Golden Hour: The 2000s

Welcome to the QuizPrep Golden Hour guide to the 2000s. Designed for radio presenters, quiz hosts and anyone running a “Guess the Year” feature, this quick-reference page brings together the biggest UK singles, landmark albums, major films, political figures, memorable events and sporting reference points from every year between 2000 and 2009.

Use the links below to jump directly to a particular year. The answers and facts are displayed openly so presenters can scan the page quickly while preparing a feature.

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Chart note: Historical chart and sales rankings are based on the best available published data and may vary slightly between sources.

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Golden Hour: 2000 – UK Hits, Films, News & Events

A quick-glance guide to the music, films, political figures and memorable events associated with 2000.

⭐ 2000 at a Glance

• Olympic Games: Sydney Summer Olympics
• UEFA European Championship: Belgium/Netherlands – Winners: France
• Premier League Champions: Manchester United
• UK Prime Minister: Tony Blair
• US President: Bill Clinton
• Best-Selling UK Single: Can We Fix It? – Bob the Builder
• Film Highlight: Gladiator
• Eurovision Winner: Olsen Brothers for Denmark – Fly on the Wings of Love

Top 10 Best-Selling UK Singles of 2000

1. Bob the Builder – Can We Fix It?
2. All Saints – Pure Shores
3. Sonique – It Feels So Good
4. Baha Men – Who Let the Dogs Out?
5. Robbie Williams – Rock DJ
6. Eminem featuring Dido – Stan
7. Fragma – Toca’s Miracle
8. Spiller featuring Sophie Ellis-Bextor – Groovejet (If This Ain’t Love)
9. S Club 7 – Never Had a Dream Come True
10. Craig David – Fill Me In

Five Landmark Albums Released in 2000

• Coldplay – Parachutes
• Radiohead – Kid A
• Eminem – The Marshall Mathers LP
• Robbie Williams – Sing When You’re Winning
• U2 – All That You Can’t Leave Behind

Five Major Films Released in 2000

• Gladiator – Russell Crowe and Joaquin Phoenix
• Cast Away – Tom Hanks
• X-Men – Hugh Jackman, Patrick Stewart and Ian McKellen
• Chicken Run – voices including Mel Gibson and Julia Sawalha
• Meet the Parents – Ben Stiller and Robert De Niro

UK Prime Minister(s)

• Tony Blair (Labour) – 1 January–31 December 2000

Major News and Events of 2000

• 1 January: Millennium celebrations welcomed the year 2000 around the world.
• 10 June: London’s Millennium Bridge opened to pedestrians but was closed two days later after experiencing unexpected sideways movement.
• July: Concorde was grounded following the Air France Flight 4590 crash near Paris.
• September: Fuel protests and refinery blockades caused widespread petrol shortages across Britain.
• November: George W. Bush defeated Al Gore after an exceptionally close and disputed US presidential election.

📻 More Quick-Glance Facts – 2000

• New on TV: Big Brother – the UK version began on Channel 4.
• Popular Toy: Razor scooter
• Wimbledon Singles Champions: Pete Sampras (Men’s) | Venus Williams (Ladies’)
• Champions League: Real Madrid beat Valencia 3–0
• FA Cup Winners: Chelsea
• Scottish Cup Winners: Rangers
• BBC Sports Personality of the Year: Steve Redgrave
• The Open Champion: Tiger Woods – St Andrews
• Grand National Winner: Papillon

🎂 Born in 2000

• Willow Smith – American singer and actor
• Erling Haaland – Norwegian footballer
• Phil Foden – English footballer

Notable Passings – 2000

• Sir Alec Guinness – English actor
• Kirsty MacColl – English singer-songwriter
• Charles M. Schulz – Peanuts cartoonist

🎙️ Radio Presenter Talking Points

• The Wobbly Bridge: London’s new Millennium Bridge closed just two days after opening when pedestrians experienced an unexpected sideways swaying motion. It would not reopen until 2002.
• Fuel protests: Blockades of oil refineries resulted in petrol stations running dry and widespread disruption across Britain.
• Nokia 3310: Nokia launched one of the era’s most recognisable mobile phones, remembered for its durability, interchangeable covers and Snake II.
• Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?: Judith Keppel became the programme’s first genuine £1 million winner. The following year Charles Ingram appeared to win the jackpot, but the notorious coughing scandal meant he never received the prize.
• Eminem and “Stan”: Eminem’s dark storytelling hit featured vocals sampled from Dido’s Thank You and reached UK No.1. The word “stan” later became widely used to describe an obsessive or highly devoted fan.
• Millennium London: The newly built Millennium Wheel – later known as the London Eye – became one of the most visible symbols of Britain’s millennium celebrations.

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Golden Hour: 2001 – UK Hits, Films, News & Events

A quick-glance guide to the music, films, political figures and memorable events associated with 2001.

