Now I've decided to do something similar but this time I'm going to compare the Top 20 from 20 years ago in 1998 to the current Top 20
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 top 20 from this week in 1998 with my verdict on each record:
20. Doolally - Straight From The Heart
This was a record that came after the hype about Speed Garage died down but before UK Garage exploded onto the radio. This was it's 1998 peak but managed to reach number 9 when it was rereleased in 1999. By then the people who would have talked about House and Garage were now talking about House and Trance and this appeared on the House CD of "Kiss in Ibiza 99" such was the lack of commercial Garage at the time. On that basis it was good to hear something a bit different at the time and I always enjoyed this tune.
Verdict - Good
19. Sham Rock - Tell Me Ma
Oh dear, after a promising start I'm greeted with this rubbish. A children's song given a cheesy Irish Folk meets Euro Dance make over. I found this really irritating at the time and remember hearing it down the pub a lot but now this weird combination of music styles is reminding me of Ed Sheeran.
Verdict - Rubbish
18. Alanis Morissette - Thank U
It had now been over two years since the excellent "Head Over Feet" by Alanis Morissette which is by far her best hit. This didn't have the same impact though, it's not a bad record but not one I'd go out and buy like I did her previous hit.
Verdict - OK
17. R Kelly ft Keith Murray - Home Alone
To be honest I don't ever remember this being a single. This was the fourth single to be released from his "R" album which came out in the UK a week later. A week after that he released the fifth single from the album "I'm Your Angel" which I do very much remember and may explain why this one passed me by. I did go on to buy the album and this is the first track of it, listening to it now reminds me of the start of a car journey from where I lived at the time as this would be playing when I'd set off.
Verdict - Good
16. Paul Weller - Brand New Start
Not sure if I remember this one. I certainly remember Paul Weller having many hits in the 90s but they all sounded the same. Ok maybe one or two of them stood out from the rest but this wasn't one of them, I find it very boring.
Verdict - Rubbish
15. Kele Le Roc - Little Bit Of Lovin'
The first of two hits from Kele Le Roc, both of which reached number 8. Admittedly I don't think I've listened to this song since 1998 but I did like it at the time but did prefer her follow up "My Love" which I have listened to since. Seems strange that all she's seemed to do since then is be a featured artist on other peoples tracks given her chart performance was pretty good, but I guess back then your chart career would most likely be brief if you were an R&B act not from America.
Verdict - Good
14. Another Level - Guess I Was A Fool
I remember this being more upbeat than it is. This was the follow up to their number one cover of "Freak Me" and was the last hit before they started featuring American rappers on their songs. I like a couple of Another Level songs but this isn't their best, but I guess it's not too bad.
Verdict - OK
13. Faith Hill - This Kiss
There is no doubt Country Music is hugely popular in America but us Brits have generally written it off as a load of American rubbish. The solution to crack the British market therefore is to give us a watered down version of Country Music like this. Can't say I'm a fan.
Verdict - Rubbish
12. Culture Club - I Just Wanna Be Loved
I don't remember Culture Club the first time round but I do remember the solo career of Boy George and had assumed the likes of "Karma Chameleon" were by him rather than Culture Club. In the 90s he became a House DJ which brought him a new set of fans, myself included, so I questioned why after becoming an established House DJ would he want to bring back Culture Club. That said this song isn't bad.
Verdict - OK
11. Pras Michel - Blue Angels
This was the second hit for Fugees member Pras after "Ghetto Supastar (That Is What You Are)" which I liked. This follow up is a rework of "Grease" by Frankie Valli, doesn't quite have the same impact but it's ok.
Verdict - OK
10. U2 - Sweetest Thing
I didn't realise this at the time, but this song was originally the b-side to "Where the Streets Have No Name" in 1987, so was already 11 years old. Still, what a tune, I particularly like the bit where he sings "Baby's got blue skies up ahead". To be honest I don't like too many U2 songs I've heard but the ones I do like I really like and this is one of them.
Verdict - Good
9. Aerosmith - I Don't Want To Miss A Thing
Imagine that you are a songwriter in a band with varying degrees of success over the years but still await you first US Number 1 or your first UK Top 10. Then 28 years later you finally achieve both with a song written by somebody else, not just anybody else, but Diane Warren who's written shit loads of hits for other people. That's exactly what happened to Steve Tyler. Aerosmith were described as a blues-based hard rock band when they formed in 1970 but by the 90s their style was more Rock Music for people who aren't into Rock Music. The guitars are so discrete in this song you would question whether this is even Rock Music at all even if Wikipedia describes it as being "Hard Rock". I'm not one to shy away from ballads by Rock bands but this seems a step too far. Despite this though, I can't help but like it.
Verdict - Good
8. Eagle-Eye Cherry - Falling In Love Again
Neneh's brother with a song that isn't "Save Tonight" that surprisingly made the top ten. To me it just sounds like a watered down version of "Save Tonight", not for me.
Verdict - Rubbish
7. George Michael - Outside
I can't say I was particularly keen on this song at the time. Listening to it now though it actually sounds better than I remembered it being. It's no "Careless Whisper" though.
Verdict - OK
6. Tatyana Ali - Daydreamin'
I was a fan of "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air" back in the day but always thought the Fresh Prince himself aka Will Smith was terrible as a rapper and got even worse when he parted company with Jazzy Jeff. Needless to say when I heard the actress who played Ashley had started making music I expected it to also be rubbish. I was right, it was rubbish but this isn't as bad as her next single "Boy You Knock Me Out" which features Will Smith himself.
Verdict - Rubbish
5. Queen/Wyclef Jean ft Pras And Free - Another One Bites The Dust
The record which put Hip Hop on the world stage, "Rappers Delight" famously sampled "Good Times" by Chic. The bassline to "Another One Bites the Dust" is basically the same and nearly 2 decades later it gets sampled on a Hip Hop track. Except this is more "Another One Bites the Dust" with a bit of rapping in-between. It's not bad, but the original Queen song is much better.
Verdict - OK
4. Touch And Go - Would You?
This was massive at the time but I don't think I've actually heard it since 1998. I remember this being around the same time as "Up and Down" by the Vengaboys which indeed come out a couple of weeks later. Both were overplayed, but I wasn't really keen on this in the first place and hearing it all the time made it annoying. It's less annoying 20 years later but I still don't like it.
Verdict - Rubbish
3. The Tamperer ft Maya - If You Buy This Record Your Life Will Be Better
The Tamperer ft Maya had scored a number one back in the summer by having the hook of an 80s song as the chorus. Follow that success they released a follow up which had the hook of an 80s song as the chorus, making number 3 this time. This wasn't as overplayed as its predecessor "Feel It" so I could tolerate it more.
Verdict - OK
2. E17 - Each Time
We all remember Brian Harvey making his comments on Ecstasy at the start of 1997. He was sacked from the band but then was let back in and Tony Mortimer quit. They changed their name to E17, maybe Brian's discrete way of standing by the comments on ecstasy he made, and became an R&B group. The result is this song which is pretty good.
Verdict - Good
1. Cher - Believe
This was number one for an eternity and I knew quite a few people who liked this. I however thought it was rubbish and still do.
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 9.5/20, or 47.5%, the same as it was for the 1996 one I did a couple of years ago.
The 90s were consistent, but how does that compare to today. My 2018 findings will be up next.
No comments:
Post a Comment