UK Number 40s: Beyonce ft Kendrick Lamar - Freedom (2016)

The inclusion of streaming in the charts meant that in theory every track on a new album could make the Top 40 singles chart and that quite famously happened to Ed Sheeran in 2017 which prompted a change to the chart rules.

Beyonce released her "Lemonade" album in 2016 which there was a lot of hype about at the time. This track appeared on that album and it's placing at number 40 could be considered a success for the simple fact 5 other tracks from that album were in higher positions in the Top 40 the same week.

Despite all the hype around the album, the highest charting single from it only made 11. This was in part due to the fact it was exclusively released on the streaming platform Tidal which unlike rivals such as Spotify doesn't have a free subscription option. 

Top 30 in 1999 Reviewed: Week 37

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:

30. Sheryl Crow - Sweet Child O' Mine

As you may have guessed, this is a cover of the Guns N Roses record. It's a lot more mellow and sounds like the sort of thing you'd expect to hear on a John Lewis advert. A terrible cover and Rolling Stone readers named it the 4th worst cover of all time.

Verdict - Rubbish

26. Tin Tin Out ft Wendy Page - Eleven To Fly

The penultimate Top 40 hit to date for Tin Tin Out which came before their collaboration with Emma Bunton. Wendy Page may not be a household name but at this point she'd recently wrote the number one record "Because We Want To" by Billie and "Perfect Moment" by Martine McCutcheon. Doesn't sound too promising then, but this ones not bad.

Verdict - OK

24. Lost Tribe - Gamemaster

Matt Darey was one of the big names in trance around this time and this was his first time in the Top 40 under the name Lost Tribe alongside Red Jerry. I remember this being a pretty big record at the time and was one of the reasons I thought commercial dance music had improved massively in 1999.

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 12/30, or 40%. We stay the same.

80s in the 90s: 1985

Continuing the look at whether 80s acts succeeded in the 90s here's a look at the 1984 debutants:

Marc Almond: He scored his only number one in 1989 collaborating with Gene Pitney on "Something's Gotten Hold Of My Heart". He also was featured artist on "I Feel Love (medley)" by Bronski Beat which made number 3 in 1985. Aside from that he failed to make the Top 20 with any of his actual solo releases in the 80s. In the 90s he managed to make the Top 20 twice with "Jacky" and "The Days Of Pearly Spencer". I'd say that's enough.

Verdict: Hit

Go West: The only 80s year they had Top 40 hits was 1985 when they had 4 with the biggest being "We Close Our Eyes". In the 90s they also had 4 Top 40 hits and all made the Top 20 whereas 3 of their 80s hits did. However there's no getting around the fact they were widely regarded as a naff 80s band in the 90s and I'd say this overrides the stats.

Verdict: Miss

New Model Army: They had 4 Top 40 hits in the 80s and 3 in the 90s. Just one in each decade made the Top 30 though with their biggest hit coming in 1993 with "Here Comes The War" making number 25. This helped them onto peoples Top 10 bands lists at school. Then they fell off peoples lists because they were too 80s.

Verdict: Miss

A-Ha: They made the Top 10 with 8 of their first 9 Top 40 hits with the last of these coming in 1988. The next and final time we'd see them in the Top 10 would be in 2006. We're talking about the 90s though when they had 3 Top 40 hits and you can see from chart positions that the decline began towards the end of the 80s.

Verdict: Miss

Whitney Houston: Not many people can claim to have a Top 40 hit every year in the 90s but Whitney Houston can. She also had a Christmas number one that stayed at the top of the charts for weeks on end. There are other reasons one would say Whitney Houston was also a 90s chart act but we'll leave it at that.

Verdict: Hit

Pet Shop Boys: All their number ones came in the 80s and you would certainly describe them as more of an 80s act than a 90s one. However with 19 Top 40 hits in the 90s which includes "Go West" they certainly have a case for being a 90s chart act too.

Alexander O'Neal: He had 2 Top 10 hits in the 80s, "Saturday Love" and "Criticize". The others didn't have a huge impact on the charts but he clocked up 10 Top 40 hits that decade. Then in the 90s he had a further 4 Top 40 hits but again none really had much impact on the charts.

