25 Years Since....June 1996

It's that time again to turn the clock back 25 years:

Robert Miles - Children

If I'm honest I had a bit of a love/hate relationship with this tune. In the beginning I loved it, but then I heard it so many times that summer that I started to resent it. When Robert Miles released further records I didn't really entertain them because I was so sick of this.

But lets talk about the time I was enjoying it. I'm a big fan of the piano sound in dance music and this is a very piano driven track. Robert Miles was Italian and the house music coming from Italy in the late 80s/early 90s. That sound had a lot of potential, but was often let down by screeching vocals ruining the tune.

This however is an instrumental so therefore doesn't have that problem. I eventually went on to buy Robert Miles "Dreamland" album too. 

M-Beat ft Jamiroquai - Do You Know Where You're Coming From

It had now been 2 years since the first jungle/drum & bass record reached the Top 40. I also recall on "The Dance Years", an ITV show about dance music with Dave Pearce from 2001, that 1994 was the year of jungle and 1995 was the year of drum & bass.

Despite that, this was only the 8th jungle/drum & bass record to make the Top 40. 3 of those hits came from M-Beat with this being his final Top 40 hit to date. 

Being a fan of the underground, the lack of drum & bass hits was a good thing in my book. I did question whether I should be liking a drum & bass tune that features a non-drum & bass act like Jamiroquai but I've always liked a bit of Jamiroquai and this is one of their best records in my opinion.  

Carl Cox - Sensual Sophis-Ti-Cat

I remember hearing this for the first time. I was with a mate who would describe himself as a pure raver and I turned the radio on and this was playing. He said "what the fuck is this?", I said "I don't know, but I quite like it". You could tell he disapproved.

The record ended and the DJ said "that was the new record from Carl Cox". Suddenly my mate said "great tune". I can't help but think if it wasn't by Carl Cox he wouldn't have said that. I guess that goes to show how much influence the name Carl Cox had back in the day.

Q-Tex - Let The Love

Speaking of influential names, here's one that influenced me. Q-Tex were a big Scottish name in the rave scene who had a big tune with "Power Of Love". Amongst its members was Scott Brown who still to this very day is a big name in the rave scene.

It did get watered down a bit for commercial release. As my rule for these posts is to only include Top 40 hits I feel I should post that version. I recommend listening to a harder version though. 

Dave Clarke - No One's Driving

There's no watering down of records here. If ever there was a reason the charts were better in the 90s than now is the fact it was possible for someone like Dave Clarke to have hits in the 90s. 

This wouldn't have got played on daytime radio, just John Peel and perhaps some specialist dance shows. I'm pretty sure it was the John Peel show when I first heard this.

The Top 40 Leaderboard: June 2021

What's this all about?

Olivia Rodrigo scored yet another Top 40 hit in June and maintains her lead at the top of the leaderboard. At this rate she'll be overtaking Elvis and Cliff in 10 years time for most Top 40 hits ever. Fredo takes second place ahead of Drake, Justin Bieber, Doja Cat and J Cole.

Just 5 rap records this month again brining the total for the year to 47/119 or 39%. 

UK Number 40s: John Foxx - Europe (After The Rain) (1981)

 

John Foxx is best known as being the man Midge Ure replaced as front man in Ultravox. What perhaps isn't as well known is his singles chart career.

When he made his Top 40 debut at the start of 1980 with "Underpass", Ultravox were yet to have a Top 40 hit. They debuted the same week John Foxx entered the Top 40 with his 3rd Top 40 hit "Burning Car". Ultravox were at 39 whilst John Foxx was one place ahead at 38.

This was the final Top 40 hit for John Foxx which came over a year later. It's success was more or less on a par with his other hits as the highest he charted was 31 with his debut.

After a few singles that failed to make the Top 40, he left the music scene in 1985 but returned in 1997 and has been quite prolific since in terms of albums. 

Top 30 in 1991 Reviewed - Week 26

Here's my weekly look at the Top 30 from 30 years ago. The plan is for these posts to go out at 17:30 on a Sunday.

