Mixed Pop Groups & Duos Rate • WINNER ANNOUNCED
- Thread starter Doodvid
- Start date
Hmmm, this is getting tough now. I'm going to guess either Alcazar or A*Teens.
I think A*Teens will be leaving most likely.
he/him
“No-one’s gonna drag you up
To get into the light where you belong”
LEGEND ELIMINATION!
#6
Ace Of Base - ‘The Sign’
Dedicated rate:
Ace Of Base
by @AcerBenII (2016)
Our rankings:
#1 @AcerBenII
#2 @iheartpoptarts
#3 @Markus1981
#4 @idratherjack @saviodxl @Doodvid
#5 @Hudweiser @Wezzo @Ana Raquel @DJHazey
#6 @Mvnl @Ezz @Conan @MilesAngel @j267
#7 @berserkboi @Lost In Japan.
#10 @Untouchable Ace @unnameable @Hybridcookie @Sprockrooster
Notable achievements:
Up there as one of the biggest of our legend songs
‘The Sign’ was a US #1 and the 11th most successful song of the 90s in America
Charted high across the world throughout 1993 and 1994, including Australia and Europe although it peaked at #2 in the UK
I don’t think it’s hyperbole to say that ‘The Sign’ was an absolutely monster-sized hit which at that point in time cemented Ace Of Base as the only possible successors to ABBA’s crown/legacy. The world just couldn’t get enough of their distinctive faux-reggae beats and unbelievably catchy Europop sensibility. The result? A discography filled to the brim with pop perfection (personally, I adore the later Ace Of Base underdog single ‘Unspeakable’) and I am hoping we’ll all share plenty of our Base faves as the thread progresses!
We’ll leave it to @AcerBenII (their most prolific fan?) and his rate’s winning post to sum up the love for this behemoth of a song!
Voters say:
@Ezz
I'm more of a "Flowers" era-gal but this was totally the right choice to represent them
@berserkboi
All That She Wants would be in my Top 3!
@Doodvid
This and ‘Lucky Love’ are amongst my AoB faves
From the movie ‘Pitch Perfect’:
A live mash-up from Rod Thomas, pre Bright-Light Bright-Light, which enthralled me many years ago:
Old Popjustice Forum says:
To get into the light where you belong”
LEGEND ELIMINATION!
#6
Ace Of Base - ‘The Sign’
Dedicated rate:
Ace Of Base
by @AcerBenII (2016)
Our rankings:
#1 @AcerBenII
#2 @iheartpoptarts
#3 @Markus1981
#4 @idratherjack @saviodxl @Doodvid
#5 @Hudweiser @Wezzo @Ana Raquel @DJHazey
#6 @Mvnl @Ezz @Conan @MilesAngel @j267
#7 @berserkboi @Lost In Japan.
#10 @Untouchable Ace @unnameable @Hybridcookie @Sprockrooster
Notable achievements:
Up there as one of the biggest of our legend songs
‘The Sign’ was a US #1 and the 11th most successful song of the 90s in America
Charted high across the world throughout 1993 and 1994, including Australia and Europe although it peaked at #2 in the UK
I don’t think it’s hyperbole to say that ‘The Sign’ was an absolutely monster-sized hit which at that point in time cemented Ace Of Base as the only possible successors to ABBA’s crown/legacy. The world just couldn’t get enough of their distinctive faux-reggae beats and unbelievably catchy Europop sensibility. The result? A discography filled to the brim with pop perfection (personally, I adore the later Ace Of Base underdog single ‘Unspeakable’) and I am hoping we’ll all share plenty of our Base faves as the thread progresses!
We’ll leave it to @AcerBenII (their most prolific fan?) and his rate’s winning post to sum up the love for this behemoth of a song!
1. THE SIGN
Average: 9.88
4 x 11 (WowWowWowWow, Conan, Markus1981, Ray)
9 x 10 (AcerBenII, Epic Chocolat, shadedeflector, LPMA, iheartpoptarts, Osiris, tylerc904, Hudweiser, VivaForever)
Life is demanding without understanding
Music & Lyrics: Jonas Berggren
Produced by: Denniz PoP, Jonas Berggren & Douglas Carr
So we've come to the number 1, and I suppose it could only have been this. Check out that average!
