The Official Charts Pop Gem Hall Of Fame

Take a look at all the songs that have already made it into our Pop Gem Hall Of Fame
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Every week we ask you for your Pop Gems, those overlooked classics that used to hog the radio but have somehow slipped down the back of pop's very plump sofa.

96 songs have already made it into our Pop Gem Hall Of Fame, from the very first, Michelle Gayle's Sweetness, to the latest classic, Fascination from Alphabeat.

What the heck is a Pop Gem, anyway? Check out our Pop Gem Manifesto for a full rundown…

Check out our Spotify and Deezer playlists of every Pop Gem ever ever ever for possibly more pop fabulousness than your average Joe could handle (we know you can take it, though).

 

POP GEM # TRACK ARTIST YEAR PEAK POSITION THEME
1 SWEETNESS MICHELLE GAYLE 1994 4  -
2 I AM, I FEEL ALISHA'S ATTIC 1996 14  -
3 DAY AND NIGHT BILLIE PIPER 2000 1  -
4 SUNSHINE ON A RAINY DAY ZOE 1991 4  -
5 A LITTLE RESPECT ERASURE 1988 4  -
6 CRAZY FOR YOU LET LOOSE 1994 2  -
7 I KNOW WHERE IT'S AT ALL SAINTS 1997 4  -
8 BE MY BABY VANESSA PARADIS 1992 6  -
9 DOIN' THE DO BETTY BOO 1990 7  -
10 BIOLOGY GIRLS ALOUD 2005 4  -
11 FREAK ME ANOTHER LEVEL 1998 1  -
12 SUPERSTAR JAMELIA 2003 3  -
13 7 DAYS CRAIG DAVID 2000 1  -
14 UNWRITTEN NATASHA BEDINGFIELD 2004 6  -
15 MAYBE EMMA BUNTON 2003 6  -
16 SCANDALOUS MIS-TEEQ 2003 2  -
17 I LOVE YOU ALWAYS FOREVER DONNA LEWIS 1996 5  -
18 AIN'T NO MAN DINA CARROLL 1992 16  -
19 OPEN YOUR HEART MADONNA 1986 4 MADONNA 
20 YOUR DISCO NEEDS YOU KYLIE MINOGUE 2000 N/A SHOULDA BEEN A SINGLE
21 KISS KISS HOLLY VALANCE 2002 1 TV STARS TO POP STARS
22 LIQUID DREAMS O TOWN 2001 3 BOYBANDS
23 WHAT HAVE I DONE TO DESERVE THIS? PET SHOP BOYS 1987 2 NUMBER 2
24 LOVE IN THE FIRST DEGREE BANANARAMA 1987 3 GIRLBANDS
25 (YOU DRIVE ME) CRAZY BRITNEY SPEARS 1999 5 BRITNEY
26 I WANT YOU BACK MELANIE B/MISSY ELLIOTT 1998 1 COLLABORATIONS
27 IF YOU WANNA BE HAPPY JIMMY SOUL 1963 39 MOVIES
28 SWEET DREAMS MY LA EX RACHEL STEVENS 2003 2 BREAKUPS
29 TAKE ME HOME SOPHIE ELLIS-BEXTOR 2001 2 COVERS
30 FIGHTER CHRISTINA AGUILERA 2003 3 COOL VIDEOS
31 EVERYBODY'S FREE (TO FEEL GOOD) ROZALLA 1991 6 FEELGOOD
32 GET IT ON TONITE MONTELL JORDAN 2000 15 R&B BANGERS
33 ENCORE UNE FOIS SASH! 1997 2 DANCEFLOOR ANTHEMS
34 POP N SYNC 2001 9 BOYBANDS
35 CRAZY ETERNAL 1994 15 GIRLBANDS
36 DO THEY KNOW IT'S CHRISTMAS BAND AID 1984 1 CHRISTMAS
37 FLATLINE MUTYA KEISHA SIOBHAN 2013 50 2013 UNSUNG HEROES
38 KIDS ROBBIE WILLIAMS & KYLIE MINOGUE 2000 2 DUETS
39 IT'S ALL COMING BACK TO ME NOW CELINE DION 1995 3 POWER BALLADS
40 THE DAY BEFORE YOU CAME ABBA 1982 32 POP LUCK
41 I BEGIN TO WONDER DANNII MINOGUE 2003 2 POP LUCK
42 CAUGHT OUT THERE KELIS 2000 5 DEBUTS
43 BLAME IT ON THE WEATHERMAN B*WITCHED 1999 1 RAIN
44 MARIA BLONDIE 1999 1 COMEBACKS
