The 2009-50: No.35 - And at the end of the road there is a house at the lake

"Haus am See" - Peter Fox.

Yes I know this shouldn't be in my 2009 chart on that 'released in 2008' technicality but it qualifies as I wasn't aware of it until this year.

Mr Fox first came to my attention thanks to his guest appearance on Miss Platnum's "Come Marry Me" a couple of years ago, but has gone on to have a hugely popular award-winning solo career in his native Germany, with his distinctive vocals, monkey obsession (!) and unique fusion of hip hop and other styles. "Haus am See" wasn't only a hit in German-speaking Europe but became a surprise top 10 hit in the Netherlands. It's an easy going and likeable song driven by strings and girly "yeah" backing vocals.