Music 2013 - Unexpected surprises

By Simon Wright – Follow me on Twitter @Siwri88

2013 has had its fair share of moments in music, with a variety of new stars making a big breakthrough this year and the end for several of the established groups that many of us have grown up with in more recent times.

No fewer than 18 new artists topped the number one single charts for the first time in their careers. For Robin Thicke, it was a double celebration. His massive hit ‘Blurred Lines’ was not only his first number one but it has spent the most weeks on the top spot in 2013 – unmoved for five consecutive weeks.

It was a brilliant year for Avicii, who managed to scoop two number ones in the same year for their songs ‘You Make Me’ and ‘Wake Me Up.’ Another newcomer who enjoyed a breakthrough year was Yorkshire-born John Newman, who won much acclaim for his debut album 'Tribute' and singles that included the catchy ‘Love Me Again,’ then ‘Cheating.’ 2013 was also the year Ellie Goulding finally hit top spot with ‘Burn’ after several near-misses. Another breakthrough act were Kodaline although they just missed out on top spot with superb songs 'High Hopes' and 'Brand New Day.'

Other newbies to make the top spot included Icona Pop, OneRepublic and Storm Queen. There was also an unbelievable and highly unexpected number one for PJ & Duncan, better known to the majority of us as Ant & Dec. In 1994, their song ‘Let’s Get Ready to Rumble’ came in the time their days on Byker Grove were coming to an end. For the first time in 19 years, the duo performed it again on entertainment show Saturday Night Takeaway in what was only meant to be a fun combination with members of reunited groups. It became such a big hit on YouTube and iTunes that it stormed to the top spot in the charts the following week. The Newcastle duo looked surprised when appearing the following week on their Takeaway programme but accepted the acclaim and of course made the most of their success in true PJ & Duncan fashion!

Irish pop band Boyzone celebrated their 20^th anniversary recently, releasing an album of their greatest hits. Another band that shows no sign of slowing up is Take That. This year, they took more of a backseat whilst Gary Barlow focused on solo artist music but there are plans for a tour next year, with Robbie Williams rumoured to be rejoining the band for part of 2014.

Katy Perry's 'Roar' was one of the best overseas hits of 2013

American music had success once again. Nicole Scherzinger had a tough personal time after another break-up with Formula One driver Lewis Hamilton this summer but she released the catchy ‘Boomerang’ in March – her first solo single in two years. Nicole has already announced plans to release a second solo album next year in an attempt to follow up on the success of her first album, ‘Killer Love’ back in 2011. Miley Cyrus also made it to number one this year for the first time after some time away from the limelight, whilst ‘Roar’ spent three weeks in top spot for the amazing Katy Perry (pictured).

Lily Allen returned to the music scene in 2013. The singer, who walked away from the industry three years ago first returned with P!nk to perform backing vocals on ‘True  Love.’ She then released a cover of Keane’s 2004 song ‘Somewhere Only We Know,’ which was used as the soundtrack for this year’s John Lewis Christmas TV advert. Like it or not, it has taken Lily to number one for three weeks, keeping One Direction’s latest hit ‘Story of My Life,’ off number one. One Direction did though make the big screen this year with the 1D Movie becoming one of the fastest selling box office hits of the year and getting a lot of obvious attention from the female contingent.

Allen actually has an outside chance of scooping the coveted Christmas number one which this year, is a fairly limited crop of choices. Favourite to land the prize is Sam Bailey. The prison officer won this year’s X-Factor, topping the public vote on a regular basis and immediately shooting to the top of the charts with ‘Skyscraper.’

All four of the 2013 X-Factor judges all look set to move on

It wasn’t the greatest year for the X-Factor with a lack of eye-catching performances, or even acts who offer a bit more of a comic feel. Even the one series return of Sharon Osbourne didn’t attract new viewers to the programme. All four judges (pictured) are set to leave the programme, with Barlow, Osbourne and Louis Walsh all previously stated in public they won’t be back in 2014. With Scherzinger likely to focus on her music, a new panel is set to be formed with Simon Cowell and Cheryl Cole all but formally confirmed to make sensational returns. Rita Ora is also a frontrunner to be a judge next year. It wasn’t a good year for former X-Factor judge Tulisa though, charged in December by police for possession of class A drugs.

