News & UK Play Chart

The Soundnet 'Milestones in Music' package is one of the most popular choices for our loyal band of subscribers. The selection, which includes every top 40 chart hit since records began, is available on Soundnet digital jukeboxes across the country; it's one of the most popular collections for the nation's musical lovers.

Being the curious cats that we are, we asked the Soundnet team to tell us their favourite track from the Milestones in Music package. Here's what they came up with:

"I'm a huge fan of Coldplay. Given the choice, I'd put on 'The Scientist' or 'Talk'. They're both brilliant songs; they remind me of my time at university."

'The Scientist' was released in 2002 and reached position 10 in the charts. 'Talk' was released in 2005 and reached the same chart position.

"I would have to say 'Love will tear us apart' by Joy Division. It's one of the most iconic songs and its continuing popularity – ranked as the best single of all time by NME in 2002 – just demonstrates what a brilliant track it really is."

'Love will tear us apart' was released in 1980 and charted at number 13 in the United Kingdom.

"'I bet you look good on the dancefloor' was the first single for the Arctic Monkeys and it's still their best effort to date. It's a great little number and well worth a listen."M

'I bet you look good on the dancefloor' was released in October, 2005. It peaked at the number one spot.

"Even though Gareth Gates tried to destroy my goodwill towards the song, Elvis' 'Suspicious minds' is my favourite track. It's a perfect song, with a quick tempo and great lyrics. Brilliant stuff."

'Suspicious minds' was released in 1969. It reached the number two spot in the UK.

So, a wide-range of opinions from the Soundnet team. It just goes to show that, whatever the age, we all have a different taste in music. It's a good job that that there are so many different songs on offer in our digital jukeboxes then.

With music fans' buying habits changing dramatically over the past few years you might assume that home insurance would cover downloaded songs as standard – but you'd be wrong. According to Which? around a third of home insurance providers don't cover downloads as part of their standard policies, meaning that in the event of an accident any downloaded songs would be lost without the possibility of compensation. As Britain's music industry moves ever further towards a download culture, with over 100 million tracks already being downloaded per year, this may come as a surprise for some consumers.

Anyone who frequently downloads, therefore, is advised to check their policy and ensure that their downloaded are covered by their current deal, or if not to look into a policy which does cover them. Insurers such as Direct Line and Privilege offer up to £1,000 worth of cover for downloads, with Hiscox' cover extending up to £2,500. Which? also advise heavy downloaders to invest in an external hard drive to act as a backup should anything go wrong with their PC – at least that way a bug in the system won't leave their record collection in the recycle bin. 

V For Vendetta was a thoughtful, chilling and stylish look at a dark vision of the future where totalitarianism reigns supreme and censorship is the order of the day. One of the most exciting of all mediums has always been music, so it's no surprise to learn that one of the things the regime has clamped down on in this fiendish future is songs which aren't in line with their vision of the world.

The film's leading man, the mysterious and disfigured V, has one melodic weapon in his fight against oppression – a Wurlitzer which he's manage to get back from The Ministry Of Objectionable Materials. The presence of this iconic and exciting contraband helps to highlight what a world without freedom might look like, and the lengths people will go to save themselves from the death of self-expression.

The jukebox in the movie has a grand total of 872 blacklisted tracks, including I Found A Reason by avant garde rockers The Velvet Underground, Julie London's version of Cry Me A River and Bird Girl by arty chamber poppers Anthony And The Johnsons. Further proof of the freedom music gives us, and the lengths people will go to to keep it alive

In the first of a series of blogs we look at iconic movie scenes featuring jukeboxes:

Tom Cruise's high flying antics in Top Gun saw it become one of the most popular and talked about films of the 80s, but it proved more than the fact that sunglasses and camaraderie never go out of fashion. Tom played Pete Maverick Mitchell, a cocky pilot who has to overcome a major crisis of confidence following a tragic accident during training which sees his best friend Goose killed.

