Best Celebrity Photobombs

Social networking can be a very funny place sometimes.

Who would have thought a decade ago that we could find so much entertainment in a Korean man dancing-to and singing a ridiculous song? Or a 7-second long video of a man vomiting lemons? Or a goat singing over Taylor Swift?

Nevertheless, the power of Facebook, Twitter, Vine, YouTube and their social-networking counterparts have played a major role in shaping the internet in the past 5 years. 

One of the latest sensations that appears to have been adopted is the art of photobombing - jumping unexpectedly into the background of a photo right before it is taken. And it seems that some of Hollywood's finest have taken it up, with some hilarious results.

So here are my top 10 photobombing stars:

10. Jake Gyllenhaal

9. Michael Cera

8. Tina Fey

7. Dave Grohl

6. Michael Douglas

5. Zach Braff

4. Kelly Clarkson

3. Jesse Tyler Ferguson

2. Jennifer Lawrence

1. Verne Troyer

Exams finally come to an end!

As I dropped my pen, waited for my paper to be collected and walked out of the exam hall for one last time, an overwhelming sense of elation hit me instantaneously, as I could feel the weight of the past two years lifting from my shoulders. But what was this heaviness being lifted from me?

A-Levels.

Years 12 and 13 are an immensely stressful time in a teenager’s life and it is fair to say that the past three months in particular has been an especially demanding period.

Perhaps three months seems a little excessive in preparation for the five exams I sat this month, but in all honestly, I couldn’t have done any less. A few hundred pages of notes, a dozen pens and nearly a whole black ink cartridge have prepared me with revision tools and practice papers to ensure that I could walk confidently into the exam room knowing I’d worked as hard as I possibly could.

Nevertheless, there have been two things that have managed to knock me down at this challenging time and it is more than likely that at least one or even both have affected other A-Level students across the country.
As I said, I, and all of my friends and fellow students, have abandoned our social lives and locked ourselves indoors to revise incessantly to ensure we can be confident and prepared for anything the exam paper could throw at us. However, there is still the element of the unknown as to what on earth the exam boards may choose to ask. And it is particularly demoralising when they decide to throw you off entirely with complicated and incredibly difficult papers.

I can truthfully say that my German A Level paper is perhaps one of the toughest exams I have ever sat. The two-and-a-half hour exam, complete with listening, reading and writing sections, is difficult regardless of the questions, with a study conducted by Durham University showing languages to be the hardest A Level subjects after Mathematics and the three Sciences. So why do the exam board decide to make it even worse by including such complex vocabulary and structures? It leaves us students disheartened and deflated after months of work, completely unaware as to how well we may have done and worried for two months in anticipation of the impending results.

The second of my knock-backs came in the form of a news story. And once again, Michael Gove has sparked controversy (and irritation). On the morning of an exam, waking up to the news of education reforms in England as a result of ‘easy GCSEs’ is not the most encouraging and uplifting item. This isn’t the first time Gove has angered students, having reported previously that A-Levels are also too easy and how school days should be made longer (click the links to see my previous posts on these stories).

By removing any form of coursework or modular assessment, the Education Secretary is turning exams into a memory test instead of a true assessment of a student’s intelligence and work ability.

Whilst I’ve already sat my GCSEs, the outlandish and unqualified claim that GCSEs are too easy repeatedly vexes me. With no past in education himself, I cannot understand where Gove makes these claims from and it stands solid to me that such decisions should be a democratic matter among the teachers in-the-know.
There will be students currently sitting their GCSEs who will certainly feel discouraged by assertions that the exams, which they have worked incredibly hard for, are too easy and require reformation.

Gove claims that students are currently living in a ‘resit culture’, where it is deemed acceptable for students to try again and again to achieve their target grade, but Gove is no better for repeatedly changing his plans on education reform.

Education Secretary Michael Gove

As I sit and enjoy my first relaxed and stress-free weekend in months, I plea that education ministers make up their mind and stick to a plan on GCSEs and A Levels and soon accept students’ success as nothing more than its face value than deceiving it as a result of easy exams.

I wish all the best of luck to those who still have exams – freedom is just around the corner! You can do it!

Can a longer school day really increase student performance? I think not...

