Rate 08: This year just gone: May 2008

A nation braced itself as The Sugababes warned there might not be a new album from them this year, Elton said he wouldn't make one for ages, while Whitesnake seemed convinced they'd been booked to support Led Zep.

Early signs of the financial crisis: Deutsche Bank cancelled a staff jolly with Duran Duran. And Gordon Brown was listening to The Bee Gees every day. Everclear went off cheerfully to play a gig for US troops in Guantanamo, giving them ideas about what music to torture prisoners with next.

For the second time, DMX had his name linked with a pile of dead dogs and was looking at legal grief, while R Kelly was finally getting his sex video day in court.

Rather than ignoring him, people tried to treat Noel Gallagher's complaints about Jay-Z at Glasto as if he had a point to make. Likewise, the Daily Mail's pitiful attempt to 'explain' emo resulted in a 'you don't understand us, it's so unfair' where a polite eye-rolling was all that was required.

It turned out that no matter how much money was spent by ITV viewers, Robbie Williams held a golden vote in the British Comedy Awards - and some fans were just as upset by the Radiohead remix contest.

Virgin Radio was picked up by the Times Of India - presumably far enough away to never have heard what they were buying. The world welcomed NME Radio - at last, Clare Sturgess at breakfast. At least it made more sense than the NME greetings cards range. In yet-another-attempt to find some customers, Napster decided to try selling mp3s.

The Vaselines reformed as the Gang Of Four slimmed down and Mumm Ra called it a day.

Let's be generous; let's assume that Tommy Steele was getting Elvis and Cliff muddled up when he claimed that he'd shown Presley round London. Cliff himself was taking on the late General Franco, who he believes stopped him winning Eurovision. In 1968.

Woolworths announced it would no longer sell singles, presumably because it was too busy not selling anything else to anybody.