25 Years Since....May 1996

In May 1996 Take That had dropped out the Top 40 with their final hit and it was before the Spice Girls, a very brief golden period for the charts for that reason alone. Here's some of the good tunes:

Pet Shop Boys - Before

This record divides opinion amongst Pet Shop Boys fans. It's a move away from their 80s synth pop roots which alienates some. 

Regular readers will know I never really made it public knowledge in the 90s that I liked the Pet Shop Boys because it wasn't cool. But here they are doing a house record which made it seem almost acceptable to like them. I don't think it's them jumping on the house music bandwagon, more them moving with the times.

The problem was I was into the harder dance music so even admitting I liked any house record was difficult enough.

Busta Rhymes - Woo-hah!! Got You All In Check

I remember hearing this record for the first time. It was the rap record I'd been waiting to hear all my life. That combination of gravelly rapping over a melodic background really did it for me.

When I properly got into rap music a few years later I was still a little reluctant to properly declare myself a rap fan and restricted myself to west coast rap or rappers associated with Dr Dre such as Eminem. 

Busta Rhymes was the first rapper outside of that which I bought an album of. Quite ironic then that a few years after that he signed with Aftermath, Dr Dre's record label.

Alex Reece - Feel The Sunshine

I remember this coming on the radio and saying I liked this to someone. They were amazed I'd like a record like this in the beginning as they thought it was going to be a ballad until the beat kicked in.

As far as commercial drum & bass records went at the time, this was as good as it got.

JX - There's Nothing I Won't Do

I'll be the first to admit this record hasn't aged very well. At the time though it was a great record and the nostalgia element means I still like it now.

For me it's all about the build up when the beat first comes in. Then there's the short breakdown later on before the tune kicks in again. It was irresistible at the time.

Scooter - Rebel Yell

One of my friends was absolutely disgusted by this record. It had completely ruined a Billy Idol classic in his opinion. Furthermore, he said the HP Baxxter couldn't sing it the way Billy Idol sang it.

He completely missed the point about Scooter. HP Baxxter can't sing for shit, but that's the point. It's just good fun music. The only thing it's lacking is HP Baxxter shouting some random shit because he's too busy singing it.

The Top 40 Leaderboard: May 2021

What's this all about?

A couple of weeks ago it looked like Drake was going to score his 5th Top 40 hit of the year, but it never quite made the Top 40. Instead we have Olivia Rodrigo top the leaderboard. Having had no Top 40 hits prior to this year she's now had 5 in as many months. 

It's been a quite month for rap with just 5 records from the genre, 4 of which were by J Cole. That brings the total to 42/102 or 41% records so far this year falling under that genre.

Top 30 in 1991 Reviewed - Week 22

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. Frances Nero - Footsteps Following Me

This is the only Top 40 hit from Ian Levine's Motorcity records. The label had a number of former Motown artists signed to it. Frances Nero was one of these, but she never had a hit when she was on Motown. It's a fantastic record, one of my favourites of the year.

Verdict - Good

29. The Doors - Light My Fire (New)

This failed to make the Top 40 when it was first released back in 1967. Thanks to a film about The Doors being around at the same time, it finally made the Top 40 in 1991. I actually had no idea this was an old record at the time, I guess the Inspiral Carpets using the organ around the same time may have had something to do with it. By the end of the decade I'd gained a lot more knowledge of The Doors and owned all their albums.

Verdict - Good

28. Sonia - Only Fools (Never Fall In Love) (New)

The fist Top 40 hit for Sonia after leaving Stock Aitken & Waterman. Unfortunately this never improved the quality of her music. It sounds like it should be a karaoke version of an older record but it isn't.

Verdict - Rubbish

27. Kraftwerk - The Robots (New)

This was the only Top 40 hit for Kraftwerk in the 90s and was their first since 1983. It was actually originally released in 1978 but was taken of their remix album from 1991. Perhaps doesn't quite fit in with the other dance music that was happening at the time, but then it's thanks in part to records like this that 90s dance music existed in the first place.