It’s 3:24 on a Friday and the clock is slowly ticking in the corner of the room. The 60 seconds that lead to my weekend approach unhurriedly, as I sit watching the hands on the clock gradually reach the minute-mark.

The bell goes. 

1,800 of my peers vanish at a flash, as they do every day of the week, in order to escape the four walls of school. Whether you’re the type of student who enjoys school, or you’re a tired teenager who counts the days until you can leave, the end of the school day is always a moment of bliss.

Education Secretary Michael Gove’s most recent proposition, for shorter school holidays and longer school days, is a plan which he hopes could be implemented within the next couple of years. He has added that he wishes state schools to remain open until 4:30. Gove stated that this system will lead to improved performance of students, when in fact; I believe he will have the exact opposite effect.

Education Secretary Michael Gove

Specific school times vary between establishments, but as I approach the end of seven years at my High School, I have become accustomed to a 9am -3:25pm school day with five hour-long lessons – and this is most definitely enough.

The average attention span of a teenager is around 10-15 minutes, with hour-long lessons requiring being broken up into smaller sections to maintain the continued progress and education of the students. There can be no denying that the longer the day goes on, this span becomes decreasingly shorter, with an extended school day disqualifying Gove’s aim of improving performance. Students will instead be wasting valuable time, with information draining through their ears, when they could be using the time effectively at home on extra studies such as homework and revision.

I would be thoroughly interested in seeing the evidence behind Gove’s reasoning for this proposal. Unlike Gove, I have had experience in a classroom both in the UK and overseas, having taken part in lessons in Cologne whilst on a trip to Germany. British pupils already spend longer hours in the classroom than in most other countries, with the German school day being just one of many examples, with students leaving shortly after 2 o’clock in the afternoon at this one Cologne grammar school.

Even in Finland, where the education system is consistently regarded as one of the best in the world, the shorter school days are highlighted as a central point of their success. Gove should learn from the trust that the Finnish place on their students, granting them with a greater sense of flexibility, instead of the negative and doubtful view that Gove clearly has of a teenager’s work ethic.

He added that this system would benefit the working parent, making their life easier in the process. How exactly, I’m not so sure, as having to deal with disgruntled and tired children isn’t what most parents would choose to do when they come home from a busy and already stressful day of work. However, is this even something the education secretary should necessarily be concerned with?

It stands clear that, as Education Secretary, Gove should be focusing on those most involved in education – obviously, the students and the teachers. And it is going to take a lot of persuasion to get the latter back on Gove’s side.

At the latest annual NUT conference, held in Liverpool with an audience of over 1,000 members of one of the biggest teachings unions in the country, cheers of ‘Gove must go’ echoed around the room as a unanimous vote of no confidence was passed.

His ‘limited experience of education’ was pointed out, and can be highlighted in his suggestion at shortening holidays. By dropping the six-week summer holiday to just four weeks, teachers and staff are losing out on 14 days of valuable time, which they require so greatly to complete the vast amount of work and planning that they must do. Somebody with experience in education would be able to empathise with this and would understand that the combination of shorter holidays and longer school days is impractical and simply unfeasible as staff will not be able to uphold the sheer quantity of work required of them. Consequently, the standard of teaching and education standards will surely decrease and Gove’s aim is, once again, strongly challenged.

People can often quickly criticise members of the teaching profession for their long holidays and short days; however, if they took a day out to visit a school, it would soon become evident that their working hours extend much further than the school’s start and finish times.

Equally so, students simply cannot switch off from school when they finish at 3:25 and it is irrational to think that they do; homework, coursework and revision have to take precedence over daytime TV unfortunately. By keeping schools open until 4:30, Gove is simply holding students back from using their time effectively for these crucial studies.

What do you think? Is Gove’s proposal a good one? Or do you agree that ‘Gove must go’? Leave a comment and let me know!

The BBC at Festivals

With a breadth of media outlets attending the UK’s festivals each year, there is one broadcaster who stands in the forefront with the greatest presence at the country’s summer events. As one of the largest broadcasters in the world, the BBC is representing the British media worldwide, with their coverage of such events providing overseas viewers with a sense of our first-class festivals to rival the European and US counterparts like Snowbombing and Coachella.