This was written by Jonas on a bus and was the song that sealed the deal with Arista, who were rather worried that "All That She Wants" was the only pop hit they had up their sleeve. Well how wrong they were!
This spent six weeks at number 1 in the USA and was the best-selling single of 1994. The album of the same name sold an incredible 9 million copies in the USA alone and for a short period, Ace Of Base were the biggest band in the world.
I just wish I had been old enough at the time to appreciate it!
DJHazey: Like I said in the thread, their bigger hits were never my favorites necessarily. This is one of the few exceptions because it really never ages. The chorus is simply pop glory at its finest. It always reminds me of that Caribbean/jungle flavor all the pop songs were going for back in the mid 90s; the dose of nostalgia I get from it is almost unparalleled.
Epic Chocolat: 90s highlight.
Hudweiser: 22 years later and I still don't know what the first words are: "Mmmmgonnagruelyou!"
iheartpoptarts: This song IS summer, you guys. And that whole parallel key change deal where the vocals kick in after that iconic instrumental bit is such a stroke of songwriting genius—it really makes the verses pop. People should try that more often!
Markus1981: I didn't want to give my 11 to such an obvious choice but it really is one of my favourite songs of all time. This is the song that made me fall in love with Ace Of Base. It's so uplifting and when I lost someone very close to me a couple of years after it was released it was the song that gave me hope.
Ray: An absolute slice of genius and what I hope is the sure-fire winner. Pop music rarely gets better than this. I like how minimal the production is. That chorus haunted me for years and probably will haunt me again now that I listened again (been a while). Pure brilliance. Please win.
Remorque: Would have been a 10 if it weren’t for Jenny’s awful, strainy vocals on this one. I don’t think I even liked it as a young child either… This definitely is an example where the people are shown who has the better voice out of the two. Still, you can’t take away from the fact that it’s a lovely song and it put them on the map all over the world during the mid-90s…
tylerc904: Timeless, classic, iconic. One of the greatest melodies ever.
VivaForever: Not only is this amazing, but it was shamelessly sampled by Steps (or, more accurately, Steps' producers) in the even more amazing Paradise Lost. Also a Bananarama demo called You and I that is far better than Ace of Base's You and I. But I digress. It's the song on Happy Nation that best captures what I love best about Ace of Base, which is their knack for an incredible, catchy pop melody.
WowWowWowWow: Certainly a huge influence on my love of pop music and maybe even an early peek at my love for Sweden. This is top 5 in my Ultimate Popjustice ballot. Cannot turn this one off whenever it comes on.
ACE OF BASE FOREVER.
Voters say:
@Ezz
I'm more of a "Flowers" era-gal but this was totally the right choice to represent them
@berserkboi
All That She Wants would be in my Top 3!
@Doodvid
This and ‘Lucky Love’ are amongst my AoB faves
From the movie ‘Pitch Perfect’:
A live mash-up from Rod Thomas, pre Bright-Light Bright-Light, which enthralled me many years ago:
Old Popjustice Forum says:
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The Sign is my favourite Ace of Base song, with honourable mentions to these
Looking at all those, you forget just how good they were!
Looking at all those, you forget just how good they were!
he/him
All I have to say to you about this elimination is na-na-na-na-unspeakable.
The bonfire of the duos continues as we head back to the main countdown, rapidly approaching the "give them a second single if it was the 1990s" territory of the mid-teens!
However, we enter a totally different time, where music had been 'democratised' and it was all about Saturday nights!
The road has been so long, so uncertain.
Looking back at what we've done,
Chasing devils on the run,
It's a kind of emotion, second to none.
Reaching for the sun [or a top 10 single]
#18
Same Difference - 'We R One'
Average score: 8.386
High scorers: @Mnvl (11), @Ezz, @Hybridcookie, @idratherjack, @Markus1981 (4x10), @Untouchable Ace (9.6)
Low scorers: @iheartpoptarts (4), @saviodxl, @Ana Raquel (2x6), @AcerBenII (7)
Notable achievements: The duo's first and only top 20 single. Tied with our #17, missing out due to the number of #10s received.