⭐ 2001 at a Glance

• Premier League Champions: Manchester United
• UK Prime Minister: Tony Blair
• US President: Bill Clinton; George W. Bush
• Best-Selling UK Single: It Wasn’t Me – Shaggy featuring RikRok
• Film Highlight: Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone
• Eurovision Winner: Tanel Padar, Dave Benton & 2XL for Estonia – Everybody

Top 10 Best-Selling UK Singles of 2001

1. Shaggy featuring RikRok – It Wasn’t Me
2. Hear’Say – Pure and Simple
3. Kylie Minogue – Can’t Get You Out of My Head
4. Atomic Kitten – Whole Again
5. DJ Ötzi – Hey Baby
6. Westlife – Uptown Girl
7. S Club 7 – Don’t Stop Movin’
8. Shaggy featuring Rayvon – Angel
9. Wheatus – Teenage Dirtbag
10. Afroman – Because I Got High

Five Landmark Albums Released in 2001

• The Strokes – Is This It
• Kylie Minogue – Fever
• Daft Punk – Discovery
• Gorillaz – Gorillaz
• Alicia Keys – Songs in A Minor

Five Major Films Released in 2001

• Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone – Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint and Emma Watson
• The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring – Elijah Wood and Ian McKellen
• Shrek – voices including Mike Myers and Eddie Murphy
• Bridget Jones’s Diary – Renée Zellweger, Colin Firth and Hugh Grant
• Monsters, Inc. – voices including John Goodman and Billy Crystal

UK Prime Minister(s)

• Tony Blair (Labour) – 1 January–31 December 2001

Major News and Events of 2001

• February: The first cases in Britain’s major foot-and-mouth disease outbreak were confirmed.
• 7 June: Tony Blair’s Labour Party won a second consecutive landslide general election victory.
• 11 September: Terrorist attacks in the United States destroyed New York’s World Trade Center towers and struck the Pentagon.
• October: Military operations began in Afghanistan following the September attacks.
• October: Apple introduced the first iPod.

📻 More Quick-Glance Facts – 2001

• New on TV: The Office – Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant’s sitcom began on BBC Two.
• Popular Toy: Bratz dolls
• Wimbledon Singles Champions: Goran Ivanišević (Men’s) | Venus Williams (Ladies’)
• Champions League: Bayern Munich drew Valencia 1–1 and won 5–4 on penalties
• FA Cup Winners: Liverpool
• Scottish Cup Winners: Celtic
• BBC Sports Personality of the Year: David Beckham
• The Open Champion: David Duval – Royal Lytham & St Annes
• Grand National Winner: Red Marauder

🎂 Born in 2001

• Billie Eilish – American singer-songwriter
• Jannik Sinner – Italian tennis player
• Lola Young – English singer-songwriter

Notable Passings – 2001

• George Harrison – Beatles guitarist
• Jack Lemmon – American actor
• Perry Como – American singer

🎙️ Radio Presenter Talking Points

• Who Shot Phil?: More than 20 million viewers watched EastEnders reveal Lisa Fowler as Phil Mitchell’s attacker. Liverpool’s UEFA Cup match against Barcelona was delayed to accommodate the extended episode.
• Foot-and-mouth: Images of disinfectant mats, closed countryside and livestock pyres became some of the year’s most memorable images across Britain.
• First iPod: Apple’s original iPod promised “1,000 songs in your pocket”; the first model had 5GB of storage and initially worked only with Macintosh computers.
• Wikipedia: The online encyclopaedia launched in January, long before it became one of the world’s most frequently used reference websites.
• Windows XP: Microsoft’s new operating system arrived with what became one of computing’s most recognisable desktop backgrounds – the green hill and blue sky known as “Bliss”.
• Hollywood after 9/11: Don’t Say a Word and Zoolander were among the first major US cinema releases following the attacks. New York skyline imagery was hurriedly altered, including digitally removing the Twin Towers from shots in Zoolander.

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Golden Hour: 2002 – UK Hits, Films, News & Events

A quick-glance guide to the music, films, political figures and memorable events associated with 2002.

⭐ 2002 at a Glance

• FIFA World Cup Winners: Brazil
• Premier League Champions: Arsenal
• UK Prime Minister: Tony Blair
• US President: George W. Bush
• Best-Selling UK Single: Anything Is Possible / Evergreen – Will Young
• Film Highlight: The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers
• Eurovision Winner: Marie N for Latvia – I Wanna

Top 10 Best-Selling UK Singles of 2002

1. Will Young – Anything Is Possible / Evergreen
2. Gareth Gates – Unchained Melody
3. Enrique Iglesias – Hero
4. Nelly featuring Kelly Rowland – Dilemma
5. Elvis vs JXL – A Little Less Conversation
6. Gareth Gates – Anyone of Us (Stupid Mistake)
7. Shakira – Whenever, Wherever
8. Las Ketchup – The Ketchup Song (Aserejé)
9. Liberty X – Just a Little
10. Eminem – Without Me