It's not just jet streams that catch Maverick's attention, however – his female instructor Charlie quickly becomes the object of his affection. His attempts to win her heart with a rendition of the classic Righteous Brothers song You've Lost That Lovin' Feeling doesn't quite work out as planned, with Charlie less than bowled over. At the film's close however, in the famous bar scene, the same song is played on a jukebox and brings back the memories of the pair's romance, providing the perfect soundtrack to a touching reunion. Proof that songs can be powerful tools for memory, and that some music never goes out of fashion, this scene's the stuff of movie legend.

This February will see a new, improved BRIT Awards at London's O2 Arena, and the nominations have been announced for the overhauled celebration of British music. To get you in the mood, why not have a listen to the key tracks from the contenders for British Album Of The Year:

Mumford & Sons: Sigh No More
The folk-influenced Mumford & Sons have become unlikely superstars, more hoe-down than hedonism, their album turned into a word-of-mouth sensation.
Must-hear: Awake My Soul

Plan B: The Defamation of Strickland Banks
Plan B's first album was an angry slice of Hip Hop, so his return as a suited and booted soul-singing star with proper pop star potential was a real surprise.
Must-hear: She Said

Take That: Progress
The reunited man band smashed records with their comeback as a five-piece, and it's set them up for their full-on tour in 2011/
Must-hear: The Flood

Tinie Tempah: Disc-Overy
Tinie Tempah's the new king of grime, and has the most nominations at this year's BRITs with an impressive four, including the biggie: best album.
Must-hear: Pass Out

The xx: xx
These dubstep-infused South Londoners may make gloomy, atmospheric music but had plenty to be cheery about in 2010, including a Mercury Music Prize win.
Must-hear: VCR

Despite the fact Mariah Carey's festive tune All I Want For Christmas Is You never actually made it to number one in the singles chart, it has topped a poll to find the decade's most played Christmas song. The poll was carried out by the PPL, the body behind collecting royalties for artists, and they discovered that Mariah pipped The Pogues' Fairytale Of New York and Wham!'s Last Christmas to the post as the most-played festive ditty. Like the Mariah Carey song, both The Pogues and Wham!'s efforts also stalled at number two in the charts when released as singles.

Mariah's anthem was released in 1994 and has since become a mainstay of radio and music channels' yuletide playlists, making it a bona fide modern classic. Its position at the top of the PPL poll means it's a must-have for any Christmas soundtrack, alongside older festive hits like Slade's Merry Xmas Everybody and Bing and Bowie's Little Drummer Boy. Make sure your venue is ready for the season with Soundnet's Christmas song package, and give your customers' Crimbo drinks or seasonal dos the perfect tinsel-tinged atmosphere.

With Christmas on its way, you might have noticed that your customers' tastes in background music have taken a turn for the unusual. Rather than flocking to the latest number one or a slice of classic rock 'n' roll, many will have developed a peculiar, annual love of songs about reindeer, Santa and all things tinsel-based. Luckily, music's back catalogue is jam-packed with festive songs guaranteed to get the seasonal spirit, and spirits, flowing and ensure that even the biggest Christmas fan has plenty to drink mulled wine to.

From the sing-along classics from glam rockers like Slade and Wizzard, to novelty tunes you can only get away with when people have had a few too many eggnogs (Mr Blobby, we're looking at you) to the classier end of the scale, with perennial favourites like Nat King Cole and Judy Garland, music has a very close-knit relationship with yuletide. Whether your vote goes to The Pogues or Bowie and Bing for best Christmas tune, there's nothing as certain to get you in the festive spirit as the right sleigh-bell laden soundtrack. So from Coldplay's new attempt at cornering the Christmas market to the favourites which have been a fixture of the season for decades, Soundnet offers all the hits you'll need to ring in the holidays in style.

The entertainment juggernaut that is X Factor came to a glittery conclusion this weekend, but, despite huge ratings and acres of press coverage, Matt Cardle will be forgiven for being a little on edge about his chart-topping prospects for one reason: last year's Facebook campaign. In previous years the X Factor winner was guaranteed the festive number one, but a highly-orchestrated online campaign in 2009 saw Joe McElderry's cover of The Climb pipped to the top by Rage Against The Machine's swear-packed classic, Killing In The Name.

