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:
Shane McGowan is best known as the lead singer of The Pogues who in turn are best known for their Christmas duet with Kirsty MacColl. It therefore seemed logical to duet with a female singer to give his solo career a boost. Never really worked though.
Verdict - Rubbish
The 3rd Top 40 hit for TLC which was the first one not to be written by Dallas Austin. Instead it's Babyface on songwriting duties. I think you can tell it's a Babyface composition too and as I like Babyface records as a general rule I guess I like this one.
Verdict - Good
This was the Top 40 debut for Mark Morrison in 1995, but following the success of "Return of the Mack" this was remixed and charted higher than it did the first time around. I'd say this is an illustration of how British R&B is often inferior to it's American counterpart.
Verdict - Rubbish
27. Joshua Kadison - Jessie (New)
It's rumoured that this record was written about Sarah Jessica Parker who Joshua Kadison was said to be dating at the time. It's not unusual for a musician to be dating a film actress, but doing so before the musicians had his first hit seems pretty unusual. Anyway this was played at lot at the time and I quite liked it, still do.
Verdict - Good
When Terence Trent D'Arby went in the rock direction in 1993 I wasn't convinced. He continued to go in the same direction for this 1995 comeback which would be his final Top 40 hit to date. This record is much more like it though, don't know why but it works for me.
Verdict - Good
The record that The Stone Roses are best known for which was originally a Top 40 hit in 1989 and was rereleased with a bunch of remixes in 1995. This came at a time when they were on their 2nd album which came some time after the 1st. Presumably this was to remind people who they were in an attempt to boost album sales. It's not a bad record, but I've never really got the fuss about The Stone Roses to be honest.
Verdict - OK
It had been getting on for a year since Wet Wet Wet first topped the charts with "Love Is All Around" until they released this, the follow up. It didn't feel like it though given how long "Love Is All Around" was in the charts for. I do feel like I shouldn't like this record, but I do.
Verdict - Good
Naughty By Nature are best known for "OPP" and to a lesser extent "Hip Hop Hooray". This one isn't so well known to the masses but in my opinion this record is much better than their best known ones. It would be their final Top 40 hit to date.
Verdict - Good
When I was reviewing the 1991 charts I mentioned that Shabba Ranks was having hits earlier than you'd think. Now I'm saying he also had hits later than you'd think. This was his final Top 40 hit to date and I have no memory of it. I was expecting a Marvin Gaye cover but it isn't. As long as you don't try and take it too seriously it's quite enjoyable.
Verdict - Good
That's right, Scarlet had another Top 40 hit. I have no memory of this and as I'm listening I'm trying to draw comparisons with other artists before settling on that I could imagine this being a Voice of the Beehive record. Nothing wrong with that, I quite liked them.
Verdict - Good
This was the last original Top 40 hit to date for Snap!. They were very much on the commercial side of dance music but purely from an enjoyment perspective I would say their latter hits are the best ones. The way dance music in general had evolved by this point suits this kind of record.
Verdict - Good
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
Del Amitri are a band that I'm starting to appreciate a lot more from doing these reviews. I could take or leave them at the time and vaguely remember this record. I was expecting it to sound average at best but there's a lot more to it than I remember. I feel I should give it another listen just to let it sink in.
Verdict - Good
The 2nd and final Top 40 hit from the "Dummy" album which came out in 1994. Like its predecessor this also reached number 13. That album is one of my all time favourites so there is absolutely no doubting my verdict on this record.
Verdict - Good
Even relative reggae pop newcomer Pato Banton was struggling somewhat from a chart perspective in 1995. He was never able to reach similar heights to his chart topping debut with this being his 3rd Top 40 which like his 2nd got no higher than 15. His debut had the Campbell brothers from UB40, his 2nd had Sting and now his 3rd had Ranking Roger from The Beat. It's a great catchy record and its relative lack of success means it hasn't suffered from overplay.
