Here's my weekly look at the Top 30 from 26 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 1998 with my verdict on each record:
30. Headswim - Tourniquet (New)
When I saw the Donnington Monsters Of Rock line up in 1994 I remembered it very well. I was into rock and metal at the time and to me this was an indication of the bands I should be listening to. Headswim was one of those bands. I never heard them until this, their only Top 40 hit to date. Hardly one for the rock and metal fans, but apparently they followed the trend of making their music more mellow.
Verdict - Rubbish
I was watching Live & Kicking in 1994 and Natalie Imbruglia was a guest on the show having just left Neighbours. She was asked if she was planning to launch a music career to which she said no which shocked Andi Peters. 3 years later here she is launching a music career and I was shocked. I wasn't shocked to find it was shit though.
Verdict - Rubbish
For many people, Ce Ce Peniston had a solitary hit in 1991 and that was it. She actually had 7 Top 40 hit and this was her 7th which came nearly 4 years after her 6th. It's a cover of the Jocelyn Brown record and all I can say is listen to the Jocelyn Brown record instead.
Verdict - Rubbish
This was the 4th Top 40 hit for Spiritualized and their highest charting to this point. They were one of those odd bands who were an acquired taste but had more Top 40 hits than you'd think, 7 in total. Not to my tastes though.
Verdict - Rubbish
You probably forgot that Chumbawamba had another hit. This hit the Top 40 shortly before the incident with John Prescott at the Brit Awards. The title is an appropriate one because it is a pretty forgettable record.
Verdict - Rubbish
The final Top 40 hit of the 90s for Oasis which was actually written before Oasis had their first Top 40 hit. As such it doesn't fit the throwaway rubbish category that their other two comeback hits fit, but at the same time the so called classic Oasis isn't to my liking either.
Verdict - Rubbish
Lutricia McNeal is from America but she relocated to Sweden and launched her music career. Then the Swedish songwriters started taking over the pop world and this, her debut Top 40 hit became a worldwide success. It's always irritated me for some reason.
Verdict - Rubbish
If you were watching the BBC in late 1997 then you would have heard this record many times. It seemed to be on between every TV show. It's a long list of singers who would sing a line each and I got absolutely sick of it.
Verdict - Rubbish
I remember this record being played for what I think was the first time on Children in Need. It's a novelty line dancing mixed with eurodance record. Of course this turned out to be many hits for Steps. It goes without saying this song is shit. As a side note I have no problem with the cheesy holiday rep type image they're portraying here, it serves a purpose I suppose. The issue is them now being stuck up celebrities complaining about it but are happy to still milk it with their nostalgia tours.
Verdict - Rubbish
21. De'Lacy - Hideaway 1998 (New)
This was originally a Top 40 hit back in 1995 but was given a speed garage makeover by 187 Lockdown in 1998. It's quite interesting to see how US garage could be translated into UK garage, but it makes perfect sense as these were its roots.
Verdict - Good
The 2nd Top 40 hit for the younger brother of Nick Carter of the Backstreet Boys. I remember the adverts for his album, it would begin with his debut "Crush on You" and seamless went into this record to the point they could have easily been the same record.
Verdict - Rubbish
19. BBE - Desire (New)
The 3rd Top 40 hit for BBE which came nearly a year after their 2nd. It was taken from the same yet to be released album as their first 2 hits and follows the same sort of formula, though at the same time they were upping the tempo with each release which is a good thing in my book.
Verdict - Good
After having a revival from "You Sexy Thing" appearing in the film "The Full Monty" and getting a second outing in the charts, Hot Chocolate capitalised by re-issuing this record. It originally charted in 1982 and was the last of their really well known hits. The featuring Errol Brown bit was because Hot Chocolate were still going but Errol Brown had left the group in 1986.
Verdict - Good
This was originally a Top 40 hit in 1995 twice, first under it's original title "Legends Of The Dark Black Part 2" and then as "Renegade Master". Wildchild sadly passed away the same year. In 1998 Fatboy Slim did a remix and made it bigger than ever. It's a great remix, possibly even better than the original.
Verdict - Good
This was Top 40 hit number 56 for Elton John. At the time of writing only 9 acts including Elton John have reached that milestone to this very day. The success of his chart topping Princess Diana tribute no doubt helped the Top 40 hits continue for him, more than the music judging by this.
