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:
LL Cool J was still behind Salt-N-Pepa in terms of rap acts with most Top 40 hits. This was number 11 vs the 13 by Salt-N-Pepa. This record took LL Cool J above Salt-N-Pepa for Top 10 hits though with this being his 6th. It's better than any Salt-N-Pepa record I've heard but still not my cup of tea.
Verdict - Rubbish
29. Celetia - Rewind (New)
We were seeing notable improvements in British in R&B in 1998 which possibly opened the door to other British R&B artists. As a result there were still records that illustrated British R&B being inferior to it's American counterpart and this is one of them.
Verdict - Rubbish
Both songs on this double a-side are covers of Noel Coward records. The Shola Ama one is pretty boring to be honest. The Divine Comedy one on the other hand is amazing. It starts out sounding like a pretty straight cover but then develops into a full on dance record. I felt more comfortable about liking The Divine Comedy's music after this.
Verdict - Rubbish / Good
The 2nd solo Top 40 hit for Ian Brown. He fails to reach the Top 10 this time, but I wonder how far he would have got had he not previously been in The Stone Roses. I'm just finding his solo music completely non-descript.
Verdict - Rubbish
I remember the way people would talk about Led Zeppelin. They were the definition of a rock star, like some sort of super human living life to the fullest. Then Jimmy Page and Robert Plant appeared on TFI Friday and I thought these look like the sort of people you'd find drinking in an old mans pub. The music never really had much impact on me.
Verdict - Rubbish
There was a period of time when I'd regularly get the bus to Chenies Street in London. When you'd hear the bus stop announced this song would often come into my head as replacing Angel Street with Chenies Street would work just as well. It was the final Top 10 hit for M People, I'm surprised it took the record buying public so long to get sick of M People.
Verdict - Rubbish
The 2nd Top 40 hit for Five and they reached the Top 5 for the first time. No Swedish songwriters this time, instead it's Eliot Kennedy along with Tim Lever and Mike Percy from Dead or Alive. I recall this being heavily promoted on The Big Breakfast at the time with the band appearing all week.
Verdict - Rubbish
Fire Island was an alias of Heller and Farley who'd previously had a Top 40 hit back in 1994. This was their 2nd and final Top 40 hit to date which is a cover of the Style Council record. I guess the Style Council covered a house record in their final Top 40 hit so time to repay the favor. Unfortunately it's not very good.
Verdict - Rubbish
22. Kristine Blond - Love Shy (New)
The Top 40 debut for Kristine Blond who hails from Denmark. As that's the home of Whigfield and Aqua that doesn't sound too promising. However, the version of this record to make the Top 40 was a speed garage remix by Tuff Jam and therefore it's actually good.
Verdict - Good
I was a bit confused when I started playing this record. I remember this being a cheesy dance record but that wasn't what I was hearing. Turns out I needed the Almighty Single Edit. That meant double the torture for me, it's like Italy's answer to Aqua.
Verdict - Rubbish
This was the final Top 40 hit to date for Todd Terry as an artist. It was also the name of his album. It doesn't have the same impact on me as his other records did, so on that basis this one gets half marks.
Verdict - OK
This was written by Wayne Cohen who also wrote "Just A Step From Heaven" by Eternal and "Rewind" by Precious. It sounds more like something from the Backstreet Boys though, not the only one trying to sound like that.
Verdict - Rubbish
When I first heard this I was amazed that a rock band could make such a record. Then I recall them playing the original version of TFI Friday which was miserable. It then became clear when I discovered than the version we all know and love was the Norman Cook remix.
Verdict - Good
The final Top 40 hit of the 90s for Louise. She also fails to reach the Top 10 with this record. She would however return in the 21st century with Top 40 hits that would chart surprisingly high.
Verdict - Rubbish
16. Travis - More Than Us EP (New)
The 5th Top 40 hit for Travis and the first time they made the Top 20. I do wonder whether these indie bands were in competition with each other to make the most boring record. This is a very strong candidate to win that competition.
