UK Number 40s: D-Block Europe - Man in the Mirror (2022)

 

For many years AC/DC held the record for most Top 40 hits without a Top 10. This ended in 2012 when they finally scored a Top 10 and the record went to Super Furry Animals and Thunder who both still hold that record at the time of writing with 18.

They did look like sitting ducks with D-Block Europe quickly clocking up lower charting Top 40 hits. Then when they reached their 18th Top 40 hit they finally made the Top 10.

This was Top 40 hit number 23 which sees them back in more familiar territory. Although credited to D-Block Europe it's actually a solo effort from D-Block Europe member Young Adz.

Top 30 in 1999 Reviewed: Week 48

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:

27. The Lightning Seeds - Life's Too Short

Dance music was so big in 1999 that it seemed like everyone was jumping on the bandwagon. This included The Lightning Seeds with this record, a departure from their more guitar orientated sound from a couple of years earlier. It's actually a decent record and was their final Top 40 hit to date.

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 10.5/30, or 35%. I feel I was right in predicting the last week that was above 50% would be the last one.

Dutch Top 40 1995: Week 48

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

Andre Van Duin - De Buurtsuper

As we head towards the end of the year one of my observations of the Dutch Top 40 in 1995 is the sheer quantity of novelty records. I know we have our fair share in the UK but it feels like the Dutch had many more. Here's another example, it's from a comedian in Dutch but you can tell from the lack of proper singing that it's a novelty record.

Extince - Spraakwater

We've had all sorts in the Dutch Top 40 in 1995, from happy hardcore to Eurodance, from novelty records to carnival music. One thing we're yet to have is Dutch hip hop, until now. This was the Dutch Top 40 debut for Extince and his biggest hit. Given rap has a lot to do with lyrics it's going to be extra difficult to score a hit in Dutch outside of Holland.

T-Spoon - A Part Of My Life

One thing I've learnt about T-Spoon is that you don't really know what way the record is going to go. This is very much going in the Eurodance direction, almost bordering on happy hardcore but being a bit too soft. Perhaps a bit more predictable is the male rapped verse and female sung chorus.

January Charts: 1986

Here are the new entries ranked from best to worst:

1. Dire Straits - Walk Of Life

2. James Brown - Living In America

3. Feargal Sharkey - You Little Thief

4. The Alarm - Spirit Of '76

5. Billy Ocean - When The Going Gets Tough (The Tough Get Going)

6. Kurtis Blow - If I Ruled The World

7. King - Torture

8. Belouis Some - Imagination

9. Fine Young Cannibals - Suspicious Minds

10. Latin Quarter - Radio Africa

11. Talk Talk - Life's What You Make It

12. Double - The Captain Of Her Heart

13. Clannad - In A Lifetime ft Bono

14. Grace Jones - Pull Up To The Bumper/La Vie En Rose

15. AC/DC - Shake Your Foundations

16. Ruby Turner - If You're Ready (Come Go With Me) ft Jonathan Butler

17. Audrey Hall - One Dance Won't Do

18. Lloyd Cole And The Commotions - Cut Me Down

19. Arcadia - The Promise

20. Diana Ross - Chain Reaction

21. Nana Mouskouri - Only Love

22. Eurythmics - It's All Right (Baby's Coming Back)

23. Su Pollard - Starting Together

24. Whitney Houston - How Will I Know

25. Madonna - Borderline

26. Sarah Brightman And Steve Harley - The Phantom Of The Opera

27. Five Star - System Addict

January is widely regarded as the most depressing month of the year, a time when the days are short, the weather is cold and we're broke after Christmas. A significant number of these records feel like they reflect that January mood.

It was a close contest between the Top 2 for the best record but I decided "Walk Of Life" by Dire Straits just about pips it. It's the first record that springs to mind when I hear the name Dire Sraits and I love that intro.

Just missing out was James Brown with "Living In America". Surprisingly this was his only UK Top 10 hit. It was also the only one of his UK Top 40 hits that he didn't write himself but he's on good form performing it.

