Wednesday, 30 April 2025

25 Years Since....April 2000

In April 2000 Sara Cox took over the Radio 1 breakfast show, one of those out with the old in with the new moments in this new century we entered. Here's the music I was enjoying:

Blink 182 - All The Small Things


I remember listening to the first Sara Cox breakfast show on radio and she played this record. Around this time I'd started listening to Green Day again and this was presented as a sort of Green Day for the 21st century. 

My only complaint was it was a bit slow, but later down the line when I dug into the Blink 182 archives I found a lot of their tunes were faster than Green Day. Although this was their breakthrough record into the mainstream UK audience they'd been going a few years and were on their 4th album off which this was taken and was released in 1999.

Dr Dre ft Snoop Dogg - Still Dre

Another record that's actually from 1999. It was lead single from Dr Dre's long awaiting "2001" album and like his debut hit "Nothing But A G Thang" it features Snoop Dogg, though his vocal contributions are quite minimal on this record.

It came to light later on that this record was ghostwritten by Jay-Z, a rapper thant I've never thought much of. Still a good record is a good record regardless of who wrote it. 

Rank 1 - Airwave

The year 2000 was the year mainstream trance music started to lose it's way, but there were still some gems coming out such as this record. It's probably helped by the fact this is a 1999 record that didn't chart until 2000.

It was the only Top 40 hit by Dutch duo Rank 1 but like several dance acts they'd return under another alias, in this case Jonah. Member Benno De Goeij would also return as Dutch Force.

Shola Ama - Imagine

Shola Ama was someone who'd had just 2 records of note in 1997 after being spotted singing on the tube. In truth she never really went away and had a few minor hits thereafter and although this was also a minor hit it was viewed as a bit of a comeback in the garage scene.

Some may liken this to people like Victoria Beckham jumping on the garage bandwagon, but the first time I heard this was on a garage tape from a rave and I had no idea what it was but I liked it. Much like the other records in this post so far, it's a 1999 tune from her 1999 album "In Return".

Hurley & Todd - Sunstorm

It's a full house of 20th century records that charted in April 2000 that I was enjoying at the time. What I like about this record is its sampling of "Song For Guy" by Elton John which the best thing Elton John has done in my opinion. 

Tuesday, 29 April 2025

UK Number 40s: Wombats - Backfire At The Disco (2008)

 


The number of indie records in the Top 40 peaked in 2005. Whilst the actual number of indie hits declined in the years that followed, the number of actual Top 40 hits also declined thanks in part to the change in rules that allowed downloads.

In 2008 there were less than half the number of Top 40 hits there had been in 2005 but proportionately there was slightly more indie music. The Wombats were one of the later bands to join the indie movement in the Top 40 having made their debut the previous year.

This was Top 40 hit number four for them and all 4 hits were taken from their "A Guide to Love, Loss & Desperation" album. The fact people who wanted this would have probably had the album would explain it only making number 40.

When the Wombats returned to the Top 40 2 years later the charts had moved on to being full of electropop music so the Wombats reacted to that by making an electropop record. Perhaps the title of this record gave some sort of indication towards that move.

Monday, 28 April 2025

UK Number 40s: Hercules & Love Affair - Blind (2008)

 


Hercules & Love Affair may sound like it should be a collaboration between someone who goes by the name Hercules and the 60s band. It isn't though, Hercules & Love Affair is just one person who is Andy Butler.

This was his only UK Top 40 hit and it featured vocals from Anohni who had previous had a number 39 single in 2005 under the name Antony & The Johnsons.

It was an electronic record that was on DFA records which was the big label at the time for releasing electronic records that appealed to both the dance and rock crowds. 

Sunday, 27 April 2025

Top 30 in 1999 Reviewed: Week 17

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 Sunday.

Here is the Top 40 in full.

I've decided against repetition from previous weeks moving forward so will only feature the records I'm reviewing for the first time. I also won't repeat the reviews from the Top 20 in 1999 Reviewed posts.

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 records new to the top 30 from this week in 1999 with my verdict on each record:


I love the opening line to this "Well I though about the army Dad said son you're fuckin high". I too went through a brief phase in my childhood where I wanted to join the army with my ambition either side of that being a musician. This was the final Top 40 hit to date for Ben Folds Five, I guess you could say they went out on a high.

Verdict - Good

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%. That ever familiar just below 50% score.

Friday, 25 April 2025

Dutch Top 40 1995: Week 17

These were the new entries in the Dutch Top 40 that never made the UK Top 40:

Cheers - Alice Ik Geef Geen X Om Alice (Living Next Door To Alice)

It seemed liked everyone was jumping on the Alice bandwagon in 1995. I cannot find any information about Cheers but I gather they were Dutch and this is the only thing they seemed to do. It's exactly the same song as "Living Next Door To Alice" but with Dutch lyrics.

