The 2009-50 ones that got away; the 2009 list-that-isn't; and whatever happened to the 2008 list?

Where would my annual chart be without the songs that just missed out? 15 of them to be precise.

Good Vs Bad - Tingsek: this would probably have made my chart if I'd become aware of its existence earlier. More evidence of Magnus from Malmo's musical excellence.

Supernova - Mr Hudson featuring Kanye West: probably one of the very few auto-tuned records which I didn't hate with a passion this year. I've got high hopes for Mr Hudson, so why does he have to spoil it all by making a record with N-Dubz, possibly one of the most useless acts around?

Bite The Bullet - BWO: Yes it's more of the same formula, but when the formula's as good as this, then it doesn't matter.

Lala Song - Bob Sinclar featuring the Sugarhill Gang: inspired pairing of one of France's best DJs with the pioneers of rap. Why wasn't this a massive summer hit? I love this track.

Hotel Room Service - Pitbull: will always remind me of Turkey. Oh and by the way, this is the original version in my list and not that rubbishy one with Nicole Scherzinger on it.

Youngblood - E.M.D.: there's nothing really original about this, but it's actually quite refreshing to hear boyband-pop in a time when boybands appear to be frowned upon.

Untouched - The Veronicas: the Aussie duo had a very big hit with this song and I rather liked it. By the way, isn't there some very good music coming out of Australia these days!

Click - Little Boots: she may not have lived up to the hype but I quite enjoyed her album although got tired of it pretty quickly. I've gone for this album track rather than any of her singles, it's quite nice and atmospheric.

We Made You - Eminem: not really a classic return to form, but it was good singalong fun and reminded me of my holiday in Dusseldorf.

Gloria - Mando Diao: still on the subject of Germany, this was played quite a lot when I was there and has enjoyed a new lease of life in its native Sweden thanks to a rather cool dance remix.

Tricky - Velvet Inc: this was probably my favourite Norsk Melodi Grand Prix song (although I never heard many of them) and I was well impressed by their ability to sing and dance around in those extremely high heels...!

Left My Heart In Tokyo - Mini Viva: much has been written about Xenomania's new stable of artists; I'm looking forward to hearing them. It was mixed fortunes for their acts in 2009: Vagabond haven't made it (I quite liked their song though) but Mini Viva seem to be doing quite well. This was a good fun pop record with the usual Xenomania 4-songs-in-one recipe.

Love Etc - Pet Shop Boys: long overdue and deserved recipients of a Brit award for Outstanding Contribution to Music (and wasn't their end of show medley brilliant!). This isn't their best work by any means, but well worth inclusion in a year-end list.

Sexy B***h/Chick - David Guetta featuring Akon: surely some mistake, a favourite songs list with Akon in it???? Yep. 2009 belonged to David Guetta and this was another one of my holiday songs, which not even the presence of auto-tuned Akon could spoil.

Battlefield - Jordin Sparks: one of those songs I started off hating, probably due to its Tedder-conveyor-belt similarity to "Halo", but I ended up liking it quite a lot.

So that's it for 2009. I won't be doing a "2009 list" this year of new acts which impressed me, as quite frankly these were so thin on the ground I don't have enough to make up a list.

Ironically, for a year which was so poor for British music, it was an incredible year for European (OK, mainly Swedish) releases, and this year was all about my favourite acts releasing new material. The one notable absentee was Vincent Pontare - I hope he makes a comeback next year, if he can tear himself away from Agnes, that is ;)

As for my 2008 list, most of the acts on it have disappeared (wherefore art thou Bryn Christopher, Sam Beeton and Jack McManus??? we need you back!) or working on new material (yes that's you, Gabriella Cilmi) or commercially flopped despite the hype (VV Brown) so I won't curse any acts by predicting great things for them :)))

The 2009-50: No.1 - Maybe this is something bigger you can't live without

"One of the Others" - Salem Al Fakir.

