins Wimbledon– the first British man to do so since 1936, same-sex marriage becomes legal in England and Wales, Prince George is born and becomes third in line to the throne, 8 people are killed and 19 are seriously injured when a police helicopter crashes in to a pub in Glasgow, World War II computer pioneer and codebreaker Alan Turing, who had been chemically castrated in 1952 following his conviction for homosexuality, is given a posthumous royal pardon, Lance Armstrong admits to doping in all of his Tour de France wins, two bombs explode at the Boston Marathon finish line killing 3 and injuring 264, Sopranos star James Gandoifini dies at 51 and Nelson Mandela dies at 95, the films Gravity, Captain Phillips, The Wolf of Wall Street, Frozen, American Hustle and 12 Years a Slave are released and I turn 37 years old.

Music is back on track this year. I love this year. Lots of great new tunes and first time appearances from several acts. Plus Beyonce is here again and after several years missing from these lists, Bowie is back. Here’s my favourites from 2013, in no particular order.

1. Gun by Chvrches

2. Talk Dirty by Jason Derulo featuring 2 Chainz

3. Q.U.E.E.N. by Janelle Monae & Erykah Badu

4. That’s Alright by Laura Mvula

5. The Wire by Haim

6. Sacrilege by the Yeah Yeah Yeahs

7. Royals by Lorde

8. XO by Beyonce

9. Strong by London Grammar

10. Where We Are Now? by David Bowie

This week, my favourite is the wonderful Janelle Monae with Queen Erykah. Which one is yours?

See you next week for 2014!

Every Friday, I’m publishing my top ten songs from a single year and this week it’s the turn of 2012.

For previous top ten tunes, please click on the year: 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019

In 2012, Gary Dobson and David Norris are jailed for life for the racist murder of Stephen Lawrence back in 1993, the Queen celebrates her Diamond Jubilee marking 60 years on the throne and there is a 4 day bank holiday int he UK to celebrate, David Rathband the policeman blinded by Raoul Moat in 2010 is found dead at home, the tallest building in Europe, the Shard is opened in London standing 1,016 ft tall, London hosts the 2012 Olympics and it was amazing, Great Britain comes third in the Olympics medals table, London then hosts the 2012 Paralympics, which was also amazing, a documentary reveals that deceased TV presenter Jimmy Saville sexually abused underage girls, Scotland Yard launches a formal criminal investigation into Jimmy Saville after over 200 sexual abuse victims come forward, Hurricane Sandy hits the US East coast and the Caribbean killing over 200 people, US President Barak Obama is re-elected, a 20 yr-old gunman kills 26 people– most of whom were children- at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut, the first man on the moon Neil Armstrong dies, Whitney Houston dies in a bathtub at the age of 48yrs, the films Skyfall, The Impossible, The Avengers, Brave, Argo, Lincoln and Les Miserables are released and I turn 36 years old.

2012 will always be synonymous with the Olympics and the feel good factor it created across the UK (and hopefully across the world too). I obsessively watched both the Olympics and the Paralympics and forced my two year old daughter to do the same. Even though she had no idea what was going on, she still joyfully waved her Team GB flag at the TV screen. In other 2012 news, I also somehow got Glandular Fever which in turn gave me hepatitis. So, you win some, you lose some. I struggled again in finding 10 songs I loved from this year (maybe because I was either obsessed with sport or very, very ill in 2012), but there are some real gems in this lot. Here they are, in no particular order.

1. Wildest Moments by Jessie Ware

2. Wild Ones by Flo Rida featuring Sia

3. Skyfall by Adele

4. Wisely & Slow by the Staves

5. Under the Westway by Blur

6. Age by Lianne La Havas

7. Laura by Bat for Lashes

8. Titanium by David Guetta featuring Sia

9. Read All About It Part III by Emeli Sande (yes I know we all got a little sick of her in 2012, BUT this is still a stunning song with an important message)

10. I Am What I Am by Beverley Knight (watch Bev OWN the stage at the Paralympic Opening Ceremony)

In 2012, my favourite may have been Emeli Sande, BUT now it most definitely is Titanium. So, which one is your favourite gang?

See you next week for 2013!

Every Friday, I’m publishing my top ten songs from a single year and this week it’s the turn of 2011.

For previous top ten tunes, please click on the year: 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019

In 2011, Prince William marries Catherine Middleton in Westminster Abbey and a public holiday was declared across the country, the last British combat veteran of the First World War, Claude Choules, dies in Australia at 110 years old, the News of the World ceases publication due to allegations of hacking mobile phones belonging to celebrities, politicians and high-profile crime victims- it had ben in circulation for 168 years, Amy Winehouse is found dead in her London home- she was 27 yrs-old, following the death of Mark Duggan who was shot dead by police rioting takes place in London and spreads across the country, police struggle to restore order and David Cameron holds a COBRA meeting, Scottish police are sent into England to help with the riots, 3 Muslim men are run over and killed whilst trying to protect their neighbourhood, a new October high temperature record is set in the UK when it experiences unusually hot weather as it reaches 30C degrees (86F) and I remember spending the day on the beach with my baby in disbelief that we could do this in October, Welsh national football team manager Gary Speed takes his own life– he was 42, Elizabeth Taylor dies at 79, an earthquake off the coast of Japan, causes a tsunami to hit Japan and triggers a nuclear disaster, Osama Bin Laden is found and killed by US Navy Seals, in Oslo an bomb explodes and shortly afterwards Anders Behring Breivik attacks and kills people at a youth camp– in total 76 people are killed and the films Bridesmaids, The Artist, The Help, The Muppets, and the final Harry Potter film- the Deathly Hallows Part 2 are released and I turn 35 years old.

