Sunday 22 May 2022

Top 30 in 1992 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 1992 with my verdict on each record:


Kim Wilde in the 90s? That's right, this was her first Top 40 hit of the 90s and it wasn't her last. It was written by Rick Nowels and Ellen Shipley who had written several hits for Belinda Carlisle. As a result it sounds like it should be a Belinda Carlisle record but has Kim Wilde singing on it instead.

Verdict - Rubbish


In the 90s the term "Progressive House" was coined. What wasn't clear to many people was what exactly qualified a tune as being progressive house. One definition I've heard is if it makes it's way into a Sasha or John Digweed set then it's progressive house. Anyway, this is an early example of a progressive house record. The vocal remix from 1996 is perhaps better known, but like with most dance records it's better without the vocals.

Verdict - Good


This record meant that Joe Cocker had 2 Top 40 hits in the same year for the first time. It was his 5th Top 40 hit which came 24 years after his first. This is a song I've never really listened to much, but after playing it now I find myself singing it which must be a good thing.

Verdict - Good


This was the Top 40 debut for The Future Sound Of London, though member Brian Dougans had previous had a Top 40 hit as Humanoid. It's also their best known record and is probably my favourite record of theirs too. It's got that blend of music you can both dance and chill out to.

Verdict - Good


Apparently "Join Our Club" was intended to be most commercial song they could write. I can sort of see where they're coming from, but at the same time it sounds too much like they made it in their bedroom for it to sound that commercial. "People Get Real" was a song that the label didn't think would work as a single on its own, but I'm not really sure why. Either way this double a-side gave them their first Top 30 hit. 

Verdict - Good / Good


This was the UKs Eurovision entry that year. The only previous Top 40 effort for Michael Ball had been "Love Changes Everything". What struck me about Eurovision when I first encountered it was how old fashioned the music all seemed. Picking someone known for musicals to represent the UK just strengthened that perception. The song itself sounds like something I could imagine Gary Barlow singing, which isn't a good thing.

Verdict - Rubbish


I used to get stick for saying my favourite Metallica song was "Nothing Else Matters". People were baffled I didn't prefer any of the heavier ones. One person even speculated it was the only Metallica song I knew. I stand by this opinion though, it is my favourite Metallica song.

Verdict - Good


This was the final Top 40 hit from the "Pornograffitti" album and in my opinion the best one. It's a ballad, but given the acoustic nature of "More Than Words" and "Hole Hearted" it probably hasn't received the same level of criticism as other rock ballads get from the purists. I'm not a purist though and sometimes I think the rock ballads are better then the heavier ones.

Verdict - Good


Thomas Dolby is best known for "She Blinded Me With Science", but that record never made the Top 40. It had been 8 years since he had last been in the Top 40. This features Eddie Van Halen on the guitar and the intro makes you think this will be a rock record, but once it gets going it's basically an electronic record with a rock influence. Works pretty well I think.

Verdict - Good


This is the final Top 10 hit to date for Marc Almond. Like with all his other Top 10 hits, this is a cover with the original being by David McWilliams. As Marc Almond is a songwriter, this fact is probably quite annoying for him. I would say though that generally speaking I prefer his covers to his original compositions.

Verdict - Good


I'm a big fan of Dutch music of the 90s in general. The trouble I have with this record though is that it doesn't sound very Dutch or very 90s for that matter. By my reckoning this is the only Top 40 hit of the 90s by a Dutch act that is neither dance music or a novelty record. That doesn't make it a bad record though

Verdict - Good


I wasn't quite sure what to expect with this record as I couldn't remember how it went. I definitely know it after listening though. It's a British R&B record that's written by Don-E himself and could easily pass as an American one which is a good thing.

Verdict - Good


Wilson Phillips are seen by many as being one hit wonders in the UK but they had a trio of number ones in America. By 1992 though it would seem even their popularity in America was in decline. This was their 2nd highest charting single in the UK and the only one to chart higher in the UK than America. Can't say I think much of it, a bit boring.

Verdict - Rubbish


Progressive rock has come full circle with this record. The original version by Rare Bird was one of the first progressive rock records to make the Top 40 and here are second wave progressive rockers Marillion doing a cover. I do think the original is better, but this is a decent cover.

Verdict - Good


For some reason I associate Curtis Stigers with late 1992 instead of early 1992 which he had his two big hits, this being the second. It's not that it took me a while to discover him as I remember him appearing on Top of the Pops. The nostalgia factor means that I do quite like this record.

