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 1994 with my verdict on each record:
This was the Top 40 debut for the Gin Blossoms which came just after the death of band member Doug Hopkins who wrote this record. It's also their highest charting hit to date. It originally appeared on their debut album back in 1989. Not a bad record.
Verdict - OK
The 5th of 6 Top 40 hits to date for DJ Jazzy Jeff And The Fresh Prince and I'm pleased to say the last time they'll feature as their final Top 40 hit failed to reached the Top 30. Unfortunately there's still a number of Will Smith records to do. This record samples "Never Too Much" and is terrible.
Verdict - Rubbish
This was the lead single from the "Tiger Bay" album and sadly the only one from the album to make the Top 30. I love the line "he's so dark and moody, she is his sunshine girl" and overall this is a great record with a Spanish feel to it which was done to give them an excuse to go to Spain to shoot the video.
Verdict - Good
New Kids On The Block had last been seen in the Top 40 in 1991. This was their comeback single with them trying to shed the boy band image. It wasn't the first time they had done that but this time they seemed to really mean it. The result is a record that's not catchy enough to be pop but still too tame to be anything else.
Verdict - Rubbish
This was the Top 40 debut for Joe Roberts who I see as being another Kenny Thomas. Not because they both have blokes names as surnames, but because they are both decent enough singers but are singing over very bland music.
Verdict - Rubbish
I liked a lot of the reggae pop music of 1993 and particularly liked the first two Chaka Demus and Pliers hits. I draw the line at this record though. I hated it at the time, I remember someone asking a question about this record to a group of people and my response was I don't care about shitty pop music with my answer being seconded by someone else. My opinion on this record hasn't really changed.
Verdict - Rubbish
The 6th of 8 Top 40 hits to date for Richard Marx and the last time he'll feature as his final 2 hits never made the Top 30. Richard Marx has the talent for making soft records very listenable which is evident in his 2 big hits. He couldn't sustain it with this record though, it was bound to happen sooner or later.
Verdict - Rubbish
The 3rd Top 40 hit for Culture Beat and their final Top 10 to date. The success of this record is clearly off the back of the success of "Mr Vain" and is long forgotten now. It just sounds like hundreds of other throwaway eurodance records.
Verdict - Rubbish
This is one of my all time favourites. I'll always remember the moment Carl Cox dropped this in one of his sets which if anything showed me how much I love this record. It was the Top 40 debut for Atlantic Ocean who hail from Holland, a country where loads of great music has come from.
Verdict - Good
The Proclaimers in 1994? This was the first time The Proclaimers has been in the Top 40 since 1990 and was just their 4th Top 40 hit. They had one further Top 40 hit in the 90s that didn't reach the Top 40. Had they stopped in 1990 they could have said all their Top 40 hits are well remembered, but with this record they can no longer claim that. It's not very good either.
Verdict - Rubbish
You may be expecting this to be a cover of the Stevie Wonder record, but it isn't. It's an original composition written by Shara Nelson along with Prince Be from PM Dawn who's Top 40 career was over by this point. It's a bit bland if I'm honest.
Verdict - Rubbish
19. Sasha - Higher Ground (New)
This was the Top 40 debut for Sasha. He had already been a big name DJ for some time by this point and was credited alongside John Digweed as being a pioneer of progressive house. Quite what qualifies a record as progressive house I don't know, but this is a good record whatever you call it.
Verdict - Good
The 3rd Top 40 hit for Urban Cookie Collective and the last time they'll feature as their 4th and final Top 40 hit of the 90s didn't reach the Top 30. For their first 2 hits I praised them making commercial records with a bit of credibility. I do feel the wheels have come off somewhat with this one, but it isn't bad.
Verdict - OK
I'm not a fan of the first two Haddaway hits but will concede they were fun records so could understand the appeal to others. I therefore found it baffling that his next hit would be this depressing number. It still managed to reach the Top 10 though.
Verdict - Rubbish
This was when we realised that the comeback of Meat Loaf wasn't a one off and that he was here to stay. One thing I remember about this record was thinking how soft it sounded. I have to say the backing vocals are fun to sing along to and on that basis I'll give this record half a mark.
