Once again I'm mourning the loss of a musical colossus. And although Nina Simone's death is very sad, it's nothing compared to the passing of the mighty S Club. Not 18 months after the demise of Steps, pop has suffered this second - possibly more serious - blow. It seems they've finally tired of allegedly blowing their five figure Christmas bonuses on coke parties, much to the sadness of myself and millions of British teenyboppers.

My addiction to pop is well known. Admittedly "artists" like Sclub, Justin and Britney make completely disposable stuff, but that's part of their appeal. Sure I like good music of many different kinds, but I've always believed that quite apart from having musical merit, if a tune makes you feel happy - or indeed invokes any emotion other than rage - then that can only be a good thing. And a few manufactured groups have had a knack for hitting my sweet spot with every track.

But Sclub, with their TV shows and enduringly cheery pop, were always something special.

Jo had the lungs to keep the group afloat - but seemingly not the back to carry them; Bradley - although talentless on the surface - was given lead vocals on two of the band's biggest hits and much to everyone's amazement, carried them off with aplomb; poor Tina was the female spare wheel, lacking any charisma, but seemingly happy to sport one unflattering hair-do after another; Jon - blonde, blue-eyed, silky-smooth eye candy for those girls who like their men permanently adolescent; Rachel - intentionally alluring, undoubtedly talented, but unfortunately outclassed in every category; Paul - who set the break-up train in motion when he left last year to explore his rock bent but was no great loss; and Hannah. Delicious, dazzling, delicate Hannah. S Club's shining star who deserves success in whichever field she chooses to pursue.

Steps and Sclub were shining examples of the boy/girl combo's superiority over unigender groups - now only Liberty X stand between my sanity and totalitarian boy band hell. Westlife and their like are evil incarnate, feeding on the psyches of unwitting teenage girls. Sclub were a defiantly upbeat force for good.

I stopped listening to pop radio some time ago, and only occasionally tune into Top of the Pops. With S Club's passing, the Hit Parade has taken another great leap away - and I'm just feeling that bit more grown up than before.