PJ TWENTY QUID RATE: Part One (2003-2007): The Winner!

For the last twenty years, the very best in British & Irish pop music has been shortlisted, argued over in a pub, and an eventual best song of the year crowned and awarded a crisp twenty-pound note. That's right - the Popjustice £20 Music Prize. Founded by @Popjustice himself; it was initially conceived as a reaction to the Mercury Prize - awarded to a British or Irish album of the year and typically given out on the same night as the PJ £20 Quid.

Over the years, the nominations have included PJ faves like Girls Aloud, Dua Lipa, Little Mix, Sugababes and Jessie Ware. There's also been the occasional head-scratcher of a nominee, with Ed Sheeran appearing on the list in recent years and Jessie J also making an appearance.

What better way to celebrate the best of the best, than to rate each nominated song against each other and see what comes out on top? For Part 1 of the rate, we're going back to the very beginning, and ranking the nominees from 2003-2007. Subsequent parts of the rate will cover 2008-2012, 2013-2017 and, lastly, 2018-2022. So what are the songs being rated this time:


Abs - Stop Sign
Amy Studt - Misfit
Busted - What I Go to School For
Daniel Bedingfield - If You’re Not the One
Girls Aloud - No Good Advice
Ladytron - Seventeen
Lisa Scott-Lee - Lately
Mis-teeq - Scandalous
Richard X vs Liberty X - Being Nobody
S Club Juniors - New Direction
S Club - Say Goodbye
Sugababes - Round Round


Busted - Crashed the Wedding
Emma Bunton - Maybe
Girls Aloud - The Show
Jamelia - Superstar
Javine - Surrender (Your Love)
Keane - Somewhere Only We Know
McFly - 5 Colours in Her Hair
Rachel Stevens - Some Girls
Rachel Stevens - Sweet Dreams My LA Ex
Shaznay Lewis - Never Felt Like This Before
Sugababes - Hole in the Head
Will Young - Leave Right Now


Basement Jaxx - Oh My Gosh
Charlotte Church - Crazy Chick
Girls Aloud - Wake Me Up
Goldfrapp - Ooh La La
Kaiser Chiefs - Everyday I Love You Less and Less
Mylo - In My Arms
Rachel Stevens - Negotiate With Love
Robbie Williams - Radio
Shapeshifters - Lola’s Theme
The 411 - Dumb
Uniting Nations - Out of Touch
Verbalicious - Don’t Play Nice


Delays - Valentine
Girls Aloud - Biology
Goldfrapp - Number One
Gorillaz - Dare
Hot Chip - Over and Over
Ladytron - Destroy Everything You Touch
Lily Allen - Smile
Matt Willis - Up All Night
Muse - Supermassive Black Hole
Rachel Stevens - I Said Never Again (But Here We Are)
Sugababes - Push the Button
Will Young - Who Am I


Amy Winehouse - Rehab
Bodyrox - Yeah Yeah (feat. Luciana)
Booty Luv - Shine
Calvin Harris - Acceptable in the 80s
Girls Aloud - Something Kinda Ooooh
Jamelia - Beware of the Dog
Kate Nash - Foundations
Mark Ronson - Stop Me (feat. Daniel Merriweather)
Robbie Williams - She’s Madonna
Roisin Murphy - Overpowered
Siobhan Donaghy - Don’t Give It Up
Sophie Ellis-Bextor - Catch You
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As with any rate, the rules are simple:

• Give each of the above songs a score, on a rating from 0 - 10.
• Ideally, please keep your scores to multiples of 0.5.
• You can give one song, the ultimate favourite, your 11.
• Commentary on all songs is welcomed and encouraged!
• Voting will close on April 4thApril 11th.

Spotify playlist:

RESULTS:
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Spoiler: Results

60. Busted - What I Go to School For (4.27)
59. Busted - Crashed the Wedding (4.71)
58. McFly - 5 Colours in Her Hair (4.73)
57. Robbie Williams - Radio (4.97)
56. Abs - Stop Sign (5.21)
55. S Club - Say Goodbye (5.37)
54. Matt Willis - Up All Night (5.48)
53. Daniel Bedingfield - If You’re Not the One (5.81)
52. Hot Chip - Over and Over (6.34)
51. Kaiser Chiefs - Every Day I Love You Less and Less (6.35)

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Perched for this! Some absolute classics here, and also some... very questionable picks, I guess Mr PJ's occasionably questionable taste isn't a new thing dd

 

The resurgence of Being Nobody continues!!! Siobhan Donaghy getting to shine with another song!!! Sugababes!! Girls Aloud!! A multitude of other classics! But really - it might be Ladytron here who get my biggest average! Those classics <333

 

And I honestly think this section is the one with the least of the latter nn.

What is everyone’s favourite year here? 2007 is a place for legends, okay, but I think 2004 is hard to beat.

 

When there are ten contenders for your 11, you know the song list is strong.

 

Here for this.

 

Oh My Gosh!!!

I just lost a 1000 calories. I mean that is what happens to your body when listening to Something Kinda Oooh and Beware of the Dog in succession. The absolute intensity of power both tracks have. Legit a double knockout.

 

This certainly looks like fun, count me in!

 

Started this and... the lyrics to What I Go To School For are so uncomfortable. Made my skin crawl.

Predicting a Girls Aloud vs. Sugababes battle for the winner though!

 

The way The 411, Amy Studt and Lisa Scott Lee are in contention for my 11, this song list is chaos.

 

Can you believe @Filler (with the forethought of @Hurricane Drunk) chose probably the only PJ00 eligible song here and won the whole contest?

 

I think that was the only song I hadn't heard before putting together the song list - and it's great!

 

Is this the first time a Muse song has been eligible for a Popjustice rate?

 

They were also part of @soratami's 00s Indie Pop/Rock Rate

 

One of only two acts to be nominated multiple times in one year - a true Popjustice legend!

 

A couple years ago I happened to be in London during the judging of the 20 Quid Prize, and Peter posted that he was looking for participants. I couldn’t believe it - definitely a rare opportunity for someone from the US. I wrote him a heartfelt personal email detailing my time on here and how it has influenced my life and work, and saying I couldn’t believe the coincidence that I, an American, was actually going to be in London for it. I finished by saying it would be such an honor to take part.

He never responded, which I really should have seen coming.