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:
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
29. Marillion - Beautiful (New)
Marillion made their Top 40 debut back in 1983 and were in the charts for most years up until this record in 1995 which was their 19th Top 40 hit. They were absent from the Top 40 for nearly a decade after this. I'd say this is amongst their better records, I guess you could say it's beautiful.
Verdict - Good
One of the downsides of reviewing the charts in the 90s is having to listen to a Daniel O'Donnell song each year after 1992. Here he is joined by Mary Duff who never had any Top 40 hits by herself. Does nothing to improve the song.
Verdict - Rubbish
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
The 6th and final solo Top 40 hit for Jimmy Somerville which meant he had one more Top 40 hit as a solo artists than he did with Bronski Beat. It also meant that he'd had more covers than original Top 40 hits as a solo artist. This was the lowest charting of those covers. I quite like it.
Verdict - Good
This was the 2nd Top 40 hit for Dr Dre and the first time he's featured as his debut never made the Top 30. It was taken from the film "Friday" which had his former NWA bandmate Ice Cube in it. a very stereotypical Dr Dre tune which is a good thing.
Verdict - Good
Pizzaman was one of many aliases of Norman Cook which came after Freak Power and before Fatboy Slim. I would say this one is the best of the 3 Pizzaman hits, it was very much of its time and makes me nostalgic for that time.
Verdict - Good
I've always seen Michelle Gayle as a prime example of British R&B being inferior to its American counterpart. I remember this record as was ready to say that, but instead I'm quite surprised to find myself enjoying it after all these years. With an American songwriter and a video where she's wearing a Michigan dress and it looks like it was recorded in America I guess it's more of an American record with a Brit providing vocals.
Verdict - Good
The final Top 40 hit to date for Loveland, but Rachel McFarlane would be back. I would also say this was the best Loveland record, yes it was still a commercial dance record but some of them can be pretty good if done well.
Verdict - Good
After Celine Dion had been at the top of the charts for what seemed like an eternity with a dreary ballad, here she was back with another dreary ballad. My opinion of this song is therefore much the same as my opinion of its predecessor.
Verdict - Rubbish
When this record first came out I thought that Montell Jordan may have been a basketball player who made a record. The fact he was so tall and had the surname Jordan would have been logical reasons why. That said, the fact is too good to be by a sportsman really.
Verdict - Good
This was the Top 40 debut for Dodgy in 1994 which reached number 38. I guess it made more sense to release it in the summer really and I'd say this was the record that made people notice Dodgy. It was a great summer too.
Verdict - Good
The Top 40 debut and only chart topper for Livin Joy which is also the hit they're most famous for. It's a commercial dance record no doubt and I've perhaps heard this too many times in my life by now. It does however push the right buttons to make it great fun to listen to.
Verdict - Good
Reef were a band the rock crowd were getting into at the time and was one of the reasons I stopped listening to rock and got into rave instead. I thought their music was too soft but in the case of this record it's a complete non-entity.
Verdict - Rubbish
This was originally a chart topper for Procol Harum back in the 60s and is one of the all time great 60s records in my opinion. It's therefore going to be very difficult to cover this record without ruining it. Inevitably then this cover is a bit shit.
Verdict - Rubbish
I've never liked rugby as a sport and have never watched the rugby world cup in my life. The way to know it was happening was a version of this song being in the charts. It do find it somewhat baffling that rugby prides itself on being a hardcore sport yet it gets represented musically by such a namby pamby song.
Verdict - Rubbish
The Top 40 debut for Jam & Spoon which first charted in 1994. It's their highest charting hit and the one they're best known for. It's nowhere near as good as their less successful records from 1995 and it's difficult to not make the comparison. If I ask myself if it's better than "Don't Make Me Wait" by Loveland ft Rachel McFarlane though I'd say yes it probably is.
Verdict - Good
After the eventual success of "Push The Feeling On" courtesy of a MK remix, The Nightcrawlers reunited with MK for this follow up which very much follows the same formula. The main difference is that it's nowhere near as catchy, but then that's what makes it good in its own way.
Verdict - Good
12. Whigfield - Think Of You (New)
Whigfield is best known for her chart topping debut "Saturday Night" which is an irritating record. Then came "Another Day" which is basically the same tune with different lyrics. Then came this which made me think what the fuck, I like this Whigfield record. It's still cheesy don't get me wrong, but in a good way. Those who remember it are likely to remember it for the line "I need you inside me tonight".
Verdict - Good
Bernard Butler left Suede in 1994 and then formed a duo with David McAlmont. This was their Top 40 debut and the record they're best known for. Whilst this also falls under the britpop banner it's very different to Suede. That's a good thing.
Verdict - Good
The solo Top 40 debut for Billie Ray Martin who had previously been in the Top 40 as the singer for Electribe 101. Initially reaction to hearing that there was a singer called Billie Ray Martin was not that achy breaky heart bloke again. It was a different Billie Ray though, a German female as opposed to an American male. It couldn't be any more different, but it's almost as annoying as "Achy Breaky Heart".
Verdict - Rubbish
Black Grape was what Shaun Ryder and Bez did after the Happy Mondays. This was their Top 40 debut. It's a funky number and I'm not sure whether Shaun Ryder is trying to sing or rap it. A decent record nonetheless.
Verdict - Good
The debut solo Top 40 hit for Ali Campbell which was also his biggest. It features uncredited vocals from Pamela Starks. The only resemblance it has to a UB40 record is Ali Campbell's singing, it's very much a pop record otherwise. It's also how a pop record should be done.
Verdict - Good
I was really critical of this song at the time. It's called "This Ain't A Love Song" but it clearly is one, something I'd shout when I'd hear it. I was still very much in my anti-Bon Jovi phase. In reality though this is one of my favourite Bon Jovi records and a good one to scream your lungs out to.
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
I don't think anyone saw this one coming. A eurodance record that's rapped by a 53 year old bloke with a stutter. This record is about as 1995 as they come even though it was originally recorded in 1994. What a tune though.
Verdict - Good
The follow up to the chart topping "Let Me Be Your Fantasy" which is a rave version of the Korgis record. There were other rave versions of the same record also going round at the same time. It lends itself well to it though I have to say.
Verdict - Good
Michael Jackson first made a name for himself singing with his brothers. Now here he is singing with his sister. The issue I have with this record is it's over the top like a lot of his records are. If I put that to one side though and concentrate on the music alone then I like it if I'm in the right mood.
Verdict - Good
Pulp formed in the 70s but it took until 1994 for them to get their first Top 40 hit. It was this record though that made them a household name. I wasn't keen on this record at first, then it grew on me a bit but it's taken quite a few years for me to concede that I do quite like it.
Verdict - Good
Whilst I generally have a favourable opinion of music from 1995 I'm also conscious that there was also rubbish in the charts that year with Robson & Jerome in particular that springs to mind. This was their Top 40 debut which came about after their Soldier Soldier characters sang it on the show.
Verdict - Rubbish / Rubbish
If we give the records which were good 1 point each and those which were OK half a point, the final score is 23/30, or 77%. It's proving to be a good year.
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