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:
It had now been a year since Bryan Adams "Waking Up the Neighbours" album was released and the singles from the album kept coming with this being the 6th. I think we're getting into album filler territory with this one, it's a ballad that's a bit boring.
Verdict - Rubbish
I don't remember this song being as funky as it is. It's one of those where I remember how the chorus is sung but that's it. On that basis I was thinking mediocre at best, but listening to it I'm pleasantly surprised by it. This is why I always listen to the song unless it's one that's been played to death.
Verdict - Good
The 2nd Top 40 hit from the "Welcome to Wherever You Are" album, the first one "Heaven Sent" only made number 31. This is amongst my favourite INXS records and was a big factor in them being my 2nf favourite band at one point.
Verdict - Good
After have 2 singles in a row that were weather related they charted with this single which opens with the line "ice will melt". It was the final Top 40 hit from their "Woodface" album and their next Top 40 hit would be another weather related one in "Distant Sun". I don't think I've heard this one in 30 years and it sounds a bit better than I remember it and I was inclined to think it's at least OK, but it's better than that.
Verdict - Good
26. Stereo MC's - Connected (New)
We were at the beginning of the school year at this point and I can tell you that we were studying electricity in science. My reason for remembering that is because in our experiments we used connectors and at the same time this record was out. It's their Top 40 debut and lead track off their 3rd album of the same name. It also played it's part in my decision to buy the album.
Verdict - Good
The 2nd record by The Smiths to be re-issued in 1992 and charting higher than the original release. This one has a very distinctive intro, but it doesn't quite have enough about it to make me truly like it. Much better than Morrissey's solo records though.
Verdict - OK
When Peter Gabriel was in Genesis they released 6 albums in the space of 5 years. After leaving Genesis it would take him 17 years to reach 6 solo albums with this being the lead single from album number 6. I have no recollection of this single. It has potential, but as is the nature of Peter Gabriel's music it doesn't have an instant impact on me.
Verdict - OK
This was the 5th Top 40 hit from the "Dangerous" album and he wasn't finished yet. It was also the last of the new jack swing numbers to be released and written by Mr New Jack Swing himself Teddy Riley. I do feel we've now reached album filler territory. The beats are decent and would sound good on the dancefloor, but to listen to it's a bit of a nothing record.
Verdict - Rubbish
By 1992 Boy George was more of a DJ than a singer, but he recorded this record for the film of the same name. I've seen the film and I don't think I've ever been so shocked when watching a film but I'll say no more as I don't want to spoil it for you if you haven't seen it. I prefer the film to the song though.
Verdict - Rubbish
This is a cover of the Donna Summer record. It's done techno style and if techno existed in the 70s then this is probably what it would have sounded like. Messiah are best remembered for "Temple of Dreams" but this was their highest charting single.
Verdict - Good
There are a number of candidates for having the most 90s Top 40 hits that I don't remember, but I think Daniel O'Donnell is the strongest contender so far. He had 12 Top 40 hits in the 90s and although I remember his existence I honestly couldn't name you one of his song off the top of my head. This was the first and there's a good chance I'll have forgotten it by the time you read this.
Verdict - Rubbish
Hardbag has arrived with this being credited as the breakthrough record for that genre. Felix was the only one flying the flag for the genre commercially in the early days as it wasn't until 1994 when we started to get the flood of hardbag Top 40 hits. You could say this was ahead of its time then.
Verdict - Good
There are some records where I can pin point exactly when they came out and this is one of them. I associate this with starting a new year at school. There is also no doubt that this is the best Annie Lennox solo record I've heard.
Verdict - Good
17. Suede - Metal Mickey (New)
The Top 40 debut for Suede which is a sign that the Brit Pop era is just around the corner. I recall "Animal Nitrate" being the first Suede song I heard even though I definitely heard this one in the 90s. That said, it's not the most memorable song. I doesn't really go anywhere.
Verdict - Rubbish
On one hand this sounds a bit poundland "When Love and Hate Collide" even though that tune was yet to come out. On the other hand it sounds like its from the 80s rather than 1992. Digging deeper it turns out that "When Love and Hate Collide" had already been written by this point, just not released on anything. That more or less makes it the similar sounding but nowhere near as good follow up.
Verdict - Rubbish
15. Pearl Jam - Jeremy (New)
This was the 3rd UK Top 40 hit for Pearl Jam and arguably the song they are best known for. It's good in parts but there's too much filler in it for my liking and it goes on a bit too long too.
Verdict - OK
When it comes to Boyz II Men I can't look past the comparison that's often made between them and Jodeci which is basically Jodeci were the bad boys of R&B whereas Boyz II Men were the clean cut group. Behind the scenes though Babyface was one of the writers and he has also written for K-Ci & Jojo of Jodeci. That doesn't mean this song is good though.