Five Landmark Albums Released in 2002

• Coldplay – A Rush of Blood to the Head
• Eminem – The Eminem Show
• Justin Timberlake – Justified
• Christina Aguilera – Stripped
• Ms. Dynamite – A Little Deeper

Five Major Films Released in 2002

• The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers – Elijah Wood, Ian McKellen and Viggo Mortensen
• Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets – Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint and Emma Watson
• Spider-Man – Tobey Maguire and Kirsten Dunst
• Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones – Ewan McGregor, Natalie Portman and Hayden Christensen
• My Big Fat Greek Wedding – Nia Vardalos and John Corbett

UK Prime Minister(s)

• Tony Blair (Labour) – 1 January–31 December 2002

Major News and Events of 2002

• 1 January: Euro banknotes and coins entered circulation across 12 European countries.
• 9 February: Princess Margaret died aged 71.
• 30 March: Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother died aged 101.
• June: Major celebrations marked Queen Elizabeth II’s Golden Jubilee.
• 25 July: The Commonwealth Games opened in Manchester.

📻 More Quick-Glance Facts – 2002

• New on TV: Top Gear – the relaunched Jeremy Clarkson-led format began on BBC Two.
• Popular Toy: Beyblades
• Wimbledon Singles Champions: Lleyton Hewitt (Men’s) | Serena Williams (Ladies’)
• Champions League: Real Madrid beat Bayer Leverkusen 2–1
• FA Cup Winners: Arsenal
• Scottish Cup Winners: Rangers
• BBC Sports Personality of the Year: Paula Radcliffe
• The Open Champion: Ernie Els – Muirfield
• Grand National Winner: Bindaree

🎂 Born in 2002

• Emma Raducanu – British tennis player
• Benson Boone – American singer-songwriter
• Cole Palmer – English footballer

Notable Passings – 2002

• Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother – British royal
• Princess Margaret – British royal
• Joe Strummer – The Clash singer and guitarist

🎙️ Radio Presenter Talking Points

• Pop Idol mania: Will Young defeated Gareth Gates in the first Pop Idol final after millions of telephone votes were cast.
• I’m a Celebrity begins: Ant & Dec presented the first series of I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here!, with radio DJ Tony Blackburn becoming the show’s first King of the Jungle.
• Freeview arrives: Freeview launched in October, helping begin Britain’s move away from the traditional handful of terrestrial television channels.
• Party at the Palace: Buckingham Palace provided the backdrop to a huge Golden Jubilee concert featuring stars including Paul McCartney, Brian May, Elton John and Tom Jones.
• Beckham’s metatarsal: David Beckham breaking a bone in his foot before the World Cup became headline news as the country followed his race to regain fitness.
• Euro cash: Holidaymakers visiting much of continental Europe could suddenly use the same notes and coins instead of changing money into francs, marks, pesetas or lire.

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Golden Hour: 2003 – UK Hits, Films, News & Events

A quick-glance guide to the music, films, political figures and memorable events associated with 2003.

⭐ 2003 at a Glance

• Premier League Champions: Manchester United
• UK Prime Minister: Tony Blair
• US President: George W. Bush
• Best-Selling UK Single: Where Is the Love? – The Black Eyed Peas
• Film Highlight: The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
• Eurovision Winner: Sertab Erener for Turkey – Everyway That I Can

Top 10 Best-Selling UK Singles of 2003

1. The Black Eyed Peas – Where Is the Love?
2. Gareth Gates featuring The Kumars – Spirit in the Sky
3. R. Kelly – Ignition (Remix)
4. Michael Andrews featuring Gary Jules – Mad World
5. Will Young – Leave Right Now
6. t.A.T.u. – All the Things She Said
7. Ozzy & Kelly Osbourne – Changes
8. Blu Cantrell featuring Sean Paul – Breathe
9. Room 5 featuring Oliver Cheatham – Make Luv
10. The Darkness – Christmas Time (Don’t Let the Bells End)

Five Landmark Albums Released in 2003

• Amy Winehouse – Frank
• The White Stripes – Elephant
• Beyoncé – Dangerously in Love
• Dido – Life for Rent
• Muse – Absolution

Five Major Films Released in 2003

• The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King – Elijah Wood, Ian McKellen and Viggo Mortensen
• Finding Nemo – voices including Albert Brooks and Ellen DeGeneres
• Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl – Johnny Depp and Keira Knightley
• Love Actually – Hugh Grant, Emma Thompson and Alan Rickman
• Bruce Almighty – Jim Carrey and Morgan Freeman

UK Prime Minister(s)

• Tony Blair (Labour) – 1 January–31 December 2003

Major News and Events of 2003

• 1 February: Space Shuttle Columbia broke apart while returning to Earth.
• 17 February: London’s congestion charge came into operation.
• March: US-led forces, including British troops, invaded Iraq.
• 24 October: Concorde made its final commercial passenger flights.
• 22 November: England defeated Australia to win the Rugby World Cup in Sydney.

