Great Uncle Bulgaria

Let's Dance is great. Furthermore a) when one of the young wombles was learning the piano it was something he learned to play early on and I often used to sing it while he played along in the Burrow, so it holds memories.... b) it was in the charts (admittedly not at no 2) when I first appeared on this earth, so I feel some attachment to it. (This makes me older than all of you bar The Old Lady and Toast and I reckon about the same as Time, PB and SC, but I'm sure anyone remotely bothered about such things has long since worked out that I am 'old' already).

25-1=24 27 The Kinks — All Of The Day And All Of TheNight +3 27 The Kinks — Waterloo Sunset 26 Chris Montez — Let’s Dance 26 Barry Ryan — Eloise 25 The Troggs — Wild Thing 25 The Who — My Generation 24 Petula Clark — Downtown 24 The Spencer Davis Group — Gimme Some Lovin’ 23 Los Bravos — Black Is Black 23 The Yardbirds — Heart Full Of Soul 22 The Beach Boys — God Only Knows 21 The Animals — We Gotta Get Out Of This Place 20 Elvis Presley — In The Ghetto 19 Fleetwood Mac — Oh Well 16 The Rolling Stones — Nineteenth Nervous Breakdown 15 The Small Faces — Lazy Sunday 14 The Drifters — Save The Last Dance For Me 14 John Leyton — Wild Wind +1 09 Little Eva — The Loco-Motion 04 Jimmy Dean — Big Bad John -6 That top 4 looks about right to me but - apart from the twee novelty song at the bottom and Lazy Sunday - everything is in the 'very good' to 'classic' range.

Starrmer might yet not win because he is a dullard. The British people love charisma. The dullard (albeit principled, for a Tory) Theresa May did very badly against the unelectable Jeremy Corbin yet the charismatic (if generally unprincipled) Boris won a landslide against the same person. He also might not yet win because the Tory press will spend the next 6-9 months mercilessly slagging him off. There's an awful lot of people over 70 still believing whatever they read in the daily mail/Torygraph/Sun. Inflation and interest rates will both be lower in 6-9 months too. I don't think a working labour majority is a done deal by any means. It should be but it isn't.

24/1/2024 32 Petula Clark — Downtown 30 The Kinks — All Day And All Of The Night +2 27 The Kinks — Waterloo Sunset +2 26 The Yardbirds — Heart Full Of Soul 25 Chris Montez — Let’s Dance 24 The Animals — We Gotta Get Out Of This Place 24 The Troggs — Wild Thing 23 Fleetwood Mac — Oh Well 23 The Spencer Davis Group — Gimme Some Lovin’ 23 The Small Faces — Lazy Sunday 22 Los Bravos — Black Is Black 22 The Who — My Generations 21 Barry Ryan — Eloise  20 The Drifters — Save The Last Dance For Me  19 The Rolling Stones — Nineteenth Nervous Breakdown 18 Elvis Presley — In The Ghetto 18 The Beach Boys — God Only Knows 15 Little Eva — The Loco-Motion 12 John Leyton — Wild Wind 09 The Crystals — Then He Kissed Me 07 Jimmy Dean — Big Bad John -6

23/1/24 09:43 hrs 26 Petula Clark — Downtown 25 The Beach Boys — God Only Knows 24 The Yardbirds — Heart Full Of Soul 24 Chris Montez — Let’s Dance 24 The Kinks — Waterloo Sunset +2 23 The Kinks -- All of the day and all of the night +2 22 John Leyton — Wild Wind 22 The Animals — We Gotta Get Out Of This Place 22 The Troggs — Wild Thing 21 The Spencer Davis Group — Gimme Some Lovin’ 21 The Who — My Generation 21 Barry Ryan — Eloise 21 Los Bravos — Black Is Black 20 The Small Faces — Lazy Sunday 20 The Drifters — Save The Last Dance For Me 20 Little Eva — The Loco-Motion 20 Fleetwood Mac — Oh Well 19 Elvis Presley — In The Ghetto 16 The Rolling Stones — Nineteenth Nervous Breakdown 15 Jimmy Dean — Big Bad John -6 14 Billy J. Kramer & The Dakotas — Do You Want To Know A Secret? 14 The Crystals — Then He Kissed Me 08 Chubby Checker — Let’s Twist Again 08 Bobby Darin — Lazy River 

This (hopefully) won't matter, but since I'm on a proofreading kick: you've got Tim Bilton at #22 and as your second sub. Oops. well spotted, 2nd sub June Spencer please.

