Here's my weekly look at the Top 30 from 28 years ago. The plan is for these posts to go out at 17:30 on a Wednesday.
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 1995 with my verdict on each record:
Whigfield is best known for her chart topping debut "Saturday Night" which is an irritating record. Then came "Another Day" which is basically the same tune with different lyrics. Then came this which made me think what the fuck, I like this Whigfield record. It's still cheesy don't get me wrong, but in a good way. Those who remember it are likely to remember it for the line "I need you inside me tonight".
Verdict - Good
We're now into the wilderness years for Kylie Minogue. You could say this is her attempt at making a house record with Brothers in Rhythm behind it. The result is that I don't think it can decide whether it wants to be a pop record or a house record so we end up with either a pop record that's no very catchy or a house record that's a bit cheesy.
Verdict - Rubbish
I heard this for the first time since 1995 quite recently on Retro Charts Radio. I recognised it pretty quickly and started thinking this is good to hear after all these years and it's aged well. Almost refreshing to see a British guitar band not going soft around this time.
Verdict - Good
The Top 40 debut for Cast who were fronted by John Power who had previously been a member of The La's. The intro to this record sounds the same as the intro to "Paradise City" by Guns n Roses. It does take on its own identity once we get further into it.
Verdict - Good
It had only been a few months since the original version of this by The Cranberries had been in the Top 40. This eurodance cover is just about as bad as it gets, a truly awful record.
Verdict - Rubbish
This was the 3rd Top 40 hit for The Boo Radleys. Their 2nd "Find The Answer Within" only made number 37. I guess that one taught people that they were quite a moody band unlike their big hit "Wake Up Boo" but this fared better presumably because people had gotten used to it. I quite like the contradiction.
Verdict - Good
After the success of Sheryl Crow's first Top 40 hit "All I Wanna Do" she struggled to make much impact with her initial follow ups. This record came after a pair of 33s. I happen to think her music was much better around this time than her more successful period in years to come.
Verdict - Good
23. Fluke - Bullet (New)
The 2nd Top 40 hit for Fluke and first to make the Top 30. They were always likely to struggle to have much chart success due to their music not being particularly catchy. It takes a few listens to get into it properly and fortunately I've had a few listens.
Verdict - Good
EMF had a total of 3 Top 10 hits, "Unbelievable", "I Believe" and "I'm A Believer". A bit of a theme going on with that. This would be their final Top 40 hit to date and teaming up with comedians Reeves and Mortimer probably didn't do much for their music credibility. It's crap but that's probably the point.
Verdict - Rubbish
The 3rd and final Top 40 hit for Amy Grant who had last been in the Top 40 in 1991. It's a cover of the Joni Mitchell record and I believe this was the first version of this record that I heard. I remember thinking it was good to see the singer of "Baby Baby" back in the charts.
Verdict - Good
This was the highest charting Top 40 hit for Clock. It's a eurodance cover of the Tag Team record. I do remember this being pretty big at the time but it's never worked in my opinion. The again very generic eurodance music sold records.
Verdict - Rubbish
The 3rd Top 40 hit for MN8 and the 3rd to make the Top 40 which I find quite surprising. I'm not surprised to find that they never made the Top 10 again after this. It's a cover of a record by American R&B group Surface. I guess the 1995 I get from it makes me like it.
Verdict - Good
The Lightning Seeds are one of those bands who have quite a few records that are still played regularly today. However this record isn't one of those and I don't think I've heard it since 1995. I have it down as the one about waving at the taxi's passing by. Always thought it was pretty decent.
Verdict - Good
17. Hole - Violet (New)
The 2nd Top 40 hit for Hole. Whilst I wasn't a fan of their debut Top 40 hit "Doll Parts" I could at least detect a tune in there somewhere. This one is just a noise though, nothing good about it at all. It's just irritating.
Verdict - Rubbish
When I first heard this record I was quite surprised that it was a new record. I thought it sounded like it should be an older record. I still think it wouldn't have sounded out of place long before it was written, but does very much remind me of 1995 these days. It's one of those rare Paul Weller records that I actually like.
