Here's my weekly look at the Top 30 from 26 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 1998 with my verdict on each record:
I remember this record being played for what I think was the first time on Children in Need. It's a novelty line dancing mixed with eurodance record. Of course this turned out to be many hits for Steps. It goes without saying this song is shit. As a side note I have no problem with the cheesy holiday rep type image they're portraying here, it serves a purpose I suppose. The issue is them now being stuck up celebrities complaining about it but are happy to still milk it with their nostalgia tours.
Verdict - Rubbish
The 2nd Top 40 hit for DJ Supreme, not to be confused with the happy hardcore DJ of the same name. It's more commercial crap from All Around the World records, but not bad as some of the rubbish from that label in years to come.
Verdict - Rubbish
This was originally a Top 40 hit in 1995 twice, first under it's original title "Legends Of The Dark Black Part 2" and then as "Renegade Master". Wildchild sadly passed away the same year. In 1998 Fatboy Slim did a remix and made it bigger than ever. It's a great remix, possibly even better than the original.
Verdict - Good
It's hard to think of a dance record in 1997 that was bigger than "Encore Une Fois" by Sash. Encore was Sabine Ohmes who was the vocalist on that record and here she is doing a record that pretty much sounds the same. Further to that it was written by produced by Sash! themselves. Talk about trying to milk your big hit.
Verdict - Rubbish
The Top 40 debut for Da Hool and I would say this is one of the records that reminds me of the increase in popularity of dance music around the turn of the century. It was also one of the records that reminded me of the good old days when people had traded their turntables for guitars.
Verdict - Good
If you were watching the BBC in late 1997 then you would have heard this record many times. It seemed to be on between every TV show. It's a long list of singers who would sing a line each and I got absolutely sick of it.
Verdict - Rubbish
Lutricia McNeal is from America but she relocated to Sweden and launched her music career. Then the Swedish songwriters started taking over the pop world and this, her debut Top 40 hit became a worldwide success. It's always irritated me for some reason.
Verdict - Rubbish
This was the 5th Top 40 hit for Jay-Z, but it was the first that I was familiar with the name Jay-Z for. The main reason why the name stuck in my head this time was because of how crap I found this. It shares its chorus with the Rose Royce record of the same name and has Gwen Dickey of Rose Royce singing it.
Verdict - Rubbish
After having a revival from "You Sexy Thing" appearing in the film "The Full Monty" and getting a second outing in the charts, Hot Chocolate capitalised by re-issuing this record. It originally charted in 1982 and was the last of their really well known hits. The featuring Errol Brown bit was because Hot Chocolate were still going but Errol Brown had left the group in 1986.
Verdict - Good
Clock weren't the only ones doing covers of KC and the Sunshine Band records. Andrew Livingstone aka Bamboo was also charting with this take on "Get Down Tonight" by KC and the Sunshine Band. This time though it was a decent record.
Verdict - Good
It's fair to say that with some of the low scores we get for weeks in the 90s I question were the charts much better back in the 90s. Then I hear something like this and decide yes they were. I'd never heard anything like this before and regardless of whether it's to your taste or not, it's the fact such an unusual record could have made the Top 40 at the time. I happen to like it.
Verdict - Good
The final Top 40 hit to date for Hurricane #1. It's quite amusing that they have a record with this title but their Top 40 career didn't survive beyond this. It sounds a bit like they're moving away from imitating Oasis, but not completely.
Verdict - Rubbish
Catatonia made their Top 40 debut in 1996, but it was this their 3rd Top 40 hit that made them a household name. The X Files references may have helped boost sales of this record, but that factor put me off if anything. It's a good record overall but I like the quick guitar intro going straight into the song.
Verdict - Good
17. Shola Ama - Much Love (New)
The final Top 40 hit from her album of the same name. It was written by the same people who wrote "You're The One I Love". I've said previously that the album had little impact on me, but I have to say I'm enjoying the groove of this record.
Verdict - Good
The Levi's advert strikes again with this being the only Top 40 hit for Lilys after featuring on the advert. They probably chose this because it sounds in every way like a song for an advert. As a record in it's own right though, not so much.
