Festive 20, 2004

John Peel used to put together a Festive 50 each year. Even though he has now become dead (but not forgotten), his listeners have still put one together which is being played on Radio 1 this week.

I am not dead, and so I have been able to put together a Festive 20 of my own, on my own, just like last year. And the year before. It was quite hard to choose some of them this year - particularly at the lower end of the list. I had at least another ten songs that I wanted to include, but just didn't have space for.

The rules for eligibility are that they have to have been released as a single or on an album during the past year. Online or offline. And they can't have been included in a previous year's Festive 20.

Here we are, then, in reverse order. You might find it helpful to sing the Top of the Pops music in your head whilst reading.

20. Can't Stand Me now - The Libertines
19. Oxygen - Willy Mason
18. Leaving New York - REM
17. My Declaration - Tom Baxter
16. Mr Brightside - The Killers
15. Worry about the wind - Hal
14. Eve, the apple of my eye - Bell X1
13. Under the city - The Needles
12. Good Reason - Seafood
11. Lost in the plot - The Dears
10. Tonight - Easyworld
9. Freakin' Out - Graham Coxon
8. First of the gang to die - Morrissey
7. Godhopping - Dogs die in hot cars
6. Week in, week out - The Ordinary Boys
5. How did it ever come to this - Easyworld
4. Dry your eyes - The Streets
3. No Other Life is Attractive - Thirteen Senses
2. The Blower's Daughter - Damien Rice
1. Thru the glass - Thirteen Senses

I'll add here, that this list is probably not definitive. Because of the haphazard way in which I constructed it, there may be omissions and people I've missed that should really be in there. All I can say if that's the case is, Whoops!

I can honestly say that if you'd asked me whether Graham Coxon and Morrissey would be in my end of year list of good songs, I'd have given you a heartfelt "No way!". Makes you wonder who might shine in 2005.