25 Years Since....November 1998

Time to go back to November 1998, where Sundays were about Formula One and Dave Pearces Dance Anthems:

Fatboy Slim - Gangster Trippin

Fatboy Slim was a big name by the time this record came out but it was just before he got ridiculously popular. I could still feel comfortable about liking Fatboy Slim without thinking he was too commercial. This has been somewhat overshadowed by other hits of his since, but that may be why I'm more fond of this record.

The Cardigans - My Favourite Game

I was a big formula one fan at the time, so much so that I'd get up at/stay up till stupid hours to watch the grand prix live. The final race of the 1998 season was in Japan and I was watching it live. What does that have to do with this record I hear you say.

Well at the end of the show they had a video montage of the 1998 season with this song playing over it and it just worked really well. This song reminds me of that. I wonder whether Martin Brundle is a fan of this record.

Spacedust - Gym And Tonic

First we had Stardust with the biggest dance record of the year, then we had Spacedust with this chart topper. I remember my supervisor at work having a bit of a dance to this when it came on the radio which was quite amusing. It's a silly record really, but an enjoyable one. 

U2 - Sweetest Thing

The video to this record showed just how big U2 had become by this point. I've never really considered any of them to be exceptional at what they do, but to me what stands out about them is that they occasionally put out a record that just works so well.

This is one of those records and I would say it was their best single to that point.

Doolally - Straight From The Heart

I regard this record as being the bridge between the speed garage and the UK garage era. In a mainstream sense people were now talking about house and trance as opposed to house and garage, to this point this record appeared on the house CD for "Kiss Ibiza 99".

Doolally would be back the following year as Shanks & Bigfoot but the less said about that the better in my opinion.

Christmas Charts Rated: 1990

Top 40

Best Song: INXS - Disappear

A couple of years ago I was watching a home video from Christmas in 1990 and my young self said that my favourite song in the whole world was this. It's only appropriate that I pick it then given there's video evidence of it. Aside from that though it's a top tune and definitely worthy of best song.

Worst Song: Madonna - Justify My Love

I found myself drawn to picking this record but then questioning it because I think I've picked a Madonna record for worst song more than once already. Then again when you have as many hits as Madonna maybe it's to be expected. This one always irritated me.

Top 40 Review

Sticking with the home video of my young self in 1990, another record in this Top 40 that I mentioned liking was "You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'" by The Righteous Brothers. It was the 2nd time this record reached the Top 40 and there was another record by The Righteous Brothers in this Top 40 for a 2nd time in "Unchained Melody". 

Overall 1990 was a pretty solid year, but the Christmas charts are more a summary of what was wrong with 1990. I count 10 records which are either old records or medleys of older records i.e. a quarter of the charts which seems excessive.

The Christmas hits come from Cliff Richard with "Saviours Day" and Shakin Stevens with "The Best Christmas of Them All". Both are really them capitalising on their previous Christmas successes. 

There was the future though in "Sadeness Part 1" by Enigma which was their Top 40 debut and would top the charts in 1991. We also had the Top 40 debut as a solo artist for Seal with "Crazy" both decent records that I'd associate more with 1991 than 1990.

A couple of anthems with the "baggy" sound but not from Manchester. These were "All Together Now" by The Farm and "Unbelievable" by EMF.

A few highlights in there then but I did notice when reviewing 1990 than the scores were nosediving towards Christmas time so I know the score isn't going to be the best.

Score: 14.5

Table

Despite me losing the will to live when reviewing the Top 30 by the time it reached Christmas it was still one of the better Christmas charts:

The Top 40 Leaderboard - Nov 2023

With just 1 month left of the year it looks Drake will finish top once again. He has a comfortable lead and could even add to his total before the end of the year. The midweek chart update last week had 2 new entries for him, but only 1 made it to the final Top 40 thanks to being blocked by one of his singles already in the Top 40 thanks to the 3 song per artist rule. He now has 90 Top 40 hits to his name overall and if his 100th doesn't come next year it will surely come in 2025.

83 out of the 231 Top 40 hits, or 36% have been rap. 

Top 30 in 1995 Reviewed: Week 48

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. Meat Loaf - I'd Lie For You (And That's The Truth)

Meat Loaf had a hugely successful comeback in 1993 and here he is again in 1995 with another successful comeback. This time it's not his usual songwriter Jim Steinman writing this record, it's Diane Warren. Despite this it sounds like a typical Meat Loaf record, ridiculously long and over the top.

