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Top Ten Tunes- 2004

Posted on June 8, 2018 by Hayley Beasley Dye

Every Friday, I’m publishing my top ten songs from a single year and this week it’s the turn of 2004.

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 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019

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Just Batman hanging out at Buckingham Palace, nothing to see here.

In 2004, the Daily Mirror publishes the blacked out portion of a letter written by Princess Diana where she claims that someone is trying to kill her, serial killer Dr Harold Shipman is found dead in his prison cell, the Hutton Inquiry into Dr David Kelly’s death is published and condemns the BBC’s handling of the affair and exonerates the government, Chinese cockle pickers in Morecambe are caught up in the nighttime tides, which results in the drowning of 23 pickers, landmark office building The Gherkin is opened in London, children’s animation Peppa Pig debuts on TV, Fathers 4 Justice stage a protest in the House of Commons by throwing purple powder at Tony Blair, the Olympics take place in Athens, a Fathers 4 Justice campaigner breaches security at Buckingham Palace dressed as Batman, British hostage Ken Bigley is beheaded in Iraq, a train is derailed in Berkshire when a car is deliberately left on the train tracks- 7 people are killed, British aid worker Margaret Hassan is taken hostage and killed in Iraq, fox hunting is banned in the UK, the CIA admits that there was no imminent threat from weapons of mass destruction before the invasion of Iraq in 2003, a terrorist attack takes place in Madrid as 5 suicide bombers detonate bombs on rush hour trains and kill 190 people, one million people in Sudan flee their homes following ethnic cleansing, 335 people die in a siege in a school in Northern Ossetia and 700 are injured, President George W Bush wins the US election for a second term, Facebook is launched, Hurricane Jeanne kills 3000 people in Haiti, in the Indian Ocean the strongest earthquake in 40 years results in a tsunami that kills over 280,000 people with around 1,500 of them being British.

The films Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Shaun of the Dead, Saw, Fahrenheit 9/11, The Aviator and the Incredibles are released and I turn 28 years old.

2004 is the year that saw me and my better half pack our bags and drive around the US of A for the summer. We started in New Orleans and ended up in San Fransisco. Honestly, the customs officers thought we were mad when we told them our plans on arrival. Musically, 2004 wasn’t a strong year, but there was still a few songs that I absolutely loved and here they are! In no particular order.

1. Ladyflash by The Go Team!

2. Trick Me by Kelis

3. Fit But You Know It by The Streets

4. Thank You by Jamelia

5. Amazing by George Michael

6. Call On Me by Eric Prydz

7. Freakin’ Out by Graham Coxon

8. Mr. Brightside by the Killers

9. Remember Me by the Zutons

10.1980 by Estelle (this song isn’t available on Spotify, so the playlist is only 9 songs long this week. Here’s the video for it instead)

The Killers are my favourite this week (obvs), which one is yours?

See you next week for 2005!

Top Ten Tunes- 2003

Posted on June 1, 2018 by Hayley Beasley Dye

Every Friday, I’m publishing my top ten songs from a single year and this week it’s the turn of 2003.

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 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019

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Anti-Iraq war protests in London

In 2003, over 2 million people (and 6-11 million worldwide) demonstrate against the Iraq war in London, the London congestion charge comes into place, UK land troops join troops from the US, Australia & Poland in the invasion of Iraq, Saddam Hussein is captured and a statue of him is toppled over in Bagdad, it is announced that Hussein’s rule over Iraq is over, weapons expert Dr David Kelly commits suicide 3 days after he appears in front of the Foreign Affairs Select Committee regarding the information he had on weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, the Hutton inquiry into Dr David Kelly’s death is launched as there is doubt cast surrounding the suicide verdict, Concorde makes its final commercial flight after flying for over 27 years, Iain-Duncan Smith resigns as leader of the Conservative party, US President George W Bush visits London among mass protests, England win the rugby World Cup, Lady Louise Windsor is born– the first child of Prince Edward, Space Shuttle Colombia disintegrates on re-entry killing all 7 crew members on board, the highly infectious disease SARS spreads across Asia, Arnold Schwarzenegger is elected Governor of California, Michael Jackson is arrested and charged with child abuse, the films Kill Bill, Lost in Translation, School of Rock, Love Actually and Monster are all released and I turn 27 years old.

