Take That fans have been sharing their joy at the 'perfect start' to 2023 with a countdown of the band's most popular songs.
BBC Radio2 listeners have chosen 1995 hit Never Forget as their all-time favourite track from the mega-star pop band, and a special New Year’s Day broadcast will see host Cat Deeley count down the band’s top 30 songs. Second place in the list was the track Back For Good from their third studio album Nobody Else.
Rule The World from their Beautiful World album secured third spot, Shine from the same 2007 album placed fourth and Greatest Day from their 2008 fifth album The Circus was voted in fifth.
Take That – comprising Robbie Williams, Gary Barlow, Howard Donald, Mark Owen and Jason Orange – were hailed as Britain’s biggest boyband in the 1990s, evoking hysteria reminiscent of The Beatles. Although the line-up has changed since those days, the band is still hugely popular, and fans seemingly cannot wait for the programme which airs on Radio2 and BBC Sounds from 1pm today (January 1).
@Maureenpricey shared, "What a perfect way to start the year!" @nik04032006 added: "Will def be tuning into that. Perfect start to 2023 and I’ll just be getting up after nightshift so a little dance around the hse will waken me and I’ll be ready to go for next shift."
@BexAscott wrote, "i know what i’ll be doing new years day." And @sharonhem1 said, "Just brilliant!! The best way to start the New Year."
The programme features the band in new and archive interviews, with Barlow explaining that the song Never Forget was not born with the huge chorus that it has on the single. The 51-year-old said: “Even the demo was quite laidback and it wasn’t until it went to Jim Steinman’s studio in New York that it started to get the drama of something that would end a concert.
“When it came back from him, I thought, ‘Well, there’s the encore right there’. I could see everyone in the audience singing this song. Within a couple of nights the crowd had got the hang of putting their arms in the air every time you sing a ‘Never’. That is pretty much how we perform it to this day. I don’t believe we’ve ever dared leave it out of a set list once. Why would you?
"It’s always a real pleasure to perform this song. I’m so glad that people, after all these years, still hold it so close to their hearts, so thank you everyone.”
Meanwhile Owen, 50, said Never Forget would be “up there” on his list of their favourite songs as well. He said: “It’s the arms, it’s the story of the band, it’s always such a special moment when you see it with a crowd because everyone can join in and be a part of it.
“Howard sings beautifully on this, he does an amazing vocal on it. It just all came together and it was one of the only times where we all sang a line each, it’s a majestic song and beautiful, from the boys choir from the start to the full gospel choir at the end. Never Forget is a journey, it is within the song and it has been for us in our lifetimes.”
A Million Love Songs from their 1992 debut studio album also made the top 10 favourite songs, alongside The Flood from their sixth album titled Progress and Patience from their 2006 fourth album.
The band’s favourite tracks were compiled after a vote which opened on November 23 and closed on December 14, which allowed listeners to choose up to three of their favourite songs from Take That’s Top 75 UK chart singles.
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