45 THIS TIME I KNOW IT'S FOR REAL DONNA SUMMER 1989 3 DECLARATIONS OF LOVE
46 NEVER TRUST A STRANGER KIM WILDE 1988 7 BREAKUPS
47 FINEST DREAMS RICHARD X FT KELIS 2003 8 DREAMS
48 TURN BACK TIME AQUA 1998 1 OVERLOOKED NUMBER 1S
49 ONE FOR SORROW STEPS 1998 2 NUMBER 2
50 ALL ABOUT YOU MCFLY 2005 1 CHARITY SINGLES
51 HOLLYWOOD MARINA AND THE DIAMONDS 2010 12 LADIES' DAY
52 JEALOUSY WILL YOUNG 2011 5 TV TALENT SHOW STARS
53 AIN'T THAT JUST THE WAY LUTRICIA MCNEAL 1997 6 PROPER NINETIES
54 DANCING ON MY OWN ROBYN 2010 8 SAD SONGS
55 STEAL MY SUNSHINE LEN 1999 8 HAPPY SONGS
56 WHERE ARE YOU IMAANI 1998 15 EUROVISION
57 IT'S MY LIFE NO DOUBT 2003 17 COVERS
58 GIVE IT TO YOU JORDAN KNIGHT 1999 5 GOING SOLO
59 CELEBRITY SKIN HOLE 1998 19 ROCK ON!
60 ON THE METRO GIRLS ALOUD 2012 N/A SHOULDA BEEN A SINGLE
61 LADY MARMALADE CHRISTINA AGUILERA/PINK/LIL' KIM/MYA 2001 1 POP TEAM-UPS
62 PUSH THE BUTTON SUGABABES 2005 1 STUCK ON REPEAT
63 MR BRIGHTSIDE THE KILLERS 2004 10 AMERICAN CLASSICS
64 YOU'RE STILL THE ONE SHANIA TWAIN 1998 10 FIRST DANCE
65 LDN LILY ALLEN 2006 6 HOT HOT HOT
66 SATISFACTION BENNY BENASSI PRESENTS THE BIZ 2003 2 POP GYM
67 GRACE KELLY MIKA 2007 1 CRAZY LOVE
68 SINCE U BEEN GONE KELLY CLARKSON 2005 5 BITTER & TWISTED
69 NAKED LOUISE 1996 5 SAUCY
70 YOU'RE SO VAIN CARLY SIMON 1972 3 THE 1970s
71 SMOOTH CRIMINAL MICHAEL JACKSON 1988 8 HAPPY BIRTHDAY MICHAEL
72 BACK TO BLACK AMY WINEHOUSE 2007 8 GOODBYES
73 AS LONG AS YOU LOVE ME BACKSTREET BOYS 1997 3 BOYBANDS
74 THE CALL BACKSTREET BOYS 2001 8 BOYBANDS
75 LOSE MY BREATH DESTINY'S CHILD 2004 2 GIRLGROUPS
76 SEARCHIN' MY SOUL VONDA SHEPARD 1998 10 TV THEMES
77 IT FEELS SO GOOD SONIQUE 2000 1 UNDER-APPRECIATED NUMBER 1S
78 MANEATER NELLY FURTADO 2006 1 COMEBACKS
79 COMMON PEOPLE PULP 1995 2 NUMBER 2
80 I WANNA DANCE WITH SOMEBODY WHITNEY HOUSTON 1987 1 1980s
81 SOMEBODY'S WATCHING ME ROCKWELL 1984 6 HALLOWEEN
82 REACH S CLUB 7 2000 2 KARAOKE CLASSICS
83 TRY SLEEPING WITH A BROKEN HEART ALICIA KEYS 2010 7 SLOW DANCE
84 1 THING AMERIE 2005 4 NUMBERS
85 THAT'S NOT MY NAME TING TINGS 2008 1 NAMES
86 CRYING FOR NO REASON KATY B 2014 5 2014 UNSUNG HEROES
87 2 BECOME 1 SPICE GIRLS 1996 1 CHRISTMAS NUMBER 1s
88 JUST LIKE A PILL PINK 2002 1 POP CHAMELEONS
89 DON'T THINK I'M NOT KANDI 2000 9 CHEATING
90 THE SIGN ACE OF BASE 1994 2 '90s
91 GOTTA TELL YOU SAMANTHA MUMBA 2000 2 NOUGHTIES
92 TOO LOST IN YOU SUGABABES 2003 10 SONGS ABOUT LOVE
93 STUCK STACIE ORRICO 2003 9 CHART DEBUTS
94 YES MCALMONT & BUTLER 1995 8 BEST OF BRITISH
95 FROM PARIS TO BERLIN INFERNAL 2006 2 PLACES
96 LIKE A PRAYER MADONNA 1989 1 MADONNA
97 FULL MOON BRANDY 2002 15 INTERGALACTIC
98 END OF THE LINE HONEYZ 1998 5 LEAVING
99 BLACK & GOLD SAM SPARRO 2008 2 ONE BIG HIT
100 YOUR DISCO NEEDS YOU KYLIE MINOGUE 2000 N/A ULTIMATE POP GEM
101 FASCINATION ALPHABEAT 2008 6 LOVED BUT OVERPLAYED