As summer is fast approaching, the impending festival season is becoming increasingly anticipated, as it does year upon year. It is with no doubt that most of us will be unable to attend all of the festivals we wish to, resulting in relying on television, radio and online sources to provide us with all of the excitement from the events.

Over the upcoming four months, the BBC will bring us coverage of four of the top UK festivals, including what can arguably be described as the ‘Power 3’ of festivals.

Glastonbury, T In The Park and Reading & Leeds festival are undeniably three of the biggest music events of the calendar both in size and popularity. With multiple stages, there is something for everybody, with the BBC’s broadcasting outlets providing a sense of this.

In 2013 and post-Olympics Britain, the technological availability and advancements that the BBC are open to has allowed for an increase in output, which these festivals will make use of.

BBC Online was subject to a vast expansion in 2012 in order to show numerous events at the London Olympics. These capabilities will spread to this summer’s Glastonbury Festival in Worthy Farm, Somerset from 26th to 30th June, with plans in place to have cameras streaming live footage on its digital media players throughout the entirety of the weekend.

A statement released from the BBC at the start of the year by then Acting Director General, Tim Davie said, “[Our] ambition this year is to offer music fans unprecedented coverage of live music.”

“On desktop, mobile, tablet and connected TVs, we will bring BBC audiences closer to the music they love by offering a full performance or festival-goer experience for those who can’t be there.”

Not only do the BBC deliver content to viewers, they also deliver in providing festivals with highly sought-after performers. The ‘BBC Radio 1 & NME Stage’ at Reading & Leeds Festival as well as T In The Park is a renowned attribute of the festivals’ line-ups, presenting attendees with an abundance of the artists that listeners are accustomed to hearing every day on Radio 1. Fans of Bastille, Skrillex, Alt-J, Jake Bugg and BBC Sound of 2013 winners, Haim, will be pleased to see such acts at Reading & Leeds on the Radio 1 & NME Stage on the weekend of the 23rd – 25th August.

The long-standing BBC Introducing scheme also comes alive during festival season, with Reading, Leeds and T In The Park holding a stage specifically for the programme, which seeks to highlight and support under-the-radar artists into the public eye.

The BBC’s festival coverage will all commence on in the last weekend of May, when Radio 1 take their annual Big Weekend to Northern Ireland. This year the event will take place in Derry-Londonderry and for the first time, the festival will consist of three days of music starting on Friday 24th May. Olly Murs and Two Door Cinema Club are the only acts announced so far, with the rest of the line-up being announced at the start of May. All we do know is that the Main Stage will focus on dance music, with other stages being run by Radio 1’s sister-station, 1Xtra, and In New Music We Trust.

From delivering a vast extent of coverage of the summer’s hottest festivals, to organising their very own, the BBC are the leaders in supplying the nation with the musical highlights of the year. Without them, we would be left very out of pocket in our quest to experience the musical moments that they manage to deliver to our eyes and ears through the media.

My Guide to the Brit Awards 2013

The biggest night in the music industry’s calendar is looming just around the corner.

On February 20th at London’s O2 Arena, the world’s finest musical stars will all gather together to celebrate the greatest releases of the past year in thirteen different categories, as announced by Radio 1 Breakfast Show host Nick Grimshaw at the Brits 2013 Launch Party at the Savoy on January 10th.

The ceremony, hosted by James Corden, will be broadcast live on ITV and will see the top British performers, as well as International artists, fighting to take their relevant accolade.

Here I give you my prediction for the top spot in each category.

British Male Solo Artist: Ben Howard, Calvin Harris, Olly Murs, Plan B, Richard Hawley

After a non-stop year touring the UK, breaking America whilst on tour with One Direction as well as his presenting role on the Xtra Factor, Olly Murs has had an incredible past few months, which can only get better with a Brit Award under his belt and as the current bookies favourite, this could be likely. As the second favourite with the bookies, Calvin Harris would be an equally worthy winner; he is one of the most powerful men in the music industry with his album featuring some of the biggest stars in the music industry, including Rihanna, Ellie Goulding and Tinie Tempah.

