EVERY year produces something a little special, and 2004 has come up with a few surprises.

Its the year that the "alternative" scene launched a full-scale assault on the mainstream charts.

Scrawny types and scraggy haircuts and guitars did their best to elbow as many reality TV freaks out of the way as possible.

Soaring high with one of the year's bassiest songs were Razorlight, whose Golden Touch showed that lead singer Jonny Borrell learned a thing or two from King Midas.

Their album Up All Night was also a 24-carat beauty.

His former squatmates The Libertines might have imploded, but that didn't prevent them from making headway into the upper reaches with Cant Stand Me Now.

Their second album The Libertines also did well, although it wasnt as instantly catchy as their first.

Keane don't have guitars, but they did emerge from the indie/alternative scene having played their way to the top via smaller venues.

With a string of piano-rich hits from the album Hopes and Fears, they were well and truly in tune with public demand.

Franz Ferdinand don't really have scraggy haircuts, in fact theyre very well turned out.

Breakthrough single Take Me Out featured one of the guitar riffs of the year and the Scottish four-piece were one of the big hits of the summer festivals.

Franzs self-titled album has to a contender for album of the year, as has Antics by Interpol, or Hot Fuss by The Killers.

The latter, former Las Vegas bellboys also gave us the euphoric Mr Brightside, which definitely gets my vote for best single.

Snow Patrol were the most spontaneous happening of the year.

Almost as soon as single Run hit the airplay list, the success of The Final Straw album was guaranteed, and still continues.

In the guitar pop stakes Busted continued their ascent into the stratosphere with Thunderbirds.

It was certainly popular with the great British public, who voted for it as single of the year thanks to the power of interactive TV.

At that point, there should be some mention of The X-Factor. There I've mentioned it.

Busted also managed to bud off in a yeast-like wayto form baby clones McFly.

A band with Bury connections (guitarist Danny Jones went to Bury College) they hit the top spot with Five Colours In Her Hair.

The Streets and Dizzee Rascal continued to blow away the competition in the British urban category with their importantly trivial musings on life.

The albums A Grand Don't Come For Free and Showtime respectively earned both a lot of plaudits and new fans, especially The Streets.

Happy New Year, and good luck to Radcliffe's Black Jackson, who play an important support slot for ex-Libertine Pete Doherty at The Castle in Oldham on Friday night.

Along with hopefuls Karma Destination and Bury Battle of the Band winners Isolation, they're one of the local acts we at the BT hope will make waves in the next 12 months.

There should also be something to look forward to from Elbow, who have been rehearsing new songs in a warehouse in Salford, and now have about 17 to choose from.

Best wishes too, go to Prestwich based Longview whose new single Coming Down is out on January 10.

Happy New Year to all.