Here is the Top 40 in full.

Obviously some of the records will be the same as last week so therefore the review will be the same for these. I've indicated which ones are new so you can skip the others if you read last weeks post.

Once again my opinions are inevitably going to differ from other people, but I'm not trying to convince anyone something is good or rubbish, I'm simply giving my opinion.

So this is the top 30 from this week in 1991 with my verdict on each record:

30. Madonna - Holiday

The 3rd time this song entered the Top 40. It was the debut Top 40 hit for Madonna and was rereleased to promote "The Immaculate Collection", her greatest hits album. It's shit.

Verdict - Rubbish

29. Crystal Waters - Gypsy Woman (La Da Dee)

I think I know why I've always though Alison Limerick is American now. It's because I heavily associate "Where Love Lives" with this record, and Crystal Waters is American. Much like the Alison Limerick record, this has fallen victim to being overplayed but still a decent record.

Verdict - Good

28. Carter The Unstoppable Sex Machine - Sheriff Fatman (New)

With both Color Me Badd and Latour having hits with the word sex in the title, here's a band with the word sex in the name. What a name for a band and what a name for a song for that matter. On the music front it's pretty good too.

Verdict - Good

27. Chesney Hawkes - I'm A Man Not A Boy (New)

Here's proof that Chesney Hawkes wasn't a one hit wonder. This would probably make a good 10 point question on champions league popmaster, but that's pretty much the only good thing I can say about this song.

Verdict - Rubbish

26. Incognito ft Jocelyn Brown - Always There (New)

The Top 40 debut for Incognito who formed in 1979. When I saw Incognito at their 35th anniversary concert their main man Bluey said that this record allowed them to make a living from the band. I've only recently discovered this is a cover, it was originally by Side Effect in 1976. 

Verdict - Good

25. Alice Cooper - Hey Stoopid (New)

This record features Slash, Joe Satriani and Ozzy Osbourne. Despite that star studded line up, its a pretty average record. 

Verdict - OK

24. The Doors - Light My Fire

This failed to make the Top 40 when it was first released back in 1967. Thanks to a film about The Doors being around at the same time, it finally made the Top 40 in 1991. I actually had no idea this was an old record at the time, I guess the Inspiral Carpets using the organ around the same time may have had something to do with it. By the end of the decade I'd gained a lot more knowledge of The Doors and owned all their albums.

Verdict - Good

23. Kylie Minogue - Shocked

This was the last original Stock Aitken & Waterman penned Top 40 hit before Matt Aitken sailed off into the sunset. It also denied Kylies sister Dannii a Top 10 hit with "Success". I do prefer this to the Dannii Minogue record, but that doesn't mean I like it.

Verdict - Rubbish

22. Cubic 22 - Night In Motion (New)

The only Top 40 hit for Belgians Cubic 22. I feel this record made way for several Happy Hardcore records, you have "Take Control" by DJ Pooch. It was also sampled for "U Sure Do" by Strike, which itself was sampled in "Kick Your Legs In The Air" by Illogik & DNA. Then you had "Party Time" by Dougal & Eruption which used the same sample. I like all records mentioned as well as this one.

Verdict - Good

21. Rebel MC ft Tenor Fly And Barrington Levy - Tribal Base

What I remember most about this record was it sampling "Orinoco Flow" by Enya. What this record was doing though was laying the foundations for jungle music. This was the final Top 40 hit for Rebel MC and definitely his best.

Verdict - Good

20. Extreme - Get The Funk Out

I remember people being surprised that Extreme were a rock band when they would hear an Extreme song that wasn't "More Than Words". I wasn't though because I remembered them doing this before "More Than Words". Doesn't quite have enough to it to truly like it but its alright. 

Verdict - OK

19. Beverley Craven - Promise Me

This was the Top 40 debut for Beverley Craven. One thing I am thankful to this song for was providing the sample to the rave classic "4am" by Orca. Unfortunately that's the only positive thing I can say about this record.

