Official Charts Pop Gem #60: Girls Aloud – On The Metro

In 2012, Girls Aloud returned with Something New, but on greatest hits album Ten, another pop classic was just waiting to be a single… It’s On The Metro’s time to shine!

We’ve all got a fave album track that we reckon should’ve been given a crack at the Top 40 and to celebrate reaching our 60th Pop Gem we decided to revisit a theme that was massive first time round – the SHOULDA BEENS.

A Shoulda Been is an album track that really ‘shoulda been’ a single but, for whatever reason, lost out to other tracks from the same stable. Much sad.

We had a massive number of entries this week, and picking a Top 10 was so hard, we ended up going for this final 11.

Are some of them unfamiliar? Fear not, we’ve done a video playlist which features some brilliant live performances and even a fanmade video for your delight.

Anyway, who did we go for? Well, this tweet might explain it…

@officialcharts yes.

— Nicola Roberts (@NicolaRoberts) June 13, 2014

Yes, we went for Girls Aloud’s On The Metro. Watch the ladies perform it on their Ten farewell tour before we explain why it had to be The Aloud.

Why it had to be Girls Aloud

Oh, Nicola, Nadine, Cheryl, Kimberley and Sarah, we miss you. We know you’re still out there doing your solo things, but few fivesomes were as fabulous as you. From that win on Popstars: The Rivals, and the first hit Sound Of The Underground, we knew something very exciting was about to happen. And it certainly did.

Plus, out of all the songs on the shortlist, On The Metro got the most attention from our social media buddies. Although it was pretty close… it was very nearly Kylie’s third Pop Gem.

The song

On The Metro is a relatively new track, appearing on Girls Aloud’s anniversary/reunion/farewell album Ten from 2012, marking – yes, you guessed it – 10 years since the band was formed.

Banger Something New and ballad Beautiful Cause You Love Me were official releases, while two other new tracks, On The Metro and the equally amazing Every Now And Then, were left only for devotees of the album to enjoy, denied their crack at the Top 40.

On The Metro is classic Girls Aloud, with speedy vocal delivery, cheeky lyrics laden with innuendo and, of course, heartbreak, all over the top of a relentless beat that would make sure no handbag went undanced around at the local disco. Had it been a single, it could well have been Number 1 for 100 years, possibly even 1,000 – but now we’ll never know…

Watch the video for Something New – still a very worthy single, we’re sure you agree.

Girls Aloud’s chart story

Girls Aloud achieved a fantastic 20 consecutive Top 10 hits with their first 20 releases. (Theme To St Trinian’s charted outside the Top 10 between Call The Shots and Can’t Speak French in 2008, but was never an official single.) The band scored four Number 1 singles: Sound Of The Underground (2002), I’ll Stand By You (2004), Walk This Way with Sugababes (2007) and The Promise in 2008.

Their biggest selling single is their debut, with over 660,000 copies sold. Their biggest selling album is their first greatest hits collection The Sound Of Girls Aloud, which has shifted over 1.2 million copies. 

As we congratulate On The Metro for making it into the Pop Gem Hall Of Fame, watch Girls Aloud perform that debut single.

Video playlist

Check out our playlist of 11 final contenders, including a frankly amazing fanmade video for Lady Gaga and some fantastic live performances from Madonna, Kylie and Rihanna.

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.