A Sally Field-style thankyou and the question of the future

“YOU LIKE ME!”

Golly. When I started this blog a year ago I had expectations so low that Flo Rida would have written a song about them. I thought maybe I’d appeal to a handful of Madonna or Kate Bush fans, and I wasn’t sure I’d make it even halfway through this massive task. It’s not like the site became a runaway “internet phenomenon” or anything (I’d have dropped dead if that happened) but I have been overwhelmed by the positive response and the ridiculous amount of support I’ve had over the past 11 months.

To everyone who has visited and read my endless ramblings, without commenting on my overuse of certain phrases or pointing out that there was just way too much Enya – thank you. There are a couple of people who have just been unbelievable with their praise and their help along the way. You know who you are, I could not possibly have done this without you.

To everyone who has given me feedback, be that via a blog comment or an @ reply on Twitter, retweeted, spread the word, put a link to my site on your site – thank you thank you thank you.

To the Twitter and Popjustice forum communities, argh, you’ve been amazing. Just… amazing. Especially you guys on Twitter – you have sat through over a thousand links, and not one of you ever complained or said “Hey Richard, can you like, stop?” – so thank you. It might be the non-alcoholic wine I had with dinner talking, but I think our little corner of the internet is something really special.

To the people in my “real life” who have told their friends and shown support and sat through my endless, endless blog-related jabbering, especially my immediate family – thank you. Hey, I did shitty at high school, but I achieved something else instead!

To Annie, the only artist on this list to notice the list, and subsequently expose it to a new audience, you made my life.

Every single time someone says something nice about the site or comments or retweets or tells me they’re looking forward to number one, it is always awesome and it is still as exciting as it was in June last year. In the words of Dido, Alanis Morissete, Duran Duran, Jamelia and Jay-Z: thank you.

A question I get asked a lot is: what the hell am I going to do when this is over? Well, I’m happy to say The Gospel According To Richard Croft will live on as a more current-focused site without being tied to a format – although I’m sure many lists will make an appearance. There will be reviews and ramblings and rants galore. It probably won’t be at this web address or on WordPress, but I will make it known loud and clear where to find me in the future. I’m taking a break for a little while but in a few weeks that’ll be up and running – until then, if you need me for any reason I am constantly on Twitter at twitter.com/thericharderic and there is also my email: thegospelaccordingtorichardcroft@hotmail.com. Now, for no reason other than it’s stuck in my head, let’s sing this Alanis Morisette song, and I’ll see you back here tomorrow for number one.

“Thank yew Indiugh
Thank yew taaaroor
Thank yew dis-aaa-lewshun-me-ant
Thank yew fraiiilty
Thank yew nothangnass
Thank yew, THANK YEW SI-A-LE-HENCE
E-YEAH E-YEAH”

Now that is beautiful.