Verdict - Rubbish

29. Tina Arena - Show Me Heaven (New)

The 3rd Top 40 hit for Tina Arena. It was a cover of the Maria McKee record and it does seem like an appropriate record for Tina Arena to cover given her other records. At the same time the original of this was pretty average and this cover does nothing to improve it.

Verdict - Rubbish

28. Foo Fighters - For All The Cows (New)

This record starts of mellow but given who it is you just know the heavy guitars are going to kick in at some point, which they do. Whilst it no doubt livens up the song it does very little to really grab my attention.

Verdict - Rubbish

27. Michael Bolton - A Love So Beautiful (New)

Michael Bolton is back to doing his ballad covers with this record. It was originally a record from the the 80s for Roy Orbison. I must confess I've never actually heard the original, but I could imagine Roy Orbison singing this and doing a better job.

Verdict - Rubbish

26. Simply Red - Fairground

It had been 3 years since we'd last seen Simply Red in the Top 40 and this comeback single gave them their only number one record to date. The not very musical verses followed by a really catchy chorus works really well.

Verdict - Good

25. Happy Clappers - I Believe

The Top 40 debut for Happy Clappers which is also the record they're best known for. It's members included Mark Topham who wrote several of Steps hits. I won't hold that against him though, this is very much a commercial record but an enjoyable one at the same time.

Verdict - Good

24. Whale - Hobo Humpin' Slobo Babe

I remember hearing this record quite a bit in the summer of 1995 but it took until November for it to make the Top 40. It's in fact a 1993 tune and is one of the weirdest tunes ever. Weird in a good way though, I loved it at the time.

Verdict - Good

23. Definition Of Sound - Pass The Vibes (New)

Definition Of Sound had a couple of hits in the early 90s and were back one last time in the Top 40 with this record. They were comparable to De La Soul when they first came about, but by this point both acts had gone in different directions, both good in their own way.

Verdict - Good

22. Tina Turner - Goldeneye

This record was from the James Bond film of the same name and was written by Bono and The Edge from U2. Not my cup of tea.

Verdict - Rubbish

21. Wet Wet Wet - She's All On My Mind (New)

Wet Wet Wet failed to reach the Top 10 with this record for the first time since "Love Is All Around" revived their Top 40 career. Maybe they'd lost their power now Marti Pellow no longer had his pony tail. Again it's a record I feel I shouldn't like but do.

Verdict - Good

20. Berri - Shine Like A Star (New)

The other Top 40 hit for Berri. The title implies this is likely to be a "Sunshine After the Rain" part 2 but it isn't. It follows the same cheesy eurodance formula but more crucially it's a fun record to listen to.

Verdict - Good

19. Whitney Houston - Exhale (Shoop Shoop)

Yet another Whitney Houston song from a movie. The film in question is "Waiting To Exhale". It's a movie I've seen but remember nothing about so I guess you could say it was just as boring as this song.

Verdict - Rubbish

18. Ethics - To The Beat Of A Drum (La Luna)

Ethics is an alias of Dutch producer Patrick Prins who had remixed "Don't You Want Me" that year. There's something about Dutch music generally in the 90s that just appeals to me to the point where part of me wanted to live in Holland to soak it all up.

Verdict - Good

17. Black Grape - Kelly's Heroes (New)

I'm sure there was some influence from the Stranglers in this record, but not enough of an influence for Black Grape to get sued. I've not heard this record for a long time and it's better than I remember it being, it's silly but great fun.

Verdict - Good

16. PJ And Duncan - Perfect (New)

You're not supposed to take the music of PJ & Duncan seriously. These were Byker Grove actors about to turn TV presenters, not musicians. The big problem with this record though is it isn't even funny. 

Verdict - Rubbish

15. Celine Dion - Misled (New)

This record originally made number 40 in 1994 but was rereleased after Celine Dion had a hugely successful 1995. It still however remained her lowest charting Top 40 hit to this point. What's different about this record is that it's not a ballad. Still crap though.

Verdict - Rubbish

14. M People - Itchycoo Park

This was a cover of The Small Faces record done in typical M People style. The original version is a great record and the last thing it really needed was a lame generic dance version of it.

