So last week made it official: Girls Aloud are back. I remember that, technically, they never broke up - but they were on a break. (Said in the Ross/Rachel tone.) Because they all went and did their own thing - Sarah becoming an actress and firm Daily Mail favourite no matter what she did ("Oh my God, Sarah Harding in Rehab!" "Sarah Harding buys a different cup of coffee!"*), Kimberley in Shrek: The Musical, Nicola and Nadine on their solo careers, and of course, Ms Cheryl Cole who became the supposed Nation's Sweetheart and whose face you will rarely get through a magazine without seeing. Ok, so they were never big on a Spice Girls level, but they brought the next generation and volume (get it?) of girl power and made it loud (now do you get it?). They offered a strong selection of "good" pop songs, and back in their prime was exactly when I was really into "good" pop music.

After the break, they are finally back with a single, Greatest Hits album, and arena tour. This has got all the tabloids screaming, "Do they all hate each other?", "Will they just break up again after the tour?", "Will they mime?", "Is Cheryl too big for the group?". But it has simply got me reminiscing about the music. Before they all became media personalities and tabloid victims in their own right. And to celebrate ten years of music, what better way than to get the BeView rundown of my favourite G.A tracks? 
The Top Ten

10. The Loving Kind - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lFY4DxiHzTI
Nicola Roberts took centre stage and made an impact with this one.

9. Can't Speak French - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IuPL_Bgmvvs
I can't speak French either, so I've sung the song in the past to demonstrate said fact. I did indeed let the funky music do the talking.

8. Biology - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bBPtP4t2J1k
I like this song because it doesn't sound like any other song. And it's scientific (the album was called Chemistry, after all).
 
7. Something Kinda Oooooooh - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wy3SV2fvoG8
Think leather jackets and motorbikes in a girlband track.

6. I'll Stand By You - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SeEq2tlD6WY
So it was a cover, but they did a great job and proved that yes they could all sing. And it was for charity.

5. Call The Shots - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QPWUyAZZfK0
This song marked Girls Aloud's venture into the soft, trancy electropop genre that was so prominent in their last album. The "no-ow-ow-ow-ow" bit is still catchy.  

4. Jump - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rk7zhB_m4gc
Also a cover... Is it bad that I can't think of this song without seeing that Hugh Grant dance routine in Love Actually? That's not the reason Jump's one of my top though; it is such a solid pop song.

3. The Promise
I still remember the music video with those sparkling dresses. The song was pretty good, too. 

2. Love Machine
The opening riff is recognisable by a mile. I don't know what it is, but it never fails to make me want to dance, Hugh Grant style. 

1. Sound of The Underground
I think this will always remain my favourite G.A tune. After Popstars: The Rivals, it marked the start of a special - and pretty long as girlbands go - music career. I can clearly remember the dance routine my friends and I made up as kids, eager to perform it at our school karaoke disco night. It never happened.


And of course...
Something New
I'm not sure it would have made my top 10, but it's nice to see something new. Appropriate title.
 
Bev x

Ps. I realise this makes me sound like a Girls Aloud fanatic; I'm not, but 10 years does deserve a bit of recognition!

*Not really. But probably.