One of X-Factor’s biggest successes was JLS but the runners-up of the programme back in 2008 decided this year to go their separate ways. The boys are currently on their farewell tour before heading in different directions. It was a busy year for the Saturdays, who finally claimed their first number one with 'What About Us' and two of the group members, Frankie and Rochelle gave birth during the year. Other groups to disband formally in 2013 included Lostprophets, the Sugababes and Girls Aloud.

BBC talent show The Voice returned in March but once again lost its way after a promising start to series two. Winner Andrea Begley has released a rather forgettable debut single and has gone in a similar direction to Michelle McManus and Leon Jackson which is nowhere. Changes have been made and radical ones too. Frontman of The Script Danny O’Donoghue and Jessie J have both quit as coaches, replaced by Kylie Minogue and Ricky Wilson from the Kaiser Chiefs. The show moves into a January slot for 2014 in an effort to attract more fans. ITV tried to reunite some of yesteryear’s biggest bands but this was another flop as stars from Atomic Kitten, Blue, Five and Liberty X only failed to find the chemistry they once had over a decade ago. They have performed a Christmas single that is so bad, watching an episode of Emmerdale over the festive period might be a bit more bearable.

It was Emeli Sande’s night at the BRIT awards in February. She won MasterCard Best British Album of the Year for ‘Our Version of Events’ and ‘British Female Solo Artist.’ Tom Odell was winner of the Critics’ Choice award, while there were also gongs for Coldplay, Mumford & Sons, Lana Del Rey and ADELE, who won Best British Single for the incredible version of ‘Skyfall,’ used for last year’s global James Bond movie success.

Popstar Sophie Ellis-Bextor has made the final of the 11^th series of Strictly Come Dancing with some consistent performances that have always kept her away from danger. She will compete in the final on 21 December. Bonnie Tyler was chosen as the United Kingdom’s representative at the Eurovision Song Contest in Malmo. She claimed a more respectable 19^th place with 28 points as Denmark took the prize to take the 2014 event to Copenhagen. Robbie Williams’ album ‘Swings Both Ways’ became the 1000^th album to reach number one on the UK albums chart in November and a month earlier, golden oldie and former member of The Beatles, Sir Paul McCartney released his first new album in six years. ‘New’ reached number three in the albums list.

It is fair to say 2013 has provided the public with some welcome and unexpected surprises. With more emerging artists coming through, 2014 promises to be another action-packed year in the music industry.

Categories: 2013, Ant & Dec, Avicii, Ellie Goulding, Eurovision Song Contest, John Newman, Katy Perry, Kodaline, Music, X-Factor

The 100 Greatest TV adverts - Part Five (100-81)

By Simon Wright

The television advertisement has been around on our screens for almost 60 years.  They portray all of our favourite products, promoted by either everyday celebrities or just normal everyday members of the British public.

The Oxo Family campaign ran successfully throughout two decades

Adverts (Oxo family pictured) have come a long way since a toothpaste company broadcast the first ever commercial on ITV's opening night back in September 1955.  Some of them can be a real nuisance, especially if they pop up in every single advertising break.

It has been over 13 years since a programme was produced by Channel 4 to find the nation's greatest advert, and there have been some real gems since.  Five years ago, I did a top 60 selection on my YouTube account, and have always noticed the commercials that actually can leave you laughing, amazed or even feeling a bit emotional.

In this five-part series for Viewing Perspectives, here is my updated list of the 100 Greatest TV adverts of all-time.  The first part covers numbers 100-81, with all years given a rough reference of when the commercial was either first screened or shown most regularly.

100. BT: World Wide Web (2000)

BT produced a series of commercials around the turn of the millennium with the collaboration of the famous character E.T from the famous film.  Directed by Paul Weiland, this advert was one of the best, taking the characters into another planet with faster internet connection, which was a real boost in 2000.  Even in 13 years, it is amazing to think how far the World Wide Web has really evolved.

