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 1993 with my verdict on each record:
I think this was the last Pet Shop Boys record I admitted to liking at the time. I remember the rules that the rock crowd weren't supposed to like pop music but a small number of exceptions were allowed and this was one of those for me. It wouldn't be long before even a small number of exceptions wasn't acceptable.
Verdict - Good
This got no further than 29 on it's first release, but fared better when it was rereleased in 1995 after appearing on the Levi's advert. I do however remember hearing this on the radio in 1993 and liking it. The intro to it is very distinctive.
Verdict - Good
I remember when this record came out it created a divide at school between the rock crowd and everyone else. It was singled out as an example of a crappy pop record by the rock crowd but everybody else seemingly loved it. Putting all that aside, my first thought when hearing this was have Snap changed their name to Culture Beat.
Verdict - Rubbish
This was the follow up to "Jump Around". I would hazard a guess most people don't know any House of Pain records other than "Jump Around", but I do. The fact I have the album helps somewhat. Both are solid efforts and good to hear their other material.
Verdict - Good / Good
A few years before Public Enemy sampled "For What It's Worth" Buffalo Springfield on "He Got Game" Oui 3 sampled/covered the same record. The chorus is the same but the verses are rapped. This was the first version I ever heard of this record and its one I've always liked. It was the first of 3 Top 40 hits for Oui 3.
Verdict - Good
INXS were my 2nd favourite band at the start of the year, but by this point they had taken a slide down the rankings. I'm sure I still liked this record at the time because it was INXS, but it isn't their best. Not bad, but pretty average. Believe it or not, this was their joint 2nd highest charting single.
Verdict - OK
This is one of those records which was pretty big at the time but never gets played anymore. I don't think I've heard this since 1993. It bears a vague similarity to "Baby Baby" by Amy Grant which means I can't help but think this isn't as good. Not a bad record though.
Verdict - OK
I was taking guitar lessons around this time and amongst the tablature in one of the books I had was pictures of iconic guitarists such as Jimi Hendrix and Eric Clapton. One picture I did find quite strange though was Prince who was never someone I really thought of as a guitarist let alone an iconic one. Then he released this very guitar driven record. Of course I now know how good a guitarist Prince was. This has a decent riff to it, but doesn't quite have enough about it for me to truly like it.
Verdict - OK
22. Levellers - This Garden (New)
I have conflicting memories of this record. I remember going back to school after the summer holidays and me and a few others writing off the Levellers for being too soft. At the same time I remember this coming out and me liking it and also thinking I was being cool for liking it. Anyway that's no longer relevant, I like it and don't care whether that's cool or not.
Verdict - Good
21. Grid - Texas Cowboys (New)
It's records like this which make me look back at the 90s with fondness. There was nothing unusual about a record like this getting into the charts such was the diversity of music that would chart. A record like this would never chart these days because it's a proper dance record and not commercial nonsense.
Verdict - Good
I don't think I've heard this record since 1993 and listening to it again it's not quite how I remember it, the main hooks sounds right but I remember it having more of a rock sounding backing track. Still, it has a good flow to it and quite pleasant to listen to after all these years. It was the one and only Top 40 hit for Lena Fiagbe, maybe best kept that way.
Verdict - Good
After this topped the charts in 1984 and spent nearly the entire year in the charts you would have thought anyone who wanted this record would have already bought it. Seemingly not as this re-issue made the Top 10. I've heard it far too much in my life to truly like it, but I don't dislike it at the same time.
Verdict - OK
Julia is the name of Chris Rea's daughter and this song was written about her. Nothing wrong with that, but I can't help but find the song a bit cringeworthy. It's quite upbeat but not particularly catchy. Let's just say I won't be in a hurry to listen to it again.
Verdict - Rubbish
Cat here is Cat from Red Dwarf. Therefore with this being a record sung by a character on a comedy show you would expect it to be cheesy and crap, but that is the point. That's exactly what this record is.
Verdict - Rubbish
Earlier on in 1993 we had a Lulu penned Tina Turner hit. Now's the turn of Bryan Adams on songwriting duties. It's not that sort of record I'd imagine Bryan Adams doing himself, but it doesn't sound much like a Tina Turner record either, her singing and the backing track don't really go together. It's pretty forgettable too.