This year the Internet tricksters are trying to provide another demonstration of people power, and the 'song' of choice is avant-garde composer John Cage's infamous 4'33 – a performance piece in which musicians don't play their instruments for four minutes, 33 seconds, and the ensuing silence is recorded. It doesn't look like Cage will join Rage at the top, however, with early figures showing that the re-recorded composition is unlikely to bother the top 20, despite featuring the likes of Billy Bragg, and members of The Kooks and Madness. Matt Cardle's clear bookies' favourite with his version of Many Of Horror by rockers Biffy Clyro – cunningly Cardle-ised under the new title When We Collide.

The Beatles' songs are now all available for download on iTunes. And, just a couple of days after release, they're already starting to fill up iTunes' chart.

One of the reason for the long delay in the band's back catalogue being offered in this way was a question as to whether downloaders should be allowed to take the songs out of the context of their albums. In the end, all The Beatles' songs have been made available for individual download. Having been the band who pioneered the art of the album, with seminal works like Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, there was always a concern from the guardians of the Fab Four's estate that their art would suffer if cut up into individual songs.

Does hearing Good Day Sunshine on its own, rather than as part of Revolver, lessen the experience, or will a new bite-sized Beatles attract a new generation of iPod-happy fans to sample the delights of their peerless songwriting?

Early favourites in the download stakes include Hey Jude, Twist And Shout and Let It Be – it looks like The Beatles may be about to take over the charts all over again...

Not for the first time in his career, Detroit rapper Eminem is courting controversy. The video for his new single Love The Way You Lie has been causing debate and argument among bloggers and music fans over its depiction of domestic violence. The subject matter is close to Eminem's own heart, and to his guest vocalist Rihanna's, both of whom have been involved in very public abusive relationships.

Starring Hollywood pin-up Megan Fox and Brit actor Dominic Monaghan as a fiery couple, the aggression they show each other has prompted some critics to slam the video as glamorising domestic violence, including Entertainment Weekly in the States which wrote "All the rage and beatings are lit in a very dramatic and sexy way, because the people doing the raging and beating are very lithe and muscular and gorgeous."

Scenes which have proved particularly devisive include Monaghan punching dry-wall, inches from Fox, and the passionate kisses which follow incidents of violence and rage. The lyrics are also creating a stir, with lines like "I laid hands on her, I'll never stoop so low again/I guess I don't know my own strength" coming under extreme scrutiny.

The video is certainly edgy, and the subject matter horrific, but the decision from both the artists to create something about destructive relationships seems like a brave move, and anything that brings this often hidden issue into a public forum can only be a good thing. As for glamorising violence – you'll have to judge for yourself by watching the video.

Their back-story was pure tabloid-fodder, with burglaries, rehab, prison and more break-ups than Deirdre and Ken Barlow, but The Libertines are finally letting by-gones be by-gones and reuniting for this year's Leeds and Reading Festivals. Whether it's the allure of showcasing their back catalogue again, or the reported £1million pay-cheque, there are bound to be fireworks when they take to the stage. Not to mention pandemonium beforehand.

The band's announcement of a one-off warm-up show at London' HMV Forum in Kentish Town set off a virtual scramble for tickets. Their release via a strict ballot system, to prevent touting, hasn't prevented some of the ticket codes being offered on eBay, with bids of up to £20,000 attracting almost as many column inches as the band's antics. But what was so special about this often shambolic band, to inspire such dedication?

Simply put, they were a breath of off-the-cuff, rock 'n' roll fresh air in a stale British music scene, dominated by cosy guitar bands peddling Britpop-lite at the beginning of the Millennium. Owing as much of a debt to Chas 'N' Dave as The Strokes, Pete Doherty and Carl Barat's quintessentially English lyrics, ramshackle arrangements and openness created a social community around the band, fuelled by impromptu intimate gigs announced on fan forums, some of which took place at the duo's own flat. Whether a big-money reunion in a field of thousands is the best way to showcase their punk-skiffle sound remains to be seen, but it's bound to be another fascinating chapter in The Libertines' saga.

Soundnet's jukebox must-hears: Can't Stand Me Now, The Good Old Days, Time For Heroes.

