n case you're wondering, the title supposedly came from a hot mic, which captured the legendary Miss Britney Spears without her knowing during her annus horribilus. In addition to giving us an epic celebrity meltdown, Spears (well, actually her enormous team of writers and producers and handlers) also released an incredible album in the form of the aptly named Blackout.

The Shakira track was the first song ever to be included on our annual surveys that was sung entirely in another language besides English. We became enamoured of this Spanish number during a rather severe bout of Montezuma's Revenge that entailed dehydration, exhaustion, and drifting in and out of consciousness while bedridden in a luxury hotel in Polanco of Mexico City. Featuring the artist coiffed in numerous coloured wigs, the aesthetically minimalist video of the song seemed to appear every other hour on the Mexican music video channel Telehits. That channel was continuously humming in the hotel room at low volume, but its intermittent intrusion into our state of tenuous consciousness turned out to be not entirely unwelcomed, hence its inclusion here.

The artwork features the new EastLink tolled motorway in Melbourne, Victoria.

Track listing:

1. The HIVES - Tick tick boom (03.25)
2. FOUNTAINS OF WAYNE - Someone to love (03.48)
3. JUSTICE - D.A.N.C.E. (04.02)
4. BEYONCÉ - Green light (Freemasons remix) (03.18)
5. Britney SPEARS - Break the ice (03.15)
6. SHAKIRA - Las de la intuición (03.38)
7. Yoko ONO - Walking on thin ice (Pet Shop Boys 7 inch mix) (03.58)
8. Mark RONSON (featuring Amy Winehouse) - Valerie (version revisited) (03.38)
9. GROOVE ARMADA (featuring Mutya) - Song 4 Mutya (out of control) (04.07)
10. DURAN DURAN - Tempted (04.22)
11. SUGABABES - About you (radio edit) (03.10)
12. NATIONAL PARCS - Down by the river (03.45)
13. Calvin HARRIS - The Girls (radio edit) (03.55)
14. M.I.A. - Jimmy (03.29)
15. The FEELING - Love it when you call (03.26)
16. TRAVIS - Underneath the moonlight (04.00)
17. BEYONCÉ (featuring Jay-Z) - Déjà vu (Freemasons remix) (03.16)
18. TIMBALAND (featuring Nelly Furtado and Justin Timberlake) - Give it to me (03.28)
19. BOOTY LUV - Don't mess with my man (radio edit) (02.53)
20. Bryan FERRY - Baby let me follow you down (02.12)
21. Matt WILLIS - Hey kid (03.38)
22. ART BRUT - Direct hit (03.29)

Outside jewel case.

Inside jewel case.

ou can now explore other years' pop survey compilations and their respective liner notes and artwork by hovering over the artwork displayed to the left-- this will identify the year of the compilation of each corresponding image. Clicking on each image will take you to that year's dedicated page.

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