25 Years Since....August 1998

Time to go back to August 1998, these records are best listened to with a drink like I was doing:

David Morales Presents The Face - Needin' U

In 1998 a night in was a night wasted in my opinion and I don't mean wasted in a good way. This was one of the top tunes of that summer. Years later when I became to old to care about going out on New Years Eve I picked this as the record to see in the new year at home. I've since forgotten what year that was.

Stardust - Music Sounds Better With You

This was no doubt the biggest dance record of 1998. It took a while for me to get into it, I thought it was far too repetitive when I first heard it. After a few listens it finally grew on me. 

Savage Garden - To The Moon And Back

The first time I listened to this record from the beginning I was expecting a dance record 

Sweetbox - Everything's Gonna Be Alright

When a German Eurodance act converts to rap music it sounds like a recipe for disaster. Yet this is amongst the best rap records I've ever heard. Nothing cheesy about it at all, it's a dark and quite haunting record just the way I like my rap music.

The Corrs - What Can I Do

A big record from the summer of 1998 which was pretty much my favourite record at the time. It was the ultimate feel good weekend anthem in my opinion.

As we got later into the year and we didn't hear it so much I would phone up Dave Pearce's Dance Anthems every Sunday to get this played but it never happened.

Christmas Charts Rated: 1999

Top 40

Best Song: Len - Steal My Sunshine

When it came to what was current commercial music at the time I don't think there was any record I was enjoying more than this one. I was listening to it all the time. It was also pretty much the only record that me and anyone who got into my car could all agree was good.

Worst Song: Martine McCutcheon - Talking In Your Sleep

I never thought I would get so upset about the death of Tiffany from Eastenders. It wasn't because a make believe person had died, it was because it allowed the actress who played that make believe person to launch a music career. This was her 3rd Top 40 hit that year and it was a dreadful cover of a 70s record that I've never thought much of.

Top 40 Review

1999 was the year I first noticed how bad the charts had become by Christmas time. My initial theory was that it was because the 21st century was about to start until I saw a similar pattern in 1990.

None of the records in the Top 40 were Christmas hits. The Christmas number one went to Westlife who were still a relatively new boy band who were topping the charts with everything they released. 

Over a quarter of the Top 40 was taken up by boy bands (Westlife, Boyzone, 5ive), girl groups (B*Witched, Atomic Kitten), mixed gender cheesy pop (Steps, S Club 7, Vengaboys) and former boy band/girl group members (Robbie Williams, Mel C). We do however get points from 5ive and Robbie Williams from that lot.

The 2 big anomalies of 90s music (Cliff Richard and Daniel O'Donnell) were both present and get no points. Some old records returning (John Lennon, Queen, Europe) plus a bunch of people reviving "It's Only Rock n Roll". I've given half marks to Queen and John Lennon.

Then there's the inevitable novelty hits (Cuban Boys, Mr Hankey, Lolly) which all get zero points and we've now covered half the Top 40.

On a more positive note we get full marks from the 2 garage records by Artful Dodger ft Craig David and DJ Luck & MC Neat. The only other record not yet mentioned to get full marks is "If I Could Turn Back The Hands Of Time" by R Kelly.

A couple of the dance records are alright but we also have some of the pretty abysmal dance records such as "Blue (Da Ba Dee)" by Eiffel 65 and "King Of My Castle" by The Wamdue Project. The only rap record was a Will Smith one.

In summary there was lots of crap in the Top 40 and much of it had previously been in the Top 20 which I'd already reviewed. A poor score was inevitable.

Score: 15.5

Table

It's almost at the bottom for the 20th century years so far:

Top 30 in 1995 Reviewed: Week 35

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:

30. Alanis Morissette - You Oughta Know

The Top 40 debut for Alanis Morissette. It's a well known song but was pretty low key at the time with her album "Jagged Little Pill" getting more of the attention. What I do know is that I don't like this record.

Verdict - Rubbish

29. Billie Ray Martin - Running Around Town (New)

The follow up to her big hit "Your Loving Arms" which never reached the same heights. I can understand why, this one isn't even catchy and there's a lot of emphasis on the annoying singing.