Verdict - Good

26. Blur - There's No Other Way

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

25. Pop Will Eat Itself - 92 Degrees (New)

I don't specifically remember this record, but years later I wrote a song where the melody of the verse was quite similar to this. No idea whether we'd had the same idea or I'd heard this in 1991 and only remembered that particular melody. Shows its a good tune anyway. For the record I never made a penny out of that song and probably never will.

Verdict - Good

24. T-99 - Anasthasia

I don't know whether it's intentional or not but the intro to this reminds me of "3 Blind Mice". Then it just goes crazy. It perhaps doesn't sound that hardcore now but in 1991 it definitely did. It was the first of 2 Top 40 hits for Belgian T-99 but will be the only one to feature as the follow up "Nocturne" only made 33. Both great records.

Verdict - Good

23. Deacon Blue - Your Swaying Arms

The first person I really noticed having the curtains haircut in the 80s was Ricky Ross from Deacon Blue. Now here we are in the 90s, the decade of the curtains and his curtains have gone. Fortunately he never lost his power when losing his curtains.

Verdict - Good

22. Jason Donovan - RSVP

I think we've reached the point here where Jason Donovan had released basically the same song multiple times. I would be his penultimate Stock Aitken & Waterman hit and his final one to be written by them.

Verdict - Rubbish

21. MC Hammer - Yo!! Sweetness (New)

The 5th and final Top 40 hit from his "Please Hammer, Don't Hurt 'Em" album. Sounds very much like an album filler to me. 

Verdict - Rubbish

20. Simple Minds - See The Lights

You may recall me being pleasantly surprised by the first Simple Minds hit of 1991 that I remember existing without remembering how it goes. No such luck with this one, though it does get more interesting towards the end so I'm giving this one an ok.

Verdict - OK

19. Roxette - Fading Like A Flower

I'd forgot about this one until the Dancing DJs did a version back in 2005. I liked that version but it also made me grow fond of the original. In fact if I had to pick my favourite Roxette hit then this would certainly be a contender.

Verdict - Good

18. The Wonder Stuff - Caught In My Shadow

This is definitely their least known Top 40 hit from 1991, but then their other 2 hits of the year are arguably their 2 best known altogether. A solid effort nonetheless. 

Verdict - Good

17. New Kids On The Block - Call It What You Want

Here's New Kids On The Block going down the dance music route with this C&C Music Factory produced effort. Once again it fails to make the Top 10 over here and fails to chart at all in America.

Verdict - Rubbish

16. T'Pau - Whenever You Need Me

Much like Transvision Vamp a few weeks ago, I have no recollection of T'Pau still existing in the 90s but here they are with their last Top 40 hit. Unlike Transvision Vamp though, I actually quite liked T'Pau in the 80s. It definitely sounds more 80s than 90s, not necessarily a bad thing. Not really got enough to it to like it though. 

Verdict - OK

15. 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

14. Queen - Headlong

The penultimate Queen hit before the death of Freddie Mercury later on in the year. It just seems a bit of a nothing song to me.

Verdict - Rubbish

13. 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

12. Technotronic - Move That Body (New)

The penultimate original Top 40 hit for Technotronic. It was also the first hit from their 2nd album "Body to Body". Ya Kid K was gone and in came Reggie. It could just as easily have been the same person though. Can't say I'm too keen on this one.

Verdict - Rubbish

11. Dannii Minogue - Success

It seems a bit premature to called your 2nd single "Success". But then I suppose she had already had success as an actress on Home & Away and was confident of following in the footsteps of other Australian soap stars. It didn't successfully make it into the Top 10 though.

Verdict - Rubbish

10. Kylie Minogue - Shocked (New)

This was the last original Stock Aitken & Waterman penned Top 40 hit before Matt Aitken sailed off into the sunset. It also denied Kylies sister Dannii a Top 10 hit with "Success". I do prefer this to the Dannii Minogue record, but that doesn't mean I like it.