So let's flashback to 365 days ago, when my 2008-50 chart ended, (as had my 2007-50 chart a year earlier) with Salem at the top:

"...but this presented me with a dilemma. To have a Salem song at no.1 for two years running would be a bit reminiscent of the Spice Girls or the X Factor getting the Christmas no.1 every year. I didn't want it to be a foregone conclusion. But then I thought about it again: the no.1 should be my favourite song of the year. And this is."

That is still the case!

"I know it's a bit early to talk about the 2009-50, but if Salem's new album lives up to the greatness of his 2007 debut, then don't be surprised to see him here again 365 days from now!!"

And so he is. The first time I heard "One of the Others", which was premiered at Salem's 2008 series of concerts with the Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra at Berwaldhallen in Stockholm,
(and someone kindly posted a phone-video on YouTube), the song immediately took up residence in my heart and has never moved out since. Although the orchestral setting, for me, will always be this song’s natural habitat, on record it swings and soars and is so uplifting; and when I saw him play it live in concert in April I was so happy that I thought I was going to burst!!!

The significant thing about "One of the Others", which appeared on Salem's second album "Astronaut", is that it does not sound as if it was released in 2009, but has a timeless/retro quality like much of Salem's other material. I know that I'll never get tired of this song, it's just an absolute classic.

Video: No official video as it was never released as a single, but check out a couple of unofficial phone videos - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1OkQ1etdpTE (Berwaldhallen 2008) and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N9rsZ9Yi0sc (Cirkus, Stockholm April 2009).

(Salem pictured above at Berwaldhallen 10.12.2009: picture courtesy of http://www.sr.se/)

Fast forward to 365 days from now....will Salem make it four years in a row, or will anyone out there come up with a song good enough to keep him off the top of my 2010-50? Answers same time next year!

The 2009-50: No. 2 - It was planned from the beginning and the plan was carried through

"Astronaut" - Salem Al Fakir.

This song was premiered in a couple of live performances at the end of 2008, in basic acoustic-guitar form, but by March 2009 it was released in its fully-formed version, and was the title track from Salem's second album, also released in March.

"Astronaut" is just such a simple and touching little song, yet as with many of Salem's songs there is a deep musicality underneath the deceptive simplicity; "Astronaut" is warm and melodic, and is also indicative of the new emotional depth to his material which I mentioned earlier in my countdown. This song will just melt your heart, and I still love it. But there's one song I loved even more...

Video: Bizarrely, you can't watch the cleverly animated "Astronaut" video on YouTube ("this video is not available in your country due to copyright restrictions") but you can watch it at Salem's MySpace: www.myspace.com/salem where you can also see the video for "Roxy", whilst you can also find the videos there for "This Is Who I Am", "Good Song" and "Dream Girl" from his first album.

The 2009-50: No. 3 - Lie in the sand and visualise like it's '75 again

"We Are The People" - Empire of the Sun.

A song which my mum calls "beyond brilliant", and I think that's just the perfect way to describe it.

This band may have figured in many of the "big in 2009" lists but they maybe didn't grab the public's attention as much as some of the more overrated acts which too much newsprint/web space was wasted on; nevertheless they broke through the wall and into the UK top 20 singles chart. It was pretty amazing that something so good could actually become a hit in this country, and briefly gave me some hope that good music can prevail.

"We Are The People" has a floaty, dream-like quality and a memorable chorus. During the year it persistently battled with "Standing on the Shore" for absolute-favourite-status and my 3rd/4th chart placings were frequently switched round: in the end though, this was the undisputed winner of that battle.

Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1uPL5twyQOw

The 2009-50: No.4 - Don't want to talk, all I hear is noise

"Standing on the Shore" - Empire of the Sun.

You'll have guessed by now just how much I absolutely loved Empire of the Sun this year! Like most of the bands/singers I like these days, they take old influences and blend them with something completely new. Luke Steele has such a distinctive voice, and they have a sound all their own.

As with most of the songs in the upper reaches of my chart, there was no doubt from the minute their album was released that this song would figure in my top 10 songs of the year.