Verdict - Rubbish
When this record came out I was shocked. It was a Janet Jackson song that I actually liked. Remember I was listening to nothing but rave at the time so I really didn't want to like this record even though it is a dance record. Then a friend of mine who was into rap and drum & bass bought this single which made me feel a bit better about liking it.
Verdict - Good
This was the first single for the Stereophonics but failed to make the Top 40 when first released. With the band now gaining in popularity it fared better when rereleased and was their highest charting single to this point. It was written about someone who was killed by a train which sums up how depressing their music is.
Verdict - Rubbish
13. Air - Sexy Boy (New)
This was the Top 40 debut and biggest hit for French electronic duo Air. I own the "Moon Safari" album on which this appears and it's one of my all time favourite albums. I was different to anything else I'd heard at the time and was possibly a door to more great electronic music from France. That does not include David Guetta by the way.
Verdict - Good
I remember hearing this record the the first time on the Judge Jules show on Radio 1. He introduced this by saying DJ Quiksilver's first two hits were a bit stilton but this one is the cream. It certainly does sound more credible, but it would also be his lowest charting and final Top 40 hit to date under his DJ Quiksilver alias.
Verdict - Good
With teenage female R&B singers like Aaliyah, Brandy and Monica all established, Jermaine Dupri decided to give the world a teenage male R&B singer in Usher. Jermanie Dupri was the man who brought the world Kris Kross when he was still a teenager himself. It worked, but that doesn't mean that I like it.
Verdict - Rubbish
The Bluetones were back with another album and this was the lead single from it. Although their Top 40 career lasted until 2003, this was the last one to make the Top 10. I would say the name of the record is much more memorable than the record itself.
Verdict - Rubbish
When it comes to Lighthouse Family singles they don't get any better than this. I always found it a really soothing record. I once worked somewhere that had music playing that didn't have the original singers on the tracks. This was one of those tracks on there and the different singer made it not as good. Then I bought a compilation that had this on it and was such a relief to hear it with the proper singer again.
Verdict - Good
Yet another girl group jumping on the bandwagon following the success of the Spice Girls. They literarily were a girl group with their ages ranging from 13-17. They were also described as the female Hanson but I think I prefer Hanson if I'm honest, that's how bad this is.
Verdict - Rubbish
Rumor has it that this record was ghost written by Nas. It's something he denies and I can understand why. At the same time though I don't blame him for writing it at all. If I was asked to write a crappy record for Will Smith in the knowledge I could make a shit load of money from it then I would.
Verdict - Rubbish
The 2nd number 2 for the Backstreet Boys, but Max Martin is nowhere to be seen on this record. Instead it was written by Full Force. It was apparently an attempt to differentiate themselves from the pop and R&B genre. I'll let you decide when genre this fits.
Verdict - Rubbish
5. Camisra - Let Me Show You (New)
This was the Top 40 debut for Tall Paul under his Camisra alias and the hit he is best known for. I'm pretty sure I heard this record long before 1998, this does certainly feel too late for it to be charting. Anyway it's one of the classics.
Verdict - Good
This was the turn around point of Robbie Williams solo career which went from strength to strength after this. I was dismissive of him as a solo artist least of all because I didn't like Oasis who he was trying to imitate. This record though is completely different and I had to concede it's actually quite good.
Verdict - Good
When the All Saints first came about I was amazed to find that I liked their debut Top 40 hit. I was even more amazed to find I also liked this, their follow up. It's one of those records I'd felt I'd heard before but hadn't. As a result of me liking these first 2 singles I went on to do something I'd not done in a long time, bought an album that wasn't rave which was their debut album.
Verdict - Good
Aqua topped the charts with their debut hit "Barbie Girl" and did the same again with this follow up record. Once again it's a novelty record and I'm pretty sure everyone with the surname Jones who held a PhD got some stick for this record.
Verdict - Rubbish
The 2nd and final chart topper to date for Celine Dion which was take from "The Titanic" movie. I remember how big that film was so it was almost inevitable that this would get to number one. It's also a depressing film given that people die at the end so I guess it's appropriate to have a depressing song for it. Musically though its just another Celine Dion record.
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 14/30, or 47%. Getting close to 50% again.
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