British Female Solo Artist: Amy Winehouse, Bat For Lashes, Emeli Sandé, Jessie Ware, Paloma Faith

With 1/10 odds with the bookies, there’s no doubt that Emeli Sandé is tipped for success in this category. In 2012 Sandé was absolutely everywhere and anywhere – the Olympics, Sports Personality of the Year and of course last year’s BRITs where she picked up the coveted Critics’ Choice prize. Her anthem ‘Read All About It’ has been the soundtrack to any Olympics coverage and for this she stands out above the rest of her competitors. Jessie Ware, on the other hand, puts up a good fight also, having two nominations in her first ever BRITs year.

British Breakthrough Act: Alt-J, Ben Howard, Jake Bugg, Jessie Ware, Rita Ora

As mentioned previously, newcomer Jessie Ware is set to have a sparkling 2013, with her album ‘Devotion’ reaching #5 in the UK chart and being granted the third best album of 2012 in a Guardian poll. Despite this, all 4 of her competitors are in with a very good chance of taking this prize and therefore it is very difficult to predict. As the only category voted for solely by the public, it is understandable that chart-topper Rita Ora is topping bookie’s odds and may be in luck.

British Group: Alt-J, Mumford & Sons, Muse, One Direction, The XX

If this particularly category was decided via a public vote, worldwide starlets and chart-topping boyband One Direction would be the clear winners due to their expansive fan base. However, the industry experts who decide the winners may feel more obliged to vote for Mumford& Sons or The XX due to their song-writing abilities and musical prowess, both of whom were nominated in the same category in 2011, with both also nominated in the MasterCard award for Best Album.

British Single: Adele – Skyfall, Alex Clare - Too Close, Coldplay ft. Rihanna - Princess Of China, DJ Fresh ft. Rita Ora - Hot Right Now, Emeli Sandé - Next To Me, Florence + The Machine - Spectrum (Say My Name), James Arthur – Impossible, Jessie J –Domino, Labrinth ft. Emeli Sandé -Beneath Your Beautiful, Olly Murs ft. Flo Rida – Troublemaker, Rita Ora ft. Tinie Tempah – RIP, Rizzle Kicks- Mama Do The Hump, Robbie Williams– Candy, Rudimental ft. John Newman- Feel The Love, Stooshe - Black Heart

With an abundance of fantastic British singles in 2012, this shortlist selection must have been a challenging task, with the decision for the ultimate winner even more so. However, one particular track does seem to stand out. With the name of one of the UK’s most successful musical exports of all time attached to the track, as well as featuring in 2012’s biggest film, Adele’s Oscar-nominated ‘Skyfall’ from the James Bond film of the same name is tipped to the title of the year’s greatest song. James Arthur’s X Factor winning single ‘Impossible’ and Olly Murs’ ‘Troublemaker’ complete the top three bookie’s favourites to win the prize, with strong competition being held throughout the entirety of the shortlist.

British Album of the Year: Alt- J (An Awesome Wave), Emeli Sandé (Our Version of Events), Mumford & Sons (Babel), Paloma Faith (Fall to Grace), Plan B (Ill Manors)

Due to this prize’s sponsorship by MasterCard, Best British Album is seen as the evening’s most notable accolade. As Emeli Sandé’s fourth nomination, this 5 X Platinum-selling album is predicted to surpass the four other nominees to the award, with 1/5 odds with Ladbrokes bookmakers. Multiply nominated Mumford & Sons stand in second place with 5/1 odds so this Grammy-nominated album is a very strong contender.

International Male Solo Artist: Bruce Springsteen, Frank Ocean, Gotye, Jack White, Michael Buble

If you don’t know who Gotye is by 2013, you must have been living under a rock throughout 2012, with his single ‘Somebody That I Used To Know’ being the year’s biggest selling track in the UK. However, he finds sturdy competition in this category from his fellow Grammy-nominee Frank Ocean. Despite his recent public fall-out with Chris Brown, Ocean’s musical popularity is very widespread, both with the public and critics, standing him in good stead to take the prize.

