You don’t hear the words 'Cultural Phenomenon' or 'Supergroup' banded about that much anymore. However, there has been blood on the album chart dancefloor, so to speak, in recent weeks with two cultural phenomena taking pole position at the top of the album chart. Amy’s ‘Back to Black’ and Goldfrapp’s ‘Seventh Tree’ battled it out right to the finishing line with the album that has been around for over 70 weeks finally streaking ahead come Saturday afternoon - mainly because of Mother's Day, I guess. You know a popster has become something of a Cultural Phenomenon when both your mum and your mate’s Granny Annie (neither of whom listen to Radio One or Two that much anymore) both love the album and share a genuine concern for the singer's welfare and, erm, hairstyle. Knocking Miss Winehouse off the top of the album chart is Cultural Phenomenon No 2, in the form of Duffy. She has earned that title by not only shifting 184,000 albums in one week but also by being one of the first words that a mate's toddler has started to repeat!

While not quite a phenomenon, but skyscraper-high on the cultural radar, are Goldfrapp, who performed at the beautiful Union Chapel in North London recently. Putting the minor disappointment of not sitting at the top of the album chart behind her, Miss Goldfrapp skipped on and off stage, honoured to be performing in such a setting. And the gig apparently sold out in under five minutes! Goldfrapp and the brilliantly named Dirty Pretty Strings were amazing, with even Alison’s yodelling being pitch perfect and generally treating the surroundings with the right amount of respect and subversion.

Close your eyes and think of the most perfect supergroup... you might, just, think of New Order, Daft Punk, PSB’s, KLF and, ermm, 2 Unlimited... Well this has finally happened in the shape of new ensemble PNAU and shock horror, they are Australian... who’d of thunk it! Elton is apparently a massive fan already and I’m officially joining the PNAU Barmy Army. Another supergroup, of sorts, is already in place and about to release an album. Take a Super Furry Animal, Fabrizio from the Strokes, Har Mar Superstar and a member of Spank Rock and you have Neon Neon. Something of a concept album concerning the DeLorean car empire/scandal and intentionally sounding like it was recorded in Sheffield in 1981. It's brilliantly of yesterday and tomorrow at the same time. Also brilliantly old fashioned is Arctic Monkey Alex Turner’s new project - The Last Shadow Puppets, who sound like the sound of 1965 with a video that looks like it's from1985.

Two months ago it was suggested here there was a bit of a Yazoo revival in the air and hey presto, literally a week later, it was announced that Yazoo were getting back together for a tour. Now that that’s happened let's leave the whole reunion thing alone. The threatened Atomic Kitten reunion hasn’t really come to much has it? But then they didn’t have Yazoo’s ace hair, supersonic singles and albums or their naïve shy charm. In fact they didn’t have much at all really did they? As can be witnessed on their comeback single...

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By Nick Neads - T4's Head of Music

T4 Music Maestro Part One featuring Girls Aloud, Leona Lewis, Alicia Keys and The Ting Tings.

T4 Music Maestro Part Two featuring Duffy, Spice Girls and The Brit Box.

T4 Music Maestro Part Three featuring Goldfrapp, HotChip and Shayne Ward.

T4 Music Maestro Part Four featuring the best 40 songs of 2007.

T4 Music Maestro Part Five featuring the first part of his 2008 preview.

T4 Music Maestro Part Six featuring the second part of his 2008 preview.