"…with a few scattered allies."

We once stayed at a Eurocamp in France where there was a pop quiz one night. We dutifully answered "Johnny Hallyday" to every question beginning "Which French singer…" The roar from our table when, at the 5th attempt, it turned out to be the right answer, shook the place to its foundations.

My first thought - at least the movie acknowledged the point.

I think the suggestion that Wreckless Eric has produced a greater body of work than Elvis Costello would be a cavalier one.

Long before his book I had the impression that Costello had a low opinion of him, but can't find much in the way of evidence - it may well have been something to do with a proposed joint album.

From Costello's recent book:

Elvis Costello is not a fan.

Elvis Costello is not a fan.

But if we don't restrict it to PG-13s, you can't beat Clarence Beeks at the payphone in Trading Places. A thing of beauty.

Collins also worked with Peter Gabriel but that doesn't get him off the hook either. Somehow I'm not expecting a huge outpouring of emotion at Phil's passing.

With a heavy dash of Floyd.

It led to what he derisively referred to as his "Phil Collins years". I think he felt it was a decent album but it was designed to be a one-off before moving onto something else, but it was so successful he felt the need to try to deliver more of the same - which he did, but with the declining quality reflecting his…

I think the most prominent person to consider Let's Dance as a sell-out was David Bowie.

I heard the phrase "looks a scream" offended him as he thought himself quite stylish.

Mine too (and it's the one with East of Eden and Pride as mentioned by Dellarigg). It was a Christmas present, and I also got the Hits Album which was the first of a much shorter lived competitor series. I seem to recall Ghostbusters was the only song that appeared on both. Cue - Cool story bros.

That's the difference you're going with? Not British?

Heard. Surely.

There are some good suggestions on the Guardian site, but it has to be Half Man Half Biscuit's "National Shite Day" for me.

"(e.g. I don't think you will ever get a consensus about what the best band in rock - of all time - is. And thank god for that)"

Ah - Neil Tennant. Responsible for Billboard's first hip-hop number one.