Verdict - Rubbish

28. Smokie ft Roy 'Chubby' Brown - Living Next Door To Alice (Who The Fuck Is Alice) (New)

This was originally a Top 40 hit for Smokie back in 1976. Then there was a cover by Gompie that was big in Europe where the audience would reply "Alice, who the fuck is Alice". Smokie therefore decided to revive this song and get comedian Roy 'Chubby' Brown to add the "Alice, who the fuck is Alice" bit. I think it's great.

Verdict - Good

27. Kenny Thomas - When I Think Of You (New)

Kenny Thomas in 1995? It had been nearly 2 years since we'd last seen him in the Top 40 and this was his final Top 40 hit to date. This time it's not a cover and Kenny Thomas actually wrote this record himself. It's still just as bland as his other hits though.

Verdict - Rubbish

26. Morrissey - Dagenham Dave (New)

This record as actually quite uplifting for a Morrissey record and the guitars a heavier too. As a result I guess you could say this is one of the better Morrissey records  but it's still pretty non-descript and not very good.

Verdict - Rubbish

25. The Connells - 74-'75

The only UK Top 40 hit for The Connells and I think one of those situations where it may be just as well they left it at that because if I was to hear anything else by them it would most likely be a big disappointment. I absolutely love this record, there's no such thing as perfection but this is pretty damn close to it. Then there's the video showing various people from the class of 74-75 then and now (well 1993 when the video was made). I'm now older than these people were back then by a few years, they would now be of retirement age.

Verdict - Good

24. The Real McCoy - Come And Get Your Love

When this came out in 1995 I thought they were ripping off the "Hey Now" remake of "Girls Just Want To Have Fun" by Cyndi Lauper. It turns out that this is a cover of a record by Redbone and Cyndi Lauper sampled the Redbone record. It's a cheesy eurodance record no doubt, but somehow it seems more acceptable in 1995.

Verdict - Good

23. The Outhere Brothers - Boom Boom Boom

If I had to pick a record to sum up the summer of 1995 then this would probably be it. This was also my favourite of The Outhere Brothers hits. 

Verdict - Good

22. Xpansions 95 - Move Your Body

This was originally a Top 40 hit in 1991 and follows the trend of early 90s dance records being given a 1995 makeover. This seems to have barely changed from the original though, I would honestly struggle to distinguish this with the original. Just as well I like the original then.

Verdict - Good

21. Madonna - Human Nature

The final Top 40 hit for Madonna's R&B era. This time it's Mary J Blige producer Dave Hall on songwriting/production duties. I will concede that this is the most convincing R&B record but that doesn't mean it's any good.

Verdict - Rubbish

20. Diana King - Shy Guy

The Top 40 debut for Diana King and the record she is best known for. It was from the soundtrack to "Bad Boys", a film that has Will Smith in it. The fact it wasn't Will Smith making the record for the film might have indicated that he'd given up on music. Maybe that's why I like this.

Verdict - Good

19. Radiohead - Just (New)

This is the "you do it to yourself" record. I would also say this is more similar to "Creep" than their more mellow records that they'd already started making by this point. As a result it's a lot easier to get into.

Verdict - Good

18. Deuce - On The Bible

The 3rd Top 40 hit for Deuce and it was the final one to feature main singer Kelly O'Keefe before she left the group. Like its predecessor it's a dreadful record and no doubt inspired the music of Steps in years to come.

Verdict - Rubbish

17. JX - Son Of A Gun

The Top 40 debut for JX and also the record he's most famous for. It did sound quite futuristic at the time and falls under the progressive house banner. It wasn't his highest charting hit though, that came 2 years later. One of the classics which does mean somewhat overplayed, but still decent enough.

Verdict - Good

16. Corona - Try Me Out

One thing that makes Corona different to your usual eurodance acts is that they have 3 big hits that could all claim to be their big hit. Not only that but each of those 3 are quite distinctive and not just soundalikes of what they've done before.

Verdict - Good

15. Montell Jordan - Somethin' 4 Da Honeyz (New)

One thing this record reminds me of was the fact it would always appear in the search results when I was looking up the group The Honeyz on the internet back in the day. This was the follow up to "This Is How We Do It". It's a good summer record.

Verdict - Good

14. Scatman John - Scatman's World (New)

The other Scatman Top 40 hit. It sounds like there's a more serious message in this one but you can't really take this record seriously. The eurodance sound, the funny noises he makes and the fact it's referring to his own fantasy world see to that. A great record though.