Verdict - Rubbish

13. Garbage - Queer (New)

This record fits the category of big at the time but not one you really hear anymore. I don't think I've heard this one since 1995. I did quite like it at the time and have memories of at least singing it in my head. Still sounds good.

Verdict - Good

12. East 17 - Thunder

The lead single from "Up All Night" which was the final studio album from East 17 as we knew them. I would also say that is the East 17 album I've listened to the most. This is one of my favourite East 17 singles too. I can't pin point one thing about it, the piano intro, the chorus, the verse, everything about this song is great.

Verdict - Good

11. Blur - The Universal

When Blur won the chart battle against Oasis with "Country House" I thought it was pretty much the worst song I'd heard Blur do. The other singles from their "The Great Escape" album were pretty solid though starting with this one.

Verdict - Good

10. Bon Jovi - Lie To Me

It's speculated that Bon Jovi don't really do much songwriting even though Jon Bon Jovi is a credited songwriter on all their original hits. The first 2 hits from the "These Days" album were also written by Desmond Child and it's said that in reality Desmond Child is the only writer of these songs. This record however was simply Jon Bon Jovi and Richie Sambora. If Bon Jovi aren't really songwriters then I believe this to genuinely be written by Jon Bon Jovi and Richie Sambora as it's not very good.

Verdict - Rubbish

9. Madonna - You'll See

I remember when this came out something that sprang to mind was that Madonna had previously made fun records like "Cherish" and "Dear Jessie" but was now making boring crap like this. Given she'd been around for over a decade and was a well established name, she could put any old crap out and people would buy it. This is what happened here.

Verdict - Rubbish

8. Bjork - It's Oh So Quiet

I don't think this was ever considered a true contender for Christmas number one but I guess it shouldn't have ever been ruled out considering how high it did chart. Bjork presented the Christmas Top of the Pops that year which obviously was recorded in advance of Christmas day when they wouldn't have known what was number one. Bjork announced Michael Jackson was Christmas number one, so presumably they recorded all possibilities of who could be Christmas number one and I do wonder whether they recorded Bjork saying she was Christmas number one herself. Anyway I didn't really like it at the time, but it's grown on me over the years. 

Verdict - Good

7. Enya - Anywhere Is

I do recall at the time thinking who the fuck is buying Enya records? To me it was music for school teachers. What I really meant though was it sounded so out of place compared to the rest of the music us youngsters at the time were listening to, some of whom are now school teachers themselves. I now appreciate Enya's music for what it is and consider this to be good record.

Verdict - Good

6. Passengers - Miss Sarajevo (New)

Passengers were a side project of U2 and Brian Eno. This was their only Top 40 hit under that name and it features vocals from Luciano Pavarotti. An unlikely collaboration but it was one that worked in the case of this record.

Verdict - Good

5. Oasis - Wonderwall

There's a lot to say about this record, but what springs to mind personally was seeing people who once listened to rave now listening to Oasis. It was reflected on the TV on Byker Grove too. The music aspect had gone from Frew and Barney DJing to characters who's names I don't remember singing "Wonderwall". I was firmly in the rave camp by this point though and couldn't comprehend why people would listen to Oasis instead.

Verdict - Rubbish

4. Boyzone - Father And Son

To me this record illustrates all that was wrong with Boyzone's formula of doing lots of covers. The song is supposed to be a father singing to his son, but Ronan Keating was only 18 here and therefore more likely to be the age of the son being sang to. OK it's composer Cat Stevens was only a few years older when he wrote it, but I remember seeing Ronan Keating sing "look at me I am old" and thinking no you're not.

Verdict - Rubbish

3. Everything But The Girl - Missing

At the time I was a big fan of "Gangsta's Paradise" and was convinced it had been in the Top 40 longer than anything else once it had been there a while. Turns out this record entered the Top 40 the same week. As both records fell to the lower reaches, I bought the "Gangsta's Paradise" single to help give it at least another week in the Top 40. Unfortunately "Gangsta's Paradise" dropped out, but this stayed another week and I wasn't happy about that. It failed to reach the Top 40 when first released but a Todd Terry remix gave it a new lease of life. Never seen the appeal myself though.

