Wednesday 1 March 2023

Top 30 in 1995 Reviewed: Week 9

Here's my weekly look at the Top 30 from 28 years ago. The plan is for these posts to go out at 17:30 on a Wednesday.

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 1995 with my verdict on each record:


At the time I recall someone saying there wasn't thing as an American raver because rave music doesn't exist over there. He obviously hadn't heard of Moby then, an American artist making rave music. I'm not sure if I was aware he was American at the time though.

Verdict - Good


There was once a pub in Newcastle called "Tut 'N' Shive" and whenever I'd walk past it I'd sing this in my head but changing the words to "I don't see nothing wrong with a little Tut 'N' Shive". Then it changed it's name to "Dog & Parrott" and "I don't see nothing wrong with a little Dog & Parrott" doesn't really work. Anyway I love this record, it's the opening track to a "Pure Swing" compilation I own and also appears on his "12 Play" album which I also own.

Verdict - Good


This was the first Top 40 hit of the 90s for Stevie Wonder. It was also just his 3rd Top 40 hit without the assistance of others since he'd topped the charts with you know what over a decade earlier. He'd long been considered past his best, but I actually think this record is decent and that was the reason why he was back in the Top 40.

Verdict - Good


There was a brief period of time when the Riverdance was big. Never been a fan of dancing myself so I ignored it the best I could. But given it's popularity they couldn't resist releasing a single from it. The fact it's all about watching the dancing rather than listening to the music though suggests the music isn't really up to much, which it isn't.

Verdict - Rubbish


The final original Top 40 hit to date for Rozalla. It's a cover of a record by Soul Family Sensation which is a record I've not heard before. As a result the fact it's a cover isn't clouding my judgment and I find myself enjoying this record. 

Verdict - Good


Tony De Vit was one of the big name DJs and this was his Top 40 debut and only Top 40 hit without 99th Floor Elevators. It was one of those records that was big in the underground before becoming commercially successful and it's a great tune.

Verdict - Good

24. Driza Bone - Real Love

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


The 3rd Top 40 hit in as many years for Judy Cheeks. This double a-side consists of an R&B record in "This Time" and a dance record in "Respect". The latter is the better known of the two and was written by Roger Sanchez. It's also the one I prefer out of the two but I do quite like "This Time" as well.

Verdict - Good / Good


Elastica were one of the best remembered Britpop groups, but they had just 3 Top 40 hits and this was the 3rd. The ended up being sued for the resemblance this had to "No More Heroes" by The Stranglers. I actually don't mind this record.

Verdict - OK


Steps have often been referred to as poundland Abba for the 90s which I don't disagree with at all. I would however say a more accurate description of them would be the Deuce of the late 90s. This was the Top 40 debut for Deuce and what I remembered most about it aside from how cheesy it was is the rhyming of face and disgrace. 

Verdict - Rubbish


It had been 9 years since Mike and the Mechanics made their Top 40 debut but this was just their 4th Top 40 hit which came 4 years after their 3rd. I remember watching this on Top of the Pops and what stood out to me was the whistle solo. Also little did we know at the time that the school boy in the video would be joining a new TV show called Hollyoaks later that year and would still be in it 27 years later.

Verdict - Good


My memory of this record is that Vanessa-Mae just seemed to come out of nowhere and we suddnely had this superstar violin player. She'd actually been around a few years but was now making a 'pop' album to appeal to a wider audience. This was her big hit and I actually quite like it.

Verdict - Good


I was getting a bit confused when listening to this just now. My memory of it is that it was a dance cover of the Bonnie Tyler record, but I start listening and finding this too is a ballad. That is until around a minute and a half in when it turns into a dance record. It's a very poor transition though and a poor record all together. It's the only time Nicki French will feature, but she did have one further Top 40 hit in 2000 with the Eurovision entry which makes sense.

Verdict - Rubbish


Following his hits from "The Lion King" and some covers, Elton John was reunited with Bernie Taupin on this his 51st Top 40 hit. Only Elvis Presley and Cliff Richard had reached that milestone by that point. It's a record that's not bad but lacking in excitement.

Verdict - OK


When I first heard this on Top of the Pops I wasn't sure whether I'd heard it before or not. When the first verse was being sung, in my mind I'd never heard it before. Then the chorus came in and it sounded familiar. What I don't know is if I'd genuinely heard the chorus before, or its one of those things I feel I've heard before but hadn't. The verses and chorus bear no resemblance to each other and I like that about the song. 