99. Castlemaine: Overloaded Truck (1986)

The Australian beer Castlemaine was a popular favourite in its heyday, which was the 1980s.  This funny advert in around 1986 saw a truck being completely able to take a whole amount of cans of Castlemaine, but collapse once two bottles of sherry for the lady were loaded.  The slogan at the end of the commercial says it all really.

98. Coca Cola: Celebrations (2010)

The main Coca Cola advert for the 2010 FIFA World Cup focused on the goal celebration, one of the greatest reactions in any football match.  The advert pays tribute to Roger Milla and his 'Dancing Corner' routine after his goalscoring heroics for Cameroon at the 1990 World Cup.  Then using other actors, it takes you on a tour of the best goal celebrations in 20 years.  This is a pretty clever aspect for the advert, and would get most football fans right into the spirit of the 2010 competition in South Africa.

97. Woolworths: Forgetting items (2001) 

The demise of Woolworths in 2008 started the decline of the retail industry, and many big names have followed thanks to the UK recession, including Jessops, MFI and Comet.  Woolies also had some hit adverts, especially at Christmas time.  Here are the memorable double act Ant & Dec getting distracted and forgetting why they had gone into Woolworths into the first place in 2001, with the music in the background summing up that at the time, Woolworths really was 'Walking in a Winter Wonderland.'

96. American Express: Andy Roddick (2005)

American tennis player Andy Roddick was one of the nearly men in tennis.  He only won one Grand Slam - the US Open in 2003, and lost three men's singles finals at Wimbledon.  However, he got his chance to have the Wimbledon trophy in this advert for major card chain American Express.  Confidence, annoyance and trophy uncertainty are the main themes to this advert.

95. Stella Artois: Flowers (1991)

Stella Artois has a reputation for some slightly odd and daft commercials, but they got it just right in 1991 with this advert starring two men, some good-looking flowers and a thirsty pint of the beer.  As indicated, it is reassuringly expensive, but the taste of this alcoholic beverage is questionable. 

94. Budweiser: Fantasy Premier League (2006)

If Budweiser had become official sponsors and not just the official beer of the Premier League, imagine what could happen.  The Americans did with this advert, which would end the tedious 0-0 stalemate, and renaming football teams into American equivalents.  They decided not to go ahead with these plans, and gladly too, but it was a humorous look into how the game could have turned out.

93. Muller Yoghurt: Wunderful Stuff (2011)

When I first saw this advert for Muller Yoghurt, I wasn't gripped by it - presumingly because I don't like yoghurt.  However, the commercial is actually catchy, helped by the appearance of some familiar cartoon characters.  As we all know, Muller is clearly made of Wonderful Stuff.

92. Vauxhall: Hide and Seek (2005)

Broadcast first in the early millennium years, this entry is one of two from Vauxhall in the top 100, and involves a real element of a classic game I'm sure we all used to play in the playground. The model used, the Corsa squeezes into almost every single position you could think of, before the Hide and Seek chase begins.  It is quirky and a tad odd, but goes well with the slogan of putting the fun back into driving.

91. Oxo: The Final Family Meal (1999)

The Oxo Family were one of TV's most common families in the 1980s and 1990s. First debuting in 1983, the campaign was one of the longest, spanning 16 years until this emotional final goodbye in 1999. Lynda Bellingham and Michael Redfern play the parents, as the family sit down for a final meal before moving onto a new environment. This was a sign of the times that the 'Great British Family' stereotype is fast becoming a thing of the past.

90. Citroen: Going Crazy (2010)

French car manufacturer Citroen have often come up with some creative and innovative adverts, especially in the past 15 years. This one in 2010 makes the list, involving a couple taking their car on a crazy and wild ride while the guard on patrol in the harbour is taking an afternoon nap. Who would have thought you could have this much fun in a car in just over 60 seconds!

89. John Smith’s: Moving Out (2003)

The John Smith campaign with comedian Peter Kay has been such a success, it was very difficult to only pick a couple of adverts from a whole host of humorous commercials.  This is one of my favourites and comes in at number 89, as Kay instructs his mother to move out of the family home to put a snooker table in her bedroom.  He will take no nonsense to get his way, despite the severe reluctance of his 55-year-old mother.