Verdict - Good


This was the joint highest charting single for Kingmaker and probably the first song that springs to mind when they're mentioned. It's not a bad record but lacks that certain something to make it a good record.

Verdict - OK


I remember getting really annoyed that this record made number one and Mr Big hadn't. I absolutely hated this record as a result of that. However I've not really cared how the records I like do in the charts for the bulk of the last 30 years and I still think this record is crap and would have still thought that if Mr Big got to number one instead.

Verdict - Rubbish


Del Amitri had 3 hits in the Billboard 100 and this was one of them. It was their 4th UK Top 40 hit and lead single from their "Change Everything" album. It's not a bad record but is a bit generic.

Verdict - OK


My memory of this record is going on holiday around this time to the same place I went when the other big Richard Marx hit "Right Here Waiting" was in the charts. I like the record at the time without paying too much attention to the lyrics. Aside from the mystery behind the story I think it also highlights how judgmental some rural communities can be.

Verdict - Good


This was the Top 40 debut for the Levellers and their highest charting single to date. Surprisingly "One Way" never made the Top 40 when first released. This was probably the point where lots of people I knew were getting into the Levellers. I kept changing my mind about them around the time but I certainly appreciate their music a lot more now.

Verdict - Good


Ce Ce Penitston is known for one song but despite this she managed to score 3 Top 10 hits. This is the 3rd of them and it's a move away from dance music. It was written by Steve "Silk" Hurley, but this just suggests to me he should stick to dance music as this is pretty bland.

Verdict - Rubbish


When Celine Dion did her cover of "The Power Of Love" in 1994 I assumed she was making her Top 40 debut. Turns out she did this song a couple of years earlier with Peabo Bryson. It's from the film of the same name. I do question why cartoon films have to have such depressing songs to accompany them.

Verdict - Rubbish


As a rule I find it more difficult to identify a tune by the intro than by the chorus. With this record though it's the opposite. The intro with chimes from the clock is how I remember it, the rest of it is forgettable eurodance cheese.

Verdict - Rubbish


After they spent a long time at number one with "Stay" Shakespear's Sister followed up with this. I do remember this annoying me at the time, but as it's long forgotten I don't think I've heard it for 30 years. Listening to it now reminds me of how I found it irritating, here's hoping I won't hear it for another 30 years at least.

Verdict - Rubbish


After 3 years away from the Top 40, Curiosity Killed the Cat were back with a shortened name and their final Top 40 hit to date. It seems a few 80s acts were having low charting and long forgotten 90s hits around this time, but this one made number 3. It's not for me though.

Verdict - Rubbish


This was the Top 40 debut for Ugly Kid Joe. They were a pretty cool band to like at the time as I recall, but very quickly they became uncool. I guess it's hard to tell if they're trying to carry on the legacy of hair metal or fit into the grunge movement. One record I do recall being out at a similar time is "Lithium" by Nirvana and without really knowing the ins and outs I considered them both similar in style. I did consider this to be the better record out of the two.

Verdict - Good


This was the first Top 40 hit from the "Funky Divas" album which I own. It was their 2nd Top 40 hit overall with their debut "Hold On" coming 2 years prior. My memory of this record at the time is that it was out a similar time to "Don't You Worry Bout A Thing" by Incognito. When I first properly got into R&B, En Vogue were one of the first groups I bought albums of

Verdict - Good


I loved this record at the time and still do now. The odd thing is that this was before the scene split into happy hardcore and jungle and this sounds like it's gearing towards what would become jungle yet Slipmatt of SL2 would become one of the pioneers of happy hardcore. The only downside is that after "On A Ragga Tip 97" came out which was faster, it makes this record sound a bit slow.

Verdict - Good


In an era where I have more music available to listen to on the internet but less time to listen to it, I find myself listening to the shortened version of songs most of the time. Not with this one though, I'm more inclined to listen to a longer live version. It's a pretty basic song really but Guns n Roses take it to another level.

Verdict - Good


This was the first version of "Please Don't Go" that I heard. The original is by KC & the Sunshine Band, but it's basically a clone of a cover done the same year by Italian act Double You. I do like it, but the other tune "Game Boy" is better. Whilst "Please Don't Go" is a commercial dance record, "Game Boy" is very much a rave record.

Verdict - Good / Good

If we give the records which were good 1 point each and those which were OK half a point, the final score is 20/30, or 67%. Big improvement over last week and we no longer look in danger of falling below 50%.
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