The 2010-50 in full

Here is the full list of my top 50 favourite songs of 2010.


1. Keep On Walking - Salem Al Fakir
2. Brooklyn Sun - Salem Al Fakir
3. Ambitions - Donkeyboy
4. All Day Love - Salem Al Fakir
5. Araf - Mor ve Ötesi
6. Backseat - Staygold, Spank Rock, Damien Adore and Lady Tigra
7. 4 O'Clock - Salem Al Fakir
8. For Your Entertainment - Adam Lambert
9. Unstoppable (The Return of Natalie) - Ola Svensson
10. 2012 - Mor ve Ötesi
11. Stay Too Long - Plan B
12. Virgin Mary - Salem Al Fakir
13. Från och med du - Oskar Linnros
14. Bloody Breakfast - Salem Al Fakir
15. Music Again - Adam Lambert
16. I'm Not Mad - Alex Gardner
17. Wonderful Life - Hurts
18. Love Will Always Find A Way (Damien Adore remake) - Fibes, Oh Fibes!
19. Hurricane - Rebound
20. Bang Bang Bang - Mark Ronson & The Business Intl
21. Whataya Want From Me - Adam Lambert
22. Genom Eld - Oskar Linnros
23. Playing With Fire - Paula Seling & Ovi
24. Yes Man - Bjørn Johan Muri
25. Dancing On My Own - Robyn
26. All Time Low - The Wanted
27. All The Right Moves - OneRepublic
28. Kom - Timoteij
29. You're Out Of My Life - Darin
30. Baby Hurricane - Vincent
31. Satellite - Lena Meyer-Landrut
32. Alors on Danse - Stromae
33. Heartkiller - HIM
34. Alistim Susmaya - Emre Aydin
35. F*** You - Cee-Lo Green
36. Je Danse - Jenifer
37. Mikrofonkåt - September
38. Skisser för Sommaren - Kent
39. Million Pieces - Tove Styrke
40. It's Gonna Rain - Eric Saade
41. On A Mission - Gabriella Cilmi
42. Fireflies - Owl City
43. Take It Off - Ke$ha
44. Don't Wanna Lose You Again - A1
45. Ack, Sundbyberg - Oskar Linnros
46. Sucker For Love - Pauline
47. Hey, Soul Sister - Train
48. Human Frontier - Neo
49. Give It To Me - Alexander Stenerud
50. Starry Eyed - Ellie Goulding

So there it is. Hope you enjoyed following the chart as it unfolded over the last few weeks. Check back approximately 365 days from now for the 2011-50...hoping for some good new music in the year ahead!

The 2010-50 - No.1: Just let the light guide me through

"Keep On Walking" - Salem Al Fakir.

And so, finally, to the no.1 in my annual countdown of my favourite songs of the year. Not only was this my favourite song of 2010, but it has been perhaps the most significant song in Salem Al Fakir's career to date.

With just one Swedish television appearance - admittedly on the biggest television show of the year - Salem went from a reasonably well-known artist on the fringes of the mainstream, to a household name overnight. Salem participated in Melodifestivalen as an experiment, to get his music out to as wide an audience as possible, rather than with any end goal of winning. So it was all the more remarkable that he came so close to becoming Sweden's representative at this year's Eurovision Song Contest.

Salem was glad that he didn't win, as it gave him the opportunity to fully focus on the promotion of his third album "Ignore This", and then he embarked on a lengthy tour which lasted for the bulk of 2010. And I was lucky enough to see him perform live again, in Gothenburg in March, which became a new contender for "best night of my life".

"Keep On Walking" is a life-affirming anthem about picking yourself back up again when you've been down - a universal sentiment which touched so many people in Sweden and internationally. It's a timeless song which I played more than any other this year, and would probably be my favourite song of any year, and completely deserves its no.1 position in my chart.

Official video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pbn3mip8-UU

Melodifestivalen heat 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x8wevM-tpcA

Melodifestivalen final: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KahSZ3fWwoE

The 2010-50 - No.2: I would trade away the stars and moon

"Brooklyn Sun" - Salem Al Fakir.

This song first made an appearance at the beginning of 2009, but didn't make the 2009-50 as it wasn't commercially released until this year. The standout track on "Ignore This" (apart from one certain other song...), "Brooklyn Sun" is a very simple and straightforward song played on guitar with minimal musical backing, although in my opinion the song is completely at its best when played on piano and backed by an orchestra. It is one of Salem's most emotional songs, filled with so much longing, and it's just heartbreakingly beautiful.

