Sunday 30 April 2023

Top 30 in 1993 Reviewed: Week 18

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:


One of the many Gloria Estefan Top 40 hits of the 90s that I don't remember. This was actually the highest charting of the ones I don't remember. It's a dance record that sounds very much like one for the dancefloor. Well it's certainly not one for my listening pleasure anyway.

Verdict - Rubbish


The final Top 40 hit to date for Big Country. They're one of those bands who's music has character, you can generally tell you're listening to a Big Country record. This one has glimpses of that character but overall it's too much of a ballad and lacking the usual charm.

Verdict - Rubbish


This was the lead single from their "Modern Life Is Rubbish" album who's title is part of the lyrics to this song. I almost wonder whether they were thinking to the future with that title when modern life really would be rubbish but we can listen to music from a time when life was better. Nostalgia aside though it's pretty average.

Verdict - OK


This was the Top 40 debut for PJ Harvey and her 2nd highest charting hit despite only getting to 27. It sounds like it could be an American alternative rock band, the fact it was produced by Steve Albini may have something to do with that. Not a record I'd go out of my way to listen to, but not a bad one.

Verdict - OK


It seems like Sting was an unlikely influence on Craig David. They collaborated on "Rise & Fall" which sampled "Shape of my Heart" by Sting. On the same album as "Shape of my Heart" is a song called "Seven Days". It's not the same as the Craig David record but does mention every day of the week in the chorus. The similarities do end there though with Craig David having the far better record.

Verdict - Rubbish


There have been numerous examples in dance music where an instrumental has been released to little success but then vocals get added and it becomes successful. This is one of those examples which is a shame because the vocals are the worst part of it. Fortunately the vocals are used sparingly enough to not completely ruin the record and for a large part we can enjoy it for what it is.

Verdict - Good


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


We're in an era where Deacon Blue were going in more of a rock direction. Bizarrely though this was produced by Paul Oakenfold and Steve Osborne who you would associate more with dance music. It worked though.

Verdict - Good


I think the year this was in the Eurovision song contest was the first year I actually watched it and realised what a pile of crap it is. You would expect it to be a cover of the Kylie Minogue record but it isn't. Sounds like it should be a cover though. It's the final Top 40 hit to date for Sonia.

Verdict - Rubbish


This was the Top 40 debut for SWV. I'm not sure I remember it at the time but its one of those early 90s R&B anthems that I'm very familiar with. I made the effort to truly get into it during my R&B phase but if I'm honest I find it pretty average.

Verdict - OK


This one reminds me of school discos. Everyone would sing along to this and I don't think too many of us really knew what it was about. Another thing I didn't know at the time was that Inner Circle formed in 1968 and had previous been in the Top 40 in 1979. Despite that, this tune has early 90s written all over it.

Verdict - Good


This was the 2nd release of this record which failed to make the Top 40 when first released in 1992. It would take the 3rd release in 1994 to reach its peak. I'm not quite sure how well remembered this is now given their bigger hit, but it was certainly big back in the day. It is just another crappy dance pop record though.

Verdict - Rubbish


I would say this is possibly the least remembered East 17 Top 40 hit. It's quite odd in a way because it came at a time when East 17 established themselves as the boy band to rival Take That because their previous single "Deep" basically showed they were no flash in the pan with their debut "House Of Love". The advantage of this though is it hasn't been played to death for the last 30 years.

Verdict - Good


Terence Trent D'Arby had more Top 40 his in the 90s than the 80s, just. This was the first of those 90s hits and his first since 1988. He's made the transition from soul to rock music here. It just sounds a bit of a mess though.

Verdict - Rubbish


The 2nd and final Top 40 hit to date for Dr Alban. The fact that Mozaic did a cover a couple of years later means I don't know whether I remember this record or just remember the cover. It's got a good hook to it so I guess it's good.

Verdict - Good


Duran Duran made a solid start to 1993 with the excellent "Ordinary World" which I described as being the only Duran Duran song I like. This is the follow up and I stand by what I said. It's an improvement on their 80s records but still nothing I'd listen to by choice.