Verdict: Miss

Bryan Adams: In 1985 Bryan Adams made his Top 40 debut with "Run To You" which made number 11. A further 3 minor Top 40 hits followed that same year. He then failed to make the Top 40 with any of his singles for the rest of the decade. Then in 1991 he was back and topped the charts for 16 weeks with "(Everything I Do) I Do It For You". That alone is enough to be considered a 90s chart act without mentioning the many other Top 40 hits he had that decade.

Verdict: Hit

The Cult: They never had a Top 10 hit but clocked up 9 Top 40 hits in the 80s with the biggest of these being "Lil' Devil". Then in 1991 they had their solitary Top 40 hit that decade with "Wild Hearted Son" that made number 40. Pretty easy to give my verdict on this one.

Verdict: Miss

Simply Red: They had the biggest selling album in 1991 and 1992 with "Stars". However we're looking at the singles chart and perhaps the most significant thing from that perspective is that they had their only number one in 1995 with "Fairground". They also had more Top 40s and more Top 10s in the 90s than they did in the 80s.

Verdict: Hit

Fine Young Cannibals: Their chart peak came in 1989 with their biggest hits being "She Drives Me Crazy" and "Good Thing". However they didn't appear in the Top 40 in the 90s until 1996 when they reached number 17 with "The Flame". At the time of release singer Roland Gift had left the group and that was that.

Verdict: Miss 

Dutch Top 40 1995: Week 37

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

Hollenboer - Het Busje Komt Zo

This Dutch duo were a genuine one hit wonder in Holland. This was their only hit and it was a chart topper. It's a novelty record and although I don't understand the lyrics you can tell from the video and sort of tell from the video that it's a record about a bus. 

2 Brothers on the 4th Floor - Come Take My Hand

The 2nd and final time we'll see 2 Brothers on the 4th Floor in the Dutch Top 40 this year. At the beginning of the video they get of the bus, but fortunately it isn't a record about a bus. It's a happy hardcore record, very much of the commercial variety. I do quite like it but can't help but think it was an influence on the crappy vocally happy hardcore that would come in the UK a few years later.

Dune - Are You Ready To Fly

More happy hardcore but this time it comes from Germany. It's the 2nd time we've seen them this year, the 1st being "Hardcore Vibes". Whilst "Hardcore Vibes" was played at the UK raves at the time I can't recall ever hearing this one on a rave tape. A shame really because I like it. We will be seeing Dune again later on in the year.

January Charts: 1975

Here are the new entries ranked from best to worst:

1. Sweet Sensation - Purely By Coincidence

2. Sparks - Something For The Girl With Everything

3. The Stylistics - Star On A TV Show

4. Mac And Katie Kissoon - Sugar Candy Kisses

5. Love Unlimited - It May Be Winter Outside (But In My Heart It's Spring)

6. Stevie Wonder - Boogie On Reggae Woman

7. Betty Wright - Shoorah! Shoorah!

8. Queen - Now I'm Here

9. Kevin Johnson - Rock And Roll (I Gave You The Best Years Of My Life)

10. Elvis Presley - Promised Land

11. Pilot - January

12. Glitter Band - Goodbye My Love

13. Helen Reddy - Angie Baby

14. Johnny Mathis - I'm Stone In Love With You

15. The Carpenters - Please Mr Postman

16. Wigan's Chosen Few - Footsee

17. Johnny Wakelin And The Kinshasa Band - Black Superman (Muhammad Ali)

18. Dana - Please Tell Him That I Said Hello

In 1974 we had an early example of a disco record in the charts and it's pretty well known that by the late 70s many soul artists from years gone by were putting out disco records instead.

There's no disco records this time, but many of the soul records appear to be at least disco inspired. The top record is an example of this, though Sweet Sensation would have no more Top 40 hits after 2nd hit "Purely By Coincidence". Yes it is essentially "Sad Sweet Dreamer" part 2 but I do still like it.

The Stylistics era of Bell/Creed being songwriters was no over and they were now into the Hugo & Luigi era. Some say this was the end for them, but I think they were still making decent records such as "Star On A TV Show".

Mac & Katie Kissoon were very much the pop side of soul music and they were making their debut with "Sugar Candy Kisses" which is pleasant enough. Same goes for the final Love Unlimited hit "It May Be Winter Outside (But In My Heart It's Spring)".

Stevie Wonder had a solid record in "Boogie On Reggae Woman" which despite the title is a funk record rather than reggae. Below is a record from the Northern soul scene "Shoorah! Shoorah!" which was average at best.

