Official Charts Pop Gem #54: Robyn – Dancing On My Own

Robyn’s happy-sad disco-based tale of woe from 2010 is the latest modern classic to get a Pop Gem honour.

Every week, we search for Pop Gems – your fave overlooked classics, those top tunes that used to a big deal but have somehow fallen off pop's radar.

This week, our theme was SAD SONGS. We wanted to know which tearjerking tunes made you boohoo.

Picking a winner was pretty emotional… Usually Official Charts HQ has a major scrap over which songs should make the shortlist, but this week, we were mopping up our tears and telling each other everything was going to be OK. That’s what sad songs do to you.

We got it down to a shortlist in the end, once all the tears had dried. The final 11:

When all is said and done, only one track can make the cut to be a Pop Gem and we decided the much-nominated Swedish songstress Robyn deserved a moment in the sun.

Watch this week’s Pop Gem, Dancing On My Own, before we tell you why it had to be Robyn.

Why it had to be Robyn

Robyn is one of those pop acts who always seems to be bubbling under. She’s released some banging pop tunes and is a favourite of the critics, but somehow isn’t the huge megastar we think she should be – yet.

She also pulled off one of the biggest, most unexpected comebacks – complete with a pretty much total reinvention – since Madonna sang the opening bars of Like A Prayer.

The song

Dancing On My Own is a sad song, nobody’s arguing with that, but the melancholy lyrics over the top of a thumping dance beat help to lift the misery up to the rafters. Robyn is unhappy, yes, but ultimately defiant – at least she gets to throw some shapes while she’s bawling her eyes out.

Dancing On My Own was the lead single from Robyn’s Body Talk Part 1 album, peaking at Number 8 in June 2010. It’s sold over 135,000 copies and is her second biggest seller in the UK.

Robyn’s chart story

We first met Robyn in 1997, when her debut Top 40 hit Do You Know (What It Takes) reached Number 26. Her big breakthrough hit, however, was Show Me Love, which hit Number 8 the following year. One more Top 40 hit followed and then it seemed, for the UK at least, was that. Until…

Nine long years later, Robyn popped up again, and landed herself a Number 1, along with Swedish record producer Kleerup, with another happy-sad track With Every Heartbeat.

A new Robyn for the Noughties was born, leaving behind cutesy pop for synth-laden dance pop with a big serving of all the feels on the side.

Robyn has had nine Top 40 hits including four Top 10s. Dancing On My Own is Robyn’s most recent Top 10. She hasn’t reached the Top 40 since. That could be about to change, however – she’s teamed up with Royksopp for a new EP and accompanying tour Do It Again.

In case you're interested – and we're guessing you probably are – her top seller is With Every Heartbeat, with over 340,000 copies sold.

Congratulations, Robyn. A very worthy Pop Gem!

Video playlist

Check out all 11 contenders for this week’s ultimate sad song Pop Gem. Were we right to pick Robyn as the winner?

Pop Gem Hall Of Fame

Today's Pop Gem is the latest in a long line of amazing pop songs that have been inducted into our Pop Gem Hall Of Fame. Take a look at all the tracks who've received the honour so far

Your Pop Gem needs you

Got a Pop Gem of your own? Want to suggest a theme for another week? Find out how you can get involved in the Pop Gem party.