Sunday, 28 April 2024

Top 30 in 1994 Reviewed: Week 18

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 1994 with my verdict on each record:


The Top 40 debut for Loveland, a British eurodance group who's members include Pete Waterman's son Paul Waterman amongst it's members. To be fair this record isn't as bad as it sounds, but it's not exactly good either.

Verdict - Rubbish


This one is from the film "With Honors" which doesn't actually have Madonna in it for a change. Madonna has a lot of well remembered records but despite it's title this isn't one of them. I'd say people bought this became it was both Madonna and from a film, but quickly forgot it.

Verdict - Rubbish


The Top 40 debut for the Counting Crows which is also their best known record and only Top 40 hit of the 90s. This was a band many of the rock crowd were into at the time. At the same time I was seeking more extreme music and one band I came across was Cannibal Corpse. As these were both names that were 2 words beginning with C I associated the 2 together even though they were pulling in opposite directions. I have grown to like this one over the years.

Verdict - Good


PJ & Duncan were the character names of Ant & Dec on Byker Grove. They started their music career on the show with the song "Tonight I'm Free" which was also released as a single but failed to reach the Top 40. This 2nd single from them did manage the Top 40. It's obviously a piss take and has a resemblance to "Jump" by Kris Kross. 

Verdict - Rubbish


The penultimate Top 40 hit to date for Level 42 and the last time they'll feature as their final hit never made the Top 30. It's surprising in itself that Level 42 were still have hits in 1994. They've not moved into the 90s at all but at the same time sound a shadow of their former selves.

Verdict - Rubbish


This was the 2nd release of this record which failed to make the Top 40 when first released in 1992. It would take the 3rd release in 1994 to reach its peak. I'm not quite sure how well remembered this is now given their bigger hit, but it was certainly big back in the day. It is just another crappy dance pop record though.

Verdict - Rubbish


This was the only Top 40 hit for OT Quarter who's members were Rollo from Faithless and Rob Dougan who have both enjoyed Top 40 success in other acts. It was the first time both had been in the Top 40 in any act. It was also the first hardbag record in the Top 40 that wasn't by Felix. I do like a lot of hardbag music including this.

Verdict - Good


I bought En Vogues greatest hits album many years ago mainly because I realised I like all the hits I'd heard from them. After purchasing though I was reminded of this hit which wasn't so good. The chorus isn't bad but the Salt-N-Pepa rapping is terrible as always.

Verdict - Rubbish


I had to look at the history books to check if this record had originally been released in 1992, but it hadn't. My memory is playing tricks on me again because I think of this as being a 1992 record. That said, I've always considered this to be a bit naff so maybe it is better suited to 1994.

Verdict - Rubbish


I've often been full of praise for the music coming out of Holland in the 90s, but it can't always be good. That was the case with this record which is far too cheesy for my liking. I remember pretty much everyone I knew hated this at the time, but then it topped the charts.

Verdict - Rubbish


An Andrew Lloyd Webber penned song from a musical that's sung by Barbra Streisand. Sounds like my idea of hell. I really cannot stand this sort of music and sitting through a musical full of this rubbish sounds like torture.

Verdict - Rubbish


The 2nd Top 40 hit for Toni Braxton and the 2nd to be written by Babyface who is joined by Daryl Simmons on songwriting duties. Despite the title, it's a lot more uplifting than it's predecessor "Breathe Again". Despite it being more uplifting though it's not as catchy. Once again it gets half marks.

Verdict - OK


This was the Top 40 debut for Skin who were the sort of band grunge was supposed to have killed off, but as Kurt Cobain had died by this point that clearly never happened. That all said, I do remember nobody seemed to like them at the time. The viewing figures on the YouTube videos imply not many people seem to like them now or remember them. I have to say neither of these records are great with the latter being a cover of the EMF record.

Verdict - Rubbish / Rubbish


The 3rd Top 40 hit for Ace Of Base which many regard as their other hit. It didn't quite match the success of debut "All That She Wants" in the UK making number 2 but it did top the charts in America. Like "All That She Wants", "The Sign" was produced by Denniz Pop, the man who started the Swedish revolution in the songwriting world. A good bit of reggae pop.

Verdict - Good


Football songs are generally shit, especially ones by actual football teams. I don't think people really buy football songs for the actual music, but I'm surprised this got to number one because surely only Man Utd fans would have bought it. Maybe it shows just how many Man Utd fans there are. 

