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:
Although I don't recall anyone owning a Led Zeppelin album around this time, the rock crowd were generally full of praise for them for being just about the heaviest band of their era. The same can't be said of this solo effort from Robert Plant. It's classic now I've made a name for myself I'm going to put out any old crap and people will still buy it.
Verdict - Rubbish
29. Felix - Stars (New)
Felix is of course best known for his debut hit "Don't You Want Me" and to a lesser extent his follow up "It Will Make Me Crazy". He had a 3rd Top 40 hit with this that's long forgotten. It's nowhere near as good as his first two hits though.
Verdict - Rubbish
Luther Vandross seems a bit out of place in 1993. We're in an era of new jack swing and the emergence of hip hop soul, but Luther Vandross is having none of that and sticking to his roots. That's fair enough, when you've been around a few years and jump on the bandwagon if whatever's in often doesn't work. That said I can't really get into this one, bit slow and boring for my liking.
Verdict - Rubbish
When I was doing my yearly chart reviews and picking a record of the year for each year I picked "Hobart Paving" for 1993. I do question if that was the right choice, I can't help but think there must have been better tunes. Maybe from now on with each record I'll ask the question is it better than "Hobart Paving". Obviously I still like the record though. Likewise the other side "Who Do You Think You Are" is a decent record and features guest vocalist Debsy Wykes who I think has appeared at every Saint Etienne gig I've been to.
Verdict - Good / 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
Britpop was starting to take off at this point which meant the indie bands that were already established started to fall out of favour. Kingmaker were one of these bands, though this record was their joint highest charting single. It does sound a bit out of place in 1993, but it's not a bad record.
Verdict - OK
It had been just over 2 years since The Waterboys had their biggest hit with a re-issue of "The Whole Of The Moon". This was their next Top 40 hit and penultimate one to date. I've got no recollection of this record and it's not particularly catchy either. Think I'll just stick with "The Whole Of The Moon".
Verdict - Rubbish
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
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
This was the lead single from the "Liberator" album which has since been dismissed by Andy McCluskey who was the sole member of OMD by this point. I can understand why, I like a lot of OMDs music but this is far from their best.
Verdict - Rubbish
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
There was a period of time in 1993 when The Spin Doctors were my 10th favourite band and it was because of this record alone. The rest of my Top 10 was always changing and they dropped out when I could easily name 10 bands who were better. I would say their placing at number 10 was more symbolic of me thinking this is a solid decent record but only a nitwit would think it's the best song ever.
Verdict - Good
Around 18 months after the dreadful UK Mixmasters version of "Bare Necessities" we get this Jungle Book megamix which includes this record. Incidentally this reached the same position. Again it's dreadful.
Verdict - Rubbish
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
At this point Lulu had a Top 40 career spanning 29 years and 14 hits, but she had no hits as songwriter until this record. It sounds nothing like a Lulu record, but as she hadn't written any of her hits to this point I guess you couldn't really determine what she'd be like as a songwriter. Anyway, not my cup of tea.
Verdict - Rubbish
"Jump Around" is of course the best known House of Pain record and was enjoying greater success the second time round having originally charted at 32 the previous year. I still like it, but it has been overplayed over the years. I recall this being played on a Saturday night out and my mate saying wow tune. I on the other hand couldn't get excited about hearing a tune I was hearing every Saturday night being played on a Saturday night. I would say "Top O' The Morning To Ya" is less radio friendly, but that's a good thing.
Verdict - Good / Good
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
One thing that amazes me when I look at the history books is the number of hits Dina Carroll had before "Don't Be A Stranger". This was her 5th solo Top 40 hit and last hit before said record. Its something I thought I'd find alright at least, but it's nowhere near as good as I remember it and sounds very album filler to me.
Verdict - Rubbish
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
Utah Saints made their Top 40 debut almost 2 years prior to this, but their debut album was only just about to be released. This was also just their 3rd Top 40 hit. It samples "Love Action (I Believe in Love)" by Human League and "You Gave Me Love" by Crown Heights Affair which were both records I'd never heard at the time. I own said album and still regularly listen to it.
Verdict - Good
The 3rd single from the "Keep the Faith" album. Bon Jovi were my 3rd favourite band at the time behind Guns N Roses and INXS. This was one of my favourites from said album. What I like the most about this record is the drumming into the chorus.
Verdict - Good
Now Shabba Ranks had become a household name off the back of "Mr. Loverman" this record was back in the Top 40 having originally made 31 in 1991. Despite being the featured artist Maxi Priest appears to have the lions share of the vocals on this one. Can't really get into it though.
Verdict - Rubbish
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
This was the biggest Janet Jackson solo hit and arguably her best known record. Once again Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis are on songwriting duties. I've never understood the hype about this record though, it's pretty poor in my opinion. Sounds very much like background music.
Verdict - Rubbish
In the early part of the 21st century there were lots of cheesy eurodance records that came under the trance banner. This is possibly where all that started as this is essentially trance music of the cheesy eurodance variety. To be fair it's better than many of those 21st century records but it's still crap.
Verdict - Rubbish
At the time I recall someone accusing me of only liking this record because it was at number one. If anything that would have been a reason for me to not like it. UB40 do divide opinion, some say how can you take a reggae band from Birmingham who do lots of covers seriously whereas others say doesn't it really matter it's good to listen to. I fit the latter category.
Verdict - Good
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
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
I remember hearing this for the first time on the Big Breakfast and then hearing other singing it later on that day. It's a pretty catchy record and now I know it was produced by Denniz Pop that was clearly the point. I loved this record at the time and still like it even though I've perhaps heard it too many times.
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 14/30, or 47%. We're back below 50%, but I've noticed much of the rubbish ones are in the lower reaches.
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