Robbie toast of pub crooners

Robbie Williams' Angels is a favourite down the local

Robbie Williams and Van Morrison have emerged as two of the singers pub crooners and amateur bands around the UK love to imitate the most.

In a survey carried out by the Performing Rights Society, Williams' 1997 hit Angels was the second most covered song while Morrison's 1968 classic Brown Eyed Girl came in at number seven.

Topping the chart of the most performed track in venues around the country were The Mavericks and their 1998 country-crossover hit Dance The Night Away.

Morrison's Brown Eyed Girl is popular even though it never made number one

The society carried out the survey throughout 1999 to increase the accuracy of royalty payments made to its members.

The PRS is made up of 34,000 songwriters and music publishers.

The results of the poll show - for the first time - which of their songs are being heard most by the public beyond those bought on record.

Six thousand venues were visited by PRS officials to come up with the results.

At the end of their research, officials detailed more than 160,000 plays of 20,000 songs.

Williams, Morrison and The Mavericks are joined by a mixture of classic and contemporary artists - male and female - in providing the songs most likely to accompany a pie and a pint.

Chart-topping Irish group Boyzone came in at number six with their 1998 hit No Matter What.

M People's 1993 hit Moving On Up rounds off the top 10.

Cher shot to the top of the charts - and stayed there - with Believe

Back up the chart to number three and Wilson Pickett's 1966 track Mustang Sally - memorably covered in the hit movie The Commitments - is another firm amateur favourite.

The rest of the top 10 is the domain of female artists. Tina Turner is at number four with her 1989 single The Best while Cher follows at number five with Believe.

Celine Dion's 1998 worldwide hit My Heart Will Go On, from the blockbuster film Titantic, comes in at number eight.

A list of the tracks most played by DJs was topped by Phats and Small's Turn Around, with Steps' version of the Bee Gees' song Tragedy coming in as runner-up.

Top 10 most covered:

1. Dance The Night Away - The Mavericks
2. Angels - Robbie Williams
3. Mustang Sally - Wilson Pickett
4. The Best - Tina Turner
5. Believe - Cher
6. No Matter What - Boyzone
7. Brown Eyed Girl - Van Morrison
8. My Heart Will Go On - Celine Dion
9. Wind Beneath My Wings - Bette Midler
10. Moving On Up - M People