Before #TheTwen2ie5 starts next week, some stats (1/2): Number of songs by each year: 2020: 7 2021: 3 2022: 7 2023: 11 2024: 14 2025: 8 (sorry 2021) Compliance: NKC: 96% ✅ ISC: 100% ✅

#Ye-Ye-Yeah 60s French pop 13/15 Chantal Goya - Tu M'as Trop Menti Picked for the flute(?), which is perky despite the song's sentiment.

#Ye-Ye-Yeah 60s French pop 12/15 Jacques Brel - La chanson de Jacky I can't choose 60s French pop and not include this iconic tune.

#Ye-Ye-Yeah 60s French pop 11/15 Isabelle - Une odeur de neige Odeur sounds much more romantique en français. This is a very sad(?) and delicate song for Friday.

#Ye-Ye-Yeah 60s French pop 10/15 Jacqueline Taïeb - Ce soir je m'en vais Doomed(?) love between London and Paris. I could float away on this song.

Diving into the new Wednesday album and three days of unread work emails (🤞and also, 🤞)

#Ye-Ye-Yeah 60s French pop 9/15 Serge Gainsbourg - La chanson de Prévert I've chosen a couple of Serge tunes, but no actual Serge yet ... so here's a mellow one, discovered via #Let5D0It

#Ye-Ye-Yeah 60s French pop 8/15 Sheila - Bang Bang There are squillions of versions of Bang Bang - it does sound even more tragique in French though.

#Ye-Ye-Yeah 60s French pop 7/15 Jane Birkin - Jane B. Pretty dreamy Chopin-pop

#Ye-Ye-Yeah 60s French pop 6/15 Nino Ferrer - Mirza I like this song as the orchestration and organ are very groovy - and Nino himself is excellently growly.

#Ye-Ye-Yeah 60s French pop 5/15 Anna Karina - Roller Girl Have added 'Anna' to my film watchlist as I'm intrigued by a musical comedy with Anna, Serge Gainsbourg, and Marianne Faithfull.

#Ye-Ye-Yeah 60s French pop 4/15 Jacques Dutronc - Les Cactus Time to rock (slightly) with Jacques. Exemplary aïe aïe aïes and ouilles.

Cannot work out if the two people sat next to each other in the cafe are strangers or a very miserable couple. (Communal tables are very confusing)

#Ye-Ye-Yeah 60s French pop 3/15 Marie Laforêt - Mon amour, mon ami I've really enjoyed discovering some of Marie's songs, which can be very dramatic (and slightly sinister). This one has strong Puppet On A String vibes ... youtu.be/oxnX23_494U?...

#Ye-Ye-Yeah 60s French pop 2/15 Liz Brady - Palladium (The Hip) The screams, the yé-yé-yés, the sass. One of my favourites.

#Ye-Ye-Yeah 60s French pop #MusicChallenge 1/15 Françoise Hardy - Comment te dire adieu Let's start with cette très belle chanson ...

Love having a 'recommended for you' section when I open up Excel at work. What exciting 'sheets will the algo offer up today?

Show us the last four albums you listened to (Also #Twen2ie5 edition)

Bringing more records back from Sheffield - this time with (checks Wikipedia) "one of the seminal early bands of the Britpop era" The Candyskins' and Space I'm In. (I'm not sure I've listened to this since 1991 when it was a jangly favourite)

Slightly diminish a book Four Tiny Pigs

I've never listened to Rumours so am going to listen to it for #ClassicAlbumThursday / PowerPoint wrangling afternoon

I went to the cinema an unprecedented three times in two weeks. Good times were had at all the movies. Fitzcarraldo was 'fine' - but expected more. #letterboxdfriday #lastfourwatched

Spent the eve of my (big) birthday with Evan! and The Lemonheads!! The Outdoor Type was played. (photo is appropriately woozy)

#ALL50RTS Day 50 🌟 Bonus - 11 points 🌟 Pulp - David's Last Summer (1994) It's not the end of summer yet, but my holiday is over, and it's back to work tomorrow so we're getting there. Plus any song that goes from the jaunty 'we went driving' to the anguished howl of 'i want you to stay' rules.

#ALL50RTS Day 49 The Beach Boys - I Just Wasn't Made For These Times (1966) I kept my Beach Boys pick to the end to see if anything needed an extra boost - from the posts maybe they all do 😬? Anyway, this one is, of course, particularly lovely. [Final bonus tomorrow.]

Back in the UK, so time for Big Sainsbury's shop and the new Water From Your Eyes album.

#ALL50RTS Day 48 Lana Del Rey - Happiness is a butterfly (2019) I'm working my way through Lana's albums and finding I already know a good chunk of them (osmosis?). I particularly enjoy the sad wistfulness here.

