In an attempt to do justice to the awesome achievements in music in the last 10 years, Spin Or Bin Music decided to do a countdown to commemorate the best in music. The resulting top 20 picks are a varied collection of songs released between 2000 and 2009 that were passionately championed by us me.

It was tough to narrow down to just 20 songs as there were definitely more outstanding songs than could be featured from the past 10 years! So I took the easy (and smart ) way out: My iPod’s playlist!

Yes! I’ve simplified the method for compiling the list – it’s the top 20 most-played songs on my iPod. So, just deal with it if you don’t like it.

That said, here are Spin or Bin Music’s picks for the Top 20 songs of the ’00s.

20. Scissor Sisters – “I Don’t Feel Like Dancin’” (2006)
This was probably the most unabashed pure-pop single released in 2006. It is incredibly catchy, and impossible not to love once you get into it. And the dance factor is cranked up to max here.
.
.
.
19. All Saints – “Pure Shores” (2000)
A real pity that this girl group has since disbanded as this was the breakthrough single for them. Bliss from start to finish, this single topped the UK charts at #1 and became the second best-selling single of 2000.
.
.
18. P!nk – “U + Ur Hand” (2006)
This song pushes the envelope with it’s edgy message, but I love this song because it’s just too fun to pass up. The beats are insane, in a good way, and P!nk singing about masturbation is hilarious!
.
.

17. Keane – “Everybody’s Changing” (2004)
Imagine hearing the soft ballads of John Lennon & Paul McCartney for the first time. This is what you’ll get with Keane. It is Tom Chaplin’s powerful, haunting vocals that shine through on this song. His brilliant range of vocals, mixed in with just a piano and a set of drums gives a truly British sound.
.
.
16. Destiny’s Child – “Say My Name” (2000)
Here is a song that will go down as an R&B classic: a slammin’ tune with attitude, sass, and emotion. It is well sung, well-produced, and deservedly went to No. 1. You know the lyrics: Beyonce is confornting a guy who may or may not be creepin’. It’s a topic we’ve heard before, but not like this. Credit also has to go to producer Rodney Jerkins for giving the soul these ladies’s voices demand. If Destiny’s Child kept on making singles like this, they could have been on a road to legendary status. Unfortunately, they moved on with their solo careers. Still, you can always look back to this song as a high point in Destiny’s Child’s career.
.
.
15. Ne-Yo, “Closer” (2008)
“Closer” is unlike any song that Ne-Yo has made so far in his career with its thumping club beat. It got me hooked on instantly. The crossover single combines the sensibilities of pop and urban music to make one killer single which you will still dance to 20 years from now.
.
.

14. Justin Timberlake – “What Goes Around…/…Comes Around” (2007)
Justin accomplishes on this one song what he promised us throughout his first album “Justified”, and delivers solidly. This is his second single after “Cry Me A River” as a bitter-scorned lover and is always his best bet. I hope he has really gotten over Ms. Spears since then. We are still waiting for your next studio album, JT.
.
.
13. Nelly Furtado – “Say It Right” (2006)
I never quite like Nelly Furtado’s nasal voice but this is my top single for 2006. The beats were slick, the video was hot, and everything else was done almost perfectly. This was a No.1 hit on the Billboard Hot 100, and is one of Timbaland’s best productions ever since he used to work with Aaliyah.
.
.
12. *NSYNC – “Bye Bye Bye” (2000)
*NSYNC burst back on the scene with this upbeat, ear-catching, hair-splitting song. The single, released at the height of boyband phenomenon, received 2 Grammy nominations for “Record of the Year” and “Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals”. The boyband, led by Justin Timberlake, transcended the simple pop tunes of their cohorts and came up with a tune which appealed to everyone. A kicking bassline and in-your-face lyrics made this song one that was hard to get away from in 2000.
.
.
11. Britney Spears – “Toxic” (2004)
Widely considered by critics as Britney’s signature song, Toxic opens with a fantastic, loud and instant beat that stops and starts before the now-classic four-note string section introduces itself. The beautifully urgent stringwork also give the song a very ‘james bond’ vibe to it.