2003 sees the return of Blur (minus one band member), Beyonce (minus all band members), the Sugababes (with their interchangeable band members) and our Kylie (who doesn’t need band members). Also, this week sees a Top Ten Tunes first. It is the second appearance for a song that was in a previous list, but this version is so different I thought I could justify sneaking it in again. Here’s the best of 2003, in no particular order. Spotify list at the end as always.

1. Crazy in Love by Beyonce

2. Stronger Than Me by Amy Winehouse

3. Slow by Kylie Minogue

4. Out of Time by Blur

5. Too Lost in You by the Sugababes

6. Hey Ya! by Outkast

7. Milkshake by Kelis

8. Leave Right Now by Will Young

9. Mad World by Michael Andrews feat Gary Jules

10. Hurt by Johnny Cash

Some great tunes this week, but Beyonce gets the top prize from me. Which one is your favourite?

See you next week for 2004!

Top Ten Tunes- 2002

Posted on May 25, 2018 by Hayley Beasley Dye

Every Friday, I’m publishing my top ten songs from a single year and this week it’s the turn of 2002.

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 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019

The Queen celebrates her Golden Jubilee by having dinner with current British Prime Minister Tony Blair and 4 former British Prime Ministers. I mean….I could probably think of better ways to have a knees up.

In 2002, Princess Margaret- the Queen’s sister- dies, 13yr old Amanda Dowler goes missing on her way home from school- her body is later found in woodlands and a murder investigation is launched, The Queen Mother dies aged 101, Potters Bar rail crash in London kills 7 people, the Commonwealth Games is hosted in Manchester, the Queen celebrates her Golden Jubilee, in Soham, Cambridgeshire 10yr old girls Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman go missing and later their bodies are found– the caretaker at their school Ian Huntley is charged with their murder and his girlfriend Maxine Carr is arrested for perverting the course of justice, two nightclubs in Bali are bombed and kill 202 people (26 of which were British), Moors murderer Myra Hindley dies at 60 of a heart attack, Girls Aloud is formed as five female contestants win TV talent show Popstars the Rivals, over 50% of the UK population now have access to the internet, Chechen rebels take 800 theatregoers hostage in Moscow and threaten to blow up the theatre- 3 days later special forces storm the theatre which results in the deaths of 128 hostages and 41 rebels, two snipers in Washington DC kill 10 people and injure 3, East Timor gains independence from Indonesia, expelled student goes on shooting rampage and kills 13 teachers in Germany, the films The Pianist, Chicago, The Bourne Identity, About Schmidt, Gangs of New York, City of God and 8 Mile are all released and I turn 26 years old.

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2002 was exciting for me as not only did I get to see our Kylie live in concert this year, I also worked very hard in my first professional musical stage show. 10 weeks of 4 hour performances of non-stop dancing and singing 8 times a week plus struggling to eat properly is one way of exhausting yourself in a way that I could never imagine. And I loved every minute of it. Anyway, lots of new faces this as week and a few old (Tori is back). So, here’s my favourite top ten tunes from 2002, in no particular order.

1. Hot in Herre by Nelly

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2. Freak Like Me by Sugababes

3. Just a Little by Liberty X

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4. Just Like a Pill by P!nk

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5. The Zephyr Song by Red Hot Chili Peppers

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6. A Sorta Fairytale by Tori Amos

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7. It Takes More by Ms. Dynamite

8. Lose Yourself by Eminem

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9. Beautiful by Christina Aguilera

10. Gold by Beverley Knight

Ms. Dynamite is my favourite this week. What happened to her? She was absolutely fantastic. You know the score by now, tell me your favourite out of that lot now please.

See you next week for 2003!

Top Ten Tunes- 2001

Posted on May 18, 2018 by Hayley Beasley Dye

Every Friday, I’m publishing my top ten songs from a single year and this week it’s the turn of 2001.

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 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019

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Within the whole of this weekly series of posts, I have been trying to avoid putting any distressing photos here in the news section, but whatever “upbeat” or “non-stressful” photo I tried to choose for 2001, it just felt like I was making a mockery of the biggest event that took place this year.