Verdict - Good

13. Echobelly - Great Things (New)

The 2nd Top 40 hit for Echobelly which came over a year after their first. This was also their biggest Top 40 hit. 

Verdict - Good

12. Seal - Kiss From A Rose / I'm Alive

"Kiss From A Rose" was originally a Top 40 hit in 1994 but was given a new lease of life when it featured in the "Batman Forever" soundtrack. I'd never heard "I'm Alive" until I bought the CD single of this. 

Verdict - Good / Good

11. Michelle Gayle - Happy Just To Be With You

I do remember this record but what I don't remember is the fact it sampled "Good Times" by Chic. It had already been proven to be a good record to sample. As a result we have another Michelle Gayle record that I actually like, which I'm surprised by.

Verdict - Good

10. Clock - Everybody

A nice bit of music trivia here, what was the 3rd highest new entry on the week of the Blur vs Oasis chart battle? Nobody seems to know the answer though, nobody really paid attention to what was below the Top 2 that week. Based on this record I don't blame them.

Verdict - Rubbish

9. De'Lacy - Hideaway (New)

What I was learning from being a raver in 1995 was that you generally weren't supposed to like house music because it's too slow. There were of course exceptions to the rule and this was one of them. The person who told me of that rule liked this record himself.

Verdict - Good

8. Take That - Never Forget

Robbie Williams had left Take That by this point but his vocals were still present on the record. Howard Donald took lead vocals on this record which was unexpected given he was very much in the background prior to this. I hated it at the time, but now it's actually quite good.

Verdict - Good

7. TLC - Waterfalls

I've already mentioned a memory of listening to the Chris Evans Breakfast Show one day on Radio 1 around this time and liking everything he was playing. This was another of those records that he played. It became the biggest hit to that point for TLC.

Verdict - Good

6. The Rembrandts - I'll Be There For You (New)

This of course was the theme song for the TV show Friends. I used to watch Friends back in the 90s and I liked it but I have to say it's not aged very well. The theme music though was always shit, but it was probably intended to be that way.

Verdict - Rubbish

5. Berri - The Sunshine After The Rain (New)

This was originally a Top 40 hit in 1994 but fared better on it's return to the Top 40 in 1995. Around the same time there was a happy hardcore record called "Rainbow in the Sky" by Paul Elstak that was based on the same tune but with different lyrics.

Verdict - Good

4. The Original - I Luv U Baby

This originally made the Top 40 at the beginning of the year but was much more successful when it re-entered the Top 40 in August. I can sort of understand why because it's a record more suited to the summer. It's great to listen to whatever the time of year though.

Verdict - Good

3. Michael Jackson - You Are Not Alone (New)

This record was written by R Kelly. It's a ballad and R Kelly was one of those people who knew how to write a ballad well.

Verdict - Good

2. Oasis - Roll With It

There are a handful of records that very famously reached number 2 in the charts and this was one of them. Famous because it lost the Blur vs Oasis chart battle. I wasn't on either side but this was the worst of the 2 records.

Verdict - Rubbish

1. Blur - Country House

The winner of the Blur vs Oasis chart battle. As a raver at the time I didn't care for Blur or Oasis but if I had to pick one it would have been Blur. In fact I did like Blur during their "Parklife" album era. This record marked the start of their demise in my opinion

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 20/30, or 67%. Slipping again but still a decent score.

Honeyz Reunion

It's now 25 years since the Honeyz broke through with "Finally Found". To mark the occasion Heavenli has rejoined the group. The news was announced a couple of weeks ago but it's fair to say it's been pretty low key. I only found out myself at the weekend.

The Honeyz have never really been away since they reunited for The Big Reunion which amazingly was 10 years ago. Heavenli left the group a year or so later but Celena and Mariama have continued as a duo since.

Quite what we can expect from this latest reunion is a bit of a mystery. I watched a video of Celena talking about it at the weekend and one thing of note that she said was her ambition was for the group to go on tour but there was some doubt as to whether or not there would be enough interest.

Back in 2001 when they were dropped from their record label they were more or less on top of my list of who I wanted to see in concert. To this very day I've still not seen them in concert. The reason is that whenever they play it's alongside groups I really don't want to see in concert as part of a bigger event such as a festival or a Butlins Weekender. If there was an actual Honeyz concert I would go.

