Singles chart of the year 2016

Here are the top singles for stowaways in 2016:

1. Pet Shop Boys – The Pop Kids
2. Jean-Michel Jarre & Pet Shop Boys – Brick England
3. Massive Attack – Ritual Spirit EP
4. Pet Shop Boys – Twenty-Something
5. Röyksopp feat. Susanne Sundfør – Never Ever
6. Shit Robot – End of the Trail
7. C Duncan – Wanted to Want It Too
8. Delerium with Phildel – Ritual
9. Pet Shop Boys – Say It to Me
10. New Order feat. Elly Jackson (La Roux) – Tutti Frutti [number 5 in 2015]
11. Clarke Hartnoll – Better Have a Drink to Think
12. Jean-Michel Jarre – Remix EP (II)
13. Pet Shop Boys – Inner Sanctum
14. Goldfrapp – Stranger [number 42 in 2013]
15. Conjure One feat. Hannah Ray – Kill the Fear [released in 2015]
16. I Monster – The Bradley Brothers realise the transmutation of the Chamberlin to the MELLOTRON
17. Róisín Murphy – Exploitation [released in 2015]
18. Massive Attack – The Spoils / Come Near Me
19. Jean-Michel Jarre – The Heart of Noise
20. Clarke Hartnoll – Single Function

We’ll look at the albums next week!

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Looking back at 2016

Normally this seems a good time to throw in a silly “junk” post about this blog satisfactorily fulfilled all its goals in the last year, but 2016 has been a funny one. A few very good things have happened, and an awful lot of very bad ones too.

Rather than pick any of them out by name, as we look forward to the nuclear holocaust that 2017 looks like being, let’s just enjoy this glorious celebration of one of the many true greats who was lost in the last twelve months.

Top tracks of 2016 – Jean-Michel Jarre

We can now count down the entirety of this blog’s top ten tracks of the year:

• 10. Yello – Cold Flame
• 9. I Monster – The Bradley Brothers realise the transmutation of the Chamberlin to the MELLOTRON
• 8. C Duncan – Wanted to Want It Too
• 7. Royksopp feat. Susanne Sundfør – Never Ever
• 6. Delerium feat. Phildel – Ritual
• 5. Clarke Hartnoll – Better Have a Drink to Think
• 4. Shit Robot – End of the Trail
• 3. Massive Attack feat. Hope Sandoval – The Spoils
• 2. Pet Shop Boys – The Pop Kids

At number one, breaking a primary rule of this blog’s countdown (only one entry per artist allowed), it’s another track from Pet Shop Boys, this time collaborating with Jean-Michel Jarre, who this year released two more albums, meaning he has now put out three in just over a year. Which is impressive, to say the least – and the best of the bunch is this, Brick England.

Top tracks of 2016 – Pet Shop Boys

Here’s a reminder of the top ten so far:

• 10. Yello – Cold Flame
• 9. I Monster – The Bradley Brothers realise the transmutation of the Chamberlin to the MELLOTRON
• 8. C Duncan – Wanted to Want It Too
• 7. Royksopp feat. Susanne Sundfør – Never Ever
• 6. Delerium feat. Phildel – Ritual
• 5. Clarke Hartnoll – Better Have a Drink to Think
• 4. Shit Robot – End of the Trail
• 3. Massive Attack feat. Hope Sandoval – The Spoils

At number two on this blog’s countdown is the comeback hit for Pet Shop Boys, the brilliant The Pop Kids. But what could be holding it back from the top spot?

Last Christmas

With just a week left, 2016 dealt us yet another savage blow yesterday, with the sad loss of George Michael. I had another post lined up to go today, but nothing else really seems appropriate. Rest in peace, Georgios Kyriacos Panayiotou.

Christmas chart for stowaways 2016

It’s probably testament to the fact that Christmas isn’t until tomorrow, but, um… there aren’t a lot of Christmas songs on this year’s Christmas chart!

1. Jean-Michel Jarre – Oxygène (Part 17)
2. C Duncan – Wanted to Want It Too
3. Delerium with Phildel – Ritual
4. Dusty Springfield – In Private
5. Pet Shop Boys – Say It to Me
6. Röyksopp feat. Susanne Sundfør – Never Ever
7. Jean-Michel Jarre – Oxygène (Part 19)
8. Weeknd Ft Daft Punk – Starboy
9. Shit Robot – End of the Trail
10. The Human League – All I Ever Wanted

Top tracks of 2016 – Massive Attack

The ongoing and long-awaited return of Massive Attack this year brought us an EP and a double a-side, the latter including this brilliant collaboration with Hope Sandoval, The Spoils.

Top tracks of 2016 – Shit Robot

After an excellent debut and a lacklustre second album, Shit Robot‘s third could have gone anywhere. Fortunately it was an exquisite return to form, and included this, the brilliant End of the Trail.

Top tracks of 2016 – Clarke Hartnoll

Of all of Vince Clarke‘s recent electro albums, this year’s 2Square, released with Paul Hartnoll as Clarke Hartnoll, seems to be thought of as the least good. But it still has its moments, including the brilliant single Better Have a Drink to Think.

Top tracks of 2016 – Delerium

Here’s a reminder of the top ten so far:

• 10. Yello – Cold Flame
• 9. I Monster – The Bradley Brothers realise the transmutation of the Chamberlin to the MELLOTRON
• 8. C Duncan – Wanted to Want It Too
• 7. Royksopp feat. Susanne Sundfør – Never Ever

Number 6 brings us the joint comeback of Delerium and Phildel, with the lovely Ritual.