Verdict - OK
The Top 40 debut for Deep Forest and their highest charting hit. I always liked this tune but had no idea what it was for years. Once I did find out what it was it didn't take long for me to go out and buy the album, though the strength of other records of theirs also contributed to that decision.
Verdict - Good
The Top 40 debut for The Cranberries and their joint highest charting single. It also gave them their only American Top 10, something they never managed to achieve in the UK. I guess its a catchy enough record but I can't say I've ever liked it. The singing in particular is not to my taste
Verdict - Rubbish
I remember this being on my list of non-rock records I liked at the time. Its one of those records that has a great sing along chorus which pretty much makes the record. It's very much of its time too which is also a good thing given it was the 90s.
Verdict - Good
You won't be surprised to hear that the highest charting Crowded House record is "Weather With You", but what about the 2nd highest? It's jointly this record along with "Instinct". I would say this is my favourite Crowded House hit. I loved it at the time and haven't changed my mind.
Verdict - Good
The Top 40 debut for Wendy Moten and the only one to reach the Top 30. It was taken from her self titled debut album which had come out 2 years earlier. I feel like this record should be from a movie but it appears not to be. It's a slow R&B ballad, records like this do have their place and probably worked best in the 90s but it's just not my cup of tea.
Verdict - Rubbish
I always thought this record was shit at the time. Then I heard it again a couple of years later and it sounded even worse as it was slower than I remembered. Then I discovered the man behind Reel 2 Real was Erick Morillo, a credible DJ and thought maybe this is credible music. Who was I trying to kid, it was cheesy commercial rubbish that was made to sell by the bucket loads.
Verdict - Rubbish
This was the 5th and final Top 40 hit from their "No Limits" album which came around a year after they topped the charts with the first. I can't say I like any of those records, but this one isn't even catchy and is very much going into album filler territory.
Verdict - Rubbish
I found it quite odd to see these 3 artists collaborate on this record but at the same time it seemed a logical collaboration in part because all 3 artists have had their fair share of bland records. It should therefore be no surprise to find this is a bland record.
Verdict - Rubbish
7. Cappella - Move On Baby (New)
In 1993 and 1994 all of Cappellas Top 40 hits had either "U" or "Move" in the title. This was the first of the "Move" hits. I have to say I'm find all of these eurodance records very tedious already whoever it's by.
Verdict - Rubbish
This had been a Top 40 hit for Clivilles & Cole a couple of years earlier and they produced this Aretha Franklin cover. So what we basically have is Clivilles & Cole redoing their record but having Aretha Franklin sing on it instead. Can't go wrong with that.
Verdict - Good
This was the 2nd Top 40 hit for Celine Dion and is a cover of the Jennifer Rush record. I almost feel like this record was made for Celine Dion to cover. It doesn't really sound any different to the original at all. I don't like the original, or any version I've heard for that matter.
Verdict - Rubbish
It had been 3 years since Enigma topped the charts with "Sadeness (Part 2)" and this was their next Top 40 hit. I would say this is a more radio friendly record than it's predecessor, it has a pretty catchy hook and really easy on the ears.
Verdict - Good
The Top 40 debut for Toni Braxton and her joint highest charting single to date. It was written by Babyface who wrote the majority of her hits. It's not a bad record, just a bit slow and too much of a ballad for my liking. It has the proper 90s music factor to it though.
Verdict - OK
If I was to pick the most bland and generic dance record of the 90s then this would be a strong candidate. It was the Top 40 debut for D:Ream and their biggest hit and possibly the only hit many people remembered. They had a few more equally bland hits though.
Verdict - Rubbish
1. Mariah Carey - Without You (New)
This was originally a Badfinger song that was made famous and taken to the top of the charts by Nilsson. Shortly before this Mariah Carey version topped the charts Harry Nilsson sadly passed away. This is by far the worst version of the song, done in a typically bland Mariah Carey style.
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 10/30, or 33%. It's not been a very good year so far.
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