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:
Whoever thought it would be a good idea to pay tribute to Kurt Cobain by making this crappy eurodance cover of "Smells Like Teen Spirit". I remember watching this on The Chart Show and thinking what the fuck?
Verdict - Rubbish
This was the penultimate Top 40 hit to date for Aretha Franklin. It's written by Babyface and Daryl Simmons and you can tell. It's easy to draw comparisons between this and her earlier material which was much better. In the 90s though what do you do? you can't redo the 60s. As a result though we have a pretty average record.
Verdict - OK
The final Top 40 hit from Deep Forests self titled album which is therefore my last opportunity to recommend you get this album. If these 3 Deep Forest hits haven't convinced you to get the album then there's no helping you.
Verdict - Good
Apparently this is a gospel inspired song, but don't let that description fool you. It's yet another dreary ballad from Mariah Carey. There was also a jungle rip off of this around the same time with pitched up vocals which is quite something when it's Mariah Carey singing.
Verdict - Rubbish
It had been 31 years since The Rolling Stones made their Top 40 debut and this was their 33rd Top 40 hit, so a little over a hit a year on average. This was their first Top 40 hit after Bill Wyman had left the band. Let's just say 90s Rolling Stones isn't as good as 60s Rolling Stones.
Verdict - Rubbish
I have to say there is something quite amusing about record singing about being a female that has been written by men. This is an example of this. It was the only Top 40 hit for Blackgirl. It's a great record though which appears on my pure swing compilations and is a good representation of the 90s.
Verdict - Good
Neneh Cherry has often been said to be edgy and cool and here she is collaborating with African singer Youssou N'Dour in an attempt to back up these credentials. To me though she's just a pop singer and the only positive thing I have to say about her is that she isn't as bad as her god awful daughter.
Verdict - Rubbish
The not so well remembered follow up to the well remembered "Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm". It's a great follow up though and is a fans favourite. I remember being at a karaoke night singing lots of songs that hammered my voice, but I was able to do this one without straining my voice again.
Verdict - Good
We have a record here that I would consider a life changing moment. I was a grunger and rave was the enemy. Given that rave from a Top 40 perspective was basically dead I wasn't hearing anything in the charts that would tell me otherwise about rave. Then came this record which I thought was amazing. It wouldn't be too long before I bought the "Music For The Jilted Generation" album which took me over into rave territory.
Verdict - Good
One thing I failed to mention when I reviewed their previous hit "Light My Fire" was that Gianfranco Bortolotti was involved. Also involved was Mauro Picotto who had some decent records years later. You have to start somewhere though.
Verdict - Rubbish
This was a remake of a record Dawn Penn had originally recorded back in 1967. This became her only UK Top 40 hit. It's quite an iconic record and is easy on the ears, but I'm not sure I like it enough to give it full marks.
Verdict - OK
19. Skin - Tower Of Strength (New)
I was very much on my own when it came to this record. I thought this was another band I could bring to the table but nobody else seemed to like them. I even remember someone who would have seen them at the "Monsters of Rock" festival they were fuckin awful. I do still stand by the fact I think this is a good record.
Verdict - Good
When PJ & Duncan started their music career it was probably just the viewers of Byker Grove who noticed. When this record came out though everybody else did. I used to live in Newcastle and there was a 90s bar there where you were pretty much guaranteed to hear this record. It is shit though.
Verdict - Rubbish
I did like this record at the time and included it in my "25 years since...." series of posts. However there is no getting around the fact this is nowhere near as good as the Aswad version. It therefore raises the question why bother listening to it. It's not a bad record though so it gets half marks.
Verdict - OK
Another follow single that doesn't sound an awful lot different to work. Let's face it though, Erick Morillo made these records to sell in large quantities rather than for musical credibility. Therefore why not make a record like this, it would have been easy enough.
Verdict - Rubbish
What I remember about this record was thinking how namby pamby it sounded compared to their boy band rivals EYC. Such a pathetically weak single and it somehow sounds worse now than it did back then.
