Daveportivo's Cultural Evaluation Facility

By late 2008 Biffy Clyro and their career defining album Puzzle had seen the plucky outsiders emerge as mainstream champions and festival legends so the world could cut them a little slack as they released this dynamite slice of sure fire cheese. Bon Jovi or Nickelback would have been proud to call Mountains their own, it was the monster festival singalong that Biffy arguably needed and the only string lacking in their now might bow. So while it was all rather smultzy and more than a little generic, they can be forgiven because it rocked so hard and forged so many great summer moments. Hear It Here

For people of a certain generation (i.e. mine) there seems to be a rose tinted nostalgia towards Sum 41, while so many bans in their ilk are mercilessly ripped to shreds cynically and critically, Sum 41 have always been somewhat immune they have a back log of never ending good will. I think it's part of a collective youth experience, but whatever the case an old Sum 41 record will always bring and smile to ones face. Still Waiting was the closest they came to writing a genuinely credible track, it was a racous thrill ride, it had all the pop punk bounce but Sum 41 beefed up the guitars and swapped the jouvinial potty mouth hooks for some Green Day sloganeering, the result was absolutely tremendous. Hear It Here

This Shit Is Bananas, B-A-N-A-N-A-S! those words will either make you shriek with delight or smash your head through your computer in disgust. Whatever the result Hollaback Girl was undoubtedly one of the biggest and most recognisable tracks of the twenty first century, Gwen practically made sure every last second of this track was laden with inescapable hooks, there was no way to avoid this track, love it or hate it, it would be in bedded in your cranium forever. Once again The Neptunes do a superb job on the production duties, channelling the spirit of earlier entry Grindin' by Clipse, with a minimalist but powerful handclap arrangement. This track simply could not fail. Hear It Here

Well if you thought the last song was annoying beyond belief it pales in comparison to Arvil Lavinge's Sk8er Boi there was a time when this track just would not die. I think I was actually scared of turning on the radio in 2002 for fear of Arvil Lavinge. In all seriousness Sk8er Boi was one of the best crafted pop rock tinged tracks of all time. It was simple and effective and the arrangement is very well balanced, for a pop track they've rammed as much distortion and bombast into the three minute play time as humanly possible without affecting or undermining Arvil's centre pop vocal. A deviously clever piece of pop posturing. Hear It Here

Okay I've got to apologise I didn't think I could possible stumble on a run of acts more annoying than this, it's gets cooler I promise. Now while for the most part Avenged Svenfold's career has been regrettable in 2005 they laid down this gloriously retrospective metal beast. It perfectly combined elements of rocks past with a beefy rhythm section and a gloriously eighties solo with some horrible twenty first century styled Axl Rose vocals. Lyrics and songwriting never were Ax7 strong suite, being shameless OTT and hedonistic was there bread and butter, and on that front The Beast And The Harlot delivered in a big way. Hear It Here

So before becoming a touring rock band Pendulum were D'n'B closest thing since Ronnie Size to a genuine cross over sensation, Hold Your Colour was drum and bass then biggest album and Tarantula was the most well known track in all of great Britain. While Pendulum have gone on to do bigger things it's hard to argue that they've really released a better track than Tarantula the track is still buzzing with a real urgency and a carnival from hell atmosphere. Tarantula would become the formula for all the drum and bass cross over success that was to follow. Hear It Here

The Hives finally entry into this gargantuan list comes in the form of their debut and breakthrough single. Hate To Say I Told You So despite a plethora of charting successors remains The Hives defining single, it says everything you ever needed to know about them within a neat three and a half minute package. It was all their strengths and weakness rolled into one track and ultimately if it was nothing else it was a hell of a good time. Hear It Here

In 2004 no band was more stylish than Franz Ferdinand, This Fire may very well be this decades most gorgeously designed track, it's one package, it was a gorgeous tongue in cheek merge of art and pop music. While This Fire always seemed a little pedestrian or repetitive threw the head forms on a dance floor it was transformed into a sexy groovy witty monster, and it took it's rightful place as Franz Ferdinand's perennial set closer soon enough. Many a festival field has been sent home chanting this merry little chant. This was Franz at the height of their powers. Hear It Here

La Roux was perhaps the biggest surprise of 2009, this duos wonderfully low-fi and abrasive pop sound seemed diametrically aposed with the current pop scene, and Elle Jackson seemed a million miles away from Leona Lewis. Yet while the arrangement to Bulletproof may have sounded like Super Mario moonwalking sporadically across the back of a thousand koopa troopers, Miss Jackson was as different as she seemed. Behind her piercingly sharp vocals laid the same attitude and convictions that had made Lady Gaga, Pink and Lily Allen superstars, female pop had become the music industries unlikely bad boy. Full of wildly conflicting emotions, pop's leading women were strong, occasionally callous and unshakeable and Bulletproof was their latest statement of intent; "Been There Done That, I've Messed Around, I'm Having Fun Don't Put Me Down, I'll Never Let You Sweep Me Off My Feet". Hear It Here

Unfortunately by late 2009 despite Miss Allen's best efforts the conservative elements of pop music had dug in and were ready for war. X Factor, pop's answer to the BNP, was beginning to take hold of the charts once more, luckily in the US they continued to be more forward thinking and the ultimate party girl Sharkira reinvented herself with the remarkably fresh wonderfully ironic Shewolf. It felt like a middle ground pop, a reminder that pop music could have an attitude but still just be shameless fun. It was a welcome reminder and aside from some cringe worthy howling it's been one of 2009's great feel good records, a revelation. Here It Hear