Verdict - Rubbish
Lisa Stansfield is doing her song again. OK not all Lisa Stansfield songs are bad, but she's had far too many bland slow and boring singles like this one. Fortunately she won't feature again until 1997 with one I actually like.
Verdict - Rubbish
I just assumed most people only remember Haddaway for "What Is Love" but 16 million views of this follow up hit on YouTube suggests otherwise. I'm not completely anti-Eurodance, there are a handful of records I like but most of it is dreadful and this is one of those.
Verdict - Rubbish
I remember this record being on the list of non-rock music records I secretly liked at the time. As I'm going through the weeks I'm finding I like a lot of the reggae pop records that were coming out in 1993.
Verdict - Good
I never liked Bjork at the time and always questioned who exactly listens to her music. As time has gone on though some of her records have grown on me with this being one of them. I'd say the fact it has a very strong backing track helps a lot.
Verdict - Good
The biggest hit for M People which also made the charts in America. I would also say this is the most pop record they'd made to this point as well. They knew what they were doing making records like this, but it's not for me.
Verdict - Rubbish
We're now into the "Music For the Jilted Generation" era of The Prodigy. This lead single isn't hugely different from the "Experience" era, but at the same time it is a mark of the fact the chart era for rave music is now in the past. We're being eased into the next era of The Prodigy.
Verdict - Good
This was the only Top 40 hit for Goodmen, but they would return to the charts as Chocolate Puma, Rhythm Killaz and Riva. It's not very tuneful, but that's all part of it's appeal.
Verdict - Good
There was no avoiding Take That when this came out. They could release any old rubbish safe in the knowledge it would probably go to number one and they achieved that with this one.
Verdict - Rubbish
With Phil Collins now finished with Genesis from a chart perspective, it's back to his solo career. Part of me thinks this would work better as a Genesis record and part of me thinks it would work better as a ballad. It doesn't quite slot into place for me, but it's not bad.
Verdict - OK
The Top 40 debut for Eternal. I remember when this came out my assessment of it was poundland SWV. I don't think I knew at the time that SWV were American and Eternal were British, but on reflection this is a prime example of how British acts don't do R&B as well as their American counterparts.
Verdict - Rubbish
I couldn't stand this record at the time, it's always irritated me. Then when I started going out on a Saturday night I'd hear this every week which made me hate it even more. My drunken self down the students union would dance to all sorts of rubbish, but I'd always leave the dancefloor when this came on.
Verdict - Rubbish
One of the things that's surprised me when doing these posts was how many Top 40 hits Dina Carroll had before "Don't Be A Stranger". This was her 8th of 14 Top 40 hits. It's no doubt her signature song, something she probably won't be happy about because it's one she didn't write. I wonder whether the success of this song dictated that she wouldn't write any of her remaining Top 40 hits after this. Anyway I couldn't stand this record at the time, too slow and boring. I can't say I've really changed my mind to be honest.
Verdict - Rubbish
After what seemed an endless run of hits from his "Waking Up the Neighbours" album, here's Bryan Adams back with a brand new song. I do find it more memorable than some of his previous efforts despite it being a ballad, but not my cup of tea.
Verdict - Rubbish
I absolutely hated this record at the time. Along with "Mr. Vain" by Culturebeat I had it down as the ultimate shit record. I've heard worse, but it's exactly the sort of eurodance music that I consider to be a bit crap.
Verdict - Rubbish
Meat Loaf had been in the wilderness for several years before this and his previous big hits were before my music memories so I wasn't familiar with his music at the time, I'd just heard the name. At the same time someone at school was a Meat Loaf fan and would say he was heavy metal. I was therefore excited to finally hear a Meat Loaf song, but heavy metal it's certainly not. That disappointment along with the fact it goes on forever and is just ridiculously over the top means I've never liked it.
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 13.5/30, or 45%. Back to the full 30 now, some encouraging new entries but it's lower than last week whatever way you look at it.
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