📻 More Quick-Glance Facts – 2003

• New on TV: Little Britain – Matt Lucas and David Walliams’ comedy began on BBC Three.
• Popular Toy: Yu-Gi-Oh! trading cards
• Wimbledon Singles Champions: Roger Federer (Men’s) | Serena Williams (Ladies’)
• Champions League: AC Milan drew Juventus 0–0 and won 3–2 on penalties
• FA Cup Winners: Arsenal
• Scottish Cup Winners: Rangers
• BBC Sports Personality of the Year: Jonny Wilkinson
• The Open Champion: Ben Curtis – Royal St George’s
• Grand National Winner: Monty’s Pass

🎂 Born in 2003

• Greta Thunberg – Swedish climate activist
• Olivia Rodrigo – American singer-songwriter and actor
• Jude Bellingham – English footballer

Notable Passings – 2003

• Johnny Cash – American singer-songwriter
• Katharine Hepburn – American actor
• Barry White – American soul singer

🎙️ Radio Presenter Talking Points

• Concorde farewell: The final commercial flights ended almost three decades of scheduled supersonic passenger travel.
• Congestion Charge: Drivers entering central London began paying £5 a day, although the widely predicted first-day traffic chaos failed to materialise.
• Rugby World Cup: Jonny Wilkinson’s extra-time drop goal against Australia became one of the most replayed moments in English sporting history.
• David Blaine: The illusionist spent 44 days suspended in a transparent box beside the Thames, attracting crowds and some decidedly unsympathetic reactions from spectators.
• MTV moment: Madonna generated worldwide headlines after kissing Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera during a performance at the MTV Video Music Awards.

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Golden Hour: 2004 – UK Hits, Films, News & Events

A quick-glance guide to the music, films, political figures and memorable events associated with 2004.

⭐ 2004 at a Glance

• Olympic Games: Athens Summer Olympics
• UEFA European Championship: Portugal – Winners: Greece
• Premier League Champions: Arsenal
• UK Prime Minister: Tony Blair
• US President: George W. Bush
• Best-Selling UK Single: Do They Know It’s Christmas? – Band Aid 20
• Film Highlight: Shrek 2
• Eurovision Winner: Ruslana for Ukraine – Wild Dances

Top 10 Best-Selling UK Singles of 2004

1. Band Aid 20 – Do They Know It’s Christmas?
2. Eamon – F**k It (I Don’t Want You Back)
3. DJ Casper – Cha Cha Slide
4. Eric Prydz – Call on Me
5. Usher featuring Lil Jon & Ludacris – Yeah!
6. Michelle McManus – All This Time
7. Anastacia – Left Outside Alone
8. Peter Andre – Mysterious Girl
9. Britney Spears – Toxic
10. Frankee – F.U.R.B. (F U Right Back)

Five Landmark Albums Released in 2004

• Scissor Sisters – Scissor Sisters
• Keane – Hopes and Fears
• Franz Ferdinand – Franz Ferdinand
• The Streets – A Grand Don’t Come for Free
• Green Day – American Idiot

Five Major Films Released in 2004

• Shrek 2 – voices including Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy and Cameron Diaz
• Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban – Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint and Emma Watson
• Spider-Man 2 – Tobey Maguire and Kirsten Dunst
• The Incredibles – voices including Craig T. Nelson and Holly Hunter
• Shaun of the Dead – Simon Pegg and Nick Frost

UK Prime Minister(s)

• Tony Blair (Labour) – 1 January–31 December 2004

Major News and Events of 2004

• January: NASA’s Spirit and Opportunity rovers successfully landed on Mars.
• 1 May: Ten countries joined the European Union in its largest single expansion.
• August: The Summer Olympic Games were held in Athens.
• 18 November: The Hunting Act received Royal Assent in England and Wales.
• 26 December: A huge Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami devastated coastal communities across several countries.

📻 More Quick-Glance Facts – 2004

• New on TV: Strictly Come Dancing – the BBC dance competition began.
• Popular Toy: Robosapien
• Wimbledon Singles Champions: Roger Federer (Men’s) | Maria Sharapova (Ladies’)
• Champions League: Porto beat Monaco 3–0
• FA Cup Winners: Manchester United
• Scottish Cup Winners: Celtic
• BBC Sports Personality of the Year: Kelly Holmes
• The Open Champion: Todd Hamilton – Royal Troon
• Grand National Winner: Amberleigh House

Notable Passings – 2004

• Christopher Reeve – Superman actor
• John Peel – BBC Radio 1 DJ
• Marlon Brando – American actor

🎙️ Radio Presenter Talking Points

• Facebook begins: Mark Zuckerberg and fellow Harvard students launched what was initially known as “TheFacebook” as a university-based social network.
• Gmail: Google launched Gmail on April Fool’s Day offering 1GB of free storage – so much at the time that some people initially suspected the announcement was a joke.
• Friends finale: Friends ended its original ten-season run in the United States after becoming one of the defining sitcoms of its era.
• José Mourinho: Porto beat Monaco 3–0 in the Champions League final, giving Mourinho his first European Cup/Champions League title as a manager. Porto had also won the UEFA Cup under him the previous season.
• Kelly Holmes: Holmes completed a memorable Olympic double by winning both the 800 metres and 1500 metres in Athens.
• Arsenal Invincibles: Arsenal completed an entire 38-game Premier League season unbeaten, recording 26 wins and 12 draws.