In 2001, GP Harold Shipman is still making news as it’s reported that he could have actually killed up to 300 patients, the age of consent for male homosexual acts is reduced to the same as heterosexual and lesbian acts (16yrs), Libyan Abdelbaset Ali Mohamed Al Mergrahi is convicted of the Pan Am flight bombing back in 1988, Foot and Mouth crisis begins in the UK, a rail crash near Selby kills 10 people, Donald Campbell’s body and speedboat are recovered from the bottom of Coniston Water in Cumbria 34 years after he tried to break the water speed record, the Eden Project opens in Cornwall, a Dutch lorry driver is sentenced to 14yrs in prison after 56 Chinese immigrants were found suffocated in the back of his lorry, an anti-capitalist riot n London turns violent, Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott punches a protester who throws an egg at him, Labour wins a second consecutive election and Tony Blair remains Prime Minister, William Hague resigns as Conservative party leader, race riots take place in both Burnley and Bradford, the first episode of The Office airs on British TV, riots breaks out in Brixton in London over the fatal shooting of Derek Bennett by police, Conservative MP Neil Hamilton and his wife Christine Hamilton are arrested on suspicion of sexual assault, Iain Duncan Smith becomes leader of the Conservative party, the IRA announce that they are beginning to decommission their weapons, Beatle George Harrison dies.

On 9/11- hijackers simultaneously take control of four US commercial airliners, two of the planes are crashed into the World Trade Center in NYC, within 2hrs both towers collapse, the third plane is crashed into the Pentagon in Virginia and the fourth crashed into a rural field in Pensylvania, almost 3000 people lost their lives and over 6000 were injured. 67 of the victims who lost their lives were British, the highest number of victims from another country other than America. 412 of the people that lost their lives were emergency workers who responded to the attacks.

The films Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, Moulin Rouge, Shrek, Donnie Darko and Bridget Jones’s Diary are all released. I celebrated my 25th Birthday.

This year saw me graduate from university. I would put my official graduation photo up here for you, but it’s my parents’ house. Does anyone hang up their graduation photos in their own home? Anyway, 2001 is a much better year for music than last year. As you can see my taste in music was definitely migrating more towards soul and neo-soul than guitar bands. I got very bored of the guitar bands that were on offer during the noughties. Whilst I know they have big fan bases, I am personally not a fan of bands like Coldplay, Travis, Stereophonics, Keane and all of those other male guitar bands that were around at the time. My taste in music was definitely more female and soulful in the noughties. So, here’s the best 10 songs from 2001, in no particular order.

1. Family Affair by Mary J Blige

2. Video by India Arie

3. Teenage Dirtbag by Wheatus

4. Clint Eastwood by Gorillaz

5. Survivor by Destiny’s Child

6. Fallin’ by Alicia Keys

7. A Long Walk by Jill Scott

8. Get Ur Freak On by Missy Elliot

9. Can’t Get You Out of My Head by Kylie Minogue

10. Lady (Hear Me Tonight) by Modjo

This week my favourite track is our Kylie followed closely by India. So, tell me, which one is your favourite?

See you next week for 2002!

Top Ten Tunes- 2000

Posted on May 11, 2018 by Hayley Beasley Dye

Every Friday, I’m publishing my top ten songs from a single year and this week it’s the turn of 2000. I welcome you to the Noughties!

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 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019

Still so angry that Anna didn’t win Big Brother tbh.

New year, new decade, new millennium! The start of the millennium looked like this, GP Harold Shipman is sentenced to life imprisonment for the murders of 15 female patients, the UK deport Pinochet to Chile to face trial, an Enigma machine is stolen from Bletchely Park Museum, May Day riots take place in London by anti-capitalists, Ken Livingstone is elected as mayor of London, the Millennium bridge is opened across the River Thames in London, but is closed again a few days later due to it swaying as people walked over it, reality TV show Big Brother first airs on British TV, 8 year old Sarah Payne is murdered and the campaign for Sarah’s Law is started, The Queen Mother celebrates her 100th Birthday, the Olympics take place in Sydney, notorious London criminal Reggie Kray dies, Wembley Stadium closes after 77 years, Swedish coach Sven-Goran Erikisson takes over as manager of the England national football team, 10 yr-old Damiola Taylor is stabbed to death on his way home from school in London, Madonna marries British director Guy Ritchie, TV presenter Paula Yates dies of an overdose, singer Kirsty MacColl dies whilst saving her son’s life in the sea on holiday in Mexico, a Concorde plane crashes just after take-off in Paris and kills all 109 people on board and 5 on the ground, less than 600 votes separate George W Bush and Al Gore– the US Supreme court ruled to end the vote recount, which therefore gave the presidency to Bush, a fire in a backpackers hostel in Australia leave 15 backpackers dead- the majority of who were British, the UK is hit with the worst snow storm for over 50 years and brings public transport to a halt, a cable car in Austria catches fire in a tunnel and kills 156 people, the films Gladiator, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, O’ Brother Where Art Thou?, Erin Brockovich and Billy Elliot are all released and I turn 24 years old.