Verdict - Rubbish
I recall a few years ago watching a "Forgotten Gems of the 90s" show on one of the music channels. It was a welcome change to the usual anthem bashing you get on retro channels. If memory serves me correctly this was number one. My initial thought was is this really forgotten, but then I guess I've not heard it much since the 90s. That may be a reason why I still like it.
Verdict - Good
12. The Prodigy - Fire / Jericho (New)
Back in 1992 I was watching "Sounds of the 60s" with my parents and Crazy World of Arthur Brown appeared on it. I heard the words "I am the god of hellfire" at the beginning and then my parents changed the channel. Next thing I'm hearing this tune quite regularly thinking wow that really sounded ahead of its time for the 60s. This was of course because it was The Prodigy sampling a 60s record. It was my favourite tune for a period of time. "Jericho" is also a decent tune.
Verdict - Good / Good
This is where it all began for East 17s Top 40 career. I could openly admit to liking this record at the time as this was before the unwritten rule amongst my peers that you're not supposed to like boy bands. I openly admit to still liking it today.
Verdict - Good
The debut for Jon Secada and the only hit of his that many people would remember. I love the contrast between the vocals and backing track in this. You hear the intro and it sounds quite happy and upbeat, then you hear the pain in his voice.
Verdict - Good
When I saw the video to this I thought Luther Vandross and Janet Jackson looked different to how I remember them. That is of course because it's not Luther Vandross or Janet Jackson in the video, it's Damon Wayans and Stacey Dash from the film "Mo Money" which this record is from.
Verdict - Good
This record seems a bit out of place in 1992. It's one of those I feel I've always known but it's most likely that when I first heard it in 1992 I just assumed it was an old record. It was the 2nd single released for his greatest hits album, the first not making the Top 40 and prior to that he hadn't been in the Top 40 since 1986. Quite surprisingly he was still having Top 40 hits as late as 2004 but this is the last one I actually remember. It's your typical naff Lionel Richie record.
Verdict - Rubbish
7. Manic Street Preachers - Theme From M*A*S*H / Fatima Mansions - (Everything I Do) I Do It For You (New)
This is a double a-side with a different band either side. It was taken from the "Ruby Trax" compilation that celebrated 40 years on NME magazine and featured indie bands covering previous number one hits. It gave the Manic Street Preachers their first Top 10 hit and Fatima Mansions their only Top 40 hit to date. The Manic Street Preachers cover is basically a heavier recording of the original but the Fatima Mansions cover sounds nothing like the original. Both are good in their own way.
Verdict - Good / Good
Having very much heard of Bob Marley and seeing he had quite a few hits from looking in my British Hit Singles book, I'd not knowingly heard a Bob Marley record until this song came out. There was something oddly familiar about it. Obviously it was recorded long before it came out but this was the first time it had seen light of day.
Verdict - Good
Like many, I first heard this at the Freddie Mercury tribute concert. I thought the song itself was a tribute to Freddie Mercury but then 3 years later came a Queen version with Freddie Mercury actually singing it. I liked this along with "Driven By You" enough to get the "Back To The Light" album on which they appear.
Verdict - Good
In my college days I bought an old rave compilation from Cash Converters and put it on in the common room. Several people in the common room weren't into rave and weren't familiar with most of the tunes. I was there saying they were missing out, this was good stuff. Then this tune came on which everyone did know, but I had to concede that this one was shit. Think that was the only one we all agreed on.
Verdict - Rubbish
Being a London resident, I pass though Baker Street a lot and still to this very day I get this record going through my head more often than not when I do so. It was the Top 40 debut for Undercover and their best known. I'd not heard the Gerry Rafferty original at the time so this is my default version.
Verdict - Good
This was the beginning of Sweden taking over the music world. Dr Alban was a Nigerian based in Sweden and wrote this with Denniz Pop who founded Cherion Studios. There were a number of songwriters who have since been very prolific with their songwriting including Max Martin who at the time of writing only has Paul McCartney ahead of him in terms of most Top 40 hits as songwriter. Given how much dreadful music has been created as a result of this I should hate it. However it probably would have still happened with or without this record and I do like it in a 90s nostalgia sort of way.
Verdict - Good
One memory I have of this record is that someone who I would regularly get lifts from would turn the radio off when this would come on. At the time I thought they simply could stand it but it's more likely they knew what the lyrics meant and didn't want kids listening to it. I still managed to hear it a lot though not knowing what the lyrics really were. I liked it because it's a good tune.
Verdict - Good
If we give the records which were good 1 point each and those which were OK half a point, the final score is 19.5/30, or 65%. Same as last week.
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