Captain Hollywood Project - Find Another Way

We've already learned that Germany based America Captain Hollywood was having hits in Holland after his UK Top 40 career had ended. This record is the end of his chart career in the Dutch Top 40. It's a shame really because he's doing a happy hardcore record here. Yes a cheesy sped up Eurodance type happy hardcore record, but no more cheesy than you're average Bonkers record really.

De Dijk - Heb Je Het Hart

We say hello to Dutch rock band De Dijk again having previously seen them in the 3rd week. It will be the last time we see them too with their next hit coming in 1997.

Corry Konings - Schenk Me Deze Ene Nacht

I guess all countries have their artists who have quite a prolific chart career in their homeland but are virtually unknown elsewhere. Here's an example of this, Corry Konings make her Dutch Top 40 debut in 1969 and her most recent hit came in 1999. This was her only effort of 1995. It's reminding me of the first time I saw live music at the pub. When I say live music, I mean 1 singer and a tape machine.

Koos Alberts - Amsterdamse Hitmedley

They sure like their medleys in Holland and here's another one. It was the only Dutch Top 40 hit of 1995 for Koos Alberts. He had a solitary hit in 1994 too with a medley. Go back to the 80s and he was having hits with Corry Konings above.

Thursday, 24 April 2025

January Charts: 1955

Here are the new entries ranked from best to worst:


Rock n roll has arrived so it's only right that we put the rock n roll record in this batch at the top. It's the record credited with starting the whole thing, though it was the 2nd hit for Bill Haley and his Comets so it clearly didn't. 

There were 4 versions of the record "Mr Sandman" which came out around this time, 2 in December and 2 in January and none were the originals. The Four Aces cover is pleasant enough to listen to but the Max Bygraves version is terrible to the point it's the first record I've given zero points to.

Dean Martin finds himself near the top again. I'm not familiar with this particular version but do know the Ames Brothers version and it's a fun record without being anything special.

There's another first for this batch of records compared to the previous 2, female artists. Suzi Miller with the help of the Johnston Brothers do the better version of "Happy Days And Lonely Nights" with Frankie Vaughan's version just coming below. This was his 2nd hit which came a year after his first.

Ruby Murray's record is just boring to me but not quite bad enough to give a zero to. The same could be said of the Bing Crosby record.

I would say overall this batch has been the toughest listen so far and this is reflected in the score.

Score: 27

2002: The Good Old Days? - February

When we reached the first zero points chart in 2007 we were past the time I said my music taste was dance, rap and R&B. It had changed to anything that's good. As we approach the start of 2002 we are possibly getting to before the time I declared that as my music taste.

In February though all the full marks come from the dance, rap and R&B genres.

Dance wise we have "Drill" by Dirt Devils and "To Get Down (Rock Thing)" by Timo Maas getting full marks whilst "What Ya Got 4 Me" by Signum and "So Lonely" by Jakatta both get half marks. Just the one UK garage record this month which is "Bring It On To My Love" by De Nada which I don't like, mainly because I can't stand the singing on it much like their other hit.

The best record is a rap record which is "Worst Comes To Worst" by Dilated Peoples. I remember hearing it first on the Top 40 countdown and instantly fell in love with it and eventually went to see Dilated Peoples in concert.

Also from the rap world is "Always on Time" by Ja Rule & Ashanti. This lead to me buying the "Pain Is Love" album which a remember listening to quite extensively come Easter time. The final rap tune getting full marks is "Got Ur Self A" by Nas which is taken from another album that I own.

R&B wise we have a record that was ridiculed at the time and long forgotten now. That record is "Ride" by Ana Ann. She was UK based but her accent suggested she wasn't British and she came from a rich family who set up a record label to release her music. She then promptly disappeared off the face of the earth and there's very little about her on the internet. The song itself featured a male vocalist who sounded a bit like R Kelly. I have to say though, I do like the record.

One single I did buy at the time was "Moi Lolita" by French singer Alizee which was sung in French so I had no idea what it was about. It was cheesy and rubbish but I liked it. Then I had enough and eventually sold it on eBay a few years later. I'm giving it half a point for nostalgia reasons putting aside the fact she looks pretty scary these days.

Onto the worst record then which goes to Britney Spears with "Overprotected". It was on the music channels all the time and I can clearly picture the start of the video where she has her back to the camera which at the time was a sign to change the channel. 

Here's a list of the records with the best on top, worst at the bottom and the good ones in green, OK ones in amber and rubbish ones in red (and in no particular order):


Score: 22%

Here's a look at the chart:


It's really not been a great year. A decent January will just tell me that 2001 may have been the end of the good old days.