88. BMW: 1 Series – Horses (2004)

In 2004, the successful 'Series' models were launched by BMW with these catchy and rather bouncy commercials. The 1 Series was launched in the UK on 18 September 2004, and it was quite rare that you wouldn't see one of these adverts in it's build-up. This one is involving horses showing almost near perfect balance, which goes well with the tagline - 'The only one in its class with near perfect balance.' Some attractive music from Prodigy completes a great package.

87. Olympus Cameras: Wedding Photography (1979)

The digital camera has come a long way, with technology so advanced nowadays that you can now upload pictures to social media almost immediately after being taken. Back in 1979, Olympus Cameras were setting the path, with famous photographer David Bailey leading the way, as seen in this wedding.  His counterpart though prefers the old format, but is being left behind and doesn't even know who Bailey actually is.

86. Carling: Refreshed (2011)

A long day at work is something I will be returning to real soon after 14 months on the sidelines since finishing my degree at University.  We have all had tough and difficult days, so what is the best feeling to become totally refreshed, well that answer is simple.  According to Carling, it is a pint of their beer, and it isn't a bad vision.  This advert shows the refreshment the normal individual is after in 2011 and it makes the point it is meant to really well.  In case anyone was wondering, the actor in this commercial is Marc Baylis, who is currently in Coronation Street.

85. Samsung: Impatience is a virtue (2009)

Even in four years, technology in mobile phones have rapidly changed, meaning the Samsung Jet is now horribly out-of-date.  However this commercial in 2009 almost tempted me to go down the Samsung route, before sticking at the time with the tried and trusted Nokia.  It is an all-action advert.  Impatience is a virtue for technology like the latest smartphone, but sometimes that isn't a great quality to have.

84. Nike: Thierry Henry (2005)
At his peak, Thierry Henry was the best footballer on the planet, and he was also a famous face of some top brands.  Forget his Renault appearances though, it was this one with Nike that was best.  Henry shows off his skills for the American sportswear giant, and can't be tackled by anyone, except for a dog!  Undeterred, he gets up and carries on.  Someone with Henry's ability could afford to do this.

83. Boddingtons: Athlete (1997) 
TV presenter Melanie Sykes makes an appearance in this advert, as she was the face of Boddingtons in the 1990s. This 'Athlete' commercial also stars Ken George, who now has his own production company, called KGB productions.  Boddingtons was promoted as the cream of Manchester, and even came third in a poll of most popular things about Manchester, after Coronation Street and Manchester United.  This is now a defunct beer, but it had its day and was a powerful competitor in its heyday.

82. Peugeot: The Sculptor (2003) 
This strange advert promotes the determination to make a piece of art.  The individual, who lives in 'Bollywood' culture wants to make his car into a lookalike of a Peugeot 206, so he trashes his machine using every method possible, before redesigning it.  Actually, it isn't a bad attempt, although the colour doesn't quite match the intention of the picture the actor looks at.

81. Tango: Orange Man (1991) 
The Tango 'Orange Man' campaign was both successful but also highly controversial.  The first advert, which sees the 'Orange Man' slap the guy in the face once he has drunk some Tango, leaving him stunned was hilarious, but was banned in 1991 as schoolchildren consequently started doing this in playgrounds up and down the country, and the results led to some rather distasteful events.  As a result, I can't include banned adverts in this list, and so here is the 'Kiss' version - rather short-lived but the best alternative at the time.  It didn't quite have the same appeal as the 'Slap' edition, but it was a safer way to go, and shows that even 22 years ago, there were committees around to curb down on adverts that slightly pushed the boundaries.

Categories: 1991, Adverts, American Express, Andy Roddick, Ant & Dec, BMW, BT, Budweiser, Citroen, Coca Cola, E.T, Flowers, Oxo, Peter Kay, Playground, Prodigy, Roger Milla, Vauxhall, Woolworths, YouTube