As we've discussed in this rate, the mid to late 00s was a bit of a fallow time for the kind of effervescent pop that dominates the playlist here. Enter Same Difference into the fourth series of X-Factor UK in 2007. Watching their first audition, you'd be forgiven for putting them into the 'make it to the top 50 but not the judges houses category'. However their passion and harmonies got them through the various stages and Judges Houses. No doubt fuelled by Louis Walsh's pantomine-dame hatred of the act, the usual emotional manipulation and some absolute classics such as Tragedy, Chain Reaction, Breaking Free and Never Had A Dream Come True, they made it through to the final. I seem to remember some chatter at the time (or possibly wishful thinking from the part of their voters) of Steps being persuaded to reform as their celebrity duo for Tragedy, but one or more members vetoed it. This meant we had to make do with Jason Donovan and the group earned third place. However, this momentum was enough for Simon Cowell to sign them for a single deal on Syco, subsequently upgraded to a one album deal.
Simon had clearly connected Same Difference with the High School Musical trend, and this was definitely the overall look and feel of the debut screen. Some big hitters were brought in, with 'We R One' being written by Jörgen Elofsson and produced by Quiz & Larossi (both of who were on the credits for Steps 'Here and Now' among many others). The video drew heavily on the American Dream imagery, very reminiscent of both Grease and of course High School Musical. Despite heavy promotion, when it was released in November, it gained a mediocre #13 chart position. Their covers-heavy album followed a week later, also failing to set the chart alight at #22. The planned second single, a cover of the Kylie Minogue / Hazell Dean classic 'Turn It Into Love' was cancelled and Syco subsequently dropped the duo, The collapse of the UK chain Woolworths was blamed, which I'm not sure is quite right. As we've heard from the duo, pop classics from Topham and Twigg were rejected, presumably in favour of more covers. Maybe positioning the band towards a more mature poppier fanbase from the outset would have resulted in more success? Or maybe they fell into that hole of the transition from physical music sales to streaming? Although obviously sad for the band, it did at least pave the way for more creative control for their second album project.
Voters say:
@Mvnl 11
Yes I'm well aware this song might be the cheesiest thing ever, straight out of the High School Musical songbook, and it being sung by sibblings possibly making it even tackier... but it's also one of the most uplifting things I ever heard. A complete sugar rush. Euphoria. Endorfine for days. It was very tight for me between this and that H & Claire song that sounds like a Steps one, but in the end that:
A. felt a bit like cheating (can't give my 11 to Steps, let's hand it to the next best thing!)
B. that song, possibly due to some bad memories, has a certain sadness to it that makes it slightly less enjoyable for me these days.
We R One however is just pure and utter joy. I also can't rule out that the fact others hate on it for being too bubblegum or too much of a cheesefest or 'ugh happiness, who wants that in a song?' makes me root for it even more. Not like it's going to win, but I'm here to at least push it into the... top 50?
[Hope you're reasonably happy with the position, it did a lot better than top 50 at least!]
@Ezz 10
This was such a perfect debut. The cut price high school musical vibe suits them so much.
@berserkboi 9.5
I think I enjoy this the best from them so far! Very earnest! EDIT: Yikes, that’s not S Club 8! Ddd.
@Sprockrooster 9.5
Such an amazing discovery.
@DJHazey 8.5
Oh I know this one because poptarts played it for me on plug.dj, a while back. I forgot it was by them, but I am reminded of a bop for sure.
@unnameable 8.5
Like a Glee out-take but it works.
@Doodvid 8
This is good, it’s not great *groan*
@iheartpoptarts 4
It’d be fine for a movie musical but I don’t think I want it as a pop song.
In my dream world, this would have been single #2!
However, we enter a totally different time, where music had been 'democratised' and it was all about Saturday nights!
The road has been so long, so uncertain.
Looking back at what we've done,
Chasing devils on the run,
It's a kind of emotion, second to none.