Verdict - Rubbish
This is the record All Seeing I were best known for but it wasn't their highest charting. It's a cover of the Sonny & Cher record done big beat style. Very catchy and a record that I always liked at the time.
Verdict - Good
The Top 40 debut for Destiny's Child which was an early sign of what crap was around the corner in the 21st century. To be fair to Destiny's Child they were only 16 at the time so can be excused. It doesn't excuse the shite Beyonce continues to release into her 40s.
Verdict - Rubbish
It had been a year since Madonna had been in the Top 40. The last time she'd been in the Top 40 was with those god awful Evita songs. In a way this record was quite refreshing in comparison. She was being more experimental again, but I have to say this records not for me.
Verdict - Rubbish
I've read the description of this record as a departure from her signature brand of crossover dance pop and R&B to a pure R&B and soul vibe. What complete and utter bollocks. They're trying to give the impressions she's releasing something real rather than commercial, but she isn't really.
Verdict - Rubbish
This was the first Spice Girls hit not to top the charts. Geri Halliwell was so pissed off she decided to leave the group. OK not strictly true, but this was the last Spice Girls hit before she did leave. It's their attempt at making a Motown record, something Emma Bunton also did badly in her solo career.
Verdict - Rubbish
"Here's Where The Story Ends" is perhaps the best known record by The Sundays, but this cover by Tin Tin Out was the only version which made the Top 40. It was the 6th Top 40 hit for Tin Tin Out but just the 2nd to make the Top 30 and their first Top 10. They were making dance music prior to this, but this is a change in direction and the reason why I'd start getting Tin Tin Out and Sixpence None The Richer mixed up.
Verdict - Rubbish
The Top 40 debut for Leann Rimes. I once took part in a quiz where a question was who charted in 1997 with "How Do I Live" to which I confidently answered Leann Rimes. The answer was Trisha Yearwood who reached number 66 with it. Leann Rimes was in 1998 and is the better known version. Although not the first person younger than me to chart, I do recall a younger Leann Rimes charting making me start to think have I missed the boat already in my music career.
Verdict - Rubbish
911 were well established by now to the point they could release any old crap that few people notice and it charts high. That roughly translates as we're now into the territory of 911 records that I don't remember. I preferred it that way.
Verdict - Rubbish
This record charting meant that Daniel O'Donnell had a hit every year from 1992 to 1998. Only Elton John, Madonna, Bryan Adams and Janet Jackson had achieved the same at this point. It was also his only Top 10 hit. Again, who was buying these records?
Verdict - Rubbish
Robbie Williams solo career had been given a boost following the release of "Angels" and this was the follow up single. One thing I never really appreciated until I saw a live band play this record was just how good the bass line is to this. He was now finding his own identity as a pop singer.
Verdict - Good
At the time I remember this being this opening song of Top of the Pops for a few weeks in a row. At least that's what it felt. There also seemed to be a lot of people on the stage so I assumed they were a band with many members, but it turned out there were only 2 of them in Savage Garden. Never before have I seen a song contradict a band name so much. I do like some of their music, but not the soppy ballads.
Verdict - Rubbish
I remember hearing this song and that it was by someone called Billie Myers, but then seeing it and discovering it was actually a woman singing it. I recall Chris Moyles acknowledging that fact by playing it on the radio and singing along by saying "I'm a bloke, I'm a bloke, I'm a bloke, I'm a bloke, no I'm not". I can't say I ever thought much to this.
Verdict - Rubbish
The 4th Top 40 hit for Sash! and the first not to reach number 2. It sounds like they're trying to do "Chariots of Fire" eurodance style. Very cheesy and predictable, but they were onto a winning formula so why not.
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
It had been 10 years since Run DMC had last been in the Top 40. This Jason Nevins remix of their 1983 record took them to the top of the charts and ended the Spice Girls run of number ones. It also made its way onto several dance compilations which validated me liking this record.
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 6.5/30, or 22%. We slip further.
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