Pop Gem facts

2003 is the most represented year so far, with eleven Pop Gems coming from that most amazing of pop years. 1998 is next, with eight.

Five acts have more than one Pop Gem under their belts. Kylie's got Your Disco Needs You and her duet with Robbie Williams, Kids. Kelis bagged two thanks to her debut single Caught Out There and a feature on Richard X's Finest Dreams. Girls Aloud scored a double thanks to Biology and On The Metro, while Christina Aguilera netted herself a second Pop Gem nod as part of her collaboration with Pink, Lil' Kim and Mya on Moulin Rouge soundtrack tune Lady Marmalade. Pink herself then scored another with Just Like A Pill. When it came to boyband week, we couldn't decide between Backstreet Boys' songs, so they have two. Sugababes have also scored two Pop Gems.

Our lowest charting Pop Gem – aside from Your Disco Needs You and On The Metro, which weren't released as singles in the UK – is former Sugababes' Mutya Keisha Siobhan's comeback single, Flatline, which peaked at Number 50 in 2013. The oldest song in our Pop Gem Hall Of Fame is Jimmy Soul's If You Wanna Be Happy from 1963.

The Pop Gem Manifesto

Here's why each week we ask you for your fave forgotten classics for our Official Charts Pop Gem!

We like a pop tune. No, rephrase, we LOVE a pop tune.

But have you ever wondered what happens to some songs when they disappear out of the charts, off radio playlists, pulled from music TV channels, never to be seen again? And what about those huge hits from back in the day that everybody knows but maybe don't get as much attention as you'd like?

They could be absolute corkers, seemingly everywhere for a whole summer, or perhaps they were an 'unsung hero' – an overlooked single that didn’t even make it into the Top 10 but made you tingle with love for pop music all the same.

And now they’re gone, into a puff of smoke they went – last year, five years ago, 12 years ago, 20 years ago, whatever year they were from… they were fantastic, then faded into obscurity with barely a goodbye. Sure, you still see them on music channels as you flick through, but what about some solid-gold appreciation?

Well, here’s where the injustice ends! Ladies and gentleman of pop appreciation, we're looking to you to unearth the Official Charts Pop Gems!

Every week we're looking for those glorious musical nuggets, those harmless slices of pop brilliance that remind you of the good times in life – growing up, making up dances in the school playground, learning lyrics from the latest issue of Smash Hits, your first snog, celebrating the end of your GCSEs, passing your driving test, your first holiday without your parents, legendary nights out on the tiles.

Know a long-forgotten favourite or a huge hit of yesteryear that needs to be shown some Official Charts Pop Gem love? Don't be shy! Either mail us your nomination at popgem@officialcharts.com or keep your beady, chart-loving eye on our Facebook and Twitter on a Friday, where we reveal the week's theme.

Get involved: Your Pop Gem Needs You.

Playlists

Take a look at ALL the videos for the first 50 Pop Gems on our video playlist:

All the Pop Gems, all the time

We've knocked up a little Spotify playlist for you:

And, not to be outdone, we've done a Deezer one too.

SupercalifraglisticPopGemaladocious!

Ain't nobody love ya like we love ya.

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