Top 30 in 1991 Reviewed - Week 17

Here's my weekly look at the Top 30 from 30 years ago. The plan is for these posts to go out at 17:30 on a Sunday.

Here is the Top 40 in full.

Obviously some of the records will be the same as last week so therefore the review will be the same for these. I've indicated which ones are new so you can skip the others if you read last weeks post.

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 30 from this week in 1991 with my verdict on each record:

30. Bananarama - Long Train Running (New)

This Doobie Brothers cover would be the final Top 40 hit for Banararama as a trio. I think most people thought they were finished by this point, but they still had further Top 40 hits as a duo. Can't say I think much of this one.

Verdict - Rubbish

29. Monie Love Vs Adeva - Ring My Bell

One of those records where the vocals are far too irritating for it to be good. It's not a bad backing track and Adeva is a decent singer, but I've always found Monie Love to be annoying. 

Verdict - Rubbish

28. Pete Wylie And The Farm - Sinful! (Scary Jiggin' With Doctor Love)

It's Pete Wylie doing a cover of his own song but this time joined by The Farm. This updated version has more of a 'baggy' sound to bring it into the 90s. It's not a bad record but nothing to write home about.

Verdict - OK

27. Feargal Sharkey - I've Got News For You

I remember this appearing on Top of the Pops. Feargal Sharkey's hair was mostly covering his face during the intro so I found it hilarious that the first line of the song was "I can see clearly". Then when I heard there was a TV show called "Have I Got News For You" this song sprang to mind. It was shortly after this that Feargal Sharkey retired from singing completely. It's not the best if I'm completely honest, but the fond memories I have of said Top of the Pops appearance means I can just about declare this ok.

Verdict - OK

26. Gloria Estefan - Seal Our Fate (New)

One of many of Gloria Estefan's 90s hits I have no recollection of. This one has more of a rock vibe and includes a guitar solo. It does sound like the sort of song you'd expect to hear on "Saved By The Bell", I could almost imagine Zack Attack doing this. Which is never a good thing.

Verdict - Rubbish

25. Black Box - Strike It Up

I used to like this until I bought their greatest hits when I realised just how annoying the singing is on Black Box tunes in general, but particularly on this one. Also the rapping is cringeworthily bad. We all know the singer we saw in Black Box was different to the singer who actually sang and the more I think about that the more I think why?

Verdict - Rubbish

24. Quadrophonia - Quadrophonia (New)

Technotronic had been flying the flag for Belgium in the UK charts throughout 1990 but despite their name it's not really techno music. Fellow Belgians Quadrophonia were techno music though and this was their 1st of 2 Top 40 hits, though the 2nd won't be featuring as it only made 40. This is a classic that hasn't fallen victim to anthem bashing so great to hear.

Verdict - Good

23. The Bee Gees - Secret Love 

The first time I remember hearing the Bee Gees was in 1989 when I saw "One" on The Chart Show. That record only made number 71. I also remember seeing "When He's Gone" on The Chart Show in 1991, but that never made the charts at all. They did have a solitary Top 40 hit around this time though with this record. It sounds like "Chain Reaction" by Diana Ross, but there was no chance of them getting sued for copyright as the Gibb brothers wrote that. I'm not keen on "Chain Reaction" so therefore I'm not keen on this. 

Verdict - Rubbish

22. EMF - Children (New)

I wonder if lead singer James Atkin was already preparing for life as a teacher as he is now when he wrote this song. This ones got a nice flow to it.

Verdict - Good

21. Roxette - Joyride

The lead single from their album of the same name. One thing that stood out to me from this video was Marie Frederiksson playing the guitar. I did wonder whether she was really playing the guitar so looked this up and it doesn't look like she did. It also looks like Per Gessle didn't play guitar on the song either, it was Jonas Isacsson playing it. I don't think I really liked this at the time, but like most Roxette songs I got to like it with age.

Verdict - Good

20. Blur - There's No Other Way (New)

The Top 40 debut for Blur. I think this was one of those songs I knew without knowing who it was, I certainly never made the connection when I first came across them as a band a couple of years later. It very much sounds like a Madchester song by someone that doesn't come from Manchester, just doesn't quite live up to it in my opinion.

Verdict - OK

19. Mike And The Mechanics - Word Of Mouth

When I first heard this I thought this was a melody I'd had going round my head for a long time. Not sure if that was because I'd heard a song with a similar melody before or whether I'd come up with the same melody in my head. As I'm still yet to hear a song with a similar melody I suspect its the latter. 

Verdict - Good

18. Mock Turtles - Can You Dig It?

I loved this record at the time and me and a friend at school used to sing it all the time. It was the only Top 40 hit for the Mock Turtles. I did however get pretty sick of it years later when it was used as the holding music for Vodafone and I was on hold for a long time listening to this over and over. 

Verdict - Good

17. The Clash - Rock The Casbah

This originally made number 30 in 1982. This was rereleased following the chart topping rerelease of "Should I Stay Or Should I Go". Another factor could have been because it was the first song to be played on the Armed Forces Radio during the recent Gulf War. Good choice.