Verdict - Rubbish

2. Coolio - Gangsta's Paradise

I can't remember if it was the first time I'd heard it, but I can picture myself listening to this on the radio at the time and thinking this is the record I've been waiting to hear all my life. I could even tell you the name of the street I was going down when I was thinking that. There hadn't really been much of the dark side of rap music in the charts prior to this, but that's what I really wanted to hear. I even bought the single for this too which was the only thing I bought around this time that wasn't rave.

Verdict - Good

1. Robson And Jerome - I Believe / Up On The Roof

When the Christmas Top of the Pops came on, the announcer summed up 1995 as the year Take That lost Robbie and Eternal lost Louise but we gained Robson & Jerome. I once got slated for describing Robson & Jerome as a novelty act, but they were actors who sang on Soldier Soldier once which made Simon Cowell think they could be the next Zig & Zag. If that isn't a novelty act I don't know what is.

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 15/30, or 50%. The closest we've got to dropping below 50% since week 2.

UK Number 40s: Alabama 3 - Ain't Goin' To Goa (1998)

 

It's not unusual for 2 different styles of music to come together in a record. The most obvious one that springs to mind was the rap-rock crossover record "Walk This Way" by Run DMC vs Aerosmith. We've also seen both rap and rock music combine with other genres such as dance music.

Here's one I don't think too many people saw coming, acid house and country crossover music. That's what Alabama 3 were. Despite the name and the country aspect of their music they were actually a British band.

They were quite a sizeable band with an ever changing line up. This was their only Top 40 hit but they had several singles that didn't make the Top 40. They are still going and at the time of writing they are onto their 13th studio album.

Top 30 in 1993 Reviewed: Week 48

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. Leftfield Lydon - Open Up

I never really gave this record much notice at the time. Then 6 years later I was watching the Club@Vision Ibiza special. Part of the show was playing an Ibiza anthem for each year and this was the one they played. I then realised what a good record this was. It was the Top 40 debut for Leftfield.

Verdict - Rubbish

29. Captain Hollywood Project - More And More

Captain Hollywood made his Top 40 debut in 1990 as part of Twenty 4 Seven featuring Captain Hollywood. Now 3 years later he's back without Twenty 4 Seven. Given the rise of eurodance since he'd last been in the charts, this was a good time for him to make a comeback. Not my cup of tea though.

Verdict - Rubbish

28. The Wonder Stuff - Full Of Life (Happy Now) (New)

If the previous effort The Wonder Stuff returned to the charts with sounded like it was Nirvana influenced I would say this follow up is more Lemonheads influenced. It's not bad, but not as good as the Lemonheads. 

Verdict - OK

27. DJ Jazzy Jeff And The Fresh Prince - I'm Looking For The One To Be With Me

It's quite possible that this record led to Will Smith having a solo career. Whilst a Jazzy Jeff And The Fresh Prince record, the writer of this record alongside Will Smith was Teddy Riley who also produced it. Quite what Jazzy Jeff did on this record I don't know. Even the Teddy Riley productions though can't disguise the fact Will Smith is a terrible rapper.

Verdict - Rubbish

26. Kate Bush - Moments Of Pleasure (New)

When Kate Bush returned to the charts with her previous effort I said she seemed to be past her best by the 90s. This follow up is certainly an improvement but again I can't help but compare to her older material which is far better. 

Verdict - OK

25. The Orb - Little Fluffy Clouds

This record was first released in 1990 but this was the first time it made the Top 40. I would say this is the signature tune of The Orb and one of their best in my opinion. It came just after Jimmy Cauty left The Orb and was co-written by Youth.

Verdict - Good

24. The Time Frequency - Real Love '93

It feels like we're back in 1992 with this record, partly because the original version of this did come out in 1992. I'd say this is a good illustration of how the rave sound of 1992 was miles better than the eurodance sound of 1993 that had replaced it in the charts.

Verdict - Good

23. Sting - Demolition Man

In late 1993 the rules amongst my peers was if you were a true rock fan you'd listen only to rock music. I do recall someone asking the question of whether Sting was acceptable to listen to, clearly he was nothing like the cool bands at the time but this was guitar music. For me though it didn't really matter as I just thought he was rubbish.

Verdict - Rubbish

22. Crowded House - Nails In My Feet

I wasn't sure how this record went before I played it. As I play it I'm thinking oh yes I know this record, then I'm thinking do I? It sounds like a Crowded House record basically, if one was to ask what Crowded House sounded like I would play them this record to illustrate how they sound. At the same time it means there's nothing distinctive about this record other than it sounding like Crowded House.