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Golden Hour: 2005 – UK Hits, Films, News & Events

A quick-glance guide to the music, films, political figures and memorable events associated with 2005.

⭐ 2005 at a Glance

• Premier League Champions: Chelsea
• UK Prime Minister: Tony Blair
• US President: George W. Bush
• Best-Selling UK Single: (Is This the Way to) Amarillo – Tony Christie featuring Peter Kay
• Film Highlight: Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
• Eurovision Winner: Helena Paparizou for Greece – My Number One

Top 10 Best-Selling UK Singles of 2005

1. Tony Christie featuring Peter Kay – (Is This the Way to) Amarillo
2. Shayne Ward – That’s My Goal
3. Crazy Frog – Axel F
4. James Blunt – You’re Beautiful
5. The Pussycat Dolls featuring Busta Rhymes – Don’t Cha
6. McFly – All About You / You’ve Got a Friend
7. Akon – Lonely
8. Madonna – Hung Up
9. Westlife – You Raise Me Up
10. Sugababes – Push the Button

Five Landmark Albums Released in 2005

• Coldplay – X&Y
• Gorillaz – Demon Days
• Kaiser Chiefs – Employment
• Bloc Party – Silent Alarm
• Madonna – Confessions on a Dance Floor

Five Major Films Released in 2005

• Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire – Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint and Emma Watson
• Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith – Ewan McGregor and Hayden Christensen
• Batman Begins – Christian Bale and Michael Caine
• The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe – Georgie Henley and Tilda Swinton
• Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit – voices including Peter Sallis and Helena Bonham Carter

UK Prime Minister(s)

• Tony Blair (Labour) – 1 January–31 December 2005

Major News and Events of 2005

• 9 April: Prince Charles married Camilla Parker Bowles in Windsor.
• 5 May: Labour won a third consecutive UK general election under Tony Blair.
• 2 July: Live 8 concerts were held around the world, including a major event in London’s Hyde Park.
• 6 July: London was selected to host the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
• 7 July: Coordinated bomb attacks struck London’s public transport network.

📻 More Quick-Glance Facts – 2005

• New on TV: Doctor Who – the series returned to BBC One with Christopher Eccleston as the Doctor.
• Popular Toy: Tamagotchi Connection
• Wimbledon Singles Champions: Roger Federer (Men’s) | Venus Williams (Ladies’)
• Champions League: Liverpool drew AC Milan 3–3 and won 3–2 on penalties
• FA Cup Winners: Arsenal
• Scottish Cup Winners: Celtic
• BBC Sports Personality of the Year: Andrew Flintoff
• The Open Champion: Tiger Woods – St Andrews
• Grand National Winner: Hedgehunter

Notable Passings – 2005

• George Best – Northern Irish footballer
• Pope John Paul II – head of the Catholic Church
• Ronnie Barker – English comedian and actor

🎙️ Radio Presenter Talking Points

• YouTube: The first YouTube video, Me at the zoo, was uploaded by co-founder Jawed Karim – years before online video became an everyday part of life.
• Live 8: Pink Floyd’s classic line-up reunited at Hyde Park for what became their final performance together.
• London 2012: London defeated Paris in the final IOC vote, beginning seven years of preparation for the 2012 Olympic Games.
• Crazy Frog: A sound originally associated with a mobile-phone ringtone became a chart phenomenon when Axel F reached UK No.1.
• Elvis back in the charts: To mark what would have been Elvis Presley’s 70th birthday, his UK No.1 singles were reissued week by week. Jailhouse Rock, One Night / I Got Stung and It’s Now or Never all returned to No.1, with One Night / I Got Stung becoming the 1,000th UK chart-topper.
• Brad, Jen and Angelina: Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston’s marriage ended amid enormous tabloid attention, while Pitt’s chemistry with his Mr. & Mrs. Smith co-star Angelina Jolie fuelled one of the decade’s biggest celebrity stories. “Team Aniston” and “Team Jolie” became a pop-culture phenomenon.

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Golden Hour: 2006 – UK Hits, Films, News & Events

A quick-glance guide to the music, films, political figures and memorable events associated with 2006.