At the same time I can understand the doubt around whether there would be enough interest in a Honeyz tour. My young self would have said they'd have a huge fanbase if everyone gave their music a chance. In reality at the peak of me listening to the Honeyz I had 4 housemates, one liked them and the other 3 didn't.

Speaking of the housemate who did like them, whenever "Never Let You Down" was playing we'd stop talking during the breakdown to listen and enjoy. I therefore find it a bit of a shame to discover from the Celena video that she doesn't really like that track. It goes to show though that we all have different tastes.

I've not really met any other Honeyz fans as such but from what I see and read on the internet I get the impression I'm more of an anomaly amongst them. Whilst I have a few guilty pleasures, cheesy pop music really isn't my thing. It does however seem like your more likely to find cheesy pop in the record collection of a Honeyz fan than find other R&B records. Hence they play with the groups they play with.

That said, how many British R&B groups from the 90s were as successful as the Honeyz and are currently active? I'm struggling to think of any.

You don't have to be part of any movement to like a particular music group though. One thing I learned from my days as a rave purist was that other ravers generally speaking were just normal people, many of whom had varied music tastes which may have even included the Honeyz.

Time will tell what will come about from this latest reunion. An actual Honeyz concert would be good and I'd like to think they'd sell enough tickets to at least play at one of the smaller venues in London. Whether they'd want to or not is another matter.

Naima was asked to be part of the reunion but declined. Celena said the door is always open but if she doesn't want to do it then fair enough.

UK Number 40s: Pavement - Shady Lane (1997)

 

Pavement are one of those bands who I would say are pretty well known for being big in America but maybe not so much for the music itself.

Their UK Top 40 career consisted of just 2 hits, this being their debut and with "Carrot Rope" which made number 27 in 1999. In America though, such is the strange nature of the charts there they never had a Billboard 100 hit.

They formed in 1989 and broke up in 1999 so this was in the latter stages of their career. That would have therefore given them enough time to have built enough of a following in the UK to scrape this record into the Top 40.

Another factor that may have help was that Britpop was starting to decline in popularity in 1997 which opened the door for American bands who may not have charted a year or two earlier.

Top 30 in 1993 Reviewed: Week 35

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:

30. Tasmin Archer - Arienne (New)

It had been almost a year since Tasmin Archer released the only record most people remember her for, but here she is with her 4th Top 40 hit which is her penultimate one to date. It's no "Sleeping Satellite" that's for sure and like with her other forgotten Top 40 hits it has glimpses of goodness in it but just isn't that great overall.

Verdict - OK

29. Sinclair - Ain't No Casanova (New)

This was the only Top 40 hit for British R&B singer Sinclair. The Levert record "Casanova" clearly inspired this record but it just about gets away from being different enough to avoid any copyright issues. I still can't help but think of this as being an inferior version of the Levert record though, but it's not bad.

Verdict - OK

28. Bad Boys Inc - Don't Talk About Love

This was the Top 40 debut for Bad Boys Inc. I would describe them as being the Virgin Cola of the boy band world in the early 90s i.e. very much the 3rd biggest but way behind Take That and East 17. They were formed by Ian Levine who was producer on some early Take That records. One of the writers of this song was Damon Rochefort from Nomad, so it wasn't just Steve Mac from that group who went on to write crappy boy band songs.

Verdict - Rubbish

27. Joey Lawrence - I Can't Help Myself (New)

The other Top 40 hit from Joey Lawrence that doesn't sound that different to his first. It has different songwriters on it though, maybe both sets of songwriters were challenged to write a song of a certain sound and these were the results. Anyway I didn't like his bigger hit so therefore I don't like this either.

Verdict - Rubbish

26. Madonna - Rain

Back in the late 80s when Madonna did "Cherish" and "Dear Jessie" I had quite a positive impression of Madonna. In the early 90s though I absolutely couldn't stand her. Shit like this reminds me of why I couldn't stand her.

Verdict - Rubbish

25. The Bee Gees - Paying The Price Of Love (New)

The Bee Gees Top 40 career spanned from the 60s to the 21st century, an impressive run. That said, this was just their 3rd Top 40 hit since the start of the 80s. Many people are only interested in their 70s disco era, but I'd say their best music came outside that era. 