Verdict - Rubbish


This is the record Shabba Ranks is best known for. It only made number 23 the first time round but then returned to the charts in 1993 when it made number 3. During the time between this he made his infamous appearance on "The Word" which I thought killed his career but it seemed to have the opposite effect. It's good in a 90s nostalgia sort of way.

Verdict - Good


The Top 40 debut for Jade and their biggest hit. It certainly has the 90s nostalgia factor to it. The fact the reunion consisted of just 2 of the 3 members and they added a contestant from "The Voice" to the group tells me I'm nostalgic about something that never really existed. I'll try not to let that put me off the tune though.

Verdict - Good


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


In 1993 rave music had all but disappeared from the Top 40 but The Prodigy had one last single from their "Experience" album which is what I'd call the first proper rave tune of the year. It's fair to say that The Prodigy had established themselves as the biggest rave act around by this point.

Verdict - Good


There are many records that have been played to death over the years and this is definitely one of them. It's been remixed to death too, though this best known version was a remix itself. The remix was by Stonebridge, the same Stonebridge who were putting out cheesy dance records in the 21st century. The issue I have with this being overplayed is that it was nothing special to begin with.

Verdict - OK


REM were I band I paid attention to in late 1992/early 1993. I remember "Drive", "Man on the Moon" and "The Sidewinder Sleeps Tonight" being released very well. Yet this record came next and made the Top 10 unlike those mentioned and it completely passed me by. I'd heard it by the summer and was somewhat baffled why I missed it the first time round. Looking at the history books (aka the internet) though I now know I would have been on holiday when this appeared on Top of the Pops. I don't mind it, but I've heard much better from them.

Verdict - OK


With this record entering the charts I know that "Sweat (A La La La La Long)" by Inner Circle is just round the corner. Both take me back to school discos in an era where I loved pretty much everything which was played. It's one of the last Stock and Waterman hits, but according to West End aka Eddie Gordon they just replicated what he'd done previously, which explains why this is good.

Verdict - Good


Indie music by definition is music on an independent record label but by the 90s it was more likely to be used to describe guitar music too soft to be considered rock regardless of what sort of label it was on. In the 80s New Order were basically and indie band but their music style was more synth pop. This was their first Top 40 hit since their "World In Motion" chart topper. The style of music had changed and they were now sounding more like an indie band. It's a borderline record really. It's not a patch on their 80s material but if I try to ignore the comparisons it isn't bad.

Verdict - OK


Cappella made their Top 40 debut in 1989, but this was just their 3rd Top 40 hit. This is the start of their full on cheesy eurodance era. It's not as bad as I remember it being, but it's still pretty bad.

Verdict - Rubbish


I don't think anyone knew the words to this when it came out, but in the chorus people would sing "I'll lick your bum bum now". I always assumed they weren't the real lyrics and with the benefit of the internet I can see it's "A licky boom boom down". It's regarded by many as a bit of a joke record but I always quite liked it and I challenge anyone to singalong word for word, I'm sure most would struggle.

Verdict - Good


Sub Sub had just the one Top 40 hit but they would re-emerge in the year 2000 as Doves. Yes that's right, one of the most boring bands ever started off making dance music. This is far from boring though so don't let that put you off.

Verdict - Good


We had the film "The Bodyguard" in late 1992 which resulted in Whitney Houston being at number one for what seemed like an eternity. She followed that up with another record from the film with "I'm Every Woman". Now here we are at the end of April with yet another song from the film which like her chart topper is a dreary ballad.

Verdict - Rubbish


This originally made the Top 40 in 1984 but topped the charts when re-released in 1993 after it featured on the Volkswagen Golf advert. It wasn't until years later that I realised this was an old record. It's a great feel good record.

Verdict - Good


When this topped the charts several people pointed this out to me thinking I was still a Queen fan. I'd reply I don't care, I'm a Guns n Roses fan now. I also recall a school assembly where the headmaster asked one of the younger teachers who was at number one in the charts and she said The Bluebells which prompted most of the kids to say no it isn't, it's Queen. It also appeared as a question on a quiz at youth club, if we answered George Michael and Queen or just George Michael we got the points, if we just answered Queen we didn't. Anyway I may have tried avoiding it at the time but it's a pretty decent cover. 

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 17/30, or 57%. How did that happen? just 2 new entries I truly liked and we're back above 50%.
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