Ellie Campbell – Don’t Want You Back
Almost two years after her first top 40 single, Ellie Campbell was back with one of the best songs Britney Spears never recorded.
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Britney Spears – Don’t Let Me Be The Last To Know
The first major break in the established Britney Spears formula saw her perform an epic ballad co-written by Shania Twain.
Kylie Minogue – Your Disco Needs You
It might not have received a full single release in the UK, but that hasn’t harmed the cult legacy of ‘Your Disco Needs You’.
Emma Bunton – We’re Not Gonna Sleep Tonight
‘We’re Not Gonna Sleep Tonight’ was remixed into a Latin-tinged uptempo. But did this girl power anthem sound a bit too familiar?
Steps – Words Are Not Enough
Coming off the back of a greatest hits collection and amid rumours of an impending split, Steps wouldn’t leave us with a ballad…would they?
Atomic Kitten – You Are
‘You Are’ was a surefire hit to round off Atomic Kitten’s debut album…but ended up not being released at all in the UK.
Britney Spears – I Love Rock ‘N’ Roll
Britney concluded her third album with an enjoyable – if completely unnecessary – cover of ‘I Love Rock ‘N’ Roll’.
Gina G – I Belong To You
‘I Belong To You’ was precisely what we wanted from Gina G post-Eurovision: a little bit more of the same.
Emma Bunton – Maybe
‘Maybe’ is one of the most absurdly brilliant tracks Emma Bunton ever recorded. Well, it was inspired by ’70s German porn after all.
Melanie B – I Want You Back (Feat. Missy ‘Misdemeanor’ Elliott)
‘I Want You Back’ was a watershed moment for the Spice Girls as Melanie B became the first to break rank and release a solo single.
Darren Hayes – Pop!ular
A subversive electropop banger isn’t what anyone expected from a new Darren Hayes single. But with ‘Pop!ular’, that’s precisely what we got.
*NSYNC – It’s Gonna Be Me
‘It’s Gonna Be Me’ siphoned the essence of *NSYNC’s ‘No Strings Attached album’ down into an immense three-and-a-half-minute pop package.
Geri Halliwell – Scream If You Wanna Go Faster
While not strictly the lead single, ‘Scream If You Wanna Go Faster’ felt a proper introduction to Geri Halliwell’s second album.
Aqua – My Oh My
‘My Oh My’ was another brilliantly absurd effort from Aqua. But for the first time, it didn’t feel as if all the ideas quite came together.
Darren Hayes – Strange Relationship
‘Strange Relationship’ was a brilliantly twisted, tortured and vulnerable love song…but that didn’t necessarily make it a good single.
Westlife – Swear It Again
‘Swear It Again’ was the start of a new era for pop music and there was no stopping Westlife as they showcased a tried-and-tested formula.
Five – When The Lights Go Out
International success felt like a case of when, not if, for Five. And it came remarkably quickly with the release of ‘When The Lights Go Out’.
Britney Spears – Do Somethin’
It might have been included on a greatest hits album, but ‘Do Somethin’ was a decisive statement of what was to come from Britney Spears.
*NSYNC – Thinking Of You (I Drive Myself Crazy)
It was never released in the UK, but the tortuous ‘Thinking Of You (I Drive Myself Crazy)’ is up there as one *NSYNC’s very best efforts.
H & Claire – All Out Of Love
‘All Out Of Love’ saw H & Claire come full-circle as they released one of the best songs that Steps never recorded.
Christina Aguilera – Come On Over Baby (All I Want Is You)
‘Come On Over Baby (All I Want Is You)’ is – for better or for worse – the perfect summation of Christina Aguilera as a pop artist.