Verdict - Good
The 2nd Top 40 hit for Deuce which was also their highest charting. They were basically Steps before Steps existed. In fact a number of years later I heard this for the first time in years and initially thought I was hearing Steps but then realised later on that I'd misremembered and it was actually Deuce. It's therefore crap.
Verdict - Rubbish
The Top 40 debut for Strike which originally charted in 1994 but fared better when it returned to the charts in 1995. Its the record Strike were best known for. It's definitely one of those records that makes me nostalgic about the 90s.
Verdict - Good
As a raver in 1995 I liked to point out that this was music for young people that old people couldn't understand. This was one such record I liked at the time, little did I know that Paul Oakenfold wrote it with Rob Davis from 70s band Mud. It's a classic for sure.
Verdict - Good
The issue I used to have with the Eurovision Song Contest when I was younger was that it sounded like most of the music was stuck in the dark ages. Then in 1995 this record was selected to represent the UK and I thought wow a song that actually sounds modern at Eurovision. I also watched the Eurovision Song Contest that year and it really should have won as it was the best record by far.
Verdict - Good
German eurodance act The Real McCoy were successful in both the UK and America with their first 2 Top 40 hits. This was their 3rd Top 40 hit which failed to reach the Top 10 in the UK and didn't chart in America. I do prefer the first two, but this one is still decent enough.
Verdict - Good
Whilst the Corona Top 40 debut "The Rhythm of the Night" charted higher, I would say this follow up hit is the one they're best known for. It's a cheesy eurodance number but it's one of the more enjoyable variety and as such I quite like it.
Verdict - Good
The Top 40 debut for Brownstone and the record they are best known for. It reached number 8 in both the UK and America. I would also say this is their best Top 40 hit and was very much of it's time, that's a better time.
Verdict - Good
8. Let Loose - Best In Me (New)
In 1995 if I was asked to name the worst band in the world at the moment then Let Loose would have certainly been a strong candidate. It was a combination of being a boy band with guitars and the resulting music sounding so lame. This was their 4th Top 40 hit and we've also reached album filler territory with this one.
Verdict - Rubbish
Here's a turn up for the books, an Australian pop singer who wasn't on an Aussie soap. This was the Top 40 debut for Tina Arena and the record she's best known for. This is how you make a pop ballad, once it gets going it's quite something.
Verdict - Good
The follow up to their Top 40 debut "I've Got A Little Something For You". Amongst the songwriters on this record is Conner Reeves who was yet to start his Top 40 career. Incidentally he never wrote any of his own Top 40 hits. It's a poor follow up record that's long forgotten now,
Verdict - Rubbish
One of the reasons I have 1995 down as being a good year for music is because I'd videotaped the Christmas edition of Top of the Pops and found myself liking many of the records they used to round up the year. There were however exceptions to that and this record stands out as one of those that wasn't so good.
Verdict - Rubbish
4. Boyzone - Key To My Life (New)
This record confirmed that Boyzone weren't going to be one hit wonders. It was the first Top 40 hit to be written by Ray Hedges who penned several of their hits. It gave us a good idea about what to expect from Boyzone for the rest of the decade i.e. a dreary ballad.
Verdict - Rubbish
This originally made number 38 in 1994 but did better when it returned to the charts in 1995 and gave Bobby Brown his highest charting Top 40 hit to date. It was also the last of his big hits. The single version was a K-Klass remix and is a dance record. A great uplifting record.
Verdict - Good
1995 was the year of The Outhere Brothers and this is where it all began. They were massive in 1995 and then afterwards they were nowhere to be seen really. I was a fan of their music, it was great fun to listen to.
Verdict - Good
At the time me and a couple of others were given lunchtime detention at school for a few days by the science teacher in the science lab. He would listen to his tape which began with this song. We would therefore laugh at this possibly 50 something bloke listening to Take That. I always hated Take That and still think most of their music is crap, but I have to concede that this one is actually quite good.
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 22.5/30, or 75%. A great score especially given some of the new entries this week.
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