⭐ 2006 at a Glance

• FIFA World Cup Winners: Italy
• Premier League Champions: Chelsea
• UK Prime Minister: Tony Blair
• US President: George W. Bush
• Best-Selling UK Single: Crazy – Gnarls Barkley
• Film Highlight: Casino Royale
• Eurovision Winner: Lordi for Finland – Hard Rock Hallelujah

Top 10 Best-Selling UK Singles of 2006

1. Gnarls Barkley – Crazy
2. Leona Lewis – A Moment Like This
3. Shakira featuring Wyclef Jean – Hips Don’t Lie
4. Scissor Sisters – I Don’t Feel Like Dancin’
5. Sandi Thom – I Wish I Was a Punk Rocker (With Flowers in My Hair)
6. Infernal – From Paris to Berlin
7. Nelly Furtado – Maneater
8. Take That – Patience
9. Rihanna – SOS
10. Justin Timberlake – SexyBack

Five Landmark Albums Released in 2006

• Arctic Monkeys – Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not
• Amy Winehouse – Back to Black
• Snow Patrol – Eyes Open
• Lily Allen – Alright, Still
• Muse – Black Holes and Revelations

Five Major Films Released in 2006

• Casino Royale – Daniel Craig and Eva Green
• Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest – Johnny Depp and Keira Knightley
• The Da Vinci Code – Tom Hanks and Audrey Tautou
• Cars – voices including Owen Wilson and Paul Newman
• Borat – Sacha Baron Cohen

UK Prime Minister(s)

• Tony Blair (Labour) – 1 January–31 December 2006

Major News and Events of 2006

• 26 March: Scotland’s ban on smoking in enclosed public places came into force.
• June: The FIFA World Cup began in Germany.
• 24 August: Pluto was reclassified as a dwarf planet following a vote by the International Astronomical Union.
• October: Google agreed to buy YouTube for approximately $1.65 billion.
• December: Nintendo’s Wii console launched in the UK.

📻 More Quick-Glance Facts – 2006

• New on TV: Life on Mars – the BBC drama starring John Simm began.
• Popular Toy: Nintendo Wii
• Wimbledon Singles Champions: Roger Federer (Men’s) | Amélie Mauresmo (Ladies’)
• Champions League: Barcelona beat Arsenal 2–1
• FA Cup Winners: Liverpool
• Scottish Cup Winners: Heart of Midlothian
• BBC Sports Personality of the Year: Zara Phillips
• The Open Champion: Tiger Woods – Royal Liverpool
• Grand National Winner: Numbersixvalverde

Notable Passings – 2006

• Steve Irwin – Australian wildlife presenter
• Gerald Ford – former US President
• James Brown – American soul singer

🎙️ Radio Presenter Talking Points

• Pluto: Generations who had learned that the Solar System contained nine planets suddenly had to learn eight when Pluto was reclassified as a dwarf planet.
• Twitter: Jack Dorsey sent the first tweet when the service was still known as “twttr”.
• Top of the Pops: The final regular weekly edition aired after 42 years, ending one of British television’s longest-running music institutions.
• Smoking ban: Scotland became the first UK nation to ban smoking in enclosed public places, transforming the atmosphere in pubs almost overnight.
• Richard Hammond’s crash: Hammond suffered a serious brain injury after crashing the jet-powered Vampire at around 288 mph while filming Top Gear. James May had originally been lined up to drive the car but was unavailable for the filming dates.
• David Walliams: The comedian swam the English Channel for Sport Relief and raised more than £1 million for charity.
• Digital chart history: Gnarls Barkley’s Crazy became the first UK No.1 achieved through download sales before a physical copy was available in shops.

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Golden Hour: 2007 – UK Hits, Films, News & Events

A quick-glance guide to the music, films, political figures and memorable events associated with 2007.

⭐ 2007 at a Glance

• Premier League Champions: Manchester United
• UK Prime Minister: Tony Blair; Gordon Brown
• US President: George W. Bush
• Best-Selling UK Single: Bleeding Love – Leona Lewis
• Film Highlight: Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
• Eurovision Winner: Marija Šerifović for Serbia – Molitva

Top 10 Best-Selling UK Singles of 2007

1. Leona Lewis – Bleeding Love
2. Rihanna featuring Jay-Z – Umbrella
3. Mika – Grace Kelly
4. Leon Jackson – When You Believe
5. Take That – Rule the World
6. Sugababes – About You Now
7. Timbaland featuring Keri Hilson & D.O.E. – The Way I Are
8. The Proclaimers featuring Brian Potter & Andy Pipkin – (I’m Gonna Be) 500 Miles
9. Mark Ronson featuring Amy Winehouse – Valerie
10. Kaiser Chiefs – Ruby

Five Landmark Albums Released in 2007

• Rihanna – Good Girl Gone Bad
• Arctic Monkeys – Favourite Worst Nightmare
• Kanye West – Graduation
• Radiohead – In Rainbows
• Leona Lewis – Spirit

Five Major Films Released in 2007

• Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix – Daniel Radcliffe and Imelda Staunton
• Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End – Johnny Depp and Keira Knightley
• Transformers – Shia LaBeouf and Megan Fox
• Ratatouille – voices including Patton Oswalt
• The Simpsons Movie – voices including Dan Castellaneta and Julie Kavner

UK Prime Minister(s)

• Tony Blair (Labour) – 1 January–27 June 2007
• Gordon Brown (Labour) – from 27 June 2007

Major News and Events of 2007

• May: Madeleine McCann disappeared while on a family holiday in Praia da Luz, Portugal.
• 27 June: Gordon Brown became Prime Minister following Tony Blair’s resignation.
• Summer: Severe flooding affected large parts of England and Wales.
• September: Customers queued outside Northern Rock branches as the developing financial crisis reached Britain.
• December: BBC iPlayer launched as the corporation’s new online catch-up television service.

