UK Number 40s: D-Block Europe & Lil Pino - Kevin McCallister (2021)

 

D-Block Europe are one of those chart acts who have many more Top 40 hits than you'd expect. At the time of writing at least they're not exactly a household name. They may have had further Top 40 hits between me writing this and you reading it. It was the end of 2018 when they made their Top 40 debut and this was Top 40 hit number 16 for them. The only acts to score more Top 40 hits during that time period were Drake and Dave.

Perhaps one of the reasons they hadn't become household name is that none of those hits made the Top 10. The lower reaches of the Top 40 was almost where you'd expect them to be. Or even outside the Top 40, at the time of writing there's not much difference between the number of charting singles that made the Top 40 vs those that didn't.

This won't be the last time we'll be featuring D-Block Europe in these posts, more on that when the time comes.

Top 30 in 1999 Reviewed: Week 46

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. Madison Avenue - Don't Call Me Baby

This was a chart topper in the year 2000 but originally charted in 1999. I remember this in 1999 and was quite baffled why it returned to the charts more successfully the following year as there were so many better dance records that could have done the same. I don't mind it though.

Verdict - OK

28. Marc Anthony - I Need To Know

Marc Anthony is best known in the UK as the musician who was once married to Jennifer Lopez. I'd guess many would struggle to name one of his records though. This was his only solo effort in the Top 40. It's a Latin pop record and based on this I don't think we've been missing out on his lack of chart success in the UK.

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 11/30, or 37%. Can we get to 50% one more time?

Dutch Top 40 1995: Week 46

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

De Smurfen - Knutsel Komt Zo

In 1996 The Smurfs returned to the UK Top 40 for the first time since the 70s. Just before that at the end of 1995 they bid farewell to the Dutch Top 40. This final hit from them is their own version of another record that was still in the Dutch Top 40 this week - "Het Busje Komt Zo" by Hollenboer which as a reminder is a novelty record about a bus sung in Dutch.

Alejandro Sanz - La Fuerza Del Corazon

I'm seeing conflicting information about Alejandro Sanz. When you look at his discography on his Wikipedia page I count 19 number ones in his native Spain which made me think has anyone had more? Then I looked at the list of artists with a Spanish number one and that list states he only had 4. Anyway this is about the Dutch charts so I refrained digging any further. His Dutch chart record doesn't even feature on his Wikipedia page but this was his only Dutch Top 40 hit as main artist and this only made 31 so barely worth mentioning. 

Vanessa - Lidia 

Cast your mind back to earlier on in the year you may remember Vanessa did a duet with Northern Irish musician David McWilliams with "Candlelight". To recap, she's a Dutch singer whose real name is Cornelia. This would be her final Dutch Top 40 hit after a 14 year run.

January Charts: 1984

Here are the new entries ranked from best to worst:

1. The Alarm - Where Were You Hiding When The Storm Broke

2. Break Machine - Street Dance

3. Nik Kershaw - Wouldn't It Be Good

4. Whitesnake - Give Me More Time

5. Joe Fagin - That's Livin' Alright (From 'Auf Wiedersehen Pet')

6. John Lennon - Nobody Told Me

7. Echo & The Bunnymen - The Killing Moon

8. Simple Minds - Speed Your Love To Me

9. Fiction Factory - (Feels Like) Heaven

10. China Crisis - Wishful Thinking

11. Big Country - Wonderland

12. Wang Chung - Dance Hall Days

13. Thomas Dolby - Hyperactive!

14. Matthew Wilder - Break My Stride

15. Cyndi Lauper - Girls Just Want To Have Fun

16. The Manhattan Transfer - Spice Of Life

17. Re-Flex - The Politics Of Dancing

18. The Smiths - What Difference Does It Make

19. ABC - SOS

20. Juan Martin - Love Theme from 'The Thorn Birds'

21. The Police - King Of Pain

22. Musical Youth - Sixteen

23. Rick Springfield - Human Touch

24. Shaky And Bonnie - A Rockin' Good Way

25. Eurythmics - Here Comes The Rain Again

26. Pat Benatar - Love Is A Battlefield

27. Madonna - Holiday

It now seems to be taking more effort to get through each batch of records. Not so much the quantity, more the songs are getting longer so its taking longer.

We have a clear winner this time with "Where Were You Hiding When The Storm Broke" by The Alarm. I first came across this around 15 years ago and have regularly played it since and I just have to sing along to the backing vocals in the chorus.

