Top 40 Singles of 2006 #30-21

21) Editors – All Sparks
Editors were the only act to have two singles in my Top 40 last year and they just miss out on a Top 20 placing in this year’s one, with one of the best tracks off the good but samey The Back Room album. They may have overdone the re-releases (three of their singles were re-released) but it was great to see a guitar band who weren’t trying to be Coldplay, managing to break through and get a top 3 album.

22) Faithless – Bombs
Another dance act who consistently produce the goods. I’ve always preferred Faithless when they’re doing their chillout low-key stuff rather than their thumping trance and it didn’t get more low-key than this. A surprising choice for a lead single, it left you completely underwhelmed at first but slowly won you around thanks to its Royksopp-style production, soulful vocals from Harry from Kubb and Maxi Jazz’s laid-back as ever words of wisdom.

23) Muse – Supermassive Black Hole
An even more surprising entry than Coldplay, Muse’s previous prog-rock sound had done absolutely nothing for me. This new direction was still as overblown as ever, but went down the very brave route of incorporating a pop element as well which may have alienated a few fans but gained many many more. A staggering likeness to Britney's "Do Something", this was one of the most "knock you for six when you first hear it" singles of the year.

24) Basement Jaxx – Take Me Back To Your House
You should always expect the unexpected on a Basement Jaxx record but they surpassed themselves in the "completely barmy" stakes with this second single from the under-achieving Crazy Itch Radio album. Accordians, banjos, helium-pitched “no-no-nos,” this was the most Russian-sounding dance single you’ll ever hear. A shame that it actually ended up as their lowest charting song.

25) Mattafix – To And Fro
Another act criminally ignored and destined to be consigned to the dumper. This duo were largely responsible for Siobhan Donaghy’s excellent debut, and indeed she pops up on backing vocals here, a mellow R&B track full of haunting violins, electro squelches and a quite frankly bizarre rap. The album was just as good as well.

26) Mary J.Blige featuring U2 – One
One of the most opinion-dividing singles of the year, mainly because of narrow-minded U2 fans, how anyone can fail to be completely bowled over by Mary’s vocal performance, particularly in the final minute, is beyond me. The original may be a classic, but this added something else without ruining it. A rare feat. And it deservedly gave her her biggest hit to date.

27) Alesha – Knockdown
A Xenomania produced, Lily Allen soundalike single from the woman responsible for the immortal lines "M-M-Misteeq, we're coming back again/ Love of the music inside your membrane/I'm going to burn you with my lyrical flame". How could it fail? Well for some reason it did. Inexplicably ignored by Radio 1 and pretty much everyone else, it became another prime example of how a pop single, which would have sailed into the top ten a few years ago, now struggles to even make the Top 40.

28) Chicane featuring Tom Jones – Stoned In Love

The song responsible for Tom Jones’ sixteenth comeback, even though his vocals were completely distorted in the verses so it didn’t sound like him anyway. This was an uptempo guitar-led dance track a million miles away from the 90s chillout classics of Offshore & Sunstroke which also bore a slight resemblance to the chorus of Holly Valance’s career-saving single that never was, Desire.

29) Ashlee Simpson – Boyfriend
Embarrassing song #1. At least it’s not Jessica, I suppose. She may have copied the Kelly Clarkson formula down to a tee, but which young female artist isn’t these days. This is just an unashamedly disposable but fun guitar-pop song.

30) Kubb – Grow
They’re never going to win awards for originality but Kubb’s brand of melodic pop-rock produced one of the loveliest if slightly cliched ballads this year thanks to its spine-tingling gospel choir, Jeff Buckly-inspired vocals and soaring strings. This is not vocalist Harry Collier’s only appearance on the chart.