International Female Solo Artist: Alicia Keys, Cat Power, Lana Del Rey, Rihanna, Taylor Swift

Having won the International Breakthrough Act award at last year’s ceremony, with an Ivor Novello since added to her list of award wins, it is just that Lana Del Rey is the bookie’s favourite to take the Best International Female crown. She does, however, face harsh opposition in Barbados-beauty Rihanna, whose #1 single ‘Diamonds’ and current single ‘Stay’ are two of the most played songs on UK radio stations. Swift and Keys continue to produce chart-topping hits year-upon-year, further adding to the rivalry of these US divas.

International Group: Alabama Shakes,The Black Keys, Fun, The Killers, The Script

2012 has been a hugely successful year for all 5 of the nominees in this category, particularly Fun whose single ‘We Are Young’ rippled through the nation via radio airwaves and was the third biggest selling single of the entire year. With 2/1 odds to take the prize, Fun are beaten only by Ohio rock band The Black Keys with 4/6 odds. Like many of the other BRITs nominees, The Black Keys are also nominated at this year’s Grammys with 5 nominations in total including for Album of the Year for platinum-selling ‘El Camino’.

British Live Act: Coldplay, Mumford & Sons, Muse, The Rolling Stones, The Vaccines

Reinstated for 2013, the British Live Act award is back and tougher than ever before, with 5 festival favourites completing the competitive list of nominees. After an expansive and successful world tour with their album ‘Mylo Xyloto’, it is no doubt that Coldplay are favourites for the prize, with veteran rockers The Rolling Stones following closely behind.

British Producer: Damon Albarn, Jake Gosling, Paul Epworth

As three of the most influential producers in the British and worldwide music industry, Albarn, Gosling and Epworth have played an enormous role in shaping the year of music that 2012 brought us.

Following on from his success with Blur and Gorillaz, with Blur winning the Outstanding Contribution to Music at last year’s BRIT Awards, Damon Albarn has continued to use his musical talent in the production world, having worked with Bobby Womack and Snoop Dogg on their latest albums.

Jake Gosling is responsible for producing both One Direction multi-platinum selling albums ‘Up All Night’ and ‘Take Me Home’, as well as working with fellow former BRITs nominee Ed Sheeran with his debut album ‘+’ and Paloma Faith’s ‘Fall To Grace’.

Paul Epworth’s production credits span a long list of former BRITs nominees and winners, known most prolifically for his work with Adele on her ’21’ album. His work on both of Florence Welch’s albums and Plan B’s ‘The Defamation of Strickland Banks’ makes him one of the most successful producers of his generation.

Critics’ Choice: Tom Odell, Aluna George, Laura Mvula

As announced at the BRITs Launch Party, Tom Odell has become the first male winner to take the Critics’ Choice prize, following in the fruitful footsteps of Adele, Florence & The Machine, Jessie J, Ellie Goulding and Emeli Sandé. 22-year-old Tom is already on his way to success with his latest single ‘Can’t Pretend’.

Critics' Choice: Tom Odell with last year's winner Emeli Sandé

The evening of February 20th is set to be a wonderful night, with the public and industry experts revelling in the remarkable talent that the UK music scene has to offer. British talents and nominees Ben Howard, Emeli Sandé, Mumford & Sons, Muse, One Direction and Robbie Williams will all feature in the evening, with performances that are set to raise the roof of the O2 Arena. American sensations also included on the bill are Justin Timberlake and Beyonce, with rumours that her other half, Jay-Z, may join both of them in their performances.

Be sure to tune in to ITV1 at 8pm on February 20th so that you don’t miss one of the greatest musical shows and celebrations on the calendar.

8 things that every festival needs

After an extraordinary summer weekend listening to your favourite bands and DJs at a festival, there’ll always be something that you consider could be different or improved as you walk away from the campsite. Whether it’s wishing your favourite artist had been on the line-up or feeling like there was something lacking once the main stage closed in the evening, there’s always something. So what features would you have at your perfect festival? Here is a list of 8 things that I would introduce as compulsory festival elements.

1 – Mobile phone charging stations

There’s nothing worse than looking at your phone to see you have 1% battery remaining, especially when you’re standing in the centre of a vast field with no idea of your whereabouts, let alone your friends’ whereabouts. Of course, some festivals do offer phone charging points in the main arena, but there never tend to be enough or the right port for you. Who wants to charge their phone in the main arena anyway? To avoid missing the day’s action, more charging stations should be added to the campsite for overnight use giving festival go-ers 100% battery and 100% confidence that they will be able to contact their friends throughout the day.