Verdict - Good

24. Terence Trent D'Arby - She Kissed Me (New)

I remember this record at the time and my thoughts were why is Terence Trent D'Arby making a rock record. I remember the "She kissed me and she put it there" lyrics but didn't really remember how the song goes. A sign that this record wasn't very good.

Verdict - Rubbish

23. Roxette - Almost Unreal

This is the last Top 10 hit to date for Roxette. It was made for the Super Mario Bros film and has Tony from Hollyoaks in the video before he was Tony from Hollyoaks. It's since been disowned by Roxette themselves. I think they have a point.

Verdict - Rubbish

22. Robin S - Luv 4 Luv

The Robin S singles discography is basically "Show Me Love", the "Show Me Love" remix, another "Show Me Love" remix, well you get the picture. She did however have another hit that wasn't called "Show Me Love" though. Listening to it though the "Show Me Love" remix with different lyrics would have been a suitable title.

Verdict - Rubbish

21. Ace Of Base - Wheel Of Fortune (New)

I remember every Ace Of Base record from the early 90s at the time apart from this one. That includes "Happy Nation" which only got to number 40, so I'm not sure why I don't remember this. It's an odd one, it's their usual reggae pop sound but a bit darker and less radio friendly than their other hits. It does the trick though. 

Verdict - Good

20. Gabrielle - Dreams

The Top 40 debut for Gabrielle and perhaps her best known hit. I remember being in 2 minds about this record at the time. It didn't make a good impression on me initially but it grew on me. Neither a good or bad record really.

Verdict - OK

19. The Sisters Of Mercy - Under The Gun (New)

The Sisters Of Mercy were in a lot of peoples Top 10 bands around this time, but it wouldn't be too long before the consensus was that they weren't very good and belonged in the 80s. This record, which is their final Top 40 hit to date must have played a big part in that. I never really got the appeal of them if I'm honest and still don't. 

Verdict - Rubbish

18. The Pogues - Tuesday Morning

The only Top 40 hits of the 90s for The Pogues and their final Top 40 hit to date. Shane MacGowan had left the group by this point with with Spider Stacy doing the lead vocals. He's certainly a better singer, but that's why this just seems wrong. Part of The Pogues charm in my opinion is Shane MacGowans inability to sing.

Verdict - Rubbish

17. Michelle Gayle - Looking Up

Yet another person making the transition from a soap to the music world. Michelle Gayle was on Eastenders and this was her Top 40 debut. You can tell they've tried to make it sound more credible than other soap stars music by going down the R&B route. Being British though it sounds like it could easily be a Mica Paris record which is never a good thing.

Verdict - Rubbish

16. Chaka Demus And Pliers - Tease Me

The Top 40 debut for Chaka Demus & Pliers. This was one of many more radio friendly reggae records that charted in 1993. It's almost the blueprint on how to make a record reggae style.

Verdict - Good

15. Take That - Pray

Take That were undoubtedly the most popular group amongst females at school in early 1993, but one thing I could smile and say was they were yet to have a number one. Then the inevitable happened with this going straight in at number one. It's a terrible record.

Verdict - Rubbish

14. Tina Turner - Disco Inferno (New)

A cover of the Trammps record. I think I actually heard this version first and didn't think much of it. I do like the original version, but this cover is pointless and completely ruins it in my opinion. 

Verdict - Rubbish

13. Therapy? - Opal Mantra (New)

Therapy? had already released singles from what was their upcoming "Troublegum" album, but this song never appeared on it. I liked the fact it was named after a pretty ordinary car, sort of. The song reflects it though in that it's raw sounding in a good way.

Verdict - Good

12. Sarah Washington - I Will Always Love You

It had been just 6 months since Whitney Houston had been knocked off the top of the charts with "I Will Always Love You" after an eternity. The last thing we needed was another version of the song in the charts, but here we have a dance version. At least it's not as depressing as the Whitney Houston version but that's the only good thing about it.

Verdict - Rubbish

11. Aftershock - Slave To The Vibe

I've not heard this since 1993 and when I played the video it wasn't how I remembered it. Then I played a dance version which is how I remember it sounding. It was the only Top 40 hit for Aftershock and maybe that was for the best as it would have been difficult for them to better this.