Verdict - OK

21. Michael Bolton - Said I Loved You But I Lied

I remember this record existing at the time and remember it being a slow ballad like many Michael Bolton records. I couldn't sing it in my head though, and after listening I still can't. As I never intend on listening to this again, I never will be able to sing it in my head.

Verdict - Rubbish

20. Naughty By Nature - Hip Hop Hooray

The 2nd Top 40 hit for Naughty By Nature, who's debut "OPP" is their best known record but only made number 35. Like it's predecessor it has a catchy sing along chorus. Take that out of the equation though and you still have a decent hip hop record.

Verdict - Good

19. Heart - Will You Be There (In The Morning)

This is the 2nd Top 40 hit of the 90s for Heart and their final Top 40 hit to date. Their first "All I Wanna Do Is Make Love To You" is a record written by Robert John "Mutt" Lange that Heart hate themselves. It seems they never learned though as this too was written by Robert John "Mutt" Lange. He was also writing for Bryan Adams and Michael Bolton around this time and I see the similarities with this.

Verdict - Rubbish

18. Terence Trent D'Arby - Let Her Down Easy

Terence Trent D'Arby went down the rock music route in the 90s and my memory of this is it being rock sounding too. It isn't though, it's a piano ballad. The singing is exactly how I remember it though. Amazing how much I can misremember things. I kind of wish it was more rock sounding though as this is pretty dull.

Verdict - Rubbish

17. Pauline Henry - Feel Like Making Love

I feel like I used to hear this song a lot retrospectively but haven't heard it in a long time. As I started listening to it was was thinking it wasn't as good as I remember it, but once the guitars come in to it in the chorus I'm thinking actually yes it is as good as I remember.

Verdict - Good

16. Lesley Garrett And Amanda Thompson - Ave Maria 

Lesley Garrett is a pretty well known soprano singer though this is her only Top 40 hit to date. Amanda Thompson was a child with a serious illness and this record was a charity single to raise money. I suspect most people bought it for the cause rather than the music though.

Verdict - Rubbish

15. 2 Unlimited - Maximum Overdrive

Another record that was released at a different time to what I remember. I associate this record with being in the year below the year I would have been in at school at the time. The lyrics to this contradict the tune in a way, not much overdrive at all and they sing "speed up the music" but this seems slower than their previous efforts.

Verdict - Rubbish

14. Guns N' Roses - Ain't It Fun

I remember the excitement at the time around the new Guns N' Roses album of which this was the lead single. The album turned out to be a disappointment being an album full of covers and by 1994 nobody was listening to Guns N' Roses anymore. The moment in 1993 when this single came out was good though.

Verdict - Good

13. K-Klass - Let Me Show You (New)

If you asked someone to name a K-Klass record that isn't "Rhythm Is A Mystery" than this would be the most likely record they'd name. It's also their 2nd biggest hit. Even though it had been 2 years since their debut, all their Top 40 hits appeared on the same album which was yet to be released at this point. This does feel more 1991 than 1993, but these reviews show how much better the charts were in 1991.

Verdict - Good

12. Cappella - U Got 2 Let The Music

I absolutely hated this record at the time. Along with "Mr. Vain" by Culturebeat I had it down as the ultimate shit record. I've heard worse, but it's exactly the sort of eurodance music that I consider to be a bit crap.

Verdict - Rubbish

11. Goodmen - Give It Up

This was the only Top 40 hit for Goodmen, but they would return to the charts as Chocolate Puma, Rhythm Killaz and Riva. It's not very tuneful, but that's all part of it's appeal. 

Verdict - Good

10. The Doobie Brothers - Long Train Runnin' (New)

This was a remix of a 20 year old record that never charted in the UK originally. I like the original of this but the question is does the remix do it justice? Well actually yes it does, it works well as a dance record and doesn't ruin the original.

Verdict - Good

9. Mariah Carey - Hero

After coming back with a surprisingly uplifting record a few months prior, Mariah Carey follows up with something extra dreary even by Mariah Carey standards. I try to listen to every song the whole way through even if it's something I've heard many times and know I hate, but I had to stop this one less than a minute in as I couldn't bear to hear any more.

