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BRIT Awards: Best British Single Winners (1977 - 2011) - Video
As listeners of Capital FM are now voting for the BRIT Awards 2012 Best British Single, we take a look back at previous BRIT's winners of the prestigious category.
The winner of this year's most prestigious and hotly contested award category at the BRIT Awards will be announced at the O2 Arena on 21st February 2012.
The longlist features songs by Adele ('Someone Like You'), Ed Sheeran ('The A Team'), Example ('Changed The Way You Kissed Me'), JLS featuring Dev ('She Makes Me Wanna'), Jessie J ('Price Tag'), The Wanted ('Glad You Came'), Olly Murs featuring Rizzle Kicks ('Heart Skips A Beat'), One Direction ('What Makes You Beautiful'), Pixie Lott ('All About Tonight') and Military Wives ('Wherever You Are').
Whoever walks away from the 2012 event with the sought after BRIT Awards' statue will be in good company. We take a look back at previous winners in the Best British Single category.
Best British Single 2011: Tinie Tempah - 'Pass Out'
British born rapper Tinie Tempah tied with Arcade Fire for most awards won by a single artist at the 2011 BRITs. In addition to scooping the Best British Single award for 'Pass Out', he also took home the gong for British Breakthrough Act.
It was a busy night for Tinie - between his two acceptance speeches he took to the stage to perform a medley of his hits, including 'Pass Out', 'Written In The Stars' and 'Miami 2 Ibiza'. Watch Tinie Tempah's 2011 BRIT Awards performance below.
Latest Tinie Tempah News - Tinie Tempah - 'Pass Out' (Official Video)
Best British Single 2010: JLS - 'Beat Again'
As well as taking home the award for Best British Single for Vodafone Big Top 40 No.1 'Beat Again', Marvin, JB, Oritse and Marvin also left the 30th BRIT Awards ceremony with the gong for British Breakthrough Act. They were pipped to the post of most gongs won by Lady Gaga, who left the event with the award for all three possible international categories she could win in (International Female, International Breakthrough Act and International Album).
JLS made a dramatic entrance for their performance of 'Beat Again', arriving on stage via zip wires which lowered them from the rafters of Earl's Court in London. Leather clad, they were joined on stage by dozens of backing dancers. Watch JLS' 2010 BRITs performance below.
Latest JLS News - JLS Featuring Dev - 'Beat Again' (Official Video)
Best British Single 2009: Girls Aloud - 'The Promise'
Cheryl, Nicola, Sarah, Nadine and Kimberley had the audience guessing if they were naked behind giant pink feather fans when the girls appeared on stage at Earls Court to perform their Best British Single-winning hit, 'The Promise'. When the fans came down, Girls Aloud revealed tiny gold-sequinned leotards.
It was the only award of the night for Girls Aloud; Welsh singer Duffy was the big winner of the 2009 event, scooping three awards including the one for Best British Album. Watch Girls Aloud's 2009 BRIT Awards performance below.
Latest Girls Aloud News - Girls Aloud - 'The Promise' (Download on iTunes)
Best British Single 2008: Take That - 'Shine'
A self-confessed "p***ed" Alan Carr took to the stage at Earls Court to present Take That with their British Single award for supermarket Morrisons' soundtrack 'Shine'. It was the second win of the night for Gary, Mark, Howard and Jason, who earlier in the evening took the award for British Live Act, and was the second year in a row they picked up the British Single award, which, apparently, was a closely fought vote between Take That and Leona Lewis, with the band and The X Factor queen neck and neck until the eleventh hour.
Take That - 'Shine' (Download on iTunes)
Best British Single 2007: Take That - 'Patience'
After winning the award for British Single for comeback track 'Patience', Take That took to the stage all dressed in black for a stripped back performance of the 'Beautiful World' album hit. Other winners on the night - which was hosted by Katy Perry's ex Russell Brand - included Amy Winehouse, James Morrison and The Killers.
Watch Take That's 2007 BRIT Awards performance below.