Sorry, I would have voted had I seen the relevant post. Apropos of which, until about 3-4 weeks ago the 8 most active/most recently commented on threads always used to come up below the main list of 50. That suddenly disappeared a few weeks ago, which means I click on activity instead to see the most recent posts but tend not to bother paging back through every post, since I last visited which means I have missed a few things recently. If anyone in power is reading this, could the 8 top threads below the list feature be restored please? Apologies if I have missed a discussion on/explanation of this. Was away last week and for the last week of 2023 which probably hasn't helped.

22/1/2024 61 Barry Ryan — Eloise 41 Elvis Presley — In The Ghetto 32 Nina Simone — Ain’t Got No / Do What You Gotta Do -3 30 The Small Faces — Lazy Sunday -3 24 Fleetwood Mac — Oh Well 21 Fleetwood Mac — Man Of The World +4 17 The Foundations — Build Me Up Buttercup

Lots of people I've never heard of this year, all of whom I'm avoiding as it usually means lots of you who take this far more seriously than I do know what you are talking about and I should therefore take heed. 1. Joe Biden 2. Donald Trump 3. Michael J Fox 4. Andy Taylor 5. Billy Connolly 6. Ozzy Osborne 7. Janey Godley 8. Phil Collins 9. Clint Eastwood 10. Yoko Ono 11. Willie Nelson 12. Wiliam Shatner 13, Bruce Willis 14. Prunella Scales 15. Robert Wagner 16. Shannen Doherty 17. Roberta Flack 18. Buzz Aldrin 19. Eva Marie Saint 20. David Attenborough 21. Joanne Woodward 22. Tim Bilton 23. Pope Francis 24. Mel Brooks 25. Rupert Murdoch sub Bob Newhart Tim Bilton

21/1/2024 57 Barry Ryan — Eloise 44 Elvis Presley — In The Ghetto 27 The Small Faces — Lazy Sunday -3 27 Fleetwood Mac — Oh Well +1 27 Fleetwood Mac — Man Of The World +3 26 Nina Simone — Ain’t Got No / Do What You Gotta Do 23 The Foundations — Build Me Up Buttercup 19 The Edwin Hawkins Singers — Oh Happy Day 16 Stevie Wonder — Yester-Me, Yester-You, Yesterday -3

52 Barry Ryan--Eloise 41 Elvis Presley-- In The Ghetto 33 Fleetwood Mac-- Oh Well 32 The Small Faces-- Lazy Sunday -3 31 The Foundations-- Build me up Buttercup 30 Stevie Wonder-- Yester-Me-Yester-You- Yesterday -3 22 Fleetwood Mac---Man Of The World +2 18 The Edwin Hawkins Singers-- Oh Happy Day 15 Mary Hopkin--- Goodbye +2 14 Nina Simone-- Ain't Got No/Do What You Gotta Do 12 Tom Jones--- Delilah Hopefully fixed above problem now

19/1/2024 44 Elvis Presley — In The Ghetto 39 Barry Ryan — Eloise 36 The Small Faces — Lazy Sunday -2 35 Fleetwood Mac — Oh Well 31 Stevie Wonder — Yester-Me, Yester-You, Yesterday 24 Kenny Rogers & The First Edition — Ruby, Don’t Take Your Love To Town  21 The Edwin Hawkins Singers — Oh Happy Day 21 Fleetwood Mac — Man Of The World +2 19 Mary Hopkin — Goodbye +2 18 Tom Jones — Delilah 18 The Foundations — Build me up Buttercup 15 Lou Christie — I’m Gonna Make You Mine 11 The Casuals — Jesamine -2 06 Nina Simone — Ain’t Got No / Do What You Gotta Do -2