Song aside, the video to Toxic is, by far, Britney’s greatest work of music video art to date. The high budget video, which reportedly cost US$1m to produce, features the ex-Mickey Mouse Clubber entirely nude aside from several strategically-placed crystals and a G-string. It was so controversial that MTV had to self-censor and move the video to late-night rotation.

***********

Up next! Spin or Bin Music’s Top 10 songs of the decade!

Bin heute über dieses völlig alberne Video von Destiny’s Child gestolpert. Das Geheule am Anfang nervt ein bisschen, aber dann wird’s ganz lustig:

Released in 2001, ‘What Would You Do?’ was an accomplished debut single, posting good chart positions on both sides of the Atlantic and appearing like a strong declaration of intent from a group that seemed intent on filling the void left by The Fugees. Despite their follow-up single, ‘Caramel’, having similar success and their self-titled album going double platinum and being nominated for a Grammy, the third single sunk without trace and the group quickly followed suit.

‘What Would You Do?’ is a modern cautionary tale discussing how poverty can affect the choices made by people, especially single parents, to provide for their family. In the song, Claudette Ortiz, the female vocalist of the group, plays a single mum who has turned to stripping and prostitution to support her children and through the protestations of the two guys in the group, Ryan Toby and Robbie Pardlo, we find out that her situation is a product of a bad childhood and a violent father.

With Wyclef Jean as co-writer and producer on the track, it seems to me that this was possibly written as a Fugees song before they disbanded, but while The Fugees excelled at giving credibility to such big topics covered in their songs, in the hands of City High this seems a little like The Saturdays releasing a song about human trafficking. Basically the message seems fumbled, offering little perspective to a well-covered issue.

But, no matter how much the lyrics try to hammer home this warning about the lengths that people are often pushed to just to survive, you don’t really pay attention to the words when you’re singing along to them, and I promise you will be singing along to them. Wyclef Jean knows how to manufacture a pop tune and the inclusion of a sample from Dr Dre’s ‘The Next Episode’ is expertly used to split the track up. The rapping is good but it is Ortiz that shines throughout this and it was little surprise that their next release was ‘Caramel’ which put her centre-stage. After helping to put Destiny’s Child on the map with ‘No, No, No (Part 2)’ Wyclef might have thought he had helped launch another act into inevitable superstardom here, but it seems this was a short-lived, highly successful moment for City High. For me at least ’What Would You Do?’ will be their most memorable moment.

Adam Lambert’s music video for his single “For Your Entertainment” has been released.

The video is exactly what I mean when I say Adam is boring.

The video centers around an underground world of dark sexuality.

Of course what imagery do they use to symbolize dangerous sexuality – Eve.

How do I say this? Using Eve is common, banal, cliche, humdrum, insipid, – or however you want to say it.

Not to mention here is Lambert on the cover of Rolling Stone from June 2009 – get a new snake gimmick.

Eve imagery is the most overused fallback in pop music.

Probably the most iconic Eve embodiment is Britney Spears at the 2001 MTV Video Music Awards.

Aalyiah also works the snake in “We Need a Resolution.”

Destiny’s Child wanders around the forest in skimpy outfits for “Survivor.”

Jennifer Lopez also evokes natural, animalistic sex appeal in “Waiting for Tonight” – which reminds me an awful lot like “For Your Entertainment.”

And if you want to talk about music videos about underground “Dirrty” sex, look no further than Christina Aguilera,

or Lady Gaga’s “Love Game.”

Britney Spears’s “If U Seek Amy” is a personal favorite since it plays on the idea that a good woman should be a hyper-sexual in the home but wholesome out in the public sphere. Because really the only thing better than Eve imagery is the use of the virgin/whore dichotomy – i.e. what made Britney a millionaire.

To a lesser degree there is also Janet Jackson’s “All Nite,”

Rihanna’s “Disturbia,”

Justin Timberlake’s Sexyback,”

Enrique Iglesias’s “Tired of Being Sorry,”

Lindsay Lohan in a club, locked in a cage in her “Rumors” video,

and the end of Madonna’s “Hung Up”

LASTLY – Adam’s song sounds an awful lot like Sam Sparro’s “Black and Gold.” And Sparro works a cane much better than Adam in his video. Watch Sam’s video here.

Come on Adam – give me something new, give me something interesting.

