A kung fu fighter in a disco

You know what? We never did a Rihanna canon! Well if we did I can't find it. If you weren't about when we last did the canon polls then have a look here to see what I'm banging on about and which Celine Dion single we decided was the best. Basically you get SIX ticks over the entire poll to choose your favourite Ri-Ri singles that made the UK top 40. The top songs will make it into the poptimists hall of fame!

[Poll #1605281]

Tick away!

It's Bristol! It's the Nineties! What are the kidz listening to on their 'walk-mans' on the back seat of the bus? Well, East 17 probably, but who was the real winner of the Wess Cunnry Coffee Table war? You have EIGHT ticks to dish out between Massive Attack, Portishead and Tricky's UK Top 40 hits.

[Poll #1119484]
Manic Street Preachers: (link)
1. Motorcycle Emptiness
2. You Love Us
=3. Faster / PCP
=3. Little Baby Nothing
5. A Design For Life
=6. Everything Must Go
=6. La Tristesse Durera
8. From Despair To Where
9. Kevin Carter
=10. Revol
=10. Roses In The Hospital
=10. Theme From M.A.S.H. (Suicide Is Painless)

NB: This canon was meant to be put up in December, but I forgot. Look out for all-new Friday poll action next week!

Yes, the next most requested canon was those rather hirsuite chaps and chapesses from Fleetwood Mac! Thanks to their habit of releasing more albums than singles you have just FIVE ticks to dish out over their 16 UK Top 40 hits.

[Poll #1102069]
Gwen/No Doubt: (link)
=1. Hollaback Girl
=1. What You Waiting For
3. Don't Speak
4. Hella Good
5. Just A Girl
6. Cool
7. The Sweet Escape [ft Akon]
8. Let Me Blow Ya Mind [w/Eve]
=9. Spiderwebs
=9. Wind It Up

In 2008 the canon polls shall be taking an extended break (almost certainly to be revived at a later date), and will be temporarily replaced by All New Top Secret Friday Orgafun Action! Calm yourselves - there are still 5 Fridays left in the year (not counting today), and we need to decide how best to fill them. Who would you like to see join these illustrious pop stars in the poptimists Hall Of Fame?

As there are five weeks to fill, you get five picks! However in a fit of generosity (and fear that I've missed someone obvious) you may nominate one further artist in the text box below - they must have had at least ten UK Top 40 Hits in some shape or form (you can check this here), e.g. Annie Lennox has only had 9 solo hits but combined with Eurythmics she has charted like a billion times, so both would need to be covered in the same poll.

It's gonna be tough but don't fret - the runners-up will almost certainly be revisited in the future. Artists with an asterisk by their name are still actively recording new material (as far as I know). Whether this affects your vote or not is up to you! Would you rather wait until Avril has a few more singles under her belt? Or does she demand immediate tickery?

[Poll #1093510]

Edit: Though the Spice Girls have not officially been subject to canon, they featured in an early Poptimist poll here. Feel free to go back and tick it!

It's harmonica-wielding child prodigy Stevie Wonder! His 41 UK top 40 hits means thirteen ticks to show your Wonder-love.

[Poll #1089660]

The most requested canon ever! :-) Here you go Jeff, twenty-six UK Top 40 hits means EIGHT ticks across the tunes below. If you don't know any then get yourself over to Youtube and have a listen!

[Poll #1081557]
Roxette: (link)
1. It Must Have Been Love
2. The Look
=3. Joyride
=3. Listen To Your Heart / Dangerous
5. Fading Like A Flower

No canon today as my list is at work and I am not - instead, a question:

Is there an artist or group that suddenly springs to mind when you think of 'pop'? What about 'indie'? Or 'emo'? Do you think there can be 'defining songs' for a genre?

In other words - are there canonical artists/songs in pop? How changeable are they over time?

It's the Peter Pans of Punk! They've had 20 UK Top 40 singles, and you get to pick your favourite SIX out of this lot:

[Poll #1055183]
Blondie: (link)
1. Heart Of Glass
2. Atomic
3. Hanging On The Telephone
4. Rapture
5. Call Me
6. Denis
7. Picture This
8. Sunday Girl
=9. Maria
=9. The Tide Is High

Our Quentin has been a busy boy over the last twenty years. Three bands, a grillion pseudonyms and twenty-eight UK Top 40 hits later - behold! It's the salad of all the Cooks. Pick your favourite NINE over his oeuvre!

[Poll #1048009]
T-Rex (link)
=1. 20th Century Boy
=1. Get It On
3. Children Of The Revolution
4. Metal Guru
5. Ride A White Swan
6. Jeepster
7. Telegram Sam
8. Hot Love
9. Solid Gold Easy Action
10. Debora