18/11 23.57 Back from a week away with no computer just in time to show Mary Hopkin some love. Lazy Sunday is a novelty record, surely... 42 Elvis Presley — In The Ghetto 38The Small Faces — Lazy Sunday -6 35 Fleetwood Mac — Oh Well 35 Barry Ryan — Eloise +2 31 Stevie Wonder — Yester-Me, Yester-You 30 The Foundations— Build me up Buttercup 25 Kenny Rogers & The First Edition — Ruby, Don’t Take Your Love To Town 21 Fleetwood Mac — Man Of The World 21 The Edwin Hawkins Singers — Oh Happy Day 19 Mary Hopkin — Goodbye +2 18 Tom Jones — Delilah 17 Lou Christie — I’m Gonna Make You Mine 15 The Casuals — Jesamine 13 Nina Simone — Ain’t Got No / Do What You Gotta Do

10.01.2024 46 The Kinks — Waterloo Sunset +2 46 The Beach Boys — God Only Knows 43 Los Bravos — Black Is Black -2 43 The Troggs — Wild Thing 41 The Rolling Stones — Nineteenth Nervous Breakdown +2 33 Donovan — Sunshine Superman 29 Traffic — Hole In My Shoe 27 The Lovin’ Spoonful — Daydream 26 The Move — Flowers In The Rain 22 The Spencer Davis Group — Gimme Some Loving 22 The Hollies — I Can’t Let Go 22 The Hollies — Stop Stop Stop 17 The Monkees — Alternate Title (Randy Scouse Git) 11 Cat Stevens — Matthew And Son -4 11 Manfred Mann — Semi-Detached Suburban Mr. James 07 The Seekers — Morningtown Ride

I'll play again...

9/1/2024 42 The Beach Boys — God Only Knows 39 The Kinks — Waterloo Sunset +2 38 The Troggs — Wild Thing 35 The Spencer Davis Group — Gimme Some Loving 35 Los Bravos — Black Is Black 34 The Rolling Stones — Nineteenth Nervous Breakdown 29 Donovan — Sunshine Superman 29 Traffic — Hole In My Shoe 25 The Lovin’ Spoonful — Daydream 24 The Move — Flowers In The Rain 22 The Hollies — I Can’t Let Go 22 The Hollies — Stop Stop Stop +2 21 Cat Stevens — Matthew And Son -3 19 Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick & Tich — Bend It -3 19 The Monkees — Alternate Title (Randy Scouse Git) 19 Manfred Mann — Semi-Detached Suburban Mr. James 15 The Mindbenders — A Groovy Kind Of Love 10 The Seekers — Morningtown Ride 03 The Move — Night Of Fear 

Esther Rantzen please

Starmer-Smith

8/1/2024 36 The Kinks — Waterloo Sunset +1 34 The Beach Boys — God Only Knows 33 The Troggs — Wild Thing 31 The Monkees — Alternate Title (Randy Scouse Git) 30 Donovan — Sunshine Superman 30 The Rolling Stones — Nineteenth Nervous Breakdown +1 28 Los Bravos — Black Is Black 27 The Spencer Davis Group — Gimme Some Loving 27 Manfred Mann — Semi-Detached Suburban Mr. James 26 Cat Stevens — Matthew And Son -3 26 The Hollies — Stop Stop Stop +1 25 Traffic — Hole In My Shoe 25 The Lovin’ Spoonful — Daydream 24 Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick & Tich — Bend It -3 22 The Move — Flowers In The Rain 22 The Hollies — I Can’t Let Go 21 The Mindbenders — A Groovy Kind Of Love 13 The Seekers — Morningtown Ride 13 The Move — Night Of Fear  13 The Mamas And The Papas — Dedicated To The One I Love +1 10 Keith West — Excerpt From A Teenage Opera 