Verdict - Rubbish
The Top 40 debut for Da Hool and I would say this is one of the records that reminds me of the increase in popularity of dance music around the turn of the century. It was also one of the records that reminded me of the good old days when people had traded their turntables for guitars.
Verdict - Good
Clock weren't the only ones doing covers of KC and the Sunshine Band records. Andrew Livingstone aka Bamboo was also charting with this take on "Get Down Tonight" by KC and the Sunshine Band. This time though it was a decent record.
Verdict - Good
This was the 5th Top 40 hit for Jay-Z, but it was the first that I was familiar with the name Jay-Z for. The main reason why the name stuck in my head this time was because of how crap I found this. It shares its chorus with the Rose Royce record of the same name and has Gwen Dickey of Rose Royce singing it.
Verdict - Rubbish
12. Encore - Le Disc Jockey (New)
It's hard to think of a dance record in 1997 that was bigger than "Encore Une Fois" by Sash. Encore was Sabine Ohmes who was the vocalist on that record and here she is doing a record that pretty much sounds the same. Further to that it was written by produced by Sash! themselves. Talk about trying to milk your big hit.
Verdict - Rubbish
11. Wes - Alane (New)
It's fair to say that with some of the low scores we get for weeks in the 90s I question were the charts much better back in the 90s. Then I hear something like this and decide yes they were. I'd never heard anything like this before and regardless of whether it's to your taste or not, it's the fact such an unusual record could have made the Top 40 at the time. I happen to like it.
Verdict - Good
When this record came out I was shocked. It was a Janet Jackson song that I actually liked. Remember I was listening to nothing but rave at the time so I really didn't want to like this record even though it is a dance record. Then a friend of mine who was into rap and drum & bass bought this single which made me feel a bit better about liking it.
Verdict - Good
Catatonia made their Top 40 debut in 1996, but it was this their 3rd Top 40 hit that made them a household name. The X Files references may have helped boost sales of this record, but that factor put me off if anything. It's a good record overall but I like the quick guitar intro going straight into the song.
Verdict - Good
When it comes to Lighthouse Family singles they don't get any better than this. I always found it a really soothing record. I once worked somewhere that had music playing that didn't have the original singers on the tracks. This was one of those tracks on there and the different singer made it not as good. Then I bought a compilation that had this on it and was such a relief to hear it with the proper singer again.
Verdict - Good
This was the turn around point of Robbie Williams solo career which went from strength to strength after this. I was dismissive of him as a solo artist least of all because I didn't like Oasis who he was trying to imitate. This record though is completely different and I had to concede it's actually quite good.
Verdict - Good
Rumor has it that this record was ghost written by Nas. It's something he denies and I can understand why. At the same time though I don't blame him for writing it at all. If I was asked to write a crappy record for Will Smith in the knowledge I could make a shit load of money from it then I would.
Verdict - Rubbish
When the All Saints first came about I was amazed to find that I liked their debut Top 40 hit. I was even more amazed to find I also liked this, their follow up. It's one of those records I'd felt I'd heard before but hadn't. As a result of me liking these first 2 singles I went on to do something I'd not done in a long time, bought an album that wasn't rave which was their debut album.
Verdict - Good
With teenage female R&B singers like Aaliyah, Brandy and Monica all established, Jermaine Dupri decided to give the world a teenage male R&B singer in Usher. Jermanie Dupri was the man who brought the world Kris Kross when he was still a teenager himself. It worked, but that doesn't mean that I like it.
Verdict - Rubbish
Yet another girl group jumping on the bandwagon following the success of the Spice Girls. They literarily were a girl group with their ages ranging from 13-17. They were also described as the female Hanson but I think I prefer Hanson if I'm honest, that's how bad this is.
Verdict - Rubbish
The 2nd number 2 for the Backstreet Boys, but Max Martin is nowhere to be seen on this record. Instead it was written by Full Force. It was apparently an attempt to differentiate themselves from the pop and R&B genre. I'll let you decide when genre this fits.
Verdict - Rubbish
Aqua topped the charts with their debut hit "Barbie Girl" and did the same again with this follow up record. Once again it's a novelty record and I'm pretty sure everyone with the surname Jones who held a PhD got some stick for this record.
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 12/30, or 40%. A surprise improvement.
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