Top 30 in 1991 Reviewed - Week 24

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. Kraftwerk - The Robots

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

29. 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

28. Lenny Kravitz - It Ain't Over 'Til It's Over (New)

Although not his debut, this was the breakthrough hit for Lenny Kravitz in the UK. This is one I didn't really appreciate until later, I hated it at the time. When Lenny Kravitz returned to Top 40 a couple of years later with "Are You Gonna Go My Way?" I couldn't believe it was the same person who did this. Then came the day when I realised that it's possible to like both songs despite them being completely different to each other.

Verdict - Good

27. Rod Stewart - Motown Song (New)

Oh dear, this is dreadful. After doing a poor cover of a Motown record with "It Takes Two" in 1990, Rod Stewart is back with a song about that very label. It's actually from the same album though. Unsurprisingly given it's Rod Stewart, this is a cover. The original was by Larry John McNally.

Verdict - Rubbish

26. Extreme - Get The Funk Out (New)

I remember people being surprised that Extreme were a rock band when they would hear an Extreme song that wasn't "More Than Words". I wasn't though because I remembered them doing this before "More Than Words". Doesn't quite have enough to it to truly like it but its alright. 

Verdict - OK

25. Bette Midler - From A Distance (New)

It had been less than a year since Cliff Richard was torturing us with this record. Now here's Bette Midler back to do the same.

Verdict - Rubbish

24. LaTour - People Are Still Having Sex (New)

With the Color Me Badd record with sex in the title still in the Top 40, here's another record with it. I'm actually surprised this was as late as 1991, I've always associated this one more with the late 80s. A good record nonetheless.

Verdict - Good

23. Kirsty MacColl - Walking Down Madison

Having previously collaborated with the Happy Mondays, here's Kirsty MacColl adopting the Madchester sound for her own material. It was co-written by Johnny Marr and features mancunian rapper Aniff Cousins. It's not a bad record but does seem to lack something.

Verdict - OK

22. Gloria Estefan - Remember Me With Love (New)

One of many 90s hits from Gloria Estefan that I don't remember. This one isn't even listed on everyhit.com so it's very much a forgotten record. Is it worth remembering? No, not really.

Verdict - Rubbish

21. 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

20. Divinyls - I Touch Myself (New)

Every Wednesday at the students union when I first started university was a 70s and 80s night and almost every week this record would get played. Being the music snob I am this used to annoy me because I knew this was from 1991 not the 80s. I was much more appreciative when it got played at cheese night on a Saturday.

Verdict - Good

19. Skid Row - Monkey Business (New)

I can't listen to this one without thinking of "Paradise City" by Guns n Roses. I like that song so that's no bad thing. It has it's similarities but it's different enough not to be considered a blatant rip off. 

Verdict - Good

18. 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

17. MC Hammer - Yo!! Sweetness

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

16. 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

15. Technotronic - Move That Body

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

14. 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

13. Salt-N-Pepa - Do You Want Me

I'm just remembering watching a Channel 4 programme where they had a count down of the 10 best rap acts of all time and in 2nd place was Salt-N-Pepa. I thought how? but then number one was Will Smith. I think they were taking the piss.

Verdict - Rubbish

12. Pet Shop Boys - Jealousy

This was the final single to be taken off the "Behaviour" album. It was originally written in 1982 and was the first Pet Shop Boys composition. It's quite surprising that the first thing they'd write would be a ballad. They do it well though.

Verdict - Good

11. Sonia - Only Fools (Never Fall In Love)

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

10. Kenny Thomas - Thinking About Your Love

The second Top 40 hit for Kenny Thomas and his only Top 10. This is the song he's best known for. I must have seen this on The Chart Show at some point because it's making me want to watch an episode. I'd also say the fact this reminds me of the good old days of 1991 and watching The Chart Show means I quite like it.

Verdict - Good

9. Kylie Minogue - Shocked

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

8. 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

7. The Doors - Light My Fire

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

6. 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

5. Madonna - Holiday

The 3rd time this song entered the Top 40. It was the debut Top 40 hit for Madonna and was rereleased to promote "The Immaculate Collection", her greatest hits album. It's shit.

Verdict - Rubbish

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. 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

2. 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

1. 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

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%. Slight improvement on last week.