There's a weird and wonderful video for this (which I previously did a blog post about a few months ago) and if you haven't seen it yet then go to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ltRV41TXO4 and, well, just be amazed.

The 2009-50: No.5 - As many feet walk through the door, I'm not alone

"I'm Not Alone" - Calvin Harris.

The defining dance record of 2009 for me, and on a more personal note, (thank you Sitemeter) officially the most-searched-for (ever) song on this here blog - a song which attracted attention from all four corners of the world. Hopefully you all enjoyed the song as much as I did, and if you discovered this blog along the way then I hope you enjoyed reading it!

In a year when the British chart was dominated by a conveyor belt of electro-women and landfill autotuned r'n'b, Calvin Harris brought star-quality to the dance music genre and was my favourite British artist of the year. And anyone who can get himself banned for life from X Factor (thanks to his pineapple-headed stage invasion during Jedward's set) is ok by me.

"I'm Not Alone" has something for everyone - it appeals to both dance music and pop music fans, and you only had to watch any of Calvin's appearances on various music festivals over the summer to realise just how effortlessly he crossed over the musical boundaries - he even got the festival crowds jumping. And that "if I see a light flashing..." chorus was one of the most memorable hooklines of the year.

Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZwoKhSSSNoU

The 2009-50: No. 6 - Seven days later I'm messed up and nowhere to be found

"Cold Shower" - Salem Al Fakir.

The opening track on my favourite album of 2009, "Astronaut". Despite the self-doubt and anxiety in the lyrics (that's my interpretation anyway), it’s jazzy, strong, confident, and screams ‘this is an artist at the peak of his career’.

This song is a very good example of Salem's incredible talent as a singer/songwriter/musician - he plays every instrument on this classy, mature song - and I also must mention his (often overlooked) talent as an arranger/producer.

If I have one unfulfilled wish for 2010, it’s that Salem will finally get the long-overdue international recognition which he deserves.

Video: as this is an album track there's no video but if you want to know what this song sounds like, then go to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wz-_zc_P61c

The 2009-50: No. 7 - I'm just in awe of what's in front of me

"Walking On A Dream" - Empire of the Sun.

Another one of those 'this was actually released in 2008 but I didn't become aware of it until 2009' technicalities.

I was introduced to this amazing band thanks to Poster Girl (who has introduced me to so much good music over the past couple of years); she had this song in her 2008 countdown. It’s made my 2009 list as it wasn’t released here till this year.....anyway this will have been many people’s introduction to this extremely inventive Australian duo and it still sounds as fresh, 12 months on.

Two words to describe this: completely awesome.

Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PhgRIUPbVj8&feature=related

The 2009-50: No. 8 - You shouldn't be talking to me

"Love Child" - Fibes, Oh Fibes!

Big, bold, timeless, bright, quality pop music will always have a warm welcome in my world, so it’s no surprise that this song - initially premiered in demo form on MySpace in 2008 - immediately soared into my affections and has never let go ever since.

The band from Gothenburg have deservedly got a lot of attention in blog-land this year, mainly due to "Run To You", the follow-up single to "Love Child" which was a duet with none other than Kim Wilde. Although I like that song, it still falls well short of the absolute greatness of "Love Child" which still remains so fresh every time I listen to it.

Yet again, like many of the other songs in my top 20, this will always remind me of my Gothenburg weekend....and its long run on the P3 Tracks chart afterwards. Terrific singalong chorus which in my parallel universe screamed top 10 from day one.

Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uIBUbZ47NYY

The 2009-50: No. 9 - From the bottom of my heart, I apologise

"Hurtful" - Erik Hassle.

The first time I saw unlikely popstar Erik Hassle, he was performing a medley of nominated songs at Aftonbladet’s "Rockbjornen" back in January. Since that time he’s become pop-royalty in blogland, and had a sizeable Swedish hit single with this high-quality pop song which, if recorded by someone better known, would be a massive worldwide hit. "Hurtful" was followed in Sweden by "Hassle", a smashing debut album. Erik’s big launch in the UK has been put back till 2010, by then we hope that the time should be right for this country to discover a true musical talent. Although judging by the current musical tastes in this country, it may be a struggle.....

Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pc2__wF2MXI

The 2009-50: No.10 - The picture is drawn, you're not even on because you're gone

"Baby Goodbye" - E.M.D.

Put an irresistibly catchy pop song together with staging that recalls Sam Sparro’s "Black and Gold" video and that was enough for me. Somewhere along the way, E.M.D. became a believable boyband (although Danny is still a great solo pop star) and this was their first, but hopefully not last, (self-penned) Melodifestivalen entry. At least they got as far as Globen, and beyond that, this song has enjoyed a very active post-MF life at EuropeCrazy HQ. (Follow-up single "Youngblood" was pretty good too and narrowly missed out on a place in my chart).

Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3L-ZiQnJscA

The 2009-50: No. 11 - We better all watch out, evil is hiding in the bluest eyes

"Bluest Eyes" - Salem Al Fakir.

The new depth and maturity in Salem’s music and lyrics was very evident here on this album track. Guitar-driven and darker in tone and theme than much of his past work, it’s an incredibly well-arranged and layered piece of music which, played live, went to a whole new level of greatness thanks to Robert's guitar solo at the end!

Salem and the band performed this live on TV4's Nyhetsmorgon back at the end of March and you can see this clip on YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w4hBX0BkNAE

The 2009-50: No.12 - You got the keys right in your hand, open the locks and do your thing

"Speakerbox" - Signmark featuring Osmo Ikonen.

Firstly special thanks to Keira for this one: if you hadn't written about it on the wonderful, much-missed Tales From Turku then I probably would never have discovered my 12th favourite song of 2009.

On paper, this shouldn’t work: but it did. A sign-language Finnish rapper, teamed up with an extremely talented soul vocalist, competing to be Finland’s Eurovision entry. Inevitably it was one of the great "ones that got away" - although credit to eventual winner Waldo’s People for their 90s-revivalist dance - and went on to become one of those songs that I can't go too long without hearing. I'll be eagerly following Osmo's musical career from now on and will be cheering on his efforts in the 2010 Finnish national selection.

Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FWd0XTfMAAk

The 2009-50: No. 13 - So why do you need to go when we've just begun?

"Stay The Night" - Alcazar.

The minute the latest line-up of Alcazar walked on stage in their MF heat, they owned it in a way that no-one else did that night. I'm so glad they made it to Globen without having to go through Andra Chansen this time. They may never represent Sweden at Eurovision - their loss, and ours - and this may not be their best ever MF effort ("Not A Sinner Nor A Saint" is, IMHO) but this was just an absolute celebration which was just further proof of their ability to make fantastic disco-tastic pop music.

And yes, this was another one of those songs which soundtracked my Gothenburg weekend in April (thanks Rix FM!). They followed it with the "Disco Defenders" album, which was good but not great, although their celebratory disco-pop will always be welcome in my world.

Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c1TgYKriIR8

The 2009-50 will return on Tuesday, only 12 songs to go between then and next Sunday, when my no.1 song will be revealed. As I previously said, it shouldn't be too much of a surprise...!

The 2009-50: No. 14 - You don't know what it's like to live on the other side

"1000 Miles" - H.E.A.T.

An 80s hair-metal song co-written by Martin Stenmarck’s brother - what’s not to like? H.E.A.T. rocked their Melodifestivalen semi-final: initially my reaction to their Globen qualification was pleasant surprise but as time passed I realised that I shouldn’t have been so surprised after all, as it turned out to be one of the year’s most enduring tunes, with one of the year’s best key changes too!

Back in April, on our first night in Gothenburg, we were walking down Avenyn and I'll never forget this song booming out of the Hard Rock Cafe, it also got a lot of airplay on Swedish radio at that time. Of course the best thing about music is that it always reminds you of particularly special times, so this is a special song because it reminds me of Gothenburg 2009!

Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P9XVNK_6AzI

The 2009-50: No.15 - I'm tired of using technology, I need you right in front of me

"Ayo Technology" - Milow.

My fifteenth favourite song of 2009 is also the winner of my annual "EuropeCrazy's Great Lost European Hit of the Year" award, which is usually given to a song which deservedly dominated the European top 40 charts during the year, but which was overlooked in the UK for some inexplicable reason.

This wasn't so much a cover version of 50 Cent & Justin Timberlake's rap hit as a total reinvention; a stripped-down acoustic treat by a Belgian singer in the style of Jason Mraz (who coincidentally had my 'Great Lost European Hit...' of 2008 with "I'm Yours" which finally got a UK release and became the hit it deserved to be)

Milow's "Ayo Technology" got a brief run on the UK music video channels, but failed to hit the charts. This may perhaps be attributed to the outrageous video, or the fact that you could clearly hear every word of the song's dodgy lyrics, whereas the original seemed to get away with it.

Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DE9IchvpOPk

The 2009-50: No. 16 - Run away with me, it's now or never

"Higher" - Star Pilots.

More 80s nostalgia, this time wrapped up in a great big Melodifestivalen bouquet. Memories of "Top Gun" and "Waiting For A Star To Fall" inevitably came to mind: Johan Becker sang well and this provided a memorable MF moment this year. His dance project looks good for a long time yet: never did recycling the 80s sound so good.

I was also very happy to see this act briefly make an appearance on the radio and in the top 40 with "In The Heat Of The Night" as part of the highly successful Hard2Beat stable. Both that song and "Higher" may share the same formula, but it's a good (if gleefully plagiaristic) one.

Video: live performance from the 2009 Melodifestivalen at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b28rN3mqA_U

The 2009-50: No. 17 - Two pretty sad eyes and a made up red clown smile

"Purple Lady" - Salem Al Fakir.

A song born out of Salem's collaboration a year ago with the Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra at Berwaldhallen (which he is about to repeat for three nights next week, and I'm gutted because I can't be there), this always makes me think that it should be on a movie soundtrack maybe, as it has such an incredibly pretty lullaby quality to it.

It is also rather special to me as purple is my favourite colour (yeah, that’s corny, I know!) So I had to pay my own little tribute when I went to his concert earlier this year and appropriately wore some purple clothing - as indeed I probably will do when I go over to see him again :)

There is no video/audio clip for this but if you have heard the absolutely wonderful "Astronaut" album then you should be familiar with this song.

The 2009-50: No.18 - Now you can call me a liar, you're better off alone in bed

"Roxy" - Salem Al Fakir.

In a year where musically recycling the 80s was such a big thing, Salem had us partying like it was 1984 - "Roxy" is such an accurate musical parody of that time. And who'd have thought that his ability as a lyricist would develop to the stage that he would write this cheery little ode to an STD!

By no means is "Roxy" an accurate representation of Salem's music, as it is probably too much of a novelty/fun song to be ranked nearer the top of my chart (thus explaining its relatively low position), but it sure brightened up the summer and even in these winter days it still brings a smile to my face. And the Venice Beach video (shot during Salem's trip to the USA in April/May) is a good laugh too.

Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HZp8e5Gbzk8

The 2009-50: No.19 - Let the rhythm show you, baby you can do it right

"Dance With Me" - Zoli Adok.

If 2009 was the year that Eurovision "redeemed itself" thanks to jury-voting and a non-’Eastern’ winner, then ironically some of my favourites missed out on the final party. The problem with this and Lovebugs (who earlier appeared in my chart) was that their live semi-final performances couldn't come close to the wonderful studio versions which had appealed to me in the first place.

Hungary have now quit ESC, probably because they couldn't better this glorious piece of disco-tastic pop, so let's just stop and take a moment to appreciate its greatness.

Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OCx2_mHr-T4

Over to you, Rachel......!