Here's my weekly look at the Top 30 from 27 years ago. The plan is for these posts to go out at 17:30 on a Friday.
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 1996 with my verdict on each record:
The 4th and final Top 40 hit to date for Gin Blossoms. They had their first 2 hits in 1994 which were written by band member Doug Hopkins who had commit suicide by that point. In 1996 they returned with the other band members on songwriting duties, the first of which only reached 39. I have to say it's much better than I remembered it, to the point I actually quite like it.
Verdict - Good
The Top 40 debut for The Wannadies which is the only record many remember them for. Always thought this was a decent record if I'm honest, but what really confirmed how much I liked it was when I couldn't help but drum along when it appeared on "Romeo + Juliet".
Verdict - Good
This was the fourth hit single for Cast. Their first three hits were quite uplifting ones, although not really my cup of tea. Then this song came along which followed the same formula of several other dreary hits from the Brit Pop era. To be fair to them though, they did revert back to the more uplifting style for the rest of the decade.
Verdict - Rubbish
A "Dream House" version of the theme music to the TV series. In theory it should be rubbish, but once the beat kicks in you find there's more to it that simply putting a beat over the TV theme tune. the piano takes over and the samples of the theme music only really appear in the background.
Verdict - Good
I find interviews with Noel Gallagher nowadays very entertaining and do find myself agreeing with a lot of what he says about music that I don't like. I can't say the same about his music though. I never understood why Oasis were so popular, their music was just so dull in my opinion. Not only is this tune dull though, it's rather annoying too.
Verdict - Rubbish
This had already been a hit in other European countries in 1995 but didn't chart in the UK until 1996. It's one of many tunes which sample James Brown. It only reached number 14 which is quite surprising given its popularity at the time. It's not a bad tune, but I did get a bit sick of hearing it at the time.
Verdict - OK
I always like the darkness of "Gangstas Paradise" and always found the more uplifting follow ups from Coolio a bit hard to take. They have grown on me over time though, I own his "Gangstas Paradise" album so that's allowed me to get to like this.
Verdict - Good
This was the 2nd solo Top 40 hit for Matt Goss which is a cover of the Alexander O'Neal record. If it wasn't for his voice I'd be thinking how the fuck is that the same person that used to be in Bros from just looking at him. It is basically a karaoke version I'm not going to lie. Yet I can't help but like it for some reason, a guilty pleasure I suppose.
Verdict - Good
Believe it or not, this was the joint highest charting single for The Cranberries and charted higher than any of the obvious ones like "Zombie". What I'm quickly learning was the likes of "Zombie" increased the fan base for The Cranberries which meant that when they released the next album, of which this is the lead single, they stood a better chance of charting higher in the Top 40. I dare say many would then question why the fuck they bought this crap and listened to "Zombie" instead.
Verdict - Rubbish
What's this? A Meat Loaf song that's only 4 minutes long, surely not. Except it's not really a Meat Loaf song as such, it's "Good Times" by Easybeats done Jimmy Barnes and INXS style but with different lyrics. I guess there had to be some needlessly over the top aspect to it. My advice is just listen to Jimmy Barnes and INXS instead.
Verdict - Rubbish
20. Skunk Anansie - Charity (New)
This was the Top 40 debut for Skunk Anansie which originally made number 40 in 1995 but fared better in 1996 following the release of "Weak". I remember hearing this on The Big Breakfast and I've got a feeling that would have been around the time it was first released. It follows the mellow verse heavy chorus formula and sounds good when the chorus kicks in.
Verdict - Good
This was the 3rd and penultimate solo Top 40 hit for former TTF singer Mary Kiani. It's a cover of the Shannon record done eurodance style. It's a no from me, the original is miles better and this is just pure cheese.
Verdict - Rubbish
The follow up to "I Wanna Be A Hippy" which I seem to be the only one who remember. I have suggested this as an alternative birthday song for peoples birthday a number of times but nobody seems to know what I'm on about. I've sent YouTube links to it on peoples birthdays before which is usually met with what the fuck is that. You may have gathered that I like this record.
Verdict - Good
17. Babylon Zoo - Animal Army (New)
Given the number of times I've seen Babylon Zoo referred to as a one hit wonder there's a good chance you didn't know they had another hit. I do remember them having this hit though. This time there's no pitched up vocals which makes this song as a whole comparable to the rest of "Spaceman" i.e. "Spaceman" with the good bits taken out.
Verdict - Rubbish
Musically I cannot fault this record, it has the sort of formula that should equate to a record I would like. It's also very 90s which again is a good thing. Yet I find myself getting really irritated when I hear it. I want to smash up the radio. No idea why, but I can't exactly like a record when it makes me feel like that.
Verdict - Rubbish
After a Todd Terry remix brought Everything But The Girls out of the music wilderness, they turned to Spring Heel Jack to come up with a drum & bass record. It became the first drum & bass record to reach the Top 10 which is something I find pretty tragic given the number of decent drum & bass records about at the time.
