Chart Rigger turned five last week. To celebrate the occasion, I've trawled through the trenches (i.e. every single post on here going back to the very beginning) and I'll be posting a year-by-year timeline of some of the more significant events in pop history each day this week—kicking off today with 2005. All items mentioned are derived from actual blog posts on the site, tough, obviously, not everything will get a mention. But if there's an extremely glaring omission—and by all means, let me know in the comments if there is—well, I probably just didn't give a flying leap at the time.So, without further adieu:
* Winter 2005: Billboard begins factoring sales of paid digital downloads into its charts.
* January 22, 2005: Chart Rigger goes online.
* February 2005: 50 Cent tops the U.S. chart with "Candy Shop" and keeps far better singles like Green Day's "Boulevard Of Broken Dreams" and Kelly Clarkson's "Since U Been Gone" stuck at #2 over the next few weeks. British producer Pete Waterman tells PopJustice "nobody wants to be in the pop industry anymore." Incidentally, his latest act Pop! had just flopped...and been dropped.
* March 2005: Backstreet Boys return after a four-year break with new song "Incomplete." A global hit, it reaches #13 on the Billboard Hot 100 and becomes the group's last Top 40 American single to date.
* April 2005: Britney Spears confirms she's pregnant, y'all! Gwen Stefani tops the U.S. chart with cheerleader jam "Hollaback Girl."
* May 2005: Kylie Minogue is diagnosed with breast cancer. Carrie Underwood wins American Idol. Mariah Carey lands her first #1 single ("We Belong Together") in five years. Crazy Frog's "Axel F" tops the U.K. chart, keeping Coldplay's "Speed Of Sound" stuck at #2.
* June 2005: Destiny's Child officially break up. Michael Jackson is found not guilty of sexually abusing Gavin Arvizo. The Killers score their first (and only to date) Top 10 hit in the U.S. with "Mr. Brightside."
* July 2005: The Live 8 concerts, organized by Bob Geldof, are staged around the globe. Five days later, a series of suicide bomber terrorist attacks occur in the London Underground and on a double-decker bus in Tavistock Square.
* August 2005: Hurricane Katrina hits the Gulf Coast, and ends up becoming the largest natural disaster in the history of the United States. Brandon Flowers marries Tana Mundkowsky. Mark Feehily of Irish boy band Westlife comes out, telling The Sun, "I am gay and I'm very proud of who I am." The FOX network enacts an "enhanced non-fraternization policy" after former American Idol contestant Corey Clark alleges he and judge Paula Abdul had an affair during Season 2 . Madonna is thrown from a horse and breaks her hand, ribs and collar bone.
* September 2005: Britney Spears gives birth to Sean Preston Federline.
* October 2005: Sugababes top the U.K. chart with "Push The Button." They are eventually knocked off by Arctic Monkeys' debut single "I Bet You Look Good On The Dancefloor." Madonna's "Hung Up" is released, and marks the
[UPDATE: Regarding Joshua's comment on the 98 Degrees song and Anonymous pointing out that The Tamperer used an ABBA sample in "Hammer To My Heart," I addressed those in the comments. What I did forget is that this was the *second* time ABBA let a sample be used, the first being the Fugees' "Rumble In The Jungle" having a bit of "The Name Of The Game" in it.]
* November 2005: British production team Stock Aitken Waterman reform to promote their Gold box set, and I fly to London to see Jason Donovan, Sinitta and Sonia perform at G-A-Y. Madonna releases Confessions On A Dancefloor. Jessica Simpson and Nick Lachey separate. Chris Brown tops the U.S. chart at age 16 with debut single "Run It!"
* December 2005: While Sugababes are riding a wave of success with Taller In More Ways, Mutya Buena leaves the group and is replaced by Amelle Berrabah. Shayne Ward wins The X Factor. Mariah Carey tops the U.S. chart with "Don't Forget About Us" and ties with Elvis Presley for having a total of 17 #1 singles. Chart Rigger picks Kelly Clarkson's "Since U Been Gone" as the Top Single Of 2005.