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 1993 with my verdict on each record:
A cover of the Five Satins song. I do like a bit of 50s doo wop music that you'd expect groups of people singing on street corners at the time. This cover has kept that 50s doo wop sound rather than modernise it. On that basis I can't really fault this record.
Verdict - Good
29. Dina Carroll - This Time (New)
Having scored her only Billboard 100 hit to date with her first ballad single "So Close" Dina Carroll followed up with another ballad. It wouldn't be the last ballad she'd have a hit with either. A ballad can be an absolute masterpiece if done well, but 90% of them are just boring and this is one of the 90%.
Verdict - Rubbish
This was the theme tune to the TV series of the same name. It definitely sounds like a TV theme tune as well. Not too bad to listen to 30 seconds of at the start and end of a TV show, but not as a full song.
Verdict - Rubbish
This record brings back so many memories for me. I remember listening to it for the first time on someone's Walkman. I remember being challenged to sing it to someone as proof that I'd heard Rage Against The Machines music. That same person was adamant they were underground and you had to go to a specialist shop to buy the album even though I could see it for sale in the local Our Price. Clearly enough people knew this song when it made Christmas number one in 2009.
Verdict - Good
This one reminds me of school discos where someone was getting pissed off with me copying their dance moves. I wasn't aware of the Simple Minds tune this sampled at the time, but now I'm very familiar with it I realise there's not really that much difference between the two records.
Verdict - Good
Sting is a prime example of someone who spent a few years in an iconic band followed by many years of releasing bucket loads of instantly forgettable crap. To be fair I do remember this record and a couple of his hits are alright, but this isn't one of them.
Verdict - Rubbish
Also known as the one about Bruce on the Generation Game. I always hated that show but it was much better than the dancing nonsense he went on to present later on. Anyway to the song. It was Saint Etienne's 4th Top 40 hit and the first to make the Top 20. It certainly sounds more pop than their previous efforts, but in a good way.
Verdict - Good
This was the 3rd Top 40 hit from their "Connected" album. If memory serves me correctly it was the only Top 40 hit not included on the TV advert for their album. I didn't buy the album at the time but bought it later on in life from HMV in Oxford St.
Verdict - Good
The 4th Top 40 hit for Bizarre Inc which put them level at the time with fellow rave acts The Prodigy, Altern-8 and SL2. It was their last Top 40 hit from the rave era, but they would be back with a completely different sound. It's one for the charts rather than the clubs, but I have the album and I never skip it.
Verdict - Good
This record is best remembered for it's video full of naked people rather than the actual tune. Reading through the video comments I came across one that sums it up perfectly for me "It sounds great and the message is still something to aspire to. It's a shame the years have made me cynical.".
Verdict - Good
This was the final Top 40 hit from their black album. It's probably got the most famous pause of all time in it. Around the time once I'd acquired enough tapes I put together my own compilation and this was the first song on it.
Verdict - Good
I did like this record at the time but haven't heard it since. I was expecting not to like it now though as I've become much less tolerant of eurodance in general, but I was pleasantly surprised to find I still like it. The fact it's breakbeat rather than the kick drum probably helps, but it sounds like a proper dance record.
Verdict - Good
Yes that's right, Tasmin Archer had another hit. In fact she had 5 Top 40 hits in total with this being her 2nd. I have to say when the chorus comes in and she starts singing "son of a bitch you broke my heart" it's quite something. Unfortunately the rest of the song isn't strong enough for me to truly like it.
Verdict - OK
I remember hearing this on the radio for the first time and the DJ said something along the lines of "here's the new REM record, check out the lyrics to this" before playing it. By the end of the song I think the only lyrics I could make out were "can only swallow money". Many people though he was singing "calling Jamaica" in the chorus but he wasn't. Anyway I guess it all gives the song character.
Verdict - Good
This originally made the Top 40 in 1991 but was remixed in 1993 to sound more like a pop record which is the direction they took for the rest of the decade. I guess you could call it dance music for people who aren't into dance music. I am into dance music though.
