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

Two almighty Girl Groups, two classic Xenomania productions... but which will triumph?

Sugababes - Hole in the Head (2004)
Average Score: 9.58
Highest Score: 10x21 (@soratami, @Phonetics Girl, @Uno, @-SNS-, @BubblegumBoy, @Sprockrooster, @DJHazey, @berserkboi, @Conan, @marie_05, @Untouchable Ace, @Robsolete, @klow, @Lost In Japan., @Someboy, @Kyle., @FINISH LINE, @Hurricane Drunk, @Remorque, @MilesAngel, @K94)
Lowest Score: 7.5x2 (@WowWowWowWow, @Epic Chocolat)
My Score: 10​

Seven hours since you went away
Eleven coffees, Ricki Lake on play
But late at night when I’m feeling blue
I’d sell my ass before I think of you

Truly, WHO was doing it like Mutya Buena in 2003? After the success of Angels With Dirty Faces, the Sugababes re-teamed with Xenomania, producers of ‘Round Round’, for the lead single to their third album, the aptly named Three. Interviewed for the 2004 Twenty Quid Prize zine, Brian Higgins reflected on the “crucial role” the Sugababes had played in the success of Xenomania at the time:

‘Hole in the Head’ was co-written by the Sugababes and Xenomania; the reference to RIcki Lake in the opening verse comes from the Babes’ habit of watching American daytime TV shows at Xenomania Towers when they weren’t in the recording studio. Compared to some other Xenomania tracks, including ‘Biology’ and our winner, ‘Hole in the Head’ sticks more rigidly to the verse-chorus structure. But when the verses and choruses are THAT good, who is complaining? Mutya is all over this song for me, but Heidi holds her own on the second verse and the switch-up for Keisha’s middle-8/third verse is brilliant.

‘Hole in the Head’ became a third #1 single for the Sugababes, and also a third #1 for Xenomania, debuting at the #1 spot and knocking off the reign of the Black Eyed Peas with 'Where is the Love?’. ‘Hole in the Head’ also holds the distinction of being the only Sugababes song to chart on the US Hot 100; when the track was released in America in June 2004, it peaked at #96 and spent two weeks on the chart. Maybe it was the Ricki Lake reference!

As mentioned, ‘Hole in the Head’ was the lead single to the Sugababes’ third album Three. I have to take a moment to appreciate what is, to me, easily their best singles run, and probably their best album too. ‘Hole in the Head’ was followed up by the majestic ‘Too Lost in You’ in December 2003, taken from the Love Actually soundtrack and written by the legendarry Diane Warren (a top 5 Sugababes song). A second Xenomania banger followed, with ‘In the Middle' being released in March 2004 and nabbing a nomination for Best British Single at the 2005 BRIT Awards. The final single from the album is the (also top 5 Sugababes song) ‘Caught in a Moment’, which Mutya Keisha and Siobhan brought back for a goregous stripped rendition in 2013 (and I lost my MIND when they pulled this one out at Hoopla). The album also featured a solo song for each of the girls, including the single-worthy ‘Whatever Makes You Happy’ and the gorgeous ‘Maya’. Three charted at, appropriately, #3 on release.

Although ‘Hole in the Head’ didn’t receive any 11s, it manages to make the top two by being remarkably non-controversial, only receiving three scores below a 9. It ends up as the highest rated song from the 2004 Twenty Quid shortlist. Back in 2004, ‘Hole in the Head’ lost out in the first round of voting, against Will Young’s ‘Leave Right Now’. Looking at how those songs fared in this rate… I think this would have been controversial nn. Although Brian Higgins did pick that one out as his favourite of the nominees! It also ends up as the highest rated song across the whole rate from the second line-up of the Sugababes (v1.0 and v3.0 are both still to come). And it is exactly them: dripping with cool, bringing out the best of producers on the edges of 00s pop, some of the best to ever do it.

Commentary:
@Sally_Harper (9): A classic bop.

@saviodxl (9.5): Spontaneously catchy and cool.

@berserkboi (10): Yes babe!

@DJHazey (10): Peter’s questionable taste has been on display thus far, but for the most part he is picking the correct Sugababes songs! Easily in my Babes Top 5.

@Phonetics Girl (10): Serious 11 contender dripping in iconic moments.

 

Not the forum crashing as I go to post this...