Verdict - Rubbish
After having 3 covers in a row in the Top 40 Elton John is back with an original composition. Bernie Taupin is nowhere to be seen though with lyrics coming from Tim Rice instead with this coming from "The Lion King" movie. Again I question why Disney music has to be so depressing, but I actually don't mind this record.
Verdict - OK
Gun were a band that caught my attention quite early on due to the similarity with their name and Guns N' Roses. I also happened to find the music I heard of theirs quite good. I therefore find it a bit of a shame that their biggest hit was this, a cover of the Cameo record. It really doesn't do the band any justice.
Verdict - Rubbish
The only Top 40 hit for Big Mountain which is a cover of the Peter Frampton record. There was no avoiding this record at the time, I remember some people loving this. I do like a bit of reggae pop myself but have never liked this one.
Verdict - Rubbish
The Top 40 debut and biggest hit for China Black. It was one of those records that I hated at the time but have grown to like via nostalgia for the 90s. I do remember at the time hearing someone singing that and saying what the fuck are you doing? to him. It's easy on the ears I guess.
Verdict - Good
CJ Lewis was able to pull off his 90s remake of "Sweets For My Sweet" but he should have really just left it at that. This is a very poor remake of the Stevie Wonder record and I can only imagine people bought this on the strength of his debut only to be disappointed.
Verdict - Rubbish
There's a video I've seen of someone trying to listen to modern rap music but the facial expressions implies they find it all shit. They eventually resort to this record and breath a sigh of relief. That pretty much sums up how I feel.
Verdict - Good
Oh dear! It's a eurodance record but without the usual male rapper female singer formula. In fact it's largely instrumental. That doesn't mean it's any good though. It's a country inspired eurodance record. That's right country mixed with eurodance, is there a worse combination? Probably, but lets not get away from the fact this is dreadful.
Verdict - Rubbish
Take That's run of number ones ended with this record. With Wet Wet Wet occupying top spot it seemed unlikely they would top the charts with this but at the same time it didn't even make number 2. It may have been more appropriate for it to make number 3 though because it's shit.
Verdict - Rubbish
The Top 40 debut for Let Loose and the record they're best known for. I remember this being universally hated at the time and rightfully so because this is an absolutely dreadful record. It's annoying and cringeworthy and hopefully I'll never hear it again.
Verdict - Rubbish
After Aswad topped the charts with their Top 40 debut "Don't Turn Around" their following singles did chart so well until this record over 6 years later. The fact Ace of Base had their own version of "Don't Turn Around" out around this time would have reminded people of Aswad and that may have helped this single become a success. It's written by the band itself and it's a decent record that I liked at the time even it I wouldn't admit it.
Verdict - Good
The 3rd Top 40 hit for Grid and their highest charting hit that many people only know them for. It's a classic biggest hit is nowhere near their best music sort of situation. It has a catchy hook and isn't a bad record but it is a little irritating at the same time.
Verdict - OK
This is the B-52s under a different name with this cover of The Flintstones theme tune which was done for The Flintstones movie. They have some decent tunes to their name and it's a shame their biggest hits are the worst records I've heard them do.
Verdict - Rubbish
When Big Mountain hit the charts I knew this record would be just around the corner because there was also no avoiding this record at the time and it used to annoy me in equal measure. It was originally a country song by John Michael Montgomery. It wasn't the only Top 40 hit for All-4-One though, they would return with another John Michael Montgomery cover but fortunately that never made the Top 30 so I won't have to listen to it.
Verdict - Rubbish
Aside from a chart topper in 1992, the 90s hadn't been a great decade to this point for Wet Wet Wet from a Top 40 perspective with the rest of their singles of the decade so far failing to reach the Top 10. This was all about to change with this record after it spent 15 weeks at number one and could have beaten Bryan Adams record had they not pulled it from sale. Obviously this topped the charts due to it being from "Four Weddings and a Funeral" but it's also a decent song and definitely revitalised them after some pretty poor singles.
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 11.5/30, or 38%. We stayed the same
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