📻 More Quick-Glance Facts – 2007

• New on TV: Gavin & Stacey – the sitcom began on BBC Three.
• Popular Toy: Nintendo DS
• Wimbledon Singles Champions: Roger Federer (Men’s) | Venus Williams (Ladies’)
• Champions League: AC Milan beat Liverpool 2–1
• FA Cup Winners: Chelsea
• Scottish Cup Winners: Celtic
• BBC Sports Personality of the Year: Joe Calzaghe
• The Open Champion: Pádraig Harrington – Carnoustie
• Grand National Winner: Silver Birch

Notable Passings – 2007

• Ike Turner – American musician
• Magnus Magnusson – Mastermind presenter
• Evel Knievel – American stunt performer

🎙️ Radio Presenter Talking Points

• First iPhone: Steve Jobs unveiled Apple’s iPhone as a combination of phone, iPod and internet device. The original model did not even have an App Store.
• Northern Rock: Customers queuing outside branches to withdraw savings produced images of Britain’s first major bank run in generations.
• Final Harry Potter book: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows went on sale amid midnight openings and huge queues, ending the original seven-book series.
• BBC iPlayer: The BBC’s new catch-up service helped make watching television whenever you wanted increasingly normal.
• Smoking ban: England’s indoor smoking ban arrived a year after Scotland’s, ending the era of smoke-filled pubs across most of Britain.
• Radiohead: In Rainbows was initially released online using a headline-grabbing “pay what you want” model.

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Golden Hour: 2008 – UK Hits, Films, News & Events

A quick-glance guide to the music, films, political figures and memorable events associated with 2008.

⭐ 2008 at a Glance

• Olympic Games: Beijing Summer Olympics
• UEFA European Championship: Austria/Switzerland – Winners: Spain
• Premier League Champions: Manchester United
• UK Prime Minister: Gordon Brown
• US President: George W. Bush
• Best-Selling UK Single: Hallelujah – Alexandra Burke
• Film Highlight: The Dark Knight
• Eurovision Winner: Dima Bilan for Russia – Believe

Top 10 Best-Selling UK Singles of 2008

1. Alexandra Burke – Hallelujah
2. X Factor Finalists – Hero
3. Duffy – Mercy
4. Katy Perry – I Kissed a Girl
5. Nickelback – Rockstar
6. Estelle featuring Kanye West – American Boy
7. Kings of Leon – Sex on Fire
8. Basshunter – Now You’re Gone
9. Madonna featuring Justin Timberlake & Timbaland – 4 Minutes
10. Sam Sparro – Black and Gold

Five Landmark Albums Released in 2008

• Adele – 19
• Kings of Leon – Only by the Night
• Duffy – Rockferry
• Coldplay – Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends
• Beyoncé – I Am… Sasha Fierce

Five Major Films Released in 2008

• The Dark Knight – Christian Bale and Heath Ledger
• Mamma Mia! – Meryl Streep, Pierce Brosnan and Amanda Seyfried
• Quantum of Solace – Daniel Craig and Olga Kurylenko
• WALL-E – voices including Ben Burtt
• Slumdog Millionaire – Dev Patel and Freida Pinto

UK Prime Minister(s)

• Gordon Brown (Labour) – 1 January–31 December 2008

Major News and Events of 2008

• August: The Summer Olympic Games were held in Beijing.
• September: Lehman Brothers collapsed as the global financial crisis intensified.
• Autumn: The UK Government announced major interventions to stabilise the banking system.
• 4 November: Barack Obama was elected President of the United States.
• November: Woolworths entered administration after almost a century of trading in Britain.

📻 More Quick-Glance Facts – 2008

• New on TV: The Inbetweeners – the comedy began on E4.
• Popular Toy: Bakugan
• Wimbledon Singles Champions: Rafael Nadal (Men’s) | Venus Williams (Ladies’)
• Champions League: Manchester United drew Chelsea 1–1 and won 6–5 on penalties
• FA Cup Winners: Portsmouth
• Scottish Cup Winners: Rangers
• BBC Sports Personality of the Year: Chris Hoy
• The Open Champion: Pádraig Harrington – Royal Birkdale
• Grand National Winner: Comply or Die

Notable Passings – 2008

• Heath Ledger – Australian actor
• Roy Scheider – Jaws actor
• Paul Newman – American actor

🎙️ Radio Presenter Talking Points

• Woolworths: The collapse of the familiar high-street chain became one of the most visible everyday signs of the financial crisis.
• Barack Obama: Obama became the first African-American elected President of the United States, with “Yes We Can” becoming one of the era’s best-known campaign slogans.
• Team GB: Britain won 19 gold medals in Beijing and finished fourth in the Olympic medal table – its best performance for a century at the time.
• Credit crunch: Phrases such as “credit crunch”, “toxic debt” and “bank bailout” suddenly entered everyday conversation.
• Spotify: Spotify launched its music-streaming service in Europe, foreshadowing another huge change in the way people listened to music.
• Heath Ledger: Ledger’s performance as the Joker in The Dark Knight became one of the year’s defining cinema performances and later earned him a posthumous Academy Award.