Verdict - Rubbish

8. Urban Cookie Collective - Feels Like Heaven

The follow up to "The Key The Secret". Like it's predecessor, it treads that fine line between proper dance music and cheesy commercial nonsense and they managed to pull it off again. I've not heard this in a long time, whilst I very much remember it I wasn't sure how good it would sound after all these years. Once the main hook kicked in I thought yes still sounds good.

Verdict - Good

7. Soul Asylum - Runaway Train

It was 2nd time lucky for this record after charting in the lower reaches of the Top 40 a few months prior. It was the debut hit and biggest hit for Soul Asylum, a band who weren't grunge as such but benefited from the rise of grunge. I prefer their lesser hits, but this is still decent.

Verdict - Good

6. Janet Jackson - Again

I really don't want to like this song and on paper I shouldn't. I'm not really a fan of Janet Jackson and this is a slow ballad. I can't help but like it though and the most logical reason for that is it's inclusion in the film "Poetic Justice" which has Janet Jackson in it alongside 2Pac.

Verdict - Good

5. Culture Beat - Got To Get It

The follow up to chart topper "Mr. Vain" which came at the same time Culture Beat member Torsten Fenslau sadly died in a car crash. It's very predictable, the typical eurodance style backing track with rapped verses and a sung chorus. Very tedious. 

Verdict - Rubbish

4. Dina Carroll - Don't Be A Stranger

One of the things that's surprised me when doing these posts was how many Top 40 hits Dina Carroll had before "Don't Be A Stranger". This was her 8th of 14 Top 40 hits. It's no doubt her signature song, something she probably won't be happy about because it's one she didn't write. I wonder whether the success of this song dictated that she wouldn't write any of her remaining Top 40 hits after this. Anyway I couldn't stand this record at the time, too slow and boring. I can't say I've really changed my mind to be honest.

Verdict - Rubbish

3. Bryan Adams - Please Forgive Me

After what seemed an endless run of hits from his "Waking Up the Neighbours" album, here's Bryan Adams back with a brand new song. I do find it more memorable than some of his previous efforts despite it being a ballad, but not my cup of tea.

Verdict - Rubbish

2. Elton John And Kiki Dee - True Love

After their collaboration in 1976 gave both artists their first number one, Elton John and Kiki Dee reunite 17 years later but fall short of topping the charts this time round. The world had moved on and I remember this sounding very dated at the time. Little did I know he'd still be charting with duets 3 decades later that would actually sound modern in a bad way.

Verdict - Rubbish

1. Meat Loaf - I'd Do Anything For Love (But I Won't Do That)

Meat Loaf had been in the wilderness for several years before this and his previous big hits were before my music memories so I wasn't familiar with his music at the time, I'd just heard the name. At the same time someone at school was a Meat Loaf fan and would say he was heavy metal. I was therefore excited to finally hear a Meat Loaf song, but heavy metal it's certainly not. That disappointment along with the fact it goes on forever and is just ridiculously over the top means I've never liked it. 

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%. Not a bad new entry but not many of them.

Top 30 in 1996 Reviewed: Week 47

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. Wildchild - Jump To My Beat (New)

It had been a year since Wildchild had died. I was getting quite confused at the time, because I saw a picture of a female DJ called Wildchild who I'd understood to be a bloke called Roger McKenzie who had died. Turns out there was a drum & bass DJ of the same name. Anyway I would say this record is better than his big hit "Renegade Master" and was one of the best mainstream records out around this time.

Verdict - Good

29. Alisha's Attic - Alisha Rules The World

Whilst I was disappointed to discover the Spice Girls weren't going to be one hit wonders, I was glad to see Alisha's Attic were back with a 2nd Top 40 hit. I was also glad to hear it was just as good as its predecessor.

Verdict - Good

28. Dodgy - If You're Thinking Of Me (New)

This was Dodgy attempting to make their own "Ordinary World". There's at least some similarities between the 2 records whilst clearly not being the same. I've not heard this one for years so wasn't sure what I'd make of it after all this time, but I have to say I did enjoy that.

Verdict - Good

27. Upside Down - If You Leave Me Now (New)

After having hits that sounded like blatant rip offs of "Careless Whisper" and "Pray" they did a cover. I guess if anything it was to avoid potential lawsuits for copyright infringement. It's the 4th and final Top 40 hit to date for long forgotten TV boy band Upside Down. I would say good riddance, but there's another long forgotten TV boy band just round the corner.

