Official Charts Pop Gem #55: Len – Steal My Sunshine

This week’s Pop Gem was all about the feel-good factor, and we celebrate Len's hit from 1999.

Every week, we search for Pop Gems – those long-lost favourites, the songs that used to be all over the radio and bring back happy memories.

After last week's sad song blubfest, it was definitely time to bring the fun factor back into the Pop Gem Hall Of Fame, so our theme was HAPPY SONGS – those overlooked tracks that are a one-way ticket to a smile.

We got it down to a shortlist of 11, with some of them genuinely (and sadly) forgotten – that’s what Pop Gem is all about.

After a lot of deliberation, and looking at what you guys were saying on Facebook and Twitter, we had three clear frontrunners.

In the end, it had to go to ‘the hat’ (actually a bag) and we picked the winner that way. And who got it? It was Len’s end-of-a-millennium slacker anthem Steal My Sunshine. Watch the video for Steal My Sunshine before we explain why it’s a worthy Pop Gem.

Who are Len?

Yes, it's a 'they' not a 'he'.Len were a Canadian band formed of brother and sister Marc and Sharon Costanzo, and seemed to come out of nowhere as the 20th century was gasping its last.

The song

Len’s Steal My Sunshine may have a chilled, summery vibe, but it was released in the middle of winter! It’s a laid-back celebration about doing not very much at all, and while it’s not exactly the happiest of subjects, Steal My Sunshine certainly isn’t down in the dumps.

The sunshine they’re so worried about getting nicked is beaming right out of every second of this song, thanks to the inspired sampling of Andrea True Connection’s 1976 Top 10 hit More More More. You NEED to watch this – Andrea's song is brilliant. Trust us.

Oh, and Bananarama did a cover of it and added another verse. You should probably take a 'peek' at that, too. Their version got to Number 24 in 1993 and was their last hit for 12 years, until Move In My Direction got to Number 14 in 2005.

And just for completeness, we should probably mention that ex-S Club favourite Rachel Stevens did a version of More More More as well. Rachel's rendition reached Number 3 – bettering the original – in 2004. And here she is going for it on TOTP Saturday: 

Steal My Sunshine peaked at Number 8 and sold 298,000 copies.

Len’s chart story

Well, it’s more of a chart limerick, really. Despite Steal My Sunshine being all over the radio at the start of the new millennium, Len weren’t able to repeat their success. They did manage to land another Top 40 hit in mid-2000 with Cryptik Souls Crew, but after that that was… it.

As quickly as they appeared, they were gone. But we don’t judge Pop Gems on how many hits their artists have had – it’s about the tune. And Steal My Sunshine is a very worthy Pop Gem. Hurrah!

Video playlist

Check out all 11 of our contenders for this week’s ultimate happy song Pop Gem:

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

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