some of it was true!

With all this talk of predictions for 2010 (mine coming soon), I thought it would be fun to look back at some big names’ calls for 2009.  Who made it, and who didn’t, and which writers look smug and which have an eggy complexion?  Here goes…

BBC (Sound of 2009 longlist)
The Big Pink, Dan Black, VV Brown, Empire of the Sun, Florence & the Machine, Frankmusik, Kid Cudi, La Roux, Lady GaGa, Little Boots, Master Shortie, Mumford & Sons, Passion Pit, The Temper Trap, White Lies
Pretty much all of these made it big in 2009, although Dan Black, VV Brown, Mumford & Sons and Master Shortie less than the rest.  Then again, the feeling persists that the bands instantly make it big simply by being on the BBC’s hugely-read list.  Which basically means Auntie’s cheating, by suggesting hot tips and therefore at the same time ensuring the accuracy of those tips.  Disgusting.
Verdict: DQ’ed for cheating (Otherwise 87%)

Times Online
La Roux, Broken Records, Empire of the Sun, White Lies, Kid Cudi, Animal Collective, 6 Day Riot, Heartbreak, Pageboy, The Big Pink, Ane Brun, Rumble Strips
Other writes having started with five solid picks, Times music man Pete Paphides dared to dig a little deeper into contemporary pop obscurity, and paid for his audacity.  The Big Pink, yes – everyone else from Animal Collective onwards, no.  Heartbreak for Heartbreak and broken vows for Pageboy – it’s a cruel world.
Verdict: 54% – Pathetic Paphides lets side down

Sunday Times
VV Brown, Florence & The Machine, Karima Francis, Frankmusik, Lady GaGa, LeLe(Speaks), Terry Lynn, Lisa Mitchell, Passion Pit, thecocknbullkid.
One band, one male singer/DJ, and no fewer than eight female solo artists in The Sunday Times’ annual predictathon.  Of those, one band, one male singer/DJ and preicsely two female singers made it.  VV Brown gets a half-mark.  Lisa Mitchell is great, but recently did a UK tour without playing London.  Terry and Lele, much as I love them, are probably a tad too aggressive for the mainstream.
Verdict: 50% – two many women spoilt the broth

Alan McGee in The Guardian
The Grants, Hatcham Social, Panthu du Prince, Jonathan Wilson, Dent May & His Magnificent Ukelele, The Vortex, Wavves, Errors, Ipso Facto, The Sessions
Making reference to his one good pick (Glasvegas) in 2008, McGee boldly foresaw prominence for real unknowns – most of whom stayed really unknown.  Wavves and Errors found some fame: as for the rest, not so much.  I’m not sure the staff in Shoreditch’s Duke of Uke shop will have heard of Dent May; while The Vortex seem ever more inappropriately named.
Verdict: 10% – Last year I scarcely made one good pick

NME
Florence & The Machine, The Virgins, Empire of the Sun, White Lies, The Soft Pack, The xx, The Chapman Family, Little Boots, The Big Pink, Kid Cudi
A very decent effort this – amazingly, no-one else had mentioned The xx, so NME deserves some real credit (and a bonus mark).  God I hate saying that.  Neither The Virgins nor The Soft Pack did much, and I think only Les Dennis knows who the Chapman Family is, but everyone else achieved the infamy NME expected.
Verdict: 80% – New-Music Experts

HMV
Gary Go, White Lies, Lady GaGa, Keri Hilson, Filthy Dukes, The Answer, Red Light Company, Lauren Izibor, Little Boots, Florence & The Machine
HMV’s Rob Watson said there were no stand-out acts for 2009 – complete rubbish, as he then named alll three of them (White Lies, Little Boots and Florence).  This list ended up being a curious list of solid choice and who-the-hell-are-theys?, worrying when even a blogger has to find out.  Happily, records by the maddening Gary Go were bought only by those trying alternative mosquito repellents.
Verdict: 45% – Florence & co get the green light, Red Light Company get the… stop sign?

MTV
Lady GaGa, Julian Peretta, White Lies, Master Shortie, The Virgins, Daniel Merriweather, MC Rut, Little Boots, Kid Cudi
This ’spanking’ list was ruined by the fact that emteevee picked Mr Merriweather – a man already reasonably famous at the time – and then saw him actually get less popular.  Some morals of some stories are pretty obvious.  Elsewhere, some success but also more failure: MC Rut lived up to his name and Julian Peretta lost out to Julian Plentl in the (imaginary) battle of Julian Ps. 
Verdict: 50% – Merriweather friends’ spanking list fails to kick ass

Drowned in Sound
Crystal Antlers, Catherine A.D., Grammatics, It Hugs Back, Mumford & Sons, Sky Larkin, Shield Your Eyes, Three Trapped Tigers, Wavves, Women
Credit where it’s due – DIS put together this list in mid-November.  That’s bold.  And possibly regretted now (no 2010 list is yet available).  Crystal Antlers, Mumford, Wavves and Women did okay; TTT’s time is surely coming, just later than expected.  The rest have failed to capitalise on the momentum provided by this most influential music source.
Verdict: 20% – drowning in mediocrity

Gigwise
La Roux, Kid Cudi,  We Have Band, Mumford & Sons, Little Boots, Hockey, Spinnerette, Golden Silvers, Amazing Baby, Everything Everything, Lady GaGa, The Temper Trap, Lissy Trullie, Florence & The Machine, Passion Pit, White Lies, VV Brown, Titus Andronicus, School Of Seven Bells, Dinosaur Pile Up
A whopping 20 tips, many of which came good.  That said, this list came suspiciously late; what’s more, any act on here that wasn’t lauded elsewhere failed to cause much of a ripple.  Lissy Trullie is hot property across the pond but unknown here; Titus Andronicus make lovely noise, but perhaps too constant a racket.
Verdict: 50% (steward’s enquiry) – could be wiser

Music Ally
White Lies, Little Boots, Florence & The Machine, Mumford & Sons, VV Brown, Lady GaGa, thecocknbullkid, Dan Black, Frankmusik, Dinosaur Pile Up, Alessi’s Ark, Passion Pit, La Roux, Master Shortie
A rather generic list: but that’s to be expected: Music Ally aggregated all existing lists at time of going live (Christmas Eve).  Interestingly, most lists that followed included the same artists.  Of them, onlyAlessi’s Ark and DPU remain relatively anonymous, although thecocknbullkid hasn’t picked up fans as everyone (including me) expected.
Verdict: 68% – that’s how much you can trust we music oracles

Now, most of these sonic soothsayers, who dared put their reputations on the line by naming tomorrow’s stars (or by copying from blogs),  have been rather ridiculed here.  But don’t think I’m all high and mighty.  Before this blog began, I wrote annual predictions on my (then personal) MySpace page.  Let’s see how I performed in 2009:

Me
Mumford & Sons, Theophilus London, Violens, Passion Pit, Solid Gold, Amazing Baby, Clues, Tulsa, Marina & The Diamonds, Flosstradamus
Hmm… I still stand by some of these – Marina’s just running a year late, while Violens’ and Theophilus’ time should come soon.  I saw Amazing Baby live after this and didn’t think much of their back catalogue; neither was I that impressed with Clues’ later songs.  The likes of Solid Gold and Flosstradamus are perhaps a bit too niche and meditative, if bloody good. 
Verdict: 20% – Basically, I sucked