This is the Midweek Thowback post, each Wednesday I will be going back, wayyy back in time and finding those songs that we all grew to know and love, have fun:

*EDIT* - If it says embedding disabled please click the Watch on YouTube link.

Al B. Sure! | Night and Day (1988)

Brandy | Afrodisiac ( 2004)

Tevin Campbell | Can We Talk? (1993)

Destiny’s Child | Get On The Bus (1999)

Michael Jackson | Remember The Time (1992)

Ace of Base – All that she wants.

R Kelly-Bump ‘n’ Grind
Oh R Kelly, remember him? It’s a shame that his career has taken such a nose dive in recent years when we remember that this was the kind of pop, R’n'B magic that he used to come out with. This was R Kellys first number one solo hit in the US, the first of many!

Salt-N-Pepa (ft En Vogue) -Whatta Man

It seems 1994 was a great year for R’nB in the UK. Salt-N-Pepa shot to fame in the 1980’s with the likes of Push It, which still to this day fills dance floors all over. But songs such as this were also highly successful but seem to have been forgotten. So we would like to remind you not only how great Salt-N-Pepa were at producing great dance records but just how good Whatta Man was.Featuring En Vogue (an early template of what Destiny’s Child came to be) this song only reached number 7 in the UK charts, an outrage we say.

Meat Loaf-I’d Do Anything for Love (But I Won’t Do That)

This Meat Loaf track lasted 11.58, nowadays for some this a running length of a whole album. Meat Loaf definately knew how to craft a well refined power ballad. A karaoke classic all over, everyone seems to know the words to this 1994 number one smash.

*Jay-Z grabs laptop and registers with a few more adoption agencies!!*

The force that is Beyonce Knowles, will NOT be dropping babies for Jay anytime soon, as the diva is set to release her 4th solo album next year. During her ‘I Am…’ tour’s final show in Nottingham, England, Beyonce proclaimed:

“… I’ll see you in a year with a new album!”

Wow. This news comes at the same time as ex DC bandmate LeToya Luckett confirms that she too will be dropping an album in 2010; a third solo album to follow-up her sophomore effort Lady Love.

With all the drama surrounding LeToya and her current record label Capitol, I wonder who she’ll record the new album with??

Oh well, let the Knowles-Luckett battle commence… even though we all know who’ll come out on top!

Choosing the first single to cover in this blog was always going to be tricky. I spent all day trying to choose the right song and I could find positives and negatives with every track I chose. And then I remembered what this blog was supposed to be about: the song that was in my head most that day. And so I’ve opted for LFO’s 1999 hit, ‘Girl On TV’.

Remembered mainly (at least by guys) for its video with the stunning Jennifer Love Hewitt (the lyrics were actually written about her), this song has everything that was reminiscent of the era.  Typical and yet distinctive lead vocals? Check. Great vocal harmonies? Check. Obligatory rap by a bloke that can’t actually rap? Check. With the current lack of boy bands (JLS and, regrettably, Westlife aside) you can’t help but feel that if this single were released now it would be a massive hit and the band wouldn’t have been so overlooked and quickly forgotten.

Opening with a prominent piano line that is replaced with a simple acoustic guitar for the verses and returns for the choruses, this song came out around the time that r’n'b first seemed to appear in pop groups. This is also evident in the raspy, almost David Lynden Hall-esque lead vocals and the laid back charm to the entire track, while the rap can’t help but to back the claim up. It was in the late 90s period that I most loved r’n'b too (I’m looking at Destiny’s Child and Dru Hill especially) and this song reminds me a little of ‘Westside’ by TQ, which is definitely a good thing.

It really is a shame that there were so many incredible boy bands (or in this case, male vocal harmony group) that appeared at the same time. These, along with the likes of BBmak and O-Town, never really hit the heights that they were capable of purely due to the saturation in the market. I bloody love this song even now though and regard it amongst the best pop songs of all time. The fact that it came out on my fifteenth birthday doesn’t make me feel old at all!

Episode Two features the band rehearsing, before our stage rehearsal, our song “Kiss The World Goodbye.” This is our opportunity to hear “Tommy The Cue Card Guy” actually speak for the first time! We want to thank our record producer at the time, Gary Spaniola, for capturing these magical moments for posterity! Njoy!