In 3rd place we have "You Little Thief" by Feargal Sharkey which was the lesser known follow up to his chart topper "A Good Heart" and musically at least is one of the more uplifting records this month.

The Alarm are ever reliable with "Spirit Of 76" and although "When The Going Gets Tough (The Tough Get Going)" by Billy Ocean is overplayed I still find it a fun record to listen to.

Rap music first hit the UK Top 40 in 1979 but it never really got going in terms of consistent hits until 1986. The first of these was "If I Ruled The World" by Kurtis Blow who'd previously had the 2nd rap Top 40 hit in 1979 with "Christmas Rapping".

Down the bottom of the table we have Five Star with "System Addict". They had quite a sizeable number of Top 40 hits in a short period and all the ones I've heard are really cheesy and rubbish.

Just above we have "The Phantom Of The Opera" by Sarah Brightman & Steve Harley which is just your typical musical record that I don't like.

Madonna and Whitney Houston are also examples of crap from the 80s and find themselves near the bottom as a result.

We have TV theme "Starting Together" down near the bottom too but to it's credit it's supposed to be a rubbish record.

1976 goes down in history as the year music lost its way and whilst 1986 wasn't as bad there was definitely a blip thanks to the rubbish records bringing down the score.

Score: 39

UK Number 40s: Post Malone - Lemon Tree (2022)

 

It would seem the reason we have so much rap in the Top 40 is the sheer quantity of rappers who clock up a lot of Top 40 hits in a short space of time. Drake plus a number of British rappers are the most obvious culprits, but there are others such as Post Malone. This was Top 40 hit number 19 which came 5 years after his Top 40 debut.

He topped the charts with his 2nd Top 40 hit "Rock Star" and has topped the charts since, so another artists to score a number 1 and a number 40.

This charted as a result of his album "Twelve Carat Toothache" being released with "Cooped Up" and "I Like You (A Happier Song)" being the higher charting tracks. 

Whether you'd call this a rap record or not is debatable. It was possible a stepping stone to him doing country music a couple of years later.

UK Number 40s: Fredo - Flowers And The Snow (2021)

 

Fredo is another artist who's had both a number 1 and a number 40. He's also one of several examples of British rappers who clocked up a large number of Top 40 hits in a short space of time. This was Top 40 hit number 16 which came 3 years after his Top 40 debut in 2018.

Of those 16 Top 40 hits only 3 of them made the Top 10, 2 of which were collaborations with Dave. He's also had a significant number of charting singles that never made the Top 40. This is therefore familiar chart territory for him.

Top 30 in 1999 Reviewed: Week 47

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:

27. Beck - Sexx Laws

My assessment of Beck's Top 40 career is that he started with "Loser" and then everything he did since all sounds the same. This undoubtedly follows the Beck formula but it's actually a bit more interesting than his other record(s) and I actually don't mind this.

Verdict - OK

24. Puff Daddy ft Mario Winans - Best Friend

With this record Puff Daddy became just the 5th rap act to reach double figures for Top 40 hits after Salt-N-Pepa, 2Pac, LL Cool J and Busta Rhymes. This was the Top 40 debut for Mario Winans with his only other Top 40 hit being the 2004 chart topper "I Don't Wanna Know" which also featured Puff Daddy. It's a rather boring record.

Verdict - Rubbish

23. Suede - Can't Get Enough

After charting high with pretty much every record they released during the heights of Britpop, Suede were charting in the lower reaches now the Britpop era was over. This record was produced by Steve Osborne, the man who worked extensively with Paul Oakenfold in the 90s. It's still a pretty dull record though.

Verdict - Rubbish

22. Primal Scream - Swastika Eyes

Primal Scream were back with another album. They made a point of changing their sound with each album, so with dance music as big as it had ever been in 1999 they made a dance record. Makes a lot of sense and they've done a pretty good job with this record.

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 11/30, or 37%. We stay the same.