UK Number 40s: Primal Scream - Dolls (2006)

 

With this record Primal Scream became the 3rd act to score 2 number 40 hits. They had previous reached number 40 with "Higher Than The Sun" back in 1991. They followed in the footsteps of Queenryche and Saint Etienne.

They had been around since the 80s and made a point of changing their sound with each album. A consequence of this meant there was the danger of running out of sounds to change to. This is what the critics said had happened with their album "Riot City Blues" on which this appears.

Yet the lead single from the album "Country Girl" had reached number 5 earlier on in the year and became their highest charting single to date. This would be their final Top 40 hit but they would carry on making music for years to come.

UK Number 40s: Primal Scream - Higher Than The Sun (1991)

 

This was the 3rd Top 40 hit for Primal Scream and the 3rd single to be taken from their "Screamadelica" album. What seems the most obvious reason for this only making number 40 is that everyone who would have bought it had the album by this point. Except that wasn't the reason because despite it being over a year since lead single "Loaded" hit the Top 40, the album was yet to be released.

Another explanation could be lack of radio play due to the lyrical content. It's a record being about being on drugs which make you higher than the sun.

Whilst their first 2 singles were produced by Andrew Weatherall, this one was produced by The Orb which is quite evident by the ambient nature of the record. The Orb were yet to have a Top 40 hit of their own at this point. 

It would be another 3 months until the "Screamadelica" album would be released, but a 4th single from the album "Don't Fight It, Feel It" would be released but this would only make number 41.

The Top 40 career of Primal Scream spanned a 16 year period and in that final year they had their highest charting single to date "Country Girl" and another number 40. More on the latter when the time comes.