Verdict - Good


This was the final single to be released from their "Psyche" album. They'd been out of Byker Grove some time by this point. It was now all about Frew and Barney DJing, not to mention Byker Groove (Charlie, Leah and Angel) who failed to reach the Top 40 with their single at the end of 1994. 

Verdict - Rubbish


The 3rd Top 40 hit for Stu Allan's commercial dance outfit Clock. This was the record that made them more of a household name. "Axel F" is a eurodance cover of the Harold Faltermeyer record and does exactly what it says on the tin. All I can say is at least it's better than the Crazy Frog version. I've not heard "Keep Pushin" before and it's actually not bad.

Verdict - Rubbish / OK


This was the first and biggest Top 40 hit for Bucketheads which was a project of Kenny Dope from Masters At Work. It was the first time I'd come across Kenny Dope and initially I thought he was the bloke in the video. Despite the fact I know what he looks like now, it's still the bloke in the video I picture when I come across Kenny Dope. It's a great record too.

Verdict - Good


This was the 2nd UK Top 40 hit for German eurodance act (MC Sar And) The Real McCoy and the follow up to their biggest hit "Another Night". Unlike many other eurodance acts, they also were successful in America. Also unlike many other eurodance acts, I liked them enough to buy the album though admittedly this was years later and bought from poundland.

Verdict - Good


I used to regularly go to a pub quiz where the first round was always music clips where we had to give the artist title and year. There would be a common theme between the clips and one time it was number one hits of the 90s in which this appeared. Obviously the artist and title wasn't a problem, but the year wasn't so straightforward. On one hand it entered the charts in 1994 but it topped the charts in 1995, so which year was he wanting? I can't remember which one it was now, but it was different to the one I gave. That association makes me hate the song even more than I did previously. 

Verdict - Rubbish


The only Top 40 hit for Ini Kamoze who had been around since the early 80s and was in his late 30s by this point. It has 90s nostalgia written all over it, but even in the late 90s I remember looking back on records like this and thinking they don't make them like that anymore.

Verdict - Good


I remember watching this video. You had lots of strange looking people enter the photo booth, but then the last one to walk in was an ordinary looking bloke with long hair. Not only did I think the bloke with long hair was a bit out of place for looking normal, but I also thought long hair equaled rock music, and this was a dance record. I was therefore amazed to see the bloke with long hair was the bloke singing it, though in hindsight it makes a lot of sense. A bit overplayed now, but I still like it.

Verdict - Good


It was around the time of this record that I remember discussing with others that Madonna was old and it was maybe time she called it a day. She was 36 which doesn't seem old at all now. It's the same age Drake is now who is someone I regard as young and representative of modern music. Anyway the point really was that this record was shit.

Verdict - Rubbish


One thing that strikes me about this record is that the concept of a Saturday night would be different for Bon Jovi than the average person. The appeal of the Saturday night is that it's the one night of the week you haven't been working during the day and you don't have work in the morning. Bon Jovi however would be more likely to be "working" on a Saturday night. It's not a bad record but it's nothing special.

Verdict - OK


After deciding I wanted to go down the rave route, a question I asked myself was which records count as rave music. This was one that I did question and the answer is no not really. It was probably more to do with the fact I liked what I was hearing so if it did somehow qualify as rave then I'd be completely justified in liking it.

Verdict - Good


This record changed my life. Prior to this I was part of the grunge crowd and rave was the enemy. I was becoming disillusioned with it all and felt I was listening to music I should be listening to rather than what I wanted to listen to. Then this came along which was precisely what I shouldn't have liked, but I thought it was pretty much the best record out at that moment. I concluded that rave was much more up my street and so my transition to a raver began. 

Verdict - Good


This was a record I remember a lot of people taking the piss out of at the time, myself included. We just all thought it sounded ridiculous. It's pretty dull and boring at the same time which just makes it worse.

Verdict - Rubbish


This was the big hit for Alex Party. It makes me think of the Smash Hits Poll Winners party but I can't find any evidence of this ever being on it. What it also reminds me of is that a few months prior I couldn't stand this sort of music but I was liking it by this point.

Verdict - Good


This was the Top 40 debut and biggest hit for MN8. I've often said that British R&B in the 90s often sounded like a cheap imitation of its American counterpart. This is no exception, but at the same time what a tune. 

Verdict - Good


I remember going on holiday in 1995 and going to a restaurant the first night which was almost empty. As I dined it became apparent why nobody went there. The restaurant manager seemed to love this song, playing it multiple times that evening and encouraging diners to get up and dance to it with him. Needless to say I never went back. A boring depressing 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 20/30, or 67%. Been a while since we had a score that high.
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