5. One Direction - What Makes You Beautiful
The single that kicked it all of for the world's current biggest boyband (and probably group full stop!), UK X Factor 2010 third placers Zayn, Niall, Liam, Harry and Louis aka 1D or One Direction opened their career in style with the fantastic pop rock anthem What Makes You Beautiful. One of the best pop songs of the last few years thanks to the powerhouse of a chorus, it's become an instant classic, quickly inching its way to million seller status in the UK and was also their first top five hit in the US! I don't feel that they've yet topped it but they have come close a few times.
4. A1 - Don't Wanna Lose You Again
British/Norwegian band A1 reached their career peak in 2000 with the UK No.1 singles Take On Me and Same Old Brand New You. It fizzled out soon after the brilliant 2002 singles Caught In The Middle and Make It Good but they returned to success in Norway a few years ago, albeit minus former member Paul. Ben, Christian and Mark took part in Melodi Grand Prix 2010, Norway's annual show to pick their Eurovision entry and came a respectable 2nd with the fantastic driving pop anthem Don't Wanna Lose You Again. Taking tips from Take That on how to mature their sound successfully, it was a big hit in Norway and may well have been in the UK given half a chance. It's a shame they didn't make it through to Eurovision as Twitter would have lit up when lots of UK viewers watched bemused at the sight of a forgotten British boyband representing Norway! And 12 UK points could have been theirs!
3. Boyzone - Gave It All Away
Having reformed in 2007 and scored a successful comeback with their No Matter What...The Greatest Hits album and the top five single Love You Anyway, Boyzone band member Stephen Gately sadly passed away in October 2009. The remaining Irish quartet regrouped a few months later to celebrate Stephen's life with the No.1 album Brother and the lead single Gave It All Away, the last recorded Boyzone song to feature Stephen's vocals. An oddly reggae tinged ballad, the Mika penned track was one of their finest singles in years and a perfect tribute.
2. Blue - I Can
Back to Eurovision and fast forward a year later where early 00s boyband Blue were internally selected to represent the UK at the contest. Duncan, Simon, Anthony and Lee's reunion seemed to go down well across Europe and indeed their renewed success has continued ever since, with a successful stint on The Big Reunion and a European hit with Hurt Lovers earlier this year. I Can itself was a major hit in some countries following its respectable (by the UK's recent standards!) 11th place finish in the contest with 100 points. A lyrically positive and brilliantly produced pop song that was completely of its time, sounding not at all dissimlar to Tinie Tempah's then recent chart topper Written In The Stars, it was the most hitworthy song in the contest that year and it's actually a surprise that it didn't do a whole lot better. It did manage to come top five in the public vote though so the viewers at home enjoyed it as much as I did! Damn juries.
1. Take That - The Flood
And of course...no top five consisting largely of a load of old reformed boybands would be complete without the mighty Take That. By far the biggest British boyband of the 90s, they took a decade out and somehow returned bigger and better than ever, albeit with a more grown up sound. I already ranked Could It Be Magic, Back For Good, Pray and Never Forget amongst my all time favourite pop songs and they were later joined by the mighty trio of Patience, Shine and Rule The World! The Flood took off where those singles left off with one added ingredient, the return of Robbie Williams to make the band complete once again! A very special pop song, from the triumphant Robbie verse-Gary bridge combo and the killer chorus to the triumphant 'yeaahhhhhhh' middle eight and the subtle electro production that paved the way for the fantastic Progress album. Take That delivered a perfect song once again and it's criminal that it didn't make it to the top of the UK charts! Fingers crossed for something just as special on the rumoured 2014 album!