Michelle Williams does an alter ego photo shoot with Derek Blanks! She looks great! Gotta love the creativity with the multiple personalities in the church scene!

This is heavy. My man Bluey Robinson tweeted this earlier today. I didn’t expect this at all….

Hollaatyourgirl.com reports:

Michelle Williams got in touch with her raunchier side, her “inner Beyonce” as they’re calling it these days, which we’ve seen once or twice before, but not often! You like?

Here’s a few more pics, all shot by celebrity photographer Derek Blanks…

Derek Blanks did it again!! He put his fabulous photography experience to work and created this alter ego of Destiny’s Child member, Michelle Williams. It’s funny how many personalities or alter ego’s Michelle is portraying in this photographer. Yet the alter egos that grab my attention is the one on the far left hand side where Michelle is wearing a white dress and the very prominent alter ego in the front where she is wearing a yellow dress. It is obvious in the yellow dress alter ego that Michelle is struggling with her identity and her struggle with the image that her management probably would like for Michelle to portray. Too funny!

Beyonce grew up in Destiny’s Child, the biggest selling all girl group on the planet. But long before Beyonce ‘borrowed’ from The World of Suzie Wong: The Movie fashion styling to tour the world, there were All American Girl Bands who worked hard without as much recognition and who paved the way.

The Go-Go’s are an all girl band that define the Californian story and lifestyle. Four girls came from four different states across the USA, to Los Angeles to enjoy the surf n sun.

They ended up colliding into one another in the fast-paced LA life and forming a band. The rest is history.

The Go-Go’s are tres amazing. I saw them in concert at The House of Blues on West Hollywood’s infamously fun, Sunset Strip. Enjoy, their music in the form of this clip from The Johnny Carson Show and vintage Suzie Wong movie promotional artwork, today.

America endearing China and China endearing America, is the way of the future and a golden romance of political ties and alliances, with India.  The Kung Fu Kid executive produced by Will Smith starring Will’s son, Jayden Smith and Chinese geat, Jackie Chan is Hollywood’s next big effort to produce and generate a Chinese-friendly film. Securing the music rights of Michael Jackson’s music and incorporating it into the journey of the young hero’s story for this film; will be pivotal to breaking into China. 

Yes We Can… Let’s go America!!!

The Go-Go’s lyrics of one of their most famous songs, Our Lips follows. Great fun girls:

Can you hear them 
They talk about us 
Telling lies 
Well that’s no surprise 

Can you see them 
See right through them 
They have no shield 
No secrets to reveal 

It doesn’t matter what they say 
In the jealous games people play 
Our lips are sealed 

Careless talk 
Through paper walls 
We can’t stop them 
Only laugh at them 

Spreading rumors 
So far from true 
Dragged up from the underworld 
Just like some precious pearl 

It doesn’t matter what they say 
In the jealous games people play 
Our lips are sealed 
Pay no mind to what they say 
It doesn’t matter anyway 
Our lips are sealed 

There’s a weapon 
We must use 
In our defense 
Silence 

When you look at them 
Look right through them 
That’s when they’ll disappear 
That’s when you’ll be feared 

Hush, my darling 
Don’t you cry 
Quiet, angel 
Forget their lies

Jealousy will always be one of the greatest demons that any Hollywood star will ever have to dragon slay, in order to be an Angel of LA. The Go-Go’s nailed it! Love ‘em.

~Posted by Horiwood.Com, Hollywood California USA~

Al di là del fatto che si tratta di una citazione dell’unico libro di a.baricco che mi sia piaciuto, il destino fa fuoco con la legna che c’è è una frase che ci riguarda tutti. Non solo perchè ogni giorno abbiamo a che fare con il destino, o quello che (non) ci piace chiamare così, ma perchè c’è una domanda a cui giriamo sempre intorno e non possiamo avere una risposta: posso intervenire sul destino o si tratta di qualcosa di inevitabile?

Così, c’è chi si schiera tra le fila dei -sono io a determinare il mio futuro- e chi, invece, tra i sostenitori del fatalismo e dei -doveva succedere-.