Verdict - Rubbish

9. REM - Shiny Happy People

The band themselves hate this record and pretty much disowned it, but I actually like it. Yes it is a bit cheesy and completely not what you'd expect from REM, but the guitar riff, the breakdown going into the guitar riff and to an extent the backing vocals from Kate Pierson really make this record for me.

Verdict - Good

8. Cathy Dennis - Touch Me (All Night Long)

The first solo Top 40 hit for Cathy Dennis. Maybe its my age, but to me there's something a lot more acceptable about pop music from this era than there was at the end of the decade. Cathy Dennis is a prime example of this even though by the end of the decade she was writing songs for the likes of S Club 7. The ironic thing of Cathy Dennis going on to become a successful songwriter for others is that her solo debut was a cover.

Verdict - Good

7. KLF ft The Children Of The Revolution - Last Train To Trancentral

One thing I've realised whilst doing these reviews is that I lot of the music I listened to on YouTube when I first discovered it was from 1991. This was one of those tunes I'd regularly listen to. I've always liked it, but when I was listening on YouTube all those years later I realised just how good this tune really is. If I had to pick my favourite KLF single then this would probably be it.

Verdict - Good

6. Soft Cell ft Marc Almond - Tainted Love

Nearly a decade after topping the charts, "Tainted Love" was remixed and re-entered the charts in 1991. It's also now credited to Soft Cell ft Marc Almond, presumably to illustrate that Marc Almond was no longer part of Soft Cell. It doesn't sound very different from the version that was originally released, but its not a bad record I guess.

Verdict - OK

5. Amy Grant - Baby Baby

This was another song I played a lot when I started using YouTube. I loved this record at the time and I loved Amy Grant too. I had no idea she was a Christian singer who was controversially crossing over to pop music. It seemed such an innocent song.

Verdict - Good

4. Beverley Craven - Promise Me

This was the Top 40 debut for Beverley Craven. One thing I am thankful to this song for was providing the sample to the rave classic "4am" by Orca. Unfortunately that's the only positive thing I can say about this record.

Verdict - Rubbish

3. Crystal Waters - Gypsy Woman (La Da Dee)

I think I know why I've always though Alison Limerick is American now. It's because I heavily associate "Where Love Lives" with this record, and Crystal Waters is American. Much like the Alison Limerick record, this has fallen victim to being overplayed but still a decent record.

Verdict - Good

2. Color Me Badd - I Wanna Sex You Up

Like many kids my age, I found it hilarious at the time that there was a song with the word sex in the title. It wasn't the first Top 40 hit to have this, but I guess the way it was used played a part too. I did like it at the time but when I heard it on the music channels for the first time in years I realised it's actually a pretty poor record.

Verdict - Rubbish

1. 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

If we give the records which were good 1 point each and those which were OK half a point, the final score is 17/30, or 57%. A couple of old records keeping the score above 50%.

UK Charts Best Year Search: 1979

What's this all about?

Top 40

Best Song: Squeeze - Up The Junction

For years I had no idea what this song was. I'd heard it loads of times throughout the 90s and maybe even beyond that. Then one day I found myself wondering what is that song? I wasn't really hearing it any more and assumed it was a 90s song that had got a bit old. I couldn't remember any of the words so I had nothing to go on really. Then one day I turned on the music channels and there was this video playing. I was excited to finally find out what it was. I could tell from the video that it was more likely to be from the 70s, then at the end of the song all was revealed. The fact I thought it was a 90s song for years though shows this really was ahead of its time.

Worst Song: The Dooleys - Wanted

The biggest hit for The Dooleys, who were basically a poundland Abba and I don't like Abba.

Top 40 Review

This Top 40 was shortly before Disco Demolition Night. That was in America though, over here it was still the dominant genre in the charts. The best of those would have to be "Good Times" by Chic. Also getting the thumbs up is "Space Bass" by Slick. The rest of the disco records are either average or crap.