Verdict - Rubbish
The Top 40 debut for 2Pac and proof that he did have hits in the UK before he died. To give you an idea of how little I knew about rap at the time, following "Gangstas Paradise" by Coolio & LV where Coolio rapped the verse and LV sang the chorus I just assumed this was similar in that 2Pac rapped the verse and Dr Dre sang the chorus. That's laughable now. Anyway, a few years ago I did this at karaoke but no lyrics came up on the screen but I still managed to recite most of the lyrics which tells you how much I've listened to this record.
Verdict - Good
Despite being a brand new record in 1996, this sounds like it could have easily come out in 1966. That's not a bad thing though. I do remember hearing this a lot at the time so I did get a bit sick of it, but still not a bad tune.
Verdict - OK
When The Presidents Of The United States Of America made their Top 40 debut earlier in the year with "Lump" I thought it was a bit of a strange record even though I liked it. Then they followed up with this record which took strangeness to another level. Never thought I'd hear a record about peaches and how they come in a can and were put there by a man. What a tune though, I love it.
Verdict - Good
11. Orbital - The Box (New)
Orbital made their Top 40 debut back in 1990 with "Chime". This was their 6th Top 40 hit and was their biggest hit to date at this point. With The Prodigy and Chemical Brothers both pretty big around this time, Orbital had gone in a similar direction to them whilst retaining their own unique sound.
Verdict - Good
A record you definitely couldn't avoid hearing in 1996, but what a tune. Like many dance records at the time, this was already over a year old by the time it was released. It's one of those tunes you can sit back and relax to but also get up and dance to, and I've done both.
Verdict - Good
Mark Snow composed the actual them music to the X Files and here it is at number two in the charts. I can't say I'm a big fan of the theme music, or the programme itself for that matter. I can't say I particularly dislike it either though.
Verdict - OK
This was the record which ensured the Prodigy would never have to go back to the day job. At the time I loved the Prodigy and owned the first two albums. I remember listening to the Evening Session on Radio One where they said they were going to play the new Prodigy tune for the first time and I was excited about hearing it. However, when they played it I was very disappointed. I think the main reason was because when I started listening to the Prodigy, I was moving away from rock music to listen to rave, but this tune seemed to be going back towards rock music. Since then I've grown to like the rockier tunes from the Prodigy more than I used to, but I just can't bring myself to like this tune.
Verdict - Rubbish
You may think that Lisa Marie Experience is a group fronted by Lisa Marie, but it isn't. It is in fact 2 male producers, D. Ramirez and Neil Hynde and this was their Top 40 debut. It's a cover of a Musique record done 90s style. They've also done away with most of the words of the original which in dance music terms is a good thing.
Verdict - Good
This Simon & Garfunkel cover was the biggest solo Top 40 hit for Suggs. It was also the biggest Top 40 hit for Louchie Lou and Michie One. To be honest I was never sure whether a record was a Suggs solo or a Madness record in the 90s, but on reflection there's a clear distinction in that Suggs solo records sound a bit of a joke.
Verdict - Rubbish
5. Ash - Goldfinger (New)
This was the 3rd Top 40 hit for Ash which came just before their debut album "1977". I remember hearing the reason for the album title was it being the year they were born. Whilst older than me I still thought bloody hell that's young. I also thought if this is the future of rock then thank god for rave.
Verdict - Rubbish
I remember where I was when I first heard this record. I was in a restaurant with a group of people and a music channel was on. The general consensus around the table was how shit is this record? It just sounded a noise and an example of how Michael Jackson could make any old crap and people would buy it. My opinion hasn't really changed.
Verdict - Rubbish
I remember watching "A Song for Europe" where a number of songs went to the public vote to decide which one should represent the country at the Eurovision Song Contest. Of all the songs on the show, this was my favourite and the voting public agreed. Admittedly it is a bit cheesy and did get played to death at the time. As far as Eurovision songs go though, I cannot think of a single one that I think is better than this. No doubt there will be Brit Pop fans reading this thinking I've now lost what little credibility I did have. But I listen to music for enjoyment, not credibility.
Verdict - Good
The comeback single from the Manic Street Preachers following the disappearance of Richey Edwards which gave them their biggest Top 40 hit to that point. As was the trend around this time, their music had softened up and I wasn't a fan.
Verdict - Rubbish
I remember when this first entered the charts it was at number six for three weeks in a row. It would eventually climb to number one, the first time a record climbed to number one rather than go straight in at number one for a while. I always found Mark Morrison quite hard to take seriously with the way he sang. Still not a bad record though.
Verdict - OK
If we give the records which were good 1 point each and those which were OK half a point, the final score is 15/30, or 50%. We've been hovering above and below it, but for the first time in 1996 it's 50%.
No comments:
Post a Comment