That uniform you're wearing, so hot I can't stop staring

(Picture credit to Back to Bournio; thanks!)

Boy, do I miss Busted today. I'd gotten some pop-punk recommendations (not a genre I'm really familiar with) and, though some of them might be almost decent, all they really made me think of was how much better practically any Busted song was. Maybe it's because Busted didn't really put such a strong emphasis on the "punk" part--they certainly had that slightly edgy attitude (really only enough to make kids feel slightly defiant by listening to them...they would never have been seen as "hardcore"), but that attitude was never scary or dreary and, more importantly, they devoted themselves to sheer fun and catchiness. Busted just had this knack for incredibly accessible, addictive, extremely fun and catchy songs, backed with guitar hooks to die for, that should have resulted in sweeping success in the U.S. Their songs would be great for air guitar, but they'd be equally as good for hairbrush singing or dancing/bouncing around the room. Where do you even begin to start in choosing their best songs? There's no way I can do that, so here's just a few of Busted's excellent tracks (nothing particularly rare here, but they're all must-hears). (All that said, some people can't stand them, so they don't have universal appeal; I, however, think they were great.)

Air Hostess--let's start with one of the best openings in music--the sound of an airplane, getting closer and closer, and then that guitar kicks in...and then James's shout of "Let's go!" If that doesn't get your adrenaline pumping, you must not be alive. As with just about any of Busted's songs, there's a case to be made that some of the lyrics are juvenile (traditionally, just one line), but when a song is this fun, who cares? Plus, it's even got a cute reference to how the boys, infatuated with a stewardess, can't do anything because "the paparazzi's lurking" and "one photo's worth a hundred grand" (followed by a shout of frustration). As those lyrics might imply, this was a single from their second album, when they were in the thick of their popularity (actually, from the release of their first single to the day they broke up, I don't think they were ever not popular).

Crashed The Wedding--another second album single, this one swaps the airplane effects for sirens and the stewardess for a former girlfriend who's about to marry someone else (so, of course, the boys must "crash the wedding" and steal her back). Yes, there are guitars, but this is so pop! On the one hand, it seems perfectly tailored for maximum fun and catchiness, but on the other hand, there's a sense of spontaneity and realness (not realness in the sense of "oh, this is real music" but that there's actually a perfect matchup of performers and song) about it that I think comes not just from the song itself, but also the Busted boys. These would probably be good songs in anyone's hands, but there's something about the particular combination of James, Matt, and Charlie that seems perfect.

You Said No--the pace isn't about to let up, oh no--Busted did do slower songs, some of them quite good (like "Who's David"), but we're going to go out today with another energy-filled romp. This song is sometimes also known as "Crash And Burn." More trouble with girls--this time, the boys are turned down by a girl they ask to dance. It's even got "nah-nah-na-na"'s that'll have you jumping around in circles and guitar parts that'll make you want to buy a guitar just so you can do those big sweeping strokes across the guitar strings along with them.

You absolutely must own Busted's albums. At the very least, buy their American album, Busted, which is basically a greatest hits or compilation of their two UK albums--it is honestly one of the best purchases you will ever make, especially considering you can usually find it for a couple of dollars. Get it here (physical) or buy their UK albums (which are worth buying for the songs not included on the US album) here (digital).

Next up: a Swedish singer, but the emphasis in his music isn't really "singing."