So, now for the SWSL Top 20 Singles Of 2003 (yes, 20 this year and not 10, and the result of much agonising…):

20. THE CORAL – ‘Pass It On’
The Las saddle up and take a ride through the American Mid-West. A sublime pop song.

19. THE RAPTURE – ‘House Of Jealous Lovers’
The new Stone Roses? Fuck that – this is intelligent, hip and edgy. I defy you not to dance.

18. HOT HOT HEAT – ‘Bandages’
More yelping and insistent danceability, achieved this time without the mythical Midas touch of DFA – skills.

17. RADIOHEAD – ‘There There’
As the title suggests, a bit of mollification for those discomfited by the more left-field leanings of Kid A and Amnesiac. This felt like a classic after just one play.

16. FRANZ FERDINAND – ‘Darts Of Pleasure’
Clever and witty art-pop that, as – ahem – someone once put it, puts the arch into Archduke. Plus, this is one of those singles on which the B-sides are just as good if not better than the title track. (Take note, however: new single ‘Take Me Out’ goes one better – the sort of marriage of new wave and disco that Blondie would be proud of. I’ll go on record like Kenny and say this could well already be a serious contender for next year’s Singles Of The Year.)

15. THE FUTUREHEADS – ‘1 2 3 Nul!’ EP
Fantastic gritty punk thrills complete with spectacular vocal interplay. From Sunderland. Who’d have thunk it?

14. THE STROKES – ‘12:51’
Suave and sharply-dressed. And who can possibly argue with handclaps?

13. YEAH YEAH YEAHS – ‘Date With The Night’
Sonic Youth’s ‘No Queen Blues’ smeared in lipstick, ripped to the tits on champagne and rolling around on top of a bar loudly demanding a shag.

12. THE DARKNESS – ‘Growing On Me’
This gets the nod ahead of ‘I Believe In A Thing Called Love’ for two reasons: firstly, it sounds less like Def Leppard and, secondly, it’s about genital warts – quite appropriate for a cock rock band. Good to know that, even while they’re immersed in the sexually licentious world of rock ‘n’ roll, Hawkins and company are aware that a quick rumble in the back of the tourbus can result in all manner of unpleasant lumps, rashes and discharges.

11. INTERPOL – ‘Say Hello To The Angels’ / ‘NYC’ (double A-side)
The fact that the ravishingly gorgeous ‘NYC’ pisses all over ‘Say Hello To The Angels’, itself the missing link between The Strokes and The Smiths, speaks volumes for the quality of the album from whence these two gems came.