Verdict - Good
We were into the latter stages of the Top 40 career of Soul II Soul by this point. They no longer had the same influence they had when they first broke though at the end of the 80s. That was more to do with how music in general had progressed, there was still room for Soul II Soul in 1995.
Verdict - Good
This record originally came out in 1991 but was remixed and made the Top 40 for the first time in 1995. I remember going to a disco at the time and the person putting it on assured me there would be plenty of rave/dance music. This was playing as I walked in and I thought it was a good start. I can't remember much else about the disco if I'm honest.
Verdict - Good
13. REM - Tongue (New)
REM have got the organ out on this record. Bands like The Doors have proved that having an organ in a rock song can work really well. I'd say REM have done it too with this record, it's a ballad with falsetto singing which is something you'd have to get right.
Verdict - Good
When PJ and Duncan performed "Tonight I'm Free" few would have predicted it would lead to a music career particularly after said record failed to reach the Top 40. When the novelty of PJ and Duncan making music caught on and led to an album I don't think too many people thought they'd have a 2nd album. Yet here they were with the lead single from their 2nd album. It sounds more polished which takes the fun out if anything.
Verdict - Rubbish
Whilst I generally have a favourable opinion of music from 1995 I'm also conscious that there was also rubbish in the charts that year with Robson & Jerome in particular that springs to mind. This was their Top 40 debut which came about after their Soldier Soldier characters sang it on the show.
Verdict - Rubbish / Rubbish
It's becoming quite a familiar formula of covering a chorus of an old record with new rapped verses. Not a bad formula to have by any means. It was the first Top 40 hit for Method Man and the first time we saw Mary J Blige in the Top 10.
Verdict - Good
I have a memory of listening to the Chris Evans Breakfast Show one day on Radio 1 at the time and liking everything he was playing on it. I remember this record being one of those that he played. It was the Top 40 debut for Dana Dawson and was her biggest hit.
Verdict - Good
One thing that makes Corona different to your usual eurodance acts is that they have 3 big hits that could all claim to be their big hit. Not only that but each of those 3 are quite distinctive and not just soundalikes of what they've done before.
Verdict - Good
The solo Top 40 debut for Edwyn Collins who had previous been in the Top 40 as part of Orange Juice. This record is all about the guitar, I love the way it basically repeats the lines that he sings. The rest of the guitaring is great as well.
Verdict - Good
It had been over 2 years since Shaggy topped the charts with "Oh Carolina" but took until this record for him to score his 2nd Top 40 hit. It's based on the Mungo Jerry record of the same name and features extensive vocals from Rayvon, the first act from Barbados to have a Top 40 hit. A fun record.
Verdict - Good
"Kiss From A Rose" was originally a Top 40 hit in 1994 but was given a new lease of life when it featured in the "Batman Forever" soundtrack. I'd never heard "I'm Alive" until I bought the CD single of this.
Verdict - Good / Good
This record was famously featured on the soundtrack to "Batman Forever". It's a crap film like all the Batman films are but the music is good. I love the intro/outro riff to this.
Verdict - Good
The biggest hit for Supergrass and the one they're best known for. I was already familiar with Supergrass courtesy of their previous hits and had them down as a bit of a moody band. I was therefore surprised at how uplifting "Alright" was. They're back to their moody selves on "Time" but are sounding a bit poundland Rolling Stones for my liking.
Verdict - Good / Rubbish
The Top 40 debut for Diana King and the record she is best known for. It was from the soundtrack to "Bad Boys", a film that has Will Smith in it. The fact it wasn't Will Smith making the record for the film might have indicated that he'd given up on music. Maybe that's why I like this.
Verdict - Good
If I had to pick a record to sum up the summer of 1995 then this would probably be it. This was also my favourite of The Outhere Brothers hits.
Verdict - Good
If we give the records which were good 1 point each and those which were OK half a point, the final score is 23/30, or 77%. Just as good as last week.
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