Add punk and new wave to the disco hits and we have accounted for almost half the Top 40. John Lydon was long gone from The Sex Pistols and Sid Vicious was dead, but they were in the Top 40 with a cover of "C'mon Everybody". Meanwhile, John Lydon's new band Public Image Ltd are in there with the quite ironically titled "Death Disco". The only punk or new wave record I don't like is "Say When" by Lene Lovich which I find rather irritating, but its full marks for the rest of them.

Electric Light Orchestra once again have a great record in "Shine A Little Love". Roxy Music, another 70s band you can always rely on for a good record are also in there with "Dance Away". Both of these were strong contenders for best song.

One of the more obscure records that I like is "Chuck E's In Love" by Rickie Lee Jones. Definitely worth checking out if you haven't heard it already.

The surprise good record comes from The Beach Boys with "Lady Lynda". I have nothing against The Beach Boys, they have some decent records. However they were a 60s group and this was the late 70s and I vaguely knew the song and it had little impact on me. Listening to it properly though made me realise I like it.

The number one record "Are 'Friends' Electric" by Tubeway Army is a sign the 80s are just round the corner. 

Overall this chart seems a lot better than the rest of the 70s. I think realistically you're still going to get crap in the charts and this is no exception. But for once, the good stuff outweighs the crap, just.

Score: 20.5

Table

1979 is the best year of the decade and second best so far. I wonder if 1989 will be the best year of the 80s:

UK Number 40s: The Clash - The Call Up (1980)

 

The Clash are one of those bands that you should really measure the popularity of by the success of their singles. By the time they split in 1986 they had never had a Top 10 single, but they were a hugely popular band. Perhaps the re-issue of "Should I Stay Or Should I Go" topping the charts in 1991 was proof of this.

This was the first single to be credited to all members of The Clash as opposed to just Joe Strummer and Mick Jones. It was the lead single from the bands 4th album "Sandinista!". 

It was followed up by "The Magnificent Seven" which was the 3rd rap record to reach the Top 40. Then came "Rock the Casbah" and the double a-side "Should I Stay Or Should I Go / Straight To Hell". Their final Top 40 hit during their existence was "This Is England" in 1985.

Top 30 in 1991 Reviewed - Week 21

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. Wilson Phillips - You're In Love

In the UK most people forgot about Wilson Phillips after their debut "Hold On". Their second single didn't make the Top 30 and the third didn't make the Top 40. This is their fourth which was also their third number one in America. It was after this record where people started to forget them over there. 

Verdict - Rubbish

29. Simple Minds - See The Lights (New)

You may recall me being pleasantly surprised by the first Simple Minds hit of 1991 that I remember existing without remembering how it goes. No such luck with this one, though it does get more interesting towards the end so I'm giving this one an ok.

Verdict - OK

28. Queen - Headlong (New)

The penultimate Queen hit before the death of Freddie Mercury later on in the year. It just seems a bit of a nothing song to me.

Verdict - Rubbish

27. De La Soul - Ring Ring Ring (Ha Ha Hey)

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

26. Michael Bolton - Love Is A Wonderful Thing

If you read the Wikipedia page for this record the bulk of it is about how Michael Bolton was successfully sued by the Isley Brothers for ripping off their song of the same title. I've heard the Isley Brothers song, the way the title is sung is quite similar but other than that they sound nothing like each other. Although Michael Bolton is a perfectly good singer, it does sound a bit like a karaoke version of a Motown record.

Verdict - Rubbish

25. 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

24. Frances Nero - Footsteps Following Me

This is the only Top 40 hit from Ian Levine's Motorcity records. The label had a number of former Motown artists signed to it. Frances Nero was one of these, but she never had a hit when she was on Motown. It's a fantastic record, one of my favourites of the year.

Verdict - Good

23. Deacon Blue - Your Swaying Arms (New)

The first person I really noticed having the curtains haircut in the 80s was Ricky Ross from Deacon Blue. Now here we are in the 90s, the decade of the curtains and his curtains have gone. Fortunately he never lost his power when losing his curtains.