Reaching for the sun [or a top 10 single]
#18
Same Difference - 'We R One'
Average score: 8.386
High scorers: @Mnvl (11), @Ezz, @Hybridcookie, @idratherjack, @Markus1981 (4x10), @Untouchable Ace (9.6)
Low scorers: @iheartpoptarts (4), @saviodxl, @Ana Raquel (2x6), @AcerBenII (7)
Notable achievements: The duo's first and only top 20 single. Tied with our #17, missing out due to the number of #10s received.
As we've discussed in this rate, the mid to late 00s was a bit of a fallow time for the kind of effervescent pop that dominates the playlist here. Enter Same Difference into the fourth series of X-Factor UK in 2007. Watching their first audition, you'd be forgiven for putting them into the 'make it to the top 50 but not the judges houses category'. However their passion and harmonies got them through the various stages and Judges Houses. No doubt fuelled by Louis Walsh's pantomine-dame hatred of the act, the usual emotional manipulation and some absolute classics such as Tragedy, Chain Reaction, Breaking Free and Never Had A Dream Come True, they made it through to the final. I seem to remember some chatter at the time (or possibly wishful thinking from the part of their voters) of Steps being persuaded to reform as their celebrity duo for Tragedy, but one or more members vetoed it. This meant we had to make do with Jason Donovan and the group earned third place. However, this momentum was enough for Simon Cowell to sign them for a single deal on Syco, subsequently upgraded to a one album deal.
Simon had clearly connected Same Difference with the High School Musical trend, and this was definitely the overall look and feel of the debut screen. Some big hitters were brought in, with 'We R One' being written by Jörgen Elofsson and produced by Quiz & Larossi (both of who were on the credits for Steps 'Here and Now' among many others). The video drew heavily on the American Dream imagery, very reminiscent of both Grease and of course High School Musical. Despite heavy promotion, when it was released in November, it gained a mediocre #13 chart position. Their covers-heavy album followed a week later, also failing to set the chart alight at #22. The planned second single, a cover of the Kylie Minogue / Hazell Dean classic 'Turn It Into Love' was cancelled and Syco subsequently dropped the duo, The collapse of the UK chain Woolworths was blamed, which I'm not sure is quite right. As we've heard from the duo, pop classics from Topham and Twigg were rejected, presumably in favour of more covers. Maybe positioning the band towards a more mature poppier fanbase from the outset would have resulted in more success? Or maybe they fell into that hole of the transition from physical music sales to streaming? Although obviously sad for the band, it did at least pave the way for more creative control for their second album project.
Voters say:
@Mvnl 11
Yes I'm well aware this song might be the cheesiest thing ever, straight out of the High School Musical songbook, and it being sung by sibblings possibly making it even tackier... but it's also one of the most uplifting things I ever heard. A complete sugar rush. Euphoria. Endorfine for days. It was very tight for me between this and that H & Claire song that sounds like a Steps one, but in the end that:
A. felt a bit like cheating (can't give my 11 to Steps, let's hand it to the next best thing!)
B. that song, possibly due to some bad memories, has a certain sadness to it that makes it slightly less enjoyable for me these days.
We R One however is just pure and utter joy. I also can't rule out that the fact others hate on it for being too bubblegum or too much of a cheesefest or 'ugh happiness, who wants that in a song?' makes me root for it even more. Not like it's going to win, but I'm here to at least push it into the... top 50?
[Hope you're reasonably happy with the position, it did a lot better than top 50 at least!]
@Ezz 10
This was such a perfect debut. The cut price high school musical vibe suits them so much.
@berserkboi 9.5
I think I enjoy this the best from them so far! Very earnest! EDIT: Yikes, that’s not S Club 8! Ddd.
@Sprockrooster 9.5
Such an amazing discovery.
@DJHazey 8.5
Oh I know this one because poptarts played it for me on plug.dj, a while back. I forgot it was by them, but I am reminded of a bop for sure.
@unnameable 8.5
Like a Glee out-take but it works.