2 – Festival essentials stalls

With an abundance of stalls and festival markets selling UV body paint, performer merchandise and of course that infamous flower headband that almost every female appears to wear at a festival, there appears to be a gap in the market and it is the simplest gap to fill. With the unpredictability of the British weather, you can never be too sure about what to pack, with many essentials going a miss. A rain poncho and sun cream can be fundamental necessities that every visitor needs depending on the weather, but it can be impossible to find them for the copious amount of stalls selling straw hats and Jesus bracelets. With a scattering of essential stands around the site, or perhaps even portable walking sellers, this difficulty can be greatly minimised.

Una Healy sporting a typical festival accessory that we've seen enough of!

3 – An element of glamping for the ladies

There are two types of people at festivals: festival veterans who are understanding of the common festival conventions, a lack of showering and dodgy toilets; then there are those who are attending a festival for the first, and probably last, time. Stereotypically, this demographic is mainly female and for these ladies, they require an element of glamour-camping, or ‘glamping’, at a festival. For these festival newbies, hairdryers would be preferable, mirrors to do their make-up, but perhaps a hair straightening stand would be a step too far.

4 – Food stands

Gourmet grub is quickly becoming a common festival feature, with some outlets charging between £10-20 for their deluxe burgers or fish-and-chips. When you’ve already spent hundreds on your ticket and transport, spending such extravagant sums of money on food seems barbaric. For one weekend, there seems little sense in being too health-conscious so just indulge in a cheap, greasy burger or portion of chips.

Snacks are extremely underrated at summer events, with noodle bars and burger shacks taking precedence. Sometimes it can be easier to stock up on crisps and sweets which are rarely available. A mini supermarket-style retailer may be a very successful business prospect within the campsite arena for people to buy a plentiful supply of snacks for the day.

5 – Water filling stations

If you’re fortunate enough to have a space in the crowd close to the front, you may be in with a rare chance of being given a small plastic cup of water between each performer. However, even this is hard to come by and it is even harder to remain hydrated if you don’t have this position in the crowd. Whilst there may be a handful of water fill points around the arena, they are often very busy or positioned very close to a leaking row of portable toilets and don’t pose the most sanitary hydration location on the site! With a greater number of better-placed stations, it could be suggested that there would be a lower risk of dehydration in the heat of certain summer festivals.

6 – Clean toilets

There’s nothing worse than feeling the need to ‘spend a penny’ on the final night of the festival, knowing the doom that awaits you at your destination. The physical state of the ‘portaloos’ as well as the aroma that surrounds the perimeter of the stretch of cubicles is unlike anything ever experienced and should be avoided at all costs. If the toilets were cleaned more regularly, troublesome incidents like these could be prevented!

7 – Night time entertainment

The main stage may close at 11pm but the fun need not end here. Every festival needs a late-night schedule of activities once the action in the main arena has shut down. Silent discos and movies are a visitor-favourite but this is often where the entertainment ends. The night-time agenda should be viewed almost as important as the main line-up, with DJs to play in dance tents and artists booked to play acoustic twilight sessions.

8 – Line-up

Although clean toilets and plenty of food stands are an important feature of your festival experience, there is no doubt that the biggest pulling-power of an event lies in the line-up. Every festival needs a spectacular line-up to draw in spectators to purchasing a ticket. Depending on the genre, size and typical audience of the festival, the line-up will vary. For the likes of Reading, Leeds, Glastonbury, V Festival and T in the Park, worldwide stars are key in attracting your audience, with smaller indie festivals needing to catch the latest upcoming talent to entice pundits. The power relies in the performers and a fantastic line-up will always lead to your ultimate festival enjoyment.

REVIEW OF THE YEAR: Most Played Songs of 2012

2012 has been another prolific year in the music industry, with tracks from all around the world hitting the coveted #1 spot and entertaining us through the radio waves every day. However, there have been 6 songs in particular that have been played to exhaustion, with the first notes of their introduction resulting in a nationwide sigh when they are heard on the radio.