Girls Aloud - Something Kinda Ooooh (2007)
Average Score: 9.7
Highest Score: 11x2 (@MilesAngel, @TéléDex), 10x18 (@soratami, @2014, @Epic Chocolat, @CorgiCorgiCorgi, @-SNS-, @BubblegumBoy, @Sprockrooster, @saviodxl, @DJHazey, @Conan, @Filler, @Sally_Harper, @Untouchable Ace, @Robsolete, @Kyle., @Wild Man., @Remorque, @K94)
Lowest Score: 7.5x1 (@Someboy)
My Score: 9.5​

It's interesting the point @Someboy made about "stompers" the other day, because this, to me, is the ultimate Popjustice stomper. While it's not my favourite Girls Aloud track, there is something about its absolute unrelenting energy that set such a high bar for a Girls Aloud uptempo, completely different from your 'No Good Advice's or 'Wake Me Up's.

Back in 2006, acts from reality TV didn’t have a long life expectancy. And the expected shelf-life of a girl group was not particularly long either. It was therefore expected that Girls Aloud would chuck out a couple of albums and split up — in the 2005 review of Chemistry Popjustice even anticipated reviewing their Greatest Hits in 2006 and “shedding a tear” — and the lower chart peaks of the Chemistry album and singles compared to what had come before suggested that this may come to fruition. Fans were therefore worried when it was announced that Girls Aloud would indeed release a greatest hits collection, The Sound of Girls Aloud, in October 2006.

A few songs were considered as the lead single for The Sound of Girls Aloud, including future B-side 'Dog Without a Bone’, and a little song called ‘Call the Shots’. Aptly for a greatest hits single, ‘Something Kinda Ooooh’ plays into all of the girls strengths and provides them with a discography-highlight moment (except arguably Nicola): Nadine takes the bulk of the vocals, including a manic back-and-forth with Sarah, Cheryl takes the feisty talk-singing intro which is repeated as the middle-8, and Kimberley… well… Kimberley LOVES steel.

​

The music video for ‘Something Kinda Ooooh’, well… maybe the less said, the better. Ostensibly featuring the girls “driving” around “London”, the first version of the video was released unfinished, with car wheels that didn't spin. As Peter said on the front page, “nothing quite encapsulates Girls Aloud’s ‘Top Tunes, Shit Vids’ manifesto like this 2006 banger”. Much like many Girls Aloud songs though, this comes alive when they perform it live: there is nothing like watching Cheryl do the choreo to the intro, without fail dropping in the name of the city where they are performing (“Bournemouth’s got to heat it uuuuup!” being immortalised on CD).

‘Something Kinda Ooooh’ did the job, putting Girls Aloud back into the top 3 for the first time since ‘I’ll Stand by You’, and becoming the first British act to chart in the top 5 on downloads alone. The Sound of Girls Aloud was also a smash hit, giving them their first #1 album, reminding the public exactly how many brilliant pop songs they had, and granting a second lease of life to their career that gave us two future albums of excellence. They saw out the era with a cover of Tiffany’s ‘I Think We’re Alone Now’, rapidly remixed for the single to sound more like ‘Something Kinda Ooooh’, and a collaboration with the #2 act Sugababes on ‘Walk This Way’. I also have to shout out the first Girls Aloud Megamix which was released on the ‘Something Kinda Ooooh’ single, which is up there with the Britney and The Saturdays as an all-timer.

Despite Girls Aloud’s three previous Twenty Quid wins, ‘Something Kinda Ooooh’ only managed to come in fourth place in the 2007 voting; maybe the judges felt it was time to give someone else a look in! But you all felt differently, with that 7.5 and one 8 being the only scores received below a 9 and ‘Something Kinda Ooooh’ claiming its place as the Part 1 rate winner and adding another rate-winner to the Girls Aloud back-catalogue.

Commentary:
@Phonetics Girl (8): I've never realised how of its time this was until trying to imagine it in 2007 musical context ddd

@berserkboi (9.5): This is even more amazing than I remember but it is still inferior to The Show so I must score as such!

@Untouchable Ace (10): An 11 contender and although a definite 10, the basicness is real.

@DJHazey (10): God Tier Bopfoolery. The verses work as a wind-up toy being cranked, until the chorus explodes when you let go of the mechanism.

@Sally_Harper (10): Career-saving masterpiece, hilariously shoddy video included. And the Girls Aloud Party performance was one of their best tv performances.

 

Thank you for doing this, @Lost In Japan. ! It was a great trip down memory lane and I loved going through all of these PJ classics again.

While I don’t think Something Kinda Oooh is the greatest song here, at least it wasn’t an obvious winner. I definitely agree with the people who mentioned that it’s the only major Girls Aloud song that sounds dated and a tad basic in this day and age, but that cheap looking video certainly didn’t help. It even took me ages to get into the song because of that video! Also, this song would be at least 50% weaker without Kimberley’s part.

Hole In The Head is still incredible. Mutya owns it. So many memories, it takes me right back to the early 00s. I can’t believe this is almost 20 years old!