Verdict - Rubbish

18. Omar - There's Nothing Like This

The Top 40 debut for Omar. It would be another 6 years before we'd see him in the Top 40 again. I kept changing my mind throughout listening to it. On one hand its got a good bassline and sounds a decent soul ballad, but at the same time it was a bit boring.

Verdict - OK

17. REM - Shiny Happy People

The band themselves hate this record and pretty much disowned it, but I actually like it. Yes it is a bit cheesy and completely not what you'd expect from REM, but the guitar riff, the breakdown going into the guitar riff and to an extent the backing vocals from Kate Pierson really make this record for me.

Verdict - Good

16. Driza Bone - Real Love

I do remember this being in the charts at the same time as the Omar record. The fact they were both British soul records perhaps had something to do with it. This is definitely the better of the two, it's a lot more uplifting.

Verdict - Good

15. LaTour - People Are Still Having Sex

With the Color Me Badd record with sex in the title still in the Top 40, here's another record with it. I'm actually surprised this was as late as 1991, I've always associated this one more with the late 80s. A good record nonetheless.

Verdict - Good

14. Paula Abdul - Rush Rush

I remember the video for this appearing on Top of the Pops and the presenter saying that Ian Rush would be in the video, but he wasn't. This was 30 years ago say I may have misremembered or misunderstood what was said. It's not a bad record.

Verdict - OK

13. Sonia - Only Fools (Never Fall In Love)

The fist Top 40 hit for Sonia after leaving Stock Aitken & Waterman. Unfortunately this never improved the quality of her music. It sounds like it should be a karaoke version of an older record but it isn't.

Verdict - Rubbish

12. Divinyls - I Touch Myself

Every Wednesday at the students union when I first started university was a 70s and 80s night and almost every week this record would get played. Being the music snob I am this used to annoy me because I knew this was from 1991 not the 80s. I was much more appreciative when it got played at cheese night on a Saturday.

Verdict - Good

11. Lenny Kravitz - It Ain't Over 'Til It's Over

Although not his debut, this was the breakthrough hit for Lenny Kravitz in the UK. This is one I didn't really appreciate until later, I hated it at the time. When Lenny Kravitz returned to Top 40 a couple of years later with "Are You Gonna Go My Way?" I couldn't believe it was the same person who did this. Then came the day when I realised that it's possible to like both songs despite them being completely different to each other.

Verdict - Good

10. Rod Stewart - Motown Song

Oh dear, this is dreadful. After doing a poor cover of a Motown record with "It Takes Two" in 1990, Rod Stewart is back with a song about that very label. It's actually from the same album though. Unsurprisingly given it's Rod Stewart, this is a cover. The original was by Larry John McNally.

Verdict - Rubbish

9. Cher - The Shoop Shoop Song (It's In His Kiss)

The most recent Top 40 hit for Cher prior to this was "Just Like Jesse James", a song I liked. Therefore my impression of Cher at the time was quite positive. Then this came out and I thought what the fuck is this. It's a cover and I'm not overly keen on the original but it's tolerable. This version just makes me angry though, absolutely awful.

Verdict - Rubbish

8. Bryan Adams - (Everything I Do) I Do It For You (New)

Summer holidays are on the way, this so reminds me of the summer holidays of 1991 where it was number one the whole time and beyond. Quite remarkable for a 31 year old 80s singer who'd failed to even make the Top 40 with most of his prior singles. I got pretty sick of this at the time like most people, but I actually quite like it.

Verdict - Good

7. Amy Grant - Baby Baby

This was another song I played a lot when I started using YouTube. I loved this record at the time and I loved Amy Grant too. I had no idea she was a Christian singer who was controversially crossing over to pop music. It seemed such an innocent song.

Verdict - Good

6. Bette Midler - From A Distance

It had been less than a year since Cliff Richard was torturing us with this record. Now here's Bette Midler back to do the same.

Verdict - Rubbish

5. Salt-N-Pepa - Do You Want Me

I'm just remembering watching a Channel 4 programme where they had a count down of the 10 best rap acts of all time and in 2nd place was Salt-N-Pepa. I thought how? but then number one was Will Smith. I think they were taking the piss.