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Golden Hour: 2009 – UK Hits, Films, News & Events

A quick-glance guide to the music, films, political figures and memorable events associated with 2009.

⭐ 2009 at a Glance

• Premier League Champions: Manchester United
• UK Prime Minister: Gordon Brown
• US President: George W. Bush; Barack Obama
• Best-Selling UK Single: Poker Face – Lady Gaga
• Film Highlight: Avatar
• Eurovision Winner: Alexander Rybak for Norway – Fairytale

Top 10 Best-Selling UK Singles of 2009

1. Lady Gaga – Poker Face
2. The Black Eyed Peas – I Gotta Feeling
3. Lady Gaga featuring Colby O’Donis – Just Dance
4. Cheryl Cole – Fight for This Love
5. Joe McElderry – The Climb
6. La Roux – In for the Kill
7. The Black Eyed Peas – Boom Boom Pow
8. Rage Against the Machine – Killing in the Name
9. Alexandra Burke featuring Flo Rida – Bad Boys
10. The Black Eyed Peas – Meet Me Halfway

Five Landmark Albums Released in 2009

• Florence + the Machine – Lungs
• Paolo Nutini – Sunny Side Up
• Arctic Monkeys – Humbug
• Susan Boyle – I Dreamed a Dream
• Michael Bublé – Crazy Love

Five Major Films Released in 2009

• Avatar – Sam Worthington and Zoe Saldaña
• Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince – Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint and Emma Watson
• Up – voices including Ed Asner
• The Hangover – Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms and Zach Galifianakis
• Sherlock Holmes – Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law

UK Prime Minister(s)

• Gordon Brown (Labour) – 1 January–31 December 2009

Major News and Events of 2009

• 15 January: US Airways Flight 1549 made an emergency landing on New York’s Hudson River after a bird strike.
• 20 January: Barack Obama was inaugurated as the 44th President of the United States.
• Spring: The MPs’ expenses scandal became one of Britain’s biggest political stories.
• June: The World Health Organization declared the H1N1 swine flu outbreak a pandemic.
• 25 June: Michael Jackson died in Los Angeles aged 50.

📻 More Quick-Glance Facts – 2009

• New on TV: The Chase – the ITV quiz show began with Bradley Walsh as host.
• Popular Toy: Go Go Hamsters / Zhu Zhu Pets
• Wimbledon Singles Champions: Roger Federer (Men’s) | Serena Williams (Ladies’)
• Champions League: Barcelona beat Manchester United 2–0
• FA Cup Winners: Chelsea
• Scottish Cup Winners: Rangers
• BBC Sports Personality of the Year: Ryan Giggs
• The Open Champion: Stewart Cink – Turnberry
• Grand National Winner: Mon Mome

Notable Passings – 2009

• Michael Jackson – American singer
• Stephen Gately – Boyzone singer
• Patrick Swayze – American actor and dancer

🎙️ Radio Presenter Talking Points

• MPs’ expenses: Claims involving duck houses, moat cleaning and second homes became symbols of a political scandal that dominated the British headlines.
• Susan Boyle: The previously unknown Scottish singer stunned the Britain’s Got Talent judges with I Dreamed a Dream, and her audition rapidly became an international internet phenomenon.
• Miracle on the Hudson: Captain Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger successfully landed US Airways Flight 1549 on the Hudson River after both engines lost power following a bird strike.
• X Factor versus Rage Against the Machine: After four consecutive X Factor-linked Christmas No.1s, an internet campaign sent Rage Against the Machine’s Killing in the Name to the festive top spot ahead of winner Joe McElderry’s The Climb.
• Swine flu: H1N1 became a global pandemic, bringing public-information campaigns and widespread concern about infection.
• Michael Jackson: Jackson had announced a huge This Is It comeback residency at London’s O2 Arena and died only weeks before the first concert was due to take place.

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Editorial and source note

The annual singles lists follow retrospective UK calendar-year sales data. Album sections are curated selections of prominent releases rather than claimed sales rankings. Films are grouped by their generally recognised original release year and are curated selections of prominent releases rather than claimed UK box-office rankings.

Historical chart, sporting and cultural records have been compiled from established published sources. Where historical rankings differ slightly between sources, the best available contemporary or retrospective data has been used.

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