Verdict - Rubbish


Crystal Waters had her big hit "Gypsy Woman (La Da Dee)" in 1991 which was then followed by "Makin' Happy" and a megamix. Then nothing until this comeback record. There does seem to be a trend for female house vocalists from 91/92 returning in 1994. It's the last time Crystal Waters will feature as her remaining hits either didn't reach the Top 30 or were in the 21st century. This ones alright but nothing special.

Verdict - OK


The 4th Top 40 hit for Haddaway and the 4th time he made the Top 10, though he hasn't made the Top 10 since. I thing it's fair to say we go past the point of Haddaways career few people remember after this. In fact I would say this records placing in the Top 10 is a bit misleading as I'm not convinced many people remember this one. Its more of the usual rubbish.

Verdict - Rubbish


This is one of those records I've continuously liked since I first heard it. At the time I wasn't devoted to any particular scene, then when it got re-released the Red Hot Chili Peppers were a cool band to like and the "Blood Sugar Sex Magik" album was one I carried on listening to once I got into rave initially. Then in the late 90s when the All Saints covered it both versions were played one after the other on the radio and I remember thinking this sounds so much better.  

Verdict - Good


I would call this a prime example of pop music disguising itself as R&B. It's written by the same people who wrote "Rewind" for Precious a few years later and one of the writers also wrote for S Club 7. The singings too over the top for me and I just find it irritating.

Verdict - Rubbish


This record is most famous for being the one that Boyzone danced to on "The Late Late Show" before they were famous. This was before they were famous in the UK at least. I don't know whether it's a consequence of that, but this record has always irritated me.

Verdict - Rubbish


I feel like I've known this song all my life but I clearly haven't as it didn't come out until 1994. I can't remember this actually being in the Top 40 but when I discovered it was a 1994 hit I was shocked it wasn't a lot earlier. It manages to be both boring and cringeworthy at the same time.

Verdict - Rubbish


Bruce Springsteen is one of those legendary artists I've never really got what the hype was about. This record did little to convince me otherwise. It's his highest charting single to date and was taken from the film "Philadelphia". I just find it really dull.

Verdict - Rubbish


I always thought this record was shit at the time. Then I heard it again a couple of years later and it sounded even worse as it was slower than I remembered. Then I discovered the man behind Reel 2 Real was Erick Morillo, a credible DJ and thought maybe this is credible music. Who was I trying to kid, it was cheesy commercial rubbish that was made to sell by the bucket loads. 

Verdict - Rubbish


I feel I knew this song long before it topped the charts. Probably because there was no avoiding Take That at the time and I probably heard someone playing it somewhere. Gary Barlow said their Ian Levine hit "I Found Heaven" was awful but I don't think this Gary Barlow penned record sounds too different and is equally as dreadful.

Verdict - Rubbish


I remember when this appeared on Top of the Pops I initially saw guitars on the stage before they introduced this record and was expecting a rock song. Despite that brief moment of disappointment I couldn't help but like this record. It was his 4th Top 40 hit and the final one to make the Top 10.

Verdict - Good


This was originally by the Drifters and taken to the top of the charts by the Searchers in 1963. This CJ Lewis version is pretty cheesy, it is the sort of record you'd expect Andi Peters to like. At the same time though it's great fun to listen to and pure 90s nostalgia.

Verdict - Good


It had been around 2 years since Erasure topped the charts with the "Abba-Esque EP" which I was never a fan of. In the time since the only hit they'd had was a re-issue of "Who Needs Love Like That". Their first new single since was this and it was good to see them back on form. I love the way the chorus comes into this.

Verdict - Good


In the days before YouTube I would look at the list of number ones in my British Hit Singles book, mostly in the 90s. I knew pretty much all of them but I did think what the fuck is this record. I can't remember when I finally did put a song to the name, but it is one I've known all along. Pretty bland dance pop music that deserves to be long forgotten.

Verdict - Rubbish


I thought this was a really odd one when I first heard it. My first thought when this was introduced on Top of the Pops was that the singer looked like Neil from the Young Ones. Then he started singing in a loud deep voice, I thought what the fuck is this. However, I started to like it after a few listens. Of course a song sung by a Neil from the Young Ones lookalike with a funny voice and a chorus that is simply "mmm" repeated several times is hard to take seriously. If you listen to the rest of the lyrics though they're actually quite meaningful.

Verdict - Good


This is the first Top 40 hit for Prince after he became a symbol. It's also his only chart topping single to date. Due to the high pitched singing I did think this was the Bee Gees when I first heard it but soon found out who it really was. I was a big critic of this record at the time but I always secretly liked it.

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 10/30, or 33%. A slight improvement again.
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