Verdict - Good

10. Mariah Carey - Dreamlover

It seems a bit of a rarity to hear a Mariah Carey record that isn't a dreary ballad, but here is one. I recall at the time thinking it's rather uplifting for a Mariah Carey song. That doesn't make it a good song though, it sounds pretty naff and has her annoying screeching in it.

Verdict - Rubbish

9. 4 Non Blondes - What's Up?

I remember someone at school at the time listing 4 Non Blondes in their Top 10 bands and we all reacted by saying what the fuck? None of us liked it, even it's composer Linda Perry doesn't like it. 

Verdict - Rubbish

8. UB40 - Higher Ground

Being a UB40 record that was the follow up to a cover, one could be forgiven for expecting this to be a cover of the Stevie Wonder record. It isn't though, it's a UB40 original. Like with many UB40 records it's nothing groundbreaking but it's very easy on the ears.

Verdict - Good

7. SWV - Right Here (New)

A few years after this came out I was flicking through the music channels and saw this video playing and it brought back memories of how I liked this record, but I couldn't remember what it was. It was being played on "The Lick" so didn't say what it was at the end of the video, but I eventually found out. The chants of "SWV" should have given it away, which was being done by a then unknown Pharrell Williams. 

Verdict - Good

6. Apache Indian - Nuff Vibes EP

The lead song from this EP is "Boom Shack-A-Lak" which is the tune Apache Indian is best known for. I guess I'm not overly keen on other Apache Indian records because none of them are anywhere near as good as this.

Verdict - Good

5. Billy Joel - The River Of Dreams

One thing I remember when this record was out was that I'd learned the rules that if you were a rock and metal fan you weren't supposed to like anything that wasn't rock and metal. I remember that because I couldn't help but like this record despite those rules. I like the way the pause in the record gets longer each time.

Verdict - Good

4. Urban Cookie Collective - The Key, The Secret

If memory serves me correctly (and it does tend to mislead me) this was the last dance record I truly got into before I became strictly rock and anti-pop. It treads that fine line where it's clearly a commercial dance record but is credible at the same time. 

Verdict - Good

3. Bitty McLean - It Keeps Rainin' (Tears From My Eyes)

When this record first came out, not only did I think this was a great song, I also thought Bitty McLean was a great name. This led me incorporate his name into the lyrics when I sang along just so I could acknowledge what a great name it is.

Verdict - Good

2. Freddie Mercury - Living On My Own

When this record topped the charts I remember somebody saying to me that I must be pleased, unaware I'd long moved on from being a Queen fan by this point. Even if I was still a Queen fan though I'm not sure I would have liked this. It's basically Freddie Mercury's voice put over some generic eurodance crap.

Verdict - Rubbish

1. Culture Beat - Mr Vain

I remember when this record came out it created a divide at school between the rock crowd and everyone else. It was singled out as an example of a crappy pop record by the rock crowd but everybody else seemingly loved it. Putting all that aside, my first thought when hearing this was have Snap changed their name to Culture Beat. 

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 12.5/30, or 42%. The top half looking much better than the bottom half.

Top 30 in 1996 Reviewed: Week 34

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:

30. Me Me Me - Hanging Around

Me Me Me were a Britpop supergroup consisting of Stephen Duffy, Alex from Blur, Justin from Elastica and Charlie Bloor and this was their only hit. I remember the video to it where a bloke gets some x ray specs to see people in their underwear, they gets extra strong ones where he see's skeletons. Music wise it's pretty shit.

Verdict - Rubbish

29. Livin' Joy - Don't Stop Movin'

After eventually topping the charts with their Top 40 debut "Dreamer" the previous year, this was their follow up. It was with a different singer this time. It's not hugely different to it's predecessor though and not a good, but not bad either.

Verdict - OK

28. Toni Braxton - You're Makin Me High

This was the 5th Top 40 hit for Toni Braxton and the 5th to be written by Babyface. A general rule I am finding with Babyface compositions is that he uses his signature sound for more credible artists and writes crap for those who aren't credible. Yet this isn't really his signature sound and I would say Toni Braxton is credible enough. I guess that just showcases the songwriting talents of Babyface.

