... Papa Roach

Anyone who thinks that US nu-metal is just a bunch of middle-class kids making noise and swearing just for the sake of being "kewl" should take a listen to Last Resort by Papa Roach. The single debuts in the UK at no 3 on February 11th, 2001. A sledgehammer riff accompanied by lyrics concerning the suicidal tendencies of some teenagers takes this track a step above the banality of the rest of the Limp Bizkit/Korn crews. The band consist of singer-songwriter Coby Dick, guitarist Jerry Horton, bassist Tobin Esperance and drummer Dave Buckner. Their first major label album Infest is crammed with songs with themes covering alcoholism and divorce as well as suicide. The video for Last Resort features fans of the band alone in their bedrooms and at a studio gig, enforcing the song's message that while we can all feel like killing ourselves sometimes, isolation is what makes us truly vulnerable...
Lyrics: Last Resort (UK:3)

... Gwyneth Paltrow & Huey Lewis

Lyrics: Cruisin'

... Marti Pellow

Marti Pellow's first solo UK hit Close To You debuts at no 9 on June 10th 2001. It's an unfashionable ballad with ex Wet Wet Wet frontman Pellow cavorting about on a sleazy-looking PVC armchair in the video, which may partly explain the relative failure of the single. Certainly a solo career following the record-breaking 15-week no 1 Love Is All Around in 1994 could only have been more rewarding. Recent bad publicity concerning heroin abuse may also have driven away all but the most ardent of follower...
Lyrics: Close To You (UK:9)

... Pet Shop Boys

You Only Tell Me You Love Me When You're Drunk by the Pet Shop Boys became the highest debuting new hit of 2000 in the UK, charting at no 8 on January 9th.
Lyrics: You Only Tell Me You Love Me When You're Drunk (UK:8)

... DJ Pied Piper & The Masters of Ceremonies

A big tune from Ayia Napa, Do You Really Like It is the first garage hit for DJ Pied Piper and the Masters of Ceremonies. It debuts at no 1 in the UK on 27th May 2001. DJ Pied Piper is joined in the collective by DT, Melody, Sharkey P and his brother the Unknown MC. The track first surfaced last year, was later used as a documentary soundtrack and finally was signed by Ice-T after being played on Radio 1. It's infectious, quirky mix of one and two-step beats and has an upbeat anarchaic video to match.
Lyrics: Do You Really Like It (UK:1)

... Pink

Pink climbs on December 29th, 2001 to no 4 with Get The Party Started, the lead single from her sophomore album, M!ssundaztood. Her first album was a world-wide success oozing plenty of bad attitude and sex appeal. The second album is more rocky, even featuring a duet with old Aerosmith champion Steven Tyler. A veteran of the Philly club scene Pink first scored with punkbands Choice before teaming up with LA Reid, She’ kspeare and Babyface to write and produce her debut. Previous hits have included There You Go, Most Girls and You Make Me Sick. Many of the tracks on M!ssundaztood have been co-written with former 4 Non Blondes frontwoman Linda Perry.
Lyrics: Get The Party Started (US:4), Most Girls (UK:5), There You Go (UK:6), You Make Me Sick (UK:9)

... Billie Piper

While the likes of Britney, Christine and the rest of the girl singers have overtaken her, we should remember in the UK it was Billie that lead the way. Now branded Billie Piper the seventeen-year-old becomes the youngest female to have three number ones with Day and Night which debuts at the top spot on 21st May. The follow-up Something Deep Inside debuts at no 4 on 24th September. It's her sixth hit following the number ones of the debut Because We Want To and Girlfriend, and the number threes She Wants You and Honey To The B. Born in Swindon and having the strange middle-name of Paul, Billie went to the same theatrical and dance school as some of The Spice Girls and All Saints, and had a bit part in Eastenders before hitting the music scene.
Lyrics: Day and Night (UK:1), Something Deep Inside (UK:4)

... Planet Funk

Italian dance act Kamasutra combine with Finnish singer Aulie Cocco to make Planet Funk and produce Chase The Sun which debuts on the UK chart on 4th February, 2001.

... Planet Perfecto

Another Paul Oakenfold production, Bullet in The Gun was originally a hit in November 1999 when it peaked at no 15. Big again in the clubs this summer, the track is released, with a "2000" tag and enters the chart at no 7 on September 10th.

... Point Break

Stand Tough by Point Break was a no 7 debut on 16th March. The boyband trio are Ollie and Brett, who both appeared in the Newcastle based children's programme Byker Grove which has led to the inevitable Ant & Dec (PJ & Duncan) comparisons, and Declan, who was a replacement for the original group member when health reasons made him leave the band. Strangely, Declan was spotted after appearing on the Richard and Judy Show as a member of a mock boyband. One of their most embarassing moments is not recognising John Travolta and telling him that Pulp Fiction was rubbish.

... PPK

The instrumental ResuRection by Russian act PPK debuts at no 3 in the UK on December 2nd, 2001. The track samples the soundtrack from Sibiriada and is accompanied by an animated film of rockets and spaceships. According to the lads behind the song, it commemorates man's first journey into space. PPK are Alexander Polyakov and Sergey Pimenov. They were more promoters of raves rather than producers in their early days but through MP3 downloads and later plays by Paul Oakenfold their ResuRection became an international success.

... Public Domain

A favourite in clubland, Operation Blade (Bass in the Place) by Public Domain debuts at no 5 on November 26th and holds there for a second week. The track features a sample from "Confusion" by New Order from the Blade movie, hence the title.
Lyrics: Operation Blade (UK:5, Aus:10)

... Puretone

A hit in Australia in 1998, Addicted To Bass by Puretone AKA producer Josh Abrahams debuts at no 2 on January 14th, 2002. Abrahams is best known as co-producer of the 1999 UK no 1 Everybody's Free (To Wear Sunscreen) with film director Baz Lurhmann. He also worked on the latter's most recent film Moulin Rouge. Co-writer of Addicted to Bass is singer Amiel Daemion. The track is accompanied by a Thelma and Louise style video which, while entertaining, seems to have little to do with the song...
Lyrics: Addicted To Bass (UK:2)