Amy Winehouse’s long-awaited follow up to 2006’s hugely successful Back To Black is finally on its way, with an expected release in January 2011. Amy’s going back to the influences which made her last album a huge success, telling journalists her forthcoming release will be "another jukebox album".

This has given fans and critics reason to hope for more hits like Rehab and Tears Dry On Their Own, recalling the glory days of Motown and darker 60s Soul. Here’s our look at some of the influences we can expect to hear on Amy’s third album:

Etta James

One of the undoubted queens of soul, Etta had the voice and the diva attitude on show in Amy, not to mention her fair share of demons, including a substance abuse problem.

Soundnet's jukebox must-hear: At Last

The Specials

The Ska kings have recently reunited and Amy’s been known to cover their version of Toots and the Maytals’ Monkey Man in her live shows. Expect a bit of sun-kissed Ska on the new LP: a hangover from her months in St Lucia.

Soundnet's jukebox must-hear: Too Much, Too Young

Phil Spector

Another troubled music star, Spector produced some of the greatest pop songs of all time, masterminding the Ronettes and a whole host of other girl bands whose influence is evident on Back To Black.

Soundnet's jukebox must-hear: Be My Baby

Motown

The Motown sound defined young American pop in the 60s, and from the sample of Ain’t No Mountain High Enough on Back To Black, to Mark Ronson’s love of brass, Motown’s never too far from Amy’s mind.

Soundnet's jukebox must-hear: Heard It Through The Grapevine

Amy’s new album will be available on Soundnet’s digital jukeboxes in the New Year

Exile On Main Street by The Rolling Stones is one of rock ‘n’ roll’s most celebrated records, but even 38 years on from its release it’s surprising people – including the Stones themselves.

To celebrate Record Day the Stones brought out some new (or should that be old) material – a rare off-cut from the Exile sessions called Plundered My Soul which the band only rediscovered while preparing a remastered version of their seminal record due for release later this summer.

The only thing that wasn’t a shock was the quality of the song, recorded as it was when the Stones were at the height of their powers. It’s a bluesy number, with Keith in groovy form and Mick in fine voice.

There’s more good news on the way for Stones fans too – the upcoming remaster will have a further three new tracks from the sessions, and if they’re as good as Plundered My Soul we could find the hottest record in the country was recorded three decades ago.

Make sure you’re fully stocked with Stones and other classic rock ‘n’ roll with Soundnet’s MIM or Rockbox packages, and enjoy pre-releases, including the remaster, at the same time as radio stations and MTV.
 

Colombia might not have qualified for this year’s World Cup in South Africa, but they’ll still be represented at the showpiece tournament thanks to their most famous singing export – Shakira.

She’s been picked to provide the official song for the tournament, alongside South Africa’s Freshlyground, and with football in the blood in Colombia we’ve no doubt she’ll be up to the task.

The Hips Don’t Lie star has teamed up with the Afro-fusion band from Cape Town to record the track called Time For Africa, which is available for download from 26 April. She’ll perform it live with the band at the World Cup’s opening ceremony in Soweto on the 10th of June, in front of a global audience of billions. She’ll reprise it before the final on July 11 (hopefully in front of a stadium full of England fans).

Let’s hope Shakira doesn’t pull a Diana Ross at the US 1994 opening ceremony and miss a penalty from close-range – that moment’s still one of my favourite footy gaffs.

Get your venue in the mood for the World Cup with the track, and a whole host of other football themed songs in Soundnet’s bespoke football package.
 

The brains behind LCD Soundsystem, and DFA Records, James Murphy might seem like one of the coolest men in music but according to himself he’s well out of fashion, and so is the album format as a whole.

Murphy reckons that the forthcoming, keenly awaited, new album from LCD Soundsystem is definitely going to be their last as the process of making an album is ‘anachronistic’. ‘This Is Happening’ is likely to be found at the top of most critics’ end of 2010 lists, especially if the first single ‘Drunk Girls’ is anything to go by, so maybe Murphy’ll have a change of heart.

I don’t agree with Murphy – people might be buying music differently now but there’s still room for the album. Singles are more important than ever, thanks to downloads and the shuffle function, but there’s still life in the long player – just look at how many units Kings of Leon’s last one shifted, for one thing.

