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 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
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
This was a cover of a musical song from 1924 that was written by George Gershwin and featured on a tribute album to him. Larry Adler was 80 years old at this point so I would speculate he was the oldest living person to have a Top 40 hit at the time. This sort of music really isn't my thing.
Verdict - Rubbish
26. Seal - Kiss From A Rose (New)
I remember being shocked to find out this record was by Seal. I didn't find out until it was re-released in 1995 for the Batman movie. Once I'd got over the initial shock I realised that I liked it and ended up buying the single
Verdict - Good
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
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
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
This will be the last time The Jesus And Mary Chain will feature as their final Top 40 hits never made the Top 30. It was their only record to make the Billboard 100 which was probably helped by guest vocals by American singer Hope Sandoval. It's a bit more tolerable that their other records, but still not any good.
Verdict - Rubbish
Lucian Pavarotti made the Top 40 back in 1990 thanks to the World Cup. Fast forward 4 years to the next world cup and he's back again for the same reason but he's brought his mates with him this time. Not my cup of tea.
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
One memory of this song that particularly stands out for some reason is it being on the car radio when it was my friends birthday in the middle of August. What does it for me with this song is what I assume to be the steel drums. I also like the 2 different styles of Brian and Tony Gold (not their real names).
Verdict - Good
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 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
14. Shampoo - Trouble (New)
The Top 40 debut for Shampoo and the record they're best known for and also their highest charting. I'm actually quite surprised to learn this got not higher than 11 given how big it seemed to be at the time. At the same time thought who would really want to buy this record? It's absolutely dreadful.
Verdict - Rubbish
13. EYC - Black Book (New)
EYC seem to have calmed down a lot on this record compared to their previous hits, something I remember thinking at the time. I also remember one of the members having an actual black book with him on stage when performing. Now sounding the usual boy band fodder.
Verdict - Rubbish
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
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
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
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
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 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
6. Erasure - Run To The Sun (New)
We're reaching the end of Erasures commercial peak with this being their last Top 10 hit of the 90s though they would return to the Top 10 in the 21st century. This just sounds like a typical Erasure record which is a good thing.
Verdict - Good
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
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
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 10/30, or 30%. Now we've dropped.
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