Skimming that fount of all knowledge, the daily musings of MSN, I tried to answer the question what was number one ten years ago this week. You remember – that catchy little number Rollin’ by Limp Bizkit.

There’s nothing guaranteed to make you feel your age as looking back over the charts of yesteryear, pop pickers. I have to trudge down a long way before there’s anything I can remember and even further before there is anything I could actually sing along to.

Fifteen years ago Babylon Zoo topped the charts with Spaceman, or was it Spaceman singing Babylon Zoo, I have no idea. I do remember the Rivers of Babylon, not personally of course, but the rendition by Boney M circa 1978, that double A side with Brown Girl in the Ring, la, la, la, la, la.

I had always thought Phil Collins was at number one with You Can’t Hurry Love when my daughter was born 28 years ago today, but apparently it was Men at Work with ‘Down Under.’ All variations on a labour induced theme I suppose, but I’ll cling to my memories of Phil.

The Pop Chart appears to have born the same year as me, although ‘Mantovani Song: from The Moulin Rouge’ wasn’t playing when I took my first breath. My first musical memory, excluding Baa Baa Black Sheep was Winifred Atwell playing Poor People of Paris – not on the Joanna in our front room, we didn't have one, but on a 78 record which my dad played on our radiogram. This was the same year Doris Day released Que Sera, Sera (Whatever Will Be Will Be) which apparently was my party piece, not that we were a great party going family.

In the year Cliff first sang Living Doll, what do I remember - Russ Conway’s Side Saddle. I seem to have had a penchant for piano players.

And the older I become, the older my musical preferences, although I confess to still enjoying a bit of Rod. Top of my personal charts is Al Bowlly, a 1930s crooner who sang Goodnight Sweetheart, Love is the Sweetest Thing and The Very Thought of You. Those were the days!

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