 

Great winner, great host! Thanks babe @Lost In Japan. and count me in when part two happens

 

FULL RESULTS

60. Busted - What I Go to School For (4.23)
59. McFly - 5 Colours in Her Hair (4.66)
58. Busted - Crashed the Wedding (4.7)
57. Robbie Williams - Radio (4.92)
56. Abs - Stop Sign (5.3)
55. S Club - Say Goodbye (5.42)
54. Matt Willis - Up All Night (5.5)
53. Daniel Bedingfield - If You’re Not the One (5.86)
52. Hot Chip - Over and Over (6.34)
51. Kaiser Chiefs - Every Day I Love You Less and Less (6.39)

50. Robbie Williams - She’s Madonna (6.54)
49. Amy Studt - Misfit (6.61)
48. Will Young - Who Am I (6.63)
47. Bodyrox - Yeah Yeah (feat. Luciana) (6.66)
46. Calvin Harris - Acceptable in the 80s (6.7)
45. Verbalicious - Don’t Play Nice (6.75)
44. Ladytron - Seventeen (6.83)
43. Will Young - Leave Right Now (6.97)
42. Mylo - In My Arms (7.05)
41. Javine - Surrender (Your Love) (7.13)

40. S Club Juniors - New Direction (7.22)
39. Keane - Somewhere Only We Know (7.31)
=36. Uniting Nations - Out of Touch (7.39)
=36. Shaznay Lewis - Never Felt Like This Before (7.39)
=36. Kate Nash - Foundations (7.39)
35. Mark Ronson - Stop Me (feat. Daniel Merriweather) (7.52)
34. Lisa Scott-Lee - Lately (7.55)
33. Gorrilaz - Dare (7.58)
32. Delays - Valentine (7.64)
31. Lily Allen - Smile (7.66)

30. Charlotte Church - Crazy Chick (7.67)
29. Booty Luv - Shine (7.76)
28. Ladytron - Destroy Everything You Touch (7.83)
=26. Basement Jaxx - Oh My Gosh (7.94)
=26. Amy Winehouse - Rehab (7.94)
=24. Shapeshifers - Lola’s Theme (8.06)
=24. Muse - Supermassive Black Hole (8.06)
23. Siobhan Donaghy - Don’t Give It Up (8.11)
22. Roisin Murphy - Overpowered (8.31)
21. Goldfrapp - Number One (8.48)

20. The 411 - Dumb (8.5)
19. Sophie Ellis-Bextor - Catch You (8.61)
=17. Goldfrapp - Ooh La La (8.63)
=17. Rachel Stevens - Sweet Dreams My LA Ex (8.63)
16. Richard X v Liberty X - Being Nobody (8.67)
15. Girls Aloud - Wake Me Up (8.73)
14. Rachel Stevens - Negotiate With Love (8.75)
13. Jamelia - Superstar (8.88)
12. Emma Bunton - Maybe (9)
11. Sugababes - Push the Button (9.02)

10. Rachel Stevens - I Said Never Again (But Here We Are) (9.03)
9. Jamelia - Beware of the Dog (9.08)
8. Girls Aloud - No Good Advice (9.19)
7. Sugababes - Round Round (9.22)
6. Rachel Stevens - Some Girls (9.38)
5. Mis-teeq - Scandalous (9.39)
4. Girls Aloud - The Show (9.48)
3. Girls Aloud - Biology (9.53)
2. Sugababes - Hole in the Head (9.58)
1. Girls Aloud - Something Kinda Ooooh (9.7)
​

Thank you everyone who voted and followed along! I hope you enjoyed this tour down some of the iconic songs from early PJ history. I'll post the year summaries early this week and tidy up the early eliminations that were thrown off by me missing out some scores.

I need a bit of a break before the next part of the rate but that will be coming later this year! With a song list of:

Spoiler

Bloc Party - Flux
Daggers - Money
Dizzee Rascal - Dance Wiv Me (feat. Calvin Harris and Chrome)
Girls Aloud - Call the Shots
Goldfrapp - A&E
Groove Armada - Song 4 Mutya (Out of Control) [feat. Mutya Buena]
Hot Chip - Ready for the Floor
Leona Lewis - Bleeding Love
Little Boots - Stuck on Repeat
Mark Ronson - Valerie (feat. Amy Winehouse)
Sugababes - About You Now
The Ting Tings - That’s Not My Name

Alesha Dixon - The Boy Does Nothing
Calvin Harris - I’m Not Alone
Frankmusik
Girls Aloud - The Promise
JLS - Beat Again
La Roux - In for the Kill
Lily Allen - The Fear
Little Boots - New In Town
Pet Shop Boys - Love Etc
Saint Etienne - Method of Modern Love
The Saturdays - Up
Tinchy Stryder - Take Me Back (feat. Taio Cruz)