Verdict - Rubbish

4. Kenny Thomas - Thinking About Your Love

The second Top 40 hit for Kenny Thomas and his only Top 10. This is the song he's best known for. I must have seen this on The Chart Show at some point because it's making me want to watch an episode. I'd also say the fact this reminds me of the good old days of 1991 and watching The Chart Show means I quite like it.

Verdict - Good

3. Erasure - Chorus (New)

Not sure I learned the title of this until later on in life. I didn't think the word chorus appeared in the song but it does once. I always remembered this one as the fishes in the sea song. Like with most Erasure records, this ones pretty good.

Verdict - Good

2. Color Me Badd - I Wanna Sex You Up

Like many kids my age, I found it hilarious at the time that there was a song with the word sex in the title. It wasn't the first Top 40 hit to have this, but I guess the way it was used played a part too. I did like it at the time but when I heard it on the music channels for the first time in years I realised it's actually a pretty poor record.

Verdict - Rubbish

1. Jason Donovan - Any Dream Will Do

The final number one for Jason Donovan. It was taken from "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat" which he was starring in at the time. By the time I saw it a couple of years later he'd been replaced by Phil Schofield. Anyway, like pretty much every other song from a musical it's shit.

Verdict - Rubbish

If we give the records which were good 1 point each and those which were OK half a point, the final score is 17/30, or 57%. Some decent new entries this week.

EDM Report June 2021

With 3 David Guetta records and a Calvin Harris record currently in the Top 40 it seemed the right time to do an update on the state of EDM in the charts.

To recap, back at the end of 2018 Liam Howlett said the charts were in a better place now EDM was dead. Calvin Harris had a Top 40 hit at the beginning of 2019 and the next time he appeared in the Top 40 was September 2020 with an R&B record. None of David Guetta's singles in 2019 or 2020 made the Top 40. The charts weren't completely free of EDM music during this period but there was notably less of it than in previous years.

This year though it appears to be on the rise again and both David Guetta and Calvin Harris have returned to the Top 40. After rap it's the 2nd most popular genre in the Top 40 this year in terms of quantity.

It's now 12 years since David Guetta topped the charts with "When Love Takes Over". Historically you'd expect a dance genre to have 12 months at the top before the world moves onto something new. The records currently in the charts by David Guetta and Calvin Harris could just as easily have been written in 2009.

The main difference now in the case of 2 of the David Guetta records in the Top 40 is that instead of being David Guetta featuring random singers it's David Guetta featuring other producers and random singers. It's often been questioned whether David Guetta actually writes any of his music. Here it looks like David Guetta is simply allowing his name to be used on the record for promotional purposes. 

The question though is why has it lasted so long? I think its to do with the fact it's not music for music lovers. It's for people who are influenced by Instagram influencers or people who watch "The Only Way Is Essex". The music is secondary, it's all about the image. 

I'm not going to pretend that sort of thing wasn't there before. House music has always been a bit up it's own backside in my opinion evident by the fact that at almost every event I went to you'd get people in the queue being turned away for not meeting the dress code requirements. 

But EDM is the music of what's considered cool in the modern world. Its music to dance to in the club or to work out. I've never watched "The Only Way Is Essex" or any of those other reality TV shows but I get the impression it's people going to the club and working out. As long as that sort of thing is popular then so will EDM.

UK Charts Best Year Search: 1983

What's this all about?

Top 40

Best Song: Flash And The Pan - Waiting For A Train

I always like it when I come across a great tune by someone I know nothing about. This is a great example, I've only just now discovered that Flash And The Pan were a duo who were part of 60s group The Easybeats and include George Young, the older brother of the Young brothers in AC/DC. This couldn't be any different from AC/DC though, or The Easybeats for that matter. It's very much an 80s sounding synth driven record that sounds a little haunting.