The song was co-written by Salem and (appropriately) Brooklyn-based singer-songwriter Nate Campany. (By the way, did you know that Nate also co-wrote the brilliant "Colliding" sung by Nicholas Carlie, which was one of my favourite songs in the Norwegian MGP 2008).

Anyway, how can I sum up "Brooklyn Sun"? Well, I'll refer to what I said in a previous blog post at Planet Salem: "...everytime I hear him sing this song live, it completely rips my heart to shreds". If you want to know why I reached that conclusion, listen to his solo live version on this clip from "Good Morning Norge" when he was over in Norway, back in May 2010: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CQwEone_FS8

Studio version: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OG_iLKGn3-U

The 2010-50 - No.3: And I keep telling my reflection, ambitions are already starting to fade

"Ambitions" - Donkeyboy.

Winner in this year's "best song not by Salem Al Fakir" category (previous winners 2007-2009 being "Inga Problem" by Snook; "Black and Gold" - Sam Sparro; "We Are The People" - Empire of the Sun).

A timeless and appealing pop song which got an incredibly large amount of airplay on Swedish radio yet I never grew sick and tired of it. During my Swedish trip back in March, I would also play it on my phone all the time, in-between radio airplay, along with "Bad Romance" and my infinite Salem playlist.

So you've guessed how much I love "Ambitions". Unfortunately, I live in a country which did not, and the original version received no airplay and failed to make any impact on the UK top 40. Fast forward a few months later, to find that last year's X Factor winner Joe McElderry had covered the song and released it as the first single from his debut album. (In typical Simon Cowell style, the title was even going to be changed to "Somebody" before they decided to keep it as "Ambitions"). However despite being a decent enough version of a brilliant song, even that wasn't enough to get it to no.1. Which probably sums up the taste of the British music-buying public in 2010....:(

Official video (if you're old enough to remember when they used to broadcast the disco-dancing championships on telly, then this will strike a chord): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WQQUJlJZp_Y

The 2010-50 - No.4: But I know I met someone truly special in this world

"All Day Love" - Salem Al Fakir.

Written specially for the wedding of Sweden's Crown Princess Victoria and Daniel Westling, Salem gave his first public performance of the song at a gala concert in Stockholm on the evening prior to the wedding.

The idea of a song being written for a royal wedding would probably, in the wrong hands, have you reaching for the sick bag. But this is Salem Al Fakir, who has the ability to melt the hardest hearts with his music...and what a wedding gift, having Salem perform a song as warm, sweet and joyous as this one! It's a mix of simplicity and complexity, with Linn Segolson's warm and heartfelt lyrics set against the ambitious arrangement of the music written and performed by Salem.

No official video, but here's the brilliant clip of him performing the song at the royal gala concert: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FIXyRnAbmvI

The 2010-50 - No.5: Adalet yok ya, canımı yakar bu sessizlik

"Araf" - Mor ve Ötesi.

When you think of 'holiday songs' then the usual dance hits come to mind....but when I think back to my recent holiday in Turkey, it's not "We No Speak Americano" which comes to mind (although you couldn't escape it anywhere) but something darker and more intense = in other words, "Araf" (Purgatory), which got lots of airplay on Power Turk TV.

When choosing songs for my annual chart, some were very obvious top ten choices. This was absolutely one of them. I must have played this song more times than I can remember in the last 3 months, but I never tire of it. Brilliant vocals by Harun Tekin - what a great singer, just love him! - and the band's mix of accessible guitar music and superb vocal harmonies make this Turkish band one of the best in Europe right now.

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

By the way, they've also recorded a couple of songs in English - "Loveliest Mistake" (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YcnQZdNtNWo) and "Dependence Day" - would this suggest an English-language album might be on the way? If anyone knows any more about this, please let me know!

You'll have to wait a little longer....

....for the "final countdown" in my 2010-50. The chart usually finishes on the second Sunday in December, but I'm very very busy today/tonight/tomorrow night. Check back here late Tuesday night (14th December) when the top 5 will be revealed!

The 2010-50 - No.6: Get a job done in the parking lot

"Backseat" - Staygold featuring DJ Spank Rock, Damien Adore & Lady Tigra.

