Friday 21 July 2023

Top 30 in 1996 Reviewed: Week 29

Here's my weekly look at the Top 30 from 27 years ago. The plan is for these posts to go out at 17:30 on a Friday.

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 1996 with my verdict on each record:


I keep mentioning the rock crowd I knew back in the day. Around the mid 90s some of us like myself moved onto different music and some stuck with it. This would be the sort of music those who stuck with it were listening to by 1996 which seemed a far cry from the heavier music they were listening to a couple of years earlier. 

Verdict - Rubbish


The Top 40 debut for Space. When it comes to bands who fell under the Britpop banner I would say Space were one of the better ones. It's a bit different, the verses stand out really well and builds into a strong chorus. Great tune.

Verdict - Good


The way Everything But The Girl came out of the musical wilderness the previous year was via a Todd Terry remix. Here they are again with another Todd Terry remix. I was never a fan of said record and I'm not a fan of this one either. It's their last Top 10 single to date.

Verdict - Rubbish

27. Alison Limerick - Where Love Lives (Come On In)

The Top 40 debut for Alison Limerick. I always thought she was American but it turns out she's English. The involvement of America DJs David Morales and Frankie Knuckles is probably why I thought that. I've heard this far too many times in my life now, but I still like it.

Verdict - Good


It was around this time I knew someone who would often ask people do you like Sleeper? do you think the singers a bit of totty? I was asked that question more than once, the answer to the first question was always no I can't say I do like Sleeper. The answer to the second question is irrelevant. 

Verdict - Rubbish


The record Ocean Colour Scene are best known for was their debut "The Riverboat Song" but this was their joint highest charting hit. The verses to this gives the notion of riding along on a train I think and the chorus is simple but effective. An all round good record.

Verdict - Good


I did feel that the Levellers had become a bit more commercial by this point, though releasing a live version of a track from your latest album instead of the studio version is a sign of catering to your fans rather than the masses. I don't dislike this record, but it's nothing special.

Verdict - OK


In the mid-90s it seemed all the music coming out of Holland was great. This record is no exception, the only Top 40 hit for Subliminal Cuts who had another Top 40 hit the previous year as Ethics. The piano line to this is also used in "Cheese n Beats" by Paul Elstak. 

Verdict - Good


Here's proof that there were charting musicians from New Zealand that had nothing to do with the Finn brothers. There had been John Rowles and Kiri Te Kanawa previously. It was the only Top 40 hit for OMC and the title more or less describes the tune. I like it though. I also know that we'll soon be getting OMD in the charts too just to confuse things. 

Verdict - Good


This was a record I never liked at the time, partly because with a name like the Tony Rich Project I was expecting a dance record but it wasn't. Then when I was going through my R&B phase I started liking it. What do I think of it now though? Well first of all I could have sworn it was written by Babyface but it wasn't, though it did come out on his label and the songwriters have seemingly done nothing else so you never know. The fact it sounds like a record Babyface could have done himself though is a good thing.

Verdict - Good


In the 21st century Mariah Carey had more of an R&B element in her music thanks in part to having Jermaine Dupri write and produce some of her records. This is where it began though with this record being written and produced by Jermanine Dupri. It's still shit though.

Verdict - Rubbish


Erick Morillo was a respected DJ in the dance music scene, but Reel 2 Real was very much his cheesy commercial dance project. This was the penultimate Top 40 hit to date for Reel 2 Real and is a cheesy commercial dance record, but it isn't bad.

Verdict - OK


Babyface was everywhere in 1996 it seemed. He produced this record and provided backing vocals and also played the guitar in addition to Eric Clapton himself. There's also a version on Babyface's greatest hits that's more of a 50/50 collabaration. Top tune.

Verdict - Good


I never really liked Kula Shaker at the time. This was their breakthrough record that I remember most for its incomprehensible lyrics. Then in more recent times I'm finding that I really like this record. Probably helps that the only times I listen to it these days is of my own accord. 