@Doodvid 8
This is good, it’s not great *groan*
@iheartpoptarts 4
It’d be fine for a movie musical but I don’t think I want it as a pop song.
In my dream world, this would have been single #2!
He/Him
Well clearly S Club 8 have the last laugh since they have some songs left despite my commentary there ddd
Perfect! More mixed group magic for 2022 depending on the rate queue...
She/Her
Aww, I love We R One, it was a contender for my 11.
“No-one’s gonna drag you up
To get into the light where you belong”
LEGEND ELIMINATION!
#6
Ace Of Base - ‘The Sign’
Dedicated rate:
Ace Of Base
by @AcerBenII (2016)
Our rankings:
#1 @AcerBenII
#2 @iheartpoptarts
#3 @Markus1981
#4 @idratherjack @saviodxl @Doodvid
#5 @Hudweiser @Wezzo @Ana Raquel @DJHazey
#6 @Mvnl @Ezz @Conan @MilesAngel @j267
#7 @berserkboi @Lost In Japan.
#10 @Untouchable Ace @unnameable @Hybridcookie @Sprockrooster
Notable achievements:
Up there as one of the biggest of our legend songs
‘The Sign’ was a US #1 and the 11th most successful song of the 90s in America
Charted high across the world throughout 1993 and 1994, including Australia and Europe although it peaked at #2 in the UK
I don’t think it’s hyperbole to say that ‘The Sign’ was an absolutely monster-sized hit which at that point in time cemented Ace Of Base as the only possible successors to ABBA’s crown/legacy. The world just couldn’t get enough of their distinctive faux-reggae beats and unbelievably catchy Europop sensibility. The result? A discography filled to the brim with pop perfection (personally, I adore the later Ace Of Base underdog single ‘Unspeakable’) and I am hoping we’ll all share plenty of our Base faves as the thread progresses!
We’ll leave it to @AcerBenII (their most prolific fan?) and his rate’s winning post to sum up the love for this behemoth of a song!
Voters say:
@Ezz
I'm more of a "Flowers" era-gal but this was totally the right choice to represent them
@berserkboi
All That She Wants would be in my Top 3!
@Doodvid
This and ‘Lucky Love’ are amongst my AoB faves
From the movie ‘Pitch Perfect’:
A live mash-up from Rod Thomas, pre Bright-Light Bright-Light, which enthralled me many years ago:
Old Popjustice Forum says:
27 years and counting.
he/him
Scream at me saying @iheartpoptarts played it for me on plug.dj and she gives it a 4, guess I was thinking of a different song! Either way, it should have been "Souled Out" here and not that one.
I'm having a Same Difference afternoon to combat the clocks going back! I have a new found love for this mid tempo gem.
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So caught up in your cheating world
With diamond studded rings and pearls
Now you can't deny it
And I won't be the fool no more
#17
S Club 8 - 'Fool No More'
Average score: 8.386
High scorers: @Remorque (11), @Conan, @Hybridcookie, @j267, @Lost In Japan., @Untouchable Ace, @MilesAngel, @DJHazey, @Markus1981 (8x10)
Low scorers: @saviodxl (4.9), @unnameable (5), @AcerBenII (6)
Notable achievements: Their 5th consecutive top 10 entry in the UK Singles Chart. Tied with We R One at #18, with the number of 10s gaining 'Fool No More' its mini-victory
[With apologies for the weird quartered video, the 'official' release looks like it was straight off a Motorola Razr phone quality wise!]
Thank goodness S Club Juniors' second album followed more in the vein of moody 'New Direction' than 'Puppy Love'. 'Fool Not More' was released as the first single from 'Sundown' in June 2003. This was in the tailwind of S Club's final single release 'Say Goodbye' and followed the S Club United tour which had featured both bands. Imagine having to come on stage after S Club had just announced their split! A re-brand to S Club 8 was also announced in the light of S Club's retirement.