Worst Song: Shalamar - Dead Giveaway

The only thing that was going to stop me picking this as worst song is the fact I picked a Shalamar record for worst song in 1982. But the idea is to pick the song I hate the most without any bias towards the artist or what it is. Shalamar were a terrible group but fortunately their Top 40 career finished in 1983 so they won't be picked again.

Top 40 Review

Seeing Rod Stewart, Mike Oldfield, Elton John, David Bowie and to a certain extent The Police all in the Top 6 questions whether we've gone back to the 70s. The only one in the Top 6 not to score a zero is the very 80s "Flashdance... What A Feeling" by Irene Cara which gets half marks.

The number 7 record "IOU" by Freeez gets full marks though. Aside from Flash & the Pan, you'd need to go to number 18 for the next record to get full marks in "Dream to Sleep" by H2O. Even the usually reliable Electric Light Orchestra have a record in there I don't like with "Rock 'N' Roll Is King". By the end of the Top 20 the score so far is 4, not a great start and now mathematically impossible to top the table.

But then the chart comes to life. We have an excellent Motown record in "All Night Long" by Mary Jane Girls. Staying with funk, there's also "It's Over" by Funk Masters.

The obscure record worth checking out is from Jimmy The Hoover with "Tantalise (Wo Wo Ee Yeh Yeh)", someone else I know absolutely nothing about. Other good records include "Candy Girl" by New Edition and "We Came To Dance" by Ultravox.

This eventually brings the score up to the same as 1981 and 1982. I've always thought you need to look at the lower reaches of the charts to find the good stuff and this is proof.

Score: 14

Table

I can basically say the same for 1983 as I did for 1981 and 1982. I wonder if I'll say the same for 1984:

UK Number 40s: Landscape - Norman Bates (1981)

 

Landscape are best known for the number 5 hit "Einstein A Go-Go" which was their debut Top 40 hit earlier on in 1981. "Norman Bates" was their only other Top 40 hit.

They had several other singles that failed to chart plus 3 studio albums. Both their hits appeared on second album "From the Tea-rooms of Mars....". 

The band formed in 1974 and broke up in 1983, so this was towards the latter part of their existence. Their sound is quite experimental and perhaps not the most radio friendly. Whilst "Einstein A Go-Go" was quite a catchy number, this takes a few listens to get familiar with. The success of "Einstein A Go-Go" though probably meant enough people were willing to give this a go and get it into the Top 40.

Top 30 in 1991 Reviewed - Week 25

Here's my weekly look at the Top 30 from 30 years ago. The plan is for these posts to go out at 17:30 on a Sunday.

Here is the Top 40 in full.

Obviously some of the records will be the same as last week so therefore the review will be the same for these. I've indicated which ones are new so you can skip the others if you read last weeks post.

Once again my opinions are inevitably going to differ from other people, but I'm not trying to convince anyone something is good or rubbish, I'm simply giving my opinion.

So this is the top 30 from this week in 1991 with my verdict on each record:

30. Soft Cell ft Marc Almond - Tainted Love

Nearly a decade after topping the charts, "Tainted Love" was remixed and re-entered the charts in 1991. It's also now credited to Soft Cell ft Marc Almond, presumably to illustrate that Marc Almond was no longer part of Soft Cell. It doesn't sound very different from the version that was originally released, but its not a bad record I guess.

Verdict - OK

29. Omar - There's Nothing Like This (New)

The Top 40 debut for Omar. It would be another 6 years before we'd see him in the Top 40 again. I kept changing my mind throughout listening to it. On one hand its got a good bassline and sounds a decent soul ballad, but at the same time it was a bit boring.

Verdict - OK

28. Technotronic - Move That Body

The penultimate original Top 40 hit for Technotronic. It was also the first hit from their 2nd album "Body to Body". Ya Kid K was gone and in came Reggie. It could just as easily have been the same person though. Can't say I'm too keen on this one.

Verdict - Rubbish

27. Driza Bone - Real Love (New)

I do remember this being in the charts at the same time as the Omar record. The fact they were both British soul records perhaps had something to do with it. This is definitely the better of the two, it's a lot more uplifting.