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Hmmmm, so I don’t think this millennium started off that strongly musically. However, I still managed to find 10 songs that I loved. And oh yes Madonna is in there again (will she be my most featured artist when we come to the end of this music series, I wonder).

1. Music by Madonna

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2. Caught Out There by Kelis

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3. Overload by Sugababes

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The original and the best line-up

4. Pure Shores by All Saints

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5. The Time is Now by Moloko

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6. Stan by Eminem featuring Dido

7. Independent Women Part I by Destiny’s Child

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8. Your Disco Needs You by Kylie Minogue

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9. Good Fortune by PJ Harvey (Peej demonstrating for you how I walk home from the pub at night)

10. The Great Beyond by REM

REM in 2000 with their new replacement band member

Now then, it’s between All Saints, Moloko, Eminem and PJ Harvey, but I’m going to go for PJ Harvey this week. One of the best gig moments I’ve ever seen was when she played Good Fortune and the whole crowd sang along to it word perfectly. Lovely.

See you next week for 2001!

Top Ten Tunes- 1999

Posted on May 4, 2018 by Hayley Beasley Dye

Every Friday, I’m publishing my top ten songs from a single year and this week it’s the turn of 1999.

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 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019

Solar Eclipse in the middle of the day in Newcastle, UK

In 1999, the Euro currency is released, unemployment in the UK is at its lowest for 20 years, Harold Shipman a former GP is accused of murdering at least 15 female patients, director Stanley Kubrick, singer Dusty Springfield, actor Oliver Reed, child entertainer Rod Hull and comedian Ernie Wise all die, nail bombs explode in Brixton, Brick Lane and Soho killing 2 people (one of them is a pregnant woman) and injurs hundreds- a man is arrested and charged, TV presenter Jill Dando is murdered on her front door step, Prince Edward marries Sophie Rhys-Jones, the Solar Eclipse occurs across Europe, farmer Tony Martin is charged with murder after shooting dead an unarmed 16yr-old burglar on his property, the Ladbroke Grove rail crash kills 31 people, rock singer Gary Glitter is jailed for 4 months for downloading child pornography, Beatle George Harrison is stabbed 40 times in his own home by a man who is suffering from paranoid schizophrenia, the Millennium Dome and the London Eye are opened, 20% of the UK population has internet access, Hurricane Floyd hits North Carolina in the US and 3 million people have to evacuate their homes, Helen Clark becomes the first female elected Prime Minister of New Zealand, Boris Yeltsin resigns as the President of Russia and is replaced by Vladimir Putin, the Queen opens the first Scottish parliament in 300 years, two boys aged 17 and 18 go on a rampage at Columbine High School in the US- shooting dead 13 people and injuring 21, the new US gun control bill is rejected, millennium celebrations take place across the world, the films The Matrix, Fight Club, The Blair Witch Project, The Sixth Sense, American Beauty, Being John Malkovich and the Green Mile (what a year for film!) are released and I turn 23 years old.

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So, not only do we come to the end of the nineties today, we come to the end of the millennium. I spent New Year/Century/Millennium’s Eve in London watching fireworks fail on the River Thames, then getting crushed in the crowd, losing my bag of booze and more importantly losing my best friend (we found her again, randomly on some other street of London). 1999 is pretty special for me. I was now living in Leeds. I had finally got round to going to university and it was this year that I met my poor unsuspecting future husband. We had bought tickets with some other friends to go and see Macy Gray and I remember saying to myself “By the time we go to see her, we will be a couple” and do know what Reader, we were. Lots of new artists this week as well as some favourites, but most importantly- our George is back!

1. Hey Boy Hey Girl by Chemical Brothers

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2. No Scrubs by TLC

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3. Everything is Everything by Lauryn Hill

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4. As by George Michael & Mary J Blige

5. I Try by Macy Gray

6. Coffee & TV by Blur

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7. Scar Tissue by Red Hot Chili Peppers

8. At the River by Groove Armada

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9. Back Together by Babybird

Brit Awards Nominations Launch Party 1997

10. Right Here, Right Now by Fatboy Slim

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Me at university in 1999. Sorry Sarah.