Back in January 2010, we were treated to an unexpected but pleasant surprise at the P3 Guld awards, as a new song was premiered by Swedish electro-pop act Staygold. No offence to Staygold, but my attention was focused on Damien Adore, the guy in the tin-soldier outfit, heavily disguised and singing falsetto vocals which reminded me of Prince. Yes, that good. It emerged that Damien Adore was none other than the alter-ego of Salem Al Fakir. An irresistibly down-and-dirtier alter ego too.... ;)))

And just when it couldn't get any better, along came Robyn (singing the Lady Tigra part of the song).

DJ Spank Rock returned later in the year, featuring on Mark Ronson's excellent "The Bike Song" which narrowly missed out in a place in my top 50.

Live clip from the P3 Guldgalan: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hA9UA3CSnms

The 2010-50 - No.8: 'Cause it's about to get rough for you

"For Your Entertainment" - Adam Lambert.

One of those "grey-area" entries which initially emerged in 2009, but didn't really find its way to my ears until 2010 so that's why it's in this year's chart.

The first single and title track of Mr Lambert's debut album, this clearly proved that he is one of the best ever artists to emerge from an Idol show. Of course he didn't win - but did it really matter?

This song has spawned one shameless imitator; needless to say I was more than annoyed that Mike Posner's (inferior) "Cooler Than Me" has had such a long chart run over here when it's clearly an inferior rip-off of "FYE".

Official video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dYhiBNugbb4

The 2010-50 - No.9: Natalie keeps coming back for more and she’s out of control

"Unstoppable (the return of Natalie)" - Ola.

The general opinion seemed to be that this year's Melodifestivalen fell short of many people's expectations. The final result in Globen certainly did, but let's not go into that shall we????

Anyway I'd like to focus on an unforgettable opening night of the MF festivities in Örnsköldsvik, and the other qualifier that evening - a catchy, piano-driven pop song which marked the return of Ola Svensson to the competition a couple of years after "Love In Stereo", which I was also liked a lot. "Unstoppable" might have cashed in on the reference to his previous hit "Natalie", but who cares? He's a very good pop star, and it worked.

Video clip from this year's Melodifestivalen: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K7JdEDAyr38

The 2010-50 - No.10: Masumiyetin ziyan olmaz

"2012" - Mor ve Ötesi.

Chiming guitars, passionate vocals, outstanding harmonies = top quality Turkish rock music. After a couple of hearings I had no doubt that this was a prime candidate for my annual countdown.

Although they came to my attention in Eurovision 2008, I then lost Mor ve Ötesi and didn't find them again until a few weeks ago, whilst on holiday in Turkey. Their song "Araf" was a regular fixture on the Power Turk TV music channel, and I loved it enough to go out and buy the band's latest album. I guess you could say that "2012" was (almost) the title track of that album, Masumiyetin Ziyan Olmaz; it's a terrific rock album by a great rock band. I'm glad I found them again.

No official video: studio version is at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uv5ZF3Sfgco

The 2010-50 - back soon....

In my part of the world, everything at the moment is "cancelled due to severe weather", well I guess you could say the same about my chart...my bathroom has been flooded due to frozen pipes and I've had a terrible day as a result. Still waiting for a repair and will need to wait through the night too :( In the meantime I'm going to get some sleep!

The 2010-50 will be back soon...

The 2010-50 - No.11: On the run from the law, I'm looking worse for wear

"Stay Too Long" - Plan B.

Over the past 12 months I've ranted many, many times on this blog about the dire state of the UK top 40 - was it my imagination or was 2010 the worst year for chart music ever? - and the lack of decent new acts coming through. Happily we got one, though - Plan B.

I'll never forget the first time I heard "Stay Too Long" and I couldn't decide if I loved or hated it; because I loved the pulsating urgency of it, and the whole Northern Soul/mod vibe, but the rap irritated me. Along with everyone else I was about to discover the versatility of Ben Drew, the rapper-turned-soul singer. I liked "She Said" but it was played to death; I preferred this because it totally packed a punch and brought a much-needed breath of fresh air to the UK top 40.

Official video (parental guidance etc...lots of sweary words n' stuff): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wauIGhax9xg

Tomorrow night I'll start my top 10 countdown....

The 2010-50 - No.12: We fell in love but love is blind, and lovers take what lovers find

"Virgin Mary" - Salem Al Fakir.

One of the strongest, and most popular, songs on "Ignore This" - many thought it should have been a single.

A high-energy, pulsating song driven by a strong, 80s-style keyboard riff, sounding like a speeded-up "This Is Who I Am", with Salem's very distinctive voice delivering some very personal lyrics.