Verdict - Good

22. Electronic - Get The Message

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

21. Nomad - Just A Groove

The 2nd and final Top 40 hit for Nomad which isn't anywhere near as well known as the first. That does mean it hasn't been played to death in the last 30 years. Although still a dance record it does sound different to it's predecessor which bucks the trend of having a follow up that sounds the same as the debut. 

Verdict - Good

20. T'Pau - Whenever You Need Me (New)

Much like Transvision Vamp a few weeks ago, I have no recollection of T'Pau still existing in the 90s but here they are with their last Top 40 hit. Unlike Transvision Vamp though, I actually quite liked T'Pau in the 80s. It definitely sounds more 80s than 90s, not necessarily a bad thing. Not really got enough to it to like it though. 

Verdict - OK

19. Seal - Future Love (EP)

The lead song from this ep is "Future Love Paradise". It partly reminds me of 1991 and partly reminds me of driving along the M3 which I did whilst listening to Seals album a few years ago. As you've probably gathered, I like it.

Verdict - Good

18. The Wonder Stuff - Caught In My Shadow (New)

This is definitely their least known Top 40 hit from 1991, but then their other 2 hits of the year are arguably their 2 best known altogether. A solid effort nonetheless. 

Verdict - Good

17. Jason Donovan - RSVP

I think we've reached the point here where Jason Donovan had released basically the same song multiple times. I would be his penultimate Stock Aitken & Waterman hit and his final one to be written by them.

Verdict - Rubbish

16. Blur - There's No Other Way

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

15. T-99 - Anasthasia

I don't know whether it's intentional or not but the intro to this reminds me of "3 Blind Mice". Then it just goes crazy. It perhaps doesn't sound that hardcore now but in 1991 it definitely did. It was the first of 2 Top 40 hits for Belgian T-99 but will be the only one to feature as the follow up "Nocturne" only made 33. Both great records.

Verdict - Good

14. Roxette - Fading Like A Flower

I'd forgot about this one until the Dancing DJs did a version back in 2005. I liked that version but it also made me grow fond of the original. In fact if I had to pick my favourite Roxette hit then this would certainly be a contender.

Verdict - Good

13. REM - Shiny Happy People (New)

The band themselves hate this record and pretty much disowned it, but I actually like it. Yes it is a bit cheesy and completely not what you'd expect from REM, but the guitar riff, the breakdown going into the guitar riff and to an extent the backing vocals from Kate Pierson really make this record for me.

Verdict - Good

12. New Kids On The Block - Call It What You Want

Here's New Kids On The Block going down the dance music route with this C&C Music Factory produced effort. Once again it fails to make the Top 10 over here and fails to chart at all in America.

Verdict - Rubbish

11. Dannii Minogue - Success

It seems a bit premature to called your 2nd single "Success". But then I suppose she had already had success as an actress on Home & Away and was confident of following in the footsteps of other Australian soap stars. It didn't successfully make it into the Top 10 though.

Verdict - Rubbish

10. 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

9. Amy Grant - Baby Baby

This was another song I played a lot when I started using YouTube. I loved this record at the time and I loved Amy Grant too. I had no idea she was a Christian singer who was controversially crossing over to pop music. It seemed such an innocent song.

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. Color Me Badd - I Wanna Sex You Up

Like many kids my age, I found it hilarious at the time that there was a song with the word sex in the title. It wasn't the first Top 40 hit to have this, but I guess the way it was used played a part too. I did like it at the time but when I heard it on the music channels for the first time in years I realised it's actually a pretty poor record.

Verdict - Rubbish

6. Cathy Dennis - Touch Me (All Night Long)

The first solo Top 40 hit for Cathy Dennis. Maybe its my age, but to me there's something a lot more acceptable about pop music from this era than there was at the end of the decade. Cathy Dennis is a prime example of this even though by the end of the decade she was writing songs for the likes of S Club 7. The ironic thing of Cathy Dennis going on to become a successful songwriter for others is that her solo debut was a cover.