Take That - 'Patience' (Download on iTunes)
Best British Single 2006: Coldplay - 'Speed Of Sound'
Chris Martin and co's 'Speed Of Sound' (taken from the album 'X&Y') beat James Blunt's smash hit single 'You're Beautiful' to claim the award for Best British Single in 2006 - the first time Coldplay had won in the category despite previous nominations. The band were presented with their award by A-ha frontman Morten Harket; Chris Martin lay down on the stage and threw his fists in the air, before telling the audience that being British meant they weren't great at acceptance speeches but that on this occasion they'd agree with the voting public that Coldplay were, in fact, "great".
Watch Coldplay's 2006 Best British Single acceptance speech below.
Latest Coldplay News - Coldplay - 'Speed Of Sound' (Download on iTunes)
Best British Single 2005: Will Young - 'Your Game'
The second single from Will's second album ('Friday's Child') - a collaboration with Taio Cruz - took the award for Best British Single in 2005. Other big winners at the 2005 event included Keane, Franz Ferdinand and Scissor Sisters, who took home three awards in all possible international categories.
Latest Will Young News - Will Young - 'Your Game' (Download on iTunes)
Best British Single 2004: Dido - 'White Flag'
Opinion-dividing singer Dido took home the Best British Single award for 'White Flag' (taken from the album 'Life For Rent') as well as the gong for Best Female Solo Artist in the year Cat Deeley hosted the BRITs at Earls Court. In the same year Duran Duran were honoured in the Outstanding Contribution category while The Darkness took home the most awards, winning in three categories including Best British Album.
Best British Single 2003: Liberty X - 'Just A Little'
The Popstars rejects beat fellow reality TV acts Gareth Gates (who was nominated with two singles) and Will Young (who won Best British Breakthrough Act on the same night) to take the gong for Best British Single in 2003. Also nominated were Atomic Kitten with single 'The Tide Is High (Get The Feeling)'. There were no show-stealers at the night, with two gongs each going to Coldplay, Eminem and Ms Dynamite.
Best British Single 2002: S Club 7 - 'Don't Stop Movin''
The 2002 British Breakthrough Act winners couldn't be there in person to collect their gong from host Frank Skinner and booed award presenter Simon Cowell because they were performing on stage in Glasgow. The win - which saw them beat Geri Halliwell's 'It's Raining Men' among others - was deemed important enough, however, for Tess Daly to interrupt their show and present Rachel and co with the award.
S Club 7 - 'Don't Stop Movin'' (Download on iTunes)
Best British Single 2001: Robbie Williams - 'Rock DJ'
It was his third win in the Best British Single category for three consecutive years when Robbie Williams collected his gong for 'Rock DJ', the controversial music video for which saw him strip to his tattoos while bikini clad models roller-skated around him. On the same night Robbie picked up the Best Male award, which was presented to him by Geri Halliwell, whom he was rumoured to be in a relationship with at the time.
Best British Single 2000: Robbie Williams - 'She's The One'
As well as winning in the Best British Single category for his hit single 'She's The One', Robbie also took home the BRIT statue for Best Video for the same song - the second year in a row he'd won in both categories.
Robbie used his acceptance speech for the Best Single award - which saw him beat the likes of Supergrass, Blur and Basement Jaxx - to challenge Liam Gallagher from Oasis (who had recently referred to Robbie as "the fat dancer from Take That" following a short-lived friendship) to a fight, suggesting they both put in £100,000 and broadcast the fight live on television. Liam wasn't in the audience (or the country) at the time. Watch the speech (which contains explicit language) below.
Best British Single 1999: Robbie Williams - 'Angels'
Having failed to collect an award the previous year despite being nominated in two categories (Best Male and Best British Single), Robbie triumphed at the 1999 BRIT Awards, walking away with Best Male Solo Artist, Best Video (for 'Millennium') as well as the Best British Single award for the funeral anthem of the noughties - 'Angels'.
Robbie also opened the show with his single 'Let Me Entertain You'. Watch Robbie Williams perform at the 1999 BRITs below.
Robbie Williams - 'Angels' (Download on iTunes)
Best British Single 1998: All Saints - 'Never Ever'
It was the second year in a row a girl group scooped the award for Best Single and Best Video in the same year. In the case of All Saints, they picked up both gongs for their debut single 'Never Ever'.