Verdict - Good

26. Cathy Dennis - Touch Me (All Night Long)

The first solo Top 40 hit for Cathy Dennis. Maybe its my age, but to me there's something a lot more acceptable about pop music from this era than there was at the end of the decade. Cathy Dennis is a prime example of this even though by the end of the decade she was writing songs for the likes of S Club 7. The ironic thing of Cathy Dennis going on to become a successful songwriter for others is that her solo debut was a cover.

Verdict - Good

25. Massive Attack - Safe From Harm (New)

The opening track from the excellent "Blue Lines" album. The single mix is slightly different to the album, but both are excellent.

Verdict - Good

24. Kirsty MacColl - Walking Down Madison

Having previously collaborated with the Happy Mondays, here's Kirsty MacColl adopting the Madchester sound for her own material. It was co-written by Johnny Marr and features mancunian rapper Aniff Cousins. It's not a bad record but does seem to lack something.

Verdict - OK

23. Gloria Estefan - Remember Me With Love

One of many 90s hits from Gloria Estefan that I don't remember. This one isn't even listed on everyhit.com so it's very much a forgotten record. Is it worth remembering? No, not really.

Verdict - Rubbish

22. Paula Abdul - Rush Rush (New)

I remember the video for this appearing on Top of the Pops and the presenter saying that Ian Rush would be in the video, but he wasn't. This was 30 years ago say I may have misremembered or misunderstood what was said. It's not a bad record.

Verdict - OK

21. Pet Shop Boys - Jealousy

This was the final single to be taken off the "Behaviour" album. It was originally written in 1982 and was the first Pet Shop Boys composition. It's quite surprising that the first thing they'd write would be a ballad. They do it well though.

Verdict - Good

20. Rebel MC ft Tenor Fly And Barrington Levy - Tribal Base (New)

What I remember most about this record was it sampling "Orinoco Flow" by Enya. What this record was doing though was laying the foundations for jungle music. This was the final Top 40 hit for Rebel MC and definitely his best.

Verdict - Good

19. Extreme - Get The Funk Out

I remember people being surprised that Extreme were a rock band when they would hear an Extreme song that wasn't "More Than Words". I wasn't though because I remembered them doing this before "More Than Words". Doesn't quite have enough to it to truly like it but its alright. 

Verdict - OK

18. Kylie Minogue - Shocked

This was the last original Stock Aitken & Waterman penned Top 40 hit before Matt Aitken sailed off into the sunset. It also denied Kylies sister Dannii a Top 10 hit with "Success". I do prefer this to the Dannii Minogue record, but that doesn't mean I like it.

Verdict - Rubbish

17. Crystal Waters - Gypsy Woman (La Da Dee)

I think I know why I've always though Alison Limerick is American now. It's because I heavily associate "Where Love Lives" with this record, and Crystal Waters is American. Much like the Alison Limerick record, this has fallen victim to being overplayed but still a decent record.

Verdict - Good

16. Madonna - Holiday

The 3rd time this song entered the Top 40. It was the debut Top 40 hit for Madonna and was rereleased to promote "The Immaculate Collection", her greatest hits album. It's shit.

Verdict - Rubbish

15. LaTour - People Are Still Having Sex

With the Color Me Badd record with sex in the title still in the Top 40, here's another record with it. I'm actually surprised this was as late as 1991, I've always associated this one more with the late 80s. A good record nonetheless.

Verdict - Good

14. Lenny Kravitz - It Ain't Over 'Til It's Over

Although not his debut, this was the breakthrough hit for Lenny Kravitz in the UK. This is one I didn't really appreciate until later, I hated it at the time. When Lenny Kravitz returned to Top 40 a couple of years later with "Are You Gonna Go My Way?" I couldn't believe it was the same person who did this. Then came the day when I realised that it's possible to like both songs despite them being completely different to each other.