Verdict - Good

27. The Divine Comedy - Becoming More Like Alfie (New)

The 2nd Top 40 hit for The Divine Comedy. I'm very much familiar with it now, but think it sort of passed me by at the time. I would say it's my least favourite of the Divine Comedy hits from this era, but that's a reflection of how good the other hits were. 

Verdict - Good

26. Kavana - Where Are You (New)

It wasn't until 1997 when Kavana really made a name for himself. He did however have a couple of minor hits in 1996 with this being the 2nd. It's a watered down pop take on American R&B and is as awful as that sounds.

Verdict - Rubbish

25. E'Voke - Arms Of Loren (New)

The 2nd and final Top 40 hit to date for E'Voke which came nearly a year after their first. I remember hearing this for the first time on The Big Breakfast. It's overshadowed by it's predecessor which was a top tune, but this is worth listening to as well.

Verdict - Good

24. Paul Weller - Peacock Suit (New)

Paul Weller is back with his song. OK to be fair I did like his previous single, but with this one he's back to doing the same old shit he's done many times before. Nothing more to say about it really.

Verdict - Rubbish

23. Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark - Walking On The Milky Way

The final Top 40 hit to date for OMD which came at the same time OMC were in the charts. It's different to the synth pop sound they're better known for. It was a record I liked at the time and as I got older I found myself being able to relate to the lyrics in my own interpretation at least. A shame that OMD called it a day after this, especially as what Andy McCluskey did next was give the world Kerry Katona.

Verdict - Good

22. Suede - Trash

It had been a couple of years since Bernard Butler had left Suede, but this was their first Top 40 hit to have no involvement from him. I don't think it's any better or worse than previous Suede hits generally speaking, but I'm not a fan either way.

Verdict - Rubbish

21. Aaliyah - If Your Girl Only Knew (New)

The lead single from Aaliyah's 2nd album and he first hit to be written by Timbaland and Missy Elliott. It was also the first UK Top 40 hit for both Timbaland and Missy Elliott and songwriters. Not a bad way to start.

Verdict - Good

20. East 17 - Someone To Love

The main difference between the "Up All Night" album and the other East 17 albums to this point was that all members of the band wrote songs on it whereas the others were Tony Mortimer songs. It was however the Tony Mortimer songs that got released as singles with this being the last one. Interestingly though it had no Tony Mortimer rapping on it. The album version is much better than the single version but this still gets the thumbs up.

Verdict - Good

19. Wink - Higher State Of Consciousness 96 Remixes

This record original charted in 1995 but then went one place better when it was remixed in 1996. It certainly felt a much bigger record this time round as I recall. I particularly liked the build up towards the end where it gets pitched up. 

Verdict - Good

18. Gloria Estefan - You'll Be Mine (Party Time) (New)

I've mentioned before that Gloria Estefan had quite a few hits in the 90s that I don't remember. I'm not sure whether I remember this one though. It does sound somewhat familiar but at the same time it just sounds like a stereotypical Gloria Estefan record. 

Verdict - Rubbish

17. Peter Andre ft Bubbler Ranx - Mysterious Girl

The record that Peter Andre was best known for. It's a reggae style pop record that sounds a bit like its ripping off "Sweat" by Inner Circle. I remember this being in the charts when Peter Andre was presenting Top of the Pops and during the chart countdown he said it was "by Bubbler Ranx and me". It's not the worst record in the world, but I'm sick to death of it now and would happily never hear it again.

Verdict - Rubbish

16. Nas - If I Ruled The World

Nas was already a well established rapper by this point with his much celebrated debut album "Illmatic" coming out in 1994. This was his first UK Top 40 hit though and his joint highest charting single. It's based on the Kurtis Blow record of the same name. I do like Nas and have all his early albums.

Verdict - Good

15. Alisha's Attic - I Am, I Feel

The Top 40 debut for Alisha's Attic. The first thing I thought when I heard this record was that it sounded a bit like "Head Over Feet" by Alanis Morissette. But I thought both records were good in their own way. One memory I do have of this record is it appearing on the radio one morning when I was about to switch it off and go out, but instead I stayed and listened to it.

Verdict - Good

14. Robbie Williams - Freedom

It had been over a year since Robbie Williams had left Take That. In that time Take That had broken up and Gary Barlow had started his solo career. I remember in the summer of 1995 Robbie Williams was stating his intention of starting his solo career when he was on The Big Breakfast. He also implied he was going to make more credible music. After the long wait he finally launched his solo career with a George Michael cover. Not what I was expecting, and he has since admitted it wasn't the best way to start his solo career.

