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:
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
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
The only Top 40 hit for Gems For Jem who were Darren Pearce and Steve Mac. They'd previously been in the Top 40 in 1990 as Massivo. Steve Mac had also been in the charts as part of Nomad and Undercover and would later become a prolific songwriter for the likes of Westlife. This was a eurodance record that had it's similarities with "A Deeper Love" by Aretha Franklin/Clivilles & Cole. Nothing wrong with that, it's good fun.
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
24. Mark'Oh - Tears Don't Lie (New)
Happy hardcore was pretty big in the rave scene at the time with the likes of Dougal and Slipmatt being amongst the big names. It was however German DJ Mark'Oh who was the honour of having the first happy hardcore record in the UK Top 40. You could also technically say it's a Christmas record too as it samples "When A Child Is Born". That's why if anyone asks what my favourite Christmas record is I say this.
Verdict - Good
23. R Kelly - The 4 Play EP (New)
A year prior to this R Kelly made his Top 40 debut with "Your Body's Callin'". It was also the lead track off this EP which brought his Top 40 hit count to 5. I guess that made sense to give this a second go following the success of "She's Got That Vibe" and "Bump N' Grind". It charted 4 places lower than the first time though. A decent record.
Verdict - Good
It feels like we've gone back to 1993 with this record, and era where we had a lot of reggae pop in the charts. Chaka Demus & Pliers were now finished with their Top 40 career and this seems to be filling the gap they left behind. I do quite like this sort of music.
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
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
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
Not only was this record "The Highest Apple", it was also the highest charting hit of the 90s for Runrig. Generally speaking they didn't make the sort of music you'd expect to make the Top 40. It's even more remarkable that this made the Top 40 because I just find it boring.
Verdict - Rubbish
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
When I started going out in my college days there were basically 3 choices of venues to go after 11pm. A snooker club that was reasonably priced, free to enter, had a good bar area and generally pleasant to visit and was in the town centre near the pubs that had just closed. Then there was a small town centre nightclub that was £2 to enter but nobody really went there. Finally there was a really shitty nightclub in the outskirts of the town, £5 to enter, terrible music, lots of fights and puke everywhere. Where did we go? to the latter of course because that's where everyone else went. That's the sort of thing I think of when I hear this song, but more in a sense of being able to relate to wanting to go where the people go.
Verdict - Good
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
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
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
12. Weezer - Buddy Holly (New)
The 2nd Top 40 hit for Weezer which is also their best known hit, thanks in part to it's "Happy Days" themed video. On a more personal level this came not long after I quit a band. I'd initially been singer and occasional guitarist but wanted to play guitar more. My band mate said OK he'll be lead guitarist and singer and I'll be rhythm guitarist. I said if I'm not singing then I want to be lead guitarist which led to me quitting. Just seconds into this record you can see the lead singer is also the lead guitarist and I felt the rhythm guitarists pain when I saw that. Didn't stop me liking it though.
Verdict - Good
A record from 1958 that finally entered the charts after appearing on the Guinness advert. Perez 'Prez' Prado sadly didn't live to see this records success as he died in 1989. I'm not sure I was aware of just how old this record was at the time and when I hear it I very much think 1995.
Verdict - Good
10. Bjork - Army Of Me (New)
The 6th solo Top 40 hit for Bjork which saw her make the Top 10 for the first time. This time turned to Graham Massey from 808 State though it doesn't sound lake an 808 State record by any means. I found this record pretty odd at the time and it's one of those I've started to appreciate more as the years have passed.
Verdict - Good
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
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
There's a certain irony to this record which was the 8th solo Top 40 hit for Paul Weller. In the record he is saying that he is "The Changingman" but in reality he hasn't changed at all, he's just doing his record again.
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
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
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
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
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
1. Oasis - Some Might Say (New)
This was the 6th Top 40 hit for Oasis and it gave them their first number one. I recall on The O-Zone after this topped the charts Liam Gallagher said he wasn't surprised this got to number one because it's a good record. I too wasn't surprised given how big Oasis were becoming, but I can't say I agree about the good record bit.
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 21.5/30, or 72%. Slipping, but still a great score.
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