Verdict - Good


This record is what it says on the tin but is basically a remix done by Adam Clayton and Larry Mullen of U2. I will give them credit for the fact this sounds nothing like a U2 record. That doesn't mean it's any good though.

Verdict - Rubbish


After "Lump" and "Peaches" there was the expectation that any record by The Presidents Of The United States Of America would be weird. This record met those expectations, in fact I would say it was even weirder than its predecessors. Weird in a good way too.

Verdict - Good


We're into holiday season now which means crappy songs people danced to on holiday making their way into the charts. Umboza were English though but just gave the impression they were Spanish or something with this record. 

Verdict - Rubbish


We're into the home straight when it comes to the Top 40 career of Belinda Carlisle. It's a cover of a record by Jenny Morris but was written by Rick Nowels who wrote the bulk of Belinda Carlisle hits. The mentions of highways makes me liken it to "Rush Hour" by her Go-Go's bandmate Jane Wiedlin, not to say it sounds the same because it doesn't. I just like the concept really.

Verdict - Good


After the Lisa Marie Experience charted with their version of "Keep On Jumpin" here's Todd Terry with his version. The whole vocals are included in this one. I have to say I prefer the Lisa Marie Experience version, but this has it's place too. 

Verdict - Good


This was the big holiday song of 1996 and I can remember hearing it all the time when I went on holiday in 1996 myself. When this made the charts I wasn't expecting the 2 men who sing it to be so old, they were almost 50 by this point which actually doesn't seem that old these days. Anyway it's cheesy and terrible and everything you expect from a big holiday song.

Verdict - Rubbish


I get the impression Terrorvision couldn't decide whether they wanted to make their music more mellow in light of the popularity of Britpop or wanted to keep grunge alive. In this record they seem to be trying to do both. It was working for them though, just not to my liking.

Verdict - Rubbish


This was the 5th Top 40 hit for Toni Braxton and the 5th to be written by Babyface. A general rule I am finding with Babyface compositions is that he uses his signature sound for more credible artists and writes crap for those who aren't credible. Yet this isn't really his signature sound and I would say Toni Braxton is credible enough. I guess that just showcases the songwriting talents of Babyface.

Verdict - Good


After eventually topping the charts with their Top 40 debut "Dreamer" the previous year, this was their follow up. It was with a different singer this time. It's not hugely different to it's predecessor though and not a good, but not bad either.

Verdict - OK


Celine Dion was pretty well established as a chart act by this point and was mainly known for doing ballads. It therefore seemed almost inevitable really that she'd end up with a single written by Diane Warren and here it is. 

Verdict - Rubbish


As a general rule music and football do not mix. New Order however showed it is possible to make a decent football record. In theory there was no reason why the Lightning Seeds couldn't have done the same and it is liked by many, but not by me.

Verdict - Rubbish


The record that Peter Andre was best known for. It's a reggae style pop record that sounds a bit like its ripping off "Sweat" by Inner Circle. I remember this being in the charts when Peter Andre was presenting Top of the Pops and during the chart countdown he said it was "by Bubbler Ranx and me". It's not the worst record in the world, but I'm sick to death of it now and would happily never hear it again.

Verdict - Rubbish


What can I say about this record to do it justice? Underworld are one of my favourite acts ever and this was their biggest hit and what got me into them in the first place. At a time when commercially successful music was getting more and more mellow it was refreshing to see a banging techno record giving a big fuck you to all of that. 

Verdict - Good


There was no escaping this song in the summer of 1996. It was the Top 40 debut for the Spice Girls and I thought it had one hit wonder written all over it at the time. Unfortunately it wasn't and there was no escaping them for the next 2.5 years which felt a lot longer. 

Verdict - Rubbish


I remember this going straight into number one on the Top 40 countdown which was the first time I heard it. Initially from the intro I thought it was going to be a depressing song, but then the beats kicked in and I though hang on a minute this is actually quite good.

Verdict - Good


When Take That split up earlier on in the year I was happy. What I didn't anticipate though was the solo careers that would follow which began with this Gary Barlow record. It clearly topped the charts because it was Gary Barlow because musically it's terrible. 

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. 
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