Top 40 of 2019 (So Far)

As we reach the half way stage of 2019 it's time for me to unveil my favourite forty songs of the year so far in order of preference.

It would be great to hear your thoughts on my list. Let me know in your comments which songs I've missed and which should be higher!

40-31

YouTube playlist: 40-31

40 Noble Jacks - Rely On Love (Feb)

39 Christian Loffler feat. Mohna - Like Water (Feb)
38 Mark Shepherd - The Grand Scheme Of Things (Feb)
37 Meghan Trainor - Badass Woman (May)
36 Nina Nesbitt - Love Letter (Apr)
35 The Young Punx - Wonderland (June)
34 Halsey - Nightmare (May)
33 Frankie Swain - Hook Line and Sinker (May)
32 Marina - Handmade Heaven (Feb)
31 Calvin Harris and Rag 'n' Bone Man - Giant (Jan)

30-21

YouTube playlist: 30-21

30 Larkins - TV Dream (Feb)

29 Tamara Stewart - Haunted House (Feb)

28 George Ezra - Pretty Shining People (Mar)

27 The Veronicas - Think of Me (May)

26 Sigrid - Don't Feel Like Crying (Mar)

25 Rayelle - Get Dat (Mar)

24 Lizzo - Juice (Jan)

23 Callum Beattie - Connection (Apr)

22 Lucy Spraggan - Lucky Stars (Mar)

21 Bob Sinclar feat. Robbie Williams - Electrico Romantico (Jan)

20-11

YouTube playlist: 20-11

20 Lewis Capaldi - Someone You Loved (Feb)

19 The Impersonators - Sad Café (Mar)

18 Spray - I Wonder Where the Wonder Goes (Original Mix) (May)

17 Sharon Van Etten - Seventeen (Jan)

16 Léon - You And I (Feb)

15 Rob Thomas - Timeless (Apr)

14 Dua Lipa - Swan Song (Jan)

13 Emma Stevens feat. Kevin Jeremiah - Because It's You (May)

12 Kaiser Chiefs - Record Collection (May)

11 slowthai & Mura Masa - Doorman (Jan)

Top Ten

10 Taylor Swift feat. Brendon Urie - ME! (Apr)

It may be much poppier and cheesier than much of her recent popular material, but if you can stomach the precocious promotional video you'll discover a rather catchy pop hit which benefits from the call and response vocals of the pairing.

09 Bear McCreary feat. Serj Tankian - Godzilla (Apr)

A more upbeat cover of the 1977 Blue Öyster Cult song, this is from the end credits of the recent Godzilla sequel and proved to be the best thing of the lacklustre movie. A strong tongue-in-cheek catchy number.

08 Busted - Shipwrecked in Atlantis (Mar)

Busted back to their best with their first album sound. It may come across as a cross between 'Crash and Burn' and their Thunderbirds song but it's fun and irreverent in equal measure.

07 Walter Martin - Do-Dilly-Do (A Friend Like You) (Apr)

From the delightful film 'Missing Link' this is a quirky and gentle little number with a sweet heart.

06 Keith Urban feat. Kassi Ashton - Drop Top (June)

Its lyrics aren't particularly highbrow but the tempo shifts and the country-pop vibe make this a great memorable number.

05 Keane - The Way I Feel (June)
Taken from their new upcoming album this bouncy ode to dealing with mental health is a strong juxtaposition between upbeat pop music and darker lyrics.

04 White Lies - Tokyo (Jan)

A very welcome return for 'White Lies', 'Tokyo' is a song that will quickly stick in your head thanks to its catchy, chantable chorus, which I imagine will be a live favourite.

03 Robbie Williams - I Just Want People To Like Me (Jan)

With some baiting lyrics aimed at his fans as much as his detractors, this lead single from his b-side collection is better than some of his bigger hits, and has a huge, singable chorus.

02 Ward Thomas - No Filter (Jan)

The duo that continue to release some brilliant singles as well as albums, this social media-referencing lead single employs one of the best bridges from verse to chorus in many years.

01 Georgia - About Work The Dancefloor (Mar)

Proving that YouTube adverts sometimes work when they're not trying to flog you a Netflix subscription or Grammarly, I discovered Georgia and this song through an advertised live set. The electronic style, strong production and quirky nature all work together to make this the best song of the year so far, and the video is excellent as well. It's been a long time since I've heard something as genuinely interesting as this.

And before I leave you to the comments, here are four songs I discovered in 2019 that would have appeared somewhere in the list had they been released this year!

• Alice Merton - Lash Out
• Andy Burrows & Matt Haig - Barcelona
• Chasing Deer - Placebo
• Kelsea Ballerini - Miss Me More

Record Store Day 2019: Our Picks

Record Store Day is an annual day where local and independent record stores get a selection of exclusive vinyls to encourage music lovers and listeners to support their nearest small record store rather than the big hitters or online retailers.

Obviously in a year when HMV has been struggling due to online music consumption and other sources of music, the divide between the chains and the independents is no longer so clear cut.

Taking place this year on Saturday 13th April you can discover the whole list online but we've picked our selection of what we have our eyes on.

If you've got your own picks, why not share them down in the comments?

Fatboy Slim Right Here Right Now
12″ yellow vinyl, die-cut sleeve

Norman Cook's classic 1999 song, the one with that history lesson in its music video, gets a 20-year reissue on yellow vinyl. Includes some fun remixes and a brand new track from Mr Slim himself. Click here to find out more.

iDKHOW - 1981 Extended Play EP
12''

Featuring the incredible 'Do It All The Time' as the closing track of this six-song EP, this rock duo from Salt Lake City fused electronic, indie and quirky pop on that single, and there's much to enjoy on the other songs as well. Click here to find out more.

Kaiser Chiefs Oh My God
vinyl EP 7" 45 rpm

The original version of the Kaiser Chiefs classic was release back in May 2004 on CD but has not seen the light of day since. Drag your passport before the EU borders close with this much sought after 7-inch. Click here to find out more.

Keane Disconnected / Sovereign Light Café
Green 7″ Single

Dave Fridmann has created new versions of these two songs from the band's fourth album 'Strangeland'. 'Sovereign Light Café' is one of our favourite songs from their canon, and we look forward to hearing these tweaked editions. The vinyl, on green, comes with exclusive artwork and a digital download card for those who want to keep the physical release perfect. Click here to find out more.

KT Tunstall - Extra Wax
7''

We are big fans of Tunstall's recent 'Wax' album and the chance to own more is great. Including an exclusive cover, and two tracks from the album's deluxe edition, we want to grab this one!

Queen Bohemian Rhapsody / I’m In Love With My Car
7” Single – Coloured Vinyl

A delightfully coloured vinyl, there are some strong extras on this recreation of the classic a-side and the, er, memorable b-side. Click here to find out more.

Queen Bohemian Rhapsody Picture Disc
2LP – Picture Discs

We're not going to hide the fact that we're a big fan of the movie from the end of 2018 and a chance to own the soundtrack on vinyl, including the Live Aid set, is not one to be missed. Click here to find out more.