Jarvis ‘Running the World’ His first post-Pulp declaration was a sublime synth pop call to arms.

The Gossip (pictured) ‘Standing in the Way of Control’ The dancefloor filler of the year illustrated the star quality of singer and modern icon Beth Ditto.

Gnarls Barkley’s ‘Crazy’ A song, which despite its complete ubiquity, never got tired.

The Young Knives ‘Here Comes The Rumour Mill’ Super geeks play a barnstorming chorus.

Tool ‘Wings for Marie/100,00 Days’ The token 15 minute prog odyssey, replete with a storm ‘solo’.

The Porch Song Anthology ‘Hang Me Good’ The dusty bones of Johnny Cash beat out a gorgeously doomy gallows ballad.

1990s ‘You’re Supposed to Be My Friend’ The perfect synergy of weird and wonderful.
Pretty Girls Make Graves ‘Parade’ A percussive arsenal of brittle harmonies inspiring manual labourers.

Cold War Kids ‘We Used To Vacation’ Pavement, Grandaddy, Midlake. This song shows just who’s next in this hallowed lineage.

Fiona Apple ‘Extraordinary Machine’ The lead track from her completely overlooked album could have been lifted from a 40s Disney soundtrack.

Amy Winehouse ‘Rehab’ Solid retro backing and bone-close lyrics meant something half decent finally muscled its way onto mainstream radio.

Mark Ronson ‘Just’ This heavy juke-joint funk burner proved the Radiohead original’s equal.

BC Camplight ‘Blood And Peanut Butter’ Unclassifiable, cutesy, rapturous Canadian pop that, six months on, I’ve still to hear a bad word about. Winner.

Hot Chip ‘Over and Over’ Pet Shop Boys’ kids cousins get under the skin with that hypnotic hook.

My Chemical Romance ‘Welcome To The Black Parade’ A sublimely ridiculous track mix of vintage-era Queen bombast with Meatloaf and emo to marvellous effect.

Plan B ‘No Good’/’Sick 2 Def’ Extraordinary foul-mouthed Eminem-meets-The Streets, only with an acoustic folk backdrop.

Jenny Lewis with the Watson Twins ‘Rise Up with Fists!!’ Glorious country harmonies, intelligent sentiment and an indie heart.

Klaxons ‘Atlantis to Interzone’ An ecstasy flash forward where art punk copulated with an air raid siren. Yum.

Arctic Monkeys ‘When the Sun Goes Down’ As good as ‘. . . Dancefloor’. Yes, it was that good.

Rhianna ‘SOS’ Who would have thought this greasy strumpet mugging Soft Cell for the second best tune would have been such fun?

Ghostface Killah ‘Champ’ Just what we’ve always wanted, Wu Tang beats, ranting raps and spoof dialogue from Rocky III. Yes indeed.

Muse ‘Knights of Cydonia’ Neeeeeeeoooooooow!