Verdict - Rubbish

26. Iggy Pop - Lust For Life (New)

This record was originally recorded in 1977 but wasn't a Top 40 hit at the time. It got renewed interest in 1996 thanks to it's inclusion on the "Trainspotting" soundtrack. It was co-written with David Bowie. It's fondly thought of by many people, but not by me. Never been able to get into it.

Verdict - Rubbish

25. Jimmy Nail - Country Boy

The final Top 40 hit to date for Jimmy Nail with the only Top 40 hit from his "Crocodile Shoes II" album. I didn't mind the music he initially did for the series, but it was getting pretty tired by this point.

Verdict - Rubbish

24. John Alford - If / Keep On Running (New)

Singing actor John Alford is back again with another pair of reggae style covers, though the reggae style is getting lighter. It would be his 3rd and final Top 40 hit to date, though he did attempt one further single that was withdrawn.

Verdict - Rubbish / Rubbish

23. Simply Red - Angel

It would have been around this time that Mick Hucknall was named Wanker of the Week on the Girlie Show. I remember thinking they must have picked him because he'd done this Aretha Franklin cover. It features the Fugees which seemed an odd collaboration. That all said, it's actually pretty decent.

Verdict - Good

22. Celine Dion - It's All Coming Back To Me Now

This is basically Celine Dion does Meat Loaf. It was written by Jim Steinman who wrote the bulk of Meat Loafs hits including a Meat Loaf version of this 10 years later. Therefore it's long and over the top and not to my liking, but I will concede it's better than her usual dreary ballads. Still crap though.

Verdict - Rubbish

21. The Smashing Pumpkins - Thirty Three (New)

The Smashing Pumpkins tended to have songs where it's not obvious what the title is so I wasn't 100% sure which one this was. It definitely sounds like one I've heard before, but the problem I'm having is waiting for the record to start. It never does.

Verdict - Rubbish

20. Boyzone - Words

It had been nearly 2 years since Boyzone made their Top 40 debut and I remember when Take That were still around some said they were losing their grip on the boy band world to Boyzone. Yet it took Boyzone until this record to score their first number one. Still, it was one hit sooner than Take That scored their first number one. A cover of the Bee Gees record which could be best described as the alternative lyrics of: shits only turds and turds are all I have to take your fart away.

Verdict - Rubbish

19. Gina G - I Belong To You

Gina G was someone who I thought would be a one hit wonder and she's thought of by many as being a one hit wonder, but she wasn't. I recall hearing this on Noels House Party and thinking that it would have been better if she'd remained a one hit wonder. 

Verdict - Rubbish

18. Faithless - Insomnia

I've now heard this record more times in my life than I care to remember. It's one of those records that's universally loved, even by people who generally don't like dance music. I liked this so much I bought the single and I've never bought that many singles really.

Verdict - Good

17. Shed Seven - Chasing Rainbows (New)

On some of the Now albums in the mid-90s they tended to have dance records on tape 2 side 2. Now 35 was one of these, except it ended with this record which seemed really out of place. Now I'm hearing it again after all these years and it oddly sounds even more dreary than I remember it sounding.

Verdict - Rubbish

16. Backstreet Boys - I'll Never Break Your Heart

The 3rd Top 40 hit for the Backstreet Boys which is a ballad, something that seemed almost inevitable. One of the writers of this was Eugene Wilde who had a couple of Top 40 hits in the 80s that he didn't write himself. I get the whole point of this song, but it's not something I'd want to listen to.

Verdict - Rubbish

15. Babybird - You're Gorgeous

At the time I remember hearing that Babybird was a really prolific songwriter who'd written hundreds of songs. For many though, this is the only song of his they remember. It's a record I remember being out around the same time as "Breakfast At Tiffany's". It's not as crap, but is still crap.

Verdict - Rubbish

14. Pet Shop Boys - Single Bilingual (New)

The Pet Shop Boys had just had one of their best hits ever in "Se A Vide (That's The Way Life Is)". I remember them being on TFI Friday and have a feeling they performed said record. What they definitely did perform was this, the follow up. I remember thinking this ones not so good. It has grown on me somewhat but it is one of my least favourite hits of theirs. 