This week, it’s easily Groove Armada that’s my favourite. What about you?

See you next week for the start of the Noughties- 2000!

Top Ten Tunes- 1998

Posted on April 27, 2018 by Hayley Beasley Dye

Every Friday, I’m publishing my top ten songs from a single year and this week it’s the turn of 1998.

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 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019

Parisians celebrate France winning the World Cup on the Champs Elysses

in 1998, Mohammed Al Fayed, the father of Dodi Fayed who was killed in the Paris car crash alongside Princess Diana, claims that the crash was a conspiracy to kill rather than an accident instigated by the Queen and Tony Blair, the Good Friday agreement between the UK and Ireland/Northern Ireland is signed, the USA reveal that they have arrested British footballer Justin Fashanu over an alleged sexual assault of a 17yr-old male, he shortly afterwards commits suicide, both the DVD format and the £2 coin are released in the UK, three young children are killed in a loyalist arson attack in Northern Ireland, Anti-Social Behaviours Orders are introduced in the UK or ASBOs as they become known, a terrorist attack occurs in Omagh in Northern Ireland by the IRA which kills 29 in a bomb explosion, General Pinochet the former dictator of Chile is placed under house arrest in the UK while he receives medical treatment, Tony Blair becomes the first Prime Minister of the UK to address the Irish government, 3 British tourists are killed in Yemen, the IRA announce a ceasefire, Google is founded, 250 people are killed in terrorist attacks on 2 US embassies in Kenya and Tanzania, the football World Cup take place in France and France wins, Bill Clinton denies he had “sexual relations with that woman” (Monica Lewinsky), the official famine of Sudan is declared, the Yangtze river in China breaks through the main bank and kills more than 12,000 people, the films the Big Lebowski, Saving Private Ryan, The Truman Show and Shakespeare in Love are released and I turn 22 years old.

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1998 gave me lots of fun (too much fun) memories of living in London. I remember the World Cup dominated my summer as myself and my French friend became obsessed with it. Obviously, her World Cup journey had a happier ending than mine. So, this week Madge is back and so are the Spice Girls, but everyone else is making a first time appearance. So, in no particular order, here’s the best of 1998.

1. Brimful of Asha- the Norman Cook remix by Cornershop

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2. Ray of Light by Madonna

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3.…Baby One More Time by Britney Spears

4. It’s Like That by Run DMC vs Jason Nevins

5. Tragedy by Steps

British culture at its finest.

6. Celebrity Skin by Hole

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7. Concrete Schoolyard by Jurassic 5

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8. Doo Wop (That Thing) by Lauryn Hill

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9. Get Myself Arrested by Gomez

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10. Goodbye by the Spice Girls

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Well, this week my favourite is either Madonna, Britney or Run DMC….so very close, but I think I have to go with Britney. You know the score, let me know your favourite below in the comments.

See you next week for the last of the nineties- 1999!

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Top Ten Tunes- 1997

Posted on April 20, 2018 by Hayley Beasley Dye

Every Friday, I’m publishing my top ten songs from a single year and this week it’s the turn of 1997.

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 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019

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In 1997, Princess Diana calls for an international ban on landmines, 160 vehicles are involved in a motorway pile-up on the M42 which kills three and injures 60, Channel 5 the UK’s 5th TV channel is launched, the Labour party defeat the Conservatives in the general election with a landslide result and Tony Blair becomes the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, the UK wins the Eurovision Song Contest, the first Harry Potter novel is published, the IRA declares a ceasefire, 58 tourists are killed by terrorists in the Valley of Kings in Egypt- 6 of them were Brits, Mother Teresa dies in Calcutta, Scotland vote to create its own parliament after a 290 years union with England, Mike Tyson bites Evander Holyfield’s ear during a match and is suspended from boxing, a civil jury panel find OJ Simpson guilty, Australian rock star Michael Hutchence dies, Gianni Versace is murdered and the Notorious B.I.G. is shot dead in a drive-by shooting.

Princess Diana is killed in a car crash whilst being chased by paparazzi in Paris, a week later Diana’s funeral takes place which is watched by 1.5 billion people across the world.

The films Titanic, The Full Monty and Life is Beautiful are released and I celebrate my 21st Birthday.

