Friday 1 September 2023

Top 30 in 1996 Reviewed: Week 35

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:


In terms of original hits, Rozalla was now finished from a Top 40 perspective. Not sure why there was renewed interest in her big hit, though it is sung by a choir in "Romeo + Juliet" so maybe it was that which prompted this remix. It's more in line with the sound of 1996 and would no doubt work better in a DJ set at the time, but doesn't quite have the same charm as the original.

Verdict - OK


The final Top 40 hit to date for OMD which came at the same time OMC were in the charts. It's different to the synth pop sound they're better known for. It was a record I liked at the time and as I got older I found myself being able to relate to the lyrics in my own interpretation at least. A shame that OMD called it a day after this, especially as what Andy McCluskey did next was give the world Kerry Katona.

Verdict - Good


Another pretty well known dance record by an act not too many people know much about. This was pretty common back then. It was the first of 2 Top 40 hits to date for Hysteric Ego and this was the big one. You may think you have no idea what this is, but give it a listen. There's a good chance that you do known it.

Verdict - Good


The long forgotten follow up to "Nobody Knows" which was his 2nd and final Top 40 hit to date. It's written by the man himself but again sounds like it could be Babyface composition. Yet it does lack a certain something for me to truly like it. Has potential to grow on me, but for now it's half a mark.

Verdict - OK


It had been over a year since Robbie Williams had left Take That. In that time Take That had broken up and Gary Barlow had started his solo career. I remember in the summer of 1995 Robbie Williams was stating his intention of starting his solo career when he was on The Big Breakfast. He also implied he was going to make more credible music. After the long wait he finally launched his solo career with a George Michael cover. Not what I was expecting, and he has since admitted it wasn't the best way to start his solo career.

Verdict - Rubbish


This record original charted in 1995 but then went one place better when it was remixed in 1996. It certainly felt a much bigger record this time round as I recall. I particularly liked the build up towards the end where it gets pitched up. 

Verdict - Good


This record caused a bit of controversy at the time. Junior Vasquez had worked with Madonna prior to that but decided to make this record after Madonna pulled out of an appearance. As a result of this record Madonna said she'd never work with Junior Vasquez again. I've listened to several DJ sets of Junior Vasquez and do rate him, but this record is crap. 

Verdict - Rubbish


Nas was already a well established rapper by this point with his much celebrated debut album "Illmatic" coming out in 1994. This was his first UK Top 40 hit though and his joint highest charting single. It's based on the Kurtis Blow record of the same name. I do like Nas and have all his early albums.

Verdict - Good


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


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


A question I've asked many times before is why do songs from Disney movies have to be so depressing. This was from "The Hunchback of Notre Dame" and is depressing. If you look at the clips from the film in the video they look so happy so why not do something fun instead. 

Verdict - Rubbish


The other Top 40 hit for De'Lacy. Although "Hideaway" is the one many people remember I'd say this was pretty well known too. I don't think it's aged that well though, after listening to the intro for the first time in a long time I was enjoying it, but as it went on I started to lose interest.

Verdict - OK


The Top 40 debut for Alisha's Attic. The first thing I thought when I heard this record was that it sounded a bit like "Head Over Feet" by Alanis Morissette. But I thought both records were good in their own way. One memory I do have of this record is it appearing on the radio one morning when I was about to switch it off and go out, but instead I stayed and listened to it.

Verdict - Good


The first record that Ant & Dec used their real names on as opposed to PJ & Duncan. I remember there being a 5 minute show on Channel 4 back then which I believe was an exclusive play of a new video and this was the video played on one of them. I have to say though I do quite like this one, I guess because it makes me laugh.

Verdict - Good


I have to admit I did not like this record when I first heard it. I remember them being introduced as gangsta rappers but didn't like the singing element to their rapping. However after getting over that hurdle I can honestly say this is one of my all time favourites. I love how dark it is and how dark a lot of their music is for that matter.

Verdict - Good


Not only did MN8 have hits that weren't "I've Got A Little Something For You", they made it to a 2nd album too. This was written by the same team of songwriters as "Undivided Love" by Louise which entered the Top 40 the same week and includes Simon Climie of Climie Fisher fame. It's now long forgotten and rightfully so.

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


The biggest hit for Dodgy and the one they're best known for. What I can tell you from this record is that it was around the same time "The Noise", a short lived music TV show presented by Andi Peters, was on. It's a decent enough record.

Verdict - Good


Here's a record that reminds me of "The Noise", the short lived Andi Peters music show on ITV before The Chart Show on a Saturday. Ironic really given that BBC is mentioned in the lyrics. It's perhaps one of the more catchy Shed Seven records, but still not to my liking. 

Verdict - Rubbish


The Pet Shop Boys have made lots of good records over the years and I'd say this one is up there amongst the best of them. It takes me back to a time when I had a more idealistic view of the world. It's also quite different to anything they'd done before.

Verdict - Good


I mentioned when reviewing the previous Bryan Adams hit that he was doing something uplifting as opposed to the ballads we'd become used to. With this record though he's back to doing the ballads again. 

Verdict - Rubbish


Max Martin is one of the most prolific songwriters ever. At the time of writing only Paul McCartney has had more Top 40 hits as a songwriter. This was his first Top 40 hit as a songwriter, which failed to reach the Top 40 when first released the previous year. It's basically the signature sound of the Backstreet Boys.

Verdict - Rubbish


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 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


Just in case you weren't aware that 3T were Michael Jacksons nephews, here's Michael Jackson himself on the record just to remind you. It's a Babyface composition which shows that not everything he writes is good. 

Verdict - Rubbish


Another record that reminds me of "The Noise" with Andi Peters. I also remember how the song completely changes after the short intro. It was written by the same songwriting team as "Tuff Act To Follow" by MN8 which entered the Top 40 the same week and includes Simon Climie of Climie Fisher fame. I can hear a bit of "Love Changes Everything" in there, of the cheap imitation variety. 

Verdict - Rubbish


This was the 18th Top 40 hit for REM and their highest charting single to that point. One of many examples of a well established band having their biggest hit around this time with said hit being nowhere near one of their best known. It was the lead single off their "New Adventures in Hi-Fi" album. My memory of this record is it being the one about hash bars, but not much else going on in it. 

Verdict - Rubbish


The 9th Top 40 hit for Jamiroquai which became their highest charting to that point. I remember being quite surprised by this record because I saw Jamiroquai as being a futuristic band but here they are singing about "useless twisting our new technology". Maybe Jay Kay knew we'd have a lot more of that in the future which we do. One benefit of the modern era that didn't exist back then was the ability to go to YouTube and play music from the good old days.

Verdict - Good


Here's yet another record that reminds me of "The Noise" with Andi Peters. That show must have had a bigger effect on me than I realised. As I recall though I believe Louise sang a line from it as part of a competition to guess what it was she was singing. This time George Michael failed to top the charts and I'd say this is actually better than his 2 chart toppers of 1996, but that's not saying much. 

Verdict - Rubbish


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

If we give the records which were good 1 point each and those which were OK half a point, the final score is 14.5/30, or 48%. Back below 50% again, but who knows where we'll go next week. 
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