Verdict - OK

13. Bryan Adams - Star (New)

What stood out to me about this record was that Bryan Adams swears on it. That doesn't sound strange given even cheesy pop singers swear on their records these days, but someone like Bryan Adams swearing seemed very unusual at the time. It does sound a bit like he's trying to do "(Everything I Do) I Do It For You" part 2. It's pretty dull really, the swearing is as exciting as it gets.

Verdict - Rubbish

12. Ant And Dec - When I Fall In Love (New)

After Matt Rowe and Richard Stannard topped the charts as songwriters for the first time with "Wannabe" by the Spice Girls, this was their next Top 40 hit. The music career of Ant & Dec aka PJ & Duncan was always intentionally a bit of a joke. Yet this sounds a more credible record than "Wannabe". Still a joke though.

Verdict - Rubbish

11. Michael Jackson - Stranger In Moscow

A year after Michael Jackson topped the charts with "Earth Song" he's attempting it again with another ballad but he falls short this time round. Like "Earth Song" he's trying to get a message across but musically it's not to my liking. I also got irritate about the way he pronounce Moscow.

Verdict - Rubbish

10. Garbage ft Tricky - Milk (New)

Garbage are one of those bands who have a few decent records and a few questionable ones. Tricky is an artist I rate but due to his experimental nature some of his music can be questionable too. This collaboration is I feel is supposed to be good, but I just don't see the appeal of. 

Verdict - Rubbish

9. Spice Girls - Say You'll Be There

Once again I'm going to talk about "The Noise" with Andi Peters. This was when it became apparent that The Spice Girls weren't going to be one hit wonders. They exclusively showed the video to the new Spice Girls single. It's not as bad as their debut, that's the only positive thing I can say about it.

Verdict - Rubbish

8. East 17 ft Gabrielle - If You Ever

This record was released to promote East 17s greatest hits album. To show they weren't planning on splitting up any time soon they put in the reference "The Journey So Far", but we all know what happened next. As with pretty much all the East 17 singles, I like it.

Verdict - Good

7. Kula Shaker - Govinda (New)

One thing I remember this record being known for at the time was the incomprehensible lyrics. I do recall someone pointing out that one of their previous hits "Tattva" had incomprehensible lyrics. With this record their basically trying to be the 90s George Harrison. It's a no from me.

Verdict - Rubbish

6. Robert Miles ft Maria Nayler - One And One

After having 2 big hits that were both instrumentals, Robert Miles did the unthinkable and released a record with a vocalist. I remember at the time thinking what are you doing having a vocalist on your record. The vocals have always annoyed me so on that basis this gets half a mark.

Verdict - OK

5. The Woolpackers - Hillbilly Rock Hillbilly Roll

The Woolpackers were 3 actors from Emmerdale who were named after the pub that features in the soap. As you can probably predict then, this is cheesy and shit. It's a line dancing record, something myself and many others used to take the piss out of.

Verdict - Rubbish

4. Toni Braxton - Un-Break My Heart

After having all 5 of her previous Top 40 hits written by Babyface, Toni Braxton turned to prolific songwriter Diane Warren for her 6th. It worked as this became her joint highest charting Top 40 hit, but often in order to achieve popularity you have to compromise on quality and this is what's happened here in my opinion. 

Verdict - Rubbish

3. Robson And Jerome - What Becomes Of The Brokenhearted

Robson & Jerome had a total of 3 Top 40 hits and they all reached number one. This was the final one of those hits. Like it's predecessors, it's a cover and it's rubbish. To be fair they knew there time was probably up after this so called it a day.

Verdict - Rubbish

2. Warren G ft Adina Howard - What's Love Got To Do With It (New)

The Warren G I was most familiar with in 1996 was the drum & bass MC who would regularly MC for DJ SS. There was of course an American rapper of the same name and this was his joint biggest hit. With the interpolation and the fact it was on a movie soundtrack means it was supposed to be commercial, but it's done really well. I can appreciate this a lot more now than I did at the time.

Verdict - Good

1. The Prodigy - Breathe (New)

When The Prodigy did "Firestarter" earlier on in the year after much excitement of a new Prodigy tune it was a big disappointment. However, despite follow up "Breathe" taking a similar direction I actually like this one and bought the single. It's the beats that really do it for me.

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 9/30, or 30%. That's one almighty fall.