Verdict - Good

13. Divinyls - I Touch Myself

Every Wednesday at the students union when I first started university was a 70s and 80s night and almost every week this record would get played. Being the music snob I am this used to annoy me because I knew this was from 1991 not the 80s. I was much more appreciative when it got played at cheese night on a Saturday.

Verdict - Good

12. Rod Stewart - Motown Song

Oh dear, this is dreadful. After doing a poor cover of a Motown record with "It Takes Two" in 1990, Rod Stewart is back with a song about that very label. It's actually from the same album though. Unsurprisingly given it's Rod Stewart, this is a cover. The original was by Larry John McNally.

Verdict - Rubbish

11. The Doors - Light My Fire

This failed to make the Top 40 when it was first released back in 1967. Thanks to a film about The Doors being around at the same time, it finally made the Top 40 in 1991. I actually had no idea this was an old record at the time, I guess the Inspiral Carpets using the organ around the same time may have had something to do with it. By the end of the decade I'd gained a lot more knowledge of The Doors and owned all their albums.

Verdict - Good

10. Sonia - Only Fools (Never Fall In Love)

The fist Top 40 hit for Sonia after leaving Stock Aitken & Waterman. Unfortunately this never improved the quality of her music. It sounds like it should be a karaoke version of an older record but it isn't.

Verdict - Rubbish

9. REM - Shiny Happy People

The band themselves hate this record and pretty much disowned it, but I actually like it. Yes it is a bit cheesy and completely not what you'd expect from REM, but the guitar riff, the breakdown going into the guitar riff and to an extent the backing vocals from Kate Pierson really make this record for me.

Verdict - Good

8. Beverley Craven - Promise Me

This was the Top 40 debut for Beverley Craven. One thing I am thankful to this song for was providing the sample to the rave classic "4am" by Orca. Unfortunately that's the only positive thing I can say about this record.

Verdict - Rubbish

7. Bette Midler - From A Distance

It had been less than a year since Cliff Richard was torturing us with this record. Now here's Bette Midler back to do the same.

Verdict - Rubbish

6. Salt-N-Pepa - Do You Want Me

I'm just remembering watching a Channel 4 programme where they had a count down of the 10 best rap acts of all time and in 2nd place was Salt-N-Pepa. I thought how? but then number one was Will Smith. I think they were taking the piss.

Verdict - Rubbish

5. Kenny Thomas - Thinking About Your Love

The second Top 40 hit for Kenny Thomas and his only Top 10. This is the song he's best known for. I must have seen this on The Chart Show at some point because it's making me want to watch an episode. I'd also say the fact this reminds me of the good old days of 1991 and watching The Chart Show means I quite like it.

Verdict - Good

4. Cher - The Shoop Shoop Song (It's In His Kiss)

The most recent Top 40 hit for Cher prior to this was "Just Like Jesse James", a song I liked. Therefore my impression of Cher at the time was quite positive. Then this came out and I thought what the fuck is this. It's a cover and I'm not overly keen on the original but it's tolerable. This version just makes me angry though, absolutely awful.

Verdict - Rubbish

3. Amy Grant - Baby Baby

This was another song I played a lot when I started using YouTube. I loved this record at the time and I loved Amy Grant too. I had no idea she was a Christian singer who was controversially crossing over to pop music. It seemed such an innocent song.

Verdict - Good

2. Jason Donovan - Any Dream Will Do (New)

The final number one for Jason Donovan. It was taken from "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat" which he was starring in at the time. By the time I saw it a couple of years later he'd been replaced by Phil Schofield. Anyway, like pretty much every other song from a musical it's shit.

Verdict - Rubbish

1. Color Me Badd - I Wanna Sex You Up

Like many kids my age, I found it hilarious at the time that there was a song with the word sex in the title. It wasn't the first Top 40 hit to have this, but I guess the way it was used played a part too. I did like it at the time but when I heard it on the music channels for the first time in years I realised it's actually a pretty poor record.

Verdict - Rubbish

If we give the records which were good 1 point each and those which were OK half a point, the final score is 15.5/30, or 52%. Same as last week.