#ALL50RTS Day 47 Saint Etienne - Mario's Café (1993) I've never lived in North London, but this is what I imagine life to be like there.

#ALL50RTS Day 46 MF DOOM feat Mr. Fantastik - Rapp Snitch Knishes (2004) .. and this track is irresistible - the amazing loop (this is kind of my Bowie pick?) and pure charisma of MF DOOM and Mr. Fantastik. Also, Tears for Fear reference.

#ALL50RTS Day 45 De La Soul - Transmitting Live from Mars (1989) I am sure it is of no comfort in the context of the lawsuit - but the charm of this track was the reason I absolutely fell for De La Soul on hearing 3 Feet High and Rising.

#ALL50RTS Day 44 The Human League - The Things That Dreams Are Made Of (1981) I could have sworn this was a massive hit as it's one of the 'League songs I know the best. Maybe it's a Sheffield thing*? (*Apparently it could also be a Ski Sunday thing??)

#ALL50RTS Day 43 Portishead - Roads (1994) This album was played by everyone (including me) so (so) much at uni that it sometimes feels overplayed, even 30 years later. Except Roads, which is still fabulous and haunting.

When the local cinema is also a football stadium (this is a couple of hours before kick-off). Saw Weapons, which was exactly the right level of scary for me.

#ALL50RTS Day 42 Blur - Young and Lovely (1993) The first song I put on my all50rts list; bittersweet blur is always the best blur.

#ALL50RTS Day 41 Nina Simone - Sinnerman (1965) A track I couldn't pick for Let5D0It. I was tempted by Feeling Good too, but kept getting swept up by this powerhouse of a tune.

#ALL50RTS Day 40 Pixies - Debaser (1989) I could have picked most of the songs (that weren't singles) from this album, but this still takes me back to hearing Doolittle for the first time at my friend's house and being wowed from the start.

#ALL50RTS Day 39 Wilco - Jesus, Etc. (2002) All of the Wilco choices so far are 100% correct, and also I am choosing this one (sorry) because it makes me feel like everything might be okay.

Materialists came out two months ago in Portugal, but is still showing at the cinema near my in-laws 🙌

#ALL50RTS Day 38 Mogwai - Cody (1999) More Scottish sad song prettiness. (One of two albums on my list that was played to me at a friend's house, and I loved it so much I had to go buy it on the way home.)

#ALL50RTS Day 37 Aztec Camera - We Could Send Letters (1981) (linked to High Land, Hard Rain '83) My, this (sad) song is so pretty.

#ALL50RTS Day 36 Electronic - Some Distant Memory (1991) Apologies to New Order and Joy Division, but this is the Bernard-adjacent album I have spent most time with. Full of fabulous songs, the instrumental second half of this one is beautiful ...

#ALL50RTS Day 35 Girls Aloud - Memory Of You (2009) Just too swoonsome - who can resist this trance-filled trip?

#ALL50RTS Day 34 Charli XCX - Track 10 (2017) I love the epic glitchiness of this banger.

All of these were a blast. Every choice made by everyone in Deep Red was ridiculous (complimentary). #letterboxdfriday #lastfourwatched

#ALL50RTS Day 33 Franco Battiato - Gli Uccelli (1981) I discovered this via the 'La Chimera' end credits, and it's a glorious synth pop symphony, constantly switching tack and full of waterfall orchestration, a hint of new-wave, and synthetic flutes. Perfect for [redacts film spoilers]

#ALL50RTS Day 32 The Beatles - In My Life (1965) So many Beatles choices ...but if my other pick is the one I grew up with, this is the one I've grown into.

#ALL50RTS Day 31 Super Furry Animals - Run! Christian, Run! (2001) Super Furry Animals were low-key one of my favourite late 90s/ early 00s bands. Love the slow build/ climactic wig out on this.

#ALL50RTS Day 30 Mitski - Washing Machine Heart (2018) Over a billion streams 😬 Video 😬 Iconic track for the artist 😬 ... but apparently not a single, so adding a vote for one of my favourite Mitski tracks.

#ALL50RTS Day 29 Chico Buarque - Cotidiano (1971) A song about the relentless grind of labour (including women's unpaid work). But with perky percussion and a delightful flute(?). I love the arrangement - even if it does feel like being surrounded by murderous clocks at the end.

#ALL50RTS Day 28 Nirvana - Breed (1991) Pure adrenaline, cool bass line, and guitars sweeping across the speakers like a jet. (I nearly went for another song, got cold feet about it's eligibility, and by the time I'd reassured myself, this had nicked the Nirvana crown)