Verdict - Rubbish
This was the comic relief single for 1993 and was therefore being played all the time at the time. I don't think I've heard it since though. It was a truly dreadful song but I think that was the point.
Verdict - Rubbish
This was actually the first version of "Stairway To Heaven" that I heard. As such I found it difficult to take the original Led Zeppelin version seriously. That said the original is very overrated in my opinion. This cover is crap, but it's supposed to be.
Verdict - Rubbish
I was yet to enter my phase as a rock purist because when this record came out it was my favourite song. I was such a fan that when I was getting sunglasses to go on holiday I said I wanted sunglasses like Shaggy.
Verdict - Good
If ever there was proof that everyone's got one good song in them, then this is it. I'm not a fan of Duran Duran, I've always found their music irritating generally speaking. But this record is excellent. It's easy to point the finger at the guitaring for making this record so good and it certainly contributes to that, but everything about it is good.
Verdict - Good
This was the 6th Top 40 hit of the 90s for Rod Stewart with all 6 hits being covers. It was also his first of the 90s not to make the Top 10. I can't imagine too many people under 40 were buying his records by this point though, I certainly wasn't.
Verdict - Rubbish
We're into the final year of Stock and Waterman having hits which begins with this. It sounds like Stock and Waterman had little to do with it though, it's a cover and production was done by West End aka Eddie Gordon amongst others who were uncredited. That would explain why this record is actually quite good.
Verdict - Good
You couldn't escape this record at the time, it was everywhere. I recall "The Bodyguard" film which this was taken from being massive as well. Let's just say the film was much better than the song.
Verdict - Rubbish
8. Depeche Mode - I Feel You (New)
It's quite well documented that Depeche Mode got darker as the years went on. In the late 80s their music was darker than the early 80s but still came under the synth pop category. By this point they seemed more of a rock band with synthesizers being replaced by guitars.
Verdict - Good
It had already been established that boys weren't supposed to like Take That, but nobody had said anything about East 17 yet. Therefore I would make no secret at the time that I liked this record. It was their first Top 5 hit.
Verdict - Good
The singles kept on coming from the "Dangerous" album with this being the 7th. Whilst most of these singles had been new jack swing ones, this one was a rock song with Slash playing the guitar on it. I never liked it at the time because in my mind it couldn't be a proper rock song if it was by Michael Jackson. It has grown on me since.
Verdict - Good
When it came to peoples Top 10 bands, solo artists were allowed though they rarely featured because rock music was mostly done by bands. One solo artist in many peoples Top 10 around this time was Lenny Kravitz based on this record alone. Then it became apparent this was the same man who did "It Ain't Over Til It's Over" a couple of years prior and he followed this up with the very mellow "Believe". We all still liked this song though, but he was no longer worthy of a place in our Top 10s.
Verdict - Good
A week after Whitney Houston was finally knocked off the top spot we got this Top 5 follow up. It's also from "The Bodyguard" film and is a cover of the Chaka Khan record. At least this one isn't as depressing, but that's the only positive thing I can say about it.
Verdict - Rubbish
This double a-side is often a question on Popmaster and that's how I learned it was a double a-side. "Little Bird" was the one I remember being played at the time and I never really thought much of it. I have no recollection of hearing "Love Song For A Vampire" at the time. I've heard it since and don't think much of it either.
Verdict - Rubbish / Rubbish
The lead single from their "Everything Changes" album. I'd say this ones long forgotten now, it's not one you hear anymore. Yet it was Take That's biggest hit to this point. That said they only had 1 single that didn't reach number one after this during their original run. I absolutely detested this song at the time and haven't really changed my mind.
Verdict - Rubbish
The tune which knocked Whitney Houston off number one which everybody sang "there's no lyrics" to. I'm terrible at making out lyrics in songs and I remember being criticised for not knowing the words to the other bit she sings and remember other people telling me what the words were. My thoughts were they would have been better of genuinely having no lyrics.
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 17.5/30, or 58%. Same as last week.
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