7/1/23 36 The Kinks — Waterloo Sunset +2 35 The Beach Boys — God Only Knows 33 The Rolling Stones — Nineteenth Nervous Breakdown 31 The Troggs — Wild Thing 29 Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick & Tich — Bend It 27 Los Bravos — Black Is Black 27 The Monkees — Alternate Title (Randy Scouse Git) 26 Manfred Mann — Semi-Detached Suburban Mr. James 25 Traffic — Hole In My Shoe 25 The Lovin’ Spoonful — Daydream 25 The Spencer Davis Group — Gimme Some Loving 25 Cat Stevens — Matthew And Son 25 Donovan — Sunshine Superman 24 The Mindbenders — A Groovy Kind Of Love 24 The Hollies — Stop Stop Stop +1 22 The Move — Flowers In The Rain 22 The Hollies — I Can’t Let Go 20 The Move — Night Of Fear 19 The Mamas And The Papas — Dedicated To The One I Love +1 16 The Beatles — Penny Lane / Strawberry Fields Forever 15 The Seekers — Morningtown Ride 12 The Troggs — I Can’t Control Myself 07 Keith West — Excerpt From A Teenage Opera 02 Crispian St. Peters — You Were On My Mind -6

Well, someone has to be 57th, so it may as well be me. Well done (again) Banana.

I'm not sure if you're accusing me of being too young to know it or one of the few that is old enough to do so. As it happens I'm about the same age as you, so too young to remember these the first time they came out (although only by a year or two) but I'm pretty well up in 60s pop music, not least thanks to a long-running radio show hosted by (ahem) Jimmy Saville. I knew all of these (bar the Dave Clark 5 song) before we started. This song is OK (better than most of what we voted on from the 90s IMO) but in a very competitive field there are 20 or so better.

The Last Devil to Die - the 4th in Richard Osman's series about 4 nearly-80 year olds who go round solving murders that the police can't. Found the previous 3 a mixed bunch and wasn't entirely convinced that a 4th helping was the way to go, but I found this possibly the best to date. This is a bit darker than previous ones and the gear changes between light comedy and serious murders are a bit less clunky than previously. You still need to suspend belief about a couple of central conceits (why don't the hardened criminals just shoot all the annoying geriatrics on initially encountering them rather than engaging with them, why are some of these supposedly masters of evil essentially comic characters rather than objects of fear, etc) but, once you've accepted this, if you enjoyed the first three there's no reason not to buy the 4th instalment (or have someone give it to you for a birthday present, as I did).

33 The Kinks — Waterloo Sunset +1 28 The Rolling Stones — Nineteenth Nervous Breakdown 28 The Monkees — Alternate Title (Randy Scouse Git) 28 Cat Stevens — Matthew And Son 27 Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick & Tich — Bend It 27 The Beach Boys — God Only Knows 26 The Mamas And The Papas — Dedicated To The One I Love +1 25 Donovan — Sunshine Superman 25 The Spencer Davis Group — Gimme Some Loving  25 The Beatles — Penny Lane / Strawberry Fields Forever 24 Traffic — Hole In My Shoe 24 The Troggs — Wild Thing 24 Los Bravos — Black Is Black 23 The Mindbenders — A Groovy Kind Of Love 23 The Hollies — Stop Stop Stop +1 22 Manfred Mann— Semi detached Suburban Mr James 22 The Move — Flowers In The Rain 22 The Lovin’ Spoonful — Daydream 22 The Hollies — I Can’t Let Go +1 21 The Dave Clark Five — Everybody Knows 21 The Seekers — Morningtown Ride 20 The Troggs — I Can’t Control Myself 20 The Move — Night Of Fear 15 Keith West — Excerpt From A Teenage Opera 11 Crispian St. Peters — You Were On My Mind -6 04 The Who — I’m A Boy

Congrats, Tracy.