An example of Northern soul starting to lose it's way though was "Footsee" by Wigan's Chosen Few which is as bad as it's made out to be. It's not as bad as novelty record record "Black Superman (Muhammed Ali)" by Johnny Wakelin which in turn isn't as bad as former Eurovision winner Dana making a comeback with the abysmal "Please Tell Him That I Said Hello".

In the 80s Australia famously gave us Kylie and Jason in the music charts. In 1975 they gave us Helen and Kevin, though I'm not aware of collaborations between them. Helen Reddy had her only hit with "Angie Baby" which I find rather dull. Kevin Johnson had his only hit with "Rock 'N Roll (I Gave You The Best Years Of My Life)" which is slightly better but still a bit dull.

I've been waiting for the 70s slump and it looks like it's finally happened. 

Score: 31

2000: The Good Old Days? - June

In my post for November I mention the breakstep sub genre of UK garage and how "138 Trek" by DJ Zinc was the only example I could thing of. This month I see I forgot "I Don't Smoke" by DJ Dee Kline which charted first. Maybe the name breakstep came about between the two records.

The other UK garage record this month is "Girls Like Us" by B15 Project featuring Chrissy D & Lady G and as a result it's full marks to the garage genre. The record "What's Your Name" by Angel Lee had a well know garage mix by MJ Cole but for the purpose of this exercise we need to go with the original R&B version which gets no marks.

In fact none of the R&B record this month get any points and all are of the pop variety. It includes the Pink debut single "There You Go" which does have a decent garage mix but again we have to go with the crap original. 

The nearest we do get to an R&B point is "Shackles (Praise You)" by Mary Mary. It's a gospel record but does make its way onto R&B compilations. I ended up buying the album but this was the only decent track on it.

Rap wise we have Richard Blackwood making his Top 40 debut with "Mama - Who Da Man?" and comes across as the British Will Smith which is never good. Jay-Z had "Big Pimpin" which is also crap. We did however have "Forgot About Dre" by Dr Dre & Eminem which is another record to have a decent garage mix but this time the original is just as good and almost good enough to be the best record.

Beating it to best record is Moby with "Porcelain". I had contemplated buying his "Play" album based on previous singles, but this one was so good it prompted me to buy the album. One of the all time chill out greats.

This month feels a bit of a turning point for trance music in the charts. We have some decent ones such as "A9" by Ariel and "Embrace" by Agnelli & Nelson. Then there's "It's My Turn" by Angelic, a Judge Jules project featuring his wife on vocals which is a bit cheesy and commercial but I like it. Then we have vocal rubbish from BT & Kirsty Hawkshaw with "Dreaming" and possibly the worst instrumental trance record of all time "Sandstorm" by Darude which just sounds plain lazy. These latter two are examples of commercial trance losing it's way for their respective reasons.

We also have one of the worst house records to make the charts, "You See The Trouble With Me" by Black Legend which just made me think dance music was getting far too commercial that we're getting nonsense like this.

The worst record though reminds me of perhaps the worst nightclub I've ever been too. It's "Reach" by S Club 7 that was played every time I went there. These were the days when pubs shut at 11pm and the only place to get a drink after was the nightclub. This was the main nightclub in a small town that everyone went to after the pub and I can still picture all those drunken people putting their hands in the air to reach for the stars.

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: 26%

Here's a look at the chart:

The worst month of 2000 so far. We also had a slump in June 2001, maybe there's something in that.

UK Number 40s: Taylor Swift - Wildest Dreams (2015)

 

It could be argued that I shouldn't be including this record in here. Whilst this made number 40 when it was released in 2015, a re-recorded version made number 25 in 2021. However I like to go by the British Hit Singles book definitions which say if the artist has gone into the studio to re-record it then it counts as a separate single.

Taylor Swift is one of the biggest names in the modern era and there was clearly no decline in popularity going on here. However, her popularity hasn't always translated into chart success. At this point the majority of her Top 40 hits had failed to make the Top 10 and she was yet to have a number one. It fared better in America where it made number 5.

Max Martin and Karl Schuster are the songwriters so sounds like it should be successful on paper. Then again the previous Top 40 hit for Karl Schuster as songwriter was "This Summer" by Maroon 5 which was another record that made number 40.