Verdict - Rubbish

13. Bryan Adams - Let's Make It A Night To Remember (New)

I mentioned when reviewing the previous Bryan Adams hit that he was doing something uplifting as opposed to the ballads we'd become used to. With this record though he's back to doing the ballads again. 

Verdict - Rubbish

12. Fugees - Killing Me Softly

I remember this going straight into number one on the Top 40 countdown which was the first time I heard it. Initially from the intro I thought it was going to be a depressing song, but then the beats kicked in and I though hang on a minute this is actually quite good.

Verdict - Good

11. Underworld - Born Slippy

What can I say about this record to do it justice? Underworld are one of my favourite acts ever and this was their biggest hit and what got me into them in the first place. At a time when commercially successful music was getting more and more mellow it was refreshing to see a banging techno record giving a big fuck you to all of that. 

Verdict - Good

10. Ant And Dec - Better Watch Out (New)

The first record that Ant & Dec used their real names on as opposed to PJ & Duncan. I remember there being a 5 minute show on Channel 4 back then which I believe was an exclusive play of a new video and this was the video played on one of them. I have to say though I do quite like this one, I guess because it makes me laugh.

Verdict - Good

9. Bone Thugs-N-Harmony - Tha Crossroads

I have to admit I did not like this record when I first heard it. I remember them being introduced as gangsta rappers but didn't like the singing element to their rapping. However after getting over that hurdle I can honestly say this is one of my all time favourites. I love how dark it is and how dark a lot of their music is for that matter.

Verdict - Good

8. Pet Shop Boys - Se A Vida E (That's The Way Life Is) (New)

The Pet Shop Boys have made lots of good records over the years and I'd say this one is up there amongst the best of them. It takes me back to a time when I had a more idealistic view of the world. It's also quite different to anything they'd done before.

Verdict - Good

7. Eternal - Someday

A question I've asked many times before is why do songs from Disney movies have to be so depressing. This was from "The Hunchback of Notre Dame" and is depressing. If you look at the clips from the film in the video they look so happy so why not do something fun instead. 

Verdict - Rubbish

6. Dodgy - Good Enough

The biggest hit for Dodgy and the one they're best known for. What I can tell you from this record is that it was around the same time "The Noise", a short lived music TV show presented by Andi Peters, was on. It's a decent enough record.

Verdict - Good

5. OMC - How Bizarre

Here's proof that there were charting musicians from New Zealand that had nothing to do with the Finn brothers. There had been John Rowles and Kiri Te Kanawa previously. It was the only Top 40 hit for OMC and the title more or less describes the tune. I like it though. I also know that we'll soon be getting OMD in the charts too just to confuse things. 

Verdict - Good

4. Los Del Rio - Macarena

This was the big holiday song of 1996 and I can remember hearing it all the time when I went on holiday in 1996 myself. When this made the charts I wasn't expecting the 2 men who sing it to be so old, they were almost 50 by this point which actually doesn't seem that old these days. Anyway it's cheesy and terrible and everything you expect from a big holiday song.

Verdict - Rubbish

3. Backstreet Boys - We've Got It Goin' On (New)

Max Martin is one of the most prolific songwriters ever. At the time of writing only Paul McCartney has had more Top 40 hits as a songwriter. This was his first Top 40 hit as a songwriter, which failed to reach the Top 40 when first released the previous year. It's basically the signature sound of the Backstreet Boys.

Verdict - Rubbish

2. 3T ft Michael Jackson - Why (New)

Just in case you weren't aware that 3T were Michael Jacksons nephews, here's Michael Jackson himself on the record just to remind you. It's a Babyface composition which shows that not everything he writes is good. 

Verdict - Rubbish

1. Spice Girls - Wannabe

There was no escaping this song in the summer of 1996. It was the Top 40 debut for the Spice Girls and I thought it had one hit wonder written all over it at the time. Unfortunately it wasn't and there was no escaping them for the next 2.5 years which felt a lot longer. 

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 16.5/30, or 55%. Mostly crap new entries but we end up with a score amongst the best of 1996 so far.