Verdict - Good

16. De La Soul - Ring Ring Ring (Ha Ha Hey) (New)

This sample made such an impact that few seem to remember it was originally sung by Curiosity Killed the Cat around 18 months earlier. It would be the last Top 10 hit for De La Soul, but that doesn't really surprise me as I know De La Soul more for their albums than singles. 

Verdict - Good

15. Vic Reeves And The Roman Numerals - Born Free (New)

This one completely passed me by at the time as I have no recollection of Vic Reeves as a singer until he did "Dizzy" later on in the year. Put it this way, I can understand why "Dizzy" got to number one but this didn't.

Verdict - Rubbish

14. Electronic - Get The Message (New)

This was the 2nd Top 40 hit for Electronic and their first Top 10. I find it ironic that Bernard Sumner would call his side project Electronic when this song seems much less electronic than your average New Order song. But its good to hear something a bit different rather than a New Order mark 2.

Verdict - Good

13. Rod Stewart - Rhythm Of My Heart

I was aware that Rod Stewart had a song called "Sailing" and at the time I thought this was it given it was the last word of the chorus. Like "Sailing" though, this is also a cover and like every Rod Stewart cover I've heard, its shit.

Verdict - Rubbish

12. N-Joi - Anthem 

This was originally released in 1990 but didn't make the Top 40 until it was reissued in 1991. Not sure whether anthem bashing was a thing at the time, but a title like that is almost pleading for it to be played in the many anthem bashing sets that would come later on. Still a decent tune though.

Verdict - Good

11. Dannii Minogue - Love And Kisses

First we had Kylie Minogue appear on Neighbours before becoming a singer. Then her sister Dannii Minogue starting appearing on Home & Away so it seemed almost inevitable that she'd end up being and singer too and here she is with her Top 40 debut. It was also inevitable that her music would be crap, which it is.

Verdict - Rubbish

10. Gary Clail On-U Sound System - Human Nature

I've not heard this one for a very long time. What strikes me hearing it again after all this time is how slow it is, I remember it being quicker than this. Fortunately I no longer have that mindset that a record must be fast in order to be good so therefore I like it. I still think it would be better if it was a bit quicker though.

Verdict - Good

9. Zucchero ft Paul Young - Senza Una Donna (Without A Woman)

I originally thought they were singing "sense of Madonna". It was the Top 40 debut for Zucchero and the final Top 10 hit for Paul Young. This was originally by Zucchero on his own and all in Italian. I regarded this as music for old people at the time, but now I'm probably as old as these old people were back then so I have no shame in liking it.

Verdict - Good

8. Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark - Sailing On The Seven Seas

This was the first OMD record to hit the Top 40 for 5 years. By now it was just Andy McCluskey on his own. On paper this should be 80s band trying to squeeze the last bit of life out of them in the 90s, but this was actually their joint highest charting hit. At the same time, because their last hit prior this came before my music memories began, I had no idea they were even around in the 80s at the time. 

Verdict - Good

7. Simpsons - Deep Deep Trouble

The 2nd Top 40 hit from the Simpsons which entered the Top 40 before "Do the Bartman" had dropped out. My memories of this record was thinking great video but rubbish song. I've since discovered this was written by Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince which explains a lot.

Verdict - Rubbish

6. The Wonder Stuff - The Size Of A Cow

This song partly reminds me of 1991 and partly reminds me of discovering YouTube for the first time as this was a song I'd listen to quite regularly at the time. The line "you know that I've been drunk a thousand times" made me question whether I'd been drunk a thousand times. At the time I'm not sure I had, but 15 years later I'm pretty sure I've been drunk over a thousand times now.

Verdict - Good

5. Madonna - Rescue Me

This was taken from "The Immaculate Collection", her first greatest hits album. I remember this record but don't think I've heard it for 30 years so listening to it now, it's not quite the same as I remember it. I think its pretty boring.

Verdict - Rubbish

4. The Waterboys - The Whole Of The Moon

This originally came out in 1985 but was rereleased in 1991 ahead of their upcoming greatest hits album and ended up being their biggest hit. This is one of those records I've heard plenty of times without really taking any notice, but listening to it just now I realise that I quite like it.

Verdict - Good

3. James - Sit Down

At the time I thought the band Hello James had shortened their name to just James. Turns out I was thinking of Halo James who were a completely different band. This is one of those records everybody seems to like except me. To me it manages to be both annoying and boring at the same time.

Verdict - Rubbish

2. Cher - The Shoop Shoop Song (It's In His Kiss)

The most recent Top 40 hit for Cher prior to this was "Just Like Jesse James", a song I liked. Therefore my impression of Cher at the time was quite positive. Then this came out and I thought what the fuck is this. It's a cover and I'm not overly keen on the original but it's tolerable. This version just makes me angry though, absolutely awful.

Verdict - Rubbish

1. Chesney Hawkes - The One And Only 

Believe it or not, I've actually seen Chesney Hawkes in concert. He played at the students union at university one Saturday night. The set consisted of a bunch of covers, then he announced he was going to play his last single, not this one though, one that never made the charts. After a few more covers he played this at the end of the set to a massive cheer. It is a bit crap though, but it found it's place at many cheese nights. 

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 15.5/30, or 52%. Same as last week.