Top 40 Singles of 2006 - #20-11

11) Jamelia – Something About You
Forget David Hasselhoff getting to #3, or All Saints album getting to #40, Jamelia’s comeback single ended up with the most surprising chart position of the year. On first hearing, its radio-friendly R&B verses, Kelly Clarkson-style chorus and stylish video seemed like it was destined for #1 so it’s baffling why it only managed #9. She seems to be suffering from Rachel Stevens syndrome – great songs but no-one seems to care anymore. She’s one of the best pop stars we’ve got at the moment - opinionated, talented and not afraid to take risks, it’ll be a shame if she has to come back from the dumper yet again.

12) Nerina Pallot – Everybody’s Gone To War
After being dropped from her record company a few years ago, this year was when it finally happened for Nerina Pallot, even if she’s still not as big as she ought to be. That her breakthrough occurred with such an overtly political song was surprising but its vintage Sheryl Crow sound complete with a big chorus and excellent food fight video meant it was always destined to be a hit. One of the best additions to the plethora of singer-songwriters that broke through this year.

13) The Modern – Industry
On first listen, you’d think this was a track from the Top 40 Singles of 1983, not 2006. Easily the most authentic sounding retro-single of the year, this took electro-pop right back to its 80s roots - the only modern thing about it was its Gwen Stefani-type chorus. Unfortunately, this track was disqualified from the chart due to accusations of chart-rigging, and we’ve not heard of them since.

14) Corinne Bailey Rae – Trouble Sleeping
She may be getting labelled as a “coffee-table” act but that’s only down to her massive sales - there’s nothing bland about her voice, similar to a modern Ella Fitzgerald, nor indeed her songs, particularly on the lovely chillout soul of this third single, which I found far preferable to the overplayed Put Your Records On.

15) Solu Music featuring Kimblee – Fade
A Hed Kandi anthem for several years, this classic sounding house track, featuring vocals from Lisa Stansfield-soundalike Kimblee, finally got released in time to become the dance track of the Summer. Apparently the single remix butchered the original version but as I've never heard it, I'll remain blissfully ignorant.

16) India Arie – I Am Not My Hair
Her debut album Acoustic Soul managed to do the impossible by merging nu-soul with actual tunes and melodies. She managed an even more amazing feat by making Akon sound bearable on this, her most commercial single to date. I Am Not My Hair may have had a corny message (beauty is only skin deep etc) but thanks to her rich, soulful voice and unusual lyrics, namechecking Oprah Winfrey in the process, she managed to deliver it in her usual unique style.

17) Robbie Williams – Lovelight
The whole Rudebox project has been one of the most baffling things to happen in music this year. Was it a joke? Was Robbie trying to prove that he could release any old crap and it would still sell? Or was it a genuine attempt at reinventing himself? Listening to the album, the jury is out, but there’s no denying that Lovelight is easily his best single since "Feel" and indeed one of the best things he’s ever done. That it was met with such apathy on its release is probably down to the career-suicidal decision to release Rudebox first. But this Lewis Taylor cover, the kind of soul-pop George Michael used to do so well, deserved to be a much bigger hit than it was. No doubt he’ll go back to predictable MOR stadium anthems next year.

18) Captain – Glorious
A fitting title, Captain are the second of just two acts to have more than one song in the Top 40, and were probably my favourite new band of the year. This was their second consecutive brilliant single which was followed by a promising Trevor Horn-produced debut album but for some reason, they just haven’t captured the public’s imagination in the same way.

19) Michael Gray featuring Shelley Poole – Borderline
Shelley Poole must have some kind of affinity with the #12. She never had a top ten hit as part of Alisha’s Attic, reaching an agonisingly close #12 on three occasions. And she made it a fourth on this collaboration with Dutch producer Michael Gray. This may have been a tad formulaic and not too much of a departure from "The Weekend" but Poole's vocals added a touch of elegance missing from most chart dance hits this year.

20) Friday Hill – One More Night Alone
Embarrassing song #2. Blazin’ Squad, apart from the genius Flip Reverse, may have been one of the most excruciatingly bad pop acts of this decade. So it’s no surprise that three of its former members, would decide to distance themselves as much as possible in their new outfit. A cover of a D-Side album track may not sound too promising but this was an unpretentious guitar-pop song with a storming chorus which ended up being my guilty pleasure of the year. The ridiculous ad-libs from the ever-likeable Kenzie (“just buh-buh-buh-lieve me now”) only added to its charm.