Singles are all about the perfect three minutes, but a band’s reputation stands or falls on its ability to entertain over 10 or 12 songs, and I don’t see that changing for a good while.

Make sure you’re fully stocked with the new LCD Soundsystem record and other forward-thinking rock singles and albums with Soundnet. 
 

It isn’t just tourists, or our own James Luck, who were grounded by the volcanic ash clouds last week. The glitzy US festival Coachella had a good few notable absentees thanks to the weather, with a host of British musicians unable to travel for their scheduled shows.

The fact Gary Numan couldn’t make the event is maybe the most ironic of all – he’s got a pilot’s license! Even under his own steam, however, the Cars star was no match for the dust – and neither were fellow 80s icons Bernard Sumner or Johnny Marr.

Former New Order frontman Sumner has a new band, Bad Lieutenant, but they had to cancel their big US show. Marr meanwhile, currently lending his jangly chords to Wakefield’s Cribs, was stuck in Blighty. It’s almost as if the skies have no respect for our indie heroes – don’t they realise he was in The Smiths...?

If you want to create a festival feeling without the need for mud or long queues for the toilet it’s simple – just load up your digital jukebox with Soundnet’s MIM or Rockbox package and experience all the hits with the added bonus of having a comfy seat and no risk of rain.

Once they were the perma-grinning Britpoppers putting out 90s classics like Alright and Sun Hits The Sky, but after 17 years Supergrass have decided it’s time to go their separate ways.

It might be the oldest one in the rock ‘n’ roll book of break-ups, but once again it’s musical differences to blame for the band’s decision to part ways. Having recently developed a love of garage-rock with their spin-off Hot Rats project it looks like the some of the Oxfordshire boys are looking to keep up the experimenting.

Fans of the band needn’t despair – it’s not like they won’t get to say goodbye. Supergrass were quick to announce a four-date farewell tour, taking in Manchester, Glasgow, London and Paris, to say thanks for the memories and give their impressive back catalogue a final airing.

With Gaz Coombes and Danny Goffey having already released their side-project, under the gaze of Radiohead cohort Nigel Godrich, it looks like there’ll be more to come to fill the gap left by the band’s demise.

Make sure you’re stocked with the band’s biggest hits to give them a proper send-off – they’re all available from Soundnet.
 

The Drums, one of the most hotly tipped new guitar bands around, have had a change of heart and announced that their song Let’s Go Surfing will be on their album when it’s released this summer after all.

Sounding like Joy Division with surf guitars the song helped create much of the buzz around the Brooklyn band, who count Morrissey among their growing list of fans, when it hit playlists last year.

Having initially felt the song wouldn’t fit on their self-titled debut album, due out in the UK in July, the band have given in to pressure from their disappointed fans and reinstated it, comparing its absence to seeing a band live and them refusing to play the song that got you into them to start with.

It just goes to show how important a debut album still is, setting a band’s stall out and creating the mythology – so even if every Drums fan already has the single they still want to see the band’s signature tune make it to the LP.

For hot new singles and pre-releases make sure you’re up to speed with Soundnet, and have the tracks everyone’s talking about available before they’re even in the shops.
 

It seems like only yesterday Susan Boyle surprised the judges on Britain’s Got Talent with her unexpected rendition of I Dreamed A Dream, but now after all the column inches, YouTube hits and controversy she’s finally got her first big payday – and she’d be forgiven for thinking she really is dreaming!

Simon Cowell’s not known for splashing the cash around too often but SuBo’s 49th birthday was one to remember – she got a cheque from him for the £4million owed to her. Made up of royalties from her debut album, which has sold over 8 million copies to date, and her lucrative performances overseas, the bumper cheque is testament to her unlikely superstar status.

Boyle’s plans for the money seem fairly modest by comparison to some of her diva-ish counterparts – a bigger home in her native West Lothian is number one priority with rumours of her moving to the Smoke proving to be unfounded.

It’s great to see someone come from nowhere to enjoy such success, here and abroad, and it proves that talent will always shine through. With an apparent hook-up with Rage Against The Machine and Snoop Dogg to come this year SuBo’s star is still on the rise – let’s just hope she doesn’t spend it all at once!