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This week is a special week as we are now officially at the half way point of this weekly music series. So, I just wanted to thank everyone who tunes in every week. Discussing our music memories is the highlight of doing this music series, so I hope I still see you all every week for the second half of this series. Anyway, back to ME. In 1997, I’m living in London and generally getting up to mischief. I remember getting the news that Princess Diana had died. At the time, I was living at my cousin’s flat, sleeping on his sofa. He got a phone call at 3am from his girlfriend crying on the phone. Her flatmate worked for Tokyo TV (yes really) and she’d been called in to cover the story, so his girlfriend then immediately called us to tell us the news. It was a surreal time to be living in London. I remember visiting Buckingham Palace and seeing the sea of flowers laid down by the gates. I moved out of my cousin’s place and into my own flat on the day of Princess Diana’s funeral (yes excellent timing, I know) and I have never known London transport to be so quiet and deserted. It was like 28 Days Later. And I’ve never seen London like that again since.

So anyway, here we go. My top ten tunes from 1997, in no particular order (sorry yes more Blur, Bjork & Kylie).

1. I Am the Black Gold of the Sun by Nuyorican Soul

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2. Some Kind of Bliss by Kylie Minogue

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3. Someone’s Daughter by Beth Orton

Beth Orton press shot June 2012

4. Song 2 By Blur

5. Late in the Day by Supergrass

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6. Never Ever by All Saints

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7. Bachelorette by Bjork

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8. You’re Not Alone by Olive

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9. Into My Arms by Nick Cave

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10. Bittersweet Symphony by The Verve

Oh look what I found- a very rare photo of me at 21. We didn’t really take photos of ourselves or each other much back then. I didn’t even own a camera when I was 21, but here I am all baby faced and full of youth.

You have no idea how close it is between Nick Cave and Blur. I think it’s the closest two songs have ever been for me, BUT Into My Arms is probably one of the most beautiful songs ever written and never fails to make me tearful, so by a hair- it’s my favourite this week. Soooooo, which one is yours? And do you remember where you were when you found out about Princess Diana’s death?

See you next week for 1998!

Top Ten Tunes- 1996

Posted on April 13, 2018 by Hayley Beasley Dye

Every Friday, I’m publishing my top ten songs from a single year and this week it’s the turn of 1996.

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 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019

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Dolly the Sheep and her…umm Dad? (Sir Ian Wilmut the Dolly project leader). She was the only surviving lamb from 277 cloning attempts. Dolly actually helped push stem cell research forward by 20 years. Well done Dolly.

In 1996, the first genetically modified foods go on sale in the UK, the IRA end the 17-month ceasefire and bomb the docklands in London killing two people and injuring 39, Take That (the most successful British band of the 90s) announce that they are splitting up, an IRA bomb explodes on a London bus killing one and injuring eight, in a primary school in Dunblane a gunman kills 16 children and their teacher, wounds 13 others plus another teacher and then commits suicide, as a result of this tragic massacre tighter gun laws are implemented in the UK, a massive IRA bomb is detonated in Manchester city centre which devastates its retail district, Dolly the Sheep the first mammal to ever be successfully cloned from an adult cell is born, the Olympics take place in Atlanta, USA, the Prince and Princess of Wales complete their divorce proceedings after 15 years of marriage, an IRA bomb explodes at British army barracks in Northern Ireland killing one and injuring 31, 4% of the UK population now have internet access, Mad Cow Disease hits the UK, a bomb on the Paris subway kills four people, 12 minutes after leaving JFK airport a jumbo jet crashes into the sea killing all 230 people on board, the films Independence Day, Scream and Trainspotting are all released and I leave my teenage year behind me and turn 20 years old.

By 1996, I’m living in Oxford and having far too much fun. I also celebrated my Birthday exactly 22 years ago, to this day. Yes, that’s right it’s my Birthday today! I’ll extend the deadline to get all your gifts and flowers to me by Monday. I’m kind like that. You can read how I feel about getting older HERE. Whilst, this year we have Bjork and Tori making another appearance, all the other acts here appear for the first time.

1. On & On by Erykah Badu

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2. Underground by Ben Folds Five

3. No Diggity by Blackstreet featuring Dr Dre

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4. Don’t Let Go (Love) by En Vogue

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5. Hyper-ballad by Bjork (I also equally love the Brodsky Quartet Version of this song, so much so that I’ve added it as bonus track at the end of the playlist for you)

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6. 2 Becomes 1 by Spice Girls (I will always stand by my opinion that this is one of the most beautiful songs ever written).