Alexandra Burke - Bad Boys (feat. Flo Rida)
Diana Vickers - Once
Example - Kickstarts
Groove Armada - I Won’t Kneel
Hurts - Wonderful Life
Marina & the Diamonds - I Am Not a Robot
Mini Viva - I Wish
Mini Viva - Left My Heart in Tokyo
Mini Viva - One Touch
Nerina Pallot - Real Late Starter
Sophie Ellis-Bextor - Bittersweet
Tinchy Stryder - Never Leave You (feat. Amelle Berrabah)

Adele - Rolling in the Deep
Hurts - Stay
Jessie J - Do It Like a Dude
Joe McElderry - Ambitions
Mark Ronson & the Business Intl - Somebody to Love Me (feat. Boy George & Andrew Wyatt)
Nadia Oh - Taking Over the Dancefloor
Nicola Roberts - Beat of My Drum
Sunday Girl - Stop Hey
The Saturdays - Higher
The Wanted - All Time Low
Take That - The Flood
Yasmin - Finish Line

Lawson - Taking Over Me
Little Mix - Wings
Marina & the Diamonds - Power & Control
Nero - Promises
Olly Murs - Heart Skips a Beat (feat. Rizzle Kicks)
One Direction - What Makes You Beautiful
Rizzle Kicks - Down With the Trumpets
Rudimental - Feel the Love (feat. John Newman)
Saint Etienne - Tonight
Siobhan Dillon - Powerless
The Saturdays - All Fired Up
Will Young - Jealousy

 

Thank you for this @Lost In Japan. !! It was fantastic to go through this list of PopJustice classics!

Looking at the list for Part Two - I am definitely in the older voter faction as the 10s keep reducing the further down the list I look ddd

 

In the end, if I'd given my 11 to 'Hole In The Head,' it wouldn't have changed the result, so I'm happy the winner got my 11. My favourite part of 'Something Kinda...' is the 'If you wanna put a line on me, now no...You got to keep up' section.

Well done to Sugababes for 2nd place, because both groups are my top two girl groups of the millenium.

Thank you @Lost In Japan. for a fun and informative rate. Looking forward to the next one.

Spoiler

My 11 WILL be going to Mini Viva

 

You'll forgive me for thinking "Hole In The Head" was sorta faceless considering this was the cover art we had for the single in the USA:



Thank you @Lost In Japan. !

 

Yes!!! EVERY. SINGLE. GIRLS ALOUD. SONG. I'VE. CHOSEN. AS. MY. 11. HAS. BECOME. A. WINNER. BWAHAHAHAHA!

Will Girls Aloud get my next 11?!?

Spoiler

Thanks @Lost In Japan for the rate. Rest well.

 

My 11 for the next rate is much less of a debate than I had this go-around.

 

A girl group will take mine too.

Thanks again for this rate. I'm so glad it's a new winner.
After Sugababes' 'Easy' won the Song Battle rate, the recent and overdue appreciation of 2006 compilation lead singles is complete.

 

An iconic winner, for a rate full of iconic songs.

Thanks @Lost In Japan. What a time for pop music this era was! Looking forward to part 2 when it's time.

 

Thank you so much @Lost In Japan. and what a deserving winner. Can't wait for Part 2!

 

Thanks for running this @Lost In Japan. The winner is not the GA song that I personally would've picked as the winner, but it's hard to argue too much about it taking the title.

The song list for Part II looks significantly more chaotic to me at first glance. I would put money on GA winning once again, though perhaps Mini Viva (with their three entries in one year!) could shake things up. Dark horses might be "Promises" and Lady Diana (Vickers). I'm not sure how I'll go rating Nadia Oh's classic single, given that I now know she's a flag-waving Brexiteer. Also, how did poor Katy B miss out on any nominations from her superlative debut album?! @Popjustice I demand a full inquiry.

 

Thanks for hosting @Lost In Japan., it's been a lot of fun, and thankfully the results went a lot better than in the real deal (Leave Right Now beating Hole In The Head, really? Though then again I always got the impression the 20 Quid Award voting is always a complete shambles nn).

Part 2 is looking killer and I can't wait for it to start. So many classics, and thankfully we're now past the period of absolute trash like What I Go To School For somehow getting nominated.

 

talk about news that is No Bueno!

 

Thank you @Lost In Japan. for this rollercoaster of a rate! Only hoping my 11 in Part 2 will do a little better than #36 (did I just jinx it? maybe so!)

 

Thank you for hosting @Lost In Japan., great winner! Totally pleased with most of the results.