2011 for me was partly maternity leave (and me holding my baby and crying on my bed in the final days of it because I couldn’t bear to be parted from her) and after several months of returning to working, I gave up my career that I had worked so hard on for so many years (not just due to baby reasons, mainly due to health reasons), so it was quite a life changing year for many reasons. And here’s the 10 songs that soundtracked all of that. In. No. Particular. Order.

1. Born This Way by Lady Gaga

2. Better Off Without You by Summer Camp

3. Price Tag by Jessie J

4. Everything Goes My Way by Metronomy

5. Desire by Anna Calvi

6. The Lion’s Roar by First Aid Kit

7. F**ckin’ Perfect by Pink

8. Pumped Up Kicks by Foster the People

9. Video Games by Lana Del Ray

10. Someone Like You by Adele (This performance of Adele’s on Jools Holland is absolutely stunning)

Gang, I’ve done you a little bonus this week. It’s not part of my Top Ten, but it was released in 2011 and is such a wonderful performance by both Amy Winehouse and Tony Bennett. When, I first watched this within the documentary film Amy, I was moved to tears. It is perfect and so very lovely.

Oooh, now which one is my favourite? Obviously, Adele and Lana’s songs are beautiful. P!nk yet again makes me cry. The Lion’s Roar made me fall in love with First Aid Kit, BUT for me it’s Anna Calvi that really sticks out this week. Come on then, tell me your favourite.

See you next week for 2012!

Every Friday, I’m publishing my top ten songs from a single year and this week it’s the turn of 2010. Welcome to our final decade- the 10s!

For previous top ten tunes, please click on the year: 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019

Fun times.

In 2010, the UK is officially no longer in recession, Tony Blair appears at the Iraq enquiry and is questioned on his decision to take the UK into war against Iraq, American company Kraft Foods takes over British chocolate company Cadburys and the whole country collapses isn’t very happy about it, Levi Bellfield is charged with the murder of Milly Dowler who went missing 8 years ago, a Birmingham couple are charged and sentenced for starving their 7 yr-old daughter Khyra Ishaq to death, volcanic ash from Iceland causes British airports to close for 6 days, the general election takes place and results in a hung parliament, after leader of the Liberal Democrats Nick Clegg whores himself negotiates between the Conservative and Labour parties a coalition government is formed between the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats, David Cameron becomes the new British Prime Minister and Nick Clegg becomes the Deputy Prime Minister, 12 people are killed and 25 injured when gunman Derrick Bird goes on a killing rampage in Cumbria- he then turns the gun on himself, in the North East Roaul Moat shoots dead one person and badly injures two others– a week later a six-hour stand-off with the police and Gazza (yes Gazza) takes place as they try to talk him into giving himself up- he then also turns the gun on himself, Ed Miliband becomes the leader of the Labour Party, Prince Williams becomes engaged to Catherine Middleton, students protest against increased tuition fees and cuts to funding, fashion designer Alexander McQueen dies, the 2010 World Cup takes place in South Africa and Spain win the cup, the world’s tallest building opens in Dubai– it is 2,716ft tall, 33 miners are trapped underground in Chile– they are rescued after being underground for 69 days (I became OBSESSED with the Chilean miners and watched their rescue at 3am), the films Inception, Blue Valentine, Toy Story 3, The Social Network, Black Swan and The King’s Speech were all released, I turn 34 years old and Bessie Dye was born.

Well, there we have it, 2010 is the year that I have struggled the most to come up with 10 songs that I genuinely love. Now, is this because it was a weak year for music OR is it because for most of the year, I was either growing a human being inside of my actual body or I was tending to my tiny, beautiful, very loud human being and trying to keep it alive whist suffering from severe sleep deprivation and leaking milk from my mammaries (am I really selling motherhood to you?). Either way, I somehow came up with 10 songs that I loved from the year my babygirl was born. Here they are, in no particular order.

1. Only Girl (In the World) by Rihanna

2. Tightrope by Janelle Monae (here’s a video of Janelle performing Tightrope at Glastonbury Festival 2011. It is a masterclass in how to give audiences their money’s worth).

3. Rill Rill by Sleigh Bells

4. Beat the Devil’s Tattoo by Black Rebel Motorcycle Club

5. Rambling Man by Laura Marling

6. Rolling in the Deep by Adele

7. We Used to Wait by Arcade Fire

8. All the Lovers by Kylie Minogue

9. Empire State of Mind (Part II) Broken Down by Alicia Keys (yes I know the other version featured last week, but it is beautiful and I told you I’m struggling this week)

10. I’d Do It All Again by Corinne Bailey Rae (Corinne wrote this song about her husband that died suddenly at 32 years old and every time I hear it, it devastates me)

Hello world. My Boo at 2 weeks old (her eyes were always this wide open and she never lost that hair)

This week my favourite is Laura Marling. Don’t forget to let me know in the comments, which one is yours.

See you next week for 2011!