7. Ladykillers by Lush

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8. Professional Widow (It’s Got To Be Big) by Tori Amos

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9. Being Brave by Menswear

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10. Born Slippy (NUXX) by Underworld

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Bjork or Underworld? BJORK OR UNDERWORLD?! I’m not sure I can choose….oh ok, I’m going with Underworld. Probably for personal reasons. Come one then. Which one is your favourite?

As a bonus for this week only, I’m posting an extra song. I wanted to add this to this week’s playlist, but it doesn’t exist on Spotify. So, here’s a YouTube video of it instead for you to enjoy. It is an incredibly stunning song and deserves recognition.

One Night Stand by the Aloof

See you next week for 1997!

Just Another Blog From a Woman has been nominated for an award. If you enjoy my blog and you have a spare few seconds, would you might voting for me HERE It’s very simple and there’s no need to register or provide an email address, just vote for Just Another Blog From a Woman under the Best Pal category. Thank you SO much.

Top Ten Tunes- 1995

Posted on April 6, 2018 by Hayley Beasley Dye

Every Friday, I’m publishing my top ten songs from a single year and this week it’s the turn of 1995.

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 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019

Eric Cantona’s Kung Fu Kick. I love this photo mainly for the spectators’ reactions. A lot are in shock, but one bloke is having the time of his life.

So, at the beginning of 1995, serial killer Fred West takes his own life in prison, French footballer Eric Cantona assaults a spectator when he is sent off whilst playing for Manchester United and he is banned from playing football for 8 months, the first female chief constable in the UK is appointed, Essex student Leah Betts, 18, dies after four days in a coma as a result of taking an ecstasy tablet, this sparks a media campaign against the drugs and its suppliers, Princes Diana gives a candid TV interview detailing her adultery, her depression, bulimia, the media and the future of the monarchy- it becomes the most watched current affairs programme on record, Rose West is found guilty of murdering 10 women and children including her 16-year-old daughter and her 10-year-old stepdaughter- she is sentenced to life imprisonment with a recommendation that she is never released, head teacher Philip Lawrence is stabbed death outside his school whilst trying to protect a pupil who was being attacked by a gang, race riots break out in Brixton, 168 people are killed and 680 are injured during a domestic terrorist attack on a federal building in Oklahoma, an earthquake in Japan kills 6,433 people, broker Nick Leeson loses $1.4billion which results in the collapse of the UK’s oldest investment banking firm (the klutz), an earthquake in Russia kills 2000 people, an unprecedented heatwave in the US kills at least 830 people (the majority of which were in Chicago), Isreali Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin is assassinated and OJ Simpson is found innocent.

The films Toy Story, Braveheart, the Usual Suspects and Heat are released and yours truly turns 19 years old. Aren’t I growing up?

Braveheart

So, here we are in the deepest, darkest “Brit Pop” era. I was going to say that only one act isn’t British this week, but then I remembered that Bjork wasn’t British either. We did kind of adopt her though, but I don’t think the Icelandic would ever let us claim her as one of us. Quite rightly. 1995 saw me hop on a plane and travel around Australia all by myself because -well- I quite I fancied it. It was one of the best experiences of my life. My obsession with music and seeing bands live continued on, so much so that yet again, I really struggled trying to narrow this list down to just 10 songs. Here they are, nevertheless, in no particular order.

WARNING: the first bit of the first song is a bit sweary- just in case you’re listening to the playlist near young ears.

1. Reverend Black Grape by Black Grape

Black-Grape

2. Yes by McAlmont and Butler

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3. The Universal by Blur

Blur winning 4 Brit awards in one night in 1995

4. Inbetweener by Sleeper

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5. C’mon Billy by PJ Harvey

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PJ Harvey giving very few fucks at Glastonbury Festival ’95. As I was there right at the front for this performance, I can confirm she was indeed fucking glorious.

6. Common People by Pulp

7. Isobel by Bjork

It’s just a suggestion from Bjork, not an instruction.

8. Human Nature by Madonna

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9. Missing by Everything but the Girl

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10. Never Forget by Take That (no, you sat with your best mate watching Take That perform on Top of the Pops for the first time without Robbie and cried throughout. Shut up)