Best British Single 1997: Spice Girls - 'Wannabe'
They won Best Single for debut 'Wannabe' and Best Video for follow-up hit 'Say You'll Be There' on the same night, but it was the Spice Girls' performance of 'Who Do You Think You Are?' - and Geri Halliwell's Union Jack 'dress' - that caught everyone's attention at the 1997 BRITs hosted by Ben Elton.
Watch Baby, Ginger, Posh, Scary and Sporty aka the Spice Girls perform at the 1997 BRIT Awards below.
Best British Single 1996: Take That - 'Back For Good'
Take That stole back their Best Single crown from Blur, who in the previous year put an end to Take That's two year run on the statue for singles 'Could It Be Magic' (1993) and 'Pray' (1994). The win for single 'Back For Good' in 1996 was an ironic one - a week earlier the band had announced they were disbanding following Robbie Williams' departure. Take That (minus Robbie) continued to perform until April that year, including a live performance at the 1996 BRITs of single 'How Deep Is Your Love'.
Watch Take That's performance of farewell track 'How Deep Is Your Love' below.
Best British Single 1995: Blur - 'Parklife'
Damon Albarn and co wiped the smile off the Gallagher brothers' faces when they triumphed in the Britpop war at the 1995 BRITs, held for the last time at Alexandra Palace before the event moved to Earls Court in 1996. While Oasis picked up just one statue for British Breakthrough Act, Blur walked away with awards for Best British Album, Best British Group, Best British Video (for 'Parklife') and Best British Single.
The track featured vocals from Cockney actor Phil Daniels, who also featured in the BRIT award-winning music video (watch below).
Best British Single 1994: Take That - 'Pray'
Hit single 'Pray' earned Take That an award for both Best British Single and Best British Video, in the year where the film The Bodyguard picked up the gong for Best Soundtrack, Bjork was named International Breakthrough Act and Meat Loaf took Best Selling Album & Single.
A fresh faced, blue-suit clad Robbie Williams was very much a part of the group as he performed a medley of The Beatles' hits alongside Gary, Mark, Jason and Howard. Watch their performance below.
Best British Single 1993: Take That - 'Could It Be Magic'
Odds were high that Take That would win in the Best Single category in 1993 - they were nominated in the category for three of their singles, including 'It Only Takes A Minute' and 'A Million Love Songs'. Nevertheless they beat off competition from Wet Wet Wet (who went home empty handed) and Shakespeare's Sister (who took the award for Best British Video for single 'Stay') to take home the coveted BRIT Awards' statue.
Best British Single 1992: Queen - 'These Are The Days Of Our Lives'
Roger Taylor and Brian May collected Queen's award for Best British Single for 'These Are The Days Of Our Lives' and paid tribe to former lead singer Freddie Mercury, who had died the previous November. The pair said they felt Freddie's spirit was very much present as they collected the award, and invited the audience to join them at Wembley Stadium the following month for a Freddie Mercury tribute show.
Watch the acceptance speech below.
Best British Single 1991: Depeche Mode - 'Enjoy The Silence'
Depeche Mode's 24th UK single took the award for Best Single at the 1991 BRITs. 'Enjoy The Silence', considered by many as Depeche Mode's signature song, was referenced in one of Coldplay's two videos for 2008 song 'Viva La Vida'.
Best British Single 1990: Phil Collins - 'Another Day In Paradise'
Phil Collins saw off competition from Jive Bunny, Jason Donovan and Band Aid II's 'Do They Know It's Christmas?' to take Best Single for his track from the 1989 album 'But Seriously'.
Best British Single 1977-1989
1989 BRITs: Fairground Attraction - 'Perfect'
1988 BRITs: Rick Astley - 'Never Gonna Give You Up'
1987 BRITs: Pet Shop Boys - 'West End Girls'
1986 BRITs: Tears For Fears - 'Everybody Wants To Rule The World'
1985 BRITs: Frankie Goes To Hollywood - 'Relax'
1984 BRITs: Culture Club - 'Karma Chameleon'
1983 BRITs: Dexys Midnight Runners - 'Come On Eileen'
1977 BRITs: Queen - 'Bohemian Rhapsody'
Voting for all of the categories at this year's BRIT Awards has now opened, including the British Single award, which is voted for by listeners of Capital FM. Check out the nominees below and vote for Best British Single to be in with a chance of winning tickets to this year's event.