Verdict - Good

5. Soft Cell ft Marc Almond - Tainted Love

Nearly a decade after topping the charts, "Tainted Love" was remixed and re-entered the charts in 1991. It's also now credited to Soft Cell ft Marc Almond, presumably to illustrate that Marc Almond was no longer part of Soft Cell. It doesn't sound very different from the version that was originally released, but its not a bad record I guess.

Verdict - OK

4. KLF ft The Children Of The Revolution - Last Train To Trancentral

One thing I've realised whilst doing these reviews is that I lot of the music I listened to on YouTube when I first discovered it was from 1991. This was one of those tunes I'd regularly listen to. I've always liked it, but when I was listening on YouTube all those years later I realised just how good this tune really is. If I had to pick my favourite KLF single then this would probably be it.

Verdict - Good

3. Beverley Craven - Promise Me

This was the Top 40 debut for Beverley Craven. One thing I am thankful to this song for was providing the sample to the rave classic "4am" by Orca. Unfortunately that's the only positive thing I can say about this record.

Verdict - Rubbish

2. Crystal Waters - Gypsy Woman (La Da Dee)

I think I know why I've always though Alison Limerick is American now. It's because I heavily associate "Where Love Lives" with this record, and Crystal Waters is American. Much like the Alison Limerick record, this has fallen victim to being overplayed but still a decent record.

Verdict - Good

1. 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

If we give the records which were good 1 point each and those which were OK half a point, the final score is 18/30, or 60%. Bit of an 80s in the 90s week this week, but that's improved the score.

UK Charts Best Year Search: 1978

What's this all about?

Top 40

Best Song: The Clash - (White Man) In Hammersmith Palais

Easy choice this week as this was also my record of the year for 1978. A great punk/reggae crossover song. It's beaten some pretty good competition too.

Worst Song: John Paul Young - Love Is In The Air

This is one of many examples of where disco went horribly wrong. The truth is there is a lot of decent disco music out there, but cheesy crap like this gave disco a bad name. The fact I've heard this so many times in my life probably doesn't help either.

Top 40 Review

We're now into the era of new wave and there were 3 records in this Top 40 that fall into that category. There's "Like Clockwork" by The Boomtown Rats, "Ca Plane Pour Moi" by Plastic Bertrand and "Pump It Up" by Elvis Costello And The Attractions. The latter gets half a mark but it's a zero for the other two.

Disco music is still dominating the charts and there is one forgotten gem in there from Sine with "Just Let Me Do My Thing". The Rolling Stones have jumped on the bandwagon with "Miss You" but this is actually a good record. It's also the era of Saturday Night Fever with records from Tavares with "More Than A Woman", Yvonne Elliman with "If I Can't Have You" and the sort of title track from The Bee Gees with "Night Fever". Of those, I like the Tavares and The Bee Gees records.

We're also in the era of Grease with John Travolta And Olivia Newton-John at number one with "You're The One That I Want" but I can't say that record is to my liking.

Once again Electric Light Orchestra deliver the goods with "Wild West Hero". The biggest eye opener though is the number of late 70s tunes that I heard for the first time in the last 10 years that I've taken a liking to and started listening to are in this chart. These are "Airport" by The Motors, "Dancin' In The City" by Marshall Hain, "Davy's On The Road Again" by Manfred Mann's Earth Band, "Making Up Again" by Goldie and "Substitute" by Clout.

At first glance it almost looks like this could be the best chart ever. But looking beyond what's already been mentioned, there's little else really worth listening to. Lindisfarne once again have a decent record in "Run For Home" and there are a number of ok songs, I was surprised to find the Black Sabbath record wasn't bad for example.

We're heading in the right direction though.

Score: 16

Table

1978 is second best year of the decade after 1970. Just one year of the 70s left to look at:

UK Number 40s: Dr Hook - Girls Can Get It (1980)

 

When I decided to broaden my horizons beyond dance music in the late 90s, Dr Hook were pretty much the first band outside the genre that I started listening to. The album I own is "Completely Hooked" which is one of their greatest hits compilations. There are 20 tracks on there, but I knew that Dr Hook had nowhere near 20 UK hits. Therefore I thought I knew all of Dr Hook's Top 40 hits plus several more.

