Top 30 in 1991 Reviewed - Week 25

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. 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

29. Omar - There's Nothing Like This (New)

The Top 40 debut for Omar. It would be another 6 years before we'd see him in the Top 40 again. I kept changing my mind throughout listening to it. On one hand its got a good bassline and sounds a decent soul ballad, but at the same time it was a bit boring.

Verdict - OK

28. 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

27. Driza Bone - Real Love (New)

I do remember this being in the charts at the same time as the Omar record. The fact they were both British soul records perhaps had something to do with it. This is definitely the better of the two, it's a lot more uplifting.

Verdict - Good

26. 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

25. Massive Attack - Safe From Harm (New)

The opening track from the excellent "Blue Lines" album. The single mix is slightly different to the album, but both are excellent.

Verdict - Good

24. 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

23. Gloria Estefan - Remember Me With Love

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

22. Paula Abdul - Rush Rush (New)

I remember the video for this appearing on Top of the Pops and the presenter saying that Ian Rush would be in the video, but he wasn't. This was 30 years ago say I may have misremembered or misunderstood what was said. It's not a bad record.

Verdict - OK

21. 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

20. Rebel MC ft Tenor Fly And Barrington Levy - Tribal Base (New)

What I remember most about this record was it sampling "Orinoco Flow" by Enya. What this record was doing though was laying the foundations for jungle music. This was the final Top 40 hit for Rebel MC and definitely his best.

Verdict - Good

19. Extreme - Get The Funk Out

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

18. 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

17. 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

16. 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

15. LaTour - People Are Still Having Sex

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

14. Lenny Kravitz - It Ain't Over 'Til It's Over

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

13. Divinyls - I Touch Myself

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

12. Rod Stewart - Motown Song

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

11. 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

10. 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

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. 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

7. Bette Midler - From A Distance

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

6. 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

5. 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

4. 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

3. 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

2. Jason Donovan - Any Dream Will Do (New)

The final number one for Jason Donovan. It was taken from "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat" which he was starring in at the time. By the time I saw it a couple of years later he'd been replaced by Phil Schofield. Anyway, like pretty much every other song from a musical it's shit.

Verdict - Rubbish

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%. Same as last week.