Does it feel like the group come into their own as a result of their relaunch? 'Fool No More' is undeniably a great song with strong middle 8s in particular. I'm not quite sure the fairground-themed video really fits with the tone though, leading to a slight jarring between the image and sound that is so familiar in mixed acts of early 00s vintage. Also, with lead vocals dominated by Frankie and Rochelle, it doesn't really feel like a group song. With only 5 years separating them, you can definitely join the dots between S Club 8 and The Saturdays, particularly with the use of strong colours throughout the Chasing Lights campaign. Back to 2003, and with a very credible #4 performance, all seemed set fair for S Club 8 to take the brand forward into another successful album campaign, even if there were growing hints of the producers thinking of life beyond S Club.
Voters say:
@DJHazey 10
Although I will be giving them two 10's, this will always be their peak for me, an 11 contender. This chorus is literally pop perfection; a banner-waving moment for what genre is all about at its finest. It's a crime that this album is not on my Spotify.
@berserkboi 8
Pretty strong bop!
@Sprockrooster 7
I am howling at the music video bringing unsynchronized dancing in it's choreo when it shouldn't. Song is cute though so let me ignore that.
@saviodxl 4.9
This rate is making me realise I don't like kids.
I think we've discussed this track before, another B-side. It is so so good! Definitely one for part 2!
As the release of the song coincided with a peak of activity with the old forum, we have quite a few juicy quotes!
On the Pop Injustice of failing to make the shortlist of ITV's Record of the Year in 2003
I'm glad this poster wasn't proved right! May 'Disco Love' for ever reverberate in their head...
With diamond studded rings and pearls
Now you can't deny it
And I won't be the fool no more
#17
S Club 8 - 'Fool No More'
Average score: 8.386
High scorers: @Remorque (11), @Conan, @Hybridcookie, @j267, @Lost In Japan., @Untouchable Ace, @MilesAngel, @DJHazey, @Markus1981 (8x10)
Low scorers: @saviodxl (4.9), @unnameable (5), @AcerBenII (6)
Notable achievements: Their 5th consecutive top 10 entry in the UK Singles Chart. Tied with We R One at #18, with the number of 10s gaining 'Fool No More' its mini-victory
[With apologies for the weird quartered video, the 'official' release looks like it was straight off a Motorola Razr phone quality wise!]
Thank goodness S Club Juniors' second album followed more in the vein of moody 'New Direction' than 'Puppy Love'. 'Fool Not More' was released as the first single from 'Sundown' in June 2003. This was in the tailwind of S Club's final single release 'Say Goodbye' and followed the S Club United tour which had featured both bands. Imagine having to come on stage after S Club had just announced their split! A re-brand to S Club 8 was also announced in the light of S Club's retirement.
Does it feel like the group come into their own as a result of their relaunch? 'Fool No More' is undeniably a great song with strong middle 8s in particular. I'm not quite sure the fairground-themed video really fits with the tone though, leading to a slight jarring between the image and sound that is so familiar in mixed acts of early 00s vintage. Also, with lead vocals dominated by Frankie and Rochelle, it doesn't really feel like a group song. With only 5 years separating them, you can definitely join the dots between S Club 8 and The Saturdays, particularly with the use of strong colours throughout the Chasing Lights campaign. Back to 2003, and with a very credible #4 performance, all seemed set fair for S Club 8 to take the brand forward into another successful album campaign, even if there were growing hints of the producers thinking of life beyond S Club.
Voters say:
@DJHazey 10
Although I will be giving them two 10's, this will always be their peak for me, an 11 contender. This chorus is literally pop perfection; a banner-waving moment for what genre is all about at its finest. It's a crime that this album is not on my Spotify.
@berserkboi 8
Pretty strong bop!
@Sprockrooster 7
I am howling at the music video bringing unsynchronized dancing in it's choreo when it shouldn't. Song is cute though so let me ignore that.
@saviodxl 4.9
This rate is making me realise I don't like kids.
I think we've discussed this track before, another B-side. It is so so good! Definitely one for part 2!
As the release of the song coincided with a peak of activity with the old forum, we have quite a few juicy quotes!
On the Pop Injustice of failing to make the shortlist of ITV's Record of the Year in 2003
I'm glad this poster wasn't proved right! May 'Disco Love' for ever reverberate in their head...
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