Comfortably in 2nd place we have "Street Dance" by Break Machine which as you may have guessed is a breakdancing record which appeared to be all the rage around this time.

An 80s synth pop anthem in 3rd place with "Wouldn't It Be Good" by Nik Kershaw. Then we have a more obscure Whitesnake record in "Give Me More Time" which I got to like via the Top of the Pops reruns.

In 5th we have the "Auf Weidersehn Pet" theme which I've known for as long as I've known the programme. I have to say though working on a building site in the German winter whilst staying in a cabin with a bunch of other builders isn't my idea of living alright.

John Lennon has a posthumous hit with "Nobody Told Me" which is better than his more obvious solo hits. When I hear the name Echo & the Bunnymen I think boring music on TFI Friday in the 90s but it turns out they had some good records in the 80s with "The Killing Moon" being one of them.

At the other end of the table we have the debut Top 40 hit for Madonna with "Holiday". I've hated it as long as I've known it which is the majority of my living memory. 

Just above Madonna is Pat Benatar with "Love Is A Battlefield". It's just always irritated me. Then above that we have "Here Comes The Rain Again" by Eurythmics. I've tried to like them and think Dave Stewart is a very talented musician  but I have to concede I find most of their records rubbish.

The Police had their final original hit with "King Of Pain". It's not a bad record but it does nothing for me and just tells me they'd run out of ideas by this point. Likewise with Musical Youth with their final Top 40 hit "Sixteen".

I think the best way to describe this batch overall is solid if unspectacular.

Score: 47

UK Number 40s: Roddy Ricch - Late At Night (2021)

 

Roddy Ricch is an American rapper who made his Top 40 debut in March 2019 with "How It Is". In April 2020 he topped the charts with his 4th Top 40 hit "Rockstar". Then came this, his 5th Top 40 hit which only made number 40.

It was the lead single from his second album "Live Life Fast" which was yet to be released at the time. The main difference between this and is chart topper was that his chart topper was a collaboration with Dababy whereas this was on his own. That said he managed to reach number 2 with his first record on his own, "The Box".

Once again it would seem this only made number 40 because the sheer quantity of rap in the Top 40 meant we'd inevitably get rap records in the lower reaches.

UK Number 40s: Lil Tjay & Polo G & Fivio Foreign - Headshot (2021)

 

The question I always have for a number 40 record is why did it only make number 40? Is it an artist of yesteryear clinging on to their chart career? Is it someone yet to reach the peak of their popularity? Is it something quite niche?

This is a record by 3 rappers. The week this entered the Top 40 at it's number 40 peak, Lil Tjay was at number 9 with his debut single "Calling My Phone" which had peaked at number 2. Polo G was at number 7 with his debut single "Patience" which had peaked at number 3. Fivio Foreign was making his Top 40 debut.

All new artists then, but given how recent this was we still don't know whether any of them are yet to reach the peak of their popularity. A logical reason for this number 40 placing is that the sheer quantity of rap in the Top 40 meant we would inevitably get rap records in the lower reaches.

Top 30 in 1999 Reviewed: Week 45

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:

29. Scooch - When My Baby

With Pete Waterman enjoying success with Steps, Matt Stock and Matt Aitken started writing records for their own version of Steps. This was the Top 40 debut for Scooch and it's much the sort of formula that Steps used and could just as easily be a Steps record. Obviously it's shit then.

Verdict - Rubbish

26. Shola Ama - Still Believe

Shola Ama was back with a 2nd album and this was the lead single. It was just the 2nd Top 40 hit written by Norwegian songwriting duo Stargate who had written "S Club Party" which was still in the Top 40 one place below this record. It's not a great comeback and it flopped. 

Verdict - Rubbish

25. Semisonic - Closing Time

In the UK I would say that Semisonic are best known for "Secret Smile" but in America this one was their big hit. I would put both records on a par when it comes to how catchy they are, but neither record is really my cup of tea.

Verdict - Rubbish

23. Ian Brown - Love Like A Fountain

Whilst his former Stone Roses band mate John Squires only managed one album with his post Stone Roses band The Seahorses, Ian Brown had managed to make it to a 2nd solo album of which this was the lead single. It's more of the same really and not to my liking.

Verdict - Rubbish

21. Cher - Dov'e L'Amore

It had been over a year since Cher topped the charts with "Believe" and this was the final single to be taken from the album of the same name. It's another dance record, but this time there's a Latin flavour to it and it sounds like it could be a Gloria Estefan 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 7.5/30, or 25%. An improvement but still poor.