Ma in fondo anche gli scettici, quelli del non c’è nessuna predestinazione, hanno a che fare col destino lottandoci contro. Partiamo, dunque, dall’accettazione che un destino esista, o non avrebbe senso interrogarci a proposito, o non avrebbe avuto senso nemmeno scriverci sopra dei libri, girare dei film, trascorrere dei pomeriggi seduti in una stanza aspettando fiduciosi che quella cosa si realizzasse. Certo, si può obiettare che alcuni credono in Dio ma questo non significa che Dio esista. O che qualcuno crede negli Ufo o negli Spiriti dei folletti del bosco ed è ancor meno probabile la loro esistenza. (con tutto il rispetto per i folletti) Non so, ma ho come la sensazione che quando si parla di destino, tutti, almeno per un attimo, ci fermiamo a pensare. E ci facciamo delle domande.

Pensieri sparsi.

Si può scrivere qualcosa di compiutamente sensato su Il Destino? Ognuno ha dato la propria teoria, almeno una volta, ognuno ha risposto alla domanda: credi nel Destino? O forse ha soltanto detto: era Destino che ci incontrassimo.

Quanto è affascinante guardare tracciarsi, giorno dopo giorno, questa specie di traiettoria che ci lasciamo alle spalle vivendo? Guardando indietro, il passato è il destino che si è reso visibile? In terza elementare non potevo sapere in che città avrei vissuto diciotto anni dopo. Abbiamo fatto tutti delle scelte. A ventidue anni non avrei potuto dire di cosa avrei parlato nella mia tesi di laurea due anni dopo, non lo sapevo ancora, prima che avenisse una scelta.
Scegliendo quel liceo, quell’università, quel viaggio, quel colloquio, quel contratto e non un altro ho seguito un disegno? Le mie scelte possono cambiare un percorso o le mie scelte seguono il percorso che già sanno?

il destino fa fuoco con la legna che gli diamo noi passo dopo passo? O quella che è già stata tagliata e predisposta pronta all’uso? Forse ci si aspettava un post più interessante, con qualche punto di domanda in meno e qualche sorriso in più. Meno confuso e più leggero. Ma il weekend non è stato facile, le otto puntate di flashforward non mi hanno aiutata a dipanare la matassa del destino e forse è proprio il destino che ha voluto che andasse così stasera.

Insomma, dai, il Destino sarà il passato che stiamo vivendo ora. (o scrivendo)

Free tickets to see Beyonce are being given away by buskers in London today, it has been revealed.

More than 800 for her show at the O2 Arena are up-for-grabs from selected musicians who are scattered across the city.

They have been instructed to play songs by the former Destiny’s Child star and handover tickets to people who make a donation.

“We’ve been very generous”, a spokeswoman for Beyonce explained of the “I Am…” tour initiative.

“We held these tickets back from the concert. The other 13,000 tickets were won by competition winners.

“It’s the first time tickets for a gig at the O2 have completely been given away”, she said ahead of the gig, which takes place this weekend.

The former Destiny’s Child singer is back with ’Regret’, her new song ft. Ludacris.

Although the rumour mills say that Matthew Knowles tried to get her banned from performing at this year’s BET Awards, LeToya has said that her and Beyonce are cool and she even sells House Of Dereon in her clothing store.

I always thought LeToya was nicer than wifey back in the day, that’s probably why they had to sit on different swings in ‘No No No Pt2′.

Welcome back to Star Search Revisited! In Episode Seven we find our Star Search Semi-Finalists vying for win number six. Don’t look lightly on the competition as they turn out to be formidable competition indeed in the form of a beautifully harmonic boy/girl duo named One Plus One.

We took a big chance in trying to whittle our six minute epic, “Lost My Way,” down to the two minute version for the show. It was ambitious, but was it a calculated miscue? Will our heroes notch win number six? Will they go on to the finals? Can they survive the heat? Tune in to find out what happens!

Welcome to Star Search Back Stage Episode One! We hope to bring you a glimpse of what it was like during our three week flirtation with television stardom! The clips feature back stage impromptu rehearsals, stage rehearsals, dressing room antics and an overall, over indulgence in and flagrant use of fake British accents! Still can’t figure that one out?

Episode One features the band rehearsing, before our stage rehearsal, our song “Sea of Jealousy.” This is our first glimpse of “Tommy The Cue Card Guy!” We want to thank our record producer at the time, Gary Spaniola, for capturing these magical moments for posterity! Njoy!