Whilst we can easily hear what is in the charts at the moment and write most of it off as being rubbish, are we remembering the charts in our day the way it was or the way we would like to remember it?
Well, I've gone to the Official Charts website to see what the top 20 was like this week 20 years ago in 1996. At the time I was a teenager very much into my music, so this was certainly "my day".
My opinions are inevitably going to differ from other people, particularly those who are into Brit Pop, but I'm not trying to convince anyone something is good or rubbish, I'm simply giving my opinion.
So this is the top 20 from this week with my verdict on each record:
20. Baby D - Take Me to Heaven
This was the final single from their only album to date. They are best known of course for "Let Me Be Your Fantasy" which originally came out in 1992 but wasn't a hit till it was re-released in 1994. The follow up singles including this one were similar in style and given how quickly dance music was developing at the time, this did sound a bit dated by 1996. However I am a big fan of that old skool breakbeat sound and whilst not quite as good as its predecessors I still like it.
Verdict - Good
19. Foo Fighters - Big Me
Another final single taken from a debut album, but this one may have sounded dated because it had actually been recorded 2 years earlier. Many people will remember the funny video for this song more than they remember the song itself. It isn't the usual annoying shouty stuff the Foo Fighters normally come out with, but it just makes it rather boring.
Verdict - Rubbish
18. Dubstar - Stars
This was first released in 1995 but only reached number 40, but after the success of their follow up "Not So Manic Now" they re-released this. It's also the opening track to their debut album ,"Disgraceful" which I recommend you go and buy if you don't already have it. I absolutely love the intro to this and find the track very soothing.
Verdict - Good
17. Lionel Richie - Don't Wanna Lose You
Bet you didn't think Lionel Richie was still having hits in 1996? No, neither did I. This song completely passed me by at the time so I've only just heard this for the first time. It's a ballad, but it's got nothing on "Hello".
Verdict - Rubbish
16. Cast - Walkaway
This was the fourth hit single for Cast. Their first three hits were quite uplifting ones, although not really my cup of tea. Then this song came along which followed the same formula of several other dreary hits from the Brit Pop era. To be fair to them though, they did revert back to the more uplifting style for the rest of the decade.
Verdict - Rubbish
15. Kadoc - The Night Train
This had already been a hit in other European countries in 1995 but didn't chart in the UK until 1996. It's one of many tunes which sample James Brown. It only reached number 14 which is quite surprising given its popularity at the time. It's not a bad tune, but I did get a bit sick of hearing it at the time.
Verdict - OK
14. Coolio - 1,2,3,4 (Sumpin' New)
I always like the darkness of "Gangstas Paradise" and always found the more uplifting follow ups from Coolio a bit hard to take. They have grown on me over time though, I own his "Gangstas Paradise" album so that's allowed me to get to like this.
Verdict - Good
13. Donna Summer - State of Independence
This originally came out in 1982 but was given the remix treatment in 1996. This was on the back of the successful remix of "I Feel Love" a year earlier. However, "I Feel Love" did seem to fit into the club culture of the time, but this didn't really. It isn't bad though.
Verdict - OK
12. Ken Doh - Nakasaki (I Need a Lover Tonight)
If you listened to the Essential Mix or Pete Tongs Essential Selection on Radio 1 in 1995 then you would have heard "Nakasaki" multiple times. For the chart release they added vocals to it, hence the "(I Need a Lover Tonight)". Often when vocals are added to a very good dance record it completely ruins it (Groovejet springs to mind). However, this is still an excellent track with the vocals and one I've listened to many times in the last 20 years.
Verdict - Good
11. Oasis - Don't Look Back in Anger
I find interviews with Noel Gallagher nowadays very entertaining and do find myself agreeing with a lot of what he says about music that I don't like. I can't say the same about his music though. I never understood why Oasis were so popular, their music was just so dull in my opinion. Not only is this tune dull though, it's rather annoying too.
Verdict - Rubbish
10. Pulp - Something Changed
Probably the least remembered single from their "Different Class" album. It may be because it was the final single from the album, or because it was quite dull. I must admit I forgot this song existed until I took a look at this top 20. As you can probably gather, I was never a fan of Brit Pop. There is however the odd Brit Pop song I like such as "Mis-Shapes" by Pulp. This one though is exactly the sort of music I hated in the 90s.
Verdict - Rubbish
9. Take That - How Deep is Your Love
I have happy memories of this record coming out as we knew (or should I say thought) this was the end of the band. To me, doing a cover as your final song is quite a pathetic way to go out. Saying that, they could have done "Twinkle Twinkle" and it would have probably still got to number one and give them that final pay cheque they were looking for.
Verdict - Rubbish
8. DJ Dado - X-Files
A "Dream House" version of the theme music to the TV series. In theory it should be rubbish, but once the beat kicks in you find there's more to it that simply putting a beat over the TV theme tune. the piano takes over and the samples of the theme music only really appear in the background.
Verdict - Good
7. Ocean Colour Scene - You've Got it Bad
After years of struggle, Ocean Colour Scene finally hit the big time in 1996 with a little help from Chris Evans using "The Riverboat Song" when the guests came out on TFI Friday. It was this, their follow up however which got them their first top 10 hit. This just seems a bit of a nothing song to me though.
Verdict - Rubbish
6. Gina G - Ooh Ahh...Just a Little Bit
I remember watching "A Song for Europe" where a number of songs went to the public vote to decide which one should represent the country at the Eurovision Song Contest. Of all the songs on the show, this was my favourite and the voting public agreed. Admittedly it is a bit cheesy and did get played to death at the time. As far as Eurovision songs go though, I cannot think of a single one that I think is better than this. No doubt there will be Brit Pop fans reading this thinking I've now lost what little credibility I did have. But I listen to music for enjoyment, not credibility.
Verdict - Good
5. Gabrielle - Give Me a Little More Time
Despite being a brand new record in 1996, this sounds like it could have easily come out in 1966. That's not a bad thing though. I do remember hearing this a lot at the time so I did get a bit sick of it, but still not a bad tune.
Verdict - OK
4. Mark Morrison - Return of the Mack
I remember when this first entered the charts it was at number six for three weeks in a row. It would eventually climb to number one, the first time a record climbed to number one rather than go straight in at number one for a while. I always found Mark Morrison quite hard to take seriously with the way he sang. Still not a bad record though.
Verdict - OK
3. Robert Miles - Children
A record you definitely couldn't avoid hearing in 1996, but what a tune. Like many dance records at the time, this was already over a year old by the time it was released. It's one of those tunes you can sit back and relax to but also get up and dance to, and I've done both.
Verdict - Good
2. Mark Snow - The X-Files
Mark Snow composed the actual them music to the X Files and here it is at number two in the charts. I can't say I'm a big fan of the theme music, or the programme itself for that matter. I can't say I particularly dislike it either though.
Verdict - OK
1. Prodigy - Firestarter
This was the record which ensured the Prodigy would never have to go back to the day job. At the time I loved the Prodigy and owned the first two albums. I remember listening to the Evening Session on Radio One where they said they were going to play the new Prodigy tune for the first time and I was excited about hearing it. However, when they played it I was very disappointed. I think the main reason was because when I started listening to the Prodigy, I was moving away from rock music to listen to rave, but this tune seemed to be going back towards rock music. Since then I've grown to like the rockier tunes from the Prodigy more than I used to, but I just can't bring myself to like this tune.
Verdict - Rubbish
So if we give the records which were good 1 point each and those which were OK half a point, the final score is 9.5/20, or 47.5%.
Therefore the chart this week in 1996 was slightly more rubbish than it was good, but then slightly more records were at least ok.
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