Girls Aloud by Louis Walsh until 2005 when Hilary Shaw replaced him. The new group competed with the boys' winning group, One True Voice to have 2002's Christmas number one single. Girls Aloud won the battle with their single "Sound of the Underground", produced by Brian Higgins and Xenomania. The song spent four consecutive weeks at number one and was certified platinum in March 2003. The song received critical acclaim; Alexis Petridis of "The Guardian" stated that "it proved a first: it was a reality pop record that didn't make you want to do physical harm to everyone involved in its manufacture".
The Sound of Girls Aloud: The Greatest Hits on the UK Singles Chart. "The Sound of Girls Aloud" received positive reviews from critics, who praised it as a reflection of the group's success. The album entered the UK Albums Chart at number one, making it Girls Aloud's first album to do so. It also peaked at number nine on the Irish Albums Chart. In 2009, the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI) recognised "The Sound of Girls Aloud" as one of the nine albums that year to sell at least 1 million units in Europe. On 6 October 2006, Girls Aloud announced that they would release their