Studio-version at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mk6TNNUObz0

Live-version from Love Stockholm, June 2010: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=52PDOqdkuDU - with Salem in typically energetic form! This song was a particular live favourite during Salem's long summer tour of Sweden.

The 2010-50 - No.13: Det här är slutet på vår film

"Från Och Med Du" - Oskar Linnros.

For me (and many others) the most significant breakthrough of a solo artist in Sweden this year was that of Oskar Linnros - closely followed by his ex-Snook colleague Daniel Adams-Ray. It was that very rare occasion, post-band-break-up, when the solo careers actually meant something.

This song, co-written by Linnros and Fibes, Oh Fibes! frontman Christian Olsson, combines retro-soul and modern pop/rock influences, and is one of the year's freshest and most enduring hits.

Over the summer it turned Oskar Linnros into a superstar in his native country; it's already won him awards at this year's Rockbjörnen, and don't be surprised if he takes many more awards home before the awards season is over. As long as he leaves some for my beloved Salem to win, of course :)

No official video available, but studio version is at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lJaFgeLTYgY

Live Sommarkrysset 2010-version at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q0VLTXU2cz4

The 2010-50 - No.14: Make your own path or keep on living two steps behind

"Bloody Breakfast" - Salem Al Fakir.

I could have made this chart a whole lot easier by just filling it with Salem's songs, but in the interests of fairness I decided to limit them to a certain amount this year - which was a very, very difficult thing to do :)) ....anyway here is the first of them.

This man's music is so diverse, so it should not have been too surprising that he would once again take his music off in a whole new direction on his third and most musically experimental album, "Ignore This" - which ironically has been his most successful.

"Bloody Breakfast" musically and lyrically shows off a 'harder' side to Salem than what we've been used to, and as with all his music, the deceptive simplicity reveals considerable hidden depth and of course those distinctive little Salem-moments which just make it extra special. He really has developed significantly as a lyricist, and this song has some of the best lyrics on the album.

Studio version at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=47jNtTlPduM

Recent live version at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SqE0u8EUGNM

The 2010-50 - No.15: I'm so sick of living for other people

"Music Again" - Adam Lambert.

Why, if it isn't young Mr Lambert again, making another appearance in my chart, this time with a song written by one of the most derided singers of the last few years - Justin Hawkins of the Darkness. Well as the old song goes, ho ho ho, who's got the last laugh now?

This is a cracking tune which puts the "glam" into "Glambert" and shows off his significant vocal range. It's big, it's theatrical and it rocks!

Studio version: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KpetiBWTkfg

Live US TV performance at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LXOU5v-j1G8

The 2010-50 - No.16: Oh it's time you realised the truth

"I'm Not Mad" - Alex Gardner.

This had mega-hit-single written all over it: a new young singer with a great voice beyond his years, musical talent, and the look of a young Robert Pattinson (if you like that kind of thing), and support from the Xenomania stable - what could go wrong?

You know the rest....and when his follow-up single, the autotuned-to-death but eventually likeable "Feeling Fine" also failed to chart, I became a bit concerned about the future of his music career. Apparently he also had to pull out of the support slot on Pixie Lott's tour, thus denying him more exposure. Hopefully he'll release more material in 2011...in the meantime check out the "I'm Not Mad" official video at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Ly_Us6MOEM

The 2010-50 - No.18: Never give up, it's such a wonderful life

"Wonderful Life" - Hurts.

Acclaimed in blogland long before it was commercially released - not once but twice - "Wonderful Life" actually managed to live up to the hype. Hurts provided a very accurate depiction of a sound which not only was 'acceptable in the 80s' but managed to make it totally fresh and relevant to 2010. Typically, their ice-cool approach seemed to gain more appreciation from critics and fans in continental Europe; maybe their image and music is just a little too intense and intelligent for a British audience?

Official video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cYnIX9xjsZM

The 2010-50 - No.18: God knows we'll always find a way

"Love Will Always Find A Way (Damien Adore remake)" - Fibes, Oh Fibes!

And what a pretty spectacular remake it is! The first appearance of Salem Al Fakir in my 2010-50, or at least his alter ego Damien Adore, who turned a good track by one of my favourite Swedish bands, into a great one.

Studio version at: http://soundcloud.com/universalmusicsweden/love-will-always-find-a-way-damien-adore-remake/s-ozwHB