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Category: Retrospective

The Story of Pop: 2002 (Chapter 41)

Oct 13, 2022Nov 2, 2024 ~ Alex the Pensmith ~ Leave a comment

Sisterly Spanish trio Las Ketchup followed in the grand tradition of Euro holiday hits when, hands waving and arms wiggling, they ascended to top of the charts and bought some belated sunshine to the autumnal charts...

The Story of Pop: 2002 (Chapter 40)

Oct 6, 2022Nov 2, 2024 ~ Alex the Pensmith ~ Leave a comment

With the arrival of Avril Lavigne, a new wave of angsty rock based teen pop broke through that positioned her as Canada's biggest export since Alanis Morissette...

The Story of Pop: 2002 (Chapter 39)

Sep 29, 2022Nov 2, 2024 ~ Alex the Pensmith ~ Leave a comment

Attempting to silence the intense debate over who was going to have the more durable career post-Pop Idol, Will Young and Gareth Gates teamed up for one last chart topper ahead of the release of their debut albums...

The Story of Pop: 2002 (Chapter 38)

Sep 22, 2022Nov 2, 2024 ~ Alex the Pensmith ~ Leave a comment

Breaking the boyband mould with their cutting edge mix of guitars, punk pop and cheeky lyrics, Busted debuted with an ode to their favourite teacher and quickly became the biggest new band in British pop...

The Story of Pop: 2002 (Chapter 37)

Sep 15, 2022Nov 2, 2024 ~ Alex the Pensmith ~ Leave a comment

Although she didn't make the final 10 on Pop Idol, Sarah Whatmore categorically proved that she could become a big success in her own right with her debut top 10 hit...

The Story of Pop: 2002 (Chapter 36)

Sep 8, 2022Nov 2, 2024 ~ Alex the Pensmith ~ Leave a comment

After being on the receiving end of a pop miracle with four weeks at number one for "Whole Again", Atomic Kitten's success continued into their second album, with a reworked cover of a Paragons / Blondie classic...

The Story of Pop: 2002 (Chapter 35)

Sep 1, 2022Nov 2, 2024 ~ Alex the Pensmith ~ Leave a comment

Offering up streetwise lyrics and hip hop and UK garage leaning beats, Ms. Dynamite blew down a few barn doors for British R&B with her Mercury Prize winning debut...

The Story of Pop: 2002 (Chapter 34)

Aug 25, 2022Nov 2, 2024 ~ Alex the Pensmith ~ Leave a comment

There are not many teenagers who can claim to get their GCSE results and a number one single in the same week, but that is precisely what happened for the ten piece Walthamstow collective Blazin' Squad...

The Story of Pop: 2002 (Chapter 33)

Aug 18, 2022Nov 2, 2024 ~ Alex the Pensmith ~ 2 Comments

Any doubts at all that the Sugababes' chart topping success with their previous single was a fluke were promptly dispatched with their equally addictive follow up, helmed by the fledging pop team Xenomania...

The Story of Pop: 2002 (Chapter 32)

Aug 11, 2022Nov 2, 2024 ~ Alex the Pensmith ~ Leave a comment

Second album time dawned for Coldplay in the summer of 2002 - and they duly proved that they had the legs to become globe straddling, stadium smashing megastars in the process...

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