It was only a few years ago that I discovered they had a UK Top 40 hit I never knew existing, this one. Despite the fact Dr Hook only had 8 Top 40 hits, this doesn't appear on "Completely Hooked".

If you look at Dr Hook's Top 40 career it's actually quite impressive. They made number 2 with their debut "Sylvia's Mother" in 1972. They would have to wait 4 years until their second, "A Little Bit More" which also made number 2. Later on that year they made number 5 with "If Not You".

Their 4th hit "More Like the Movies" missed out on the Top 10 but 5th hit "When You're In Love With A Beautiful Woman" topped the charts in late 1979. That's 4 of their 5 Top 40 hits of the 70s making the Top 5.

They reached number 8 with their first hit of the 80s "Better Love Next Time" and number 4 with follow up "Sexy Eyes", so by this point 5 out of 7 making the Top 5. Their next 2 hits "Years From Now" and "Sharing the Night Together" which both appear on "Completely Hooked" never made the Top 40. Then just a week after the latter reached its peak of 43, this hit it's peak of number 40 exactly a year after they were sitting on top of the charts.

Dr Hook's popularity was in decline during the early 80s and the band themselves were fed up and only continued till the mid-80s to fulfill contractual obligations.

A key event from 1980 though was that they changed record labels and this was the first single to be released from the new label, which could explain its absence from "Completely Hooked". The release of "Sharing the Night Together" just 2 weeks prior was presumably their old label trying to cash in on their back catalogue as it originally appeared on their 1978 album "Pleasure & Pain". 

Top 30 in 1991 Reviewed - Week 20

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. Samantha Janus - A Message To Your Heart

It's Mandy from Game On represented the UK at the Eurovision Song Contest before she became Mandy from Game On. A Eurovision song sung by someone who's better known as an actress should be shit, and it is.

Verdict - Rubbish

29. Wilson Phillips - You're In Love (New)

In the UK most people forgot about Wilson Phillips after their debut "Hold On". Their second single didn't make the Top 30 and the third didn't make the Top 40. This is their fourth which was also their third number one in America. It was after this record where people started to forget them over there. 

Verdict - Rubbish

28. Roachford - Get Ready

There was a time when I didn't know Roachford had other hits apart from "Cuddly Toy". I have no recollection of this or any other Roachford hits. There were 8 Top 40 hits in total and this was the 3rd. It's not bad but its no "Cuddly Toy".

Verdict - OK

27. Color Me Badd - I Wanna Sex You Up (New)

Like many kids my age, I found it hilarious at the time that there was a song with the word sex in the title. It wasn't the first Top 40 hit to have this, but I guess the way it was used played a part too. I did like it at the time but when I heard it on the music channels for the first time in years I realised it's actually a pretty poor record.

Verdict - Rubbish

26. Amy Grant - Baby Baby (New)

This was another song I played a lot when I started using YouTube. I loved this record at the time and I loved Amy Grant too. I had no idea she was a Christian singer who was controversially crossing over to pop music. It seemed such an innocent song.

Verdict - Good

25. Jason Donovan - RSVP (New)

I think we've reached the point here where Jason Donovan had released basically the same song multiple times. I would be his penultimate Stock Aitken & Waterman hit and his final one to be written by them.

Verdict - Rubbish

24. 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

23. Michael Bolton - Love Is A Wonderful Thing

If you read the Wikipedia page for this record the bulk of it is about how Michael Bolton was successfully sued by the Isley Brothers for ripping off their song of the same title. I've heard the Isley Brothers song, the way the title is sung is quite similar but other than that they sound nothing like each other. Although Michael Bolton is a perfectly good singer, it does sound a bit like a karaoke version of a Motown record.

Verdict - Rubbish

22. Quadrophonia - Quadrophonia

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

21. Dannii Minogue - Success (New)

It seems a bit premature to called your 2nd single "Success". But then I suppose she had already had success as an actress on Home & Away and was confident of following in the footsteps of other Australian soap stars. It didn't successfully make it into the Top 10 though.