In January, who would have thought that the most successful song of the year would have come from South-Korea?

1. Psy – Gangnam Style

Without a mention of his name or even the song title, you know exactly who I’m talking about. Of course, it is 34-year-old Psy, whose song ‘Gangnam Style’ has inspired us all at our Christmas parties to take up that horse-like dance craze that has become a universal phenomenon. Just last week on December 21^st, Gangnam Style became the first video ever to hit 1 billion views on YouTube, but why? Despite being immensely catchy, with the phrase ‘Opa Gangnam Style’ sparking a dance-uprising whenever it is heard, we have absolutely no idea what it means! Even Psy himself in an interview said “It doesn’t have any meaning actually. I’m just saying Gangnam Style, Gangnam Style.” Nevertheless, 1 billion of us worldwide have sat and watched that video; plus, people are still buying it! After reaching the UK Number One spot in September, it still hasn’t left the Top 10, even eighteen weeks after its release.

2. Gotye – Somebody That I Used To Know

Gotye may not have a renowned dance routine or even a particularly catchy dance beat, but is still responsible for undoubtedly one of the most successful songs of 2012. If asked if you had heard of Wouter De Backer, I’m quite confident you would have no clue who he was, but once hearing the xylophone introduction of his universally popular song, his identity would soon become clear. After its release in January, Gotye spent 5 weeks at #1 and a sensational 18 weeks in the Top 10. His success was worldwide, particularly in his homeland of Belgium, where it became the most downloaded song of all time.

3. Carly Rae Jepsen – Call Me Maybe

We have Justin Bieber to thank for this one. After hearing the song and tweeting about it, the power of Bieber was truly reflected as the song began to spread. By April, the song reached the UK #1 spot where it remained for four weeks. With an incredibly memorable chorus, you will find the lyrics haunting you all day. Whether you like the song or not (although I imagine most people fall into the first category), you will have found yourself humming to its upbeat and cheery tune at some point. Just like Psy, Carly Rae Jepsen has inspired us all to take up a dance routine, although inadvertently, to sing and dance along holding our thumb and little finger in the typical telephone manner as the title ‘Call Me Maybe’ is sung and repeated.

Carly Rae Jepsen & Katy Perry

4. Fun. – We Are Young

Spending 14 weeks in the UK Top 10, this indie power ballad deserves its place on this list. After its release in April, there came a time when you couldn’t go a day without hearing ‘We Are Young’ playing somewhere. It has been said by many critics that the success of the song was propelled by hit US TV show ‘Glee’, where it was first brought to attention commercially. As the success of the band has spread, this debut #1 single and the accompanying debut album ‘Some Nights’ have both been nominated for the a notorious Grammy Award.

5. Maroon 5 – Payphone

Following on from the success of their hit single ‘Moves Like Jagger’ in 2011, Maroon 5 returned in 2012 with yet another ultimate track that remains stamped in your memory. Unlike the other tracks on this list, whose musical introductions immediately gain your attention, ‘Payphone’ is even more overt, pumping out its initial lyrics through your stereo, instantaneously launching your vocal participation!

6. Emeli Sandé – Read All About It (Pt III)

In this ultimate sporting year for Britain, this song quickly became the unofficial soundtrack to everything Olympics-themed. Opening Ceremony, Closing Ceremony and even BBC Sports Personality of the Year – Emeli Sandé was everywhere. Part One of the song, a collaboration with rapper Professor Green, was already a successful hit in 2011; Emeli reintroduced her part of the song as a solo track in 2012 and was clearly a favourite of director Danny Boyle, as well as the BBC who quickly pressed the ‘Play’ button on the track whenever a musical interlude was required on any Olympics coverage.

Running Joke: a worker on the underground reflects the repetition of Emeli Sande's appearances at the Olympics

Words are continuously being coined and added to the English Dictionary and so it seems only suitable that the term ‘earworm’ was created in 2012. As stated in the Oxford Dictionary, an earworm is ‘a catchy song or tune that runs continually through someone’s mind’; a term that can easily sit alongside these 6 most heard songs of the year. No matter how irritating they may become after a sustained period of time, it is without doubt, however, that these six songs deserve their success as the year’s greatest earworms.