2002 in British music charts hit of his, "Sorry Seems To Be The Hardest Word". Amazingly, despite charting for 31 years, this was only Elton's 5th UK No. 1 single. "" became the new phenomenon in the world of talent shows and it produced 2 new acts, boyband One True Voice and girl group Girls Aloud. They both released their singles in Christmas week and the girls beat the boys to the top spot, claiming the Christmas number one with their debut single, "Sound of the Underground". The song topped the charts for 4 weeks, and escalated them to great fame. They have had continued
Girls Aloud songs inspired by 1980s electropop, while also exploring retro styles. "The Promise" is a 1960s Spector-influenced number, while "Rolling Back the Rivers in Time" was compared to Burt Bacharach. Girls Aloud were one of the few pop acts to achieve continued success and longevity throughout the mid-2000s while R&B and rock music became more popular. In a review for the group's 2008 Tangled Up Tour, David Pollock of "The Independent" noted that "Girls Aloud remain confidently the only pop show in town." "The Times" stated, "Not since Abba and Michael Jackson has pure pop been so unanimously praised." Girls Aloud's