Verdict - Rubbish

20. New Kids On The Block - Call It What You Want (New)

Here's New Kids On The Block going down the dance music route with this C&C Music Factory produced effort. Once again it fails to make the Top 10 over here and fails to chart at all in America.

Verdict - Rubbish

19. 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

18. Frances Nero - Footsteps Following Me

This is the only Top 40 hit from Ian Levine's Motorcity records. The label had a number of former Motown artists signed to it. Frances Nero was one of these, but she never had a hit when she was on Motown. It's a fantastic record, one of my favourites of the year.

Verdict - Good

17. Nomad - Just A Groove

The 2nd and final Top 40 hit for Nomad which isn't anywhere near as well known as the first. That does mean it hasn't been played to death in the last 30 years. Although still a dance record it does sound different to it's predecessor which bucks the trend of having a follow up that sounds the same as the debut. 

Verdict - Good

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

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

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. T-99 - Anasthasia

I don't know whether it's intentional or not but the intro to this reminds me of "3 Blind Mice". Then it just goes crazy. It perhaps doesn't sound that hardcore now but in 1991 it definitely did. It was the first of 2 Top 40 hits for Belgian T-99 but will be the only one to feature as the follow up "Nocturne" only made 33. Both great records.

Verdict - Good

13. Seal - Future Love (EP)

The lead song from this ep is "Future Love Paradise". It partly reminds me of 1991 and partly reminds me of driving along the M3 which I did whilst listening to Seals album a few years ago. As you've probably gathered, I like it.

Verdict - Good

12. Roxette - Fading Like A Flower

I'd forgot about this one until the Dancing DJs did a version back in 2005. I liked that version but it also made me grow fond of the original. In fact if I had to pick my favourite Roxette hit then this would certainly be a contender.

Verdict - Good

11. 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

10. Soft Cell ft Marc Almond - Tainted Love (New)

Nearly a decade after topping the charts, "Tainted Love" was remixed and re-entered the charts in 1991. It's also now credited to Soft Cell ft Marc Almond, presumably to illustrate that Marc Almond was no longer part of Soft Cell. It doesn't sound very different from the version that was originally released, but its not a bad record I guess.

Verdict - OK

9. Electronic - Get The Message

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

8. Blur - There's No Other Way

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

7. 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

6. Beverley Craven - Promise Me

This was the Top 40 debut for Beverley Craven. One thing I am thankful to this song for was providing the sample to the rave classic "4am" by Orca. Unfortunately that's the only positive thing I can say about this record.

Verdict - Rubbish

5. Cathy Dennis - Touch Me (All Night Long)

The first solo Top 40 hit for Cathy Dennis. Maybe its my age, but to me there's something a lot more acceptable about pop music from this era than there was at the end of the decade. Cathy Dennis is a prime example of this even though by the end of the decade she was writing songs for the likes of S Club 7. The ironic thing of Cathy Dennis going on to become a successful songwriter for others is that her solo debut was a cover.

Verdict - Good

4. 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

3. Crystal Waters - Gypsy Woman (La Da Dee) (New)

I think I know why I've always though Alison Limerick is American now. It's because I heavily associate "Where Love Lives" with this record, and Crystal Waters is American. Much like the Alison Limerick record, this has fallen victim to being overplayed but still a decent record.

Verdict - Good

2. KLF ft The Children Of The Revolution - Last Train To Trancentral

One thing I've realised whilst doing these reviews is that I lot of the music I listened to on YouTube when I first discovered it was from 1991. This was one of those tunes I'd regularly listen to. I've always liked it, but when I was listening on YouTube all those years later I realised just how good this tune really is. If I had to pick my favourite KLF single then this would probably be it.

Verdict - Good

1. 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

If we give the records which were good 1 point each and those which were OK half a point, the final score is 16.5/30, or 55%. After some great new entries a couple of weeks ago, we're now starting to slide.